2018-09-13 Prelim Budget mtg -- Public Works I2019 Preliminary Budget Meeting – Public Works
Date - 2018
Time
Present: Commissioner Fund; Commissioner Jackson; Commissioner Stamper; County Manager Erik
Martin; Budget Services Manager Becky Butler; Central Services Director Steve Walton; Public Works
Interim Director Tim Fife; Fleet Manager Tim Spencer; Fleet Services Coordinator Tim Mixer; Lara
McRea; Public Works Interim Administrative Assistant Kim Amrine; and Citizens Budget Committee
members Judy Pectol, Kyle Markstrom, Peggy Hammer, Bill Marshall, Robert Berg and Tory Graf
Guests: Lindsey Pollock, Linda Williams
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Unfunded mandates discussed: Culverts
ROADS
Revenue: $32,330,615
Expenditures: $33,834,334
Change in Fund balance: ($1,503,719)
Full-time equivalent employees: 121.89
Interim Director Tim Fife said the Roads shift has decreased the
number of projects the county can tackle.
Tim Fife said FEMA holds back 10 percent of reimbursement funding and often doesn’t release those
funds until years later.
Tim Fife said culvert requirements have increase the costs two- or three-fold.
Linda Williams joined at 1:43 p.m.
Commissioner Fund said it will cost $1.5 billion to replace all culverts on state highways, not including
state highways.
County Manager Erik Martin said a $25,000 to $50,000 culvert from years ago would cost $300,000 to
$400,000 today.
Becky Butler said the property tax cap has had an effect on the Roads fund.
Tim Fife said he has cautioned the Board that using Roads funds for the General Fund today will have
negative impacts in 10 years or so.
TO-DO / QUESTIONS
Questions:
Percentage of outside funding
for Public Works? Tim Fife said
of $15 million, $3 million was
local funds and the rest was
from grants, etc.
Erik said the county has 1,042 miles of county roads. The group discussed the gas tax and the fact that
cars today are getting better gas mileage so even though there are more cars, there isn’t necessarily an
increase in gas tax collected.
Tim Fife discussed how federal money is dispersed. He said the county performs a lot of striping, chip-
sealing and patching work for area cities.
Becky Butler said Secure Rural Schools and the timber tax are revenues that have dropped off. She said
there were two years during which there was no Secure Rural Schools funding.
Tim Fife reviewed positions and projects that have been frozen.
Lindsey Pollock left at 2:08 p.m.
Erik said Chehalis and Centralia have created Transportation Benefit Districts.
Lindsey returned at 2:12 p.m.
EQUIPMENT RENTAL AND REVOLVING
Revenue: $4,278,671 (interfund rates)
Expenditures: $4,409,670
Change in fund balance: ($130,999)
Full-time equivalent employees: 12.86
Surplus value goes back to that department’s ER and R funds. Tim Spencer said he can only trade in or
auction surplus vehicles.
Tim Spencer said the governor pushed for all state and county entities to use alternative fuels. He said
“alternative fuels” aren’t necessarily more economical. He said the county was able to opt out. He said
those recoup less of their costs.
Lindsey Pollock said her all-electric Chevy Bolt has an actual range of 200 miles with a winter range of
100 miles.
Tim Spencer said he is exploring the possibility of propane vehicles.
Tim Spencer said local vendors have been bidding on vehicles. Erik Martin said there was a small amount
of start-up costs.
Linda Williams left at 2:26 p.m.
Tim Spencer said the Sheriff’s Office drove 1.2 million miles the previous year. He said the Sheriff’s
Office needs six vehicles each year. He said roughly one-third of the vehicles have more than 100,000
miles.
The group discussed investments related to the fund balance are said those are swept into the General
Fund.
Tim Spencer said he loves the idea of TrackIt. He said the cost savings will be realized through fuel and
decreased down time.
Commissioner Stamper left at 2:34 p.m.
Tim Spencer said the Assessor’s Office will save $5 per car per month by making the switch to TrackIt.
Meeting ended at 2:36 p.m.