Port balances budget

DAYTON-Attendees packed the Port of Columbia board room with more who attended by Zoom for a special meeting to continue the review of the 2023 budget that began during the regular October 12 meeting. Also on the agenda was the authorization of the contract for $1.165 million in grant funding from the Public Works Board for extending the broadband project west along Highway 12. Additionally, an executive session was held for the review of a public employee.

The meeting began with several public comments about budget discussions during the regular meeting by the Commissioners. Commissioner Seth Bryan had proposed the Port should not take the allowable 1% levy increase which amounts to $4631 due to inflation and to save the taxpayers from additional burden. To recoup the amount, he suggested foregoing the COLA stating that Executive Director Jennie Dickinson is already close to the maximum according to her current pay scale and another employee was only hired a few months back. Dickinson had responded that the employees should have the increase and she does not want to risk losing them.

Comments were made in support the COLA.

Another topic was about a contract with WSDOT for grant money for the trail design which Bryan suggested they inquire about the penalties if they were to break the contract since there will not be a trail. Comments were in support of keeping the contract.

Another concern was over the claim that Bryan said money from the workforce funding should be reallocated to other community entities like the American Legion and no longer be given to The Club. What Bryan actually said was in response to a question from Dickinson about, what community support did he want to provide with adding $20,000 in funds set aside for capital improvements--that he suggested should be reallocated for community support. He had answered, "I think we should be supporting the American Legion for one."

Dickinson interjected to ask, "For what?" He answered with his own question. "We give $5000 to The Club. Why do we do that?" She replied, "Because we have a contract with them for services. They have to do services. They do workforce development with the students. It's a very specific contract."

Bryan answered, "And the American Legion works with veterans finding them jobs and getting them employment and things like that as well so they are also a valuable asset as far was our workforce goes." Dickinson replied, "We would have to check with the State to see if it's legal, because the contract at The Club, the State Auditor looked at it very carefully and they had to find an RCW that matched it to make it legal for us to do it."

Bryan interjected to say he would like to investigate adding the American Legion to provide them community support.

Crowe asked if the American Legion had contacted the Port for support and Dickinson answered they had not. Crowe said they would consider any requests for support from other entities including the Legion. Bryan said in response, "I just see the value in our assistance to them and the programs that they offer is as valuable or more to the workforce and the community as what The Club provides in providing daycare services for the children's after-school program." No more was said about the funds for The Club.

One person read Bryan's response to an email they sent outlining these concerns where he expressed appreciation for the message but did not offer a concrete response. A single comment was made by a tenant at Blue Mountain Station in reference to general discussion about the property and is concerned about the Commission's plan for it, wishing to be informed and stating that "uncertainty kills businesses."

The budget discussion resumed, addressing the changes suggested at the previous meeting. Dickinson began with reviewing the removal of the 1% levy increase. Commission Chair Genie Crowe responded that she initially could understand the reasoning behind not taking the 1% until later when she looked closer and came to understand that it would only be an increase of four cents on a dollar which could be used to fund economic development and community support programs. She suggested that the Port takes it. Bryan stood firm in that he promised those who voted for him that he would not raise taxes unless it was necessary and that every little bit adds up. Instead, he said the Port can trim back on capital improvements. Crowe responded, "It's a disservice to the community if we do not take that." But she acknowledged it is a small portion of their $866,000 revenue.

Dickinson said she received an answer from WSDOT that if the Port defaults on the grant contract for the trail design, they must pay back everything they spent of about $400,000. Therefore, she left a $20,000 payment to WSDOT for the Port's portion in the budget.

Dickinson left the amount the same for salaries at $145,000 because should they not approve the COLA, the line item has been budgeted conservatively the last few years during COVID and she has not hired to capacity, so it has accrued $100,000 of the total. She said that she does not want to reduce the amount there because "we need people to get the work done."

Crowe commented to repeat what she said at the regular meeting that there is an inflation currently that impacts everyone and she expressed that a COLA is deserved by the Port employees. Dickinson clarified, "If I'm going to recommend an increase, I would do it during the budget time, so that is why I had recommended the 3% COLA. It has to be noted in their file so that if you approve the budget with that number included then on January 1, their pay will go up. Or if I thought an employee needed a raise... [I would] make sure there is room in the budget for me to make those decisions."

Crowe pointed out that during the first budget review Dickinson had left $145,000 which included a 5% COLA–a percentage that had been originally suggested by Bryan. Crowe added that the budget would not be increasing but would stay the same.

Commissioner Johnny Watts asked how many employees would be affected and Dickinson answer four people that equals three full-time equivalents. He then asked if any of them are in the probationary period and the answer was no. He also inquired whether there are position descriptions and evaluations to which Dickinson replied that yes, she does them. Watts asked what a full staff would be, and she replied that she used to have a full-time Economic Development Coordinator at a high expense and would prefer a half-time person in that position, but it is difficult to find someone. She has also thought about hiring a maintenance person to be on staff instead of hiring the work out, but she has difficulty justifying the cost for the convenience.

Watts suggested contracting with someone to do the Economic Development work. He then asked when COLAs were last given, and she answered last year at 2% which has been the usual amount. Lastly, he asked if there are set salary ranges to which she replied that it is in the policy and has been adjusted in January most years.

Crowe recommended a 5% COLA for employees. Bryan answered that the question for him is not in terms of inflation or if someone is deserving of an increase but "whether the current salaries are in line with the current inflation rate." He once again specified that the new hire would have been offered competitive pay and that Dickinson has had substantial increases the previous years and is at the top of her current pay scale. The Commissioners decided a 3% COLA is appropriate for the budget.

For community support and economic development line items, Dickinson said she made some adjustments from her understanding of what Bryan requested at the last meeting. "I moved the same dollar amounts for the contractual obligations we have plus the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) to the economic development line item...and then I added $13,250 to the community support. I think you may have said you wanted to bump it up to $20,000 but since I moved so much out of it, I thought it was a good compromise and it didn't really hurt the bottom line...I did some looking into the workforce development item and I have two RCWs for you that list the economic development programs that are authorized and the list of workforce development definitions." She clarified for community support that is workforce development or a service there needs to be a contract with deliverables.

Dickinson pointed out that the Port has bounced back since the pandemic. Crowe asked the Commissioners that considering the budget is balanced, do they want to donate their salaries to the budget as was discussed at the regular meeting. Watts answered that he said is willing to do that if there is a need and if it's to "make a point," he would do it. He said he is fine either way because he is not in his position to be paid. Bryan agreed with Watts. They decided there was not a need at this time.

The Commission agreed to the budget as discussed. A copy of the final preliminary budget can be found on the Port website or picked up at their office. A public budget hearing will be held on November 9 at 5:45 p.m.

Also on the agenda was the Touchet Valley Broadband contract for the $1.165 million grant from the Public Works Board to extend the broadband project west along Highway 12 to just before Huntsville. There is no match requirement for the funding. The contract was reviewed by the Port attorney. The Commission authorized Dickinson to sign the contract.

An executive session was held for an evaluation of a public employee.