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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM041706 District No. 1 Commissioner: Phil Johnson District No.2 Commissioner: David W. Sullivan District No.3 Commissioner: Patrick M. Rodgers County Administrator: John F. Fischbach Clerk of the Board: Lorna Delaney MINUTES Week of April 17, 2006 Chairman Phil Johnson called the meeting to order in the presence of Commissioner David W. Sullivan and Commissioner Patrick M. Rodgers. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S BRIEFING: John Fischbach reported on the following items: · Sewer Project: A sewer update for the Port Hadlock UGA was presented and reviewed for the Board members. Work continues on the discharge and treatment alternatives and the consultant has finalized a public involvement plan. A project web site is being developed as a clearing house for information. · No Shooting Zones: No shooting zones are in the newspaper this morning. The Board has asked the Planning Commission to review criteria on establishing a no shooting zone that wouldn't require a petition from the residents in the area. A public hearing would still be required. · Telephone System: Allen Sartin reported that the telephone replacement project is underway. A vendor will be selected when the reference checks are completed. Approval of the Minutes: Commissioner Sullivan moved to approve the minutes of the April 10, 2006 meeting with a correction to page 2 under discussion of no shooting zones (add the motion he made that died for lack of a second.) Commissioner Rodgers seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: No Comments were received. APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA: Commissioner Sullivan pointed out a typographical error in Item 1 and moved to approve all of the items on the Consent Agenda as presented and corrected. Commissioner Rodgers seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. 1. RESOLUTION NO. 18-06 re: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Grievance Procedure 2. AGREEMENT re: 2006 Hotel-Motel Grant Funding; Port Ludlow Chamber of Commerce 3. AGREEMENT No. G0500132, Amendment No.1 re: Coordinated Prevention Grant Green Business; Jefferson County Public Health; Washington State Department of Ecology 4. AGREEMENT Interagency re: Laboratory Testing Services of Soil and Water; Jefferson County Public Health, Environmental Health Division; Washington State Department of Ecology, Manchester Environmental Laboratory Page 1 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of April 17, 2006 5. AGREEMENT re: South Shore Quinault Road Project No. X01707; Jefferson County Public Works; Washington State Department of Transportation 6. Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Application re: Proctor Home Program; Jefferson County Juvenile Services; Washington State Department of Social and Health Services HEARING re: Proposed Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Fee Schedules Contained in Ordinance No. 11-1115-99 and 05-0419-04 for Animal Services: County Administrator John Fischbach introduced Deputy Tony Hernandez, the Director of the Animal Services Division of the Sheriffs Office. Deputy Hernandez explained that in 2005 the Commissioners transferred the responsibility for Animal Services from the Health Department to the Sheriff s Office. The Sheriff s Office conducted an audit of services to verify if the operating model that was in use at the time was the most appropriate for the services. Deficiencies were noted in revenues, equipment, and enforcement. Raising the fees will better facilitate these services to the community. With the current budgeting limitations of the State and County, the County has had to examine mandated and non-mandated services. Non-mandated services, such as Animal Services, have suffered in an attempt to provide the appropriate amount of funding for mandated services. Animal Services is a special revenue fund and is expected to generate revenue to offset the costs of operating the service. Revenue generators for Animal Services are licenses, adoptions, cremations, and infractions created by enforcement activities. The proposed fee schedule has a higher percent of increase for infractions for people who habitually violate the law. Animal Services is also responsible for enforcing the ordinances of the City of Port Townsend and their infraction fees are higher than the County's fees. Enforcement efforts have doubled since the Sheriffs Office has taken over Animal Services and it has become a proactive effort. Animal Services is actively patrolling and answering calls for service to provide a safer community for County citizens. The City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County have some statutory responsibilities regarding animal services even though it is a non-mandated service ofthe County. Commissioner Rodgers asked why the adoption fee for puppies is higher than for adult animals? Deputy Hernandez explained that other Animal Service Departments and Human Societies have higher adoption fees for purebred animals and puppies. People want puppies and they are usually adopted within a few days of arriving at the facility. The Chair opened the hearing for public comments. Linus Johnson stated that he has volunteered at the Animal Shelter and can attest first hand to the vital community caretaking function that Animal Services provides to the County and the City of Port Townsend. He has seen pit bulls that were so dangerous that they had to be put down. He has seen pets of elderly citizens who have gone into nursing homes that were lovingly received and placed in appropriate homes. He has also seen the energy and professionalism that the Sheriffs Office brings to Animal Services. He thinks that the proposed fees are entirely reasonable and appropriately targeted to those who use the services most. He supports the fee increases. Page 2 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of April 17, 2006 Ellen Crockett said that, while some of the fees are in line with providing additional services, the licensing fees are higher than Clallam County and City of Port Angeles fees. Nationwide studies have shown that when license fees are raised, compliance goes down. She asked what percentage of dogs in the County are licensed? Deputy Hernandez reported that approximately 20% ofthe County dog population is licensed, but many people are not aware that they are required by law to license their dogs. She stated that the people who obey the laws shouldn't have to pay more for licenses because 80% of the dogs in the County are not licensed. It would make more sense to bring the 80% of unlicensed dogs into compliance and then there would be enough funding for the Animal Shelter. Tom Thiersch added his voice in support ofthese fee increases. He feels that the Animal Shelter staff is doing a good job and provides a valuable service to the community. He had a personal experience with enforcement when an unlicensed dog was trapped on his property and taken to the Animal Shelter where it was kept over night. Animal Shelter staff listened to the owner's sad story and let the owner take the animal home without paying the fees. If fees are being increased, they need to be enforced for everyone. Nan- Toby Tyrell stated that the Animal Shelter provides a haven for all dogs and cats that are not given caring, responsible homes by their owners. How we treat animals and children is a reflection of our society. We need to give animals a second opportunity for a better life by matching them up with responsible owners who care and show compassion. She has seen the transformation when a dog gets a second chance because she adopted a dog from the Animal Shelter three years ago. She has volunteered at the Shelter with many of her neighbors. She has seen dogs left there to die because their owners were too cowardly. She has been in the Shelter when Tony and Alex had to close it and volunteers had to run it because there wasn't enough money. The phone rings off the hook. The Sheriff, Alex, Tony, and the volunteer crews are doing an invaluable service. She supports raising fees in order to keep the Shelter running. In order to make a state-of-the-art Shelter, there has to be increased funding. Marie Dressler stated that she has concerns about "pricing ourselves out ofthe market." She had to get rid of a couple of animals who were a nuisance to her family and when she called the Animal Shelter she was told to call a private company. A live animal trap costs $24 to rent for a week. If the Animal Shelter charges $8 per hour, people won't use that service because it is too expensive. A lot of elderly people have animals as their only company and she feels that Senior Citizens need to pay a reduced rate. They get a break on their County taxes. These people love their animals dearly, they want to keep them safe, and they don't let them roam the streets. Some elderly people are barely making it. There are other animals that Animal Services must deal with besides dogs and cats and she asked that the fees be broadened to address other animals. Sylvia Bowman stated that the volunteers at the Shelter don't just pet the dogs. They clean the cages, scrub the floors and do a lot ofthe dirty work which has to be done by the volunteers because there is insufficient money. The dedicated job that the staff does is an inspiration, but they need more money to hire more staff. Deia Webster said that she volunteers at the Animal Shelter taking the photos ofthe animals that are published in the newspaper. She feels very strongly about the Shelter. She asked the Board to support the fee increase and that they also consider budgeting more money to hire more staff. The Animal Services staff does an incredible job but they are limited. She has one dog and doesn't have a problem with the license fee Increase. Page 3 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of April 17, 2006 Nancy Karan stated that she has been volunteering at the Shelter for a year and since she's been there she has seen the Shelter completely turn around from a place that wasn't too pleasant to a place where rescued animals go and where people reunite with their lost pets. She runs the adoption outreach program and many people come up to her to tell her how proud they are of the Shelter. They are so glad there is a place to take animals. Many times people don't know where to turn if they have an animal they can't keep. The Shelter is a wonderful resource. She supports the fee increases. Heather Spencer explained that she supports the request for the fee increases. Unfortunately Animal Services hasn't had the funding that is needed to provide these services and much of the work is done by volunteers. The Shelter is running at 2-3 times capacity which makes the job more difficult. We have a good shelter here. We're all here speaking for a population that doesn't have a voice. Jefferson County has an opportunity to be a world class, premier model for the rest of the State. Marie Dressler: Only 20% of the dog population in the County is licensed. If there was more personnel to enforce the licensing regulations, the other 80% would be required to have licenses. This would bring in more money and it would serve us well in the future. Tom Thiersch asked ifthere is any money in the budget to educate the public that licensing is required? He suggested broadcasting the information as a followup to this hearing as a method that could be used to increase compliance. Fees may not need to be raised if people start following the law. Deputy Hernandez reported that they are getting greater compliance as they have perfected the enforcement program. Animal Services has two Enforcement Officers who go out on patroL Port Townsend has requested more patrols and they have begun doing foot patrols on the Larry Scott Trail and at Chetzemoka Park. Most people who live in the County don't know that their dogs must be licensed. Commissioner Rodgers stated that there is an economic rule called "elasticity of demand" where people will not license their dogs if the fee is too high. Some people have mentioned Senior citizens who have pets and they are a vulnerable group. An increased rate will generate more dollars from those who do license, but will it offset the Seniors that won't be able to afford it? Has the Sheriffs Office done a needs policy for a portion of the population? Officer Hernandez answered that Jefferson County's license is for two years, but most people assume it is an annual fee. They have looked at a break for Seniors, but that isn't possible at the current funding level. If the public says that they would support discounted licenses for the Senior population, it is something that can be done. Commissioner Rodgers noted that the genuine test is if people think the fee is fair because if they don't, they won't pay. Ellen Crockett reported on the fees that Clallam County charges. Ken Holman explained that a few years ago Clallam County had no license fees. They've since increased their fees and they run as a Humane Society which isn't an equitable comparison. Pam Gray reported that she runs the low income spay and neuter program for the Olympic Mountain Pet Pals. She would like to see the rates raised for unneutered animals that are breeding, become unwanted, and end up at the Animal Shelter. Lowering the license fees for spayed and neutered animals encourages people to neuter their pets. They should increase the fee for not licensing the breeding animals and that would offset other cost reductions for Seniors and the people that are responsible pet owners. OMPP raises Page 4 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of April 17, 2006 i!J"'''' '\ 4"" ~ "\ <',--\~~ ""1'0" approximately $25,000 per year in private donations to help this situation. Something has to be done with the enforcement because some people are not responsible pet owners. The feral cat population in the County is less than in many counties but these cats are suffering and they impact the wildlife. Clallam County is not a model for anyone to follow. Nancy Karan added that Clallam County is not run by the City or the County. It is totally volunteer and they don't have the overhead. It is comparing apples to oranges to compare them to Jefferson County. Lori Jacobson commented that she has been a volunteer at the Shelter since last summer and has handled approximately 90% of the animals that have come through there since last July. The staff does a wonderful job oftaking care of the animals. The animals get their medical needs met and they are healthy. The staff sees that the animals find good homes. She supports their request for an increase in adoption fees. Hearing no further public comments, the Chairman closed the public hearing. The Board members thanked everyone for coming and for all of the volunteer work they do at the Shelter. The Board postponed deliberations on this proposed ordinance until Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. HEARING re: Proposed Supplemental Budget Extensions/Appropriations; Various County Funds: John Fischbach County Administrator advised that there are 10 proposed changes from various County departments for revenue increases or monies that have become available that were not available when the budget was set. He recommended that the Board approve the extensions/appropriations. The Chair opened the hearing. Donna Eldridge, County Auditor, reported that the Auditor's Office, not the County Clerk's Office, received additional funding for Elections. Hearing no further comments, the Chair closed the hearing. Commissioner Rodgers moved to adopt RESOLUTION NO. 19-06 with the revision that the Auditor's Office made the request for Elections funding. Commissioner Sullivan seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. AGREEMENT re: Management Services Agreement; Provision of Economic Development Services; Diversified Resources, a WasMngton Non-Profit Corporation: John Fischbach reported that this contract with Diversified Resources will provide community economic development services to the County for a 12 month period for $25,000. Commissioner Sullivan asked about the County Administrator's meeting with Katherine Baril, WSU Extension, and Lawrence Graves, the Economic Development Council Chair? He reported that Katherine Baril is excited about this opportunity and Lawrence Graves supports the County's efforts. Diversified Industries will have an office in Shold Business Park. Jay Bennet of Diversified Industries will meet with the Board next week to discuss economic development. Page 5 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of April 17, 2006 Commissioner Rodgers moved to approve the contract as presented with Diversified Industries. Commissioner Sullivan seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. The Commissioners, the County Administrator, and the Central Services Director then attended a retreat at the Jefferson County Library from 12:00 -5:00 p.m. The meeting was recessed at the end of the retreat on Monday and reconvened on Tuesday morning with all three Board members present for the following item. Board Deliberation; Proposed Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Fee Schedules Contained in Ordinance No. 11-1115-99 and 05-0419-04 for Animal Services: The Board members met with Deputy Hernandez for further review of the proposed ordinance increasing fees for the Animal Services programs. After reviewing the issues raised during the public hearing, Commissioners Rodgers moved to approve ORDINANCE NO. 06-0418-06 as presented. Commissioner Sullivan seconded the motion which carried by a unanimous vote. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF CO MISSIONERS ~1~' CfrlC Deputy Clerk of the Board ~ U/?/ . tU~ ,?;_____- David ~ SuHivan, Mem r ~=bcr Page 6 Page 1 of2 (J;/,', I'(~i/') ~-S)I,r t7,., II F:,v'<- rc:-, -' .''''' .~ Leslie Locke From: Lorna Delaney Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 4:08 PM To: Leslie Locke Subject: FW: Testimony for Monday hearing - Animal shelter needs increased funding Lorna Delaney, Human Resource Manager Jefferson County PO Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Ph: 360-385-9133 From: Kirie Pedersen [mailto:kirie.pedersen@olypen.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 4:00 PM To: Lorna Delaney Subject: Testimony for Monday hearing - Animal shelter needs increased funding Commissioners: Unique among counties in the State of Washington, Jefferson County provides humane shelter, foster care, medical treatment, spay and neuter, and careful scrutiny of potential families for abandoned pets. This program merits the highest possible funding. As a result of our innovative and humane program, we have attracted regional positive attention from those who care for animals. Weare an active lobby and represent a large percentage of citizens. Positive attention such as this adds to the quality oflife in Jefferson County. Quality oflife, in turn, attracts investors. We who pay the taxes deserve to say how they will be spent. Funding for our shelter and animal services is more than meets the eye. The quality of care and prevention provided in Jefferson County for abandoned animals contributes to public health. Abandoned animals spread disease. An example is giardia. At one time, giardia affected approximately 5% of domestic felines (Cornell University Veterinary School.) It is now increasing due to fecal matter ingested by domestic felines through drinking stream water. The mode of transmission to humans is unknown. Do we want our children or tourists playing in parks contaminated by parasites? Maintaining high levels of animal control, medical treatment, and responsible adoption prevent such health hazards. A well-treated pet is provided with clean water in a clean home. Abandoned animals lead to car accidents. Prior to the sheriffs office taking an active role in collection of roving animals, dogs roamed our county streets and major arterials that link parts of the county. A tourist was seriously and permanently injured by roving animals in Chetzemoka Park. Emotional trauma, even accidents, result when a loose animal darts in front of the car. Responsible adoption programs visibly reduce overpopulation of pets, including loose pets. 4/12/2006 Page 2 of2 These are some of the invisible benefits of having centralized quality animal shelter and control such as we enjoy in Jefferson County. It's about prevention. It's about public health. It's about quality oflife. Due to the proactive stance of the current shelter administration and the professional way they care for the animals, the birth rate among domestic cats and dogs in Jefferson County has dropped. It only takes one generation of un spayed/neutered cats and dogs to spawn dozens, then hundreds of mistreated, ill, or abandoned pets. An example is Clallam County. Last summer they had to euthanize entire populations of sick animals. In fall, they were overcrowded with late litters of kittens. How many more sick animals were out roaming the county and spreading parasites and disease? In Jefferson, our summer's unwanted kittens had been carefully placed after being spayed and neutered. We had no autumn overcrowding (and thus illness and euthanasia). We did not have the epidemics of canine and feline disease spreading throughout the community through abandonment of unwanted pets. Every year of quality animal shelter and control provides further benefits going forward. Let's not go backward. Let someone else do it? Let volunteers do it? We require centralized and well-staffed shelter, medical care, and management to provide volunteers a place where we can and will volunteer. We volunteer only because Jefferson provides humane and quality shelter and educational programs. We now ask our county to take our tax money to provide funding for an animal shelter that represents best practices in humane and healthful animal control. Respectfully, Kirie Pedersen shelter volunteer 687 Pulali Pt Rd Brinnon, W A 98320 360 796 4532 4/12/2006