GB&T' s Response to Banking Services Proposal

RFP # 2010 - 005

Section I - Executive Summary

Include a brief overview of the key elements ofyour proposal. Highlight any features or
areas that differentiate your services and products from your competitors.

Georgia Bank & Trust appreciates the opportunity to retain and expand its banking
services with the Columbia County Board of Commissioners. GB&T' s team has
thoroughly reviewed the RFP and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, quantity and
quality of the work to be performed. Simply put, with a local Board of Directors and
Management Team, a new advanced Operations Center (located in Columbia County on
Columbia Road) and a highly skilled and professional staff of approximately 400 well
trained employees here, we are fully capable of fulfilling and will exceed your banking
expectations.

In addition to exceeding your banking services requirements, one area that sets us apart is
our superior service. GB&T has a 20 year history of providing excellence in customer
service from our front line tellers to our President, Dan Blanton. Be it the Columbia
County Sheriffs Department, The Clerk of Courts, The Tax Commissioner's Office or
The Water Utility Department, we think they all would applaud our service delivery,
responsiveness and overall commitment to excellence.

Not only are we committed to Columbia County's government, GB&T is committed to

Columbia County. We have 4 branch offices and our Operations Center in Columbia
County and believe that part of servicing Columbia County's financial needs includes
investing and participating in local organizations through financial donations, leadership
and volunteer work. Throughout the years we have proudly lead the way in supporting
schools, charities, organizations and agencies and will continue this rich tradition.

In Georgia Bank & Trust you will have proven excellence in banking, superior customer
service and a continued commitment to Columbia County. It is our commitment that all
fees and charges associated with maintaining your depository account(s) will be waived.
We further propose that interest will be paid on your average collected balances and
unlike most bids of this nature, GB&T will base your rates taking both The 90-Day
Treasury Bill and Current Fed Funds Rate into account.

GB&T will pledge collateral security as specified by State law. At no time will the par
value of securities pledged less insurance coverage provided by the Federal Government
be less than that required under State law. GB&T will pledge though pooled securities
and will provide a monthly collateral report to the County.

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Section II - Corporate Profile

Include a brief overview and history of your firm. Indicate the contractual entity which will be
responsible for the performance of all aspects of this contract. Provide name of firm, local
address, local contact person, email address, and telephone number.

Georgia Bank & Trust Company, a state-chartered institution was chartered on September 7,
1988, having been organized by a group of local leaders who were committed to our community
and to a style of banking that would provide high-quality financial products and personalized
service. Georgia Bank & Trust is committed to building life-long profitable relationships with
our customers, employees, shareholders and the communities we serve, guided daily by our core
values of integrity, excellence and responsiveness. On December 31, 2008 the bank reported
assets totaling $1,411,039,000. The Bank presently has 12 offices serving our area and also
offers investment, trust and mortgage services. Four offices are located in Columbia County
with the Evans Office at 627 Ronald Reagan Drive, the Evans Express Office at 4440
Washington Road, the Martinez Office at 4109 Columbia Road and the Fury's Ferry Office at
409 Fury's Ferry Road. Georgia Bank & Trust understands the importance of giving back
through community leadership, financial donations and volunteer work. Investing in the
community is done with pride and the knowledge that everyone prospers when a community
comes together. The Bank's 2008 Annual Report is included with this proposal and within this
report is a listing of the organizations that Georgia Bank & Trust supported during that year.
Since its inception the Bank has invested significant sums in technology and has initiated a
Customer Relationship Management System that will assist in the management of all various
accounts and will help deliver quality customer service that exceeds expectations. An upgraded
telephone banking system allows customers to more efficiently handle their banking transactions
by telephone. Internet banking offers additional convenience to consumers, businesses and to
governments. Georgia Bank and Trust Company is committed to all residents of the Augusta
area and to making home ownership available to low and moderate income families. Georgia
Bank & Trust Company has a highly skilled and professional staff and with a local Board and
Management Team it can be responsive and supportive of our local government. The name of
our bank is Georgia Bank and Trust Company with headquarters located at 3530 Wheeler road,
Augusta, Georgia, 30909, with Zack Daffin being the contact person at 706-739-1072.

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Section III - Staffing

1. Indicate the name, title and phone number of the senior staffperson who will be the
County's primary contact for general banking services and the primary technology
contact.

Ruthie Faircloth will be our senior staff person who will be the County's primary
contact for general banking services and the primary technology contact. She will be
the one contact person who will deal with other representatives at GB&T in
addressing Columbia County's banking services needs.

Ruthie Faircloth
Vice President/Business Development Officer
706-481-1000 Ext. 1652

2. Provide a summary and/or organization chart showing principal staff members who
would be servicing the County's account.

The principal staff members who will be servicing the County's account are:

J. Pierce Blanchard, Jr. Zack 0. Daffin Denise F. Bargeron

Executive Vice President VP/Business Development VP/Deposit Operations
3530 Wheeler Road 3530 Wheeler Road 4487 Columbia Road
Augusta, GA 30909 Augusta, GA 30909 Martinez, GA 30907

Shelly Redd Mary H. Skinner

VP/Electronic Banking Corporate Sales Support
4487 Columbia Road 3530 Wheeler Road
Martinez, GA 30907 Augusta, GA 30909

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Section IV - Services

J. Describe the conversion process, training and associated implementation costs, if

any, should you be awarded the contract.

• Throughout the conversion process, members of the Georgia Bank & Trust team
previously identified in Section III will meet with your team and will work
closely with other key Georgia Bank & Trust staff members to ensure a seamless
transition. Columbia County staff will receive comprehensive training on all
aspects of our service.

• Once contracts are signed; agreements including Signature Cards, Corporate

Resolutions, Business B@nking, ACH, Express Deposit and Wire Transfer will
be prepared by Mary Skinner, our Sales Support Representative who will
schedule a time with the appropriate Columbia County Representative to gain
necessary signatures. Once this has been completed, Shelly Redd and Julie
Kitchens, Electronic Banking specialists, will schedule an appointment to meet
with Columbia County Representatives who have been selected on behalf of
Columbia County to be trained in all aspects of our Business B@nking and
Express Deposit services. This training will include a detailed, user friendly
training on how to access account information, view checks, view statements,
process ACH origination, process wire transfers, electronically scan check
deposits along with how to use all of the other features associated with our online
services. Training the staff of Columbia County in the use of our Electronic
Banking services is of the highest priority. Training will be done on site and
because our Operations center is located minutes from the Columbia County
government complex, we can provide full, immediate support on an ongoing
basis, a big advantage over other bank service providers.

• All costs associated with the implementation and training will be waived.

2. Provide specifications for automated service hardware and software capability

proposed (i.e.: wire transfers, ACH debit/credit, internet banking, web-based
payments, etc.).

• All of the services listed above can be done through our Business B@nking
service, which simply requires a computer with Internet Access and Microsoft
Internet Explorer 6.0 SPI or higher.

3. Provide a funds availability schedule for funds deposited to the County's accounts,
including wire transfers, available methods ofdeposits, and deposit locations.

Our policy is to make funds from your deposits available to you on the first business
day after we receive your deposit. Electronic direct deposits, including wire transfers,
will be available on the day we receive the deposit. At that time you can withdraw
the funds in cash and we will use the funds to pay checks that you have written.

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 Convenient Deposit Locations

Evans Office Evans Express Office (Drive thru. 7:30am- 8:00pm)

627 Ronal Reagan Drive 4440 Washington Road
Evans, GA 30809 Evans, GA 30809

Martinez Office Fury's Ferry Office

4109 Columbia Road 409 Fury's Ferry Road
Martinez, GA 30907 Martinez, GA 30907

4. Describe the effective rate, method used and formula proposed to calculate the
service charge credit for collected fund balances. Describe to what extent the service
charge credit/debit from one period can be carried forward to the next period If no
service charge credit is computed, describe the method used in determining interest
earnings on fund balances.

Historically, our standard Earnings Credit has been derived from the 90-day T-Bill
rate and is applied to the average daily collected balance net of Reserve Requirements
(10%). Due to the current rate environment where the 90-day T-Bill it at a historic
low, GB&T has chosen to implement a "floor" rate above current the 90-day T-Bill
rate. Service Charges not offset by an earnings credit are normally posted to the
account the first business day of the following month. Account Analysis credits can
be carried for up to 12 months for profit/loss offset. Please refer to GB&T's Pricing
Structure concerning the effective rate for this bid.

5. Describe the process and time lines associated with payroll direct deposits.

• Using our Business B@nking service, Columbia County may process its payroll
in one of two ways - by uploading a National Automated Clearinghouse
Association (NACHA) formatted file from your current Payroll/Accounting
system or by manually creating a Payroll file. To manually create a file, each
employee's ACH information - name, routing number, account number and
identification number will need to be entered into the system to create an ACH/
NACHA formatted file. Once the file is created the payroll amounts will just need
to be updated as needed before sending us the file. If Columbia County does have
the capability of creating a NACHA formatted file directly from its current
payroll system/accounting software, simply upload the file into our system, verify
totals and then send the file to us.

• To ensure proper posting of these payroll deposits, Columbia County will need to
transmit the payment file via Business B@nking to Georgia Bank & Trust no later
than 1:00 p.m. one business day prior to the origination effective date due to
NACHA guidelines; payroll deposits can be transmitted up to two business days
prior to ensure posting by the Receiving Financial Institution.

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6. Describe the process and time lines associated with direct account drafts for utility
payments.

• Using our Business B@nking service, Columbia County may process its utility
payments in one of two ways - by uploading a NACHA formatted file from your
current billing system or by manually creating a utility payments file. To
manually create a file, each Utility customer's ACH information - name, routing
number, account number and identification number will need to be entered into
the system to create an ACH/NACHA formatted file. Once the file is created the
amounts will just need to be updated as needed before sending us the file. As
mentioned above, if Columbia County does have the capability of creating a
NACHA formatted file directly from its current billing system/accounting
software, simply upload the file into our system, verify totals and then send the
file to us.

• To ensure proper posting of these payments, Columbia County would need to

transmit the payment file via Business B@nking to Georgia Bank & Trust no later
than 1:00 p.m. one business day prior to the origination effective date due to
NACHA guidelines.

7. Describe your institution's fraud protection services.

• Georgia Bank & Trust considers the fraud protection of our customers to be a top
priority and therefore we offer several services which aid in preventing fraud:

a. Automatic Fraud Monitoring - Georgia Bank & Trust has an internal Fraud
Monitoring system which consists of three different levels of monitoring. The first
level is the Fraud Detective module which automatically monitors account
activity from multiple touch points to identify potentially fraudulent transactions
and accounts with the highest probability of fraudulent activities. The second
level is the Anti-Money Laundering module which automatically detects the
deviations in normal account activity that can indicate money laundering
activities. Our third level, the EFT Fraud Detective module, automatically
monitors real-time ATM, point-of-sale (POS) and merchant debit card
transactions. Our staff monitors these systems daily and will notify Columbia
County immediately any time a deviation is found.

b. Positive Pay/Teller Positive Pay - Our Positive Pay system is a part of our
Business B@nking system. Columbia County can enter information into the
Business B@nking system in one of two ways - by uploading a .CSV or fixed
position file from its accounting software or by manually entering the issued items
(check and ACH debit) information file directly into the Business B@nking
system. Our Positive Pay module will match all checks and ACH debits being
presented for payment against the issuance information provided. If the item
being presented for payment matches the issuance record, the item is paid
automatically. If there is a discrepancy, the item is added to the Exception list
which is available to Columbia County via Business B@nking. Columbia County
will be presented with a new Exception list daily and will need to instruct the
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 bank whether to pay or return the item by 11 :00 a.m. daily. The Positive Pay
module interacts directly with our teller system; if a check is brought to our teller
line for payment, the teller system will reject the payment until proper
authorization can be obtained from an authorized Columbia County
representative.

c. Business B@nking system fraud protection - Our Business B@nking is setup

with several different levels of fraud protection.

• First, security measures are in place to prevent unauthorized users from

attempting to log-on to the Internet Banking section of the Bank's website
(Individual Security). Individual Security is established through the use of pre-
assigned login ID's, passwords, access levels, dual control capabilities, login
tokens, timeout and lockouts features along with several layers of Multifactor
Authentication to include Device ID Monitoring, Transactional Monitoring and
Verification Questions. After being live on the system for a period of time our
customers will be prompted to set up 3 Personal Verification questions. After
setup, these questions will only appear to the customer if they attempt to perform
a transaction or login that is outside of their normal Device ID and Transactional
history patterns. If the customer is unable to answer these questions, they will be
BLOCKED and they will need to contact the GB&T's Customer Care Center or
the Electronic Banking Department to be UNBLOCKED.
• Second, the security of the customer information is sent from the customer's PC
to the web server (Browser Security). Browser Security is established through the
use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security protocol, to include a 128 bit
encryption, server authentication and message integrity.
• Third, security measures are in place to prevent intrusion into the environment in
which the Business B@nking server and the customer information database reside
(Provider Security).
8. Discuss any special conditions, other fees, other services, or deviations from the
proposal specifications.

Other services - Please see Section VII - Additional Services for and explanation of -
Express Deposit.

9. Provide the following reports and information about your institution:

• On-line Reporting Sample - Please see attachment #

• Reports Sample Analysis & Bank Statement - Please see attachment #
• Reports for Account ofSimilar Size and Account Structure - Please see
attachment #
• Most Recent Audited Financial Statement - Please see the attached December 31,
2008 Consolidated Financial Statement (attachment # ). The Bank's December
31, 2009 audited financial statement will be available March 15, 2010.

• SEC and/or Moody's Credit Rating or Comparable Rating - While we know of

no credit ratings on our company prepared by a ratings organization, we are
regulated by the Georgia Department of Banking and the FDIC. In all cases
(examinations) we have received favorable ratings, and our bank meets the
FDICIA definition of a well-capitalized bank. The Bank is NOT operating under
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 a regulatory agreement or guidance.

10. Provide at least three (3) references, including entity name, contact person, email
address, telephone number and services provided Municipal references preferred

Columbia County Water Utility

William Clayton, Director
bclayton@columbiacountyga.gov
4325 Evans to Locks Road
Evans, Georgia 30809
706-868-3474

Augusta Housing Authority

Charles L. Mason, Director of Finance
cmason@augustapha.org
1435 Walton Way, Augusta, Georgia 30901
706-312-3117

Columbia County Clerk of Courts

Cindy Mason, Clerk of Court
cmason@columbiacountyga.gov
Evans Justice Center
640 Ronald Reagan Drive
Evans, GA 30809
(706) 312-7139

Columbia County Board of Education

Pat Sullivan, Controller
psullivan@ccboe.net
4781 Hereford Farm Rd
Evans GA 30809
(706) 541-2723 Ext. 5111

11. Describe the availability, date range available and/or data download/file transfer
format of the following internet services. The County will consider the internet
services availability in its selection of banking services but may select only the
specific services deemed necessary.

a. Ability to view daily reporting of ledger, collected and available balances -

available daily through Business B@nking for current and previous business days.

b. Ability to view and print cancelled checks - available through Business B@nking
for 180 days; Columbia County will also be provided with a CD monthly which
will permanently store this information.

c. Ability to download account information into Excel format - available through

Business B@nking for 180 days from the transaction date; Columbia County will
also be provided with a CD monthly which will permanently store this
information.

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d. Ability to view and print debit/credit activities in merchant services and credit
card transactions - available through an Internet Based service offered by our
Merchant Services partner - Termnet Merchant Services.

e. Ability to transfer/upload files for web-based customer payments - ACH

payments can be uploaded in a NACHA file format from any payment system
into our Business B@nking system for processing following the same processing
deadline as stated in #6 above.

f. Ability to transfer/upload files for payroll direct deposits and utility customer pre-
authorized direct draft payments - available through Business B@nking as
described in #5 and #6 above.

g. Ability to receive account reconciliations and analysis data on-line - available

through Business B@nking.

h. Ability to retrieve and download current & prior period monthly statements
online - available through Business B@nking.

i. Ability to initiate and authorize stop payments and fund transfers - available
through Business B@nking.

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Section V - Cost Information

Your firm's costs MUST be typed and sealed in an envelope separate from the proposal.
Costs will not be opened at the time of the proposal opening.

1. Provide a cost breakdown as listed on ''Attachment A - Price Sheet".

Attachment A - Price Sheet has been completed and is included in the sealed
envelope.

2. Include a detailed schedule of costs by specified task as identified in Attachment "A ".

Please see Georgia Bank and Trust's Pricing Structures included in the sealed
envelope.

3. Volumes indicated on the price sheet are estimates and actual quantities may vary.
Costs not included on the price sheet, but which the financial institution proposes to
charge, must be individually itemized and thoroughly explained Price sheets should
be executed by an official of the firm in a position to commit the institution to provide
the services in accordance with these terms and conditions.

Our price sheets have been executed by an official of the bank with authority to
commit the institution to provide the services in accordance with the stated terms and
conditions.

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Section VI - Contract Acceptance

Acknowledge that your firm agrees to all terms and conditions as listed in the draft
contract as well as the RFP

Georgia Bank and Trust agrees to all terms and conditions listed in the draft contract as
well as the RFP.

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Section VII - Additional Information

1. The County would encourage any other suggestions, with cost estimates, if
applicable, beyond the stated services that would provide improved efficiency
or beneficial service enhancements.

Express Deposit

Georgia Bank and Trust offers Express Deposit, a service that will allow Columbia
County to deposit funds electronically through the use of a scanner and computer.
Using a check scanner, your staff will simply scan your check deposits into an
internet based software turning the check into an electronic image; this image then
becomes the legal equivalent of the original check and can be submitted to the bank
through a secure electronic server. Using this service will result in significant
operational savings and accounting efficiencies to include: the convenience of
allowing your employees to make deposits without ever having to leave the office, an
extended deposit processing cutoff time of 6:00 p.m., and deposit images are
maintained and stored for easy access by your staff. As always, support and training
from local Georgia Bank & Trust staff will be provided. Cost per scanner will be
offered at $39, a 50% price reduction and the normal 12 cent charge per check will be
waived.

Investment Services

Georgia Bank & Trust offers a full range of investment services to government
entities. These institutional services typically focus on investment management and
include the following:

• Government securities and other bonds including execution only and management
services
• Discretionary investment management utilizing separate account advisory
services or mutual funds
• Shared discretion arrangements including custody, execution, performance
measurement, and client reporting
• Asset allocation consulting/planning

All services are tailored to the needs of the client. Investment management services
for all equity and balanced portfolios are fee-based (market value). Fixed income
services may be fee-based or commission-based (execution only) depending on client
needs.

2. Provide information about other services or benefits that would be provided to

County employees.

Columbia County Government

Advantages@ Work Program Roll-Out

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Section VIII - TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Georgia Bank and Trust agrees to all terms and conditions outlined in Section VIII -
Terms and Conditions.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Where applicable, GB&T will meet all insurance requirements.

Page 17
...

Vendor Name: Georgia Bank and Trust

Attachment B
Banking Services Request for Proposal
Checklist and Certification
Can Meet Cannot Meet
Checklist of Required Services: Requirements Requirements

Account Structure _ _Yes_

Financial Institution within County - -Yes

Contract execution within 30 days _ _Yes_ _

Three Year Contract with Two Year

Extension Option - -Yes- -
Minimum Checking Account Services _ _Yes_ _

Collateralization of funds - -Yes- -

Reconciliation Services _ _Yes_ _

Overdraft Protection - -Yes- -

Fraud Protection _ _Yes_ _

Payroll Direct Deposit - -Yes- -

Pre-Authorized Draft Bill Payment - -Yes- -
Employee Payroll Check Cashing - -Yes_ _
Internet Banking Services - -Yes- -

Itemize below and explain any exceptions and alternatives to the specified services.
(Attach an additional sheet, if necessary)

~ 21
''
Often bank service bids will tie their interest rate to either the Current Fed Funds Rate or The 90-
Day Treasury Bill. As an added service and benefit, Columbia County's accounts will earn the
higher of the two rates.

Columbia County Depository Services

It is our commitment that all fees and charges associated with maintaining your depository
account(s) will be waived. The Attachment "A" Price Sheet that is returned per your request is
provided to identify the normal charges that have been eliminated with our proposal.

We further propose that interest will be paid on your average collected balances at a rate equal to
the higher of the two options outlined below:

• The 90-Day Treasury Bill coupon equivalent yield plus .150% with a $4,000,000
minimum balance requirement
• Current Fed Funds Rate plus .150% with a $4,000,000 minimum balance requirement

The current 90-Day Treasury Bill is .12% and the Current Fed Funds Rate is .13%. These rates
will be determined on the last Tuesday of the month based upon the Current Fed Funds Rate and
The 90-Day Treasury Bill plus as quoted on that day in the Wall Street Journal. The higher rate
between the two will then be applied to each Columbia County account on the first business
day of the following month. In addition, a "floor" (minimum) will be established at .75o/o
should the Current Fed Funds Rate and The 90-Day Treasury Bill dip below this interest
rate, which is currently the case. Should the balance fall below the $4,000,000 minimum
requirement, the rate of return will change and be determined based on either rate less .50% with
a floor of .50%. This change will be necessary to ensure GB&T covers its cost to serve. When
the average collected balance exceeds $4,000,000, the rate of return will be adjusted in
accordance with the outlined method noted in the above paragraph.

Columbia County Water Utility

It is our commitment that all fees and charges associated with maintaining your depository
account(s) will be waived. The Attachment "A" Price Sheet that is returned per your request is
provided to identify the normal charges that have been eliminated with our proposal.

We further propose that interest will be paid on your average collected balances at a rate equal to
the higher of the two options outlined below:

• The 90-Day Treasury Bill coupon equivalent yield with a $2,000,000 minimum
balance requirement
• Current Fed Funds Rate with a $2,000,000 minimum balance requirement
... 'p
;

The current 90-Day Treasury Bill is .12% and the Current Fed Funds Rate is .13%. These rates
will be determined on the last Tuesday of the month based upon the Current Fed Funds Rate and
The 90-Day Treasury Bill plus as quoted on that day in the Wall Street Journal. The higher rate
between the two will then be applied to each Columbia County account on the first business
day of the following month. In addition, a "floor" (minimum) will be established at .75%
should the Current Fed Funds Rate and The 90-Day Treasury Bill dip below this interest
rate, which is currently the case. Should the balance fall below the $2,000,000 minimum
requirement, the rate of return will change and be determined based on either rate less .50% with
a floor of .50%. This change will be necessary to ensure GB&T covers its cost to serve. When
the average collected balance exceeds $2,000,000, the rate of return will be adjusted in
accordance with the outlined method noted in the above paragraph.

Contact Person for GB&T

Zack Daffin
Vice President/Business Development Officer
Telephone Number: 706-739-1072

Submitted on
February 18, 2010