Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2007.10.11 - 36217MIKE ROGERS Chairperson EILEEN KOWALL Vice Chairperson HELAINE ZACK Minority Vice Chairperson October 11, 2007 Chairperson Rogers called the meeting of the Finance Committee to order at 9:05 a.m., in the Board of Commissioners' Committee Room A, Commissioners' Wing, County Service Center, Pontiac, Michigan. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT Mike Rogers, Eileen Kowall, Sue Ann Douglas , Tom Middleton, Christine Long, Jeff Potter, David Coulter, David Woodward, Tim Greimel COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT Hugh Crawford, Helaine Zack OTHERS PRESENT CIRCUIT COURT FAMILY DIVISION Pamela Davis, CLERK/REGISTER OF DEEDS Joe Rozell, Elections Director CORPORATION COUNSEL Judy Cunningham, Corporation Counsel Mike Blaszczak, Deputy Counsel EQUALIZATION Rick Vincent, Administrator Mary E. Ritchie, Appraiser II Lori Norris, Tax Standards Specialist Joyce Bowers, Office Supervisor II EXECUTIVE OFFICE Robert Daddow, Deputy Executive FISCAL SERVICES Tim Soave, Manager Nancy Fournier, Chief LaVerne Smith, Supervisor Joe Matkosky, Analyst Linda Pearson, Analyst Prentiss Malone , Analyst HUMAN RESOURCES Jennifer Mason, Manager Karen Jones, Supervisor MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET Laurie Van Pelt, Director Art Holdsworth, Deputy Director PURCHASING Jack Smith, Chief SHERIFF Michael McCabe, Undersheriff Dale Cunningham, Business Manager Clay Jansson, Sergeant TREASURER Pat Dohany, Treasurer Barbara Sweet, Deputy Treasurer OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0470 Telephone (248) 858 -0100 FAX (248) 858-1572 FINANCE COMMITTEE Sue Ann Douglas Hugh D. Crawford Tom Middleton Christine Long Jeff Potter David Coulter David Woodward Tim Greimel FINANCE COMMITTEE Page 2 October 11, 2007 OTHERS PRESENT CONTINUED BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Larry Doyle, Administrative Director Harvey Wedell, Sr. Analyst Jim Cavanaugh, BOC Liaison Helen Hanger, Sr. Committee Coordinator APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES Middleton moved approval of the minutes of September 27, 2007, as printed. Supported by Long. Motion carried on a voice vote. PUBLIC COMMENT None. AGENDA Item 6 – Board of Commi ssioners – Notice to Village of Holly Regarding Oakland County’s Support for DDA Expansion was removed from the agenda without objection. 5. FY 2007/FY 2008 C ONTINGENCY REPORT Adoption of Item 10 will reduce the FY 2007 Contingency Fund balance of $466,446 by $1,500 to $464,946 and the FY 2008 beginning balance of $146,744 by $1,500 to $145,244. Kowall moved to receive and file the Contingency Report of October 4, 2007. Supported by Douglas. Motion carried on a voice vote. REGULAR AGENDA 7. CIRCUIT COURT / FRIEND OF THE COURT – 2008 ACCESS AND VISITATION GRANT ACCEPTANCE The Friend of the Court (FOC) is requesting authorization to accept a State Court Administrative Office Federal Access and Visitation Grant , not to exceed $24,000, to facilitate parenting time for certain cases as determined by the court. The FOC will contract with Haven to provide parenting time. No match is required. A budget amendment will be made as outlined in the Fiscal Note. Douglas moved approval of the attached sugges ted Fiscal Note. Supported by Coulter. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack, Crawford and Woodward absent. 8. MR #07234 – CIRCUIT COURT – FAMILY DIVISION – REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF CONTRACT WITH FORMER COUNTY EMPLOYEE The Circuit Court Family Division is requesting authorization to enter into a contract with a former Oakland County employee to perform services for the Psychological Clinic for a period of three years starting FINANCE COMMITTEE Page 3 October 11, 2007 September 30, 2007 and ending September 29, 2010, in a no t to exceed amount of $40,000 over the life of the contract. Funding was previously budgeted for. Ms. Davis explained that the Court currently has nine clinicians under contract to handle excess referrals above what existing staff can manage. Use of contracted vendors has resulted in a savings to the County. In response to questions from Commissioners Coulter and Greimel regarding the bid process, Ms. Davis indicated that the current nine contracts are due to expire and Purchasing is assisting with th e Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Mr. Smith explained that a department will give Purchasing the names of those vendors they would like to have solicited for bids and Purchasing has the right to add additional vendors from its vendor registration pool. Mr. Cooperrider indicated that the pool of solicited vendors was larger than those nine currently under contract and that they would provide that information to the Commissioners. Commissioner Rogers asked how the closing of M axey Training Center would impact the Court. Ms. Davis explained that the Court has concerns but does not yet know if the entire building or just segments thereof will be closed. The Court is looking at a blended funding program using mental health and child care fund dollars to expand the services the Court utilizes from Community Mental Health. The Court is also looking to see what other alternatives are available. Middleton moved approval of the attached suggested Fiscal Note . Supported by Kowall. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack, Crawford and Woodward absent. 9. MR #907230 – COUNTY CLERK/REGISTER OF DEEDS – ELECTIONS DIVISION – AGREEMENT TO UTILIZE THE SERVICES OF THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF CANVASSERS BY THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM The Clerk/Register of Deeds is requesting authorization to contract with the City of Birmingham to utilize the services of the Board of Canvassers’ at a fee of $25.00 per precinct pursuant to MR #97232 for the November 6, 2007 election. Budget amendments will be made to accept General Fund revenue of $250 generated by this agreement as outlined in the Fiscal Note. Middleton moved approval of the attached suggested Fiscal Note. Supported by Long. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack, Crawford and Wo odward absent. 10. MR #07232 – HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT – FISCAL YEAR 2007 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT EXTENSION FOR EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY THE COMMAND OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (COA) Human Resources is requesting authorization to enter into an exte nsion of the current 2003-2006 collective bargaining agreement for FY 2007 with the Command Officers Association, representing 102 Sheriff Office Command Officers. The agreement includes a 2% salary increase, an additional clothing allowance of $100 for 15 employees and covers the increased cost of fitness day. Additionally, the agreement will be modified to include the provisions of MR #06114 regarding health care, will increase both the employer / employee contributions for retirement to 3% and indicate s that captains will no longer be required to report to the Sheriff’s Office on Holidays but will be on call. The extended agreement will also remove current contract language indicating that any changes in health care contributions and prescription co -pays negotiated by the Oakland County Deputy Sheriff’s Association which are of a lesser amount will be applied to this bargaining unit. Salary increases for FY 2007 were included in the FY 2007 Budget and the FY FINANCE COMMITTEE Page 4 October 11, 2007 2008/FY 2009 Adopted Budget. Budget amendme nts for the additional clothing allowance and fitness day will be made as outlined in the Fiscal Note. Undersheriff McCabe explained that most police agencies do not have a fitness requirement. An individual must meet state standards to become an officer but after that there are no other requirements. Sheriff Bouchard would like his command staff to be physically fit. The incentive to add a third day off requires that 50% of the unit passes the current fitness test. Ms. Jones explained that retroactive pay was provided in a lump sum as part of a regular paycheck but this amount is taxed at a different rate. Coulter moved approval of the attached suggested Fiscal Note. Supported by Greimel. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack, Crawford and Woodward absent. 11. MR #07233 – HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT – FISCAL YEAR 2008 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT EXTENSION FOR EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY THE OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATION Human Resources is requesting a uthorization to enter into an extension of the current 2004 -2007 collective bargaining agreement for FY 2008 with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Investigators Association representing seven Prosecutor’s Investigators. The agreement includes a 1% salary i ncrease and, effective January 1, 2008 health care contributions as outlined in the agreement. All costs are included in the FY 2008/FY 2009 Adopted Budget. Middleton moved approval of the attached suggested Fiscal Note. Supported by Greimel. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack, Crawford and Woodward absent. 12. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET / EQUALIZATION DIVISION – CONCURRENCE OF OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WITH COUNTY EQUALIZATION MANAGER TO EL ECT TO AUDIT HOM ESTEAD EXEMPTION UNDER THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC ACT 105 OF 2003, MCL 211.7CC(10) Equalization is requesting that the Board of Commissioners renew its authorization to allow for the audit of homestead exemptions under the provisions of P.A. 105 of 2003 for the period of October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2009. This Act allows counties the ability to deny improper homestead exemptions and pays counties for the work involved in reviewing such homestead exemptions. Under MR #03253, the initial audit period, a large number of properties improperly receiving this exemption were identified. Coulter moved approval of the attached suggested Resolution. Supported by Kowall. Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Zack and Crawford absent. 13. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET – 2007 APPROPRIATION OF LOCAL TAX RATES The resolution authorizes the Equalization Director to sign the several tax certificates on which tax rate tabulations were based, thereby authorizing and directing the various asses sing officers to spread the rates against the taxable valuation set forth for 200 7. A copy of the 2007 Apportionment of Local Tax Rates document was distributed. If necessary, revisions will be made in December following elections. The report includes a rolled back millage for the City of Clawson’s 2006 Library millage and excludes the City of Pontiac’s Minor Recreation and Police millages FINANCE COMMITTEE Page 5 October 11, 2007 Commissioner Greimel stated that the Attorney General has determined that Pontiac’s police and recreation millages were unlawful because the City did not appropriately amend the city charter as part of the ballot language. He asked if the County had collected on behalf of the City and what would happen if the Board does not certify the tax rate to allow for these mill ages? Mr. Vincent explained that the City of Pontiac has collected those millage funds, not the County. It is his understanding that the City will keep what was collected but the tax rate will be adjusted next year to return those funds to the taxpayers. Commissioners Coulter and Greimel asked if the Board has the authority to make the determination not to include these millages, indicating that The General Property Tax Act refers to the p rosecuting attorney . Ms. Cunningham explained that her office is in agreement with the AG opinion that these two millages were not authorized by law. The Equalization Department has statutory authority to perform its review of the rates and the Board of Commissioners depends on its experts to provide this informati on. She explained that in many cases the prosecuting attorney is also the civil counsel but this function was transferred to Oakland County’s Corporation Counsel . Mr. Blaszczak further explained that the Board of Commissioners adopted the County Civil Counsel Act and took this function away from the prosecuting attorney and that Act 139 of 1973 further reinforced this action but it is for the Board of Commissioners to decide the rates. Ms. Cunningham indicated that the City was asked for any reason why they think these millages should be authorized and no response was provided. Commissioner Greimel asked at what point the City would credit back the taxpayers. Ms. Norris indicated that it would probably occur in July when City taxes are collected. Commissioner Greimel indicated that the City is considering putting on the ballot , possibly in January, another millage proposal that would have the words required to amend the City’s charter to allow for these millages . The City’s legal counsel is of the opinion that if this is done, the voters would be endorsing the past collection and no reimbursement will be necessary. He asked if the report before the Committee today would be amended if the millage proposals were approved . Ms. Norris indicated that if any additional authorized levies are approved, the report would be amended. Commissioner Coulter asked if Corporation Counsel would provide an opinion of what they believe is the legal authority of the County to investigate local millages and who is respon sible for that investigation. Ms. Cunningham indicated that her office would provide a general opinion not specific to any local unit. Commissioners Middleton and Potter asked how the issue would reach the State Tax Tribunal. Commissioner Greimel stated that taxpayers have one month to appeal a millage and none have done so. Commissioner Rogers asked why the Farmington DDA tax rate was reported as 0 .00% for 2007. Ms. Ritchie explained that the DDA developed a principle shopping district as an alternat ive method to the DDA levy for this year. Coulter moved approval of the attached suggested Resolution. Supported by Rogers. FINANCE COMMITTEE Page 6 October 11, 2007 Motion carried on a roll call vote with Greimel voting no and Zack and Crawford absent. COMMUNICATIONS A. Memo from Doug Williams – Oakland County Retirement Administrator Re: Deferred Retirees – Health Care Buyout Option Middleton moved to receive and file Communication A. Supported by Woodward. Motion carried on a voice vote. OTHER BUSINESS / ADJOURNMENT There being no other business to come before the committe e, the meeting was adjourned at 9: 55 a.m. ________________________ _______________________________ Helen A. Hanger Lawrence M. Doyle Senior Committee Coordinator Administrative Director NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to Committee approval.