Council - Regular Meeting

No, just my out here.

Good evening. I'd like to welcome everyone to the East Debuke City Council meeting. It is Monday, April 20th. I ask that you please turn your cell phones off during the meeting and please be quiet during discussions. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 26- staff reports, city manager report. Thank you, mayor. Go through it on uh screen here. So, a little bit on the uh river. This is the latest uh flood predictions from Noah on the river. Looks like we dodged a bullet. Um the water level never got high enough for significant action here and it's projected to head down for the next uh week. So, um, as far as the river levels levels go, uh, Chief H and I have talked about moving more from the flood committee process to a, uh, disaster preparedness model. Um, and he's been doing things with the county on that. Um, we're going to try to move that direction. But in the last year um since last year's uh flooding we have uh replaced in the flats we replaced three culverts through the levey and uh replace pumps to increase uh capacity and reliability downtown. We opened the culvert at uh

first and wall street fully and open the ditch at Cinoa and Jordan. And since we've done that, we've had multiple 2-in uh class rains and no flooding problems. Um Chief Heim and our volunteers are going to be opening up the culvert under the railroad. Um we had an agreement with the railroad that they would jet out the culvert if we took care of the ditch. Uh we took care of our part. They have not taken care of their part. So, uh I won't say what that's necessarily typical of the railroad, but uh so, um thanks to our volunteers, we're going to be able to open that up ourselves um using the pressure of uh our fire um apparatus. And um so we really appreciate our volunteers. They don't just respond when there's an emergency, but uh they're there to prevent the emergency from happening in the first place. And I'm very proud of that. Uh emergency services building, as everybody seen, the windows and are going in. Uh getting a lot of response once people start to see what the outside shaping up like, but inside the drywalling is started, the stairs are going in. Um and the building is uh remains on track. Um for union negotiations um we have not seen any proposal from the union um representing the public works and police employees. The contract ends April 30th. So uh when we get to the budget um I'm unable to include uh uh pay raises for union employees in the budget because we don't have any agreement for that. Um but we are including merit pay for um the merit employees. So um the um in the budget session today we'll be talking about um the early debt retirement. Uh

so I'll save that for that portion. But uh these are some pictures from the inside of the emergency emergency services building just to give you an idea what things look like. These are the new windows in the big conference room downstairs. Um, lot of light, beautiful things. This is um the dormatory room for the fire department on the second floor. Um, where the uh EMS employees are able to um were able to keep people overnight. Um, this is the uh bullpen area for the police department on the second floor. This uh kind of really excited about it. Doesn't look like it now, but this is going to be the small conference room upstairs uh for the fire and police departments. Um it is going to be an awesome room and the fire department is designing the table for it using um historical uh table from the station and um historical wood from the um construction project. So that'll be great. and um and we'll get into the budget at the proper time.

All right. Thank you. Uh I just got a couple of brief announcements. Uh the East Debuke citywide citywide garage sales are May 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th. The fee to get your sale address on the map is $5. This will be used to cover advertising expenses. Applications are available at city hall. You can also email denise.gmail.com gmail.com or text call or call 5033961961 and leave a message. Registration deadline is close of business on Monday, city hall, 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27th. Uh your garage sale will not be included in the information if you're late. Next is uh community cleanup day, Saturday, May 9th, down at the East Debuke City garage. East of residents are invited to participate in the upcoming cleanup day set for Saturday, May 9th from 7:00 a.m. till noon. A dumpster will be available at the East Debuke City garage location on Boat Ramp Road. We are limiting each customer to one pickup load. Several items collected at the event in include fees to cover a portion of recycling, processing, and transfer expenses. These items must have stickers purchased at city hall before the event. Electronics that have a screen of any kind will be collected at $25 per item. Includes computers, computer screens, laptops, and all types of televisions. Large household appliances will be collected at $10 per item. includes refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and microwaves. And then tires up to 420 inch or $5. Again, that is May 9th down at East Debuke City Garage. Moving forward, alder person report. Bergmeer,

I have nothing to report this week. Thank you, Deenheart. Nothing at this time, Mayor. Thank you, Flu. Nothing. Thank you, Meyer. Nothing tonight. Thank you, Roby. Yeah. Um, I got a couple of things. First of all, have we checked into what we're going to do on the hill for those sidewalks if we're going to raise them? If we're going to have Travis come in and look at those?

Um, yeah, we we are going to um bring in the them get them raised. Um, but also we're going to do the catch basins that need to be serviced. So, we will pay for the catch basins and my suggestion will be once we've got the um uh estimate from the people do do the leveling that um we split the cost of that with the homeowners or the property owners because um the sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner. We have not fully engaged that in the past as per code, but I'm going to suggest that we split that cost and then we bear the cost of the catch basins.

Okay. The second thing, the pump down on Monomony that's run by that tractor. Every time we have a storm, I go down there and I see our public works, either our director or our employees standing out in hail, thunder, lightning, manning that, watching it, and I mean for hours. Someone's going to get hurt. Is there any way I know we replace that pump? It's a 6-in pump, but it does not keep up down there. We have um so we did bring in WHKS to look at that and look at a redesign of it. Um and the problem is that the pipe that goes through the levey um is not able to handle greater capacity and a greater a larger pump in that um pump well. Um all it would do is drain it faster. So, you would need to have um a very significant amount of work putting a new culvert through underneath the levey and um putting in a a much bigger catch basin for the pump. We also looked at the option of having two pumps or two having sized pumps in there, but none of those options um passed muster with the engineers. So, um that's why we have the other um other option. We've got there's the culvert that goes through directly from that the pump in the well, the submerged and then um there's a line that goes underneath the road that we pump through and then there the third line when the water gets worse is the uh to close the road and put the line over the top. Um, so it would be a very significant project to

We do have TIFF dollars. That would be a good place to use them rather than having our employees stand out there and lightning storms and wind and rain and everything else. It's not safe for them. I've been down there. I was down there several times last year. I was down there last week and the way that lightning was striking around down there that I really Tony was down there and I thought sure I was going to see that man get struck. So we need to do something. It's a safety factor if nothing else.

And if we have TIF dollars and that is a TIF district, we're using TIF money on everything else. Let's put it to solving that problem down there permanently. Well, the the solution that we're working on is to fix the ditch. If we fix the ditch, then we can redirect a lot of the water in the flats toward the ditch, which by by increasing its capacity, we can increase the the flow to the ditch um and take care of one of the problems, which is that a lot of folks have filled in their ditches um which is preventing the water from moving. I would rather move the water naturally to the third street ditch. But how many years is it going to take us to do?

Well, it's going to be a couple years, but if we were to do So, we're going to let our employees stand out there in lightning and rain and thunder and hail and everything else. That that doesn't make sense. Well, if we were to if I was to snap my fingers today and try to do it, we still would be without that project done for uh probably o for over a year.

So, is there a way that we can put the pump inside some kind of a shed to keep these guys out of the weather? Something. I mean, to get them out of the like I said, someone's going to get struck by lightning down there. Mhm. We could look at whether there's a possibility for shelter. Um but anything anything we do that makes us more reliant on a kinetic um you know pushing water as opposed to letting water flow um is probably less uh is less secure for the city in the long run. So I think the long run solution is has to do with the ditch. Well, and that's fine. I just think we have we have to do something to get our workers out of the out of the mainstream storms. I mean, that's that's not good.

Like a pump house or something. Yeah. Just something that maybe we could put the pump into that they can go into the pump house and monitor. I mean, these guys are out there in rain gear and everything else. And the rain is one thing. It's when the other night when it was lightning the way it was, nobody should have been outside in that storm. Okay. Well, we can look at whether there's opportunity for a shelter out there. Okay. I don't know. I don't know what Tony thinks of that, but I was a little agitated the other night.

Some type of shed would be nice and standing because that that 6 in does not keep up at all when we have a big rain. We got to go down and start 4 in pump to help it out. And I've seen him down there last year several hours. I would drive by several times and he'd be over there with his flashlight looking down in there and I didn't think it was safe then. Okay, we'll take a look at a shelter. Okay, that's all I have. Mayor, thank you. Taylor, nothing tonight. Thank you. City Attorney Hess. Uh, nothing to report. Mayor, thank you. Police Chief Kassic,

thank you. Public works director Van Astron. Nothing to report tonight. Thank you, Fire Chief Heim. Nothing. All right. Thank you. Moving forward. 26-0418. Speakers from the floor. There are none noted this evening. We'll move forward. 26-0419 consent agenda. Still moved. Seconded. Roll call. Bergm. I. Jenheart. Hi. Flur. I. Meer. Hi. Roby. Nay. And Taylor. Hi.

New business 26-0420. discussion and possible action to approve special event permit application from the East Debuke Lions Club for Thursday night's East Debuke car show from April 30th, 2026 through October 1st, 2026 starting at 400 p.m. until 1000 p.m. with street closure from 7in Avenue to 198. So the uh operation of it appears to be the same as uh past years um with Lions Club doing the work.

So there's not going to be any alcohol on the street sold on the street like they have been in the past. Well, it' be the same I mean it's the same same setup as every other year is what it the application was. You sold in in Col's lot, right? Last year, Mike, you weren't selling alcohol on the street, right? on the street because here it says no no no state liquor license no alcohol purchased by local liquor license holder right I don't know if I'm free to speak if I I'm asking

okay uh the agreement has always been that we pay for the van and then we have a stand outside but that's governed by the liquor license of the other side our shop covers that of our policy. We always That's what we have. Okay. That's the reason we have the outdoor consumption area permanent from the city, right? That's why I meant last year. You sold it actually in your consumption area. You didn't sell it on the street, did you? No, we sold on the street last year. Two years ago, we sold it on property. Oh, okay.

So, we had the fireworks two years ago. Okay.

So, and we have a copy of the insurance it's it's covered by we're sending it to email it over. Yeah. I don't have a copy. I know it goes to Anderson and the city. Okay. It was in the works. Okay. Need a motion to approve. All right. We have a motion. Second. Roll call. Jagenheart. Hi. Flur. Hi. Meer. Hi. Roby. Hi. Taylor. Hi. Bergmmyer.

Hi. 26-0421 discussion of possible action to approve emergency service building payment number six in the amount of $293,474.88 for Tricon General Construction. So standard uh um process for approval um all the expenditures are either um approved as part of the initial plan or um as changes approved by the council. So, I recommend approval.

Any questions or discussion? Windows look great. Already made a difference. Yeah, the whole the whole building looks phenomenal. I'll make a motion. I'll second it. Roll call. Flur. I Meer. Hi. Roby. Hi. Taylor. Hi. Bagmire. Hi. Jen Hart

I 26-0422 discussion and possible action to approve 2027 fiscal year commercial facade improvement award program application packet. So this is uh the same as the uh application packet um for last year's award period um with it running from uh the from approval to September 1st. Uh everything has to be completed by September 1st and um we are proposing lowering the amount from uh a $30,000 match to a $25,000 match. um part mainly in in response to the fact that um we don't want we want to let people know that this is something they should be taking advantage of sooner than later and the people who took advantage of it last year um get a little bit extra benefit over the people who are applying for it. Oh,

I think the the other part that we changed is we they had to have for reimbursement, they had to have it in by the end of our fiscal year. Yeah. By April 15th, they have to have the work done and and the money back the request back in by April 15th of 27.

Yeah. So there's a cut off date, but now there's also a date that they have to turn in for reimbursement because like what we got going on this year is you got a couple projects that we've already approved, but the funds aren't going to go out until this next fiscal year on the new, you know, on the new budget. So we wanted to try to keep everything within the same fiscal year. So that's why there was that changed in the packet. But I I mean I think you you look around downtown and you look and you can see what kind of things have gotten done with this this uh facade program and I think it's it's a great thing for the for our city and I I I recommend that we approve, you know, approve it.

So I have a question. So they have to have the application in by September 1st, 2026 this year. Correct. And then they have to have the work completed by April 15, 2027. So, if somebody's going to site a building, the weather gets bad, how are they going to have that completed by April 15th?

They're going to have to make sure they get the thing done fast enough. These are facade programs, so um they don't involve the structural work that some other projects do. So, um there really isn't a reason they shouldn't be able to get it done, I think. Um but you know it's understood at the beginning if you apply for the money that um you have to get the project done in time.

Yeah. It just keeps the the finances cleaner. You know because you look at some of the projects that we got, you know, that are dragging over for for this year. I think when I was talking with Bob, you're looking at what close to $90,000 in in facade programs that we approved that aren't going to get paid out until the next fiscal year. So, we wanted to try to keep things, you know, within the same same year. Yeah. So, I mean, it's it's April now, so people have a a year to apply for the program, have it approved, and get their project completed and the the billing in. Well, I just wonder, do we want it? Well, that won't work either. Okay.

I just I mean, we could change something. We could change the cut off date if you you know, like I'm just wondering how, you know, how people are going to get stuff done through the winter if they're replacing windows or doors or stuff like that and have it done by April. Would we be be better off have starting our our program in April for approval, have it approved from September to April and then have it done by September? Just switching those dates around that gives them all summer to to do the project. But they but I would argue they have the whole summer to do it now because they could put in the application in May and they would have a year to complete the project.

Okay. I mean nothing says just because wrong I guess. No, just because it's a dead the deadline is September 1st, right? But we want them to do their everything about the project has been trying to get people to to improve their facades as soon as as possible. So, the incentive is to move as fast as you can getting your application in and getting your project completed. Okay. Um I know there's there's property owners that are waiting for, you know, waiting for approval. You know, that I think people see what's been done and they want to be a part of it. So, it's a good thing.

Any other questions or discussion? If not, can we get a motion to approve? Second. Roll call. Meyer. I. Roby. I. Taylor. Hi. Bergmire. Hi. Jen Hart. Hi. Floor. Hi.

26-0423. Discussion. possible action to approve an ordinance adding assistant chief of police position. Okay, so this one seems like more than it is. Um when the uh current budget uh um when the current contract was completed, it included language that um included the assistant chief position within the contract, the union contract as a union member through the term of this contract. And it has specific language. It says at the end of this contract, the assistant chief position is no longer a union position um but moves out. So that creates a a little bit of limbo um because we don't have other the other positions that we have that are outside of the union um are stipulated in our ordinance in our code. So this just puts that into our code. Um the advantage of having that position outside of the union is that um union members are prohibited in most cases from certain from certain disciplinary action and things um against other union members. So since this is a management position, it makes more sense to have it outside of the union and that's what the union contract says. So this just creates the code to create the position in the code. Um and as you know we already have the person um in the position um Cody Lang. Any questions or discussion?

Motion to approve. Second. Got a motion in a second. Roll call. Roby I. Taylor. I Bergmire. Hi Denart. Hi Lur. I Meer. Hi.

26-0424. Discussion and possible action to approve final amended fiscal year 2026 budget. So um in front of you you have the uh the blue section on the spreadsheet um which includes the budget as proposed in the first column, the updates at 6 months, the updates at 9 months and then the final update. Um the uh the second to last blue column is the uh includes all the changes from the nine from the 9-month numbers to the final numbers. So you can see which things are are new numbers. And then uh the final column in blue is the proposed 2627 budget which is um undergoing its uh review period. um at the city hall on the desk there. So, we are not acting on the proposed budget because we can't legally act on that. We can discuss it um but we can't act on it at this point. Um so, all we're trying to act on now is updating the current budget for the changes that um we have. So the numbers um are should be pretty close by this point um being that we're kind of at mid April. So hopefully my projections are better by um the time we've got 11, you know, plus months of um activity in. Um, so I'm going to I will go down and please um ask for any questions on things uh that are changed and uh we can discuss anything that

anybody wants to discuss as we go through. Um on the revenue side in the administration budget um you see the final numbers for uh sales tax. Uh we projected an increase from the previous year. um projected going from 792 to 819. Um I think the our final is going to be that 971 roughly $1,000 of sales tax for the year. So significant increase there. Um the um cannabis tax uh we took in 46,000 the previous fiscal year. I projected 528,000 for the current fiscal year. Taking just a pretty much a wild guess because we didn't know what it would be going from 1 to three. Um I think the revenue is going to be more like that $588,000 number that's in the budget. Um moving down. So please jump in um anywhere. I'll just keep talking until somebody stops me. Um, moving down to the training line. Um, one thing that, um, we've been doing with the training, uh, our CPA, uh, has we backed off on the need for the CPA oversight. We still have that contract, but, um, the CPA that we have is retiring. Um, we have the opportunity to go to a different CPA in that firm, but um, we've had they've had to be much less hands-on. And one of the reasons for that is that um we have sent our treasurer to school. And so um on her own time uh Pam has been taking classes in um bookkeeping so that we actually have somebody

trained in this stuff um on our staff. So we are paying the tuition as long as she's um doing well in the classes. And she's doing very well in the classes. And um at least last I found saw. No, but she um if you see lights on at city hall late at night, it's generally Pam doing her homework. So um that's the change in that line. Um and I think that's going to pay for itself very quickly in reduced need for that financial oversight. Um, currently between Pam and Dez, they're doing they're doing everything themselves and they haven't been they haven't needed any kind of correction in many months. Um, moving down, uh, police chief adjustment there is, um, as discussed in the contract. Uh that's was the requirement under the federal um labor rel labor um act. Um the school resource officer number is um comes into play with the school resource revenue. This is the last year for the revenue from the donation and um so as such it's the last this will be the last year that we have um a full-time school resource officer and we're working on an agreement with the school district to be able to provide them services um after this agreement is done. Uh the um overtime we're is um up but we are we've implemented things to get that back down. Um and that's just one of the lines that as

we've been training officers uh our officer last summer um that line went high and um you can see it's being projected to come down in the next fiscal year. Um I will that'll be the um vehicle acquisition line on the next page. Um in the police again is uh that's the number for the uh share the administrative cost um share of the uh squad that we purchased that was approved by the council. And um so you can see there's a number in there for that this year, but then in the next year there's no money for uh for that the number at the next time.

Hey Bob. Yeah. So we're not going to try and budget any money to set aside for vehicle acquisitions. That's what I was just talking to myself about. Um because we had kind of said when we started this process, we wanted to put so much money aside a year. So we were never caught with our pants down so to speak and not have anything to put forward to a vehicle. And we can So if you go down the third line down from there

is the uh operating transfer line. So what we did was we set up an account. Um if you want we can just skip to that cuz it it's a good time for it. Um, so this is the holding fund we're setting up and it's the vehicle acquisition fund. And so what we're doing or proposing doing in the next budget is putting funds in, we will keep a spreadsheet on what budgets the uh funding came out of. And this is where we'll acrew dollars for replacement of vehicles from cash instead of borrowing. So the vehicle fund line there is the money that we're setting aside in the next fiscal year um for vehicles. So it doesn't include anything for fire because we've invested a great deal in the last two years in fire. Um and the reason for the higher number in the $40,000 number in police is the anticipation that hopefully we get to a point soon of being able to reinstate the K9 program. So, we're kind of it'll either go to that or it'll be carried over for the future. Um, and then the um next column is something we discussed the uh initial operations for the emergency services building. That's hopefully a very large, you know, overt statement of it, but we don't know what it's going to cost to heat, cool, electrify, um, cleaning, you know, different things for that uh, outfitting of that uh, building. So, we've just set aside some money there for that. And then the advanced payment line is the last column uh, column there. And there um

um what we're proposing is that $326,000 number in that line is um the money necessary to um here we go. Um so last year, last fiscal year 25, we paid off the uh city the city hall um mortgage early. In the next budget, I'm proposing that we pay off the vac truck, the sweeper truck, and the fire truck, uh the three-year loan on the fire truck early. Um and so the funding there will reduce is so that would require that $435,000 number 110 of that is already in the line for the firetruck payments for the coming year, so it doesn't have to be added. So that's where that $326,000 number comes from. Um, additionally, the ambulance is paid off this year. So by in this next fiscal year, the proposal is that all of our market rate loans will be paid off early and put aside. So that frees up $267,000 a year um that that is currently going to payments for these market rate loans. And um that will fund the bond repayment for the emergency services building which this year is $90,000. Next the next year it would be $140,000 in 2028. um it does tend to go up through the time frame. So the other thing we would do with this fund is set aside money above the bond required bond payment to offset the growth of the bond payment fund. And so

all this is um as we always say, don't get hooked on drugs. um you know, preventing us from putting all of our um the money from the cannabis businesses and things into operations. So, we get we use it to improve our situation financially so that regardless of what happens in the future with those businesses, um the city is protected um by improving our financial situation. So, a little bit of a detour, but that's you're right on. That's exactly what we're trying to do. And um the we have been buying CDs and you know making fair amount of interest on it, but the interest rate that we get in the CDs is lower than the interest we're paying on the loans. So, it just made sense to take that money and put it into repay to paying off loans early and then that frees us up to be able to do the rest.

So, I know you said we're not putting anything away for the fire trucks because we just bought two relatively newer fire trucks. So, are we going to look next year to start putting money away for because we can't just not do it period. Right. So, this is a down payment on that. Um, this is a down payment on on that new policy. Okay.

Um, I had initially $200,000 going into the vehicle replacement side of it. And then we just looked and we said, "Well, it doesn't make any sense to be paying 6% interest on a loan and then saving money and getting 3% on the CD." So I just shifted it over so the lion's share of that money went to paying off because that frees up all that money that's going to annual payments and then that money can be acred for vehicle replacement and buying down our bonds. Um early just wanted to make sure we just weren't shoving it out the door and not paying attention. Nope. Okay.

Um so yeah, I'm excited about this. That's why I loved detouring into this. Some people don't get excited about this stuff, I guess. I don't know why not. Um, so that's the police side. Um, move on to the to the fire side. Um, there, uh, we've got, if you go down lower, you we show the, uh, 395,000 for the vehicle equipment acquisition. And that's the second um firet truck. Um if you look at the beginning, the budgeted amount, the 327, that was the um amount to actually purchase the empty vehicle. Um but if you take that 395 and then you look up at the donations line toward the top of the fire section, there's 66,000. We had budgeted 15,000 for donations and they actually took in 66. the donations offset the uh cost of outfitting the fire truck. Does that make sense? So, um those kind of balance each other off. Um the inner fund operating transfer is the last line there and that's the transfer. So that whenever you see that line, that's most of that is transferring money to pay off loans um and um or transferring money to the vehicle fund for the future. So you'll see that number actually would go up in the next year um above where we are this year. Um moving to EMS. Uh the main difference here if you go down to the vehicle service um maintenance service vehicle

uh which is 5130. Um, a normal year is about $2,000, but in this year, we budgeted initially $37,000, which was the best guess at the at um what was needed to um take off the rust, fix the body, repaint, and wrap the ambulance. And um when you get to that um line for changes for this year, that number is actually the $29,000 number. And then in the coming year it would go back down to normal. So for the ambulance um this I was joking with the chief that this gives us another 15 20 years on the ambulance. Um it won't give us that but it does um it was a wise investment I think to keep the ambulance um going uh while we get other things taken care of. Uh training in this one for next year goes up, but other than that, the EMS budget is pretty run-of-the-mill. Um moving to the uh public works. Um there again we have a pretty significant revenue increase um from uh I the projections um that I've read statewide are that the revenue from video gaming is is dropping. So I had projected a reduction in uh revenue from 245 to 243 because that was kind of the trend we were seeing. Um but actually we made 200 about we should be making 253,000 in that account. Um moving down. So you've this one we captured in the 9month we captured the

new truck um for public works at 64,000. Um but nothing else stands out there. um you get to the totals for the um for the year and um the general fund total um we come out 1425 uh to the good. So in the black um the beginning of the year we projected 1493. So, we ended up very close to what we projected. Um, but what's not shown in that is that we also bought um a squad for the police department and a truck for uh public works and outfitted it with plows and and a salt spreader and all that. Um, and we still managed to come out um very similar to what we had projected at the beginning of the year. So that's thanks to the revenue um that we've generated. Um moving down to the uh so audit um you'll see going into the next this year unremarkable um the revenue that we get from the property tax is about equal to the cost of the audit um that was done for this year. Next year though because the audits have been so slow in coming um that this coming fiscal year we will probably have to pay for two audits. The audit for the fiscal 25 and fiscal 26 and which hopefully we get those done. We put those we get back on track on the audits but um we're behind um by one audit which is why next year we'll have a little higher number. Um, we've talked about everything on the

IMRF and insurance side I think in the past and those are um not very big differences from what we discussed um and we don't have any control over those issues. going into the next fiscal year, um we are uh transferring money into some of those accounts from the general fund to eliminate our uh deficits in individual funds. So, we're currently operating um myself up here. Um so this is we are currently we're currently operating about $30,000 in the black on the general fund. Um whereas in 2023 we were a million dollars in deficit. So, um, we are on a trend to continue to build that buffer, um, even though we're paying off our loans and things faster than, uh, early. So, um, in you'll notice in playgrounds, this is something that's nothing new, but in playgrounds, for instance, we, um, lowered the amount we were taking in from 19,000 to about 5,000 because we've got a huge, uh, about I think we still even after we redid those playgrounds, we've got about $56,000 in that account. Um in the next year uh we won't be asking for property tax money for that and we'll be um making some expenditures to buy down the the um surplus further. Uh

we want to redo the basketball courts and things like that. Um Bob, under fund 14, kind of back up a little bit. Uh, there's two lines for property tax and they're very similar. What are the two differences? Right. The Oh, um, two, it's like the first line under fund 14 and then the fifth one down mostly property tax. One's 19,377, one's 1942. The page number, but they're numbered same too. 30 3110. Yeah. Um are you talking about the um

it's under funding. Oh, you're talking about 15, right? It's about 14. 14. It's in 15. It's 15 31. Yeah. Sorry, it's 15. Yeah. Okay. Yep. Yep.

Okay. So, yeah. So, that one um one of them is Grammarcy Park and the other is the playgrounds. Gotcha. They both come under that um parks um top and top line. The Gramarcy Park amount we just passed through. So we give the Gramarcy Park board that $19,000 number um for their operations. And then um below that, so the amount that comes in is that 19 the 19,000 in the parenthesis. The amount that goes out is the same 19 that goes to the Grammy Park board. And then the um property tax next property tax down was is what's $5,000 uh in this budget and but there's no expenditures off sending it because we projected some but we don't end up having costs that came in there. Um really over time the playgrounds should have been paying their way for having the lawn mode and basic maintenance and garbage pickup and all those kind of things. So one thing I think we're going to do in the next budget is probably purchase um we need to replace a mower. probably replace a mower from the playground fund understanding that the playgrounds have been operating for free for a very long time.

So, do we need to set a fund up that the playgrounds pay like the public works?

Well, we can we could do that. We we can take the interfund operating expense and we could transfer money directly um to have them pay. But it's a question of whether the juice is worth the squeeze cuz when they go out to mow um you know they're going out to a part of the city to mow and they're mowing the the levey and they're mowing the you know and so to try to break it out it might be more work than than um necessary. So that's why what we're projecting is just um occasionally, you know, they'll buy a piece of equipment or whatever for the city. And

so when our audit, how do we show that we did that? That we I'm just wondering because I have no idea. So in the if you look uh in that budget, um we budgeted for um uh maintenance supplies, grounds for $20,000. that is um projected to redo the basketball courts. Okay. And then the other 20,000 for operating supplies, that would be the funding that would go for um replacing a mower. Okay. And so that would all be available for the audit. It would all be um the invoices and things would be shown. Okay. There wanted to know.

Yeah. But we could do it we we could do it that way or we could we'll talk to the CPA. We could do it by taking that 20,000 doing an interfund operating expenditure and transferring the money over to public works and purchasing it there. So we can there's two ways to do it but both of them are clean. Okay.

Um the um going online for the motor fuel tax uh fund 17. um we are currently buying that one down. So you'll see that and the the thing that's hard in this one is if something is a negative is in parenthesis, it's actually a positive. Um it's because the revenue that comes in is in parenthesis. And so if it's not in parenthesis, you spent more than you took in. If it's in parenthesis, you took in more than you spent. So if you look on um the u uh fund 17 the motor fuel tax we spent um 776 more than we took in. The reason for that is even after all of that spending it down we are still 89,000 um have balance of $89,000 in that account. uh the state told us that if we don't start spending the balance that we have in that account that we're going to have to give it back. So um that's why for this year we we uh that's we took money for roads. Usually that fund goes for salt and um electricity for the street lights. And this year we um all the way through the budget we took we put money into streets um and next year we're proposing spending 88,000 more than we take in um because the balance is about 89,000. So, um, next year we would eliminate that, uh, surplus. And by doing that and shifting some of the spending for roads over to the motor

fuel tax to bring that balance down, it helps us on the half cent sales tax, which has a deficit to fill the deficit. So, we're going to in the next fiscal year, we'll make a lot of progress, I think, on um balancing out um the accounts that are in deficit and bringing down the accounts that are in surplus. Obviously, if there's going to be a surplus, we'd rather have it in our general fund than in an individual fund that can only be used for certain things. Um turn of the page, top of the page, fund 25. Um that's the vehicle the net of the vehicle fund. Um so that's a fund that does doesn't do much otherwise. And so um it's we're essentially taking that over for its purpose which is to have money for vehicles but also um we're doing these other things kind of holding the money in that account. um the moving out of the half cent sales tax what I just was um discussing um there um for the next fiscal year we anticipate a um having a balance of 70,000 the deficit in that account is about 70,000 right now so we would wipe out the the deficit in that account in the next fiscal year But um we're kind of treading water in the current fiscal year. Um and next is the um of interest is a capital projects. Um

come on. Here we go. So, this is the this is the capital projects fund up on the screen here. And this is kind of what we've been discussing. Um the I drew a line through the things that we intend to pay off early in the next fiscal year. And so, um you can see the the sweeper, the ambulance has its last payment. The um vector truck is a 73,000. the fire truck um would end at the end of the year, but we have the cash to be able to pay it off ahead of that to save interest. And then you have the bond coming in at 90,000. And then the lower ones are the Oxford uh water and sewer payments, um which is 10 $11,000 a year for those. Um but those are low interest loans. Those are plus or minus of 1%. They go from a 0.9 to 1.1 I think. And so those are funds you really don't want to pay off early. But um this year the hope is that we would also have Hayawa Montgomery and um Family Beer um lift stations um in there. So, um, we do have to be cognizant of the long-term loans that we're getting to do some of these projects, but I think as long as we're doing projects with it that are saving us these water mane breaks and all those problems that, you know, we need to use that somewhat to catch up. Um, but by paying off our stuff early, we're being responsible that way. So, um

I think that's great work paying that stuff up early. I mean, that's

Yeah. So, you can see at the bottom of this one right now um in the in the next year, we would be scheduled to pay $664,000 um in debt repayment. Um with this payoff, um we would take that down to 416,000. So, um that's real progress. Um moving on to the TIFF. Um I think everybody recalls that um because of the emergency services building and the other activities going on downtown um the spending has come uh overwhelmingly out of the um downtown TIF but the revenue is coming into all three. Um the balance in tiff um in the three tiffs combined goes from um in the current fiscal year from about 1.8 million to 1.26 26 million and um in the next year um the numbers just came out from the county and um we're set to get a 700 $75,000 of TIFF revenue. So the revenue that we take in in TIF in the coming fiscal year will put us basically right back and even a little higher than we had been um for TIFF. So even with all the spending we've had for tiff um we're not significantly bringing down the balance yet but we project um given the projects we have um and I'm have to make kind of broad guesses in this one

um we project um more agreements and more um development and more infrastructure um expenditures in the coming year. Um but this year we did not take down that fund the way that we um had anticipated um in large part because we were able to bring in the emergency services building at a level that we were able to shift over the cost there to the bond um earlier than I had anticipated. bottom of the page, ARPA is done. Um, the last of the ARPA money went on to the Sinca water main project and so we are done with the federal government. Nobody's done with the federal government, right? Um, moving down, you seen the the debt one. We went through um the water fund. Um we've got basically uh we're in the black on water. Um we did do the Oxford water project and um so for the for the current year uh we've got a positive balance u coming out of the year for water and um we're looking so I think our commitment when we raised water and sewer rates uh couple years ago was that we would go 3 years without raising rates again. Uh the coming year will be the third year and we are making good on our promise not to raise rates. So we'll have three

years at least. So I'm not proposing any rate increase for water, sewer, garbage in the coming budget. Um and um despite the fact that we're not doing an increase um we've gone from a deficit overall in our enterprise fund to a surplus. Um a surplus isn't really a surplus in enterprise because you we should be maintaining a much higher balance to be able to maintain the infrastructure that we have in place. So we're not out of the out of the woods yet. Um but we are headed in the right direction with the balances in water, sewer and and garbage. Um on the sewer side, we had a significant deficit coming into the year. Um and we're turning it around this year. Um, as I know we've discussed before, um, these numbers project, uh, that we would get, um, the money we're waiting for from the state, which is, uh, $795,000 in grant money for the Indian Hills project for expenditures that are have already been made. um about over half of that is expenditures for from previous fiscal years to the current one um when the planning was done for the different options for that. So had we not gone ahead and done the granton process that we did with Indian Hills um we would have lost all that money that we we had spent previously and now the money that we take in that 795 um 350 it's not half 350 of it is for work that temporally is done already and

then some of it is for the oversight and um and uh um the management of the grant, but um a significant portion of it was um was the funding that went I'm just looking to see if I had the number down here. Um was the money that had gone for planning in previous years. So basically what that means is between the current year and the 27 fiscal year, we will take in several hundred,000 more from the state and grants than we expend in those fiscal years for Indian Hills, which will flip the sewer fund from a negative to a positive balance. Does that make sense? It's kind of a weird kind of a weird way of thinking, but it's government Um, so as we move down through the year, that 795, um, I'm becoming less and less certain that it's going to come in before April 30th. Um, if it doesn't, it'll come in in a, you know, in the next fiscal year and it'll just beef up the numbers for next fiscal year. Um, I'll give the the warning on garbage. um garbage. We're kind of on a break even point right now. So, um when their rates go up in the contract, we're probably going to end up uh we're we're we will be spending in the next fiscal year. This year, we spent about 6,000 more than we took in. Um which is okay because we have a balance. next year um projecting 7500 more than we take in as as I say which is okay because we have a balance and that's kind of a pass

through account but just we should be aware that we are spending more than we're taking in in garbage fees um currently um so when you look at the bottom line of the overall budget the last literally the last line um we are not nearly as good as this year shows, nor are we as bad as next year shows. And the reason is um we took in $4 million in bonds in the current fiscal year. And so we show it we show that we took in that we're taking in $2.7 million more than we're spending. The reason for that is that we took in $4 million in bonds, but we spent like a million and a quarter or something on on the building. And so, um, we are positive, but we're not that positive. And in the next year, um, we'll spend 2 and a.5 million on the emergency services building, but all the revenue was taken in as a bond in the current fiscal year at 4 million. And so, that doesn't show us revenue in the next fiscal year. So, that shows us in the whole even though we have we'll be spending $2.5 million of bond funds that we have in hand. So that makes that makes sense. But um so that comes out about 400 million 400,000 to the good despite the fact that um we're making um all these other expenditures to buy down debt and do those other things. And um the money that we spend in TIF above the above what we take in um 645,000 in this year. all that money that we take in that's above what we take in in a year goes against us in that particular line. I don't know if

I'm explaining that well enough, but basically um we are positive this year but not this positive. We're positive next year, but and we're we're not that if you take even just that two and a half million that we'll be spending on the emergency services building, it gives you a balance of about 400,000 just from that one item. And then there are a bunch of other items that come into play. So, um, but the proofs in the pudding that we have the ability to buy down our debt because our balance is strong enough in the coming year. Hope I didn't confuse everything in the last minute here.

I mean, it's it's great work. I mean, department heads, great job, everybody. I mean, this is this is solid. I will say the thing I'm I'm most proud of is that um all of the department heads have done or participated in their budget and they are really understanding the whole budget process now and um that gives another set of eyes to everything and the expertise that they have in their areas is way beyond my expertise in their areas. So, um I think we come up with a much better process um with a whole management team working on it as opposed to one person sitting in their office and coming up with the budget.

Any questions or further discussion? If not, we need a need a motion to approve the discussion action to approve the final amended fiscal year 2026 budget. So, second a motion second. Roll call. Taylor. Hi. Hi. Hurt. Hi. Cler. Hi. Meer. Hi. Ruby. Hi.

26-0425 discussion of fiscal year 2027 city budget. So, I think we pretty well went through it. Um, I I didn't go through much at the beginning. I will say the one thing I didn't go through was the revenue side. Um, I basically was very conservative in the revenue for the coming year because I have no good way of estimating what's going to happen. You know, when for instance with cannabis, we had an idea that if you open up two new shops, you're probably going to have more revenue. And so we estimated now that they're functioning, does that revenue go up next year? Does sales tax go up next year after we had such a big bump this year? I don't know. Um so basically I just on the tax lines I carried them forward from this year to next. I didn't project increases. Um it would be fair to probably you know estimate at least a three to five would have been conservative but I didn't I basically just ran those numbers across unless I had some real reason to believe that there was going to be a difference. So, I'm I think we're I think this is a conservative budget.

Any further discussion on the fiscal year 2027 budget? All right. There's no action on that. We're going to move forward. 26-0426. Need a motion to adjurnn. I'll second. Roll call. Bergmmyer. Hi, Jagenheart. Hi, Flur. Hi, Meyer. Hi, Roby. Hi, Taylor. Hi. We are adjourned. All right. You guys want to hang around? I just about the budget. Your minutes is open.