Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, December 11, 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. Carter, W. Davis, F. Dees, M. Eckert, R. Guarracino, C. Johnson, J. Magnant, P. McNicoll, S. Schaeffner, J. Thomas, D. Watson

Press:  A. Horton, M. Permar

Others: 

 

1.                Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the November 27, 2001 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes.  pages 1a-1c

b)      Denial of a request by Budget Motels Inc. that $453.05 paid in penalties on their 2000 property taxes be refunded.  (F. Dees) pages 2-6

c)      Approve the corrections to the 2000 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or chief Appraiser at their October 17, 2001 meeting.  (S. Schaeffner) pages 7-8

d)      Approve the corrections to the 1998, 1999, and 2000 digests as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their November 21, 2001 meeting.  (S. Schaeffner) pages 9-10

The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed unanimously.  Commissioner Bedner had not yet arrived at the meeting.

Recommend approval of the consent agenda items.  (Vote 2-0-0)

2.                Consider authorizing the advertisement of bids for the Altamaha Park Fishing Pier Project.  (D. Newbern) pages 11-12

 

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

Recommend authorizing the advertisement of bids for the Altamaha Park Fishing Pier Project.  (Vote 2-0-0)

 

3.                Consider authorizing staff to bid the sale of 220,000 board feet of Blythe Island Regional Park (BIRP) Timber at a time when the timber market will generate a high yield of revenue and deposit all proceeds received from the timber sales into the BIRP Development account for BIRP improvements.  (W. Davis) page 13

 

Commissioner Chapman voiced concerns that the sale of timber is dedicated to Blythe Island Park instead of to the General Fund.  He commented that he knew of no other operation that was allowed to keep their revenue and questioned Mr. Mark Eckert, County Administrator, about his opinion.  Mr. Eckert stated that it was a viable alternative to use the revenue for the Park’s capital needs.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend authorizing staff to bid the sale of 220,000 board feet of Blythe Island Regional Park (BIRP) Timber at a time when the timber market will generate a high yield of revenue and deposit all proceeds received from the timber sales into the BIRP Development account for BIRP improvements.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

4.                Consider approving Phase I of re-organization of the County Administration Department.  (M. Eckert) pages 14-20

 

Mr. Mark Eckert, County Administrator, presented the proposed reorganization plan for the Administration Department and gave a brief history of the Department and the GIS Division.  Commissioner Bedner stated that someone from the Tax Appraiser’s or Tax Commissioner’s office should be represented on the Oversight Committee.  After further discussion the following motions made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend

(a)                          establishing a Department to be known as the Department of Geographic Information Services;

(b)                          establishing an Oversight Committee to govern the GIS Department which will be known as the Glynn County Geographic Information Services Oversight Committee, with membership consisting of the Glynn County Chiefs of Fire and Police, the Directors of Public Works and Utilities, the City/County E-911 Director, and a representative from the Property Appraisal or Tax Commissioner’s Office;

(c)                          charging the Geographic Information Services Oversight Committee with establishing by-laws that, at a minimum:

                                                                          i.      Sets policy and procedures for the Committee,

                                                                        ii.      Provides direction to the future development of the Department.

                                                                      iii.      Assists in the deployment of the technology.

                                                                      iv.      Establishes agreements deemed necessary to assure a flow of accurate and timely information internal to Glynn County and any future partners.

                                                                        v.      Makes the information available to the public, enlists public and private sector partners, and

                                                                      vi.      Other activities, as approved by the County Administrator, that will further the mission of the Department;

(d)                          charging the Oversight Committee with establishing a sound fiscal basis for this Department’s services that reduces its reliance on the General Fund, with part of this effort to include the substance of SB230.  A written report and analysis identifying possible revenue sources is to be in place for Board of Commissioners consideration on or before September 30, 2002.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

5.                Consider revising the current check signing policy by eliminating references to the Assistant Finance Director, Acting Finance Director, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, the Flexible Spending Account, and add a statement regarding the signers on the County’s Third Party Administrator accounts.  (P. McNicoll) pages 21-22

 

Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, explained the request to revise the County’s check signing policy and after discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

Recommend revising the current check signing policy by eliminating references to the Assistant Finance Director, Acting Finance Director, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, the Flexible Spending Account, and add a statement regarding the signers on the County’s Third Party Administrator accounts.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

6.                Consider approving a Purchasing Ordinance amendment.  (R. Guarracino) pages23-47

 

Mr. Ralph Guarracino, Purchasing Agent, an overview of the significant changes to the purchasing ordinance.  He informed the Committee that this ordinance was the result of a purchasing ordinance review team which included Mr. Keith Taylor, Assistant County Attorney.  The following items which were not addressed in the current ordinance are included in the proposed policy:

(a)               Definition of terms, e.g. capital equipment vs. capital improvements,

(b)               The Administrator’s guildelines are included in the ordinance instead of as a separate document,

(c)               Pre-authorization allows the Administrator to approve capital equipment funding requests up to $50 thousand.

(d)               Provides for the use of the new purchasing card,

(e)               Extensive methodology for obtaining professional services,

(f)                 Formal bidding procedures (IFB & RFP),

(g)               Authorizes the Administrator to reject bids up to $50 thousand,

(h)               Includes contract authorization procedures.

Ms. Desiree Watson, Assistant County Attorney, stated that the Attorney’s office has some concerns about the Request for Proposals (RFP) procedures outlined in the proposed policy.  Mr. Guarracino clarified the RFP process and explained the difference between an RFP and a Request for Information.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

Recommend approval of a rewrite of the County’s Purchasing Ordinance.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

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

 

Chairman Tullos identified items 1, 2, 3, and 5 as consent items.