Chairperson Jordahl called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 1:41 p.m. Members present were: Charles Duffy, Jonathan Jordahl, Mike Lehman, and Sally Stutsman. Also present were Deputy Administrative Assistant Deana Pillard, and Deputy Auditor Kit Wong

Pillard spoke about the percentage increases of the unions wages for Secondary Roads and Ambulance. Pillard said the Ambulance contract has a 3 year contract which began in Fiscal Year 98. She said FY 98, 99, 2000 are all 3% increases. Pillard said the first year of the Secondary Roads contract was FY 99 which was a 3.25% increase. She continued by saying FY 2000 is 3% and FY 2001 is 3%. As for the cost of living adjustment, the 12 month period from November 1997 to November 1998 is 1.4%. Pillard asked if the amount departments spend last year on technology should be added into the budget. Jordahl said that it was important to have the number on hand, so the amount spent on technology could be compared with the amount spent in previous fiscal year budgets. Pillard distributed 2 sheets which contained information that listed the departments that were requesting additional personnel. Pillard added that the County Attorney and Sheriff's office were not included on the sheet because they submitted their budget information on paper, and the data was tabulated by computer. Pillard pointed out that each department on the list also contained figures concerning benefits and insurance costs. Stutsman asked if the sheet contained new requests or if it just listed personnel in the respective departments. Pillard said the sheet listed percentage increases. Stutsman asked about the Ambulance Department information, if the part-time temporary worker was a request since the numbers changed. Pillard said that this was correct, if the numbers did not change across the sheet then there were no new requests.

Discussion began about the Ambulance Department. Pillard quoted Ambulance Director Mike Sullivan as saying the minimum increase needed was 2%, which meant $27,315 additional dollars in that department's budget. Pillard said the actual line item going into the budget for part-time temporary wages was approximately $35,000, meaning other line items were cut to gain the additional dollars to reach $35,000. Pillard said that figure was for 6 part-time people to staff a third ambulance.

The next department discussed was the County Attorney. Pillard said this department requested an additional attorney, 2 half-time positions which meant increasing a part-time secretary 1 to a full-time secretary 1 and a part-time secretary 2 to become a full-time secretary 2. Pillard said that dollar amounts were not provided for the request yet. Additional requests in this department were an additional $15,000 for attorney promotions, which does not include the cost of FICA and IPER's. Pillard read a quote from County Attorney Pat White which read: "Implementation of a salary survey, while a huge advancement for the County, left a significant question as to attorney paid advancement. Because our salaries vary so much from entry-level to senior assistant the system must rely on promotion from one grade to another. The $15,000 plus the $2,010 fringes that I have requested should not be viewed as an option ... $15,000 is an estimate at this point made at $3,000 per attorney for 5 promotions."

Pillard added that the dollar amounts requested by the Ambulance Department did not include FICA or IPER's, meaning the actual amount would be greater than the requested $35,000. Duffy asked why the requests didn't include FICA and IPER's. Pillard said some departments had forgotten to include it. Jordahl suggested that the departments that requested additional personnel redo their budgets to include FICA and IPER's. Stutsman said that all the requests for additional funds for personnel were optional.

The next department discussed was the County Auditor's office. Pillard said that on the accounting side of the Auditor's office, a portion of the budget was a shifting of personnel, such as Deputy County Auditor Kit Wong moving to the accounting side who had a higher percentage salary than Deputy County Auditor Rosemary Stratton. Pillard said the County Auditor's office wanted their map delineator raised from pay grade 8 to pay grade 11, which was within a 1% increase. Within the requested 2% increase, the County Auditor's office wanted to increase their part-time hourly wage from $7.28 to $8.00. Within the 3% increase, they wanted to increase the temporary part-time map delineator to permanent part-time. Deputy Auditor Kit Wong said that this increase would give the part-time map delineator a union wage scale instead of $7.28 per hour. Pillard said that within the 4% increase, the Auditor's office requested that a temporary part-time recording secretary become permanent part-time, which would mean union wages and benefits. Within the 5% increase, the office requested that a temporary map delineator become permanent part-time. Pillard said that within the 19.4% included an additional deputy auditor and map delineator for the GIS.

Stutsman left at 1:53 p.m.; returned at 1:55 p.m.

The next department discussed was Public Health. Pillard said that within their personnel was increasing a part-time clerk to full-time and to hire a 1.75 full-time Environmental Health Specialist which approximately costs $60,000. Pillard said it was difficult for the budget to request percentage point increases due to grant money. Jordahl asked what the number was when current personnel requested does not include cost of living increase and if that reflected the salary survey. Pillard said to decide that number percentage increase would have to be calculated into the budget. Jordahl asked Wong, since the salary survey was implemented during FY 99, that it was correct to assume that the increased wages were part of the base amount. Wong said that this was correct. Jordahl asked if the current personnel number was the 27th pay period. Wong said that this was most of it. Pillard said the remainder was percentage increases. Pillard said that there was no new staff included in the Public Health budget. Pillard said that giving Public Health no additional personnel would mean their budget would be the current personnel plus the base, which is a 0% increase or $919,975. Jordahl asked if step raises were forecasted that would occur in FY 2000. Wong said that this was included.

The next department that requested additional funds was Human Resources. Pillard said most of the personnel was a 94% increase, which consisted of an HR assistant would earn $32,382 in salary and benefits. Pillard said the HR intern salary and benefits would be $5,684. Jordahl said numbers were needed under capital expenditures or capital projects for space in order to provide additional staff. Stutsman agreed that a commitment to more personnel meant a commitment to changes of space. Jordahl questioned whether this was the budget to add space changes for Human Resources. Pillard said permanent changes in a facility was a capital project. Jordahl said he wanted dollar estimates of capital projects to see how much it would cost to house the new staff. Stutsman said County Treasurer Tom Kriz needed to be informed of the possible capital projects request. Stutsman said that as a stop-gap measure, that Director of Human Resources Lora Shramek mentioned a full-time clerk could be divided part-time between Human Resources and Zoning. Pillard said that she thought Shramek didn't need a clerical person, that a Human Resources assistant would be more helpful.

The next department discussed was the Sheriff's. Pillard said up to 4 deputies were requested, and the cost of 1 deputy was $43,963 including salary and benefits and all other needed line items such as weapons, uniforms, and training. Jordahl asked if it was possible to get more copies of the budget information. Susan Horowitz said a compendium of the changes by department would be helpful before the final hearing. Stutsman agreed that a sheet with a preliminary budget wasn't that helpful since changes were constantly being made to it. Jordahl said projecting the budget on the wall would solve that problem.

The next department discussed was SEATS. Pillard said SEATS requested that the part-time Training Maintenance Coordinator position be increased to full-time which would cost $10,000. Jordahl pointed out that $47,000 was requested. Pillard said $15,000 of the $47,000 went to the taxi contract. SEATS also wanted to increase staff training, development and vehicle maintenance.

The next department discussed was the Treasurer's Office. Pillard said County Treasurer Tom Kriz didn't have any specific dollar amounts requested yet. Stutsman asked if Kriz was asking for more staff or just computers. Pillard said Kriz's reclassification of existing staff would include an additional staff person. Pillard said the Treasurer's Office would get rid of some part-time staff in order to hire a full-time staff person.

The next department discussed was Planning and Zoning. Pillard said this department was requesting a junior planner and a full-time secretary, which actually meant moving a part-time secretary to full-time. Jordahl said that half the cost of a full-time secretary should be subtracted out, since a part-time secretary for P and Z was already budgeted.

The next department was Conservation. Pillard said that this department's requested additional maintenance staff person was within a 0% increase, because they shifted funds within their line items. Pillard said the additional person cost approximately $28,000 but she was unsure if that included benefits. Jordahl said that points to a $28,000 surplus in Conservation's budget. Pillard said a portion of that money came from the $10,000 increase in the FY 99 budget. Stutsman said that capital projects money had not been subtracted from the base budget. Jordahl said that line items could be switched, but entire budgets could not, meaning Conservation could not subtract capital projects money and apply it for additional personnel in the FY 2000 budget. Jordahl said that other departments had not subtracted capital project moneys in spite of the budget committee's requests. Pillard said the Sheriff's Department and SEATS had subtracted funds and moved them to capital projects. Duffy said that the Conservation Board could not switch line items without asking the Budget Committee. Jordahl said Conservation could switch line items but that they could not switch budgets. Duffy said Conservation and Health could do this, unlike the other departments. Pillard said for Conservation to be like the other departments then capital projects money should be taken out. Duffy said that requests for additional help must be scrutinized since the county wasn't growing as tremendously as it had in the past.

Stutsman left at 2:17 p.m.; returned at 2:19 p.m.

The next department discussed was the Auditor/Elections. Pillard said that this department requested 1% increase entailed increasing poll workers' wages from $6.00 to $7.15, at 2% the increase would by to $7.60, at 3% the increase would be to $8.00. A requested 16.1% increase would be an additional full-time Elections Account Clerk with a cost of $32,101 including benefits according to Pillard. Stutsman asked Wong what the difference in impact would be with an increase to $7.15 instead of $8.00. Wong said that there were problems finding workers at the last general election and the poll workers wanted to only work half-days. Stutsman added that most of the poll workers were senior citizens, and full days working at the polls might be taxing for them.

The next department discussed was Human Services. Pillard said a 1% increase would mean increasing a part-time foster-care social worker to full-time. Jordahl asked if foster care home support meant the amount of money paid to foster families for the care. Lehman said the figure also included recruiting and finding replacements. Stutsman said the request for funds was having a pool of money available to assist when needed, such as a possible foster family needing a fenced in yard. Stutsman said there had been a large increase in foster care. Reverend Bob Welsh said that he suggested to the Board of Social Welfare that the State be lobbied to adequately fund the foster care program. Welsh said that foster care was basically a State program.

The next department discussed was Secondary Roads. Pillard said that within the 1% increase this department wanted one, new full-time maintenance person at level 1 costing approximately $35,000, but she was unsure if that amount included benefits. Within the 2% increase, 2 full-time level 1 road maintenance personnel would be added according to Pillard. Someone asked what the outside engineering costs meant, and Pillard said the department wanted to fly over areas in order to map out areas for road construction three-dimensionally.

Duffy and Jordahl left at 2:28 p.m.; Jordahl returned at 2:30 p.m.

Pillard said the requested $60,000 in Secondary Roads included $15,000 for seal-coat, surfacing maintenance, $5,000 for nursery products and $5,000 for asphalt surface maintenance. Pillard said some line items had been reduced, and some maintenance items were increased. Pillard said that those were all the requests for personnel. Jordahl said requests for personnel and new construction were tied with the Local Option Sales Tax, which might mean a quarter-of-a-million dollars. Jordahl asked what happened to the million dollar figure. Pillard read from a packet from the Auditor titled "Fund Balance Analysis" and said: "Projected Fiscal Year 2000 ending balance of Secondary Roads is based on request based expenditures only. Includes revenue/expense adjustment of $950,000. If the total request of expenditures for 2000 are approved and entirely expended ending balance will decrease to 4.5." Stutsman said that in the Secondary Roads narrative County Engineer Mike Gardener explained his plans to accelerate projects and spend the balance down. Pillard said that overhead mapping would let Secondary Roads do less mapping. Stutsman said that if the Board was going to start deliberating they should wait for Duffy to return.

Jordahl left at 2:37 p.m.; returned at 2:38 p.m. Duffy returned at2:39 p.m.

Stutsman said she would like the overheads ready and the Human Services recommendations for the block grant ready for the following weeks Board of Supervisors meeting. Pillard said next Friday's meeting would entail re-reviewing updated budget requests and looking at departments requests for capital expenditures, capital revenues and technology. Jordahl said the Board needed to have a more firm idea of how much money was available to budget. Jordahl said that any increase given to departments would have to be tax increases, which Jordahl said might affect the Board's thinking on the local option sales tax language. Jordahl said the Board might not want to commit to property tax relief. Stutsman said it was important not to mislead voters if there was going to be a tax increase. Duffy said voters were not being mislead if there was a tax increase, saying that it could be explained by putting it on the tax forms much akin to how money for Mental Health was explained.

Jordahl was concerned that if the local sales tax option was passed and funds were allotted to property tax relief, that voters would be confused if property tax went up. Duffy said voters would be happy if they were informed that property tax would increase more if property tax relief was not provided by the sales tax increase. Duffy said that property tax had been explained in the past by people's tax forms. Stutsman said she was unsure if it was required to put an explanation of the local sales tax option on the tax statement. Duffy asked if their was going to be a rollback on residential property. Wong said that for residential for FY 2000 the rollback was 56.478. Duffy said he thought the rollback might change at the State level in the future. Jordahl asked if the rollback was already figured into the budget. Wong said it was on the worksheet so it would be. Pillard said the only figure she would not have concrete information on by the next budget meeting would be the cost of health care.

Stutsman said she wanted to compare the percentage the Board increased salaries according to the salary survey. Jordahl asked if the salary survey was still in the current base budget. Pillard said that money was going to be gone by the end of the year. Jordahl said that for the FY 2000 budget the million dollars included the $200,000 for the salary survey and being taxed. Duffy said that he considered the salary survey a one time measure which gave some employees a good increase in wages, so from now on the past pay increase percentage had to be considered. Pillard said that the money from the salary survey had been erased for the FY 2000 budget. Jordahl asked where the residual money from the FY 2000 base budget came from. Pillard said the base 2 part of the budget wasn't amended into the budget before it was published in December, that it would be amended in February. Pillard pointed out that the right column on the handout listed the greatest percentage increase that each department requested. Jordahl said a figure was needed that showed what each 1% increase in taxes generated in revenue.

Duffy asked Wong where he could find the dollar amount of property tax lost for the county due to annexations. Stutsman said the Board needed to prioritize where money would be spend for the next fiscal year. Jordahl said he would like to see accelerated county wide planning for where roads would be constructed. Jordahl recommended a half-hour discussion of prioritizing budget requests before the next budget meeting. Jordahl said outlines of the situation, policy discussion and departmental reviews should have been covered by the end of Friday's meeting.

Adjourned at 3:05 p.m.

________________________________________________________________________

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By:

On the _______ day of _____________________, 1999

By Darby Cole, Recording Secretary

Sent to the Board of Supervisors on February 4, 1999 at 6:00 p.m.