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JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION AUGUST 4, 2014 7:00 P.M. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the agenda for the August meeting. It was held at the Jefferson County Commissioners Office. Those present were as follows: Mitchell McGraw, Chairman; Gonice Davis, Member; Tommy New, Member; Johnny Davis, Member; Wayne Davis, Member; Adam Mestres, County Administrator; Dalton Dowdy, County Attorney; and Bonnie Wells, County Clerk. Chairman McGraw called meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Johnny Davis gave the invocation. Chairman McGraw welcomed Jefferson County School Superintendant, Dr. Molly Howard; Assistant Superintendant, Mr. Samuel Dasher; Jefferson County High School Principal, Dr. Alan Long; and Assistant Principal, Mrs. Stacey Arnold; along with the other constituents in the audience. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to adopt the agenda. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. OLD BUSINESS SHIPS For Youth County Administrator, Adam Mestres, presented information regarding a recent meeting he and the chairman conducted with SHIPS for Youth Director, Mr. Chester Johnson. Mr. Johnson had come before the board previously (July 2014) to request $12,000 from the board of commissioners in partnership with a WIA Grant the SHIPS for Youth received; however the board voted to not comply with Mr. Johnson’s request. The board previously (September 2012) loaned the organization $8,928.05 but was never reimbursed. Commissioner New made a motion to forgive the loan of $8,928.05 and wash their hands of the whole thing. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The motion passed with a vote of four to one. Chairman McGraw, Commissioners New, Gonice Davis, and Johnny Davis voted yes. Commissioner Wayne Davis voted no. Chairman McGraw, at this time, allowed Jefferson County School Superintendant, Dr. Molly Howard, an opportunity to speak regarding information on the Jefferson County school system shared at a previous meeting. Dr. Howard, Mr. Sam Dasher, Dr. Alan Long, and Mrs. Stacey Arnold each had an opportunity to address the board. NEW BUSINESS Final Setting of the Millage Rate With all legal requirements having been met, the county administrator presented the final millage rate of 14.937. The previous year’s millage rate was 14.739 this is a difference of -1.33%. Commissioner New made a motion to set the final millage rate at 14.937. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The vote passed with a vote of three to two. Chairman McGraw, and Commissioners New and Gonice Davis voted yes. Commissioners Johnny and Wayne Davis voted no. Pictometry Renewal for Assessor’s Office (Budgeted) The county administrator presented the contract for Pictometry renewal for the Tax Assessor’s office. This is a flyover that is usually done every three years during the winter months. The cost for this service is $63,450.75, payable over three years and is a budgeted item. Chairman McGraw wanted more time to review the contract. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to table until the Tuesday night meeting thereby allowing Tax Assessor, Mrs. Katherine Perry, to come to the meeting to present the board with more information regarding the service. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Purchase of Public Safety Radios for CI (Budgeted) The county administrator reviewed the quote shown below from Macon Communications on radios for the Jefferson County Correctional Institute. ---PAGE BREAK--- The radios the correctional institute currently has is outdated and purchasing this system will put all departments utilizing radios on the same system. The item is within the correctional institute’s FY15 budget. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to purchase the radios from Macon Communications for quoted price of $19,875.00. Commissioner New seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Purchase of Trench Roller for Roads Department (SPLOST) The county administrator presented a purchase request on behalf of Public Works Director, Ken Thomas, for a trench roller. Mr. Thomas requested the board grant permission to purchase a used trench roller as they only use it a couple of times a year and it would be more feasible if the used one was purchased. The cost of this equipment would come from SPLOST. The cost of a new and used trench roller is shown below. Commissioner Gonice Davis had an issue with spending $20,216 on a used piece of equipment and only have a thirty day warranty. He stated the county should purchase the new piece of equipment with a five year warranty. After much discussion Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to allow the purchase of the new trench roller from Yancey Equipment for $32,321.06. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Replace Roof at Commissioner’s Office (SPLOST) Two bids were presented on shingles to redo the roof at the county commissioner’s office. The two bids submitted are displayed below. ---PAGE BREAK--- Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to purchase the 30 year architectural shingles from Jay’s Hardware for $7,030.48. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. Discussion: Commissioner New stated they were setting precedence…the next time something was purchased, would they be making the purchase from W. B. Miller. Commissioner Johnny Davis stated the board had done that before, in that he suggested a vehicle be purchased from Henderson Chevrolet before, because it was a local business. The motion was unanimous. 2015 LMIG Grant Discussion The administrator explained to the board he needed a list of roads for the 2015 LMIG Grant. The board discussed which roads they wanted to submit for consideration utilizing the 2015 LMIG Grant. Scheduled Public Comments There were no scheduled public comments. Public Comments on Agenda Items There were no comments on agenda items. . Adjournment Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adjourn the Regular Meeting and go into Executive Session to discuss Personnel. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to adjourn Executive Session and recommence the Regular Meeting. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. No Action Taken. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 12, 2014 7:00 P.M. This was the regular scheduled meeting for the month of August. It was held at the Jefferson County Commissioners Office. Those present were as follows: Mitchell McGraw, Chairman; Gonice Davis, Member; Tommy New, Member; Johnny Davis, Member; Wayne Davis, Member; Adam Mestres, County Administrator; Dalton Dowdy, County Attorney; and Bonnie Wells, County Clerk. Chairman McGraw called meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Wayne Davis gave the invocation. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to adopt the agenda. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adopt the minutes. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Chairman McGraw gave the chairman’s report; in his report the chairman commended Anne Durden, Robert Yonchak, the county inmates, and all parties involved for the exemplary work done during the renovation at the county courthouse. County Administrator, Adam Mestres, presented the administrator’s report; Carl Wagster gave the ambulance report; Jimmy Kitchens gave code enforcement/building department report; and Jim Anderson presented the fire department and e-911 report. Consent Agenda The Consent Agenda items were as follows: Motion to approve the purchase of radios from Macon Communications for JCCI for the amount of $19,875.00 Motion to approve the purchase of a trench roller for road department from Yancey Brothers for the amount of $32,321.06 Motion to approve the bid from Jay’s Hardware of $7,030.48 for architectural shingles to replace the roof at the commissioner’s office Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to adopt the Consent Agenda items. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. OLD BUSINESS Final Setting of the Millage Rate ---PAGE BREAK--- The county administrator presented information regarding the millage rate. The proposed rate is 14.937 mills; the current rate is 14.739 mills. Mr. Mestres explained even though this rate is higher, there will be a decrease in property tax collections not an increase. The board also discussed approval of levying taxes on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Education; their proposed millage rate is 14.605, up from 14.382. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to set Jefferson County’s millage rate at 14.937. Commissioner New seconded the motion. Discussion: Commissioner Johnny Davis asked with the .19% percent increase, would that increase an $800,000 property tax bill or would it decrease. The county administrator explained, the millage roll up will not cause an overall increase in taxes. The county administrator also added it is quite possible for an individual’s taxes to go up, but it may also go down. There is $6,390,000 in property taxes, real property that was re-assessed and is going down. Some of that is due to property coming off the books and some of it is re assessing value; some people’s went up, but that is not to say it is based on the millage. It’s based on the property when the appraisal staff went out. He noted Chief Appraiser, Katherine Perry, was in attendance at the meeting if anyone had any questions. But to answer the question the amount of tax they will collect is less than what was collected last year; a difference of $653,000 which was advertised in the new paper. The vote passed with a vote of four to one. Chairman McGraw, Commissioners New, Gonice Davis, and Johnny Davis voted for the millage rate increase. Commissioner Wayne Davis voted no. Commissioner Gonice Davis made a motion to approve the levy on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Education at 14.605. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Pictometry Renewal for Assessor’s Office (Budgeted) Chief Appraiser, Katherine Perry, presented information on the Pictometry Renewal; in attendance at the meeting to answer any prospective questions was Nathan Roberson, District Manager for the Alabama/Georgia Region. Commissioner Johnny Davis made a motion to approve the Pictometry Renewal, pending county attorney’s review. Commissioner Wayne Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. SHIPS for Youth County Administrator, Adam Mestres, presented information on the SHIPS For Youth’s request for funding per a MOU Jefferson County Commissioners entered into with SHIPS For Youth September 12, 2012. The MOU, in essence, stated Jefferson County would issue a line of credit not to exceed $28,000 to the organization. SHIPS would, upon the receipt of various grants and private contributions, repay the county any monies received. The county granted SHIPS $8,928.05 September 18, 2012; with the understanding the funds would be reimbursed; however as of August 12, 2014 the funds had not been received by the Jefferson County Commission Board. Commissioner New made a motion to forgive the $8,928.05 and issue a new MOU rescinding the aforementioned MOU adopted September 12, 2012. Commissioner Gonice Davis seconded the motion. Discussion: Commissioner Wayne Davis stated he had a concern “giving” anybody, whether it’s the SHIPS For Youth, an individual, a church, or anybody else, eighty nine hundred dollars of tax payer’s money. That’s not his money to give away that is tax payer’s money. This gentleman came before them in 2012, it was a MOU that was wrote down with the understanding from the board that the money would be repaid once they got the grant money back. That money has never been taken care of and now they are going to set a precedence about if you owe us money, we’re just going to waive it and we are not just going to do business with you again. If all the tax payers felt the same way the board could not collect any money and could not operate the county. He is adamantly opposed to it yet he understood where the board is going with it. And he appreciate the board’s concern on that, he doesn’t want to see the SHIPS For Youth have a hard time, but he was not going to sit there and vote to give the tax payers money away like that. That is a private organization; it is not a public organization it is not for citizens all over the county. The motion passed with a vote of four to one. Chairman McGraw, Commissioners New, Gonice Davis, and Johnny Davis voted yes. Commissioner Wayne Davis voted no. NEW BUSINESS Landfill Discussion – T. New Commissioner New shared with the board, a company in Wadley’s interest in the amount of wood debris brought into the landfill. Depending on the amount of debris the company would be interested in acquiring it. Commissioner New explained that for right now this was for informational purposes only. Jail Door Locking System – Discussion County Administrator, Adam Mestres, and Sheriff Gary Hutchins presented information on a new door locking system at the county jail. The jail is ten years old and the current locks on the doors are outdated and are not secure. The sheriff requested bids from three companies, however only two complied. They are listed below: Company Amount of Bid South Western Communications, Inc. (SWC) $124,435.00 All Phase Security, LLC $149,875.00 The sheriff recommended the bid from SWC for $124,435 not, he said, because they were the cheapest, but because he had an opportunity to see the system in action at Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia. The administrator explained the purchase of door locks was an unexpected expense, but one the commission board had an obligation to fulfill. It was his recommendation to potentially secure short term financing to soften the blow as there are no monies available in SPLOST for that line item. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to move forward with the jail door ---PAGE BREAK--- locking system; allowing the administrator to check with ACCG to find out what the remedies are for trying to allocate money. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. Discussion: Commissioner New wanted to know if there was any money in contingency to pay for the system. The administrator stated there was approximately $225,000 in the contingency fund…and his only recommendation to the board would be, that we have just completed the first month in the fiscal year, you commit one hundred thousand now, and you do two budget amendments per year, he would caution against spending that kind of money when we had eleven months left in the fiscal year. We don’t know what may come up before the end of the year; if it were a little closer to the end of the year, he would recommend it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Commissioner New stated if you borrow at the front or borrow at the end, you are still borrowing. Commissioner Johnny Davis said ACCG did not loan money; they had a financing program which allowed counties to finance equipment and vehicles through them at a lower rate than most lending institutions. The vote was unanimous. Chairman McGraw recognized Nancy Bobbitt from Senator Johnny Isakson’s office. Scheduled Public Comments There were no scheduled public comments. Public Comments on Agenda Items John Peebles made comments regarding the board’s decision on the SHIPS For Youth. Adjournment Commissioner New made a motion to adjourn the regular meeting and go into Executive Session to discuss personnel. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adjourn Executive Session. NO action taken. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Commissioner Wayne Davis made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Johnny Davis seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.