Meeting Minutes

Jon Caime,

County Administrator

September 29, 2003 Work Session

 

 

 

 

The Hart County Board of Commissioners met on Monday September 29, 2003 to discuss the FY04 Budget and Recreation department issues.  All Board members were present along with Walter Gordon, County Attorney and Jon Caime, County Administrator.  The Meeting began at 5:00 and the following issues were discussed:

 

1.  Animal Shelter:  Commissioner Dorsey discussed a contract the Hart County Board of Commissioners has with the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter (NEGA).  This contract is for $20,000 per year and expires November 3, 2003.

 

Commissioner Banister explained that the Board is attempting to match the funding support to NEGA that Franklin County contributes.

 

Jon McGarity, director of NEGA, explained the history of the NEGA and the funding formulas for various agencies.  He also explained that if they don’t get their share of funding from Hart County they will have to close the shelter this year.

 

Commissioner Carter questioned if the unincorporated population of Hart County was used rather than the total population which includes the City of Hartwell.  He further questioned that the number of animals collected in Hart County unincorporated area was reported by NEGA to be the same as the unincorporated sections of Franklin County, however the funding levels were different for the two counties.

 

After much discussion Commissioner Dorsey made a motion to amend the FY04 NEGA budget from$17,500 to $20,000 to meet our contractual requirements with the NEGA.

 

Commissioner Bannister seconded the motion.

 

Commissioner Reyen suggested that the NEGA needs to revisit the funding formula and that in his opinion, Hart and Franklin Counties should be contributing the same share.

 

Director McGarity stated that at this funding level the NEGA would close January 1, 2004.

 

Commissioner Dorsey told the NEGA that the Board could revisit this issue at a latter date and consider continued funding for this important function.

 

The vote was unanimous 5-0.

 

2.  Hart Partners:  Commissioners Oglesby made a motion to fund this agency $450.  Commissioner Dorsey provided a second to the motion.

 

Larry Poole, Executive Director of Hart Partners gave the Board literature on the contribution of this organization to the County.

 

Commissioner Banister explained that the County is committing only to help the organization obtain grants but is not starting a new department.  If funds from grants do not fund the programs, the County will not pick up the additional funding needs.

 

The vote was unanimous 5-0.

 

 

3.  Literacy Center:  Commissioner Banister commented that it was his understanding that the Hart County Board of Commissioners would provide seed money of $25,000 in the first year the Literacy Center was operating in the new facility and that it was his understanding that the County funding would decrease each year.

 

Commissioner Dorsey discussed the contract the County has with the Literacy Center and in particular section 21 where improvements made by the Literacy Council will revert back to the County when the Literacy Center vacates the facility in the future.  Commissioner Dorsey then made a motion to increase the Literacy Funding $2,500.

 

Commissioner Oglesby provided a second to the motion.

 

Commissioner Dorsey further explained that his understanding was that the County was not phasing out the Centers funding and that we were contributing to the utility and operations costs but not salaries.

 

The motion vote failed with a vote of 2-3 with Commissioners Dorsey and Oglesby for and Commissioners Bannister, Reyen and Carter opposed.

 

4.  HYDRA:  Wendy Chitwood, HYDRA director explained the programs that HYDRA has for the youth of Hart County and asked that the Board reinstate the budget of $15,000.

 

Commissioner Oglesby made a motion to increase the HYDRA budget $2,000.  Commissioner Dorsey seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous 5-0.

 

5.  Ninth District Opportunity:  The program director for the Ninth District Opportunity explained the programs the agency provides.

 

Commissioner Oglesby made a motion to increase the Ninth District Opportunity Budget  $4,500.  Commissioner Bannister seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous 5-0.

 

  1. DFACS:  Mr. Tom Mullinex with DFACS requested that his budget be reinstated to its 2003 level.

 

Commissioner Oglesby made a motion to table the request. Commissioner Carter seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous 5-0.

 

7. DDA:  Alice Glenn described the program, grants, and funds received by the DDA and stated that if they do not receive funding they will have to cut programs.  Mary Alice Applegate explained the phase II downtown development project and that Hart County would be asked to contribute $100,000 if they get the grant award.

 

Chairman Banister made a motion to fund the DDA $12,000.  Commissioner Reyen provided a second to this motion.  A call for a vote failed.

 

Commissioner Reyen then made a motion to provide $15,000 to fund the DDA from the Economic Development fund.  Commissioner Carter provided a second to that motion.  After much discussion the motion failed with a vote of 2-3 with Commissioners Carter and Reyen for and Chairman Banister, Commissioners Dorsey and Oglesby against.

 

Commissioner Oglesby then made a motion to fund the DDA $8,000 from the Economic Development fund.  Commissioner Dorsey provided a second to the motion and the vote was 3-2 with Chairman Banister, Dorsey and Oglesby for and Commissioners Reyen and Carter against.

 

8.  Millage; Interim County Administrator Jon Caime explained that according to the GADOR our millage rates were not set correctly and that we must reset our millage.  He explained that the problem is with the gross millage rates and that according to the DOR PT32.1 form that is completed by the Hart County Tax Commissioners office, the maximum net millage that the Hart County Board of Commissioners can charge without a property tax increase is 4.910 Unincorporated and 4.970 Incorporated which is what the Board set the millage rate at. 

 

However if these net millage rates are added to the sales tax rollback the gross millage rates will be different and according to the GADOR the gross millage must be the same.  Therefore the Board will have to lower the incorporated tax rate to 4.910 which will cost  approximately $9,000 in revenue.

 

9.  Recreation Department:  A lengthy discussion took place with the Recreation Department and the Recreation Advisory board on ways that the County could improve recreation services. 

 

Commissioner Oglesby made a motion to remove the Courthouse grounds maintenance and County facilities lawn mowing from the Recreation Department responsibilities in 2004 and that the Recreation Advisory Board come back to the Hart County Board of Commissioners with a plan on how to improve operations at the Recreation Department and that the overtime funding for the department be increased $1,500.

 

Commissioner Dorsey provided a second to the motion and the motion passed unanimously 4-0.  Commissioner Reyen was temporarily absent from the meeting during this vote.

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00.

 

 

 

 

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Randy Banister, Chairman                           Jon Caime, Interim County Administrator