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[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:02]

LIKE TO CALL THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH, UH, TO ORDER, UH, AND WE WILL START BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WHEN RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEASE.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL RIGHT.

AND THE PROPER NOTIFICATION FOR THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED, ACCORDING TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FOR SOMEONE TO, UM, UH, MAKE A

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.

SO, ALL RIGHT.

ANY DISCUSSION, ANY AMENDMENTS, IF NOT, UH, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO TODAY'S AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.

SEEING NO OBJECTION.

WE WILL THEN, UH, MOVE

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - June 21, 2021]

ON THEN TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 21ST MEETING.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES CHAIRMAN? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, AND SECOND, AND SO, UH, ANY OBJECTION TO APPROVAL OF THOSE MINUTES? ALL RIGHT.

SEEING NO OBJECTION.

WE WILL QUICKLY MOVE ON THEN.

UM, AND WE'RE OPENING THIS UP FOR OUR CITIZENS COMMENT AT THIS POINT.

UM, ANY CITIZEN HAS THREE MINUTES TO DISCUSS ANY TOPIC THEY WOULD LIKE WOULD PREFER TO BE ON THE FINANCE, UM, OF THE COUNTY.

HOWEVER, UH, IT IS OPEN TO ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE IS SARAH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE EVEN IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC, UM, UH, IS, IS UNLESS MR. CARSON WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT, UM, SARAH IS ANY ANYBODY THAT, UH, NO ONE SIGNED UP AND NO ONE ONLINE.

ALRIGHT.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

WELL THEN LET'S JUMP, UM, UH, RIGHT UP TO, UM, OUR, UM,

[7. UPDATE FROM CFO HAYES WILLIAMS]

COMMITTEE UPDATE FROM OUR NEW CFO, MR. HAYES WILLIAMS AND MR. WILLIAMS, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST MEETING FROM, UH, STRIKING AND REMOVING THE INTERIM, UH, NAME.

SO WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU AND, AND GLAD YOU'RE ON BOARD AND GLAD YOU HEARD IT TO LEAD US CHAIRMAN.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK ERIC AND WHITNEY FOR, UM, ALLOWING ME TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WOULD BE FOR COUNTY, WHICH IS A PLACE THAT I GREW UP FOR THE PAST.

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 49 YEARS AND LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING ALL AS BEST I CAN.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO START WITH THE EMPLOYEE PERMISSIONS.

UH, I I'M, I DON'T KNOW, I'M HOPING MOST OF Y'ALL KNEW, UH, MR. BUTTS, HE'S UP IN THE NEW ACA OF FINANCE.

UM, HE WAS A REGISTERED DEEDS HE'S JUST STARTED TODAY, WAS HIS FIRST DAY.

AND SO HE'S HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING, UM, SUPER EXCITED TO HAVE THEM.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO REALLY GREAT THINGS TOGETHER.

UM, I WANT TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT VACANCIES SINCE WE HAVE, OBVIOUSLY I'VE ACCEPTED, UH, THE INTERIM CFO ROLE.

UH, WE, WE HAVE POSTED AS OF LAST WEEK FOR THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.

UH, WE ALSO HAVE A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT POSTED, WE'VE COMBINED SOME POSITIONS IN AN AP QUARTER, SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME MORE PEOPLE INTO FINANCE.

UH, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME ITEMS THAT WE HAD FROM LAST LAST MONTH OR THE INTERNAL AUDIT.

THAT WAS THE BIG THING THAT WE WANTED TO GET WRAPPED UP.

AND WE COMPLETED THE FINAL REPORT.

WE MAILED IT OUT TO THE COUNCIL ON NINE 14.

UM, WE'VE ALSO DRAFTED A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN FOR FINANCE, PROCUREMENT AND BSN THAT WE'LL PRESENT TODAY.

INNER GOV.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

UH, WE'RE FINALLY, UH, CLOSE TO GETTING THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO GO LIVE ON OCTOBER 25TH.

UM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF HOOPS AND HURDLES, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER.

UH, YOU'RE IN CLOSE AND EXTERNAL AUDIT.

UH, WE'RE WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.

UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD, UH, DAVID IRWIN, WHO'S A PARTNER IN CHARGE OF THE AUDIT, UH, STOPPED BY TODAY AND HE VISITED, UH, WITH, UH, DALE AND NOW FOR SEVERAL, FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR ABOUT WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE'RE GOING, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

SO THAT WAS, UH, INTERESTING, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.

I'M ONLY DEVOTING A LOT MORE TIME TO THAT OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND TRY AND GET THAT, UH, TIMELY DONE.

UH, ONE OF THE LAST BIG THINGS WAS AIRPORT FUNDING.

AND, UH, I TALKED TO YOU OBVIOUSLY CHAIRMAN AND, UH, COUNCILMAN RODMAN, AND WE DECIDED TO MOVE THAT ONE TO THE PFC COMMITTEE MEETING BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE APPROPRIATE, SO, OKAY.

AND THEN ONE, THIS IS A NEW THING, AND THIS WILL BE PART OF THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN IS WE'RE REVISING.

WE'RE TRYING TO REVISE SOME FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT POLICIES PUT IN NEW POLICIES THAT MAKE SENSE AND

[00:05:01]

TAKE OUT SOME OLD ONES THAT DON'T.

SO WE'RE WORKING THERE.

AND THEN THAT KIND OF LEADS ME INTO NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

OKAY.

LET'S ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WILLIAMS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM? ANY QUESTIONS ON WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW AND HIS UPDATE THAT WE JUST GOT? JUST, YES, SIR.

GO AHEAD WITH REFERENCING THIS SHEET.

I THINK THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE FOR, I THINK LATER IN THE MEETING WHEN THEY JUST PROVIDED THAT TO US, COUNCILMAN GLOVER, AND I THINK, UH, UH, UH, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, MR. GREENWOOD ADDRESSING THIS ALL GOOD TIME AND, AND COUNCIL IS HERE FOR AN AGENDA ITEM.

HE'S NOT HERE TO, UH, FOR A CITIZEN COMMENTS, SO, BUT IT WILL BE GETTING A PLAYER.

WELL, MR. HAYNES, GO AHEAD.

AND THEN, UH, I THINK YOU'RE, WE'RE GOOD TO GO FOR, UH, THE, UH, DISCUSSION

[8. DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION OF YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR FY 2022]

PRESENTATION FOR THE YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

SO I HAVE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, WHICH ARE IN THERE AND WE HAVE, UH, THE TWO FIRST PAGES ARE THE SUMMARY PAGES OF REVENUE AND EXPENSE.

UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE AT ABOUT 6.8 MILLION OF THE TOTAL BUDGET OF $132 MILLION FOR THE, UH, FOR REVENUE.

WE HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT LAGS, UM, ADMIRAL NORM'S LYING BECAUSE WE DON'T BILL IT UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.

IT'S, WON'T CONTINUE TO BE DOWN.

UM, WE HAVE LAGS IN LICENSES PERMITS, AND THEY DON'T TYPICALLY BILL UNTIL LATER INTO THE FISCAL YEAR.

UM, WE HAVE LAGS IN THE INTERNAL REVENUE, INTERNAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY PLAY ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE, WE WON'T RECEIVE ANYTHING FROM THEM UNTIL MID TO LATE OCTOBER.

SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S LIKE CHARGES FOR SERVICES.

UM, I HAVE TO TAKE MY HATS OFF TO DALE BECAUSE HE'S AND THEY'RE STILL DOING ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL.

THEY'RE KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK.

SO, UM, WE HAVE LAGS AND FINDS THEM FORFEITURES, STILL KIND OF DO TO PIVOT.

WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME THING THERE.

UM, UH, THE INTEREST, UH, WE HAD THE ACCRUAL FROM THE UBS AND THE, UM, ELIGIBLE ACCOUNTS, INTEREST RATES ARE STILL FAIRLY LOW THAT THEY'RE NOT MEETING CURRENT PROJECTIONS, BUT WE'LL GET THERE.

AND THEN, UH, MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES ARE A LITTLE BIT BELOW BY YEAR END.

SO THAT TAKES US TO, UH, THE EXPENDITURES.

AND WE SPENT, WE SPENT ALREADY SPENDING, UM, 24.2 MILLION OUT OF 130, 2 MILLION, BUT OF THAT 24 MILLION, UH, WE HAVE ENCUMBERED ABOUT SIX POINT EIGHT BILLION MILLION, SORRY, NOT ME.

UH, IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ENCUMBRANCE AND SPENT IS YOU REQUEST A REQUISITION AND A PURCHASE ORDER, AND THEY'RE OUT THERE AS AN ENCUMBRANCE.

AND THEN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY SPEND THEM, THE ENCUMBRANCE GOES DOWN.

SO YOU MIGHT HAVE, AND WE'LL SEE THIS IN THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, UH, YOU'LL HAVE A BLANKET PO PURCHASE ORDER FOR HAULING, SIR, FOR HAULING TRASH.

AND THAT COULD BE A SEVERAL MILLION DOLLAR INCOME ROOMS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T SPENT ALL OF IT YET.

YOU'VE ONLY PROBABLY SPENT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, BUT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIT AND ENCUMBERED.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO KIND OF DRIVE HOME THERE.

UM, ALL RIGHT, BUT LOOKING AT THE EXPENDITURES, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH IS, UH, EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS IS HIGHER THAN WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

UM, BUT WE, WE BANK PAYMENTS, UM, QUARTERLY COULD BE FOR DRAFT FOR COMP HEALTH AND BEFORE MEMORIAL WHEN WE MADE THOSE LAST MONTH.

SO THAT IS STILL UP THERE.

IT WILL PROBABLY CORRECT IN THE NEXT MONTH UNTIL WE PAY IT IN THE FOURTH.

AND THE FOURTH PERIOD OF THE, OF THE YEAR, UM, PUBLIC WELFARE IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN EXPECTED BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T MADE THE PAYMENT SHED FOR THE TOGETHER FOR BUFORD, WHICH WAS ABOUT $398,000.

AND TYPICALLY THAT'S PAID IN THE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.

I THINK THAT WENT THROUGH THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING AND THAT SHOULD BE COMING UP FAIRLY SOON.

UM, I'LL SEE THE $34,000 FOR OUR CAPITAL OUTLAY, AND THIS IS RELATED TO THE CARRY OVER BUDGET.

WE GOT A LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS AND WE BOOKED IT BEFORE WE SHOULD HAVE, AND IT'S IN THERE, BUT IT'S PART OF THE CARRY OVER BUDGET.

AND YOU'LL SEE A BUNCH OF THE DATUM NEXT TO IT.

AND THEN THE OTHER, NOW THE ENVELOPE IS $250,000, AND THAT WAS A DRAW FROM THE, UM, BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

IT WAS A BUDGETED EXPENSE TO HELP, UM, TO FACILITATE NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN.

SO ANYWAY, THE DETAIL OF THE REVENUES IS ON THE NEXT PAGE.

UM, AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THERE, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER, BUT IT'S TWO PAGES IS, IS BROKEN OUT BY SOURCE.

AND THAT THEN AFTER THOSE TWO PAGES, WE HAVE THE DETAIL OF THE EXPENDITURES, WHICH THERE AGAIN IS ANOTHER TWO PAGES.

AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE.

ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

[00:10:01]

I CANNOT SEE THE SCREEN.

SO PLEASE SPEAK UP IF SOMEONE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU, UM, THE NEXT, THE NEXT PAGE IS W WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND WE HAVE A NEW ENTERPRISE FUND THIS YEAR, AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE OF, UM, THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, UH, ENTERPRISE FUND.

AND, UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE MUCH IN THE WAY OF REVENUES QUITE YET, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IS A AVALON BASED IS SIMILAR TO THE REST OF THE TAXES.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH IN THERE, BUT IF YOU GO THROUGH AND YOU LOOK THROUGH HERE, UM, YOU WON'T SEE ABOUT $7 MILLION OF BUDGET AND ALMOST $6.9 MILLION THAT SPINNER ENCUMBERED.

AND SO, UM, THE ENCUMBERED AMOUNT IS ABOUT, UM, 6.1 MILLION, WHICH HASN'T BEEN EXPENDED YET, BUT IT'S 804 THAT HAS BEEN, SO IT'S KIND OF MISLEADING WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT AND IT SAYS, YOU SEE, WOW, WE'RE ALREADY AT 96% OF BUDGET WHILE YOU'RE REALLY NOT, BECAUSE YOU'VE ONLY SPENT 840.

YOU HAVE ANOTHER 6.4 TO GO.

SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING FUND.

UH, TH IT'S JUST GETTING ITS LEGS UNDERNEATH.

IT I'LL SHOULD HAVE MORE TO REPORT AS A YEAR, GOES ON.

THE NEXT IS THE STORM WATER UTILITY.

UM, HERE YOU SEE IT, UH, SOMEWHAT, SOMEWHAT, UH, SUMAR, UH, PURCHASED SERVICES.

UM, I HAVE SEVERAL HIGHLIGHTED ITEMS. PURCHASE SERVICES IS ONE OF THEM.

THERE ARE 22%.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE 1.2 MILLION.

THAT'S BEEN OUR ENCUMBER IN ACTION.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE ONLY SPENT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

1.1 IS ENCUMBERED.

UH, BUT, AND THEN WE HAVE INTEREST EXPENSE, UH, DOWN THERE THAT'S AT 49.98, BUT THAT'S, EXCUSE ME, WHERE EXACTLY IS PERSONNEL SERVICES, PERSONNEL SERVICES WOULD BE ANY EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE ANY OF THEIR RELATED BENEFITS.

SO IT WOULD BE, UH, LIKE ALL THE WAYS THAT OUR OLD EMPLOYEES OR CONTRACT PEOPLE.

AND THOSE ARE, THIS IS JUST EMPLOYED PEOPLE WITH ACCOUNTING, IF I CAN MEDICARE AND ALL THEIR RELATED BENEFITS.

SO, UM, ANYWAYS, BACK TO INTEREST EXPENSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT 49% OF THE ALMOST 50% OF BUDGET, BUT WE PAY THAT, UH, TWICE A YEAR.

AND THAT'S THE INTEREST EXPENSE ON THE 2017 A MONTH.

THEN IF YOU FLIP THE PAGE, THE NEXT ONE IS OUR, UH, OUR HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT.

AND, UH, THIS IS A POSITIVE THING THAT WE'RE HAVING HERE.

UM, WE HAVE OUR REVENUES GOING UP SUBSTANTIALLY.

IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, UM, OPERATING AGREEMENT, COMMISSION, REVENUE, FIREFIGHTING, AND PARKING FEES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 42%, 44% AND 75% OF TOTAL BUDGET.

AND THIS IS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE ACTIVITY IN THE AIRPORT, PEOPLE COMING AND USING IT AND PAYING THE RELATED FEES.

UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT DOWN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CAPITAL OUTLAY.

UM, YOU DON'T SEE THE BUDGET THERE.

THIS IS A REIMBURSABLE GRANT WITH THE FAA, WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED.

AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS ENCUMBERED, BUT THE WAY THE GRANT SYSTEM WORKS IS WHEN YOU HAVE A REIMBURSABLE GRANT, YOU CAN'T BUDGET FOR IT, YOU HAVE TO PAY IT AND THEN YOU'LL GET THE MONEY BACK.

SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S NOT MUCH OF A BUDGET THERE, BUT, UM, LOOKING DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NET POSITION, UH, YOU KNOW, W WE LOOKED LIKE WE HAD, WE HAD 15 MILLION IN NET POSITION, WHICH IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE NET INVESTMENT AND CAPITAL ASSETS, WHICH IS ALL THE ASSETS THAT THE, THE, THE BUILDING AND THE, THE LAND AND THE CONCRETE ONE WAY AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT LATER TO THAT LIST APPRECIATION.

AND THEN, UH, THE UNRESTRICTED DEFICIT IS BASICALLY THERE ARE THAT W WHEN THEY HAVE CASH WISE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A NEGATIVE, WHICH I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, UH, FOR OUR DISCUSSION LATER ON.

AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE AN AMOUNT DUE OF ABOUT $8 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THAT GETS US TO THE LAST, UH, ENTERPRISE FUND THAT WE HAVE.

AND THAT WOULD BE FOR EXECUTIVE AIRPORT.

THEIR, UM, THEIR REVENUES ARE AT ABOUT 11% IS WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT 16 THINKING.

THAT'LL CORRECT BY THE YEAR, END OF THE YEAR, THEIR TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES ARE AT 16.2%.

AND THEY SHOULD BE AT 16.67, WHICH THAT'S VERY MUCH WITHIN THE REALM OF THAT'S GREAT.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE RIGHT ON TRACK.

UH, IT GETS DOWN THEIR NET POSITION, WHICH ABOUT 2.2 MILLION OF THAT IS INVESTMENT IN THAT CAPITAL ASSETS IS, WHICH I EXPLAINED A LITTLE WHILE AGO IS ABOUT 4.3.

AND THEN THAT RESTRICTED DEFICIT AS A CREDIT OF, UH, OUR NEGATIVE OF $2 MILLION, WHICH OF THAT IS 1.5 OF THAT IS TO THE GENERAL FUND.

BUT THAT PRETTY WELL WRAPS UP MY FINANCIAL REPORT, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,

[00:15:02]

ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM ANY MEMBERS STILL GO AHEAD.

YEAH, MAYBE YOU COVERED, AND I APOLOGIZE TO ME COMPANIES LIKE, UM, HOW ARE WE DOING ON THE RESERVE? UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? THE FUND BALANCE RESERVE, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR THE, WE HAVEN'T CLOSED THE GENERAL FUND, THE GENERAL FUND, UH, WE HAVEN'T CLOSED ALL THOSE ACCOUNTS OUT QUITE YET.

, I'M ABOUT TO, UH, GO AND FINISH MOST OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING THE REST OF THE WEEK.

AND I'M HOPING THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE TO HAVE SOME, A LITTLE, A LITTLE, SOME BETTER TO SHOW YOU ALL FOR THIS SINCE THE CLOSING OF LAST YEAR IS TIDYING UP YESTERDAY, BECAUSE I'M STILL TIDYING UP, BUT I'VE HAD MANY PROJECTS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON AT THE SAME TIME AND, OH, WOW.

THE OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW NEW FOLKS, UH, BUT WE, WE DO HAVE A POLICY PUT IN PLACE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AS TO THE MINIMUM KIND OF COMBINATION AVAILABLE CASH THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE.

I THINK IT WAS AS OF THE END OF SEPTEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE OKAY AS FOR HURRICANE SEASON.

SO YOU MAY WANT TO JUST DOUBLE CHECK THAT AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ADHERING TO THAT POLICY.

OH, REAL.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.

I'LL MAKE SURE TO DO THAT.

THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE? UH, QUESTIONS.

I DON'T SEE ANY, UM, MR. WILLIAMS, THANK YOU.

AND, UM, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO MAKE, UM, ACCOUNTING SEXY, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ANY QUESTION I'VE EVER ASKED HAS BEEN MORE THAN WILLING TO GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER AND TO TELL US EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.

AND WE APPRECIATE THAT WHEN YOU DID CALL FINANCE PEOPLE'S EYES GLAZE OVER VERY QUICKLY.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S MOVE

[9. FY2023 BUDGET CALENDAR]

ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE.

UM, AND THAT, UH, IS GOING TO BE MISS HARRIET, OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR, AND SHE COME FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT OUR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET.

WE ARE DOING THAT.

SO THIS IS MY, UM, MY THIRD YEAR, AND WE HAVE NEVER TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS SOON EVER BEFORE.

SO, UM, THIS AREA OF THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

THANK YOU.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.

WELL, SHORTER THAN, HEY, UM, THIS YEAR, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE, UH, AN ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE TEAM WERE GETTING READY TO KICK OFF BUDGET SEASON.

UM, AS YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THE FISCAL YEAR 21 CARRY OVER BUDGETS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED.

I THINK WE HAVE FUNNEL THIRD AND FINAL READING NEXT MONDAY.

UM, WE WILL HAVE A DEPARTMENT HEAD, UM, BUDGET KICKOFF, SORRY.

I DIDN'T KNOW.

OKAY.

UM, BUT IT KICKOFF WITH ALL OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ON OCTOBER 6TH.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS IN ADVANCE.

UM, SOME EXCITING THINGS ABOUT THIS FISCAL YEAR.

WE WILL HAVE A NEW, UH, BUDGETING SOFTWARE.

WE'RE GOING TO, UM, USE CLAIRE GOV.

IT IS USED BY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER COUNTIES THROUGHOUT, UM, WELL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT, UM, A LOT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES ARE, ARE JUMPING ON.

SO, UM, WE WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING VIA THIS SOFTWARE.

UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL ENTER THEIR BUDGETS IN THE SOFTWARE AND IT WILL THEN GET A FEED STRAIGHT INTO OUR, UM, INTO OUR FINANCIAL SOFTWARE MUNIS.

UM, WE ARE GOING TO START FAIRLY EARLY WITH CAPITAL REQUESTS AND THEN AFTER SOME FEEDBACK FROM LAST YEAR IS A VERY CONDENSED BUDGET SEASON.

UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION, UM, WITHIN COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, AND, UM, MYSELF AND HAYES.

WE WILL HAVE A, UH, ADMINISTRATION BUDGET WORK SESSION, AND THEN, UM, PLAN TO HAVE OUR COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, BUDGET RETREAT IN NOVEMBER, THIS YEAR IN ADVANCE, SO THAT WE CAN PLAN ACCORDING TO WHAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.

ALL THESE DATES ARE OUTLINED, AND I HADN'T HEARD BACK FROM THE REST OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

SO I'M ASSUMING EVERYTHING'S AGO.

UM, CAN I ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET CALENDAR? ALL RIGHT.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE JUST HERE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'LL GET IT AND WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANY ACTION ON THIS.

OBVIOUSLY THIS IS GOING TO BE A, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE A MOVING TARGET IN PROGRESS.

UM, BUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S THINGS THAT, THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND TRY TO COVER MORE THINGS AND NOT BE RUSHED AS WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.

SO ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT YOU'VE GOT, UM, AFTER LOOKING OVER, UH, MS. HARRIET'S, UM, UH, CALENDAR, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

UH, AGAIN, WE, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO DO THINGS AND SHE'S HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS, UM, IN HER PAST.

SO AGAIN, TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

YES.

MR. ROBINSON, JUST TWO COMMENTS.

UM, I UNDERSTOOD THE RETREAT IN NOVEMBER IS MORE OF

[00:20:01]

OUR TRADITIONAL RECEIPT RETREAT THROUGH INCLUDE BUDGET, BUT IT'S NOT JUST A RETREAT FOR THE SAKE OF BUDGET.

YOU HAVE OTHER TOPICS, IT'LL BE YOUR ANNUAL PLANNING AND BUDGET, RETREAT PLANNING AND BUDGET.

OKAY.

IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.

OKAY.

AND IT'S IT'S, AND AS FAR AS WHEN IT COMES TO COUNCIL, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S KIND OF IN THE APRIL TIMEFRAME.

WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I READ THAT CORRECTLY, WE REDUCE IT DOWN TO TWO BUDGET WORKSHOPS.

THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO DO ONE, UM, IN, ON APRIL 7TH AND ONE ON APRIL 21ST, HOPEFULLY ALL FINAL EDITS WILL BE COMPLETE BY THEN BASED ON WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO DO.

AND THEN, UH, START OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS EARLY MAY.

UM, AND THE FINAL DATE FOR THIRD READING IS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THIS YEAR.

WE WANT TO TRY TO GET IT DONE BY JUNE 13TH, FINGERS CROSSED.

HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE, UH, THAT THAT THAT'LL BE ACCOMPLISHED.

AND WE WON'T BE WORRIED ABOUT IT TOWARDS THE END OF JUNE.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

WE ALWAYS LEAVE THE ONE EXTRA COUNSEL LOOKS LIKE A GOOD PLAN.

YES.

UH, MR. PASSMAN, GO AHEAD.

YES.

UH, ON THE BUDGET RETREAT, ARE WE GOING TO DO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, A MORNING SESSION, AND THEN AN AFTERNOON SESSION.

THAT'S WHAT WE WERE PLANNING.

YES, SIR.

EXCELLENT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO GO LIKE NINE TO NOON AND THEN ONE, THREE OR ONE TO FOUR LIKE THAT.

YES, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. POLO.

AND GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU.

UH, IT'S VERY IT.

UM, I NOTE ON YOUR OUTLYING THEORY, YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD BE MOVED DOWN A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE.

I THINK SARAH, HE CHARGED IT.

THE SCHOOL DID THAT ONE RIGHT THERE ON APRIL 7TH.

YOU ASKED FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET AS APPROVED BY THEIR BOARDS.

YOU KNOW HOW UNLIKELY THAT IS PRACTICING IT, CARRYING IT IN YOUR MIND THAT, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL MAY.

THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T SET YOUR LEVEL OF EXPECTATION, UH, BEYOND THE ABILITY OF SCHOOLWORK TO DELIVER.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD CATCH BRIAN, BUT, UH, I THINK, THINK HE'S GOT IT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT EXPECTATION.

ANY, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, MS. SARAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT.

AND, UH,

[10. PRESENTATION FROM ELLIOT DAVIS ON REPORT ON PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR FINANCE, PROCUREMENT AND DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS]

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10.

UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, BUT, UH, MR. PASSMAN, MR. HERBERT, SEAN WORKED ON VERY DILIGENTLY WHENEVER WE FIRST SAW CAME ON TOGETHER.

SO, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND, AND, AND FINALLY, I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT WHAT'S SOME OF THE HARD WORK, UH, WENT INTO.

SO, UM, MR. WILLIAMS, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE A PRESENTATION, UH, OR AT LEAST GIVE THE INTRODUCTION FOR THIS? YES, SHANNON, THANK YOU.

I WANT TO, UH, THE DELL AFFIRM THAT WE, UH, HA EMPLOYED WAS ELLIOT DAVIS, AND, UH, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BIO ON COMING NEAR.

SHE WAS THE PARTNER AND HE'LL BE PRESENTING THE DAY.

UH, YOU, HE WANTED TO BE HERE, BUT DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, HE COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE IN PERSON, BUT, UH, HE'S, HE'S GO OVER IT.

BUT, UH, HE'S A CHAIR.

HE'S A CHAIR OF THE FIRM'S GOVERNMENT PRACTICE.

HE, TOM FOCUSES ON PROVIDING AUDIT AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO PUBLIC SECTOR CLIENTS, INCLUDING COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS, OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

YOU HAVE MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH FINANCIAL REPORTING UNDER GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO YELLOW BOOK IN UNIFORM, IT WOULD BE SERVED THROWAWAY 1 33, TOM TOM'S CLASS, INCLUDING MARSH AND SMALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING AGENCIES WITH ANYBODY'S IN EXCESS OF 1 BILLION.

NOW, PRIOR TO JOINING ELLIOTT DAVIS IN 1998, TOM PROVIDED AUDIT AND CONSULTING SERVICES AS A MEMBER OF A BIG FOUR ACCOUNTING FIRM.

HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A PERMANENT COMMERCIAL LOAN OFFICER, THE NATIONAL BANK.

HE'S A FREQUENT SPEAKER AT GOVERNMENT INDUSTRY CONFERENCES.

SO, UH, WITHOUT DELAY, HOW WOULD, UH, TOM PRESENT? THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS, MR. MCNISH, CAN YOU HEAR US? UH, YES, SIR.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? UH, YES, SIR.

WE CAN HEAR YOU.

GREAT.

UH, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.

SO, UM, GO AHEAD.

THE FLOOR IS YOURS AND THEN GO AHEAD AND THEN ENLIGHTEN US.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

AND I ALSO HAVE, UH, WITH US TODAY, MR. RYAN MOORE IS SENIOR MANAGER AND, AND DIRECTING, UH, THE AUDIT WORK FOR THE COUNTY AND, UH, HE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH AND HIGHLIGHT THE OVERVIEW.

AND WHAT I THOUGHT I WOULD DO IS JUST GET SOME BRIEF COMMENTS, FOSTER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BRIEF, UH, DESCRIPTION OF OUR FINDINGS,

[00:25:01]

AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL GOOD.

UM, WHY DON'T I START OUT BY THANKING MR. WILLIAMS AND, AND YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FOCUSING IN BDS AGAIN, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK ON THEIR PART INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS, UH, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT, EVEN TO QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD INFORMATION THAT WE ASKED FOR, UM, UH, THEY WERE VERY ENGAGED AND, UH, VERY WILLING AND ABLE TO PROVIDE US WHAT WE NEEDED TO GET THE WORK DONE.

ALSO, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNTY'S AWARENESS, UH, IN HAVING THE AUDIT OR THE ENGAGEMENT PERFORMED.

ISN'T A REQUIRED ENGAGEMENT, UH, AS WE NEAR, UH, YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY INITIATED.

UH, AND OFTENTIMES WHEN WE SUSPEND PROCEDURES, UH, ENGAGE WITH THE, UH, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE GOVERNING BODY, UH, EITHER THE FINANCIAL SECURITY ALREADY HAVE A GOOD SENSE THAT THERE ARE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, AND WE'RE PRIMARILY SERVING A STAFF OR PARTY, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT THAT THIRD PARTY COME IN AND KIND OF FLY AND, UH, CONFIRM, UH, MUCH OF WHAT, UH, IS PROBABLY, UH, BEING, UH, BEING CONSIDERED ON OF THE COUNTY IN THE MANAGEMENT TEAM.

ANYWAY.

UM, SO ONE THING THAT I WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON IS THE CONCEPT OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE, UH, WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR PROCEDURES.

SO CERTAINLY WE WANT TO, UH, AS A MAIN CRITERIA, WE WANT TO LOOK AT YOUR POLICIES AND ORDINANCES THAT BACKED, UH, DDS MEN AND FINANCE, YOUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.

CAN YOU USE CARDS AS PART OF OUR TIME NOW AS MR. WILLIAMS, UH, ACKNOWLEDGED OR REFERRED TO A LITTLE BIT EARLIER DURING HIS EARLIER PRESENTATION? YOU KNOW, IT'S OFTEN TIMES THESE TYPES OF ENGAGEMENTS RESULTED IN PERHAPS CHANGE IS WHERE YOU WANT TO ALTER SOME OF YOUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, BECAUSE MAYBE THEY DON'T MAKE SENSE, BUT JUST AFTER THE PERIOD THAT WE DID OUR AUDIT JULY ONE 19 THROUGH JUNE 30, 20, OUR CRITERIA WAS PLACED ON THE POLICIES THAT WERE IN PLACE FOR THE COUNTY DURING THAT TIME.

SO BASED ON OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, WHAT MR. WILLIAMS AND KANJI WERE AWARE THAT THEY'RE ALREADY IN CHANGES THAT THE MAY PROBABLY A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT, THAT WILL BE DESCRIBING YOUR ACTION PLAN, UM, AND THE PERIOD THAT WE WORKED JUST IN THAT WE'VE DETERMINED OUR CRITERIA FOR THAT REALLY THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF 2000.

ME, BRIAN, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE YOUR SCREEN AND PULL UP THIS SLIDE, NOW WE HELPED DESCRIPT TRYING TO PLACE MARKERS WE GO THROUGH.

OKAY, ONE SEC.

YOU ALL SEE THAT.

YES, SIR.

SO YOU WILL GO IN ADVANCE FOR THE NEXT CLASS.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE APPROACHED THE, UH, THE ENGAGEMENT.

UM, OUR, OUR FIRST STEP IS ALWAYS MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESSES THAT ARE IN PLACE.

UH, AND SO THAT HELPS US DESIGN OUR TESTS, PERFORM OUR RISK ASSESSMENTS AND, AND BEAR DOWN ON, YOU KNOW, THE AREAS, UH, THAT ARE FROM US.

SO WE START OFF WITH DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRES.

UH, WE'VE PROVIDED THEM TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, UH, GOT RESPONSES ON THOSE.

AND THAT ALLOWED US TO, UH, ATTAIN A BIRD TIME, UH, WHAT WAS IN PLACE DONE, UH, AND POTENTIAL FINDINGS AREAS.

WE FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH INTERVIEWS, MEMBERS OF MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, SHOPPER MEMBERS, QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES.

AND THEN WE TOOK THAT A STEP FURTHER.

I TAKING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS FOR THE THREE DEPARTMENTS AND DEVELOPING A TEEN OR UNDERSTANDING OF KEY FUNCTIONS IN THE SAVIOR.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE WALKTHROUGH, WHICH IS TAKING, UH, ONE OR TWO TRAININGS, ACTIONS THAT IN ANY GIVEN TRANSACTION CYCLE, YOU'RE JUST HAVING MANAGEMENT REALLY WALK

[00:30:01]

US THROUGH HOW THOSE, UH, THOSE ITEMS. SO THAT, THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING BEFORE WE START DESIGN OUR, UH, OUR ENGAGEMENT, OUR AUDITS.

SO UNDER THE CONCEPT OF, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE HALF THE BETTER WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON TOGETHER, WE CAN GO IN TO TEST IT AGAINST CRITERIA.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S NOW OUR, OUR, OUR APPROACH WORKS.

SO WE PERFORM OUR CHESTS.

AND THEN AS A RESULT OF THAT, WHEN YOU HAVE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE EXCEPTIONS, WHERE THINGS THAT AREN'T, WE CAN FIGHT TO UREA, OR AREN'T, YOU KNOW, SET UP THE WAY IN COUNTY IN TERMS OF THE CONTROLS POLICIES.

AND, UH, WE INCLUDE THOSE IN MY REPORT.

NOW, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS HERE, WE'RE ENGAGED THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.

WE HAD NUMEROUS CALLS, UH, WITH MR. HAYES AND MEMBERS OF PROCUREMENT AND DDS JAN, UH, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT FINDINGS YOU HAD, MAKE SURE WHEN YOU'RE GETTING THOSE FINDINGS, WHY, UM, MANAGEMENT TEAM AS TO, UH, TO GIVE HER A TIME DATE NEXT TO THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHERE, UH, THEY WEREN'T AS EXPRESSIVE AS THEY CAN BE AND JUST ACCURATELY GOOD REASON WE PUT THEM IN THE FINAL WORK THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED JUST IN GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE SUPER COMMON TO A LOT OF GOVERNMENTS THAT WE ALWAYS CONSIDER AS WE'RE GOING INTO OUR SPECIFIC AREAS.

ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT NOTHING, NO INTERNAL CONTROL, NEW PROCESS OR PROCEDURE, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.

WHAT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE IS TO HAVE REASONABLE ASSURANCE THAT EVERYTHING IS OPERATING THE WAY YOU WANT IT TO, IN TERMS OF BEST PRACTICE FOR INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, THE KEY FUNCTIONS AND CYCLES THAT ARE OCCURRING WITHIN EACH OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.

AND THAT A LOT OF THAT SMART SPIRIT AND TONE AT THE TIME.

I'LL, I'LL REFER BACK TO WHAT I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING.

NO, I THINK IT'S FINE.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TOP FOUR COUNTY, IS THAT YOU GET IN THIS PROCESS, YOU WANTED TO GET A HANDLE ON WHAT WAS WORKING NOW, WHAT WAS, AND COME UP WITH A CORRECTIVE ACTION FROM THE ASSET.

I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT OP WHERE, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT PROCESS WAS INITIATED BY USE TO COME INTO WHAT ARE YOU MAD AT TT? WELL, THEY'LL TRY TO ON RECONCILIATION PROCEDURES, I ADD SEVERAL MOVES THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSION, UH, RECONCILING THE BANK ACCOUNTS, GENERAL LEDGER DETAILS.

UH, THOSE ARE THAT'S A, A BLOCK ITEM.

UH, THE COUNTY HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT LECTURERS AND TUTORS THAT ARE IN PLACE.

AND REALLY THE FOCUS WITH A LARGE COUNTY IS ALWAYS TO, UH, THE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S RECONCILIATIONS ARE TIMELY, UH, THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'D REVIEW AND APPROVAL FOR ACCURACY ON THOSE RECONCILIATION TEENAGERS.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S ONE AREA THAT, UH, YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAMS CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON TO GET THOSE TO YOU'RE COMFORTABLE.

UM, MAKING SURE THAT, FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE ONE PERSON WHO IS, LET'S SAY HEARING UNIT SUBJECT BY A SECOND PERSON, WHO'S NOT INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION PROCESS.

THAT MICRO LEVEL LENDS ITSELF TO ACCOUNTABILITY TO WHERE, IF I'M, IF I'M COMPARING BANK REC, I KNOW THAT RYAN IS GOING TO BE, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HE'S GOING TO BE REVIEWING IT TIMELY, AND I AM GIVING NATURE.

CAUSE I'M GOING TO VIEW A NETHER JOB OR MAKE SURE THAT I DO A GOOD JOB OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCURACY AND THOROUGHNESS ON, UH, ON THAT TASK.

AND THEN FINALLY, GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

EVERYTHING IS SUBJECT COST BENEFIT CONSIDERATIONS.

SO THERE MAY BE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, THAT SIT WELL WITH AGAIN, RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE.

AND THEN THERE MIGHT BE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN REALITY, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST, UH, YOU AGREED SIMPLY BECAUSE, UH, THE POSSIBLE BENEFIT JUSTIFICATION ISN'T THERE.

I'LL STOP THERE JUST BRIEFLY.

I KNOW I'VE COVERED A LOT, UH, THE

[00:35:01]

FIRST COUPLE OF SLIDES BEFORE I GET INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC FINDINGS BY AREA, UH, TO, UH, ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

YES, SIR.

WHAT'S UM, OPENING UP ANY, ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT AND, UH, UH, THE PRESENTATION, HOW MUCH FOR THE NICHE? I THINK YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.

I THINK EVERYONE'S GOOD.

SO, UH, CONTINUE ON.

SO JUST SOME OF THE FINDINGS BY AREA, AND THIS ONE'S A COMPREHENSIVE, I'M NOT EATING ONE OF THE FINDINGS THAT ARE EVER, WHEN YOU IN THE REPORT THAT WE DO WANT TO HIT ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT PROBABLY ARE, ARE THE ONES THAT WE WANT TO BE CONSCIOUS ABOUT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE, AS THE MANAGEMENT TEAM IS DEVELOPING THEIR CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN AND CONTINUING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, THESE WERE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE'D OUT LIKE MORE, UH, MORE, MORE PRIORITIES.

SO I MENTIONED THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS AND IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, ANY GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT THAT YOU, UH, THAT YOU HAVE, UH, WITH, WITHIN THE COUNTY SHIFTS COM THOSE SHOULD BE SOMEONE SHOULD BE WORKING AT THOSE AND MONITORING THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON A MONTHLY, IF NOT, AT LEAST QUARTERLY BASIS.

AND I REALLY, WHAT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE RUNNING THROUGH ANY GIVEN GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT, UH, PROPER THAT THEY'RE APPROVED AND ACCURATELY, AND THAT YOU'VE GOT AN OR TRANSACTION LEVEL SUBSIDIARY, UH, FOR THOSE GENERAL LEDGER OR GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT BALANCES.

MR. WILLIAMS MENTIONED THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT THAT YOU AND A LOT OF CUBANS DO RIGHT NOW, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND JUST GENERAL, GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNTS.

SO RECONCILE, RECONCILING THOSE TWO SUBSIDIARY.

NOW, I ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM FINANCE ARE DOING A WHOLE LOT OF RECONCILIATIONS AND DOING THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AND YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNEW ALL THOSE ACCOUNTS AND THAT SOMEONE IS LOOKING AT EACH ONE OF THE MIXTURE THAT THEIR BANK RECONCILIATIONS FOR STUDIES ARE ON ONE OF THE BASIC TERMS OF, UM, UH, ANY, ANY FINANCIAL, UM, PROPRIETY THE ANTHONY INTO A SYSTEM.

AND THE CHALLENGE THAT WE USUALLY SEE WITH BANK RECONCILIATION AGAIN, ARE THEY BEING TIMELY AND ARE THEY BEING REVIEWED BY A SECOND PERSON THAT THEY'RE, UH, THAT THEY'RE BEING DONE.

RIGHT? AND SO JUST MORE THAN A CORRECTIVE ACTION, UH, MAKES SURE THAT ALL OF YOU COVERED THAT DELIVERY COVERED, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH A SUITABLE TIME FOR MONTHS.

AND THAT, THAT, UH, YOU GOT THAT APPROVAL PROCESS DOCUMENTATION OF THAT APPROVAL AND THAT SEGREGATION OF DUTIES WHERE ONE PERSON FARES TO THE SECOND PERSON, UH, REVIEWS, SAME THING WITH JOURNAL ENTRIES, JOURNAL ENTRIES.

OFTENTIMES YOU'VE GOT, AS YOU, AS YOU PROBABLY ARE AWARE, YOU COUNT JOURNALISTS THAT ARE AT ARE PROBABLY ROUTINE ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LEDGER ACCOUNTS ARE ACCURATE, BUT THEN ALSO YOU HAVE THE NON-RECURRING THE JOURNAL ENTRIES.

AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU PROBABLY WANT A CLOSER EYE ON THAT ARE CORRECT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING THROUGH AND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CAPITAL AND ASSET ACCOUNT AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, EVERYTHING IS ACCURATELY MISSTATED THERE.

I MAY NOTE AN ERROR.

I MAY NOTE AN ERROR THAT REQUIRES A CORRECTION WE'RE JOURNALING.

NOW, WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IS IN PLACE IS THAT YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S AIRING THAT JOURNAL AND SHE GETS KNOWLEDGE AND THAT'S MORNING REVIEWING AND APPROVING THAT TERMINAL ENTRY TO THE GENERAL LEDGER VENDOR INVOICES.

OF COURSE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE.

THE PATIENTS, THE COUNTY HAS A PRETTY THOROUGHLY STATED SET OF ROLES OR DOLLAR AMOUNTS.

AND YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POLICIES ARE HERE TO IN PHARMACY THRESHOLD OR IF THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED.

OFTENTIMES WE'LL, UH, WE'LL SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED.

YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A SPARK EXAMPLE, A 5,000 HOUR, UH, LIMIT.

IT HAS TO BE APPROVED.

THAT'S PROBABLY THOSE COUNTIES CERTAINLY PARTIES FOR THAT, THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE.

[00:40:01]

THAT ONE GUY, YOU MADE IT THROUGH YOUR CORRECT MAXIMUM PROCESS AND DECIDE THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE, UH, POLICIES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT CURRENTLY EXIST.

THAT NEED TO BE, UH, TUNING FULL CASH JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS THESE DAYS, AND THAT WE WORK WITH, UH, LIKE JOHNNY CASH SYSTEM.

AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE A GOOD THING.

ONE OF THE MOST, ONE THING IT'S STILL A PAGE, UH, YOU HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF BANKING.

I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD BEST PRACTICE TO HAVE FOR ANY ENTITY, ANY GOVERNMENT ENTITY, CERTAINLY TO HAVE AS FEW BANK ACCOUNTS AS POSSIBLE.

SO YOU'RE NOW, UH, THE LESS VULNERABILITY THERE IS TO COMPROMISE FOR YOU AS A COUNSELOR.

SO CASH, MOST OF THE LEDGER SYSTEMS, DEFINITELY COUNTY EMPLOYEES UTILIZE CASH.

AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO IS HAVE ONE, UH, WHAT WE WOULD CALL A CENTRALIZED BANK ACCOUNT THAT CAN SERVE MULTIPLE FUNDS AND MULTIPLE GENERAL LEDGER ACCOUNT.

SO IT'S A GOOD THING.

I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THAT COUNTY, UH, HAS UTILIZED THAT THE THING IS CHALLENGED YET.

WE'D SEE WHERE EQUITY THEY ARE, WHERE THEIR BENEFITS IS THAT THEY ARE AUTOMATED IN AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM WHERE AS ANY GIVEN FROM, LET'S SAY, ESPECIALLY 11, YOU PLAN TO EITHER RECEIVES OR SPANS CASH.

THERE'S AN AUTOMATIC UPDATE.

YOU MUST HAVE AN AUTOMATIC RECONCILIATION, UH, EVENT THAT TAKES PLACE.

SO THAT'S FINE.

I THINK WHAT THE COUNTY WILL FOCUS ON IS EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE GOT AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM, AUTOMATED SYSTEMS ARE AUTOMATED PERSONS NEED TO BE MONITORED.

AND OFTENTIMES THERE ARE TIMES THAT AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

SO WITH THE EQUITY CASH SYSTEM FOR THE COUNTY, UH, I THINK THE EMPHASIS IS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A GOOD, CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SYSTEM AND HOW IT WAS SET UP AND THAT, UH, TEAM MEMBERS ARE MONITORING, UH, THE FANS FOR THE CURRENT TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THE CASH SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM, THE AUTOMATED TEACHER IS OPERATING RATES SHOULD FIND.

SO ONE THING WE ALWAYS CRITICALLY LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE ASKING, UH, UH, ENGAGEMENT, UH, LIKE THIS FOR, FOR A COUNTY IS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THIS PART IS IN A LOT OF AREAS.

I THINK IT ENDED UP ON YOUR PURCHASING, UH, WITHIN OUR, OR TO MOVE BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME PURCHASING THRESHOLDS IN COMPARISON TO THE BUDGET.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE CONTROLS IN PURCHASING IS TO PUT YOUR VARIOUS, UH, BUDGET SEGMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PURCHASES OF OUR EXPENDITURES FOR CERTAIN AREAS ARE STAYING WITHIN BUDGET.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALITY THAT YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY OPERATES IN A FLUID ENVIRONMENT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE INSTANCES WHERE, UH, EXPENDITURES MAY EXCEED WHAT WAS BUDGETED, EVEN EITHER ON THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE LEVEL AT THAT THE COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVES THE BUDGET OR, YOU KNOW, AT A MORE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL TO HAVE IT, WHICH IS, I THINK A GOOD THING YOU HAVEN'T SET UP IN THE UNIT WHERE A BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL IS MONITORED WITHIN LINE ITEMS, AND THAT'S A GOOD PRACTICE.

AND SO WHAT THE, I THINK THE CHALLENGE THAT WE OFTEN SEE IS IF THERE IS AN INSTANCE WHERE EXPENDITURES ARE GOING TO EXCEED BUDGET, YOU WANT TO HAVE LOCKING UNIT , THAT'S THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE AN OFFICE WHERE YOU HAVE A BUDGET VERSUS VARIOUS YOU BUDGET OR ACTUAL EXCEEDING BUDGET.

AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A APPROVAL FOR THAT, THAT AMOUNT EXCEEDING BUDGET.

SO REALLY IT'S, UH, IN, IN A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, I WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE THAT MANAGER WILL, UM, WHAT THAT MONITORING STEPS WILL BE TO WHERE THE COUNTY'S IN A POSITION THAT, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE ANNOUNCED EXTENDED IN EXCESSIVE BUDGET, THAT'S

[00:45:01]

BEING ADDRESSED FOR THOSE PRACTICES OR THOSE EXPENDITURES PER THERE'S BEING PROPER APPROVAL, ANYWHERE FROM THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL, ALL THE WAY UP TO IF NECESSARY, UH, COUNSELING, THE REST OF THE ITEMS THAT WE NOTED IN PURCHASING REALLY, UH, REVOLVE AROUND HAVING DOCUMENTATION, UH, TO HAVE CERTAIN THINGS IN PLACE AND SPECIFIC APPROVAL.

YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY THE CASE FOR THAT.

UH, AN APPROVAL CLASS TASK IS, IS HAPPENING IN OTHER WORDS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I, I GO TO RYAN AS MY SUPERVISOR AND SAY, HEY, I'M WILL NEED A, A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

PUBLIC WORKS.

UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, HERE'S THE, HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING.

AND TEAM MEMBERS ARE GETTING VERBAL APPROVAL FOR THAT.

UH, I THINK THE, THE, WHERE THE, WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IS THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH TO DOCUMENT THAT THAT APPROVAL, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE OLD ADAGE IS GETTING DOCUMENTED.

YOU DIDN'T DO IT.

AND I THINK FOR THESE AREAS LIKE SOCIAL SORTING AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A BUDGET DEVELOPED BEFORE A PURCHASE PROCESS TAKES PLACE FOR VENDOR CONTRACTS, FOR OTHER PURCHASE, WHILE OBSERVATIONS, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S DOCUMENTED APPROVAL AND SIGN OFF.

AND THAT THAT'S BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THE PERSON WHO HAD INITIALLY, UH, DOWN THIS YEAR PURCHASED THEIR HOVERED BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT, WELL, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, A DESIGNATED SUPERVISOR, UH, OR, OR OTHER AUTHORITATIVE PERSON.

AND THEN OVERALL THE IS IN POSITION TO WHERE THEY CAN, THEY CAN SAY, YEAH, AND I'LL SAY IT'S, UH, NOT ONLY DOES IT PROCESS IF WE HAVE PROPERLY DOCUMENTED IT, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY GIVEN TRANSACTION, WE CAN REFERENCE BACK TO WHERE UPPER APPROVAL WAS, UH, CERTAINLY HAPPENING.

WE CAN DEMONSTRATE WHAT WE, UH, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, WITHIN, UH, DDS.

AND I CONSIDER THAT THAT CONSUMER ACCOUNTS ARE, UH, ARE HANDLED WITH THE HIGHEST RESPONSIBILITY.

SO CERTAINLY, UH, I'M UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WANT TO TAKE, LOOK AT THIS AREA.

AND WHEN WE NOTED A FEW THINGS, NOW, OUR PRIMARY CRITERIA HERE WAS, UH, IN AND DIRECT AGAIN.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF REQUIREMENTS RELATED IN THESE FIVE AREAS.

WE REALLY USE THAT AS OUR MEASUREMENT ARM, UH, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THESE AREAS.

AND SO WITH BANK DEPOSITS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS THE DEPOSITS ARE BEING MADE DIRECTLY, UH, SITES, THEY SHOULD BE REPORTED TIMELY.

SO IN MAY WE, FROM A TIMELINESS STANDPOINT, WE JUST NOTED, THERE WERE SOME LAPS IN THE, THE DEPOSIT WOULD MADE, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY REPORTED IN THE GENERAL LEDGER.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS MAKE SURE THERE ARE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO STEP UP OR, UH, MAKE THAT, UH, REPORTING AS THE, AS FAR AS AUTHORIZATIONS FOR DISPERSED UNITS FROM CONSUMER ACCOUNTS, UH, THE DIRECTIVE AND FLYERS.

SO, UH, YOUR SIGNATURE TO INDICATE, UH, AUTHORIZATION FROM THE CONSUMER, AND THEN ALSO, UH, AN AUTHORIZED AND, UH, JUST NOTED A FEW TRANSACTIONS ARE ACTUALLY ONE OR TWO TRANSACTIONS IN OUR SAMPLE WHERE, UH, WE NEEDED TO HAVE THAT TOOL SIGNATURE HER IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING GOOD RECORDS.

I MEAN, THIS IS KIND OF AN EVEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS HAVING THAT GOOD DOCUMENTATION, THINGS OCCURRED, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT CONSUMER PURCHASES, MAKING SURE THAT CANCELED CHECK, UH, INVOICE OR RECEIPT IS INCLUDED.

YOU GOT THAT BANK OF RECORDS COMING BACK AND SAY, IF THERE'S, IF ANY, UH, PURCHASED OR EXPENDED, WELL, HERE'S WHAT THAT WAS FOR.

AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE BANK AND HERE'S DOCUMENTATION BANK RECONCILIATIONS HAS, AS WE'VE TOUCHED ON, UH, I THINK THE RECONCILIATION IS IN OCCURRING, BUT THERE'S RECORD REQUIREMENT THAT THOSE ARE DISCUSSED WITH THE CONSUMER AND REVIEWED BY A SECOND INDIVIDUAL.

SO HAVING THAT SECOND LOOK OR REVIEW AND

[00:50:01]

MAKING CERTAIN THAT THAT'S DOCUMENTED.

AND SO JUST HAVING THAT OCCUR CONSISTENTLY, UH, WAS, UH, WAS THE CONCERN THERE.

AND THEN FINALLY, PERSONAL PROPERTY RECORDS AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S EVEN QUARRIES, UH, UH, CONSUMERS, UH, BELONGINGS, I THINK, VALUES TO BE ABOVE $50.

THOSE ARE HER, UH, AND THAT COVERS IN A VERY TOP LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR REPORT REPORT, UH, TEAMS, UH, FIXED TIMES IN DETAIL, ANY QUESTIONS THAT A COMPANY MIGHT HAVE.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD.

UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, GETTING THROUGH THAT ACTUALLY FAIRLY, FAIRLY QUICKLY.

WE APPRECIATE THAT.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ANY OF THOSE TOPICS THAT CAME UP AND PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION.

YES.

GO AHEAD.

BYE.

UM, I'VE GOT FOUR QUESTIONS THAT I MIGHT, UH, THE FIRST ONE IS OUR OTHER COUNTIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND GOING THERE AND TITLE AUDITS.

UH, WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN WITH THOSE AND HOW DID THIS COMPARE TO HOW THOSE GENERAL AGAIN, SO, UH, INTERNAL AUDIT AND I'LL MAKE SURE OUR, UM, UH, JOTTING TO THE CHASE ON, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE WANTING TO GET AT.

SO YOU TURN A LOT OF BLOGS, UM, SHADOWS OF MEANINGS FOR, UH, EVEN, EVEN JUST MY COUNTIES.

SO, UM, FOR AN ENGAGEMENT, LIKE, YES, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, A LOT OF, YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE ANYTHING WITH EVEN THE FINDINGS THAT WE HAD, UH, THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE WITH, WITH OTHER POCKETABLE COUNTIES OR ENGAGEMENT, OR I GUESS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, UH, KENNEDY SAID, OFTEN YOU HAVE INTERNAL AUDIT SANCTION.

IN OTHER WORDS, COME ONE, UH, OR, OR A TEAM.

SOMETIMES THERE'S A, AN IT DIRECTOR AND THEN A TEAM THAT'S PERFORMING THIS PROCESS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON A ROTATING BASIS, DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THE RESULT OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT FINDINGS THEY ARE GOING TO BE ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.

ALSO, THE SCOPE IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT YOUR POINT FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUNTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDIT, UH, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IS GOING THROUGH YOUR PROSPECT'S ISSUES AND MANAGE THE TEAM.

AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AS, AS WE'VE MENTIONED, HIRING AND RECRUITING, UM, I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE FOUND FOR THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ANC RECONCILIATION, STYLING HABIT HAPPENING AS TIMELY AS YOU CAN, LIKE A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S THE NEGATIVE OF WHAT WE SEE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, IF THERE'S CHALLENGED TO STEP UP AND TO GET, UH, PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS TO WHERE YOU GOT, NOT ONLY ENOUGH PEOPLE TO COMPLETE A PROCESS THAT YOU CAN HAVE, UH, THE DESIGNATED SECONDARY VIEWER, UM, AND HAVE THAT SEGREGATION, UM, THE LACK OF AN INVENTORY.

IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME IF BIT, HOW COMMON IS THAT FOR US OTHER CANDIDATES? YEAH, I STARTED DIFFERENT DIFFERENT COUNTIES, UH, WILL, UH, HAVE DIFFERENT FREQUENCY OF, UH, .

UM, ALSO DEPENDS ON THERE'S ALSO A RISK ASSOCIATED WITH, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU RETAIN, UH, ON, UH, INVENTORY LEVELS? SO IF WITH COUNTIES THAT HAVE A LOT OF FLEET, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THE FINANCE AGREEMENT AND I'LL FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UH, LEASING ARRANGEMENTS WILL REQUIRE THAT COUNTIES PERFORM THE PHYSICAL INVENTORY AND, YOU KNOW, 70 OF THOSE, UH, THE ANNUAL AND YOUR WOULD.

UM, WE, I THINK WE ALWAYS SUGGEST THAT, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS KIND OF SETS A STANDARD FOR, UH, TEAM MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT IF THERE IS A, UH, PHYSICAL INVENTORY, THAT'S TAKING PLACE, EVEN NOTORIOUS, I'M GOING TO BE AWARE OF THAT.

AND THAT, THAT WILL PROBABLY, UH, AFFECT MY BEHAVIOR.

NOW, ONE THING THAT, AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK

[00:55:02]

TO EARLIER, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT IT, I THINK YOU DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY BE OBSERVING AND TAGGING, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE CERTAINLY IN, IN THE COUNTY.

SO I THINK THAT YOU DIDN'T THINK OF YOU AS FIRST OF ALL, DETERMINE WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF CYCLE FREQUENCY.

IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE EVERY YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF HOLD.

AND THEN SECONDLY, WHAT THE DOLLAR THRESHOLD, UH, OF WHAT YOU HAVE, UH, ON YOUR BOOKS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ITEMS ARE GOING TO BE CONTROLLED THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE CONTROL AND AWARENESS OF THE HIGHEST VALUE, UH, EASIEST, AND THEN EASIEST TO REMOVE THINGS THAT ARE OF HIGHEST RISK OF BEING MAYBE MISAPPROPRIATED WALK OFF AND THINGS THAT HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE OF VALUE.

RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M WONDERING ABOUT IS LIKE LAPTOPS, WHICH SEEM TO FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY OF THINGS THAT COULD WALK OFF, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT.

UM, THAT'S CERTAINLY, I MEAN, I THINK SOMEWHERE WITH THOUSANDS OF 2000 BUCKS, BUT WHEN SOMEBODY CORRECT ME PLEASE, BUT WHAT SORT OF THRESHOLD WOULD YOU RECOMMEND BASED ON WHAT YOU SAW? SHOULD IT BE HIGHER AND LOWER? ANY, ANY THOUGHTS THERE? I THINK WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE BY, AND THEN MADE A, UH, WE WALK OFF WITHOUT BEING RADICALIZED OR AT LEAST NOT GETTING TIMELY MANNER, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE I DON'T, UH, FOR ANY GIVEN CYCLE, I DON'T COUNT EVERY ONE OF THOSE, BUT I, UH, I DO A SAMPLE, UH, AND THAT WAY.

YEAH.

AND YOU HAVE THAT ABILITY AND POSSIBILITY FOR ANYONE WHO, THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT BE ASKING YOU TO REDUCE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THAT'S OUT THERE.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE PROMISE, UM, GIVEN THE RECONCILIATION AND SEGREGATION OF DUTIES, UH, ITEMS LIKE NEW FLAGS, JUST TO SOMEBODY WHO'S AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY.

AND ASSUMING THAT I CAN ALMOST, WE'RE EASY TO FIND, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE NOT, UM, EXACTLY HOW UNDERSTAND WHERE WE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE REALLY KIND OF NEED TO BE.

UH, YEAH.

SO EXACTLY.

WE, WE DEFINITELY, UH, HAD A SENSE BASED ON OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH MANAGEMENT ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FINISHED THE QUESTION, UH, SO YOU KNOW, WHO IS THE SECONDARY INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD BE, UM, LOOKING AT A PARTICULAR RECONCILIATION.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, I THINK FOUR, WE GOT CONSISTENT RESPONSES FROM THE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND, YOU KNOW, FROM MORE THAN MEN MANAGEMENT TEAM MEMBERS, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING AUDITORS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE ON WOUNDS.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY, AS YOU SAID, THE MARKET'S TIGHT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME AND FILL THOSE ROLES.

UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE ARE SEEING OUR CLIENTS BE PAUSED AREAS, UH, BECAUSE THE MICRO MARKET, AND IF WE'RE ACCOUNTANTS, IT'S HARD HIRING, UM, DEFINITELY CAN'T DENY THAT NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN'T CLEARLY YOU CAN'T, UH, HAVE THAT ALLOW YOU TO BE OVERLY EXPOSED IN SOME OF THESE CHARITIES, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S TEMPORARY HIRES OR, YOU KNOW, UH, GETTING, GETTING OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED, UH, FROM A RENEWING AND, UM, APPROVAL STANDPOINT.

UH, YOU HAVE TO, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO, WE, WHAT WE SEE IS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF OUR ARTISTS, GOVERNMENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO FEED US ALL THE TIME.

THEY'RE AWARE, UH, THEY HAVE TO, FROM A COST BENEFIT STANDPOINT, DO THE BEST THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE AS FAR AS POSITION AND RESOURCES, BUT DEFINITELY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE SEEING IT, WE'RE SEEING IT BEING A CHALLENGE TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU'RE A LOG SECURITY LINE USER AND YOU DO HAVE THE RESOURCES, IT'S JUST, IT'S TOUGH TO RECRUIT.

UH, AND THEN LAST ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KINDA SPOKE TO YOU WAS WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE APPROVALS FOR PURCHASES, AND IT USED TO BE, UM, IN OUR FINANCE PACKAGE WHO YOU'D SEE LIKE SHEET MOLESTED OR GOING TO DESCRIBE IT, AND JUST HAVING THE VERY BOTTOM LINE OF THE CHAIN OF APPROVALS IS THAT IS THE REPORT IS COMMUNICATING.

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH EVERY PURCHASE, OR AM I MISSING MY POSTER? YEAH.

SO WE

[01:00:01]

DID EVERYTHING I CAN.

SO WE HAD, UH, I THINK WE HAD ENOUGH INSTANCES WHERE AGAIN, THAT APPROVAL PROCESS MAY HAVE TAKEN PLACE, THAT THE DOCUMENTATION WASN'T THERE WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IT AND REPORT BACK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVALS FOR ALL THE EXTREMES ACTIONS THAT OCCURRED.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IN, IN WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, UH, WHICH I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO HEAR, AND THERE CAN SOMETIMES BE REFERENCE TO A VOUCHER PACKAGE, WHICH IS GONNA INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, THAT COVER IN ONE FORM OR FASHION PLACE.

NOW, ONE THING, UH, AND I BELIEVE THIS WAS REFERENCED BY, UH, BY YOUR MANAGERS, CONVENE FINANCE TEAM, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED IS YOU GOT MORE AND MORE GENERAL LEDGER SYSTEMS ARE, ARE LENDING THEMSELVES TO ELECTRONIC.

UM, AND I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THAT AND HAVING THAT CAPABILITY, AND IT MAY BE AN ADD ON COST BENEFIT, BUT I THINK THAT LEAVES A GOOD AUDIT TRAIL TO THE AUTOMATED TOOLS BY AWARE, UH, IT REDUCES THE RISK THAT THERE'S NOT A APPROVAL SPENT.

DON'T GET, I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT NOT ELECTRONIC WORKS ALREADY EXISTED.

JUST ONE CLARIFICATION ON THAT COUNTY FINANCE.

AND THAT'S MY LAST, UH, I HATE TO, UH, TALK FOR TIME, BUT WHAT I'M ASSUMING HE MEANS AN ELECTRONIC WORKFLOW WITHIN THE ERP SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, GIVEN TO ACCOUNTS PAYABLE.

THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT, HAD TO BE SIGNED OFF AND, AND GOING FORWARD, UH, THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, A WHOLE PROCESS OF BEING INSIDE OF UNITS.

UH, THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY THE WAY IT IS CURRENTLY.

THE INVOICES ARE, ARE BEING, UH, SENT TO THE INDIVIDUALLY, THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAD TYPICALLY HAS SOMEBODY UNDERNEATH THEM THAT IS AS AN APPROVED SIGNER FOR THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD.

UM, AND THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT DEPARTMENT, THEY WILL, THEY WILL CODE IT AND SEND IT TO AP AP.

WE'LL PUT IT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT TH THE APPROVAL PROCESS IS THERE.

IT JUST MAY NOT BE AT THE DEPARTMENT AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT YEAH.

GOOD.

UH, THANK YOU, MR. MCNISH.

UM, ACTUALLY I THINK YOU GOT OFF EASY BECAUSE MR. HARPER, SEAN IS OUR RESIDENT, UH, LOCAL, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN THAT'S A CPA.

SO, UM, USUALLY IF HE'S HAPPY, EVERYBODY ELSE IS HAPPY.

SO, CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

I DO HAVE A KIND OF A COMMENT AND THEN A QUESTION FOR YOU.

UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY READING THROUGH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAME AWAY WITH THAT.

WE NEED TO KEEP OUR STANDARD OF DOCUMENTATION UP.

WE NEED TO FINISH THINGS ON TIME.

UH, WE NEED TO HAVE A CHECK AND BALANCE OF MORE THAN ONE PERSON LOOKING AT THE SAME THING.

UM, AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE STAFFING UP SOME, I'M ASSUMING WITH THAT, THAT AS YOU GO FROM A TIER THREE COUNTY TO A TIER ONE COUNTY, THERE'S MORE THINGS THAN HE HAD DONE.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE, YOU'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS ADDING MORE, MORE EMPLOYEES.

UM, BUT, UH, MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO, TO YOU, MR. MCNISH IS, IS OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU READ THIS, NOTHING JUMPED OUT AT ME.

I DON'T THINK THAT THE, THE, THE NUMBERS, UH, AS THEY WERE NUMBERED IN THERE WERE IN ORDER OF PRIORITY.

AND AGAIN, NOTHING THAT I SAW WAS LIKE, OH NO, WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE, BUT WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES OR THREE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD TACKLE FIRST? WHAT SHOULD WE GO AFTER AS, AS BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ON OUR SIDE, AGAIN, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO ALL OF IT.

UM, BUT, UM, UH, ON OUR SIDE, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE THINGS THAT STICK OUT TO YOU? YES, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I MENTIONED EQUITY IN CASH POOL AND THAT WHAT WE, UH, WHAT WE FIND IS THAT, UM, IT CAN BECOME A, A MONSTER LET'S SAY IN TERMS OF RISK, BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES, UH, AN ENTITY WILL RELY ON THE FACT THAT IT'S AUTOMATED AND PRUDENT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THE SIDE WHERE MONITORING, UM, ISN'T, ISN'T HAPPENING TO YOU, THE FREQUENCY AND LEVEL THAT IT'S GOOD.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TASK, RIGHT? SO, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT'S ONE AREA THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AS MANAGEMENT'S GOING THROUGH THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR HANDS AROUND AND IT'S GOT

[01:05:01]

SO MANY COMPONENTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS THE NATURE OF IT IS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE ONE CASH ACCOUNT THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH A NUMBER OF GENERAL LEDGER.

SO THE LEDGER, YEAH, ANYTIME WE'RE LOOKING AT A COUNTY OR CITIES, UH, EQUITY CONCERNED, AND NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE AUTOMATED ENTRIES ARE, UH, ARE HAPPENING THE WAY THEY SHOULD.

AND AT THAT SPEED, UH, PROPERLY, UM, EVALUATED, NO, SORRY.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE AREA, UM, JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE ALWAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE KIND OF A, UM, UH, AN INSTANCE WHERE I'M GOING IN AND AFFECTING THE GENERAL LEDGER.

UM, AND IT'S NOT ACTION BASED.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF AUTOMATED CONTROLS AROUND WRITING A CHECK OR TAKING A DEPOSIT WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING A JOURNAL ENTRY, YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING IN AND CHANGING THE NUMB.

AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED THAT CORRECTIONS TO TAKE PLACE, OR IF THERE'S A MONTH, THE ENTRY THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, THAT'S GIVEN BY TRANSACTION, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMETHING LIKE MAYBE A TREE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ANSWER YOU STAT OR RULE NON-RECURRING THAT ARE, ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT KIND OF HAVE THOSE ENTRIES.

YOU WANT TO HAVE GOOD FRUITFUL AND GOOD SEGREGATION BREEDS AROUND THOSE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS HANDLING THOSE, UM, THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD.

UM, AND THEN THE THIRD AREA I WOULD SAY IS THOSE BUDGETARY CONTROLS.

UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY IS COMMITTED TO EXPAND IT THROUGH THAT HAPPENED IN PROPERLY.

UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN BEAR ANY VARIANTS, THERE'S AN EXCESSIVE BUDGET BEING APPROVED, UH, BEFORE THE DAY OCCURS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

THAT WOULD BE THREE AREAS THAT, UM, THAT I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD BE ON.

GOOD.

THANK YOU.

I THINK I HAD ONE ON A THREE, SO I DID.

OKAY.

UM, BUT, UM, UH, ALL RIGHT, WELL, GREAT.

UH, AGAIN, THIS WAS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.

UM, I DO WANT TO GO BACK AND AGAIN, THANK, UM, UH, COUNSELING AND PAST SUMMIT, COUNCILMAN HERBER, SHAWN.

AND THEN I FORGOT TO MENTION MR. FLUE, ELLEN, WHO ALSO HAD A BIG PART OF US MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, UH, THIS AUDIT AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO NOW SELECTING POSSIBLE, UM, UM, OTHER AGENCIES TO ALSO THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH NEXT.

UM, SO AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. MCNISH AND MR. MCMILLER FOR COMING TODAY, UM, UH, FROM ELLIOT DAVIS AND, AND THEIR HARD WORK AGAIN.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

YEAH.

LET'S ROB, GO AHEAD AND PICK UP.

UH, THANK YOU, MR. .

I THINK WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE COMPLETED.

UM, DID YOU HAVE ANY FORESTS? OH, CHRIS, YOU HAD ONE MORE QUESTION, CHRIS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU, MR. SEAN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING MR. ROBIN, DUDE? I DO.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE REPORT BY LA DAVIS ADMINISTRATORS.

HOW MY WORK, I WOULD LIKE TO MEET THEM EMOTION COMING OUT OF THAT.

DAN, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE.

YOU'RE GOOD.

GO AHEAD.

OKAY.

SO YOU'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ENGAGE OUTSIDE THE CPA FIRMS AUDIT ABOUT PHYSICAL ASSETS OF THE COUNTY.

YOU SAY HISTORICAL COSTS, $5,000 MORE ALL COMPUTERS.

AND WE, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO PUT TOGETHER, UM, SIX CLASSES AND THEN WE MAINTAIN ON A GO-FORWARD BASIS.

WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

IS ANYONE LIKE THE SECOND? THAT I'LL SECOND MR. FOLLOWING.

SO WE HAVE A, A, A MOTION THAT HAS BEEN SECONDED.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION STUPID? YES.

UM, MY CONCERN IS OFTEN TIMES.

I'M SORRY, BRIAN, SAY THAT AGAIN? WAIT, YOU BROKE UP ON US.

SURE.

ABOUT HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD COST? CAN WE GET SOME KIND OF AN ESTIMATE AND WE FOLD IT INTO SOME MOUNTAINS SO THAT, CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE CHEAP.

UM, I THINK THAT THE LEAST CROSSED IN COUNTY EMPLOYEE MAN HOURS, WE KNOW AT LEAST IT'S SIGNIFICANT TO SOME DEGREE.

UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO YOU INTEND TO PROCEED WITH THAT? WOULD

[01:10:01]

IT BE, UM, TOTALLY OUTSIDE AGENCIES OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT? YEAH, I WOULD CLOSE THAT EITHER COMES OUT OF THE HOUSE ON OR FORMS THAT ARE ALLOCATED FOR THE INTERNAL AUDIT THIS YEAR.

I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY GOT SOME WIGGLE ROOM THERE.

I'M DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP, BUT YEAH, MY RATIONALE FOR THIS IS NOT LIKE PETER'S WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT VARIETY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF OVER PROBABLY DECADES.

YOU'VE SPENT ON A TAX PAYER MONEY, BUY THINGS OR PHYSICAL THINGS.

AND I WE'RE COMING UP ON AS COUNCIL.

UM, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE BOUGHT AND HERE IT IS AND DON'T, WE STILL HAVE, OR, AND THEN SEE WHAT COMES OF THAT.

UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT.

I MEAN, I WOULD ASK THAT IT WOULDN'T BE ANY MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR THE EXTRA OR EXTERNAL INTERNAL AUDIT.

UM, THIS YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO REPHRASE THE MOTION, TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOLICITATION OF BEDS.

WE'RE PERFORMING A OUTSIDE AUDIT OF ALL PROPERTY OF A VALUE OF $5,000 OR MORE.

IN OTHER WORDS, DON'T, DON'T MAKE IT, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT CONSULTATION TO COUNSEL.

IN OTHER WORDS, I WANT TO, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE GENERAL BIDS ARE BEFORE WE START SEEING, UH, SIGNING CONTRACTS.

YES.

CHAIRMAN HAS NEVER APPROPRIATE TO JUST SAY I APPROVED THE EMOTION HAS, UH, AS AMENDED BY, UM, MR. CALLING HER.

THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE RYAN HERE.

YES.

TO DO THAT.

SO, UM, I, YES, I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE OKAY TO DO THAT.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION MR. ROBIN, I MISSED YOU BEFORE, BUT GO AHEAD.

YEAH, YEAH.

RELATIVE TO THIS ISSUE, IT'S CERTAINLY ONE THAT'S WORTH LOOKING AT.

UM, ALTHOUGH I DO THINK BEFORE WE VOTE AND INSTRUCT THE ADMINISTRATION TO DO SOMETHING, I THINK THEY HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND COME BACK AND TELL US WHAT WE DO AND DON'T HAVE A, SO I THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO DIRECT THEM TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A PROBLEM.

NOT THAT I DISAGREE WITH THAT CONCEPT.

SO I WOULD, UH, THAT'D BE MY, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE, UH, POSTPONE TO THE NEXT, UH, WE MEN TO POSTPONE TO THE NEXT FINANCE MEETING.

AND OBVIOUSLY AT THAT TIME, UM, IF WE DID CHOOSE TO DO THAT POSTPONE TO THE NEXT MEETING, IT WOULD BE, THEN WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IT WOULD COST WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF, OF WHAT IT WOULD ENTAIL.

UM, AND WE'D HAVE STAFF INPUT.

THIS IS KIND OF A KIND OF CATCHING THEM COLD, PERHAPS.

UM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THERE, THIS MOTION, THE SECOND IS TO ASK THE ADMINISTRATION TO TELL US WHAT IT WOULD COST TO DO SUCH AN AUDIT.

WE HAVE DONE THEM IN THE PAST.

YOU ALWAYS HAVE AN OUTSIDE AGENCY COME IN TO DO THE PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU REV, THEY TAG IT AND THEY TELL YOU TWO THINGS WHAT THE REPLACEMENT COST OF THE ITEM IS AND WHAT THE INSURANCE VALUE IS BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES YOUR INSURANCE IS BASED ON YOUR ASSETS THAT YOU HAVE.

SO THIS IS EXCELLENT.

WE JUST HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT DONE.

AND THEN WE CAN ASSESS WHAT THE COST IS.

YEAH, WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T, I MEAN, IF YOU ALL WANT US TO GO SOLICIT BIDS AND DRAFT A SCOPE OF FOUR BEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

WE DON'T NEED ACTION ON THAT.

IF, IF, IF COUNCIL MEMBER HERBERT, SHAUN, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FIDEL, AND WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO OCCUR, THEN WE'LL BE GLAD TO DO THAT AND BRING THAT BACK, UH, BEFORE THE NEXT, UH, NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE SCOPE, UH, LINED UP THE WAY YOU ALL WANT IT, AND THEN WE'LL PUT IT OUT FOR BID.

ALRIGHT.

SO DO WE NEED NET ACTION AT THIS MEETING THEN FOR THAT? I DON'T THINK SO.

NO.

DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU, CHRIS? BY ME? YEAH.

YOU KNOW, MY ONLY CONCERN IS THOUGH, IF THIS IS GOING TO COST A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, WE NEED TO PUT IT IN BUDGET.

UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, YEAH.

RIGHT.

BECAUSE THE BRIAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE NO IDEA THAT IN THE LAST, THIS COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 50 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO ASSESS EXACTLY WHAT IS THERE

[01:15:02]

A RECORD OF IT SO THAT SOMEONE ADMINISTRATION NOW HAS PHYSICAL INVENTORY THAT CAN BE MODIFIED AS YOU GO ALONG BECAUSE EACH AND EVERY YEAR ARE WE MOVED, NEW ONES ARE PUT ON, SO ON AND SO FORTH.

SO YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL NEED TO KNOW THE SCOPE.

UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TALKING TO ME ABOUT, UH, COMPUTERS, COMPUTERS USED TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE ITEMS AND THEREFORE THEY WERE PART OF THE PHYSICAL INVENTORY.

NOW HE TUTORS ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE AND THEY'RE CONSIDERED CONSUMABLES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, WE WERE, WE WILL LOOK AT, UM, UM, UH, HAVING STAFF PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER ON MR. AND MR. HERBERT, SEAN, UM, ARE YOU WILLING TO WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION? AND SECOND, THANK YOU.

GREAT.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

SO THE STAFF HAS THEIR DIRECTION FOR, FOR THE NEXT FINANCE MEETING.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, AND AT THIS TIME, MR. CHAIRMAN, YES, SIR.

BECAUSE OF THE, I WAS JUST DONE, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS CORRECTION CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN.

THEREFORE, DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR COUNCIL OR THIS NEXT MEETING FOR THE APPROVAL OF THIS PLAN? WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE, UM, CORRECTIVE PLAN YET.

UH, HAYES IS GOING TO PRESENT THAT NEXT TO US AS THEIR, THEIR PLAN AFTER HEARING THIS AND HEARING THE PRESENTATION FROM, UH, ELLIOT DAVIS IS, IS THEIR CORRECTIVE PLAN FOR WHAT, WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO DO AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.

SO YES, AFTER THAT IS, IS PRESENTED.

UM, SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER, THE TWO COMMENTS I WAS ORIGINALLY GONNA MAKE, UH, ONE IS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS INTERESTING THAT THEY MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THE COUNTIES HAVE INTERNAL AUDIT FUNCTIONS AND, UH, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF A BELIEVER THAT THAT'S KIND OF A USEFUL THING.

I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING FOR THE ADMINISTRATION DO WEIGH IN ON AT SOME POINT BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY DOES SOME OF THE INTERNAL AUDITING, BUT ALSO IT'S A VERY USEFUL SOURCE IN ANALYZING, I SAY, YOU GOT FOUR ALTERNATIVES AND SPANS FIVE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

THE SECOND PIECE I WOULD SAY IS SOME MONTHS BACK, WE HAD A PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE TO REVISE THE, UH, UH, AUTHORITY TO SIGNATURE AUTHORITY FOR PROCUREMENTS.

AND I THINK THAT'S STILL PENDING.

AND IT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT WOULD BE USEFUL TO COME BACK.

AND I THINK IT RELIEVES THE ADMINISTRATION OF SOME, SOME WORK AND LETS US FOCUS ON THE REALLY BIG ITEMS. LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING VERY GOOD POINTS.

UH, YEAH.

SO WE ARE, UH, MODIFYING THE, UH, PROCUREMENT, UH, PURCHASING POLICIES FOR, FOR YOU ALL.

YOU WILL SEE THOSE IN OCTOBER DIDN'T MEAN TO GET AHEAD OF IT, TO INCREASE THE THRESHOLDS A LITTLE BIT.

UH, ONE OF MY ISSUES IS IF WE'RE GOING TO ROUTINELY SPEND 70, $80,000 A YEAR IN BUDGETING, HIRING AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO DO AN INTERNAL AUDIT, YOU ALL MIGHT, UH, CONSIDER, UH, ALLOCATING THAT MONEY TO CREATE A POSITION IN THE COUNTY TO CREATE A COUNTY INTERNAL AUDITOR POSITION.

THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE BETTER SERVED TO STOP WHILE ON MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.

AND WHEN WE GET TO THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, LET MISS RICHLAND AND MR. WILLIAMS, UH, TELL YOU WHAT WE WERE RECOMMENDING THE WAY OF ADDITIONAL STAFFING, BUT THE INTERNAL AUDIT IS SOMETHING.

I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS, UM, ON A ROUTINE BASIS, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE BETTER SERVED, HIRING SOMEONE ON STAFF THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE DO THIS, UH, FUNCTION FOR US AND POTENTIALLY USE THEM FOR OTHER APPROPRIATE THINGS WITHOUT GETTING THEM IN A DIFFICULT POSITION WITH AN INTERNAL AUDIT, UH, WHILE THEY'RE DOING THOSE DUTIES AS WELL.

SO MR. GLOVER, YEAH.

SPEAKING OF IT, I, I PROBABLY, UM, UH, AGREE WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO HAVE AN INTERNAL AUDITOR ON STAFF, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT AN INTERNAL, I MEAN, EXTERNAL AUDITOR IS THAT, UM, UH, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO THE ADMINISTRATION.

SO HOW CAN WE GET, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT, UH, FLOW OF INFORMATION THAT'S UNBIASED, UM, UM, TO COUNCILS SO THAT WE CAN BASICALLY ASSESS IT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, THAT SORT OF STUFF.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THAT I SUPPORTED AN EXTERNAL AUDITOR IS THAT IT GIVES UNBIASED INFORMATION, UM, STRAIGHTLY DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL.

SO,

[01:20:01]

UH, LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND, AS YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATION GOING FORWARD, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WHAT YOU JUST SAID, UH, IS THAT THE SPIRIT OF WHY I SUPPORTED THE EXTERNAL AUDITOR? THANKS.

IF I MIGHT, I SUPPOSE, YOU KNOW, I I'VE SERVED WITH A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THAT WAS, I HAVEN'T BEEN AS YOUR TENTS RIGHT THERE.

UM, YOUR GUY ABSOLUTE BACKUP, EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A NEUTRAL AUDIT FUNCTION SOMEWHERE IN DOUBTS.

IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR US TO BE DOING THIS ON A WEEKLY BASIS, UM, IN ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS, PARENTS, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE AUDITOR TO CONNECT TO THE ADMINISTRATION OR TO ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS, BUFORD XD AS A PARISH HALL AREA, VERY SMALL COMMUNITY.

AND WE ALL LU WHO ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK IN ONE DEPARTMENT AND MARRIED, OR THEIR BROTHER IS IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.

WE DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT KIND OF STUFF GOING ON, DOMINATING THE FUNCTIONS OF AN OUTSIDE AUDITOR.

SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE, DO THESE KINDS OF THINGS ON A SEMI-ANNUAL BASIS.

THANK YOU, BRIAN.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, UH, THE AUDIT, IF NOT, LET'S, UH, LET'S THEN MOVE ON TO THE, UM, UM, WHAT NUMBER WE ON HERE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, NUMBER 11.

I'M SORRY.

YES.

UM,

[11. PRESENTATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN FROM THE REPORT ON PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR FINANCE PROCUREMENT AND DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS]

SO NUMBER 11, UH, PRESENTATION, CORRECT D ACTION PLAN FROM THE REPORT ON PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR FINANCE, PROCUREMENT AND DISABILITIES A SPECIAL NEEDS.

AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY WHENEVER WE STARTED THIS AUDIT, UM, IT WAS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OR THE, FROM, UM, JULY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 31ST, 2019 TO 2020.

AND I POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE AS YOU LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, MOST OF THE STAFF THAT IS HERE, UM, IT WASN'T HERE DURING, DURING THAT, THAT PERIOD.

UM, AND AGAIN, NOTHING AGAINST THE STAFF THAT WAS THERE.

UM, BUT I KNOW THAT THE PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE ALREADY AND MOVING FORWARD.

UM, UH, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, A LOT OF, UH, WHAT THE, THE, THE, UM, REPORT CAME OUT AND SAID IT WAS MAKING SURE WE DOCUMENT MAKING SURE WE'RE ON TIME, HAVE A CHECK AND BALANCE, AND, AND BIGGEST THING WAS, UM, HAVING EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO STAFF UP AND DO THINGS.

SO, UM, AGAIN, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, LET, UH, MR. WILLIAMS GO AHEAD AND HANDLE THE CORRECTIVE, UH, PLAN.

YEAH.

I WILL PROBABLY HIT ON THE FINANCE AND THEY, THEY EVEN BETH, YOU KNOW, THE DSM I'M SURE WHITNEY HAS SOME, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT SHE LIKED TO SAY AS BEING, UH, THE CFO, UM, BEFORE ME, BUT, UH, I WANT TO GIVE HER A LITTLE SMALL SHORT, UH, MY SECOND WEEK HERE, I WAS TALKING TO THE CFO AT THAT TIME AND, YOU KNOW, UM, DRINKING WATER THROUGH A FIRE HOSE AT THAT TIME, TAKING ANY, EVERYTHING THAT I CAN IN THE COUNTY.

AND I MADE THE COMMENT TO HER AND I SAID, WE NEED TWO TO THREE MORE CP LEVEL PEOPLE HERE, AT LEAST IN THE MINIMUM.

WELL, THAT, THAT WAS, UH, IT WENT FROM TWO WEEKS TO, I THINK WHEN HE HAD BEEN IN THE DOOR FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES WHEN I TOLD HER NO, NO, IT WAS MORE LIKE FOUR TO FIVE.

UH, AND, AND SO THE ANALOGY THAT I LIKE TO SAY IS, IS A TRAIN DOESN'T STOP.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO REBUILD THE AGE.

AND WHILE I WAS GOING A HUNDRED MILES DOWN THE DOWN THE ROAD, UH, AN HOUR DOWN THE ROAD RAIL, BUT, UH, WE'RE TRYING, WE MADE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS.

I THINK THE, UH, THE, THE REPORT WAS GREAT.

I THINK IT POINTED OUT SOME, SOME SHORTFALLS THAT WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY KEEP WHITNEY AND I UP AT NIGHT AND THINKING NOW, BUT WE MADE SURE WE HIRED WHITNEY AS CFO, WHO WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST MINDS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.

AND WE HIRED A PINKY, WAS A BUDGET DIRECTOR.

AND THAT'S WHEN I THAT'S, WHEN ALL THE V-LOC, IT'S NOT GOING TO ADDRESS ALL OF OUR ISSUES AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT ON THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN TO YOU.

Y'ALL CAN Y'ALL CAN DO IT BACK AND SUMMARIZE IT IN A QUICK ORDER.

CAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT AND YOU START TALKING FINANCING EYES GLAZE OVER.

SO, UM, THE FOUR THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT STAFF STAFFING CURRENTLY, WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED BY TWO AP CLERKS, A FINANCE DIRECTOR AND ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.

WE'VE ALREADY POSTED THE, UH, THE, THE, THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR.

[01:25:01]

WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME COMBINE SOME OF THESE OTHER FUNCTIONS.

SO, AND, AND WE HAVE THE SENIOR ACCOUNTANT POSTED IN W W AND WE'RE GOING TO GO AND LOOK FOR TWO STAFF ACCOUNTANTS, BUT OUR PROPOSED ADDITIONAL FTES WILL BE A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT AS TWO STAFF ACCOUNTANTS IN A WHITNEY.

AND I HAVE IN PINKY, UM, TO SAY, I'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD THIS, IT'D BE GREAT.

IF WE HAD THAT, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT BEHIND IT.

AND, AND WE REALLY WANT TO GET A FINANCE DIRECTOR ON AND GET THEM TO HELP PUT IN THEIR CHANGES THAT THEY THINK BY EVALUATING THE PERSONNEL THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON STAFF, PUTTING THEM IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF.

WE HAVE A SHELL OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT.

UM, I THINK ERICKSON WAS PRESENT IN THAT, OR YOU WANT TO PRESENT THAT, AND HE'S THE 1% THAT YOU WANT TO DO IT NOW, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO TO FINISH GOOD AFTERNOON, SKID SEEK AS AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS PODIUM, UM, JUST TO START OFF, UM, MS. JACOBS, WHEN SHE HIRED ME WAS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE SHORT HANDEDNESS AND FINANCE.

UM, WE HAD A FEW VERY SOBER-MINDED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FINANCE NEEDS, AND SHE WAS VERY THRILLED THAT WE HAD HIRED RECENTLY HIRED HAYES IS OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

SHE WAS EVEN MORE EXCITED THAT WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF RECRUITING AND HIRING, UM, A BUDGET DIRECTOR.

SO SHE WAS DOING, UM, INCREMENTAL STEPS TOWARD CORRECTING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE EXISTING AT THE TIME THAT BOTH HAYES AND I AND PINKY WERE HIRED.

SO I'M GOING TO SAY THAT SHE GOT THAT, THAT CAR IN MOTION, RIGHT? SO NOW WE WANT TO CONTINUE PUTTING THAT IN MOTION.

I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, UM, A LITTLE SPREADSHEET THAT FINANCE STAFF HAS CURRENTLY PUT TOGETHER AND YOU'LL SEE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE TIME THAT THIS AUDIT WAS CONDUCTED FOR FISCAL 19 TO 20, WE ACTUALLY HAD 12 STAFF IN FINANCE.

THERE WERE TWO IN PURCHASING, BUT ZERO IN THE BUDGETARY FUNCTION.

CURRENTLY WE HAVE DROPPED DOWN THROUGH VARIOUS AND SUNDRY REASONS, RIGHT? COVID EARLY RETIREMENT, INTERNAL SHIFTS.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE.

SO EVEN WITH OUR OLD NUMBERS AT THE TIME, MS. JACOBS WAS HERE AND KNEW WE WERE SHORT STAFF JUST IN VACANCIES ALONE.

AS MR. WILLIAMS MENTIONED, WE WERE DOWN FOUR PEOPLE, UM, PROCUREMENT HAS HELD THE SAME, THANK GOODNESS.

UM, AND WE NOW HAVE A BUDGET, UH, DIRECTOR, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE PROPOSED, UM, FIGURES THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU FOR STAFFING, WE'D LIKE TO REPLACE THE FOUR VACANCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

UM, MR. WILLIAMS MENTIONED ADDING AN ADDITIONAL THREE PEOPLE, UM, A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT AND TWO STAFF ACCOUNTANTS.

UM, AND THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, INCREASE THE FUNCTION AND CAPACITY OF OUR BUDGET AND ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.

SO WE'VE GOT MS. HARRIET IS OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR.

SHE IS ONE WOMAN.

UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU, UM, THE FATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF, UM, THIS YEAR WITH A NEW DIGITAL BUDGET BOOK AND A LOT ON BUDGET WAS IT WAS NO EASY TASK.

UM, THERE WERE MANY OF US WORKING AS IF YOU HAD FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE IN YOUR BUDGET OFFICE WOULD THE HOURS THAT WE WORKED, UM, IN ADDITION TO JUST FILLING HOLES IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

SO SHE IS IN NEED OF ADDITIONAL STAFF.

SO, UM, AND, AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE STAFF ALL ENTAIL, I WILL GLADLY HAND THE MIC OVER TO THE TWO OF YOU THAT CAN FOCUS ON THAT, BUT WE NOT ONLY WANT TO FILL HOLES.

WE WANT TO ELEVATE THE EXCELLENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM OF EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF FINANCE, BE IT AP AND AR RECEIVABLES, PAYROLL PROCUREMENT, AND PURCHASING, OR OUR BUDGET AND FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.

SO FOR THOSE REASONS, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU GUYS WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE IN HIRING ADDITIONAL STAFF AS SEEN UPON THIS SCREEN.

THEY HAVE PUT FORWARD TO YOU, THEIR ESTIMATES OF A PROJECTED SALARY, STARTING SALARY, AS WELL AS BENEFITS AND AT THE BOTTOM.

THERE'S A TOTAL IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA REQUEST MORE STAFF FROM YOU GUYS.

WE FEEL THAT BECAUSE OF THE, THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING AND THE TIME INVOLVED OUT AT THE CLERK TO COUNSEL'S OFFICE, THAT WOULDN'T BE WISE OF US AT THIS TIME TO ALSO REQUEST AN ADDITIONAL ADMIN ASSISTANT FOR HER.

UM, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT PURCHASING HAS REQUESTED A SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT.

SO THE TA THIS TOTAL OF THAT WOULD BE 430, $2,000.

NOW, CURRENTLY FUNDING STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES.

THE MOST OBVIOUS WOULD BE THE BUILT-IN SURPLUS IN THE GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR TO THE TUNE OF $260,000.

THE OTHER REMAINING IF FULLY FUNDED COMES CLOSE TO 172,000 THAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN FILL IN THE CURRENT YEAR, ONLY FROM POTENTIAL VACANCY SAVINGS.

UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR IN FINANCE.

WE HAD A DELAY IN FILLING BOTH THE CFO AND THE ACA FINANCE POSITION, AND THERE WILL BE OTHER AREAS AROUND THE COUNTY THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY PULL FROM THIS YEAR GOING FORWARD TO SUSTAIN AN EXTRA 400 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.

WE WOULD REQUIRE A MINIMAL VILLAGE INCREASE, BUT I BELIEVE FOR THESE DEFICIENCIES THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT TODAY TO NO LONGER BE A RECURRING THEME YEAR AFTER YEAR, THIS IS WHAT BUFORD NEEDS.

NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

[01:30:01]

SOME OF THOSE WE'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED SOME OF THESE DEFICIENCIES WE'VE ALREADY CORRECTED DURING THE FISCAL 21 YEAR.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THEM DURING THIS FISCAL 22 YEAR THAT WE'RE IN NOW, BUT WE IMPLORE YOU TODAY TO CONSIDER THIS REQUEST.

IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC DETAILS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM MYSELF, OR ASK MR. WILLIAMS OR MISS HARRIET TO COME UP.

THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE MR. ROBIN, GO AHEAD AND CROSS YOUR NEXT.

YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A VALID REQUEST.

UM, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, UH, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET OPEN FROM AN ORDINANCE STANDPOINT, UM, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO FOLD THOSE IN AND DO IT EITHER AT THIRD READING A WEEK FROM NOW, OR, YOU KNOW, GO BACK TO THE SECOND READING, BUT THAT'S, THIS IS THE TIME TO FOLD IT IN, I THINK, AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY, UH, MONEY FOR THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S ALSO SETTING UP A LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

BUT, UH, BY AND LARGE, IT'S A REASONABLE REQUEST.

MR. ROTMAN, MR. HARPER, SHAWN, UH, I, A HUNDRED STEPS FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT WILL MAKE EVERYBODY'S LIVES EASIER IN ADMINISTRATION COUNCIL, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM ALL, BUT JUST AS AN EFFORT TO SAVE CURRENT TAX PAYER DOLLARS IS A PROBLEM.

UM, SO I GUESS JUST TWO QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT.

NUMBER ONE, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THE LABOR MARKET TALENTS, UM, WHAT SORT OF MARKETING DID YOU USE THAT COME UP WITH THESE SALARIES HOW'S FROM WHERE ARE WE THAT'S GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL AND AS ANY THOUGHT OR CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO, UM, PULLING IN NATIONWIDE, POTENTIALLY WORK REMOTELY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PULL THOSE WELL, IT'S IT'S AS ANY BUDGET ITEM IS OUR BEST GUESS ESTIMATE.

UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WITH THE LEAST OF THOSE STAFF IS KIND OF COMPARABLE KIND OF RANGES THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH EVERGREEN COMP AND CLASS STUDY.

UH, IT IS A VERY HARD MARKET OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

WE DO HAVE STIFF COMPETITION.

UH, WE, IT, WE MAY HAVE TO PAY PEOPLE MORE THAN WE HAVE, UM, IN, IN, IN, IN PRIOR ADMINISTRATIONS, BUT WE NEED TO GET THE PEOPLE ON BOARD.

THEY CAN GET THE JOB DONE.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

UM, YOU KNOW, W W I, I DIDN'T WANT TO DOUBLE ANY OF THESE SALARIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION, A DISCUSSION ITEM THAT WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, BUT THIS IS, IT GIVES US SOME PARAMETERS THAT WE COULD HAVE PUT A $20,000 SWING THRESHOLD IN THERE.

WE JUST KIND OF CAME UP WITH NUMBERS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE FAIRLY REASONABLE AND, AND KINDA WENT FROM THERE.

UM, YEAH, IT IS AS IF JOB MARKET AND THE S THE COMPETITION'S OUT THERE, BUT THE LAST THING THAT YOU HAD WAS LOOKING INTERNATIONALLY, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.

AND, UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COVID POSSIBLY HAVING SOMEBODY ON STAFF THAT COULD BE REMOTE, UM, AND THAT'S, UH, AS LONG AS THEY CAN DO THE JOB AND GET IT DONE THE CORRECT WAY, UM, THAT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.

AND, UH, I, I THINK THAT, UH, ERIC, WHITNEY AND I ARE IN, IN, IN DALE AND PIGGY, WE'RE ALL GOING TO LOOK, UH, FOR THE BEST CANDIDATES AND, AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET THEM ON BOARD AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

DOES THAT ANSWER EVERYTHING, COUNCILMAN? UM, YEAH, I GUESS MR. LOVER.

YES.

THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.

UM, AT SOME POINT YOU HAD, UM, 12 STAFF MEMBERS.

YES, SIR.

AND AT THAT TIME YOU NEEDED MORE STAFF, BUT, UM, SINCE THAT TIME YOU DONE EAT.

OKAY.

SO, UH, THERE'S FOUR STAFF MEMBERS THAT THEY'RE IN THE BUDGET AND YOU ASKING FOR THREE MORE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.

OKAY.

THE SEVEN, UM, AND THEN MR. THOMAS AND THE CUMIN AND HIS PROPOSAL LAST YEAR, YOU AND THE BUDGET TIME AS ONE ADDITIONAL, UH, PERSON.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE IN THIRD PERSON AND

[01:35:01]

FOR CUBAN.

YES, SIR.

THAT'S SO THAT'S KEEPING IN LINE WITH HIS REQUEST THAT HE ALSO MADE.

SO THE ONLY THING I SEE IS JUST WHAT THREE MORE NEW PEOPLE.

WELL, THE, THE, THE, REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FINANCES IS WE WANT TO HAVE A RECONCILIATION TEAM.

THIS , THEY'RE NOT DEALING WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THEY'RE LOOKING AND RENTING AND SELLING THESE ACCOUNTS.

UH, WELL, TH THEY ARE DEALING WITH DAILY OPERATIONS, BUT NOT AS FAR AS A FINANCIALLY FUNCTIONING, THAT'S WHAT THEIR GOAL IS.

YES, SIR.

YOU USE IT, YOU TAKING THE SAME POSITIONS, DO REEF FORMATTING, IT, YOU GET THE TASKS THAT YOU WANT DONE.

IS THAT WHAT I'M HERE? TH TH THESE WOULD BE THREE DIFFERENT POSITIONS.

WE HAVE THE FOUR POSITIONS, WHICH WERE TWO, UH, TWO AP CLERKS, UH, AN ADMIN ASSISTANT AND A FINANCE DIRECTOR.

SO AS, AS I'VE, UH, MOVED UP AS CFO, WE HAVE TO BACKFILL THE FINANCIAL ROLE POSITION.

SO THAT'S AN OPEN POSITION.

UH, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED AN ADMIN ASSISTANT TO USE BETWEEN BUDGETING, UH, BETWEEN FINANCE BUDGETING AND, UH, AND, AND, AND PURCHASING.

UM, SO THAT, THAT WILL BE FILLED.

AND THEN THE TEAM, WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK, AND THEN IT'S CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, OR IT, IT, IT, IT MAY CHANGE.

I THINK WE WANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT FLEXIBLE WITH SOME OF THIS STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING.

I'M NOT SUPER FLEXIBLE, BUT, UM, YEAH, WE, WE KINDA NEED TO GET THE PEOPLE ON BOARD AND GET THE THING GOING AND TRY AND GET THE, GET IT RIGHT.

THE PURPOSE IS THE FTES ARE BASICALLY THE SAME AND ALL YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.

YES, SIR.

THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S OKAY.

NOW, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT THE, UM, THE, THE SALARY, THE ESTIMATED SALARY, IS THAT IN KEEPING WITH OUR NEW SALARY SCHEDULE, IS THAT SO IT'S ALREADY BUILT IN? YES.

OKAY.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OUT THERE WE SHOULD TAKE UP AS A SEPARATE ITEM, OR IS IT GOING TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET? WE NEED TO TAKE IT UP AS A SEPARATE ITEM.

HERE WE ARE.

COUNCILMAN SOMERVILLE.

I WANT TO BE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION.

IF YOU DON'T MIND, ARE YOU SAYING, UM, ARE WE ASKING FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION TO BE INCLUDED WITH A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN, OR ARE YOU ASKING WHETHER OR NOT THIS SHOULD BE, AS COUNCILMAN RODMAN MENTIONED INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET AMENDMENT 4 22 BEFORE THE THIRD AND FINAL READING? THAT'S MY QUESTION.

DO YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL IT INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET? OR DO YOU WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD AS A SEPARATE ITEM, WHICH IS FASTER, IT'S AN APPROPRIATION.

IT DOES REQUIRE THE READINGS.

I THINK.

SO THAT SEEMS TO ME THAT'S THE QUICKEST TIME-WISE I DON'T THINK, OKAY.

I WILL.

I'LL DEFER TO COUNSEL, HONESTLY.

UM, WHICHEVER YOU THINK IS MOST APPROPRIATE.

WELL, LET'S DO THIS THE FOUR FOR THE DIFFERENT AUCTIONS.

IF WE INCORPORATE IT, WE'RE ALREADY AT WHAT RATING, SORRY.

OKAY.

WE'RE THIRD READING.

SO WE CAN JUST MOVE THIS FOLDER US IN.

SO, SO THAT ONLY MEANS WE HAVE ONE MORE READING.

IF WE STARTED AS A SEPARATE ITEM, WE GOT TO GO 1, 2, 3.

OKAY.

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

OKAY.

AND THE ONLY THING THAT I, THAT I KINDA CAUGHT WAS THE FACT THAT YOU THINK THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE A MILLAGE INCREASE BY ADDING THIS TO THE BUDGET AT THIS POINT.

I THINK THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE REQUESTING, UM, ADDITIONAL FTES FOR FINANCE BUDGET AND PROCUREMENT AND CLERK OF THE COUNCIL.

WOULD THAT BE NEXT? YEAR'S MELONS, NOT THE CURRENT, NOT THE CURRENT YEAR.

NEXT YEAR.

I THINK THAT THIS YEAR WE CAN ABSORB IT THROUGH THE TWO OPTIONS AT THE BOTTOM.

ALL RIGHT, GOOD.

SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING THEN TO, UM, TO ADD IT TO THIS YEAR'S SO IT WOULD NEED A MOTION TO, TO ADD THIS, UM, I'D SAY, AND I'LL MAKE IT OKAY TO INCORPORATE THIS IS THE, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE ARE SEVEN EXCLUDING, UH, WELL, THE CLERK, THE COUNCIL, I, INCLUDING THE CLERK, THE COUNCIL, THERE ARE SEVEN, BUT FOUR OF THOSE ARE OUR EXISTING SLOTS.

IS THAT NOT CORRECT? AND THREE OF THESE ARE NEW.

I WANT THE MOTION TO JUST, IF SOME OF THESE ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE APPROVED STAFFING LEVELS, THEN WE ONLY NEED A MOTION FOR THE ONES THAT ARE ADDITIONAL.

CORRECT.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE FOUR FTES THAT

[01:40:01]

ARE JUST VACANT, THAT WE'VE HAD A FEW RETIRE.

WE'VE HAD SOME LEAVE TO TAKE CARE OF FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WERE NEED A MOTION FOR THREE.

WE NEED A MOTION FOR THOSE THREE FROM FINANCE, THE TWO FROM BUDGET, ONE FOR PURCHASING, AND ONE FOR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL.

ALRIGHT, WE NEED ONE FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, STARTING AT THE BOTTOM.

YOU NEED ONE FOR GO, LET'S GO UP, GO UP WITH, AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE? BUDGET ANALYST OR REVENUE ANALYST.

DID YOU START WITH THE CLERKS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT? SO IT WOULD BE FOR THE SEVEN THAT'S ON HERE, WHICH TOTALS THE $432,000.

OKAY.

SO THAT IS OUR TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS A FOUR 30 TO SEVEN NEW POSITIONS ON TOP OF THE, THE, THE FOUR VACANCIES THAT ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET.

I'M SORRY.

I MISUNDERSTOOD.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THE FOUR VACANCIES, NOT THE TOTAL SEVEN NOW UNDERSTAND AT WORK WE'RE ADDING STEFAN RANTING SEVEN.

HOW CAN WE ADD SEVEN AT FOUR WERE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE EXISTING BUDGET.

I'M SORRY IF I'VE CONFUSED YOU.

SO IF YOU, THIS MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT CLEARER.

THERE'S A TABLE HERE KIND OF TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE THAT SHOWS THAT FINANCE HAD 12 FTES.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR OF THOSE POSITIONS VACANT, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE EIGHT RIGHT NOW.

WE WANT TO FILL THE FOUR THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET.

AND THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO ON TOP OF FILLING THOSE FOUR, THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FUNDS FOR, WE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THEM THREE FTES AND FINANCE TWO UNDER BUDGET, ONE UNDER PURCHASING AND WONDER UNDER THEIR CLERK OF COUNCIL.

SO THAT WOULD BE AN AUTHORIZATION FOR SEVEN NEW FTES.

SO THESE ARE ALL, YES.

OKAY.

THAT'S FINE.

I UNDERSTAND, JOE, DID YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING? I THINK I HEARD CHUCK.

I SEE BRIAN'S HAND UP AS WELL.

UM, BRIAN OR JOE.

OKAY, THANKS.

I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT A MILL INCREASING TAX BILL.

THIS IS ABOUT TO GO OUT HERE IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS OR SO.

I THOUGHT THE SAME THING, BRIAN IT'S ACTUALLY NEXT YEAR IS POSSIBLE MILLAGE INCREASED BY ADDING THIS.

SO IT WILL NOT AFFECT THIS YEAR.

THAT, THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT AS WELL.

WHEN I, WHEN I MADE THAT STATEMENT AND THAT BUDGET HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO VOTE IT ON.

THIS IS SIMPLY AT THIS POINT, THAT'S ALL THERE.

ISN'T IT.

WE DON'T VOTE ON THAT BUDGET UNTIL THE, OF NEXT YEAR, CORRECT? CORRECT.

RIGHT.

SO ADDING THIS HEARING BUDGET TO THIS CLIENT MEANS A TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR, CORRECT? IT DOES.

IT DOES NOT ONLY WHY, WHY? SO I'LL TAKE MY BEST SHOT AT THAT.

AND HOPEFULLY I WON'T LOSE YOU.

I'M AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE EXCEL FILE THAT MS. SARAH SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER, WE HAVE ALREADY IN THE GENERAL FUND, A BUILT-IN SURPLUS THIS YEAR OF $260,000 BELOW THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO PULL FROM VACANCY SAVINGS ALMOST $172,000, WHICH IN ANALYZING OUR BUDGET SO FAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR, I THINK WILL BE POSSIBLE IN PART, BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOUR VACANCIES ALREADY IN FINANCE.

SO WE HAVE BEEN SLOW TO FILL.

AS WE'VE MENTIONED, THIS, THIS LABOR MARKET IS TOUGH FINDING, UM, TECHNICALLY SKILLED ACCOUNTANTS IN PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH A GOVERNMENTAL BACKGROUND.

UM, AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD INTERNAL SHIFTS THAT HAVE DELAYED UTILIZATION OF THOSE SALARIES FOR A PORTION OF THE YEAR.

THANKS.

I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU'VE JUST TOLD ME MY BOTTOM LINE.

WE WROTE IT UP TWO MONTHS AGO, THREE MONTHS AGO NOW FOR A BUDGET AMOUNT, THE TAX BILLS FUND THAT AMOUNT OUT NOVEMBER.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ADDING BUDGET AMOUNT THAT WE VOTED ON IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR? NO.

SARAH, WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL MILS TO THAT.

WE'RE JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SURPLUS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE GENERAL FUNDS BUDGET, IF YOU DON'T MIND FOLLOWING ALONG WITH ME.

OKAY.

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.

OKAY, THANKS.

APPRECIATE IT.

OKAY.

I THINK JOE, WOULD YOU WANT TO GO NEXT TO THEN STU? YEAH.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE SAID CLEARLY HERE IS THAT THE CORRECT ACTION PLAN, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE REQUIRES US TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

CHRIS SAID IT VERY ELOQUENTLY THAT THIS IS THE WIN-WINS THAT THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE BEING UTILIZED MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, AND THAT WE EXPECT OUR ADMINISTRATION TO DO A JOB IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DO THAT JOB, THE TOOLS THEY NEED IN THE WAY

[01:45:01]

OF PERSONNEL.

I ABSOLUTELY THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

LET'S DO A FRAME TO CLOSE IT.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS APPROPRIATING ADDITIONAL MONIES FOR EXPENDITURES AND, OR MOVING SOME DOLLARS AROUND, BUT WE'RE DOING IT WITHIN THE MILLAGE AND THE BUDGET THAT WE DID IN JUNE.

SO THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO MILLAGE INCREASE.

THEY'RE JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT.

IF YOU WERE DOING IT NOW, LOOKING OUT A YEAR, WHICH IS TOO FAR, WE WOULD HAVE A MILLAGE INCREASE, BUT NO REASON NOT TO DO IT FOR THAT REASON.

I THINK THAT ALWAYS GOES BACK TO WHAT MR. HERBERT FOUND SAYS IS WHERE'S THE MONEY WE KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM IN THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET.

SO, YES, MR. SOMERVILLE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE INCLUDE IN OUR 2122 BUDGET, SEVEN ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, UH, THREE IN FINANCE, TWO IN BUDGET, ONE IN PURCHASING AND ONE IN THE CLERK TO COUNSEL'S OFFICE, UM, TO BE, UH, TO BE PAID FOR BY EXISTING, UH, SURPLUS AND VACANCY SAVINGS.

OKAY.

THANK YOU SECOND BY BRIAN.

UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH.

UM, THAT'S, THAT'S CURRENTLY, UM, THEN I WAS, UM, VERY MUCH CONFUSED.

SO, UH, WHEN I GET CONFUSED, I GOTTA VOTE NO, ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

UM, FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING NOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SEVEN PLUS FOUR 11 POSITION THAT YOU CURRENTLY, IT'S NOT THERE CURRENTLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE FOUR VACANCY AND YOU PUTTING ON FOUR MORE, SEVEN MORE NEW POSITION.

UM, THEN I WOULD PROBABLY TO SIT THERE AND ASK YOU, YOU GOT SPACE FOR THESE FOLKS TO BE WORKING AND WHERE ARE THERE BECAUSE WE ALSO GOT A FACILITY PROBLEMS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

SO I DON'T REALLY EXPECT YOU TO GIVE ME THE ANSWER, BUT ANY OF THAT, I'M JUST TELLING MARY TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND I PROBABLY SUPPORTED, UH, THE COUNCIL LEVEL, BUT I WILL DO WELL.

NO, AT THIS TIME, THAT'S ALL LIKE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.

SO OBVIOUSLY WE DO HAVE AN OBJECTION, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.

I JUST REGISTERED MY AS A NO, AND YOU CAN GO THAT'S ALL.

BUT, UM, SO WE DO HAVE ONE OBJECTION TO THAT IS, UM, UM, UH, MR. GLOVER, IS THERE ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS BESIDES THAT ONE? SO THE, THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE UNANIMOUS THAT WE MOVE FORWARD THEN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE'LL JUST TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR APPROVAL ON THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, CORRECT.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

I, UH, I APOLOGIZE.

WE'RE TAKING SO LONG, BUT AGAIN, THIS ALL HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TODAY.

WE WERE WAITING FOR THIS AND I THINK IT'S ALL BEEN, UM, A GOOD EXERCISE FOR US TO ALL, TO GO THROUGH.

UM, SO AT THIS POINT, UM, DO WE NEED TO APPROVE YOUR CORRECTIVE ACTION, YOUR CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN? WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO IMPROVE? OR RIGHT NOW WE'D LIKE A MOTION, LIKE A MOTION.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT OR APPROVE, UH, THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN AS PRESENTED BY MR. MR. WILLIAMS. AGAIN, IT IS SEPARATE FROM THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT WE JUST ADDED.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DO THAT? I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION TO APPROVE THE CORRECT ACTION PLAN AS KRISTA PAST SUMMIT.

AND IT WAS SECONDED BY MR. SUMMERVILLE.

UM, ANY DISCUSSION, NO DISCUSSION.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION SEEING NO OBJECTION.

UM, W YOUR CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN IS IMPROVED, APPROVED, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, HAVING DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN, IN MONTHS TO COME.

SO THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE, THE MEETING HAS TAKEN THIS LONG, BUT AGAIN, WE, UH, APPRECIATE IT.

WE'LL BE IN HERE.

HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET SOME THROUGH SOME THINGS HERE AND, UM, UH, AND DIRECT FASHION, UM, NUMBER

[12. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TO ACCEPT FEDERAL GRANT: AWARD ____IN THE AMOUNT OF $1.9M 1]

12, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TO ACCEPT FEDERAL GRANT, UH, AND THE AWARD OF 1.9 MILLION.

YES, SIR.

THEY ASKED MA'AM AUDREY.

GO AHEAD.

UM, STEVE ALSO WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG IS ON TO PROVIDE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE $1.9 MILLION PATROL GRANT.

ALL RIGHT, MR. DONALDSON, WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO FOR THE BEAVER COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, GO AHEAD.

UM, WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, RIGHT? HOW CAN YOU, UM, I JUST WANTED TO

[01:50:01]

TRY TO MAKE THIS AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.

I KNOW, EXPLAIN WE'RE RATHER EXCITED.

THE, UH, MY COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WHICH IS ON DONNA, THE STAFF THAT CAN BE FOR COUNTY EMS, CHIEF CLIENT, ROUNDTREE COLLABORATIVELY.

WE CAME UP WITH AN IDEA AND, UM, SO, AND, UH, WE, WE TOOK THAT IDEA AND WE WROTE A GRANT AND THE GRANT WAS STATE FEDERAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH.

AND IT ACTUALLY GOES IN AT ONE NINETY FOUR YEAR, MY MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY.

I REMEMBER THAT VERY CLEARLY.

UM, ANYWAY, WHAT THIS IS, IS BASICALLY IT'S REPLICATING A PROJECT THAT WAS ALREADY DONE IN THE STATE OUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

I RECEIVED, UH, I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES LOOK TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN PICKENS COUNTY, WHERE ALCOHOL AND DRUG AND EMS FAR FROM WORK, COLLABORATING TOGETHER AND CREATED A PROJECT CALLED PROJECT HOPE, WHICH STANDS FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, PARAMEDIC EDUCATION TEAMS. SO IN BRIEF, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, OVERDOSES IN THIS COUNTY AND FATALITIES AND POINTING UP PEOPLE COMING IN THE DOOR TO TREAT ME AS POINTING DOWN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF, WE HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY WITH OPIATES.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RATHER THAN WAITING NOW TO COME TO US IS FOR US TO RESPOND TO THEM AFTER THEY'VE OVERDOSED, WE DON'T GET IT FROM THE, UM, MEDICAL PROVIDERS TO COME FROM THE HOSPITAL.

WE DON'T GET IT COMING TO US.

SO THE RESPONSE IS BASICALLY I WANT TO DO POST OPIATE OVERDOSE.

FOLLOW-UP OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO, UM, UH, CREATE A RELATIONSHIP AND OFFER, UM, ADDITIONAL HELP BEYOND JUST SAVING THE LIFE THAT HOW IN BE, UM, JUST SUPPORT REFERRAL TO TREATMENT NARCAN EDUCATION, UM, FOR BOTH OVERDOSE AND SUPPORT SYSTEM PROVIDE MEDICATION AND, UM, THAT'S PART OF IT.

UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS TO CREATE A GREAT DEAL OF, UM, EDUCATION ON THE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS WITH MEDICATION PROVIDER HERE, SOURCE FOR THE MEDICATION THAT ARE ALREADY USING TO SAVE THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES.

UM, UH, YOU KNOW, DO A LOT OF OTHER TRAINING SLAVES, UNITY AWARENESS, AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S CALLED THE FLUIDITY MAP DATA AND TO FORM A COALITION, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DATA, MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ABOUT, UM, TRAINING INTERVENTIONS AND NECESSARY TO TRY TO, UH, ADJUST RESOURCES, ET CETERA, IN THE RIGHT PLACE THAT WE CAN DO TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON THE HANNITY WAS NECESSARY.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE GRANT IS A BRIEF, IT'S A FOUR YEAR GRANT AND, UM, MY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND DONNA, UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE AND WE JUST NEED TO BLESS IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU, MR. DONALDSON.

YES, WE ARE.

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WORK FOR US, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO WITH, WITH ANY GAME WITH ALL YOUR, YOUR FOLKS AS WELL.

UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DONALDSON AT THIS TIME? NO QUESTIONS.

UM, AND I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO APPROVE THIS FROM A FINANCE COMMITTEE.

UM, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, ACCEPTING THE GRANT FOR 1.9? MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU, MR. ROBIN.

AND, UM, SECOND BY MR. SOMERVILLE.

UH, ALL RIGHT.

ANY OBJECTION? I WOULD HOPE THERE'D BE NO OBJECTION TO HAVING AN APPROVAL OF A $1.9 MILLION GRANT.

SO AGAIN, MR. JOHNSON, THANK YOU FOR AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO.

WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT I GUESS, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT'S INCREDIBLE.

AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO.

SO THANK YOU.

I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

THANK YOU, AUDRA.

UM, LET'S KEEP MOVING HERE NOW.

UH, AND, UM, UH,

[13. A RESOLUTION TO REPURPOSE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY’S 2021 LOCAL ATAX GRANT AWARD]

NUMBER 13, A RESOLUTION TO REPURPOSE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRIES, 2021 LOCAL TAX GRANT AWARD ORDINANCE.

AND I'M SORRY, IT IS A, IT IS AN ORDINANCE, UM, THAT, UM, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, SO YES.

AND, UH, WHO DO WE HAVE HERE? I APOLOGIZE.

I'M GOING BACK TO MY AGENDA.

LET ME INTRODUCE SHANNON MILROY T SHE'S OUR GRANT'S ACCOUNTANT.

SHE BUILT THE, UH, UH, BEAVER COUNTY FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

UH, SHE IS, UH, EVERYTHING ANH TAX AND I'M NOT, SHE GOES EVERYTHING TOGETHER.

UM, BUT SHE HAS BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, MAYOR BILLY, UH, TO GET THIS, UH,

[01:55:02]

THIS ORGAN.

OKAY.

THANK YOU, SHANNON.

I APOLOGIZE.

I'LL SEARCH TO TRY TO GIVE YOU A, UH, UH, AN INTRODUCTION AND I STUMBLED ON THAT, SO I APOLOGIZE.

OH, GO AHEAD.

YES, MA'AM.

SO PART OF YOUR AGENDA PACKET WAS A LETTER DRAFTED BY MAYOR KAISER LANG ASKING YOU TO REPURPOSE HIS 20, 21 LOCAL ATEX H TAX GREEN AWARD.

UM, IF YOU'LL RECALL IN HIS APPLICATION, THERE WERE THREE PARCELS INVOLVED IN THE RECONSTRUCTION ERA PARK, AND WE WERE ABLE TO AWARD TWO OF THOSE.

THE THIRD PARCEL WAS PRIVATELY OWNED, SO WE COULD NOT AWARD FUNDS FOR THAT PIECE OF THE PROJECT.

HOWEVER, UH, CONCURRENTLY, THEY HAD APPLIED TO A FEDERAL GRANT TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE THAT WAS AWARDED AND DID COVER ALL THREE OF THOSE PIECES OF THE PROJECT.

SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING TODAY IS TO REPURPOSE PART OF HIS LOCAL, A TAX GRANT TO COVER HIS REQUIRED MATCH FOR THAT FEDERAL AWARD.

SO 100 ORIGINALLY IN HIS LETTER, HE HAD $106,000 AS PART OF HIS MATCH, BUT WE DO HAVE A SMALL TWEAK TO THAT FROM THE AGENDA GOING OUT, WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT A LITTLE BIT TO $124,000.

UH, ORIGINALLY HIS FULL ATEX AWARD WAS A LITTLE OVER $382,000.

SO USING 124,000 OF THAT FOR HIS FEDERAL MATCH WOULD GO TOWARDS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF HIS AWARD.

AND THE REMAINING FUNDS WOULD GO TOWARDS A NEW PIECE OF IT IN THE PURCHASE OF THE ROBERT SMALLS HOUSE THAT HE AND HIS BROTHER HAVE COORDINATED ON.

THAT WAS EXPLAINED IN THAT LETTER.

SO OUR ASK TODAY IS JUST TO SORT OF REPURPOSE HIS PHONE'S A LITTLE BIT.

IT DOESN'T NOT CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF HIS OVERALL AWARD.

IT'S STILL $382,455.

IT'S JUST HASHING IT OUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WE ORIGINALLY AWARDED IT.

AND MAYOR KAISER LINK IS HERE.

IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I'M UNABLE TO ANSWER, GOOD, ANY QUESTIONS, AND IT HAS A MR. TAYLOR HAD POINTED OUT THIS WOULD BE AN ORDINANCE, WHICH AGAIN, WE, WE WOULD, UM, UM, UH, APPROVE AND SEND TO COUNCIL.

SO THEN WE WOULD SEE THIS AT COUNCIL, UM, OBVIOUSLY AFTER THE COMMITTEE MEETING HERE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING TODAY TO, TO, UM, UH, APPROVE OR APPROVE THE ORDINANCE.

MR. .

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THE MATCH PART, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REMAINING 200 PLUS THOUSAND, YOU SAY IT'S DIVIDED HOUSE.

SO THE ROBERT SMALLS HOUSE AS PART OF THE ROBERT SMALLS, CORRECT? SO, BECAUSE HE WAS AWARDED A FEDERAL GRANT FOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO UNCOVER THE THREE PARCELS THAT THEY HAD ASKED US FOR, THEY ONLY DID 124,000 OF OUR AWARD TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.

SO HE WANTS TO USE THE REST OF THE 3 82, WHICH COMES TO $258,455 TO GO TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A ROBERT SMALLS HOUSE, WHICH WILL THEN BE DEEDED OVER TO THE NATIONAL TRUST.

YEAH.

WHAT IS THAT $248,000 REPLACING SOME OTHER MONEY OR IS IT MONEY THAT NEVER EXISTED? THERE WAS A DEFICIT IN THE PURCHASE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WE GAVE THEM $382,000 FOR THE GRAND ARMY HALL, THE BRICK BAPTIST CHURCH, BUT NOTHING FOR THE STOKES COTTAGE, BECAUSE IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED WITH HIS FEDERAL GRANT.

HE'LL HAVE 480,000 TO DO ALL THREE OF THOSE PIECES WITH OUR AWARD.

HE CAN ONLY DO TWO OUT OF THE THREE.

SO BECAUSE HE ONLY NEEDS 124,000 TO MATCH THE FEDERAL GRANT, THE ORIGINAL PIECES WILL GET ACCOMPLISHED AND THERE'S MONEY LEFT OVER FOR HIS ATEX AWARD TO GO TOWARDS THIS NEW PURPOSE.

YEAH.

BILLY, BEFORE YOU START BY CRAIG CHAIRMAN.

YES, SIR.

YEAH, GO BRIAN, GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY.

THANKS.

CHANGE RISK AND DISCUSSED BY THE TAX BOARD AND ARLENE PREGNANT.

THIS IS A LOCAL, SO IT'S NOT THE STATE ACCOMMODATION STACKS.

SO THE STATE TAX BOARD IS NOT INVOLVED IN THIS, THAT THE FOLKS IN FINANCE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE LEVEL EXECS HAVE DISCUSSED IT IN OUR AGREEMENT.

I WOULD JUST SAY THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FALL IS WHEN THE ROBBERS FALLS HOUSE CAME UP FOR SALE, UM, A NUMBER OF US AND THE ORGANIZATION WE STARTED, WHICH IS OVER THE YEARS, I'VE WORN TWO HATS.

I ONLY WEAR ONE NOW.

AND I'M SECOND FAMILY IN AMERICA, ALSO KNOWN AS RECONSTRUCTION.

BUFORD FELT IT WAS TIME THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE HOUSE OF A NATIONAL HERO.

SO WE APPROACHED THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND WITH THEM, WE CREATED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE WOULD JOINTLY RAISE THE MONEY

[02:00:01]

AT WHICH TIME THE DEBT IS PAID.

WE WILL THEN DEED THE PROPERTY TO THE NATURAL WHOLE AND ONCE THERE'S FEDERAL LEGISLATION, THEN IT WILL BECOME PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

TODAY.

WE HAVE RAISED, UM, $400,000.

UM, THIS WOULD TAKE US OVER THE, OVER THE SIX.

OUR GOAL IS $2 MILLION, 1,000,007 FOR THE PURCHASE AND A $300,000 MAINTENANCE ENDOWMENT.

YOU'RE LIVING ONE OF THOSE OLD HOUSES AND KNOW WHAT IT COSTS TO MAINTAIN IT.

SO WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY, BUT IT WOULD SHOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS, IT WILL HELP US RAISE MONEY TO SHOW THAT DIFFERENT COUNTY HAS SKIN IN THE GAME AND IT'S MONEY THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR TOURISM.

AND FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE A THIRD OF THE ORIGINAL GRANT AND TURNED IT INTO FIVE, ALMOST $500,000.

AND SO WE'D LIKE TO KEEP OUR MOMENTUM GOING QUESTIONS.

MR. ROBIN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REQUEST.

START AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE A MOTION.

THAT'S BEEN SECONDED.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, I HAVE QUESTIONS.

UM, MR. THAT MR. GLOVER, UM, BILLY WHO'S CURRENT OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY, THE CURRENT OWNER, THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY IS MY BROTHER, PAUL KAISER ONLY, AND MYSELF.

UM, WE ARE THE FISCAL AGENT.

WE'RE NOT TOUCHING THE MONEY BECAUSE WE MEANT, WE MEANT WE MADE THE DEBT.

SO THE MONEY WILL THROW FLOW THROUGH ONE OF TWO PLACES.

UM, ULTIMATELY THE MONEY WILL GO TO THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION WHO WILL HOLD THE MONEY IN ESCROW AND PAY, PAY THE DEBT.

I'M WANTED TO KEEP A CLEAR DELINEATION, UM, BUT OUR FISCAL AGENT FOR SECOND FOUNDING OF AMERICA, IF YOU'D PREFER TO WRITE A CHECK TO AN ORGANIZATION IN BUFORD COUNTY WOULD BE THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY.

BUT THE, UM, AND NOW IF I COULD ARGUE THE MOTION MS. CHAIRMAN, I'M NOT I'M IN AN OFFICE THAT SHE DID THIS, I DON'T ONLY BECAUSE OF THE INTIMATE CONTACT, THE REALLY QUESTIONABLE, UM, UH, POLICY OF, OF, UH, MR. , WHO WAS SO INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN, UH, THE NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION, UM, EFFORTS HERE IN NEWTON COUNTY TO, UH, TO HAVE, UH, ONE OF HIS OWN PROPERTIES PURCHASED BY, UM, BY PUBLIC MONEY.

I I'M SORRY.

I JUST CAN'T, I CAN'T DO THAT, BILLY.

I'M SURE YOUR, YOUR MOTIVES ARE PURE.

I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY INVOLVED.

SO I'M GOING TO THROW IT AGAINST THE SECOND BREEZE AND I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY BEEN CONTACTED BY TWO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE OLD AREA, WHO I EXPRESSED YOUR PERSONAL OPINION TO ME, THAT THEY DID NOT WANT THE TRAFFIC WOULD BE GENERATED BY AN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, RECONSTRUCTING MONUMENT, UM, UH, BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TOURS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PROPERTY BEING BOUGHT, UM, BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OR BY THE OLD TIMES, OR WHOEVER, UM, AS A PUBLIC, UM, EITHER BE ABLE TO DO TOURS AND WHILE SO HONESTLY, THESE TWO PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO, AGAIN, TWO OUT OF ONE, 300 OR 400 HOMES, AND THE OLD POINT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT ANY PART OF IT IN THEIR SMALL COMMUNITY.

SO I'M GOING TO GO AGAINST THIS AND, UH, SPEAK WHERE MARCOS, LET ME EXPLAIN.

I THAT'S FINE, BRIAN.

AND I ACCEPT THAT.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, IF WE HADN'T BOUGHT IT, IT HAD BEEN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP AND THE PUBLIC WOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE TO DO IT.

WE DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF BORROWING THAT MONEY AND WE WANT TO PAY BACK JUST AS FAST AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT MONEY.

WE HAVE IT RENTED TO KEEP IT A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD REFUSED TO MEET WITH US, MYSELF AND THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO HEAR WHAT OUR PLAN WAS.

THEY PASSED A MOTION.

THEY CIRCULATED BASICALLY MISINFORMATION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT WHAT THE INTENTION WAS.

UM, AND BASICALLY QUITE FRANKLY, I'M NOT SURE THEY WANT THE KIND OF PEOPLE, THIS IS GOING TO DRAW INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, BUT BUFORD IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT.

THE, UH, PLAN IS TO THE PLAN IS TO O TO RESTRICT IT TO

[02:05:01]

THE WALKING TOURS THAT HAPPENED TODAY, THAT WEREN'T RATED TODAY.

THAT'D BE OUT THERE.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DOES WALKING TOURS OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

UM, THIS WILL BE NO DIFFERENT, NO BUSES, NO PRIVATE TOURS, NO MUSEUM, NO OPEN HOUSE.

PEOPLE WILL BE ESCORTED INTO THE HOME THAT WILL BE OCCUPIED BY A SINGLE FAMILY, MAINTAINING ITS STATUS AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE THE TOURISM THAT, THAT IS REGULATED BY THE CITY.

AND I HEAR THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD MYSELF, BUT THIS WILL HAVE ZERO IMPACT BECAUSE THOSE TOURS ARE EXISTING TODAY.

AND WHEN MY ALLOW BUSES, IF I'M NOT ALLOWED ADDITIONAL CARS, THE NEIGHBORS ON ALL THREE SIDES UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE THEY WERE WILLING TO TALK TO US.

BUT THE POINT ASSOCIATION DIDN'T EVEN GIVE US THE COURTESY OF A MEETING.

SO I WOULD DISCOUNT SOME OF THE DIS SOME OF THOSE WHO DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN.

UM, I GUESS THEY BELIEVE THAT A HISTORIC HOME IS, IS A PLACE WHERE YOU JUST SLEEP OR BRAG ABOUT OWNING, BUT THESE HOMES HAVE HISTORY.

BUFORD HAS HISTORY.

THERE'S A LOT OF OUR HISTORY THAT'S NEVER BEEN TOLD.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE AND VISITORS WHO WANT TO KNOW THIS HISTORY.

SO MY BROTHER AND I BEING THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY WE TOOK THE RISK.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING ANY MONEY FOR THE PROPERTY.

WE ARE BASICALLY KEEPING ALL OF OUR RECEIPTS.

THEY GO TO THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

WE DON'T SEE A NICKEL OF IT.

IT GOES STRAIGHT STRAIGHT TO THE BANK.

AT WHICH TIME THE PROPERTY IS DEEDED TO THEM.

NO REAL ESTATE COMMISSION.

I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T, I'M A REGISTERED LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKER.

I DIDN'T TAKE A COMMISSION ON THE DEAL.

I GAVE IT TO SUE.

I ASKED SOMEONE ELSE TO REPRESENT US BECAUSE I WANTED IT.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT I HAVE THROUGHOUT 20 YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE, BEEN SQUEAKY CLEAN AND KNOW THAT PERCEPTION BECOMES REALITY IN THE WORLD.

WE LIVE IN PARTICULARLY POLITICS.

SO I'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT.

SO I WOULD BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE DOING THIS TO FEATHER OUR NESTS, OR TO BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT MAKING A PENNY WE'LL END UP.

IT WILL END UP COSTING US, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, MY BROTHER HAS ALREADY DONATED A CHURCH FOR A LEARNING CENTER ON WEST STREET, $650,000 FOR A NEW PARK IN DOWNTOWN BUFORD ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION, A LEARNING CENTER WHERE THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE LECTURES AND FILMS AND CLASSROOMS. MY BROTHER AND I ALSO DONATED THE FIREHOUSE ABOUT A HALF, A MILLION DOLLARS TO BE PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK.

SO IN ANY WAY, SUGGESTING, AND I DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY, BUT FOR ANYWAY, IN SUGGESTED I GOT SOMETHING TO GAIN OUT OF THIS, THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO GAIN OUT OF THIS IS KNOWING IN MY HEART THAT THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT STORIES IN OUR NATION THAT WE NEED TO BE TOLD.

AND THAT'S, THIS IS HAPPENING IN BUFORD.

WE WERE ASKED TO BE THE NATIONAL PARK AND WE PUT OUR HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS.

WE STARTED AN ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE AN EDUCATION COMPONENT, WE HAVE AN ADVOCACY COMPONENT, AND WE HAVE A SIGNED CONTRACT WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO BE THEIR PHILANTHROPIC PARTNER.

SO IT'S, IT'S MY HEART.

IT'S MY CONSCIENCE.

IT'S THE REASON I DID NOT RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I FEEL SO STRONGLY THAT BUFORD IS SITTING ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF AMERICAN HISTORY THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS THAT ADDRESSES MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE TODAY FACE TODAY AS A DIVIDED NATION.

AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE HIM BACK.

I THANKS.

REALLY.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND I'M SURE THAT THERE WAS NO INTENT TO, UH, CREATE ANY KIND OR PUT ANYBODY IN ANY KIND OF, UH, OF, UH, ETHICAL QUANDARY.

I'M NOT, I'M SURE KNOWING YOU FOR AS LONG AS I HAVE.

THAT WAS NOT THE INTENT.

I JUST WISH SOMEONE ELSE WHO'D BEEN HERE TO ASK FOR THIS MONEY TODAY.

THAT'S MY ONLY OBJECTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO IF I DIDN'T ASK, THAT WOULD BE DISINGENUOUS TOO, BECAUSE I'VE PUT TOGETHER THE CAMPAIGN NOT TOOK TOGETHER THE RISK AND I PUT TOGETHER THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE NATIONAL TRUST.

SO IT WOULD BE A ROOFTOP, SOMEONE, SOMEONE ELSE COME HERE TOO.

SO IT GOES BOTH WAYS.

YUP.

OKAY.

REALLY? WE'RE IN A PICKLE.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

OKAY.

UH, AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, OBVIOUSLY, THIS GOES TO A, TO A COUNTY COUNCIL FOR, AS AN ORDINANCE FOR THREE VOTES.

SO, SO AGAIN, THIS WOULD NOT BE THE LAST TIME THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, IF IT DID PASS, BUT THE SUMMARY OF, AND YOU ANSWERED ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL.

IF WE PASS IT SECOND, I THOUGHT JOHN MCCARTLE OWNS THAT HOUSE.

[02:10:01]

JOHN MCCARTLE OWNED THE HOUSE.

UM, WE ACTUALLY TRIED TO MAKE IT PART OF THE NATIONAL PARK BY EASEMENT, WHICH IS A FORM OF OWNERSHIP, BUT HE WOULD STILL OWN IT, BUT HE SOLD IT.

UM, I WOMAN BOUGHT IT THREE YEARS AGO.

UM, SHE'S BEEN VERY ILL TO MY KNOWLEDGE FOR THREE YEARS.

IT'S BEEN VACANT.

SHE BOUGHT ANOTHER HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET.

SO IT IT'S, IT'S BEEN VACANT OVER SANDY AT ANY OTHER, UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? WHAT'S YOUR GOAL? YEAH, LET ME JUST REGISTER.

UM, UH, AND BILLY, I, I, UM, I, I SUPPORT YOUR EFFORTS.

UM, JUST THAT AT A POINT RIGHT NOW THAT I CAN, UM, RECOMMEND THIS MOVE FORWARD.

I THINK THERE ARE SOME, UM, SOME QUESTIONS I, I GUESS I DO HAVE, UM, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THOSE ANSWERS, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME OF JOEL'S BEFORE COUNCIL, UH, IF IT PASSES THROUGH AT THIS TIME.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO GO REGISTER AS THEY HAD AT THIS TIME AROUND, UM, WEARY OF WHAT BEING PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.

SO, YEAH.

OKAY.

MR. ROBIN, GO AHEAD.

YEAH AS I LOOK ON IT.

UM, THIS IS A HOUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED FOR ALL THE REASONS HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT, I THINK, BUT FOR MAYOR BILLY AND HIS BROTHER, THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

AND ALL WE'RE ESSENTIALLY DOING IS TAKING WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL GRANT OF MONEY TO DO TWO OUT OF THREE THINGS.

AND WE'RE DOING THREE OUT OF THREE.

SO I THINK WE ALL THE MAYOR, A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS STEPPING OUT AND PRESERVING THIS AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT HE'S SAYING, HE'S REPRESENTING TO US THAT HE'S NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY MONEY ON IT.

SO I THINK WE, UH, I NEED TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS AND I'LL CALL IT A QUESTION IF I COULD.

ALL RIGHT.

YES, SIR.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO A, UM, A ROLL CALL VOTE AND I THINK IT WAS, UH, MR. SUMMERVILLE, YOU, YOU MADE THE MOTION AND I'M GOING TO VOTE.

I'M GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS KNOWING IT'S GOING TO COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS AND, UH, OUT RESERVED THE RIGHT TO CHANGE MY VOTE DEPENDING ON THE INPUT FROM MY CONSTITUENTS.

WHO ARE THE OLD POINT? MR. ROBIN? YES.

AND WHAT STAY HERE, MR. GLOVER.

ALRIGHT.

AND THEN, UM, ONLINE, UM, MR. , MR. HARVARD, SEAN.

NOW, MR. .

YES.

MR. DAWSON.

ALL RIGHT.

THE CHAIR VOTES.

YES.

UM, SO THAT IS SIX.

I GOT 6 3, 5, 3, 5, 3.

I CAN'T COUNT EITHER.

SO THERE YOU GO.

ALL RIGHT.

MOTION PASSES AND THIS WILL BE MOVED ON THEN TO A FULL COUNTY APPROVAL.

THANK YOU.

SHE INTERFERE BILLY.

THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, AND OUR FIGHT ON MY FINAL ITEM

[14. A REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO MEDIATION TO ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH THE PURCHASE PRICE OF TWO PARKING LOTS AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE FROM THE G.G. DOWLING FAMILY PARTNERSHIP, LP.]

FOR TODAY, UM, THE REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO, TO ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH THE PURCHASE PRICE OF TWO PARKING LOTS AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE.

AND I THINK MR. TAYLOR, YOU'RE HANDLING, WE ALL KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MANY, MANY TIMES AS A BEER.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION.

IS THERE A SECOND? WE HAVE A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES.

MR. ROBIN, I'M JUST, JUST A QUESTION.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO A MEDIATION, SOMETIMES YOU AUTHORIZE UP, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

ARE WE JUST AUTHORIZING A DISCUSSION THAT WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL? YES, SIR.

OKAY.

AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THAT'S FINE.

IT'LL COME BACK TO US.

SO IT'S REALLY MORE OF A DISCUSSION.

WE'RE NOT AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT.

YES.

WE WILL HAVE TO AUTHORIZE OR EXCUSE ME, IDENTIFY THEM.

AND, UM, I GUESS THE OTHER PIECE IS, UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THE OTHER OPTION IS EMINENT DOMAIN.

GET A SECOND OPINION AND DO EMMA DOMAIN, WOULD THAT BE STILL BE AN OPTION IF WE CAN'T CLOSE, IF WE CAN'T REACH AN AGREEMENT IN MEDIATION, THEN EMINENT DOMAIN IS AN ACTION IS OKAY.

ALL QUESTIONS, JOEL, THE QUESTION TO ORDER, IS THERE, UM, ANYONE OPPOSED? NO OPPOSITION, UH, IT PASSES AND, UM, UH, AGAIN, SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UH, OUR, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR TODAY.

UM, MR. RODMAN, UM, SARAH, WE NEED FIVE MINUTES, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN NOT.

OKAY.

BY ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT MINUTES.

WELL, DON'T GO FAR

[02:15:01]

AWAY.