HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Oct 24 2023Whatcom 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, October 24, 2023
10:50 AM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY NOON, MAY BEGIN EARLY
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010), AGENDA
REVISED 10.23.2023
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Carol Frazey
Kathy Kershner
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kathy Kershner called the meeting to order at 10:58 a.m.
in a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Carol Frazey, and Kathy Kershner
Also Present: Tyler Byrd, Barry Buchanan, Ben Elenbaas, and Kaylee Galloway
Announcements
Council "Consent Agenda" Items
Frazey requested that they consider Consent Agenda item number three
(AB2023-669) separately and moved to approve Consent Agenda items one,
two, and four through twelve.
Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services, answered questions.
Councilmembers voted on the Consent items (see votes on individual items
below).
1. AB2023-641 Request authorization from the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and the Administrative Office of the Courts in the amount of
$66,373
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
2. AB2023-663 Request authorization for the County Executive to sign an agreement between
Whatcom County and WA Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to secure
matching funds for the Jacoby Agricultural Conservation Easement through the RCO
Farmland Preservation grant program in the amount of $169,650
Frazey moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
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Services Committee
3. AB2023-669 Resolution approving the 2024 recommended convention center allocations for
tourism -related facilities and activities as defined through RCW 67.28.1816
This item was considered separately (see below).
4. A13_2023-670 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and Washington Traffic Safety Commission for High
Visibility Enforcement (HVE) patrols, in the amount of $15,000.00
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
5. AB2023-671 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham to jointly fund a winter shelter,
in an amount not to exceed $250,000
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
6. AB2023-673 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham to jointly fund an interim
shower program, in an amount not to exceed $137,500
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
7. AB2023-674 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a memorandum of
understanding between Whatcom County and Birch Bay Village Community Club to
coordinate stormwater capital improvement projects
Frazey moved that the Memorandum of Agreement be RECOMMENDED
FOR AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the
following vote:
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
8. AB2023 681. Request authorization for the County Executive to award bid #23-59 and enter into a
contract between Whatcom County and CIMA Construction, Inc for roof and siding
replacement at Lighthouse Marine Park, in the amount of $203,755.93
Frazey moved that the Bid Award be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
9. AB2023-683 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal amendment
between Whatcom County and Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission to
provide additional funding for providing an instructor for the State Parks Recreational
Boating Safety (RBS) program in the amount of $5,000 for a total amended amount
of $23,476.57
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOTVMIENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
10. AB2023-687 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an Interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and U.S. Department of Justice for Organized Crime
Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), in the amount of $5,000
Frazey moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
11. AB2023-688 Request approval for the County Executive to award Bid #23-71 for the purchase of
five (5) automated sandbagging machines to The Bag Lady, Inc., located in Puyallup,
Washington, in an amount not to exceed $209,190.75
Frazey moved that the Bid Award be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
12. AB2023-689 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Remote Medical Training in the amount of $53,675.16
Frazey moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Council "Consent Agenda" Items Considered Separately
3. AB2023-669 Resolution approving the 2024 recommended convention center allocations for
tourism -related facilities and activities as defined through RCW 67.28.1816
Donovan moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL.
The following people discussed the item with Councilmembers:
• Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive
They discussed how people know about the $150,000 of contingency
money that is set aside for later in the year and how that is an equitable
process, whether someone would have to "know somebody" in order to
know that money is out there and available, whether people are
automatically told there is money available when they submit an application
to the County for an event, an option that they could give notice in the
spring that there is money available for summer events and request
community members to come in to the office to see what the allocation is,
whether they have a goal for what they want the fund balance to be, a
conversation at the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) about where
the committee would be interested in taking this fund collection into the
future and how the County should manage the fund, how much money the
County and other jurisdictions have put forward for the Wayfinding Project,
thinking ahead with this funding source to the possibility of Bellingham
deciding in the future to incorporate their urban growth area (UGA) and
Whatcom County losing the hotel by the airport which is its biggest revenue
generator, whether revenues generated within city limits go into this fund,
and whether Bellingham, Lynden, and Ferndale have their own tourism funds
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
in light of the fact that Whatcom County is funding a lot of things in those
cities through this fund.
Donovan's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL carried by the following vote
Aye: 2 - Donovan, and Kershner
Nay: 1 - Frazey
Special Presentation
1. A132023-684 Report from Facilities Division of Administrative Services Department
Rob Ney, Administrative Services Department Facilities, read from a
presentation (on file) and answered a question about the use of stucco in in
the Williamson Way building.
This agenda item was REPORTED.
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2023-637 Ordinance Establishing a New Whatcom County Healthy Children's Fund
yo,-.ovais : ,00veu that ,'.—c Oruinance bc LDECOLvil,=1ENDED FOUR
ADOPTION.
Kershner stated it looks like this specific item is designed to take any
interest that the Healthy Children's Fund generates and put it back in the
Healthy Children's Fund rather than into the General Fund. She asked
whether there is any thinking about the costs the Healthy Children's Fund is
taking on the General Fund, such as administration, that could be
reimbursed if the interest were to go back into the General Fund. She stated
she would be interested in taking the roughly $500,000 of interest, doing
something broader than what the Healthy Children's Fund Ordinance allows,
and using it to expand other services in the community.
The following people answered questions and discussed the item with
Councilmembers:
• Kayla Schott-Bresler, Strategic Initiatives Special Programs
Manager
• Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department Finance
• Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive
• Erika Lautenbach, Health and Community Services Director
• Ann Beck, Health and Community Services
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
They discussed whether the original ordinance specifies that the interest
collected would stay in the fund, that the funds being collected would have
to be consistent with what the original ordinance regarding Healthy
Children's Fund allows it to be so Council could have a policy conversation
and review the uses of the fund, an administrative provision in Ordinance
2022-045 that allows a certain amount of the fund for administration,
whether the actual initiative was much broader than just children and
included other categories, whether interest from any other funds go to the
General Fund or stay in their respective funds, and where in the Ordinance it
says the interest generated would go into the Healthy Children's Fund.
Donovan's motion that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR
ADOPTION carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Donovan, and Frazey
Nay: 1 - Kershner
2. AB2023-6651 Ordinance amending the project budget for the E. Smith/Hannegan Road Intersection
Improvements Fund, Request No. 3
Frazey moved that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
3. lAB2023-6,52 Ordinance amending the project based budget for the North Lake Samish Road
Bridge No. 107 Replacement Fund, request No. 3
Donovan moved that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR
ADOPTION. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
4. AB2023 -65 7. Ordinance amending the 2023 Whatcom County Budget, request no. 14, in the
amount of $13,162,440
Frazey moved that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION.
Councilmembers asked questions about various requested expenditures and
revenues in the "Proposed Ordinance."
$5.1 million revenue in the Sheriff's Department to fund ARPA Revenue
Loss - General Government Services (#4245- page 28 of the Supplemental
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Requests)
Donovan asked about the $5.1 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) transfer
to the General Fund and stated they did not talk as a Council about what they
should do with the money. This ordinance shows that it all goes to the
Sheriff's Department. He asked the Council whether there are other needs
or other departments it should go to, whether it would be a one-off funding
for the Sheriff, and why all of it is going to one department.
Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services, stated this is
connected to the next agenda item establishing a Community Priorities
Fund (AB2023-659). Some of the Council priorities for using ARPA funds
can be funded with General Funds and might extend beyond 2024, so the
idea has been to create a Community Priorities Fund, to utilize ARPA funds
for General Fund salaries and wages, and then have a corresponding transfer
to the Community Priorities Fund to accomplish the Council priorities in
the future. The budget supplemental of $5.1 million to cover Sheriffs
Department wages does not add new FTEs or revenue specifically for the
Sheriff's Department. It is used to move the $5.1 million of unused General
Fund that they had budgeted this year into the Community Priorities Fund
for the future ARPA priorities.
Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department Finance, and Schroeder
answered questions about why the $5.1 is gong into a particular department
and out of the Executive budget. Bennett stated they are just paying for the
Sheriff's Office expenditures using ARPA funds but not adding more to the
Sheriff's Office budget. Less of the general revenues of the county would
be going to support the Sheriff. s Office and the County would support that
department using the ARPA money that is available. They answered why the
expense cannot show that $5.1 will then be taken out of the Sheriff s
Department to go into the Community Priorities Fund as opposed to it
coming out of "Executive" so that it is clear that the Sheriff's Office is not
just adding that money to their budget. Schroeder stated the Administration
could consider how the money is noted in this ordinance before tonight's
meeting.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, stated at the end of 2020 Council did
something similar with revenue loss from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars which had the same provision as
the ARPA Fund.
Request to fund Emergency Preparedness position in the Health
Department with grant proceeds (#4302- page 7 of the Supplemental
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Requests) Approximate Tzmestamp: 53:56
Erika Lautenbach, Health and Community Services Director, answered
whether we are creating two silos of emergency management in our
community (with these two positions and the Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) and whether we need the EOC to be staffed at the level it is staffed if
we are having some of these emergency positions in the Health Department,
or vice versa. Lautenbach stated this is dedicated and allocated funding for
this purpose and cannot be used any other way.
Lynette Bennett, Health and Community Services, spoke about the new
position and what it would be involved in.
Lautenbach and Bennett answered how the Department of Emergency
Management and staff at the EOC interact with the Health Department and
whether there is coordination or a vision for how those departments manage
emergencies, whether this position is funded with grant proceeds, and
whether those funds are expected to go into future.
Request to fund vulnerable children initiatives 04315- page 43 of the
Supplemental Requests) Appio iq ate Tirne�,t n -15
The following people answered questions:
• Ann Beck, Health and Community Services
• Kayla Schott-Bresler, Strategic Initiatives Special Programs
Manager
Galloway asked whether there was a way to up the funding on this request to
capture some funding to our food banks to provide diapers and other basic
needs to families with children who utilize those services.
Kershner asked about the two budget requests from the Healthy Children's
fund totaling $500,00 and asked about a comprehensive plan for using the
money, what requests they have received, what Requests for Proposals they
have seen, which are being approved, and why they picked these two areas
(vulnerable children initiatives- #4315, and early learning and care- #4316)
to start with. She would like a broader vision and does not want to
piecemeal this money out.
Beck stated they do not have the whole picture at this point but gave
examples of programs they anticipate they will be able to get going this
year. She answered how they decided on the top three priorities (in #4315)
to start with since there is funding in other funds for similar services, and
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Services Committee
why we are putting more money behind these services and not looking at
other things that do not have funding.
Frazey stated she would support Galloway's idea for funding things like
diapers and would also like to fund reproductive feminine products too.
Kershner stated she is looking for funding childcare slots so people can go
back to work.
Request to fund Water Rights Adjudication with grant proceeds (#4385-
page 31 of the Supplemental Requests) Approximate Timestatp 1:12.55
Judge Lee Grochmal, Superior Court, spoke about the request to help the
court effectively manage the adjudication and thanked the Council for their
support.
Schroeder answered whether there are also facility needs for adjudication
and whether we are building a new courtroom; whether there are additional_
resources for this, and whether any of this money is going toward litigant
support.
Elenbaas stated it has been his personal experience that there are no lawyers
in the state willing to take on water rights claims at this time. He has not
been able to find one.
Frazey's motion that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION
failed by the following vote:
Aye: 1 - Frazey
Nay: 1 - Kershner
Abstain: 1 - Donovan
5. AB2023-659 Ordinance Establishing a Community Priorities Fund and Establishing an Initial Budget
for the Community Priorities Fund
Frazey moved that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION.
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Strategic Initiatives Special Programs Manager,
answered whether the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund
(LATCF) money is included in this $5.1 million or whether it is just the
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, how much of this they have
spent or already have plans for, whether some of the Community Priorities
Funds have already been prioritized and identified, and whether this does not
mean we have $5.1 million that are now freed up.
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Tyler Schroeder, Director of Administrative Services, answered whether
there is some money that is still unallocated, whether the Council is losing
its ability to make decisions about how the money is spent by moving it into
this Community Priorities Fund, whether there are still LATCF funds that
could potentially be used for funding positions, and when the Council can
expect to have the mid -biennium budget discussion.
Frazey's motion that the Ordinance be RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION
carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
Items Added by Revision
1. AB2023-702 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement between
Whatcom County and State Street Creamery, LLC to lease commercial space for use
as a winter weather shelter, in the amount of $50,000
Frazey moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION.
Ann Beck, Health and Community Services, answered what the need is for
this shelter on top of the one at Civic Field run by Road2Home. She stated
this one is weather -dependent and is for severe weather. She answered
whether this is the one they are thinking that County staff is going to
operate, and what the size and monthly amount is for this building that is set
to be torn down.
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Strategic Initiatives Special Programs Manager,
answered whether they will have to put any more money into getting it up to
operating standards, and stated it will be move -in ready once they start
paying the lease.
Beck answered how many people it will serve and stated they are looking to
serve about 45 people.
Kershner stated it seems like a lot of money for an on -call winter shelter
and Beck stated this is the last year they have ARPA funding to pay for this
and it has put quite a strain on her colleagues in Health and Community
Services. She would welcome a larger conversation with Council.
Kershner stated she thinks we need to talk to the Cities about developing
their own severe weather winter shelters.
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final October 24, 2023
Services Committee
Other Business
Adiournment
Frazey's motion that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Frazey, and Kershner
Nay: 0
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
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Kathy Kershner-via email 11/8/2023
Dana iifc, qavi otocil Clerk
Kathy Kershner, Committee Chair
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
Whatcom County page 11