Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

FY07 Budget Presentations

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Thursday, April 20, 2006

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

Present:

                        Committee Members:   C. Johnson, U. Keller, & T. Thaw

Other Commissioners:  D. Hogan

Staff:  T. Barton, P. Christian, D. Chunn, W. Davis, D. Howes, B. Mauney, B. McDonald, P. McNicoll, R. Raines, B. Rowell, C. Stewart, Dawn

Press:   K. Laing

Others: 

 

 

1)      Consider approving the April 6, 2006 Finance Committee Minutes.

 

The following motion made by Commissioner Keller and seconded by Commissioner Thaw passed unanimously. 

 

Approve the April 6, 2006 Finance Committee Minutes.  (Vote:  3-0-0)

 

2)      Consider a request from Judge Howes to change a part-time Deputy Court Clerk position to a full-time position.

 

Judge Debra Howes reported that it is difficult to keep the current part-time position filled as there are no benefits except vacation.  She stated that the current employee has resigned and that she was under the impression when she was hired that the position would be changed to full-time.  Commissioner Thaw asked how many employees the Judge currently has and Judge Howes stated that she has four full-time and one part-time position.  She stated that the last new position was provided in 1998.  She informed the Committee that the public that comes into the office require assistance in filling out forms and that commitments take 30-40 minutes for the paperwork.  She stated that the change being requested amounts to a $13 thousand increase in the budget.

 

Commissioner Thaw stated that the Committee needs to look at all personnel requirements before a decision is made on this request.  He requested that a revenue comparison to the previous year be provided.   No action was taken on this item.

 

3)      Consider a request from Judge Barton for two new positions: an Administrative Assistant and an additional part-time Magistrate Judge. 

 

Judge Barton withdrew the request for the Administrative Assistant.  He stated that he had reduced his budget by eliminating the answering service, pagers, and court reporters.  He stated that the reductions he had made would cover the cost of an additional judge.  He stated that citations have increased significantly since 2004. 

 

After Judge Barton left the meeting the Committee agreed to recommend the additional part-time Magistrate Judge position.

 

4)      Receive information on Facilities Management.   

·         Ballard School Building

·         Community Buildings

·         Public Safety Building Leak

·         Building Evaluations and Maintenance Plans

 

Mr. Paul Christian, Assistant County Administrator, and Ben Mauney, Facilities Manager, reported on the Community Buildings as follows:

a)      Baldwin Community Building (also known as the Brookman Building):  This building is in good condition and is used quite a bit but is not ADA compliant.  Commissioner Johnson commented that a pavilion is needed at this location and that it will be built using Splost #5 funds.

b)      Ballard Community Building:  This building is in good condition and is used frequently but the bathrooms are not ADA compliant. 

c)      Blythe Island Community Building:  This building is in good condition and is not ADA compliant.  Commissioner Thaw stated that this building should be torn down.  Commissioner Johnson agreed to demolish this building only after a larger community building is built at the Blythe Island Regional Park.

d)      Demere Community Building (also know as the Mary House):  This building is in poor condition and is not ADA compliant.  Commissioner Thaw stated that the Demere Building should be torn down.  Facilities Management is in the process of obtaining quotes for asbestos and lead paint testing and building demolition.

e)      Highland Park (Brookman) Community Building:  This building is in good condition and is ADA compliant.

f)        Thalman Community Building:  This building is in poor condition, is not ADA compliant and needs to be test for asbestos/lead paint, abatement and demolition.  Commissioner Thaw stated that the Thalman Building should be torn down and the other Committee members and staff agreed.  Mr. Wesley Davis, Recreation Director, stated that this building has been closed for over ten years.

 

Commissioner Thaw stated that the County needs to improve the buildings that remain.  Mr. Charley Stewart, County Administrator, informed the Committee that they will be expected to sign a consent order related to the County’s ADA deficiencies in the near future.

 

g)      Selden Park:  Mr. Christian updated the Committee on the status of the buildings at Selden Park.  He stated that the old gym will be demolished and that the Headmasters House will be renovated and used as a museum.  Mr. Christian stated that there is interest in placing the Headmasters House on the Historical Register.  He said that if that is done, there will not be sufficient funds to renovate the building.  Commissioner Keller stated that grants could be obtained to assist in the work.

 

h)      Ballard School Buildings:  Mr. Christian stated that the renovation of all of the buildings at Ballard School is estimated to cost $1.4 million.  Facilities Management recommends saving Building B & E and demolishing the other buildings.  Buildings B & E are on the Historical Register.  Mr. Davis questioned whether the lunchroom could be used as a Community Building and Mr. Christian did not recommend saving that building.  Mr. Christian stated that the Ballard Building all have asbestos which will have to be abated.

 

i)        Record Retention:  It had been suggested that the old school be used for a record retention facility but Mr. Christian stated that there may be other more economical options.  He located a building on Rose Drive which has 8,635 square feet, was previously used for record retention, and would cost approximately $500 thousand to purchase.   Commissioner Thaw stated that it may be more economical to build a new building rather than purchasing the Rose Drive building or renovate the Ballard property. 

 

j)     Mr. Christian presented the Facilities 20 year capital and operating budget for all County buildings for the Committee’s review.  Mr. Christian referred to the Office Park plan and informed the Committee that renovations similar to the Public Defender’s space are planned for the Office Park Building.  He wants to use the prison system to renovate space for the Drug Court and Juvenile Court.  Staff has located space at the Barnett Building to relocate Engineering and Community Development.  There was discussion concerning the type of roof on the Office Park Building.  Commissioner Thaw stated that a roof will not last unless there is adequate drainage.

 

k)   Mr. Christian and Mr. Mauney discussed the Public Safety Building and the request to seal and tuck point the Public Safety Building.  Mr. Mauney stated that depending on the direction of the wind, the building sometimes leaks during rain storms.

 

5)      Receive a report on health claims and its impact on the FY07 Budget.

 

Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, explained the Employee Medical Benefit budget report.  She stated that the employee premiums were increased by $5 per participant as a starting point for this budget.  She stated that it had been two years since the employee’s premiums had been increased.  She stated that the increase in expenses was primarily in health claims.   Commissioner Johnson commented on a presentation that he attended concerning a Disease Management program.  He stated that the Disease Management program would decrease expenses.  Covenant bid to provide this program but have not provided it to the County and the County has not paid them for the service.  Ms. Rowell stated that the County had this program when Wausau was the Claims Administrator and the loss of that program may have caused some of the increase in health claims.  Commissioner Johnson requested that a copy of the packet on Disease Management be forwarded to the other Committee members.

 

6)      Receive a report from Chief Al Thomas on revenues from Fire Inspections and consider a request for an additional Fire Inspector.

 

Chief Al Thomas, Fire Chief, presented information on fire inspections since 2003.  They only charge revenue for inspections that they perform as the State Fire Marshall.  Inspections performed for the local jurisdiction are done at no charge to the customer.  Commissioner Keller questioned whether the County could charge for the local jurisdiction inspections and Chief Thomas stated that he had requested to charge for the services but the Board of Commissioners had not voted in favor of the charges.  Commissioner Johnson stated that the Committee would take the request under advisement.  No action was taken at this time.

 

7)      Receive a report from Chief Al Thomas and Wesley Davis, Recreation Director, on the proposed First Aid Trailer for the beaches.

 

Chief Thomas showed the Committee pictures of the Beach Trailer that the Fire Department uses.  He stated that the current process is that the Police Dept will take it to the beach as needed using their four-wheeler.  Ms. Dawn Williams, Recreation Program Manager, showed the Committee the First Aid Box that the lifeguards use on the beach.  Commissioner Thaw requested that the trailer be moved up and down the beach occasionally so that the public can see that it’s available.  Mr. Davis stated that he would need another lifeguard if they are to ride the trailer up and down the beach.  Commissioner Thaw also requested that location markers be placed on the beach to assist public safety in locating persons that have called for assistance. 

 

8)      Receive a report on Animal Control animal pickup. 

 

After a brief discussion Commissioner Johnson stated that they would look at this request later.

 

9)      Receive revised Outside Agencies Requests, Personnel Requests, and Capital Request.   

 

Ms. McNicoll stated that the attachments were the new versions of these reports resulting from action taken at the previous Finance Committee Budget meeting.  Commissioner Johnson questioned whether the Fire Department Capital changed from last year and was told that it was less than the previous year.