Budget, Surplus, Abandonment, Evidence, Workers Comp, Manhole @ LCC 2015-01-26

Update 25 January 2015: Additional item #5 Anti-Chaining Ordinance Request – Dr. Amanda Hall;
see separate post.

Lowndes County won

an award for its budget as “a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device.”


All good except: as a communications device?
They’d probably have to publish drafts of it before they passed it for
that to be true.
Unless they mean as in a public telling, not a public hearing.
They won last year, too,

along with 45 other winners in Georgia,
including Valdosta.
Award, or passing grade?

No rezonings, but

surplus computing devices,
abandonment of
Deloach Road E (CR 95),
more on the
never-ending juvenile justice Evidence Based Associates topic,
and

sewer gasses corrode manhole covers. I wonder how much gases
corrode pipelines?

The agenda (PDF) still doesn’t give the dates; just Monday and Tuesday, so I’ve inserted them in [brackets].
But congratulations on having the agenda online a week in advance!

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, [January 26th] 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, [January 27th] 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order

  2. Invocation

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

  4. Minutes for Approval

    1. Work Session- January 12, 2015

    2. Regular Session- January 13, 2015
  5. Anti-Chaining Ordinance Request – Dr. Amanda Hall

  6. For Consideration

    1. GFOA Distinguished Budget Award

      The
      Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada
      (GFOA) has presented Lowndes County with the Distinguished Budget Award
      for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014 (Fiscal Year 2015).  In
      order to receive the budget award, the entity has to satisfy nationally
      recognized guidelines which assess how well the budget serves as a
      policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a
      communications device.  Budget documents are rated by three
      independent reviewers and must be rated proficient in all four
      categories to receive the award.  The GFOA awards around 1,400
      entities annually throughout the United States and Canada.  This is
      the ninth consecutive budget award for Lowndes County.

      The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving 18,000
      government finance professionals throughout North America.  The
      GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentations Awards Program is the only
      national awards program in governmental budgeting. 

    2. Declaration of Surplus Items – Aircards and Cellular Phones

      The
      Lowndes County Finance Department has a number of aircards (used in
      computers for internet connections) and cellular phones which are no
      longer in use and are ready to be disposed of.  Staff requests that
      the Board declare these items surplus and authorize the disposal
      through a recycling company.

    3. Abandonment of Deloach Road E (CR 95)

      The
      County has received a request to abandon Deloach Road E (CR 95), from
      its intersection with Inner Perimeter Road to its intersection
      with S 94, the entire length being 0.26 miles long and is shown on
      the attached drawing.  Georgia statute requires an initial
      determination that the “section of the county road system has for any
      reason ceased to be used by the public to the extent that no substantial
      public purpose is served by it or that its removal from the county road
      system is otherwise in the best public interest.”  If the Board
      makes either or both of these determinations with respect
      to Deloach Road E, the statute provides for notice to adjoining
      property owners, notice to the public by newspaper publication, and a
      public hearing.  After the public hearing, the Board “may declare
      that section of the county road system abandoned.”

    4. Evidence Based Associates Agreement for Service

      In
      October 2014, following approval by the Board of Commissioners, Lowndes
      County submitted a funding proposal to the Criminal Justice
      Coordinating Council (CJCC) on behalf of the Lowndes County Juvenile
      Court for funding to implement diversionary programs for youth who score
      low on the Predisposition Risk Assessment (PDRA) administered by Intake
      Officers of the Juvenile Court.  As part of the application
      process the Board of Commissioners also entered into a Memorandum of
      Understanding with Evidence Based Associates (EBA) to utilize their
      services if funding for programs was awarded.  Lowndes County was
      recently notified that their application has been selected for funding
      in the amount of $72,000 which will provide services to 24 youths and
      their families.  EBA has submitted a service agreement which
      outlines the scope of work they will provide as well as administrative
      procedures such as billing.  Upon approval of this agreement EBA
      will begin implementation of the       Strengthening Families Program for those youth and their families referred through the Lowndes County Juvenile Court system.

      This
      grant program requires no matching funds on the part of Lowndes County
      but is a reimbursement grant.  This means that Lowndes County will
      be billed monthly by EBA for services provided and will submit a
      reimbursement request once the monthly invoices have been paid.

      Services will be funded utilizing $72,000 in grant funding with no direct budget impact to Lowndes County’s annual budget.

    5. Workers Compensation Insurance Renewal

      Lowndes
      County participates in the ACCG-GSIWCF (Group Self-Insurance Workers
      Compensation Fund) Insurance Program (a non-profit, Georgia County
      government owned insurance fund). 

      The
      2015 renewal premium for Lowndes County is $237,760.00. However, due to
      a dividend credit of $15,159.00, the total amount due comes to
      $222,601.00. This is a decrease of $9,227.00, from the 2014 renewal of
      $231,828.00. It should be noted that the Lowndes County’s safety/loss
      control program contributed to an additional 7.5%
      or $19,277.00, reduction in premium costs for 2015.

      Staff is seeking approval of the 2015 ACCG Workers Compensation Insurance renewal in the amount of $222,601.00.

    6. Manhole Rehabilitation

      During
      routine inspections of the Lowndes County sewer line, it was discovered
      that as a result of the corrosive atmosphere from sewer gases, 15
      manholes have deteriorated and are in need of rehabilitation.

      Two bids have been obtained:
      1) Standard Contractors – $129,745.00
      2) Radney Plumbing – $97,518.70

      Both bids include updating the structures to include lining
      the manholes in addition to repairing the brick and mortar. This
      will add life to the structures which vary in age from 7 to 15
      years. In order to help reduce the need for emergency repairs,
      staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners approve the Radney
      Plumbing bid for $97,518.70  to rehabilitate the 15 manholes.

      These repairs are a budgeted item for FY 2015.


  7. Reports – County Manager

  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address

  9. Adjournment

-jsq