MINUTES Board of County Commissioners Meeting Monday, May 8, :00 PM Pender County Public Assembly Room

Transcription

1 MINUTES Meeting Monday, 4:00 PM Pender County Public Assembly Room MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: OTHERS PRESENT: George Brown Fred McCoy Jacqueline A. Newton David Piepmeyer David Williams Randell Woodruff, County Manager Melissa Long, Clerk to the Board Kathy Brafford, Finance Director Other Staff and Members of the Public. 1 CALL TO ORDER The Board convened at 4:03 p.m. 2 OPEN DISCUSSION 2.1 Mr. Piepmeyer commented on the presentation of the recommended budget. He stated that the binders were put together in a way that was easy for him to go through and that the presentation has much improved since his first year. Mr. Piepmeyer thanked staff for making this process easier. 3 SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION 3.1 At 4:05 p.m. the Board discussed the budget request for Soil & Water. Don Rawls and Jason Turner were present to answer any questions the Board may have. Mr. Woodruff stated that $84,399 was requested for this fiscal year noting that the Soil and Water budget is made up of local, state, and federal funds. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if there we any cuts at the federal level and unfunded mandates. Mr. Rawls stated that there Page 1 of 9

2 have been cuts but usually those funds find their way back into the budget through another program or bill. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if there were any excessive regulations. Mr. Rawls discussed the EPA regulations and jurisdiction over waters. Mr. Brown asked what percentage of the total Water and Soil Budget comes from Pender County. Mr. Rawls stated that Pender County funds one half of Jason Turners salary and Priscilla Pierce's salary. Mr. Turner stated that the equipment and computers are funded by the Federal Government. Mr. Rawls then discussed the Soil and Water Board and the State Cost Share Program. Mr. Turner thanked the Board for the Voluntary Agricultural District letter. The importance of agriculture in Pender County was discussed. Mr. Turner then stated that they had signed a letter of intent with Cape Fear RC&D for funding from the Federal Government for a drainage study for Pender, New Hanover, Bruswick, Columbus, Bladen, and Robeson Counties. The Board thanked Mr. Rawls and Mr. Turner for their time. 4 FORESTRY SERVICE 4.1 At 4:22 p.m. Hagen Blake from Forestry Service appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Forestry budget request. Mr. Woodruff stated that he is recommending $210,000 in this year s budget. Ms. Newton asked how much public land is being burnt. Mr. Blake stated that this year was a bad year and only 800 acres were burnt due to weather. He explained that they have to follow strict guidelines. Mr. Blake stated that 2,000 acres were burnt the year before. He explained that Pender was once know for burning. He explained that cost to dig fire lines is $102 per hour for the tractor and $3.45 per mile for the hauling unit. Burning of private land is $15 per acre. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if the Forestry Service charges for fighting fires since they charge for fire prevention. Mr. Blake stated that he does try to charge but most of the time the judge when going to court will not charge restitution. Brief discussion ensued regarding burning and insect infestations. The Board thanked Mr. Blake for his time. 5 SALARY STUDY DISCUSSION 5.1 At 4:35 p.m. Chris May, Director of the Cape Fear Council of Governments came before the Board to discuss the Salary Study findings. Mr. May passed out a flash drive with the results of the Salary Study and explained that the narrative was included on the flash drive. He gave a brief overview of the study noting that the Regional Average Starting Salary (RASS) was the main component of the study. Mr. May Page 2 of 9

3 6 TAX ASSESSOR 6.1 explained that the minimum increase was a total of about $340,000 which brings everyone up to the RASS and gives everyone a slight increase. He explained pay grades and steps. Ms. Newton asked if a supervisor could award partial steps. Mr. May stated that 2.5% is the amount for each step and if partial steps are used then the county will end up back where it is. He added that these steps make it easier to award merit raises. Ms. Newton asked if this process will require accurate job description and annual evaluations. Mr. May explained that job descriptions are being revised and explained how that is being done. He also explained how to incorporate COLA's into the spreadsheet to maintain the integrity of the process. Mr. Brown stated some of his concerns including the need to fund at least 100% of the base to bring everyone up to the RASS and then incorporate a percentage of the rest so that everyone is where they need to be. Mr. Brown asked how much it cost for the Council of Governments to conduct this study. Mr. May stated that the cost was $15,000. Mr. Brown then asked how much it would have cost through a private firm. Mr. Woodruff stated that it would have cost at least double, if not more. Merit increases were discussed at length. The Board thanked Mr. May for his time. At 5:08 p.m. Tax Assessor Justian Pound appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Tax Assessor's budget. Mr. Pound stated that most of the budget stayed relatively the same as the previous year. The telephone budget was increased a little bit due to some projects but some of the operational costs for telephones was able to be cut. Mr. Pound explained that the assessors in the field are issued a county cell phone but most opt to use their personal phones so the county phones were not getting used. Those phones have been cut. Mr. Pound also explained that he had been working with Verizon to put GPS on vehicles. GPS usage was discussed regarding phone versus vehicle usage. Mr. Piepmeyer stated that the computer expenses are up 140% and asked what is driving the rise in cost. Mr. Pound stated that most of the computer expenses are coming from the IT recommended number adding that there are 8 computers up for replacement at $1,200 each. Mr. Woodruff stated that these 8 computers are currently part of the lease program. Mr. Piepmeyer stated that he hopes that computers are not being purchased with more than what is needed because we do not need to be paying for items we are not using. The tax system was then discussed at length. Mr. Woodruff stated that the new system through Tyler Technologies will be a large improvement then what they have now. Mr. Woodruff stated that the new system will interface with Munis. Mr. Pound stated that the Page 3 of 9

4 7 TAX COLLECTOR 7.1 only employees who have a higher model of computer are the mappers. Mr. Pound spoke regarding the new tax software. Ms. Newton recommended that we receive recommendations from the IT assessment before purchasing the software. The revaluation was also briefly discussed. Mr. Woodruff stated that each year the county is required to set aside a certain amount of money for the revaluation in each budget. He explained that Tyler Technologies also does revaluations so the county could work directly with them instead of using a third party. At 5:32 p.m. Tax Collector Barbara Murray appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Tax Collectors budget. Mr. Woodruff stated that this budget has not changed much from the previous year. Mr. Brown asked Ms. Murray about her part time employees. Ms. Murray stated that she cut those out last year. Ms. Newton asked if the Collections office accepts Debit/Credit Cards. Ms. Murray stated that they are already taking cards. Customer service was also discussed. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if the implementation of the Debit/Credit Cards was being utilized. Ms. Murray stated that it was and explained the process. Mr. Piepmeyer asked what was driving the increase in the "Other Equipment" line item. Ms. Brafford explained that this was for 10 new computers at $1,200 each. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if computers could be budgeted in the same line item for all departments. Mr. Brown asked what the difference was between "other equipment" and "computer expense." Mr. Piepmeyer then asked about computer expenses. Ms. Murray stated that this is where things such as receipt paper are budgeted. 8 REGISTER OF DEEDS 8.1 At 5:43 p.m. Register of Deeds Sharon Willoughby appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Register of Deeds Budget. Mr. Woodruff explained that this is the only department that contributes revenue to the county. The Board complemented Ms. Willoughby on her department's customer service. Discussion briefly ensued regarding an additional position. Ms. Willoughby then stated that she is getting pressured to open a Hampstead office. She stated that this is not something she wanted to bring up as it would be very costly. She explained that her office began the "Thank a Vet" program and residents in Hampstead do not want to come to Burgaw for the kickoff but want the event to also take place in Page 4 of 9

5 Hampstead. Mr. Piepmeyer recommended one person three days a week. Mr. Piepmeyer asked that Ms. Willoughby develop a plan and come up with a cost for having an office in Hampstead and then bring it back to the Board. Discussion ensued regarding options for another office. Mr. Brown asked about the condition of the books. Ms. Willoughby stated that the books are in good condition and the cabinets were taken out of the vault and the mildew has been cleaned up. Mr. McCoy commented on the "Thank a Veteran" program stating that it is a program close to his heart. Ms. Willoughby asked that the Board help to encourage businesses in Burgaw to participate in the program. 9 BREAK The Board took a break from 5:51 p.m. to 6:03 p.m. 10 PUBLIC BUILDINGS 10.1 At 6:03 p.m. Public Works Director Pat Simmons appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Public Works Budget. Ms. Simmons began by reviewing the condition of the buildings. She discussed the roof assessment and moisture in several of the buildings. She also noted that several of the buildings are experiencing some brick tear down and it needs fixing. She stated that water is getting into the building and causing damage to the walls. Ms. Newton asked if dehumidifiers are being used. Ms. Simmons stated that they are but it is not helping. She stated that the brick mortar needs to be redone. Ms. Simmons stated that she received a quote from Tremco for $218,200 to fix this issue and that was the lowest quote that was received. She added that if the roofs and brick are not repaired, the buildings will continue to deteriorate. Mr. Brown asked about the assessment of the Howard Holly Building. Ms. Simmons explained that she received a quote Mazzarone Construction has given a quote for $210,000 for basic repairs, but there is no guarantee that these issues will not reoccur. Ms. Simmons explained that an added expense would be moving the IT equipment. Ms. Newton asked if these buildings are depreciated off the books. Ms. Brafford stated that she would have to look and see. Mr. Brown then asked about the increase in telephone. Ms. Simmons stated that these costs used to be under the IT department and this covers the security and fire alarms for the buildings. ITS Director Erik Harvey explained how this change came about. Mr. Woodruff stated that if there are any after hours issues with any of the buildings, they call Ms. Simmons. Mr. Brown then asked about the increase in travel budget. Ms. Simmons explained that this will allow staff to attend training. She explained the training. Ms. Newton asked if there has been any training this year. Ms. Simmons explained that the Page 5 of 9

6 only training that has taken place this year is for the new Work Order System. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if we get audited by OSHA. Ms. Simmons stated that the County has not had an OSHA audit since she has been here but OSHA has visited. Mr. Piepmeyer stated that he is a proponent of training and that OSHA training is worth the investment. He further explained that a training plan is needed so that we know why we are spending the money. Ms. Newton asked what the budget for capital outlay consist of. Ms. Simmons explained that it was for a scissor lift and a boom lift. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if staff looked at leasing the equipment. Ms. Simmons stated that they had and explained what this equipment will be utilized for. 11 GROUNDS & MAITENANCE 11.1 At 6:31 p.m., Ms. Simmons discussed Grounds. Mr. Woodruff stated that this budget did not have much change from the current fiscal year. Ms. Newton asked what Longevity was. Mr. Woodruff explained that longevity is like a bonus for those employees who have worked for Pender County for more than five years. The longevity payment equals a percentage of the employees salary based on their years of service. 12 VEHICLE MAITENANCE 12.1 At 6:38 p.m., Ms. Simmons discussed Vehicle Maintenance. Mr. Woodruff stated that he was pleased with the improvements that have been made in this department and explained the changes that have been made. Capital Outlay and Other Equipment were discussed. Ms. Simmons explained the updated diagnostic equipment and the Inspection Software which is budgeted under these line items. 13 ITS (INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES) 13.1 At 6:42 p.m. ITS Director Erik Harvey and Mark Mitchell appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the ITS budget. Mr. Woodruff began by updating the Board on the IT Assessment that is currently ongoing adding that some changes might be made after that assessment is completed. Mr. Woodruff suggested that the Board have a Special Meeting once the assessors are ready instead of meeting during a regular meeting. Mr. Piepmeyer asked about the increase in Capital Outlay and what "mandatory" means. Mr. Harvey explained that it is end of life. Mr. Harvey used the Page 6 of 9

7 Firewall as an example. He explained that this has reached end of life meaning that there is no support or updates for this. He explained that it will still function but the risk factor becomes to high. Mr. Piepmeyer suggest that the rating system be reconfigured. Mr. Piepmeyer stated that he would like to see what happens if something is not implemented and benefits if something is implemented when prioritizing IT. He added that staff did a good job providing the information this year. Ms. Newton asked how the IT department determines whether is it better to buy or lease by department. Mr. Harvey explained that the department completed a life-cycle refresh a few years ago. Mr. Harvey explained that there are 385 computers county-wide which means that 77 computers would need to be replaced each year. Ms. Newton asked how many of these computers are purchased and how many are leased. Mr.Mitchell explained that it is better to purchase computers outright, but better to lease systems elaborating why. Storage on the Cloud was discussed. Ms. Newton asked if the Assessor could look in to savings from using the cloud. Mr. Brown asked what the age of the oldest computer in the county was. Mr. Mitchell stated that there are 68 computers from 2011 on the network that are operating on Windows 7 which is still compliant. Internet access in District 4 was then discussed. Mr. Brown asked if the budget may change with the findings of the IT Assessment. Mr. Harvey stated that he does not have those costs at this time. 14 UTILITIES/SOLID WASTE 14.1 At 7:14 p.m. Utilities Director Michael Mack appeared before the Board to answer any questions the Board might have regarding the Utilities budget Capacity Fees (7:14 p.m.): Mr. Mack explained that this is a one time fee when a customer connects to the system to help pay for future infrastructure. Discussion ensued regarding budgeted revenue and collected revenue to date including Fund Balance Appropriation. Due to the shortfall, it is requested that the Capacity Fee be increased from $3,000 to $3,500 so that the County is not so dependent on savings. 71 Maple Hill Water (7:27 p.m.): Mr. Mack reminded the Board that as of July 2018, the Chinquapin Water Association will no longer be providing water to the Maple Hill District. Because of this, Maple Hill will be connected to ONWASA. It is going to cost $50,000 to connect to their system. Mr. Mack stated that he is recommending that the base fee should be increased from $17.50 to $19.50 with a usage rate of $6.00 per 1,000 gallons to offset the costs. Ms. Newton asked about the Page 7 of 9

8 $51,000 that is paid to the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority. Mr. Mack stated that this is paid from the Rocky Point/Topsail District and explained that Maple Hill stands alone from the rest of the water districts. Mr. Mack explained that the Maple Hill district is a very distressed area and staff tries to keep rates as low as possible for it's 345 customers. 073 Maple Hill Sewer (7:33 p.m.): Mr. Mack stated that the Maple Hill Sewer District serves 162 homes in the Maple Hill community. He explained that this project was 100% grant funded. He stated that there are some improvements that are needed, but they pulled that request for another time. Grant funding was discussed as was future water in the Columbia - Union District Rocky Point Sewer (7:40 p.m.): Mr. Mack stated that there were no changes to this budget. This fund is identical to last years. 072 Rocky Point/Topsail Water (7:43 p.m.): Mr. Mack explained that this district is continuing to grow and this district has added about 300 customers to date for this year. Mr. Mack stated that the district has not installed more lines but developers have. Water quality for ground water was briefly discussed. Mr. Mack explained the transfers and fees. Ms. Newton asked how wastewater is charged. Mr. Mack stated that there are only 23 commercial sewer customers in Rocky Point. Sewer Capacity was discussed at length. Mr. Mack stated that the capacity was purchased for economic development. Commercial and Retail growth/recruitment was also discussed Solid Waste (7:55 p.m.): Mr. Mack stated that there were no rate increases requested for this year. Mr. Mack stated that the movement of the convenience site will be completed and open on July 1 so there is no major capital outlay budgeted. Mr. Piepmeyer asked how we are doing with electronics recycling. Mr. Mack stated that it has subsided some. Mr. Piepmeyer asked if the fee for solid waste included electronics recycling. Mr. Mack stated that it was included so we are not loosing money due to electronics recycling. Mr. Brown asked if the rest of Utilities could be discussed Thursday. Staff will shift times slightly. 15 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:58 p.m. Page 8 of 9

9 Melissa Long, Clerk to the Board Ann Jones, Administrative Assistant II Page 9 of 9