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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-07-30-Meeting AgendaFinanceCommitteeMeeting CommitteeRoom -7/30/2007 -2:30PM FINANCE 1.ApproverequesttoamendbudgetforFireDepartment grantFG-05019intheamountof$164,394. Attachments 2.ApprovalofChangeOrder#001forFireStation#3.Attachments 3.Presentation by Augusta Tomorrow, Inc. regarding a proposaltoembarkonanewMasterPlanforAugusta 's UrbanCorewithequalplanandfinancialparticipat ion fromthepublicandprivatesectors. Attachments 4.Consider a request from the Angelic Community ResourceDevelopment,Inc.regardingcitysponsorsh ip ofthe4thAnnualBarber'sBall. Attachments 5.Considerannual$25,000contributiontoenableCSRA Alliance to continue Augusta-Fort Gordon economic developmentandpartnershipefforts. Attachments 6.Approve funding for July 17, 2007 Special Election Runoff. Attachments 7.Approve refund recommendations from the Board of Assessorsfortwo(2)accounts. Attachments 8.Presentation by Ms. Mattie Guy regarding thetax recalculationandhomesteadexemptionforParcel12 9-0- 061-00-0 Account 8260. (Referred from July 10 Commissionmeeting) Attachments 9.Discussstatus ofpotentialpropertyandauctioneer for Attachments www.augustaga.gov sale.(RequestedbyCommissionerBowles) 10.ApproveProposalforCompensationandClassificatio n ConsultingAssistancefromBuckConsultants. Attachments 11.Consider relegating certain uncollectable personal property(business)accountstoinsolventstatus.These accounts have been determined by the Tax Assessor's Office to be inactive. Also, efforts to collect th e accountsbyDTSi(CollectionAgency)haveresulted in nocollections. Attachments 12.DiscussTransitDepartmentrevenuesandelimination of services.(RequestedbyCommissionerBrigham) Attachments FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM AmendFireDeptGrantFG-05019budget Department:FireDepartment caption2:ApproverequesttoamendbudgetforFireDepartment grant FG-05019intheamountof$164,394. Background:Atyearend2006theFireDeptgrantFG-05019hadf unds remainingandunspent,thatwerenotbudgetedfor2 007. Analysis:TheFireDepartmentonlyhassomuchtimeinwhich to spendthesefunds. FinancialImpact:IncreaserevenueforgrantFG-05019by$164,394and increasetheexpendituresby$164,394. Alternatives:N/A Recommendation:Approvethebudgetresolution. Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: Totalof$164,394in274034115. REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 1 Resolution STATE OF GEORGIA ) AUGUSTA RICHMOND COUNTY AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY ) COMMISSION BUDGET AMENDMENT NO:…………… IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the…Fire Department grant FG-05019……Fund Budget for the year 2007 be amended to reflect increased revenue of ………$164,394…………………….. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the appropriations be increased by……$164,394.for ……….. expenditures. REVENUES 274034115/3311110 $159,600 274034115/3351110 $4,794 ______________________ Total ______$164,394________ APPROPRIATIONS Computer Hardware Supplies 274034115/5311915 $9,566 Telephones under $500 274034115/5316120 $124,432 Peripherals less than $5,000 274034115 $2,252 Radios less than $5,000 $28,144 ______________________ Total ________$164,394______ DEKE COPENHAVER, MAYOR Approved this ……the day of……2007 AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY COMMISSION ______________________________ As its mayor Attest: ________________ Clerk of Commission Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 1 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM ApprovalofChangeOrder#001forFireStation#3 Department:Fire,HowardWillis,Chief caption2:ApprovalofChangeOrder#001forFireStation#3. Background:TherenovationofFireStation#3hasbeencomplete d.The originalcontractpricewas$223,718.00.Theactual Cost aftercompletionis$212,346.42. Analysis:ApprovalofChangeOrder#001willresultinreduci ngthe contractamountto$212,346.42forthisproject. FinancialImpact:ApprovalofChangeOrder#001willresultinrecapt uring $11,371.58fromthisprojectandplaceitbackinto theFire DepartmentFireStationRenovationFundforuseon present andfuturerenovationprojects. Alternatives:None Recommendation:ApproveChangeOrder#001 Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 2 Cover Memo Item # 2 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM AugustaTomorrow Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:PresentationbyAugustaTomorrow,Inc.regardinga proposaltoembarkonanewMasterPlanforAugusta 's UrbanCorewithequalplanandfinancialparticipat ionfrom thepublicandprivatesectors. Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 2 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 3 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 4 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 5 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 6 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 7 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 8 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 9 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 10 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 11 of 12 Item # 3 Attachment number 1 Page 12 of 12 Item # 3 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM Barber'sBall Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:ConsiderarequestfromtheAngelicCommunityResou rce Development,Inc.regardingcitysponsorshipofthe 4th AnnualBarber'sBall. Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 4 Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 4 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM CSRAAllianceforFortGordon Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:Considerannual$25,000contributiontoenableCSRA AlliancetocontinueAugusta-FortGordoneconomic developmentandpartnershipefforts. Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 5 Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 5 Attachment number 2 Page 1 of 4 Item # 5 Attachment number 2 Page 2 of 4 Item # 5 Attachment number 2 Page 3 of 4 Item # 5 Attachment number 2 Page 4 of 4 Item # 5 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM FundingforJuly17,2007SpecialElectionRunoff Department:BoardofElections caption2:ApprovefundingforJuly17,2007SpecialElection Runoff. Background:ThisisarunofffromtheJune19,2007SpecialEle ctionin CongressionalDistrict10. Analysis: FinancialImpact:$33,300.00 Alternatives:None Recommendation:ApproveFunding Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: GeneralFundContingency101101110/6011110 REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 6 ELECTION COST WORKSHEET SPECIAL ELECTION RUNOFF 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ITEM TOTAL COST Poll Worker Salary 19,000.00 Poll Worker Training 3,200.00 Cell Phones 500.00 Testing of Equipment 1,700.00 Temporary Employees (Daily) 1,200.00 Election Night Workers and Delivery Crew 1,800.00 Security 300.00 Staff Overtime/Comp Hours 0 Custodial Pay 575.00 Building Rental 1,500.00 Truck Rental 800.00 Printing – Absentee Ballots 1,000.00 Food 200.00 Mileage 100.00 Board Pay 1,000.00 Advertising 40.00 Postage – Absentee/Poll Worker 650.00 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST 33,365.00 Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 6 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM July2007Refunds Department: caption2:ApproverefundrecommendationsfromtheBoardof Assessorsfortwo(2)accounts. Background:Seeattachment Analysis:Seeattachment FinancialImpact:Seeattachment Alternatives:None Recommendation:Seeattachment Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 7 JULY 2007 REFUNDS Attachment page 1 of 1 Rice, Travis W. Map 48-1, Parcel 21 Travis W. Rice filed for homestead exemption in 2002. On October 28, 2004 a ½ interest in the property was transferred from Angela Rice to Keisha D. Rice. Travis W. Rice has always retained a ½ interest ownership in the property. The Homestead exemption was removed in error for 2005. Grant refund for 2005 in the total amount of $304.21 (State $2.02, County $87.96; School $148.00; Urban $66.23). Richmond County Board of Education Map 46-3, Parcel 313 Property was purchased on December 30, 2004 from a non-exempt owner. Exempt status was not added to the property. Grant refund for 2005 in the total amount of $37.80 (State $0.25, County $10.86, School $18.60; Urban $8.09). Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 7 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM MattieGuy Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:PresentationbyMs.MattieGuyregardingthetax recalculationandhomesteadexemptionforParcel12 9-0- 061-00-0Account8260.(ReferredfromJuly10 Commissionmeeting) Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 2 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 3 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 4 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 5 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 1 Page 6 of 6 Item # 8 Attachment number 2 Page 1 of 2 Item # 8 Attachment number 2 Page 2 of 2 Item # 8 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM PropertySale Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:Discussstatusofpotentialpropertyandauctioneer forsale. (RequestedbyCommissionerBowles) Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 9 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM ProposalForCompensationandClassificationConsul ting Department:HumanResources caption2:ApproveProposalforCompensationandClassificatio n ConsultingAssistancefromBuckConsultants. Background:TheAugustaCommissionrequestedthattheAdministr ator seekaConsultanttoconductaCompensationand ClassificationStudy. Analysis:Proposalstoconductthestudywererequestedfrom Buck Consultants,theCarlVinsonInstitute,AugustaSta te UniversityandPaineCollege.Theonlyproposalrec eived wasfromBuckConsultants. FinancialImpact:ThecostoftheProposalForCompensationand CompensationConsultingAssistanceis$50,000. Alternatives:DoNotApproveProposalForCompensationand CompensationConsultingAssistance. Recommendation:ApproveProposalForCompensationandCompensation ConsultingAssistance. Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: GeneralFundContingency101101110/6011110 REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Cover Memo Item # 10 Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 10 June 28, 2007 Mr. Robby Burns Human Resources Augusta-Richmond County 530 Greene Street Augusta, GA 30911 Subject: Proposal for Job Classification and Compensation Consulting Assistance Dear Mr. Burns: Thank you for asking Buck Consultants, an ACS Company, to submit this proposal for consideration by Augusta-Richmond County (ARC) to review the current job classification and compensation framework used for salary administration. The issues of market competitiveness and internal equity among various jobs are critical to maintaining a high performing organization that can attract, retain and reward talented employees. For clarity, we have organized our proposal along the following topics: xYour Issues and Needs xProject Objectives and Scope xWork plan, Deliverables and Timeline xFees and Expenses xNext Steps Your Issues and Needs ARC has 2,500 employees in approximately 200 distinct positions. During the past several months it has become clear that for some positions in ARC, salary levels are not commensurate with grade and tenure among current employees. It is highly likely that the one or two identified disparities are not simply isolated occurrences, but rather that similar circumstances could easily emerge upon the next promotion or annual salary increase. ARC’s salary grade system has a salary range corresponding to each grade, but no “step” approach to manage an employee’s progression through the range. Therefore, the Board may seek outside assistance to assess job classification, salary structure and remedial adjustments to incumbent pay to assure compensation is competitive with the relevant external labor market, as well as fair and equitable internally. Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 5 Item # 10 Mr. Robby Burns June 28, 2007 Page 2 Project Objectives and Scope The project work plan is designed to achieve the following objectives: 1. Conduct a custom market survey of benchmark jobs in comparable jurisdictions. Collect salary data, and also the dates when responding municipalities’ salary structures were last updated 2. Recommend updated salary ranges 3. Recommend incumbent salary adjustments 4. Model the financial impact of the recommended changes to range and incumbent pay We anticipate working with you to select up to 70 benchmark positions to survey. You will slot remaining positions into your structure based on the insights gained for the benchmark jobs from the survey. Work Plan, Deliverables and Timeline xProject planning meeting. Buck will plan to spend one-half day at your office to meet with you and review the project timeline, confirm objectives, submit a data request, and agree on respective project roles and responsibilities. The data request will include job descriptions for all benchmark jobs in scope; incumbent level data including job title, department, salary as of June 1, 2007, time in job and tenure. We will provide you with an Excel spreadsheet to organize this data. We will not require any Social Security Numbers or names. xJob classification. You will perform job analysis to confirm that the documented job descriptions are still substantially valid. xBuck will interview ARC’s head of human resources, and the members of the Board of Commissioners. These interviews would be conducted at your location. Our budget assumes they will take place on the same visit as the project-planning meeting, and may require an overnight stay. Interviews that cannot be scheduled during this one or two day period will be conducted by telephone to minimize travel expense, and maintain the project timeline. Buck will review your job analysis findings with you via conference call, and determine whether the job classifications are appropriate or need revision. If so, we will wait for your changes in how jobs are classified and defined to use in the survey. xCustom labor market survey. Using the updated job classifications and/or descriptions, we will conduct a custom labor market survey of selected benchmark jobs at the fully Attachment number 1 Page 2 of 5 Item # 10 Mr. Robby Burns June 28, 2007 Page 3 qualified level. We will work with you to define your relevant comparators in the public sector. We will collect salary data for the named positions, as well as information on when these employers last updated the salary structure data they are reporting, and whether they have actually implemented compensation changes based on their most recent updates. ARC must provide data for the survey as well. Our fee estimates for this component are based on the following assumptions: o Solicitation. The most critical part of a successful survey is to get a sufficient number of good comparators to submit data. Our chances of success are greatly enhanced whenever a client actively supports that effort. That means the appropriate people at ARC would reach out to let the targeted municipalities know Buck is conducting a survey on your behalf, and to ask for their support. It may be necessary for you to follow up periodically to gain agreement to participate. Our team will then take responsibility for contacting the invited participants with the survey materials, and for actual data collection and review. o Number of respondents. You have indicated you would like a survey of at least 10 other counties and/or municipalities in the Southeast, which you will identify as comparators. Our experience is that the response rate for surveys such as this is about 40%, so you should plan to invite 25 to 30 other municipalities. o Check point. After you have conducted solicitation efforts for a reasonable period and have contacted all of your targets, ARC and Buck will have a conference call to assess whether there will be a sufficient number of participants to derive value from completing the survey. If not, we will end the project, and ARC will be billed only for the fees and expenses incurred through this step. o We assume we will collect both salary structure information and incumbent level salary data. This will provide some insight into any areas where actual pay varies from compensation structure. We assume data will be presented in a confidential manner, except for salary structure information that is already publicly available, e.g., salary ranges by grade level, such as you have posted on your website, (http://www.augustaga.gov/departments/human_resources/salary.asp). We will not collect any data on variable pay, bonuses, or benefit contributions made by the employee or employer. xRecommend salary range structure; determine incumbent impact and financial modeling. We will recommend salary ranges based on market data for each of the benchmark positions. We will also recommend multiple ranges for those jobs with multiple levels. These ranges will be assigned based on existing salary structure. We will then review incumbents in the benchmark jobs, and identify those whose salary falls outside the newly defined ranges. We will make recommendations for adjustments to base to reflect single- or multiple-year treatment as needed to bring employees into the appropriate range. We will project the potential incremental impact of our recommendations to ARC Attachment number 1 Page 3 of 5 Item # 10 Mr. Robby Burns June 28, 2007 Page 4 compensation budget. We will state the assumptions used in these projections so the Board of Commissioners can make an informed decision on our recommendations. xMeeting to present recommendations and projections. We will meet with you at your location to review our survey results, incumbent impact analysis and recommendations, and financial modeling. Based on our discussions with you, revisions may be made to the documentation. xSlotting non-benchmark jobs into the structure. You will place the remaining jobs into the updated salary structure, based on the findings from the survey of benchmark jobs. You have elected to do this and the resultant modeling with your own resources, including modeling the incumbent impact and the total financial impact. You can do this modeling using the methodology Buck uses for the benchmark jobs. Following this step, if you recommend it, we will provide an advance copy of our report to the Board of Commissioners so they can prepare for our meeting. xMeeting with the Board of Commissioners. We will join you in meeting with the Board of Commissioners to present our recommendations. We will also assist you in preparing materials for this meeting. xParticipant reports. Buck will produce a report of findings for the labor survey participants in return for their having provided their data. We will also distribute the survey reports to the participants. At this point, the project will be complete. The project deliverables will include: xLabor market survey and application to ARC pay analysis xProposed salary ranges xCost implications of adopting proposed ranges and achieving pay equity among existing incumbents in benchmark jobs We estimate that once the Statement of Work is approved, the project work will take ten to twelve weeks. Fees and Expenses Based on the project defined in this letter, we estimate the fees to be $50,000. Our fees are structured as follows: Attachment number 1 Page 4 of 5 Item # 10 Mr. Robby Burns June 28, 2007 Page 5 Project Phase Fees Assumptions Custom Survey $35,000 Solicit 25 – 30 municipalities with the assistance of ARC; collect data on 70 unique jobs Job Classification (optional) Not in scope August-Richmond County will do this work internally Designing Salary Structure, Reassigning Benchmark Jobs to Appropriate Grades, Determination of Incumbent Impact and Financial Modeling $15,000 For benchmark jobs only Slotting non-benchmark jobs (Optional) Not in scope August-Richmond County will do this work internally Total $50,000 In addition to the fees specified above, Buck will also (i) assess a six percent (6%) technology and infrastructure charge based on the total professional fees invoiced, and (ii) bill all out-of- pocket expenses incurred in connection with the provision of the services including, without limitation, travel, vendor support, etc. If at any point ARC decides to end the engagement, we will bill you for time and expenses incurred through that point. For example, if you are unable to solicit a sufficient number of participants, we will bill for the expenses incurred and the time used to conduct interviews and meetings, develop the questionnaire and survey package. Next Steps Robby, I will be available by phone later today should you have questions or wish to discuss this proposal. I look forward to meeting with you and the Board on July 10. Thank you again for the opportunity to propose on this important work. Sincerely, Kathy Ledford Principal cc: Hamilton Henson, Buck Consultants Larry Reissman, Buck Consultants Attachment number 1 Page 5 of 5 Item # 10 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM Requesttoconsiderconvertinguncollectableaccoun tstoInsolventstatus Department:TaxCommissioner caption2:Considerrelegatingcertainuncollectablepersonalp roperty (business)accountstoinsolventstatus.Theseacc ountshave beendeterminedbytheTaxAssessor'sOfficetobei nactive. Also,effortstocollecttheaccountsbyDTSi(Coll ection Agency)haveresultedinnocollections. Background:Theseaccountsconsistofoldyears,accountswhere the assetsofthebusinessarenolongerintheCounty andthose whichhavenotbeenactiveforsometime. Analysis:Theinsolventlistonlytakestheaccountsoffoft heactive files,butdoesnotpreventthecollectioninthee ventthe businessresurfacedatalatertime FinancialImpact:$484,855Countypartofthisamountis$161,618. Alternatives:Leavetheaccountsontheactivefile.(Itmightbe notedthat theStateCodecallsforthisactiononaregularb asis. Recommendation:Agreetoputtheaccountsontheinsolventlist. Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : Finance. Cover Memo Item # 11 Administrator. ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 11 DATE: June 8, 2007 TO: Finance Committee Board of Commissioners FROM: Jerry Saul Tax Commissioner Richmond County RE: Insolvent Accounts The purpose of this letter is to request the Commission to declare certain personal property accounts on the records of this office as insolvent. This is a process that is authorized by the Georgia Revenue Code (OCGA 48-3-23) and recommended to be done every so often by the Commission in order to make the outstanding accounts more indicative of the actual collectibles. This is for the purpose of clearing our active records of accounts that are uncollectible. This does not mean that the accounts are done away with, but rather listed on a separate digest, and are still recorded on the execution docket in the office of the Clerk of Superior Court. These accounts have been selected for insolvency due to not responding to many billings, and, after research by DTSI, have been certified by the Tax Assessor’s Office as not being current accounts. From a tax billing of $177 million dollars, we now have an insolvent amount of $484,855.43. This amount represents County, School and State personal/business taxes for a period of seven (7) years. On the basis of the total amounts billed for the corresponding years, this total represents less than three thousandth (.003) of the collective digests. The County share of the total ($484,855)is one-third, or $161,618. Your prompt attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated. Attachment number 1 Page 1 of 1 Item # 11 FinanceCommitteeMeeting 7/30/20072:30PM TransitDepartmentRevenues Department:ClerkofCommission caption2:DiscussTransitDepartmentrevenuesandelimination of services.(RequestedbyCommissionerBrigham) Background: Analysis: FinancialImpact: Alternatives: Recommendation: Fundsare Availableinthe Following Accounts: REVIEWEDANDAPPROVEDBY : ClerkofCommission Cover Memo Item # 12