The Board of Island County Commissioners met in Special Session on October 7, 2005 beginning at 10:00 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.

Insurance Reserve (Budget Workbook pages 269-275)

Budget Presentation by: Betty Kemp, Director GSA

Power Point Presentation – Total Station: Deputy Lane Campbell

Hand-out: Supplemental Request dated 10/7/05

Still gathering numbers; anticipate there may be some minor changes with respect to deductibles, once determined. Request:

1. Increase position from 30 to 40 hours/week

2. Purchase "Total Station" equipment - provide immediate investigation of vehicle accidents and

fatalities on county roads – a data collection system; shoots points that can be put into a computer

program from which the analysis is made of the scene. This is an essential tool used by the Sheriff’s

Department that can identify potential liability and tort issues that Island County may incur. A single

judicial decision made in the County’s favor because of the increased accuracy by use of Total

Station will more than compensate for the investment. Total Station anticipated use would be for

three traffic officers and two detectives.

• Provides digitally preserved evidence

• Accurate testimonial response of the scene as presented to law enforcement.

• Reduces on-scene time by at least 1/3

• Increased employee and public safety
• Decreases loss of evidence

There are various manufactures of Total Station units, all basically within the same price range

Ms. Kemp recommends purchase from the Insurance Reserve, believing that over the long term this will be cost effective and serve the County well.

Budget Presentation by: Betty Kemp, Director GSA

Lesley Mills, Executive Director, WAIF

WAIF Shelter (Budget Workbook pages 76-78]

Hand out: Chart – Shelter Costs in Relation to County Contract Amount

The Commissioners were not willing to recommend free disposal realizing there are other thrift stores that provide funding for other county services: if the County opens that up for one thrift store, how do you say no to another? The decision should be made based upon $1700 request, and not achieving that through waiving of disposal fees.

License fees. Commissioners suggest WAIF outreach so as to get closer to 100% licensing of dogs – take the opportunity when out in the field to increase efforts in that regard – issue reminders and get

information for folks as far as where they can go to buy licenses conveniently. Those who have a vested interest, as opposed to government, can do a better job at collecting money.

CASA Shelter. At this point have provided no budget request or documentation.

Diana M. Blakely, Camano Island Animal Control, provided request via two letters, dated June 24, 2005 and August 4, 2005. CIAC took the same reduction as the Whidbey Animal Control and WAIF in 2003.

Request increase of $604.00 per month for a monthly total of $3,854, an annual total of $46,248.00 and is looking for restoration to the pre-2003 level.

Cut restored last year. E-mail dated October 6 from Carol Barnes, Whidbey Animal Control, requests COLA for 2006 contract amounting to a 2% increase in monthly allotment, particularly to cover increased service responses and rising fuel costs. With Whidbey Animal Control last year, the County approved for 2005 a 20% increase; 15% was increased compensation to cover increased costs of doing business; 5% re-instated to pre-2003 level. Camano Island Animal Control’s request asks for a total of 25% over the current rate; 5% of which would be that restoration to the pre-2003 level.

Follow-up:

• Calculate restoration for CIAC to the pre-2003 level and a 15% increase

• In recognition of what fuel prices are doing calculate 2% of the reinstated amounts

for both Whidbey Animal Control and Camano Animal Control

County Fair . Requesting basically the $15,000 capital contribution from REET; it is not an increase from prior years.

Board of Equalization (page 89)

Request by members of the Board of Equalization to consider one of three options:

Page 91 provides a summary of what other counties pay per day, showing Island County is somewhat

in the "mid-high" level. Looking at how much BOE members were paid in 2004: $100/day = paid out a total of 145 days. To pay $25 additional would cost the County about $4,000 a year.

Follow-up: Take under advisement; review RCW

Presentation by: Betty Kemp; Terri Arnold

Hand-out: Supplemental Request Budget Notebook page 97 – revised 9/15/05

Supplemental

Two new pieces of equipment

Infield Groomer – Whidbey & Camano Parks $10,000

These are fleet increases – additional pieces of equipment and would have to come out of Current Expense. The back hoe attachment, based upon an L&I inspection, does not have a roll bar and cannot be retro-fitted with one; therefore cannot be used.

Personnel

Review position descriptions for senior parks tech – Whidbey; and Parks tech –

Camano. Increase seasonal on Whidbey from 4 to 9 months; add new seasonal position

on Camano for 6 months.

For consideration: suggest looking at raising the campground rate at Rhododendron from $8.00/night to $10 or $12/night.

Four Springs (page 266)

Ms. Arnold indicated the Department is already taking in revenue for 2006; brought in about $4,000 for 7 months in 2005 [first rental in June]. Estimated $54,000 for 2005, and at the end of seven months actually only brought in $4061. For 2006 a conservative revenue estimate is projected at $7375. The two peak seasons are summer and holidays. Two retreats were held: one bringing in between $900-1000, the other between $600-750. For the employee, 50% of her time, 20 hours a week, is as caretaker and in exchange for that, receives a place to live. The paid portion for her position is temporary through December 31^st [20 hours at Grade 8] and is not shown in this budget. It costs $5,000 a year to cover utilities and very basic maintenance; and $15,000 for a year’s worth of someone to actively promote and manage the facility [plus board]. Friends of Island County Parks was very much involved up to and through construction; they purchased all the furniture, the art work, and continue to change the art work, and donated $1,000 towards the new brochure and updating the web site. Current employee has done an outstanding job of promoting Four Springs; there is no marketing or promotion money whatsoever. In terms of a brand new business, perhaps Four Springs has not been given enough of a chance.

The Budget Director proposed a $5,000 transfer from current expense to keep the fund solvent through 2006. It will cost a minimum in 2006 $5,000 to do basic utility and very minor repairs; however, there are no salary dollars to promote it or any dollars for any kind of major repairs. There are two aspects of the job: (1) .5 fte as caretaker with compensation the living quarters that are provided. The other portion is .5 FTE grade C8 as the special events coordinator.

Discussion, further consideration and questions:

• How long is the County willing to support the facility at a loss above and beyond what it would cost if it were an open space park? Set a time frame, perhaps 3 years – if so, is the Board willing to spend $45,000 of Current Expense dollars over the next 3 years?

• Possibility of continuing the employee salary on with the caveat the dollars have to come out of the revenue produced by 4-Springs.

• Availability of the conference center throughout Western Washington – how does that get promoted for what it was envisioned?

• Consider the possibility of using a real estate agency to serve as the rental agency [and continue to have someone on-site to oversee and meet people when they come] but somehow has to be self-supporting.

Ms. Arnold thought as a future consideration, an alternate plan is that the facility would be ideal for a non-profit to take over.

Presentation by: Dave Hollett

Grid on page 92 shows revenue stream and proposed spending. The only thing that really changes in the 2006 budget is the amount of money from Homeland Security, for which there has been a significant reduction. For example: LETPP went from $106,000 this year to $97,000 for the new budget [grant]; the planning money that pays for grant position SWB went from $100,00 to $68,000); training last year was $26,000 and this year will be $7,000; exercises last year funded at $26,000 and this year at $15,000. Equipment last year was funded at $178,000 and a number of jaws of life for fire departments, radios for communication and thermal imagers purchased; those dollars are being reduced to $90,000.

When asked what Island County government needed in order to be an efficient emergency services coordinator, Mr. Hollett stated that the County was woefully behind the bar curve because emergency management organization is considered a "black hole" by most government agencies and officials. Major equipment short-comings for the EOC are computers and monitors. For 2006 the $90,000 worth of equipment has already been decided – for the Spillman upgrade [the I-COM center] and the laptop computers to go in police, fire and EMS vehicles.

The Chairman commented his belief that the Board was committed, with side boards on that commitment, to emergency services and to use the community attitude that currently exists around emergencies as a spring board to get a little further ahead on that curve.

Follow-on direction. When Emergency Services begins looking at equipment purchases for 2007, since the Board is responsible for emergency services in Island County, make the Board aware of the timeframe in order for the Board to be a part of that process and decision.

No major changes proposed.

Public Defense contract provides that the contractor receive an increase by 75% of the percentage salary cost of living increase awarded to non-represented County employees. The first opportunity to go out for a RFP would be next Fall; Ms. Kemp will follow up with a note to the Board how much lead time she believes would be necessary as far as a Board decision on whether or not to go out for a RFP.

Fire Permit Program. No changes; status quo.

Motor Pool Page 283 – 289. Usual replacement list. Parks on Line 10 tentatively requested to replace a truck, but since that time, would agree to delay that replacement in favor of purchase of the tractor. Request from Central Services replace Escort with a vehicle more useful to what Central Services actually must haul to various locations (see memo Page 289). Possibility of taking the existing 1999 Escort and swapping it with a scheduled replacement van and use the 1999 Escort elsewhere. Dollars shown on page 286 have been programmed into the bottom budget line already.

Veterans Assistance. No change in Veterans Assistance. Going out with a levy is not anticipated.

Cornet Bay Dock (page 240). A significant amount of work has been done this year. Current fee to moor is $200/year; for fishermen or pleasure boater it is $2.00/day. Proposal is to consider raising the annual fee to $400 a year and daily rate to $5.00 a day. The dock does still bottom out half the day; 14 stalls are all rented. Fourteen go dry half the day and about 8 at the end that are the more sought after slips. The very end stays somewhat submerged, but is fairly shallow.

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Mike Shelton, Chairman

Wm. L. McDowell, Member

_____________________________

William J. Byrd, Member

ATTEST:

_______________________

Elaine Marlow, Clerk of the Board