Budget and Finance Committee

August 11, 2005 at 7:30 am

DRAFT MINUTES

 

Committee Present: Kurt Behrenfeld, Chairman; Dr. Paul DiGiovanni, Vice Chairman; Kay Breed, Marilyn Brown, Carol Tytler, Newell Willcox – Danny Ross: Absent

Others Present: Scott Schrader, Scott Steve, Angie Wyatt, Don Ferris, Carolyn Kennedy, Garry VanGorder, Don Chambers, Dave Hicks, Bob Buerkle, Eric Mulvihill, Dennis Whitt, John Carroll

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Kurt Behrenfeld at 7:35a.m.

MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 14, 2005 MADE BY NEWELL WILLCOX - 2ND BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI - ALL VOTED IN FAVOR - PASSED

WITH A CHANGE UNDER DISCUSSION ITEMS: THE BLAME FOR NOT HAVING AN AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN JUST ONE PERSON.

 

RESOLUTIONS

Budget and Finance Committee Resolutions:

  1. Amending the 2005 Budget Recognizing Federal and State Disaster Assistance Funding – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI - 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

Discussion: Scott Schrader advised the Committee this is one of many of the Federal and State Disaster Assistance Funding. Once notice is given of money coming in Scott will draft a resolution. The review process is takes time and is not complete.

  1. Establishing a Capital Fund Budget – MOTION BY CAROL TYTLER - 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – NO VOTE TAKEN ON ORIGINAL RESOLUTION

    2. Discussion: Changes in accounting procedures requires the County to have a Capital Fund. The Capital Fund will be managed projects. Kay Breed asked if this will impact the budget. Scott Schrader indicated that it would not impact the General Fund. Capital Funds roll over every year. What needs to be done first is to establish the Capital Fund and secondly, close out projects that there is no more activity on. The Committee asked for the resolution to be more detailed and specific. MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY NEWELL WILLCOX TO SUBSTITUTE THE PRESENT RESOLUTION WITH A MORE DETAILED AND SPECIFIC RESOLUTION – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR - PASSED

  2. Amend 2005 Budget (TC3) – MOTION BY KAY BREED – 2ND BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI - ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

    3. Discussion – NONE

  3. Amend 2005 Budget, Fireworks – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED WITH A SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION INDICATING THAT THE COUNTY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WITH THE CHAMBER PROVIDED MORE PROMOTION OF THE COUNTY SUCH AS "GATEWAYS TO THE COMMUNITY", ETC.

    4. Discussion: Marilyn Brown believes that all the Legislators should have been told about this arrangement before now – the process was not followed appropriately and there was no agreement in place. The Chamber of Commerce took this over last year in anticipation of being able to procure donations from local businesses, industries and private individuals. When they fell short they requested that the County pay for the fireworks debt from the Occupancy Tax revenue. It was agreed that the County will join the Chamber of Commerce at the amount of the fireworks debt and the Chamber will promote County tourism. After this the County will join the Chamber of Commerce every year.

  4. Appoint Member, Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI - 2ND BY CAROL TYTLER - ALL VOTED IN FAVOR - PASSED

    5. Discussion: NONE

    CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION:

    Numbers: 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 20, 22

    MOTION TO ACCEPT CONSENT ITEMS NOT PULLED FOR DISCUSSION BY CAROL TYTLER - 2ND BY KAY BREED - ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

    Discussion: None

    Referred from Buildings & Grounds Committee:
  5. Abolish/ Create, Buildings and Grounds Department, Cleaner/ Custodian – MOTION BY MARILYN BROWN – 2ND BY NEWELL WILLCOX – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

    6. Discussion: The question of why the cleaner position is being changed to custodian was asked. A custodian has a much greater broad of duties.

  6. Create Custodian, Buildings and Grounds Department – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – VOTING YES: KURT BEHRENFELD, PAUL DIGIOVANNI, KAY BREED, MARILYN BROWN, CAROL TYTLER; VOTING NO: NEWELL WILLCOX; ABSENT: DANNY ROSS – MOTION PASSES

    7. Discussion: This position would provide cleaning services for the Mental Health Building since the property owner is no longer responsible for it. This position would also be cleaning the Recycling Center, 911 Dispatch Center and the Highway Department.

  7. Abolish/ Create, Sheriff’s Department/ Buildings & Grounds Department, Correction Sergeant/Correction Officer/Building Maintenance Mechanic

(co-sponsored with Judiciary and Public Safety) – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – VOTING YES: KURT BEHRENFELD, PAUL DIGIOVANNI, KAY BREED, MARILYN BROWN, CAROL TYTLER; VOTING NO: NEWELL WILLCOX; ABSENT: DANNY ROSS – MOTION PASSES

Discussion: Scott Schrader explained that a Correction Sergeant is presently providing the building maintenance for the Jail and Public Safety Building. The Correction Sergeant will be retiring on September 23, 2005. The Buildings and Grounds Department should provide the maintenance for both buildings because maintenance for all County owned buildings should be centralized in one department. This would abolish the Correction Sergeant position, create a Correction Officer position and create a Building Maintenance Mechanic. The Building Maintenance Mechanic would provide maintenance services for the Jail and Public Safety Building. This would also allow for other county maintenance personnel and the new Building Maintenance Mechanic to cross-train. Service contracts will also be handled by one department instead of three.

Referred from Health Committee:

         Authorize Agreement/ Accept Grant Health Department, (Central NY Regional Immunization Information System)

     9. Create Registered Professional Nurse, Health Department/Hospice – MOTION BY KAY BREED – 2ND BY CAROL TYTLER – ALL VOTED IN     FAVOR – PASSED

Discussion: The resolution title should say "Hospice". Mary Beach indicated that the County’s cost per patient is lower than the state average. They are receiving more revenue than anticipated in the budget. The census has increased so they need more manpower.

        (Family Support Services)

    10.Authorize Agreement, Amend Lease, Mental Health Department Cortland County Buildings and Grounds Department & Joseph Armideo) – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

    Discussion: The lease had to be amended because the property owner is no longer responsible for the custodial services.

    Referred from Highway Committee:

    11. Authorize Engineering Agreement, Tioughnioga River Water Development Project

  • Highway Department – MOTION BY MARILYN BROWN – 2ND BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – VOTING YES: KURT BEHRENFELD, PAUL DIGIOVANNI, KAY BREED, MARILYN BROWN, CAROL TYTLER; VOTING NO: NEWELL WILLCOX; ABSENT: DANNY ROSS
    •

    Discussion: Scott Schrader advised the Committee that this is part of the Capital local share being provided by the BDC/IDA. They can’t show it as being received from HUD so it needs to show as a local share from BDC/IDA. This is 100% federally funded. There is a possibility that that the Feds could make us pay back the engineering costs if we do not construct the trail.

              Highway Department/ Airport

            (was passed at July Highway meeting and omitted from agenda in July)

     

    Referred from Human Services Committee:

            (Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program – HIICAP)

    1. Authorize Agreements, Area Agency on Aging/ Nutrition (Willet, Homer, McGraw and

              Harford Senior Centers) – MOTION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY CAROL TYTLER – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

             Discussion: There are no set agreements and these Centers do not pay rent.

    Referred from Personnel Committee:

     

    1. Accept Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund/ Amend Budget

              Project 0580-01-0063 – MOTION BY MARILYN BROWN – 2ND BY CAROL TYTLER – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

    Discussion: These funds are for equipment but there is no money for personnel to complete the work required by this grant. The Election Office staff is and will be dealing with the new HAVA requirements and to not have the time for this. It was suggested that it be contracted out or maybe to get volunteers.

     

    DISCUSSION/PRESENTATIONS/REPORTS:

     

    Balance Sheets for June 2004 and June 2005 – Treasurer’s Office-Don Ferris: Don discussed and distributed the balance sheets for June 2004 and June 2005 to show the comparison from last year to this year.

    2005 Second Quarter Sales Tax Distribution – Treasurer’s Office-Don Ferris: Don provided information on how the sales taxes were distributed in the 2nd quarter.

    Capital Road/ Bridges Plan-Don Chambers & Bob Buerkle: Bob and Don explained the plan and the problems with the infrastructure. This plan needs to be implemented or they will have to close structures in the future. Engineering and Construction would be out-sourced and the re-hab would be in-house

    Capital Highway Equipment Plan: Dave Hicks, Don Chamber & Bob Buerkle: Dave explained the plan in more detail and indicated that the equipment is aging. Scott Schrader indicated that this would be a 5-year project and the only way it could be done is to bond for it.

    Audit Committee-Dennis Whitt: Dennis gave the Committee an update on the County Audit. Rick McNeilly completed the audit and all prior findings have been resolved. The County is coming into compliance with all accounting policies and rules. There is nothing negative about the audit. The Audit Committee needs to meet relative to the management letter.

    Bonding: The Committee discussed bond rating. The County is going to be improving its bond rating.

    MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BY PAUL DIGIOVANNI – 2ND BY MARILYN BROWN – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED – INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 10:15A.M.

    The meeting was adjourned at 10:38a.m.

    Minutes prepared by Angie Wyatt, Secretary Scott Schrader

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