Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

Glynn County Board of Commissioners

4:00 P.M., Tuesday, April 23, 2002

Third Floor Conference Room

W. Harold Pate Courthouse Annex

Brunswick, Georgia

 

 

Present:

                        Committee Members: F. Tullos

                        Commissioners:

Staff:  K. Brown, J. Bruner, D. Chunn, W. Davis, M. Eckert, R. Guarracino, G. Hegstrom, C. Johnson, P. McNicoll, D. Newbern, J. Pereles, B. Rogers, J. Sanders, S. Santee, S. Shaeffner, and R. Shell

Press:  A. Horton, M. Permar

Others:  C. Bland, R. Bowers, V. Martin, W. Pitts, and A. Shelander

 

1. Consider approval of the Consent Agenda.

a)      Approve the April 9, 2002 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes. 

b)      Approve the corrections to the 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002 digest as recommended by the Board of Assessors and/or Chief Appraiser at their April 10, 2002 meeting. 

c)      Approve the Resolution to amend the FY 01/02 Budget. 

Since a quorum was not present for the meeting, no action was taken on this item.

 

2.      Consider approving the recommendations of Jordan, Jones & Goulding and implement Scenario 1 of the Water & Sewer Rate Study Update. 

 

Ray Shell, Utilities Manager, discussed the rate study and stated that the results of the study presented two scenarios.  Scenario 1 did not include the radio read meters as an item in the capital improvement plan, and Scenario 2 did include that item.  He stated that staff had identified $34 million in capital projects that needed immediate attention and in order to undertake the projects, it will be necessary to issue a revenue bond, borrow funds from GEFA and increase water and sewer rates.  He then stated that staff recommends that Scenario 1 of the Water & Sewer Rate Study Update be approved by the Board of Commissioners.  Commissioner Tullos noted that the funding mentioned above is necessary to support the current CIP, maintain a positive cash flow, and remain above minimal debt coverage ratios.  Since a quorum was not present, no action was taken on this item.

 

3.      Consider authorizing staff to advertise for bids for the EDA PAWS Water/Sewer Infrastructure Project, subject to the understanding that if Wildlife Realty Associates, LP cannot provide satisfactory evidence of permanent Park financing in time for the bids to be awarded, then Wildlife Realty Associates, LP will fully reimburse the County’s out-of-pocket bid expenses, and the EDA grant for this project may be lost.

 

Mr. Cameron Bland, Will Pitts, Albert Shelander, Vernon Martin, and Richard Bowers were present for this item.  Mr. Pitts, Managing General Partner of Wildlife Realty Associates, gave an update on the progress of the PAWS project and requested that the County proceed with bids for the EDA water and sewer program.  He stated that prior to the award of the bids, Wildlife Realty Associates will provide evidence that Phase I park financing is in place and/or will post a performance bond to insure that construction can be completed as bid.  He also stated that if for some reason the bids cannot be awarded and construction proceeded, that Wildlife Realty would reimburse the County for its out-of-pocket bid expenses.  Commissioner Tullos requested input and questions from staff concerning the project and there was some discussion of the Hwy 99 road construction project.  Everyone present agreed that this project would not require County funding.  Since a quorum was not present, no action was taken on this item.

 

4.      Consider approving the Greenspace Grant Award Agreement for $399,215 in state funds, and authorize the Chairman to execute the Agreement, and request that the County Attorney prepare a letter attesting to the County’s authority to enter into such an Agreement. 

 

Commissioner Tullos requested that Mr. Dick Newbern, Grants Administrator, present this item to the full Board of Commissioners.

 

5.      Consider authorizing the Finance Director to pay off the two Lease/Purchase Agreements with Motorola in the amount of approximately $64,500 for the 800 MHz start-up radio equipment and approximately $778,000 for the 800 MHz towers, with revenue generated by SPLOST 3, for a total of approximately $842,500.

 

Mr. Jim Bruner, County Engineer, and Ms. Phyllis McNicoll, Finance Director, gave an update of the Splost 3 projects and financial condition.  It was noted that there would be funds remaining in this Splost after the projects are completed and that staff will be consulting with the County Attorney and coming back to the Committee at a later date with proposals on how to close Splost 3.

 

Chief Carl Johnson, Fire Chief, presented a request from the Splost 3 Committee to use Splost 3 funds to pay off the two Motorola 800 mhz lease/purchase agreements.  This pay off would result in savings of approximately $342,900 in interest over the life of the two leases and would reduce the operating costs of the Joint E911 Communications Center.  Since a quorum was not present, no action was taken on this item.

 

6.      Consider approval for the following rate increases listed in Table A, labeled a. – w., to be authorized to take effect beginning July 1, 2002:

TABLE A

 

This item was not discussed and Commissioner Tullos directed staff to advertise this item as a public hearing item for the Commission meeting of May 16, 2002.

           

7.         Consider declaring the following equipment as surplus:

a) 1994 Ford Crown Victoria, Unit 1690

            b) 1996 Ford Crown Victoria, Unit 1751

c) 1999 Ford Crown Victoria, Unit 1886, and

d) 1989 GMC 1500 Sierra, Unit 1435.  

 

      Mr. Joe Pereles, Public Works Director, stated that these four vehicles were sold at the auction prior to being declared surplus by the Board of Commissioners.  Commissioner Tullos questioned whether they qualified as surplus items and Mr. Pereles stated that they did.  Since a quorum was not present, no action was taken on this item.

 

 

8.         Request that Chairman Tullos identify the Finance Committee items which should be included as consent items in the Commission’s Meeting Agenda.

 

Commissioner Tullos identified items 1, 4, and 7 as consent items and item 6 as a public hearing item.  Section 2-2-9 of the Code of Ordinances, Glynn County, Ga., states that notice of the public hearing must be advertised not more than twenty nor less than ten days prior to the hearing date.  In order to comply with the advertising requirements, the public hearing for item 6 will be held on May 16, 2002.