Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

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

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

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

Staff:  B. Bracey, D. Chunn, W. Davis, M. Eckert, J. Hegstrom, C. Johnson, U. Keller, K. Maranville, P. McNicoll, G. Moore, D. Newbern, B. Rowell

Press:   J. Rayburn

Others:  J. Gilbert, Mount Batten Surety Co. representative

 

1) Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

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

b)      Approve the Resolution to amend the FY 02/03 Budget.

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

Recommend approval of the Consent Agenda.   (Vote 3-0-0)

Chairman Tullos announced that item #10 would be discussed at this time.

 

10) Consider approving the values of all properties involved in the exchange as found by Mr. Richard Freidman and authorize staff to proceed with publication of a notice of the exchange (Dunn Avenue/Lawrence Road) and scheduling its consideration  by this Commission at a future meeting.

 

Mr. Gary Moore, County Attorney, informed the Committee that the Sea Island Company has requested that Glynn County swap some unopened and unused roadways on Sea Island known as Dune Avenue and adjacent streets to them in return for property on either side of Lawrence Road and the triangular tract between Demere Road, Sea Island Causeway and Kings Way, all on St. Simons Island.  State law allows counties to exchange property when the county received equal or greater value for the property it gives.  According to appraisals done by Mr. Richard Friedman, Glynn County would be receiving property that is worth more than the property it is releasing.  After discussion, Commissioner Bedner made a motion to approve Alternative #3 and Commissioner Tullos seconded the motion.  Commissioner Chapman stated that he did not want to approve the values but just wanted to send the item to the full Board of Commissioners.

 

Commissioner Bedner amended his motion as follows, was seconded by Commissioner Tullos and passed with Commissioner Chapman voting against the motion.

 

Recommend authorizing staff to proceed with all required information preparation concerning the exchange of properties (Dunn Avenue/Lawrence Rd and SSI Entrance Triangular Tract) between the County and Sea Island Company, and submit to the next scheduled Board meeting the values of all properties as found by Mr. Friedman’s appraisals including designation of source of funds for publication of the numbers.  (Vote 2-1-0)

 

2) Consider awarding the bid for the purchase of an emergency squad to the lowest responsive bidder, Taylor Made Ambulance, Newport, Arkansas, in the amount of $72,835 with funding to be provided by the Emergency Rescue Service Budget in the General Fund. 

 

 

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

Recommend awarding the bid for the purchase of an emergency squad to the lowest responsive bidder, Taylor Made Ambulance, Newport, Arkansas, in the amount of $72, 835 with funding to be provided by the Emergency Rescue Service Budget in the General Fund.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

3) Consider execution of a contract with the State of Georgia to upgrade the current voter registration and election system to the TCP/IP system at a cost not to exceed the budgeted amount of $6,400. 

 

Mr. Uli Keller explained the need for the equipment upgrade and the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously. 

Recommend execution of a contract with the State of Georgia to upgrade the current voter registration and election system to the TCP/IP system at a cost not to exceed the budgeted amount of $6,400.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

4) Consider approval of the following effective January 1, 2003:

a)      The oversight and financial control of the St. Simons Farmers’ Market to be transferred to the Airport Commission, under the direction of Steve Brian, Executive Director;

b)      Changes in the fees and services as stated in Table C below:

 

 

Mr. Mark Eckert, County Administrator, stated that he began receiving inquiries from FAA as early as June, 2001, and that the property discussions were not related to post-9/11 security issues.  He said that the County had a series of meetings with FAA regarding boundaries of the land since August, 2001.  He stated that movement is not imminent but will be done in the future.  Commissioner Bedner stated that the County has been forced to do this by the FAA and he didn’t believe that the County should be negotiating contracts with Farmer’s Market vendors for them and then go through the public hearings process of increasing fees.  Commissioner Chapman questioned why the fees should be increased and Mr. Eckert responded that the County is losing money on the project.  After further discussion, the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

Recommend the transfer of the oversight and financial control of the St. Simons Farmers’ Market to the Airport Commission, under the director of Steve Brian, Executive Director, with an effective date of January 1, 2003.  (Vote 3-0-0) 

5) Consider accepting the $25,000 federal grant award from the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division for the purpose of financing the County’s NPDES Phase II application and program development.  The Chairman is authorized to execute the grant award contract documents.

 

Commissioner requested comments from Mr. Eckert who stated that the County is required to do the NPDES study and that this federal pass through grant will reduce the costs.  Commissioner Bedner stated that the contract has been awarded and that this grant will be a reduction in the cost of the contract.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

Recommend accepting the $25,000 federal grant award from the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division for the purpose of financing the County’s NPDES Phase II application and program development and authorize the Chairman to execute the grant award contract documents.  (Vote 3-0-0)

6) Consider accepting the $68,160 grant award contract from the Georgia DNR Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division for the purpose of purchasing an approximate 65-acre site at Altamaha Park, and develop a nature trail with interpretive signage.  The County will match the grant award with General Fund and Greenspace Fund dollars.  The Chairman is authorized to sign the grant agreement.

 

The following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Tullos passed with Commissioner Chapman voting against the motion. 

Recommend accepting the $68,160 grant award contract from the Georgia DNR Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division for the purpose of purchasing an approximate 65-acre site at Altamaha Park, and develop a nature trail with interpretive signage.  The County will match the grant award with General Fund and Greenspace Fund dollars.  The Chairman is authorized to sign the grant agreement.  (Vote 2-1-0)

 

7) Consider executing a contract with the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center in the amount of $31,000 for the purpose of preparing a Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan.

 

Mr. Eckert stated that the County is required to prepare the Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan and that staff had three options:  (1) contract with an outside consultant, which would be costly; (2) prepare the plan in-house with existing staff; or (3) contract with the CGRDC.  He stated that there is no staff available to devote the time needed to prepare the plan in-house.  Ms. Becky Rowell has worked with County staff and the CGRDC staff and has fine-tuned the contract and eliminated loopholes.  Commissioner Chapman complimented Ms. Rowell on the work that was done on the contract.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously. 

Recommend executing a contract with the Coastal Georgia Regional Development Center (CGRDC) in the amount of $31,000 for the purpose of preparing a Multi-hazard Mitigation Plan, subject to review by the County Attorney’s office.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

8)  Consider accepting a $500,000 federal Community Development block Grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to help finance a new County Health Department building.

 

Mr. Dick Newbern, Grants Coordinator, stated that this grant would be matched by $2.8 million in Splost #4 funds.  Commissioner Chapman questioned whether Lee Design would be managing the project and Mr. Eckert stated that he is discussing a fee structure with Lee Design.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Bedner passed unanimously.

 

Recommend accepting a $500,000 federal Community Development Block Grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and contract with Associates in Local Government Services, Inc. (ALGA), in an amount not to exceed $30,000 to administer the grant and grant-related expenses.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

9)      Consider paying the balance of the contract price of $47,625 to Mount Batten Surety Company, Inc. for work done on the Historic Courthouse meeting rooms.

 

Gary Moore, County Attorney, explained that River City Contractors had stopped working on the Historic Courthouse prior to completion.  Staff notified Mount Batten Surety Company, Inc. and they contracted with NDK to complete the project.  Liquidated damages which were incurred due to the job not being finished by the December 11, 2001 deadline amounted to $57,250.  Mount Batten Surety Company has now requested payment of the $47,625 balance owed to River City Contractors.  After further discussion the following motion made by Commissioner Bedner and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend that the County not pay the balance of the contract price of $47,625, but rather instruct the Co Attorney to prepare a plan for negotiation of liquidated damages and recommend to the full Board of Commissioners an amount to be paid to Mount Batten Surety Company, Inc.  (Vote 3-0-0)

 

8)  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, 3, 5, 7, and 8 as consent items.  Items 4, 6, 9, and 10 are deferred to the Full Board of Commissioners with recommendations from Finance Committee.