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HomeMy WebLinkAboutbocc.min.ws.10182005PITKIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION AGENDA LOCATION: RIO GRANDE CONFERENCE ROOM TUESDAY~ OCTOBER 18~ 2005 10:30 AM 11:00 11:30 12 NOON 1:00 PM 2:00 2:45 3:00 5:00 PM School District Bond Issue, Diana Sirko Cable Franchise Renewal Payments, Debbie Quinn EOTC Meeting Prep, Brian Pettet LUNCH BREAK 4. Memos of Interest Future Agendas/Agenda Requests BOCC Open Discussion 5. Express Creek Service Level Change, Temple Glassier BREAK 6. 2006 General Fund Budget Recommendations, Tom Jagow, Tom Oken, Hilary Smith ADJOURN MINUTES OF WORK SESSION Date: October 18, 2005 Meeting Start Time: 10:35 am Commissioners present: [] Patti Clapper [] Dorothea Farris [] Jack Hatfield [] Michael Ireland [] Michael Owsley Commissioners not present: [] Patti Clapper [] Dorothea Farris [] Jack Hatfield [] Michael Ireland [] Michael Owsley WORK SESSION ITEM: School Bond District Issue, Diane Sirko STAFF DIRECTION: Ms. Sirko was present to discuss the upcoming school district election questions. The total ~vould be $74 per $500,000 of home value. She discussed other school district tax bills. Discussion ensued regarding the infrastructure of the building and how they arrived at the need to build a new middle school. She stated that repairs to the existing building would be approximately $14 million versus a new building at $22 million. Commissioner Clapper raised issues regarding energy efficient building, prior funding for asbestos removal, and theatre improvements. Discussion followed. Commissioner Farris raised the Board's concern regarding traffic, trails and transportation. Discussion ensued. WORK SESSION ITEM: Cable Franchise Renewal Payments, Debbie Quinn STAFF DIRECTION: Commissioners Farris and Clapper were in agreement that the 5 armual payments of $15,000 be directed to Grassroots TV. Staff suggested that the money be designated for capital expense. Discussion followed. Commissioners Farris and Clapper agreed that they would not specifically designate but prioritize the use of the funds for capital expenses. COMMISSIONER OWSLEY JOINED THE MEETING AT 11:20 AM. WORK SESSION ITEM: EOTC Meeting Preparation, Brian Pettet STAFF DIRECTION: The Board did not identify any issues for the upcoming meeting. COMMISSIONER HATFIELD JOINED THE MEETING AT 1:00 PM. WORK SESSION ITEM: Memos of Interest STAFF DIRECTION: 1. Facilities Design Charette, Jodi Smith - Board attendance? Note on future agendas. Observing - check in next week. 2. Comcast Channel Line Change - informational only, no direction needed. 3. Signal Feed Change, Renee Hassle - approved. 4. Colorado River Basin Roundtable Update, Rose Ann Sullivan - informational only, no direction. Well done. 5. USGS Request for Additional Funding for Roaring Fork Watershed Retrospective Assessment, Rose Ann Sullivan - approved. $2,000 with letter to request participation from other entities (Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood, Garco, Eagle, RWPA) 6. H.R. 3893 Letter - approved and requested higher standard of construction to avoid weather impacts. WORK SESSION ITEM: Future Agendas/Agenda Requests/Monthly Calendars STAFF DIRECTION: 1. EOTC meeting is set for Oct. 20th 4pm in Snowmass. Commissioners Farris, Clapper, Owsley and Hatfield will attend. 2. Agenda time request - Grady Olson, Raceway, discretionary fund request. Staff will check with Community Development regarding any potential land use application implications. Commissioner Clapper will check with Mr. Olson regarding his request. Possible agenda time is 10:00 am on Oct. 25th. 3. Staff requested Board input on possible retreat dates. The Board stated a preference for Jan. 5th and 6th at the Redstone Inn. 4. Commissioner Owlsey will be out Nov. 4ththroughl0th. 5. Commissioners Fan'is and Clapper will be out Nov. 1st, 2nd & 3rd for Degraves trial. Staff will check with Commissioner Ireland to ensure a quorum for the Nov. 2nd regular meeting. 6. Commissioner Clapper advised that the NWCCOG mtg next week is in Silverthorne. 7. Commissioner Hatfield requested staff to sign him up for CCI Winter Conference. WORK SESSION ITEM: Open Discussion STAFF DIRECTION: 1. River District Appointment - staff will follow up with the County Attorney 2. Katrina Update staff will schedule agenda time for Commissioner Clapper to provide an update on her recent trip to Pearlington, MI. 3. RS2477-Commissioner Farris updated the Board on the Udall legislation. Discussion ensued. The Board directed staff to prepare a neutral letter. 4. Commissioner Owsley raised the concept of distributing intemet services over power lines. He forwarded an article to the Board and asked them to consider this option for discussion with Holy Cross. He thought it might be worth pursuing, especially in the Crystal River area. Board asked the discussion to be brought back during next week's open discussion. WORK SESSION ITEM: Express Creek Service Level Change, Temple Glassier STAFF DIRECTION: Temple Glassier advised the Board on the recent caucus input. The executive committee of the caucus asked for conditions if the request for a service level change is approved, which staff caimot support due to enforcement issues. Ms. Glassier indicated that there is sufficient parking in the area and that Mr. Wilcox is willing to groom a ski trail and a snowmobile trail from parking areas to the end of Express Creek plowed area to encourage use of existing parking. Stan Clausen provided further background information about the caucus procedures and stated that the Asset Management Plan requires a caucus recommendation but does not require that the caucus recommendation be followed. Mr. Clausen indicated his client would be willing to place a sign to discourage parking. Ms. Glassier indicated that parking is an issue in the summer as well and that the sign will help. Brian Pettet indicated that Public Works could initiate towing if illegal parking affects maintenance. Ms. Glassier indicated she could enter into an agreement with the property owner for private plowing and address the issue concerning road maintenance, but added that the County plow trucks are up there once a day anyway. Commissioner Owsley suggested the County maintain the road. Discussion ensued about reimbursement of County expenses if the County maintained it. Commissioner Clapper requested assurance that Wilcox plow the trails he has promised. Commissioner Hatfield agreed that the County should be plowing, that we get assurance on the trails, and that the County determine the appropriate width of plowing. Commissioner Farris suggested that the County have the ability to reduce the service level if it is apparent that it is the wrong decision. The Board requested that the service level change be included in and come back as part of the Asset Management Plan amendments for formal board action. WORK SESSION ITEM: 2006 General Fund Budget Recommendations, Tom Jagow, Tom Oken STAFF DIRECTION: Hilary Smith acknowledged the work of Tom Jagow and Tom Oken in completing the budget book this year. She explained the schedule for budget approval for the rest of the year and reviewed budget policies. Tom Oken indicated that our reserve/contingency fund is in excess of 20% for the general fund. He reviewed the general fund budget assumptions and indicated that the labor portion includes enough additional money to fund at least a portion of the insurance increase of 67%. This increases the labor portion of the budget to 8.4% rather than the usual 6%. He reviewed the economic assumptions for revenue increases and explained the limitations on our allowed property tax increases. Discussion ensued about contributions to health insurance. Mr. Oken continued the presentation with an explanation of capital replacement funding, highlighting the increased inflators for road and bridge replacement budget. Discussion ensued about increased fuel prices, how to project increases in the future and the need for more sophisticated analysis in the future. After discussing other replacement budgets, Mr. Oken explained the reinstatement of the Health and Human services funding into the general fund in 2007, since we cannot assume a ballot issue will pass. He also reviewed the overall structural deficit of 1.6% per year, with a projection of a 4.9% increase in expenditures and a 3.3% increase in revenues. He indicated that a more sophisticated analysis of revenues needs to be made since some of our "other" revenues (about 50% of the general fund revenues) increase at a rate greater than inflation and others may even decrease, like revenues from the state and federal government. Discussion ensued. Mr. Oken then explained the exception to our budget policy with the expiration of the health and human service tax resulting in a deficit within the 5 year plan, and that our increased expenditures have offset any economic recovery we have experienced. His conclusion is that we need to request a reinstatement of the health and human service tax in order to maintain current service levels. Discussion shifted to this year's supplemental recommendations. Ms. Smith reviewed the requests and section leader recommendations. The Commissioners supported a buy down of bus pass costs so that the cost to employees does not increase beyond the $5 per pass and supported the election supplementals and the buy down of employee family health insurance. On the wellness proposal the BOCC was not supportive of funding the program this year. Discussion ensued about the assessor's request for oil and gas appraisal funding. The section leader recommendation not to support this year was followed. The public works request for updated weed spraying equipment was supported. Discussion ensued on the community development supplemental position requests recommended by section leaders. Ms. Smith explained that the two positions will be primarily paid from increased revenues from permits. The Board supported the two recommendations. There was additional discussion about the engineering tech upgrade to a full engineer, given problems recruiting at the tech level. The Board was supportive. The Board also approved the requested increase in routine travel for Environmental Health. Mr. Oken explained the impact on the bottom line by adding the additional $7500 supplemental to maintain bus passes at the current employee cost. The Board complimented staff on the presentation. Adjourned at 4:40pm. Prepared by: Hilary Fl~t~her Smith, County Manager Respectfully submitted: Silvia Davis, Clerk and Recorder