HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption09:00:14 Okay, well, gangs all here. I'll call this special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to order.
09:00:22 We're continuing our presentations from the different departments. On their their budget ask for the 2024 25 biannual budget and we're starting with juvenile and family court
so oh yes we have public comment first thank you for the reminder I saw it agenda up so I know what's coming up but is there anyone with us that would like to make public comment today?
09:00:43 There is not. Okay. Seen there is there's no one in the zoom room or on the, in the actual room.
09:00:52 Well close public comments for the time being and turn it over to Shannon. It's great to have you with us.
09:00:58 We're just continuing unless someone has something to preface it with. We'd love to hear about your presentation for that.
09:01:04 2425 budget and please do speak in the microphone so Kate and others at my face. Okay, perfect. That's working. Okay. Well, thank you for having us.
09:01:16 I'm bear with Sasha, who is my lead financial assistant and really my right hand. We have actually our budget is pretty straightforward.
09:01:28 We didn't ask for any ads. We're continuing on as with the natural I think the biggest things for our office is that.
09:01:37 We have a unique role in accounting and that we really are in this, that we really, are in this, quasi social service law enforcement kind of niche.
09:01:52 And so we definitely have services that we provide that families in our community that are struggling that have maybe experienced lack of services.
09:02:05 Or volunteer for services that are available in our community. Or you are refusing to go to services that parents may want them to go to.
09:02:14 So we definitely feel those gaps. I like to kind of say that we have a little bit of wind on the back of change for our kids and say that we have a little bit of wind on the
back of change for our kids and families in our in our community.
09:02:30 It's a really unique role requires our staff to have a lot of training in motivational interview in case management.
09:02:34 Just what's going on in our communities it's it can be weight bearing for sure because there's a lot of struggling families that we work on hand in hand with and try to collaborate
with.
09:02:48 We really go by our kind of core values of explorer develop achieve and really a way forward for their way forward really.
09:03:00 So we're not asking for anything different. We've had, in our office, we've been pretty stable for a lot of years with a lot along foggevity.
09:03:11 And then there's this natural shift that happened. Where we experienced quite a bit of turnover in our office.
09:03:18 So we have out of, you know, quite a bit of turnover in our office. So we have out of, you know, with 8 staff, one is unfilled and then we have so out of the 7 we have 5 people
in new roles.
09:03:27 So, even though I'm one of those, I have a lot of history still that I can provide.
09:03:33 I mean, a completely different. Role so I think that we have really worked on our team. We've been really a lot of training.
09:03:42 You know, you have to really spend that effort in the front train staff so that they're comfortable with all the different nuances that you have to do in the job, whether it's
appear in front of the superior court judge.
09:03:54 BILE, reports that are quite lengthy. Or just, you know, need a 24 lesson kind of behavioral program with a youth.
09:04:06 So that kind of skill set requires a lot of training. So I feel like that's something in the budget that you may notice.
09:04:10 It gets spent because we're really trying to utilize. All that we can in training our staff and making sure they're doing have the best tools to work for kids and families.
09:04:22 I also kind of highlighted the position vacancy that we had. Because, our numbers are increasing our referrals since January.
09:04:33 We have more referrals now than we have. All of last year so we're just double can i ask what's that number i mean just so i know yeah i do have that number so right now we're
like, so I know. Yeah, I do have that number.
09:04:52 So, right now we're like combined between court involved and diversion, right now we're like combined between court involved and diversion, around 43 kids and we have 2 staff
that serve all those kids so that's a lot and that doesn't include court involved and diversion, around 43 kids and we have 2 staff that serve all those kids.
09:05:04 So that's a And how many of those are there? Right now, they are running about the same, trucies less because it's just starting to pick up.
09:05:15 It gets the most in May as it goes forward. The risks are usually under 10 for the year and they seem to be fine in that category.
09:05:21 And our ch, which normally are very few are now perking up with a new house build, 12.7 exchange dependency.
09:05:27 Some of those kids are going into that. So we kind of have reorganized things where our civil program manager is doing the risks and chins where we used to have our court involved
POs, probation sponsors do that.
09:05:42 So we're just we have a nice flexibility in our office because we can move where the number is.
09:05:45 Right now we're handling our higher referrals and I'm definitely working. Juvenile court administrator, because of just the past history I have, I can.
09:05:53 Handle some of those cases as well. So I just wanted to highlight the position because I don't know how things are gonna I don't know if we're settling after COVID or this is
gonna trend even more up.
09:06:05 So I really think it's critical that critical that if I need that position I can hire it but right now I'm feeling like we're shuffling and we're We're really doing okay.
09:06:19 So can I just ask you when you say you have that position, is that in your budget but unfilled?
09:06:21 Yes. Okay, and thank you. Yeah, so it's just kind of you know, in holding.
09:06:28 And holding because I don't also want to have someone that doesn't have enough work to learn the job.
09:06:31 So right now I'm really just we're fine but something should if this should trend up and we're then you know I'm comfortable going back to the pre COVID numbers but if we you
know because we dumped in pre COVID numbers, but if we, you know, cause we dumped in pretty COVID quite a bit and now we're rising again.
09:06:50 But the other thing that could warrant that position would be just that legislators really been toying with 1819, 20 year olds coming down into juvenile corner.
09:06:57 And it went to committee and was it's in committee now but it almost passed last year so it's just one of those things that you know in order for something to become legislatively
mandated it always kind of takes a little while but we're watching it and it seems like 2 things will happen.
09:07:14 They'll either come to juvenile court or they'll create a new sentencing grid for those that age group.
09:07:20 And we're really can't tell where that's going to land. Where do you think it should land?
09:07:25 I think it's they should manage you before. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's gonna be a lot to figure out the process with it.
09:07:34 Bigger counties will struggle with that. Smaller counties will will probably like I can see us really rallying around that age group and doing some of the great work.
09:07:43 They really are young and they oftentimes have their first events and The adult model is so different from the, we are doing curriculum, we have lots of in home services, we
have lots of housing services, we have lots of housing services, we have our It's just, It's a better match, but I don't know how that's gonna lack in the bigger county's find more
weight in the decision.
09:08:07 So we'll see. And the bigger counties find the more weight in the decision. So we'll see.
09:08:08 You know what kind of numbers you'd be talking about if that. We'll see. You know what kind of numbers you'd be talking about if that?
09:08:12 We're just talking about Superior Court, but then they realized that this, our kids are the better ones because they're really the ones that are stuck in this high, kind of,
LFO or legal financial obligations and less services.
09:08:26 Kind of that's what happens. I think that's what sent it back to, kind of the negotiation table just because they hadn't really thought about that.
09:08:35 They had that they hadn't put it in and people really wanted that group. So we'll see.
09:08:39 I've thought about contracting or not contracting, but doing something with this record any way we've talked about.
09:08:45 Maybe have. Some of those first time offenders can come. Provide some services to them. But, Yeah, so that's the other thing.
09:08:53 So I'm just kinda holding that one out there. So it's not posted the position right now.
09:08:57 Just kind of hold them onto it and I does it. I'm just wanted you guys to know that that's what you see in there.
09:09:01 And and, but I'm pretty mindful about. When that tipping point comes because I did the job for 26 years.
09:09:13 I kind of really have a good sense of when our tipping point will happen and we'll need to hire.
09:09:16 But right now it seems to be fine. He's in along. Let's see. Any other? Anything on that? Well, I guess I'm curious.
09:09:31 You, you said that the number of clients, I guess, for lack of a better word went down a lot in COVID.
09:09:33 Was that just because of sentencing or what was there? Is that just because of sentencing or what was there?
09:09:37 Juvenile facilities. It was just, you know, that uncertainty and people being at home, it just stopped like trials, and everything stopped.
09:09:48 It wasn't, we, actually responded by doing a referral concern. And so we had kids coming in but not official.
09:09:56 Okay. Because it just was the official systems just. Kind of stop. And when they unclogged were kids in a worse off place from your experience or did I make it you know, everybody
talks about really the long COVID hall is this kind of social emotional.
09:10:17 Effect that they had on kids. Half of our kids right now are girls, which is never gonna face.
09:10:25 We've always had like maybe less than 5%. And so for them to have increased that I think it's just some consequence of the whole.
09:10:33 Okay. Yeah, something happened with her. Yeah, so. And they're mostly assaults that are happening back group.
09:10:42 So. Just interesting, you know, like what trends, you know, there'll be all sorts of reports about.
09:10:47 They'll be researching kind of COVID effects and. Yeah. I mean, yeah. But that's just mine.
09:10:55 Kind of. And what's your demographic? I mean, there is middle school and high schools mostly.
09:11:00 I mean, there is middle school and high schools mostly. I mean, there is middle school and high schools mostly. I mean, there's elementary age kids too.
09:11:03 You don't feel it? I mean, there is a middle school and high school mostly. I mean, there's elementary age kids too. You don't deal with any. Okay.
09:11:07 The only time we deal with the younger kids is through regarding a LED program. So we.
09:11:09 You know, volunteers do that position and we try to open for the best interest of the, you know, what should happen or the best interest of the child.
09:11:18 So then those are littles. Quite a few Guardian and LED and volunteers. So there must be.
09:11:27 Quite a few of those kids. There was and then House Bill 1227 came and affected this last June or July one.
09:11:35 And that really put a block on how dependencies can file. And some courts are kind of like.
09:11:44 Still pushing through. And finally, stuff and some departments. You know, the DCY app is just now like, we're gonna try to really do these pre services and not.
09:11:58 So we're experiencing that right now. Which is okay because then Katie Davis who's in that role, you know, she has we have current cases that we still.
09:12:04 Are managing, but she's also kind of shifting now and it's a good opportunity for her to learn.
09:12:10 The other side of our office because there's only one of me and being on a pager or on call 24 7 and kind of handle all that and not having someone else that can do that is
really kind of that is a difficult position. 24 7 and kind of handling all that and not having someone else that can do that is really kind of that is a difficult position.
09:12:27 So in kind of learning that side so that we can. You know, so that I can self-centered, maybe go out of the country and, be able to be like.
09:12:42 And then Sasha, of course, has all the logistics of the office. So, even though both of them are new they're really
09:12:47 I've done that. You know learning process I would say. So that's happening.
09:12:55 Something I did some adjustments with Judy's help around how to hand off that on call.
09:13:03 And then let's see.
09:13:07 And then I saw in one position at 32Â h, so all that will increase first before I hire.
09:13:13 . So once that's increased in 40 the next signal that maybe the tipping points happening And then we the state has changed its contracting to.
09:13:29 Good performance based contracting so they have a dashboard now and they rate you by your use of the money they give you to actually in programming.
09:13:39 So like a little bit they call it performance base, but it's really about am I need my targets?
09:13:44 Am I giving, am I providing that state dollars straight to programming? And we did really well on the dashboard and got all the rings and one yellow because just of a drop out
2 kids in a 10 program kid program can sway the numbers so we did really really good on the that dashboard.
09:14:06 So that was it. That was a nice. Plus for our office. So yeah, it was it was really like okay.
09:14:14 And that, test, just also software learning. Where are dollars like so how much time and we've just had this huge learning process of that how much time do we are really losing
for serving kids and families and making sure we get that time accurately sent to the state along with the incentives we give along with like even.
09:14:35 We have like some navigation services like driving them, all of that stuff. And so I think just the work that we've done around okay I know the programs and I know the time
that takes.
09:14:48 And so then we have this now way of really, yeah, okay, that means the person needs to really have that amount of time on their time card and she's just got that down now so
that's just going to help us.
09:15:03 I've just been using that, not asking for more money instead of getting money back. Not asking for more money instead of giving money back.
09:15:10 So that's the gist of what we do and how we're doing it right now. And we serve, we do, from the states menu with items.
09:15:25 We have family functional therapy, we have family functional therapy, individual. Alternative choice training, which is called and employment education training.
09:15:32 And then we also provide a low risk program called connect, which is a. Community. For over with kids and bands.
09:15:43 So those are the main ones we do. Along with of course. Utilizing all the resources we have in our community.
09:15:48 I'm curious how the programs like the Nest and the Empower Teams Coalitions.
09:15:56 How the work that those entities are doing feeds into the work that you guys do. Like it's really important for us to stay.
09:16:05 In connection and even what's going on with Teams that are out in the county. At Chimacombe, like it's really important for us to stay connected to those.
09:16:14 And those are our partners. We oftentimes join in some like different they're going for grants will join as a community partner and can be referral agency to that.
09:16:25 So yeah, I mean, all of that's really important is we really connect with the Wise program.
09:16:33 I mean, all of that's really important. We really connect with the WISE program. Here in town from DH.
09:16:37 We, yeah, we work with both treatment providers. If by the time they get to be court involved in order and virus, sometimes those community programs are always a match, to be
honest.
09:16:51 And we have to really utilize then the programs that can serve. And just you know if a kid doesn't show up they don't discharge those are the ones we really need our kids at.
09:17:02 All right, because they always don't show up. Yeah, so wise is really, you've got to be a voluntary participant, There's so many people going there and adults and all that that
they just discharge.
09:17:14 Or we get on the note later that they haven't showed up whereas why is this very responsive they have multiple times a week they're showed up. Where's why is this very responsive.
09:17:24 Multiple times a week. They're used to the kids and they're modern high risk kind of kids that they're trained for.
09:17:27 So it's a really good nice match. They don't always succeed there's a really good nice match.
09:17:33 They don't always succeed there but we're trying to really collaborate with them. It's closest we have to like a multi systemic training kind of.
09:17:39 I'm like, I'm, IT, IS, LAST, THAN, but it's also close to and they just hired a new family therapist.
09:17:45 We're super excited about that. Good. And then, Marcus, Farley, is our manly therapist that we contract with.
09:17:52 So. Okay, the Chinook. I'm gonna, to. You know, connect with them as well.
09:18:07 I encourage you to reach out to Jeff, he's new to the community, but he's got a lot of experience and.
09:18:10 Is a really good asset for that program. People in our office that are in the. Yeah, so that's just generally what we do and how we're doing it.
09:18:36 Just trying to, you've seen to have turned the corner on all the adjustments. And, and now we're, I think we're getting in like.
09:18:41 Performing mode, you know, we had a little morning. Kind of a little stormy and then like I'm like, Kate, Kate, I just wanna give you space.
09:18:55 I don't know if you have any questions or comments about the kind of operations we've gotten updated on.
09:18:58 Yeah, thanks. Could we scroll down to, the, keep going that the full revenues and expenditures spreadsheet.
09:19:12 Thank you. Yeah, it's interesting. I for some reason I thought that your department was got more reimbursement or support from the state, but that is it.
09:19:27 Basically, Yeah, and ends up being like. 8 900,000 that come and is that is that really out of all out of the general fund
09:19:39 Yeah, so because we're a small county, we actually, from our, so because we're a small county, we actually, from our, I think it says the CJA funding or the DCY.
09:19:57 Yeah, that funding is our biggest amount and I think it's like a hundred 20 or 130 and then it goes down to 124.
09:20:00 Most of our baseline amount is for a small county is really only like 50,000 but because we serve programs we get incentivized.
09:20:10 So we get bumped up to that, TGS grant, which is like a hundred 20 or, yeah, round in there.
09:20:21 But because we during COVID, right, they go to our numbers go down, we can't serve as many, and then right, we drop.
09:20:27 So we have a little bit of a repercussion from that. So we were a little lower in there.
09:20:32 And then some of the funding like we lost the consulting rant. And that's just something that was in and out.
09:20:40 Like that was not even. Like, we didn't use it all because it was actually the work I did on the state level to make sure programs were done well.
09:20:49 So the hours I had, on the state level to make sure programs were done well. So the hours I had, the hours went out and, they decided the state decided to go about it a different
way.
09:20:56 So they're not they're consulting in their quality insurance program is totally changed. So that was just no fault.
09:21:03 It just, we lost that. Dcyf, I'm solving money. So that's why that's not showing up.
09:21:12 We didn't use it all anyway, because no, I was the only, that was just, I couldn't do like that much time anyway, so.
09:21:16 Yeah.
09:21:16 Yeah, so those and then the CASSA, Becca, all of that standard. small county allotment and then the EV expansion we actually fly for and not many small counties do.
09:21:30 That's how we get our family functional counseling training. So again, it's actually, get more from the state than most small counties, but you're right.
09:21:42 Yeah, yeah, I just hadn't realized that it was a small portion of your total budget. Can, can.
09:21:41 You have the sales tax piece that I was put in there too, which is for diversion that cause our diversion.
09:21:56 And, and I, this is a great use of the general fund. By the way, I'm not being critical of it at all.
09:22:09 Hmm.
09:22:00 Hmm. Well, we don't put the sales tax that we get in there. That is, we always put that into the side and it's like a hundred 20,000 so that I don't it's never been put in there
as a revenue.
09:22:16 It's never been put in there as a revenue for some. No, it's never been put in there as a revenue for some.
09:22:20 I don't really know. It's never been put in there as a revenue for some. I don't know.
09:22:23 No, it's just kind of put it on the side. I put it in the, cause that's what, used to do with it.
09:22:26 And I call Mark every year or she told her to remind me to do that and then we put it in there.
09:22:28 So I think it's like, I think I put it. I can't remember now where I put it.
09:22:30 But I put it in one of the forms. Okay. No, it wasn't bad.
09:22:37 I think it was in the.
09:22:40 So you actually get that money in there. I think so. 1% funds in the program. Well, I think it was an old rule sales.
09:22:58 That's what she was telling me. It's from 2010. It was proposition one. That's a special purpose.
09:23:07 Positive revenue reflected in the special purpose sales tax estimates that it for 24 and 25 could be in the neighborhood of 100,000 205,000 respectively.
09:23:19 These are numbers representing the percentage identified to support local juvenile justice programming specifically diversion.
09:23:29 Okay.
09:23:28 One more question. I'm curious, I know that I think the last time I was at least shown a kind of analysis of the value of Procter House was before COVID, you know, and knowing
how expensive it is to hold kids in Kitsap, you know, that was there's a lot of benefit to Procter House and it was it was you know financially beneficial.
09:23:54 Given the changes in the justice system, his, proctor has been able to shift to provide some other.
09:24:03 Other services if there are fewer kids coming in through the doors there and kind of how are you thinking about the role of Procter House given the changes at the state?
09:24:12 Thank you for even steering me that way. Great segue because actually our numbers are increasing in detention as well.
09:24:22 And Procter Bouse has, they're utilized quite a bit since January. And I'm sorry I don't have those numbers there but I would say a kid in there at least every week.
09:24:35 Overall averaging. And that thing that about the Procter house that I really appreciate, with our county is that there's so many kids that have to be incarcerated the first
contact with law enforcement just because of the family discourse and those kids are saved.
09:24:51 Standard detention protocols and they actually go to a house. Secondly, our kids get to stay in the community and oftentimes we use it as a reset and how to get them into a
habit of going to their programs and going to school.
09:25:06 Predominantly the men girls or marginalized communities that are in the Proctor house. We have a lot of LGBTQ plus kids there and just in general because kids there and just
in general is that population I think is increasing.
09:25:20 We it may be a financial commitment, that population, I think, is increasing. We, is that population, I think, is increasing.
09:25:34 We, it may be a financial commitment, but if we think about a kid and having a place of where they say, I really appreciate the commitment, I wouldn't want my kids to be up
in detention and last Sanders living in, you know, a structured facility that provided them.
09:25:40 You know, all the treatment needs they needed. So the cost is significant, but it's also the cost not to do it.
09:25:47 I feel like it's significant, but it's also the cost not to do it. I feel like it's significant.
09:25:56 But it's also the cost not to do it. I feel like it's significant. It is way higher.
09:26:02 And we're so good at running the house and making sure that the right kids are in there or how we do that and we are and so the second part of that question is I have gotten
a little more creative because we have that open position so in Kelley part of that question is I have gotten a little more creative because we have that open position.
09:26:08 So in Kelley, I have gotten a little more creative because we have that open position. So in Kelley, partial contract, I have now included some of the state funding programs
that we do.
09:26:12 So we get paid for FFT and EDT. And COS. Well, I'm having her hours go towards those programs now too.
09:26:26 So, well, I'm having her hours go towards those programs now too. So that's part of her contract is doing some of those that we're utilizing that.
09:26:29 Different time in that facility. Lots of kids will show up their after hours to do those programs because we're only open until 5.
09:26:37 And she's also doing some navigation stuff for us. So I'm trying to bolster her.
09:26:42 Time to not only be for that proctor house but also to be doing some of the programs that we had that the state provides us money for and that maybe the staff, my 2 staff that
do probation counseling services are a little time consumed to be able to do.
09:26:58 So it has allowed us not to hire that third position because I're a little time consumed to be able to do.
09:27:06 So it has allowed us not to hire that third position because I'm filtering some of those duties and just making it part of her contract just to get, some creativity around there
and, you know, and utilize her because she also has a lot of experience in those programs.
09:27:13 So. That's, that answer that.
09:27:17 Yeah. That's great. Thank you.
09:27:19 Yeah, appreciate that. Actually, doing all our transport. So we also would have to hire a transport officer.
09:27:26 So when kids are peeped up and they have to go to kids at news center a lot of times law enforcement don't that's why I'm on pager because law enforcement can't go out and drive
on so if they're not to talk to home eligible because Thank you.
09:27:44 Okay. Then that she also provides that transportation and any transportation needed to and from core transportation to like. We have a child study treatment.
09:27:54 Sid, transportation to like a specialized email. So that's also without increasing her contract. I embedded those things in it.
09:28:01 So it's just using that. Position more fluidly. But now I'm finding her time is going towards actual kids in custody a little bit more.
09:28:13 Curious about maybe just a little bit the big picture of. How are the the issues that we're facing as a community like?
09:28:24 Coming out of COVID. Our housing crisis, how are all of these issues? Showing up at your guys' door.
09:28:33 Well, they're knocking very loudly right now this morning. So I think the housing one would be the biggest like we're having.
09:28:46 So I think the housing one would be the biggest like we're having a lot of kids in that 1617 year old 1819 20 you know, or the 18 year olds we have, 18 year olds, just because
they turn that.
09:28:51 Without housing or crisis in homes like parent doesn't have housing. A lot of complicated around that right now.
09:28:59 It's hard. It's really, we're feeling, struggling with affordable housing. They're just having to move farther out.
09:29:09 To find housing or not have housing at all. The huge crunch on the whole. Tension of a home.
09:29:20 And ability to function. That's the biggest thing that we know is. Do you keep track of the those, you know, like a spreadsheet of the causes.
09:29:28 Do you keep track of those, you know, like a spreadsheet of the causes of why someone walks through the door.
09:29:53 We've electronic. We made our case notes electronic. We've done some really good stuff that we're crossing off, but there's some stuff to be done at all.
09:29:58 That's a great idea. Or just even keep track of how many have become housing unstable wilder with us.
09:30:04 Which I would say is. Okay, I'm just curious about what the underlying causes are, you know, it's so, financial for sure.
09:30:16 Housing. You know, you think about households which makes the biggest stress in a household. And it's the same stuff that creates.
09:30:20 Reaction or impulsivity that happens stress chaos. Well, and that they're all cramped in, in one bedroom house, cause that's all they can afford.
09:30:33 It's like. And this is less than super video because parents are trying to work several jobs. I mean it's it's a complicated situation.
09:30:44 You know, I could probably make a lot of money if I really pinpoint it. I would say the family structure and the stress within a family.
09:30:56 I would say the family structure and the stress within a family is a lot of money if I can really pinpoint it.
09:31:00 I would say the family structure and the stress within a family is a big, driver for kids going away from the family and then their peers become more important and then there's
the decision making that causes them to come in or there's a lot of stress and they're the decision making that causes them to come in or there's a lot of stress and they're already
intense.
09:31:10 So then they're going to school in intense mindsets and then they're getting Some have and have nots, right?
09:31:16 That's a huge bowling. There's lots of stuff that goes on. Yeah. Thank you.
09:31:22 But we are excited that there's more. Direct housing for that. I have to say that maybe I hear come through Bayside's been really good about taking a little bit younger kids
like the 17 year olds.
09:31:35 Okay.
09:31:38 Okay. Well, you're not asking for a lot. You know, of course we're not making any decision today.
09:31:43 We appreciate you digging into the program programmatic side of it as well as the rationale behind your, I guess, neutral budget ask.
09:31:52 So really appreciate that. Thank you. I guess neutral budget ask. So I really appreciate that. Thank you.
09:32:04 I appreciate that. Yeah. She's, she's also helping us re-band our budget a little bit so it makes more sense.
09:32:08 No, you've been amazing by the way. Oh, she's, she's also helping us re-band our budget a little bit so you know, just kinda get thrown in it because it was an off budget here
when I got in so I didn't have a look at it.
09:32:15 Personally. Thank you very much. You're welcome. That's the pieces for this. Yeah, meeting.
09:32:24 Alright, great. Well, thank you. Shannon, thanks for your time.
09:32:28 Bye guys, thank you.
09:32:32 Alright, well, looks like we have DCD ready to go. Josh Chelsea, please come on up.
09:32:39 Good to see you guys this morning.
09:32:42 Good morning. Yeah.
09:32:50 And, well, you know, we often use this, opportunity to dive, you know, behind just the budget into the rationale.
09:32:57 And what's going on? So, you know, we'll turn it over to you guys to.
09:33:03 Oh, sorry, Mark. Well, I'm just telling you, say this is Chubby's first budget cycle. Yeah. From all reports, you're doing a fantastic job.
09:33:18 So. Okay, yeah, thank you. Good morning, Dr. Peters. You need development director.
09:33:34 It's also my person. That's right. That's right. That's right.
09:33:40 I'll bet you, of course, as I was just say that's been very helpful and getting us up to speed and all the information that we need to present.
09:33:43 And we did of course review the past and So I'll start with a few remarks and then turn it over to Chelsea for some of the numbers.
09:33:46 This mission statement has been, around the while they have changed it. So what we're sort of thinking broadly, preserving, It's intended to be.
09:34:01 To come as many things. Those objectives. Do you want me to read it? I know, I can't, that, that helps very, so, higher, and, team, qualified, dedicated staff.
09:34:22 As you know, this has been actually a challenge for the past couple of years. I think I said this before, but I'll say it again for the benefit of those listening.
09:34:31 And I've joined or rejoined the county last summer in June. 13 staff members have left out 20.
09:34:38 That doesn't mean we only have 7 because of course we hired and some of the more folks left as well.
09:34:46 But we're we're fighting back we've stolen a few. So that's good and I think we're looking good now as I mentioned earlier this week.
09:35:03 I think it was that we have 4 people and we're still looking to hire a couple more. And it depends on the budget, but I think, to round out and just get a ticket over 20, FDA
looking forward.
09:35:15 So, historically, I think the department was meaning the max was something like 26 or something. They're about back in the 2,000.
09:35:21 So we're doing everything we can to bring people on us, retaining people to reorganize our policies in terms of keeping people up to date with training.
09:35:32 And and things like that. So. That's a pretty important goal because when we lose people, it's not only institutional knowledge, but just the capacity to do the work I'm supposed
to do.
09:35:43 And of course that has big implications on the community and our, especially our applicant community. And when we last met, I asked you when your last staff member and you said
it would, about 2 months ago.
09:35:56 So we've done 2 months with no losses. Yeah, and before that we had reached a level of stability.
09:36:07 And before that we had reached a level of stability. I would say, you know, before Ethan, it was a special case because you know, before he's and it was a special case because
he got, you know, an amazing opportunity.
09:36:10 Okay. But sometimes when people leave. They recruit their, I think that was what happened there.
09:36:25 Create operational policies and standard procedures to improve and streamline processes. Of course, this is something that we're continually working on in the spirit of continuous
improvement.
09:36:33 And, as we've talked about before in this chamber. You know, we passed the plan several months ago and we're executing it.
09:36:42 We're moving along. It just takes a while to get it working so we have now 5. Consultants on board 3 land use 2 building.
09:36:49 And we're bringing in these boarding individuals including our purpose center coordinator and replacing our planning technician.
09:36:57 And we think this very important role in terms of just processing. Permit and take tracking, communicating with the applicants, which is another.
09:37:06 Something that takes a lot of time and effort. I can't thank you for wanting to know where they are in it, but also, people.
09:37:15 To. Comedy feels requests essentially without affecting the ability to actually so the next one is a, the, application backlog is a big goal of ours and, obviously related to
the previous bullet we're working on that.
09:37:30 There wanna be too optimistic, but I would like to see us by the beginning of next year. Being a completely different place, but if it takes.
09:37:37 Like March then more like what about middle of next year so somewhere in between it's like somewhere in the first half of 2024 we can just be in a lately different place where
we can actually start to Does it go back to normal, I guess?
09:37:51 I know that's an interesting way to look at it because what is normal? The pandemic itself apparently had 2 record years in a row for for purpose at the same time that most
people working from home and everything had changed.
09:38:04 Normal, maybe it was back in, in the box when we had those 2526 people and then the great recession game.
09:38:10 And, I wasn't, department, at that time, and all the tests happened, but I will tell you that the psychological effect of that remains.
09:38:20 And I don't wanna be in a position again, which is why I mentioned before that we wanna hire these 2 extra people including.
09:38:26 China, but I wanna make sure that we're gonna be secure because I don't want to see us in there.
09:38:32 Computers on the road, you know, things change or that, you know, some,'s dries up and then you have to let people go office.
09:38:39 I tell you, it has been, it's made an impact and you can still feel it and certainly you talk to people that were there.
09:38:46 And then we want to complete that transition to digital permitting process. As you know, we've moved to Antarctica.
09:38:57 Asbells and whistles, we're using some of them, but not all of them. That's another longer discussion.
09:38:57 But. We want to. You know, completely move into the digital world as much as possible.
09:39:03 There may be some money to tap into from the state level, There's also some things that you have to accept if you accept that line.
09:39:13 In terms of commitments to certain timelines by permit type, not just the general current timeline. And although I'm not afraid of accepting those kinds of commitments.
09:39:23 Eventually, I'm a little bit fearful, but now, so that's why I like to get through this permanent backlog and then when we have a new normal we can reset and perhaps take on.
09:39:32 Some of those commands that come along with some dollars, especially to complete the transition to full digital permitting so The actual effect of that bill is for a couple
of years, as I understand it.
09:39:42 So we have some time to think about it. We're not the only jurisdiction that's struggling with even understanding how to implement it.
09:39:47 One of the bill that was written by, applicants, like, we're all in.
09:39:59 And I say we're all because I went to the county meeting with a lot of other counties, some of the bigger ones.
09:40:01 And I say we're all, and I say we're all because I went to the county meeting with a lot of other counties, some of the bigger ones.
09:40:07 And I say we're all because I went to county meeting with a lot of other counties, some of the bigger ones.
09:40:10 And I was as well as representing a small standing group in every expression. And, I do that.
09:40:12 So we're relying on the Washington, the group and everyone's scratching their head about, I do that. Right. So we're relying on the Washington state association.
09:40:14 That's a little bit to help us figure out what to do that. And so we're relying on the Washington State Association.
09:40:15 That's a little bit to help us figure out what we're supposed to do in that bill.
09:40:16 Maybe there'll be some changes to is not. Revise code to address identified fixes and to implement regulatory reform further.
09:40:23 So I'm aware of the certainly aware of the 2,019 it was regulatory
09:40:29 Action by the board. I think it's been we've done some of those things in order to make that happen.
09:40:36 And including some changes, but there's more to be done. You know, we're continuing looking for places in the field where we see things that we could possibly do it more efficiently
or faster essentially.
09:40:47 And to simplify things. And so we've been doing that and certainly since we have a need to only coded up.
09:40:53 Okay, acting on those things but really I think there's another package of fixes coming. There'll be some code changes that are part of this 2023.
09:41:04 Conference with that. And then the cycle that then anticipate a package of development, code amendments to be worked on and put forward in the first half of point 24 as well.
09:41:13 To help. Down. Further that cause.
09:41:18 And then. And then finally so we have a a co compliance program there's a new title 19 as you know or fair menu I should say that deal specifically with We, we had a whole nice
coordinator left and then we replace that person with, Nicki Aegan and just working out well.
09:41:39 She collaborates with other departments. Sheriff's Office, the prosecuting attorney's office, but we really still need to focus on that program and just build it, build it up
to where it's supposed to be, and in the right, and, and right priority order and sense of how we do things in our county.
09:41:53 And then finally we do have ideas about the office of Fire Marshall as well. Phil Cecier is both the building official and the fire marshal.
09:42:01 That just getting on that title in a sense and putting on the community has resulted in lot of extra communication I'm saying.
09:42:10 It feels always talking to the fire shapes and so more that we're participating in our community without our protection planning process.
09:42:15 And all that is taking his time and attention and we wanna build that office so we can implement some of the things.
09:42:22 That are part of that plan that we anticipate coming our way. We continue collaborating, tap into some other funds possibly, but really we want to get that commercial via inspection
program rolling so that we can you know just go out there and make sure that after you issue a building permit or land use permit, you can still, you know, do the right checks, but
hopefully safety when it involves commercial activities or short-term rentals for
09:42:45 example. So we'll probably be coming back to the board with some ideas about that that affect the budget.
09:42:54 In this budget, we get it very simple, but we don't have ideas about how to build our office up and would require some level of investment.
09:43:02 This one. Yeah, this just shows where we're at with the, with the overchart at the moment.
09:43:11 Some people around in terms of how we're spending and overview right now. Vonage learning is, they would, share with the reports to me directly, so we can keep the development
administrator focused on currently.
09:43:24 No, that's, you know, as duties change, we need around a little bit. And.
09:43:29 Yeah, anyway, that's seen the traffic board, that could change subject to change as close as we get new talent in and figure out the best ways to person within the organization.
09:43:39 But essentially, you've got your front house. The permit center and all the other functions that Chelsea does of course in terms of even right.
09:43:47 HR and Accounts payable and public records and those kinds of things. Let's say a sign, but also just the whole.
09:43:56 Meet me out from dealing with customers taking in purpose, using like course the billing. Official and sort of the building side of the house or is.
09:44:05 Right now we have building official fire marshal and 2 inspectors, but where we have a spot still for planting that or any other thing about that but essentially we wanna get
a plans examiner position there so that they don't can concentrate on his building official.
09:44:19 And commercial duties, but it actually won't mean you just have an understand. And, as they said, we have Nicki, just reporting to me as Cope, and then, the suite of I'm planners
under Great Ballard.
09:44:34 That we are about to add to this month too at least. And again, as I mentioned, we're still, considering another.
09:44:42 Would either be a long-range, order, review, or our combination, or we could take a current.
09:44:47 Talent that's in development review and start getting more language by the tasks.
09:44:58 And here I'm gonna turn over to Chelsea since we've been instrumental in the film HR, movement we've been doing.
09:45:03 Thank you. Hi, I'm Chelsea. I'm the administrative services manager, DCB.
09:45:10 I've met all. Thank you. I'm so sorry. Can you make that a little bigger?
09:45:13 I can't.
09:45:18 So this is just, so showing that past slide was our organizational chart for the first quarter of 2024 and it has space for 21.2 FTEs.
09:45:31 We like Josh said we have 4 staff coming on. This month and you know you mentioned there if we hired 2 more we get that we get 21.2 FTs.
09:45:48 Can I ask which I'm I have I'm looking at the 1.2 FTs.
09:45:51 Can ask which I'm I have I'm looking at the or what are those 4 vacancies, which I'm, I have, I'm looking at the org chart.
09:45:53 What are those 4 vacancies that are going to be filled. So, that our coordinator is going to be a point 8 FTE.
09:45:55 We have our planning technician. Starting in 2 weeks. We have and associate planner. Under great.
09:46:08 And then we have our secret planner. Okay, nice. Right. And then the open, the open positions are that plans examiner.
09:46:17 And then depending on what happens with that position, we may need a, another community development tack or permanent tech upfront.
09:46:25 Great. Thanks. And then we so currently kind of on the long range side we have a chief strategy officer position.
09:46:36 That is not anticipated to go for the full 2024. Year. But that you know it's a little up in the air.
09:46:47 As far as that position goes.
09:46:49 As I mentioned, our permits that are coordinating our position is now point 8 FTE instead of one, which is a little savings to us.
09:46:58 Oh, we just talk about the current assistant plan. So we have one current assistant plan position that's term limited ends in May.
09:47:05 We have a position open in that work chart and that maybe what you are alluding to like. We don't know we'll hire someone else or possibly move that person into that full permanent
position.
09:47:16 And then. We still had a reorganization before I got here. I think I was part of that.
09:47:23 Reorganization. And we have the backlog as we stated. So we're just really trying to fill all those positions aggressively to.
09:47:33 We have to get through this backlog. And then I looked through our past. Like org charts and from what I could find there was a bunch of them on average you know between 18
what about 18.4 and 20.4 FTEs over the last few years.
09:47:51 And then the next slide just shows like the. First quarter or charts that I found for. And they're very small you cannot see them but it says there you know 19.4 FTE 20.4 and
then the new one and then this most recent one at the beginning of 2023 was 20.4.
09:48:10 Let me just check. 1.2. If we consider that, you know, as stated that he wants to retire at some point, he has a great workforce now and it but at some point he's expressed
the interest in retiring so that's why we when I said a tick over 20 I met after.
09:48:33 And so that's why we, when I said, take over 20, I mean, after Bramley is, you know, when I said a tick over 20, I mean, after families, and then we'd be at 21, I mean, after
Brandon's, then we'd be at 24 2.
09:48:39 So, and again, but we figure we're right, right now, we can talk more, later about, you know, what is the right size for the department? That's a whole other thing. Of course,
we have some space issues as well.
09:48:42 But, our new senior planner who is currently a planning director for another county is going to be primarily teleworking so we don't have to worry about finding.
09:48:50 She's also rejoining the county by the way. I may have mentioned this better her name.
09:48:56 She's, she's, counting back in the off when Frank and I did. Right, Ballard and I was always sort of getting the band back together.
09:49:04 She wants to do more of what she loves, which is planning and not directing it.
09:49:09 Which is that you love.
09:49:14 And then I think we're gonna be getting into some numbers here. This was just showing the salary requests, historic historical request and the current one to show we're not
that far away from what we were in 2022 in 2,023 especially considering the wage increases that just went through.
09:49:37 So you can see, 2,024 department requests, salaries and benefits are just slightly over the 2022 and 23.
09:49:44 Requests and then it looks like in so 2025 the salaries and benefits should decrease a little depending on that key strategy officer position that to unlimited.
09:49:59 That's supposed to be 4 21. Yeah, yeah, I see it. Okay, thanks.
09:50:10 Got it. Okay, one thing you consider commissioners is that, you know, the department may require more general kind of support.
09:50:21 And depending on how heavily the consultants are used and how. How full up they are, Oh, that's in here too.
09:50:30 Don't worry. And then I was just kind of going, section by section. So we have our administration here.
09:50:41 These are just notable expenditures. Obviously salaries and benefits. Carry the most the most of our expenses in administration.
09:50:50 We have operating supplies. Professional services which are pretty minor. We have some consultants that do. The technical.
09:51:01 Technical work for us. Yeah, IT. And then training training is a fairly large bucket. We have so many new people that I want to prepare to.
09:51:13 To get them sign up for trainings. And the software subscriptions like Tyler and Adobe licenses and things like that.
09:51:23 Okay. Please interrupt me if you have any questions at any time. Thank you. This is our planning department.
09:51:30 So this is our largest area. As you can see, salaries and benefits, again, the largest portion.
09:51:35 And then the professional services is where we get into a little bit of the unknown. I haven't received any invoices yet.
09:51:43 I know they're doing work. I have the, you know, report from one of our planners that We have one of our, insulting groups are doing about 10 of our site development reviews
a week.
09:51:52 We currently have a backlog. There's about 110 in the queue. But if they can pop out 10 a week and we are planning team up, but it's a really big unknown for us.
09:52:05 Makes me very uncomfortable because I haven't received an invoice. Yeah, obviously they know what their salary schedules are and things like that.
09:52:11 But We're waiting to see how that impacts. But I do obviously in 2025 we should be scaling way back on consultants when we're fully staffed and we hopefully don't have consultants
when we're fully staffed and we hopefully don't have this large backlog.
09:52:23 And the rest is very, the IT, INTERFUND, training and travel, with some memberships and do some dues that we have to.
09:52:31 Pay for and then the notices like the legal notices and advertising for that department.
09:52:39 I think this is building. Says over to the left. Sorry, it doesn't all fit because I can't see very well.
09:52:46 Building. Okay. Same thing, the smaller as we talked about, these aren't building inspectors.
09:52:52 Plans examiner, things like that. Another we do have professional services for this, for some of our fire code.
09:53:01 Inspections and plans examiner to help fill out since he's wearing 3 hats. And I did speak with Phil and we're hoping as this office of the fire marshal gets going there will
be permanent fees that should be coming in to help offset these costs.
09:53:17 There will be permanent fees that should be coming in to help offset these costs for life safety inspections, hospitality, for life safety inspections, hospitality permits,
And then again, our IT and a fund training and travel and then vehicles just because our building specters.
09:53:28 They're doing around. Okay.
09:53:33 This is our permit, the like the permit center. So these are the folks up front. Much smaller.
09:53:41 They, take it a lot of our money, but they're a small part of our budget. This is mostly salaries.
09:53:45 And benefits and then the IT.
09:53:50 And then we're gonna, this is getting into revenue. Again, it's very difficult. To project where we're going to be because we've been under staffed.
09:54:03 We have a backlog, but essentially what I did is I took How many, so this is historic.
09:54:07 These are historic numbers, 2122, just showing what was budgeted and historically we've exceeded that.
09:54:14 I've heard there was a big permanent boom in the COVID era, but even you know, 2,022, we still were over budget and I think 2023 but 2023 were not quite which is the next slide.
09:54:26 So this is where I kind of got into projections. I looked at how many permits we had issued so far.
09:54:33 Found an average, figured what we could possibly do in the next few months to come up with a projected.
09:54:38 Total, which is a little under budget, but I think that's just due to we don't have enough people to process it but I think that's just due to we don't have enough people to
process.
09:54:46 Which we're getting. Which should help us in the future. And then also on the previous slide I did want to point out we've talked about this, we've, I'm sorry, I'm working my
way back.
09:54:59 One of the revenue lines there is the general fund transfers. So, and again, I don't know the history behind this, but I do see, you know, in 2,021 we had 852,022 our general
fund transfer was 800 and 35, and then so 2023 general fund transfer.
09:55:25 This budget at 450. So I mean, we're almost, you know, little.
09:55:28 Almost half, not quite half of what it was, historically. So in our 2025 I'm asking.
09:55:36 We did this reorganization. We're carrying a lot of kind of administrative positions now that are paid mostly by the general fund.
09:55:43 So you'll see, 2024 is a much larger general fund request which should kind of consistently go down over time as we get more revenue.
09:55:55 Talk about the increased revenue from building permits. How how your cause that's higher than it's ever been.
09:56:04 So we got close. We were almost at 700,02022. And I, and what had been happening is we had had a bottleneck because we had SDR.
09:56:10 Backlog and we were waiting. Is not the case right now but we were waiting to collect any building permit fees until the SDRs were done.
09:56:21 So we have this big bottleneck where I think we're doing them concurrently now.
09:56:23 And what I did is I just looked at, we were on track to do 738.
09:56:35 This year. And I, and I was figuring and it's all depends on who's building and what's building but with fully meaningfully staff and with consultants.
09:56:42 You know, 850 per minute. So another. 100 plus permit. But it all depends.
09:56:52 But that's basically, with my projection, I was like, we could do 738 permits this year, which would get us to that expected revenue in 2,023.
09:56:59 And there should be able to process more next year, especially especially in the community when we get rid of the backlog and they feel confident that they can come in and get
their stuff built.
09:57:10 So is that, is that average building permit, $1,000 or? If I can tell you, it's another notebook.
09:57:22 But, so the average because we do so many permits we have some that are fairly inexpensive I took an overall average.
09:57:27 It was around $700. Okay. Some mechanical permits are much less expensive. And that we do some huge building permits.
09:57:46 I've been watching that project since I was on the We're gonna kick started that program. Yeah.
09:57:57 We, it's easier to predict land use permit fees because we have a fee schedule. But with Billy, is based on valuation.
09:58:07 So like Chelsea said, what's being built? And I was thinking yesterday about our presentation from.
09:58:12 Jeff Hatman yesterday and his talk about home values and how you know Jefferson County. Compares to other counties in Western Washington and how we're ranking with King County
in home valuations, average home valuation.
09:58:27 So. I think we're seeing. Generally larger permit probably permits for larger homes here. Than other neighboring jurisdictions.
09:58:38 So I mean, this makes sense to me, but I just. In my mind trying to ground truth the assumptions and I would say what Jeff said yesterday kind of.
09:58:48 That's this up in my mind. With home valuations. And then I guess just a couple of quick comments about.
09:58:56 About how things like permanent revenue. Affects our department. So. So we're not completely an enterprise phone in the sense that we realize solely and strictly on that way,
but it does and we do significantly and so it creates it's good.
09:59:14 And the sense that it doesn't pull from the general. The way that it possibly could and it's the other way around however.
09:59:20 It does create a little bit of volatility. And so it's difficult to predict exactly how it's going, which is why, you know, plan or whatever might happen in the future.
09:59:28 I don't want to say that. James doesn't say the artwork, but if things slow down for some reason, whatever that is, you know, we need to kind of think ahead and prepare for
that.
09:59:35 Just. Your worst case scenario game plan. The other thing I would mention is that I also as Chelsea mentioned, we don't need to this budget process and not having participated
in it last year.
09:59:46 Not really sure what went into the decision to essentially cut our general fund allocation in half. I think it has something to do with budget policy and some other things that
you know probably totally make sense at the time.
09:59:58 But I will say that when you look at our budget documents, and you see that our remaining balance and it's down towards the more like the 300,000 350,000 level or something
like that.
10:00:08 Traditionally like right now we're sitting more at like 750 or something in that neighborhood, right?
10:00:13 Which I feel much more comfortable with because that was just a allow us to not be so fearful about whether in a storm, if you will, economically.
10:00:20 So, but if we go down, if we actually, if this year plays out, I'm gonna go down to that more like 3 3 50 level.
10:00:29 We're just playing with fewer chips, I guess. And so, That's why one of the reasons why we're just asking this time to go back to where it was and that's possible.
10:00:39 And also we may be coming back in the fourth quarter depending on when we start getting these invoices, we're trying to hit that. Premier Pathbone.
10:00:44 We're working with the real implications about this fiscal year and the most part we may come back and say, you know, if we, if we just change, 2,000, and 23 back to what it
was in, 2,000, and 22, we'd be sitting in a higher meeting balance like we did last year.
10:00:59 So put that out there as a possibility. But we'll talk obviously with Mark and Judy about that.
10:01:06 So put that out there as a possibility, but we'll talk obviously with Mark and Judy about that.
10:01:09 I will talk obviously with Mark and Judy about that. And I don't know, Julia, Mark, do you know the rationale?
10:01:11 And I don't know, Judy, and Mark, do you know the rationale If I can do that again.
10:01:13 Okay. I'll just. So we had a general fund financial system policy which the board accepted this last year and the the board accepted this last year and the purpose of that policy,
and financial assistance policy, which the board accepted this last year.
10:01:27 And the purpose of that policy was then, transfers from the general fund. And the purpose of that policy was the board accepted this last year.
10:01:33 And the purpose of that policy was then, transfers from the general fund and a tendency to just continue to increase that one and a half, 3%.
10:01:38 And they were just, to go up and up and up without any evaluation. So what the general financial assistant policy did is that there had to be a support to the ask for the money
from the general fund.
10:01:42 Typically the revenues for DCD have been under budgeted. And so what happened is that during those years of getting those larger amounts The rabbit is we're quite, we're significantly
higher and the fun balance was higher.
10:01:59 So the need wasn't there, which was, where we met in the middle to reduce that general fund ask.
10:02:07 And so. And the goal is with the general fund financial assistant policy and transfers from the general fund is for it to be there when you need it.
10:02:15 Not necessarily just given every year with an increase. And so that's the mindset behind that. So that's the historical side of things.
10:02:22 As to when that was reduced and when we did that review There were a number of departments that were untouched.
10:02:32 There was your extension. Parks and rack. Yeah, their transfers, the same and continue to grow at the same rate because their needs is career.
10:02:41 But we did reduce public health also. And that was a result of our analysis of their phone balance and how a year after year continues to grow.
10:02:51 And so what that tells us is that a bunch of that general from transfer money is just. Better to keep it in the general fund and have it available, when there's a treatment.
10:03:03 I appreciate all that. An additional thing to consider about the way DCD is set up. Is that It is completely.
10:03:14 Legal, my understanding of the way things work and this is from discussions with our consultant working on our fees study to take in permit fees and to pay for the operation.
10:03:25 Doing permits with those days. However, there are lots of things that we do that Either we shouldn't be or we can't really.
10:03:34 Use those permit fees to do. And that would be like a lot of a lot of general things in the office.
10:03:41 And maybe most importantly, the long range planning side of things, like complying with growth management and doing all the things that I know that the board.
10:03:54 There's another way to recover. There's another way to recover. Meeting things on that.
10:03:58 Yeah. So yeah. So there's a lot of things that we do have to get into. Yeah.
10:04:01 So yeah, so there's a lot of things that we do in particular, yeah. So yeah, so there's a lot of things that we do and in particular long explaining all of that stuff that we
talked about, with the, with the board, all the things that we'd like to accomplish.
10:04:07 None of that can be paid for by somebody's building. So. That's just something you can mind just an extra kind of additional wrinkle to just strictly looking at it from the
button.
10:04:17 From a members perspective, I know that we've I think a lot of official last night voted to do a letter that they, you know, they'd like to see their, last night voted to do
a letter that they, you know, they'd like to see their budget not untouched or increase or what have you.
10:04:27 If you want to get into that, some response to that but I guess the general notion though that if we want to do significant long range planning, working on our complaint on
our regs.
10:04:38 And That's a requires general fun. So, I'm very sensitive to what Josh does.
10:04:50 So, Commissioner, I'm very sensitive to what Josh, just talked about. I'm using building.
10:04:52 Permanent revenues or, development application revenues for, general fund activities, down in Card County, the building industry association.
10:05:02 Actually, so the county and want a judgment of about a million 400,000. So the county had to refund all that.
10:05:11 And that's why the board appropriated 30,000, I mean 2 or 3 years ago for a, 30,000, I mean 2 or 3 years ago, for a feast day to make sure that DCD is charging the appropriate
fees for all that permit activity.
10:05:23 Sadly that study has not yet been completed and, according to Brent, it should be complete by years in.
10:05:32 And so we can look at the results of that compared against our current sea schedule and then amend it. To comply with that study.
10:05:41 Because that study would then give us a very strong defense. In the event that somebody challenged the piece of Thanks.
10:05:50 And hopefully, these won't go down. Okay, go ahead.
10:05:56 Yeah, I'm wondering Chelsea and Josh if you're, proposed budgets here include, you know, I think we can anticipate getting more requests for deferral of certain permitting fees
for affordable housing projects.
10:06:15 And I know that's a big. Policy decision but is that something you have any if you built in any assumptions here for that and I don't know, I guess curious if you also expect
that we might see some more of those requests and if and how and when we might want to handle those.
10:06:34 Yeah, thank you for the question, Commissioner Dean. We did not build in any assumptions into the budget for that and I have to admit I'm on a learning curve about exactly how
this works.
10:06:44 My understanding is that it's only the board that could wave fees for any particular app. Like we're not in the business, I guess, having someone come in and say this is a good
project or where a nonprofit or whatever it is, and we say, oh great, then you don't have to pay the piece.
10:06:59 My understanding is that's really a board action and I'm a little bit fuzzy on what happens if someone comes to the board, make such a request support, answer request, what
does that mean for us?
10:07:08 Does that mean that immediately some kind of general fund for other transfer comes over choice in this school or we just kind of eat it if you will.
10:07:15 And budgetarily speaking and move on. So I really don't know the answer for that question, and be interested in talking about more if.
10:07:21 If that's something that we want to actually consider sort of the budget process, certainly you'll do it just on how to do that.
10:07:32 And even greater transfer from the general phone and. You know, if, if you recall yesterday when we were looking at the ad requests, we have a million that have requests and
we also have to digest very large pay increases for staff.
10:07:46 In the general fund and you know, we had a, program in Park County and No, he's on anything and there was disaster.
10:07:57 So I would. I know, portal, caution the board. I've certainly heard questions about it.
10:08:10 I think even Brent Butler brought it up in regards to the chip application, right? I think even Brent Butler brought it up in regards to the chip application, right?
10:08:16 I mean, that's like a requirement. I think you and Brent Butler brought it up in regards to the chip application, right? I mean, that's like a requirement.
10:08:18 I wasn't, didn't you talk about that as being a requirement for, qualifying for the chip?
10:08:21 Grant program.
10:08:22 Yeah, and, Callum County is really struggling with this right now. Swim City Council is not wanting to do fee waivers and it does make some funding.
10:08:33 They're ill, not eligible for certain funding if they don't do it. So I think it's gonna come knocking on our doorstep and we don't do it.
10:08:41 So I think it's gonna come knocking on our doorstep and we probably should be prepared to take it up.
10:08:47 And we probably should be prepared to take it up. You know, I think, I don't know the city's current policy, but for a number of years they, put aside, I think, $30,000 of general
fund dollars and it was kind of first come first served, but if there was a, affordable housing project that met the longevity criteria, you know, guaranteed affordability for many
years, which most state.
10:09:08 funding agencies require anyway, that, nonprofits, were, then, eligible, for, that, fee, waiver, so, yeah, i, think, there, are, ways, that, we, can, contain, it, but, obviously,
would, take
10:09:24 I think, you know, long term projection about increases, at that value and that sort of thing.
10:09:27 We factor into that decision, I would think. I'd remind the board too that you wave campaigns.
10:09:32 So they're already, eating some, revenue that they used to collect. All those small mouse.
10:09:42 That they actually do the permit process they still end up paying those can fees because they were deferred from those.
10:09:47 Initially as well. But Kate, do you know if the city I mean, do you know how I think the city still does that have a program about waving affordable housing fees and development
fees.
10:09:59 Is that where they petitioning where applicants petitioning the city council? Do you know the process at all that they went through, I guess.
10:10:08 No.
10:10:08 I don't know. We need to do some research and I don't know if it has changed in any way, and I don't know if it has changed in any way.
10:10:16 This was like 10 plus years ago and Habitat was largely the beneficiary of that, 10 plus years ago, and habitat was largely the beneficiary of that, but habitat was largely
the beneficiary of that habitat was largely the beneficiary of that but we just have a lot more a lot more players in that space now and I knowing what a priority it is.
10:10:25 I think it's something we would want to consider. Setting up, you know, doing a resolution and setting up a process for, but I totally hear you, Mark.
10:10:34 I know there's gonna be a lot of tough decisions to make.
10:10:36 Good to housing fundboard dollars to $1590 would be a good bucket to say hey let's take you know a certain set.
10:10:44 Okay. Okay. Good for the top. Please continue Chelsea.
10:10:57 We're just going for the whole projected revenues. We do have a grant that we have applied for for the comprehensive plan.
10:11:00 2 years. We do have a grant that we have applied for for the comprehensive plan. 2 years, $175,000 each year, which is help on the long range side.
10:11:08 I think that let me see. Yeah, that, that's essentially a guarantee. I think the board approve the more letter on Monday.
10:11:19 Commerce is allocated money to jurisdictions based on several factors and we were allocated money to jurisdictions based on several factors and we were allocated 350,000.
10:11:24 Based on several factors and we were allocated 350,000. We do have to be careful about the 175 in each state fiscal year.
10:11:28 So that's gonna be interesting. That's why we can't frontal the whole process too much.
10:11:33 I don't think there's too much danger with us, but we also can't just wait till we get to the end of that 2025.
10:11:37 It's gonna be on an update requirement by June thirtieth of 2025 to do it all in, in that year.
10:11:43 So we have, but, you know, Joel did a lot of work on that. And put that, I think the board saw the packers that put toys.
10:11:48 Mombers, they're being very flexible about it, which is nice, not so much between them.
10:11:52 You need to do 175 each fiscal year, but flexible with how you get there. And we're also going to be looking at additional funds.
10:11:58 The possibly if we could acquire other grant funding for a specific topic area an example will be climate we need to look into whether we can do application by the end of this
month or not.
10:12:09 For example, if we were to get money to do that, then we could we could focus on that project and just not make sure we don't overlap and double bill if you will, but we could
then move monies around within that 350,000 for the update.
10:12:22 To supply and essentially okay, in the, because we got this additional, so we're looking at that.
10:12:32 Just there's no guarantees that we'll be chasing other grant money but we're going to try to and of course if we had more guarantees, there's no guarantees that we'll be chasing
other grant money, but we're going to try to.
10:12:39 And of course, if we had more staff in the longer-side, that would, it sort of would help us.
10:12:40 Yeah, I get consistent funds over time to keep those folks working. So, for example, the planning money is not based on the states by any of the understanding is it could go
up to 2,029 so if they trying to think ahead of you a little bit about implementation after we do the update.
10:12:55 Yeah, what can we then? What can we envision now that would require funds to do some of those things and talk about in the competence. So something else.
10:13:04 Go for that. I was like, also with the recompete grant that we're.
10:13:09 Part of the coalition applying for the final amount that we end up are asking for with our applications today is $60,000 in the phase one which would give us 18 months to spend
and $60,000 of planning dollars to help develop that area.
10:13:26 But that idea. And awesome and tell me if this sounds unreasonable talking about matching that with our own long range planning dollars and I think even the you know, Congress
Grant would probably qualify for that.
10:13:43 Mass, but, please tell me it's unreasonable to say that, total planning would be a hundred $25,000, which is what I.
10:13:56 Yeah. I guess my first thought that would be Maybe, but I don't know all in the sense that.
10:14:05 The commerce money is specifically tied to requirements for the 2025 period update. So. It would be about whether we could characterize that effort as fulfilling requirements
as part of that update or whether that's really something that we're doing on our own part of filling requirements as part of that update on whether that's really something that we're
doing on our own cognizance essentially to for very good finding another source for
10:14:32 that. In the spirit of. Trying crystal balling stuff. It also feels like the We've had that urban growth.
10:14:43 Phase one urban growth area is gonna. Create an increased demand on your guys' work. I'm your department just for, not only the Cedar Avenue project, but.
10:14:58 I mean, I've heard that there. Land developers speculatively purchasing lots within that phase one boundary.
10:15:07 And we'll probably be applying for permits and 2425, you know anticipating. Sewer and construction in 2526 27 you know so i just I think that that's another surge there.
10:15:22 We don't know how big it will be, but. Isn't that fun, I'm knowing?
10:15:36 Yeah, but we can anticipate some percentage of us, you know, increase coming from the port. But we can anticipate some percentage of us, you know, increase coming from the port.
10:15:41 Yeah, it's a great thing because they can flex us. We don't have the work we don't send it if we don't have the work we do.
10:15:51 So far, what's kind of the distribution between permit work and long range planning? That's I guess it's all been permit work really that's gone to the consulting so far.
10:15:59 Yeah, so far it's been all development review. The one firm SCJ alliance has been working almost exclusively on.
10:16:08 The Pleasant Harbor Master Plan Resort. We've had they've on site meetings, we had a pre application conference last week, follow-up work with that.
10:16:17 There's been other staff time involved that really. A lot of the both of the work is going to be consulted the contract planner, and, and, so we've also though, I did ask SCJ
to find us a geo technical.
10:16:31 To to find this geotechnical expertise we have one situation where we need a neutral third party review of a geotechnical report about a home that's been red tagged because
of its proximity to a failing bluff.
10:16:44 So in that case Where actually taking advantage of their connections and working through that contract so it's offered a flexibility which has been very useful.
10:16:52 The other firm, the, they've been focusing on development view as well. And most of the SPRs under, Georgia's leadership, George Terry, and our SDR lead.
10:17:02 So. And then cross down consulting, I just had a meeting this week with, that it's a sole providers ship, but I picture Carly helping us with language planning and we talked
about her.
10:17:14 Playing a role in keeping us on track for this 2025 periodic update, which is a big need of ours.
10:17:23 Just to make sure all the pieces are being assembled just to make sure all the pieces are being assembled correctly if you would open a lot of moving parts of that.
10:17:27 So can you talk a little bit about especially in that context with the account plan update coming and the planning commission we all got a note from the planning commission
asking you know to I think the budget's 25 K and they're you know they want more you know they want more support and I and I it seems reasonable in that they're going to have a lot
on their plates both with the S and P hearings as well
10:17:49 as the plan update which are I guess what what do you thought about their their desires and the budget that you guys are proposing?
10:17:57 Yeah, it's a great question. Thank you, Fish. And, I guess my first response is that
10:18:05 Support the concept really of the planning commissions, telling the board, okay, we've got a lot of work to do and we would like.
10:18:12 More support or full support from DCD, which would of course require more resources to put it towards that.
10:18:20 Towards that effort I would say that A couple things to think about as we have provided as much as I think we could have this year in term.
10:18:30 We had Joel, George, Alex, Death, and Auburn, all in any who did any depress sometimes working with clinic commission so from our standpoint, from a budget perspective, we don't
really see the state.
10:18:40 We're not looking at it the same way that they are, I think. The basic expenses of the planning commission I think as Chelsea pointed out to me We're only at 33% of the expected
expenditures, but with the 2023 piece, that includes the siphon program.
10:18:56 So we were thinking, well, under this kind of what Julia was saying. Instead of asking for more than you think you're gonna need for those specific types of expenses, we paired
it down to back to what historically we asked for with respect to those strictly those clinic mission expenses.
10:19:14 Now, how you account for a staff kind in relation to plan commission, that's where it gets a little fuzzy.
10:19:19 I know that, you know, Joel was the lead planner to the French mission, you know, counts hours on his time sheet, and he specifically Close to the play, like going to meetings
or hearing the agenda, like very specific things, but if you're talking about the, of comprehensive planning, that's where it gets like, well.
10:19:34 I mean, what's an hour spent on planning commission thing versus just a long expanding purpose plan? So I think we tend to think that more of the latter like we We do a lot
of work that's related while we're planning that isn't strictly related to the planning commissioner.
10:19:48 So I think our preference actually would be have that money to be more of a general fund allocation for long range planning.
10:19:56 And then we figure out how to use those resources. I think the playing mission was thinking of more like if they cut our budget that means we're gonna have less that.
10:20:07 We don't really look at it that way so I think we'd have more flexibility if we're in the general, you know, where's our allocation for the general, you know, where's our allocation
for when we're spending.
10:20:14 But really, if it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter as long as. As long as we can we won't be sort of tied down the specific ways of using that time.
10:20:24 If it's in a way, this is not if that's the case or it won't be.
10:20:27 Subject to losing that fund in the next year. If you want to spend it. That's really what I'm thinking.
10:20:39 Then we're gonna lose the money next year. And that's why it's, to me that I don't really want, I'd rather prefer to get into that.
10:20:46 I'd rather have it be longer explaining it as this goes funny. The play, commission budget is really more about the hard.
10:20:51 Activities of the plan. Now they did talk about funding like a retreat, funding some some meetings that are in different parts of the county.
10:20:57 You Kind of like the board did this summer going after. We're gonna go tomorrow. You know, after the West End, they talked about having another meeting in the West End.
10:21:05 They talked about having another meeting in the West End or some in the South County. And district one as well.
10:21:10 There's really all the meetings happen in district 2 right there in the South County, and district one as well.
10:21:11 There's really all the meetings happen in district 2 right there in the So I guess if that if that's part of it, that sure that makes a little sense.
10:21:15 I guess the other bit I'm not quite, sure, not quite sure about. And plus we can always, if we need more money, then I always come back and getting colder.
10:21:25 Just for a little context, the planning commission and all of 2,022 spent $14,106.
10:21:30 Is that all stipends? No, 69, 64 of them was, little, you know, on the benefit side.
10:21:38 So maybe 7,500 8,500 was related to payments to the planning commission members. Any other 6,000 and staff time?
10:21:52 No, no, no. Excuse me. No, stipend was, 4,900 and then staff time was about 85
10:21:59 So is, is there a budget for the planning commission? Is there like? Yeah, 25 K. It's like there.
10:22:09 Okay, I thought it was. Hmm. It was 40. It was 42, 5 78.
10:22:16 2022, they only spent 14. Okay. So, 25 works adequate. Yeah, and that's that would be for staff time specifically dedicated to planning commission 12Â h of staff time per meeting
which is quite a bit to prepare for the meeting go to the meeting.
10:22:34 The other the other work like call plan work we have grant funding for we have our our other budget so the actual long range planning as Josh was saying is kind of covered by
other things but 6Â h per there's usually 2 employees that work on planning commission meetings 6Â h per person from an And I worked with the staff and they were like, oh, that's plenty.
10:22:58 So that's what we've in the, salaries and benefits that would be 6Â h per employee per meeting.
10:23:02 Usually 2 employees working on each. So again, it's just how you account for those hours. We got to put more hours into our time sheets if we're going to put more hours into
our time sheets if we're going to meet that but then it becomes a little fuzzier like what are you what's the thank you should actually do versus that.
10:23:15 I will say that, Mission has a public average subcommittee. And there are interested in doing not just these full planning mission meetings in different parts of the country,
but actually doing more.
10:23:25 Sub committee meetings of the 3. District planning commissioner. It would be a subcompany of the full body and they would be doing more outreach.
10:23:34 So maybe there's some run there to have some funding to do those things like if we want if they needed to pay a rental fee for a facility for example or some travel inspectors
which we do have you know $100 budgeted for and we just basically haven't touched it for 2023.
10:23:49 On there is there travel.
10:23:51 In here. Do we pay them for mileage? No. No, I think that I'm assuming that that's included with the stipend that they get for each meeting.
10:24:01 I could be wrongly. I think that's what I see a
10:24:06 Yeah, I mean, I think that what I've been hearing for years is that the Planning Commission wants more time from staff, that they feel that staff doesn't have enough time to
adequately, you know, get minutes posted on the website.
10:24:26 And you know, there's just these kind of ongoing challenges of getting information out to the public to the planning commission in a timely manner and they sense that that's
a capacity of the department issue.
10:24:36 So. You know, I think. I think probably seeing that reduction in in staff time is challenging for them because they don't feel like they've gotten what they need to be.
10:24:49 Productive and it's very hard for us to weigh in on that. You know, we hear one side of it, but I just want to acknowledge that I think that's that's where the the rub is.
10:25:01 That may come from us. Historically being understaffed, you know, we do have dedicated staff for that, but when they're wearing multiple hats, I believe it can be difficult.
10:25:12 Yeah, I agree. And not gonna not going to dispute that thought that it's been challenging for us to keep up with the work period and the planning commission is part of that
work.
10:25:22 So. This was also been, I would say, and especially challenging year. So with all that said, but that's it, you know, the, criticism is legitimate in the sense that, you know,
there has been times where, you haven't been able to do everything that we've been asked to do.
10:25:39 And you know, last night the meeting, there were some thought about asking us to do more. In terms of both our region.
10:25:45 And we haven't fully completed that conversation. I was gonna go back and put some of it back on.
10:25:49 The commissioners themselves by saying, yeah, you have an outreach community. You'll welcome to do those things.
10:25:54 We give you some information, send it out, you know, instead of like relying on us to send it out because then if we drop that ball well So, I mean, if you would.
10:26:03 A policy idea on the other extreme, I suppose, but I was talking more about And we have this long range planning budget and we have to work within that.
10:26:10 But if you If you've thought of it differently and maybe, to the way that some of the bank commissioners are thinking about it.
10:26:19 If we had a created a position and funded it, this is a planning commission planner. And that's what that person does.
10:26:27 And it bundled that position. It was in the planning, you know, then I would hire somebody or move somebody into that position and leave that person alone that in the sense
of you're the planet mission person.
10:26:38 We have used to have a clinic mission clerk. A part time person. I used to sit next to our Cheryl and she would 2 shorthand notes.
10:26:48 She said, well, because it's just looking to see a tape recorder going and all that.
10:26:50 And eventually we moved to the digital thing. It's been a challenge, you know. We had some people that were dedicated to put on an advertisement for a very hard time.
10:26:59 Clerk hired it in planning. And we've got a couple nibbles, but nothing really big.
10:27:02 So it's always been one of the planners assigned to it. They need to be the planning tech.
10:27:05 And but then that person's really, more permanent. So it wasn't really good fit. George, Terry, has stepped up essentially even though he's doing all this other studies.
10:27:15 He started going to playing mission meetings without any being asked to just sit in the audience wasn't getting paid for it.
10:27:23 It's like, why could just be the like? And they actually gave them 2 those last night for the minutes.
10:27:26 Best minutes we've ever had. So, you know, so I've been trying to piecemeal and trying to get that service essentially to the bank measure dedicated and we and so we even have
Alex Penley who's a part timer with us and health.
10:27:36 He's been he's got a tech whiz compared to the rest of us so he was there running the meeting making sure that nothing was wrong and we got totally zoom Bob by the way.
10:27:46 I don't know the access fully. Oh horrible. I've been zooming on Zoom Phone. He took care of it.
10:27:51 He actually already got them banned from Zoom. And then, the middle of the meeting, in real time.
10:27:55 Anyway, you know, having I guess I'm not really sure where to go with this, but just saying that's what the board wants to do then.
10:28:01 Then we can talk about how to make that happen and having a planning commission staff person is never going to answer to that and sort of protected time.
10:28:11 That way wouldn't be pulled on the many other things that we're Do we see with the periodic update?
10:28:16 An increased need for planning commission input activity. Okay, I'm.
10:28:24 Are, are we planning for that? I don't think we talked yet. Actually increase in the number of regularly scheduled meetings.
10:28:35 We have 2 regular meetings above. That are 2Â h in length at least, usually. And that require a time.
10:28:43 So it's really more of a question of. How much should be asking of our volunteers? And I know you know this, we're surprised at our own.
10:28:49 S, like, and, any other thing like we can ask a good amount, but then we might be asking too much. We can ask a good amount but then we might be asking too much.
10:28:56 Sometimes we ask our funding commissioner to have multiple meetings in a row I've heard stories about them stands on the 9Â min and that I don't think we're building that into
this.
10:29:03 I think we'd rather build in like a just a normal schedule for it. But I think these are the types of things we can talk about at our joint Planning Commission Board County
Commissioners meeting.
10:29:11 Tentatively scheduled for January twentieth a Saturday. We talked about that last night at the planning commission and you know everyone had different ideas.
10:29:20 But I think that they are essentially looking to commit to a time and just hopefully that most of the numbers can can attend.
10:29:28 I know I'm talking to you commissioner about that idea. So. Part of the subject of that meeting is gonna be how do we wanna do this?
10:29:35 You know, how do we wanna scope this? What are the topic areas? We really wanna concentrate on the update and it could be about how we how much time do we want to dedicate is
it more than 2
10:29:47 I mean, I think what you're hearing is support for the planning commission and I think they've gotten historically they have a short trip I think in some ways so you know whether
The the budget, whether you have capacity to support the planning commission in the way that they expect is a question that I don't think we're trying to answer for you, but that we're
hearing and we've heard before and we
10:30:11 care about. I don't know, putting words in my, seat mate's mouth by that.
10:30:19 Well, I was on a planning commission that did have those midnight meetings, so it's true.
10:30:25 It does happen. Well, yeah, I think it was, there was some.
10:30:30 I'm also curious about cams. I didn't mention them really, but how has the free cams working?
10:30:39 I've been I've heard mixed report certainly that people often use it as a a speculative.
10:30:46 Thing, you know, that some people can make, you know, you can get a lot of cams that would never have turned into permits because they end up being basically an FAQ instead
of a cam and I guess I'm wondering about your guys blocks about that policy as we move forward.
10:31:05 What I would recommend on that is to schedule time, whether it's you individually, meeting with the development services.
10:31:13 Or scheduling time in a workshop session with the board to talk more about that.
10:31:21 Because I really want to bring the way in on this. Since Greg's come on board and as a government code administrator has been taking on the permit decisions, I've stepped aside
from that as much as I can to focus on other things.
10:31:34 And so I think he's got his finger on the pulse more about. How cans are going.
10:31:38 I know that when we were down in our kind of staff nater this year, it was really challenging to do that and we got the time back and then he basically came up my thing with
another working policy until we can get back up. And then he basically came up my thing with another working policy until we can get back up to speed.
10:31:54 I know he makes himself available I think with another working policy until we can get back up to speed. I know he makes himself available often for people to drop in.
10:31:59 I think But I'd really rather have a more of a complete discussion that involved him rather than kinda off the cover about how it's going.
10:32:05 Okay. Okay. As long as I'm leaving the budget behind how about some, Intergv, like.
10:32:17 Do we have? Do you have enough resources with the addition of Scott on, you know, half time?
10:32:25 I mean, what's when can we, I get a lot of, you know, I, I get a lot of, you know, frustration from the, the end users about the lack of transparency and, the end users about
the lack of transparency and permits, you know, and some of the, the end users about the lack of transparency and permits, you know, and some of the,
10:32:41 the end users about the lack of transparency and permits, you know, and some of the, the promise features.
10:32:43 And I know that it's, at least as frustrating for staff on the other side too.
10:32:44 I mean, is it. Is it a useful tool or still one that you have to work around more than use?
10:32:48 I can partially answer that. I've been asking the same question since we can't talk to each other since we can talk to each other.
10:32:56 Right now, I can say that I've been asking the same questions that you're asking. And Mark as invited me to a meeting with our integrate consultant on Friday morning and we
will get a full report.
10:33:06 And I can report on Monday what I learned at that meeting. But I think that's where we're gonna get the most information about the questions.
10:33:13 We have. But, you know, we have not been ching with support. Scott Carpenter,
10:33:27 And I've been at meetings with Sherry and and I've been at meetings with Sherry and the group is they, and I've been at meetings with Sherry and the group as they, yeah, you
know, basically take integral back to a piece of paper.
10:33:32 And I've been at meetings with Sherry and the group as they, you know, basically take integral back to a piece of paper and say, what do we need this to do?
10:33:35 You know, basically take integral back to a piece of paper and say, what do we need this to do?
10:33:36 Basically take integral back to a piece of paper and say, what do we need this to do? Well, I'm part of tomorrow.
10:33:38 It specific. That we can decide to resource. Yeah, thank you both very answering that part of it because I was about to say that I think that there's gonna be an update on Friday
and more.
10:33:48 It's I think I think a short The short answer to your question is in the terms of how's it been going or is it is it working is that I think the jury's still out.
10:34:00 It's funny because usually when people say things like, well, I'm not an attorney, but sounds like legal advice. Yeah.
10:34:07 So I'm gonna say I'm not a database administrator because there's a lot of things about I just, yeah, there's just like, it's like a mystery to me.
10:34:15 It's all Greek in a sense. And I think that was been part of the issue is that for a while a lot of staff.
10:34:21 And they building up those types of that knowledge based on those skills to deal with some kind of software transition like this, but those people aren't.
10:34:30 Right. So that the left left the rest of us who have other knowledge and skills that that really is part of the job description.
10:34:37 And so being a database person or a software expert is not really one of those things. And I think we've been asked more time anyway to be those things.
10:34:44 Now we have as Mark mentioned some additional resources that it's been working out great. It's just a matter of time.
10:34:50 That's what you know, across my fingers on that. The other thing I want to say is just that permit center coordinator that's starting on Monday with us.
10:34:56 Erin Martin, she's gonna be by job description, our anograph point person. So that's been another trouble for us.
10:35:04 That's like just revolving doors. She's happening now. Different duties. People called away.
10:35:10 And I think that's been frustrating even for other folks that were working with another departments because There's been a lack of consistency.
10:35:17 I'd say, you know, over over the last few years from DCD to try to, you know, be fully in tune with this program and get everybody up to speed.
10:35:24 So a combination of sharing. Developing the processes and the instruction manual essentially. For how to use the tool.
10:35:30 It'll be easier for not only for existing staff but bringing new stuff on. Plus we're gonna have a point person who's gonna be who's part of her job will be really pay attention
to that and be plugged in all those conversations that are happening between IT and health and Scott and Sherry and so forth.
10:35:43 I think it's gonna be real useful for us and Aaron does come with us with a skill set that includes more expertise I guess in software and how it really works.
10:35:52 I have to be honest, a lot of it is just. The stuff, the problems. As Ashley as one of the public commissioner so last night Cynthia who is an expert in these things that something
always goes wrong. Apparently these big software changes.
10:36:08 And I can happen with, right? But you just don't know what it's gonna be though until it happens.
10:36:13 And now we're figuring that out and there's a lot of like kind of grow work that goes with fixing the file naming and all this other kind of stuff and it's like file naming
and all this other kind of stuff and it really ties in with the way that kind of stuff and it really ties in with the way the county handles records, the laser feature system.
10:36:23 All of that is all tied together. It's way more complex than I have time to even try to understand.
10:36:28 I just know that it's a problem because I hear about it all the time. And then in terms of us getting out, I know the big things are we're almost there as my understanding almost
there is my understanding almost as relevant but we're getting a lot closer to being able to turn on those bells and whistles that we're getting a lot closer to being able to turn on
those bells and whistles that give people the public access
10:36:48 to the to the information that's on there, whether a subscriber you sign up or whether it's just you're able to find things And we're also getting closer to having full functionality
for landing.
10:36:56 We're still, we're much closer on the building side. We have a big need apparently someone someone who needs to know understand this arcane cobium called crystal reports and
how to turn word documents into reports and and useful through a tool, permitting software and we just there's been one person part time and I guess the fact is that we don't, we have
yet to been able to.
10:37:15 To feature any of the things you know, to respect an. Doing a notice of application or even a permit on the land you site.
10:37:24 That's been frustrating. It's been a long time now. So, and I know it's not anybody's fault or whatever and we may need to find someone else who has this expertise and some.
10:37:32 I mean, I know I'm going into the, but I'm just telling you these are the types of things that are stopping us from turning on all of those.
10:37:40 I mean, I worked with the Crystal Reports experts, 25 years ago.
10:37:45 Okay, still alive. Alright, well thank you for indulging me. Any other questions for Chelsea or Josh?
10:37:59 No, I just wanna have a DCD budget meeting every month. I mean, the idea of meeting once or once is just fine.
10:38:13 Maybe we'll do topic by topic. We're very invested in giving you guys the tools that you need to succeed.
10:38:21 And we know, you know, we're very invested and giving you guys the tools that you need to succeed. And we know, you know, we've definitely heard from the public.
10:38:27 I've heard from the public budget to myself, you know, about some challenges that you, you know, very upfront with and and are I know still dealing with and make the job more
difficult, a difficult job more difficult.
10:38:35 So I appreciate you guys efforts and moving through this. Good job. This really your first budget? I don't believe.
10:38:43 One more factory that I mean on that on that note is. And some of these SDR numbers that we're going over since Greg Bell arrived as a development administrator, we've issued
between 60 and 70 building permits.
10:38:55 That we're kind of sacked up and waiting to go. So that's good news.
10:38:59 I think we're almost caught up on the building for the building permit backlog that was associated with the current review with psychedelic reviews.
10:39:06 So Now we're just gonna to tackle that. SAY, the, the, the, backlog and just get back to that.
10:39:10 Reset and normal. Excellent. It'd be interesting to know how many cams, you know, there was a table.
10:39:17 Maybe where I got here, started in 2019, maybe at the number of cams that. We did every year.
10:39:23 Be interesting to see how. Making them making no costs associated with them has increased decreased or kept them.
10:39:30 Static. Yeah, that would be good. I think the data would be better probably through last year than this year just because this year was.
10:39:39 And like I said, that kind of a change in the policy. Plus the SDR program a lot of the questions that people would ask in cans are better answered and more specifically answered
through doing a site development if you want one of these property right the cancer met more for general inquiries that they were not really being used that way as more like a SDR liked
if you will.
10:39:58 I know that I know that you're really interested in using other advanced tools like artificial intelligence to try to answer questions that's something we can explore.
10:40:05 I will say that one thing I'm pretty darn sure. I will say that one thing I'm pretty darn sure about, that's something we can explore.
10:40:12 I will say that one thing that's something we can explore. I will say that one thing I'm pretty darn sure about is that the number of cancellations.
10:40:20 Or I will say that one thing I'm pretty darn sure about is that the number of cancellations was higher after they were free.
10:40:22 And the number of cancellations was higher after they were free. That was before. Oh, interesting.
10:40:27 So, I mean, I think that the fairy system, that's the same thing, right? You don't have to pay for it.
10:40:31 That's why they changed it Last questions, no? Alright, well thank you guys so much. Yeah, I really appreciate seeing you.
10:40:36 Good job.
10:40:37 Lots online for, all right. You want to jump right in, you will need a I need it.
10:47:34 Bill Brampton is supposed to come over.
10:47:40 Hello, thanks for waiting. We got the public works crew with us. I will. Cate back with us yet.
10:47:47 Where they will call us back into session at 1047. Backup at the restrooms here.
10:47:55 Not, literally. Well, not literally, but. Alright. Great.
10:48:01 So we have, yeah, with Monty is out. So I don't know, Eric, are you gonna tee up the the budget conversations for the expansive public works team.
10:48:11 Okay. Thanks for being
10:48:10 I am. Thank you. And Carolyn will be bringing up. Do I have to do something to bring up the PowerPoint on this side or?
10:48:20 You just have to share your screen. Little green button at the bottom. Of the Zoom screen.
10:48:26 Okay, I'm sorry.
10:48:29 Yeah, if you can manage and Eric, then you can just, you know, move through it at your own pace.
10:48:34 I think it'd be easiest if you have it at your, fingertips.
10:48:35 That sounds Great. So for someone has it open at the moment. So let's see.
10:48:42 I'll do a quick save as. So that I can make it fully functional. Sorry for the hiccup.
10:48:51 Okay.
10:48:48 No problem. Don't worry, I'm all the time in the world, Eric. Yeah, we can welcome Al and Sam and Matt and I think, we're hoping Dale to come over to, they'll have to accept
a promotion to, to join us.
10:49:09 Great. Thanks for being with us everyone.
10:49:13 Okay, and.
10:49:20 Alright, we've heard about this before, I think, this wall.
10:49:25 There we go. Oh, I was there for a moment.
10:49:28 Cool.
10:49:31 Getting down. Still a little, little chapped about you helping Kate with the, the excavator battle, but, it's good to see you all the, nonetheless. There you go.
10:49:42 And then you can put it into presentation mode. There you go. Perfect.
10:49:45 Okay, and let's see if I've got these controls down. There we go. Okay, so.
10:49:50 Thank you for having us. Always fun to. Review all this stuff. I know I've taken up your time on the engineering side, but I'm gonna take a whack at presenting the whole public
works.
10:50:04 Teams budgets. So, Overview, we have 5 divisions as you know road maintenance engineering parks and wreck solid waste and sewer.
10:50:16 But really we have 6 just to be fair. We have our accounting division that none of these these these groups would function without and There was 5 people, keep us, keep us on
track and, our response for pulling all these numbers together.
10:50:34 So just gotta give them some credit too. Public works overview. I'll jump in here.
10:50:42 This is the format. It's right out of your budget book. You'll see highlighted in yellow expenditures, revenues, and then on the expenditure side on in the orange box to the
right you'll see the 24 and 25 numbers so The takeaway is 24 you see 45,000,02529,000,000 revenues down below 43,000,044 roughly And 27 not a new story to
10:51:14 you. Expenditures are outpacing revenues. We're dipping into the fund balance to Keep the the train on the tracks but it's something we're watching closely and have to continue
to manage so next.
10:51:30 Sheet, shows just those expenditures from the previous slide. It breaks it down by
10:51:37 By category. Biggest number is capital outlay. The second would be salaries and benefits.
10:51:45 Yep, there it is. So again, probably nothing new to you.
10:51:50 Hey, if you go into, we're seeing your slides on the side. Some of these members are a little small if you go into presentation mode I think.
10:51:59 I'm sorry, I thought I was so.
10:52:03 That's a single screen button down at the bottom.
10:52:12 Is that, let's see, I think I.
10:52:08 Bye right, just by the sliders to the left of the slider. There is no.
10:52:18 I think I've got the, I think I've got my screens reversed.
10:52:23 Sorry about that.
10:52:30 Right.
10:52:26 It's always hard to change it once you're in share screen if you. It's easy.
10:52:30 Yeah, might wanna just drop it. We do see the great slides.
10:52:35 Huh. Is that correct?
10:52:36 There we go. There you go. Yeah, don't touch anything. Yeah.
10:52:41 Okay. Alright, other screen. Okay, back on track.
10:52:48 Yeah, we're at the overview right now, but yes.
10:52:51 Okay, so here's staffing. You'll see that the 6 add of 6.5 that's 3 lot of that's just shifting around within parks and.
10:53:07 Roads is a small number is the shifting part the bigger numbers are the added 3 people for sewer kind of building up that team and then solid waste that 1.8 2 But keep in mind
that that number you guys are tracking solid waste, I believe, and our staffing.
10:53:24 Issues out there. We're adding folks, but we can't maintain the folks we have. So it doesn't really mean that we're you know, increasing staff by that much.
10:53:36 We're just trying to maintain status quo. So.
10:53:37 Okay.
10:53:40 Okay, so there's a there's a 2Â min overview of public works. So we're gonna jump in by division now and then I'll do engineering and road maintenance.
10:53:50 Dale, I'm not sure it deals with us, but, sounds like he is.
10:53:55 Yes.
10:53:57 He, he can. Jump in wherever and if you know help out on the road main inside if need be so
10:54:06 Engineering, we did the TIP briefing recently and the pre briefing you guys are familiar with these numbers.
10:54:14 Again, you see expenditures, revenues, 24 requests, 25 requests. That 10,000,008 86 number is pretty big for us we've got a lot of projects you know teed up for next year not
sure whether they're all gonna Make it to the finish line just to mix my metaphors.
10:54:33 You know, we're waiting on, permitting and right of way. But you know the big takeaway from this is you know, 1886 lot of work staffing issues but we're doing that with $283,000
of local funds.
10:54:52 So 2.6%. I think that's a pretty good return on our investment. Just putting a plug in for our engineering team
10:55:03 Do you mind? Do you mind just, high level what's included in the projects that 10 million dollars?
10:55:11 Sure, and I could direct you. I will do that. And in your budget book, if you have that, I don't have that.
10:55:21 And in your budget book, if you have that, I don't have a slide. Probably the easiest place to see that is the annual construction program.
10:55:22 Okay, great. I can find that.
10:55:23 It's a blue and white spreadsheet there. So I can do this for memory, but just why don't forget anything.
10:55:30 We have the full scene complete streets project if it comes together. They have the Olympic Discovery Trail.
10:55:37 Again, looking pretty good, but still not. Sure fire project for next year, you know, just until we, you know, till we get it out to bid, I'm never, convinced.
10:55:49 Nailer's Creek Coverts, we have those 2 fish barrier culverts, one on West Valley Road and one on Gibbs Lake Road.
10:55:56 So we were able to just to digression from the TIP discussion. We were able to get They were, WDFW, RCO managed fishberry removal board funds.
10:56:08 We transferred it to the federal protect program where we were able to ask for more money and get it funded at 100%.
10:56:14 So that looks like it go for next year. The, road departure project as a. Sign project again that's a $700,000 in signs.
10:56:28 That likely going to start this year, but carry over to next year. And let's see, what else do we have on there for construction?
10:56:36 We're looking at the Lord's Lake loop road slide repair. If we can get that again pulled together and then the shine road.
10:56:44 Slide repair. And I think that's the majority of the big construction projects for next year.
10:56:52 Yep.
10:56:51 Great, thanks so much.
10:56:57 This is road maintenance. So here you'll see the, yeah, again, expenditure of revenues, 2425 requests and then at the bottom you'll see the total road fund ending fund balance
and you can kind of see that.
10:57:12 Progression on where that fund is going with time. So there's a trend. I'm not sure what the remedy is.
10:57:19 You know, we work to make sure that it is. Manageable but the fun continues to. DECREASE
10:57:29 So with that, I think I can turn it over to Matt Tyler and, to review the Parks and Rec, Parks improvement and the jump playground budget.
10:57:40 Right.
10:57:40 Hello everyone. Thanks for having us today. Good to see you. And we can go to the next slide.
10:57:51 So first we're gonna start out talking about parks maintenance and operations, parks and recreation maintenance and operations.
10:57:58 And I just kinda have a quick overview. I know you've all heard these numbers and seen them before, but.
10:58:05 They're a little bit unbelievable, so it's always worth having a second look. Park uses increase, about threefold.
10:58:15 You turn a percent about threefold since 2,009. We used 2,009 because that was the last big year before the recession hit us.
10:58:25 Parks maintenance FTE have increased. 16%. Or you know about roughly half an FTE.
10:58:33 So the basic story there is that We're barely keeping up. Just to increases in productivity and volunteerism and so forth.
10:58:43 So. Recreation programs have actually decrease by about half. And the FTE, I mean, in recreation programming, have actually decreased.
10:58:58 It's basically Chris and a Clark higher and a half. I mean, a couple clerk hire working at direct center.
10:59:05 His productivity is beyond extreme. 24 programs. That's 10 major programs per FTE.
10:59:16 H FTE is where is taking care of almost 700 people. And each FTE is responsible for 27,000 participant contact hours, which if you just think about it, it's just not sustainable.
10:59:35 And. We just need more help in the Wreck program in order to provide support.
10:59:41 Have a succession plan and make sure that we're being responsible and that we can continue to provide these programs.
10:59:48 It's too fragile. It's not a robust program and if something happens Whatever could happen to.
10:59:55 To our recreation person. Then we would lose the program. It would just collapse. So now you can go to the next slide.
11:00:06 So starting out with what we're asking, this shows our budget and This budget. Number at the bottom here, it includes our.
11:00:18 Rickreate our, general fund financial assistance request is included in here. And that it covers our salary and benefit increases that were awarded.
11:00:30 And it covers utilities. Utilities have risen. Hugely, that that includes garbage and water and power.
11:00:39 And toilets all to serve the many many new people many many more people that are coming includes more repair and maintenance insurance.
11:00:49 It includes our partnership with the Sheriff's Office to help provide supervision in our campgrounds.
11:00:56 But to help supervise all those. Increase campers and includes money for a new truck. Right people, we don't have enough trucks right now.
11:01:08 So that's on the maintenance side. What is not included in here. Is an addition. And we have a general fund add request.
11:01:18 Of 83,000. Or so that we like to be added to this. And what that would include is a new program to help us retain.
11:01:29 And recruit park caretakers and camp hosts. Of which we currently have 3. And we can barely fill these positions.
11:01:40 We have one applicant for Oak Bay, for example. Of the person at H shit Carol is going to stay for another 6 months, but I don't know what we're going to do after that.
11:01:50 It's really hard to fill these positions. And we would like to add an additional. Composed at quilting campground.
11:01:58 This would be a new, a new camp post. To help serve both cruising campground and legally owned campground.
11:02:05 We're gonna build a campsite there for that host. And this $43,000 is in our ad requests would provide a nominal stipend.
11:02:14 To help these camp posts. Recover some of the expenses up there. Incurring as being our camp post.
11:02:22 So we're basically asking way too much. Of these people, we can't keep them.
11:02:26 We can't find them and instead of asking for more FTE in maintenance, we think this is a really, really efficient way.
11:02:34 To keep our services where they're at. So this is the 43,000 in their ad form and the other bit in our Add form is a point 5.
11:02:45 FTE recreation supervisor to help with our recreation programs. So a half-time person which would be benefit benefited under the UFCW contract.
11:02:58 And would help support recreation programs like. The major ones we have including the free drop in. Rec program.
11:03:06 We feel that they Basically direct programs would stay the same. There could be some increases. For example, we could probably increase the hours at the PT Rec Center, if we
had this.
11:03:17 So I think that's a good place to stop and go to questions.
11:03:23 Thank you, Matt. We need none of these ideas or new ideas. It's, you know, exciting and scary to see the manifest in budget asks.
11:03:33 But, you know. Questions, comments, Kate?
11:03:40 Okay.
11:03:40 I'll ask a question, Matt, just knowing that we're gonna have some hard decisions to make.
11:03:46 If you had to choose one or the other of these 2 asks, which one would you prioritize?
11:03:53 Sophie's choice, wow.
11:03:52 Oh man, that is a hard question. Holy cow. Yes.
11:03:53 Sorry. Sorry. Yeah.
11:03:59 Yeah.
11:04:02 I feel a little bit put on the spot by that but Can I get back to you or can I consult with Eric and?
11:04:08 Yeah. Yeah, sure. Sure thing.
11:04:11 And get back to you. It's a very snap question. I don't wanna mess it up.
11:04:17 It's really important.
11:04:17 Sorry to put you on the spot.
11:04:19 No, that's okay. It's reasonable, but I will definitely. Talk with Eric and get back to you today.
11:04:25 Okay, and is not a rush. We have some time here.
11:04:29 Okay.
11:04:29 We'll be meeting with the board next week with some parks items. So maybe we could. Kinda.
11:04:34 This, you know, this, merges nicely with that conversation.
11:04:39 Yeah, next Monday we'll be over there talking.
11:04:40 Great. That's totally makes sense, but especially based on the all the data you shared so you know.
11:04:52 This is where I, you know, when I give you. Allocation in my salary every month, but I get to the end.
11:05:01 I'm not going to have $7 left in my bank account. So I shouldn't do that.
11:05:04 Yeah.
11:05:03 I get it and I, yeah. Super important and you know, campgrounds are important, kids are important.
11:05:15 I just, yeah.
11:05:23 Yeah, thank you.
11:05:17 Yeah. 1,000% hear these, that. Matt, on that question, you know, not to push it.
11:05:28 Too much further, but with the camp post down in quill scene, do you think that this is gonna add to capacity?
11:05:36 I mean, I know that there's It doesn't. Pencil any of these campgrounds but.
11:05:39 Do you see more revenue coming from the Leland and quilting campgrounds and do you see any other ancillary benefits down in South County at other?
11:05:48 You know. Like with this person also do other parks and wreck, you know, maintenance or anything and, in the in the South or is this really just camp host?
11:06:00 Well, I think it's really exciting to have a campost and cool scene. It's a big benefit.
11:06:06 In many different ways. We want to find a way for them to also serve in Lakeland.
11:06:11 Like Leland is extremely busy and working there would be a huge benefit and one of the big ancillary things is it would free up our other staff to help.
11:06:23 Serve in the other parks. So traveling, you know, daily. To Quilseen and Leland to do restrooms and garbage and so forth.
11:06:32 This is a big burden it would it would have a big productivity increase in our other parks. For revenue.
11:06:39 It may be, but I don't know how much I can promise there. I mean, security and peacefulness of the community, definitely.
11:06:47 To have someone there calming things down and looking after issues and problems, it would be a big benefit to the community.
11:06:55 I'm sure the community would feel it right away.
11:06:59 Great. Thank you.
11:07:02 Okay, well, thank you, Matt. I think we're ready to move on here.
11:07:06 Hmm. Okay, the, well, I got a couple more. Please. Yeah.
11:07:10 Oh yeah, keep going. Before we move on. Yeah, somebody mentioned I think it might have been Erica.
11:07:22 Yeah.
11:07:20 We have a couple of topics on the agenda for Monday. One of which is a capital request for what, 72,000 to electrify.
11:07:31 Yeah.
11:07:32 That doesn't appear on this slide at all. That's, that's an add to what's here, right?
11:07:37 There would be on this year's capital request. It would be an expansion of this year. We could get that done this year.
11:07:46 Okay.
11:07:46 I think we had 40,000 in the budget this year, Mark, for that project and then that scope.
11:07:52 Has potentially expanded. So it was to come to the board discuss whether we wanted to do. Something more like the original scope or this expanded scope because there's efficiency
in doing it bigger if we can.
11:08:05 Okay, alright, let's wait until Monday to get dive into that.
11:08:09 Okay, so that's a good any other questions I can segue to capital
11:08:15 Please do.
11:08:16 Okay, so Parks and improvement budget is our Small modest capital budget that we use to help finance projects.
11:08:24 And for Parks improvement, we have. Capital request. 100,000 $1,000 total.
11:08:37 2025 to replace the picnic shelter at. Indian Island Park. And to modify. The road that leads into camp bow site.
11:08:48 For security and peacefulness of the camp. We don't need that road to go back up in there.
11:08:54 We need to put a gate. So those are the 2 capital requests.
11:09:00 And parks improvement.
11:09:03 Great. Easy to understand.
11:09:04 Okay, okay. Alright, next slide.
11:09:09 I can make it work. There we go.
11:09:14 So for jump. This is a fun that we used to finance a jump project. It's petering down almost nothing that's left, but we do have an ask for.
11:09:25 Next year to put a shade structure a hundred $1,000 most at the most. Things cost a lot more than you think, but a big shade structure to cover the orcas.
11:09:36 Cause you probably follow the issue with the orcas getting too hot. In the solution is not to remove the orcas or taint them wide or anything but the solution is to put a shade
structure.
11:09:46 Cause the playground itself, we just realize it's too hot and the shade will be a huge benefit.
11:09:56 That's it.
11:09:59 Any other questions for Matt right now? We can always come back at the end.
11:10:04 Quick question that the fundraising that the jump partners are doing, that is still for the next phase, not for the shade structure, correct?
11:10:14 Correct. There is a shade structure in the scope of the next phase so it would be removed from that.
11:10:20 Scope and from that budget. But we need to do it.
11:10:22 Perhaps or they're also talking about adding a shade structure over the next phase. Playground I think the Next phase had a shade structure.
11:10:34 Over the you know where the the sea snail plaza I believe is what it's called But now they're talking, they're saying, well, I mean, it does get hot and shade is necessary and
we need to be looking ahead to warmer days and and making sure that it's manageable.
11:10:50 Gotcha. Thank you.
11:10:50 Okay.
11:10:58 Okay, thank you, Matt.
11:11:01 So Al Cairns is next to present solid waste.
11:11:05 Alright, thanks for having us.
11:11:07 Hi, Al.
11:11:10 Thanks, I'll take it away.
11:11:12 Alright. Well, starting out, with expenditures and revenue, you can see the obvious trend on the ending fund balance.
11:11:21 As we spend that down. To cover increasing costs. And to keep the fee as reasonable as possible.
11:11:32 That's a trend that we can sustain probably through the 2024, 2,025 budget.
11:11:40 You know the 2 and a half percent increase that we're anticipating. To begin here shortly is going to help in kind of arresting that trend and we we are hopeful that it's going
to be enough.
11:11:57 Through this budget cycle and that we don't need to come back to the board and request more than that.
11:12:05 Then that fee increase at 2 and a half percent over this budget cycle. Revenues we've anticipated, a potential downturn.
11:12:16 In revenue or tonnages. The 2 are interchangeable. In trying to be really conservative about this budget cycle.
11:12:27 You know, we're starting to see a little bit. Of a decline in tonnages and we suspect that that might continue through this budget cycle.
11:12:38 Next slide. And please stop me at any of these slides.
11:12:40 I'm curious, Al, yeah, what's the analysis behind that downward trend and, I mean, every, you know, we see consumption going up and population going up. I mean, every, you know,
we see consumption going up and population going up.
11:12:54 I'm curious.
11:12:54 A lot of a lot of the increase that we've seen attendages is with packaging. And we're seeing a lot of, producer responsibility bills being discussed in the state legislature.
11:13:05 That may curb that increase in in packaging. And so, and also we are long overdue for a major market correction.
11:13:15 As well. And you know it's it's not that far back that we saw a tonnages really drop off.
11:13:24 In the in what was what was felt mostly in 2,008 and 2,009 with the major market correction there but solid waste tonnages we're beginning to really taper off.
11:13:36 Long ahead of that in 2,006 was was kind of the peak of tonnages. And then it took, it took 13 years to get the tonnages back to where they were in 2,006 at our previous peak.
11:13:51 And that's why, you know, a lot of economists look at tonnages as a, as a bellwether for major market corrections.
11:13:59 Because it's a really good. Proxy for, you know, disposable. In. So, yeah.
11:14:09 Thank you.
11:14:12 So on the expenditure side, you, you can see that we're We're trying to decrease them as much as possible.
11:14:22 In anticipation of revenues, maybe not being where we want them to be.
11:14:29 So we're trying to get ahead of this a little bit. We we also though have You know, there's some, there's some capital outlay that we could curb should those tonnages and revenue
start to falter.
11:14:43 We're hopeful that we don't need to. We've got some long delayed improvements to both the transfer station in the coal scene facility.
11:14:51 We'd like to make those investments because they gain us a lot of efficiencies as we found out limited.
11:14:57 Capital projects. Can really increase efficiencies which are which we're desperate to realize given that we're 54% or more over over over design capacity.
11:15:10 And our customers really feel that, in longer wait times. So, you know, we're hopeful that we can purchase some Rolling stock, some equipment that will increase efficiencies
in material management.
11:15:25 And also, potentially decrease injuries to staff as well. We'd like to make those improvements in those purchases.
11:15:35 But, you know, we're gonna keep a very close eye on Tyneages revenue. And decided a later date whether or not we advance those projects and those equipment purchases.
11:15:50 So we're.
11:15:50 Yeah, I'm sorry. Can we go back to revenues for a minute? I'm sorry.
11:15:55 I was flipping through the huge. Budget book and took, had to scroll a lot to get to solid weight.
11:16:03 So I might have missed if you said this. But the the discretionary revenue revenue you have here.
11:16:09 That's from Is that correct?
11:16:12 Yeah, there are a couple of revenues, but overwhelmingly it's from tonnages. Yeah, with
11:16:20 And I mean, that's like, 90% reduction. From this year's projected to to next year.
11:16:28 Like. I'm just confused. Can you explain the rationale there again? I know you said.
11:16:34 Correction, but that seems massive.
11:16:36 I think, I think we're in the capital outlay slide. Can we go back one or?
11:16:41 Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay.
11:16:43 There we go.
11:16:47 That's seems more
11:16:51 Thank you. Okay.
11:16:48 It's a much more reasonable decrease in. Yes. Thank you.
11:16:55 Thank you very much.
11:16:58 So I think we can skip. To the next slide. So I wanted to point on a couple of changes and goals and objectives.
11:17:09 This is kind of the narrative that goes with the budget. And I think these are important to mention. We've, set out loud what, kind of the way that we operate the solid waste.
11:17:25 Fun. And that is that it's, it's essentially a de facto triple bottom line.
11:17:32 Methodology that we're applying here where there's a lot of focus on not just the financial health, but our environmental stewardship and our social responsibility elements
of our program.
11:17:45 And I think it's, important to to memorialize that both in the budget and we will be talking about that as part of our solid waste management plan update.
11:17:58 Which will start sometime next year when we're done with the capital planning process. And it's important because we need some formula or a philosophy if you will.
11:18:10 To to give us some side words in in funding decisions and spending allocation thinking there. So that's why we've we've started that with listing that under our goals and objectives.
11:18:24 The next 2 points are carryovers from our last budget cycle. And then we're also wanting to mention that we do now have an MOU with public health wherein we're we're borrowing
staff on our solid waste education program there.
11:18:43 So we've brought Laura Tucker who's been heading up that program for many years and has done really good work on that.
11:18:51 We've brought her kind of under the public works fold and and under my supervision there and directing that program.
11:18:58 And then, For some reason, there's There's 2 bullet points here.
11:19:05 That are the same. My apologies for that. We wanted to mention that we are, you know, in the midst of our capital planning for, for replacement of very aging and outdated and
inefficient facilities there.
11:19:22 With a planning horizon of 40 years. So pretty substantial planning process. I think you're all aware that we, we had enlisted the services of a consultant that we we grew dissatisfied
with we thought the direction was not precisely where we wanted to go with that.
11:19:43 And so we've cancelled that contract and we are currently negotiating a scope of work with with another prime consultant on that.
11:19:49 We will retain some of the subconsultants that were part of that that first phase of the process there, whose, work product we were satisfied with.
11:20:01 The next slide. So these performance indicators at the top that are not highlighted or carryovers from the last budget cycle.
11:20:13 They are, you know, the metrics that we're using there as performance indicators or tonnages there as performance indicators or tonnages of municipal solid ways.
11:20:20 Recyclables and moderate risk waste and then also the level of grant funding that we're receiving.
11:20:26 You notice a big increase? In 2023 that actually wasn't anticipated and and that's owing to receiving a hundred percent of the what's called L Swift a local solid waste fund
that's that's brought to us by our friends in ecology.
11:20:47 We have a 60 40 split with those funds. 60% going to public health and 40% being used off.
11:20:56 Cost to our recycling program. And now because we're administering that program. Under the public works roof, we're receiving a hundred percent of that.
11:21:05 And then. The next 3, elements there are, are the performance indicators that we're using to measure the triple bottom line, financial health, environmental stewardship, social
responsibility.
11:21:20 You in your binders there there's a mistake that I wanted to point out here. Where we're showing a revenue positive budget, that's incorrect.
11:21:32 Those are we're still spending down our fund reserves there. So I just wanted to. Point out my mistake there.
11:21:41 And then of course, you know, the state has a 50% diversion. Rate goal.
11:21:48 We've been above that since. Oh gosh, I think 2010. So we wanted to use that as a performance indicator.
11:21:56 And then we wanted to also mention our support of public health. Abatement program, which we peg at a dollar per ton of municipal solid waste that's increasing.
11:22:09 Over this budget cycle as well. That's a dollar per ton of municipal solid waste that's increasing, over this budget cycle as well.
11:22:20 And then on the social responsibility element, we've got a brand new low income discount program that we're about to roll out as soon as we get the fee schedule rolled out.
11:22:22 It's an unknown of what the, you know, what the demand on that program is gonna look like, but we'll be tracking that and reporting that back to the board.
11:22:31 And then also our employment program for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. You may recall that that used to be embedded in the.
11:22:41 Recycling contract with Skookum. We ran an RFP for that and and we brought on a new consultant or a new vendor for that program which increased the the number of employees under
under that.
11:22:57 So we'll be monitoring those numbers as well.
11:23:00 Any questions?
11:23:02 Yeah, I just wanna, I saw the And the budget book, but I just wanna. You know, do the lap test on that.
11:23:15 Recyclables. Staying staying the same. For the next 3 years or next 2 years.
11:23:22 Do I really think we're gonna see a decrease in the? Curbside dropbox recyclables by 10 over the over 24 and 25.
11:23:31 I mean it just seems like.
11:23:32 I'm just not feeling as confident maybe as you are.
11:23:38 With the recycling program is an open question for us. And we'll probably be workshopping with the board early early next year on the recycling program.
11:23:50 There's a lot of legislative changes that that are happening that influence that. That are happening, that influence that program.
11:23:59 It's something of a moving target. And, and then it's, it's unwelcome.
11:24:03 That uncertainty about about the program extended producer responsibilities that we keep seeing coming out of Olympia. It's a it's it's sometimes hard to keep track of legislative
acts that influence that program.
11:24:19 And it's also our It's our second largest expenditure line behind long haul and land filling.
11:24:30 So next year I think it's gonna be $620,000 for that program.
11:24:35 And so I think we're going to have to ask ourselves about how we want to manage that program.
11:24:47 And particularly because of the uncertainty that comes out of Olympia annually.
11:24:54 I think if we stop dating plastics, our challenge will go down.
11:24:59 Oh, sorry, did I set it out loud?
11:24:59 Yeah. I'm fearful that third rail myself. So thank you for your courage there, Commissioner.
11:25:12 Yeah, but I think it is it is time to take a really hard look at that program.
11:25:17 And figure out how we want to manage it in the long term, whether or not we want to keep subsidizing it out of the tipping fee.
11:25:25 Right now I think it's about $15. Out of that per time charge. So pretty substantial.
11:25:32 And whether or not, it's a program better. You know, better managed by the.
11:25:39 The invisible hand of the market. Or whether we want to continue to subsidize it with the tipping fee.
11:25:46 And what those 2 scenarios look like.
11:25:51 But with.
11:25:50 And then the, A related number down there in revenue is the sale of recyclables and from everything I've been hearing.
11:26:01 You know, that value is just going down, down, down, and we really feel like we'll get a hundred $25,000.
11:26:07 I'm selling recyclable.
11:26:09 Not under current market conditions. That's those numbers are more fantasy than reality right now.
11:26:16 It's a ridiculously volatile market. For the first time in our history we're actually paying to dispose of.
11:26:24 Those materials or or paying for the material recovery facility to accept them. And that's fairly shocking given that we're probably the second cleanest
11:26:41 In terms of contamination rates of any county. There's only 2 counties in the state that continue to do a source separated program where we ask the customers to separate them.
11:26:51 Welcome being the other. That's an entirely privatized model there. And one that we're, talking to our colleagues up there about.
11:27:00 As a potential model for us, but much more to discuss and to analyze before we're ready to present.
11:27:10 I to the board on that. But yeah, we're currently stockpiling our tap or 10 aluminum and plastic bales right now.
11:27:20 There's an ever-growing wall. Of those bales out behind the facility and we're we're hoping to at least get to a no cost option.
11:27:31 For delivery of those materials. Right now we would be charged. $13 a ton for those.
11:27:37 So the first time in the in the programs history that we would have to pay for for someone to accept those materials.
11:27:46 So we still get I wandered by the The glass recycling area the other day found a number of curiosities in there fire extinguishers, which I guess could be handy if they were
charged television sets.
11:28:05 Any number of other sundry materials that don't belong in there. So. I think there's a good reason why we're one of the last maybe the last county in the state.
11:28:17 To have unstaffed, 24Â h. Recycling options for folks.
11:28:26 Well, it'd be interesting to see where we come out at the end of the 24 on these numbers.
11:28:31 Yes, it will.
11:28:34 Any other questions for solid waste?
11:28:38 Thank you. No, thank you very much. Oh, sorry, Kate. Yes.
11:28:44 Just a comment. I really appreciate you kind of, formalizing the triple bottom line here and and tracking it.
11:28:53 It's I like the idea of bringing that lens to a lot of different programs. So thanks, it's really helpful.
11:29:01 Thank you.
11:29:01 Yeah, here. We could just find $20 for a ring light for Al on the budget. We can actually see.
11:29:07 Yeah. Yeah.
11:29:07 Right. Alright, thanks, Al.
11:29:19 Now, do you want to speak to this?
11:29:22 Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, I forgot that we had one last slide. I, you may recall that there were 2 benchmarks in the fee ordinance now a resolution.
11:29:36 That we increased so these were fund balances the under operational expenditures in the previous ordinance we had set that fund balance at 12% of operational expenditures and
we felt it was much more prudent.
11:29:53 To have a full quarter. Of cash reserve there. Our rainy day fund. And you'll notice that we're going to meet that target fund balance under operational expenditures in the
first year will only be about 6 and a half percent off in 2025.
11:30:12 But we also increased the 12%. Fund balance for capital facility replacement up to 25% as well to try to.
11:30:25 Defray some of the service debt that we would incur from a new facility or wholesale remodel of the current one.
11:30:34 As a, you know, to pay that forward there as a benefit to our customers. Will be far from actually gaining any traction on that.
11:30:46 In the next budget cycle, but I did want to point those out.
11:30:52 And that's all I've got.
11:30:58 Last but not least, we have a Sam Harper to present the Triare.
11:31:06 Hello, good morning, commissioners.
11:30:55 Thanks, Okay.
11:31:11 Morning.
11:31:10 Thank you for having me for my first county budget. So. I guess I'll jump right in.
11:31:18 I guess I'm the rare one. We're all capital overlay at this point.
11:31:23 I'm sure we'll be talking about operations and maintenance in the years to come. So, far, we have 35.5 million dollars.
11:31:34 And so we broke out between 2,024 and 2025. And engineers estimate of how it will be spent through the different construction of how it will be spent through the different construction
phases that we have for those 2 years, the different construction phases that we have for those 2 years, in this budget.
11:31:50 So you'll see that we have a little over 17 million for 2024, not including soft cost.
11:31:58 But for the construction part and then about 6.5 million for 2025. And so that is the we are projecting to start an early March, February timeframe, the waste water treatment
plant and so that's ramping up the construction of the treatment plant and then the collections.
11:32:16 And we hope to sunset the collections by the end of 2,024 and the treatment plant would go into 2025.
11:32:24 And, with those 2 larger projects, we just got our final estimate before we bid the treatment plan to 7 million dollars for the treatment plant and right now the collections
engineers estimate is about 6.5 million and this is without sales tax just to put that out there.
11:32:44 And so with those 2 projects are quite a large chunk of the 35.5 million dollars.
11:32:50 And but was also within the numbers. We have the onsite connections that we are phasing, which is the colors in the back, which relate to the colors of the project for the people
who notice the post-its earlier, but we're also phasing the connections of the on-site grinder pump and as stated in the budget packet we're going to connect as many customers as we
can
11:33:14 until. The money runs out. So that and we will be going for onsite part just to, have that point.
11:33:25 The treatment plant would be done somewhere in the middle of 2025 and we would continue to do onsite connections.
11:33:32 Into 26 potentially. So that's kind of how we came up with our budget is just how construction usually ramps up and then ramps down as.
11:33:43 The project continues its life.
11:33:47 So I don't know if there's any other specific questions. I'm happy to answer.
11:33:56 Yeah.
11:33:53 So many questions, but it's great to see it. This project manifest as a budget now and it's getting more and more real.
11:34:00 So really excited. Questions for Samantha? No, I get a question. I, yeah, I feel, up to Steve and I'm glad you're on the team, Samantha.
11:34:14 Thank you.
11:34:14 Okay.
11:34:20 . I mean, you know, I see that we projected that we would spend a lot more this year and capital up.
11:34:28 Okay.
11:34:28 Obviously behind us activities that we were planning to do this year and I'm imagining those are in 24 now.
11:34:36 Yeah.
11:34:35 Correct. Yes, that is correct.
11:34:41 Maybe could we just talk a little bit about the, I see the ending reserved fund balance for Piff.
11:34:48 You can just talk about why that's included here and I mean I'm assuming that's the PIF fund balance, The sewer projects fund balance of Piffons or am I?
11:34:59 Do I have that?
11:34:59 Hey, I think there's a balloon payment. On a loan that was taken out that they're using pet money to repay.
11:35:11 I think they owe 814,000 or something. And 2032 and so they're just accumulating fund balance so they can make that payment.
11:35:22 And Pathy, and Taylor's on the line, she could confirm that or correct me.
11:35:28 Yeah, that's correct. We're received 240,000 a year for the, from PIF and it's used to pay the debt service.
11:35:35 So this is extra. That we've received from PIF that is set aside. For this balloon payout.
11:35:43 33 or 32.
11:35:45 Great. So that's kind of the accumulation of the difference there for paying out to 25.
11:35:51 It's getting too 40. It's the accumulation of that 15,000 or so. I see it's changed over time.
11:35:56 Yes.
11:35:59 Okay, great. Thank you.
11:36:01 Thanks. Alright, I guess you've answered all the questions.
11:36:08 Thank you. Thank you, Kathy. Okay.
11:36:12 So I don't know if the board has any other questions. I also invite Kathy or Dale Brownfield to add anything that anyone may have missed.
11:36:25 How are you doing?
11:36:25 Yeah, I would just say this is a, a group. Always very responsible with your your projects and your budget.
11:36:34 So.
11:36:35 Thank you. Mark.
11:36:40 Okay.
11:36:40 Yeah, I would just,
11:36:47 Bring up our staff shortages like always. You know, we're down 5 people here now and, so.
11:36:56 Budget for more for better paid to the staff is important.
11:37:03 Okay.
11:37:05 We have negotiations under way, Dale, that you know we're working to get there.
11:37:14 Yeah.
11:37:11 Then the cards though. Thank you, Dale. Kathy, anything to have?
11:37:18 No, the team does a good job and in good shape.
11:37:27 Great. I'm not sure if you were here in the beginning, but Eric definitely gave your team a lot of props for getting this across the finish line to here.
11:37:34 Yeah.
11:37:35 So thank you for all of the finance team's work.
11:37:38 Appreciate all of you.
11:37:41 Thank you.
11:37:48 Yeah.
11:37:49 I don't know that good or bad, but I did what I could, so.
11:38:00 And the time you took to take us through it. So have a great day and we'll be in touch soon.
11:38:05 Sounds good. Thank you.
11:38:06 Thanks everybody.
11:38:06 Thank you.
11:38:10 Alright, and I guess that's believe the next schedule. Yeah, so we will, recess until one p.
11:38:20 M. When we'll be doing by Ahmet and hear about the extensions budget to start.
11:38:24 Everyone have a good lunch.
11:38:28 Good.
11:38:32 I'm not gonna try to That's right.
13:02:32 But all these dinner plans, then yeah, okay. Oh.
13:01:53 So much fun. Yeah, all right, but it didn't wanna talk so I take your point on it and we should probably bring this meeting of the board county commissioners back to session
and continue our special meeting and we should probably, bring this meeting of the board counted commissioners back to session and continue our special meeting looking at the budget
requests for.
13:02:55 2024 and 2025. And, we're moving on to Extension and Armicharma.
13:03:05 Very, very happy to have you with us. Your first time presenting a budget to us and we really appreciate you participating in this process and helping us dive deeper into what
our different partners and departments need for the upcoming biennium.
13:03:18 So I take it away.
13:03:18 Thank you so much and I really appreciate this opportunity. I am joined by Bridget. Who is our amazing master coordinator and also the former director.
13:03:28 Okay.
13:03:31 I don't know how she managed to do this role in an interim position because I have already I'm already feeling all the all the push and pulls.
13:03:40 But enjoying it so so I'll get started. Right away and Bridget feel free to jump in wherever you think.
13:03:49 That a missing out on something or something that needs to be added so yeah.
13:03:56 So I have to start by thinking by thanking each one of you. All the county officials, the partner organizations and the community members for being the most amazing core travelers.
13:04:08 On this journey. I have completed just over 2 months in this role and in Jefferson County and in these 2 months I have experienced how the community has embraced me with open
hearts and arms.
13:04:21 And I recognize that this is. Largely due to the credibility and respect that WSU Extension has in the community.
13:04:29 And I definitely owe some thanks there, so I will start by thanking. The county commissioners, the administrator for all the help, guidance and support.
13:04:41 I thank all the employees and volunteers both past as well as the present for the contribution to extension and making it the trusted community partner that it is in Jefferson
County.
13:04:52 And last but not the least, I wish to put on record my heartfelt gratitude to my colleagues at the Extension Office.
13:04:59 Including Bridget who is joining me today. For, making every day are rewarding and a joyful experience.
13:05:06 This has been after such a long period in my professional career that I'm really looking forward to being in the office every day.
13:05:13 Thank you so much, everyone. So this is the agenda for the day. For the presentation.
13:05:21 I've broken it down into these 7 kind of sections. And you will notice that.
13:05:27 Vicet and I will not be focusing too much on the detailed activities and outputs for each of the programs that we operate out of Jefferson County.
13:05:36 And this is very deliberate. Mark was kind enough to share with me the recording of the previous budget presentation in 21.
13:05:44 22 and 23 and one of the comments that was made was everyone is already very familiar with what we do here at an extension in Jefferson County.
13:05:55 So I'm taking that comment. As, as a leeway to guide us. Into these broader broad level landscape of what extension is and what extension could be in the future.
13:06:13 So what we have done is to use this opportunity to provide a very broader layer of the land within which extension operates currently and how we are thinking about it in the
future.
13:06:23 And when we say We, I mean to suggest. Both WSU. The university extension system and as well as us in the county.
13:06:35 So let me begin with the first point in the agenda, which is providing an overview of Jefferson County.
13:06:40 But before I do that, as I. Alluded to I will start with WSU extension as a whole.
13:06:48 So this is from the website of WSU extension and. As you would see, it is all about extending knowledge and making use of that knowledge to change life within the communities
within which we operate.
13:07:01 And the motor that you see down below, which is engaging people, organization and communities to advance knowledge. Economic wellbeing and quality of life by fostering inquiry,
learning and the application of research.
13:07:16 I pay special emphasis on this. Line to suggest. That the goal is very wide. And what I what I want to emphasize is that while we might associate a extension with the programming
that we are most familiar with, be it forage, a master gardener.
13:07:34 Or whatever it is happening within our county. This does not, does not mean that it is. It has to be the case going forward as well.
13:07:43 Which means that it has to cater to the emerging needs as we are experiencing within the county. And that is something that all of us perhaps.
13:07:53 Should keep into consideration as we move forward. And I'll revisit this point over and over again to try and see try and make it clear as to where I'm getting with this.
13:08:04 This is again from the county, from the WSE Extension website. So this is.
13:08:11 For the lack of a better word, I would say the big program areas that we are into at the extension within WSU extension.
13:08:21 But again, when I talk about extension, Yes, you should think of it. Beyond what is happening in Jefferson County.
13:08:27 And think broader in terms of WSU as a whole. But I would also say that maybe a third layer of this would be extension happening all over the US.
13:08:38 Because there is that potential of borrowing some good idea from let's say some other university extension system as well.
13:08:47 So these are the 8 areas and again all that I'm trying to Just suggest is that our current programming and the way it looks currently.
13:08:59 Should not should definitely inform our programming and how we look at extension. But at the same time, we can, we don't have to confine ourselves into watertight departments
and say, okay, this is what it always has to look like.
13:09:16 I also wanted to take a moment to talk about where WSE extension sits within the WSU system as a whole.
13:09:25 And you might have noticed on the previous slide that extension operate out of corner. Which is the, College of Agriculture, Human and Natural, Resource Sciences.
13:09:37 So that's the broader framework and the reason I highlight that is The currently within corners there is this focus on building a more resilient Washington.
13:09:47 And, how it contributes to the landran mission of Washington State University. Now what is resilient Washington?
13:09:55 This is a more. There is a lot of deliberation currently going on. A lot of it has been documented, but I'll present a very macro viewpoint of what.
13:10:05 The current deliberation seems to be getting at. So they're focusing on these 4 pillars in terms of a qualified, adaptable workforce.
13:10:14 Strong stewardship of natural resources. Unparalleled access to healthy food. And thriving communities, families and individuals.
13:10:24 What I wish to bring to your notice is are 2 things. First, the 4 foundational pillars continue to build on the aspects that extension has always focused upon.
13:10:36 So these are very much the extension focus area. This is something that we are good at. This is something that we have.
13:10:42 We already have credibility within the community within the broader university system. The second point is that there is significant overlap to the in through the areas identified
within the strategic plan of the Jefferson County.
13:10:58 I've spent some time reviewing the strategic plan and as we move into the implementation phase. I think there is huge potential in terms of.
13:11:08 Getting increased resources, getting increased help, getting increased guidance. From WSU. Given that it is already focusing on this resilient Washington and this and these
4 pillars.
13:11:22 I'll pause very quickly to see if anybody has questions, comments, or if Bridget has anything to add to this.
13:11:33 Okay, good.
13:11:32 Sounds great. And I love that you're bringing this external perspective into this process.
13:11:39 Thanks. Thanks.
13:11:43 So with this kind of more broader lay of the land, I would now move to the second part which is which is extension within Jefferson County and I know most of you are very familiar
with it.
13:11:56 So let me, step into my former teaching. Boots and give you a quiz. So what are you going to see on your slide are 6 focus areas that we currently are actively.
13:12:11 They're operating within Jefferson County. So you can count on your fingers, see if those focus areas correspond to what is going to be on the screen now.
13:12:21 And the first area is Water and national resources? This is basically our beach nationalist and stream stewards program.
13:12:29 Many of you would be familiar with this. The second one is snapet. Currently the position is vacant and we are being supported through our partners within Klan County.
13:12:39 Specifically. Now the more obvious ones perhaps the regional small farms the noxious weeds control.
13:12:50 The Master Gardener program. And the MRC and the and then the water quality. Programming that goes on.
13:13:00 And yes, of course, forage and the youth development program. The reason I'm not getting into the details and the specific numbers.
13:13:08 And activities and impact numbers is because most of this information is on our website. In the form of these impact reports.
13:13:19 These are the latest ones are for 2022. And you would be able to find it if you go onto this link.
13:13:26 If anybody wants to have a physical copy, These are there in our office as well. So I would encourage if there is someone from the public who wants to.
13:13:35 Get to know any of these programs or each of these programs in more detail. I'll be happy to kind of.
13:13:42 Either forward these impact reports in soft copy or you're most welcome to come to the office as well.
13:13:49 Again, at the cost of repetition. Yes, the current programming looks like this and perhaps you know extension and you're familiar with the extension.
13:13:59 With what we have been doing. But please. Start thinking about what it could look like and we would I would be very happy if we start thinking of what the county strategic priorities
are and where can we where can we kind of pitch in and how can we be the best.
13:14:18 Partners that we can be.
13:14:24 So with that, let me move to the third part of the first. Bullet point which is Jefferson County.
13:14:30 I keep looking at this organizational chart and trying to see where is it that we've. Are within this broader framework.
13:14:40 Hmm.
13:14:40 And as I look at it, I, I'm, I'm particularly interested in, in, in the departments listed right to Jefferson Cooperative Extension which is community development, public health,
and public works.
13:14:56 For sure there is huge overlap. And for sure there might be opportunities in terms of how we can collaborate with these departments.
13:15:05 I in some ways it is already happening. For instance, in the case of notxious ways, there is something happening.
13:15:12 But I believe there is a lot more potential even in terms of exploiting and and and nurturing the kind of synergies that might exist within the departments that are in the county.
13:15:25 So going forward this this kind of horizontal. Partnership is again something that we would love within the extension to kind of explore, especially as we move into the planning
for the strategic.
13:15:39 Implementation plan for the strategic plan.
13:15:42 Now, this is the most current organizational chart for WSU extension. And 2 or 3 things that I would want to point out is that.
13:15:54 Within the water quality. Program we are planning to hire a new MRC assistant. Again, the funding for this is gonna come through the grants.
13:16:06 So that is kind of taken care of. For the forage youth development we continue to operate with the lean team of one coordinator and 3 and of teachers and volunteers at the Brendan
After School Center.
13:16:22 Followed by the agricultural. Development, which is the small farms coordinator, Kelly Henwood, who is currently working at point 8 FTE.
13:16:31 Given her maternity leave and then post that but we are planning to get her up again to full-time FT.
13:16:40 In the
13:16:40 I'm at least we share her with other counties too, correct?
13:16:44 Yes, we do. Yes, we do. Yes. Then the Master Gardener program, Bridget, who currently is operating at point 6 FT.
13:16:54 She was she. She wants to continue at that level for now. But for 2,025 we want to open the possibility of her moving to.
13:17:06 Full time FTE and again this is in alignment. With how we are exploring the possibility of.
13:17:13 Making our programming more meaningful and more. Inter-linged and synagized with the other operations. We are, we are currently have 2 vacancies for the admin related stuff,
which is both the admin lead.
13:17:28 And the office clock position the receptionist. And that is where Mark, I was trying to reach you today morning and I'll take that conversation.
13:17:39 Separately, but this is this is one of the areas where we are currently struggling. My team has already kind of come together and tried to.
13:17:48 Try to see how it could share the burden and share the responsibilities. But yes, this is, this is one priority area.
13:17:55 We have the interviews scheduled for the next week and hopefully we'll be able to fill in these.
13:18:02 The C Grant program again, we this is kind of interesting and yet to learn more about the program as the whole, but Sarah Friskin was operating out of her office.
13:18:13 She I believe has actively could be retiring or has retired. So I don't know what the future of this is going to look like, but what I do know is that this engagement and this
partnership has opened up those for us.
13:18:28 Into the C. Grant and into the U. University of Washington system also. And I would love to see how we can tap into that network because again that might open doors for us in
terms of.
13:18:40 Grants in terms of opportunities, in terms of networks, in terms of. Just general resource sharing and information share.
13:18:49 Finally, the noxious with board again, which operates out of, extension.
13:18:55 And we are planning to have a seasonal hire for for to help assist Sophie who is the coordinator for this.
13:19:02 So that's our structure. Any questions again? I'll pause for a couple of seconds to see if anybody has comments, questions.
13:19:13 Nope, very clear. Thank you.
13:19:14 Okay, cool. Thank you.
13:19:18 So I also wanted to now perhaps highlight this idea of partnership with other counties and. And this is something that kind of, was alluded to when we spoke about, Kelly, who
is the small forms coordinator kind of contributing to the other counties and being.
13:19:39 A shared resource in that way. So I wanted to just highlight what is it that, Kalam, and Kitsap County, which are the 2 neighbors and perhaps the 2 neighbors and perhaps the
2 counties with which we have the closest engagement at this point in time.
13:19:52 Again, with the caveat that this doesn't mean that there are no other counties. Which perhaps share.
13:20:00 You know, similar opportunities of engagement. And we should definitely be looking at that as well. So this is Calum.
13:20:13 I apologize for the for the density of text on this that's on this on this slide and that this is going to be the case for the few of the slides coming forward as well.
13:20:18 I hate to do this but I was I was not confident because I'm, I'll use this excuse that I'm still new in the role.
13:20:27 So I wasn't sure if I'll be able to do justice. So this is a text that Hi, I ask you to kind of share.
13:20:34 And rather than reading it through, I thought, let me just put it and give you all. A couple of minutes to kind of go through it and see what is it that they're doing but essentially
the faculty and staff at alam has been supporting us with the regional small farms.
13:20:51 Including the integrated pest management specialist laurel live mental ones they had a meeting at our office itself.
13:20:59 And Dan who has been working with a livestock. Livestock within Jefferson County.
13:21:04 7, as I mentioned, we currently do not have a position for Snappet. And and Kalam has been supporting us including the the farm to food bank program and they've purchased close
to about 30,000 in the past from from Jefferson farmers.
13:21:22 And forage coordinator again has been super super helpful with kind of onboarding. And helping us through the transition that we have had in the past few years.
13:21:35 I would also make a personal note how Clear who is the, chef, the clam county director has been super, super helpful.
13:21:44 For me as I try to navigate the ropes and try to understand more and more. Including her generous offer to see how could I be part of the existing.
13:21:54 That Kalam has and has been able to kind of work through the WSU system. I will come to it subsequently in the slides, but I think I would just.
13:22:08 I would just lay it out that grants is one of the ways forward. And trying to see how we can reduce the burden.
13:22:19 And exploit these opportunities that are there through various federal and state grants. And and Perhaps because of the continuity of the of the director in that particular
county.
13:22:32 Has had at least to my knowledge, among at least among the 3 companies that I know, which is Kitsap.
13:22:39 And Jefferson, they have had the most success. And clear has been really generous in offering me guidance and even perhaps including me.
13:22:47 And few of the forthcoming, grants that are going to be, going to be there.
13:22:53 So that was Kalam. Here is. Yes. So.
13:22:58 Yes, sure.
13:22:55 Can we? Yeah, Kate has a question or a comment. Okay.
13:23:00 Yeah, do you, are you saying that there's actually a vacancy for the snap bed program in Jefferson County?
13:23:08 Is that something you plan to fill? Actually a vacancy for the SNAP Ed program in Jefferson County. Is that something you plan to fill?
13:23:10 Or did I misunderstand that
13:23:10 I don't know at this point in time. Commission Dean, I am yet to figure out how the Snap Ed program works and how exactly that might look like.
13:23:21 I believe it is all grand funded. We do not currently have a vacancy. We can see as such.
13:23:27 So I'm, not in a position to maybe give you. Specific details on that. I'll ask Bridget if she has more information on this and she understands this better than I do.
13:23:39 Hi, I understand a little bit better maybe than on it. Not a lot. So That's that, program and Grant has been managed out of Calm County.
13:23:50 And I didn't. Work to take it on because I didn't have the capacity to do so.
13:23:59 And so there has been a vacancy. We, the SAPPA coordinator, I think about 8 months ago had left the position and so it's being managed outside of Colalum County and and we hope
to fill it.
13:24:13 But where Snap Ed the grant for this county versus, will really be kind of as, it will really be kind of as, and CLIA continue to work together to.
13:24:24 You know, solidify what snap-ad looks like in Jefferson. Did that answer your question, Kate?
13:24:31 Yeah.
13:24:31 Yeah, so. I'm forgetting the name of the woman who was running that program.
13:24:37 She left and went to Department of Commerce, right?
13:24:45 Yeah.
13:24:39 No, I am. I think you're talking about, I can't remember. Not a very conversation. We can't remember names.
13:24:50 But, no, there was a really part time, 8Â h. week coordinator that we had here who was working a lot get it with farmers getting food from farmers into the food banks and that's
the directions snap bed was going it wasn't doing more that classic education piece that snapped, historically, provides.
13:25:13 And again, that that program and how it was delivered and really has really been managed by Colalum for the last few years right before Cliff left.
13:25:23 I think we got that contract from Y and Ca but since Clip knew he was leaving he kind of turned that over to.
13:25:30 To clear to. Steward until we were able to work again on that.
13:25:38 And it's a 2 county program, right?
13:25:41 Yeah.
13:25:42 Yes.
13:25:43 Okay, great. Thank you.
13:25:44 You're welcome.
13:25:46 Thank you. Bridget.
13:25:49 So this is Getsap again as I as I warned you sorry for the density of the text on the slide but this is what Jess who is the interim director at Kitsap has been offering and
the Kitsap.
13:26:05 I have been following the Instagram page, the Small Farms Program. And and just the quality of communication.
13:26:13 And the engagement that is happening on Instagram and social media in large measures that is due to the support that we get from Kitsap in terms of the communication, administrative
support, the website.
13:26:26 And those kind of things. So that is definitely one of the things. They've also been supporting the the farmers market.
13:26:33 Through the WSF MA program. I'm yet to learn more about this, but both the Jimima-commerce market and the and the farmers market at Port Townsend are supported.
13:26:44 By GitHub. I'll leave it for a few seconds just in case anyone is reading and then.
13:26:53 To the next one.
13:27:00 This is again, from Kitsap, Jess again, leaves this, which is the snap to market match program.
13:27:08 I also learned about it very recently. I'm yet to learn more about it. Perhaps there are, I'm sure there are people in the room who know more than I do about this program, but.
13:27:19 But this is again a classic example of how How this partnership has evolved over the years and we are getting things from Kitsap and Kalam and we continue to contribute to this
partnership in the form of.
13:27:34 The programming that we do for the small font program. And that is exactly what my next slide is.
13:27:40 Which is that it has few of the things, but I'm going to read out, some, other things, from my notes.
13:27:49 Which is that the Jefferson County extension has housed the regional small farms program and its full time coordinator since 2016.
13:27:58 The coordinator has created a robust program that provides educational opportunities for farmers not only in Jefferson County, but also Calam and Kitsa.
13:28:08 The collaboration between the counties acknowledges our agricultural community and food system as a bio region with more similarities than differences.
13:28:16 Interconnected challenges and opportunities. The original coordinator has guided the development of 2 new created specialist position housed within Kalam Extension.
13:28:27 Has guided the implementation of the Kitsap, Farmer Mentor program. And these positions and programs that have now been created in these partner counties continue to provide
support to Jefferson County as was explained in the previous slides.
13:28:42 The coordinator has also guided as the initiatives shared by partners across the region, plan works, farm to farmer program, eat local first, local farm tours and more.
13:28:52 The Jefferson based coordinator provides education to Plalum and Kitsim such as cultivating success, whole farm planning and agricultural entrepreneurship.
13:29:00 Produce and food safety growing trainings and more. So beyond programming the regional form, the region Small Farms Program Coordinator has housed all aspects of the administration
of the program.
13:29:12 Including leadership and small farm development expertise. To the to the counties. To the partner counties and thereby supporting the function of county-specific small farms.
13:29:23 So in so many ways, the coordinator serves as the anchor of small farms program throughout the 3 counties.
13:29:31 Something that I wanted to highlight and I think has been my revelation, especially as I was preparing for this presentation, was how this particular coordinator and the continuity
of this coordinator in this position.
13:29:45 For the past 6, 7 years. Now has contributed. To making this regional partnership in what it is today.
13:29:53 And, Mark, I know you keep talking about how
13:29:58 The continuity of a person in a particular position. Add so much value to the program as a whole.
13:30:05 And I go back to this idea that especially for community work and especially for meaningful community work, you need to spend time.
13:30:13 And attrition if it happens too often, which unfortunately has been the case with. With our extension office.
13:30:22 Just doesn't let things to settle down and just doesn't let you do really Look at the potential opportunities of how you can solidify the program.
13:30:31 So I believe one of the reasons why this partnership between the 3 counties is at a stage where it is currently, which is No, it is truly a partnership with all 3 counties kind
of contributing.
13:30:46 In different ways to making it the most. Collaborative endeavor that it is is largely due to the fact that we had continuity of of personal in these 3 counties who were kind
of focused on this work.
13:31:00 Including, Kelly who has been in this role, in Jefferson County for, a considerable amount of time.
13:31:08 So with that let me move to the fourth. Part of my agenda, but before I do that, there are few acknowledgments due.
13:31:17 I would want to acknowledge, Judy's patience and help as I went into the budget, preparation.
13:31:25 Please, Judy and now I'm you were super patient and and I really appreciate and admire all the help.
13:31:32 This is including the help that Bridget and others in the office provided me. So thank you everyone.
13:31:40 I also want to apologize in advance for few of these few of these small errors that I've made in the way in terms of few numbers that might be off because I was trying to be
2.
13:31:55 Methodological about this especially with respect to the water quality. Grants where the grant cycle doesn't match our annual cycle and I was saying, okay, maybe I need to.
13:32:04 3, 4, that amount or whatever. So, the numbers might be slightly off, but I understand from Judy again that.
13:32:11 This is more of an approximate. So we are broadly in that range, but another mistake that I have I've made is that I've included the planned expenditure within the within the
figures as of now even the unapproved one so So I, so that is another thing and I'll talk about it as I come to that, but just these acknowledgements and apologies in advance.
13:32:37 But let me take this. Point okay let me just pause here again for a couple of seconds to see if anybody has questions, comments.
13:32:48 Good's gonna be so big by the end of the day.
13:32:54 Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay, good.
13:33:00 Thank you. So let me now move on to what I see as a strategic priorities for for WSU.
13:33:08 And these are again very formative ideas and by no means crystallized. So I am actually utilizing this opportunity to make this a generative kind of dialogue.
13:33:19 And I know this is not the platform for it but still I would just throw it I'm throwing it out because I would love to have your inputs either now or later.
13:33:27 As to how we are starting to think about it. Again, I haven't, we, while we have had informal discussions within the extension office, I'm yet to formally seek inputs.
13:33:37 Of my colleagues on these ideas. So, so treat them as my first attempts to articulate. Our approach going forward.
13:33:48 And and I'm sure a lot is going to get added as I take these ideas to my colleagues.
13:33:51 And then do other stakeholders. So. The most important idea in my head is that Ultimately, we have to look at this overlap between what the extension priorities and strengths
are.
13:34:07 What are the county and by extension what are the community goals, knees and aspirations, which I think we have done a remarkable job in capturing them in the strategic plan.
13:34:17 And that that is going to be my starting document. And lastly, what are the organization capacity within Jefferson County Extension?
13:34:26 So when I talked about first extension priorities, I was talking about WSU extension as a whole or maybe even extension can provide extension because for edge and master gardener
kind of are run that way.
13:34:38 But when I talk about the third one, I'm talking specifically about our team within Jefferson County within the port headlock office.
13:34:46 And what are the organization capabilities? Because each one of us do bring unique perspectives and experiences in skill sets.
13:34:54 So I would try going forward trying to see how is it that our programming could be within that overlap of these 3.
13:35:02 Kind of circles so that we are able to create the maximum impact and a most powerful.
13:35:09 My operating principles again, very draft and this is draft level at this stage would be to go about partnerships.
13:35:18 And when I say partnerships, I'm including and thinking about partnerships even within our own programs.
13:35:25 So snap it and forage, for instance, snap it and perhaps. Master Gardener.
13:35:33 Or water quality and forage. And that overlap and partnership that might emerge within the programs.
13:35:40 Secondly, I am thinking of partnerships in terms of organizations. Both within and outside the county. So again, going back to the organizational chart.
13:35:50 Of where extension sets within the county. So, so how can we collaborate with other departments, health and public works and and community development and other departments.
13:36:04 So, so that is definitely an area. And again, the partnership with other counties, including going beyond Kitsap and Kalam, if there is.
13:36:14 A need and if that makes it that makes sense given if there is something else. Some other county is kind of running a program that really falls into that.
13:36:25 Into that area of overlap. The second principle for me would be empowerment and what I mean by empowerment is that
13:36:36 I have always been inspired in my own work with the idea that the best kind of community work is where you make yourself redundant.
13:36:44 Where you're not creating this dependency but are empowering the community. To stand on their own feet and then run.
13:36:54 And I believe in some ways that has started to happen with few of our programs. I would say the rain gardens.
13:37:01 Where now we are turning it back to the community for the maintenance. I would cite the Stream Stewarts program, one of our most successful programs.
13:37:11 We always get great reviews about it. But I think now Bob has already started discussions with the. The salmon collision, to see if they can lead the program and they seem to
be the perfect partner.
13:37:25 And we don't have to hold on to this program just because we created them in the first place.
13:37:29 If you can find better partners, why not? That is the idea. Let let the community run with it.
13:37:36 This again, ties back to my earlier idea of. Of the programming doesn't have to look like exactly how it has been.
13:37:44 Looking in for the past whatever number of years. We are educators. We, we are, we have the expertise and we have the network.
13:37:53 We have the linkages with the university. We can create programs. That truly cater to the emerging and the current needs.
13:38:00 And that is what, one of the principles that hopefully we can take forward.
13:38:06 This also means that we are going to want to emphasize depth over the breadth. Rather than trying to do everything, we would rather focus on the depth.
13:38:19 The fourth point is more about my own personal experience of trying to see that the knowledge is not does not reside with individuals.
13:38:29 So that just in case they move out, everything, you know, gets lost. But it is more institutional.
13:38:37 And how do I do that and that includes creating time to document everything to create and lay down a process to see that there is a succession plan in place.
13:38:47 Whatever that looks like. Given the constraints that we have, but what are the kind of systems and processes that we have.
13:38:54 Finally, I would want to highlight this idea of a set based community development. I know we have long focused on needs.
13:39:03 As a starting point but We, we, there are so many assets within the communities that are already there.
13:39:11 And as we look at what the community needs are, we can look at. The assets as a starting point in terms of how we approach this.
13:39:20 And that is what perhaps extension can do best because we don't have all the resources in the world to really.
13:39:26 Get to all the needs, but if you focus on the assets, we can definitely make an impact in addressing them in some ways.
13:39:34 So let me now move to the budget big picture. So many of you are already familiar, but we have we kind of operate these 2 funds one on 9 and 108 109 is noxious fees.
13:39:47 I'm not gonna get into the details. You're already very familiar. But within 108, we have these 5 heads which is what water quality, forage, master gardener, small farms and
the admin related stuff which is basically me.
13:40:01 And the admin staff that is there at Ed County. However, noxious feeds and water quality kind of share the similarity in the sense that They plan their expenditure based on
the revenues that they earn.
13:40:13 So it's kind of matching. So you see this rectangle, which is. The revenue more or less matches the expenditure and it's kind of clean.
13:40:22 However, what is not so clear and clean is when you look at these 3. Main programs, which is 4 H, Master Gardeners, Small Farms and the Admin.
13:40:34 And what happens there. So in terms of revenue, we have Grand Fund as the main source, the indirect that we get from water quality and, and off speeds.
13:40:44 The grants, whatever few grants that we get and the rent. And then broadly the expenditure could be mapped onto salaries and benefits.
13:40:53 Contracts when I say contracts I mean all the third party things. That someone else does for us. So this includes the rent, this includes the utilities, this includes Internet,
this includes the genital services and then the admin which is essentially the travel and the supplies.
13:41:10 And this is where the rectangle turns into. This shape the trapezoid which is the expenditure being much more than the revenue.
13:41:20 One thing that I would want to add is that in terms of the revenue and in terms of the support that we get.
13:41:26 There is a huge support that we get in terms of salaries and benefits and the programmatic support that we get from DWSU.
13:41:32 Including 2 third of my salary, my benefits. And the benefits for for all the coordinators of the program that are listed above.
13:41:40 And and the various other supports that we could potentially tap into in terms of. Legal help and other kind of support which I believe there is a lot of scope.
13:41:53 To kind of dive into further.
13:41:57 Yes, go ahead.
13:41:55 Good. Can I ask one question? I'm sorry. You said it and I and I missed it, but the GF under revenue is general fund.
13:42:03 Yes.
13:42:02 Yes, that is General Fun. Yes. So this is this is what the revenue for 108 Looks like if I exclude water quality.
13:42:13 And you would say about 84% is general fund. Then is the indirect about 15%.
13:42:21 Then is a very small nominal amount with respect to the grants that Master Gardener Foundation gives us and we get some from landworks.
13:42:31 Land trust and then we have rent which is almost insignificant at this point in time. And this is what the expenditure of 108 looks like excluding water quality.
13:42:44 Read with the caveat that some of our beat naturalist program and the funding for some of it is kind of.
13:42:49 Embedded into this. But most of it is spent on sand salaries and benefits. Some of it is these contracts which includes the rent and the general services and other things that
I mentioned.
13:43:00 And then there's the admin support which is just travel and supplies and those kind of things.
13:43:08 And this has been the took as I read it and I had access to the the presentation that was made in 2022 and 23 and if I look at it you would see How the ending balance The the
expenditure is more than the revenue.
13:43:28 And again, this means that we are tapping into the tapping into the general fund and the reserve that we have that has been a story.
13:43:34 In 2022 we started with a healthy balance and that was and I'm quoting from the presentation that was made 2 years back.
13:43:41 Which is was due to the lack of programming. In the after school programming at Brennan and the staffing vacancy at forage.
13:43:50 In fact, even this year we are going to start with a healthy balance, but that is again occurring due to the.
13:43:55 You know, we have had vacant positions. in the office. So as I look at increasing the revenue and decreasing the expenditure, yes, there's only so much that I could do.
13:44:08 But I believe the real star lies in terms of trying to tap into the grounds, tapping into the WSU system to see how we can work across counties, how we can minimize the cost
there.
13:44:21 And try and convert this. Ially into this inverted kind of thing where the revenue are more than that, but at least in a short term, at least matching the revenue and expenditure.
13:44:34 I'll move into the almost nearing the end of the presentation. So the specifics of one or 9.
13:44:40 You would see the total revenue matching almost matching the total expenditure. The small gap that you see is because we were not calculating the indirect according to the latest
rates.
13:44:51 Judy came into the office, helped us revise it, but we didn't really have the time to kind of.
13:44:55 I don't know the other details but this is more or less kind of taken care of. We don't have to worry about one or 9.
13:45:03 We don't have to get into the weeds there.
13:45:08 Okay.
13:45:04 Yes, good one. So. With one or 8 though. Is where you know you would see it again that that trapezoid coming into picture which is our revenue is not matching our expenditure.
13:45:20 And, and I'll Most of it is primarily due to the fact of the salaries.
13:45:29 Me trying to Get my my admin lead position to one FT. My office clock position at. Point 6 FT, the MO increases that have happened at WSU and we are going to be, they become
effective October one, but we are going to be paying for it from from our reserve for now.
13:45:50 But going forward, this would mean more support from the county. And just the inflation related increases that are going to be happening.
13:46:01 I would want to point out that we have really looked at the historical figures. And try to bring our us down for some things like internet info services, utilities.
13:46:11 So we are kind of asking a total of about 5,000 less than what we had asked in the previous.
13:46:18 Yes, for these kind of things.
13:46:23 Yes. Go ahead. Yes, please.
13:46:22 That's one clarifying question on that. Oh, the ad and it's if If I hear you correctly, it's mostly come.
13:46:31 Salaries for the ad total is 49 5 and 24. And that would go forward, right?
13:46:39 That's not one time. So then on top of that, it's 70. Going forward.
13:46:47 Okay, thank you.
13:46:55 Okay.
13:46:42 Yes. Yes, yes, this is going forward. Yes, yes. So I would, I, because this is, I'll, in the few in the next few slides, I have the details of this as to why I have the details
of this as to why I'm asking these these this amount as as a continued support.
13:47:03 So let me come to the last part and I will come to your question and those specific numbers. But when I see those current gaps and immediate priorities, you know, and I'm borrowing
from a framework that is that I have personally followed.
13:47:18 And reference to in, in my previous, working in the corporate and then. Continuing with my no-one non-profit.
13:47:25 Which is when you look at financial success and you look at these numbers you get access to, okay, what is happening.
13:47:30 Tend to forget is what is happening behind the lines. Essentially the idea of balance scorecard as it is called an approach that was followed by Capitol and Northern in 96 is
that If you have the organization capacity, it is then that you improve the internal processes.
13:47:50 It is that which deliver Excellent. Delivery to the stakeholders and that is what leads to financial success.
13:47:58 And at this point in time, currently where we are, we are trying to recapacitate the extension system.
13:48:05 All that I want is. That I should be fully starved and all my staff should be fully engaged.
13:48:11 So that is my my one line kind of Ask and the rational for the ask that I'm making.
13:48:19 This is this is what, Greg you were asking about. So this is for 2024 and 25 when I say admin support I'm talking about.
13:48:28 The 2 positions that the county supports for the administration of the office. Which is both my admin lead and my admin plug position.
13:48:37 The, this, this part is the MOA increases that is happening because of the 2.5% increase.
13:48:45 This is also taking into account Kelly, who is the forage coordinate who the small farms coordinator moving.
13:48:53 To one FTE instead of the point A. And then in 2025 the option of. Budget moving to.
13:49:01 One FT from her current assignment of, point 6 FT. And then this is the inflation related.
13:49:09 Increase that I'm, demanding for. So that is it. Again, fully staffed, fully engaged is what I'm looking at for the next 2 years.
13:49:21 I do want to comment that I am looking at at the end of the 2 years covering all administrative related expenses for the specific programs.
13:49:32 For instance, 4 H would would be able to generate enough revenue to cover the travel and the expensive. Similarly, the other programs.
13:49:44 And similarly, I as the admin person, and as the office lead would try to cover. The at least the travel and the stationary and the supplies.
13:49:50 That go into managing my office. That's just a start. I hope to be.
13:49:56 Generating more revenues, but that's what I'm willing to come in at this point in time.
13:50:01 So good that let me open. Open the questions.
13:50:06 Great. Excellent presentation. Thank you, Ahmet. Questions for extension?
13:50:16 I have one question that's might be more for Judy and Mark actually which is just in in trying to follow along in the big book.
13:50:26 Okay, the add requests are not necessarily in the each chapter. Is that right? I'm just trying to see where's the easiest way to review.
13:50:36 What I mean just talked about in.
13:50:43 Okay.
13:50:38 Not only, not in each chapter, you're correct. So, mine just turned blank.
13:50:49 Okay. Just go back up to the top.
13:50:54 Yeah.
13:50:48 So it says I have an air now. So I think it's The first second or third chapter or something like that.
13:50:58 Okay.
13:50:58 Okay, great. So sorry, sees me why I'm just flipping around between a few different screens.
13:51:05 I do see in the performance indicators that the small farms, classes and workshops and participants is expected to go down in the next couple years.
13:51:18 Can you explain the rationale there, please?
13:51:23 I am, I apologize, Kate Dean, I don't really know. I think, Kelly had mentioned that how the numbers were not really correct.
13:51:36 Oh.
13:51:34 The previous year. Or there was some gap or something, but I'm not able to comment on it at this point.
13:51:42 Okay.
13:51:43 Blanking on it. I would say though that the numbers that are currently in there We haven't done the strategic planning exercise.
13:51:52 That is something that I'm planning for the next quarter. This start the first quarter of 2,024 and that is going to be my my opportunity to really look at those.
13:52:02 Hello.
13:52:04 I also think we there is significant scope for us to. Top looking at just output numbers. And move towards outcomes and really impact.
13:52:16 Because Okay, you did some activity, but that's it. Okay, it's done. What is the impact?
13:52:24 What what really did happen because of that and I don't think that is currently being captured in the way that I would want it to happen because of that.
13:52:32 And I don't think that is currently being captured in the way that I would want it to happen.
13:52:32 I didn't really have the opportunity and also this was not the right time because we are still not in the process of looking at this.
13:52:39 Priorities and plans and really getting into the performance management. I think I would be in the best position.
13:52:45 I can give you a short answer. In, in a week or so, but I think I'll be really in a position to really comment on this once I move.
13:52:53 Into the next year performance cycle.
13:52:59 Okay, thank you.
13:52:59 I'm at, sorry, I'm, can I ask a question about, on the add forms that were in our budget book.
13:53:07 Huh.
13:53:08 He brief description says. Increased FTEs, subc, salary increase, county plus WSU.
13:53:26 Yes.
13:53:18 So call and, travel. So I understand that these transfers from general fund equal all of those. The script script of activities, but when you say salary increase county plus
WSU.
13:53:33 Is that like? Our share of the cost of living increase or What is that equal?
13:53:41 Yes, so what you see on the screen is something that I had detailed out in terms of the specifics.
13:53:48 But when I say, the salary increase from the county because Because of the increase, the 4% increase that is happening at the county level.
13:53:59 There is an increase in terms of what we are going to be paying for the admin lead position and the admin club position.
13:54:06 And hence, that is the increase that I'm referring to there.
13:54:11 Okay.
13:54:12 Also, as I said, alluded to, I am planning to increase the FTE of the admin club position from from point 5 to 0 point 6.
13:54:21 And the admin lead position from point 8 to one plus one FTE. Because I'm also adding certain more responsibilities including social media and things like those.
13:54:34 And more record keeping. So that's the idea with which I'm asking for a more, more support from the county.
13:54:41 And we've already confirmed an increase in our lease with. The shoals for mid year 24 okay
13:54:48 Yes. Yes, that's the paperwork is yet to be finalized. They initially approached us with the offer of 5% year 2 year 3 I was able to negotiate them down.
13:55:01 A 4% year 2 and year 3. And that's the plan going for.
13:55:05 Okay.
13:55:09 Thank you.
13:55:13 So I would just wanna, I'll put my teacher groups on. And I want to just say that you've done an amazing job putting this budget together.
13:55:26 It was really a lot of work. Since he just started, September one and budgets were due September fifth.
13:55:33 And so, we worked with him for the first few weeks since he just started, September fifth.
13:55:39 And so, we worked with him for the first few weeks and then, He's very detailed or it is.
13:55:41 So I'm gonna you did an amazing job, great presentation. And I just want to say thank you for all your hard work and your after a great start.
13:55:47 I appreciate that. I started August one though. So, Yeah, thanks, thanks.
13:55:57 Thank you.
13:55:57 Oh, well.
13:55:59 I'll take the credit. I'll take the credit.
13:55:56 Louncing around your slippers Okay.
13:56:02 Well, and it's also, having worked out of that office. I know how complex it is.
13:56:09 You're working with them also the WSU budget process. And different fiscal year and so it is very complex.
13:56:17 Good job.
13:56:18 Thank you. Thank you, Judy, and thank you, everyone. Thank you, Mark. And just, just I'm very, really indebted to everyone as I said as I began I would.
13:56:27 I mean I'll I'm very very glad to be working with some amazing people and and with all of you who are just so supported.
13:56:37 I love how you talked about the importance of continuity for program durability and That just makes me glad that I'm gonna live here with you in the community for.
13:56:52 I'm looking forward to it.
13:56:48 For a long time on it. At least 10 years. Yeah. I have you on public record.
13:56:56 Yeah. Absolutely.
13:56:59 Alright, well, thank you so much, Amit. Thank you, Bridget, for being here and for all your work.
13:57:08 And yeah, we'll be in touch soon and really appreciate the clear and, and expansive presentation so thanks so much
13:57:17 Thank you. Thank you so much. Bye bye. Thank you, Bridget.
13:57:21 Bye.
13:57:21 Okay. Alright. Well, I believe and next on our schedule is Willie Ben. So I saw him in the Zoom room if you want to bring him over.
13:57:34 And right after that, we'll get to public health. See you soon. Some guests already here.
13:57:42 Good to see you guys. Hello, Willie.
13:57:49 Yeah.
13:57:45 Hey, hello, hello, thank you for having me, everyone. We go from pretty complex and difficult to the smallest department and pretty straightforward.
13:57:56 So I will try to keep things as simple as possible. For you all. I don't have a PowerPoint or a fancy presentation today.
13:58:03 It was mostly just a wallet text and I figure you're getting Power pointed to death over a couple of days.
13:58:06 Okay.
13:58:08 So again, we'll we'll keep this short and relatively sweet. So first I will go in and, the unfortunate that I have a monthly audience with you with our, briefings along with
public health.
13:58:24 So I feel like you know a lot. A lot about DEM in the work that we do, but just as a little bit of a refresher.
13:58:30 Department of Emergency Management, our role is to help the county prepare for respond to and recover from major disasters.
13:58:38 We do that by managing the emergency operations center and we leverage volunteers very heavily to do that. We manage an emergency worker program and partner with the state emergency
management division to badge and credential volunteers to go forward and respond to emergencies.
13:58:56 We write plans and procedures on how to respond and we conduct community outreach to give folks tools, to be able to prepare themselves in the face of a major disaster.
13:59:04 We are a very small department. Because we do leverage volunteers in the community so heavily and we're a total of 3.6 FTEs.
13:59:16 In our department with 1.6 of those being grant funded part-time clerk hires. And so we get annual funding from the state and from FEMA to fund those.
13:59:28 Fund those 4 people who are point 4 FTE each. Last year was a very interesting year for us as it was our first out of the COVID pandemic.
13:59:38 We had a 3 year response that really pretty much took all of our time and resources for 3 years straight.
13:59:45 I'm going to theme last year that was we called it back to basics trying to re-establish ourselves and conduct an attempt at conducting business as usual, throughout the year
in 2,023.
13:59:59 And we were able to onboard just our first second full-time staff member in Anna Piasaki who was brought on as a volunteer program coordinator.
14:00:06 As well as helping out with some grant and finance stuff. I mean, as you heard earlier in the month at our briefing, she is unfortunately leaving us.
14:00:14 I'm just a little bit less than a year later due to the housing issues and some some other stuff so we're sad to see her go.
14:00:21 I'm at over 2023. I'm conducted a lot of great work. We started up our outreach and education yet again.
14:00:29 And we worked with our neighborhood preparedness group to, and we worked with our neighborhood preparedness group to revamp their program and we worked with our neighborhood
preparedness group to revamp their program and develop some new training.
14:00:39 We worked with our neighborhood preparedness group to revamp their program and develop some new training materials to kind of rejuvenate them coming out of COVID.
14:00:41 And develop some new training materials to kind of rejuvenate them coming out of COVID. We held our first, in person tabletop exercise this spring, a simulated tsunami response.
14:00:47 We got a FEMA accreditation for our medical reserve court, our group of doctor and nurse volunteers to help, augment the healthcare sector during a major emergency.
14:01:02 And we just restarted trainings for the community emergency response team on another FEMA training program.
14:01:14 I'm, and, also, implemented, a, tiered, served, volunteer, system, and, that, pretty And we've worked with public health.
14:01:19 To develop severe weather sheltering plans in the case of heat, smoke, and other inclement weather. And we've started to work to form aize our local disaster air response team.
14:01:25 A local group of private volunteer pilots. I'm to help fly supplies in and up during a disaster.
14:01:33 We have also, I think most excitedly with through the work of Anna, I'm streamlined our volunteer intake process.
14:01:40 I'm developed a we've acquired an online database. I'm to be able to streamline the volunteer process.
14:01:46 We've revamped our badging in credentialing program to match FEMA standards and really professionalized our intake to be able to better leverage recruit, train, and deploy our
volunteers.
14:01:57 So I'm 2023, a good year kind of re-establishing back to basics for us coming coming out of the COVID pandemic.
14:02:07 I'm so going into 2,024. We're not requesting, any significant change in budget.
14:02:12 Obviously we're going to be looking at replacing Anna despite how irreplaceable she was.
14:02:18 We're gonna do our best and we're gonna look at replacing that position as soon as possible.
14:02:22 I mentioned a little bit earlier that those 4 clerk hires are grant funded through 2 FEMA grants.
14:02:29 I mean, those grants additionally fund some of our outreach and education programs. Specifically, the all county picnic and a bunch of the materials that we print to distribute
throughout the year.
14:02:40 I'm one of the big concerns on an ongoing basis. Is that that grant funding is either going to be pulled from us, decreased significantly, or just the priorities from FEMA will
change and will have to potentially spend that on something else.
14:02:56 Besides the sustainment that we've been spinning it on for so many years. Unfortunately, for 2,024, I'm that revenue stream looks to be pretty much identical to what we have.
14:03:07 Been receiving in years past so no major changes there. I'm 2,025 continues to be up in the air.
14:03:17 We won't know until about mid to late 2024, but we're assuming that we will, that we will get.
14:03:25 And to what we had gotten previously.
14:03:29 The, so the only, the only change for 2024, some of the salary increases as part of the of the countywide bump there.
14:03:40 In 2,024 what we're hoping to do in terms of our work plan.
14:03:44 I'm the theme for that right now is looking to be to deepen our bench to really lean into recruiting volunteers.
14:03:53 We've had a great year for onboarding a great number of volunteers, especially those who had come out of the woodwork during the COVID.
14:04:01 19 pandemic. We had about 450 people in our general roster to help out with our vaccine clinics to distribute masks and other things.
14:04:08 So we've been working to onboard them. But we really hope to look to recruit leadership volunteers to develop them.
14:04:15 And to really continue to build our team based on the infrastructure that we've put in place over, 2,000, and 23.
14:04:21 We're also really looking to start to document historical knowledge from some volunteers who are starting to look to retire from their second career as a volunteer.
14:04:33 I'm especially as a number of them have also left the county or gone to pursue opportunities. We're also looking to update our comprehensive emergency management plan throughout
the year.
14:04:44 That's due on a five-year cycle. We got a year extension due to the COVID.
14:04:50 19 pandemic response. So we'll look to have that updated by December of next year. Finally in 2025, the, the second half of this biennium budget request, what we are looking
for is a nether position here in DEM.
14:05:06 We were fortunate enough to add a position about a year ago. I'm working in volunteer programs and finance.
14:05:12 I'm looking to continue to expand the DEM staff footprint. I'm specifically in some one to work in operations and specifically in someone to work in operations and planning.
14:05:21 And I'm specifically in someone to work in operations and planning. And if, Mark or Judy, if you don't mind pulling up our organizational chart one more time, it looked like
that operations and planning.
14:05:32 And if, Mark or Judy, if you don't mind pulling up our organizational chart one more time, it looked like that screen share we've developed the DEEM organizational structure
to match the incident command system.
14:05:38 The, the language of first responders that we use to manage the EOC. Right now with, in a Piose position.
14:05:48 We have her managing the finance portion of that organizational chart and would like, her, her successor to take over the logistics.
14:05:57 Managing human and physical resources as well. On the right half of that chart. I'm on the left.
14:06:03 We have the operations and planning side. And I'm looking specifically for another staff member to help take over on the operations and planning portion of the DEEM staff footprint
in activities until really help expand our capacity in the face of climate change in the increased number of responses that we are experiencing.
14:06:28 You know, coming out of COVID, we immediately had a major windstorm on November 6 that was a federally declared disaster and we have routine power outages snowstorms and other
winter storms and throughout that the winter.
14:06:42 On this summer we've had a number of very close calls with wildfire and we've had inclement weather in the summer over the past number of years including the heat dome smoke
from outside the area then we have the ever looming threat on top of the climate change induced disasters of a major cascadious abduction zone earthquake, a tsunami, about a year and
a half
14:07:01 ago there was the volcano that erupted underwater in Tonga that caused a tsunami advisory across the state.
14:07:09 And so that was another 3 a. M. Response that our small DEM staff in conjunction with our our volunteers in partners had to put together.
14:07:17 As we built the infrastructure through logistics and finance, being able to add additional capacity on the operations and planning side would really allow us to meet the challenge
of climate change as well as the increased expectations and demands from our community coming out of COVID as they seen what we can do here.
14:07:36 I'm within DEM and are becoming more and more aware around issues of disaster preparedness. I'm specifically in 2,025 being able to add that additional staff member.
14:07:47 I'm our theme for 2,025 after kind of back to basics in 23.
14:07:51 I'm focusing heavily on recruitment in 24. I'm 25 is the year we hope to build capacity through training and exercise.
14:07:59 And so one thing that has been missing, honestly, really in my, my 5 years, I'm here in the county and has been our ability to put together large-scale exercises to actually
test and stress and strain response systems in a simulated environment.
14:08:14 So we, about 7 years ago, and I was 2016, we were able to participate in a statewide earthquake exercise called Cascadia Rising and we really haven't been able to locally do
something like that.
14:08:28 Since I'm having someone in the operations in planning side to put in the the massive amount of work beforehand to coordinate those major exercises and will not only benefit
us in DEM in the county's response, but responses of our partners and our ability to work together as well.
14:08:45 So in point 25, looking to build large, exercises. Train more and more frequently as we've started this year, but we have a lot more to do and a lot more capacity to build.
14:08:56 And then actually, start holding, again, more regular trainings, more regular exercises. And focus specifically on writing some of the specialty, more focused plans that we
haven't been able to put together the last few years.
14:09:10 I'm things like our animal response. So I'm focusing on being able to evacuate and take care of animals.
14:09:18 On top of people during a major disaster, smaller plans like distributing food and water on a more granular level than what we have right now in our.
14:09:26 Emergency Management Comprehensive Plan, as well as, and I'm sure a lot of folks in that room will love to hear this, a continuity plan for the county.
14:09:37 Something that's been long overdue in putting together that and we've been robbed of the capacity to put together.
14:09:44 So, we've been robbed of the capacity to put together. So, and we really would appreciate that single ask of support in continuing to build capacity here in DEM.
14:09:51 That's not to say we're not always looking for other means to increase capacity here. And we will through about the beginning of next year through the middle of next year, we're
leveraging an opportunity called Skill Bridge through the DOD, the Department of Defense, to have an intern from Naval Magazine, Indian Island, work with us here in DEM part-time to
help in some
14:10:16 of our plan writing for that comprehensive emergency management plan. So that will add additional capacity. We're always looking for for new grants and new opportunities there.
14:10:25 And of course that's hindered pretty greatly by Anna's departure. She was already bringing in some money for our medical reserve core, through her work on the grant side.
14:10:33 So. That's where we're at in terms of emergency management. I'm happy to answer questions, take comments at this point in time.
14:10:41 Otherwise I I always appreciate the support. And yeah, thanks so much.
14:10:46 Great. Thank you very much, Willie, and I'm not sure if any departments done more with less than the last couple years.
14:10:54 So you've certainly demonstrated the need to have some capacity and emergency management. Yeah.
14:10:58 Well, I appreciate that, someday it'd be nice to do more with more.
14:11:02 I, I know, we, I hear you. Questions for Willie? Is there overlap between operations and logistics?
14:11:11 They seem to be they would have inform each other, right?
14:11:14 Yeah, and all 4 of those. The ICS sections are very synergistic.
14:11:20 So there are overlap between the 2 of them here and there.
14:11:24 Okay.
14:11:29 Willie, I'm curious. I think a couple of years ago we were talking about your, desire for a volunteer coordinator.
14:11:37 Has that shifted and or do you think of it falling on a particular role or just curious?
14:11:48 Oh.
14:11:44 Yeah, that was Anna's role. Her primary job was volunteer coordinator. When kind of rethinking her role a little bit to include like logistics and finance with volunteer coordination
being the bigger piece under logistics, which includes human and physical resources.
14:12:02 And that was. 85 to 90% of her work and I can't speak highly enough to what she built in terms of a volunteer intake process for us.
14:12:11 She was starting to work with other county departments as well, specifically parks and recreation to build some volunteer capacity with them.
14:12:21 That was slated for some work this winter with Matt Tyler over there. And then she had worked with public health to provide them volunteers for some of their outreach events.
14:12:28 So I'm in his position is that volunteer coordinator role specifically. But just like everything here in D and we end up wearing a lot of hats.
14:12:37 Right.
14:12:37 If she was also doing great stuff and I also wanted to throw a little bit of logistics on there.
14:12:42 Physical resource on top of it all.
14:12:47 Hmm.
14:12:44 Okay, great. So just isn't reflected in her title. Okay, and I think to another.
14:12:51 Priority for you a couple years ago was, getting some support for social media and communications.
14:12:59 Has that been folded in in another, you know, we have Kepti obviously, but that folded in elsewhere or are you able to utilize Wendy Davis some or kind of what's the status
of comms, which I think is so, you know, so important and I was always pushing for more of that throughout COVID.
14:13:18 Yeah, so we unfortunately we had some grant money set aside for a part time social media coordinator for us.
14:13:24 We ended up spending that elsewhere rather than onboarding another person. And we do end up leveraging Wendy quite a bit.
14:13:32 She has been a fantastic partner in any time we need anything on social media. We go to her and she's at the point now where she usually by the time we call her she's already
on it.
14:13:42 So I'm she's kind of DEM social media support in the interim. Long term, we are still looking, through those grants, from FEMA and state EMD to carve out some more money for
a, social media coordinator for us.
14:13:58 But in the interim, you know, we have those 4 that we're able to support and then our outreach and education, the programs, you know, including the cost of the all county picnic,
some printed materials.
14:14:07 And that's all we've been able to afford thus far, but that's still hopefully next.
14:14:12 Great. Thank you. I'm glad that Wendy is helpful.
14:14:15 Yeah, very much so.
14:14:18 Kind of a general question, Willie. I'm just wondering, I mean, we, I, I hear you in the need for capacity and, you know, decided to do more with more.
14:14:29 And, you know, we certainly learned the need to develop Slack into our systems, especially our emergency systems.
14:14:34 Do you think that the FEMA and Federal Appropriations have learned that as well? Do you see the landscape changing at all or becoming, are there more opportunities on the funding
from the national level?
14:14:48 Okay.
14:14:47 You know, there have been some more opportunities. Coming out of COVID, but they've mostly been directed to public health.
14:14:57 Since our public health system was neglected for so long, they are rightly so receiving, a bulk of the attention and the funding from, from our legislators.
14:15:07 I'm at the federal and the state governments as well. We have not seen an increase in funding for emergency management.
14:15:13 From the federal or state levels quite yet. Especially considering the fact that there has been so much funding to pay for some of the catastrophic responses.
14:15:25 I'm in fact just over the past month or so FEMA paused all non-life saving funding unto local jurisdictions because their disaster fund was so low.
14:15:37 So we have not seen that funding boost. There has been a lot of money, in the public health, that will help us in our mission.
14:15:43 I'm specifically around that medical reserve core, as well as the, implement weather sheltering, our public health, they've been great in securing, air conditioners and air
filtration, and air monitoring systems.
14:16:00 They're gonna have some money coming up in for medical reserve core development. So we're benefiting from that money, but we have not received much of a bump directly as of
yet.
14:16:09 Thanks.
14:16:13 You are one of our more, one of our departments that's more as a proportion of your budget probably more funded by federal dollars than others.
14:16:25 You know, we averted a government shutdown, but you know, it seems very Very possible that we could be facing that again.
14:16:33 With your fund balance, like how much of a cushion do you have if there were to be a government shutdown and said something you have to worry about in terms of cash flow or
do you feel pretty secure even if there were to be a shutdown of a month or 2 months?
14:16:48 Yeah, we. Our grant funding is on a reimbursement scale that is every quarterly, at the, at the minimum.
14:16:59 Sometimes longer. We do have a grant every so often that will reimburse at the the end of the grant after an 11 or 12 month cycle.
14:17:07 I'm so a government shutdown of a month or 2 wouldn't affect us directly. But once we start talking 3 months or more, especially if it was in the middle of, you know, let's
say a grant application cycle that we were hoping to have wrapped up so we could start spending those dollars comfortably.
14:17:24 That would then start to affect us a little bit. For the time being, again, a government show down month or 2 wouldn't be hugely impactful of us depending on the timing.
14:17:33 I'm longer than that. I can, would start to start to worry us a little bit, and especially as it relates to our clerk hires.
14:17:42 Again, they're just about half of our FTEs and do and honestly they they work 16Â HA week.
14:17:50 That's what we pay them for. They end up volunteering a lot more than that. So I don't think we would say goodbye to them.
14:17:53 But it would hamper our operations pretty significantly.
14:17:58 Thank you.
14:18:01 Alright, I guess, yeah, well, thank you very much, Willie, and, it's, great to see you.
14:18:09 I know you guys do a lot over there, though I say, I really only ever seen you wear the one hat, but it's a.
14:18:14 It's good to see, appreciate the work.
14:18:16 I should have asked for a bigger hat budget, maybe, maybe 2627.
14:18:19 Okay. Alright, take care.
14:18:26 All right, folks need a little break or anything or should we have our, we have many of our public health guests with us.
14:25:15 Yeah, Veronica's getting in. She's trying to promote it. Hope you gotta have to leave your audio there.
14:25:26 So just leave the audio of the meeting and mute the computer. Thanks. He said approved her. All right.
14:25:39 I'll call us back into accept the promotions to panelists Hello, Denise, in.
14:25:47 And now Veronica, you're welcome to share. You should be able to share your screen now and see up the.
14:25:54 The presentation. Good to have the. Team arrayed in front of us and online.
14:26:01 Yeah, that's fire powered. That's like commissioner brother. Thank you. Loaded for bear.
14:26:17 Okay. Let's, screen. It's almost, You might, you might stop the share and get it set up for presentation and then re-share.
14:26:46 Yeah. You should be able to. Choose what's being shared. And then I just need to get back.
14:27:04 I know when you always wanna present, yeah. Present. So once I get in here. Yeah.
14:27:17 No.
14:27:20 Hmm.
14:27:35 Okay.
14:27:42 We're all
14:27:58 Sorry guys. No worry, take your time.
14:28:16 That's better.
14:28:20 We'll see. Yeah. Okay. Thank you.
14:28:44 Oh hi. Take it away, Veronica. And please do focus with the microphone, especially that we have to be pretty close.
14:28:55 So Kate and anyone else online can hear. Okay, thank you everyone. Another budget. So.
14:29:10 As you see, Jen Mitchell has joined me and Pinky, Mingo, and Alyssa Hasbrook.
14:29:21 And online we have Janice, and Farm Jones. So.
14:29:26 Go in here. Yeah.
14:29:32 There's a county public health, 2024 2025 by annual budget. And we are going to today present to you.
14:29:43 Some highlights of our key factors and our current budget. We're going to, funding funding.
14:29:53 We're gonna share some plans on some services and also review our. And then with that.
14:30:09 We're going to discuss, trends. In the revenue and expense areas.
14:30:16 We're going to discuss some fund balances and our utilization and carry forward. Also some, like I mentioned earlier, some expansion of services, increased staffing and space
concerns or office space concerns.
14:30:32 Prior year refund, our current challenges and what we're doing to move forward.
14:30:39 Please, if you have any questions as we're going through this, please just jump. Sounds good.
14:30:49 So trends revenue expense and full time So we thought it was a good idea to.
14:30:58 Okay. To go over our, revenue and expense trends. And the way we did it And this.
14:31:09 Graph is we looked at our divisions individually. So it on this rep, you can see the salaries and benefits.
14:31:23 In the blue and in the orange. Is our other expenses and then the line shows you what our revenue trend is looking like.
14:31:32 This is just administration. So we're gonna go through these pretty quick fairly quickly. And then we're gonna show you what the department looks like.
14:31:41 Can I ask a question about this? So it looks like in 20 like. After 21 the ratio of other to salaries and benefits was smaller.
14:31:53 And then in 23 it got a lot bigger. What happened? In that other category. To make that percentage of the.
14:32:06 Expense. Yeah, I can tell you that our my projection at 2023 we had some FDHS dollars that were new that came to us.
14:32:20 July starting in July. Some of that was in Pinky's area. Some of that was in Pinky's area, social services, social services work.
14:32:27 And we have yet to figure out. How to move forward with that at this time. And so I did add some expenses to that area, under contract.
14:32:40 Okay. To offset that revenue. Okay.
14:32:50 Any other questions right now? Okay.
14:32:54 So in this division, this is environmental. Oh, let me go back, cause that was admin. So I, answered incorrectly.
14:33:02 Please So this is admin. I'm sorry, Commissioner. I'm Eisenhower.
14:33:09 I will have to look at what those expenditures under other are for and under admin. Okay, yeah, just it's a striking.
14:33:19 But definitely in 2023 I did that in environmental public health. So this is environmental health.
14:33:33 Same thing. But jump at 24.
14:33:42 Dovetailing with the revenue. Yeah.
14:33:53 And this is community.
14:33:59 Those look a lot like cigarettes, just saying.
14:34:02 Oh, right. And you know, that makes sense that she has more expense than other. And, and, you know, that makes sense that she has more expense than or other. INSTEAD.
14:34:40 She's basically one
14:34:41 And then, this is, this is the department as a whole. So all those divisions added up.
14:34:49 This is the department. Wow. In 6 years, your revenue double. Yeah, your whole line is told.
14:34:57 Again, so. It looks like, wow, you guys are just rolling in the dough. This is FPHS that has thrown us kind of it's skewed us.
14:35:14 Just, and I like to see emphasis on public health, statewide. Yeah. There's only one of them now I'm forgetting which one which seemed to have expenses higher than revenue but
I wasn't really looking at the totals in each of those.
14:35:29 But community health is the only one. So is that as. See, that's significantly higher than the other.
14:35:35 Numbers, there are some. But so here is,
14:35:44 This is development disabilities. You can tell you can see that in 2023 is development disabilities you can tell you can see that in 2023 their revenue is lower than their expenditures.
14:35:59 And this is. Oh, it's 3,000,035. Yeah.
14:36:08 And.
14:36:11 This is. Environmental public health in. They're gonna be just about. Yeah.
14:36:24 And then this is admin and you can see admins kind of been all over the place. We will weigh.
14:36:31 We were actually in the negative in 2020.
14:36:37 And It makes sense because Hey, It took a long time for us to get our revenue back from the pandemic.
14:36:54 We didn't even know what was gonna come to save us from the pandemic for a long time.
14:36:59 Right. One, no, in 2020, admin started in the negative of over a hundred $1,000 in the whole.
14:37:11 Why is the revenue going? Yeah, I mean, doesn't it get I know ICR from foundational public health dollars and everything else.
14:37:19 I mean, I guess I don't really understand. And the big buck from 2022, where is it going down now? Why yeah, I mean, why isn't it the same kind of arc?
14:37:31 I would expect it to follow the arc of the on the in the other part. If there's a percentage.
14:37:38 I thought that's how an admin was paid for basically. So I'm. Well, admin's not the arc isn't supposed to continue to go up.
14:37:43 Well, shouldn't generally follow the weather. If all the revenue arcs go up except the admin aren't going down.
14:37:50 Why is the admin art going down if it's percentage of the revenue from the other program? So, well, it's kind of like a nonprofit.
14:38:02 We're not supposed to be like making money. We're supposed to be coming our costs and having so it's adjusted.
14:38:03 But every single year. So it's just like your cost allocation plan, you know, you're supposed to adjust that.
14:38:10 Well, you're not supposed to be like. Making a lot of money. If you were to sum all the points for revenue and comparable tolls, you'd probably be close to.
14:38:23 Yeah, and that's what you're supposed to be doing.
14:38:27 And that's exactly what we do every year. Okay, I'm just trying to stare and compare and looking at looking at that.
14:38:40 Yeah. Yeah, you definitely. And we do it through. That does.
14:38:48 Okay. So yeah, so we definitely try to come out as flushes, you know, possible so we're not making money, we're not charging the other divisions too much or too much.
14:39:03 So yeah. In 24. So if you can if you see the if you see 2020 in the hole right so that's because we have pre pay we are paying for the pandemic before we get reimbursed. If
you see, 2020, in the whole, right? Yeah.
14:39:21 So that's because we have pre pay we are paying for the pandemic So then we finally start getting reimbursed in 2021 and 2022 and now we're starting even out because we're finally
back in.
14:39:33 . Yeah, right. We're finding back in the left So did that make sense? No, but the question was why are we going back down in 24?
14:39:46 On the revenue side. Yeah, well, the reason why we're back down in the black is because now we're certain to spend money and we're going to be building some grants and that
revenue will come back in in 2025.
14:40:01 Eventually. So. Yeah, it does balance out. It just kinda goes like this.
14:40:13 Any more questions about? He's, you gradually sharing. Okay. Or future, sorry.
14:40:23 Good questions.
14:40:29 Oh, No, that's very where I last. Okay, so that's the
14:40:38 Oh yeah, did we talk that? Okay, we need to go back to work.
14:40:47 Okay, so here's water quality. And water quality has a very few revenue sources. Grants, special assessment dollars.
14:40:59 And a small transfer from general fund release.
14:41:03 So here you can see that. Their revenue. Has been put up and down too. But again, you know, you have this little spike in 2021 and then now it drops back down.
14:41:18 That's just how it's been with this pandemic. It's just been kind of weird, but.
14:41:23 I'm gonna show you later on in some of these other charts. They are going to be in a deficit in 2024 and they are going to be in the red come 2025 if something doesn't happen.
14:41:41 And we're gonna explain that a little bit more as we go on.
14:41:48 Now this, chart. I always like to look at something like this or add that I always put in chart together like this that really explains.
14:41:59 How are revenue sources pay for, to me it's just a little. Wait to check things like say for instance, you look at the glance down here.
14:42:13 That's the second cluster of columns. That's the columns are 2021 and 2022 the lines are 2023 and 2024.
14:42:23 So as you can see. 2021 for grants. 2022 for grants they actually our grant revenue went up in 2022 and then if you look at 2023 the grade line and grants they actually went
up again but then they drop down in 2024.
14:42:45 And that is reality for us. Our grant revenue is going down. Now. The good thing is, is that our state entitlement revenue, which does include FPHS, goes up.
14:43:03 So we, that's good. We just don't know if our FPHS dollars were going to continue to go up or they're just.
14:43:15 I'm just saying that something's significant to keep, a challenge in managing staff because you get a grant specifically for this and you gotta hire a certain kind of person
to do that.
14:43:29 And then your grand over here on some other program goes down and you hire somebody to do that work who has a specific skill set.
14:43:38 You have to let that person go. If you don't have a brand revenue, then you have to hunt for a person to do this.
14:43:43 Is that something? Hopefully not. But has it happened in the families? Yeah.
14:43:52 Typically not. We typically don't go for rent or outside our service. Right. The state entitlement, the that's the foundation of public health, right?
14:44:06 I mean, that just go on, it's kind of breaking the chart right now, right? So I mean, do you guys have an idea?
14:44:12 I mean, is that? The indications that I've seen is that's like a new.
14:44:18 That's the new standard not. And I guess I'm wondering what your analysis of you know I mean of course it's the whim of the legislature, you know, I mean, of course, it's the,
the legislature, but, if Spike on a Spike right now, we see, you know, another 1 million dollars in FPS, every every every consistent agenda
14:44:36 it' to me. Yeah. We also have to be concerned about FPHS dollars because some of it is, categorical. Like, you know, you can only spend a year.
14:45:09 Only $520,000 of our over 2 million FPHS dollars is flexible.
14:45:17 So. That's So, this is just interesting, you know, that our grants that we've had, like in 2021.
14:45:30 Okay, funding or you know like in 2021 for about 15. And 2022 it funded just over 16.
14:45:43 So it's kind of nice kind of put in that in perspective when we have over. 40 some employees.
14:45:50 You know, it kind of the second perspective.
14:45:58 This is the same graph, but it's super water quality. You know, again, you know, they rely on their grant dollars and their special assessment dollars, those special assessment
dollars are located here.
14:46:17 So now we're on to expenses.
14:46:26 Jenny, so this is. This is a chart in the next one as well where you'll see just the actual projected dollar values, the the actual, projected dollar values, the cost, the additional
cost.
14:46:44 So not an actual salary cost, but the additional costs. Okay. So that's the 4% for the remainder of 2023.
14:46:58 That's the 4% for the remainder of 2,023 that 3% increase for 2,023 the 3% increase for 2,024 and the remainder of 2023.
14:47:02 The 3% increase for 2024 and the 2% increase for 2023. The 3% increase for 2024 and the 2% increase for 24 and the 2 person, 25. Yeah.
14:47:08 So these are our additional costs over the next 3 years. So, and, and, More retroactive.
14:47:19 These amounts, these 3 amounts will actually be added to each other, right? So at the end of 2025 this The bar is the sum of all.
14:47:33 Okay, so 500 K edition. I just wanna say something. I appreciate the fact that you guys started early on the bargaining contract.
14:47:45 Food those big time. And it does help us in with our budget. I love her. That's your statement is not entirely accurate.
14:47:57 It's in the fact that because you guys were able to get it done so early or at a little earlier.
14:48:04 It doesn't mean that we can recover this, these costs in from our brand because our brand's cost in from our grants because our grant applications go out earlier.
14:48:11 It's not sure. So, so, although I will say that we do.
14:48:19 Our best to build an increase in our grant applications anyway. However, these increases or not there's no way for us to capture a 7 person increase in the given year.
14:48:41 We we're doing state fiscal year, federal disco here. So no, there's no way for us to, capture all of that.
14:48:44 And our environmental public health, grants. Are more flexible or they do allow us to build an increase?
14:48:59 Our clinical, our community health, do not. We rarely do we get to build and increase those. So those are flat.
14:49:08 But Okay. Okay. And also of note, the reason that 2024 is so much higher is because we dropped those first 3 tiers.
14:49:17 . So some people are getting, you know 16 to 20% increase on their salary just been dropping those 3 ones and we do have a decent number of newer employees that were.
14:49:29 In the Yeah, and changing the steps from 2 and a half to 3. Yeah. So, the top step gets 3 and a half plus the 3.
14:49:41 Yeah. And then the next one is. Water quality. Same thing, just showing the impact over the next 3 years of our expected additional costs.
14:49:56 Basically. Solar, and then, but still with their decreasing revenue. This is going to affect.
14:50:03 Yeah, so, I forgot how many years ago. When we presented our budget, we presented, but we shared our goal that we were not going to go out and we're gonna live off of.
14:50:17 Maybe one or 2 brands and then the special assessment. Will be. But the gardening member or the bargaining contracts increases that have taken place since.
14:50:34 That's 2020. Some, I mean, they're substantial. I mean, since the 9%, Michael's budget or water voice.
14:50:48 They can't cover those. Because the colours, the CPI increases for that one D, the special assessment dollars.
14:51:00 Or only, you know, 3% or even 2%, whatever they have, then again, remember, So, unfortunately, I mean, I will take accountability or responsibility for not.
14:51:16 Coming to you. Back then when those 9% and those other big increases were approved, I didn't ask for.
14:51:26 The county to cover those large increases for water collings. And you know. At the time, I didn't think it was necessary, but the compounding problem.
14:51:39 Is now a parent. And so I will most likely be. Having conversations with Judy and Mark about that.
14:51:51 I've talked to Michael about Mike Dawson about this. Do you commissioners have?
14:52:00 Any comment or any, advice? Michael and his team to go out and get, I mean, it's a lot of work to go out and get, and it's a lot of work to manage.
14:52:13 And it's a lot of work to manage. Greens and that's all Michael has done.
14:52:16 And that's all Michael has done in his career. With public health or in his career with public health or in his career with Jefferson County.
14:52:21 He's good at it, but it takes a lot of work. You know, and he's, He's doing it but when the county makes decisions like.
14:52:35 Big increases like that. I mean, is it the department's responsibility to run out and get a new grant to cover those or should?
14:52:47 Should be coming to you for those emails. Those costs, I mean, off the top of my head, I would say it's probably like, sure.
14:52:59 It's like, you know, we understand. I'm sure that Mark's thought about this in his budget.
14:53:03 Analysis but that there will be a need to help cover some of it but a whole also that will rise to the occasion and Look for other sources of revenue.
14:53:13 And I think that's fair. I do. I mean, am I wrong? Am I, is that an accurate analysis or?
14:53:20 Yes, you're not wrong. They add up those were big ones. Okay, It should be insurance.
14:53:34 I mean, Kate, do you have any other? Perspective on that question.
14:53:39 No, I mean, it's why we have partly why we have fund balance, right? Like it's a timing issue, the grants that are being worked on currently don't have the new salaries.
14:53:52 To you know, they were not, the new salaries were not applied for, so there's, there's a shortfall and, you know, in theory, fun balance should cover that.
14:54:04 And then as you start applying for new grants, you would put in the new salaries or even the you know, anticipated knowing that they're going to be increasing.
14:54:13 And so it's good that we have a few years out to be able to do that projection now.
14:54:16 So yeah, I think it is I think it's both and there's a bit of a timing lag that we have to cover but I don't see it as a long term.
14:54:26 No problem.
14:54:29 Yeah. Okay, just seeing it's my response. Okay. Thank you.
14:54:42 This one just for use. In 2023 we had the unanticipated medical insurance costs that were definitely not included in what we had budgeted for and we had to make up that.
14:54:57 Over $500,000 and additional expenses. So unexpected and then that projecting watch 2024 should look like with a 6% increase.
14:55:07 And then if that is the direction that the division is going to head.
14:55:20 Yeah, that, insurance, really hit us far.
14:55:27 Right, well we did enjoy the fruit. And.
14:55:47 And then these are cost allocation for things such as building rents. Equipment phones and vehicles.
14:55:56 So these are all built in the fund billing. And we Okay. Within significantly the cost of everything is going up at a significant rate and it just shows how much over even just
from 2023 to 2024 how much our expenses are going the major increases are in rent and equipment costs.
14:56:23 And then Regarding the rentals, we're already at capacity in our current space. In which is the next.
14:56:32 Slide. Since 2,000 Washington State can maintain a space allocation standard for a single space target. Of 215 square feet per person.
14:56:43 So here's where we say currently based on that expectation. In the main building, we are currently at capacity.
14:56:51 With about 223 square feet per person. And water quality, which has been attached space, we have about a hundred 24.
14:57:03 Square feet per person. Dvhr over at public works. One And then our totals for all of our occupied spaces is about 202 square feet.
14:57:17 We average it all out. So that, with an additional about balance where we need to meet the standard.
14:57:24 And with the expectation of possibly increasing our staff. Where do we go with that? So that last little bubble that we would like to house everybody again together because
it's We're a department and it's that's what we would like you know it's so much more convenient, more efficient.
14:57:51 Yeah, all of the above, right? And so We did request. More space by 2025.
14:58:04 Capital, vision request, a couple of request. And, we know that we're not the only ones that have this issue.
14:58:17 We've been working with, GCD and public works fairly regularly. Fairly regularly to talk about office space issues.
14:58:30 We've done a number of things to. Help, working remote. Remotely.
14:58:37 You know, we have a number of employees who Do work remotely. Also work hybrid schedules, sharing desk space.
14:58:46 We still have people working in clauses. Yeah. Yeah, so Again, we know this is not an easy fix for the county.
14:59:00 We're trying to need team players and we're just sharing this information. What do we know with that?
14:59:09 215. This is where I want Rico's brain Kate, the Washington state.
14:59:13 Standard 215 square feet per person. I have the document. And that includes communal spaces.
14:59:22 Okay. Because It's big. It is. But I'll send that to you, If you're interested.
14:59:32 So. I'm curious too. Okay. Just, and you said that folks are working from home.
14:59:46 Do you feel like you've reached a stasis with people's, you know, kind of choosing a work schedule that's appropriate for their position.
14:59:56 And then like Do you anticipate that changing at all? You know, there's been a trend of more and more people wanting to work from home.
15:00:08 And of course, it's not appropriate for all positions, but. Like, just curious that when we think about space needs in the future, do you anticipate that changing?
15:00:19 You know, we've analyzed the positions. People have submitted requests, and we honored some, we haven't honored others, you know, just based on the position in the need in our
need.
15:00:32 I think it'll change in the future. You know, it's hard to say.
15:00:38 You know, we never knew what would happen with the pandemic. You know, the pandemic made us open our eyes.
15:00:45 And I don't really know what happened in the future. Based on today.
15:00:51 You know, I think we all need to be a little flexible in, the current situation that we're faced with.
15:00:59 And so I think we still need to be. More flexible. And Yeah, given the situation that we're in.
15:01:08 So I guess my answer would be, I'm sorry for rambling a little bit.
15:01:13 I don't think it will change. Because of the fact that We were stuck. We're kind of stuck in the situation that we're in.
15:01:22 So, we're gonna be hiring more people that we know. That we know we're gonna be adding more people.
15:01:32 So we're going to have to analyze. As we grow, you know, and just. Possible.
15:01:41 Does this reflect the amount of time people work remotely? Like if you have one FTE works 2 days at home, are they reflected as a point 6 in this space here or are they reflected
as a full person?
15:01:53 They're reflected.
15:01:59 I guess I'm curious if you've done the analysis on, you know. What's the actual lived in space, you know, and is that the kind of, you know, I don't know.
15:02:08 Search scheduling that is on the table that you guys are talking about as you as you try to expand and you know what is yeah, That's definitely something we're talking about,
you know, like shared, we have shared this, Yeah, check the math, or even divided by 4.
15:02:34 Did he? I like it.
15:02:43 Okay.
15:02:47 Okay. These next 2 slides, they give you the same information, but in a different way, because sometimes the year to view it in a different.
15:02:56 Manner for some people. So this is Okay. This is our revenue sources by year since 2018 and then watching how that has built.
15:03:11 At the bottom it shows which part of the little bar belongs to which peace, so we have grants, stained and vital. Other other is usually a miscellaneous thing like we get a
refund here there or some small enough.
15:03:32 General fund and non, general fund, categorical, and then one time transfers. When trans transfers are going to be things like if we did a payout for somebody.
15:03:43 And the FPHS money sits in the state entitlements. Okay. And then
15:03:57 This one shows it by funding source. And then, and here's our run next to each other.
15:04:06 I like this one a little bit better, but they are kind of stretched in there together.
15:04:12 See? Just to then. So you can see the real increase is our, in our state entitlement.
15:04:22 In general, the fees are, grants and our state entitlements, in general, the fees are at a steady increase and everything else. In general, the fees are at a steady increase
and everything else.
15:04:27 It's kind of about leather. Even though our revenue has increased over 60%. It's still not matching.
15:04:39 And part of it, part of what we're doing is looking at these, which again, that stayed relatively stable.
15:04:52 But evaluating that the, of an increase on the community. So how does that affect our people?
15:04:58 Out of the vendor. For the increase. Sorry.
15:05:09 Oh, and then water quality, revenue sources.
15:05:16 It looks like.
15:05:25 So there. Yeah. Yeah. So again, going down, but starting to go down.
15:05:38 In all categories, moving until it's 2,018, we're, just a, after going much farther up in 20
15:05:53 And this is Ben. Let the Okay, funding source and
15:06:04 Gotcha. Okay, so we've been talking about F pages. And.
15:06:14 You know, we can talk about that PHS all day and it's not going to save us and that you know everything this is going to save public health and it's not.
15:06:26 Is it helping? Yes. But, you know, like I said earlier, 520,000 of the 2.3 million that we're getting is flexible.
15:06:37 Everything else is not. So it's categorically. So, I just want to really emphasize that.
15:06:49 We are looking at, you know, How can we use that PHS to build some of the gaps?
15:07:01 Yes, we are looking at expanding some of our services. But I wanted to show that, yeah, our first year of that PHS funding in 2017 was only 42,000.
15:07:18 So, Oh gosh, yes, does have limitations. It can't be used for permitting related.
15:07:36 Expenses. So, any staff to review. Staff for the, to good inspections. Right.
15:07:48 I'm, I always imagine it on the community health side, I guess. Oh my gosh, there's quite a bit of money that is being earmarked for for environmental public health.
15:08:01 But it's for services that are not funded. Okay. Yeah, so we'll kind of get into that a little bit.
15:08:15 Which already has been, Yeah, from the directors being, that they are not anticipating any like our other.
15:08:31 They told us not to anticipate in custom living CPI adjustments that that model is the money. So even now the money that he got for FDHS is already.
15:08:41 Already spent and already not enough. From that.
15:08:50 So. Some of the things we just wanted to find out 2 of the 4 of our divisions, we use a portion of their care for in 2024.
15:09:01 We've already mentioned that earlier. And in 2025 the deficit continues to rise. Now I'm not gonna.
15:09:08 So any sign on 2025. Sorry. But I don't really, I'm gonna be honest.
15:09:17 I don't spend much time on 2025 budget. We don't have that much information.
15:09:22 The only thing that's really accurate, Is the salaries schedule and the general and the cost. That's pretty much it.
15:09:36 So we need to find the balance where revenues cover the costs. And have the least amount of impact to our customers.
15:09:47 You know, as we know, especially during this pandemic. That we can really have an impact on our people.
15:09:56 Restaurants? Oh my gosh. Yeah, installs. I mean, everybody, we can impact so many people.
15:10:05 We know that. And, everybody, we can impact so many people. We know that. And, we have to be careful.
15:10:08 So. And then the last board like says public health must remain resilient through instances of emergency and large unforeseen costs.
15:10:19 So. With all that said. Yeah.
15:10:26 Here's our, here's a chart I put together to talk about. So. We have asked this question.
15:10:39 What is an appropriate fund for public health? Yeah, and I don't really get I'm not doing anything.
15:10:55 It's just hard to, I mean, you know, there is, I know we have a resolution or a thing, but dollar amount or percentage.
15:10:57 So I wanted to show this that yes, you know, look at that. And I wanted to show this, that yes, you know, look at that.
15:11:10 I'm just calling it out. Because I know you guys know it. But if you look at the trend and you look at the revenue expense, our revenue is now going to be lower than our expense.
15:11:22 And what I also want to point out is we covered our expenses. During the pandemic for the first almost year.
15:11:33 And nobody, nobody helped us. No. We did that. And guess what else we cover?
15:11:42 We covered all of our benefits. No, they helped us with that. Over $500,000 that was not Good work.
15:11:55 Exactly. And so what I want to point out is that We have to be prepared as we always do to cover another emergency and another outbreak.
15:12:07 And not have to worry about anybody else covering us. We have to be prepared. Nobody else does. We didn't.
15:12:20 Well, I mean, you're not alone, right? Well, yeah, yeah. I mean, how many?
15:12:36 How much did you? Just said you didn't need it. But if you needed me, do you think you were in the?
15:12:44 Not afterwards in 2019 what public health had to cover that pandemic. Or respond to that pandemic. We had nothing.
15:12:55 And we did it. And I'm asking. What did the county provide public health? Got a ball of the COVID dollars the county did or the ARPA dollars the county did or the ARPA dollars
the county had what did public health get
15:13:14 Well, and you are getting additional funding from DOH from the state.
15:13:12 I don't know. I mean, you have that. Commissioner at that time. We didn't have anything at that time.
15:13:27 We created. A huge spreadsheet. Or Mark. To request funding.
15:13:35 To request money, I had to do so many versions of that spreadsheet. For you all.
15:13:43 I am not complaining. I'm pointing out facts. That public health must be prepared. Chew respond because We had nobody.
15:13:55 I'm being honest.
15:14:02 Okay.
15:13:58 So this orange revenue line here that spikes up the pandemic that this does not reflect a huge Increase in revenues.
15:14:05 . What line are you at? What one are you referring to?
15:14:08 The orange revenue line.
15:14:12 In what year? 2021, you saw a pretty good increase in the fiber calling that 633,000.
15:14:23 To cover everything before any of those grant dollars and any of the FEMA dollars came through and it took over what over a year to even get any of those emails.
15:14:47 That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, and you have some balance and you have one down. So you're well positioned to weather another. Exactly. That's what I'm
saying.
15:14:58 What do you think an appropriate fund balance is? Well, I think an appropriate fund balance is exactly what we have.
15:15:03 Because that's what we've had for 3 years now. Actually, But all I'm pointing out, commissioners is They're a bit times.
15:15:18 Where we've been criticized for our healthy fund balance. From a few people. And I just asked them when they criticize us or our healthy fund balance, what is a, what is too
much?
15:15:33 What should we have? Last year we, 155,000 of our general fund was.
15:15:42 Taken from us. Because of our on balance, I guess. You know, you know. It wasn't?
15:15:53 I don't have a mind. If you like, You're gonna have to. Lean answer this.
15:16:04 Well, I know transfers in the past earlier today. So the same process that we did with DCD and other departments.
15:16:14 Let's see, evaluate how much money they did. And, how much they expected in revenues and see whether or not and it was another situation of where public health and other departments
continue to get more money every year without without any support for that ask.
15:16:35 So when we did the support for the ask and then we met. And we actually then came to a place called Ringman and we only got it by a hundred 55,000 so In my mind, that's just,
that's not a large amount, but it was what we could do to be fair with also cutting other departments that had.
15:16:59 And other departments that have phone, such as yourself. So it didn't, it didn't be there with also cutting other departments that have phone, such as yourself. So it didn't,
it didn't impact that.
15:17:03 So. Yeah. With the promise that if they needed more good care. And that promise exists for public health.
15:17:21 9 and looking at that. I don't think you I think we're losing productive. Emotion, I think, right now.
15:17:34 So I think we're losing productive, motion, I think, right now. So, again, this is just to show.
15:17:39 Our numbers, which sense what we're here to do, or not. We're here to talk about the budget for the next 2 years, right?
15:17:46 And we all agree that having a fund balance makes sense. So what we've been saying it over and over and over again for about 20Â min.
15:17:53 So. What else do we need to know about that? Absolutely not. All right, what's the next slide?
15:18:01 Scanning services.
15:18:05 So. Working so again you know
15:18:11 One balance is fun balance, but I would like so. So, some guidance there, I guess, because I would like to go to the Board of Health.
15:18:23 To establish. An actionable reserve policy. Yeah. Excellent.
15:18:31 Working with the, again, so this is expanding services, working with the Brook County School District, to expand school-based health, clinic services.
15:18:45 They are focusing on. The school-based health, clinic services. They are focusing on school-based health, clinic services.
15:18:50 They are focusing on. Again, this is something that students have requested services at this location.
15:18:52 Hmm.
15:18:54 This would eliminate their needs or their requirement to actually travel up to the high school. And again, you know, we can go on and on about how important these services are.
15:19:06 Explores. Yeah, and thank you. And then, there's a community meeting scheduled at the end of this month.
15:19:15 And then I'll let you.
15:19:23 And so part of our, money, we do get some funding for, right now, potentially going out and bid for a social services worker and the intent of the goal of this where we have,
you know, several of our.
15:19:53 Of our complaints where there are on other issues going on there. It just, in the compassionate.
15:20:04 Point of view as well as effectiveness. We know that our current enforcement that we're going to start affected for that.
15:20:14 Community. And so we would like to hire somebody that would come in develop those policies and procedures that need to implement that.
15:20:26 So that would be, Love it. That does seem like a reasonable. Great. Thank you.
15:20:34 And so, and then this year we purchased a little. Yeah, I'm not sure.
15:20:49 But anyway, it's really awesome. And so now we have a mobile home reduction. And so now we have a mobile home reduction, service, available in the community.
15:20:58 And, which is fantastic. And we are, definitely needing more space like we've mentioned throughout this presentation.
15:21:07 They.
15:21:11 Department review, you know. We spent 2023 in our status quo mode post pandemic.
15:21:22 And we're gonna be focused. On returning to foundation and we were focused on returning to foundation services.
15:21:29 So current challenges, you know, we're still bound to outdated recording with and tracking with. We're getting Yes.
15:21:42 That's all I can say about that.
15:21:48 I think on that, I know, specifically for some of our tracking, you have to run 3 different reports to get all the information we need on one day for some of our tracking, you
have to run 3 different reports to get all the information we need on one day.
15:22:02 And so it's just in emissions, as we continue to go through it. I know that we are supposed to have some help with.
15:22:07 Report running from there. But I think that will that's one more challenge.
15:22:14 Yeah, we're getting bought, but we can use more help there. I will say though that like Judy, your team, they are fantastic.
15:22:26 Okay. Looking ahead. Financial services and programs. You know increasing accessibility and ways to expand.
15:22:43 Always the priority for us. And then balancing the need for additional space. Let me start.
15:22:50 Can folks who have, financial limitations, receive a reduced fee? Like we're doing right now, with solid waste transfer station fees.
15:23:01 Is that something you guys have done in the past or do or? Yeah, we do. Okay, so I'm just seeing this challenge and remaining equitable.
15:23:12 I'm just wondering if there's any way to do that. Okay, so I'm just seeing this challenge and remaining equitable.
15:23:14 I'm just wondering if there's any way provide access to people by
15:23:19 Giving them reduced fees. We definitely do that both in the clinic and both, now and.
15:23:28 We, and not wait, get away, but you, So. The, we have to, we have to, we have, to approve it.
15:23:56 Let's speed that up. You know, what's working on? And you do also have the CMGGRANT for Yeah, It doesn't really, reduce, it just helps pay.
15:24:08 Yeah. Over half the cost. That might work out that important. So that's our presentation for today.
15:24:21 Anything? Okay. Any questions?
15:24:27 Excellent. No, very informative. Appreciate it. Kate, any questions?
15:24:35 Oh, so I can say if you get a space for, Well, no checks.
15:24:44 No, just I feel a little rusty on specific add requests, but I'll go to the book and look those up.
15:24:53 One, go over this real quick? Yes. Did you have any add requests? Yeah. I didn't see any in the book.
15:25:02 No, there wasn't any in the book. No, there wasn't an request. Yeah.
15:25:04 Okay. Thank you.
15:25:04 Okay. Alright, great to see you. A lot of good work happening. And I the one my one thing.
15:25:37 No, but who knows? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we're living like it's not going to happen.
15:25:47 Okay, but you know, cheers to Vicky, right? Like her, she worked so hard for that and like, Really good.
15:26:11 If I could just say to I think the real risk with foundational public health services, I mean, other than, you know, a big recession or something which would, where the state
would really be looking at drastic reductions, but is in.
15:26:23 New mandates coming attached to that so you know for example there's concern that if if the state does finally adopt the new school environmental health rules that that will
come out of.
15:26:38 That you know various obligations will come out of FPHS so that's the I think the more immediate concern.
15:26:51 Yeah.
15:26:47 Thanks, Kate. Okay. Well, I mean, it sounds like most of it is categorical already, right?
15:26:58 For specific purposes. So there's less flexibility than I think was imagined when Right. Well, thank you guys very much.
15:27:09 Always a pleasure. Nice to meet you, Jen. Good to see everyone.
15:27:14 Alright, and I think that was their ultimate presentation, all right, today. So we have one more.
15:27:22 Yes.
15:27:25 Seriously. Welcome Stacey. You might want to pass the shorty back over to Judy and you can, yeah, oh, the other ones are much more effective.
15:27:38 I know.
15:27:49 We know this. Okay. 5Â min ago. Okay. So you're supposed to queue up at 100, perfect timing.
15:28:08 Alright, right on schedule. Thanks for being here. Oh, thanks. Yes.
15:28:23 Thank you. You bring your own, service protector? Right. You know.
15:28:30 Thomas is coming down. We, we can, what's that?
15:28:44 I'm just like, only 5Â min of it. I know, it just feels like I got a serious headache in that.
15:28:52 Sorry. Do you need a little break? I'm taking one. Thank you.
15:29:15 A lot of really important information about your department and the time that you spent Sorry, that's very, oh yeah.
15:29:32 I saw how, good it left with Veronica doing it. Yeah, there's 2 of you on there, some problem. Oh, sorry. No worries.
15:29:45 One of them will work. Yeah, you're running upstairs too. Okay. And then, Same line.
15:29:56 Leave audio. Make sure you do that. But, but you guys were saying to get that already before.
15:30:17 I guess. Yeah, and then I can. Very nice. Okay.
15:30:32 Oh, You know, that that corner when you're driving in the end is perfect world window down.
15:30:49 Okay, well thank you for your time. Going over each of our budgets more in detail. I think as much as this can be intimidating to some people, I think it's a great opportunity
for us to talk about what we do and give.
15:31:05 Broader context to what you normally see and what's happening outside. So, oh, are we supposed to do what,
15:31:19 So I decided to go a little different this year instead of a fire hose of data. We talk more about it and I know that Heidi has read every page of it. And, detailed questions.
15:31:33 So we'll go with the flow there.
15:31:38 Okay. So, we have 4 budgets in the treasurer's office. Treasurer's Office is the one you're used to, Jeff, Treasurer, Owen, in the re tech and I'll go over all of those and
those are pages 318 to 3 40 of the, budget request.
15:31:57 Okay. So we're going to start off with. The most important.
15:32:06 Sure. Our people. So. Our team, we had a major retirement earlier this year with Sabrina leaving and we have Thomas here.
15:32:21 So we have a lot going on with a very small team. And I'm really proud of everyone.
15:32:29 And I'm really proud of everyone for how we've adjusted with a very small team and I'm really proud of everyone for how we've adjusted with such a huge loss of institutional
knowledge and just really stepping up to take care of everything.
15:32:40 Thomas has greater accounting skills and I'm eager to unleash him on quite a few venues.
15:32:47 Trying to not. And this shows we have a Katie in our office. She took the NICO high performance leadership economy training and Barb is currently doing that.
15:33:02 My goal would be that we don't limit people's potential. There's always the idea that or the fear that they can leave but as they always say there's a fear they could stay without
the ongoing training and education and My goal is that everyone in my office could go anywhere but they like it here I'm gonna say so we will talk some more about that.
15:33:29 So the treasurer's office is more than counting operations. And I thought this would be a good visual to show.
15:33:36 There were the vein for all of these taxi districts. We hold all their funding, we invest it, we're doing daily transactions for moving money, uploading their warrants, they
issue, there's a subset of them, an issue, their own words, some of them the auditors office does.
15:33:56 So there's a lot of range of the financial staffing we have a person rep district that has one person and then we have Jefferson Healthcare a huge team of people as because
the port and the PED.
15:34:14 But, I will now give you a pop quiz. Okay. Who is the home of the Bobcats?
15:34:24 Well, yes. So, Brennan? Like, Amanda, So these are all Jefferson County schools.
15:34:44 And your water? Clear water?
15:34:46 That's what I was saying. That's what I was saying. That's what I mean by an end the park.
15:34:57 That's clear wire. I don't see the red hawks on there. They didn't have a logo like that on their website.
15:35:05 They had this swoosh for Townsend School District. Oh, gotcha. They are there, but they're going for finance rather. So sophisticated.
15:35:16 Okay. And we've got Century District Strainage District. We're working with all of them, but they're going for the else rather than like so sophisticated. Okay.
15:35:28 And we've got Century District Strainage District. We're working with all of them throughout the year and we've got Century District Spanish Districts.
15:35:33 We're working with all of them throughout the year and we give them monthly statements on and it's a whole cash management side that is beyond what the county does.
15:35:39 Now the county could say, well, that's a lot of work. We're not seeing a benefit.
15:35:46 Well, you do. We invest everything we have. Anything that they have this cash that's not invested and we invest in general fund gets that cash.
15:35:55 So. It's not like you can. The interest on all of that money comes in and so that has gone up quite a bit.
15:36:08 The interest on all of that money comes in and so that has gone up quite a bit. We've also been working with different districts to do more investing.
15:36:12 So like the library. Who said, you know, you could put a lot more in and I'm sorry this takes away, doesn't give as much as general fun, but it's good. Management, because I
work for them too.
15:36:29 It's they've said that they were able to set up a long other FTE with the interest that was coming in this year.
15:36:35 Anyway, that's just one portion of it. We've got their debt. We've got all things things.
15:36:40 Yes. I think at the last finance committee meeting you talked about your Hold on upstate. Yes, so they have adopted a resolution to become their own treasurer.
15:36:51 Which I think is perfectly reasonable and logical. They have a whole team. They do monthly billing. So that does mean that they will be taking over their local improvement district
laws, which they some of them have been paid off, but of course, they'll be taking over their, local improvement district loans, which they some of them have been paid off, but the
first marrow still there and they're starting to do more with broadband and water systems and other things.
15:37:17 So I think that they're starting to do more with broadband and water systems and other things. So I think that they really are poised to be able to do it themselves and we can
kinda get out of the way when they're getting debt and other things that when I'm the treasurer, to get notified and do different things.
15:37:35 And so they're bringing that in the house. My feelings are not hurt. I think it'll be good for them.
15:37:43 And I think it'll. So, we're, we're, yeah, we're, like, screen lines and things for us as well.
15:37:43 Okay. Alright, so When we talk about the budget. The treasurer's budget is Quite a bit different than a lot of other budgets in that.
15:37:55 Whole lot of money comes straight into the general fund. So I just wanted to put up a slide that shows.
15:38:02 The budget resources. So I'm monitor the economic and redity forecast and I know Kate gets that as well and we it probably much more I know much more in depth than I do.
15:38:16 But then we also have the budget suggestions from MRSC. The revenue guide is very good for detail and what funds can be used for.
15:38:27 And then the shared revenue estimator shows down in the left hand corner. We only have 2 things on that estimator which are the pro profits and the correct size.
15:38:38 So I put those into the but on the right side is the economic and revenue forecast that came out in September and it's been pretty consistent for 6 months or so that we do anticipate
another increase or the heads rate.
15:39:00 So that affects our interest revenue. It will affect, you know, potentially our loan line credit that we're trying to get for the, the sewer, but.
15:39:14 It's all in there. So it makes sense. I mean, the PED now will earn their own interest.
15:39:21 So that's probably their after now will earn their own interest. So that's probably their after now will earn their own interest.
15:39:26 So that's probably their now will earn their own interest. So that's probably their after now.
15:39:30 So they could have told us to invest more before. So they could have told us to invest more before, but they will have hands on day to day, so they could have told us to invest
more before, but they will have hands on day to day knowing immediately what's cleared and how much and so they could, keep a lower cash balance.
15:39:42 And so they could, keep a lower cash balance, Yeah. Okay.
15:39:45 So general fund. What I chose to do here was only show the items that come into the treasurer's budget.
15:39:55 So each month with the budget committee I show the full general fund. These are just those I and I didn't go into the details of like each item which I worked with Judy and
Mar.
15:40:08 Quite a bit to say okay this is what I think is gonna happen with our investment interest this is what I think is gonna happen on sales tax and so it's a very collaborative
effort and I know Mark usually has a big spreadsheet.
15:40:24 I chose to just show you a trend line. And kind of the net. Let's see, so you can see the investment in come toward the top is that light blue.
15:40:38 And so I am anticipate more next year, but I also kind of leveled it off for the following year.
15:40:45 Okay. Because we also have cash for that's going to go out that's going to go out that we've gotten.
15:40:57 So there's a lot of blush in there. Okay, so. Moving on to the Treasurer's budget.
15:41:04 Which is 0 0 1 2 50. This is the high levellevel revenue and expenditures and the numbers up here for total revenue are what was shown in the picture on the previous slide.
15:41:21 And then I thought I would go into expenditures. So for expenditures, I, I have a form.
15:41:31 A adding $4,000 which is for a property tax software program. The assessor pays for their portion in the treasurer base for our bars is smaller than theirs.
15:41:50 We don't have iPads because of other things, but we do have an integrated website that they, and all kinds of things and so what I did was ask for only the amount that was above
1.5% that was detailed in the budget guidance.
15:42:12 The rest of it is the numbers that we're given to me with the 1.5% just.
15:42:19 Moved around in the different categories to more aligned with how we're actually spending money. Okay. So the performance indicators.
15:42:30 It doesn't mean a whole lot other than just say it's a lot of work. You like that 6 people on here.
15:42:42 I'm really not asking for more people. I know the FTE is a little bit different in the preliminary budget, but I think those are other issues with.
15:42:52 I had numbers or. Oh, vs. DETAVEs and anyway, I'm not asking for an increase in FTP.
15:43:03 So. Just I will update that. I think what it says is I have 5 points. I think it's.
15:43:13 But we need one. And then I'm adding or excuse me that plus. Point 3 3 is our foreclosure.
15:43:26 Avoidance program. So there's 2 portions but just please know the the crux of it is I'm not asking for more staffing.
15:43:35 I do have the position that I need to. Refine advertise and fill and so that will be next.
15:43:45 Okay. . So for the Treasury budget, I really put this in as
15:44:00 And those are the real. Buckets of our goals and objectives. You know with people
15:44:10 I did this right before the meeting. I pulled up what our staff 10 years and when I started in the treasurer's office January Started in 2014 November but January 1 2015.
15:44:27 The office had a hundred 9.2. How many years? Including me for the office. It had 94.1.
15:44:39 Treasurer's office experience. And it's evolved. 21 we had another big retirement and we went to 41 years of experience in treasurer's office.
15:44:56 This year with Sabrina leaving. As of January 1, 2024, we have the same staff.
15:45:06 Will be looking at 18 and a half years of treasures experience and 37.2 of working at 18 and a half years of treasures experience and 37.2 of working for the calendar, of which
23.
15:45:17 So we have a very young and energetic and ready to hopefully work here a while.
15:45:28 A team seems like you got out of 50 years of capacity. That's great. So that's another reason why I'm so excited Well, let's say 4 years of working to get in this set up and
delays and on and on. So, don't remind Judy. Is this a much better position?
15:46:15 Can I ask a clarifying question Are there issues with implementing? Nothing I'm aware of. I believe the people she had here are not strong, And so the people that actually the
rest of our finance team are very spot on with this. So I'm not sure articulating some big snag with me in this. No, not that.
15:46:42 I mean, I heard it too, 3 reports to get one. Except maybe getting cubes. Yeah, so I was less sorry.
15:47:02 It has today and I will say that back in 2,000 when the county adopted the unified development code DCD.
15:47:16 And I will say that back in 2,000 when the county adopted the unified development code, DCD sent me to crystal reports training. You know, by development code, DCD sent me to
crystal reports training.
15:47:41 You know, by development code, DCD sent me to crystal records training. So we do have an expert. And they created all of those forms that they complain about.
15:47:48 But I don't, I' Okay. They can't be spread too. It's good to understand it, but.
15:47:49 Crystal reports, I think that kind of like a Volkswagen.
15:47:55 It works really well and I can tell you, Chapman, our assessor knows it extremely well.
15:48:02 SQL database. But anyway, it's, it's a different thing than planning and so I think.
15:48:07 Support their needs. So along with people, I really want to make a more intentional effort for training.
15:48:20 19 and really getting financial team of excellence. I think that it will not only improve our professionalism and the quality of our work.
15:48:35 It'll make their work easier. It will add. So, and just another reason to be here and hopefully, you know, it's tough in the treasurer's office to be here and hopefully, you
know, it's tough in the treasurer's office to have a lot of other position to be here and hopefully, you know, it's tough in the treasurer's office to have a lot of other positions
for
15:48:54 financial and all of the districts pay a walk over so we'll do what we can. With this.
15:49:06 I'm not gonna go into the details of everything our office does, but. Or technology.
15:49:15 We've gotten over some big hurdles of being able to use the programs we have. I'm really looking forward to taking the next steps in being able to streamline more things having
more import export functionality between our property tax software and our channel ledger and being able to have district access to see whether a check is or not and have more of.
15:49:46 So these are big projects. Or not. And have more of, so these are big projects that.
15:49:48 Are getting closer to be able to work on. And then also just our operations. I think whether my team knows it or not they are absolutely on board with the process improvement.
15:50:09 Method and we're always looking at ways to improve things but also talking about what the benefits of what we use already and what we've done in the past.
15:50:20 So. I'll move on from that and We just talked about this whole page. Okay. So that was the rest.
15:50:29 That was all of it for the general fund and that's the majority of my office. That was all of it for the general fund and that's the majority of my office and we can certainly
come back to these if you have specific questions.
15:50:38 Okay. So. This one's the Jeff Kong capital. We have this because the family has debt from when Jeff Calm was a county department.
15:50:51 And we continue to pay the dead. We collect revenue basically when the communication sales tax comes in. We deliver a certain amount every month to Just calm.
15:51:07 . One And then we send the rest of that communication sales tax to. And then we make the, twice a year.
15:51:21 And so the schedule of the bottom is the debt that shows both Jeff Calm and Jefferson County and the blue one is Jack.
15:51:33 And the right side is one that you wouldn't normally see, but it shows. The total communication sales tax, my projections, what we will be retaining for debt service and.
15:51:47 How that would land. Are you talking about the tiny chart in the bottom left? Yes. I'm talking about the tiny chart in the bottom left. Yes. Okay, okay.
15:52:06 But it the point is I estimated the communication sales tax So those numbers match the department request and. We have to.
15:52:12 Make sure we have enough money when the debt payments are due. And so I have to front load collection so that all of the year's money is there by October.
15:52:24 Because they get their money on November thirtieth and the death paid is 12 one well for me to do that the last 2 years, they get their money on November thirtieth and the death,
is 12 one well for me to do that the last 2 years we had to do emergency warrants and that's way too stressful so We keep our fund balance.
15:52:40 We paid it on time. I work, now with, I'm not steward that.
15:52:43 And he's really in tune with all of this so it's been a pleasure. So, This is the county debt and so we manage it.
15:52:57 We pay it and I don't see any. Risk of it. Of revenue not covering it.
15:53:06 Okay. Next, we'll know to treasure, and in, otherwise known as our foreclosure avoidance program.
15:53:18 This program we have a third of an FTE in this. So. As you've seen with other funds, I will hardly, embrace and endorse the new contract and the increase in wages this does
affect this program so next year I will need to increase our foreclosure fees.
15:53:48 There's we've just been drawing down on this.
15:53:53 We'll need to do that to pay for the staffing. You can see it used to be a quarter of an FTE and I think.
15:54:01 You know, it varies, but. I do also want to have a good.
15:54:08 Conversation with you and Mark and Judy about what that means because it would mean if someone gets to the point of trying to get a property out of court closer before the sale.
15:54:20 It's quite expensive. They could start off with maybe $300 oh and by the time right now it goes to sale it's you know a hundred dollars oh and by the time right now it goes
to sales, you know, 16, $1,700 and it could go up significantly more.
15:54:39 When does that? I mean, it's 3 years of non-payment of taxes, right? The triggers it.
15:54:41 So when does the your point 3 3 FTE jump in and start to. Also, it's.
15:54:49 It's cyclical through the year, but definitely there is, the beginning of the year before taxes are doing equal letters go out to everyone who is potentially going to be in
for closure.
15:55:06 And this is what will happen and it's, you know, a $50 letter. Say, you got, you gotta pay up, you haven't paid for 3 and a half years.
15:55:19 So it's after after that 3 your trigger is already. For them, but we also, personal properties do a year.
15:55:24 So those are done annually. For much smaller amounts but typically but that work is annually.
15:55:31 But it's just a lot of work tracking people down and really trying to make sure that they get to keep their property.
15:55:41 And then, you know, we have the, statements, in May and December, November because we want to give them notice of what things will cause.
15:55:52 Before panel change their month whereas legislatively things have changed and so the penalties don't apply to residential and all of these things I think longer term will.
15:56:05 Affect our budget, but we'll see. You know. So it's a lot of work.
15:56:11 The numbers you know each One, each single property is a lot of work. And so, That's the program.
15:56:21 We definitely try to improve collection with our training and in technology. We have a lot more people paying online now than we have in the past.
15:56:33 Which is very nice, but that's not. Anyway, it's nice to have that. We also want to cross to train staff to allow for increased coverage.
15:56:47 But really it's educating taxpayers on the options they have to avoid for closure, which they do take personal payments now.
15:56:58 In current year and prior years, but we always succeed or have fewer, properties in for closer than our goal that was said when I came in before I came in 2015 and we have more
parcels now but Really, the goal would be, and we can't.
15:57:20 So any questions on foreclosure? So many actually, but, you know, don't need to take a lot of time.
15:57:33 I mean, if they, if they live on the property, are there different rules and they're like a homestead exclusion act or something that prevents us from kicking someone off if
they are if their primary residence as well coming.
15:57:44 I know most of vacant land. There are different things that we do need to do as part of the steps, but ultimately they do need to pay.
15:57:54 A lot of it is educating people about, you know, if they qualify for the senior disability exemption and getting them to provide paperwork to the assessors office.
15:58:09 There sometimes are people that just won't go get it there. You know, they could lower theirs, but a lot of them that end up going to foreclosure are land that don't qualify
for.
15:58:21 An exemption. Or I, this way, but we do live in a very,
15:58:35 Age demographic and so quite a few times they're deceased and you don't have errors or the don't want to do what they need to do.
15:58:45 It's rare to have a residents that actually gets the foreclosure. We really drive hard to work with people to get.
15:58:56 To do what they need to do. You know, sometimes that does mean talking to families talking to their church through programs that, you know, are willing to help them.
15:59:11 I know sometimes people really want to avoid that out of shame. But you know, when somebody's kids are high tech, you know, and somewhere and could just deal with the property.
15:59:25 They're like, they're going to be a lot matter if they find out you know, they're going to be a lot matter if they find out, they're going to be a lot matter if they find out
if they find out if they find out if you don't have a home anymore.
15:59:43 If they find out if you don't have a home anymore. So, it's unfortunate, but really the goal is to talk Great.
15:59:45 Thank you. Alright, so we're moving along. And the next one is the RET Technology Fund.
15:59:53 So one of the programs the Treasurer's Office does is. Process, real estate, excise, tax transactions and we collect.
16:00:05 The local and the state and the city all of the excise tax on those phone transfers and then there is a small.
16:00:18 $5 fee that goes into this. Yeah. Yes, it's 5, which there is some pushed by the assessors and treasures associations to that to $20 in the next legislative cycle.
16:00:39 I won't get into that, but. This is a treasurer's fund. In our county assessor chatting and I signed a memorandum that we would split it and that We've been going on.
16:00:56 The assumption of revenue of about $14,000 per year and transfer out 14,000 each year. Which we exceeded you can see that this line the middle through got 0 5,000 10,000 15,000
we've been about 15,000 for quite a few years we had a lot more in 2021 and 2022 2023 I'm hard pressed to see that we'll get to 14,000
16:01:26 I'm gonna guess will be more 12,000. I'm gonna guess will be more 12,000.
16:01:30 I'm going to guess will be more 12,000 and I thought next year might be. Email with that because this is The number of transactions, not the value of transactions.
16:01:38 And so. Basically I use this to help pay for Nice. My software and just. The technology we use.
16:01:51 We send our excise tax at the David's information to Department of Revenue electronically, periodically through the month, but that was really where this started way back when
it was initiated.
16:02:06 So. Thankfully, assessor Chapman and I get along and we're not fighting over this.
16:02:13 Some other counties have some real big discussions about it. And so we'll just see where it goes, whatever happens.
16:02:20 Okay, so. That's the last fund that I've learned to go over. So. Any questions?
16:02:33 Questions, comments for Stacy, Thomas? Really appreciate the deep dive. It's, it is great to kind of pull back the veil in a way that we don't see your office very often.
16:02:45 So thank Sure.
16:02:49 Go ahead, Kate.
16:02:46 Yeah, just. Yeah, yeah, really appreciate appreciate the clarity and appreciate the the humble ad request.
16:02:58 It's nice when departments kind of take turns and you know we did add staff in the last cycle to your office and so appreciate a humble ask this time and we you know try to
try to spread around the excess where we can so appreciate it.
16:03:12 Good stuff. Yes, and it is. A bit embarrassing. I'm not, the other position I have, but I can assure you I'm working as hard as I can and working on the other position I know
but I can assure you I'm working as hard as I can and working on the priorities best I can and working on the priorities best I can assure you I'm working as hard as I can and working
on
16:03:31 the priorities best I can but I've got Thomas here now and That's great. And so please don't take it away. But you have saved it for the last. Yes. I think it's safe. All right.
How's it going, Thomas?
16:03:45 You yeah, so far. So
16:03:51 Yeah, still learning. Good. Another 6 months you can add another year on to the total collective institutional knowledge in the.
16:04:00 So the number is so small. I would point to, yeah. Well, glad to have you with this Thomas really.
16:04:08 I mean, it's obviously, the gap that you're feeling and the help that you're giving in and the help that you're giving this this department in the treasure office.
16:04:16 Thank you. Yeah. Alright. Great.
16:04:21 Well, you have your rounders out. Class will, I think we'll, nothing else.
16:04:27 So this meeting is adjourned. We'll see you guys back on Monday. I guess we won't see you next Monday, Kate, you're with the board health, but we'll see you the following week.
16:04:35 So can you just, Mark, we are gonna do county administrator commissioners. Non departmental at some point.