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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-06-29 Work Session Minutes Deschutes County Board of Commissioners 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960 (541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org MINUTES OF WORK SESSION DESCHUTES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2009 ___________________________ Present were Commissioners Dennis R. Luke and Alan Unger; Commissioner Tammy Baney was out of the office. Also present were Dave Kanner, County Administrator; Erik Kropp, Deputy County Administrator; Tom Blust and Dennis Perkins, Road Department; David Givans, Internal Auditor; Dave Inbody, Assistant to the Administrator; and one other citizen. No representatives of the media were present. Chair Luke opened the meeting at 1:30 p.m. 1. Review of Economic Development Grant Requests. Dave Inbody said that there were about 16 applications for the funding that will be coming in, and asked if the Board wants to consider the 16 first and handle others as they come in, or if a different approach is desired. There are many unknowns as to the amount of funding that will be available. He had told the applicants the funding process was suspended until now. They were asked if they wanted to wait, and most said they would. Commissioner Unger stated that he would like to wait until August when more is known about funding. It is difficult to decide who should get the funds, and does not understand what the criterion for choosing them is. Commissioner Luke said the definition is for economic development purposes. Many of the small grants are for emergency funding that cannot be planned in advance. He said he tries not to give to groups on a yearly basis for things that are operations related and should be budgeted. He said that the higher dollar requests should probably be handled through another County fund. It was decided that perhaps some dollar limit be set for the requests and some other guidelines established as to how funds should be distributed. Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, June 29, 2009 Page 1 of 3 Pages Minutes of Board of Commissioners’ Work Session Wednesday, June 29, 2009 Page 2 of 3 Pages Allan Flood, citizen, brought up leveraged amounts and outcomes. He has been a grant writer for the Bethlehem Inn in the past. He feels that these funds should not be used to fund basic operations. Commissioner Luke stated that the small grant amounts are usually for emergency purposes and the outcomes are a part of the overall project or plan for the group. They do have to do what they say they will with the funds. Dave Kanner said that funds are not for operations, as you really cannot measure the outcomes. Matching funds is a preferred option. This will be addressed at the Wednesday, July 1 work session when Commissioner Baney is available. 2. Discussion of Administrative Policy GA-19, Fuel Purchasing. Dave Kanner said that this suggested policy arose from an internal audit; there is no standardized procedures regarding the purchase of gas for County vehicles. Some departments asked for guidelines to clarify this issue. Commissioner Luke asked how employees purchase from the Road Department. Dennis Perkins stated that they put in their code number plus the odometer reading of the vehicle. This helps to run the preventative maintenance program. A few departments have a gas charge card; also, employees can pay for fuel themselves and be reimbursed. Purchasing cards are not assigned to specific vehicles, but it would be best if cards were established for each vehicle. However, it is hard to track usage via fuel card if an employee takes a vehicle out of the area and fills up in another location. Dave Inbody said that each department should have a policy regarding reimbursement and how the mileage is tracked. The policy will be finalized and addressed at the Wednesday, July 1 work session. 3. Update of Commissioners’ Meetings and Schedules. Commissioner Luke will be touring Lava Butte and that area with representatives of the Forest Service on June 30.