~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
Tweaking the ongoing process of funding the career academy and other urban renewal projects, the Greene County board of supervisors met with Jeff Heil of Northland Securities at the regular board meeting on Sept. 23. Heil wanted to clarify the relationships among the board’s advisors in the use of TIF (tax increment financing): Northland Securities, the D.A. Davidson firm, and Ahlers and Cooney.
Heil recently realized the Davidson firm has been providing some of the same services to the board as Northland has been providing. This duplication of services involved the role of municipal advisor.
Originally, Northland Securities was hired to act as underwriter and municipal advisor, with another company to be hired for pricing opinion on the sale of general revenue bonds. Heil said the law requires a separation of the roles.
The board had hired the D.A. Davidson firm to provide the pricing opinion but Davidson has also been doing the municipal advising role. Heil needed clarification as to the board’s expectations of Northland.
A teleconference call was made to bond counsel Kristin Cooper of Ahlers and Cooney to clarify the board’s agreements with Northland Securities and D.A. Davidson. The board affirmed Northland as municipal advisor and underwriter for the issuance of municipal securities. D.A. Davidson is to act only in the pricing opinion role.
Supervisor Dawn Rudolph observed, “It’s a new process for us.”
County attorney Thomas Laehn and sheriff Jack Williams discussed the current agreement between the county and the city of Jefferson for shared dispatching services. Per a new agreement that went into effect July 1, the city is paying the county $25,000 for dispatching. If the county wants to increase the fee for the next fiscal year, the county must notify the city of an intent to terminate the current agreement by Jan 1. Then a new agreement could be entered into at an increased rate.
Laehn spoke about courthouse security improvements. Supervisor Tom Contner serves on the courthouse security committee.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported on proposed work for the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. The board decided inspection of all observation deck and vertical windows is needed due to leaking, with caulking and resealing done as needed.
Weiss had received quotes and recommended the work of Travis Berger, Crystal Clean View/Midwest Vertical for the work described by the board. Berger would remove all caulking on the observation deck windows and re-caulk them for $14,400. The vertical windows would be inspected and re-caulked as needed at an estimate not to exceed $11,400. The board unanimously approved Berger for the tower window project.
Supervisor Contner said, “Let’s do it and do it right.”
Weiss also reported 800 tons of salt are coming in preparation for winter. He spoke of long-term plans for upgrading the shops around the county.
