Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-05-2006 FINANCE COMMITTEE JUNE 5, 2006 MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Nancy Backus called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Conference room at Auburn City Hall located at 25 West Main Street, Auburn, Washington. Committee members present were: Chair Backus, Vice Chair Lynn Norman, and Member Roger Thordarson. Also present during the meeting were Finance Director Shelley Coleman, Emergency Preparedness Manager Sarah Miller, Information Services Director Lorrie Rempher, Deputy Fire Chief Mike Gerber, City Attorney Daniel B. Heid, Intergovernmental Services Coordinator Carolyn Robertson, Planning, Building and Community Director Paul Krauss, Public Safety Chief Jim Kelly, and Deputy City Clerk Cathy Richardson. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Minutes of the May 11, 2006 Finance Committee meeting. Vice Chair Norman moved and Member Thordarson seconded to approve the May 11, 2006 minutes. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3-0. III. CONSENT ITEMS A. Vouchers 1. Claims F4.9.5 Claims check numbers 351933 through 352627 in the amount of $2,601 ,328.47 and dated June 5, 2006. 2. Payroll F4.9.2 Payroll check numbers 516050 to 516204 in the amount of $311,312.83 and electronic deposit transmissions in the Page 1 Finance Committee Minutes June 5. 2006 amount of $1,068,380.14 for a grand total of $1,379,692.97 for the pay period covering May 9,2006 to May 31,2006. Committee members reviewed the consent items and briefly discussed claims vouchers 351933, 352009, and 352495. Vice Chair Norman moved and Member Thordarson seconded to approve the consent items. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3-0. IV. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS There were no ordinances or resolutions for Committee consideration. V. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Resolution No. 4038 02.7 A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Auburn, Washington, authorizing the Mayor to work with the cities of Algona and Pacific to establish a planning committee for a Regional Fire Protection Service Authority Chief Kelly stated that Resolution No. 4038 provides for the establishment of a planning committee to explore possible formation of a Regional Fire Protection Service Authority (RFA) between the cities of Auburn, Algona, and Pacific. The final decision on which cities will participate has not been determined. The City of Pacific is still evaluating their options, but thus far anticipates participating in the City of Auburn plan to create an RFA with at least two other cities. The RFA is not an annexation of the other cities and only provides regional fire protection and emergency medical services within the RFA boundaries. Chief Kelly reported that, prior to any final decisions being made, city councils from all three cities will be provided with a detailed plan of the services provided by the RFA. Mayor Lewis and Councilmembers Cerino and Wagner will represent the City of Auburn on the RFA planning committee, which will be comprised of the mayor and two councilmembers from each city. The planning committee will work with fire department staff and Emergency Services Consulting, Inc. (ESCi), the consulting firm hired to assist with the development of the plan. With cities facing growing service demands and voter approved revenue limits, the goal is for Page 2 Finance Committee Minutes June 5. 2006 cost efficiencies and better service for residents and property owners within the RFA. The RFA proposal includes a funding mechanism, a fee for service in the form of a fire benefit charge, which would require a super majority vote. The ballot measure would include the RFA plan and the fire benefit charge. A decision on fire station facilities has not been made at this time. If the RFA is approved, the City of Auburn would be able to provide more revenue for safety and emergency services. The City of Auburn currently has a mutual aid contract with the City of Algona and provides automatic aid response to the City of Pacific. Discussion followed regarding scope of service and level of service currently existing in all three cities. Chief Kelly explained that the planning committee established by the RFA plan would define the level of service provided, how services would be administered, the governance board, and regulations for administration of the plan. The plan as defined by the planning committee is the cornerstone of the RFA. The plan must be established and the funding mechanism must be identified in the plan before it is placed before the voters. The City of Auburn is on a very aggressive timeline and has dedicated a tremendous amount of resources in an effort to meet the deadlines and find an alternative funding mechanism to provide public safety services. An RFA would maximize efficiencies through regionalization while existing jurisdictions would still remain intact under an umbrella governance system. Director Coleman stated that an RFA is funded similar to a fire district and reviewed the calculations used to determe the fire benefit charge. It is a very complex formula as it depends on the type of structure, square footage, and the type of fire flow needs for that structure. Chief Kelly stated that an RFA is not subject to the Boundary Review Board and must consist of at least two or more adjacent areas having jurisdiction. The plan process must include public input and go before the voters for approval. Any participating area having jurisdiction can cancel with thirty days prior written notice. An RFA does not alter current union bargaining agreements, but subsequent agreements would be bargained by the RFA. Details for consolidation of staff into an RFA would be determined and presented in the RFA plan. Page 3 Finance Committee Minutes June S. 2006 Intergovernmental Service Coordinator Carolyn Robertson distributed a press release to Finance Committee members. B. Resolution No. 4040 01.8.3, F5.3 A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Auburn, Washington, authorizing the acceptance of a grant from King County Office of Emergency Management in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) to provide community emergency response training, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the necessary agreements to accept said funds Ms. Miller stated that the grant funds from King County Office of Emergency Management under Resolution No. 4040 are for the purpose of providing community emergency response training in the form of two emergency preparedness classes (CERT - Community Emergency Response Teams). The classes would train approximately sixty individuals to assist in their own neighborhoods in the event of an emergency. Vice Chair Norman inquired regarding methods to be used for community outreach with regard to availability of the training. Ms. Miller indicated that the first step includes sending letters to individuals who have graduated from the Auburn Police Department Citizens Academy. Other community groups have already expressed an interest in participating in the program. C. Resolution No. 4041 01.8.3, F5.3 A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Auburn, Washington, authorizing the acceptance of a grant form the King County Office of Emergency Management in the amount of Five Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-one Dollars ($5,661.00) to provide community emergency response training to vulnerable populations, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the necessary agreement to accept said funds Ms. Miller explained that the purpose of grant funds approved by Resolution No. 4041 is similar to that of Resolution No. 4040 with the exception that classes would be specifically for training of elderly and disabled individuals. There will be three classes provided between the two grants. Page 4 Finance Committee Minutes June S. 2006 Vice Chair Norman expressed concerns with regard to keeping track of CERT participants in the event a participant relocates to another city. Chair Backus expressed an interest in CERT training for Auburn City Councilmembers. D. Resolution No. 4042 F5.2.18 A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Auburn, Washington, authorizing the acceptance of a grant from the Washington Service Corps to provide a full-time volunteer to the City of Auburn and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the necessary agreements to accept said volunteer Ms. Miller reported that Resolution No. 4042 provides a grant from the Washington Service Corps in the form of a full-time volunteer who will assist with disaster preparedness and education via coordination of the CERT program. E. Transit Oriented Development Director Krauss reported that negotiations with King County Metro (Metro) are ongoing in regards to a downtown transit oriented development project for parking in exchange for relinquishing a park and ride lot. Staff is currently drafting an interlocal agreement that would essentially allow the City of Auburn to solicit for requests for a proposal (RFP) from developers for a transit oriented project of at least 100 parking spaces. Metro would purchase the parking spaces at market cost and the developer would be permitted to use those spaces, providing incentive for developers. Discussion followed regarding the number of parking spaces proposed. F. Department of Justice/Cops More Interlocal Agreement Director Rempher reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ)/Cops More Interlocal Agreement provides for acceptance of grant funds of approximately $100,000 on behalf of nine cities, which is to be administered by the City of Auburn. Page 5 Finance Committee Minutes June S. 2006 VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting adjourned at 7:28 p.m. APPROVED THE \C\'-\-~ DAY OF JUNE 2006 I: \elerk\ti na nee \tea \2006tea06-05 . . Page 6 , ~. / i ,/ '~ .~4-,i:'-l<: rdson, Deputy City Clerk