The Executive
Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 @
7:00 p.m. at the Legislative Center’s Freedom Conference Room. Chairman
Robert Pritchard called the meeting to order. Members present were Robert
Hutcheson, Sue Leifheit, Roger Steimel, John Wilson, and John Morreale.
Mrs. Tobias was absent. Others present were Ray Bockman, Veronica Casella,
John Dlabal, Eileen Dubin and Gary Hanson.
APPROVAL
OF MINUTES
Moved by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Hutcheson, and it was carried
unanimously to accept the minutes of the October, 2002 meeting.
APPROVAL
OF AGENDA
Chairman Pritchard asked to amend the agenda to reflect item
#5a.) Tax Abatement.
APPOINTMENTS
Chairman Pritchard recommended the following appointments:
Animal
Control Administrator: Dr.
Bill Augustine, Appointment for a 1-year term, until November 30, 2003.
Community
Services Advisory
Board:
Mr. David Ruggles
Ms. Joslyn Turner
Both
reappointments for a term of 3 years, until 11/01/2005.
Union
Drainage District #1: Mr.
Dennis Johnson, reappointment for a term of 3-years, until 12/1/2005.
DeKalb County
Sheriff’s
Merit Commission:
Mrs. Lou Hill, reappointment for a term of 6-years, until 12/1/2008.
Moved by
Mr. Steimel, seconded by Mr. Hutcheson, and it was carried unanimously to
approve the appointments as presented by Chairman Pritchard, and to forward
them onto the full board for approval.
INDUCEMENT
RESOLUTION – FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS
Mr. Bockman,
DeKalb County Administrator, told the committee that for the first year of
it’s implementation the program produced between $1.5 -$1.7 million in
activity. The program was hampered by the fact that right after the April
bond sale, mortgage interest rates dropped precipitously. This placed the
program in a disadvantaged position because the program interest rates are
fixed annually at that bond sale while traditional mortgage rates move up
and down with demand.
He further
stated that all outstanding bonds for this program will be refinanced in the
spring bond sale and could well grow in attractiveness as the year
progresses.
Moved by Mr. Hutcheson, seconded by Mr. Wilson, and it was carried
unanimously to recommend the Inducement Resolution and to forward it to the
full board for approval.
SYCAMORE
FORD/MAZDA RESOLUTION
Mr. Bockman
then presented the Tax Abatement Resolution to the committee. He stated
that it is a tax reduction for a 3-year period. He said that it is
essentially a housekeeping item because we had committed ourselves to this
for 3 years. Mr. Bockman said that what we liked at the time was that we
were all given a choice instead of the city creating a T.I.F. district, and
that we were asked to consider this as a mechanism to offer incentives for
economic development. This is the second year of the agreement and he will
be back next year with the final year. We will be abating 70% of the
applicable taxes, Mr. Bockman said.
Moved by Ms. Leifheit, seconded by Mr. Steimel, and it was carried
unanimously to recommend the Tax Abatement Resolution and to forward it to
the full board for approval.
APPROVAL OF
THE COUNTY BOARD AGENDA
Mr.
Bockman reviewed the county board agenda for the board meeting to be held on
November 20, 2002. Mr. Morreale said that under the Administrative
Services Committee section that item #a.) should read that he moved the
resolution and not Mr. Hoffman.
Moved by Mr. Steimel, seconded by Mr. Hutcheson, and it was carried
unanimously to accept the amended county board agenda as presented by Mr.
Bockman.
GENERAL
DISCUSSION
Mrs. Leifheit, Chairman of the Public Services Committee, said that her
committee heard the Community Mental Health Department Annual Report by Mr.
Jerry Lane. She said that he told them that a lot of the agencies have seen
cuts to their budgets from the State. She said that the cuts that they have
seen are about at 11% to 12%.
Mr. Wilson, Chairman of the Public Infrastructure and Development Committee,
said that they cancelled their meeting. He did ask though if there was
going to be another wind farm public hearing? Chairman Pritchard said that
there is supposed to be another one around the middle of December. He
continued by explaining that supposedly Florida Power and Light did not give
a notice of the public hearing to all of the property owners. Mr. Hutcheson
said that there were about 5 or six property owners that did not receive
one. Chairman Pritchard said that in light of that happening, Florida Power
and Light has the responsibility to contact the property owners and they
have no choice but to hold the second public hearing. He said that the time
frame on this would be that if there is a December hearing and then its
comes before the Planning and Regulations Committee in January, it would
then be forwarded to the full board probably for the February, 2003
meeting.
Mr. Steimel, Chairman of the Administrative Services Committee, said that
they held the public hearings for the Tax Levy and Budget with no one
attending from the public.
Mr. Morreale,
Chairman of the Forest Preserve Committee, said that at their last meeting
they were invited to visit the Genoa Kingston High School but did hold their
meeting at Russell Woods and looked at the completion of the high school
area. He said that the cooperation between the Forest Preserve and the High
School will be great. There is a lot of interest by the school to find some
partnership in a community project in the forest preserve.
Prior to that
visit they went to the new Kirkland Forest Preserve to visit that preserve
too. He said that the Small mouth Bass Alliance group has been clearing the
river and have pulled enough debris out of the river to reduce the level of
the river by 4 feet.
Before adjourning Chairman Pritchard informed the committee that as the
Liquor Commissioner he has recently held a Hearing on one of the County’s
Licensed Liquor holders. He held this hearing because one of them had an
underage violation. He said that it is continued to December 2, 2002 to
assess the validity of the charge and to assess some kind of penalty on the
liquor license holder.
Chairman Pritchard also mentioned that the MPO’s first Policy meeting will
be held on Monday, November 18, 2002 @ 1:30p.m. at the DeKalb City Hall.
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Mr. Hutcheson, seconded by Mr. Wilson, and it was voted unanimously
to adjourn the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
_________________________________
Robert W. Pritchard, Chairman
_______________________________
Mary C. Supple, Secretary
