Finance Committee

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 Finance Committee Information: 360.753.8447 Wednesday, October 8, 2014 5:00 PM Room 207 1. ROLL CALL Present: 3 - Chair Jim Cooper, Committee Member Nathaniel Jones and Committee Member Cheryl Selby 2. CALL TO ORDER Chair Cooper called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3.A 14-0933 Approval of September 10, 2014 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes The minutes were approved unanimously. 4. COMMITTEE BUSINESS 4.A 14-0984 Update on Performance Measures and Comprehensive Plan Action Plan Assistant City Manager Jay Burney and Associate Planner Stacey Ray briefed the Committee on how performance measures are being implemented into the Comprehensive Plan Action Plan. The Action Plan and associated performance measures will be an important tool for community members to track implementation progress of the Comprehensive Plan goals. Staff reviewed the draft performance measures with the Committee. The next steps in the process are: · Identify draft actions · Utilize focus groups and OlySpeaks for public comment · Spring of 2015 - Public engagement process · Summer of 2015 - Council review of the process and measures The report was received. 4.B 14-0944 Briefing on Cost of Indigent Defense 2013 was the 50th anniversary of the Gideon v. Wainright Supreme Court decision requiring state courts to provide counsel in criminal cases to represent defendants who are unable to afford to pay their own attorneys. Last year in federal court the Wilbur v. Mt. Vernon case was heard regarding municipal/district courts. Additionally, last year the State Supreme court set standards and case load limits to become effective January 1, 2015 for courts of limited jurisdictions (municipal courts). City of Olympia Page 1 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes October 8, 2014 The City of Olympia currently has four public defenders on contract. They are paid $3500 per month. If they need interpreters, investigators, expert witnesses, jury trial or other services they let the court know and the court pays the additional expenses. The court provides a conference room for the attorneys to meet with their clients, but they are required to have their own offices, computers, administrative support, phones, etc. The City averages approximately 10 jury trials per year and processed approximately 1,250 cases last year. The new standards set a maximum caseload of no more than 400 cases per year per attorney or 300 if using the state's case weighing system. The judge in the Wilbur-v-Mt Vernon case described the misdemeanor public defense system as a "meet and plead" system. He found the public defense system in place systematically deprived indigent defendants of the assistance of counsel and that municipal policy makers have made deliberate choices regarding the funding, contracting, and monitoring of public defense systems that directly and predictably caused the deprivation. Some of the recommendations to come from Wilbur include: 1) Limit the caseload and type of cases 2) Compensate the public defenders commensurate to the community and other attorneys in the criminal justice system 3) Adopt a resolution setting standards for public defense (September 23rd agenda) 4) Develop a complaint tracking system for defendants 5) Council adoption of the case weighing system if the City intends to use 6) Hire a part-time Public Defense administrator (member of Washington State Bar Association) to: a. Monitor caseloads b. Investigations c. Research d. Trials e. Infrastructure and resource management f. Actively participate in the criminal justice system g. Evaluate screening and appointment of public defenders Last month staff met with Thurston County Office of Assigned Counsel about contracting with the County for public defense. However, their costs are substantially more than the City is currently paying (or included in the 2015 budget). Tumwater is currently contracting with the County for public defense and has one year remaining on their contract. Lacey, like Olympia, hires their public defenders. They are interested in looking at regional options but are probably a year away from making a decision. The 2015 budget includes $250,000 additional funding for public defense. The funds will be used to increase the compensation for the contract public defenders, hire one additional public defender, as well as hire a part time administrator. The discussion was completed. 4.C 14-0977 Oral Report: 2015 Operating Budget City of Olympia Page 2 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes October 8, 2014 City Manager Steve Hall and Administrative Services Director Jane Kirkemo gave the Committee a brief overview of the 2015 budget that will be presented to the full Council on October 28. Mr. Hall discussed some of the items that were not included in the budget as well as funding available from proposed B & O tax changes. The Committee discussed the changes and proposed budget and will continue discussion at the November 12 Finance Committee meeting. 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. City of Olympia Page 3