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Commission tables most motor-coach trip approvals pending workshop; staff to study depreciation/sinking fund options
Summary
Commissioners debated fees and revenue-neutrality for county-run motor-coach trips and voted to table most requests until a workshop; staff offered extending the sinking-fund amortization (e.g., to 15 years) to lower per-trip costs and will present figures at the retreat/workshop.
A lengthy policy discussion at the Jan. 5 Spalding County meeting focused on proposed out-of-state motor-coach trips the county subsidizes. Commissioners said the county has not set a definitive revenue-neutral standard for the motor-coach program and questioned whether the trip pricing shown to the board reflected current costs.
One commissioner urged that a February trip to Selma, Alabama (the National Museum of African American History) be considered separately because it falls during Black History Month and may be short notice; others pressed for a workshop to set a consistent revenue-neutral target. Staff proposed extending the depreciation/sinking-fund period for the county's motor coach from 10 to as much as 15 years to reduce the per-trip cost.
After discussion commissioners moved to table most of the proposed trips (items 1'5) and asked staff to return with figures at a workshop or retreat. The transcript records multiple motions to table and a combination of table votes; where noted, recorded voice tallies were 5-0. Commissioners agreed to allow short-notice trips in February (selma) to proceed while deferring others until the board reviews updated cost and depreciation analyses at the retreat/workshop.
Staff said they will return with both mileage- and years-based analyses and recommended the board consider industry best practices on vehicle life when setting a sinking-fund period.
