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Home My WebLink About08-11-2003 Meeting I FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - August 11,2003 2:00 P. M. 1. Request to abate penalty for Account #2040824, Map 111, Parcels 10.01 and 29 and Map 122-1, Parcel 103. 2. Approve a contract with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a Historic Preservation Fund grant of $6,000.00 to help pay for a Historic Structure Report of the brick outbuilding on the Appleby Library property at 2260 Walton Way. 3. Discuss policies and procedures related to the collection of monies owed to the City. (Requested by Mayor Young) 4. Discuss demolition, lot cleaning, liens and mobile home permits on tax bills. (Requested by Commissioner Shepard) 5. Update from the Senior Citizens Council regarding the senior nutrition monthly report. 6. Approve the acquisition of One (1) Easement Machine for the Utilities Department - Construction Division from Adams Equipment Company of White Plains, Georgia for $25,758.00 (lowest bid offer on Bid 03-108). I 7. Approve the acquisition of One (1) Skid Steer Loader for the Augusta Recreation Department from Augusta Turf and Tractor Company of Augusta, Georgia for $20,421.44 (lowest bid offer on Bid 03-107). 8. Update from Dr. Terrence Cook regarding Project Access. 9. Approve request from the Board of Tax Assessors to proceed with obtaining an outside auditing firm to review all accounts with a value of $50,000 and above. 10. Report from the Tax Assessor regarding the number of-property owners out of the 1,337 who have appeals in progress who have not paid their tax bills. (Referred from August 5 Commission meeting) (Requested by Commissioner Hankerson) 11. Review second quarter June 30, 2003 fiscal year operating statements and accept as information. (Requested by Commissioner Hankerson) I ",::~. . '. :?~.':l""" .. ~ . -=:-..;....:~~: l::f:~:'if~~.'~~ 1 FINANCE & APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - August 11,2003 2:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Shepard, Chairman; Hankerson, Co-Chairman; Bridges, member; Jim Wall, Attorney; George Kolb, Administrator; David Persaud, Finance Director; E. W. Reece, Tax Assessor; North Williamson, Tax Commissioner's Office; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Hon. Williams, Commissioner. Also Present: Stacey Eidson of The Metro Spirit. 8. Update from Dr. Terrence Cook regarding Project Access. At this time Dr. Cook made a presentation about the activities of Project Access for their first year in operation. Mr. Bridges: A motion to receive it as information and they report to us yearly during August. Mr. Hankerson: Second. 1 Motion adopted unanimously. 11. Review second quarter June 30, 2003 fiscal year operating statements and accept as information. (Requested by Commissioner Hankerson) Mr. Persaud made a presentation concerning this report. Mr. Hankerson: I would request that the committee receive a report similar to this on a monthly basis for the remainder of the year. I'll put that in the form of a motion. Mr. Chairman: I'll second it. Mr. Bridges: I'd like to see a copy of the budget calendar if you would provide that to me. Mr. Kolb: I can do that. Mr. Bridges: I'd also like to see some detailed information on the budget as early and often as you could. Mr. Persaud: All right. 1 Mr. Mayor: Do you have a report regarding the reclassifications that we had previously discussed? Mr. Kolb: We will hopefully have a report by the next Finance Committee meeting. I Mr. Mayor: Do you have a date when that would take place if you are recommending something for this year? Mr. Kolb: October 1. Mr. Chairman: Would that come back by the fIrst meeting in September? Mr. Kolb: If you would put that as a deadline, I would appreciate it. We're going to try and come back to you at the next meeting. Mr. Hankerson: I'll accept that as an amendment to the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. 9. Approve request from the Board of Tax Assessors to proceed with obtaining an outside auditing firm to review all accounts with a value of $50,000 and above. After a short discussion, Mr. Hankerson: I don't think that we should do something like this at this time. I'm going to put it in the form of a motion to deny this request. I Mr. Bridges: I'll second it for discussion. After additional discussion, the motion failed with Mr. Bridges and the Chairman voting No. 10. Report from the Tax Assessor regarding the number of property owners out of the 1,337 who have appeals in progress who have not paid their tax bills. (Referred from August 5 Commission meeting) (Requested hy Commissioner Hankerson) Mr. Reece distributed a memo regarding the above information. Mr. Bridges: I move we receive this as information. Mr. Chairman: I second the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. Mr. Williamson: We have about 301 bills that have not been paid. The others have paid what we have billed them for and that represents about 1,036. I 2 I Mr. Chairman: Could you put that in the form of a memo to explain those numbers in more detail? Mr. Williamson: Yes. Mr. Bridges: I make the motion that we hold this in commIttee for the next meeting and have a written report summarizing what's been said. Mr. Hankerson: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 5. Update from the Senior Citizens Council regarding the senior nutrition monthly report. At this time Mr. Lawrence Hammond made a presentation regarding the above report. I Mr. Kolb: I'm interpreting the motion that was previously made was that if we keep the four satellite centers open that we would be paying the salaries of the people who operate that recreational program. The $75,000 that we sent earlier in a lump sum would take care of the nutrition part. The $130,000 would support salaried employees of those four sites. After a lengthy discussion of the report, Mr. Hankerson: I move that we receive the report as information. Mr. Bridges: I'll second it. Mr. Hankerson: What are we looking for in the next monthly report? Mr. Chairman: I think we're making sure they're still delivering the services without having to come back to us for any more money for the. year. That's why we're asking about the expenses being reduced and their income being accounted for. After additional discussion, it was the consensus of the Committee that this item be held in the committee with further reports at the next meeting. Motion adopted unanimously. 6. Approve the acquisition of One (1) Easement Machine for the Utilities Department - Construction Division from Adams Equipment Company of White Plains, Georgia for $25,758.00 (lowest bid offer on Bid 03-108). I 7. Approve the acquisition of One (1) Skid Steer Loader for the Augusta 3 Recreation Department from Augusta Turf and Tractor Company of Augusta,--Georgia for $20,421.44 (lowest bid offer on Bid 03-107). I Mr. Bridges: I move that we approve items 6 and 7 in a consent agenda. Mr. Chairman: I second it. Motion adopted unanimously. 1. Request to abate penalty for Account #2040824, Map 111, Parcels 10.01 and 29 and Map 122-1, Parcel 103. Mr. Williamson: This is a request from Commercial & Military Systems on Mike Padgett Highway. The total amount of money involved is $5,322.98 and that is just the penalty. I didn't make a recommendation in this case because the reason that they're late does not meet the criteria that was outlined to us by the Commission as being considered for abatement. Mr. Bridges: I so move to deny. Mr. Hankerson: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. I 2. Approve a contract with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a Historic Preservation Fund grant of $6,000.00 to help pay for a Historic Structure Report of the brick outbuilding on the Appleby Library property at 2260 Walton Way. Mr. Bridges: So move. Mr. Hankerson: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. 3. Discuss policies and procedures related to the collection of monies owed to the City. (Requested by Mayor Young) Mr. Mayor: We realized recently that we had someone with a lease who was two years late with payments being made to the city. I wanted to know what policies and procedures were in place to make sure the money owed to us is collected. Mr. Persaud: I am in the process of preparing a report on that. Mr. Bridges: I move we hold this in the committee. I 4 I Mr. Chairman: I'll second it for purposes of discussion. Motion adopted unanimously. 4. Discuss demolition, lot Cleaning, liens and mobile home permits on tax bills. (Requested by Commissioner Shepard) Mr. Chairman: I would like to see the new emphasis on the mobile home permits being keyed to the ad valorem tax bills. When you're checking ad valorem property taxes, you ordinarily don't pick up the mobile home permits and I'm looking for a way to get that in that process if you could think of some way. Mr. Reece: We can talk about that if you would defer it to your next meeting. Mr. Bridges: So move. Mr. Chairman: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. I Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission nwm I 5