Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

                        Committee Members: M. Bedner and J. Chapman

                        Commissioners:

Staff: C. Alexander, K. Brown, J. Bruner, D. Chunn, F. Dees, M. Eckert, S. Fentriss, R. Guarracino, C. Johnson, P. McNicoll, G. Moore, J. Nealson, J. Newbern, S. Schaeffner, D. Watson

Press:  M. Permar

Others: 

 

1.                Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the January 8, 2002 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes. 

b)      Denial of a request by Mr. Charlie Bryant that $14.50 paid in penalties on his tag registration be refunded. 

c)      Denial of a request by Ms. Barbara Pearl that $7.24 paid in penalties on their 2001 property taxes be refunded.

d)      Approve the corrections to the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their January 2, 2002 meeting. 

e)      Approve the Resolution to amend the FY 01/02 Budget. 

Commissioner Bedner pulled items 1(d) and 1(e) from the consent agent for discussion as requested by staff.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend approval of the consent agenda items 1(a,b,c).  (Vote:  2-0-0)

Mr. Steve Schaeffner, Chief Appraiser, presented the Committee with a replacement page for item 1(d) and commented that an error had been made on the report in the packet.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend approval of the corrections to the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their January 2, 2002 meeting.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

Mr. Denny Chunn, Budget Analyst, discussed the budget resolution and explained the reasons for the major adjustments.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend approval of the resolution to amend the FY 01/02 budget.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

2.                Consider directing staff be directed to prepare an addendum to the existing agreement with ACCG that will allow DMG-Maximus to undertake a Comparative study of Total Employee Compensation vs. Population Changes at a cost not to exceed $19,600, and that the study be funded through the County Administrator’s budget. 

 

Mark Eckert, County Administrator, explained that he had contacted DMG-Maximus as directed by the Board of Commissioners, to determine the method and cost to obtain a study of total employee compensation vs. population changes.  He stated that DMG would select twenty-three (23) to twenty-five (25) counties to compare with Glynn County and staff would then narrow the list to six (6) or eight (8) to use as benchmarks.  He stated that the study could be funded using salary savings in the Administration Department.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend directing staff to prepare an addendum to the existing agreement with ACCG that will allow DMG-Maximus to undertake a Comparative study of Total Employee Compensation vs. Population Changes at a cost not to exceed $19,600, and that the study be funded through the County Administrator’s budget.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

3.                Consider authorizing staff to invest an amount not-to-exceed $10,380 to the Etheridge Drive pavement maintenance effort that is supported by the State DOT and Glynn EDA. Said funds for this effort are to be made available by a transfer of funds from County Administration Personnel to County Engineering Capital Improvements. 

 

Mark Eckert presented this item and stated that any cost overruns would be absorbed by Glynn EDA or the State DOT.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend authorizing staff to invest an amount not-to-exceed $10,380 to the Etheridge Drive pavement maintenance effort that is supported by the State DOT and Glynn EDA. Said funds for this effort are to be made available by a transfer of funds from County Administration Personnel to County Engineering Capital Improvements.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

4.                Consider awarding the bid for the Spur 25 Extension at Cate Road project, Number 00326, to Plant Improvement Company, Inc. d/b/a Seaboard Construction Company, in the amount of $1,216,261.64 with funding provided from SPLOST III. 

 

Mr. Jim Bruner, County Engineer, stated that this project would be funded by the Georgia DOT and Glynn County, with the County’s cost amounting to $556,631.06.  Commissioner Chapman voiced concerns about the condition of Cate Road from the end of this project to the new Public Safety Complex entrance.  He stated that is was too narrow for the traffic and equipment that would be traveling to and from the Public Safety Complex and suggested that the County should consider widening or possible building up the shoulder of the road.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend awarding the bid for the Spur 25 Extension at Cate Road project, Number 00326, to Plant Improvement Company, Inc. d/b/a Seaboard Construction Company, in the amount of $1,216,261.64 with funding provided from SPLOST III and direct staff to evaluate the feasibility and associated cost of widening Cate Road from the end of the four lane segment to the entrance of the Public Safety Center Complex.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

5.                Consider approving the proposed TEA Agreement between the County and Georgia DOT for grant funding for the Coast Guard Station Restoration Project, approving the appropriate Resolution of adoption and authorizing the Chairman to execute the TEA Agreement and Resolution. 

 

Mr. Dick Newbern, Grants Administrator, stated that the County had previously been awarded two grants for the Coast Guard Station Restoration and this agreement formally combines the two grants into one  $600,000 grant package.  He stated that combining the two grants will allow the County to get more for the money.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend approving the proposed TEA Agreement between the County and Georgia DOT for grant funding for the Coast Guard Station Restoration Project, approving the appropriate Resolution of adoption and authorizing the Chairman to execute the TEA Agreement and Resolution.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

 

6.                Consider (1) accept the $146,033 grant offer from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for storm shutter installation at the Public Safety Complex and Fire Station No. 8, (2) authorize the Chairman to execute appropriate grant documents, (3) commit the $16,226 (10%) cash match to the project and specify the Public Safety Complex account in SPLOST III as the source of funds and, (4) direct staff to advertise bids for the project in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines. 

 

Mr. Dick Newbern presented this item and the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend (1) accepting the $146,033 grant offer from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for storm shutter installation at the Public Safety Complex and Fire Station No. 8, (2) authorizing the Chairman to execute appropriate grant documents, (3) committing the $16,226 (10%) cash match to the project and specify the Public Safety Complex account in SPLOST III as the source of funds and, (4) directing staff to advertise bids for the project in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

7.                Discussion  - E-911 Surcharges.

 

Mr. Ken Brown, 911 Communications Director, gave a brief history of the cell phone surcharge process.  He stated that he had made several efforts to contact the cell phone service providers but had been unsuccessful in locating them.  He then contacted the County Attorney’s office for assistance.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Direct staff to present a briefing to the Board of Commissioners regarding Wireless 911 collection efforts in Glynn County.  (Vote:  2-0-0)

 

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

 

Commissioner Bedner identified items 1(a – e) and 3 – 6 as consent items.