Community Budget Forum - Regular Meeting

Morning, everyone. We'll call to order the Snohomish County Council budget finance finance, budget, and administration committee. Today is Tuesday, 05/13/2025 at 10AM. We're meeting in the Jackson Boardroom and also remotely. I'll read the script for public comment, and then we'll take roll call. So we'll take public comment beginning in person and then remotely in Zoom. Click on the hand icon to raise your hand. If you're calling in by phone, please press 9 to raise your hand, and press 6 to unmute. And each speaker will have three minutes to speak, and please start your comment with your name and city of residence. And next is roll call. Committee Chair Dunn? Here. Committee Vice Chair Nearing?

Here.

Committee Member Lo?

Present.

Committee Member Mead? Here. Committee Member Peterson? Here. Chair, we have five members present. Thank you. Next is public comment. Would anyone like to provide public comment? We have no one in person. Is there anyone online? There are no hands raised. Thank you. We'll close public comment and move on. We have three action items today. First is motion 20 five-two 16.

Thank you, chair Dan. Good morning, council members. For the record, Jim Martin, council staff. Post motion 25 dash two one six related to the twenty twenty five twenty twenty six biennial budget approves the transfer of budgeted contingency funds from nondepartmental to county offices and departments within general fund zero zero two. The council adopted twenty twenty five twenty twenty six biennial budget included funding within non departmental personnel cost contingency for the purpose of setting aside funds for COLA increases for general fund bargaining units. This transfer re distributes a proportional amount of this contingency to the impacted departments and requested action is to move to GLS on May 21 for consideration.

Thank you. Any questions from counsel? So, Jim, during the budget process, I propose an amendment that moved some dollars from the sheriff's department to make this adjustment, but that's that wasn't inclusive of the full cost. This is amount for the sheriff.

This is yeah. This is a different amount. Yep.

And corrections?

Yep.

And that's why it's, like, a similar size, but a different amount for say

Yeah. And it it represents all the all the COLAs for all the different bargaining units in the general fund throughout the county.

Okay. And there's remaining funds for future

For 2026, there is a portion still remaining that could be rolled out in 2026 should counsel decide to or at a later date should counsel determine the need for it.

Okay. Thank you. Any other questions from counsel? K. In objection to moving this to consent on the twenty first? Okay. Seeing none, this will move to the consent agenda for the, May 21. Next is motion 25 dash two zero nine.

Opposed motion 25 dash two zero nine approves the apportionment of twenty twenty four public utility district privilege taxes. Each year, the county receives funds representing the privilege tax derived from the Stomach County PUD's sale of electric energy within unincorporated Stomach County and to the cities and towns within the incorporated area of Stomach County. After distribution to the incorporated cities and towns, the amount received by Snohomish County is $5,086,067.54, which is 55% of the amount budgeted for the twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six biennium. Request action is to move to GLS on May 21 for consideration.

K. Questions from counsel? K. Any objection to consent? Hearing none, this will move to the twenty first for the consent agenda. Next is motion 25 dash two two eight.

Opposed motion 25 dash two two eight authorizes the county executive to execute a professional services agreement with ZEDSIC public affairs for state behavioral health services government affairs. The contract is to provide professional lobbying and services related to Snohomish County's 2026 behavioral health legislative priorities, such as advocacy, monitoring, and reporting. Term of the agreement is from 07/01/2025 through 06/30/2026 with a not to exceed amount of $72,000. Requested action is to move to GLS on May 21 for consideration.

Questions from council? Yep. Council member Nearing.

Thank you. So the term of this contract or the length of it, is it the same as our contract with Josh or are they on different? Are they staggered?

Honestly, I'd have to look. Don't know I don't need it now, but if Okay. I'll find out in general. Sure.

Any other questions? Objection to consent. Do you want it on action? Okay. Any objection to consent? Okay. Without objection, this will move to the consent agenda on May 21. That concludes our action items. We have one discussion item with the 2025 budget note and conditions matrix, and we have them to do an update.

And we have our first quarterly update on the status of the twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six budget notes and conditions. Included are updates from the health department related to public service announcements. Human resources shared a link to their SharePoint site on family wellness. It's a memo from economic development related to homeownership. Finance is developing a project labor agreement template that will be shared once completed. Human services provided a memo related to the CERCure withdrawal management and stabilization condition and also included a memo detailing their request for an extension to July 1 for the condition related to the Lynnwood crisis care facility. Further information is desired for any of these updates, please let me know, and I'll be happy to reach out to the parties for additional information. Thank you.

So questions from council members? Yep. Council member Nearing.

Thank you. So I see the homeownership assistance one that economic development put together is on here, which is great. When I talked with the health director, it sounded like they were going to be working on some PSAs as well pertaining to the budget notes. So when those are available, will those get added to the next update?

Yes. Okay. Perfect. Thanks.

Other questions? Jim, on the Lynnwood Crisis Care, the second part of the budget condition was around seeking reimbursement from the legislature, for the affordable housing and behavioral health tax fund. Can we get an update on that? Or the next I

will follow-up on that. Yes. I'll get that for you.

And they they requested until June?

July 1.

July. Okay. Thank you.

And that doesn't require any formal action, just more of a head nod from counsel that that, that they're okay with that extension.

Okay. Because that's a condition on releasing funds?

Let me double blow it up here and take a quick peek. Yeah. There's funds that were set aside, for that that can't be released until the completion of the the conditions.

Okay. Okay. Any concerns? Okay. Any other questions for the budget notes?

Okay. Then that concludes our agenda, and we are in recess until our 11:00 committee hearing committee meeting. 01:00. 11:00 was canceled. Okay. So 01:00. Thank you.