Action Agenda

Board of Commissioners

      February 4, 2009

 3:30 P.M.

                                               

The Board of Commissioners of Fayette County, Georgia, met in Official Session on February 4, 2009, at 3:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Fayette County Administrative Complex, 140 Stonewall Avenue, Fayetteville, Georgia.

 

                Commissioners Present:                              Jack Smith, Chairman

                                                                                                Herb Frady, Vice-Chairman

                                                                                                Lee Hearn

                                                                                                Robert Horgan

                                                                                                Eric Maxwell

                                                                                               

                Staff Present:                                                     Jack Krakeel, County Administrator

                                                                                                Scott Bennett, County Attorney

                                                                                                Carol Chandler, Executive Assistant

                                                                                                Floyd Jones, Deputy Clerk

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

3:30:27 PM         

Call to Order

 

Chairman Smith called the February 4, 2009 Workshop Meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

 

3:30:35 PM

Acceptance of Agenda

 

Commissioner Frady moved to accept the agenda as published.  Commissioner Horgan seconded the motion.  No discussion followed.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

3:30:49 PM


A.                  Presentation and approval of staff’s recommendation for the FY2010 Budget Parameters and Calendar.

 

Commissioner Frady moved to approve staff’s recommendation for the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Parameters and Calendar.  Commissioner Horgan seconded the motion.  No discussion followed.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

3:39:38 PM

B.                  Update and discussion of request from the Retirement Study Committee that the County reject all vendor’s proposals previously submitted for the 401(a), 457 and Defined Benefit Retirement Plans.  This item was last discussed at the December 11, 2008 Board of Commissioners meeting.

 

Commissioner Horgan moved to accept the Retirement Study Committee’s recommendation to reject only those proposals related to the Defined Benefits Plan.  Commissioner Hearn seconded the motion.  Chairman Smith clarified that the motion applied only to the Defined Benefits portions of bids received from the vendors, and the Board agreed with the clarification.  No further discussion followed.  The motion passed 4-0-1 with Commissioner Frady abstaining from the vote.

 

The Board further directed the Retirement Study Committee to continue investigating bids pertaining to the 401(a) and 457 plans, to prepare recommendations for the Board of Commissioners for a later date, and to continue with the direction previously given to it by the Board on December 11, 2008.

 

3:56:46 PM

C.                  Consideration of Peachtree City’s request to reaffirm two annexations fronting on McDuff Parkway which were previously annexed on May 3, 2007.  This item was last discussed during Staff Reports at the January 22, 2009 Board of Commissioners meeting.

 

                The Board had no objections to Peachtree City’s request and to no other action.

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

4:02:41 PM

D.                  Discussion with Blue Cross/Blue Shield consultant on issues pertaining to health insurance.

 

Mr. Al Jones, Mr. Brad Dumon, and Mr. David Paulk, representing the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and Fayette County’s health insurance provider, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, gave a presentation to the Board concerning healthcare insurance options available to Fayette County and the different structures the County may consider regarding the delivery of healthcare services and insurance coverage for Fayette County employees. Mr. Dumon agreed to provide a list of all the various options available to the Board for its review.  The Board further directed staff to continue investigating the self-funded aspect of health insurance, and for County Administrator Jack Krakeel to meet with Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) representatives next week to discuss this issue.

 

5:26:30 PM

E.                   Discussion of a request from the Engineering Department to remove two incinerators from service at the Fayette County Transfer Station, and authorization for staff to negotiate an amended contract with Waste Management for animal disposal service.

 

Commissioner Horgan moved to authorize staff to negotiate an amended contract with Waste Management for animal disposal service.  Commissioner Hearn seconded the motion.  After some discussion, Commissioner Horgan withdrew his motion and Commissioner Hearn withdrew his second to the motion.  The Board then directed that animal disposals be accomplished by Waste Management without amending the contract, and that the implementation of the change in procedure is handled administratively by County Administrator Jack Krakeel.  The Board also directed that both incinerators are to be shut down but not removed, and that animal disposal be handled as discretely as possible.

 

5:32:45 PM

F.                   Discussion of the Water Committee’s recommendation to increase the Fayette County Water System’s water rates, including the minimum/base charge, by ten percent in 2009 and an additional five percent in January 2010. 

 

Commissioner Frady moved to accept the Water Committee’s recommendation to increase the Fayette County Water System’s water rates, including the minimum/base charge and the usage charge, by ten

percent in 2009 and an additional five percent in January 2010, for the rate increase to take effect on March 1, 2009, and to notify water customers one billing cycle prior to the increase.  Commissioner Horgan seconded the motion.  Some discussion followed.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

 

There was no Administrator’s Report.

 

ATTORNEY’S REPORT

 

5:41:22 PM

Former Commissioner Robert Sprayberry: County Attorney Scott Bennett reported that former County Commissioner Robert Sprayberry had a 457 account with Fayette County which he rolled into a new 457 account with Lincoln Benefit Life Company named The County Board of Commissioners 457 Plan.  He added  that the account was not Fayette County’s and that Fayette County did not open the account and did not authorize the account.  He reported that when Mr. Sprayberry attempted to retrieve money from the account the bank informed him the money belonged to the Fayette County Board of Commissioners and he would need the Board of Commissioner’s authorization to take the money.  Mr. Bennett informed the Board that in an effort to correct the problem he drafted a resolution stating that the account is not a Fayette County account, that Fayette County does not have control or authority over the account, that Fayette County does not object to Mr. Sprayberry having access to the account, and that to the extent that Fayette County is alleged to have control over the account the control is delegated to Mr. Sprayberry who is named as the annuitant on the account.   Commissioner Frady moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the resolution as presented disclaiming the County’s interest in Contract LBLA118015 for the benefit of Robert Sprayberry.  Commissioner Horgan seconded the motion.  Some discussion clarifying the motion followed.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

STAFF REPORTS

 

5:46:37 PM

2008 Consolidated Annual Financial Reports: Assistant Finance Director Toni Jo Howard presented a 2008 Consolidated Annual Finance Report (CAFR) to each Commissioner and said auditors will be present at the February 12, 2009 Board of Commissioners meeting to give a formal presentation.  She mentioned that the 2008 CAFR included the actual bound financial statements as well as the required communications from the auditors to the Board in the form of three separate letters.  Some discussion followed.

 

5:47:52 PM

Fayette Family Market Day: Executive Assistant Carol Chandler reminded the Board that during the April 2, 2008 Workshop Meeting the Board gave permission to Main Street Fayetteville to have Fayette Family Market Days and the Board allowed for the event to occur in the Administrative Complex’s Parking Lot.  Ms. Chandler said the event was extremely successful and Main Street Fayetteville has requested permission to hold the events again this year and in subsequent years.  After some discussion, the consensus of the Board was to allow Fayette Family Market Days to take place in 2009 and in subsequent years.

 

5:48:54 PM

Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Document: Budget Officer Sergio Acevedo distributed the 2009 Budget Document to each Commissioner.  He noted that in previous years Fayette County published two separate books, the Budget Document Book and the CIP Book, but this year the CIP Book was incorporated into the Budget Document Book under a section entitled Capital Budget and CIP.  He said this change enabled Fayette County to save approximately $1,000.  Mr. Acevedo informed the Board that the 2009 Budget Document is able to be viewed on-line by accessing the Finance Department’s website.  Mr. Acevedo stated that the 2009 Budget Document has already been submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) in order to obtain the distinguished budget presentation award before he reminded the Board that Fayette County has received the award for the past eleven years and that he anticipated receiving the award this year.

 

5:50:44 PM

Public Safety 2008 Year-End Report and 2009 Action Plan: Public Safety Director Allen McCullough submitted the 2008 Year-End Report and the 2009 Action Plan to the Commissioners, and noted that they were written as concisely as possible.

 

5:51:13 PM

911 Expansion Project: Director of Communications Cheryl Rogers gave a brief overview of the 911 Expansion Project to the Commissioners.  Prior to her presentation, Public Safety Director Allen McCullough mentioned that the project had already been sent out for bids and would be on the Commissioner’s February 12, 2009 Agenda for their consideration.

 

BOARD REPORTS

 

5:57:59 PM

Animal Tethering: Commissioner Maxwell said he had an informal discussion with Animal Control Director Miguel Abi-Hassan about the tethering of animals in Fayette County and if Fayette County needed to address the issue.  He acknowledged that the issue was controversial and that current County Ordinances do not address the issue, but that it was Mr. Abi-Hassan’s opinion that Fayette County should address the issue.  He wanted the Commissioners to know that he was not looking to generate issues but he had been approached by a concerned citizen so he wanted the Board’s input since he did not want to proceed with an investigation without the approval of the majority of the Commissioners.  Some discussion followed.  The consensus of the Board was to ask the Animal Control Director to provide his input on the topic of animal tethering in Fayette County.

 

6:01:07 PM

Healthcare Consultant: Commissioner Maxwell returned to the topic of self-funded health insurance, thought Fayette County needed help investigating the issue, and suggested that the County engage local consultant Scott Burrell to help with the issue, indicating that Mr. Burrell had offered help Fayette County for one dollar.  Some discussion followed.  The Board directed staff to engage Mr. Burrell for the purpose of assisting staff in developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for soliciting vendors who provide self-insured employee health plans.

 

EXECUTIVE SESSION

 

There was no Executive Session.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

6:03:41 PM

Commissioner Hearn moved to adjourn the February 4, 2009 Workshop Meeting and was seconded by Commissioner Horgan.  No discussion followed.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Chairman Smith adjourned the February 4, 2009 Workshop Meeting at 6:04 p.m.

 

_____________________________

    Floyd L. Jones, Deputy Clerk