WORKSHOP MINUTES
PERE MARQUETTE DEPOT
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
A workshop meeting of the City Council of the City of Belding, Michigan was convened in open and public session at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.
The City Clerk took the roll call:
Members Present: Council Members Brad Miller, Bruce Meyers, Mike Scheid, Douglas Feehan and Ronald Gunderson
Members Absent: None
Workshop
Council Member Scheid made a motion to bring Fiscal Year 2018/19 Budget to the floor for discussion, supported by Council Member Feehan.
City Manager Niemela stated the budgets are balanced, except Dial-A-Ride and Water Department. There is no request for additional revenue, and the budget uses established millage rates. There was a bump in SEV this year. There will be funds to do additional improvements to roads. He will complete the PASER rating study and then come to council.
General Fund revenues had a slight increase in revenue sharing, to replace the reductions from prior years.
City Council – there was an increase, as some members may wish to take a salary.
City Manager – the city manager will not take health care benefits.
City Clerk – it is an election year and there are salaries for workers, as well as a one time programming fee for the new election equipment.
Central Municipal Account – transfers monies to other accounts. A performance audit was done. The mall parking lot is owned by the city and they are responsible for maintaining it. That should be charged to CMA. The street lighting included all city lights, but street lighting is eligible to be charged to Major and Local Streets. Parking lot maintenance was discussed for the mall. There could be an assessment for the services provided to the merchants.
Cemetery – maintenance and service increased to $12,000. They would like to do road resurfacing improvements. They are developing the next area for more grave sites.
Police Department – includes a police vehicle to purchase or lease. The salaries replace all three officers. Code enforcement handles complaints and the issuance of zoning permits. That needs to be a full time position to be effective. She does administrative work within the police department and handles abandoned cars and parking citation enforcement.
Fire Department – 979.006 was the line item for the FEMA fire fighter grant for equipment. The department had approval to submit an application for funding of the air packs. The application was rejected. That dollar amount can be used as an alternative, to replace a portion of the units.
Fire Chief Moore stated in 2003 they purchased carbon fiber cylinders, with a 15 years life. They can be retested and get an additional 15 years. He will look at that. It will be over $300 a cylinder for testing. He is confident most would pass for a five year extension. The units would be tested every five years. That process must be done by September. It would be $45,000 to buy all new cylinders for 15 years. The city has about 50 cylinders. The turn out gear has a 10 year cycle. They should buy three to four sets a year, in a rotation cycle.
Park Maintenance – a paved parking lot improvement was done to East Riverside Park, and that item went over last year for the budget. $2,100 was included for vandalism repairs.
Interfund Transfers – these are General Fund dollars to debt service programs and DART.
Belrockton Community Center – the maintenance budget was maintained.
Community Promotions – Labor Day activities and other events. There was $3,000 for lights for the tree and decorations. City Manager Niemela stated he would like things added to the Breimayer lot for the holidays, to keep the display growing. He will reach out for additional funding from the businesses. He would like a walk through for Christmas.
Planning & Community Development – there was concern with only $2,000 for the zoning ordinance. The city manager talked to Wade Trim and there is a cost of $15,000 to get a review. They could consider the use of contingency funds.
Contingency – the target is 1.5%.
City Manager Niemela stated with that, there is a balanced budget. Most funds have a healthy fund balance. The city should be improving public property, with water, sewer and roads. There should be a CIP for each department.
Major Streets – there was a significant increase in Major and Local Streets from raised taxes and vehicle registration monies that are now available. The State is putting in more funding. There is a significant amount for street improvements. Ernie will prepare a list to be worked on this year.
Council Member Meyers stated they should use taxpayer money for improvements, rather than letting the money set there.
Local Streets – there was an increase in revenues, as in Major Streets.
Electrolux property – improvements will be done. The grant application from last year has been recommended for approval by the State, which includes the bump out fishing platform.
DDA – there will be a good increase in value this year. There are funds for landscaping supplies for the gardens in the parking lot, with the balance into downtown promotions.
Drug Forfeiture – a program for forfeiture of items from a drug raid. A county-wide program does most of the program and they keep the spoils.
Library – the fund had healthy donations this year and they can meet the debt service obligations. They will talk about the three-party agreement at a meeting next week. The Building Authority borrowed the money for their project. They pay it back as rent for the building.
Museum Fund – the Museum Board generates funds and makes improvements at the Bel.
Bonds – a chart will show the debt service programs.
CIP – that budget takes revenues of 2 mills for capital improvement projects. They need to identify projects to be done.
Dial-A-Ride – there were expected increases, as they will replace an employee that was being shared with another department. Amanda Hall went from part time to full time as the DART Director.
DART Director Hall stated she is looking at the department money wise. Her personal goal is to attend RTAP free grant writing training and to secure new buses. She would like to find outside funding and utilize programs like historical restoration. She wants to make the utility bills as low as they can be.
Council Member Miller stated each ride is about $18.00 a person. The State funds at $7.00 and the City at $11.00. Regarding the structure for rides, he asked if they are at a point to look at the fee structure? They should start working in that direction. Maybe have limited hours or days in the summer, when they are less busy. There may be additional government or state funding.
DART Director Hall stated her goal going forward is to up the fares a little bit to make some back. She has spoken to all employees and they are 100% in favor of having the hours cut a bit to make improvements. Summer hours are less busy.
Sewer Fund – maintenance and service, there is $147,000 for some aerators at the lagoons. The CIP has been completed and they will identify sewer projects to address.
Water Fund – in maintenance and service there is $120,000, and $90,000 of that is to replace the telemetry and tower that talk to each other.
DPW Director Thomas stated he would bring lift stations up in the next budget year.
Internal Service Fund – the transfer monies go into this account.
Buildings and Grounds – for city hall improvements. There is $10,000 for now, but they had hoped for $25,000.
Motor Pool – covers most of the vehicles, other than fire.
Health Insurance – covers employee health insurance costs.
River Ridge Cemetery – perpetual care account. It is very limited on what they can do with that. If the city cemetery fails, the money would be there for someone taking over.
Council Member Miller asked department heads to comment on concerns they may have.
DPW Director Thomas stated if the lead and copper rule to be effective in 2019 passes, as it is proposed, there is a huge price tag and it will change what his department does. There would be a minimum of 5-7% replacement of lead goosenecks each year. An audit will be done. 570 is the number now. Just about every four inch main has lead goosenecks, which is 1950 and older.
Fire Chief Moore stated long term, it would be replacement of fire trucks. He feels they have the best fleet they have had, but it is getting older. The average age of the trucks is 22-23 years. They keep them in good shape. Fire truck costs have increased, as it is now $550,000 for a replacement truck. An aerial is almost $1M. The fire station is very old and the east wall is moving outward. That will be a huge issue. They didn’t build on good soil and did not have the proper foundation. It is fixable. It is not a load bearing wall, but will fall outward. They need to make plans for that down the road. The roof developed a new leak this weekend.
Police Chief Nelson stated there are no major things, but there are maintenance issues that have gone unattended for numerous years. He looks at it on a yearly basis. It will be good to get three people back on staff. They should be up and running by July.
Adjournment
Council Member Scheid moved to adjourn the meeting, supported by Council Member Feehan.
Ayes: Council Members Miller, Meyers, Scheid, Feehan and Gunderson
Nays: None
The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 6:32 p.m.
| | Ronald Gunderson, Mayor |
| Kareen J. Thomas, City Clerk | |
