Audit Committee - Regular Meeting

At this time, I'll call the budget committee meeting to order and ask for everyone to please register their presence.

Mary, you have four present.

Thank you. Now I ask that the emergency announcement please be played.

Emergency evacuation procedures. In

Item c, public input on items on the agenda. Does anyone have anything they wish to speak to on items on the agenda? Seeing none. Move on to item d, approval of the minutes. These are the July. They're in your packet for approval. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes? Motion made by commissioner Bryant, seconded by commissioner Anderson. Is there any questions or discussion on the minutes as presented? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e one, resolution number 25Dash08Dash001. It's the interfund loan debt service, $15,529,489. This is to enter into an interfund loan from the debt service fund to the ARPA fund to allow time for reimbursement from the state of Tennessee. Do I have a motion to forward this on to the commission workshop? Motion made by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Taylor. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Miss Hannum, go ahead.

Thank you, mister chair. I just wanted to ask, if we have any idea how long we think it'll take to get our reimbursement from the state.

Hang on just a second, please. Go ahead, Brian.

Yeah. The, the different projects are progressing at different time frames. This is our maximum liability that we're asking for for maximum cash out of pocket. We're we're anticipating we have several utility projects that are closer to 70% done, and we'll get a a good chunk of that money back within the next sixty to ninety days. Some of the other projects like the health department will take a little bit longer, and likely take closer toward the end of the year, but we will not wait until the end of the year to start paying this, moving this cash back. As we get the reimbursements from the state, we'll move it right back to the debt service.

Anything else? Any other questions or discussion? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mayor, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e two, resolution number 25 dash zero eight dash zero zero two, budgeting increase, various departments. This will be for $11,683,214.83, and this is to appropriate funds from the prior year to support the ongoing capital projects that have been approved. Do I have a motion to forward this to the commissioner workshop? I do by commissioner Anderson and seconded by commissioner Bright. Do we have any questions or discussion on this item? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mayor, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e three, resolution number 25 Dash08 dash zero zero three, budget increase. Blount County Schools, $1,818,407.60. This is appropriate state grant funds to pay one time teacher bonus pay. No matching funds required. Have a motion to send this on from commissioner Bright, seconded by commissioner Anderson. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Miss Hannam?

Yeah. I'm watching the watching dollars. Are the funds in hand?

Is there anyone here from this? The the question is, are the funds in are they here now? Are they in hand? Or are they are we still waiting on them?

Right.

Mister mayor, meeting members

We'll just put you on the spot right now. First day here, we'll just put you on the spot.

Not a problem. Seven day tenure. It is in hand. Yes. So it's just a pass through.

Okay. It is pass through, and it is in hand.

Thank you. Okay.

Thank you, Britney. Is there any other questions or discussion? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e four, resolution number 25Dash08Dash004, budget increase. Central services, $1,000,073.05 67 to appropriate general county funds and enter into a five year contract with Sports Facilities Company LLC to manage the Eagleton Ballparks. Have a motion to send this on from commissioner Kahler, seconded by miss Hannam. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register a vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e five, resolution number 25Dash08Dash005. Budget increase, Blount County Schools, $709,078 to appropriate educational capital funds to replace outdated HVAC controls at both Carpenters Middle School and William Blount ninth grade academy. Have a motion to send this on by commissioner Anderson or commissioner Bright and seconded by commissioner Anderson. Do I have any questions or discussion on this? Miss Hannam?

Hey, mister chair. The the amount listed here for these, for these controls seem a little bit high. So have we already been through the bidding process? We have controls in hand. What what they're a little vague about when controls are going to be put in, when they're not gonna be put in. It's needing some clarity. So one Mister

Dukes, can you come up here and and answer this question?

Evening, mister mayor, members of the committee. The, costs are in line with what we previously funded for Heritage Middle School and Union Grove Middle School. They're a similar footprint, and these are in line with that. And and William Blunt ninth is his own. These are based on a a cooperative that we entered in an agreement with, to convert all our old, outdated, and over HVAC control systems to the the current one we're going to.

Do I still have the floor, mister Chase? Yes. You do. So you have a plan for when this is gonna be installed? It wasn't included in your packet.

As soon as it's funded, and they'll they'll start gathering the materials. It'll be throughout the school year, not not a particular time period. They're currently working right now on Heritage Middle School as we speak.

So if we fund if it's funded on tonight, you propose that you're gonna get all of the controls that you need for all of these projects at one time, hold them on hand, and then schedule your work. Is that what I'm hearing?

When it's funded and we get a purchase order to the company, they'll then order the materials, and they'll coordinate on the installment while school's in session.

I don't know about anybody else, but I'd be a whole lot more comfortable to know when you're gonna put them in before you put in your purchase order so that everything is in order and we know when they're gonna be installed. You could buy them today, for instance, and spend $700,000 and then not put them until next year, year after? You're waiting for something to fail before you change them out?

No. We'll we'll replace them as soon as we can and as soon as possible on coordination on it, but we can't they can't order the materials, obviously, until they get a purchase order. And this is this purchase order is also labor materials labor as well. So as soon as they get the purchase order when it's approved by the the commission, then they'll go ahead and order the materials. I I'm I'm it's a guess of when they would start, but probably in October time period for them to get the materials on hand.

Okay.

Any other questions? I do have one, James, on the

Yes, sir.

So you're doing Carpenter's Middle. Was is the elementary school, has it already been upgraded or what?

It has not. The way we decided to attack this was, number one, the larger footprints to have the most energy savings. So that's why we did Union Grove Middle School, Harris Middle School, and now we're doing Carper's Middle School. And we decided to do William Blunt ninth just because they got a brand new HVAC system, and we wanted to incorporate the new controls into that. So after we get these, next on the on the tap will be the, the larger elementary schools. The,

the Carpenter's Middle School, is that still a geothermal? Is that are

we It is not. It it was it's converted over to a package units.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Alrighty. Any other questions? Thank you, James.

Yes, sir.

I ask you to re put rest your vote, please.

There you have four yeses and one no.

Okay. Thank you. Item e six, resolution number 20 5Dash08006 budget increase. Blount County Schools, 600,000. The appropriate general purpose school funds to purchase 1,937 Chromebooks for grades first, fifth, and ninth. These Chromebooks are replaced every four years and follow the students. Do I have a motion to send this on to the commission? Motion made by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Brock. Is there any questions or discussion on the budget for the Chromebooks? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e seven resolution number twenty five zero eight zero zero seven. Budget increase. Blount County Schools, 550,000. The appropriate educational capital funds to set aside funds for unplanned HVAC replacement costs for fiscal year 2526. Do I have a motion to send this on to the commission? Motion made by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Bright. Is there questions and discussion on this? Commissioner Kahler, go ahead.

Thank you, mister chairman. The figure $550,000, is that based off of some sort of study, or is it or or we just five fifty sounds like a pretty cool number.

In the looking at the past couple of years, the average that we spent on broken HVAC replacements has been about 550. It was kinda hidden in the past because we're using Esser funds as the method to replace broken units. But when I combined up Esser with what we've spent, it's about that much. And I'm not asking for an increase. I was asked actually asked for it to be in the, $1.41 budget for 05/1950, but we, collectively decided to put that into $1.77 capital expenditures. And so this is creating that pot of money in the $1.77 that I can then tap into to do the, like I said, the broken HVAC replacements.

How many will that repair?

How many will that replace?

Repair or replace

whatever It's hard to determine because some are five ton units, some are 20 ton units, and there's a big price disparity between those two.

I understand. Is that on our priority list?

It's not a priority because like, for instance, I've just sent purchasing 12 units that would need replaced throughout the district, and that's not a priority. It's just based when things break down, we can't repair or fix it. I have other planned HVAC based on age that I I plan for, but this is specifically for broken ones that a classroom needs to have their air conditioning or overheating.

Okay. Thank you, sir.

Yep. Is there any questions, other questions, or discussion? Seeing none, ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have four yeses and one no.

Thank you. Item e eight, resolution number 25Dash08Dash008, budget increase highway, $544,490.91. This is to appropriate highway capital funds for the purchase of a new paver. Have a motion to send this on by commissioner Bright, seconded by commissioner Anderson. Is there any questions or discussion on this?

Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e nine, resolution number 25Dash08Dash009, budget increase. Blount County Schools, $437,992. This is to appropriate educational capital funds to replace the gym floors in both Fairview Elementary and Friendsville Elementary. Have a motion by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Bright to send this on. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mayor, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 10, resolution number 25 Dash08Dash010. Budget increase, Blount County Schools, $419,979.63. And this is the appropriate Education Capital Funds to replace fire alarm systems and ECCA. I have a motion by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Kahler. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 11, resolution number 25 dash zero eight dash zero twelve, budget increase. Blount County Schools, 300,000. This is appropriate education capital funds to set aside funds for architect fees for multiple planned projects for fiscal year 2526. I have a motion. Motion by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Bright. Do I have any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 12. Resolution number 25Dash08Dash013. Budget increase, Blount County Schools, $125,000. This is appropriate education capital funds to set aside funds for the contingencies for multiple plan projects for fiscal year 2526. Do I have a motion to send this on to the commission? I do by commissioner Anderson and a second by commissioner Bryant. Any questions or discussion on this? Commissioner Kaler, go ahead.

Correct me if I'm wrong, mister chairman, but the school board actually requested a decrease from $300,000 to a $125,000 in their last meeting. Is that is that what I understand?

Is that correct? Yes. It is.

K. Well, if the school board did it, then I blew them out on this particular instance. Okay. I support that. Thank you.

Alright. Thank you. Any other questions or discussion? Seeing none, I ask you to raise your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 13, resolution number 25Dash08Dash014. Budget decrease, Clark County Schools, 200,000. This is the appropriate education capital funds to purchase culinary equipment for the newly built culinary building at William Blunt High School. And do I have a motion to send this on to the commission workshop? Motion made by commissioner Anderson, seconded by commissioner Bright. Is there and I have questions by commissioner Anderson, and and and miss Hannan. I'll start with commissioner Anderson. Go ahead.

Thank you, mister mayor. I just had a quick question about the the actual cost of this because I know that the requested amount was 200,000. But looking at the supporting documentation, which is all very worthwhile stuff, It looks like the there's some different numbers. It looks like maybe it's 168,000 and some change.

You're correct. So the bids came in, and they they did get not bids. They quoted it out. I think the winning bid is TriMark. That's probably in there. Hold on just a second. I don't know if you can see my stack, but I've got quite a few things here. Yeah. Trim work. So that's gonna be about $1.68 and change.

There's a caveat in here that this bid's only good for seven days. There's also some verbiage about price escalators based on tariffs and other things. So I think the idea was to put a cushion in there in case something were to happen with installation or the price were to increase between now and when we actually issue the PO. Okay. So we've

we've got a little bit of a cushion built in there in case there's a price increase due to

Yeah. But we would only so, hopefully, things go well, and they're just gonna hold steady, and we would issue the PO for this exact amount. But, if not, then we'll do what we need to do.

Okay. Thank you. You're welcome.

Miss Hannem?

Yes. I was just wondering how long when did the the, culinary school open?

I think it's nearing completion.

I'll be happy to answer that for you.

Okay.

The Culinary building, the program has been in place for multiple years. I mean, it's many, many years. It was part of the renovation of the new William Blunt culinary program. It's part of the renovation of the whole CTE Building. And with doing that, the governor allowed money to come through the school districts.

We used a million dollars of governor money to help build that culinary facility. The other part of the facility as part of the overall construction, there was not enough money within the budget to have the culinary equipment part of the budget process, and so we are asking for that to be completed. It is part of the program. So if we do not have the equipment in the program, then we will not be able to have the program itself. The, the specs and so forth needs the new equipment for the size.

And you asked in regards to the amount. The the trial mark, when you look at when you look at the bids, that the second lowest one that you were indicating did not bill the equipment. So they only needed one item. So when you did the double items on that, it increases the value of that. So there's only, like, a $7,842 difference in the pricing of those two bids, which incorporates any Tri Mart, terrorist that might take place. So I hope I answered your questions.

You did. I only have one more if I still have the floor, ma'am.

You got it. Go ahead.

You expect, no delays, miss Steve Taylor, kinda coming. What's what's they gonna do for your program? Yeah.

I mean, the the building is sitting there waiting Mhmm. For the equipment to be ordered and to be installed. And so as soon as the approval takes place, I'm ready to do requisitions and get POs cut to get the items ordered. So we hope not. There'll be any delays. But when you're dealing with equipment, and I've dealt with CTE equipment for many years, you never know when you did the ordering if there's gonna be delays.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Doctor. Utter. Thank you, Benny. Is there any other questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register a vote.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 14, resolution number 25Dash08Dash015. Budget increase, Blount County Schools, 45,264. This is appropriate educational capital funds to purchase a new fuel truck for the school maintenance department. Do I have a motion to send this on to commission? Motion made by commissioner Bright, seconded by commissioner Anderson. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 15, resolution number 25 dash zero eight dash zero one six, budget increase. Elections, thirty five thousand. This is to appropriate one time general county funds for the already supported voting machine maintenance. Motion made to send this on to the commission by miss Hannem, seconded by commissioner Bright. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item e 16, resolution number twenty five dash zero eight dash zero one seven. Budget increase for the health department, $9,065.02. And this is to accept an appropriate fiscal year twenty six state DGA grant for the health department personnel and operations. These funds are reimbursed by the state. I have a motion to send this on by commissioner Bright and seconded by commissioner Anderson. Do I have any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to raise your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you very much. Item e 17, resolution number twenty five zero eight dash zero one eight. Budget increase, highway department, $7,785.72. This is appropriate highway capital funds to purchase a tractor mounted blower. I have a motion by commissioner Anderson to send this on to the commission, seconded by commissioner Bright. Is there any questions or discussion on this? Seeing none, I ask you to register to vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Moving on to f one resolution twenty five zero eight zero one nine library. This is request approval for a three year contract with a to z database. The contract will secure pricing over the life of the contract and provides a savings of 10% over the three year contract. Do I have a motion to forward this on to the commission workshop?

Motion made by commissioner Bright, seconded by commissioner Anderson. Any questions or discussion on this? Miss Hannam?

I'm not sure of the cost. Do you did, overlook it?

Brian, do we have a cost on this?

Go

ahead, Brian.

Thank you, mayor. Miss Hannem, the the three year option is $3,276 per year.

Thank you. Mhmm.

Is there any other questions or discussion? Seeing none, ask you to register to vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. Item f two, resolution 25Dash08Dash020, emergency management. This is to apply for the fiscal year twenty six hazardous materials emergency preparedness grant. I have a motion by commissioner and or commissioner Kahler to, pass this on. Seconded by miss Hannam. Is there any questions or discussion on this grant? Seeing none, I ask you to register your vote, please.

Mary, you have five yeses.

Thank you. With nothing else on the agenda, we hear a motion to adjourn. Move. Move to adjourn.