COURT
FACILITIES AND
DECEMBER 3, 2008
** NOT APPROVED
Members Present: D. Pullen, G. Benson, W. Hall, T.
Hopkins, T. O’Grady, C. Crandall (Absent:
D. Fanton)
Others Present: D. Burdick, W. Dibble, A. Finnemore, K. Kruger,
J. Margeson, T. Miner, T. Parker, B. Riehle, T. Ross, N. Ungermann; Media: B. Quinn, Wellsville Daily Reporter
Call to Order: 3:00 p.m. by Committee Chairman David Pullen.
Approval of
Minutes: The minutes of the November 19, 2008 meeting
were approved following a motion made by Legislator Hopkins, seconded by Legislator
Hall and carried.
Court Facilities Project Bond Resolution Process:
County Attorney Thomas Miner prepared a resolution for
consideration entitled, “A Resolution Authorizing the Renovation of
Existing Court Facility Space and County Office Space Together with the
Construction of New Court Facility Space Contiguous to Existing County Space in
Order to Implement the Court Facilities Capital Plan in and for the County of
Allegany, New York, at a Maximum Estimated Cost of $18,684,000, and Directing
the Preparation of a Bond Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of $18,684,000 Bonds
of Said County to Pay the Cost Thereof.” It is an abbreviated form of a bond
resolution, which is the next step necessary to move forward with the Court
Facilities Project. The amount used in
the resolution is the amount provided by the architectural firm, LaBella
Associates. The document presented is
not the formal bond resolution, but authorizes the
Legislator O’Grady questioned the future possibility of
separating the two projects (Court Renovation/Addition and County Office
Building Renovation) if they are bonded for as one total. At what point could they be separated, or
does bonding for them together preclude separating them later?
Ms. Ross explained the bonding process. Normally the committees will refer the bond
resolution to the Board and the Board will approve it. The amount included is an estimate. Once the bidding is completed, the dollar
amount based on those bids is the amount that is actually borrowed. Due to regulations on spend-downs, the total
amount for the project is borrowed in sections.
The financing is broken down through Bond Anticipation Notes (BAN),
which are short-term for the interim, to allow completion of the project, and
then the bonding is done. Mr. Pullen
added that the bond resolution approves a maximum dollar figure that the County
is willing to borrow for the project.
Additional resolutions will be required for the approval of contracts
and expenditure of funds on each portion of the project.
Legislator Burdick asked for clarification that we would
need a two-thirds vote to authorize bonding, and then a simple majority vote
for authorizing each individual contract and corresponding expense associated
with the project. Mr. Pullen stated that
was correct.
Legislator Hall expounded on Mr. O’Grady’s question. It wasn’t about the total to be spent, but
whether the physical project is separate from this resolution. Can decisions still be made on how to move
forward on the project.
Legislator Kruger commented that it would be difficult to
separate the project, because the plan that OCA has tentatively approved
includes space in the
Chairman Crandall remarked that the proposed resolution
will be forwarded to the Ways and Means Committee if approved here, and there
may be some wording changes on the actual bond resolution, depending on what bond
counsel recommends. Mr. Miner stated
that changes would be very esoteric, just some legal phrasing. Mr. Pullen noted that this makes sure the
process moves forward, and was prompted by correspondence from Chief
Administrative Judge Pfau. This is the next
step. The resolution request will be
considered by Ways and Means on December 17 and won’t have to come back to this
committee for approval of any wording changes.
Chairman Crandall pointed out that the essence of the resolution would
not be changed, only the legal phrasing.
A
motion was made by Legislator
Relocation of Office for the Aging and Veterans’
Service Agency to Crossroads:
Committee Chairman Pullen reported that at a prior
meeting, the Industrial
Reminder – Special Committee of the Whole Meeting:
Mr. Pullen made note of this evening’s Committee of the
Whole meeting that was scheduled to present information on the financial
impacts regarding the Court Facilities Project.
NEXT MEETING: Tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, January
7, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m. following
a motion made by Legislator Hall, seconded by Legislator Hopkins and carried.
Respectfully submitted by
Adele Finnemore, Journal Clerk