HomeMy WebLinkAboutHearing re Fee changes JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of Commissioners
Mark McCauley, County Administrator
FROM: Barbara Dykes Ehrlichman, Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
DATE: November 27, 2023
SUBJECT: HEARING re: Public Fee Changes for the County Auditor, the County
Sheriff,the Public Records Act Administrator,the County Clerk, and the
Department of Public Health(Environmental Health)
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: In June 2023, the Board of County Commissioners adopted
Ordinance No. 02-0612-23 to streamline and make more transparent the method for adopting fee
schedules for county departments and offices. The previous method of adopting and amending
fee schedules by ordinance lacked transparency and was cumbersome for county offices and
departments with few resources. As a result, inaccurate fees were left in the code which did not
reflect the current fee schedule used by the department or office.
Under new chapter 3.80 of the Jefferson County Code (JCC), fee schedules are now adopted by
resolution. To effect the transition, county departments and offices are encouraged to bring their
fee schedules current by the end of the year, by eliminating the fees in the code and adopting a
new fee schedule by resolution. Thereafter, the department or office can adopt new fees by
resolution in future years.
To accomplish this goal for a number of departments and offices at once, the Prosecuting
Attorney's Office put together the necessary ordinances and resolutions for five departments to
be considered together for the Board's review. The fee changes for all five offices/departments
will be presented to the Board in a workshop format. In this package of five ordinances and
resolutions, there are only a few minor changes to fee schedules, all of which can be discussed at
the workshop and through the public hearing process. The five offices/departments are: (1) the
County Auditor; (2) the County Sheriff; (3) the Public Records Act Administrator; (4) the
Superior Court Clerk; and(5)the Department of Public Health.
ANALYSIS: The Board has already made the decision to convert fee schedule adoption to
resolution. These ordinances and fee resolutions implement the new chapter 3.80 JCC, and will
help update our system and rid the code of inaccurate fee schedules.
FISCAL IMPACT: Staff time will be saved and fees will be kept up to date. This will reduce
expenditures.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Board of Health will attend a Joint Special Meeting of the Board of County Commissioners
to hold a hearing on the 2023-2024 Public Fee Changes, and potentially take-action on the
proposed ordinance and resolution for the Environmental Health Fees. After taking-action, the
BOH will adjourn their meeting, and the BOCC will continue with their hearing to address the
other proposed departmental fee changes.
Contact: Barbara Dykes Ehrlichman, Civil DPA, 360-385-9248
behrlichmankco.i efferson.wa.us
REVIEW�T D BY:
Mark McCaule ounty Administrato Date
2
Fee Changes for
l 4� Various County
Office and
Departments
Y
Barbara Dykes Ehrlichman, DPA
Brenda Huntingford, Auditor
Y�
Joe Nole, Sheriff
Ken Hugoniot, PRA Administrator
Amanda Hamilton, County Clerk
Pinky Feria Mingo, EPH Director
& Friends
«M
4
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What?
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Five Ordinances and Five Resolutions
' proposing fee changes for public hearing
and consideration
* County Auditor
• County Sheriff
9 Public Records Act Administrator
• Superior Court Clerk
• Department of Public Health
Environmental Public Health Division
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Wh y?
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STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
An Ordinance Relating to County Fee Policy
and Requirements and Department of Public
Works Parks and Recreation Division Fee ORDINANCE NO. 02-0612-23
Schedules, Amending Title 3 JCC,Tide 12
JCC.and Appendix Fee Schedules; Repealing
and Replacing Ordinance No. 05-0707-14 and
Ordinance 1'-'-1'-'09-96
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------------------------------T7 a.'�60M by resolution
• Under Chapter 3.80 JCC, Fees are taken out 10TTte county 6 and
•
The old process lacked transparency, was cumbersome, and resulted in many out-of-date
fee schedules remaining in the code
• Departments are now required to post fee schedules on website and make fee schedules
widely available to the public
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How?
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•
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The BoCC must adopt an ordinance that eliminates the
existing fees in the code
• Then, the BoCC adopts a new resolution that establishes
the new fee schedule, as required by chapter 3.80 JCC
• Important to adopt them in the following sequence, due to
technical amendment of the Appendix Fee Schedules
• Auditor
• Sheriff
• PRA Administrator
• County Clerk
• Public Health- Environmental Public Health
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Who and What Changes to Fees?? ?
County Auditor- minor changes
County Sheriff- no changes
Public Records Act Administrator-no changes
Superior Court Clerk- no changes
Public Health/EPH — 6.01% increase across the board
Questions?