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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinance 06-12-1998ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Chairman Thomas Dorsey St. Croix County Board FROM: Donald Brown, Chair COMMITTEE TITLE: FINANCE DATE: June 12, 1998 8:30 A.M. LOCATION: Government Center CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: July 9, ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 1. Review of Vouchers ***NOTE DATE & TIME CHANGE*** 1998 8:30 A.M. NEW BUSINESS: 1. Removal of Wohler's House From Cedar Lake 2. Administrative Coordinator's Report A. Consideration of Sale of Land North of Baldwin B. Incinerator Site 3. Finance Director's Report A. 1999 Preliminary Budget Discussion B. Creation of a Team to Evaluate Finance Organization 4. Purchase of Kinnickinnic Property 5. County Clerk's Report A. Apple River Parcels 6. Corporation Counsel's Report A. Request for New Positions 7. Computer Services A. Law Enforcement Program 8. Redemption of Nursing Home Bonds Lot Ag. Center, Reporting/ 9. Contingency Fund Request for Ag Center Open House - Refreshments *10. Glen Hills Dam Safety Study. *11. Review of 1997 Health & Human Services Audit and Current Fund Balances CORRESPONDENCE: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) DATE: 6/2/98, 6/10/98 COPIES TO: County Board Office News Media/Notice Board County Clerk County Board County Departments *ADDITIONS/CHANGES/CORRECTIONS e64eFe722-,�s FINANCE COMMITTEE Regular Meeting June 12, 1998 Meeting called to order by Chair Brown at 9:00 a.m. Christy Nelson, a news reporter from The News in New Richmond, was introduced. Chair welcomed everyone present. Members present: Robert Boche, Tom Dorsey, Herb Giese, Tom O'Connell and Don Brown. Staff present: Administrative Coordinator John Krizek, Finance Director Rich Loney, Corporation Counsel Greg Timmerman and County Clerk Sue Nelson. Others present: Health and Human Services Chair Robert Stephens and Vice Chair Supr. Jack Dowd. Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Boche to adopt the agenda. Carried. Next meeting scheduled for July 9, 8:30 a.m. Motion by Boche, 2nd by Dorsey to approve the May 11 minutes. Carried. Vouchers: Both Brown and Dorsey had reviewed the bills. Two per diems were removed from one voucher. Motion by Giese, 2nd by O'Connell to approve payment of the vouchers. Carried. Glen Hills Dam Safety Study: Chuck Christenson, District Conservationist and Dean Steines from Ayres presented a proposal to include all six dams for a breach route study. The original cost for four dams was $37,300 and $27,700 for an additional two for a total of $65,000. Chair Brown said people are building in the flood plain and the County needs maps in order to zone for flood plains. We need to address the liability, legality and safety issues. Krizek and Loney noted there was nothing included in the Land Conservation budget for a breach route study but funds were earmarked in the 1998 contingency fund. Christenson said the study on Dam 3\ needs to be completed by Jan. 1, 1999. Dorsey commented we have an obligation to people in the county and some want to build homes in this area. He also thought the study should be done soon before it costs the County more to add warning signals on the dams. Timmerman said the County could do the work and file a claim against the State for payment. The DNR never contacted Timmerman regarding payment for the study. He will call them. No action taken; issue will be placed on the July agenda. Health and Human Services Audit: Health and Human Services Chair Robert Stephens and Vice Chair Jack Dowd were present. Krizek stated Health and Human Services has a very good surplus of $1,582,785 in the undesignated fund balance for 1998 operations. Chair Brown said this money comes from many sources - more effective collections, monies not used or over estimated expenses. Stephens was thankful the department has been successful rather 1 than a failure. He said the County allocation for the past seven years has been $2.9 million. Stephens would like to have $600,000 for daily operations. The Nursing Home census has averaged 95 and the budget was based on a 108 census. Stephens noted there is a lag in the reporting system which does not keep us up to date. The surplus funds are presently invested by the County. Stephens outlined a repair list including blacktopping the parking lot and the window replacement in the Nursing Home. H&HS have applied for an Andersen Window grant. Stephens said the money belongs to the taxpayers, not H&HS and he suggested a joint meeting with H&HS and Finance. H&HS should not be punished for operating in an efficient and business -like manner. O'Connell asked if the accountant in H&HS should be under the County Finance Department. Brown is not upset with the extra money and H&HS has designated $638, 000 for bond redemption on the Nursing Home. However, the interest is 4% on the bonds and more money could be derived from investment of the $638,000. Brown offered the following proposal which basically transfers $1,000,000 from the Health and Human Services account to an escrow account for making 1983 bond issue principal payments and applied against future H&HS budgets. Krizek noted there is a redemption charge to redeem the bonds. The bond payment for 1999 is $290,000 and in 2000 is $300,000 which would leave $410,000 to be invested at Finance Committee discretion. Giese advised we may not get a 60-. interest rate because interest rates are tumbling now. Motion by Boche, 2nd by Giese BE IT RESOLVED THAT $1,000,000 be transferred from Health and Human Services "undesignated and unreserved account" to a new interest -bearing escrow account for the purposes of making 1983 bond issue principal payments which are due in the year 1999 and 2000, and to be applied against future Health and Human Services budgets. Carried. O'Connell thanked Stephens for his presentation. Finance Director: Creation of Team for Finance: Loney asked for approval for staff members John Krizek, John Borup, Judy Ziegler, Dan Fedderly, Tim Ramberg and Loney to form a team to streamline financial reporting by the end of the year. Giese said the Finance Dept. should know all aspects of County Finance and the Finance Comm. should also. Motion by O'Connell, 2nd by Boche to approve formation of a Financial Evaluation Team. Carried. Boche noted in regard to the Health and Human Services budget, the county allocation has remained at $2.9 million but the State aid has changed and more dollars are received now. K 1999 Budget: Loney will get budget instructions to departments at the July staff meeting. All committee chairs are invited to the July Finance meeting for preliminary budget discussion. Administrative Coordinator: Sale of land: Krizek asked the committee to consider the sale of 1.5 A. located north of the Ag. Center in Baldwin. The previous agreement with Wayne Peters stipulates the land to be returned to the Village of Baldwin at a cost of $25,000 per acre. Krizek indicated there is no interest money gained by holding on to this land. Chair Brown had checked with the Ag. agencies and there should be sufficient space for 10 or 12 years in the present building. No action taken; discuss later this fall. Incinerator: Gary Boley will present an update in July. The pit has been filled in. Companies that supplied hazardous chemicals for the incinerator have agreed to take the chemicals back with no credit given. This will save money for disposal costs. Acr. Center Open House: Boche received a request from Ag. and Extension Chair Bethke for funds for the refreshments to be served at the Open House on June 19. Krizek said Ayres and Assocs. agreed to donate $125. Motion by Boche, 2nd by O'Connell to approve up to $200 from the Contingency Fund. Carried. Computer Services: Krizek said Tiburon Co. has purchased CLUES who provided our law enforcement program. Bids will be requested from Tiburon and other companies and possibly the $10, 000 for a computer consultant will not be needed. A COPS MORE grant hs been applied for by St. Croix County and Cities of Hudson, River Falls and New Richmond. This grant is favorable to multi -jurisdictions that apply. The County has applied for $497,508 of which the County is liable for 250 or $124,377. This grant can be used for lap tops, software and other technology so patrol officers can spend more time in the field. Removal of Wohler's House, Cedar Lake: Timmerman reported Wohler violated zoning codes and applied for no permits when he remodeled his home near Cedar Lake. The Court has ordered the house to be moved by July 16. Timmerman advised, if the owner does not remove the home, the County will have to remove it or bid for its removal. Corporation Counsel Request for New Positions: Timmerman requested an Assistant Corporation Counsel and legal secretary both full time to start in 1999. He cited a dramatic increase in zoning activities in Court and the zoning office. Board of Adjustment appeals have increased. In 1993 there were three; in 1997 - 12 and so far in 1998 - seven. Timmerman said Corporation Counsel should handle all legal labor and personnel matters. The Personnel Dept. has been budgeting for 3 outside legal counsel for labor grievances. WMMIC, the county's liability insurer, is concerned about insurance coverage when the County Corporation Counsel does not handle the legal labor matters. Timmerman said he would not negotiate labor contracts. Chair Brown said the goal is to maximize the tax payer dollar. He suggested providing money for overtime hours for the present para legal person and possibly using temporary outside legal help. Timmerman said there is a need to have a good command of the county's zoning laws within the office. Brown would like to reach a compromise rather than spend $83, 000 on the two positions at one time. Giese suggested hiring one attorney for one day a week and either provide an office secretary or negotiate secretarial services. Krizek said WMMIC would like Timmerman to meet with Sheriff's staff on liability issues. The Personnel Committee preferred outside counsel for labor issues but the new committee may feel differently. Need to show overtime hours and check into hiring outside staff before new positions are granted. Request is tabled to July 9th and Timmerman is to investigate the cost of outside help. Purchase of Kinnickinnic Property: No one from Kinnickinnic was present; no action taken. County Clerk: Sue Nelson showed a map of several parcels in the Village of Star Prairie which a previous assessor listed owners as "unknown." Some of the adjoining parcels are being sold and deeds for the parcels taken on tax deed by St. Croix County cannot be filed. County Treasurer Mary Jean Livermore, Corporation Counsel Timmerman and Nelson suggested selling these parcels for fair market value. Committee would like more information on the location of these parcels and a list of current tax deed properties. This will be discussed further at the July meeting. Motion adjourn by O'Connell, 2nd by Dorsey. Meeting adjourned at 12.10 �p.m. O'!ronnell, Secreta 4