HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance 07-09-1998ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Chairman Thomas Dorsey
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Donald Brown, Chair
COMMITTEE TITLE: FINANCE
DATE: July 9, 1998 8:30 A.M.
LOCATION: Government Center
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: August
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES
10, 1998, 8:30 A.M.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. Review of Vouchers
2. Glen Hills Dam Safety Study
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Administrative Coordinator's Report
A. Incinerator Report
2. Finance Director's Report
A. 1999 Budget Instructions
B. Discussion on Budget Goals With Committee Chairs *9:00 AM
*St. Croix Information Network - St. Croix Co.
Libraries - Kathy Setter
*C. Investment of County Funds
3. Corporation Counsel Report
A. New Position Requests
4. County Clerk Report
A. Apple River Tax Deed Parcels
B. County Map Printing
C. Current Tax Deed Parcels
*5. Review of Government Center Security
*6. Request for Contingency Fund Transfer
in Register of Deeds 10:15 a.m.
CORRESPONDENCE:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily presented in
DATE: 6/25, 7/2
Staffing
for Temporary Help
this order)
COPIES TO: County Board Office News Media/Notice Board
County Clerk County Board
County Departments
*ADDITIONS/CHANGES/CORRECTIONS
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Regular Meeting July 9, 1998
Meeting called to order by Chair Brown at 8:35 a.m. Members
present: Don Brown, Herb Giese, Tom O'Connell, Tom Dorsey and
Robert Boche. Staff present: Administrative Coordinator John
Krizek, Corporation Counsel Greg Timmerman and County Clerk Sue
Nelson. Others present: Suprs. Jensen, Speer, Mehls, Krueger and
Raymond, members of the press.
Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Giese to adopt the agenda. Carried.
Giese asked to have the August meeting on the llth to coincide with
the employee picnic. Meeting changed to August 11, 8:30 a.m.
Motion by Dorsey, 2nd by O'Connell to approve the June minutes as
corrected: Dam No. 33 should be 3 and the value of the land north
of the Ag. Center is $25,000 per acre, not $2500. Carried.
Vouchers: Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Boche to approve the
vouchers. Brown and Krizek had reviewed them earlier and found no
problems. Carried.
Administrative Coordinator: Krizek had no further information on
the incinerator site. Gary Boley requested a closed session at the
August meeting to discuss disposal of the site. Boley has a person
interested in purchasing the generator and cooling tower.
Computer Services staff will be checking PC's throughout the county
to see if they will operate in the year 2000 or be Y2K compliant.
County Clerk: Sue Nelson and County Treasurer Mary Jean Livermore
had checked the Apple River tax deed parcels. Star Prairie Village
Clerk Patsy Johnson and Board member Janet Knutson provided
information and a tour. Both Nelson and Boche agreed these lots
are difficult to sell to some adjacent landowners because the
parcels do not match up with lot lines. A few small parcels have
been mowed by the Village for several years.
Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Boche to have County Clerk contact
Village of Star Prairie to see if they are interested in purchasing
these parcels for a nominal price. Carried.
Chair Brown said the buyer would be responsible for any survey
needed for property sold. More information is needed on the tax
deed parcel in the middle of the Giese property. Clerk will
contact the Village. Committee agreed all adjacent property owners
should be contacted for an offer on clearly defined tax deed lots.
Remainder of Clerk's report later in the meeting.
Glen Hills Dam Study: Land and Water Cons. Chair Jensen and County
Technician Bob Heise were present. Jensen said we need to make a
decision soon in order for Ayres to complete the study by Jan. 1st.
The question remaining is who will pay for the safety study.
1
Corporation Counsel Timmerman has received no commitment from DNR.
He recommends, in the best of the public and for safety reasons, to
do the study now and bill DNR later.
Dorsey said people are waiting to build and it is not fair to the
public. Supr. Raymond said Planning would have to ask for an
extension on the moratorium if the study is not completed by Jan.
1. Another month's delay won't get it done by Jan. 1. Heise said
the total cost for all dams is $65,000. Chair Brown said County
Board has to approve any expenditures that are 100 more than the
department budget. The Land Conservation budget is $365,139.
Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Dorsey to approve $36,500 from the
Contingency Fund for Phase I dam breach study for structures 1,2,3
and 11. Carried. Phase II for dams 7 and 8 will be addressed at
the August Finance meeting and recommendation will be taken to the
County Board.
1999 Budget Goals: Committee chairs present were Art Jensen, Julie
Speer, Chuck Mehls, Bill Krueger and Ron Raymond. A letter had
been sent inviting all chairs to the meeting; however, none of
those present had received the notice.
Krizek noted the budget is one of the most important issues in
County Government. The 1998 mill rate is 4.48, a total of
$51,000,000 for county operations and the current levy is
$11,941,419&. Krizek said it is important to set budget goals in
order to decrease the local tax burden. He outlined the forecasted
expenses noting WI Retirement will be less this year. Health
insurance premiums will increase from $340 to $370 due mostly to
increased costs of medicines. The budget positives included a
county sales tax increase, surplus from Health and Human Services,
payment of $400,000 for Ag. Center and pay-off of Health Center
bonds.
The equalized evaluation increase will not be known until August
but the usual $200 million increase should allow us to maintain the
$11,�9�, � levy.
941, j 71
Dorsey said the Town of Cylon assessed valuation will be increased
from $19 million to $26 million. Chair Brown stated the plan is
not to have any substantial county debt, automation has greatly
benefitted county operations, and every request for dollars and
positions is reviewed. We have been able to accomplish the
purchase of Perch Lake Park and build a new Ag. Center.
Supr. Krueger noted there are a lot of unknowns in the budget at
this time and there is pressure for new positions. A big increase
in the equalized evaluation would lower the mill rate.
Library Request: Kathy Setter, Deer Park Librarian, said
librarians throughout the county are working on an automation
E
project named SCINET (sky -net) to tie all the libraries together.
Nine of the 10 are committed to this project - Roberts Library has
its own system. Six of the library boards have signed a letter of
intent and the remaining are pending.
The start-up cost is $200,000'and the libraries are asking for
$50,000 above the actual library levy in the 1999 budget. Setter
acknowledged the higher payment from the increased evaluation but
since it is divided among all the libraries and does not give a
substantial amount for automation.
This will be addressed in the 1999 budget review and Chair Brown
thanked Setter for her presentation.
More budget discussion: The 1999 budget instructions were
distributed. Supr. Jensen said he is for a lower mill rate. Supr.
Speer indicated automation is important but people are also needed.
Public Protection will request that security officer staffing go
from half time to full time.
Sheriff Burch announced the U.S. Marshall's staff will be here
August 4-7 to evaluate our security system and do training for
employees. The security staffing issue will be discussed at the
August meeting.
Supr. Raymond stated we need to set goals in order to reach goals
but a goal should not become a god. There are changes in the
county - "money is happening" which leads to urbanization. Raymond
said we need to realize the opportunity to prepare for the future.
Supr. Krueger commented Department Heads use good discipline when
budgeting and he wants a realistic goal.
Motion by Boche, 2nd by O'Connell TO HAVE A GOAL of $11, 981, 430
levy for the 1999 budget. Carried.
Investment of County Funds: Krizek distributed quotes on CD rates
obtained by Finance Director Rich Loney. The $1,000,000 placed in
escrow by the County Board of surplus Health and Human Service
funds needs to be invested. Motion by Giese, 2nd by Boche to
accept the rate of Citizen's State Bank of Woodville which had
rates fluctuating from 6.00o to 6.375% for the two year period.
Carried.
O'Connell was excused at 11:15 a.m.
Corporation Counsel: Timmerman readdressed the issue of personnel
legal matters. An Attorney General's opinion states all legal
matters should be handled through the Corporation Counsel's office
and the county is not doing so by hiring outside legal counsel.
Personnel and Administration Departments are not following the
rules and Timmerman does believe the law requires Corporation
3
Counsel to do legal matters such as grievances but not labor
negotiations.
Chair Brown asked if a grievance is a legal matter and is a lawyer
needed. In an opinion from Steve Weld. the county's present labor
attorney, Weld stated the County Board could decide who would do
legal matters. Timmerman believed this opinion to be a conflict of
interest because Weld is hired by the county. Chair Brown would
like to check further into this issue.
Timmerman said he will budget for outside legal counsel. Another
option would be for Finance to grant another clerical person which
would allow the para legal person to do more research and in turn
allow more time for the Corporation Counsel and Assistant. Cost of
this clerical would be $34,233.
Timmerman also reported to hire an outside attorney for one day a
week would cost about $40,000 per year.
Chair Brown said he would vote no to spend $34,000 for another
clerical when more overtime could be used.
Motion by Boche, 2nd by Dorsey to approve a limited part time
clerical in the Corporation Counsel office with a review of the
position at the end of one year. Dorsey commented how can the
county population keep growing with no more personnel added to any
departments. Roll call vote: - all yes, O'Connell was absent.
Register of Deeds: Kay Walsh requested part time help to keep real
estate records current during the time the staff is training and
implementing the new automated land records program.
Motion by Giese, 2nd by Boche to allow up to $1,000 from the
Contingency Fund if the 1998 budget does not cover it at the end of
the year. Carried.
Remainder of County Clerk Report: Copies of current tax deed
property owned by the county were distributed. County Clerk is to
offer these to adjacent land owners for an appropriate fee.
Nelson said $5905 will be requested in the 1999 budget for printing
30,000 county recreational maps. She noted tourists spent over $53
million in the county in 1997.
Clerk announced birth of a baby boy to Bill and Mary Ann Oemichen.
Bill was a former County Board Supervisor.
Motion to adjourn by Giese, 2nd by Boche. Meeting adjourned at
T m O' onnell Sue Nelson
Secretary Recording Secretary
2