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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance 11-13-03 ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Chairman Buck Malick St. Croix County Board FROM: Ralph Swenson, Chair COMMITTEE TITLE: Finance DATE: Thursday, November 13, 2003 8:30 A.M. LOCATION: Room 1281, Government Center, Hudson CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: December 11, 2003 8:30 A.M. ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES: October 9, 2003 and October 30, 2003 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: 1. Review of Vouchers 2. Treasurer's Report 3. Maintenance Department Report 4. Computer Services Department Report 5. Risk Management Report a. Insurance Report 6. Corporation Counsel Report 7. Clerk of Court's Report 8. County Clerk Report a. Owner's Claim for Damages to Animals - Tamera M. Tornio, Town of Cylon b. Fire Call Claim - Town of Emerald vs. Jeremy Schlosser c. Per diem request 9. Finance Department Report a. Financial Reports 10. Administrative Coordinator Report a. 2004 Health Insurance Update 11. Follow up to WisDoT on County Land in New Richmond 12. Resolution Relating to County's Participation in the Wisconsin CDBG for Economic Development Program for Emerald Dairy II, LLC. - Ann Raid, West Central Regional Planning CORRESPONDENCE: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) COPIES TO: County Board Office News Media/Notice Board County Clerk County Board County Departments * *ADDITIONS/CHANGES/CORRECTIONS November 6, 2003 APPROVED 12111103 MINUTES OF THE ST. CROIX COUNTY FINANCE COMMITTEE Regular Meeting November 13, 2003 Meeting called to order by Chair Swenson at 8:30 a.m. Present: Ralph Swenson, Clarence Malick, Esther Wentz and Daryl Standafer. Absent and excused: Stan Krueger. Staff present: Administrative Coordinator Chuck Whiting, Finance Director Michelle Pietrick and County Clerk Cindy Campbell. Motion by Wentz, 2nd by Standafer to adopt the agenda. Carried unanimously. Date of next meeting is December 11, 2003. Motion by Malick, 2nd by Wentz to approve the minutes of October 9, 2003 and October 30, 2003 with the following corrections to the October 9th minutes: Page 1, item 2 under Treasurer's Report. Slind's conference was held in Waupaca not Waukesha. Page 2, item 10.b. should read Standafer clarified rather than Swenson clarified the Finance Committee's objective... Carried unanimously. 1. Vouchers. Malick continues to review weekly. No discussion. 2. Treasurer's Report. County Treasurer Cheryl Slind submitted the September reconciliation report showing a balance as of September 30, 2003 of $2,240,261.09. a. Discussion of Special Assessment Due - Rex Berg Property, Village of Baldwin. Slind indicated she received a statement from the Village of Baldwin for special assessments due on the Rex Berg property which is currently owned by St. Croix County through the tax deed process. Total due is $1,208.65. Slind will ask the village of Baldwin to put this amount on the tax roll. This amount will be paid out of the proceeds from the sale of the property. b. Discussion of Online Tax Payments. Slind indicated credit card transactions cannot be made over the counter without having the County absorb a fee. Slind has reviewed the option of tax payments over the internet using "Same Day Pay" or "Official Payments Corp." These are two services which offer tax payments made through the internet either by credit card with a charge due by the person making the payment, or E-check which is an ACH debit with a $3.00 fee. Slind recommends we proceed with getting a payment program in place. Slind indicated she will insert payment information with the tax bills. The Finance Committee concurs with proceeding with setting up this payment method, subject to the review of the contract by Corporation Counsel. The contract will need Finance Committee approval. Slind added the money would be received by the County in approximately 48 hours after the tax payment is made. 3. Maintenance Department Report. No report. 4. Computer Services Department Report. No report. 5. Risk Management Report. Budrow reported total workers compensation claims year to date is 85. Breakdown as follows: General County - 3; Highway Department -10; Human Finance Committee November 13, 2003 Page 2 of 4 Services -11; Law Enforcement -10; Nursing Home - 51. Discussion regarding reporting minor vs. major claims. a. Insurance Report. 2004 renewal process. Budrow reported the property renewal rate on the County buildings went up from .029 per 100 in 2003 to .077 per 100 in 2004, a dollar impact from 2003 of $68,000 to $102,000 for 2004. Liability increased as well. The workers compensation actuarial review by WMMIC will cost approximately $1,200. Budrow is working on updating the current emergency evacuation and bomb threat procedures for the Health and Human Services Department. 6. Corporation Counsel Report. No report. 7. Clerk of Court's Report. No report. 8. County Clerk Report. a. Owner's Claim for Damages to Animals - Tamera M. Tornio, Town of Cylon. Discussion regarding how the market value of an animal is arrived at and obtaining the investigative report from the municipality. Motion by Malick, 2°d by Wentz to pay as submitted contingent upon receiving supplementary documentation of the $2,000 value of the Registered Quarter Horse Gelding. Wentz would like to see clarification on how they arrived at this amount and what investigative steps were taken. Carried. Swenson voted no. b. Owner's Claim for Damages to Animals - Thomas L. Miller, Town of Somerset. Corporation Counsel Greg Timmerman indicated if we know who the owner of the dog is that caused the damage and pay the claim, the County is assigned the automatic right to pursue the owner of that dog for the damages. However, there is no presumption that the claim is valid when the County starts litigation, so the County would need to prove the case. It was noted, Miller's claim listed the fair market value of said injured animal and the amount of the medical bills, were the same amounts. Timmerman added the County is required to pay the fair market value of the animal if it lives. The investigative committee did not include an assessed value on the animal. Timmerman indicated, by statute the County cannot pay the claim in excess of the assessed value of the dog. Motion by Standafer, 2°d by Malick to postpone payment and to refer back to the town officials to provide assessed value information and request an investigative report defining whatever value they conclude. Standafer suggested Timmerman word the request indicating the County need to have the fair market value of the dog in order to take action on the claim. Carried unanimously. Timmerman recommended the County Board pass an ordinance limiting the amount of dog damage claims to a certain amount. C. Fire Call Claim - Town of Emerald vs. Jeremy Schlosser. Based on a memo prepared by Timmerman, Wisconsin Statutes §60.557(1) says, if a town incurs costs for a fire call by responding to a vehicle fire on a county trunk highway, the county maintaining that portion of the highway where the vehicle was located at the time of the fire shall reimburse the town up to $200 for the costs if the town submits written proof that the town has made a Finance Committee November 13, 2003 Page 3 of 4 reasonable effort to collect the costs from the person to whom the fire call is provided. The Town of Emerald has a judgment against Jeremy Schlosser in the amount of $1,286.85. Timmerman added the town would need to return money to County if the judgment is paid in full. Motion by Standafer, 2nd by Wentz to pay. Carried unanimously. d. Per diem request. This is a request for reconsideration of a late per diem request from Mary Ellen Brue, a citizen member of the Indianhead Federated Library System Board. Standafer indicated this issue was referred to the Administration Committee. He recommends this issue get taken to the full County Board at its next meeting with a request the rules be suspended and pay this request. Motion by Malick, 2nd by Wentz to forward this matter to the full County Board and recommend the rules be suspended and payment made. Wentz recommends voucher forms be adjusted to reflect the County Board Rules and Bylaws. Carried unanimously. 9. Finance Department Report. a. Financial Report. Pietrick reported a General Fund balance as of September 30, 2003 of $21,536,974.69 which includes unpaid bond proceeds. The Contingency Fund has a balance of ($21,094.27) which includes a Health Insurance payment of $214,100 that is subject to a final accounting. Sales Tax collections are on course. Pietrick will create a separate fund for the sales tax for 2004 which will enable the County to track sales tax "ups and downs". Pietrick reported the expenditure report reflects total expenditures at seventy-eight percent spent with eighty-four percent of the year gone. This does not include the LAW back pay. Total Health and Human Services' revenue through September 2003 is $15,920,887.65; expenditures through September 2003 are $16,637,151.25. Pietrick requested she be allowed to place a credit card machine in the Health and Human Services Department. Wentz indicated several people using AODA, Mental Health and other services have a credit card, but because the County does not accept credit cards, once they are done with the services, they need to be tracked down for payment. Finance Committee supports having a credit card machine in place at the Health and Human Services Department. Pietrick was approached by someone from I Meridian Corporation which is part of the E-Trade Finance Network regarding an ATM machine. He has agreed to purchase and install an ATM machine in the Government Center at his own expense. Pietrick will do a background check on this individual. Discussion regarding Supervisor per diem checks. A list of payroll dates will be sent to County Board Supervisors. Pietrick also indicated she continues to work with the new Jail bookkeeper. 10. Administrative Coordinator Report. a. 2004 Health Insurance Update. Whiting indicated renewal notices have gone out with the splitting of the group. The Personnel Committee will be submitting a resolution acknowledging wage increases and Health Insurance Policy for 2004 for the non-represented a - ' Finance Committee November 13, 2003 Page 4 of 4 employees. Whiting has met with several employee groups regarding the splitting of the group. Whiting reported letters were sent to retirees and has received several calls. Some have received a $100 increase on health insurance. Whiting indicated he will be looking into an alternative plan for retirees. There are eighty seven retirees on the health insurance plan. 11. Follow up to WisDoT on County Land in New Richmond. Whiting submitted drawings showing original design and alternate design for the County Road K and Highway 64 intersection. Whiting indicated the design can be changed, but the increase in cost would be the County's responsibility. The alternate design reconfigures County Road K and creates a potential entrance into the County's property. Utilization of this alternate would avoid certain existing access constraints. Adoption of the alternate design at time of construction may provide the County with the widest number of options. The estimated increase in cost for the alternate design is $213,868. The County is estimating approximately $8,000 per acre; DOT is at approximately $6,000. Whiting reported County Road K is a city street not a county highway. Whiting approached the city regarding this issue. Malick indicated there is no Park and Ride currently in the design but this could be a consideration for Parcel B. The Finance Committee agreed to move forward and have Whiting continue to work with the city. Malick indicated the time schedule for Parcel 31 (service road) is late. The State delivered its appraisal on November 12th and the County has sixty days to prepare its appraisal. Motion by Malick, 2nd by Wentz to authorize the county's appraiser, Ted Morgan, to do corresponding appraisal for Parcel 31 (service road) at DOT's expense. Carried unanimously. 12. Resolution Relating to County's Participation in the Wisconsin CDBG for Economic Development Program for Haase Dairy, Inc., - Ann Raid, West Central Regional Planning. Ann Raid indicated the Wisconsin Department of Commerce (WDC) established a program called the Milk Volume Production Program to assist Wisconsin dairy producers who are making capital improvements that make significant increases in Wisconsin's milk production. WDC has made a commitment to Haase Dairy, Inc. of $100,000 for the purchase of 200 cows. Haase will invest at least $1.5 million to expand the dairy and will create at least four new jobs. WDC has asked St. Croix County to be the applicant for the $105,000 grant. The County will loan $100,000 of the grant funds to the business and retain the loan payments to capitalize the St. Croix County Business Loan Fund for area businesses. The County will collect approximately $105,270 over a seven year period. Motion by Standafer, 2nd by Wentz to approve acceptance of the grant and lending of funds to Haase Dairy, Inc. under the terms established by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 12:23 p.m. Esther Wentz, Secretary Cindy Campbell, Recording Secretary