Rock Island County Finance Committee met September 12.
Here is the minutes as provided by the committee:
The Finance and Personnel Committee of the Rock Island County Board met at the above date
and time in the Conference Room of the Administration Office on the second floor of the
County Building, 1504 Third Ave, Rock Island, IL. Chair Luis Moreno called the meeting to order
at 8:30 a.m. Minutes as follows:
1) Call to order and roll call
Committee members present: Luis Moreno, Brian Vyncke, Richard Brunk, Dewayne
Cremeens, Don Johnston, Scott Noyd, Rod Simmer, Kai Swanson (arrived at 8:37 a.m.)
Committee members absent: None
Others present: Kenneth Maranda, Dave Ross, Hayleigh Covella, Bill Long, Sylvia Gomez,
Mike Steffen, Louisa Ewert, Darren Hart, DeAnne Bloomberg, April Palmer
2) Public Comments
There were no public comments.
3) Approval of minutes from the August 8, 2017 meeting
Motion to approve: Richard Brunk
2nd: Rod Simmer
Voice vote
Motion carried
4) Reports to the committee
Treasurer
Ms. Ewert reported that the supplemental sales tax report finishes off the fiscal year. The
county received for June $317,800.41. The three year comparison shows that this year’s is
actually the lowest of the past three years. That is in part due to the fact that the state
did start taking some of that money they said the county owes them. That is about
$21,000 each month that they’re recuperating. They started that in June. This will be the
third month they’ve taken anything.
Ms. Ewert noted that also in the packet is the monthly report with the cash position,
investments, and the interest. The current interest received for August was $36,025. The
interest rate is currently at 1.12%. Ms. Ewert noted that there is a significant difference
compared to prior year interest when it was at 0.35%. The county is reaping some
benefits from that interest rate hike. In the letter is also the outstanding tax anticipation
warrants that are still out or the internal loans the county still has for the General Fund
and for Hope Creek. The General Fund paid off the internal loan of $200,000 to Fund
#143, Court Automation and the $200,000 to Fund #153, Court Document Storage. The
General Fund still owes Working Cash $524,000 and Fund #144 Probation Services
$350,000 for total debt remaining of $874,000 for General Fund. Hope Creek did make a
$450,000 principal payment on their tax anticipation warrant, but they still owe $900,000.
Ms. Ewert pointed out that there is a new look to the monthly report. It is a lot more
condensed. She doesn’t know if people were a little overwhelmed with there being so
many pages. This report basically gives the fund balances: what they were at the
beginning of the month and the end of the month. As a rule for the ending balance in
the county fund balances, generally anything over $1,000 will get swept over into
investments. A couple do have some outstanding (inaudible). Those are the true
balances at the end of the month. It also shows the interest earned as just the flat
amounts for those individual funds.
Ms. Ewert reported that the county did have its third installment due date last Friday. The
fourth distribution was scheduled for September 26, but it looks like they will have to
move it up to September 21 so funds have money to make a voucher run and pay bills
on the 22nd. Ms. Ewert noted that she is mostly talking about General Fund and Hope
Creek.
Mr. Steffen asked for today’s cash on hand figure. Ms. Ewert said reported that the
General Fund balance is $1,021,984.97. Of course that is going to be paying out payroll
on Friday, which runs close to $800,000. It’s a rough month anyway because there are
three payrolls in September. That’s an additional burden.
Mr. Simmer said they talked about this earlier and he doesn’t remember what they came
up with; he asked with the county’s payments to the state that the county collects, if
there is any way the county can hold onto that for a couple of weeks. He clarified that
when the county collects taxes and sends money to the state, can it hold onto that for a
couple of weeks here and there. Ms. Ewert asked if he was talking about tax distributions
and noted that none of that goes to the state; it’s all local. That goes to schools,
municipalities, etc. The county is required to distribute every 30 days by statute. It
doesn’t really matter if the county keeps it because the interest earned on it gets
distributed to all the taxing bodies. The county doesn’t get to keep interest earned. The
only benefit the county gets from the collection of taxes is it gets all the penalties from
late payments. The county does get to keep that. That’s usually between $700,000 and
$800,000.
Auditor
Ms. Palmer noted that Ms. Covella emailed everyone the paragraph write-ups for the
third quarter of the fiscal year for the General Fund only. Hopefully by tomorrow evening
Ms. Palmer will have all the other funds for the County Board as well.
Ms. Palmer reported that she did just go out for an RFP for the audit services for the
county for the next three years. Those are due back by the end of the month. She and
the Chairman will sit down, and Ms. Ewert is invited to sit down with them, to go through
those. She will have choices for the County Board at the October meeting so she can
proceed with audit services for the following year.
Ms. Palmer noted that her office is working on payroll and its issues and getting through
that. She noted that things are running much more smoothly now that everyone is in
place. She and the HR Department are working well together. That’s a wonderful thing.
The Forest Preserve audit is going on right now.
Mr. Simmer noted that he was looking at the state report and the Assistant State’s
Attorney salary was last received in February or April of 2015 and then April 2016 for the
Court Interpreter. He asked if there’s any word on that stuff and why. He noted that 2015
ridiculous. Ms. Palmer explained that the Assistant State’s Attorney salary reimbursement
was something they were able to bill for before. She had Ms. Bernard in the State’s
Attorney’s Office looking into that and she said there’s just not any money there. Ms.
Palmer doesn’t know anything further on that. The other two payments in that office are
through June, so that is going along pretty well. Mr. Simmer asked if that is not an item
anymore or if the state is just stonewalling. Ms. Palmer said she doesn’t know if it’s
something the state has permanently taken away. She hasn’t gotten official word back
from Ms. Bernard yet. She is waiting on a couple of things. Ms. Bernard just said they
weren’t able to bill anymore. Mr. Simmer asked if they can lean on local representatives,
maybe. Ms. Palmer said maybe. She’d like a chance to talk to Ms. Bernard and possibly
Mr. McGehee again first. She will reach out to them. It may have just been something
where the ball got dropped with other things that are more important in their office. Mr.
Simmer said he’s interested in what the total would be if they can. Ms. Palmer said it was
a really small amount. It wasn’t like the county was missing out on hundreds of
thousands every month. It was right around the $2,000 range, so maybe $10,000 for a
year. Mr. Simmer said at two years, it’s about $20,000 maybe. Ms. Palmer said it’s
something like that.
Ms. Palmer explained that for the Court Interpreter, she is able to bill out for those
services when they are necessary. That’s totally dependent on court cases. Mr. Simmer
asked if the county hasn’t used that. Ms. Palmer said that’s correct. It’s not a monthly
thing that flows in all the time; it’s on a case by case basis.
Mr. Moreno noted that during the large Committee of the Whole meeting, he noticed
that during Ms. Palmer’s reports, people spend 20-30 seconds looking through their
sheets and making sure they have the right ones. Mr. Moreno asked if there is any way
she can number them or put a letter on them so she can say, “Pull out sheet A.” Ms.
Palmer said she definitely can do anything to make it easier. Mr. Moreno said they are
missing what she’s saying sometimes because they’re trying to make sure they have the
right sheet.
5) Consider Intergovernmental Agreement re: County Services between Rock Island
County and the Rock Island County Forest Preserve District
Mr. Ross explained that this is an agreement the county has done at least the last couple
of years he’s told. It’s related to the indirect cost allocation study the county just
completed. All it does is spell out the terms. This was at the request of the Forest
Preserve District and Mr. Craver. It lays out that they are going to be paying $224,432 to
the General Fund and that will cover services for the General Fund and Liability like
they’ve always done for them. Mr. Craver and Ms. Palmer worked out the language of
the agreement.
Mr. Johnston noted that in the agreement, it says they handle payroll, financial, legal,
information, and technology services. It goes on to say that it pays nothing to the
Liability Fund. He asked if the county Liability Fund handles their tort and settlements.
Ms. Palmer said no. They have their own Liability Fund that handles all of that. They use
the Civil Division staff and the State’s Attorney’s Office. Mr. Johnston asked if for
settlements they use their own Liability Fund. Mr. Ross said that’s correct.
Motion to approve: Richard Brunk
2nd: Brian Vyncke
Voice vote
Motion carried
6) Consider Ordinance Fixing Probation Drug and Alcohol Testing Fee
Mr. Ross noted that this was presented to the GHA Committee yesterday. They
unanimously recommended approval. It’s an administrative order from the Chief Judge
at the request of Mr. Vandersnick from Probation. Right now, it’s a $10 fee that every
person on probation pays per drug test they get. This sets a one-time $70 fee they pay
no matter how many drug tests they get. Part of the problem is that a lot of probationers
aren’t paying their $10 every time. Every single time they don’t pay that $10, staff has to
go do a lot of paperwork to get it processed. They would rather just do it one time and
hopefully if they do it upfront, they can get that $70 from them upfront. They believe this
will ultimately bring in more revenue for the county and it is still fair. It will save a lot of
staff time.
Mr. Simmer noted that it’s hard to believe if they can’t pay $10 that they’ll pay $70. Mr.
Ross said they’re hoping to get it up front with this. Mr. Simmer said he would think $10
would be easier and asked how about if they don’t pay it, they get put back away.
Ultimately if they aren’t paying it, they aren’t paying their fines. Mr. Ross explained that
ultimately they make that decision. They definitely talked through this issue. If there’s a
positive drug test, they deal with that too as a violation of probation. They believe this
will be much more effective collection-wise and when people don’t pay, it will save a lot
of staff time. Mr. Simmer said he can see that, but noted that if you raise rent and don’t
get the first month, what makes you think you’ll get second month? Mr. Ross said that’s
why they only do it once. He doesn’t see any harm to it. Mr. Simmer said he doesn’t
either. If they aren’t paying, they aren’t paying one way or another.
Motion to approve: Brian Vyncke
2nd: Richard Brunk
Voice vote
Motion carried
Mr. Simmer voted no.
7) Review and award of bids received on Friday, September 8, 2017 for sign post
driver and puller
Mr. Ross explained that yesterday, the Public Works and Facilities Committee reviewed
and recommended the low bid for a sign post puller and driver. That mounts to a truck
and they use it to mount and pull sign posts. There was a bid from Reliable Equipment of
$9,835. That was the low bid and it was the recommendation from Public Works and
Facilities to award that bid to Reliable Equipment.
Mr. Moreno asked if there was an estimate on what it was expected to cost. Mr. Ross said
he doesn’t know. Nobody mentioned anything. He would assume it’s not out of the
realm of what was expected.
Motion to approve: Brian Vyncke
2nd: Rod Simmer
Voice vote
Motion carried
8) Consider transfers of appropriations
Mr. Ross noted that there is no new money.
Motion to approve: Rod Simmer
2nd: Richard Brunk
Voice vote
Motion carried
Ms. Palmer said she wants to make sure everyone noticed that the transfer from HR to
her office is for the payroll person. Ms. Palmer’s office is taking over payroll duties now,
so that’s why it looks funny. It’s on her reports because they had to reduce one to
increase the other. That’s all within the General Fund. Mr. Moreno thanked her for the
clarification.
9) Consider appropriation resolutions for funds
Motion to approve: Kai Swanson
2nd: Rod Simmer
Voice vote
Motion carried
10)Consider claims at $2,025,870.81 and TDs at $3,924,824.64
Motion to approve: Brian Vyncke
2nd: Richard Brunk
Voice vote
Motion carried
11)Consider Board member per diem/mileage report
Motion to approve: Rod Simmer
2nd: Kai Swanson
Voice vote
Motion carried
12)Committee member opportunity for brief comments (no decisions will be made)
There were no comments.
13)Adjourn
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 a.m. by Chair Luis Moreno.
Future scheduled meetings on October 10, November 14,
December 12, and January 9
http://www.rockislandcounty.org/CountyBoard.aspx?id=40517
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