The Board of Island County Commissioners met in Special Session on September 26, 2005 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Island County Courthouse Annex, Hearing Room, 1 N. E. 6^th Street, Coupeville, Wa. Commission members Mike Shelton, Chairman, Wm. L. McDowell, Member and William J. Byrd, Member, were present. The purpose of the special session was to conduct a budget workshop. Budget workshop times are approximate and may be adjusted. Proposed budget and supplemental requests are taken under advisement by the Board; no final decisions expected as a result of budget workshops. Hand-outs are on file with the Clerk of the Board.

PROSECUTING ATTORNEY [Budget Workbook pages 150-182]

Presentation by: Greg Banks

Hand-outs: Power Point Presentation

• 2005 Report

- update on case loads and trends

major cases

civil Workload

• budget compliance [overages and savings)

under budget in nearly all line items – and have every year since 1999

- unprecedented year in terms of both criminal and civil case work

- virtually no staff turnover in past 18 months

• 2006 Budget Proposal

1. Bring elected prosecutor’s salary in line with prosecutors in comparable counties. Amend

ICC 2.02.050 to set salary to be 78% of Superior Court judge’s salary rather than current

A. NDAA prosecutor compensation standard; set salary to be at least that of Superior

1. Set salary at 160% of District 3 Commissioner salary ($113,000)

1. Reduce estimated cost for code revision from 2005. For 2006 $2,150 [down from $3,400 budgeted

in 2005]

2. Reduce estimated revenue from Langley and Coupeville prosecution service contracts. Revenue

projection: $6,840

3. Capital Budget Request

Document Scanner

Access to Summit/Spillman [wireless communication from Coupeville to I-COM]

Presentation by: Elaine Marlow

Budget Director’s Budget [Budget Workbook pages 24-26]

Proposed no changes.

E-911 [Budget Workbook pages 253-254]

Information in that budget is provided by I-COM Executive Director. Virtually all the

expenditures are a pass through from grant contracts [interlocal agreement] with the State of

Washington Military Department. Continue to follow I-COM discussions regarding use

of "one-time" dollars this year from the State i.e. possibility to return to the that portion to

which the County funds (50%) rather than retaining at I-COM.

Grand total [if web site is redone] $159,537.00 expenditure. Revenue shown is a

Low Income Housing Surcharge Fund [Budget Workbook pages 281-282]

Budget represents what most likely will be available to award next year, at about

$170,000 available.

Budget has not been filled in at this point awaiting Board direction. The fund balance in

that account is around 1.5 million.

Revenue Projections & General Review to date.

Hand-Out: List of Supplemental Budget Requests

County Clerk [Budget Workbook pages 38-48]

Presentation by: Sharon Franzen

Handouts: Copy of Budget Narrative dated 8/12/05 and Supplemental Budget

Chart: New Cases & Total Pleadings Filed 1999 – 2004

Three major areas requested for implementation in 2006:

1. Additional staffing

FTE requested, bringing staff up to a bare minimum based on a clerk to judge ratio. The office under-staffed since the late 1980’s and the workload continues to increase. The number of pleadings has increased over 70% since 1999 [see chart] which determines the work load.

2. Collection Program

Successful collections program. Comparing 2003, the year before the in-house collections program was implemented, with the first half of 2005, there is a significant upward trend in monies received, directly credited to the personal contact the collections deputy has with defendants. Manages over 1300 criminal cases with open accounts receivable. An annual $100 service fee will soon be implemented on delinquent accounts, with projected additional revenue in the amount of $50,000 per year.

 

Greg Banks agreed that since the collections clerk has been on board in the Clerk’s Office it has really been a successful program. However, the revenue received to the County might not be showing, because at the outset all monies collected for restitution have to be paid to crime victims first, one of the primary aims of the criminal justice system.

3. Scanning & imaging system for court records

District Court/PROBATION [Budget Workbook pages 61 – 69]

Presentation by: Peter Strow; Maggie Paczkowski; Karen Lewis

Request for video conference capability in Courtroom #2 was actually a little ahead of the

technology curve at this point inasmuch as the band width is not available to run two, and

therefore not needed at this time. The thought was to use the second video conference for such

things as a remote site for expert witness testimony particularly in civil proceedings, appear as

witnesses in court, etc. It probably will become critical with the Juvenile Detention facility

(estimate need in about two years). The screen is already here and another would be required

for the second courtroom.

Replace chairs on the bench, Judge’s chambers and Administrator’s office; total of 4.

ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON

______________________________

Mike Shelton, Chairman

Wm. L. McDowell, Member

_____________________________

William J. Byrd, Member

ATTEST:

_______________________

Elaine Marlow, Clerk of the Board