Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

                        Committee Members: M. Bedner and F. Tullos

                        Commissioners:

Staff: M. Eckert, R. Guarracino, U. Keller, P. McNicoll, D. Newbern, J. Sanders, S. Schaeffner, K. Taylor

Press: 

Others:  Marsha Smith, Jim Jordan

 

1.                  Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the July 10, 2001 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes. 

b)      Deny a request by Mr. & Mrs. Ellery Horn that $415.89 paid in interest and penalties on property tax be refunded. 

c)      Deny a request by Ms. Marilyn Howard that $10.59 paid in penalties on her tag registration be refunded. 

d)      Deny a request by Ms. Helen Stapleton that $23.37 paid in penalties on her tag registration be refunded. 

e)      Deny a request by Mr. William Byrd that $34.28 paid in penalties on his tag registration be refunded. 

f)        Approve the corrections to the 2000 and 2001 digests as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their July 3, 2001 meeting. 

g)      Deny the request from Trupp-Hodnett that Hotel/Motel Accommodation Excise Tax late penalties of $4,771.63 be waived or reduced. 

Items 1(f) and 1(g) were pulled for discussion from the consent agenda by Chairman Tullos.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend approval items a-e of the Consent Agenda.  (Vote 2-0-0)

1(f).      Commissioner Tullos informed the committee that the corrections to the 2001 digest should not have been included in the request and the motion should be changed to include only the 2000 digest corrections.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend approval of the corrections to the 2000 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their July 3, 2001 meeting.  (Vote 2-0-0)

1(g).     Mr. Jim Jordan, Vice President of Trupp Hodnett, explained that their in-house accounts payable system had been converted to a centralized accounts payable function and that change had resulted in their Accommodation Excise Tax payments being submitted to the Finance Department after the due date for the months of April and May, 2001.  He stated that they had paid $780,000 in these taxes in the last three years and had never been late to his knowledge.  He stated that he was not notified by the Finance Department that the April taxes were late until after the May taxes had been processed and also mailed late.  Commissioner Bedner stated that as a courtesy the Finance Department should have called Trupp Hodnett to inform them that their taxes were late.  He asked if we have late payments from other customers and Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, stated that we do receive late payments from other customers and they are charged the late penalties.  Commissioner Bedner stated that we owe it to a customer that has paid the County over $780,000 over three years to give them a phone call to notify them that they are late.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend denial of the request from Trupp-Hodnett that Hotel/Motel Accommodation Excise Tax late penalties of $4,771.63 for April, 2001 be waived or reduced and approval of the request from Trupp-Hodnett that Accommodation Excise Tax late penalties for May, 2001 be waived.  (Vote 2-0-0)

2.                  Consider approving the TEA Agreement with Georgia DOT for the SPUR 25 landscaping and multi-use path project, subject to the County Attorney’s approval, adopt the TEA Agreement Resolution and authorize the Chairman to execute the TEA Agreement and Resolution documents. 

Mr. Dick Newbern, Grants Administrator, presented this item and stated that the money is in the upcoming budget.  Mr. Mark Eckert, County Administrator, reminded the Committee that there would be on-going maintenance costs related to the project.  Commissioner Tullos requested that staff follow-up with the DOT to request additional funding from them for support.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend approving the TEA Agreement with Georgia DOT for the SPUR 25 landscaping and multi-use path project, subject to the County Attorney’s approval, adopt the TEA Agreement Resolution and authorize the Chairman to execute the TEA Agreement and Resolution documents.  (Vote 2-0-0)

3.                  Consider authorizing staff to advertise for bids for the appropriate components of the SPUR 25 Landscaping and multi-use path project, subject to County, state and federal requirements. 

Mr. Newbern stated that DOT needs to approve the plans and the contract document and the County would then be in a position to advertise for bids.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend authorizing staff to advertise for bids for the appropriate components of the SPUR 25 Landscaping and multi-use path project, subject to County, state and federal requirements.  (Vote 2-0-0)

4.                  Consider amending the CHIP elderly housing program Policies and Procedures so that the beginning of the 120-day target are program eligibility period is tied to the date Special Conditions were cleared (April 19, 2001) rather than when the first loan closed.  

Mr. Newbern stated that the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has approved the changes.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend amending the CHIP elderly housing program Policies and Procedures so that the beginning of the 120-day target are program eligibility period is tied to the date Special Conditions were cleared (April 19, 2001) rather than when the first loan closed.  (Vote 2-0-0)

5.                  Consider approving that the aeration blower for exit #29 WWTF be purchased from Kittner Associates in the amount of $18,649.00 with funding coming from the Water and Sewer Operating Fund fund balance.  (U. Keller)  pages 30-52

Mr. Uli Keller, Acting Utilities Manager, stated that one of the two existing aeration blowers at the exit #29 Wastewater Treatment Facility has failed and is not economically  repairable.  He said that the County has a back-up blower but that it is imperative that the primary blower be replaced as soon as possible.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.

Recommend approving that the aeration blower for exit #29 WWTF be purchased from Kittner Associates in the amount of $18,649.00 with funding coming from the Water and Sewer Operating Fund fund balance.  (Vote 2-0-0)

6.                  Request that Chairman Tullos identify the Finance Committee items which should be included as consent items in the Commission’s Meeting Agenda.

Commissioner Tullos identified all agenda items as consent items.