HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Janaury 28 2020Whatcom County
Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
ESTIMATED TIME - MEETING MAY BEGIN EARLIER/LATER THAN I I A.M.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
11 AM
Council Chambers
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rod Browne
`Tyler Byrd
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final
Services Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
January 28, 2020
Committee Chair Tyler Bird called the meeting to order at 10:21 a.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: 3 - Rud Browne, Tyler Byrd and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Also present: Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Carol Frazey
County Executive's Report
There was no Executive Report.
Special Order of Business
1. AB2020-030 Confirm Committee Chair Selection
Kershner moved that the selection of Tyler Byrd as Chair be CONFIRMED.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
Special Presentation
1. AB2019-533 Update on economic development activities by the Regional Economic Development
Partnership
Since the meeting started earlier than 11 a.m., the Committee members
concurred that they would like to hold this first item to the end of the
meeting because the presenters were not yet present.
Clerk's note: See final action taken on this item below, after Council
"Consent Agenda. "
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2020-020 Ordinance amending the 2020 Whatcom County Budget, request no. 3, in the amount
of $1,586,506
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Services Committee
Browne moved that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
2. AB2020-003 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and Skagit County for mutual assistance on minor road
projects with labor, equipment, or materials on a reimbursable basis for road
maintenance activities through January 31, 2024
Browne moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
3. AB2020-034 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and Skagit County for Mini -Chain Services in the amount
of $153,411.00
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, explained the process of mini -chain
services.
Cathy Halka, Council Office, clarified that there is no need for a second to
motions made in committee proceedings.
Kershner moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
4. AB2020-035 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Oak Harbor for Mini -Chain Services in
the amount of $1,845.00
Kershner moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
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Services Committee
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
5. AB2020-036 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Marysville for Mini -Chain Services in the
amount of $37,006.00
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, answered a question about why this city
requests more money than the other cities.
Kershner moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
6. AB2020-050 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and Island County for Mini -Chain Services in the amount
of $4,626.00
Kershner moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
7. AB2020-053 Request approval of the Economic Development Investment (EDI) Board's
recommendation for funding of the City of Lynden's request for a loan in the amount
of $2,000,000 and a grant in the amount of $1,000,000
Kershner moved that the request be recommended for authorization.
Councilmembers discussed the request, whether the childcare crisis in
Whatcom County should take priority for the use of public funds, and
whether private development is the best use of Economic Developoment
Investment (EDI) funds.
Kershner moved to hold till later in the meeting.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Kershner, Byrd, and Browne
Nay: 0 - None
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Services Committee
Clerk's note: See final action taken on this item below, after Council
"Consent Agenda. "
Council "Consent Agenda" Items
1. AB2020-039 Request approval to sign agreement with Washington State Recreation and
Conservation Office Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Farmland
Preservation grant program to provide matching funds for the acquisition of an
agricultural conservation easement on the McLeod property through the Purchase of
Development Rights (PDR) Program
Kershner moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
2. AB2020-040 Request approval to sign agreement with Washington State Recreation and
Conservation Office Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Farmland
Preservation grant program to provide matching funds for the acquisition of an
agricultural conservation easement on the Roper property through the Purchase of
Development Rights (PDR) Program
Kershner moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
3. AB2020-041 Request approval to sign agreement with Washington State Recreation and
Conservation Office Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Farmland
Preservation grant program to provide matching funds for the acquisition of an
agricultural conservation easement on the TeVelde property through the Purchase of
Development Rights (PDR) Program
Browne moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
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Services Committee
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
4. AB2020-043 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Max Higbee Center to support critical construction
improvements at their newly leased location, in the amount of $100,000
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, and Tyler Schroeder Executive's Office,
answered questions and Councilmembers discussed how millage funds are
collected, what they are and how they are used, whether funding this item
with millage funds means that $100,000 would be cut from other programs
or services, and whether the facility to be funded is a different one from the
one that already exists or an addition to it.
Kershner moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
5. AB2020-044 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Northwest Youth Services to support operations at the
Ground Floor Day -Use Center, in the amount of $125,000
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, and Satpal Sidhu, County Executive,
answered whether this is the same as the money previously approved for
Northwest Youth Services.
Councilmembers also discussed fund transparency and whether the
Administration could provide visibility or notification to the Council about
whether one program will lose funding when another gets approved by the
Council (especially if it was funding they had previously approved) and how
this might fit in to the budget and contract process.
Kershner moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
6. AB2020-045 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a Collective Bargaining
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Services Committee
Agreement between Whatcom County and the Fraternal Order of Police, Matt
Herzog Memorial Lodge #24 representing Whatcom County Sheriff's Office
Management Group
Browne moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
Absent: 0
7. AB2020-055 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK) to develop a
Whatcom County Public Health, Safety, and Justice Facility Needs Assessment, in
the amount of $629,694
Browne moved that the Contract be authorized by consent.
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, submitted a handout (on file), briefed
the Councilmembers, introduced two presenters, and answered questions
about when the New Jail Fund got renamed to the New Health, Safety, and
Justice Facility Project Fund.
Buchanan stated he is not related and has no connection to Todd Buchanan
from Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK).
Jeff Bradley, representative from Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, Inc.
(HOK), presented. He answered questions about the top three things his
firm would do differently from its competitors to work toward reducing
incarceration and recidivism, giving the Council examples of elements in
other jurisdictions that they would like to incorporate in Whatcom County,
how they would address Whatcom County's need to find a plan that its
voters will approve, whether their statistics are based on concrete as
opposed to theoretical data, and providing that data to the Council.
Schroeder, Bradley, and Councilmembers discussed bringing past examples
of facilities that have incorporated the communities' wishes as it relates to
behavioral health and alternatives, holding the item in Committee to get
more information from HOK, how scheduling more meeting time might
affect the project timeline, receiving examples of other facilities that are
either heavy or light on treatment for mental health and substance abuse,
addressing the pros and cons of different designs and locations in Whatcom
County, and looking at target audiences and strategies of community
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7.
engagement.
Browne withdrew his motion to authorize by consent.
Browne moved that the Contract be HELD AND REFERRED TO
COMMITTEE. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Browne, Byrd and Kershner
Nay: 0
January 28, 2020
Absent: 0
AB2019-533 Update on economic development activities by the Regional Economic Development
Partnership
Don Goldberg, Port of Bellingham, submitted and gave a presentation (on
file) on what the Regional Economic Development Partnership
accomplished in 2019 and what they hope to accomplish in the coming
year. He answered questions about whether the Geographic Information
System (GIS) map, which shows where utilities are on industrial properties
up the I-5 corridor, could be made public and whether shapefiles can be
posted on the Port of Bellingham's website; providing a count of new jobs
and the trend of average salaries in the county; and whether the Council
could get access to the studies done by the partnership regarding rural
broadband, the I-5 corridor, and the viabiltiy of a business park at Cherry
Point.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
AB2020-053 Request approval of the Economic Development Investment (EDI) Board's
recommendation for funding of the City of Lynden's request for a loan in the amount
of $2,000,000 and a grant in the amount of $1,000,000
Scott Korthuis, City of Lynden Mayor, submitted and gave a presentation
(on file) and the following people spoke:
Don Korthuis, area property owner and developer
Steve Banham, City of Lynden Public Works Department
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office
Councilmembers discussed and the speakers answered questions about how
Lynden Door would benefit from the West Front Street project, how many
companies have signed a lease for the business park, the value of each acre
of land once developed, the number of acres to be developed, the use of the
Economic Development Investment Board EDI funds and whether they
would be better used to fund the recent childcare crisis, why the developer
is not paying for the project, whether the City of Lynden has a "plan B" if the
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Services Committee
January 28, 2020
funding does not get approved, whether the City has looked for other
funding, whether the streets on the impact fee -funded street map (in the
presentation) are funded without EDI money, how impact fees paid by the
developer are used, whether the request could be made for just a loan as
opposed to a grant and a loan, other projects that EDI money has funded, the
relationship between the Mayor and the land developer, and possible ways
to structure a loan and then bring the request back to the Council.
Kershner's earlier motion that the Special Executive Only Item be
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL failed by the following vote:
Aye: I - Kershner
Nay: 2 - Browne and Byrd
Absent: 0
Other Business
Adjournment
There was no other business.
The meetin4,4djournmdj4l 1:17 p.m.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
T Wr Committee Chair