HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2007.05.14 - 36175CHRISTINE LONG
Chairperson
MICHAEL GINGELL
Vice Chairperson
MATTIE MCKINNEY HATCHETT
Minority Vice Chairperson
May 14, 2007
Chairperson Long called the meeting of the General Government Committee to order at 9:32
a.m. in Committee Room A, Commissioners’ Wing, County Service Center, Pontiac, Michigan.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Christine Long, Michael Gingell, Mattie McKinney Hatchett, Hugh D. Crawford, Eileen
Kowall, Jeff Potter, David Potts, George Suarez, Jim Nash and Tim Greimel
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:
Bradford Jacobsen and Vincent Gregory
OTHERS PRESENT
COUNTY EXECUTIVE Phil Bertolini, Deputy County Executive/CIO
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ed Poisson, Director
Janette McKenna, Chief
ROAD COMMISSION FOR O.C. Tom Noechel, Programming Supervisor
STRATEGIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS Colleen Pobur, Lobbyist
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Larry Doyle, Administrative Director
Harvey Wedell, Senior Analyst
Sheryl Mitchell, Senior Analyst
Pamela Worthington, Committee Coordinator
PUBLIC COMMENT
None
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES
Crawford moved approval of the previous minutes of April 30, 2007 as printed. Supported
by Gingell.
Motion carried on a voice vote.
OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0470
Telephone (248) 858-0100 FAX (248) 858 -1572
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
Hugh D. Crawford
Eileen Kowall
Jeff Potter
Bradford Jacobsen
David Potts
Vincent Gregory
George Suarez
Jim Nash
Tim Greimel
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 2
May 14, 2007
AGENDA ITEMS
1. ROAD COMMISSION FOR OAKLAND COUNTY – FY 2007 TRI-PARTY PROGRAM
In accordance with Public Act 253 of 1917, MCL 247.121, the Oakland County Board of
Commissioners is permitted to appropriate funding from the General Fund to the Road Fund for
the Oakland County Road Commission, provided there is a surplus in the General Fund and that
the monies are used for construction, maintenance, and repair of highways. Per MR #03237, these
funds may be released to the Road Commission upon approval of the specific projects by the
General Government Committee of the Board of Commissioners. The Tri-Party Program for 2007
was reviewed and approved by the Board of the Road Commission for Oakland County on April
23, 2007. The list includes 40 project locations, along with accumulations for future projects,
proposed by 20 townships and 39 cities and villages. The total amount of Tri -Party money in
these projects equals $6.75 million, which will contribute to over $88 million in road improvements.
Following committee approval Road Commission staff will draft the Tri-Party agreements and work
toward timely bid lettings. Tom Noechel highlighted a few of the road projects in some of the
communities that they will be working on in the near future.
. Potts moved approval of the 2007 Tri-Party Program. Supported by Suarez.
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Jacobsen and Gregory absent.
2. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - SECOND QUARTER 2007
DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATION TRANSFER
The Department of Information Technology has determined the Second Quarter 2007 data
processing development charges to be $1,158,828.69 and the imaging development charge to be
$17,498.24 for the General Fund/General Purpose County departments. Direct charges to Special
Revenue and Proprietary Fund departments are $279,221.72, non-governmental imaging
development is $97.60 and non-County agencies are $372.10 for the Second Quarter of 2007.
The resolution approves the Second Quarter appropriation transfer as specified on the schedule.
Kowall moved approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Gingell.
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Jacobsen and Gregory absent.
3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 2007/2008 MASTER PLAN QUARTERLY STATUS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This summary consists of a list of projects that shows work that has taken place showing the
percentage of work completed. Mr. Bertolini gave a brief overview of the summary. He pointed
out that on page 11 of the summary it shows the additional compensation for overtime exempt
employees, which was approved by the Board of Commissioners. In February 40.5 hours were
used to deal with the Daylight Saving Time Project. Microsoft had a problem with th e Daylight
Savings time being moved up, and to make sure that everyone’s calendars did not leap ahead an
hour, I.T. employees needed to work overtime to keep an eye on it. They will be going through the
same thing in October when Daylight Savings Time end s.
Crawford moved to receive and file the Information Technology 2007/2008 Master Plan
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 3
May 14, 2007
quarterly Status Executive Summary. Supported by Greimel.
Motion carried on a voice vote.
OTHER BUSINESS
Commissioner Kowall asked that Ms. Pobur, Lobbyist, Stra tegic Public Affairs (SPA) give an
update on what is going on in Lansing with regards to the budget issue. Ms. Pobur said that Mr.
Welday has been spending time in Lansing, and he would have more information. She indicated
that she could e-mail her the information when she gets it. Commissioner Kowall expressed that
the commissioners need SPA to alert them to situations that they need to react to immediately .
Commissioner Potts indicated that the budget issue is a moving target, and the commissioners
have issues that need to be address and probably can be addressed through the state legislators
and people they connect with as well as their lobbyists, and in this time of transition and potential
funding of the County programs. He expressed the importance of Strategic Pubic Affairs to get
updated information to the commissioners quickly.
Commissioner Crawford indicated that the Legislative Study Group is one of the ways that issues
are communicated to the commissioners. He asked Ms. Pobur if there is someone from SPA that
is in Lansing to keep up to date on the issues. Ms. Pobur indicated that SPA has an office in
Lansing, and Mr. Frederick is the person who is the representative in Lansing.
4. REJECTING SIX NEW TAX INCREASES BY THE MICHIGAN HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
The resolution reflects that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners does not support these
tax increases on the residents and businesses in Oakland County, and the Board strongly urges
the Senate of the State of Michigan to reject these tax issues.
Commissioner Potter indicated that he agreed with opposing four out of the six bills that this
resolution references, and if the 5th and 7th paragraphs were struck out of the resolution, he would
support it.
Commissioner Hatchett indicated that unless she sees legislation showing where new revenue is
coming from, she could not support this resolution.
Commissioner Nash expressed his concern that if the state does more cutting, they are going to
run out of group homes. He indicated that this is an issue that the commissioners have no real
business dealing with.
Potts moved to report to the full Board with the recommendation that the resolution be
adopted. Supported by Gingell.
Potter moved to amend the resolution, as follows:
1. Amend the title of the resolution, as follows:
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 4
May 14, 2007
MR #07107 – Rejecting Six Four New Tax Increases by the Michigan House of
Representatives
2. Delete the 5th and 7th WHEREAS paragraphs.
Supported by Gingell.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES: Gingell, Kowall, Potter, Pott s, Long (5)
NAYS: Hatchett, Crawford, Suarez, Nash, Greimel (5)
Motion failed.
Crawford moved to reconsider the previous motion to amend the resolution. Supported
by Gingell.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES: Gingell, Crawford, Kowall, Potter, Potts, Long (6)
NAYS: Hatchett, Suarez, Nash, Greimel (4)
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Jacobsen and Gregory absent.
Potter moved to amend the resolution, as follows:
3. Amend the title of the resolution, as follows:
MR #07107 – Rejecting Six Four New Tax Increases by the Michigan House of
Representatives
4. Delete the 5th and 7th WHEREAS paragraphs.
Supported by Gingell.
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES: Gingell, Crawford, Kowall, Potter, Potts, Greimel, Long (7)
NAYS: Hatchett, Suarez, Nash (3)
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Jacobsen and Gregory absent.
Main motion, as amended, carried on a roll call vote with Hatchett, Suarez and Nash voting
no and Jacobsen and Gregory absent.
5. MR #07108 – REJECTING DEATH TAX
House Bill 4377 imposes a permanent Michigan Death Tax on the people and the families of the
State of Michigan. This is a tax increase of between 8% and 16% that would be newly imposed on
individuals and families. The resolution reflects that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
does not support this death tax, House Bill 4377, as a means of balancing the State budget on the
GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 5
May 14, 2007
backs of Inheritors of Estates in Michigan.
Potter expressed his concern about this bill recalibrating one industry as opposed to
another. He expressed his concern that it would make people consider moving to other
states, which would cause the State of Michigan revenues in total to be reduced.
Crawford moved to report to the full Board with the recommendation that the resolution be
adopted. Supported by Gingell.
Motion carried on a roll call vote with Hatchett, Suarez and Nash voting no.
COMMUNICATIONS
A. March 28, 2007 Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency Board of Directors Annual
Meeting Minutes
B. February 28, 2007 Oakland County Library Board Minutes
C. April 4, 2007 Oakland County Library Board Minutes
D. Senate Bills 410 and 411 to Amend the Emergency 9 -1-1 Service Enabling Act – Floor
Analysis
Crawford moved to receive and file the Communications. Supported by Gingell.
Motion carried on voice vote.
OTHER BUSINESS/ADJOURNMENT
At the January 8, 2007, General Government Committee meeting, Chairperson Long appointed
Eileen Kowall, Hugh Crawford, herself, and David Coulter to the Legislative Study Group to allow
the group to continue its work as a liaison to the Board of Commissioners’ lobbying firm. As it is
required that all members on the study group be members of the General Government Committee,
Chairperson Long appointed Jim Nash to the study group to take David Coulter’s seat. The
meetings will be scheduled after the first General Government Committee meeting of the month.
There being no other business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:46
a.m.
________________________ _______________________________
Pamela L. Worthington Lawrence Doyle
Sr. Committee Coordinator Administrative Director
NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to Committee approval.