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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-09-1999 Meeting I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - August 9, 1999 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; H. Brigham, Chairman; Powell, Vice- Chairman; Beard and Shepard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Clifford Rushton, IT Director; Rob Sherman, License & Inspections Director; Paul DeCamp, Planning Commission; Keven Mack, HND Director; Richard Leach, Library Director; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Also Present: Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit, George Eskola ofWJBF Television, other members of the news media and Hons. Bridges, Colclough and Mays, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request to add one item. Mr. Shepard: I'll make the motion to add it to the agenda. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I A request to approve the petition for retirement on Robert M. Russ, was read. A request to approve the petition for retirement on Melba L. Dismuke, was read. A request to approve the petition for retirement on James R. Isdell, was read. Mr. Powell: I move approval. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to consider approval of retroactive salary adjustments regarding reclassification of Accounting Technician I position, grade 43, to Payroll Supervisor, grade 48 and Accounting Clerk II position, grade 39, to Payroll Technician, grade 41, was read. I Mr. Wall: It is still my opinion that you cannot grant retroactive pay increases. There have been situations where corrections were made in the computations of salaries but these were not retroactive salary increases. You have the authority to correct an administrative error but you can't go back and change the rate of pay. Mr. Beard: Are you saying that we've never done this before? Mr. Wall: To the best of my knowledge we have never granted a retroactive pay I increase. We have made corrections where the corrections were applied retroactively but we have not gone back and changed someone's salary and retroactively implemented that. Mr. Powell: I so move that we approve the County Attorney's recommendation that there be no retroactive increase. Mr. Shepard: Second. Mr. Beard: For the record I do think when it's our fault, our employees should not have to suffer. Motion fails with Mr. Beard and the Chairman voting "No". . A request to approve reclassification of Library Assistant II, Grade 39 to Library Assistant I, Grade 40; reclassification of Library Assistant II, Grade 39 to Library Assistant III, Grade 37; reclassification of Secretary II, Grade 38 to Secretary III, Grade 37; elimination of Mender, Grade 35; creation of Administrative Assistant II, Grade 43, was read. Mr. Leach: We are asking to do it at this time because we have vacancies in these I areas and we can make these adjustments without affecting any existing personnel. Mr. Powell: I move for approval. Mr. Shepard: Second. After further discussion, Mr. Oliver: My recommendation is to let it be done as part ofthe budgetary process although I understand why he wants to proceed now. Motion adopted with Mr. Beard voting "No". A request to consider a communication from the Indigent Defense Tripartite Committee to increase the compensation ofthe Director from $43,142 to 550,830, was read. Mr. Jack Long spoke in support of the increase in salary for the Director. Mr. Oliver: The salary history for this position was $28,551 on 8/8/97. On 10/20/97 it went to $42,000 and on 10/20/98 it went $43,142. While you may wish to make some adjustment, we believe something more modest would be appropriate. Mr. Powell: And in October it would increase another 3%. I I Mr. Oliver: Yes, and that would bring it to $44,436. Mr. Shepard: I move that we deal with this request in the budgetary process. Mr. Powell: I second the motion. After further discussion, the motion was adopted with the Chairman voting "No". A request to create a Department of Growth Management, which includes Planning & Zoning, License and Inspections and Housing and Neighborhood Development as recommended by the Management Study with no change in funding or staffing, was read. Mr. Oliver: There is a lot of coordination within these groups and in the long run we think this will enhance the overall coordination among these departments and be in the best interest of the government. We don't see any appreciable change in funding or staffing but we think it's more of a coordination issue. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Chairman: I'll second it for discussion. I Mr. Oliver: Mr. Patty would be the head of it and Mr. Mack and Mr. Sherman would remain in their positions. Mr. Powell: Would Mr. Patty be compensated for this? Mr. Oliver: He has asked for consideration in that regard. He wants to do it and I think that would be reasonable for consideration in the budgetary process. Mr. Powell: I would like to look at it a little further before I make a decision. Mr. Shepard: I'd like a little more time to study this and I would like to retain it in our committee for one meeting more and I'll make that as a substitute motion. Mr. Powell: I second that. Mr. Chairman: Let's vote on the substitute motion first. Motion fails with Mr. Beard and the Chairman voting "No". Mr. Chairman: Back to the original motion. I Motion fails with Mr. Powell and Mr. Shepard voting "No". The Committee next discussed the matter of the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corporation project. Mr. Mayor: An issue we've been working on for the last six months is the effort to improve housing in the inner city area of Augusta. We have put together a model based on a program we've seen in Chattanooga, Tennessee that has been very successful. We have gone through the motions of creating the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corporation that was taken from an old non-profit which had made some loans in the City back in the '80s and had been dormant but still had some active accounts. We've restructured it and the mission of this group is to develop and implement housing and economic development projects for the benefit oflow- and moderate-income citizens in Augusta. There are four main objectives to accomplish this. I. Identify and plan viable neighborhood development projects with faith based and community based organizations. 2. Identify, secure and manage private and government resources to develop and implement projects. 3. Implement and manage selected projects and provide technical assistance and financial management on development projects. 4. Identify and market home ownership, rental housing and rehab opportunities in the project area. We have representatives from HUD here today who are working with us on the front end. We have a couple of requests from the Committee today. First, we need some seed money and we've asked the Committee to appropriate $1 million from HUD which could be a combination of CDBG and HOME money for this organization. This group also needs access to property that's held in the Land Bank for its housing development program. They also want the City ask the Tax Commissioner to move forward against property owners who have outstanding liens in Laney Walker and the targeted area where the development begins. We hope to get houses under construction by next spring and we need the backing of the City as we begin to talk with the banks. We will have some town meetings to discuss our plans with the people in the neighborhood. After further discussion and comments from representatives of HUD, Mr. Oliver: We have $800,000 in 1999 CDBG money and that will need to be reprogrammed. The Mayor has indicated that this group will send us a proposal as to what they're going to do with the $1 million so we can send it through the Citizens Advisory Committee. 20% of the money can be used for administrative costs; $200,000 is the most that can be used for office furniture, tlxtures, salaries, etc. The rest of the money would have to come from the private sector. Our sales tax money can only be used for infrastructure. Mr. Wall: The only word of caution I have is there is concern about urging the Tax Commissioner to focus on a particular area insofar as judicial foreclosure because then you're using the government to take property through a ta:'{ lien to facilitate economic development. We need to be cognizant about that as you move forward. Mr. Oliver: You could direct us to begin the reprogramming process for the million dollars. After further discussion, Mr. Shepard: I would make a motion that the Administrator identify the $800,000 from the '98 funds and $200,000 from 2000 funds I I I I and that we receive a proposal from ANIC which will be sent to our Citizens Advisory Committee. Mr. Powell: I'll second the motion. Mr. Beard: I will abstain from voting since I'm on the board. After further discussion, Mr. Oliver: We need to carry the funding back to the earliest year so let's say that funding would come from current and previous years and up to $200,000 next year. Mr. Shepard: I'll accept the amendment. Motion adopted unanimously with Mr. Beard abstaining. I A request to establish base salary of all state court judges at $94,400.00. Approve annual cost-of-living increase to state court judges in order to maintain consistency between periodic pay increases granted to Richmond County Constitutional Officials and that of state court judges. Approve application of the same formula for state court judges that is used for these officials. The formula would be as follows: Whenever the employees in the classified service of the state merit system receive a cost-of-Iiving increase or general performance based increase of a certain percentage or a certain amount, the base salary of all state court judges, whether set by local law or by the county governing authority, shall be increased by the same percentage or same amount applicable to said employees. If the cost-of- living increase or general performance based increase received hy state employees is in different percentages or different amounts as to certain categories of employees, then said base salary of all state court judges shall be increased by a percentage or an amount not to exceed the average percentage or average amount of the general increase in salary granted to said employees, was read. Mr. Powell: I move for approval. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I I l\Dl\1INlSTRATIVE SERVICES AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - August 9, 1999 2:00 P M. 1. Approve the petition for retirement on Robert M. Russ. 2. Approve the petition for retirement on Melba L. Dismuke. 3. Approve the petition for retirement on James R. Isdell. 4. Motion to consider approval of retroactive salary adjustments regarding reclassification of Accounting Technician I position, grade 43, to Payroll Supervisor, grade 48, and Accounting Clerk II position, grade 39, to Payroll Technician, grade 41. 5. Approve reclassitication of Library Assistant II, Grade 39 to Library Assistant I, Grade 40; reclassification of Library Assistant II, Grade 39 to Library Assistant III, Grade 37; reclassification of Secretary II, Grade 38 to Secretary III, Grade 37; elimination of Mender, Grade 35; creation of Administrative Assistant II, Grade 43. 6. Consider a communication from the Indigent Defense Tripartite Committee to increase the compensation of the Director from $43,142 to $50,830. I 7. Create a Department of Growth Management, which includes Planning & Zoning, License and Inspections. and Housing and Neighborhood Development as recommended by the Management Study with no change in funding or staffing. 8. Discuss Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corporation project. I " , I I I ADDENDUM ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGENDA August 9, 1999 2:00 P. M. ADDITION TO THE AGENDA: 1. Establish base salary of all state court judges at $94,400.00. Approve annual cost- of-living increase to state court judges in order to maintain consistency between periodic pay increases granted to Richmond County Constitutional Officials and that of state court judges. Approve application of the same formula for state court judges that is used for these officials. The formula would be as follows: Whenever the employees in the classified service of the state merit system receive a cost-of-living increase or general performance based increase of a certain percentage or a certain amount, the base salary of all state court judges, whether set by local law or by the county governing authority, shall be increased by the same percentage or same amount applicable to said employees. If the cost-of- living increase or general performance based increase received by state employees is in different percentages or different amounts as to certain categories of employees, then said base salary of all state court judges shall be increased by a percentage or an amount not to exceed the average percentage or average amount of the general increase in salary granted to said employees.