HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Committee of the Whole Sep 10 2024COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes ® Final
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
9:30 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Conference Room
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE
REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.u5/joinvirtualcouncil, OR
CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final September 10, 2024
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 9:29 a.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 7 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway,
Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion
1. AB202.379. Discussion of Whatcom County Budget Process
The following people discussed the item with Councilmembers:
• Aly Pennucci, Executive's Office
• Brad Bennett, Administrative Services Department Finance
• Satpal Sidhu, County Executive
• Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office
• Steve Oliver, County Treasurer
• Erika Lautenbach, Health and Community Services Director
Pennucci read from a presentation (on file). She and the other speakers
discussed with Councilmembers the projected gap between revenues and
expenses in the General Fund, that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
funds and sales tax accounted for the some of the jump in revenue between
2022 and 2023 and why expenses followed that same trend, what is and is
not included in the projections, how using banked capacity affects bonding
for capital projects, whether they could from the consultant that was going
to do a high level long-term plan for multiple capital projects, looking at
factors such as the increase in overall staffing County -wide which is partly
due to bringing a number of programs in-house that used to be contracted
and to expanding Co'�n±y services using one-time Federal funds, options for
strategies to balance ("reform") the budget this biennium without making
things worse in the long -run, how Whatcom County's levy rate and overall
property tax collection amounts compare to surrounding counties, how
utilizing some of the suggested reform strategies would affect the
projected surplus and deficit for 2025 and 2026, how the strategy of a
department underspend target would work and that it would allow for
flexibility for departments to decide where cuts can be taken without
reducing overall level of service, using the presented reform strategies to
buy the County time to have a larger prioritization discussion about where
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final September 10, 2024
they might need to reduce level of service, whether utilizing banked
capacity or the ordinance that would impose the annual rate would require a
supermajority vote, the guidance that the County should maintain a
minimum fund balance of 15 percent of the prior year's expenditures, the
strategies to "transform" the budget going forward and how the County is
doing with those, the benefit of presenting fiscal notes to the Council (as
done by Public Works for AB2024-241) and whether other departments
could also learn to do that, and when the Administration would like input on
whether Council should use banked capacity for the General- and other
funds.
Councilmembers gave feedback and discussed with the speakers their
opinions on taking the one percent and using banked capacity, keeping
funds, for which unincorporated areas are the only ones being taxed, in
those unincorporated areas and not doing things that a city or taxing district
could do, getting more understanding about base budgets and whether they
get the level of scrutiny that Additional Service Requests (ASRs) get on a
biennial or annual basis, thinking of ways to reduce administrative burden as
a cost -saving measure, how redeploying some or all of the funding in the
Community Priorities Fund, previously planned for the 23 Hour Crisis
Relief Center (as referenced in section 3(d) on page seven of the "Staff
Memo 9.10.2024") would impact the 23 Hour Crisis Relief Center, having
a discussion about what core County services are, and looking into other
things besides property taxes that other counties are doing that we are not
doing but could.
They discussed having another work session and Pennucci requested they
give her a few days to come up with a plan. She will work with Council and
Council staff to identify some time in the next few weeks.
Elizabeth Kosa, Public Works Department Director, spoke about the
upcoming discussion on the ferry fund scheduled as part of the September
17 Water Work Session Meeting.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
1
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.
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Council Special Committee of the Whole Committee Minutes - Final September 10, 2024
The County Councili approved these minutes on September 24. 2024.
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