LANE
COUNTY BUDGET COMMITTEE
Wednesday,
May 30, 2007
5:15
p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Harris
Hall and Commissioner’s Conference Room
APPROVED
4/30/2008
Chair Crowell
presided with Budget Committee members Scott Bartlett, Bill Dwyer, Bobby Green,
Sr., Denis Hijmans, Mary Ann Holser, Tony McCown, Peter Sorenson and Faye
Stewart present. County Administrator Bill Van Vactor, Budget/Financial
Planning Manager Dave Garnick and Recording Secretary Melissa Zimmer were also
present. Bill Fleenor was excused.
I.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MAY 1, 2007
MOTION: to approve the minutes of May 1, 2007.
Dwyer MOVED, Bartlett SECONDED.
VOTE: 9-0
II.
UPDATE ON SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS FUNDING
Tony
Bieda, Intergovernmental Relations Manager, recalled the Secure Rural Schools
Act was first enacted into law in late 2000 and was operative 2001 through 2006.
He said it expired on September 30, 2006 and the last payment was
received in the current fiscal year. He added
starting early this calendar year with the 110th Congress, the Oregon
delegation attempted to get a one-year extension of the action.
He noted there was legislation in the 109th Congress that
adjourned around the holidays that would have extended the act seven more years
at the current funding level. He
indicated that neither the House nor Senate version of the bill advanced during
the two years of the 109th Congress.
He reported what was left in the short term for the 110th
Congress was to extend the act for one year.
He indicated the legislative vehicles that were available early in
January and February were continuing resolutions not including any extensions of
authorized programs. He said they opted to include an extension in the emergency
supplemental bill that Congress knew they would have to pass before Memorial
Day. He reported the first version
included a one year extension for Secure Rural Schools and that was vetoed by
the President. He said Congress
came back the following week and introduced a new emergency supplemental.
He said the House included a one year extension and it went to Conference
Committee and was agreed to and passed by the House and Senate and signed into
law by the President before the Memorial Day weekend.
Bieda
explained that they have one more year of funding.
He indicated the payments will be in the calendar year or in the second
quarter of the County’s fiscal year. He
said whether or not they receive any additional money is questionable.
He reported that the original program has expired and has not been
reauthorized.
Green
asked what was taking place in Salem regarding the County’s dilemma and if
there is urgency.
Bieda
said a lot of the energy at the legislative level to help counties out in the
short term has dissipated. He
indicated there are still some resources that have not been spoken for through
the appropriations process that would give counties an opportunity for better
funding in the next biennium. He
said the pressure is to fund community corrections, public health, supplemental
funding for district attorneys statewide, community mental health and the youth
authority. He thought Lane County
could receive additional funding of $15 to $30 million in the next biennium to
fund County shared services on a statewide basis.
III.
COMMITTEE DECISION – BUDGET #1 OR #2?
MOTION: to move Budget 1.
Dwyer MOVED, Sorenson SECONDED.
Dwyer recalled that Budget 2 was predicated on not getting Secure Rural Schools funding and it was the doomsday budget. He commented that the doomsday budget has been delayed. He said the intention was to have one budget that could be adjusted to live with and one that would create havoc if they didn’t receive Secure Rural Schools funding. He wanted to go with Budget 1 and then modify it as they move forward.
Sorenson didn’t think they built any of the income tax into Budget 1 or Budget 2. He said Budget 1 was premised on getting the federal funding and Budget 2 was not getting the federal money. He didn’t think they should go to Budget 2 as a starting point because they hadn’t gone into detail on what Budget 2 was about. He wanted to use Budget 1 as a starting place and be careful on how they spend things.
Holser agreed what had been said. She commented that even Budget 1 would not fulfill all of Lane County’s needs because of rising costs. She wanted to start with Budget 1 as it lays out the groundwork.
McCown thought Budget 2 would offer them a place to build as opposed to cutting back.
Bartlett asked what would happen to the Extension Service under Budget 1.
Garnick explained that Budget 1 was an across-the-board cut so all programs took some reduction and the Extension Service took a 10 percent reduction. He noted Youth Services took a larger percentage cut and Pathways in Budget 1 is still cut.
Sorenson asked with the addition of money into the general fund if it made the job of the Budget Committee easier and if there was money available for programs like Pathways.
Garnick recalled when the Leadership Team gave direction December 4, it was not only to cut the $3 million shown in the Financial Forecast, but also to cut an additional 10 percent. He said there is an additional $301,000 they cut over and above what they needed to balance Budget 1. He indicated there is $301,000 for the committee to restore any programs. He added Lane County’s growth for benefits was less than what they had originally built into the budget. He said they have to adjust it in Budget 1. He added that because of the changing of the FTE’s they had to recalculate the PERS bond. He said as a result, they would have $589,000 before they discuss the car rental tax that would be available. He said the alternative is to put that money into reserve so they could continue some programs longer.
VOTE: 8-1 (Hijmans dissenting).
IV.
CLARIFICATION OF COMMITTEE DECISION
Garnick explained the Budget Committee has about $3 million in reductions in the general fund. He indicated everyone took an across-the-board cut in Budget 1 but the cuts were not as severe as they thought. He noted that Pathways was one of the only programs that was going away entirely. He added the Kennel Tech position in Animal Regulation was restored.
V.
IMPLICATIONS OF ONLY ONE YEAR OF SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS FUNDING ON BUDGET #1
Van Vactor commented that with the Secure Rural Schools Act funding only reauthorizing a one year extension, it is difficult to do multi year planning and getting efficiencies. He thought they were entering an era that was the end of the federal funding. He said the difficulty of getting Secure Rural Schools funding renewed reinforces the fact that they have to examine what Lane County government is going to look like without the federal money. He recalled they went to the voters in May and received a firm no. He said the question is should they approach Budget 1, knowing that Secure Rural Schools in future years is uncertain. He said internally they have asked the departments to review the vacant positions in Budget 1 that are funded under the assumption the Budget Committee and the Board of Commissioners adopt most of Budget 1 as a starting point to review the vacant positions to see if they need to fill them.
Van Vactor asked if they should be doing more knowing the Secure Rural Schools money is only for one year. He asked if they should be doing more in terms of reductions with regard to Budget 1. He thought there could be a Budget 1.5, between Budget 1 and 2. He asked if they should come up with strategies to step the organization down. He asked what the next steps were in trying to get an extension to Secure Rural Schools and when they would know. He asked if the County should develop a strategy that if action hasn’t been taken by mid September that it goes into an exercise that starts to step the organization down so they preserve some of the resources that have been identified. He asked if they should be looking at mid-year adjustments assuming there is not a full renewal of Secure Rural Schools by the end of September.
Dwyer commented that it was prudent to pray for the best and prepare for the worst. He wasn’t opposed to a mid year correction or bringing the Budget Committee back. He said they will know how many unfilled positions they have and what the trend is. He thought it was a good strategy for a version 1.2. He thought the Budget Committee should be involved in the process, but not later than Labor Day.
Green supported the approach about a 1.a. budget scenario. He thought that Lane County as a county government will look different into the future and they will deliver services different. He commented that they might not even deliver some services given the fact the public has told them no to any tax measures. He said they have to live within the property tax because new revenues are not forthcoming. He thought they had to bring the public along with whatever they do because there is a sense of disconnect. He said they need more deliberative discussions and to right size the organization, given the fact they need to live within the property tax limitation. He was in favor of putting something into a reserve so when they have increasing demand there is a source of funding they could use.
Holser thought it would be valuable and more credible to the public if they do a review mid-year.
Sorenson thought if they do things next year they would be on the right course. He thought Bieda should be bringing in updates from Washington, D.C. and then convening the Budget Committee on a quarterly basis. He concurred with Dwyer about a possible Budget 1.2 and the Budget Committee prepped and ready to go when they see a change in the congressional cycle. He thought they needed to be up front with people that they were not going out for a measure until they go through the budget to monitor the federal situation and to balance the budget with what they have been given.
Stewart wanted to put money into a reserve and hold back from spending it. He also wanted to reconvene the Budget Committee toward the beginning of September to see if they need to make a mid-term correction to work on getting balanced for next July.
Crowell didn’t think the money would come for next year. He noted citizens had been telling them they need to live within their needs. He didn’t think they should ramp up spending and then end up with no funding.
Bartlett thought they needed to figure out how to be entrepreneurial and bridge the gap of the public’s lack of information.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
Charlotte Riersgard, OSU Extension Service, said she was speaking on behalf of staff and 900 volunteers. She noted that the Extension Service has been a partner with Lane County for nearly 100 years delivering research based education that helps strengthen the community. She indicated they collaborated with community agencies, leveraged funds and brought researched based education to County citizens, helping strengthen the community and its resources. She appreciated the Board’s continued support as partners to help meet the challenges of providing a safe and thriving community.
Marshall Peter, Eugene, stated he is Executive Director of Direction Services that supports individuals with disabilities and their families. He indicated they are a member of the Human Services Network and provide a vital safety net. He noted that investment money leverages additional funding. He commented the problems the Human Services Network deal with don’t go away. He encouraged the Board in the future to create a dedicated revenue stream for critical and social services. He stated that the Human Services Network deserves to be a high priority.
William Wise, Eugene, said he is the Emergency Services Director for St. Vincent de Paul. He said they work to prevent future public safety problems as well as treating social problems with a bare bones level of funding. He commented if the Lane County Human Services Network were to disappear tomorrow they would all be impacted. He said there are 51 critical services that are found through the Lane County Human Services Commission and they can’t afford to lose any of them.
Craig Opperman, Eugene, stated he is Executive Director of Looking Glass Youth and Family Services. He asked the Board to provide funding for Looking Glass Pathways Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. He stated that Looking Glass has been an integral partner with Lane County DYS and the development of the Serbu campus between treatment and detention. He said with the closure of the transition shelter and assessment center (the Looking Glass Bridges program) on July 31 and the planned closure on June 30, the partnership between Looking Glass and DYS would be gone. He said to operate services in the future; they might not be able to count on the County at all. He asked for one year of funding to help them develop other resources to continue the Pathways Program more sustainable into the future. He said they are committed to solutions that are not just County funded but they need at least nine months to come up with the solutions. He said for the health and safety of the community, he urged the Board to restore funding to the Pathways program.
Steve Marks-Fife, Eugene, stated he is the Program Manager for Pathways and the Bridges programs. He indicated both are being cut this summer and are going away. His concern is they have been cut back to half. He said they were cut to eight beds and they have run nine and ten boys in the seven to eight beds that were funded because they have the staffing and licensing to do so. He stated he had been present since the first client came to Pathways, almost 16 years ago.
Tammy Roberts, Eugene, Development Director, Looking Glass, asked the Board to follow the County’s Strategic Plan priority. She stated that Pathways is an immediate critical life and health safety need for teenagers in the community who face drug and alcohol addiction. She asked the Board to consider funding Pathways.
Rachel Hutchinson, Springfield, stated she is a high school student and a board member for Looking Glass. She commented that Pathways was necessary for Lane County. She indicated that every day people her age are making decisions that are going to affect the rest of their lives. She said that Pathways has an 80 percent rate of success. She asked to keep the program on the list.
Chris Monnette, Eugene, stated he is the Director of Operations for Royal Caribbean. He said he gets the most reward for serving on the Board of Looking Glass. He noted that Pathways operates at 30 percent less than if the County were to deliver the same services. He said every dollar spent in Youth Services saves more than five dollars in later adult services. He asked the Board to give them a year to get themselves to be self-sufficient.
Jerry Lidz, Eugene, stated he was the Past President of the Looking Glass Board. He commented that it was an exceptional program that is evidenced based, nationally certified and has an 80% success rate. He commented that it was a cost effective prime prevention program. He stated they can’t rely on County funding forever and they asked for one year of funding so they could transition this program into other sources of funding. He added if this program closes as it is scheduled to do at the end of June, they can’t bring it back. He wanted the chance to find another source of funding.
Carolyn Fowler, Eugene, said she is a Board of Directors member for Looking Glass. She stated that she put her daughter into this program and her daughter is now in the military and doing great. She asked the Board not to give up on their kids.
Grace Serbu, Eugene, she stated seven years ago when the campus started, there was a private and public mission to keep kids safe. She noted the Serbu grant funding funds about $150,000 straight to the County and half goes to Pathways. She said if Pathways closes, the money is lost. She indicated they could leverage about $200,000 by keeping Pathways open and running. She didn’t think the amount the County had to put in was that significant. She urged the Board not to close this program.
Linda Kelly, Eugene, said she works with Food for Lane County. She recognized the importance of the service net to support people and how all pieces of the net are crucial. She thought it they cut positions it would be more difficult to rehire. She thought there should be some way to get information on the local news that is not partisan that explains to people what the funding is and thinks it could help in the future.
Andy Benson, Eugene, stated he was an ex client at Pathways. He said it got him a good job and helped him with schooling and to get on his feet. He said the aftercare lasts for a year and it helped keep him sober. He stated that he was a proven success.
Holly Benson, Eugene, said she is a mother of a graduate from Pathways. She said before Pathways her son was dangerous and committed crimes. She stated that without Pathways she wouldn’t have her child back. She asked the Board to think about saving Pathways and what they would do in the future.
Lisa Buttram, Oakridge, said she is a mother of a Pathways graduate. She commented that everyone there is important. She asked the Board to look elsewhere if they have to make budget cuts.
Maria Thomas, Department of Youth Services, said she was concerned about the budget cutbacks and how it will affect the communities of color. She commented that if Budget 2 would have been allocated, it would have cut out the minority advocacy program and would have terminated six positions. She said it would have created a stage for the staff of color to have to justify their position and needs of the community. She stated they need to look at best practices in making budget cutbacks. She noted the DYS case load and the school districts mirror each other statistically. She urged the committee to revisit the commitment they had with the implementation of the Diversity Plan and the goals they had to obtain in making budget cutbacks. She wanted to preserve the hard work they had done and to represent the people that are in the greatest need in the community.
Bee Bee Head, a counselor at DYS, said they need people who could communicate with Spanish speaking children. She wanted them to work to honor diversity.
Alice Knighter, Cottage Grove, said her son died from alcohol. She asked the Board not to close Pathways.
Leslie Gustafson, Lowell, recommended taxing federal forest lands. He said there are three national forests and Bureau of Land Management land and he thought the County should sell the land because they need the money.
Guadalupe Quinn, Eugene, was concerned about the work force that Lane County has. She noted in Lane County’s Diversity Plan it talks about it’s the commitment Lane County has. She asked how the goals were being assessed by the County. She was most concerned about Lane County as an employer. She asked what the criteria Lane County was using to ensure the goals in all areas are being met.
Carmen Urbina, Eugene, supported Pathways. She had concerns around how Lane County supports diversity and multiculture within the County. She recalled in 1990 the increase in communities of color was 9.2 and from 1990 to 2000 it increased 52 percent. She said communities of color want to build what is in the now and what is the future for the County and the changing demographics. She said they have to think about sustainability. She stated they have to see their community as an asset, not a deficit.
Juan Carlos Vayea, Eugene, stated the community aspiration is to provide a solid, well rounded education for children and young adults. He said part of the education is a crucial segment called multicultural education. He said when young adults leave school; the hope is they will have tools they need to be successful. He said the important tool is their ability to interact with other individuals of different backgrounds. He said demographics are changing and they need to adjust to them. He said that funding for a diversity position is crucial.
Francisca Leyva Johnson, Veneta, asked the Board to consider the damage they are doing when they build capacity within the departments regarding diversity and they begin to look at cuts. She commented that it would take forever to rebuild the capacity. She stated that it is hard when employees of color are the first to go. She asked to look at what they are spending on recruitment and what they are losing after they invest in the individuals they hire. She stated that diversity was the correct thing for the Board to look at. She asked the committee what happens when they don’t follow through with the commitment to diversity. She encouraged the Board to support a summit to look at keeping people of color.
Jorge Navarro, Eugene, said he is the Executive Director of Centro Latino Americano. He believes that dialogue is essential on how they look at County services. He said they have to recognize the presence of the Hispanic community and the gift they have to offer. He encouraged the Board to engage the community in dialogue.
Jim Hale, Eugene, said they need to ask the voters to address the deficit in spring next year. He commented that cuts by attrition are not good. He thought they needed a countywide police measure that gives money to cities and unincorporated Lane County and charges everyone the same for the police they need. He said they need a plan that says they are going to do things better, not worse.
VII. BREAK
– move to Board Conference Room
VIII. OPEN
DISCUSSION AND FINAL BUDGET Q&A
(Bill Fleenor
present via speakerphone)
Garnick distributed
budget materials. (Copy in file.) He
said for Pathways the amount for restoring the program for 12 months is $349,407
and for nine months is $262,055. He
indicated it is for eight treatment beds for boys. With regard to the DA cuts,
he said there would be an add package that would restore some of the funding. He noted the amount should be $298,184 instead of $288,834.
He noted when they did the 10
percent across-the-board cuts, they were able to restore some cuts.
He indicated there was $301,620 to restore, making $589,223 to take care
of services that are still being scheduled for reduction. He added what was not
included was what the Board did this afternoon: to approve car rental tax and
the transient room tax swap. He
said instead of 24 percent, 76 percent went into general fund and it provides
another $622,000. He said they are
facing cuts next year and the message is to be prudent.
He added that if they do a mid course correction, they need to decide if
they would spend all the money.
Snowden indicated
he made a presentation to the Board this afternoon. He said they looked at Budget 1 in Parks
and they thought if they took a long term view of what they believe is full Secure Rural Schools in the future, they were better off making adjustments to
Parks this year. He said the
proposal for the car rental tax formula switched.
He noted that Parks receives $287,000 in CRT and the general fund gets
$623,000. He added as part of the
package, the TRT switch would take place where Parks receives $400,000 for
reimbursement to keep campgrounds open this year. He said it would result in a net reduction to Parks of
$223,000 in Budget 1. He added they
would have a new staffing structure, moving from 17 FTE to 14 FTE in such a way
that there could be more flexibility in the summer months. He said they are looking for partnerships with community
organizations and user groups for volunteer maintenance and fee increases or
user access fees to the boat ramps on the McKenzie. He added it would give them more flexibility to maintain and
operate parks and to reopen the parks that were slated for closure under Budget
2 and longer term stability.
Wilson stated there
would be a reflection in the budget with the revenue stream from the CRT and any
expenditures. She said it should be
a component of a technical adjustment.
Sorenson asked if
they had $1.2 million, what the amount of cash carry forward or reserve would
be. He asked if they were spending
the money on restoring some of the cuts.
Garnick thought
Pathways and DA were good programs but they needed to keep a reserve.
With regard to the
$1.2 million, Dwyer thought Pathways should be funded for another year.
He also thought funding the DA Felony Drug program was critical.
He also thought they needed to put in $3,000 for the Water Master and
take the $600,000 left that is not in the prudent person reserve to leverage
during the budget year when they meet in August.
He thought if they could get five dollars back for every dollar invested,
they should invest it. He was
committed to doing that.
Fleenor asked if
what the Marshal’s Office was
paying was full or discount.
Kevin Williams,
Corrections, said they are paying
what is legally permissible under law.
Russ Burger,
Sheriff, explained the daily bed rate is $123.40. He indicated that it takes in all indirects, administration,
food service, maintenance and laundry. He
said when they subtract the revenue, it drops to $82.98. He
added the contract with the feds is for $89.00 per day per inmate.
He stated they were not losing money.
Schulz said from
'06 to '07 they budgeted for 253 local beds in Lane County and during the year
made adjustment to sell 50 more beds so they only have 203 local beds.
He indicated that under Budget 1, they will have 120 local beds on July
1. He said they were going from 203 beds to 120 beds. He stated they had to cut
$3 million in Budget 1. He said it
didn’t include any growth in the budget.
He said they sold 50 more beds to the U.S. Marshal and had to close the
35 bed jail intake, 36 beds in the Community Corrections Center and 48 beds in
the third floor dorms.
Tanya Heaton,
Public Works, explained that
Public Works was proposing what they had earlier with Parks, a Budget 1b with
the changes on the white sheet. (Copy in file).
She said there are reductions with administration in grounds keeping, a
clerical position, reductions in engineering and road maintenance and reductions
in the CIP.
Snowden said they
would have a net reduction in the road fund of 20 FTE from July 1 to January 1.
He stated they didn’t have enough money to keep the historic levels in
the CIP. He explained that the Sheriff had reductions tied to the road fund with
the Inmate Road Crew.
He said it required negotiations with 626.
He noted if there are layoffs or attrition due to funding, the Inmate
Road Crew ceases to exist and they are eliminating several road fund positions.
Harcleroad asked
how many road crews were being
reduced.
Snowden responded
that there were no reductions. He
said they were eliminating an OA position and 2.5 FTE of road maintenance
workers. He indicated they
wouldn’t lose road crews if they get full Secure Rural Schools funding.
He added they will talk with the Board in September to see if there is
anything new with revenue from the state or
Congress and if there isn’t anything new, they would look at making
reductions.
Harcleroad
commented that the loss of 7 FTE
Deputy Sheriffs is a big problem for judges.
Sorenson asked
about the comparison between the number of FTE of County employees in the 06/07 budget and the 07/08 budget.
Van Vactor
responded there are about 1450 employees and the cut list for positions in
Budget 1 is 18 FTE plus a large
number of vacancies.
Holser was
concerned about the reduction of treatment dollars to alcohol and drug contracts
including detox. She commented that
any reductions in programs are going to end up in limited jail beds.
She wanted to see alcohol and drug contracts funded.
Rockstroh stated
they were hoping the state may
add back money with an increase from beer and wine money.
Fleenor asked what
they could do to provide the highest level of public safety for the lowest
possible cost. He asked what they
could do differently to bring the cost down.
Burger responded
that they are faced with the way the physical structure is designed and the
number of deputies and support
staff needed. He said it is hard to
compare Lane County with other counties because of varying facts
He said they have to pay for medication for inmates and that drives the
cost up about $13 per inmate for per day. He
indicated they were in the process of going through an analysis for what space
is available and the true cost of transportation.
He said he would report back to the Board.
He added if they could move inmates and save money for Lane County they
would consider doing it.
With regard to
LCARA Volunteer Coordinator,
Green asked why they couldn’t contract out for the position.
Utecht said they
couldn’t have a volunteer do
what regular employees are doing. She
said they could contract out by notifying the unions and giving them the
opportunity to discuss the position. She
said they can’t arbitrarily supplant union positions with volunteers or
contract employees.
Holser recommended investigating
contracting out for dog licensing. She
wanted to keep the credibility and quality of the staff they have.
She wanted to see more about LCARA and public relations.
Bartlett stated
that LCARA needs more veterinarian services on site. He asked if there was a delineation between positions already
set in bargaining and services for consulting for the creation of a volunteer
network that would be separate from the bargaining unit.
Utecht indicated
that the position already exists
as a bargaining position but they could contract through consulting.
Dwyer commented
that a volunteer coordinator is
important if trained appropriately and not dealing in politics but in production
and putting people where they belong. He said they could save animals at LCARA by utilizing
the community that could work with all groups.
IX. COMMITTEE
DELIBERATIONS
1. Issues for Deliberation
a.
Takes 4 votes to bring an issue to the table for discussion, including moving
funds between or within departments, proposing add packages or proposing a
community funding request.
b.
Takes 6 votes to approve any of these items.
2. Deliberation on overall Lane
County Budget
MOTION:
to add $298,134 for the District Attorney, $3,629 for the Watermaster, $72,578
for a LCARA Volunteer Coordinator, $349,407 for Pathways and the balance to an
opportunity fund with a mid point check in September along with a program
percent of year left and budget used so they know where they are, to make
technical adjustments if they have to.
Dwyer MOVED,
Bartlett SECONDED.
Dwyer stated it included the car rental tax that makes the reserve.
Stewart asked if
the volunteer coordinator could
be half time and split with neighborhood watch programs.
Rockstroh indicated
it was hard to split the position between departments.
Stewart questioned
if there was actually enough work
for a full-time coordinator.
Hinjmans wanted
funding for the DA and the Watermaster. He
wanted to fund Pathways for nine months, indicating that there would become a
Pathways reserve and if they come to the Board at the end of six months and they
show that they would be self-funded and could
continue, then they could have the money for the rest of the year.
He added if they are not self-funded, another $87,000 in reserves for the
program would go away. He was in agreement with building as much in reserves as
possible. With regard to LCARA, his
philosophy is that they need to take care of people first but because of what is
going on in the jail with reductions in the criminal justice service in general,
they need to boost the volunteer effort at the Sheriff’s Office.
He said if they are going to have a volunteer coordinator added to Lane
County, he thought it would need to be with the criminal justice services or
prevention services instead of the animals.
Holser was in
support of the elements of Dwyer’s proposal.
With regard to the volunteer coordinator, she commented that
it would get people more in touch with what they are really doing.
She asked by voting for this if it precluded them from examining any
other item. She asked if the
proposal took all the available money.
Crowell indicated Hijmans
suggested changing Pathways to a nine month contract.
There was not
enough votes to move that suggestion forward.
Sorenson suggested
funding Pathways, three volunteer coordinator with the balance going to
reserves.
There were not
enough votes to move the suggestion forward.
Holser wanted to
add $232,000 for detox subcontracts. She
wanted to take this from the reserve.
There were not
enough votes to move the
suggestion forward.
Rockstroh explained
that there was still a
possibility that the state would come through with some of the money.
He said the $232,000 would mean beds in the detox facility at the
Sobering Station. He said if he received more
than $232,000, he could backfill the reserves.
With regard to
Dwyer’s proposal, Sorenson
asked what the FTE impact would be.
Garnick explained
the impact to the District Attorney is 3 FTE, for LCARA is 1 FTE, and Pathways
is 0. He thought the overall
reductions would be between 30 and 40 FTE with the technical adjustments.
Holser commented
that the addition of the detox is not adding FTE, it just included the
subcontract.
Dwyer thought it
was a worthy program and they could add it after they see what they get from the
state. He said they need to reserve
as much as they can. With regard to the District Attorney’s money, he said it
is money they saved down the line because of the way the state reimburses. He
added they would also lose their felony prosecution and there is a ratio that
the state reimburses them based on their caseload. He said it was in their interest to do that.
McCown commented
that there is still the possibility of a $47 million loss next year.
He thought trying to spend the $1.2 million and not looking beyond this
budget will return them to how they are now with cutting services.
He didn’t think it was prudent to spend all of the money.
He wanted a discussion on what they are going to do with all the lost
programs next year.
Bartlett thought
going into an election year that the Secure Rural Schools Funding would be
reauthorized next year at some level. He
thought they could review the budget as circumstances change and to meet more
frequently as a Budget Committee to monitor it and adjust accordingly.
MOTION:
to amend Dwyer’s motion to authorize $232,000 to support sobering the detox
station with the caveat that it would not be used if the state or other funding
came through with the money coming out of the reserves.
Holser MOVED,
Sorenson SECONDED.
Holser wanted it
stated in the minutes that there
will be a review of this proposal, and the thought that it might happen didn’t
satisfy her.
VOTE:
5-5, MOTION FAILS.
The main motion is
on the table.
McCown was in
support of everything and wanted to be in a situation where they could put the
entire budget through with the safety of having all the funding next year. He
wasn’t comfortable recommending the budget at this point without taking a
closer look at preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. He commented
that as of today they still don’t have the funding for next year.
He stated he would vote against pushing this forward.
He wanted to look at drawing this down instead of going off the cliff
next year. He wanted to start with Budget 2 and then add back things.
Green supported
Dwyer’s proposal because the general public who had been paying attention to
the County had been through a lot. He
thought they should make the decision to continue their efforts with the state.
He thought the substance abuse that Holser discussed could be brought up
to the state.
Stewart was in
support of the motion. He said they
need to give other programs the opportunity to work as long as they can.
He commented that they do not have a fix-all solution.
He thought this gave everyone an opportunity to work the next nine months
to find revenue sources to offset the potential loss.
He thought they owe it to everyone to try to find funding for their
departments.
Holser didn’t
want to hold Pathways hostage. She thought a quality program for high-risk
juvenile offenders should be part of their public program for youth and not have
to be funded somewhere else. She
wanted to see a quality program for high-risk youth and supported the proposal.
Fleenor asked if
Budget 1 addressed the structural deficit.
Garnick indicated
they addressed it by making the $3 million reduction. He added to the extent they have vacancies, it would have
helped them with the structural deficit the following year, but because the
federal funding would probably go away, they can’t address the structural
deficit.
Fleenor thought
they should be making progress toward a sustainable economic future for Lane
County and whatever budget they choose should be looking toward that economic
stability. He said they need to be
cautious because of the resources they have.
He said they need to look at the structural deficit.
Garnick explained
that without additional revenue and the loss of Secure Rural Schools, the only
thing they can do is reduce the organization. He said if they don’t have a
multi-year solution by the end of August, then they would reconvene the Budget
Committee to have a midyear correction.
Fleenor thought
they should think of compensation of employees.
He thought a lot of the structural deficit is as a result of the
compensation and it needed to be reconciled.
With regard to the
structural deficit, Green indicated there was more than just the cost of
benefits. He said they are working
with a $1.28 tax rate and until they get statewide reform allowing counties more
money, they can’t do anything. He
commented that they have been working on the structural deficit for the past 15
years.
McCown said the
budget doesn’t prepare them for the future.
He said the message it sends to the citizens is that they as a Budget
Committee is against having to make the decisions of what they are going to cut.
He thought they might be able to save some jobs and programs beyond next
year. He commented that if they
don’t make any decisions, it might happen for them.
He said the public tells them they have to live within their means but
they are not sufficient. He said
they don’t know what would happen in the future.
He suggested trying to save programs for as long as possible.
Stewart said with
this motion they adopted a 1.b budget for Public Works.
He said the County Administrator indicated the direction to his
Management Team is if they have positions they have open and strategically they
could be left open, they would do it. He
said they will meet again in August and thought what they were doing was
prudent. He disagreed with McCown.
Bartlett commented
that there are constituencies for every program and every program to him is a
priority. He said they should see
what happens with the future.
Sorenson agreed
that by spending all of the money it would make it more difficult in the ensuing
years. He said they had an
opportunity with this budget to involve the public.
He thought funding Pathways was a good choice and the commitment to have
the Budget Committee actively engaged through the entire fiscal year was
prudent. He said he would be voting against the budget.
Fleenor said if
they pass Budget 1 and the Secure Rural Schools Act is funded next year, they
still have a structural deficit. He
asked when they would be addressing the structural deficit.
VOTE:
7-3 (Fleenor, Sorenson, McGown dissenting).
MOTIONS
TO APPROVE THE FY 2007-2008 BUDGET
MOTION
1:
Move approval of the entire FY
2007-2008 budget with all technical adjustments, additions and/or reductions
agreed to. He said they would also
approve the swap of the car rental tax. He
said they want
to reverse
76 percent for 25 percent. within general fund and Parks.
Green MOVED, Bartlett SECONDED.
VOTE:
8-2 (Sorenson, Fleenor dissenting).
MOTION
2:
Move approval of the FY 2007-2008
Permanent Tax Rate of 1.2793 per $1,000 of Assessed Value, and the Juvenile
Justice Center General Obligation Bond Tax Levy in the amount of $2,877,912.
Green MOVED, Bartlett SECONDED.
VOTE: 9-1 (Sorenson
dissenting).
MOTION
3:
Move
approval to allow the Fair Board and the City of Florence to utilize excess
transient room tax for their operations
in the amount of $600,000 and $25,518 respectively, adding the additional
$400,000 of Transient Room Tax for Parks operation.
Green
MOVED, Bartlett SECONDED.
VOTE:
9-1 (Sorenson dissenting).
XI. ADJOURN
There being no
further business, Chair Crowell adjourned the meeting at 10:05 p.m.
Melissa Zimmer
Board Secretary