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Home My WebLink AboutFinance May 10 2022Whatcom County Council Finance and Administrative Services Committee COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Committee Minutes - Final Tuesday, May 10, 2022 11 AM Hybrid Meeting HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 1 P.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON OR SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil OR CALL 360.778.5010) COUNCILMEMBERS Tyler Byrd Carol Frazey Kathy Kershner CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C. Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final May 10, 2022 Services Committee Call To Order Roll Call Committee Chair Tyler Byrd called the meeting to order at 11:02 a.m. in a hybrid meeting. Present: 3 - Tyler Byrd, Carol Frazey, and Kathy Kershner Absent: None Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Kaylee Galloway Announcements Special Presentation 1. AB2022-226 Presentation from the Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence Susan Marks, Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence, presented and answered what percent of survivor defendants are male and what percentage are female. Frazey spoke about the importance of stabilizing funding for the Commission and Councilmembers thanked Marks for the presentation and her work in the community. This agenda item was PRESENTED. 2. f1132022 26% Report from the Human Resources Division Melissa Keeley, Administrative Services Department Human_ Resources (HR), reported on HR and County staffing, training and staff development, Collective Bargaining, a current formal compensation study for unrepresented employees, and new technology tools (DocuSign, JD Edwards, and NEOGOV recruitment software). She answered when the implicit biased training will be implemented, whether the County is doing anything intentional other than the NEOGOV software to make sure we have a diverse pool of job applicants, the biggest constraint the County runs into regarding hiring or recruiting new team members, whether the amount the County pays engineers is competitive with the rest of the community, whether she is familiar with a specific clause written into the City of Bellingham's bargaining agreement pertaining to emergency management and assigning a second duty to employees that correlates to the level of their position, and whether there are any other jurisdictions that are doing that. Whateom County page I Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final May 10, 2022 Services Committee Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered whether they get much feedback regarding staff who are wanting the County to open a cafe in the Courthouse, where employees should go with such a request, and some of the issues involved in having a cafe in the Courthouse. He will follow up with Council via email. This agenda item was REPORTED. Committee Discussion 1. AB2022-279 Discussion of proposed investment of a portion of ARPA funds towards early learning and child care in Whatcom County Judy Ziels, Health Department, briefed the Councilmembers and she and the following people answered questions: • David Webster, Opportunity Council • Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office They discussed with Councilmembers whether grant funding through the Opportunity Council will be distributed with a contract that has Whatcom County's standard language on non-discrimination for the main contract and subcontract, whether that language would rule out religious organizations, whether there is a request for more money on top of the $1 million previously approved and outside of what would be covered in the proposed ballot initiative, whether the County is providing supplemental funding to Bellingham for childcare, how many slots this would create for kids, bringing more childcare capacity to the smaller communities, getting clarity on the County's intention with the non-discrimination clause in its contract, whether stabilization grants issued to childcare operators throughout Whatcom County (as referenced under immediate action number 1 on page 4 of the ARPA Funding Proposal on file) would be used to pay salaries of childcare workers, how long those dollars will last and those paychecks be supplemented, whether the proposal to provide grants to 75 percent of total licensed childcare operators in Whatcom County means we have 25 percent of providers who are pretty stable, whether the number of 75 percent is a researched figure or just an estimate, and whether the Child and Family Well -Being Task Force is looking at what providers that are not going to apply and are doing well are doing. This agenda item was DISCUSSED. Council "Consent Agenda" Items Byrd asked if there were any Consent Agenda items Committee members Whatcom County Page 2 Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final May 10, 2022 Services Committee would like to vote on separately but there were none. Frazey moved to approve Consent Agenda items one through seven. Paula Harris, Public Works Department, answered questions about Consent Agenda item number four (AB2022-265). She answered whether they are incorporating climate change and climate change considerations into the work of flood mitigation and planning, whether all of the landowners of land they are looking to acquire have been reached out to and know this is happening, and whether landowners of key properties should be made aware. Councilmembers voted on all the Consent Agenda items (see votes on individual items below). 1. AB2022-2 36 Resolution to set hearing and notice of hearing to declare Whatcom County real property as surplus Frazey moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 2. AB2022. 2) 7_ Resolution to set hearing and notice of hearing to authorize the transfer of Whatcom County surplus property Frazey moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 3. AB2022_.- 53 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement amendment between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Commerce to provide resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals and families who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance, in the amount of $1,250,000 for a total amended amount of $4,294,770 Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Whatcone County Page 3 Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final May 10, 2022 Services Committee Nay: 0 Absent: 0 4. AB2072-265 Request permission for the County Executive to enter into a Shorelands Floodplain by Design Agreement with the State of Washington Department of Ecology (Council acting as the Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) Frazey moved that the Contract (FCZDBS) be RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 5. A 2022-272 Resolution authorizing the Whatcom County Executive to act as the authorized representative on behalf of Whatcom County for Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Grant Frazey moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 6. AB2022---2 7' Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between Whatcom County and Parametrix, Inc, in the amount of $55,523.27 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District Board of Supervisors) Frazey moved that the Contract (FCZDBS) be RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 7. A02022-277 Request authorization for the Executive to enter into a FEMA Public Assistance grant agreement between Whatcom County and the Washington State Military Department for disaster relief and emergency assistance Frazey moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following !3'hateont County Page 4 Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final Services Committee vote: Aye: 3 - Byrd, Frazey, and Kershner Nay: 0 Absent: 0 Items Added by Revision Other Business Adiournment There were no agenda items added by revision. There was no other business. The meeting adjourned at 12:09 p.m. ATTEUX"a i A1'C�aAi��'' Dana 13 Davis, �t-"bnncil Clerk Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription May 10, 2022 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WA Tyler Byrd -via email 5/11/2022 Tyler Byrd, Committee Chair Whatcom County Page 5