Outside Agencies in Spotlight at Latest Budget Workshop

At the second of four budget workshops Wednesday night, the Enumclaw City Council heard from Beth Coppin-Cross, Chair of the city's Human Services Board, their recommendations for funding allocations for the cities's outside agencies. They were the same as the allocations given in 2011:

• $15,000 for EYFS (represents full amount requested)
• $15,000 for POM (represents full amount requested)
• $1,000 for KSARC
• $1,000 for YWCA

Councilmembers Sean Krebs and Rich Elfers asked Coppin-Cross how they came about these figures.

The Board follows the city's Human Services Plan, which incorporates surveys of local community leaders as well as service providers in order to define and find out what were the big needs in the community, she said. The plan lists basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, employment, along with those of the youth, elderly, mental health needs, substance abuse, and victims of domestic violence.

"When we look at these agencies, we're looking at how do they meet that [the basic needs]?" she said. "Are they meeting the needs for Enumclaw citizens? We look at quarterly reports, statistics of who they're helping, how many they're helping..."

For example, EYFS provides services for more than 1,000 community members annually, she said. Its youth center services more than 25 youths a day. 

Gary Hemminger, director of EYFS, told Council that of the it requested the $15,000 under the impression that there was not more money to ask for. However, the $15,000 isn't going to help keep the youth center open. Nonetheless, "I can't express to you the huge leverage the youth center gives us in going after [grant] funding," he said.

EYFS wants to leverage into adult services as well, he said. "What we need from the city is a commitment that the youth center is important ... collaboration is a keyword in the funding process: the more collaboration we show, the more people are willing to give us their consideration."

To his point, Councilman Jeff Beckwith assured Hemminger that the $15,000 isn't rigid and "we can change everything around as the group [Council] sees fit."

Britt Nelson, the new director at POM, echoed Hemminger's sentiment. "The collaboration between agencies is something very special in Enumclaw," she said. "Of the income that POM does receive from the city, 100 percent of it goes back to city residents" in the form of utility assistance, rental assistance and emergency shelter. 

POM's food bank is also seeing 75 to 100 families a week, "and that number is increasing," she said.

A representative from KSARC told the City Council that the agency helped 36 Enumclaw residents last year, not only with direct counseling for victims but also for behind-the-scenes efforts like prevention and education.

When asked by Beckwith what the YWCA could accomplish with the $1,000 when it requested $3,000, a representative from that agency said he wasn't sure as his agency continues to cut staffing. "We have a dedication and commitment to you all in the city," he said. "I just have to find out how we can do that in our capacity."

Elfers said with regards to funding outside agencies, he's uncomfortable deciding who gets money and who doesn't because "it seems like we're making decisions based on emotions rather than clear data."

Coppin-Cross and staff liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board Bob Baer referred Council to the quarterly reports the agencies file as well as the forms they fill out when requesting funding, which supply a lot of information about the intended use of the funds and how they help who they're intended for.

"During hard times is when we need these agencies the most," Beckwith said. "I think human services is a core service of the city."

Click here to view the city's proposed 2012 budget.

Other highlights from Wednesday:

Arts Alive: Arts Alive requested $7,500 and the city has budgeted $4,500, with a proposed $3,000 rent subsidy for the use of its building, similar to the  this year. 

Lorrie Maras, Arts Alive's chair, said the group currently pays $750 a month in rent to the city. The request for 2012 helps them cover activities the city's funded before as well as supports advertising, grant writing and the issuing of grants, she said. "We would like to continue those arts programs the city has taken on ... and this would certainly help us do that."

Community Development: Councilman Mike Ennis asked director Erika Shook why $10,000 budgeted for economic development last year wasn't spent. Shook replied the year is not over and her department was working on a Request for Proposal (RFP) to that end. There had been discussions of working with the Chamber of Commerce on the project but "we do need to reposition an identity for the city that we can use in marketing materials," she said. 

City Administrator Mike Thomas added the department has been challenged by a heavy workload this year that included several rezones, Comprehensive Plan amendments, and the Shoreline Master Program.

Also, the city is rolling over $10,000 budgeted for a wayfinding (signage) campaign this year into 2012 and adding another $20,000 for the project. The project is currently being worked on, Shook said, and could get out and done before year end.

Other tasks being looked at to promote economic development include re-examining permitting and incentives for development, reducing costs for development in the city and finding some of the businesses people want in the city, she said.

Good land use is also being evaluated, Thomas said, and the city is looking to Covington and Renton, specifically, for examples of this.

Senior Center: Function and staffing of the Senior Center does not change, save for the retirement of retirement of city employee Bob Baer, Thomas said.

Parks & Recreation: The department has reshuffled after a secretary position was vacated and frozen so there are no plans to fill that position, Shook said. The department added the Special Olympics this year and continues with Camp Commotion, she said.

The cuts to the department last year were too deep, so it will be coming back to Council later this year for a budget amendment to increase funds to pay for basic programs. The department supports a recreational program manager and shares a department secretary; the rest of the department is staffed by part-timers and classes offered are contracted out -- with the city collecting 20 percent of class fees, she said.

Programs will stay the same but the department is looking to install play structures at two parks in the city: one at Martin Johnson and the other at an undeveloped park area in Elk Meadows, she said.

The department has also returned the task of scheduling fields owned by the Enumclaw School District back to them, she said.

Parks: Public Works director Chris Searcy reported the city's park maintenance suffered as efforts were put behind the Expo Center instead, including Boise Creek Park, the Foothills Trail and Farmers Park. The department has gotten feedback from citizens about things breaking down, rather than being proactive about finding what needs repair. It's a safety issue at these sites.

Golf Course: The uncooperative weather this year meant revenues were under expectation at the golf course, Searcy said. The upside is that the city has significantly trimmed back expenditures via getting seasonal course maintenance help, but there were unanticipated costs this year as well.

The golf course continues to lose money, he said. The city is working, following a mandate from Council, to find a contract operator for the course. RFPs are expected around March 2012.

Aquatic Center: Much work was done this past year to repair a lot of infrastructure at the pool, Shook said, but other items including the diving board as well as starting blocks still need repair next year. There is also the issue of a broken inflatable pool toy that is a vital selling point for rentals, she said. It's a danger to children right now and represents about $16,000 in lost revenue.

Arts: Grants received in 2009 are still sustaining the department, Shook said, but they're running out. The city is budgeting $12,500 for 2012, matching a $12,500 grant from 4Culture to sustain the cultural programs manager position as well as the arts commission.

Library: The library's beginning fund balance for 2011 was $14,461 -- it's budgeted to be $7,741 in 2012.

"The library is in suspended animation until its future is finally figured out," Thomas said, referring to the ongoing KCLS annexation option. But even KCLS wants to annex a library that is open -- not closed -- so some level of service must be maintained.

Library Director Baer said the funding reduction covers the loss of his position (he's retiring) as well as a part-time page, and possibly a temporary staffer who helps keep the library open on Sundays. 

With the 2012 budget, the library would be closed Sundays, it'd be closed an additional evening and would open later on other days, Baer said.

Thomas said the city's plan following Baer's retirement is to use existing staff to manage library operations -- possibly until the April 2012 election when the KCLS annexation might be a voter issue. If the voters opt to annex, KCLS would take over as early as mid-May 2012. If they voters vote down annexation, the city would have to figure out a staffing model moving forward.

Councilman Kevin Mahelona then floated an idea that perhaps the city should fund the library operation -- if it is only until an April 2012 election -- through a fund outside the General Fund.

Beckwith asked Thomas if a transfer agreement could be available before the budget season ends, but Thomas said he couldn't promise anything though he'd try.

Thomas said several outstanding issues in the transfer have been resolved, including the building and grounds ownership, transfer of city employees into KCLS, and the defining of a permanent collection of art and books that is unique to Enumclaw which KCLS would curate, maintain and make available to people in Enumclaw.

Nonetheless, without a final transfer agreement, Beckwith said Council may need to address the library budget differently.