Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, February 26, 2002

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

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

                        Commissioners:

Staff: D. Chunn, W. Davis, M. Eckert, R. Guarracino,  C. Johnson, D. Manning, P. McNicoll, J. Nealson, D. Newbern, B. Rogers, J. Sanders, S. Santee, S. Schaeffner, R. Shell, D. Watson

Press: 

Others:  Jamie McNabb

 

1.  Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the February 12, 2002 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes. 

b)      Approve the corrections to the 2000 and 2001 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their February 6, 2002 meeting.  

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

Recommend approval of the consent agenda. (Vote:  3-0-0)

2.      Consider rescinding resolution #R-39-96 and setting the lease/rental rates for antenna located on county infrastructure based upon the competitive market rates in effect within Glynn County and adjacent areas at the time of the request. County staff shall determine the current competitive market rate for lease/rental rates and update it annually.  All existing contracts would remain in effect until renewal. 

 

Carl Johnson, Fire Chief presented this item and stated that all existing tower lease contracts will remain in effect until renewal.  Mark Eckert, County Administrator, stated that the very low rates allowed in the current resolution results in unfair competition with the private sector.  Commissioner Chapman requested that Chief Johnson be responsible for determining market rates.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend rescinding resolution #R-39-96 and setting the lease/rental rates for antenna located on county infrastructure based upon the competitive market rates in effect within Glynn County and adjacent areas at the time of the request. County staff shall determine the current competitive market rate for lease/rental rates and update it annually.  All existing contracts would remain in effect until renewal.  (Vote:  3-0-0)

 

3.      Consider

a) directing the Development Services Team to let an RFP to acquire program management services. Said cost of program management services are to be borne by the specific SPLOST project where the costs are accrued.

b) authorizing hiring a regular, full-time staff accountant for a period not to exceed the duration of SPLOST IV assigned within the Finance Department. The date of hire is to be at least one month prior to the initial expenditure of SPLOST IV funds. This person will be used in the execution of SPLOST III and IV projects as well as any capital improvement projects and grants, loans or the like related to SPLOST projects approved by the Board of Commissioners during that period. Said staff accountant costs are to be paid through the specific SPLOST project where the costs are accrued. Any non-SPLOST related grant accounting costs would be borne by the appropriate fund.

 

Mark Eckert presented this item and stated that the Development Services Team felt that projects could be done better from a time and quality standpoint with the use of program management services since the projects are currently being monitored part-time by County staff.  He stated that with these services Splost 4 projects can be accomplished more quickly than in the past and the County will be assured of high quality results.  The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed with Commissioner Chapman voting against the motion.

Recommend

a) directing the Development Services Team to let an RFP to acquire program management services. Said cost of program management services are to be borne by the specific SPLOST project where the costs are accrued.

b) authorizing hiring a regular, full-time staff accountant for a period not to exceed the duration of SPLOST IV assigned within the Finance Department. The date of hire is to be at least one month prior to the initial expenditure of SPLOST IV funds. This person will be used in the execution of SPLOST III and IV projects as well as any capital improvement projects and grants, loans or the like related to SPLOST projects approved by the Board of Commissioners during that period. Said staff accountant costs are to be paid through the specific SPLOST project where the costs are accrued. Any non-SPLOST related grant accounting costs would be borne by the appropriate fund.  (Vote: 2-1-0)

 

4.   Consider authorizing the purchase and installation of an ADA compliant automatic gating system with funds in an amount not to exceed $26,000 to be provided by the Blythe Island Regional Park Development program.

 

Wesley Davis, Recreation Director, stated that the Blythe Island Regional Park Advisory Board had voted unanimously in favor or this purchase.  After discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend authorizing the purchase and installation of an ADA compliant automatic gating system with funds in an amount not to exceed $26,000 to be provided by the Blythe Island Regional Park Development program.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

5.   Consider

a)   authorizing staff to pursue conversion of the Highway 20 Bridge Grant to a Light Duty Pedestrian Bridge Grant in an amount not to exceed $20,000 with funding of the $10,000 local cash match to be provided by the Blythe Island Regional Park Development Program,

b)   authorizing staff to proceed with modifications to the grant, and

c)      authorizing the Chairperson to execute grant documents. 

 

Wesley Davis informed the Committee that this grant conversion would reduce the expenditure of public funds from $84,000 to $20,000.  He stated that the original plans to originally planned bridge was designated for future development in five to ten years.  He said that the Pedestrian Bridge which is now proposed would benefit campers and guests that are presently utilizing park and nature trails.  Commissioner Chapman questioned whether the pedestrian bridge was absolutely essential and Mr. Davis responded that it will allow campers more access to the nature trails.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend

a)   authorizing staff to pursue conversion of the Highway 20 Bridge Grant to a Light Duty Pedestrian Bridge Grant in an amount not to exceed $20,000 with funding of the $10,000 local cash match to be provided by the Blythe Island Regional Park Development Program,

b)   authorizing staff to proceed with modifications to the grant, and

d)     authorizing the Chairperson to execute grant documents.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

6.   Consider

a)   approving the application for grant funds in the amount of $30,840 from the Governor’s Children and Youth Coordinating Council;

b)   authorizing the Chairperson to execute appropriate contract documents subject to County Attorney’s approval;

e)      approving the required match of $3200 with funding to be provided in the FY2002 budget; and

f)        authorizing the County Administrator to expend funds subsequent to the execution of the grant agreement and appropriation of funds. 

 

Judge Don Manning, Juvenile Court, presented this item and stated that this was a third year application.  He stated that the grant would include a community service supervisor program, psychological testing and counseling services, sex offender specific counseling program, and after school tutoring for middle and high school students.  He said that they would be performing after-school tutoring during the same time periods that the school system has a program for accelerated students.  The students in the Juvenile Court program would then have access to public school transportation.   He said that we would be unable to do this project without the after school transportation.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend

a)   approving the application for grant funds in the amount of $30,840 from the Governor’s Children and Youth Coordinating Council;

b)   authorizing the Chairperson to execute appropriate contract documents subject to County Attorney’s approval;

g)     approving the required match of $3200 with funding to be provided in the FY2002 budget; and

h)     authorizing the County Administrator to expend funds subsequent to the execution of the grant agreement and appropriation of funds.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

7.   Consider I move that the Board of Commission direct the Finance Department to transfer $179,368 from the Office Park Capital Improvements Budget to Facilities Management's budget in order to execute a new electric service and, funds permitting, a new chiller tower within the W. Harold Pate Building.

 

Jay Nealson, Facilities Manager, presented this item and after discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend directing the Finance Department to transfer $179,368 from the Office Park Capital Improvements Budget to Facilities Management's budget in order to execute a new electric service and, funds permitting, a new chiller tower within the W. Harold Pate Building.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

8.   Consider approving Alternative #4, and direct Facilities Management to acquire the services of Associates in Local Government Assistance, Inc. to prepare, submit, and administer the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), if it is approved.  Associates in Local Government Assistance, Inc. is to be paid through CDBG funds. 

 

Jay Nealson presented this item and stated that we would be eligible for the grant only if we owned the property.  Mark Eckert stated that by approving this item, the Committee was actually making a policy decision on whether to building a new Health Department Building or renovate an existing building.  It was decided that the Commissioner’s committee that has been working on the Health Department Building project should have a meeting to discuss this item prior to going to the full Board of Commissioners.

No action was taken on this item.  Chairman Tullos referred this item to the full Board of Commission.

 

9.  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 items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 as consent items.