The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously last week to clarify the Board’s recent motion on distribution of 2016 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) excess proceeds among the local governments.
During the July 22 called meeting, Commissioner Jeff Lane made a motion to approve the Intergovernmental Agreements on SPLOST with the municipalities.
Under the agreement, any overage from the 2016 SPLOST tax (over the projected $12.6 million) would be divided by population for the City of Sparks. Commissioner Michael Dinnerman seconded the motion, which carried with five yes votes.
“It was my understanding that the Board intended to ask the City of Adel to participate in increasing the Town of Sparks’ allocation of the funds of .0393 of the $12.6 million to .1192 of any funds exceeding the $12.6 million,” said County Administrator Faye Hughes. “The City of Adel is not interested in participating due to increased population in Sparks.”
Mrs. Hughes asked the Board Monday, Aug. 1, to restate the motion as follows: To approve the Intergovernmental Agreements with the municipalities addressing any funds exceeding $12.6 million as follows:
A. Disposition of Excess Proceeds - Excess proceeds are those proceeds of a SPLOST that remain after all approved SPLOST projects listed on the ballot have been completed. More particularly, the term is defined as proceeds in excess of the estimated cost of the projects or in excess of the actual cost of the projects.
B. Allocation of Excess Proceeds - Excess proceeds will be allocated in the same manner as the original proceeds, with each of the municipalities receiving their share by population percentages as original SPLOST proceeds.
C. Due to the increase in population from the 2010 SPLOST referendum in Town of Sparks to current, an additional .0799 will be allocated from the County’s portion of the excess SPLOST revenue to the Town of Sparks.
The purpose for the request is that it allows all municipalities to know how the funds that might exceed $12.6 million will be allocated.
Commissioner Jeff Lane made a motion to include the definition and explanation of Disposition of Excess Proceeds exceeding $12.6 million in the 2016 Intergovernmental Agreements on the 2016 SPLOST Referendum with the municipalities. The motion repealed any previous motion regarding the disposition of the 2016 SPLOST excess proceeds. Commissioner Debra Robinson seconded the motion, and all voted in favor.
The County will place a legal ad beginning in the paper involving the call for a Nov. 8 special referendum election for the Countywide SPLOST.
Also during the Monday, Aug. 1, meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners (County Commissioner Michael Dinnerman was unable to attend):
Rezoning request for sawmill
The Board held a public hearing on a rezoning request and special exception application from Jeronia Jones Sr. for 2281 Hutchinson Parrish Road, Adel. Jones asked to have the property rezoned from A-U, Agricultural, to HI, Heavy Industrial. Jones wanted to open a portable sawmill and a BBQ shack at that location. The special exception was needed to have a saw mill in HI zoning; a sawmill is not a use by right.
The Cook County Planning Staff’s recommendation was: “This property has never been developed. Surrounding properties are being used as residences, farmland, and a church. This area shows on the comprehensive plan as farming. To have a saw mill, the owner has to rezone to HI and have a special exception to operate. This is the true definition of spot zoning. Staff recommends Denial.”
During a Planning Commission hearing on the matter, Jones said, “We’re not wanting to destroy any land or disturb any neighbors. We’re just trying to make a living.” He added that the sawmill would create six to eight jobs. The 10 members of the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denial of the zoning request. But they voted 7- 2 to recommend approval of the special exception, with one member abstaining because he operates a similar business; the Planning Commission recommended giving the County Board of Commissioners the option of a special exception if the rezoning went through.
During the County Commission’s public hearing, no one from the audience spoke in favor of or in opposition to the request; Jones was in attendance, however.
After the return to regular session, Commissioner Debra Robinson made a motion to approve the rezoning; Commissioner Jeff Lane seconded the motion. They voted in favor; Commissioners Dwight Purvis and Randy Lane voted in opposition. The vote was 2-2. As a result of the tie, the rezoning was not considered approved. Thus, there was no need to address the special exception matter, according to county officials.
2017 General Fund Budget
The Board held a public hearing on the 2017 general fund budget. No one from the audience spoke in favor of or against the budget.
The budget requires no increase in the tax millage rate. The Board is scheduled to adopt the new budget at the Monday, Aug. 15, meeting.
EMS Building change order
The Board needed to ratify the motion to approve the change order on the EMS Building, for the added cost of six cable TV drops and six outlet drops at $1,000. The change will allow TV service in each of the EMS Building’s bedrooms.
Commissioner Jeff Lane made a motion in favor of ratifying the change order; Commissioner Purvis seconded the motion. They and Commissioner Robinson voted in favor; Chairman Randy Lane voted in opposition. Thus, the motion carried 3-1.
Chairman Lane said he was opposed because plans already call for TVs to be located in several other rooms, including the day room, conference room, and offices. The Board recently decided to approve appliances for the building; it is unclear whether TVs will be included. They were not in the building specs and were not budgeted.
The EMS Building is already costing approximately $150,000 more than what had originally been planned, according to County Administrator Faye Hughes.
Commissioner Robinson questioned whether she should rescind her vote on the TV drops. However, due to the decision already made by the Commissioners by polling, the cable drops are already in place.
2017 road resurfacing projects
Commissioner Purvis made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Jeff Lane, to table action on 2017 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) projects for more information until the next meeting (Aug. 15). All voted in favor.
Arrow Engineering has put together an estimate on resurfacing Old Coffee Road and Massee Post Road. According to engineer Larry Sanders, a contractor should be able to repair and resurface the roads with Double Surface Treatment for about 68 percent to 72 percent of what it would cost to use conventional resurfacing mix designs.
The total of the two projects is $506,605.75, with Old Coffee Road being $105,274.50 and Massee Post Road being $401,331.25. The Board will have to decide if these are the roads that they want bid for the 2017 LMIG (state DOT funding).
2017 roads grant
Commissioner Purvis made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Robinson, for the County to participate in a 2017 federal and state grant program for road resurfacing projects. All voted in favor.
The grant will provide $125,000 for local road projects; the local match will be $19,445 with funding from SPLOST.
Landfill truck bids
Commissioner Jeff Lane made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Robinson, to accept a $50,718.40 bid from Cook County Ford for a landfill truck, along with an $11,339 bid from Transport Equipment of Albany for the mechanism to operate a sway car dumping device. All voted in favor.
During the Monday, Aug. 1, work session:
Radio issues
John McLaggan discussed the issue that emergency dispatching has been having with public safety personnel’s radios in the north end of the county. He will bring back further information to the Board.
EMS building flooring
Chris Davis discussed a flooring request for the new EMS building from contractor Brett Kelly. The Commissioners decided not to approve an additional board expense.
Fingerprint recognition time clock
Commissioner Robinson has requested that the time clock at the Road Department be updated to a fingerprint recognition time clock. The initial cost for the clock is about $500; however, there could be additional fees for software and technical support.
The Commissioners instructed the staff to find out more about the software for imaging.
Closed session
The Board went into an executive session, closed to the public, for discussion of a legal matter with County Attorney Daniel Connell.
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