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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-25-1997 Meeting I I I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - August 25, 1997 1:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. J. Brigham, Chairman; Handy, Vice-Chairman; Bridges and Beard, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; David Smith, Solid Waste Manager; Michael Greene, Public Works Department; A. B. McKie, Jr., Comptroller; Donna Williams, .Accounting Department; Max Hicks, Utilities Department Director; North Williamson, Tax Commissioners Office; Keven Mack, Housing & Neighborhood Development Director; Harry Siddall, Fleet Manager; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Larry Sconyers, Mayor. Also Present: Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, Gale Mino of WBBQ Radio, George Eskola of WJBF Television and Hons. H. Brigham and Zetterberg, Commissioners. The Clerk: We have one addendum item regarding the contract for the Imperial Theater. Mr. BridgeS": "'uI' so move. .. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to authorize settlement of case of Archer v. The Auqusta-Richmond County Commission and Richmond County for payment of $15,000, was read. Mr. Wall: We recommend approve of this. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. .Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to approve insolvent accounts, was read. Mr. Williamson: These are some personal property accounts which are mostly accounts on boats, motors and that sort of thing. We have been unable to contact these people and we are asking you to declare them insolvent. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion we approve the list for insolvent accounts. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A refund of 1994 taxes in the amount of $207.41 for payment in error of business taxes, was read. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion it be approved. I Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A refund of 1996 taxes in the amount of $394.25 to Caterpillar Financial Services for overpayment of taxes on Account No. 1268342, was read. Mr. Bridges: I move it be approved. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to procure two Compact Extended Cab Pickup Trucks at a total cost of $30,000 for the Solid Waste Department inspectors, was read. Mr. Smith: The vehicles we are currently using are down about 25% of the time due to their age. We will use recaptured money from solid waste to fund them. Mr. Bridges: I move we approve it. Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A request to procure two 4 x 4 Utility Vehicles at a total cost of $15,000 for use by the Solid Waste Department, was read. Mr. Smith: These vehicles are used to carry water-testing equipment and other supplies around the landfill on the slopes. They are very good utility vehicles for the type of terrain we have and are not used on the road. ; . ! Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. A Statement of Investment Policy Objectives and Guidelines to make investment policy consistent between plans, was read. Mr. Wall: We may have to make an amendment to the 1945 plan I which can be done under the Home Rule Amendment. Mr. Oliver: I think that it's important that the investment policy be consistent. I' I I I / ox.. After a short discussion, Mr. Chairman: So we need to consider how we are going to invest the money and you're recommending across the board consistency on that and the other concern is whether or not we're going to let the investment committee have the authority to terminate a funds manager based on their performance. Mr. Oliver: That's right. Mr. Beard: I move that we approve this. Mr. Bridges: I'll second it. Mr. Wall: And the approval is for us to take the necessary steps to implement this in whatever Home Rule Amendment is necessary? Mr. Chairman: That is my understanding. Motion adopted with Mr. Handy out of the room. The Committee next considered the first draft of the policy for local 'ARC-grants' to'qualified agencies'or groups. Mr. McKie made a presentation outlining specific information regarding the policy for local ARC grants. (Mr. Handy enters the meeting) After further discussion, Mr. McKie: This is.presented as a draft for you today to consider but not to pass. Mr. Beard: I move we receive it as information. Mr. Bridges: Second. After further discussion, the motion was adopted unanimously. The Committee next reviewed Amendment 73 funding requests for 1997. Mr. Oliver: We just received these requests last week and after we review all of them, we can make our recommendations. You may also like to look at them yourselves since you've just received them. Mr. Beard: I move that we postpone this to the next Committee meeting to receive the Administrator's recommendations. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next reviewed the Sec9nd Quarter 1997 Financial Results. Mr. McKie gave an overview of the results of operations for the second quarter of 1997. I Mr. Bridges: I make a motion that we receive this as information. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A refund of 1995 taxes in the amount of $1,770.33 for overpayment of taxes on subject account. Refund will be applied to outstanding 1996 taxes, was read. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered the denial of a request by the Better Business Bureau for $25,000. Mr. Oliver: While we believe they provide a worthwhile and I' useful service, because of the decisions that have been previously made, we don ',t have the money in the General Fund to do this. Basically this would be equivalent to one deputy. Mr. Bridges: Would they qualify for Amendment 731 Mr. McKie: Our requests already total more than $75,000. After a short discussion, Mr. Beard: I move that we deny the request. Mr. Bridges: I'll second it. :! Motion adopted with Mr. Handy voting "No". ,j The Committee next considered implementing a hiring freeze effective immediately for all departments and Constitutional officers, except Public Safety, funded by the General Fund. Mr. Oliver: The purpose of this is to implement it until we adopt a budget and then that way if we have to cut positions within the budget, we will be in a position to cut vacant positions rather than positions that are occupied. Clearly, there will need to be some exceptions to this which will come back on an individual basis. Any requests that I received before last Tuesday's meeting I signed and forwarded to be filled so I .. ,j I I I / ..:J there will be some in the interim. Pending your action here, there will be few but some may have to come back to you. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion that we approve implementing the hiring freeze to include temporary employees and employees of temporary agencies. Mr. Beard: I'll second for discussion. Mr. Oliver: I believe that this has to be done in concert with the budget. We have a first cut of the budget and we are some $9 million dollars over what we anticipate the revenues to be so we are about 10% over what we want to be. Mr. Beard: I think this should be across the board in all department:s so it will be fair to everyone. Mr. Oliver: Please remember that this does not include the enterprise funds and Public Safety. Mr. Handy: Why would we have to do this if you have to sign off on everyone who is hired? Mr. Oliver: That point crossed my mind. I did not want to do something administratively that the Commission was not aware of and that is my primary purpose for this. Unless there is a critical need, it is my intent not to recommend those positions be filled until we come up with a budget that we know we can live with next year. Mr. Handy: Why wasn't this brought to us before now? Mr. Oliver: We started preparing budgets in July and Mr. McKie gave me the first figures on the preliminary budget last Monday and. it was based on a combination of those figures and the additional deputies. There are a number of factors coming to us all at one. time, such as the judges, law clerks and the Phinizy Road facility, and those were just put together a week ago today. Mr. Handy: We knew about the judges previously, didn't we? Mr. Oliver: We knew about one and we ended up getting three. We knew that was coming but we did not have all the information assembled until last Monday. We are working with the departments now to determine ways to keep the same level of service at a cheaper cost. We've got to cut the wish lists about 10% and that is the bottom line and we intend to do that. Mr. Handy: What about department heads? Mr. Oliver: We have one vacant department head position, Facilities Manager, and I recommend that that be filled. After further discussion, the motion was put and adopted with Mr. Handy voting "No". A contract in the amount of $300,000 with the Imperial Theater for renovations to the theater, was read. Mr. Oliver: We have budgeted in 1997 $180,000, in 1998 $180,000, in 1999, $181,500 and in 2000, $280,500 for a total of $750,000. The contract provides for $150,000 in 1997 and the remainder in 1998 which would leqve since the Commission previous'ly decided to give $300,000 to the Imperial and $450,000 additional in funding the Mini Theater, $300,000 in additional money in '97 and '98 to the Mini Theater with the bulk of the additional money coming in '99 and 2000. This will make our sales tax cash flows work and is consistent with that plan but I felt you should know that because it has an impact on the Mini Theater on down the road. I would also note that this requires them to complete the whole $541,450 plan by December 31, 1999. This is consistent with the direction of the Mayor and Commission and there is no specific match requirement. This money will be disbursed based upon documentation sent to us, it will be established in a separate accounts and checks will be written from that account by the Imperial Theater. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion it be approved. Mr. Beard: Second. I Mr. Easterbrook: I'm a little nervous about agreeing to I obligate the Theater for $541,450 in repairs when there was no matching requirement discussed at the Commission meeting. The time line will be interrupted from time to time because of productions in the facility. We're still a producing theater. Mr. Wall: Exhibit A in this contract is peculiar to this project, just as it would be to each project that is approved. Mr. Chairman: Could we get the motion revised to submit this draft contract to the;Imperial to get a listing of Schedule A back and then we'll forward it on? Mr. Bridges: I'll agree to that. ..,j >~ Mr. Chairman: Okay. I've got a revised motion that we'll come to an agreement with the Imperial over Schedule A first before we approve this contract and I assume the Attorney and Administrator can handle that. We'll hold this contract up until we get that basic agreement back on Schedule A. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Bennett: I feel the Better Business Bureau may qualify under Amendment 73 for $22,500 divided into a three-year period and I'd like to pursue that if we can. I I I I Mr. Chairman: That would be fine and you can contact Mr. McKie abCiut applying. Butch, you can add that request to your list of J:'equests. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM