HomeMy WebLinkAbout20172901.tiff This meeting is recorded for accuracy.
Minutes
WELD COUNTY COUNCIL
September 15, 2014
The Weld County Council met in regular session in full conformity with the Weld County
Home Rule Charter, Monday, September 15, 2014, at the Weld County Administration
Building, Greeley, CO.
ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Councilwoman Marge Klein
and on roll call the following members were present, constituting a quorum of members
thereof:
Councilwoman Marge Klein
Councilman Brett Abernathy
Councilman Don Mueller
Councilman Bernard C. Kinnick
Councilman Jeffrey Hare
Also present: Carly Koppes, Weld County Clerk and Recorder's Office, and Sarah
Mundt, Council Secretary.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilman Hare made a motion to approve the
September 15, 2014 agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kinnick and
the motion carried.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: August 18, 2014 Minutes. Councilwoman Klein
moved to accept the August 18, 2014 minutes as presented and the motion carried.
REVIEW PROGRAM: Carly Koppes, Weld County Clerk and Recorder's Office
Elections Department:
Ballots sent out on October 14. There will be six Early Voter Service and Polling
Centers and five Drop Off Locations, and on Election Day there will be an additional five
Drop Off Locations and an additional four Early Voter Service and Polling Centers
added. The only 24 hour Drop Off Location is the Greeley Town Hall, because of the
availability of the video surveillance system. The Elections Department will be meeting
with Washington State counties to gather information on all mail-in ballots. Hours for
Drop Off Locations will be open October 14 through November 1 from 8am to 5pm, also
Saturdays, October 25 through November 1 for 4 hours, and on Election Day from 7am
to 7pm.
Motor Vehicle Department:
Oil and Gas has increased the load for this department with the trucks and all of the
equipment and machinery needing plates or stickers. The industries that are drilling in
Wyoming and Nebraska have also increased the workload due to ports of entry needing
2017-2901
Weld County Council
September 15,2014
Minutes
paperwork from Colorado. Construction has also increased workload due to the need
for transportation of materials. Because of the record number of applications for new
purchases and oil and gas equipment, the Motor Vehicle Department is currently
operating under mandatory 10 hours overtime and the office is operating earlier and
later than usual working hours. Ms. Koppes will be presenting ideas next year, such as
adding dedicated time frames and dedicated personnel to the Oil and Gas and
Construction industries to relieve some of the burden and strain on the office. Currently
the County operates with a computer system that is antiquated and in DOS format, and
the State is going to address this issue with starting to develop an upgrade in 2015.
The County has a vested interest and is going to be highly involved in the development
of the new system from the State because of Weld County's size and the oil and gas
influence within the County.
Recording:
The office has about 2 years' worth of clean-up from the transfers to the online system,
and they are currently working on addressing the clean-up. Hundreds of maps were not
completely transferred in the system and they still need to be scanned and uploaded,
and maps that no longer belong to Weld County need to be sent to the appropriate
counties after they are scanned in Weld County. The Office provides online filing, which
is utilized at about 60%. The office averages 300-350 documents submitted on line and
hardcopy per day.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None at this time
OLD BUSINESS: None at this time
NEW BUSINESS:
• Discuss and Vote on Elected Officials' Salaries
Council members brought their individual salary proposals to present for
discussion.
Councilman Kinnick proposed that the County Commissioners' salaries increase
to $96,300 for 2017 and 2018, County Clerk and Recorder's salary increase to
$88,300 for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, County Sheriff's salary increase to
$140,000 for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and County Assessor's salary increase to
$97,300 for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Bruce Barker gave an interpretation of the Home Rule Charter and State Statute
stating that County Elected Officials' salaries cannot increase or decrease during
their term, thus making a stair-step increase by year unallowable. Salaries must
be set at the same amount for each year in the Elected Official's term at the time
of salary setting by the County Council.
Councilman Hare proposed a stair-step increase by year, but adjusted his
proposal after hearing Bruce Barker's interpretation. Councilman Hare proposed
an increase in the County Commissioners' salary to $130,000 for 2017 and 2018,
Weld County Council
September 15,2014
Minutes
County Clerk and Recorder's salary to increase to $102,500 for 2015, 2016,
2017, 2018, the County Sheriff's salary to increase to $140,000 for 2015, 2016,
2017, 2018, and the County Assessor's salary to increase to $102,500 for 2015,
2016, 2017, 2018. Councilman Hare designed his proposal to be comparable to
private sector salaries in hopes of attracting qualified candidates to the election
pool, especially given the full-time nature of each seat requires the candidate to
leave the private sector to fulfill the role.
Councilman Abernathy proposed County Commissioners' salaries be increased
to $120,000 for 2017 and 2018. County Sheriff's salary be increased to
$140,000. County Clerk and Recorder's salary be increased to $102,500 for
2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. County Assessor's salary be increased to
$110,000 for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Councilman Mueller proposed County Commissioners' salaries be increased to
$115,000. County Sheriff's salary be increased to $140,000 for 2015, 2016,
2017, 2018. County Clerk and Recorder's salary be increased to $100,000 for
2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. County Assessor's salary be increased to
$110,000 for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Councilman Mueller believes that the
salaries need to attract qualified professional candidates.
Councilwoman Klein proposed that the County Commissioners' salaries be
increased to $120,000 for 2017 and 2018. County Clerk and Recorder's salary
be increased to $102,500 for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. County Assessor's
salary be increased to $102,500 for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Councilwoman
Klein stated that they need to be funding the position, not the person.
Councilman Abernathy motioned that the County Commissioners' salaries be set
at $120,000 for 2017 and 2018. Councilman Hare seconded the motion and the
motion carried unanimously.
Councilman Mueller motioned that the County Sheriff's salary be set at $140,000
for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Councilman Kinnick seconded the motion and
the motion carried unanimously.
Councilman Hare motioned that the County Clerk and Recorder's salary be set at
$102,500 for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Councilman Abernathy seconded the
motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Councilman Mueller motioned that the County Assessor's salary be set at
$110,000 for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Councilman Hare seconded the
motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Weld County Council
September 15,2014
Minutes
• Discuss and Vote on Proposed 2015 Budget
Councilman Mueller: Recommend to increase the one person staff. Moved to
have a 5% increase. Up in step (2 steps) is the County equivalent.
Councilman Hare: Read memo into record.
Councilman Hare recommends that the Council consider funding either a fulltime
employee to provide an ongoing internal audit of the County's operations and two
externally contracted audits. His proposed budget is $147,500 plus additional
$6,000 for flexibility. Councilman Hare is open to external contractors also and is
willing to retract the recommendation of the fulltime employee. There are many
models in place in which the Council may consider. Councilman Hare states that
he is not suggesting replicating any system that is already in place and he
suggests that the Council schedule a Risk Assessment either internally, through
a contractor or a hired position. Data protection and fraud prevention is a current
and valid risk. Councilman Mueller made a motion to increase the professional
services in the budget to $50,000 plus the staff salary of 6%. The motion was
seconded by Councilman Kinnick. Councilman Hare motioned for an
amendment to the motion to increase the total budget to $153,500, noting
external services are not to be spent unless acting as the Council as a whole,
and do further investigation. His point is to provide what the Council may need
next year without asking for an increase midyear. Councilman Abernathy
seconded the motion. Upon vote, the motion failed with a 2/3 split. (yea's-
Councilman Hare and Councilman Abernathy, nay's- Councilwoman Klein,
Councilman Mueller and Councilman Kinnick). The standing motion made by
Councilman Mueller, seconded by Councilman Kinnick, was voted upon and
passed with a 3/2 split. (yea's- Councilwoman Klein, Councilman Mueller and
Councilman Kinnick, nay's- Councilman Hare and Councilman Abernathy).
Councilman Mueller: 2 issues are being addressed. Discuss one at a time.
Councilman Mueller suggested that a discussion and review be done at this
meeting and ask the County what is being done before going to such measures.
He suggested asking Don Warden and Barb Connolly to present. Councilman
Mueller believes that the Council has asked the community to bring the issues to
the Council, but somewhere the Council needs to take the right steps and those
steps are asking the County Staff what they have done. The Council needs to
hear what the People think. Councilman Mueller pointed out that every financial
audit includes internal controls. Councilman Mueller proposes that the Council
ask Don Warden and Barb Connolly to provide the current measures, and if the
Council feels the need after that, the Council can proceed with discussion hiring
a contractor to do an internal audit. Councilman Mueller made a motion to
increase the Budget in Professional Services to $50,000 and the Staff Salary to
the 6% (the County step increase), to a total increase of $26,500 plus the staff
increase percentage.
Weld County Council
September 15,2014
Minutes
Councilman Hare asked that Councilwoman Klein invite Don Warden and Barb
Connolly to present at the next Regular Meeting. Councilwoman Klein agreed to
invite Don Warden and Barb Connolly.
Councilman Abernathy stated that the County has grown and an audit can affirm
the good that the County has been doing, but it also allows the Council to "trip"
over an issue that may not be in plain sight. It is a way to report to the People
that the Council is providing the audit function.
Councilman Kinnick asked that if the Council asks for an increase in budget, can
they ask for additional funds? And if the Council asked for the increase, are the
Commissioners obligated to honor it? Bruce Barker answered with, yes and no.
The Audit and Review system in place does not just address the finance. The
audit in the Council's jurisdiction also includes performance audits and expert
personnel. In the past, when things come up, the Council has hired a specific
expert to investigate the issue. Councilman Kinnick asked if there are any
performance audits being done in the County and does the Council ever have a
work session or special meeting?
• Letter in response to the Letter from the County Commissioners: Councilman
Hare read it into record.
Councilman Hare moved to have the letter sent to the Commissioners.
Councilwoman Klein asked if the Council did send the proposed letter back to the
Commissioners, what would the Council do if the Commissioners declined the
request. Councilman Hare noted that the letter from the Commissioners is a
request and that the role of the Council is to be an audit function for the County.
The communications between the Council and the Commissioners would be
considered working papers and not subject to public record. Bruce Barker noted
that the County Council is designed to be transparent and he does not
understand why the Council would want to hide anything from public record?
Bruce Barker does not see where the County Council has the right to claim
exclusion from public record for work papers. Councilman Mueller stated that the
Commissioners had issue and maybe they had issue with how the situation was
handled. Councilman Abernathy disagreed. He stated that he sees where the
Council has the right to address County employees directly, as a person, a
councilmember, but the power must be exercised properly, but not necessarily
through formal written requests. Councilman Hare asked is asking for a mapping
of the County functions is an aggressive move? Councilman Mueller believes it
is since he believes Councilman Hare acted on his own, not with the body of the
Council. Councilman Hare stated that he included the Council members in the
investigation he was conducting at every point along the way. Councilman Hare
does not believe that a Council member must have a written request to follow up
on an issue. He believes that it's respectful and needed to include the other
Council members on any inquiries each member is following up on. Bruce
Barker noted that the County Council's Rules and Regulations is not the Home
Weld County Council
September 15,2014
Minutes
Rule Charter. The Charter states that the Council will investigate not individual
Council members. Councilman Mueller suggested a work session (special
meeting) be considered to discuss this issue further. Councilman Hare pointed
out he was trying to address the Budget before November and he never
demanded or put a deadline on any of his information requests. Councilman
Mueller stated that things need to be done with proper order. Councilman Hare
noted he did send a lot of information and may have overwhelmed the Council
members by doing so. He states his intent was to have an informed
recommendation. Councilman Hare and Councilman Abernathy believe that a
response to the Commissioners is warranted. Councilman Mueller suggested
the Council ask to have a discussion with the Commissioners before a response
letter is considered. Councilman Abernathy wants to know how this meeting will
happen. Councilwoman Klein agreed to set up a special meeting with the
Commissioners and the Council. Bruce Barker stated that it is not a right for
individual council members to directly ask County employees for information, the
Charter states that Council has the authority for requests. Bruce Barker states
that the questions are good questions, but the questions need to be organized
and addressed in a proper manner.
The motion was not seconded, and the motion failed.
• Coordinator Reports — none at this time
• Upcoming Meetings/Invitations — none at this time
• Pay Bills: Councilman Abernathy made a motion to pay the bills and the motion
was seconded by Councilman Mueller and the motion carried.
• Mileage
o Councilwoman Klein $106.38
o Councilman Mueller $5.94
o Councilman Abernathy $9.72
o Councilwoman Klein $34.02
o Councilman Kinnick $11.34
o Councilman Hare $6.48
Councilman Hare will be the coordinator for the October 20, 2014 Regular meeting at
the Weld County Administration Building.
ADJOURNMENT: By acclamation, the meeting was adjourned at 8:43 p.m.
September 15, 2014 Council President Marge Klein
Council Secretary Sarah Mundt
Hello