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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-10-1997 Meeting I I I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - March 10, 1997 5:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; J. Brigham; Chairman; Bridges(and Beard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; A. B. McKie, Jr., Comptroller; Glenn Greenway and Cheryl Nelson of the Finance Department and Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. " ABSENT: Hon. Freddie Handy, Vice-Chairman. Also Present: Rosemary Forrest of the Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. Todd and zetterberg, Commissioners. The Committee first heard a presentation by Historic Augusta regarding t.heir request for funding for the renovations and improvements to the Woodrow Wilson House. Appearing before the Committee in this regard were Carolyn Simon, Nancy Bowers, Pat Blanchard, Natalie Lee, Jackie Blanchard and Erick Montgomery. Ms. Simon made a presentation regarding the importance of the preservation of the Woodrow Wilson House to the community and Mr. Montgonlery made a presentation outlining the details of this restoration and the funding needs of the project. Mr. Chairman: What do you need to get by on? Mr. Montgomery: Phase I on the exterior of both the 'Wilson and the Lamar Houses, just to make them look right, we anticipate we would need $744,600. Phase II would be the interior of the house, including the yard and furnishings to support it, and that would be $611,500 and Phase III, which includes fitting out the Lamar House with furnishings and exhibits, comes to $1,014,800. Mr. Oliver: If we gave this money, it would totally deplete our Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Fund for Phase II in the urban area. Mr. Bridges: I think we need to prioritize the projects that we have already determined we will do. I agree that we need to be concerned with developing the downtown area but I feel we also need to prioritize our projects and come back with a recommendation. Mr. Chairman: I'm going to appoint a sub-committee composed of Mr. Oliver, Mr. Wall, Mr. McKie and Mr. Beard and try to get a recommendation back in two weeks, if that's possible. I'll also include Erick, Pat and Ms. Simon in the group. I'll also ask Mr. Oliver, Mr. McKie, Mr. Bridges and Mr. Beard to work out a timetable for the Phase III to present back to the Committee in a month. I'll also include Drew and Cheryl in that. Mr. Beard: I move that we receive this as information. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I At this time Mr. Paul Simon and Ms. Phyllis Hendry appeared before the Committee regarding a request for funding for Fort Discovery. Mr. Simon made a presentation outlining the request in the amount of $500,000 a year for five years to help with the replacement of capital that was spent on the capital projects over there and to free the pledges to assist in the operation of the facility over the next several years. Ms. Hendry made a presentation outlining the activities at Fort Discovery. After further discussion, Mr. Chairman: Would hotel/motel tax be available for this? Mr. Wall: I think the maximum we can raise under the hotel/ motel tax is 6% and we are currently at 5%. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion that we receive this as information and allow the second sub-committee you appointed to come to us with a recommendation. Mr. Beard: Second. Mr. Chairman: We may need another sub-committee to deal I with just this issue. I'll appoint Mr. Handy to serve as Chairman along with Mr. Oliver, Mr. Wall, Mr. McKie and myself along with representatives from the Golf Hall of Fame, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Fort Discovery. We'll give you a report back in a month. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Bridges: Can we pull item 10 from the agenda? Mr. Beard: I move that we delete item 10. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Clerk: We need to add as an addendum item the request for additional funding from Augusta Clean and Beautiful. Mr. Chairman: We'll go ahead and add that since it was referred back to us from the Commission. We've also got a delegation from the Library. At this time Ms. Lillian Blanos of Augusta Clean and Beautiful appeared before the Committee and made a presentation I regarding her request for additional funding in the amount of $15,000. I I I After a short discussion, Mr. Beard: I move that we evaluate this plan and see if the grants can be gotten or if any other alternatives can be used and come back at a later date. Mr. Bridges: I'll second. Mr. Chairman: If your funding does not come through in the future, I think we will consider something then. We are having so many requests that I think we want to be sure there is a true need and we are not just balancing your budget. We do want to help but we want to be sure that everything possible has been done that can be. Motion adopted unanimously. At this time Mr. Richard Leach from the Augusta Library appeared before the Committee. Mr. Oliver: Because of some of the needs of the Library I asked Mr. Leach in concert with the Library Board to take their sales tax allocation - they had money allocated this year to another part of the County and in 1999 to the main branch and basically what he has done at my request is to change the way that money is used, only changing the timing and where it is to be used, not ultimately what's to be done with it. He's taken the $700,000 that was originally to be spent opening another branch, which because of state budgetary constraints we were unable to get a grant for, and reprogrammed it to do renovations such as a new roof and things like that to meet the more immediate needs of the Library. Mr. Leach: We would like to reprogram the construction of the new Library until 1999 and take the same amount of money out of our '99 allocation for repair and renovation and move it into the current year and proceed with replacing the roofs of the three branches and other repair and renovation projects. We were also given the okay to expend sales tax monies on books and on physical pieces of material and we are suggesting that we program part of that $700,000 into a materials purchase program to improve the looks of our facilities and to gather the materials we need to serve the general public. Mr. Oliver: He has $300,000 set aside for repairs and $392,000 for capital expenditures such as books and materials purchases. Mr. Leach: Of that $392,000, $300,000 is for books and the remainder is for furnishings. Mr. Oliver: I would suggest that we go ahead with the .capital part for the construction-type repairs and hold off on the other pending further information. Mr. Beard: repairs and make as to whether or funding. Mr. Bridges: I'll second it. I move that we go ahead with the portion for a request for a ruling from the Attorney General not books can be considered as part of 1% I Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered a credit to IBM Credit Corporation (Account #984395) in the amount of $162.76. At this time a represenative from the Tax Assessors Office appeared before the Committee regarding the following three items. Mr. Beard: I move that we deny approving this. Mr. Bridges: Second. Mr. Wall: I would recommend approval of this. They can file a request for a refund within three years. Mr. Bridges: What happened with this? Mr. Chairman: It looks to me like the equipment was taxed I and was not physically in Richmond County. So we are not really due these taxes. Mr. Bridges: I withdraw my second and make a motion to approve this refund. Mr. Chairman: I'll second it to get it on the floor for discussion. Motion adopted unanimously. A credit to Robert G. Gay in the amount of $858.35 for a correction in homestead exemption, was read. Mr. Bridges: I move we approve it. Mr. Beard: I second the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. A credit to Alexis S. Wilson in the amount of $911.97 for tax billed in error, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. I I I A request from Marvin Tawney (Marshal Department) to purchase 5 years 0 months prior years service in the 1977 Pension Plan, was read. A request from Pauline Willis (Tag Office) to purchase 5 years 0 months prior years service in the 1977 Pension Plan, was read. A request from John Bennett (Recreation Department) to purchase 15 years 0 months prior years service in the 1977 Pension Plan, was read. Mr. Beard: I move that we grant these. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to abate remainder of 1996 taxes ($239.48) after seller paid pro-rata share (Thomas Woods Lands), was read. Mr. Wall: I recommend you approve this. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request by Standard Electronics West, Inc. d/b/a Standard Electronics for waiver of penalty in the amount of $172.53, was read. Mr. Wall: I recommend approval. Mr. Beard: I move that it be denied. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request by MECO, Inc. of Augusta for waiver of penalty in the amount of $837.30, was read. Mr. Beard: I move this also be denied. Mr. Bridges: I second. Motion adopted unanimously. An amendment to Code to provide that 42% of beer and mixed drink taxes collected shall be paid to the Coliseum Authority, was read. Mr. Chairman: Can we postpone this until we meet on the 15th? Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request for abatement of property tax on Clements and Mason Warehouse located at 602 Taylor Street, Augusta, Georgia, for tax year 1996, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered approval of advertising for Home Rule amendment of the City of Augusta 1949 General Retirement Fund in order to provide that credited service be measured by months rather than years. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission N~ I I I