Finance Committee

Members present:        Tommy Lee Bychinski, Mike Flint, Marty Krueger, Eric Peterson and Kristin White Eagle

Others present:             Ellen Allen, Kerry Beghin, Alene Bolin, Kevin Calkins, Ian Crammond, Jim Daniels, John Dietz, Becky Evert, Liz Geoghegan, Leo Grill, Greg Hahn, Lynn Horkan, Tom Kriegl, Lewis Lange, Jessica Machovec, Sheriff Meister, Debra O’Rourke, Adrienne Olson, Steve Pate, Michelle Posewitz, Jeff Spencer, Carrie Wastlick, Phil Wedekind, Brian Zobel and media

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Bychinski at 8:15 AM.  Certification of open meeting compliance was given.  Motion to adopt the agenda by Flint, second by White Eagle.  Motion carried.   

 

Public Comment:  None

 

Discussion and consideration of the 2018 County Budget.

 

Register in Probate:  Daniels gave background on the department.  He reviewed the transition to paperless court filing and statutory changes affecting the office.  He reviewed the revenues and expenses.  Discussed juvenile challenges and costs. 

 

Administrative/General Government Departments

Bolin reviewed the group’s objectives and goals for the functional group.  The group, like all others, has been working on values and process mapping.  Tasks touch all departments. 

 

Accounting:  Beghin reviewed the accounting operations.  Trends continue toward more complex reporting for the audit.  Financial statement requirements are moving towards more forward looking reporting, i.e. the new standard for reporting Wisconsin Retirement System liability/asset.  Departments rely on Accounting for complex grant reporting.  Personnel standards are also requiring more assistance from accounting.  She reviewed the department accounting manager reclassification.  She reviewed the staffing change between Administrative Coordinator and Accounting:  creating a professional accountant for Accounting and an administrative position for Administrative Coordinator.  Also included in the budget, the financial system and time keeping system migration to cloud based operations.

 

Administrative Coordinator:  Bolin reviewed goals and leadership transition partnerships.  As key department staff turn over, continue to work on recruiting and on boarding processes.  Bolin discussed development of performance measurements.  Bolin noted the budget includes a new staff community liaison as part of placemaking.  Position will work collaboratively across department and community lines.  Position will be funded through use of fund balance as a two year project position, not meant to be a permanent position. She reviewed the elimination of the management analyst position shared with Accounting and the creation of an administrative assistant that will also work with Criminal Justice Coordinating.

 

Building Services:  Crammond reviewed department’s responsibility for oversight and management of 6 facilities, 9.5 staff, 9 towers, tank storage, landfill, and extensive fiber network.  He reviewed the budget highlights.  Crammond reviewed the security items.  Discussed use of fund balance for various items. 

 

Corporation Counsel:  O’Rourke described the role and services of the department.  She reviewed the funding for the Child Support and Termination of Parental Rights attorneys.  She reviewed the new position request for a part time legal secretary.    

 

County Clerk:  Evert commented the department’s only non-mandated program is passport processing.  2018 is a four election year and the passport revenue helps to offset these additional expenses.  Election processing costs and passport process were discussed. 

 

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC):  Bolin shared the mission and goal of the CJCC.  Program just had first graduation of 3 participants.  Program is fully staffed for adult treatment court (19 participants), operating after revocation program and soon to start an operating while intoxicated court.  This budget includes a $90,000 levy increase, there is no longer reliance on fund balance for startup costs.  The costs for contracted testing providers will be increasing.  Budget also includes 20% of the Administrative Coordinator clerical position and reclassification of one drug court coordinator into a lead position.  The department’s goal is to have 20 participants caseload per coordinator.  The program process, benefits and outreach were discussed.

 

Dog License:  Evert explained the program.  The revenue is decreasing due to fewer dog tags sold. 

 

Workers Comp:  Posewitz noted there are no significant changes.  Any possible self-funded rate change will be minimal. 

 

Insurance:  Beghin reviewed the status of the self-insurance fund. 

 

Landfill Remediation:  Crammond noted the site is maintained and in compliance with water testing and methane burn off.  No budget changes, all running well. 

 

Management Information Systems (MIS):  Pate reviewed all facets of technology for which the department is responsible.  He noted that technology touches everything we do today.  He noted the MIS staff are specialized generalists and technology’s complexity is growing exponentially.  The need to outsource for system experts has increased.  Pate reviewed the decrease in tax levy.  Outlay delayed, not addressed in this budget, is a critical network infrastructure improvement project and 2018 replacement copiers.  Pate commented about the importance of balancing expansion of programs and staff with long term reinvesting in system infrastructure.  Bolin spoke to the need to keep the systems maintained.  Discussed the replacement of the Sheriff department’s Visionaire system.  Reviewed the time keeping system and financial system transitioning to a cloud based operations.  Goal is integration between systems and eliminate system management from the MIS department.  Pate noted that the current Kronos system may not be the best fit, will go through a system selection process to assess needs.  With a cloud hosted systems the department will be able to eliminate internal administration.  An MIS system support position will be retiring by 2019,  Budget includes the 2018 staff expense to be paid from Fund Balance to offset the cost of the cloud transition. 

 

Personnel:  Posewitz noted the department provides centralized human resource services for over 700 employees.  She reviewed the list of services.  She noted the issues and challenges are more complex employee issues in disciple, health, open records requests and greater Employee Assistance Program utilization.  Reporting requirements are also becoming more complex.  She reviewed the budget highlights. 2017 was the first year risk management was in the department, looking at revisions to the Triple I reporting form.  Even though there is a new 3 year contract for health insurance, efforts continue to find ways to keep rates down and work on employee wellness.    

 

Treasurer: Geoghegan reviewed the department budget.  2018 budget includes significant amount for real estate charge backs.  The charge backs budget includes $15,000 levy funded and the difference $396,100 using fund balance for this extraordinary amount.  Additionally interest on investment revenues increased due to rising interest rates.

 

Workers Compensation: Posewitz noted plan is self-funded.  Rates continue to be favorable. 

 

Motion by Krueger to recess until 1:00 PM, second by Peterson.  Motion carried.

Recess at 11:55 until 1:00 PM.

Resumed at 1:00 PM

 

UW-Baraboo /Sauk County:  Wedekind and Zobel reviewed the campus projects and priorities.

 

The Committee reviewed the Outside agency requests.  Beghin reminded the Committee the agencies presented to appropriate oversight committees.  Bolin noted Corporation Council is still determining if the request to the Tavern League is legal.  

 

Justice and Public Safety departments:  Grill commented on the collaboration and communication of the functional group. 

 

Child Support:  Olson gave a broad overview of the child support program and mandates.  She commented there is significant communication between departments and noted the cooperative agreements with other departments.  There are no changes in federal or state funding.  She made some minor tweaks in some line items combined with staff changes resulting in lower wage/benefit costs results in a decreased levy request.

 

Circuit Courts:  (previously presented 9/12/17)

 

Clerk of Courts (COC):  Wastlick reviewed the COC main function.  She highlighted the department’s budget, very little change from the prior year.  Collections and restitution efforts have been going well. 

 

Coroner:  Hahn noted he works with 13 law enforcement agencies.  Other than hospital deaths, the coroner determines cause of death.  Hospice utilization is increasing which increases coroner case numbers.  Autopsies have risen slightly.  He reviewed changes to revenues and expenses.   

 

Court Commissioner / Family Court Counseling Service:  Grill reviewed the department budget, little change.  Apportioned slightly more to the mediation budget based on trends. 

 

District Attorney (DA)/ Victim Witness:  Calkins noted felony prosecutions up due mostly to drug related crimes.  He noted most of the levy increase is labor expense.  Calkins reviewed the use of fund balance to cover a part time attorney to bridge a retirement and retain current grant funded assistant DA position. 

 

Drug Seizures:  Meister noted program provides funds to assist in drug investigations.  No changes.

 

Jail Assessment:  Meister noted an increase slightly due to collection of fines and forfeitures. 

 

Register in Probate:  Previously presented 9/28/2017 at 8:15

 

Sheriff Department:  Meister commented budget includes bed rental income increase due to a signed 3 year contract with the state for bed rentals.  State rentals are not a guarantee, rentals will fluctuate daily.  Large part of increase to budget is for wage and benefit expenses.  Budget does not include additional patrol positions that were originally going to be requested.  The Sheriff reviewed increased dispatch calls along with a rise in incidents deputies are handling.  The Committee discussed the costs of adding a patrol position.  The budget includes use of fund balance, $344,000 for computer system to replace current Visionaire/Tritech.  Visionaire will no longer develop the system.

 

Motion by Krueger, second by Peterson to change the following budgets:  Building Services - use fund balance for the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) kitchen equipment $122,000, use levy to fund LEC chiller rebuild $85,000, use levy to fund the county board room audio upgrade $30,000, remove art purchases $15,000, remove use of fund balance energy efficiency measures $225,000, add levy funding for MIS network infrastructure capital improvements $105,000.  Motion carried.

 

Budget process and next meetings were discussed. 

The Committee discussed the amendment process.  Consensus is to repeat the same process as prior year.  Amendments will be reviewed by Finance Committee at November meeting.

 

Beghin reviewed the levy limit provision to allow carryforward of levy capacity from prior years in the amount of $43,526.  The consensus of the Committee is to exercise this provision as part of the resolution. 

 

Public Comment:  None

 

Motion by Peterson, second by Flint to adjourn the meeting.  Motion carried. 

 

Respectfully submitted,  

 

 

 

Kristin White Eagle

Finance Committee Secretary