Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-25-1996 Meeting I I I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - November 25, 1996 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry Sconyers, Mayor; J. Brigham, Chairman; Bridges and Beard, members; A. B. McKie, Jr., Comptroller; Heyward Johnson, Transit Director; Jim Wall, Attorney; Bill Carstarphen, Consolidated Project Manager; John Etheridge, Human Resources Director; Kip Plowman, Interim Internal Auditor; Chief w. L. Maddox, Fire Department; Cheryl Nelson, Finance Department; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission; Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission and Belinda Brown of the Clerk's Office. ABSENT: Hon. Freddie Handy, Vice-Chairman. Also Present: Mino of WBBQ Radio, members of the news Commissioners. Sylvia Cooper of the Augusta Chronicle, Gale George Eskola of WJBF Television, other media and Hons. Todd and H. Brigham, Communication from the Richmond County Board of Tax Assessors regarding a refund recommendation for Lubertha Green, was read. Mr. Wall: This is in order and we recommend approval. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges-: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Shiloh Comprehensive Community Center requesting the reprogramming of One Cent Sales Tax Funding. Mr. Sydney Carter, Architect, made an in-depth study of the facility which shows the building is in dire need of attention. The structure is unsafe and the deterioration of these historical buildings needs immediate restoration, was read. Mr. Carter: The walls are deteriorating and the building is unsafe at this point in time. I would recommend that $150,000 be moved into this year's funding to begin work to replace the footings and put the building into a safe condition. Mr. Chairman: Butch, where are we with sales tax collections? Mr. McKie: We are running ahead with both urban and suburban. But you really need to set a policy on what we're going to do with these extra collections because the capital projects are planned over the entire five-year period. But we do have the money to do this one. Mr. Beard: I would like to make a motion that we approve doing this project and move the $150,000 but that we also institute a policy as to whether these monies can be moved up and where they should be moved up. I Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. McKie: Could I recommend that you also address Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects in that? Mr. Beard: Yes, that can be added to that. Mr. Chairman: I'd like to amend the motion that we stay in order of priorities of projects that were addressed, that we may move them forward but they stay in order as addressed in the priority schedule because otherwise we are going to be doing this every week. Mr. McKie: The others proposed substitutions. They gave up something to move something. I think I can give you three fairly clear cut alternatives by the next meeting that would follow some rationale. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Attorney regarding an amendment to the 1945 City Pension Plan to correct Ordinance No. 5501, was read. Mr. Wall: The old ordinance didn't address a situation in an appropriate manner. It basically said that upon the death of the employee, the spouse would get 100% without deductions and I don't think that was the intent of that ordinance at all. I think the intent was to follow the '49 procedure and this is to correct this. Advertising is being done currently to make an amendment under the home rule provisions and we recommend approval. I Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Attorney requesting the declaration of property at 226 Holloway Drive as surplus property. There were delinquent taxes on this property of $956.98, was read. Mr. Wall: It has no useful purpose and we're asking for permission to advertise it as surplus property. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. I I I The Committee next considered a proposal to fund salary equalization from consolidation grant funds. Mr. McKie: Both city and county received a grant for consolidation efforts. We have some $100,000 yet to spend before we complete this grant and I would propose that we use that to wholly fund a salary equalization study. The only question I have is that a citizens review group was involved in those activities last year and I don't know if that would be a problem or not. Mr. Bridges: I'll move that we fund a salary equalization study to be used with the additional funds coming from the consolidation grant fund. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. McKie: The next item is to receive a pension analysis from ICMA. That's in your book and I also have a letter for you to consider. I'm offering an opinion that based on the performance or depth of documentation that we've seen from the three groups we have talked with, ICMA seems to be the most professional and the better of the three from a personal choice. This phase brings you information as to your choices in this matter. I'm recommending that you consider a five-phased approach for a pension conversion plan. The first phase is exploration, the second phase is development, the third is analysis, fourth, adoption and fifth, implementation. The letter from ICMA is for your information and I recommend today that you go forward with this phased approach to developing new plans. There is no commitment on our part to ICMA. After further discussion, Mr. Bridges: I move that we adopt the phased approach to a pension conversion plan with no commitment to any of the firms involved. Mr. Beard: I'll second that. Chief Maddox: Would you forward to the members of the 1949 Pension Plan any information regarding any possible changes regarding this? Mr. Bridges: I'll accept that as an amendment. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Chairman: While we're on pensions, I would like to have Mr. McKie, Mr. Etheridge and Mr. Wall get together and come back and recommend to us a pension plan because we have two operating and we need to decide which one will continue after the first of the year until we get the new pension plan in so we can put everyone into one plan. I'd like this back as a recommendation at the next meeting. Mr. McKie: Tomorrow we will have a demonstration of an additional software package. You're all invited to be here and see that. It starts at 8:30. I Mr. Beard: I move we receive it as information. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered the purchase of prior year retirement for employees Robert M. Sharp, Don W. Bryant and Luann S. Stalcup. Mr. McKie: We would recommend this. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to close purchase of prior years service on 12/31/96, was read. I Mr. McKie: This has been open for several years and I'd like to recommend that we close this on 12/31/96 so that we may have actuaries come in and determine our status at that time. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. McKie: At the last budget workshop we weren't able to get into a discussion of budgetary policy so we need to have another meeting to discuss some important policy issues. It was the consensus of the Committee that the meeting be held on Monday, December 2 at 5:00 p.m. Mr. McKie: We'd like to remove item #11 from the agenda because we aren't ready for that discussion. The Committee next discussed payroll deductions. Mr. McKie: When we combined the payroll systems of the two former governments, we found that there were some differences in payroll deductions. On the County side we generally only deducted for those items which were ordered by the Court or a I I I I part of a benefit plan approved by the Commission. On the City side payroll has acted as a collection agency in some regard, collecting for hospitals, associations and different life insurance companies. We have a number of those which have very small participation. It is a burden and costly for both Personnel and Finance to handle this and we recommend that we drop anything that is not associated with a Commission-passed benefit program or approved list of associations. For example, we collect for AFLAC. I'd recommend that we drop this or charge the same fee that AFLAC is charged. The associations would be a policy matter. Mr. Wall: I would also recommend this because it falls under the gratuities clause. Mr. Etheridge: In some of these we have very little participation in them. After further discussion, Mr. Beard: I would suggest that Butch bring something specific back at the next meeting as to the numbers. Mr. McKie: And we could begin at the first of the year. Mr. Bridges: I'll second that. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. McKie: The next item is the cost of bond issuance. We have listed these for you and the insurance rate that we were quoted from MBIA is 1.44% which is the lowest that has ever been offered in the state of Georgia. Mr. Bridges: I move we receive this as information. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Attorney requesting approval to declare the property at Olive Road and Old Savannah Road, Map 87-2, Parcels 4 and 5 as surplus, was read. Mr. Wall: There was some question as to whether this would be impacted by the widening on Old Savannah Road and then there was concern about looking at all of the surplus properties and making a decision. This is the old motel site on Olive Road and there are a lot of demolition charges outstanding against the property as well as back taxes. After a short discussion, Mr. Bridges: I move that we postpone this to the next meeting. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I Communication from Mr. steve Baxter of the Pollock Company regarding an official bid protest concerning the RFP for copier services, was read. Mr. Baxter: The basis for our objection to any award on this bid is that over the course of the last three months, someone from our company has been in constant communication with the Purchasing Department of the County. It was our under- standing that a consolidated copier/printing services contract would be made in the very near future. I received this information through Purchasing through our normal, weekly contacts with the understanding that the specifications for this bid were forthcoming and would be forwarded to us. After receiving a copy of the bid specifications some 15 days after the bid was due, I noticed that of the 81 copying machines in use in this building, our company has sold and services 42 of the ones in use. We would therefore have a vested interest in the outcome of this bid. The specifications included a list of vendors that the bid was sent to and of the first four listed, only one company has ariy local presence and the last three on the list are in fact the same organization. In my communication with Mrs. Barker on November 15, I was advised that for whatever reason we were not invited to bid on this action. We are requesting that no award be made in regard to this bid and that our company be afforded the opportunity to bid. I Mr. Bridges: So the bid was already closed by the time you received the specs? Mr. Baxter: We never received a set a specifications until I got them on November the 15th. The bid opening was on November 1 . After further discussion, Mr. Beard: I move that we refer this on the Commission. Mr. Chairman: I'll second that motion. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I