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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works Jun 7 2022Whatcom County Council Public Works & Health Committee COUNTY COURTHOUSE 311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105 Bellingham, WA 98225-4038 (360) 778-5010 Committee Minutes - Final Tuesday, June 7, 2022 1:35 PM Hybrid Meeting HYBRID MEETING — ADJOURNS BY 2:40 P.M. PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT DIFFICULTIES WITH OUR MEETING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO VIEW VIA THE "IN -PROGRESS" LINK, SEE ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS AT whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil. COUNCILMEMBERS Barry Buchanan Kaylee Galloway Kathy Kershner CLERK OF THE COUNCIL Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C. Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final June 7, 2022 Committee Call To Order Roll Call Committee Chair Kathy Kershner called the meeting to order at 1:35 p.m. in a hybrid meeting. Present: 3 - Barry Buchanan, Kaylee Galloway, and Kathy Kershner Absent: None Also Present: Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Carol Frazey Announcements Special Presentation 1. AB2022-331 Presentation of the "Certificate of Good Practice" to the Public Works Department Kershner read the presentation into the record on behalf of Executive Sidhu and spoke about its significance. She presented the certificate to Jim Karcher, Public Works Department. Clerk's note: The meeting was paused because of issues with the live feed on the County's website. After restoring the live feed, Kershner called the meeting to order again at 1:52 p.m. She read the presentation and presented the certificate to Jim Karcher, Public Works Department, again for the record. Jim Karcher, Public Works Department, thanked the Councilmembers and stated it was a team effort. This agenda item was PRESENTED. Committee Discussion 1. AB2022-324 Discussion regarding the Public Works Department's mid -year supplemental budget request Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department Director, read from the Proposed Supplemental Requests (on file). He answered questions about whether the staffing positions listed are additional ones and whether they are adding staff when they are still having a hard time filling current open positions, hiring a Natural Resources Manager versus hiring a Climate Action Whntcom County Page I Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final June 7, 2022 Committee Manager at that same level, whether the Climate Action Manager was not at the 425 classification level, and how to evaluate the Road Fund balance and know the effect of these requests on the fund. He then read from the Flood Fund Budget 2022 Year -End Projection (on file). Gary Stoyka, Public Works Department, and Hutchings answered questions about the projected $5 million reserve considering inflation over the last several years, how much they are looking at being under the $5 million threshold in the fund balance if all these proposed requests are approved, whether Public Works will come and ask for more money to fix some of the roads that are in bad shape from bad weather or whether they should contract that work out to get it done since it is critical for safety, whether the "budget pie" is big enough for all the high priority and urgent needs that fall under the Public Works Department, how they are paying for Climate Action and whether it is being paid from the Flood Fund, whether any of the listed expenditures are projected not to continue into 2023, how much money the Flood Fund receives each year from property tax, and whether they are expecting any Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements. Elenbaas spoke about whether we are we increasing the size of the budget pies proportionately between the County departments. This agenda item was DISCUSSED. Items Added by Revision Other Business Adiournment There were no agenda items added by revision. There was no other business. The meeting adjourned at 2:47 p.m. Whotcom County Page 2 Council Public Works & Health Committee Minutes - Final June 7, 2022 Committee ATTEST: �°���,asSssat�y�,� WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL • a0 � i6 ® & p 6 Y1 04 WHATCOM COUNTY, WA ® e) Kathy Kershner-via email6/10/2022 Di�n0� Town-D Clerk Kathy Kershner, Committee Chair `°.gyp• � ®� fl ©� ��� Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcri tion Whatcom County Page 3