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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-07-2003 Meeting I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - July 7, 2003 2:00 P. M. 1. Motion to approve amendment to Augusta-Richmond County Code Section 2-2- 32 (e) and (f) so as to provide for the distribution of a portion of the Hotel and Motel Tax to the Greater Augusta Sports Council, Inc. and the Augusta Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Deferred from June 20 Finance) 2. Motion to approve communication hardware upgrades for the new Animal Services Facility. (Referred from July 1 Commission meeting) 3. Consider a request from Mr. David C. Crews, CPA, on behalf of Augusta GYN, PC for waiver of the penalty assessed for late payment of their 2001 and 2002 property tax bill. (Referred from July 1 Commission meeting) 4. Approve awarding bid for RFQ# 03-056A for Corporate Communications for the Augusta Utilities Department. 5. Receive report from the Administrator/Finance Director regarding the balance of the fund balance concerning surplus SPLOST monies. I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - July 7,2003 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Hankerson, Co-Chairman; Bridges and Williams, members; George Kolb, Administrator; Jim Wall, Attorney; David Persaud, Finance Director; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hons. Bob Young, Mayor; Shepard, Chairman. Also Present: George Eskola ofWJBF Television and Sylvia Cooper of The Augusta Chronicle. The Clerk: We have a request from the Sports Council to remove Item 1 from the agenda, defer it to the July 28 meeting and add an additional item. Mr. Bridges: I so move. Mr. Williams: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I 2. Motion to approve communication hardware upgrades for the new Animal Services Facility. (Referred from July 1 Commission meeting) Mr. Kolb: This is an amendment to the animal shelter building project. Because we did not have enough money at the time, we wanted to appropriate some excess receipt of proceeds that we have identified to this project. These are excess revenues that were collected from the sales tax that were not budgeted other than i 11 the contingency for that particular item. I Mr. Wall: Where you have a time period with regard to the collection of special purpose local option sales tax, it terminates at the earlier of the time period, five years, or the maximum amount of collections received. As a result of that, we have always set the maximum amount of money to be collected at a higher number so that it would not prematurely end and then possibly have a gap in one phase of special purpose local option sales tax and a subsequent phase. In the Phase IV resolution, we detailed the projects and the total of those projects was $142,806,000. Then we increased each category by a 12% additional amount so that there would be a cap of $159,942,000. In the event that we collect 12% more than we are estimating, we would collect $159,000,000. When the projects were budgeted, we budgeted based upon the $142,000,000, actually $144,000,000. The $142,000,000 are the Augusta projects and the $144,000,000 includes Hephzibah and Blythe. Based upon the estimated amount of collections, so much was allocated in 2001, so much in 2002,2003,2004 and 2005. The total of that amount is $142,000,000. That way every project that was identified in the resolution had funds sufficient to cover that estimated cost. What is happening is we are collecting more money than the estimated amount so if the trend continues, we will collect more than $142,000,000 over the five-year term. W.e put in a general catch all on the various categories and in the event that either an emergency came up, we have the flexibility to move money around if it is in the same category. The resolution provides that in the event that a project costs more than the estimated cost, then you can use either the money from projects that came in under budget or any extra funds that have been collected or you can reduce the size and scope of the project. We have tried to always wait until the end of that five-year collection before you start spending the excess collection money because you don't know what's going to happen over the next two and a half years. Collections could fall and in that event some project might be put in jeopardy whereas if there is a project that comes in under budget, then that extra money that is there could be allocated to meeting a cost overrun on a particular project. So what is being proposed here is to use some of the excess collections over the initial two and a half years to increase the size of the project, so to speak, to put in the information technology portion of it at a cost of about $140,000. It is legal to do this and you can do it if you wish to. I After a lengthy discussion, Mr. Williams: I am going to make a motion that we deny this. Mr. Bridges: I second it. Motion adopted unanimously. 3. Consider a request from Mr. David C. Crews, CPA, on behalf of Augusta GYN, PC for waiver of the penalty assessed for late payment of their 2001 and 2002 property tax bill. (Referred from July 1 Commission meeting) I Mr. Bridges: I make a motion we deny the waiver of the penalty. Mr. Williams: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 4. Approve awarding bid for RFQ# 03-056A for Corporate Communications for the Augusta Utilities Department. Mr. Hankerson: I would like to study the backup information a little more since we just got it. Mr. Williams: I make a motion that we pass it on to the next Finance Committee agenda. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I 2 I 5. Receive report from the Administrator/Finance Director regarding the balance of the fund balance concerning surplus SPLOST monies. Mr. Hankerson: I think we would like to have a written report on this so if you could bring that back at the next meeting. Mr. Persaud: I'll get a written report to you. Mr. Bridges: I move that this be discussed at the next committee after we receive a written report. Mr. Williams: Second. Mr. Mays: As a part of this, we also need to know the areas where the surplus came from so that we would know the category or categories that were involved. Motion adopted unanimously. Addendum Item 1. Consider a request from the Augusta Flyers Track Club, Inc. regarding financial assistance in the amount of $1,000 to support the athletes' trip to Detroit, Michigan to compete in the 2003 National AAU Junior Olympics. (Requested by Mayor Young) I Mr. Bridges: We've given to them before through HND and I'd recommend that we check through there for the funding. I'll make that as a motion. Mr. Hankerson: I second the motion for discussion. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission nwm I 3