HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council Jul 28 2020Whatcom County
Council (Special)
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste 4105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
VIRTUAL MEETING - VIEW ONLINE
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
10:30 AM
Virtual Meeting
COUNCILMEMBERS
Rud Browne
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council (Special) Minutes - Final July 28, 2020
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m. in a
virtual meeting.
Present: 7 - Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, Ben
Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner
Absent: None
Committee Discussion
1. AB2020-234 Discussion regarding goals, guidelines, and approach to updating current and future
budgets
The following people spoke and answered questions during this discussion:
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive
• Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council
Donovan moved to add a goal to maintain public services and staffing
levels. The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
Elenbaas suggested a friendly amendment to add appropriate level of
service and appropriate level of staffing to the motion.
Donovan did not accept the friendly amendment but stated he would
entertain a friendly amendment to say "Maintain public service and staffing
levels within the context of this fiscal crisis."
Councilmembers and Sidhu continued to discuss the motion.
Donovan stated someone could amend his motion to say "Strive to maintain
service and staffing levels while recognizing the constraints of the current
fiscal crisis."
Kershner suggested a friendly amendment to the motion so it reads: Strive
to maintain service and staffing levels while recognizing the constraints of
the current fiscal crisis.
Donovan accepted the friendly amendment.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final July 28, 2020
Councilmembers discussed and Donovan restated the amended motion.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 6 - Browne, Buchanan, Donovan, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 1 - Byrd
Browne moved to remove goals two and three from the document "Budget
Goals and Priorities - Byrd" (on file) as follows:
1. Establish two budgets reflecting a 10% and 20% decrease from
2019 revenue.
2L. n ,Move ,aunty wide unemployment rate of 5 or- less by end of
2022
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e 7 months and vaeaney rate between e poi by end f2023
He stated he would like to discuss them as principles. The motion was
seconded by Donovan.
Councilmembers and Sidhu discussed the motion.
Browne withdrew his motion and moved to retain goals two and three but to
amend the language of the goals as follows:
2. Use expenditures to encourage local employment where possible
3. Retain resources engaged in addressing housing affordability
The motion was seconded by Donovan.
Councilmembers and staff discussed the motion.
The motion failed by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Buchanan, Donovan, and Browne
Nay: 4 - Byrd, Elenbaas, Frazey, and Kershner
Byrd facilitated a discussion about guiding principles and Councilmembers
discussed with Brown -Davis which documents had already been used in
previous discussions.
Kershner moved that the list under "Council Suggestions" be adopted along
with the examples of guiding principles as listed in "Budget Goals and
Priorities - Byrd" (on file). The motion was seconded by Frazey.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final July 28, 2020
Councilmembers discussed the motion and decided which document they
should work from. They concurred to refer to the document "Frazey's
Additions to Byrd's Priorities" (on file).
Kershner withdrew her motion and moved to adopt the guiding principles
one through eight as listed in the document "Frazey's Additions to Byrd's
Priorities" dated 6/16/2020 (on file). The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Councilmembers discussed the budget Guiding Principles and Council
Suggestions in the aforementioned document, made changes, and came up
with the following list of guiding principles:
1. Children and families first.
2. Is this money being spent efficiently and effectively.
3. Prioritize deferred maintenance projects based on the level of
importance.
4. Prioritize projects which leverage third party grant funding.
5. Invest in digital infrastructure.
6. Retain expertise within staffing.
7. Ensure transparency in decisions, information, and data.
8. Prioritize environmentally sustainable solutions.
9. Prioritize funding to address up stream issues that ultimately reduce
costs to the community.
10. Be open to new ideas and consider creative approaches and
solutions.
11. Prioritize cost sharing and collaboration with other jurisdictions.
12. Work within our authority.
13. Prioritize projects or initiatives working with Whatcom County
businesses and agriculture.
14. Reduce unnecessary redundancies within county.
Clerk's note: Donovan and Buchanan left the meeting around I p.m.
Kershner withdrew her motion and moved to approve this amended list as
their guiding principles. The motion was seconded by Frazey.
Councilmembers discussed holding the motion until all Councilmembers
are present.
Kershner withdrew her motion and Councilmembers agreed to hold her
motion until all Councilmembers are present.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED AND MOTIONS WERE APPROVED.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final July 28, 2020
Other Business
Adjournment
Kershner spoke about the next action steps including inviting a local
economist, businesses, and non-profit services agencies to give
presentations to the Councilmembers on their various areas of expertise
and when that process should start.
Dana Brown -Davis, Clerk of the Council, suggested that Councilmember
Byrd put the information from today in a Resolution for next week.
The meeting adjourned at 1:23 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on September 15, 2020.
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