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Home My WebLink About11-29-1999 Meeting I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - November 29, 1999 1:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Bridges, Chairman; H. Brigham, Vice-Chairman; Beard and J. Brigham, members; Jim Wall, Attorney; Randy Oliver, Administrator; Harry Siddall, Fleet Manager; Tom Beck, Recreation Dept. Director; Lon Morrey, Comptroller; David Collins, Finance Dept.; Geri Sams, Purchasing Director; Mary Bedenbaugh, Purchasing Dept.; Keven Mack, HND Director; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Bob Young, Mayor. Also Present: George Eskola of WJBF Television, Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle, Stacey Eidson of The Metropolitan Spirit and Hons. Colclough and Mays, Commissioners. The Committee first reviewed the 3rd Quarter Financial Reports as presented by the Comptroller. Mr. 1. Brigham: I move that we accept this as information. Mr. Beard: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. The Clerk: We have a request for one addendum item which is a request from The Augusta Futurity for support through a Champions Club membership in the amount of$I,OOO.OO. Mr. 1. Brigham: I move we add this to the agenda. Mr. H. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to authorize Fleet Management to sell one (1) excess Police vehicle to the City of Tennille, Georgia, was read. A request to authorize Fleet Management to sell four (4) excess Police vehicles to the City of Sandersville, Georgia, was read. Mr. J. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. I Mr. H. Brigham: Paine College had made a similar request. Mr. Siddall: I didn't receive the request but another vehicle is still available. Mr. Chairman: We can make that part of the record. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to accept the 1998 Audited Annual Financial Statements, was read. A presentation was given by Mr. Kip Plowman regarding these statements. Mr. J. Brigham: I move we receive this as information. Mr. Beard: Second. Mr. H. Brigham asked if Mr. Plowman had seen any evidence of any type of misappropriation of funds in his review of the financial statements and Mr. Plowman replied that he had not. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve Resolution exercising option to extend term of Public Purpose Lease with Richmond County Public Facilities, Inc. for a period of one year. (COPS issue), was read. Mr. J. Brigham: I so move. Mr. Beard: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request to approve refund of 1996, 1997 and 1998 taxes in the amount of $207.49 to Savannah River Taxidermy for overpayment of taxes on Account 2027489, was read. Mr. Beard: I so move. Mr. J. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next discussed the issue in Grand Jury Report regarding "specifications" of fire truck purchases in particular and specifications in general. (Requested by Commissioners Beard and Mays) I I I I Mr. Oliver: Ms. Sams has prepared an informative booklet pertaining to matters involving Purchasing and she has copies for you. Regarding the issue of the gentleman who bid on the fire truck for the Augusta Fire Department, his bid was rejected since he served as a member of the committee who prepared the specifications for that truck. However, Bush Field prepared their own specifications for their fire truck and issued a request for bids. This gentleman elected to bid on that truck and was the successful bidder. I do not believe there is anything that would preclude him from bidding on that Bush Field truck. Mr. Wall: As long as it was under a sealed bid and he was not involved in the process of either writing the specifications or having any inside information, so to speak, there would be no prohibition against him bidding on the truck at Bush Field. Mr. Chairman: Can you address the issue from the Grand Jury regarding the matter of specs being written word for word in favor of one company? Ms. Sams: It is not unusual for specifications to be revamped according to the needs of our Fire Department. They were also rewritten on an "or equal" basis. The responsibility for acquiring specification data rests with the user department head. Purchasing Department personnel will assist to provide copies of previously used specifications, brochures and other reference materials. We in Purchasing develop the data provided by the department head into a proper format for the solicitation of bids. I Mr. Siddall: I receive the specifications and go through them paragraph by paragraph and look for items that detail a piece of equipment to a particular vendor. I try to make the bid as generic as possible, but still be within the ramifications of making sure that all manufacturers understand what we're asking for. Mr. Chairman: Did you have input into this bid? Mr. Siddall: Yes, sir. I had input into the Bush Field bid and it was as generic as it could be. Everything on those specifications could be met or exceeded by any of the equipment manufacturers. On the Augusta Fire Department request, I reviewed and corrected all the specifications prior to giving them to Ms. Sams to go out on the street. Every specification for any equipment first has to come through me; I, in turn, give it to Ms. Sams. I Ms. Sams: On the Fire Department truck we received bids from five vendors and they were very competitive bids. Specifications from the Fire Department, Public Works, Recreation, RCCI, Animal Control, the Marshal's Department and the Sheriff's Department are all generated by the Fleet Manager and they are all generic. Four other cities in Georgia have adopted the specifications for the fire truck and two have received fire trucks based on the specs written by our Fleet Manager and our Fire Department. These include the cities of Macon, College Park, Dublin and Waynesboro. On the Bush Field fire truck the specs were prepared by Bush Field, reviewed by our Fleet Manager and placed out for bids. Mr. LaPan was not involved in any way with the preparation of the specifications. Mr. H. Brigham asked if Ms. Sams had seen any errors or procedures not followed regarding the bidding process on the fire trucks and she replied that all procedures had been carefully followed to the letter. I After further discussion, Mr. Beard: I move we receive this as information. (Motion not seconded) Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next discussed "Celebration 2000". (Requested by Commissioners Beard and Mays) Mr. Beck made a presentation regarding the plans for this event. He stated that City employees will help with logistics, preparations and setting up and that there would be no direct expenses involved from a monetary standpoint. Mr. Beard: Are employees being paid for their services? Mr. Beck: Security is being paid for by the Celebrate 2000 Committee. Our staff will work out the work schedules whereby about 98% of our staff will work their regular I schedules for this. The only overtime involved should be with about six to eight of our staff working at midnight on the 30th on some of the larger items for set-up. They will be supplemented with volunteers. The rest of the staff will be exempt from any overtime involved as part of their job or their schedules will be adjusted accordingly. Community service workers will help with the cleanup. After further discussion, Mr. Beard: I move we receive this as information. Mr. H. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. A request from The Augusta Futurity for support from the Augusta Richmond County Commission for a Champions Club membership in the amount of $1,000.00, was read. Mr. Oliver: There is about $1,200 left in Commission Other Account. Mr. Morrey: It has come from various sources in past years. Mr. J. Brigham: I'll make a motion that we approve it. I I NWM I I Motion dies for lack of a second. Mr. Chairman: Let's just send it on to the full Commission for consideration. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena 1. Bonner Clerk of Commission I I I fINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - November 29, 1999 1:00 P. M. 1. Authorize Fleet Management to sell one (1) excess Police vehicle to the City of Tennille, Georgia. ., Authorize fleet Management to sell four (4) excess Police vehicles to the City of Sandersville, Georgia. .., J, Motion to accept the 1998 Audited Annual Financial Statements. 4. Review 3rd Quarter financial Reports. 5. Approve Resolution exercising option to extend term of Public Purpose Lease with Richmond County Public Facilities, Inc. for a period of one year. (COPS issue) 6. Approve refund of 1996, 1997 and 1998 taxes in the amount of $207.49 to Savannah River Taxidermy for overpayment of taxes on Account 2027489. 7, Discuss issue in Grand Jury Report regarding "specifications" of fire truck purchases in particular and specifications in general. (Requested by Commissioners Beard and Mays) 8. Discussion of "Celebration 2000". (Requested by Commissioners Beard and Mays)