Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

Present:

                        Committee Members:  M. Bedner, J. Chapman and C. Fendig

Staff:  J. Bruner, W. Davis, J. Hegstrom, C. Johnson, P. McNicoll, B. Mauney, G. Moore, J. Pereles, R. Pittman, S. Schaeffner, R. Shell, S. Trautz  

Press:  L Nobles, M. Permar

Others:  Andy Anderson, Marshall Davis, Mike Hasty

 

 

1) Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

           

a)   Approve the July 8, 2003 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes.

 

b)      Deny a request by Ms. Betty Young Smith that $20.00 paid in penalties be refunded.

 

c)      Approve the real property correction to the 2001 Digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or the Chief Appraiser at their July 9, 2003 meeting. 

 

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

 

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

 

2) Consider awarding the bids for Demolition of the Casino and Demere Annex buildings.

 

Mr. Marshall Davis, Project Manager from  Carter Goble Lee, presented this item and stated that the asbestos survey had been done and an RFP prepared for the abatement work.  He stated that three of the seven building are contaminated with asbestos.  Mr. Gary Moore, Interim County Administrator, recommended that all of the smaller building be left as is.  After discussion concerning the affect on the construction of the Fire Station and the issues involving asbestos abatement, the following motion made by Commissioner Fendig and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend awarding the bids for demolition of the Casino and Demere Annex buildings A, F, and G to Glynn Iron & Steel, Brunswick Ga., the lowest responsive bidder, in the amount of $115,715 for the Casino and $64,423 for the Demere Annex buildings with funding to be provided from Splost #4.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

The following motion was also made by Commissioner Fendig and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend directing the County Attorney to contact the Airport Commission and request that they adjust the Airport site boundaries to assure that all County buildings are included within the County property referred to as the Demere Annex site.  (Vote:  3-0-0)

 

3) Consider awarding the bid for Fancy Bluff Well Division II from North Florida Construction, Inc. with a price of $733,928 and the approved lowest bidder for Fancy Bluff Well Division III Southern Allied Contractors with a price of $120,130.  Funding for the project will be from SPLOST III, SPLOST IV and the Water & Sewer Revenue Bond.

 

Mr. Ray Shell, Utilities Manager, informed the Committee that the Fancy Bluff well has been drilled and complete.  He stated that this project will augment the water supply for the Exit 29 area.  Chairman Bedner questioned by Southern Allied did not bid on the Division II project and Mr. Shell stated that Division II is strictly line work and the two divisions are actually separate projects.  Chairman Bedner questioned the feasibility of awarding to a local company and Mr. Jerry Hegstrom, Assistant County Attorney, reminded them that this is a public works contract and must be awarded to the lowest responsive bidder according to state law.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Fendig  passed unanimously.

 

Recommend awarding the bid for Fancy Bluff Well Division II from North Florida Construction, Inc. with a price of $733,928 and the approved lowest bidder for Fancy Bluff Well Division III Southern Allied Contractors with a price of $120,130.  Funding for the project will be from SPLOST III, SPLOST IV and the Water & Sewer Revenue Bond.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

4) Consider authorizing payment that has already been made in the amount of $182,415.89 to the City of Brunswick Water & Sewer Department for charges for wastewater metering stations and hydrogen sulfide damage to lift station #46 and 23 manholes.

 

Mr. Ray Shell, Utilities Manager, explained that extensive damage had been done to the City of Brunswick lift station and manholes due to hydrogen sulfide damage caused by County wastewater.  He stated that staff agrees that the County owes the City for repairs to the equipment and requested that the Board approve the expenditure.  Commissioner Chapman voiced concerns about paying for the repairs.  Chairman Bedner called for a motion and none was made.

 

This item was referred to the full Board of Commissioners with not action taken by the Finance Committee.

 

5) Consider approving the Grantee-Subgrantee Local All Hazards Emergency Operations Planning Agreement, and the allotment of $18,057 from the Georgia Management Agency, and authorize the Chairman to sign all applicable grant documents. 

 

Mr. Scott Trautz, Emergency Management Director, stated that the Local Emergency Operations Plan was three years old and in need of review and new development and must be submitted to GEMA by February 2, 2004.  The state has offered $18,057 to assist the County in the project and Mr. Trautz requested that the County accept the funding.  The following motion made by Commissioner Fendig and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend approving the Grantee-Subgrantee Local All Hazards Emergency Operations Planning Agreement, and the allotment of $18,057 from the Georgia Management Agency, and authorize the Chairman to sign all applicable grant documents.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

6) Consider approving and authorizing the Chairman to sign the annual service agreement, subject to County Attorney’s approval, for public safety radios, repeaters, software, and miscellaneous equipment for the year beginning on September 1, 2003 in the amount of $378,941.56, with funding to be provided from budgeted funds in the Glynn/Brunswick E911 Fund, County Police and Sheriff’s Departments in the County General Fund, the County Fire Fund, and the City of Brunswick. 

 

Mr. Carl Johnson, Fire Chief, presented this item and the following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Fendig passed unanimously.

 

Recommend approving and authorizing the Chairman to sign the annual service agreement, subject to County Attorney’s approval, for public safety radios, repeaters, software, and miscellaneous equipment for the year beginning on September 1, 2003 in the amount of $378,941.56, with funding to be provided from budgeted funds in the Glynn/Brunswick E911 Fund, County Police and Sheriff’s Departments in the County General Fund, the County Fire Fund, and the City of Brunswick.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

7) Consider directing staff to place in the Glynn Reserve Fund the $1 million revenue from the sale of property to the Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center.  Restrictions on the use of these funds will be governed by the February 1943 action passed by the Georgia General Assembly. 

 

Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, requested that the funds received from the sale of the Hospital property be placed in the Reserve Fund.  Chairman Bedner questioned the amount of funds that were placed in the Reserve Fund in the early 90’s and requested that the report be included in the Board of Commission agenda books.  The following motion made by Commissioner Chapman and seconded by Commissioner Fendig passed unanimously.

 

Recommend directing staff to place in the Glynn Reserve Fund the $1 million revenue from the sale of property to the Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center.  Restrictions on the use of these funds will be governed by the February 1943 action passed by the Georgia General Assembly.  (Vote: 3-0-0)

 

8) Receive a report on solid waste collection services. 

 

Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, presented a report on the Solid Waste Collection process.  She stated that some customers were canceling their yard trash service after the busy yard clean-up season ended and requested that the Board approve an annual billing, with no refunds, for yard trash and recycling instead of a quarterly billing.  There was also discussion concerning the drop-off centers and options for reducing the shortfall of revenue in that area.  Ms. McNicoll informed the Committee that delinquent customers’ service had been cut-off and there were a few customers who did not receive their bills but were being charged the late fee based on previous Board action.  The following motion made by Commissioner Fendig and seconded by Commissioner Chapman passed unanimously.

 

Recommend authorizing staff to exempt the $35 Sanitation Collection reinstatement fee if the quarterly bill was returned in the mail.

 

Chairman Bedner allowed Mr. Andy Anderson to speak concerning Water & Sewer billing.

 

Mr. Anderson voiced complaints concerning the length of time that it takes for his payment checks to clear his bank account, the format of the bill, and the quality of the fiscal management in the County.  He stated that the problems were apparently caused by the addition of the solid waste billing to the billing office’s responsibilities.

 

 

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

 

 

Chairman Bedner identified all items except #4 as consent items.  Item #4 was referred to the full Board with no action from the Finance Committee.