1.
BOC was immediately questioned –This is a work session—how
can you go into a formal executive session from informal
meeting? Possibly bogus and illegal—what is rationale?
2.
Chairman was asked why he thought he deserved any more power
than the rest of the commissioners. He was only one
of 5 equals.
3.
If Comm. Bernard needs more authority maybe he should step
aside and let someone else to do job. County Manager
should do the job the BOC tells him what to do.
Comments from Commissioners:
Greg
Johnson—Work session is to only review financials and set
next agenda. Very
upset about agenda when he saw it. Elected to get
results. Agenda is off base in regards to what was
agreed upon. Thinks BOC needs to be more hands on.
Comm.
Johnson made announcement that he would review the Attendance
and Personnel Policy. He will be in courthouse 2 hours
a day from now on. He wants to see about getting the
Road Plan started. He will start on budget process
for 2006à2007.
(Not one other Commissioner said they would also come to
the courthouse and do the job they were elected to do. Who
is the REAL chairman? Who has the REAL ideas and goals?
Comm. Johnson!!)
Said there
was a consensus in Dec & Jan that has now changed.
(that ONE telephone call he got must have been a doozie to
change his mind like this!)
Comm. Hill said BOC
still needed to do something about expense report a.s.a.p. We are
losing money and using own personal $$. After 10+ years Comm. Hill
is worried about this now??
Comm. Bernard announces, “ I’m not
for the Chairman having more authority—this was not my idea.”
County Manager
Authority—Resolution—Ordinance—all power to County Manager
Greg Williams,
County Manager, wrote up and ORDINANCE to give himself every
imaginable power under the sun. Including being appointed to
a 3-YEAR TERM!! (We thought the County Manager worked for
the BOC, and at their pleasure.)
Agenda
Preparation in Ordinance—
County
Manager would prepare agenda with APPROVAL
of Chairman.
Comm. Pennamon jumped on this-- No, every
member should say what’s on agenda. County Manager should bring up
subjects needed to be acted upon, then BOC decides what’s on it.
Much back and forth with Pennamon and Bernard.
County Manager—I don’t have
agenda of my own. (Seems strange he felt he needed to interject this
comment!) Commissioners brought up fact that they shouldn’t have to
ask “Jack” to have things put on the agenda.
Attorney
Nix—this BOC never can decide anything. It’s time to make
decisions!!
5:45PM Comm. Yarbrough
walks in—only 45 minutes late.
This “who’s in charge of
the agenda” discussion continued for another 10-15 minutes.
County Manager-- I serve
this board—I do what you tell me to do! (Come to the meetings and
see who runs it, who decides what, and who tells whom what to do!)
Comm. Bernard—We
had consensus at the retreat and we don’t have it anymore. Let’s
get back to establishing County Manager authority. Referring to the
Ordinance, Comm.
Bernard said, “I didn’t write it and I didn’t review it, but it’s
right on target.” (Can you believe this quote?? How
do you know what’s on target if you don’t review it???)
County
Manager--this will be an ordinance—will have 1st reading
next BOC meeting. This is
where the citizens need to voice their opinion about giving all
power to a county manager!
===========================================
Garbage
Collection—Danny Norris case—has been settled. Norris will pay
outstanding balance plus court cost. Have received 50% of
payment. The county is supposed to get rest of money 1st
week in March.
===========================================
Finance
dept—new CFO gives basic reports with little detail--
The financials were broken down like the
budget and compared to the budget. All depts. are in line with 2
months, except for animal control. It’s at 72% of budget—no
budgeted line item for animal control bldg. Must be changed
through budget amendment. CFO also said court reporters and
indigent way over and under budgeted.
(This is the first report this BOC has received since coming into
office.)
Check signing procedure—
Greg Williams
wants to sign checks badly. He has brought this up at every meeting
since January and it will be on the March 6 agenda too!
Comm. Bernard—suggests County
Manager and CFO to sign checks. Comm. Johnson—BOC should sign
checks. Comm. Hill—BOC should sign checks. Comm. Bernard—let’s
just have staff sign checks and at least one BOC sign. My feeling
is that only one needs to sign. That will give us enough control.
Comm. Pennamon—BOC should have sole responsibility.
County Manager—I will need to go back and adjust ordinance
for County Manager because it says County Manager will sign checks.
Comm. Bernard—what
about just one Commissioner to sign? Comm. Hill—any 2 commissioners
should be able to sign checks. Comm. Yarbrough—should be with
County Manager and CFO. County Manager—I will
draft a resolution that any 2 can sign.
Comm. Bernard—County Manager
has trouble finding all of us. Just need to make
sure checks are signed. (Comm. Bernard usually isn’t
that hard to find, he just doesn’t like coming to the
Courthouse. There has been several occasions when
he has directed the county employees to come to his house
so he could sign checks. Comm. Yarbrough rarely
darkens the Courthouse door because he works out of town.
They are willing to give away their authority for their
own convenience. They knew what the job entailed
when they ran. They seem to like the title, but
not the work.) AT
THIS TIME CHECK SIGNING AUTHORITY WILL STAY WITH THE BOC!
Animal Control Pickup Truck—
County
Manager and Ken Baldwin want new truck.
BOC
County Manager to swap trucks.
Code
Enforcement doesn’t need big F250 and can use the Ranger
that was bought a couple of years ago. Animal Control
can use the F250. No need to buy new truck.
Comm.
Johnson, Comm. Yarbrough, and Comm. Pennamon all tell
County Manager to swap vehicles.
County
Manager argues with BOC and tells them Ken Baldwin certified
to me that he needed 4WD and so did Code Enforcement.
Comm. Yarbrough—this is not the best use of our equipment.
Comm. Pennamon—You and Mr. Anderson don’t know the history
of all this. Code Enforcement had a big truck and
sent it to Public Works because they said they didn’t
need it. Now they want a new truck.
BOC told County Manager
to go back and swap trucks several times. County
Manager asks, so you don’t want me to buy the truck?
(Remember
the County Manager says he does what the BOC tells him
to do, but then questions and repeats until he gets what
HE wants. We think he finally got the message here—swap
trucks!)
Discussion at
end –Work Session Format and Schedule—
County Manager WANTS
NO MORE AGENDA COMMENTS, NO GENERAL COMMENTS. County Manager WANTS
NO RECORD OF ANYTHING DONE.
It was agreed by BOC
that there would only be agenda comments.
Note: **The County
Manager has told TWG from beginning how everything is open. But he
doesn’t want public feed back or for the public to be aware of
anything. Greg Williams, County Manager, and Comm. Bernard have
done a lot to make it very hard for the people to know what is going
on. Comm. Bernard ran on “transparency and open government.” He
still talks that talk, but the vote is always different. Comm.
Yarbrough agrees with what Comm. Bernard brings up. Together they
want no comments and no input. (Remember they didn’t get any calls
about the salary increases!)
Citizens, you are
losing your voice very rapidly. You must start calling your
commissioners, but most of all you must start attending these
meetings. If citizens and the TWG hadn’t been attending, there
would have already been salary increases, no check signing oversight
by the BOC, and a much more powerful BOC Chairman. We can make a
difference, but we need your help and support! Open Government is
important to all of us!
TWG
