Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, November 27, 2001

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

                        Committee Members: J. Chapman, M. Bedner and F. Tullos

                        Commissioners:

Staff: C. Alexander, W. Davis, M. Eckert, R. Guarracino, D. Harrison,  C. Johnson, P. McNicoll, J. Peterson, R. Shell, K. Taylor

Press:  M. Permar

Others: 

 

 1.        Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the November 6, 2001 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes. 

The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 Recommend approval of the November 6, 2001 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes.  (Vote 3-0-0)

2.         Consider authorizing the appropriation of funds in the amount of $24,988, from the General Fund balance, to hire a Planning and Zoning Division Manager. 

 

Mr. John Peterson, Community Development Director stated that the amount shown in the write-up was incorrect and should be changed to $23,203.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend authorizing the appropriation of funds in the amount of $23,203, from the General Fund balance, to hire a Planning and Zoning Division Manager.  (Vote 3-0-0) 

 

3.         Consider awarding the bid for the resurfacing and upgrade of two (2) tennis courts at Selden Park and four (4) tennis courts at Ballard Park to Court Surfaces, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida in the amount of $118,012 with funding to be provided by SPLOST 3. 

 

Mr. Wesley Davis, Recreation Director, stated that this project is budgeted in SPLOST 3 and after discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend awarding the bid for the resurfacing and upgrade of two (2) tennis courts at Selden Park and four (4) tennis courts at Ballard Park to Court Surfaces, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida in the amount of $118,012 with funding to be provided by SPLOST 3.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

4.         Consider approving the following changes in rental rates charged at Blythe Island Regional Park to be effective December 7, 2001:

                     Facility                      Change From                              Change To

Mr. Wesley Davis presented this item and explained that renters are sometimes late with their monthly rent and the Recreation Department has no way to enforce the due date.  Commissioner Chapman questioned the eviction procedure and Mr. Keith Taylor, Assistant County Attorney, stated that the State of Georgia Tenant Law will not allow the County to evict until a full month after the due date has passed.  Commissioner Chapman stated that the $25 late fee should be changed to $50.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend approving the following changes in rental rates charged at Blythe Island Regional Park to be effective December 7, 2001:

                     Facility                      Change From                              Change To

 

 

5.         Consider awarding the bid for the purchase on an emergency squad to the lowest responsive bidder, Southern Emergency Vehicles, McDonough Ga. in the amount of $74,818 with funding to be provided by the General Fund.

 

Fire Chief Carl Johnson stated that the bid amount is less than the budgeted amount for the emergency squad purchase.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend awarding the bid for the purchase on an emergency squad to the lowest responsive bidder, Southern Emergency Vehicles, McDonough Ga. in the amount of $74,818 with funding to be provided by the General Fund.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

6.         Consider directing the County Administrator to request the Personnel Department to post this job opening based on a description to be submitted by GIS in accordance with the specifications listed above. 

 

Mr. Mark Eckert, County Administrator, requested that budget be transferred to the GIS Division from the Property Appraisal Office to fund a part-time position.  The Property Appraisal Office budget included monies for two temporary employees to perform data entry on the aerial ortho-photographs.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend authorizing the Finance Director to transfer to the Administration Department, GIS Division, the $27,000 allocated to the Property Tax Appraiser’s Office in the FY 01-02 Budget for the purpose of funding two (2) temporary employees, and directing the County Administrator to request the Personnel Department to post the job opening for one (1) part-time position based on a description to be submitted by GIS.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

7.         Consider adopting the budget calendar and penalties as submitted. 

 

Mr. Mark Eckert summarized the problems that must be dealt with if the budget is not approved in a timely manner and requested that the budget calendar be adopted and penalties assessed to departments and offices that failed to meet the deadlines.  Penalties were proposed to be a 3% to 5% reduction of capital, operating and personnel costs of the department’s previous BOC approved budget.  Mr. Keith Taylor questioned how the penalties would be assessed and Mr. Eckert stated that if the final budget submission deadline is not met, he would assess penalties to department that answer to the Administrator.  The County Commission would assess penalties to the elected and appointed offices.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend adopting the budget calendar and approve the assessment of penalties for failure to meet the final budget submittal date.  (Vote 3-0-0) 

 

8.         Consider granting the second year extension of the existing contract and proposed amendment with Azurix of North America subject to approval to form by the County Attorney.  Funding to come from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund. 

 

Mr. Ray Shell, Utility Manager, summarized this request and after discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend granting the second year extension of the existing contract and proposed amendment with Azurix of North America subject to approval to form by the County Attorney.  Funding to come from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

 

9.         Consider authorizing staff to surplus the plate and frame presses and purchase a belt press; authorizing staff the option to secure a value engineering study to evaluate and recommend the most suitable course of action for St Simons Island WWTP Phase II expansion.  Funding from the St. Simons Island Water and Sewer Capital fund.

 

Mr. Mark Eckert discussed the reasons the County elected to purchase the plate and frame presses instead of a belt press and the problems encountered as a result of that decision.  He then requested that the Board of Commissioners declare the plate and frame presses surplus and allow staff to sale that equipment and authorize the purchase of a belt press.  He stated that staff worked with an Engineering firm and a consultant when making the recommendation to purchase the plate and frame presses.  Mr. Eckert also discussed the SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor) treatment process at the Waste Water Treatment Plant and suggested that other approaches in treatment processes should be evaluated to assure value to the County.  He requested authorization to engage an engineering firm with a high degree of expertise in wastewater treatment to evaluate all processes feasible for implementation during the SSI WWTP Phase II improvements.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend authorizing staff to surplus the plate and frame presses and purchase a belt press; authorizing staff the option to secure a value engineering study to evaluate and recommend the most suitable course of action for St Simons Island WWTP Phase II expansion.  Funding from the St. Simons Island Water and Sewer Capital fund.   (Vote 3-0-0)

 

 

10.       Receive update on Public Safety Complex Budget status. 

 

Mr. Ralph Guarracino, Purchasing Agent, stated that there was $740 thousand remaining in the Public Safety Complex Contingency and that the project is 75% complete. 

 

11.               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 items as consent agenda items.