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Home My WebLink About04-13-1998 Meeting I I I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - April 13, 1998 1:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor ,; Bridges, Chairman; Beard and J. Brigham, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administra.tor; Glenn Greenway, Acting Comptroller; Harry Siddall, Fleet Mana.ger; Lynn Bailey, Board of Elections Director; Harrison Sears, Ta~: Assessor; North Williamson, Tax Commissioner's Office; Clifford Rushton, IT Director; Tameka Allen, IT Department; Alma Stephenson, Manager, Utilities Customer Service Dept.; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: H. Brigham, Vice-Chairman. Also Present: Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit and Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle. The Clerk: We have a request for three items to be added as per the addendum agenda. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. J. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to award a purchase order to Bobby Jones Ford for 1 full size pickup truck at a cost of $16,899.60 for the Sanitation Department, was read. A request to award a purchase order to Bobby Jones Ford for 2 compact pickup trucks at a unit price of $14,993.10 for total cost of $29,986.62 for the Public Works Department, Street Lights Division, was read. A request to award a purchase order to Milton Ruben Chrysler for 1 seven passenger minivan at a total cost of $20,522.00 for the Recreation Department, was read. A request to award a purchase order to Bobby Jones Ford for 1 compact pickup truck for at a cost of $14,943.10 for the Utilities Department Customer Service Division, was read. A request to award a purchase order to Bobby Jones Ford for 1 compact pickup truck at a cost of $14,883.10 for the Public Works Engineering Department, was read. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. J. Brigham: Second the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. A request for funding for mailing for the Board of Elections Office. State mandated funding increase of $13,800 is required, was read. Ms. Bailey: This is funding for a mail out we are required to do by the State of Georgia. This compares our data base with that of the Post Office and anyone who has moved within the past year will receive a notice to update their address. If they do not respond within 30 days, they will be placed on an inactive list. To help offset the cost we have projected income due from candidates qualifying for office but that won't be received until later on and we don't know how much we will receive until all of the candidates qualify. After further discussion, Mr. Oliver: We would take the funding from general fund contingency not to exceed $13,800. Mr. J. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to as follows due to 2017175 2007655 2024212 2031420 2045646 authorize refund of 1997 taxes to Alltel Mobile error by Tax Assessors' Office: $ 7,783.36 33.37 406.43 1,169.16 744.96 $ 10,137.28 Total Mr. Sears: This is not an error as the agenda indicates. This was an appeal that went to the Board of Equalization and the value was reduced. Alltel had already paid their taxes and if there was an error, it was due to not processing the paperwork in a timely manner because the Tax Commissioner fifa'd all this before this was processed. Once they are fifa'd, we have to treat it as a refund. Mr. J. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve a lease amendment regarding Riverwalk Special Events Office, Suite I and II, #15 Eighth Street, Augusta, Georgia, to correct the square footage of the suites, with the rental to remain $490 per month, was read. Mr. Oliver: This extends the lease term from March 1, 1998 to February 28, 1999. I I I Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. J. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to award to the low bidder, AccuData Solutions, Inc., to operate the Augusta Utility Remittance Process saving $15,010 annually, was read. Mr. J. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to grant H-5 exemption for 1995 to Joseph Young regarding Map 31-2, Parcel 48, was read. Mr. ~rilliamson: This gentleman bought the property in September of 1994. We have no indication he applied for any type of exempti.on in 1995. In fact, I have a copy of an application where he applied in 1996 on March 1 and we gave him an H-5 classification exemption, which is a disability exemption, and he's had it ever since. He claims he applied in 1995 but we can find no evidence and we do give a receipt for it when they do apply to indicate, yes, in fact, you did apply for it and when I issue such a receipt, I always tell them to put it with the deeds and house papers so that you'll have it if anything comes up. He doesn't have it and we can't find anything. Mr. Sears: This went before the Board of Assessors and they disapprovE~d it. Aftel~ further discussion, Mr. Beard: I move that we notify Mr. Young to come to the next Commission meeting and that it go forward without a recommendation. Mr. J. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request for abatement of penalty, Map 42-3, Parcel 101 for Edward K. Woltz in the amount of $324.12, was read. Mr. Williamson: This is a case where Mr. Woltz claims he didn't ge1: a bill. A bill was sent to the same place as it had been in prior years and there had been no problem. The only indication I had that he changed his address was a conversation I had with him in February when I asked him for his correct address and we changed it at that time. Mr. J. Brigham: I move it be denied. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next reviewed the actuarial valuation for 1945 Pension Plan. Mr. Oliver: We got the actuarial valuation done by Towers and Perrin for the '45 pension plan. The actuary indicates that the 150% limitation does not apply to this particular plan because of the number of people that are vested and the number of people that are working. This is based on the actual value of the securities as of 1/1/98 so if those security values go down, that obviously changes the plan results. Based upon this actuarial study assuming the assumptions made here, it would permit an increase in benefit of 5.9% across the board or $100 a month. Mr. Wall: The statute clearly says 150% and it does not have any exception in there. It's saying you've got to meet the 150%. Unless you meet the 150%, then a contribution is due. I think you're misreading that paragraph. Mr. Oliver: If you're comfortable that their legal opinion and your legal opinion are the same, then -- Mr. Wall: I think it is because they're saying last year it didn't exceed 150% so therefore they did have to contribute. Mr. Oliver: That wasn't exactly the way it was explained to me. Mr. Wall: Well, I don't know but in my mind, that's consistent with my legal opinion. Mr. Oliver: Based upon that, then, the maximum would a 5.9% increase across the board or $100 per month per retired participant. Mr. J. Brigham: Would that be for everybody? Mr. Oliver: That would be for current retirees only. It would not apply to active participants. That's consistent with what you've previously done with the '49 plan. Mr. Jesse Redd: Our attorney would like to have a copy of this study. He hasn't received that. Mr. Oliver: We'll see that he gets a copy. After further discussion, Mr. J. Brigham: I'll make a motion that we forward this on without a recommendation. Mr. Beard: Second. I I I Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve cost of living adjustment to the 1945 and 1977 Pension Plans in an amount equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index for 1997 as established by the Department of Labor (1.70%), was read. Mr. Wall: This is called for in the plans themselves and is mandatory. After further discussion, Mr. J. Brigham: I move we approve it. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next discussed the operational review of Augusta-Richmond County Government. Mr. Oliver: We passed out studies last time from two companies who we've considered to do an organization-wide review of County government. We'd like to know what your interest is in this regard and the process you'd like to go through to identify someone do this. To do this countywide would probably be around $200,000 and it would have to come from contingency. Chartwell would do a limited study for about $35,000 to $40,000. After further discussion, Mr. Oliver: Would you like the firms to make a presentation? Mr. ~J. Brigham: I think the two leading candidates could do that before the full Commission. Mr. Oliver: Could we then do that in a workshop established to considE~r doing the operational review of the entire government and we'll invite the two or three top candidates in to make a presentation? Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. J. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered a review of Unaudited Financial Statements for Fiscal 1997 (all funds). At this time Mr. Glenn Greenway made a presentation regarding the above financial statements. Mr. J. Brigham: I make a motion we receive this as informatil:>n. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission NWM