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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-27-1997 Meeting I I I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - May 27, 1997 1:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; J. Brigham, Chairman; Handy, Vice-Chairman; Bridges and Beard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Jerry Saul, Tax Commissioner; A. B. McKie, Jr., Comptroller; Glenn Greenway of the Finance Department; Kip Plowman, Internal Auditor; Richard Leach, Augusta Library; Drew Goins, Asst. Com. of P.W. & Director of Engineering; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. Also Present: Gale Mino of WBBQ Radio, Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, Rosemary Forrest of The Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. H. Brigham and Todd, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have a request to add seven addendum items. After a short discussion, Mr. Bridges: I move that we only add items three and seven of the addendum agenda. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request from David J. Reeves (Sheriff - Administration) to purchase 10 years 4 months prior years service in the 1977 Pension Plan, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. An updated, expanded and consolidated Construction Work Program for the period ending 4/30/97, was read. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to engage the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) to provide Cost Allocation Plan, was read. Mr. McKie: This is a Cost Allocation Plan which adequately allocates costs to internal service funds and our airport funds and other enterprise funds that will give us a better grasp on our costs to the County. Mr. Oliver: The purpose of this is two-fold. One is for federal grants that you can allocate certain costs back to federal grants and the other is to insure that the administrative costs, such as those for Purchasing and Finance, are charged to the enterprise fund. I Mr. Bridges: I move we approve it. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered the creation of the Land Bank Authority and directing the County Attorney to prepare necessary resolution to establish such Authority. Mr. Wall: This would be a separate entity with four members designated by the Commission which would free up the handling of taxed and demolition properties. You would be able to negotiate a sales price as opposed to having to go through a public bid process. Many of these properties have delinquent taxes or demolition charges. In addition school taxes would not have to be paid immediately to the Board of Education. They could be paid pursuant to a formula that will ultimately be included in the resolution if you decide to go forward. The resolution you have now is in draft form to review and it is recommended that I the Administrator be one of the four members of the Authority. We feel this would give some flexibility to the County to get rid of some properties we have been acquiring through tax sales and also give us some flexibility in the demolition program in order to generate some funds to proceed with demolition in order to put the property back into a revenue-producing state. Mr. Oliver: Our objective is to get properties back on the tax rolls. The four people on the Land Bank Authority have discretion as it relates to disposing of these properties because the objective is to do this in an efficient manner and there is a great deal of latitude provided. After further discussion, Mr. Beard: I move we approve this and allow the Attorney to draw up a final resolution including the necessary safeguards for our review. Mr. Chairman: Do you want me to include a sub-committee in that? Mr. Beard: Yes. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I Mr. Chairman: I'll appoint Mr. Beard, Mr. Bridges, Mr. Wall and Mr. Oliver to the sub-committee. " I I I A Lease Agreement between Richmond County and Gospel Radio, Inc. d/b/a WKZK Radio, was read. Mr. Wall: As presented this is a 20-year lease at $300 per year. They propose to construct a building down there. Mr. Beard: I move it be approved. Mr. Bridges: Second. After a short discussion, Mr. Chairman: I don't think we need to enter into a 20-year lease at that price and I hope you will disapprove it. I think we need to go back to them and do something else. Motion disapproved with Mr. Bridges, Mr. Handy and the Chairman voting "No". The Committee next considered modification of the Assets Tracking Form for asset transfers, removing the requirement of Commission approval. Mr. Oliver: We concur with this. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Chairman: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to reprogram $400,000 Special 1% Local Option Sales Tax, Phase III, 1997, for libraries to fund library repairs, renovations, furnishings and equipment, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Handy: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A requ.est to approve a commitment to abate taxes on Olde Towne Properties upon closing of sale of said properties, was read. Mr. Wall: The prospective purchaser is applying for financial assistance and one of the things they need to be able to demonstrate is the commitment of the City and the investment that the City has made in the properties, the approximately $80,000 of back taxes during the period of time that the City has owned it since the foreclosure. This is asking for a commitment to abate those taxes in the event that the property sells so that they can use this as a part of the package to present insofar as securing financing that this is a contribution that the City will make toward rehabilitation of that neighborhood. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Handy: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. A request for abatement of 1989 and 1990 city taxes for building at 102 Fifth Street, was read. A request for abatement of 1996 business tax account #1228015 for River Restaurant, Ltd. d/b/a At the Levee, was read. A request to cancel uncollectible leasehold accounts in the amount of $3,407,93 for 1995 for EI Chico, was read. Mr. Oliver: This first one is for $53.91 and the second is $409.04. Mr. Handy: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next heard a report from the Administrator and the Internal Auditor regarding River Race Augusta. I Mr. Oliver: Mr. Plowman has done a report on this and based on our review of the documentation, we believe that the funds were expended to support River Race regardless of the year. I guess the biggest thing we are addressing as a policy issue is the disbursement of funds to organizations to insure that funds are spent appropriately as provided and understood between the parties. Mr. Bridges: What documentation or records do we have that shows what this money was intended to be used for? Butch, is your note the only thing we've got? Mr. McKie: Yes. Mr. Bridges: I feel that two things are wrong here. One is that this did not come before the Commission, which it should have. Secondly, it appears from the documentation that the monies were not used for the purpose intended or requested. I think we need to help them as far as some assistance with accounting procedures and we need to become a $50,000 creditor to River Race and any future funds that this money be reimbursed back to the County. Mr. Oliver: This race was basically done on a private contribution basis until 1996. I I I I Mr. Felix Patrick: This has been an important event for Augusta in the past. We are looking at running our 1998 race down at the Lock and Dam and have talked with Mr. Simpkins about using his land for our spectators. We sell three levels of tickets for River Race, some of which include a catered breakfast and dinner and a Friday night party and this is an opportunity for the spectators to meet the drivers. People pay for these tickets and this has previously been catered by Kevin Goldsmith of Pullman Hall. This did not come from your $50,000. In 1997 the dock situation killed us and the dates were given to another race. We notified people that the race was off for this year but that we would proceed with a race in 1998. We are in the process of making plans for 1998 and would appreciate any help in this regard. Mr. Gene Stalcup: We originally asked for $100,000 and I talked with the Mayor. There was no formal meeting and we just asked for his assistance and he said he would speak with the Commissioners and get back with us. There was no formal request; we didn't know the procedure for requesting this money and if we had, that's what we would have done. We were looking for help and if I saw someone who I thought could help us, we asked them to put in. a good word for-us. . . .... .... ..._m_ After further discussion, Mr. Bridges: In the future you probably should apply for assistanc~ through the Amendment 73 account which provides for help such as you need. After additional discussion, Mr. Beard: I move that we receive this as information. Mr. Handy: I'll second. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Chairman: We still need to come up with a funding source. Mr. Bridges: I'll make a motion that we become a $50,000 creditor of River Race Augusta. Mr. Beard: Second. After further discussion, the motion was put and adopted. A request for $7,657 to implement the Electronic Data Transmission capability between the State of Georgia and Augusta- Richmond County, was read. Mr. Saul: This will enable us to get out pre-bills out 12 times a year for the County. Mr. Chairman: Do we have money to fund this? Mr. McKie: We have capital reserves we could use. Mr. Beard: I so move. I Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered a motion to consent to an Architectural Contract between Immaculate Conception, School and sydney Carter, P.C. in the amount of $20,000.00 pursuant to SPLOST Agreement with Immaculate Conception School. Mr. Handy: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena. J; Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM I I