FINANCE, CLAIMS AND ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
A regular meeting of the Chippewa County Board of
Commissioners’ Finance, Claims and Accounts Committee was held on Thursday,
July 10, 2003 at the Chippewa County Courthouse in Sault Ste. Marie,
Michigan. Chairperson Dale called the
meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. with a quorum present.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Rita Dale,
Chairperson, Ted Postula, Richard Timmer, Earl Kay and James Moore
MEMBERS
ABSENT: Aaron Hopper and Don Cooper
OTHERS PRESENT: Tim
Dolehanty, County Controller, Dave Carpenter, Finance Director, Tim McKee,
OES/E-9-1-1 Director, and Sharon Kennedy, Register of Deeds / Equalization
Director
Additions / Deletions to the Agenda
Chairperson Dale called for additions or deletions to
the agenda. None were offered.
It was moved by Commissioner Timmer, seconded by Commissioner Kay, to approve the agenda as presented. On a voice vote, the motion was CARRIED.
Public Comments
Chairperson Dale called for pubic comments. No public comments were offered.
The monthly Treasurer’s Report was received.
Commissioner Kay questioned travel by the MSU
Extension Director and asked if MSU would reimburse the County for this
expense. County Controller Tim Dolehanty
confirmed that the approved MSU Extension budget included a line item for
travel expenses and that the expense would not likely be reimbursed.
Commissioner Timmer asked about travel by Health
Department employees. Commissioner Kay,
who is also a member of the Board of Health, stated the Board of Health has
tried to impress on the Health Department the need to curtail travel as much as
possible. The Committee discussed the
potential for teleconferencing and video-conferencing as a method to offset
travel expenses.
Commissioner Kay asked for a review of the Blue Cross
quarterly settlement report. Controller
Dolehanty reviewed a table in the report showing the claims made for various medical
services. The cost of prescription drugs
for the first quarter was noted. Mr.
Dolehanty stated the cost of claims, the administration fees and the stop-loss
fees were all lower than projected.
However, he pointed out annual charges for hospital prepayment and
accounting adjustment fees for prior underpayments resulted in a quarterly
underpayment of $67,089. This figure
will be added to the monthly payments due for the next three months.
Mr. Dolehanty stated the addition of the underpayment
fee would mean an increase of about 11% in health insurance premiums. He compared that to the projected increase of
26% for the traditional plan. Mr.
Dolehanty noted that the claims made in the next quarter would play a major
role in determining the upward or downward adjustment for the next quarter.
Agenda Items: Grant
Expenditures
OES/E-9-1-1 Director Tim McKee presented the Committee
with a list of proposed expenditures related to the fiscal year 2002 State
Domestic Preparedness Exercise Grant.
Mr. McKee stated the County has fulfilled its requirements under the
grant and asked for authorization to expend the funds.
It was moved by Commissioner Moore, seconded by Commissioner Kay, to recommend approval of the expenditure of $3,313.12 for costs related to the Fiscal Year 2002 State Domestic Preparedness Exercise Grant, as presented. On a voice vote, the motion was CARRIED.
Mr. McKee presented a spreadsheet showing projected
budgets for operation of the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center for the next five
years. Based on these projections, Mr.
McKee suggested that the telephone surcharge be reduced to $2.33. He then presented a resolution to the Committee
to authorize placement of the telephone surcharge for 9-1-1 services before the
electorate on October 21, 2003.
The Committee discussed the proposed budget figures
with Mr. McKee. When questioned about
the amount of the surcharge to be claimed by telephone companies, Mr. McKee
assured the committee that the proposed $2.33 fee would be adequate to meet the
needs of the dispatch center and cover the telephone company surcharge.
It was moved by Commissioner Postula, seconded by
Commissioner Timmer, to recommend approval of Resolution 03-22 submitting to a vote of the
electorate for 9-1-1 operational surcharge renewal/reduction, as
presented. On a voice vote, the motion
was CARRIED.
Position
Consolidation
Sharon Kennedy, Register of Deeds / Equalization
Director, met with the Committee to request consolidation of two part time
positions. The positions are currently
assigned to the Register of Deeds office and to the Equalization
Department. Ms. Kennedy explained that
both positions were recently vacated.
Ms. Kennedy expressed concern that she has lost these
employees after the County invested so much in training the individuals. She said the skills learned at the expense of
the County were now being used to benefit other employers.
Ms. Kennedy presented a spreadsheet showing how
currently budgeted funds would be used to offset the cost of a single full time
position. It was explained that the
position would be classified as a grade 6 data entry clerk and that combining
budgeted funds from the Register of Deeds, Equalization Department and the new
Technology Fund would be used to pay for the position.
The Committee discussed the proposal to consolidate
the positions and agreed it might be easier to retain a single full-time
employee. Pending retirements in both
departments was a concern to the Committee as this will result in the loss of
more trained staff.
It was moved by Commissioner Moore, seconded by Commissioner Postula, to recommend approval of the position consolidation as presented. On a voice vote, the motion was CARRIED.
Finance Director Carpenter reviewed the monthly claims and accounts report.
It was moved by Commissioner Cooper, seconded by Commissioner Moore, to recommend the approval of general fund claims totaling $263,715.67, other fund claims of $476,634.93, payroll of $514,057.48 and health department claims of $202,504.80, vouchers 33633 through 33889 and G-1 through G-204. On a voice vote, the motion was CARRIED.
Committee Comments
Commissioner Timmer asked for a report on the operation of the animal control shelter. Commissioner Kay reported that the last invoice for building construction was approved earlier in the week. Controller Dolehanty reported on the status of personnel employed at the shelter. He stated the Board would be asked to approve hiring of a shelter worker at the regular Board meeting on Monday. He added that the situation with the volunteers has improved significantly in the past two weeks.
Commissioner Kay offered an update on the status if the Joint Building Authority. He explained that he and the Controller would meet with the City Manager and Mayor to finalize a new building management proposal. Commissioner Kay reiterated that the term of the Joint Building Authority expired on July 6.
Chairperson Dale had no additional comments.
Adjourn
It was moved by Commissioner Moore, seconded by Commissioner Timmer, to adjourn the meeting. On a voice vote, the motion was CARRIED.
Chairperson Dale declared the meeting adjourned at
6:15 p.m.
__________________________________ __________________________________
Timothy J.
Dolehanty, AICP, Recorder Rita
Dale, Committee Chairperson
Minutes
of a regular meeting of the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners, held at the
Chippewa County Courthouse, 319 Court St., Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on the
fourteenth day of July, 2003 at 7:00 p.m.
PRESENT: _________________________________________________________
ABSENT: _________________________________________________________
The
following preamble and resolution was offered by Commissioner __________________
and seconded by Commissioner _______________.
RESOLUTION NO. 03-22
RESOLUTION SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE ELECTORATE
FOR 9-1-1 OPERATIONAL SURCHARGE RENEWAL/REDUCTION
WHEREAS, the Chippewa County Board
of Commissioners (“Board”) has adopted an Emergency Telephone Service Plan
("Plan") under the provisions of 1986 PA 32, as amended ("Act
32"); and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this Plan
was to facilitate the provision of emergency telephone service and dispatch
services to citizens within Chippewa County; and
WHEREAS, the Michigan state
legislature has adopted 1991 PA 196, 1994 PA 29 and 1999 PA 81, which provide
for a 4% Board approved and 16% voter approved operational surcharge on monthly
telephone access line bills within the County for purposes of funding the
County’s Plan and E-911 emergency telephone dispatch operations in a manner
that is fair and equitable; and
WHEREAS, the Board determines that
the County’s centralized E-911 dispatch services are critical to the health and
safety of area residents; and
WHEREAS, the County currently
operates under a voter authorized operational surcharge of up to 14% in
addition to the Board authorized 4% and such authorization expires on December
31, 2004; and
WHEREAS, the Board determines that
up to a 12% (instead of the 20% maximum), operational surcharge is necessary to
ensure that the County’s Plan is fully implemented and centralized E-911
dispatch services have an adequate and equitable funding base.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED
that pursuant to Act 32 as amended the following proposal shall be submitted to
the voters of Chippewa County:
Beginning with the expiration of the current voter approved surcharge on December 31, 2004, shall the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners be authorized to assess for a period of five (5) years a monthly surcharge of 12% of the highest monthly flat rate charged by a telephone service supplier for a 1-party access line within the geographic boundaries of Chippewa County (not to exceed $2.33 per month), with the surcharge revenue to be distributed to cover the costs of operating, facilitating and equipping the County’s centralized center for answering 9-1-1 calls and dispatching emergency ambulance, police and fire services to the citizens of Chippewa County? This is a reduction from the 18% total authorization rate in effect until December 31, 2004.”
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a special election shall be held for purposes of presenting this
proposal to the voters of Chippewa County on October 21, 2003;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk and
other County election officials are hereby instructed to effectuate and
implement the ballot proposal authorized herein.
A VOTE WAS TAKEN AS FOLLOWS
AYES: _________________________________________________________
NAYS: _________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
DECLARED ADOPTED.
____________________________________________________________
Earl Kay, Chairman,
Chippewa County Board of Commissioners
____________________________________________________________
Diane S. Cork, County
Clerk
STATE OF
MICHIGAN )
) ss.
COUNTY OF
CHIPPEWA )
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and
complete copy of the resolution adopted by the County Board of Commissioners of
Chippewa County at a regular meeting held on the date first stated above, and I
further certify that public notice of such meeting was given as provided by
law.
____________________________________________________________
Diane S. Cork, County Clerk