ISLAND COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS - MINUTES OF MEETING
REGULAR SESSION - DECEMBER 8,
2003
The Board of Island County Commissioners (including
Diking Improvement District #4) met in Regular Session on December 8, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. in the Island County Courthouse Annex, Hearing Room, 1 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
the December 1, 2003 meeting.
VOUCHERS
AND PAYMENT OF BILLS
The Board by unanimous approved the payroll dated December 2, 2003, along with approval of the following vouchers/warrants: Voucher (War.) #178604-178940 = $400,045.69.
County
Program Agreement #0363-36833 [RM-JUV-03-0070]
Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant between the State of
Washington Department of Social and Health Services and Island County
CODCPJAIBG
Having been reviewed with the Juvenile Court
Administrator during the Staff Session held on December 3rd, the
Board by unanimous motion approved
County Program Agreement #0363-36833 [RM-JUV-03-0070] Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant between the State
of Washington Department of Social and Health Services and Island County
CODCPJAIBG.
Amendment to Lease Agreement for
Kaul Building
Amendment to Lease Agreement for the Kaul
Building [RM-GSA-00-0090], presented
and recommended for approval by Lee McFarland, Assistant Director GSA, was approved by unanimous motion of the Board.
The Amendment extends the lease to June 30, 2005, with the option of
renewing the lease on a month to month basis
for up to an additional six months ending not later than December 31,
2005.
Hiring Requests & Personnel Actions
As presented by Dick Toft, Human Resources Director,
the Board by unanimous motion, approved
the following personnel action authorization:
Dept. PAA # Description
Position # Action Eff.
Date
Juvenile 096/03
Juv. Prob Off. 1402.02 From .9 to 1.0 FTE 12/8/03
Employee
Service Awards
Employee
Department
Ann. Date #Years
Margaret Turner District Court 12/6/1993 10
Sheila Smith Sheriff
12/27/1993
10
Marcia Espelande Solid Waste 1/1/1990
10
Employee of the Month Award
Ed Flitcroft, Oak Harbor Road Shop, was the recipient of the Employee of the Month for November,
2003. He is a team player, always willing to step up and assist fellow
employees when the need arises, and represents the County well whenever dealing with citizens on road
shop matters.
By unanimous motion, the
Board appointed Ray Gabelein (Jr.), Langley, to serve as a member of the Island
County Planning Commission representing Commissioner District #1, refilling the
vacancy left following the resignation of Anne Pringle, for a term from January
1, 2004 until January 2, 2006.
The
Board, by unanimous motion, approved the following Commissioner committee
assignments for the year 2004:
Board/Committee Commissioner
Ebey's Landing Trust Board (County liaison) Shelton
Economic Development Council Byrd
Courthouse Security Byrd
ICOM 911 McDowell (Alt. Byrd & Toft)
Law & Justice Council Shelton
LEOFF I Disability Board Shelton
North Sound Regional Support
Network Shelton
(Byrd Alternate)
Northwest Air Pollution
Authority McDowell (Tim McD. Alternate)
Northwest Regional Council McDowell
& Byrd
Oak Harbor Senior Center
Advisory Board McDowell
Public Transportation
Benefit Authority (PTBA) McDowell
& Byrd
Regional Transportation
Policy Organization (RTPO) Shelton/McDowell/Byrd
Senior Services Advisory
Board (County liaison) Shelton (Byrd Alternate)
Solid Waste Advisory Board Byrd
Technology Committee McDowell (Byrd Alternate)
Wash. Counties Insurance
Fund Board of Directors McDowell (Alternate Dick Toft)
Washington Counties Risk
Pool Shelton (Betty Kemp, Alternate)
Board/Committee Commissioner
Compensation Board, DES Chairman
Election Canvassing Board Chairman
Finance Committee Chairman
Joint Committee on Tourism Chairman
Justice Court Districting
Committee Chairman
Law Library Board of
Trustees Chairman
Lodging Tax Advisory
Committee Chairman
Marine Resources Advisory
Council Chairman
Northwest Workforce
Development Council Byrd
Shoreline Hearings Board Shelton
SR 20 Transportation Policy
Board McDowell
Transportation
Improvement Board (TIB) Shelton
WSAC Board of Directors Shelton
WSAC Legislative Steering
Committee Shelton
Award of Projects funded by Island County Public Facilities Fund (2% Hotel-Motel Lodging Tax) Tourism Program Year 2004
As recommended by the Island County 2% Hotel-Motel
Tax Committee, reviewed by the Board in Staff
Session, the Board by unanimous motion approved the following projects
and activities funded by 2% tax revenues for program year 2004, for a total of
$89,935:
Island County 2% Hotel-Motel
Tax – Tourism Promotion
Public Facilities Fund
2004 Program Year
PROJECTS
& ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY 2% TAX REVENUES
ORGANIZATION
AMOUNT
1. CAMANO
ARTS ASSOCIATION $
1,700
Camano
Island Studio Tour
2. CAMANO
ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 13,300 Tourism
Marketing & Fulfillment Program, -
VIC
3. CASCADE
LOOP ASSOCIATION 635
The Cascade Loop Travel Guide
4. CENTRAL
WHIDBEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 20,700
Tourism Marketing & Fulfillment Program
5.
FREELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 12,000
Information Brochure ($1500) and VIC ($10,500)
6. GREATER
OAK HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 12,600
Tourism Marketing & Development for
Island County
7. ISLAND
COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET COALITION 600
Promotion of Whidbey Farmers’ Markets
8. ISLAND
COUNTY HISTORICAL MARKER COMMITTEE 2,300
Island County Historical Marker Brochure
9. ISLAND
COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM 1,500
Web Site Development
10. LANGLEY, SOUTH WHIDBEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 17,100
Tourism Marketing Fulfillment Program,
Visitor Information Center, and
Accommodation Referral Service {note: zero funds for landscaping}
11. MEERKERK RHODODENDRON GARDENS, INC. 2,500
Create a Media Packet to advertise the
special events of the 25th Anniversary
12. ISLAND COUNTY JOINT TOURISM MARKETING COMMITTEE 5,000
Washington State Lodging Guide – Advertorial __________ TOTAL $ 89,935
The Board approved by unanimous motion, as presented
by Dick Snyder, County Engineer, Resolution #C-123-03/R-41-03 In
the Matter of Initiating County Road Project CRP 03-05, Work Order 115 for
Dines Point Road Outfall located in Sec. 22, Twp
30N, R 2E, a total appropriation of $70,000.00
[On file with the Clerk of
the Board]
By unanimous motion the
Board approved the annual Bad Debt write-off of for FY 2003 in the total amount
of $1,465.24 as submitted by the Public Works Director in Memorandum dated
December 8, 2003. The write-off
included a total of 43 uncollectible
bad debts received at solid waste sites, the majority through insufficient check . Individual amounts range from $2.13 to
$303.25.
[Approval on file with the Clerk of the
Board]
Cooperative Solid Waste
Management Agreement
#RM-SW-03-0068-Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island
Cooperative Solid Waste Management Agreement #RM-SW-03-0068 between Island County and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was approved by unanimous motion of the Board in the amount of $10,000 to provide for Navy use of the County’s established household hazardous waste facilities and to establish a policy for emergency disposal of solid waste generated by Island County and by the Navy.
CLOSING DOCUMENTS FOR Vacant Land Purchase
Deer Lagoon H & H Properties
By unanimous motion the Board approved the Closing Documents for the Vacant Land Purchase between Island County and H & H Properties for Deer Lagoon located in Sections 13/23/24, Twp 29N., R 2E, Work Order 113, in the amount of $1,430,312.26 [charitable donation by H & H Properties $1,267,500.00], subject to receipt of monies from NOAA[ anticipated this week]. Island County will be the owner of a total of 367 acres, planning to use the property as a passive park.
Resolution
#124/R-42-03 Adoption of Island County
2004
Annual Construction Program
Mr. Snyder presented for review and adoption, Resolution #C-124-03/R-42-03, Adoption of Island County 2004 Annual
Construction Program, including 2004 proposed Equipment Purchases by ER&R Fund. Construction program of $5,013,000 combined with a maintenance program
of $6,163,000 for a total $15,788,000.
Line Item “Swantown Road Curve Realignment” relates to the last right hand curve, the
plan is to lengthen out and take it away from the house – a minor curve
realignment.
Under line
items “Fish Passage Culverts” Maxwelton
Creek, Glendale Creek and Chapman Creek, this is engineering phase only, having received from the SRFB [Salmon
Recovery Funding Board] $5,000 each project to look at feasibility of replacing
the culverts. With respect to Chapman
creek he did not think the culvert
could ever be replaced unless the County received funds from an outside source,
estimating it would be at least a half
million dollar project, a complex
project noting about a 15-20’ drop off
from the culvert outlet to stream bed.
Rufus Rose, residing off Maxwelton Road on a hill that has spring that runs into Maxwelton drainage, was interested in what investigation of private property up-stream impacts there may be as a result of the County putting in salmon bearing culverts. He provided some information about Miller Lake and the fact that the owner about 15 years’ ago routinely went out and caught silver salmon; it was not stocked by the property owner so the fish had to get into the lake somehow; the lake has multiple tributaries running in to it. There were trees surrounding the lake but since then the trees have died and the lake level dropped because beavers have not been controlled. Mr. Rose was interested too in how the County would go about verifying the accuracy of fish surveys and like information.
The concept of introducing fish and what that does to the upstream property owners is a concern of the
Board. However, pointed out was the
fact that the discussion here is about dollars to be used now only to look into
feasibility and the County is absolutely not obligated to do so after the
study. Before the Board decides on any final project, the Commissioners would want to hear from property owners and
involve them in the process. The County
first needs the basic information in order to determine even if it is
feasible.
By unanimous motion, the Board approved Resolution #C-124-03/R-42-03, Adoption of Island County 2004 Annual
Construction Program.
WHEREAS, on December 1, 2003, under Resolution C-105-03, the Annual Budget was
adopted, which included the Road Budget and the Annual Construction Program;
and
WHEREAS, the Six-Year Transportation
Improvement Program was adopted at public hearing as required by law on August
8, 2003; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County
Commissioners has reviewed the work accomplished under the current Six-Year
Program to determine current needs in order to revise and extend the
comprehensive road program; NOW,
THEREFORE,
BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the attached list of
projects as selected from the aforementioned Six-year Transportation
Improvement Program with 2004 Proposed Equipment Purchases by ER&R Fund be
adopted.
PASSED BY UNANIMOUS VOTE AND ADOPTED this
8th day
of December, 2003.
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 [Attachment on file with the Clerk of the
Board]
Roundtable Meeting with COMMISSIONER-APPOINTED
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Roundtable with Commissioner-appointed Department Heads began at 1:30
p.m. as a continuation of the Regular
Board of County Commissioners Meeting, the roundtable held in Room #116, Island County Administration Building, 1 NE
7th Street, Coupeville, Wa.
Attendance:
Appointed Department Heads:
Elaine
Marlow, Budget Director
Cathy
Caryl, Central Services Director
Dan
Sherk, Facilities Maintenance Director
Betty
Kemp, Director, GSA
Tim
McDonald, Health Services Director
Dick
Toft, Human Resources Director
Phil Bakke,
Planning & Community Development Director
Gwen
Maxfield, Assistant Public Works
Director
Others:
Suzanne Sinclair, Auditor
Tom Baenen, Assessor
Rufus Rose, South Whidbey
Nathan Whalen, Whidbey News Times
1. What is the biggest and most frequent
occurring complaint regarding your department’s (or County) service? What
is missing in your department (or County) that is permitting this to reoccur?
If possible, what one change would you make to improve the quality of responding
to complaints?
Budget Director.
Timeliness getting out reports and copies of documents to
departments. Has to do with work load
and could use an extra pair of hands.
Human Resources. Timeliness of PAQ’s and the
process. Language in union contract,
plan to mirror with non-represented, to notify union and department when a PAQ leaves the HR office to go to the
consultant. From the time PAQ leaves the office, goes to the consultant
and back again is about 3 weeks, which is reasonable.
GSA. Complaints
focus mainly with regard to the Board of Equalization process, and some
complaints about the veterans assistance claim process and the amount of time
it takes.
Central Services.
A few complaints with regard to switchboard & voicemail; software development, and training. Not enough interaction with the web site or
updating of the website. Have someone
who would come in and work on it as a volunteer and will follow up with HR on
that.
Public Works.
Courthouse parking – several staff cited for parking in visitor’s
parking [the parking stalls marked for 2-hour off-street parking]. Parking at Catholic Church is not very well
used and it would be good for department heads to remind employees if there is
no room in the Methodist Church Parking
lot, there is room at the Catholic Church parking lot. Meeting tomorrow with
the Town regarding understanding that the town will begin to have vehicles towed away rather than cited – will follow up with an e-mail
to all employees.
Health.
Availability of services that match up with nursing programs and health
services and environmental health programs, and access to documents. One solution is digitizing permits and that
has begun for on-site permits, about 1/3 of the way through. Would like to digitize all of the records;
it is time consuming and looking for methods to fund. Talking about setting up
a kiosk in the office where a person could type in parcel number and see what
it known about that property. HR will
work with Tim to see if there are employees available through Work Source to
help with digitizing.
Planning and Community Development. Fluctuations with building permits
particularly frustrating to builders.
Time frames change anywhere from 3 to 6 to 12 months depending on the
economic situation, how many permits are being submitted and staffing – all
cause pickups and delays. First step in
solution has been taken by hiring a
temporary inspector [previous inspector now retired] on an hourly basis
to help fill in. If it works out
potentially it could be a good tool in the future to help alleviate the backlog
of permits, allowing the flexibility to address the situation during peak
times. Another concern/complaint is the complexity of the permitting process and the department is looking into how to simplify the process. Need to
revisit application forms developed in 1998; simplest way would be to
simplify the Code.
Maintenance. Heating and light issues in the Annex
are the major complaints. Still have an
electrician working bugs out as far as lighting control, motion sensors,
etc.
2.
Miscellaneous
§
Because
January 19 and February 16 are holidays, the
Board of Health will be meeting in Special Session on January 12 and February 9 at 1:15 p.m. Therefore, the roundtable will begin at 2:30
instead of 1:30 on those two dates.
§
Health
care rates continue to be a huge issue,
something everyone is concerned about.
A large-enough topic to be the subject at another session. Should look five years’ off in the future
and identify where the County should
be. Next session Dick and Tim to have
information how those counties who belong to WCIF deal with insurance costs and
the portion covered by employees, as it
varies by county.
§
Board
will assess effectiveness/value of the
roundtables in three to four months and make a determination if beneficial
enough to continue.
§
Hand-out
provided by the Chairman related to beneficial
information and tips as parents,
grandparents, and county employees entitled “Sexual Offender
Registration/Notification-General Information on Prevention".
With no further business to come before the
Board at this time, the meeting
adjourned at 2:45 p.m. The next regular
meeting of the Board will be on December 15, 2003 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
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