HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance Feb 11 2025Whatcom 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, February 11, 2025
10:30 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
AGENDA REVISED 2.10.2025 - HYBRID MEETING (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON,
SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil,
OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 11, 2025
Services Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Todd Donovan called the meeting to order at 10:30 a.m.
in a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Tyler Byrd, Todd Donovan, and Barry Buchanan
Also Present: Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Council "Consent Agenda" Items
Buchanan moved to recommend approval of Consent Agenda items one
through nine.
Byrd stated he had questions on Consent Agenda item numbers 7
(AB2025-153) and 8 (AB2025-158), and also on Consent Agenda item
number 9 (AB2025-161).
Consent Agenda item numbers 7 (AB2025-153) and 8 (AB2025-158)
Donnell Tanksley, Sheriff, answered whether the interlocals are related to
the existing jail or the new facility, and stated the two agreements are in
reference to the current jail and Council will see other agreements with
other small cities in the next couple weeks to a month.
Consent Agenda item number 9 (AB2025-161)
Donnell Tanksley, Sheriff, answered how the funding is going to get used
and whether it will be available to families that were affected by the bomb
cyclone and need help preparing their homes. He stated it is for a small
group of families. He answered whether those families have already been
identified or whether this will be something families can apply for, and he
stated he will find out that information (see AB2025-163 below for more
discussion on this item).
Councilmembers voted on the Consent items (see votes on individual items
below).
1. AB2025-117 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Lake Whatcom Residential & Treatment Center to provide
funding for HVAC system and window replacement at the Birchwood assisted living
and treatment facility, in the amount of $1,000,000
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 11, 2025
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Buchanan moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
2. AB2025-133 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and Rick Ackerman for the provision of evaluations and treatment
services to youth referred or sentenced under the Special Sex Offender Disposition
Alternative (SSODA) in Whatcom County Juvenile Court, in the amount of $22,000
Buchanan moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
3. AB2025-134 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and L&L Counseling and Consultation for the provision of
evaluations and treatment services to youth referred or sentenced under the Special
Sex Offender Disposition Alternative (SSODA) in Whatcom County Juvenile Court,
in the amount of $30,000
Buchanan moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
4. AB2025-136 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment
between Whatcom County and North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative
Services Organization to provide behavioral health services within the North Sound
Integrated Care Network in the amount of $104,295, for a total amended contract
amount of $3,025,135
Buchanan moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
5. AB2025-150 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
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6.
7
8.
February 11, 2025
Whatcom County and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) to provide
for the administration of the family law mediation program, fee subsidy for low income
participants of mediation sessions and parenting seminars, and language interpretation
for participants, in the amount of $65,000
Buchanan moved that the Contract be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
AB2025-151 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
with Diking District No. 3 and landowners John and Rich Appel to provide flood
control/river improvement work on Cougar Creek for the Neveel Levee Cougar
Creek Fish Passage Project, which includes a cost -share contribution from the
landowners and an in -kind contribution from the Diking District, in the amount of
$350,927 (Council acting as the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District
Board of Supervisors)
Buchanan moved that the Contract (FCZDBS) be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
AB2025-153 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Ferndale for Correctional Services
Buchanan moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
AB2025-158 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an Interlocal Agreement
between Whatcom County and the City of Everson for Correctional Services
Buchanan moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 11, 2025
Services Committee
9. AB2025-161 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a contract between
Whatcom County and the Washington State Military Department to utilize Emergency
Rapid Response Funds to aid in the recovery of qualified low-income
individuals/households affected by the November 2024 Bomb Cylone, in the amount
of $135,000
Buchanan moved that the Interlocal be RECOMMENDED FOR
AUTHORIZATION BY CONSENT. The motion carried by the following
vote:
Aye: 3 - Byrd, Donovan, and Buchanan
Nay: 0
Committee Discussion
AB2025-152 Discussion regarding contract thresholds
Aly Pennucci, Executive's Office, read from a presentation (on file) about
potential changes to the County's purchasing code and administrative
process, with particular focus on contracts that require Council approval,
and she highlighted other fiscal transparency work they have underway.
Councilmembers and Pennucci discussed a desire for Council to be more
proactive and to have the tools to be involved on the front end of
appropriating funds, as well as having oversight on the back end by getting
presentations about how money is being spent, that they could make some
short-term improvements in process as well as changing the threshold now
and then do other changes as they get new systems in place, that Council
would still have to approve spending authority and that approving the
contract with a service provider is the part that would be subject to the
threshold, how they would handle large contracts that get broken up into
smaller pieces that may not meet the threshold, studying the tools that other
counties are using around open budget and open data, that thresholds in
other Washington State counties vary from county to county, the fact that
some of Whatcom County's requirements in current code are more strict
than what State law requires, and that the Administration would be reporting
at least once a quarter on all the contracts.
Donovan stated he can work with Councilmember Scanlon and the Deputy
Executive to bring something to Committee of the Whole to get feedback
on a specific threshold amount.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, stated the biggest driving factor from the
Executive's Office is more oversight and more clarity to the Council and he
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Council Finance and Administrative Committee Minutes - Final February 11, 2025
Services Committee
spoke about the proposed changes.
Donovan stated they also need tools to be more proactive on the
appropriation part of this because it is hard to look in the budget right now
and track what is being spent on a particular program.
This agenda item was PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
AB2025-163 Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into an agreement between
Whatcom County and Sustainable Connections for the purpose of conducting a
feasibility study for the development of an Office of Healthy Housing in the amount of
$190,000
Other Business
Ad journmenI
Kayla Schott-Bresler, Executive's Office, briefed the Councilmembers and
stated she can discuss this item in the evening meeting.
From Consent Agenda Item 49 (AD2025-161 )
Matt Klein, Sheriffs Office Department of Emergency Management,
answered whether families or projects, that the money for the bomb
cyclone is going toward, have already been identified or whether there is a
process for people to apply for it. He stated there are general eligibility
requirements for the program on the County website and they worked to
develop a survey for people to effectively pre -apply to make sure they are
already meeting the requirements of the contract. He spoke about the
process once they get approval for the contract.
This agenda item was NOT ACTED UPON.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 11:28 a.m.
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Council Finance and Administrative \``� Committee Minutes - Final February 11, 2025
Services Committee „�
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Todd Donovan -via email 2/24/2025
Cathy Halka, CouncilClerkTodd Donovan, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
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