HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudget/Finance Committee Minutes 08.09.2000 MINUTES
BUDGET/FINANCE COMMITTEE
AUGUST 9, 2000 7:00 P.M.
DPW OFFICE
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Chairman Bud Johnson
Gay Easton
Chuck Rodgers
Ken Olson
Mark Mace
OTHERS PRESENT:
Fire Chief Jim Stevens
Duke Nieskens
Mary Embleton
Larry McCann
Bill Leonard of MAP
Fire Chief Stevens presented the committee with quotes for a Base Radio System
with antenna: Industrial Electronics (Motorola) $10,636 and RF Communications
(Midland) for $9,762.55 (copy attached). He recommended accepting the
Industrial Electronics quote to maintain consistency with Motorola equipment.
He then presented quotes for 25 new Minkor III pagers: Industrial Electronics
$9,750.00 and RF Communications $10,791.75 (copy attached). He
recommended the lower quote. With these 25 new pagers, the department will
have all new ones, and will keep 10 old pagers in reserve. Motion by Ken,
seconded by Gay to approve the recommendations. The motion passed
unanimously and the two purchase requisitions were signed.
Mary addressed the committee on the final revisions made to the budget (see
attached). She also explained that the Department of Revenue sent out revised
figures on the state reimbursement monies which have a direct effect on the mill
levy requirement. She revised the revenue figures for all mill-levied funds
accordingly. Yellowstone County Finance Officer Scott Turner prepared the
worksheet for the City-County Planning Fund. Therefore, the Final Budget is
accurate and complete.
Bud informed the committee that Mary was contacted by auditor Eamie Olness
and after she explained the firefighters' method of pay to him, he told her it was
an acceptable process. Motion by Gay, seconded by Mark to acknowledge the
auditor's comments regarding the city's procedure to pay the volunteer firemen.
Motion passed unanimously.
The committee was introduced to Bill Leonard of Midwest Assistance Program.
Bill was asked to come to Laurel and assist Larry, Duke and Mary with
development of a sewer rate increase. Bill gave background information on his
company, stating that his services are at no cost to cities. He explained that based
on 1990 Census and Department of Commerce figures, Laurel's target sewer rate
is $19.01. This is an important figure due to the process of awarding grant and
loan monies - they tend to go to communities who help themselves. He
emphasized that the rates must support the water and sewer infrastructure. Duke
and Larry then presented two sewer appropriation scenarios: the current "Do
Nothing" budget of $607,246 and the proposed "Need to Do" budget of $843,372.
Lengthy review and discussion followed. The present sewer rate does not even
support the current budget, so an increase is needed as soon as possible. Bud
emphasized that the process includes staff, council, and public education. He
would like to see five years of planned projects and rate increases to support it, on
a regular, consistent basis. A proposed increase will be ready in November. The
committee thanked them for their presentation.
The discussion of planned projects raised the issue of the city's desire to have a
long-range formal Capital Improvement Plan. Motion by Ken, seconded by Mark
to appropriate $15,000 in the General Fund Council budget for a CIP. This would
reduce the cash reserve to 22.5%. Motion passed unanimously. The Final Budget
will be presented to council on August 15th.
Meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. The next regular Budget/Finance Committee
meeting will be Monday, August 14th, at 7:00 p.m. A work session with Nathan
Tubergen regarding bond issues and special projects has been set for Friday,
August 18th at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Clerk-Treasurer
August 9, 2000
Base Radio System:
Industrial Electronics:
Motorola Base Radio System with Antenna
$10,636
RF Communications:
Midland Base Radio System with Antenna
$9,762.55
A Fire Deparanent Comm/ttee was set up to research Repeater Sites. Existing Repeater
Sites were tested with dead spots identified. Committee felt the Base Radio System needs
to be addressed as soon as possible as the existing base system only receives 50% of
transmissions at this time. This committee will continue to research repeater sites.
Chief Stevens met with the City Clerk, City Attorney, Chief Musson and Ambulance
Director Faught. No short-term projections were noted for using the 911 Fund. Chief
Musson contacted the Director of the 911 Fund and a verbal authorization was granted to
purchase the Base Radio System. If approved by Budget and Finance, Chief Musson will
follow up with written documentation.
The committee proposes to accept the quote from Industrial Electronics at a cost of
$10,636 for the Base Radio System. The current communications equipment is Motorola
and the committee wants to replace with Motorola equipment. A two-week time frame is
projected to replace existing system.
August 9, 2000
Minltor HI Pagers:
Industrial Electron/cs:
(25) Min/tor III Pagers with Trade
$9,750
RF Commtmications:
(25) Minitor III Pagers with Trade
$10,791.75
A Fire Department Committee was set up to research the age and condition of the current
Minitor II Pagers. With the Minitor II Pagers being obsolete, not receiving all the pages
and increased repair costs, the committee felt the current pagers needed to be replaced
with Minitor III pagers.
Chief Stevens met with the City Clerk, City Attorney, Chief Musson and Ambulance
Director Faught. No short-term projections were noted for using the 911 Fund. Chief
Musson contacted the Director of the 911 Fund and a verbal authorization was granted to
purchase Minitor III Pagers. If approved by Budget and Finance, Chief Masson will
follow-up with written documentation.
The committee proposes to accept the quote from Industrial Eleclxon/cs at a cost of
$9,750 for (25) Minltor III Pagers. The current communications equipment is Motorola
and the committee wants to replace with Motorola equipment.
Cl']r Y BALL
115 W. 1ST ST.
PUB WORKS: 628-4796
WATER OFC: 628-7431
COURT: 628-1964
FAX: 628-2241
August 4, 2000
ity Of Laurel
P.O. Box 10
Lattrel, Montana 59044
Clerk-Treasurer
DEPARTMENT
TO:
FROM:
Budget/Finance Committee
Mary K. Embleton ~A,'~,t,~d,,
Clerk-Treasurer
Budget Revisions
Mayor Rodgers instructed me to make the following revisions to the Preliminary Budget:
City Attorney - Wages increased from $25,000 to $35,000 to compensate for
additional day (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), using $5,000 from Code
Review and moving it up to wages.
Police Department - Add back the $8,000 to lease one new car this year.
Animal Control - Reduce hours from 35/week to 20/week for the ACO.
Public Works Director - Set annual salary at $40,800 (reduced from $42,000)
Ambulance Director - Set annual salary at $21,500 (reduced from $24,000).
Wages - Set all other non-union wages at 2.7% increase over last year.
I also received the tax levy worksheet from Scott Turner of Yellowstone County today
for the City-County Planning Fund. After completing the revenue side, I reviewed the
appropriations side and found that the fund would be able to sustain the remaining $5,000 left in
the General Fund (Department #380) for Cal's services, so I moved it out of the General and into
the Planning Fund.
The next Budget/Finance Contmittee meeting is Wednesday, August 9th at 6:30. We will
finalize the latest revisions and then hear from Bill Leonard of Midwest Assistance Program on a
sewer rate increase. Another Budget/Finance Committee meeting has been set for Friday,
August 18th' to discuss bond issues with Nathan Tubergen, former Billings finance officer.
City Of Laurel is an EEO Employer
Equal Housing Opportunity