Columbus, Georgia

Budget Review Committee Minutes of the

Columbus Consolidated Government

May 11, 2004





Present: Mayor Bob Poydasheff and Mayor Pro Tem Jack Rodgers. Councilors Evelyn

Turner Pugh (Chairperson), Evelyn ?Mimi? Woodson, Wayne Anthony, Glenn Davis,

Gary Allen, Nathan Suber, Charles E. McDaniel, Julius Hunter, Jr. and Berry

Henderson. City Manager, Carmen Carvezza; Finance Director, Angela Cole; Senior

Budget Analyst, Joe Riddle; Chief Administrator, Liz Turner; Deputy City

Manager, Richard Bishop; Deputy City Manager, Isaiah Hugley; City Attorney,

Clifton Fay; Budget Analyst, Leah Cordura; Budget Analyst, April Harris; Human

Resources Director, Tom Barron; Budget Analyst, Trish Dordon; Ledger Enquirer

Reporter, Kelly Estes; Captain Glenn Bahde; Mr. Randy Robertson, President of

Fraternal Order of Police; Mr. Bernie Quick, President of Uptown Columbus

Business Improvement District (BID) and Ms. April Decody, Marketing Director of

BID. Also present were Tiny B. Washington, Clerk of Council and Triena B.

Sharpe, Administrative Specialist.



Absent: none.



Location: Ground Floor Conference room of the Government Center.





Meeting began at 11:30 a.m.





Mr. Bernie Quick begins with a presentation outlined below:

A BID is based upon the benefit assessment district concept, which provides for

an assessment on real property to be raised within a specific geographic

district with the proceeds going directly back into the district to provide

enhanced services that benefit the district and properties located within the

district boundaries. A BID provides a myriad of enhanced services and

activities, including safety, maintenance, marketing, business recruitment and

retention, and special events, in addition to those provided by local

government.



Advantages for the Columbus BID:

? Over four years experience providing a wide range of services to include

safety, hospitality, maintenance, marketing, promotion, business recruitment

and retention, and special events.

? The BID has been designed, created and governed by those who pay the

assessment through a Board of Directors of property owners that supervise

operations, review monthly activity reports and approve and monitor the annual

budget.

? The Columbus BID continues to be implemented by those who pay through a 501

(c) (6) non-profit, private sector, management organization of dedicated

professionals that have received numerous awards of excellence over the last

four years.

? The Columbus BID, which was originally authorized for a 5-year term that is

scheduled to end in December 2004, can now renew, according to a change in

Georgia law, for 10 years beyond December 2004 through the petition support of

the property owners. Of course that same petition process can end the life of

the BID early should property owners decide it is no longer needed.



Why Renew:

? To provide consistent funding for the services currently provided by the BID

and maintain the extremely positive image the citizens of the community have

for the Uptown area.

? Maintain private sector management and accountability.

? The need to Market, Promote and Attract new business and investment.

? The need to be proactive in determining the future of Uptown.



Location:

Covering an area of approximately 47 blocks.



Value District:

Total assessed value of the properties within the district is $93,773,975.



Improvements, Activities and Services:

v Enhanced Safety/Hospitality Foot Patrol.

? Uptown Ambassadors Foot Patrol.

? Night Safety Patrol.

? Off Duty Police Weekend Night Patrol.

? Uptown Ambassadors Bicycle Patrol.

? Panhandler/Loiter Removal.



v Enhanced Maintenance Programs

? Graffiti removal.

? Illegal postings & handbill removal.

? Sidewalk and curb cleaning.

? Sidewalk pressure washing.

? Sidewalk weeding.

? Trash and debris removal.

? Landscape maintenance.

? Report broken infrastructure (streetlights, pedestrian lights, sidewalks,

curbs, water meters, storm drains, phone booths, etc.)



v Marketing/Communications

? Market Uptown area.

? Clean and safe promotions.

? Retail recruitment and retention.

? Office and residential recruitment.

? Public relations services.

? Special events.

? Newsletter, visitor maps, guides and brochures.

? Market research and data collection.



Method of Financing:

This is a levy of assessments upon the real property and buildings which

benefit from the improvements and activities.



Budget:

Anticipated total district budget from assessments on assessable property for

the year 2005 of operations is $539,328.50.



Cost:

Annual assessments are based upon an allocation of specific program costs by

benefit zone. One property assessment variable and the assessed value are used

in the calculation. No assessments will be levied on the basis of personal

property, business or occupational fees.



Several Council Members posed questions to Mr. Quick in reference to the

re-petitioning process, the 10-year life of the BID, and revenue.



Mr. Quick shared about the survey procedure that was assisted by Columbus State

University, which is outlined from the Fall of 1996 and resurveyed in 2003 in

reference to performance. The details were as follows:



(This is based on a 100% scale)

1996 2003

Cleanliness 54% 89%

Personal Security 63.5% 72.5%

Variety in retail 93.3% 32%

Variety on restaurant 85.7% 51.6%



Councilor Woodson asked why only 2 restaurants are opened on Sunday, Mr. Quick

answered he will talk to the owners.



Mr. Quick stated that they track all year-to-date activities and within the

last four years they have helped 3,970 people with directions and 626 people

with broken down cars. He continued to share that on average within a month

they help 82 people with directions and they teach classes every Wednesday

afternoon to the ambassadors who help 14 people per month with their cars. He

advised that they are supplementing city services and have removed 906,000

pounds of trash over the last four years, including removal of graffiti to

improve the city?s appearance.



Mr. Quick shares about the various awards that they have received over the past

four years; stressing one in particular was the CCVB (Columbus Convention and

Visitors Bureau ?Hospitality Heroes Award) who has given BID 4 out of their 7

major awards. He further expressed that the ambassadors are consistently

complimented on their high performance and dedication.



Chairman Turner-Pugh questioned the possible duplication of service maps

between CCVB and BID, to which she referred this research to the General

Government employees. Mr. Quick explained that there is no cost incurred to

develop the brochures, because developers pay for that service. In response to

whether there is a possible duplication occurring or overlapping, Mr. Quick

stated that there is some degree of overlap and continued saying that there is

a coordinating effort with his Marketing Director, April Decody who meets with

various other organizations monthly. He also shared that Uptown Columbus does

not have a marketing budget.



In response to Councilor Suber who stated whether the city invest any money

into BID organization, Mr. Quick stated that his organization pays the city

roughly $14,000 to collect the taxes, he also said that they pay 2.5% and

advised that Georgia Law states that Governmental agencies and non-profit

organizations do not have to contribute tax in the Business Improvement

District.



Mr. Quick stated that the big difference he is aware of between BID and Uptown

is, Uptown Columbus is designated as a 501 (c) (3) which authorizes them to

accept donations and BID is designated as a 501 (c) (6) organization which

states they are maintained through memberships.



Mr. Quick then allows his lead ambassador, Mr. Willie Dillard to share about

the specifics of his job and for several minutes he shares the importance of

the ambassadors, on a personal level as well as the job descriptions and

uniforms as outlined above. Several Councilors commended and congratulated Mr.

Willie Dillard and the ambassadors for their contribution to the City of

Columbus.



Mayor Pro-Tem Rodgers then expressed that he would like Mr. Quick to get the

rate of Public support mailed out before the Council Members schedule for a

Public Hearing.



The Council Members shared for several minutes about the concerns of the 10

year contract requested by Mr. Quick.



BREAK 12:15 p.m.

RESUME 12:40 p.m.



Revisit Concerns from last Meeting:

City Manager Cavezza presented answers to some of the questions that were asked

at the May 4, 2004 meeting, they were as follows:



? Growth generated $326,676 in the General Fund.

? Growth generated $745,420 in all Funds.

? The Public Safety Building roof is still being evaluated by an architect.

? The Inmates for Stump Grinding issue, was reviewed and suggested to not

reduce to 1 person because of the labor burden and training issues.

? Homestead Tax Exemption, $8,000 for Tax-Payers credit.

? Requested additional time to submit the list of Unfunded mandates.

? Salary savings.





Expound on Stump Grinding:

For several minutes the discussion engaged Mayor Poydasheff, the Council

Members, Deputy City Manager Hugley and City Manager Cavezza about the

necessity for the Stump Grinding proposal including the 2 employees, which also

incorporated such things as risk management issues, savings and employee laps

in responsibilities during in climate weather. The discussion concluded with

Chairman Turner-Pugh referring this to the ADD/ DELETE list.



Expound on Salary Savings:

Mr. Cavezza began referring to the chart that showed the salary savings for the

78 vacant positions are:

General Fund



78 Vacant Positions

Total Salary of Positions $2,134,425

Salary Savings (765,198)

Total Savings $1,369,227



Mr. Cavezza explains the salary savings have already been considered into the

revenue outline. He explains that a portion of the $1,369,227 savings is

presently used to pay overtime to employees whose departments are compensating

for the vacancies in their department.



Police Department: 25 positions

Total Salaries of positions $626,817

Salary Savings ($289,868)

Total Savings $336,949



Mr. Cavezza explains the $289,868 is a portion included in the $765,198 above.

He continued saying that if the Council is looking to use the $336,949 total

savings, then they are assuming to freeze hiring in the Police Department.



Fire Department: 10 positions

Total Salaries of positions $270,348

Salary Savings ($175,500)

Total Savings $94,848



Mr. Cavezza explains the actual number in the Fire Department is 22 positions,

but he stated that 12 are in the process of being hired at the new fire

stations. He stated that most of the positions referred to here are for

Paramedics.



Recruitment:

Chairman Turner-Pugh and Councilor Woodson share about the New York Police

Department who came down to recruit at Fort Benning, and expresses the possible

recruitment options of military personnel.



FY04 Modified

Staffing Recap: Total Positions Full Time Part-Time Elected/others

Courts/Courts Supported 171 149 3 19

Public Safety 1,322 1280 11 31

Total Courts &Public Safety 1,493 1429 14 50

All other Departments 782 460 279 43

Total ? General Fund 2,275 1,889 293 93



? 65.63% (1,493) of the total personnel are Public Safety/Courts related.

? 34.37 %( 782) of the total personnel are all other departments.



Staffing Recap Public Safety:

Total positions Full Time Part-time Elected/others

Muscogee County Prison 111 111 0 0

Fire/EMS 394 386 8 0

Police 440 440 0 0

Sheriff 372 340 2 301

Coroner 5 3 1 1

Total Public Safety 1,322 1,280 11 31



Staffing recap Court/Courts Supported:

Total Positions Full Time Part time Elected/others

Judge Probate 6 5 0 1

Municipal Court Marshal 15 14 0 1

Clerk of Municipal Court 13 12 0 1

Municipal Court Judge 4 2 0 2

Public Defender 11 11 0 0

State Court Solicitor 13 12 0 1

State Court Judge 6 4 0 2

Superior Court Clerk 37 34 2 1

Victim/Witness 6 6 0 0

Jury Manager 3 2 1 0

Juvenile Court 11 8 0 3

Adult Probation 3 3 0 0

District Attorney 25 24 0 1

Superior Court Judges 18 12 0 6

Total Courts/Court Supported 171 149 3 19



Staffing Recap ?All other Departments:

Elections/Registration 10 5 0 5

Tax Assessor 23 23 0 0

Tax Commissioner 31 27 3 1

Parks & Recreation 399 133 266 0

Public Service 118 114 4 0

Engineering 34 34 0 0

Community/Economic Dev. 35 11 1 232

Human Resources 13 12 1 0

Information Tech 29 29 0 0

Finance 41 38 3 0

Special Projects 3 2 1 0

City Manager 23 21 0 23

Executive/Legal 23 11 0 124

Total All other Dept. 782 460 279 43



Staffing Notes

1 24 Authorized but not funded positions for the jail

5 Authorized but not funded positions for the Medical Clinic

Sheriff (Elected Position)



2 23 Code Enforcement Inspectors required by State law.





3 2 Authorized but not funded Positions in Risk Management



3 10 Councilors, Mayor and City Attorney



Mayor Poydasheff left at 1:20 p.m.





Personal Services



FY04 Mid-Year

Training Position $22,483



FY05

Additional Cost of FY04 35 Pay increase $946,852

12 Additional Firefighters Approval in FY04 $553,560

Fire Certification Pay $191,800



FY05 Recommended

3% Pay Increase on Anniversary Date $1,916,118

5 LPNs $149,920

Pension Increase $2,125,000

Constitutional Officers pay increase $24,420



Operating Mid -Year

Legal Fees for City Attorney $125,000

Elevator upgrades $92,125

Other Operating Adjustments $197,101



FY05

Elevator Upgrade $327,791



FY05 Recommended

Auditing Services $3,600

Funding for 2nd Election $100,000

Promotional Exams for Fire Department $30,090

Additional Computer Software Equipment $85,000

Energy Solutions $230,000

Software Maintenance $25,000

Additional Operating Expense for Station #12 $30,925

Operating Expenses for Fox Elementary $35,576

Vehicle Insurance $400,000

Targeted Reductions





Capital Outlay

FY04 MID ?Year 0

FY05 Automobile (17,000)

FY05 Recommended 0



CIP

FY 04 Mid ? Year 0

FY 05 Transfer to CIP ($990,000)

FY05 Recommended 0



Other Expenditures

FY04 Mid ? Year 0

FY05 0

FY05 Recommended

Reduction in contingency ($100,000)

Reduction in E-911 Transfer ($336,960)

Increase in workers Comp $602,322

Reduction in Civic Center Subsidy ($324,564)

Reduction in Bull Creek Subsidy ($376,766)







Target Reductions FY05

Detox Center ? Major maintenance $32,950

Welcome Center Maintenance $18,400

Training Funds ? Special Projects $54,605

Demolition Money $44,000

Clerk of Superior Court $91,450

Total $241,405



Alternatives



Fund Balance $6,014,452

Transfer Fund 508 Interest back to the General Fund (1,555,951)

Salary Savings (Vacant Positions) (1,369,227)

Vehicle Insurance (400,000)

Reduce Demolition (100,000)

Stop Pension Benefit Study (50,000)

January Hire date of 5 LPNs (74,000)

Total Reductions (3,549,178)

Total remaining fund balance $2,465,264



Berry Henderson left at 1:35 pm

Nathan Suber left at 1:36 pm

Charles McDaniel left at 1:36 pm

Evelyn Woodson left at 1:40 pm



Chairman Turner-Pugh requested for any further input or questions to be

addressed; no responses occurred.



Meeting Adjourned at 1:45 p.m.







_______________________________



Triena B. Sharpe

Administrative Specialist

Recording Secretary