09/30/2015 - MinutesCity of Port Orchard
Council Finance Committee
A meeting of the Council Finance Committee was held at City Hall September 30, 2015 at 5:30
p.m.
PRESENT: Chairman John Clauson, members Rob Putaansuu, City Clerk Brandy Rinearson,
and Treasurer Allan Martin. Member Jerry Childs was absent.
Finance Report
The committee was provided the most recent Sales Tax Revenue Report. September collections
were $378,756 which is 11.6% above projection. Year-to-date collections surpass projection by
4.12%. The committee discussed 2016 projections that will be updated as the council moves
through the budget process. Property assessed value is up as reported by the county assessor
which could lead to a $1.75 per thousand collection. Total assessed value $1,404,584,517. The
committee discussed the 2016 Tax Year Levy Limit Calculation sheet provided by the Kitsap
County Assessor.
Mr. Martin reported $16,000 from marijuana distributions from the state of Washington. The
2016 budget allocates the marijuana collection to the police department. The committee heard
that the court has received a grant regarding public defenders.
Fund balances are strong due to lower spending rather than increased tax collections. The exit
conference for the 2014 Annual Finance Audit will be scheduled to include finance committee
members. Mr. Putaansuu asked to have Real Estate Excise Tax fund balances added to Sale Tax
Collections.
The 2016 budget calendar was presented meeting the statutory deadlines and outlining major
steps in the budget preparation process. Confirmed dates will be coordinated with finance
committee members as we move through the process. This year it may be necessary to hold a
public hearing on Monday, December 7th to meet the statutory deadline. In years past the
Council has meet on a Monday to meet the requirements.
The Committee heard a brief overview of the preliminary budget including use of REET funds
for transportation.
City Clerk
Clerk Rinearson explained that there was remaining budget authority from the purchase of the
records management software program. She asked that the committee consider supporting the
purchase of a public records management system that tracks all of our public disclosures
throughout the whole city. The WEBQA is a web based system that offers a comprehensive web
citizen portal that allows citizens to find information or submit a request over the web, and offer
citizens 24/7 access and status updates. The system reduces requests by eliminating duplicate
requests, allows citizens to view and search previous request, allows managers to create and
publish information, and allows citizens to follow announcement dates. The auto answer
information portion tracks, displays and promotes top questions. The system is meant to manage,
review, improve processes managed centrally by departments and across all departments,
respond to litigation requirements, monitor time, proactively highlight problems and best
practices, and generate schedules, on-demand and custom reports.
Public records requests and their complexity mount daily. Answering requests are time-
consuming and filers are becoming more creative on how they request public records. Because
the system is web-based citizens are able to access and make requests online. The system directs
the request to the proper department. Citizens are allowed a login and password to search
previously completed request and track open requests. Completed requests may be downloaded
from the system to an individual’s computer rather than requesting a CD which the city would
have to produce.
Non-active requests are recorded and may be classified as abandoned. Ms. Rinearson explained.
“And if they haven’t opened it, we can trigger and stop and say ‘oh you haven’t even reviewed
your request, we are going to consider it abandoned, we’re not going to work on it. In theory
they can just go in and login a password but at least they would open it up and look at it and we
can stop the work instead of working all year long on and then they never come get it.”
Program features include a social media archives for an added $1,200 a year that automatically
archives social media posts and when state retention is met it is no longer archived.
The cost for the program is $4,200 annually. $3,000 for the public records software and $1,200
for social media archiving. Committee members asked the amount of remaining budget
authority. The amount remaining is $2,000. WEBQA offered a onetime $1,500 implementation
fee in 2015 with access included for November and December. The annual charge of $4,200
would commence in fiscal year 2016. The recommendation was to take the agreement forward
to a City Council meeting for consideration.
Meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
Next meeting
October 15, 2015 5:30 pm Council Chambers Conference Room