ISLAND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - MINUTES OF MEETING
REGULAR SESSION - SEPTEMBER 15, 2003
The Board of Island County Commissioners (including Diking Improvement District #4) met in Regular Session on September 15, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. in the Law & Justice Facility, Department III (Courtroom 3), 101 N.E. 6th Street, Coupeville, Wa. Wm. L. McDowell, Chairman, William J. Byrd, Member, and Mike Shelton, Member, were present. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance. By unanimous motion, the Board approved the minutes from regular session September 8, 2003.
By unanimous motion, the Board approved the Payroll for the period August 16-31, 2003. By unanimous motion the Board approved the following vouchers/warrants:
Voucher (War.) #172748-173052 = $557,684.14 [voucher #3580190 to Steve Wirth held until the Island County Noxious Weed Control Board signs the related Contract]
Conservation Futures Citizens Advisory Board : re-appointed Stan Stanley, Oak Harbor, for a three-year term expiring September 30, 2006
Northwest Workforce Development Council - re-appointed Cynthia Shelton, Langley, representing K-12 Education for a two-year term expiring July 27, 2005.
Marine Resources Committee – appointed Rolf Seitle, Langley, representing the Port District of South Whidbey, refilling the position previously held by Tom Roehl, for an existing term until December 31, 2004.
The Board, by unanimous motion, approved Compass Health-Mental Health Programs Contract #HS- 07-03 in the amount of $63,021.25 [RM-HLTH-95-0062] .
CHANGE IN LOCATION OF PUBLIC
HEARING: ORDINANCE #C-84-03/PLG-019-03
INTERIM OFFICIAL CONTROL –
INTERIM CONTROL THAT DESIGNATES DIVISION
1 AND 2 OF THE PLAT OF THUNDER
RIDGE, CAMANO ISLAND, AS A CRITICAL
DRAINAGE AREA
By unanimous motion, the Board approved a change in location of the Special Session of the Board to conduct
a Public Hearing on Ordinance
#C-84-03/PLG-019-03 Interim Official Control that designates Division 1 & 2
of the plat of Thunder Ridge as a Critical Drainage Area on October 7, 2003 @
6:00 p.m. at the Camano
Country Club, 1243 Beach Drive, Camano Island [instead of the Camano
Center] .
Mr. Leengran reported that the dock had
been finished in Clinton and folks are enjoying use of that dock. Now loading a full boat load of cars onto the dock and is seems to be
working quite nicely. There has been
remodeling of some of the boats, from new chairs to rest rooms. In the Spring, DOT has agreed to go back to
a single wider lane downhill at Clinton for waiting traffic which will make it
easier and safer. A multi-model terminal in Mukilteo probably
will not occur until at least 2008. The terrorism issue has been scaled down a
little, and will be a topic
of concern discussed at the October meeting in
Seattle – the Executive Council which
is made up of all the ferry committee chairs.
Passenger only service is being discontinued by Washington State Ferries
in about a week. He is not aware of any
plans for passenger only service
at Mukilteo, Everett or the Seattle
area. He did know that Kitsap
County Transit was in the process of putting together a program to handle passenger only service, an issue,
however, that will depend upon a vote
of Kitsap County taxpayers.
Clinton Ferry service does not
suffer from a lack of passenger capacity.
A three-boat service is in the wings
once the dock is completed on
the Mukilteo side.
Julia
Hodson, Chair, Keystone Ferry Advisory Committee.
The Keystone Ferry Advisory Committee is short since one member’s term has expired and is not recommended for reappointment due to not being able to attend meetings the past several years. There are a couple of candidates in mind and that information will be forwarded to the Board for appointment soon. Ms. Hodson mentioned the possibility of relocating the Keystone terminal and noted that there currently is a feasibility study being conducted but there are no official results yet; she did not foresee anything happening to the terminal in the near future and perhaps not until 2008. The two boats used for the Keystone run now are the only two in the fleet that can negotiate Keystone Harbor.
Budget Workshop
The Board met in budget workshop beginning at 11:00 a.m. held in the Courthouse Administration Building, Conference Room #116, 1 NE 7th Street, Coupeville, Wa. All Commissioners were present, along with Elaine Marlow, Budget Director; Dick Toft, Human Resources Director, Motoko Pleasant, Auditor’s Office, and Nathan Whalen, Whidbey News Times reporter. No final decisions are expected as a result of budget workshops.
WSU Extension/Grants/Noxious
Weed Control [Budget Workbook Page 69]
Presentation
by: Don Meehan
Hand-outs: (1)
Spread sheet 2004 Extension
Services – First Draft
(2)
Salary Summary
No budget turned in at this time other than today’s hand-outs; continues
to work out the details with the
Budget Director. The spread
sheet shows 20+ different funding sources.
Current Expense funding portion requested is $128,743, a hold the line budget, and $50,000 less than 2002. The
left-hand side in yellow are separate programs under his department, and the
dollars fairly well locked in, but
could not say 100%. He described this budget as the riskiest ever because he
does not have the infrastructure to
manage things right.
The Budget Director has concerns about user fees generated by the Ropes
Course. It usually averages a little
less than $10,000 a year but this year shows collection of a little less than $3,000 for 2003. Mr. Meehan clarified that the dollar amount actually was close
to $10,000, but what was collected in
2003 over the $3,000 went directly to the 4-H Council, but would ultimately
come back to support this program.
Concern about enough revenue to support this program is a valid, but
they now have a new course manager and the goal at the end of this year is to
have $5,000 unexpended coming into 2004.
In `years’ gone by the revenue has averaged $10,000 but this year expects $29,000 because the course has
been terribly underused and now in the
throws of major change in program; raised user fees and instituted corporate program.
Salary Summary. Last year lost front office staff; this year hired part time help to fill that void. The amount of money needed in order to fund that position ¾ time is $27,000 but it really needs to be full time. If you look at dollars allocated in the upper section you see dollars under most of the grants; he is trying to clip all of them somewhat for that purpose [administration] where possible. Revenue wise, there are a lot of grant applications out that he hopes will be funded. The move to the Lighthouse resulted in needed office space and the Lighthouse being kept open to the public, clear that it has become its own program. Because of the benefit to the public served, they are asking State Parks to consider funding a portion.
Request for Current Expense for 2004 administrative funding - $28,273.00 [# may change to smaller amount by the time final budget is adopted]:
Office Coordinator ¾ time – additional $11,889
Challenge Program Manager ¾ time -
additional $1895
Beach Watcher Position Full Time -short by $4500 to fully fund the position for
2004
Lighthouse Docents $7190 additional
Camano Beach Water $2881 additional
Juvenile Court Services/CASA [ Budget Workbook Page 85 ]
Presentation by:
Michael Merringer
Mr. Merringer followed from his six-page budget narrative for Juvenile and Family Court Services 2004 Budget. He noted this was a most difficult budget to create because: (1) some reductions in major outside grant funds; (2) added restrictions on grant money; and (3) budget prepared on the basis of things over which he has no control. Trying to balance staff and leave enough for needed services.
JAIBG Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant funds alternative to detention work crew. Applied for $34,000 “competitive grant”. Program is a good alternative for kids to be productive in the community as opposed to jail cells. This would be the second year funded; the longest the county can be funded is three years.
CJS/SSODA/3900. House Bill 3900 funds 58% of a probation counselor position. CJS – Consolidated Juvenile Services funds 1.17 of probation counselor positions and .09 administration, with the remainder towards services for youth on probation. SSODA – special sex offender disposition alternative, and funds approximately .12 of a probation counselor and .02 administration; remainder provides cash match to JAIBG, evaluations and sex offender counseling.
CDDA. Chemical Dependency Disposition Alternative – able to increase the numbers because of the drug court. CJAA. Community Juvenile Accountability Act.
BECCA funds used to service truancy, at-risk youth and children in need of service petitions. Pays for 1 probation aid, .04 probation counselor position and .03 administration. BECCA drug court settlement funds .55 probation counselor position for drug court with additional funds providing evaluation and treatment costs of eligible youth.
Salaries, Wages and Benefits covered Grant-funded and County-funded are almost even:
Grant funded $257,329
County funded 253,477
Juvenile Services Administration. Mr. Merringer requests $13,341 increase as described in the narrative; along with $2600 for M&O.
CASA Court Appointed Special Advocates. Funds .46 CASA Coordinator Position. In the final year of a three-year Stuart Grant with last check to be received January, 2004. Propose increase from Current Expense in 2004 to cover the remaining .54 of the position for a total of $20,456, along with a small increase in M&O. $8400 needed to balance the budget.
Budget Director handed out a new two-page summary. Includes Rural County Assistance funding received 7/31/03 in the amount of $66,400.
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time,
the meeting adjourned at Noon. The
Board will meet next in Special Session at 9:30 a.m. September 22nd
for a Budget Workshop; in Regular Session that date at 11:30 a.m. for the
Elected Officials Roundtable, followed at 1:30 p.m. with regular agenda items.
BOARD
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ISLAND COUNTY,
WASHINGTON
______________________________
Wm. L. McDowell, Chairman
____________________________
William J. Byrd, Member
_____________________________
Mike Shelton, Member
ATTEST:
_______________________
Elaine Marlow, Clerk of the Board