City Council - workshop

We don't have to. Not for a workshop. We got invocation and pledge. Whatever. You want to do it? You do it. You going to say the prayer? You know how to pray?

I'll pray. You better.

If you don't, I won't give you communion next time I see you.

You won't be blessed anyway.

Look, if I had a Pez dispenser. Oh, look. Here she is.

Okay, we're going to go ahead and call the July 23rd, 2026 City Council Workshop to order. We have Wards 1, 2, 35, and at large present. We will start with our invocation and pledge. Lord, I ask you to watch over us and give us patience as we go through this budget and give us a clear mind and open heart as we go through this and ask you for your guidance. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States You want to lead us through page by page, and then we'll stop, you ask questions, wherever we have them.

We'll start with the revenues and everything. If you've got questions, let's ask as we go. Right now, again, we can go back and all. Again, this is just preliminary going over it and see where we're at. We think we have a pretty good one to start with. As of right now, it is balanced. So, that's a good start. So, we'll start with on our taxes, page one. So after the tax last year, it was $199,000. This year, we'll take 98% of the value, which would be $213,640 is what we'll figure everything on for the millage rate. Yeah, $213,640. So that's what we based everything on, the increase.

Yeah. And what was that last year we said was $199,000? $199,000. $199,000? Yeah. I figured it went up a good bit when I saw the total was $283,000, because last year it gave us an extra $191,000 or something. So I figured it went up a good bit.

So if you look, current budget, revenue, total budget, 4.8 million. This year we're getting $5.1 million plus. That's the increase in revenue from the ad valorem and all in that area. And if you look, the first four items is broke down. Next four items, and that's how we get it from Jimmy, broke down in this way. Next four items, prior years, if there's anything left over from 2526 years, that's where that would go there. Not usually much. But there is occasionally a little bit here and there that flows in the library, you know, it has its own funders with dedicated I think it's 160 $2,880 what we dedicate to the library, we'll figure out the proportion, I think it's 0.77 instead of 0.8 cent of a mil to figure that value out there to wherever that needs to be. Probably more like 7.6. Everything else is the same. The utilities, that's just sent in from the state and everything, utilities, cables, post electric, things like that on that property. Go down to the next one, all the taxes. That includes our gaming and everything. We're seeing a pretty good year in revenue with that. Again, we kept it flat with this year's budget, which is 2.44 million dollars. License and all, it's pretty much everything has stayed the same. No real big differences there.

The gaming gross revenue tax is sales tax at the casino?

Gross revenue, that's their monthly. No, yeah, that's a one-time based on their... machine. No, the gaming devices machine. That's the tax. I have to find out what that is. But it does vary. But they're having a pretty good year. Nothing license permit again relatively the same as this year nothing's changed on that

as far as the license and permits on the year-to-date actuals compared to i know we kept the budgeted amounts the same but uh are we expecting another check before the end of the end of the year So you got Coastal Electric's budget. It was $178. We received $82. Mediacom's $35. We received $8. Our $283, and we budgeted. All of them seem like half.

Yeah, we'll see.

It'll come in.

It looks like we got another quarter. Yeah.

If you look down a little further, I'm not sure where this guy, where I go there. If you look on the building down there, there's four other categories. Tree, plumbing, electrical, mechanical. Somewhere along the line, you know, we busted that out some years ago. This year, it's just been lumped into some of that new system they got. So they're going back now to try to fix that to show exactly what was mechanical, what was plumbing, electrical, everything on that. So hopefully in the next week or so, we'll see an update on that as well.

So you're saying out of that $498,000, it's supposed to break down?

So the VRBO compliance fee, that is short-term rental?

Yeah. I think where was it collected?

$200,000? $100,000.

$20,000?

I think that can go up.

Mayor, also just one more quick question. I know at the top it says as of September 30th, but this is as of June. Is it going to be June?

June, okay.

But the way the budget is, that's how they have to put it in. I didn't know if it was June 30th. Yeah, that way it would be in June 30th. because you still have, on it, three months coming in within the process of getting all that updated as well.

But that's $20,000 more than we had before.

So, Nancy, on that, is that something that you want to be discussed now or put it to the side and make a note and discuss it after?

We can do that.

Okay.

That's at your discretion.

Yeah, I mean, any thoughts on that? It's a hundred a year. It's a hundred dollar fee for the VRBO ordinance.

I recommend we raise Excuse me, we had some discussion about raising it as well. You know, don't know what that number is, but

No, 300, triple it, yeah.

And then with that, we have some...

I don't, we had all the information, but I don't remember what other entities were charging.

I think...

I know we're by far the lowest. And I don't remember what we asked for, you know, originally. 500.

I believe it was 500. I was sitting at the meeting. Three years ago? Two years ago? Now it's only 100. Now it's only 100. Because they base that on the business privilege license.

And then we'll go back also and do a check along the coast and see. But I know 300 is in the ballpark with everybody.

And I think one thing important to remember, you know, when we are charging a fee for it, it's the offset cost to enforce things, to enforce it. And to maintain the rules and to, yeah, compliance.

And some of, you know, I think one of the things we tried not to put when it did get passed was we tried to remove the street parking, whether it's legal or not for VRBO. And one of the things that Bob Warner, which he's still in court with, was his biggest thing, how can you discriminate against that when you allow residents to park in? You still have to have your number of parking spots. So a house, a residential has to have two parking spots per household. So if we have that in there, you have to have two. same thing you know we get messages emails phone calls and it's not about a car across the street but when you go down the street there's 18 cars parked in the road in that one block and one thing I know Heather's looking at see about removing that part if that's what what we wish to do or whatever.

And that's it. If they did have an adequate parking plan, the problem is still enforcing them to follow the parking plan if they're allowed to park on the street. I know that's some of the frustrations. I did want to ask, I can come back to it. Yeah, I'll come back to it.

So on the golf cart, It's $50 per permit for a year. But the golf cart businesses, how do they pay for the carts they rent out?

If they got a tag on it, it's $50 a year.

It's a standard.

I think businesses should have to pay a little bit more. Because that car is being, think about it, not used by one entity. It's been used.

Well, you're not going to be able to, we can't. Which one owner? Separate. You can't.

As long as they have the insurance and it's permitted.

You'd have to rewrite it and the ordinance on it.

don't know that you could do that you might run into i'm just happy that they purchased them right i i guess along those lines i wasn't going to ask you but with the vrbo when we look at the fee i know mentioned it to heather and i'm not sure that we can do it but uh something i'd like to look into is if you have like homestead exemption or if you live in the house You're renting out a spare bedroom to make ends meet versus you know an investment property If maybe it can be waived or not waived but reduced for them But if it's a business kind of going along the there's an investment property they're doing it as a They can afford the $300 fee, but if I'm written out a spare bedroom To help make ends meet that $300 I

Over there, right by Ponche and them, that's what they did. I remember watching that meeting. I think her and her husband helped pay for the thing.

$300 to them would hurt. That hurts versus someone doing it as an investment.

That's something she would have to answer. I guess the biggest thing to see is Who's really living there? And it goes back to the same thing with Carol over there. You get a picture of a caller. The police officer went by and was actually the homeowner staying there. So, you know, you don't know where they're at. And then again, when they knocked on the door to ask them, you know, about the vehicles in the road or whatever it was, it might have been a golf cart on the sidewalk or something. I don't know. But anyway, it was the actual owners living there. Sidewalk.

Yeah, sidewalk. There's a violation anyway.

No matter where that is, that should be done. They're taken care of.

But I think it would be very easy to determine if a person is renting out a room because they're one registered to vote here.

So would it be like a monthly or like a nightly turnover? Say, I'm going to rent one, you know, To me, I think, maybe I'm wrong, but there's a difference to say I'm going to rent this room out to somebody monthly.

If you're living in the house and you're renting a room.

But if I rent it as a nightly, like a hotel, then I think they should fall under whatever.

I don't think you'll be able to determine that because that's changed per week. If somebody's there two nights versus two months, that might be too hard to keep track of. Yeah, I think if... Like what Jordan said, if you have homestead exemption, you only can claim that one place. You can't claim that twice in two different places.

And that does not mean that then there's the distinction of are they... Are they renting a mother-in-law quarters on the property, or is it within their home?

Their home, yeah.

I think it has to be within their home.

It wouldn't distinguish it with the homestead, correct, like you said, because it would be a mother-in-law suite, and you can still get a homestead exemption. however it will still credit your locals versus someone who's just buying property here to do investments because our property is cheaper here so we can't eliminate all the possibilities you know that's just too much for a little 100 300 fee but if they can come up with the homestead exemption which everybody gets that paper once they file i want to attach it to the application

In my conversations with Heather, I don't know that that would even be possible, but just fucking bring it up, something to look into to see if it is.

Yeah, it's touchy because, like tiers, I was saying that there should be tier level. It's kind of sticky.

We'll have to get it done by October, so keep it simple.

Yeah. All right. Anything else on page one? page two again there's not a whole lot change on projections from that there is some if you go down and look homeland security see $121,000 compared to 11,000 this year and what that is that's for wireless that some of our cameras and all that, they paying a portion of that as well. So you'll see that revenue coming in there. And that's the big difference in that area, $110,000 more than what we got last year. And if you look up above it a little bit, under traffic services, you'll see an increase. We've been approved for $30,000 instead of $10,000, another increase. That one there is, and you'll see when we go through in the police department, one of the problems we're having there. If you come down at 206, height of reimbursement, that's for EJ with the DEA. He's approved for up to $22,000 that they'll reimburse per year, and he hits it. So that's the three big differences we see in that area. And again, that's all, those three items are budgeted in the police department for expenses. Go down and look on the next section. Not sure what has happened, and if this is because of the building being down, but we have to do a better job of the community hall on top of the garage, getting it back to where it's being leased again. We're down on that this year. So we'll start somehow marketing that and doing a better thing with that, getting the word out that it is open.

Yeah, because we were down most of all last year, right? Yeah.

And then even going into that, it was down. And people thought it was down and wasn't written and it had some cancellations.

Yeah. Even our big hall is down, huh?

Huh?

I said our big hall is even down compared to what we've been making.

Well, that's just not money been transferred over yet. What that is, that money goes into a separate account, and when we actually get it and all the hall is used, then they reimburse into ours. That's usually pretty close to what we have budgeted there. So one thing you see in there for the depot grounds rent, we budgeted $12,000 for income. And you'll see in expenses where it's broke down into the main street, and they're trying to get this going. So I think I have it with me, the information on that. which will show what their projection is and all. So if we can just remember that 12,000 as them paying the income coming in for the use of the depot, we'll go get more into depth when we get into the expenses and all on that project.

They probably wouldn't have both floors though, huh?

Originally probably be the bottom and they've got some great ideas over there what to do. They want to do the wall art and everything, try to create you know, opportunities to make the money like they have in Biloxi at one of their buildings. So they got a lot of good opportunities, a lot of good people wanting to get involved with it. And hopefully within a couple years it'll be self-financed and we wouldn't need to be part of it as much like we are.

Do you think we could reach out to someone with Mississippi Main Street and maybe have them present something to us?

Yep.

Preferably before the end of the budget. Yeah.

With the top floor being office space, just throwing out an idea.

The what now?

With the top floor being office space on one end, so just throwing out an idea, because we are looking at budget, or could we look at, possibly hiring someone to manage the buildings and placing them there as an office space.

What building?

Our community halls. And having like that a separate position where they manage that, the tables, if we get new tables and chairs, I think me and Linda mentioned it last meeting, and just have a person that's over that. Katie's over probably. That's Katie.

Katie does that for the most part. We have someone work there. When the hall is pretty much full time, it does the cleaning and everything. They do inventory. We just ordered new tables at Adam. Ronnie does a good job, Brian and them, to keep up with what's needed. So, I mean, I don't think it's enough work for somebody to be doing full time.

Okay. And Mississippi Main Street would be housed?

Yeah. At the top?

At the depot.

But at the top floor?

No, that could be rented to, for like, you know, on occasion. You know, Bay St. Louis is such a destination wedding place. You could rent it as a wedding expo. You know, everything to do with weddings. It's a beautiful venue. I mean, it's a beautiful space to have a reception or...

Top floor might be hard to do that, though, with the layout. The top floor might be hard to do the reception, because it's kind of got that cut out in the middle and separates.

It'll be a remodel.

But even then, you've got the elevator.

I come out of the elevator, and you go right in and take a right, and you go into it. You've got a little seating area out here. Right. And then you go into the big part, and it's wide open. Big area.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, but then the other half of it is. To the left is office, but, I mean, it's not a lot of room over there. It's just a hall going into that front to back probably 20 feet or whatever it is. I don't know how big it is, that building. But when you go into the top to the right, once you get off the elevator, you go in there, you've got the stairs coming up that comes into that area. I think the bathroom is right in there. And then you've got a seating area over here, a small little seating area over there. showroom, whatever, and then you go into the big room, which is wide open.

Part of me worries about putting another, I agree, I think it would be, I mean, it's a beautiful place, but if we added another, I know, another wedding venue, potentially after seeing Court Street and Depot kind of slowing down a little bit, because it would take some renovations to get it to, I think, to get it to that point.

Upstairs? I think it was just renovated. I mean, it's beautiful. Have you been up there?

It's beautiful.

I haven't been in there since they left out.

I mean, they just did it right before they moved out.

I think it would be a smaller unit, and if you advertised it,

It would be like for maybe a baby shower. Yeah, baby shower.

Or people that are getting married, their second marriage.

Small wedding shower. I don't know. It's big. Yeah. Maybe if the price was reasonable, I think we're going to get the key. Just have a question. Last time I've been in the head Could have made it feel

Yeah, all that's clear. You walk in and it's just empty, open space.

We talked about it before with Reso. The place we went to in Biloxi, their whole building that they do is wall art. So you get your six foot space or you get your little curio and put some things in or a little tabletop. You rent these places for your heart and that's what it is. And they talk about things like that to put in there to generate their revenue and all. And If it ended up going all the way upstairs for the whole thing, that's even better because it's more revenue that they get and gets them self-funded. But it's all, you know, just need discussion, see where we want to move on and everything. Fines in court and all stayed the same. Not a whole lot there to start with. Let's see, next... No major changes on this income?

So the court finds it's like the traffic ticket citation? So it's down?

Okay.

Well, never mind. I would say it's down, but it's not the whole year yet. It's about average.

Yeah. We should hit the expectation. Again, it's not a lot. I wish we could probably turn it over. If you get to page three, same thing, not a lot of difference here. We do have money that's transfer in from the road and bridge transferred in from the utility fund from the harbor from the sale of city property. And they've done quite well with that in the last two years, I think through the last two years. I think he's He's pushed over $200,000 of sales of stuff that we got rid of. In the beginning cash balance. So what this is $600,000 is what we're asking to begin with. So I do believe money that was not spent this year is what we need to use for to put into our reserve account. Also in the capital project for next year as well. And so with that being said, we have $200,000 going into our reserve fund to be used for matches or whatever. We also do it throughout all the department. We've got 75,000 budgeted for the administration for capital for around city halls and improvements need to be made. We also got a capex grant. It's either for 200 or $250,000. We'd like to start doing the study and everything on replacing those windows up there, box windows and all. They all leak, this and that. Just start trying to find some other funds. We're working with FEMA to try to get a grant through them to harden that building and make it hurricane, you know, where we can have headquarters there and all that. So we're working on that. So we also have in here a question mark. There's been talk about doing a 2% sales tax on room and board for hotels, motels, VRBOs, any of that. If we do do that, it's roughly $80,000 to $100,000 to put this election on. If we decide not to do it, then that $100,000 would be moved into the reserve account. But it is in the budget for $81,550 to have an election next year for the 2%. Is that not good?

Go ahead.

So that's something we need to look at and have when Josh and Kyle get in. We'll sit down and have this discussion if we want to go after that. And if we do, we leave it in there. If they decide no, you know, if it's decided by the board that we don't want to go after that, then that $100,000 or $81,000, we have budget for that, we go into the reserve.

Is that how much the election cost?

$70,000.

Last year, it's in here. What page is that?

I think last year it was $70,000. Right here. 670,000 almost 70,000 last year. That was five and 2425.

We'll pay for you.

That was like on page nine. We paid 80 plus.

So that's what we pay. We would have to take tenders off.

Totally everything. Advertisement. That's everything. Balance everything.

So every four years, roughly, if there's nothing else in between, we're looking at an expense of $75,000 to $100,000 for elections?

Yep. It would have been nice to get this done and pass it on and add it to the November election. Yeah. If it gets approved next year, what is next year? Next year is county. Okay. could possibly be added on to that without a cost. I don't know. And again, if it's not used, then it would go into the reserve fund.

Do we have a projected amount that we're hoping to gain in revenue from that 2%? I think it's $350,000 or more. $400,000.

Yeah, we think a conservative would be $350,000, but I think it's probably more. But one of the things we also want to do, we want to make sure we talk to the casino, we talk to, you know, curators up there at the hotel and everybody and get them on board as well. And then we also need to have a plan on what we're going to do with the money, what it's going to be spent on. You know, because if we use some of it to bring events into town, sponsorships, this and that, then they can, you know, bring people into their hotels. And everything I think you'll get buy in from a lot of people from all your businesses, tourism and parks and recreation. Yeah, yeah. You know, it can just about fund most of that. So So with that, and there's some other some other we still hadn't done the building over across the street, the new roof on here, we budgeted 100,000 this year. I think the lowest bid was $170,000. So we're looking at do we pull the trigger at the next meeting, trying to see what we have on funds to go with that and all. But it's nothing but capital projects to carry over. If capital projects don't get done, then the money's still sitting there in the general account.

So is it too late to put this on the November election?

Yes. It's got to be approved by the legislature. It won't get taken up until probably, I think it's March, April, the end of the legislature. So the end of that session up there, that's when local privates are.

So the regular county election is next November? Yeah. It would be possible to do it at that time?

Hopefully we can maybe tie on with them. I don't know if you can do that.

I thought that didn't sunset until like next year. The 2% doesn't it when they approve it approved it initially don't wasn't there like a five year.

It was it for that that was for food and beverage along with the hotel motel. They approve where we could 2% on each. I don't know if we can break it down. to just one of them. That's going to be a Heather question. And if it does, then we would have to go to the legislature. We could just get this ball rolling.

That's the big difference you see in revenue there.

And again, that's strictly for the reserve and capital projects that we see coming maybe or just to stay in case things happen. One thing we've been hit hard this year is our fire department repairs on fire engines. Got hit pretty hard on some of those that wasn't expected. Expenses, page four. And so as of right now, in our expenses, we have like a 3% increase, pay increase. Not sure what that's exactly going to be as far as if that's what we're asking. Some positions will be changed, we'll ask. some for other positions especially in our utilities and our public works to where we got some good people and we need to try to keep them that's hard to find whether it's operators or whatever it is that's already been factored into this is factored in i think we did uh uh insurance did we do ten percent i think we did ten percent on insurance health insurance and all that not knowing where we at We took a pretty good beat so far first half of the year, but I think you're starting to see it differ now. And it's slowing down. So Gary's optimistic that we won't see that big increase now. But we always do budget 10% for that. So again, see very little movement difference in anything except When you come down on page five, last year we budgeted 10,000 for Main Street and that's to get into Main Street and line item underneath it. That's what they're asking for our, a proposal from us to help get them started. With that being said, they're also talking with the county That's just one little page.

Now, would this be in the Bay St. Louis, Main Street, county still?

Yeah.

Yes. We'd have to have it as like a visitor center type?

So what it is, because it's going to also be the entire county being promoted through this. I don't know how that got mixed up. But it's broke down for what they think they have and the need for this first year. And again, the goal is after a couple years that they're self-funded and they can do what they want on their own. Because there is opportunity to get grants for Mississippi, Main Street. I want to thank Old Town Merchants is very supportive of this as well. along with the other ones in those areas. And again, this is something that can help promote our city, get grants for, you know, throughout, not just our city, our county as well. Also, it'll be somebody that's there with Amtrak, you know, most of the time they're coming through and somebody will be there for them.

A question about, I see the membership dues portion of it. So with it having the membership dues, even if, say, I'm a business in Old Town and I don't pay membership dues, they're still going to promote my business, though, without having to buy in, correct?

Yes, membership dues is for us to become a Mississippi Main Street. That's not you. That's not business. That's not your business. We're not asking, it's not a membership.

So that should be an expense, not a revenue.

Correct. So I think what she's saying is like a sponsorship. Sponsorships.

Because it has revenue, city of Bay St. Louis, $35,000, and then you have county, port and harbor, financial institution, then membership dues. So the membership dues is another $5,000 from us? That's going to be people paying membership dues?

No.

Then where's that money coming from?

That is... Or is that after they get started, we still pay our $5,000? I don't know why she put that there. Like annually $5,000 instead of all the startup costs, maybe?

Yeah, that's a typo. That's a disregard membership dues. I think she meant to say donations. Like there's talk of starting a friends of the depot so that people can donate to the depot in Main Street. Main Street's basically gonna be the vehicle that runs the visitor center. And everything else shoots out from there. So rewrite that as donations.

i think i think mr main street could work in the depot i really would like to hear from them i think you know have a formal presentation coming forward they have that and yes i think uh and and and and the group from here as well but we would need working with this as well um to make it work here and make their presentation we almost need buy-in from

from you know we're going to need the buy-in from the county the port and harbor to make it work yes and they got they've been addressed and i think that they're very supportive supportive yeah but it's going to come down to they're not going to do it if we don't you know Two or three of us doing it, but Bay St. Louis has to be part of it. Yeah, absolutely. They're not going to come in and fund it.

Yeah, they want to see that the council is behind it and the administration is behind it and they're all in.

And they're both starting, counting, beginning their budgets probably next week, I think it is. And then I think Fort Hall has started today? One day this week?

Today the 17th.

That's just something that's there, and we do. We want to bring them on board, let them do some explaining and talking and questions and everything. But I think it's something that used to be very beneficial to our downtown area to be in Main Street. And when you look across the coast, Gulfport's a huge example. Those cruising the coast events that they do extra, like in that downtown, some of that is funded through Main Street. I see a lot of these events in Ocean Springs and all. is funded through that Main Street project. So again, it's something, it's like the 2%. What are we gonna get for the 2%? We're gonna get hopefully more people in town through events and this and that. Main Street's gonna do the same. They're gonna bring it in. They're gonna get funding for different programs. They're gonna get funding for different events and try to promote the city as well and get people here to shop. So something just talk when we get into this, though, and really we'll set up one of our meetings for them to come in and give their presentation, and we can go from there with them. That's a big change in that one area.

Also, I mean, being their 501C3, that's how they're set up, they would show us annual financials, and we're giving them that big of...

Yeah. Yeah. No doubt.

What's the other membership dues? What other memberships are we paying for, I guess, on the page before this, page four? It's like 9,000.

That's budgeted. I don't think we spent any of it, huh? What is that? The other membership dues, the membership dues, 9,000.

I'm not sure what all that is, but last year we spent 8,600, so this might be something that just hadn't been marked in that line item. Because, again, when you look through here, you're going to see things that's way over budget. If you look in the administration, insurance, I think the administration budget is $84,000, somewhere like that. We have $840,000 charged to administration for insurance. It just hasn't been broke out when it was paid. and we hope to start making headway on that. I know Kim's been working on it some, trying to get it. We also got help coming Monday and all. They come in and help with some things as well. But again, the big main difference is that 35,000 we have for that. Page six, fourth department. The only change is payroll, and everything else is pretty much, I think it's $4,000 difference this year from last year. Administration. Again, we have the payroll, which we'll see an increase in that alone. Next section, supplies. close, relevant. I think one of the big things is, it's like fuel. Again, when you look at fuel, Public Works is charged with like $80,000 worth of fuel already. Nothing's been charged utility or to any of these other areas throughout the funding. It just again, lumped into that. Go down through services. I think it's relatively pretty close. I don't remember anything. Taking out a few thousand here and there, maybe. A little less on some.

Oh, isn't it? This general insurance?

It should be in there, yeah, $835,000. Yeah. Yeah, that's what Kim and them working on trying to get that separated to each department. And as you go through each department and charge insurance, it just hasn't been broke out.

It's just, okay.

Something that should have been done. Never been paid for.

the 10,000 for the doc scan or scan document? Is that just because we haven't been billed for it yet? Or doesn't look like we used it?

We haven't gotten into that. You know, Mike tried was pushing that now and after he left now the ball's been dropped on after something needs to be done. Specifically in the court department. admin probably would take third place in this and all. But building department, they got some scanning done. Biggest one would probably be court department to get it done and start with, and then we can move on from that. Again, last year we budgeted $1.277. This year it's $1367, an increase of $100,000, $90,000. And Page nine is the election. Whether we have it or not. We did budget. We did fund it from beginning cash balance. Again, if it's not done, we decide not to do it. Or we can tag on with the county election next year. And that money would go into the reserve account.

Mayor, real quick, kind of jumping back to page eight, looking at the membership dues, I'm wondering if some of that's just miscoded. Yep. Because it's 11.

That's why I was telling you over there on the council, it had 9,000 different things.

Yeah. And that's what it is. That's right at that number.

And I was going to ask about the software maintenance agreements. There's a big difference there. Is it because of the- Which one is that? On page eight.

Page eight.

Yeah, software maintenance agreement.

Yes. $30,000 compared with budgeted and $5,000 spent.

Right.

If you look through here, there'll be other ones that's over budget. Again, it hasn't been broke out.

Okay. Okay.

age 10 building department total $20,000 increase in the entire budget compared to last year salaries is roughly 15,000 of that 20,000 no major changes there. And again, if you go through here and look One thing we will do is also start cross-training and utilizing some others to help Ann and Ag get familiar with everything that she does and the day-to-day operations over there. Page 11. It's part of our buildings and ground. And again, if you go back and look, you saw the insurance on administration. In this one, we budgeted $302,000. We've only got $16,000 charged to that. That's a big difference, part of what's over at the administration, Charlie. Anything here?

I noticed the Christmas decorations went up. Christmas decorations went up. I know we spent a lot of time on that one. Yeah, we did. That was a hot topic last year. I think the depot was decorated very nice. sure we still i know we were planning on buying the big tree i don't know if we're adding to the tree this year but that was one of the big parts the budget for was it correct me if i'm wrong was the budget for the tree so maybe we could reduce it and go down to 7 500 or keep it at 10. uh i don't know that we need to go up on it though i don't want to be the cringe somebody else

Yeah, but no, he's not here. He's not here. But Ms. Linda, didn't we look at like an angel decoration or something? Remember they were going to look for us when it had been repaired or something? Was it a swan? I can't remember what it was.

Yeah, I guess the intent is to try to keep building through and connecting.

Connecting. Right. downtown depot to make it all the way through in the areas and everything i know we spent over the 14 309 but that was because we had donations yeah donations for it so if we keep it 10 and we receive donations to put us through there and that's something mississippi main street can apply for grants for oh that'd be great yeah that'd be great yeah okay

we'll put it back where it was police department so start initiate budget again it's got the pay raise included in it but if you look up there on second second line overtime for this We're showing $123,000. We budgeted $100,000 this year. We're projecting to budget $103,000. But what has not been done, this has not been broke out into the overtime grant, IDA. Those two, I think as of right now, between those two, we have close to $35,000 that's already been received. And for overtime, that has been worked. So again, When Kim gets into this, she'll be able to line item this out to where it needs to be. Instead of lump sum into overtime. If we do have money coming in, this is all reimbursed. The traffic grant, the HIDA, that's all reimbursed overtime.

Mayor, what was the increase for payroll for police? Is this 3%? Yep.

You know, we're doing well. Everybody's increasing.

Yeah.

I know last year we did a little bit. We did more than 3%. Was it 4 or 5? I can't remember offhand.

I think we settled on 5.

Maybe it was 5. Police was 4. I mean, fire was 4. We were close. Maybe it was the same at 4. I can't remember offhand. But I was just wondering. I know they have the longevity. It seems like we... Recruitment's going well.

Yeah, we just had one retire and one move back to Chicago. Every time we get close, Dave retired and the other fella went back to Chicago, I think it is, with his wife.

Were those two that were getting longevity pay?

Dave was. The other one was. Dave was. Dave's been here. He left and came back.

Yeah, so he may not have.

He probably was with us for seven years. He came when Gary got here. Stayed some years and went to Ocean Springs and they got that big increase and he came back.

The last two or three years. He may have been getting ready to get his first and retired. It happens.

So we talked on the revenue side for software reimbursement. If you look down, does anybody have anything on the first two, personnel or supplies?

No.

So as you go down, there's not a whole lot changed through it until you get down to software agreements. What is that?

35 SOF? I think that says that.

But anyway, you'll see we budget $37,000 this year. We spent $65,000. Next year's budget is $180,000. 3,000. So that 37 should have been 60-something this year. It just didn't get changed into the budget. With that being said, 121,000 of this is reimbursed. That was the fund we talked about for software and all. That wireless, that money there is to offset 121,000 of the 83,000. So we will be into it for... 62,000. But that's a big increase you see over the overall number. But again, revenue coming in will cover two thirds of that call. One thing you know, we will look at as well, when we get into the other, we do want to keep continuing to move forward with cars every few years i think you know we'd like to purchase four more cars this year if we get to that spot and again if we do purchase and be at the end of the year there'll be some stuff coming off the books but it'll be later on in the year by the time we get these vehicles but again when we get to that five-year mark it clearly shows where we start paying a lot of repairs yeah um Ideally, it would be to get six years out of them. It would be a great scenario, but it just doesn't work like that on that patrol car. But we can keep some, you know, six because some of them are not used as much, and we'll keep some backup and everything. I know, like, when pushing them to come in, they work a lot of the shift work and all covering and this and that. They'll get in a regular patrol car. not in their trucks and their patrol out of that, you know, two lieutenants and everything. And same thing with the captain, you know, when he's out patrolling and all, they use regular patrol cars, or in his case, he's on a motorcycle a bunch as well.

I think it might have been Councilman DeSalvo asked about, I guess while we're going through this, about what our current debt service.

We have that. I may not have it with me, but...

But again, we'll see what's coming off, what's on there.

Yeah. I think next year. I think at the general fund next year, we're looking at somewhere around. $480,000 in debt.

Do we have it broken out? Yep. It's broken out by what?

Item by item. I don't have that with me, but I do have it.

We can get that next time.

I'll get that, but I do have that. Dana's got it broke out. We'll lose a couple items this year. We lost our fire truck this year. That's something to start talking about on that. Again, we had a lot of expenses on fire trucks, which was very unexpected. So we'll start looking at that. I don't think we're in need of one this year. Next year, maybe start looking at it, getting it in the budget, and seeing what we need to do to get one of those coming in and start replacing them. And we might get away with a couple years. So we'll look more in the debt on that.

On that last page in that police budget, it says permanent notes. So like the 2014 police car, we still have that one?

No. I don't know why that's, no. The capital expenses? No. We just paid off three the other day. But I have it, and I'll send it out.

Are those the three that were paid off? The 14 and then the Haida vehicle.

No, no, these have been paid off. No, we just got another Haida vehicle now. But Haida pays for that. Right, they reimburse. That's reimbursed on that.

How many full-time officers do we have?

We have room for 32, I think. I don't know how many we have.

I think total probably right now 26 after the two left, 25, 26, something like that.

We would, yeah. And then a couple of back lines in case somebody broke down or an accident or wreck, something like that.

That's hurt us in the past, accidents.

Yeah. We have brand new vehicles they got. They got like totaled.

One with a cow and two accidents.

Yeah, I remember the cow. Get a cow on the way home. Brand new vehicle.

Yeah, couldn't have been one of the old ones.

right yeah but i think that's what we're going to try to do is not spend too much this year and build our capital but it's hard when it comes to see what we purchase over the years but we still have and you know and but again that's a rotation i think we're probably all always gonna have so It is difficult when they take so long to get in.

Yeah.

Because you could wait every four years, but then you're going to be waiting another two years to get them. So that's always the thing you got to consider.

Mm-hmm. And we're thinking about four, four or five. That's what we got. What, last year we got five? Last year we got six. Six, yeah.

Yeah, I think this year we can probably get by with four. And this would take off. I wish I had it with me. This would take off like 2016, maybe 17, some of them old Dodge Chargers. I'll get that sent out. Anything else on PD?

No.

Fire. Again, they're doing pretty well with their overtime. Over there, they're pretty much on it. And again, total is, as a matter of fact, they're a little bit under. We did a lot of work on their air conditions this year over there, which again, you see their capital, a lot less than what it was, but there's some expenses that need to be moved into that also with the air conditions that's been done.

Did they get any pickup trucks?

They got one. So one of the ones, yeah. Matter of fact, they're not even, they're in, they're getting the lights and stripes.

Getting it outfitted.

Yeah, hopefully in the next, they got them in Jackson in the next week or two. They'll be ready. So again, those was ordered in October. So we're looking at some time close to August before they're ready. again nothing major on them you know last night and the last meeting last night tuesday night and in the meeting before we was able to purchase some um fire hose for the shelf which it helps our rating and all we must have this is to replace old fire hoses this and that that's not you know we built the we were able to build a storage for them last night we approved the purchase of a shed one of the things to be coming forward the next meeting them and public works is you know we we sold quite a bit of stuff i said 200 000 we got about 140 000 this fiscal year that's in there and all so we're looking at taking the side excuse me side by side that they have replacing it with uh guess it's a long wheel based side by side so they can put on a board yeah they've asked to replace this one with that so we'll take some funds out of that while you know from this year here also public works we just purchased parks and rec out of that uh a four-wheeler for the for the parks over there so they can drag parks instead of using lawnmowers and tearing lawnmowers up straight park but we'll also look at We'll have one from the fire department getting another one for them. So every time we have an event, we got people working. We don't have to go borrow hoodies, mules, cabotas, whatever he's got and all. We'll have our own for that and all. Plus the guy that runs our garbage route and all, regular basis and events can use it also. We'll have that at the next meeting. The fire, I think it's still good. Public works. You know, again, pay, see the increase there, about $80,000, $70,000. Go down in next supplies and all, now a huge deal, an increase of $30,000, and you'll see some of it. One of them is our lighting supplies and all. We're still working on 603, things like that. I think... I think we replaced 12 or in the process of replacing the second six of 12 this year. That comes in to somewhere around $30,000 to $35,000 for five or six lights on 603. Now, some of that has been reimbursed through the accidents that happened, and that money was put into the general fund. But again, no major changes in there.

Other than the gas and oil.

That's the one we're talking about. So they've been, you know, they budgeted $25,000. They're hit with $100,000 right now. You go back to the department, building department hasn't been charged. Administration hasn't been charged. Parks and Rec hasn't been charged. Utilities hasn't been charged. None of that has been charged. And also you see the increase in price of fuel, which I think when we budgeted, we were probably around $2 a gallon, $2.50 a gallon. For the last few months, we've been up in that 350 range. Again, we talked earlier about the insurance. We budgeted in for $107,000. They've got $12,000 charged there in insurance. One of the other things we've taken a big hit on, not sure why, electricity. I'm not sure if there's been some I know Coast Electric had an increase.

But is that city-wide?

It is. Okay. You'll see it in our lift stations and the utilities. Okay. We're over-budgeted, under-budgeted as of right now. We exceeded our budget for electricity and utilities. And if you see the electricity here, you can see where we're at in here. And each department is pretty much above So this is just our streetlights. We're looking at $430,000, but in this we've already spent $365,000 this year. So we're watching that.

So streetlight-wise, I know a lot of them. I mean, they're set by time, right, to come on? And I notice, like, even though our days are longer, a lot of them are still coming on. So one of the things in here is we have an agreement with Mississippi Power, I think it's $44,000 a year.

It's like a $44,000 budget with Mississippi Power. Contract we have with them for 603 lights.

Well, that's page 16.

What number, Larry?

The second one from the top, electricity, all utilities. Yeah, 45? Yeah. And then street lights under that, 430. Okay.

So, anyway, we have a contract in Mississippi Power.

That's up. We've got a meeting up next week, hopefully. We can get with them and see what we need to do. Stay in this contract with them. What do we get? And do we need to enter into a new contract or whatever with them? They do help us replace our lights as they burn out. If they do burn out, anything major from an accident or something is not covered in that agreement. 603 is a killer on that. But they do help us go through Weaver. And we have called Weaver, but we get a better price going through Mississippi Power using them with Weaver under their contract. So something we'll have more information on to see. And go from there on that side. Parks and Rec. Not a lot of changes. We did increase their capital by parks and everything. And looking to do some beautification signage on the highway and different things as well coming into our city and there's some other opportunities for matching grants that we're trying to get for some of our parks as far as recreation equipment and things like that also we're looking at maybe next year changing out I think it's fields five and six at the complex to LED light. So that would be covered in that also. So we're just trying to keep improving what we have and maintaining what we have.

I personally say add more to it. I said I personally say add more to it. Take that $5,000 from Christmas and put it with them. It goes a long way. Make it 45.

What's that for?

For parks and recs.

Yep. Change up the lighting, paint. So their budget is $450,000 just for their budget. So if that 2% was to go through, even if you took half of it and put it towards parks and recs, that's half of that budget. Or you could just add it to it for the improvements page 19 just some transfers out pretty much stayed the same as you see right now for debt service we budgeted in $407,000 we'll have a better feel on that we still have one item to be brought in into that but we're looking around if i'm not mistaken about 480 470 like that for debt service you know moving 200 000 to municipal reserve the quarter mill on the um fire it'll go to i think it's 53 000. $53,410 would be that. Instead of the 48.

Do we have any major contracts that's coming due that we could change pricing?

Change pricing for?

If the bids come in way higher than what they were, do we have any major ones? Coming in.

Harbor. The wall, sidewalk on the wall.

Boardwalk.

Parking lot, no. No, parking lot. I mean, boardwalk came in, shoot, way under. Good. We're gonna probably get, in this first phase of the boardwalk, we're supposed to go from the to the harbor entrance. We'll probably be able to extend it close to Carroll Avenue. So the next phase that we've got funding for this year, we'll be able to go from there all the way down. And then we've got the funding to go out at the end of Auburn, around the pit, out into the water for ADA accessibility into the water. If we have anything else, we'd like to start heading back to the harbor down low. So it would eventually be a whole loop up top and down low along the water and all, you know, at the foot of the steps and all. But that hasn't been funded yet. But if we have money left, then we think we can go ahead and do that.

back to back page 15 uh under contractual services there's the grass cutting on there i know it looks like it went up yeah is that part of our con how many years is left on that contract do you know we probably just approved it last year i think was it i think it was before us no we just approved it last year was it yeah i think it was

Four years, I think.

But that, what you see there, just don't.

I think it was us. Uh-uh. We did last year. Because matter of fact, we had a price that we put in the budget. He wanted to go out for bids.

Right.

And the price he turned in was even more than what we had budgeted that he gave us the budget. It cost him, I don't know, $40,000 a year. He was that confident that he could put $40,000 extra on what we put in there that he agreed to and put it in the budget. But that, George, just hold on that number right there. Yeah. Because that may not happen. Yeah, that's what I was curious about. That's figured in up to that amount? but I'm not sure anything's gonna happen.

I thought that's when y'all did it, was when y'all talked about splitting the parks and recs out of it.

I think it was before July 1. Last year's budget. But there's been a lot of talk.

Yeah, I just saw the increase there. I wasn't sure if that was part of the contractor. It is part of it? Up there. Please silence all cell phones at this time.

Hey, it's on silent, but it's still ringing. So with this, as of right now, I think we're close. $22,000 to the dealer. $13,432, $13,432. I didn't see anything. Maybe I missed it when we were going through.

Kind of doing the SMPDD road, the road improvement?

So that's another budget of its own. We're going to put $500,000 back in. $250,000 from road and bridge and $250,000 from... 180 modernization.

Okay, so that's what I was wondering because I didn't know if any transfers out of here needed.

No, we did not transfer anything out of here. But we just need to see again. So right now we said we're moving forward on sidewalk projects. We need to see. It might happen next year, summer. But if it does, we need to see what the match is gonna be. That's the only thing I know of. So we got the $4 million Go Mesa grant coming for waste, for waste, for sewer. So we're gonna look at that. We're gonna also try to make some improvements at the lagoon. The intent was some of it be sent at the living room, I think the building, a few things like that. So we looked at some of that with David. And we also got a $250,000, I think it's a $250,000 cap debt for utilities. So with that being said, we want to talk about helping the utilities. out in that area in Ward 6 and 5 that doesn't have water, that they're responsible and help them try to get water to these people since they're all part of the city and this and that. And again, somehow, I think the intent was I was supposed to go to them and split it up and give them $250 instead of giving them the full $500. So I think a good intent would be to help them supply. They are residents. We don't have the water to kill them. So with that being said, we still have some areas inside that we furnished, like on Washington Street. So probably Reverend Reed's church right in there. To the bridge, that's our area. So we want to send water to those few houses in there. I'm not sure if we can somehow supply on the other side of the bridge into there. Because that area is going off Chapman before we get to Chapman on Washington. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're all looking at funding for the building. We just didn't have it put together this year, what we wanted to do, but we do have on board to move forward with that next year, trying to harden the city hall and get it to where we can use it at the border. So FEMA, our consultant, is down there very confident. So we'll have that figured out too. still like to get a couple employees even if it's part time for strictly a ditch crew for grass cutting for grass cutting no digging ditches with that they've done a lot of ditches you'd be surprised what they dug it may not bug in your yard But Ronnie's got it laid out of the maps they've done. And I'm going to tell you, there's been more ditches done in the last four or five years, eight years, than what's been done in the last four years.

Oh, I believe that.

And you can see it laid out.

They're just in my ward, not yours. Yeah.

You know, and he does. Ronnie's got projects on the books. You know, one of them is Highland, and that's for the Culverton place. I think now he's starting some. Some areas off Bayo coming down through there. I know there's some areas in Ward 3 that he's looking at as well. And he's got it on his list. But we also have a few good people we're trying to keep with this. But as we get more people, you know, again, it's paying to keep. But it's also equipment. If we put on another crew, then we're looking at another two dump trucks and another backhoe and this and that. So that's where we need to decide if we do. Do we want to add three people for a crew? Do we want to get two new trucks, two more trucks, another tri-coach? I'm all for it. We've got to find where we're going to get the money from and all that. But I'm all for it. Ronnie would be all for it, believe me. But when you're looking at it, you're looking at three people minimum, have another crew, maybe four, probably three, get away with it. Two trucks is roughly $175,000, give or take. New track was probably another $125,000. We also need to be looking at where we can house. $350,000 for equipment. We're looking at half a million dollars there.

We also need to be looking where to house that equipment, too, because they're growing. They need a place to put that stuff.

Yeah, so one thing we do want to look at is back at the yard, back where the garden is. There's another building back there as well. That building there, I really don't know how it's still standing, but

I don't either. I've been complaining about it. But it's high ground, so it's the perfect place to put it. Yep.

Yep.

And like I said, that building is on its last legs. And then we can properly secure that area.

I'll talk with them. Markers are out there. And whether we go that far in. We all look at securing all that. It should be secured. Yes, I agree. That whole area. Any other questions? Wish list looking at? Linda, we'll put together a wish list for more employees.

My only wish list is my basketball courts, $10,000 each. Each.

So $20,000.

We should indeed have a sit down meeting.

It was out there for the hot dogs.

Yeah, you see how bad they are.

Oh, again, go look at the course we did that came out.

I know, it's embarrassing, though, just to go out there and see it.

Beyond that.

Yeah.

Beyond that. So one of the things we looked at, I don't know if it'll work. You see all these new things they have for coding and this and that. I think at this point you want to have to just reconstruct it.

I'm not going to comment on that. I wasn't around at that time. But yes, they are horrible. So we should definitely have a meeting.

What can be done to resurface them?

I think we've got to start all over from the emails and stuff that I've had and quotes and stuff, just looking into it. A couple inspections. I think we have to start all over.

And then you're talking about

Not that much.

Are y'all talking about the tennis courts y'all going to put on Joya Street?

We all trying to get grants. I know.

I found one I thought about sending in.

You have to do a great job over there. You got us in second place to go to legislation. Good. McDonald's field, a big one. Yeah. I think it's good. It's pretty lenient to where possibly we can use another area if we don't need that. We also put in some grants this year by Paulson. And all of our parks are trying to get funding for that, for Julian Street, for Al Smith Park out there, for Washington Street.

That 2% is going to go quick.

2% will buy all that the first year. Yeah.

We need to look into doing a little dog food.

Then we can maintain it. We need it. For the tennis court at Julian Street, basketball court at Washington and MLK Park. and better equipment on Washington.

Yeah, we can maintain it too. Yeah. Properly.

Yeah, we did. We had a great job done on the tenant's course there at home.

City Park.

Mm-hmm.

I haven't been there lately.

They did a great job on that.

But somebody put tape or something down, right? They messed up. Yeah. Pickleball. Because, yeah, they looked good, I remember. Yeah.

But they did a great job on that. I think the cost back then was $40,000 to top that. But they topped it with a full inch of concrete. Not much smaller than a basketball court. If we got to dig it up and go with just concrete, not like on a pickleball court, we'd probably live in a $100,000 court.

So do we need to put in the budget for, like, crosswalks going from DeMontlison to the?

So, yes. So we have a $100,000 budget.

For the sidewalk program?

Well, for crosswalks and all downtown. And curb cuts.

And so. Okay.

It's in the budget, but it might be in the next section.

Would that be just that?

Is it just that project, or is that also like what we're trying to do?

Or is it two separate from where, was it Bayer in your ward with the school?

Yeah.

Because I know we both brought that up about the school crossing and maybe one by Boys and Girls Club.

I need to get Gulf Regionals to see what that study is going to cost because I was going to see about budgeting.

Bayer should have a crosswalk.

They have one from Bayer across Carroll.

Carroll has a crosswalk.

Yeah, there's one.

And then there's a crosswalk at the end of Carroll crossing the street. And then if we do the Pine Street sidewalk, then there'll be a crosswalk coming down there so they don't have to go all the way down to the corner. They'll be able to go straight across at that end of the driveway over here on the south side of that driveway. And so, yeah, that should be in those. Also, the Can we look into, like, the actual signs that flash? I think they definitely need one there by the school, though. At least one. So when we looked at it before it was a school day

They definitely, I would say from experience of being out there waving them cards and they need one there.

Okay, the reflector. Whatever that color is, I think it's green, lime green or something, whatever it is. But just got to stick out more and everything. So we're all looking and trying to get some of that done.

Okay. All hearts, minds, souls are set up.

Anything else?

Did Larry fall under the desk?

No, he got a phone call. I texted to see if he was all right. I don't know what happened.

Anything else? And look, again, this is a start looking at.

It took me a while to get to where we're at.

And still, we'll have some more hours on Monday.

Is that when, is it D? So yes, not sure of time at all. D.D.

will begin with us Monday. In fact, I need to call her tonight to see what time frame she's looking at trying to get that. I think she's pretty well...

anyone else got any other questions if not i'll call for a motion to adjourn the workshop of july 23rd 2026. going in motions do i have a second davis second any discussion vote the motion aye aye