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Image Link 11-17-2016

Summary BOCC Meeting- Nov 16, 2016

CORRESPONDENCE: Army Corps of Engineers requesting access to compactor site to analyze potential contaminants. They want unlimited access; Ed Ehmann says that the county needs to control that access.

CONSENT AGENDA:
-approved BOCC minutes from 10/12/16 and 11/2/16
-vouchers/warrants/mylar signing/CDS vouchers approved
-second addendum to intergovernmental dispatch agreement between EC and Douglas Co.
-CDHS certification of compliance for EC merit system
-GIS digital data license agreement with Town of Elizabeth

ELECTED OFFICIALS:
-Dallas Schroeder shared highlights of increased number of voters in EC and thanked both political parties for providing qualified election judges.
-Larry Ross congratulated new commissioners on their election victories and thanked all citizens who are involved with county government; expressed his thanks for the honor of serving EC for the past 4 years.

PUBLIC COMMENT:
Richard Smith - major road in Sun Country has serious problems....washboards, flat tires because of materials being pulled up from ditch, etc. Wants grader drivers to stop pulling from ditches.

NEW BUSINESS:
-Danny Willcox appointed as designee to EC communications Authority (ECCA)

-Procedure to notify stakeholders and interested parties and delegation of staff responsibilities regarding recently approved water study with Forsgren - Danny Willcox to be interface with input from Ric Morgan (from WAC).

-Public hearing on Coyote Meadow Rezoning Application - continuance to December 7, 2016.

-Agreement for professional services between EC and Design Workshop for Master Plan assistance.

-Public hearing on 2017 proposed county budget - Ed Ehmann:

*No copies of the budget were available to the public at this hearing, and since there is no internet service in the fairgrounds room with which to access the budget online, it was somewhat difficult to analyze what was being presented. Very brief presentation consisting of a few pie charts - numbers on power point projection were unreadable due to distance from audience.

*Sample tax bill presented showing where taxes go: Road and Bridge 34%, Social Services 5%, general fund 58%, retirement 3%.

*Need to increase general fund reserves; road and bridge - a lot of our $ come from gas taxes; sales and use tax - plans to increase to complete larger road projects (currently about $2 million/yr); will spend about $500,000 more than tax revenues on roads (using reserves).

*Staff has started on projections/financial needs/revenues/facilities related to proposed wind farm in EC (should it be approved)

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*Our financial situation "continues to improve in EC" according to Ed Ehmann.

Public comment on budget:

-Marlene Groves: applauded staff for working together and encouraged the county to include the citizens in the budget process. Asked that when public meetings are held, inform the public about which departmental budgets are being evaluated; also asked that copies of the budget be available to citizens when the budget is a topic of discussion at a meeting.

-Belinda Seville: asked for explanation of assessed vs. market values on properties as related to property tax income to county. Mill levies calculated on assessed values. Special use tax - what's the magic number where the county will implement improvements? Ehmann said "no magic number" and that projects are developed per the Western Elbert County Transportation Plan. Vastly underfunded. Constantly on the hunt for outside funding.

-Beth Shelley: asked for more detail about budget - hiring? new road and bridge projects? Wanted more information about specific components of budget. Ed Ehmann stated that staff isn't prepared to go into detail and stated that this information is available on the website (budget narrative and budget message).

-Tony Baker: sales and use tax fund was citizen driven - 14 to 16 million dollars have come in that wouldn't have were it not for this initiative. Ed Ehmann said the sales and use tax has generated $17 million, and we have spent $16 million of it on roads.

When Ehmann was asked what he thought would be the best revenue generating source, he said, "What do the people want?" He said that he believes in economic development - EC needs more commercial.

Meeting adjourned.

-Jill Duvall