HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole May 21 2024Whatcom County
Council Committee of the Whole
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
3:25 PM
Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 4:30 P.M., MAY BEGIN EARLY
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR CALL 360.778.5010); AGENDA
REVISED 5.20.2024
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 7 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway,
Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. AB2024-338 Discussion and project update regarding the implementation of the new Financial
System
The following people read from a presentation (on file):
• Perry Rice, Administrative Services Department Information
Technology Manager
• Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department Finance
They answered why they put $3 million in the project fund if the contract
with iKW Solutions (implementation consultant) was only $1.2 in 2022,
and stated there are more components than just the consultant and there are
more phases. They answered how late into last year they thought they could
go live in that year (20231 and why the project now needs another year. Rice
stated they did everything they could, but trying to get a project of this
magnitude done in ten months was overly ambitious. He answered whether
the money forecasted to be left over ($949,946) is enough to finish the last
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nowhere close to what will be needed in phase III. He spoke about the costs
for Yakima County for implementing a financial (ERP) system and stated
the cost for their system was $5 million and then over $5 million for their
new asset management system. Bennett answered whether there was an
initial assessment done to determine what the cost would be, and stated the
consultants had planned on just moving over what was in the County's
World system. The problem, however, was that they were on the World
system so early on (1994) that things were structured around the limitations
of the old system and that was too much "baggage" to just bring over to the
new one. Rice stated the initial contract with iKW was in line with the costs
that the consultant came up with in the original assessment. He spoke about
how they have scrutinized every single invoice and time stream and that they
now have a new project manager at the County's request.
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Council Committee of the whole Committee Minutes -final May 21, 2024
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, stated it is not just about the consultant's
hours; it is also a strain and time constraint on our own employees and they
are meeting and coming up with a plan for that.
Byrd stated maybe the Administration should consider having someone on
staff that has a focus on Al and how the County can start integrating that.
Sidhu stated he just gave a presentation at Western Washington University
about Al and government and he would like to share that with the Council
too.
Scanlon stated, in light of an earlier conversation today that $2 million
might be too much to make sure that people can eat in this county, and
discussions of cost overruns and delays, he hopes the County is being hard
on some of these contractors to make sure they are getting things done on
time.
Byrd spoke about looking at using the balance to hire County staff to do the
work.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Committee Discussion
1. AB2024-326 Discussion of a draft resolution requesting the County Executive prepare a proposal
for the expansion of year-round shelter capacity and establish a homelessness and
shelter subcommittee of the Whatcom Housing Advisory Committee
This agenda item was WITHDRAWN.
2. AB2024-336 Update from the investigative committee assigned to review recent employment law
decisions
Buchanan stated he, Elenbaas, and Donovan have met a number of times and
the one thing they have picked up on are some values and objectives from a
letter sent to them from County employees (read at the May 7 Council open
session). He read the four requests in the letter and stated they are guiding
principles they have adopted in their work. He stated they have identified a
number of people involved in the process to interview, have started those
interviews and are continuing that process, and are developing a scope of
work for what a third party "look" would look like in terms of policies and
events that led up to this incident.
Donovan stated when they are interviewing people they are asking them
what can be improved. The goal of the process is to take from all these
interviews what they can learn about not just this one incident, but also
policies and procedures generally that they can then give to an outside
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024
third -party person to do the "top -to -bottom -look" at processes. They hope,
fairly soon, to get the scope of work out and then do a Request for Proposal
(RFP) or somehow find someone outside of the county that can compare
our policies to whatever best practices or better practices might be.
Elenbaas stated the focus is on making sure they come out of this process
with a system in place in which everybody feels safe, and that they can trust,
if they do have an issue, that they can bring it forward in an appropriate
manner and it will not end up being front page news. There have been some
recurring themes with a lot of people they have talked to and everyone has
been up front. He stated he tries to ask everybody if there is anything they
would like to see from them moving forward so that they are staying broad
and open-minded in their approach.
Byrd asked about the timeline and whether they could have regular
executive sessions where the rest of the Council can hear more detailed
information or updates and ask questions of the committee members, and
Buchanan stated the group would love to do that. Donovan and Buchanan
stated they should get through the first round of people they have identified
to interview in the next two weeks.
George Roche, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, stated they can go into
executive session any time the Council so moves. Buchanan stated they are
not ready to do that today and Byrd stated maybe there are certain
milestones at which they could meet in executive session.
Byrd asked whether they will discuss the list, sent by HR via email, of
employees and names for separation agreements, and Roche stated the
separation agreements themselves and the list they keep are public
information but if they want to know the County's perspective on those, they
need to have that conversation in executive session.
Stremler asked whether the third party coming in is to assist with events that
have happened up until now or with looking ahead, and Elenbaas stated they
would be looking at what we do now and helping with structuring something
in the future.
Scanlon thanked them and asked about whether it makes sense to research
what other counties of similar size are doing regarding being a part of the
risk pool or not, and what that might mean for this Council. He asked if the
three Councilmembers would want to lead that or whether they should have
a separate process for working with staff on some research.
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Council Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final May 21, 2024
Elenbaas stated they are identifying a few areas where there may be gaps and
that need to be shored up, and he thinks learning more about exactly how the
risk pool functions is something they are keenly interested in. Buchanan
stated it is definitely part of the work they are doing.
Scanlon stated, regarding looking at best practices with harassment, he has
been reminded to not just look at sexual harassment, but at all types, such as
bullying and retaliation. He stated it sounds like they will lean on that third
party to analyze already -published best practices and it might be interesting
to bring some of that analysis here in an open session.
Galloway stated she requests that these updates be on every Council agenda
and Buchanan stated that is what he has asked.
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 4:23 p.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on June 4, 2024.
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