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City of Chubbuck 71
Special Council Meeting Minutes
July 30, 2013
3:00 p.m.
Minutes of a regular Council Meeting held at the City Council Chambers, July 30, 2013.
Present: Mayor Steven England, Council Members: Josh Ellis, Kevin England, Brent Marshall,
Kermit Morrison, Attorney Thomas Holmes, Public Works Director Steve Smart, City Clerk
Rich Morgan.
The meeting was called to order at 3:00pm by Mayor Steven England.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was led by Mayor Steven England.
Discussion on Fiscal Year 2014 Budget.
A letter from Mr. Paul Rogers proposing an LID for Stuart Street was distributed to the council.
A spreadsheet from Boyd Byrd with some budget analysis was distributed to the council. Mr.
Byrd compares estimated budget expenditure to actual expenditures.
n City Clerk Morgan commented that The City of Chubbuck has tried to build a maintenance and
operations fund balance of 3 to 6 months of operations expenditures. Taking away the
departments capital will not only foster a use it or lose it culture but will result in a decrease in
fund balance. It will also increase the number of emergency purchases. The City wants to
minimize emergency purchases not increase them.
Council Member Ellis suggested the Council set some parameters for the budget to help facilitate
the discussion with the department heads. The Mayor stated that there were two budgets that
could be used as a starting point. The first is the published budget and the second is the proposed
budget. Council Member England suggested the Council use the published budget as the starting
point. Council Member Ellis asked about the new construction roll and the associated tax
generated this year. The new construction roll generates $60,000. Council Member Ellis asked
about the percentage increases allowed by law in the budget and how it would effect the tax paid
by a citizen. With a budget increase of 1.9% the City's tax levy would stay the same as the prior
year levy.
Council Member Marshall would like to hear from each Department Head. He also wants to
ensure that the City of Chubbuck's levy rate is lower than the City of Pocatello's.
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July 30, 2013
Council Member England commented that in the past two years the City of Chubbuck has
increased its property tax budget by 2% not the full 3 %.
Bill Guinn, the City's Park Superintendent addressed the Council. Bill explained that the
Parks Department has been able to reduce the number of full time employees in his department
from 8 to 4 full time employees. Bill has also been able to adjust his fuel consumption by
rearranging how his department is working. He thinks he would be able to adjust his budget by
the 5% asked. He will adjust his fuel, his capital plan for trucks and his park maintenance
budget. He explained his annual expenses that are coming up in August like the fertilizer
purchase.
Randy Severe, Chubbuck Police Chief, addressed the council. Chief Severe gave the Council
some back ground on the Police Department. For the last 6 or 7 years, the departments operation
budget has essentially stayed the same. Chief Severe used the training budget as example which
is budgeted at $25,000 per year. This is where cuts would have to happen. Chief explained that
$25,000 might sound like a lot, however, each officer needs 40 hours of training per year.
The operations budget of the Police Department use to be 20% of the departments total.
n Currently it is 15 %. Until last year this had not effected the level of service that had been
provided to the City. Last year the Police Department discontinued the Dare Program. If the
Council does decide to cut and additional 5% in this budget chief will look at the services
provided and cut where it will hurt least. Chief stressed the need to be careful in order to ensure
the City is not taking chances with the training, the back -up that is needed to ensure we don't
compromise our defense, if needed, in a court of law. The Departments 5% cut does not add up
with a few bullets or less paper. We will need to cut patrol vehicles or look at staffing. Another
example of an increased cost the Police Department is dealing with internally is the teletype cost.
It will triple in the next year. It goes from $5,625 to $16,875.
Eric King, Chubbuck Fire Chief, addressed the council. Chief King pointed out the number of
line items that currently have zeros in his operations budget. Those line items have been utilized
to fund cuts in prior years and have effectively tighten up his budget to a point where he believes
there is no where else to give. To deal with this the department has changed the way they
respond. The Chief likened it to triage of the calls. This has helped save some of the fuel
budget. This year they have been unable to contract on other fires because of the lack of
apparatus. In the past this did help with bringing in some revenue to the department. In this
current budget he was going to ask for more personnel and more maintenance money and now
realizes that this wont happen. The Fire Departments operation budget is 15% of the total. The
dollar amount is a little over $180,000. Council Member Marshall asked Chief what his wish list
included. Chief responded; 1 - raises, 2 - funding for pay call personnel, and 3 - funding a capital
plan for trucks, radios, breathing apparatus, and turnouts. Council Member Ellis ask Chief King
n what increase would he need in his budget to do this? Chief King responded that each truck
would need
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July 30, 2013
$75,000 a year. The breathing apparatus would be $60,000 a year for the next 5 years. Turn outs
would require $21,000 per year. Chief Kings stated the department needs at least $150,000 per
year to do something meaningful with the apparatus needs of the department.
Steve Smart, the City's Public Works Director, addressed the council. Steve commented on
the good job Bill Guinn has done. Steve has done the same as Bill has done and drawn out the
capital plan to meet the 5% cut. Steve explained his Salt Storage Building line item and how it is
an effort to put together some money, over several budget years to fund this project. In the public
works department there is a significant ebb and flow in expenses. Building inspection would
take the 5% out of imaging. These are the drawings that the City is required to keep
permanently. Information Technology would reduce the new computers line item. These
purchases could be forestalled for one year. Storm Water would not be able to cut 5 %. The City
is under contract for the amount budgeted. There has been a lot of talk about street maintenance,
this line item would be funded fully at 270k to 300k per year.
Council Member England looks at the possibility for cuts in fuel, capital programs, and
maintenance programs. He stated that just a few years ago the City Council made the
commitment to try and build toward a capital replacement plan. It would be a travesty to have
come this far toward having these capital accounts funded and then a few short years later
actually wipe them out. During the public hearing there was a feel for having taxes come down.
We also heard about the need for funding the Fire Department and Police Department. Roads
were also mentioned. The Chubbuck Development Authority has roads as their top priority. The
City needs to ensure we have good, trained employees. As we look at these two budgets we need
to decide what is our priority. Council Member England commented that most citizens pay more
each month for their internet service than what they pay the City of Chubbuck for the services
they receive from the city. Council Member England commented that he has been over line
items, he has sat down with each department head, he has talked to citizens. He believes the
proposed budget is a good one.
Council Member Marshall commented on the waste he sees at the City. He used the irrigation
pump on the Knudsen project and the recently purchased backhoe contract as his examples. He
believes these things would not happen if the budget was tighter. He appreciated Billy and
Billy's willingness to cut the Parks budget. The majority of Council Member Marshall's notes
on the department heads comments were their excuses. Council Member Marshall wants to get
to a point where purchases are on a cash basis, we are giving raises to our employees and we
have money to maintain our roads. Council Member Marshall said he would like to stop taking a
increase in the budget. Council Member Marshall expressed concern over being able to ensure
that money budgeted for roads will actually go to roads. He stated that he would take a 3%
increase in the budget if it all went to roads and salaries.
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July 30, 2013
Council Member England used Bannock County as an example to explain the history of the 3%
budget limitation and the compounding experience the County went through.
It was pointed out that in FY 2011 the city took a 3% increase in its budget, in FY2012 the city
took 2% increase in its budget, and in FY2013 the city took 2% increase in its budget.
Council Member Ellis sees the proposed budget as changing the trajectory of expenditures at the
City. The increased expenditures in salaries, power, gas, PERSI, and other items have all been
funded from cuts within each Department. The entire new construction roll and 1.9% increase in
budget due the increase in valuation will go to roads.
Council Member Marshall commended that if the money goes to roads he would be happy with
the budget. If the citizens see the roads changing they will be happy.
At 5:45pm Council Member Ellis moved to adjourn. Council Member Marshall seconded and
the full Council approved.
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Oven M. England, or
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Rich Morgan, City Clerk