PORT TOWNSEND — Al Scalf, Jefferson County Department of Community director, is taking a 10 percent pay cut with a four-day week, but he said Tuesday that the biggest shock was handing six respected staffers their walking papers late Monday.
The department announced it is laying off six full-time employees — about one-fifth of the department — effective Dec. 1, the result of a continuing economic downturn and the lack of revenue generated through land-use permits.
And, said County Administrator Philip Morley, more county layoffs are not out of the question.
Jefferson County Commissioner Phil Johnson, D-Port Townsend, who was a building contractor before he was first elected to office in 2004, said that the Jefferson County building industry is the worst he’s ever seen it.
“It’s never been this bad,” Johnson said. “I don’t remember it this slow countywide.”
Johnson said he was sorry that the county had to resort to layoffs.
“It’s painful to lose this many good employees,” he said.
County budget crisis
Morley, who walked into a county budget crisis when he took the job in October, said he does not know if more county layoffs will be necessary.
“We are trying to evaluate what revenues are coming in for 2009 and look at the gap,” Morley said, adding he is working with department heads to determine what needs to be cut before looking at further county departmental layoffs.
“You only reduce that as a last resort,” he said of staffing.
“We will reduce expenditures before we reduce service to the public through staffing.”
Morley on Monday presented a sobering future budget picture, with county expenses escalating at a 4 percent annual pace, one that would be not be met by economic growth.
Scalf said his department’s budget is being reduced about 25 percent overall.
To close on Friday
In addition to the staff layoffs, the community development department will cut the regular staff hour work week from 40 to 36 hours.
The department will be closed on Fridays, starting Dec. 5. Office hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Monday through Thursday, continuing into 2009.
“Both building and planning staff are affected by this workforce downsizing,” Scalf said.
“The slow economy has not picked up, and the department must adjust to these conditions for the remainder of 2008, and as we budget for 2009.”
Scalf said the positions selected for layoffs were those with less seniority, as per union rules.
The way Scalf figures it, for a $1.9 million annual budget, he needed $160,000 a month in revenues.
“I’ve been tracking this all year,” he said.
What he envisioned was that the department would start in January with $91,000 in revenue, and have a monthly revenue high of $210,000 in August.
“So I still thought, at that point, I could make it,” he said.
But by October, he said he was facing $50,000 in revenue per month, and a $265,000 shortfall.
He said he saw construction workers being laid off around the county and knew a decision must be made.
It was late Monday when, Scalf said, “We decided we better cut.”
The positions cut are two assistant planners, one building inspector, one permit technician, one planning clerk and one administrative clerk.
Scalf had already chosen not to fill two vacant position, an compliance officer and a building inspector post.
The brings his staff down from 25 to 17.
He cited a notable decline in stick-built homes.
“They’re kind of your bread-and-butter permits,” he said.
Building permits down
Home building permits were at 108 from January through October, compared to 173 during the same period last year.
During the same period, building inspections totaled 4,988 through October, compared to 5,470 during the same period last year.
“We’re seeing building permits are down, inspections down, and revenues down,” he said.
The building department still has its building official, Fred Slota, but he lost three staffers, with two plans examiners and an inspector remaining.
Planning Manager Stacie Hoskins still has her job and three remaining staffers.
“Once the recovery occurs, and we can see it is something that sustains itself, then, per union contract, we will have a one-year recall,” Scalf said.
What that means is employees who wanted their jobs back could have them or be placed elsewhere.
Karen Barrows, an assistant planner who was laid off, sent out an e-mail Tuesday thanking volunteers and others she had worked with.
“I’m sorry to report that over 20 percent of DCD’s work force was laid off yesterday, due to adverse economic circumstances, and I am one of those who received a pink slip, effective Dec. 1,” she wrote.
“I do not yet know the future of the No Shooting Area Review Committee,” the group she had most recently assisted.
“And I think that I will be there, although I do not know for sure yet.”
The county commissioners are planning a Monday public hearing on the Chimacum Creek no-shooting area proposal.
Projects to be finished
Scalf said projects begun by those laid off, such as Barrows’, will be completed.
Asked who will take on the no-shooting zone detail, Scalf said, “I’m thinking it’s me.”
Scalf, who started with county public works in 1985 and has been with the department for 14 years, said he ran a “volatility curve” all the way back to the early 1960s that showed the ups and downs of county finances.
“This is the worst I’ve seen it,” he said, recalling downturn events including the saving-and-loan debacle of 1988.
“I’m also hopeful for America. I believe we will recover and this too shall pass,” he said.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
