2011-10-03 Board Meeting Minutes 1
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
LEWIS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
October 3, 2011
The Board of County Commissioners for Lewis County, Washington met in regular
session on Monday, October 3, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Commissioners Ron Averill, P.W.
“Bill” Schulte, and F. Lee Grose were in attendance. Chairman Averill determined a
quorum, called the meeting to order and proceeded with the flag salute. Commissioner
Grose moved to approve the minutes from the 10:00 a.m. meeting held on Monday,
September 26, 2011. Commissioner Schulte seconded the motion.
Motion Carried 3-0
PUBLIC COMMENT
Don Idding, Vader, commented on the Vader Water System.
NOTICE
Commissioner Schulte made a motion to approve Notice Agenda item one.
Commissioner Grose seconded the motion. Chairman Averill read the proclamation
into the record.
1. Proclamation: Proclaiming the month of October as “Breast Cancer
Awareness Month”.
Barbara Jaramillo stated, on behalf of the Puget Sound Susan G. Komen Foundation
we would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the Commissioners for honoring
the residents of Lewis County with this proclamation. A woman receives a diagnosis of
breast cancer every two minutes which makes this disease the most frequently
diagnosed cancer among women in the US. This is why we are so passionate to have
this devastating disease eradicated. We thank Lewis County for proclaiming October as
Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we encourage you to continue in helping spread
the message.
Motion Carried 3-0
CONSENT
Commissioner Grose made a motion to approve Consent Agenda items two through
five. Commissioner Schulte seconded the motion. Candace Hallom read the items into
the record.
2. Resolution No. 11-316 Approval of warrants for payment.
Chairman Averill stated this approves 1 Special Purpose Warrant (Vader Water
System) for $5,446.26; 1 Special Purpose Warrant (Washington Counties Risk Pool for
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Chehalis-Centralia Airport Insurance) for $3,401.00; and, 244 warrants issued by the
Auditor’s Office for $728,501.98, for a combined total of $737,347.24.
3. Resolution No. 11-317 Cancellation of warrants.
Chairman Averill stated this approves cancellation of one Auditor’s Office warrant for
$1,190.43 that was lost or destroyed; and, one warrant for $4.32 that was issued to the
incorrect vendor. Further, reissue of both warrants is authorized.
4. Resolution No. 11-318 Approving an interagency agreement between Lewis
County, Lewis County Noxious Weed Board, and the State Department of
Agriculture for the management of invasive knotweed species.
Bill Wamsley, Lewis County Noxious Weed, stated this is a contract with the
Washington State Department of Agriculture for the Management of invasive knotweed.
This contract totals $17,145.00. The work will be done on the Chehalis and Cowlitz
Rivers following up on some of the work that they have been doing since 2004.
Chairman Averill stated this contract is extended through June of 2012. He asked
what this funding will do.
Bill Wamsley stated a lot of the work has already been done with previous contacts
with landowners. This will focus on contacting landowners again, adding new owners
on to do the control work, and then doing on the ground treatment of knotweed next
spring through July.
5. Resolution No. 11-319 Bid award for a pedestal mounted hydraulic excavator
for the Solid Waste Division of the Lewis County Public Works Department.
Tim Elsea, Director of Public Works, stated a call to bid was issued on August 15,
2011 by Resolution No. 11-264 for the purchase of one Pedestal-Mounted Hydraulic
Excavator for the Central Transfer Station in Centralia, which was due for replacement.
The call for bids was advertised in the East County Journal, Daily Journal of Commerce
(Portland and Seattle), and Lewis County Web Site. Public Works received three bids
for this project on September 13, 2011, two of which were responsive. Cascade Trader
provided the lowest responsive bid of $262,750.00. Approval of the Resolution will
authorize an action to execute a contract between Cascade Trader and Lewis County
for the purchase of one Pedestal-Mounted Hydraulic Excavator and authorize the
Director of Public Works to sign the same. Solid Waste has been collecting $44,000.00
a year for replacement of these Pedestal-Mounted Excavators and we have enough in
that Capital Fund to make this purchase.
Chairman Averill stated it was a great move on the part of Solid Waste to set up that
fund. These are known replacements that we have to make and setting aside money
makes it a lot easier for us. He stated this bid was a little more difficult for us as we had
to call out for bid twice.
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Tim Elsea stated we originally opened bids on June 28, 2011 and we had no
responsive bidders from that first open so we went out to bid again.
Motion Carried 3-0
HEARING
Hearing: Adoption of the 2012 Preliminary Budget
Chairman Averill announced the hearing and asked for a staff report.
Dawna Truman, Budget Director, stated previous to 2011, the BOCC passed
Resolution 92-437 adopted on August 20, 1992 that set dates relating to the budget
process, including but not limited to the dates set in RCW 36.40.010, 36.40.050 and
36.81.130 to conform to the alternate dates for the budget process. Since that time, the
BOCC passed Resolution 11-204 on June 20, 2011 which rescinded resolution 92-437.
The BOCC and Budget Dept. are now following the budget dates set forth in RCW
36.40 for the purpose of conducting the annual county budget process. RCW Chapter
36.40 provides requirements for the adoption of the preliminary and final budget for
counties. A notice of hearing was published on September 21st and 28th.
The beginning fund balance is estimated to be $10,099,078.00, new revenue
$32,580,523.00, for a total of $42,679,601.00. General Fund expenditures
$30,624,290.00, transfers $2,233,273.00, for a total of $32,857,563.00. This is using
$277,040.00 of the fund balance for a total estimated ending fund balance of
$9,822,048.00. This brings the total General Fund expenditures and ending fund
balance to $42,679,601.00. Other fund estimated beginning balance is $46,942,807.00
with estimated new revenue of $63,391,178.00, preliminary budgeted expenditure of
$69,499,770.00 for a total estimated ending balance of $40,835,215.00. This will bring
the total estimated revenue and beginning fund and the total estimated expenditure and
ending fund balance to $110,333,985.00
Chairman Averill stated this is the preliminary budget. Between now and the adoption
of the budget at the beginning of December there will probably be some changes in
these figures.
Dawna Truman stated we are having a preliminary presentation on this budget in the
evening of November 21, 2011 at 5:30 pm in the BOCC Hearing Room.
Chairman Averill asked if there were any more questions. There were none. He closed
the question and answer portion of the hearing and opened the formal hearing.
Dawna Truman asked that her previous comments be adopted into the record.
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Commissioner Grose stated we have been in budget meetings with the elected
officials and staff regarding their individual budgets and there is around $750,000.00 in
additional requests. At the end of this process we will look over those requests and
make decisions on which direction we should go. We are very cautious about adding
back staff because we recognize it is a long term commitment. We don’t want to make
that commitment unless we feel comfortable with additional revenues in the future.
About 80% of our budget is in salaries so we need to look very carefully at that in the
future.
Chairman Averill stated as we have talked with fellow Commissioners around the
State. We have found many of them are having hard times with their budgets. The
process has been eased for us because we made some drastic changes over the past
two years to make sure we stayed within our budget. As we go down the road and look
at the near future we still have to look at what might happen if the economy improves or
even if it gets worse. It is a factor in life that as the economy starts to improve we see
inflation and those are areas of concern as we look at the future of Lewis County. We
do have some bright things in our future one being Ritchie Brothers Auction which will
give us some relief. Our income has been flat with very little increase. We are not
seeing it as good on the sales tax as we hoped and we see some increase from forest
revenues. We have had very good co-operation from the Directors and Elected officials
in recognizing the situation. He thanked all of the staff and electeds for helping us keep
our budget to where the County can meet its commitments and survive.
Commissioner Schulte thanked the employees of Lewis County. We have downsized
but have not cut much of services. We still have over 100 vacant frozen positions.
Chairman Averill asked if there were any other statements for public testimony. There
were none. He closed the hearing and asked for a motion.
Commissioner Grose made a motion to approve Resolution No. 11-320.
Commissioner Schulte seconded the motion. Candace Hallom read the item into the
record
Adopting the Preliminary Budget of Lewis County for the Calendar Year of 2012.
Resolution No. 11-320
Motion Carried 3-0
There being no further business, the Commissioners’ public meeting adjourned at 10:34
am on October 3, 2011. The next public meeting will be held Monday, October 10,
2011, at 10:00 a.m.
Please note that minutes from the Board of County Commissioners’ meetings are not
verbatim. A recording of the meeting may be purchased at the Commissioners’ office.
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
LEWIS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
ATTEST: Ron Averill, Chairman
Karri Muir, Clerk of the Board P.W. Schulte, Commissioner
Lewis County Commissioners
F. Lee Grose, Commissioner