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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-07-27 - Special City CouncilBUDGET WORKSHOP - FRIDAY JULY 27, 1979 - 9:00 A.M. TARLETON STUDENT CENTER CONFERENCE STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS The City Council of the City of Stephenville, Texas, met in a budget workshop Friday, July 27, 1979 at 9 o'clock a.m. with Mayor Donald R. Jones present and presiding. Council members Mike Leese, W. M. Irwin, Calvin A. McGee, Charles Riggins, E. U. Ferguson, and Larry Hammett were present. Councilmembers Raymond Anderson and Linda Chew were absent. Others attending the meeting were City Administrator Marshall Shelton, Administrative Assistant Kurt Ackermann, City Secretary Joyce Pemberton and the various Department heads as they arrived to discuss their budgets with the Council. and members of the press. Mayor Jones advised that the purpose of this meeting was to discuss the budgets of the various city departments with the Department Heads. He said this was to be an informal discussion and, if anyone had any questions or comments, to speak up. ITEM I: ADMINISTRATIVE & ACCOUNTING BUDGET City Administrator Marshall Shelton presented the Council with a proposed $2,647,612.00 total budget with revenue exceeding expenditures `by $14,615.00. Mr. Shelton explained that, figured in the proposed budget, was A 10% salary increase across the board plus 5% for those employees whose salaries were under the median salary of the survey taken of comparable cities with merit raises to be considered in April, 1930. In discussing the capitol outlay for the Administrative & Accounting Department, Mr. Shelton explained that the Burroughs Corporation had made another offer on the B -800 com- puter which he felt was too good to pass up. This offer was at 5.75% interest. After considerable discussion, Councilman McGee moved, seconded by Councilman Riggins, to authorize the purchase of the Burroughs B -800 computer for the sum of $33,067.00 at 5.75% interest plus customer education. The motion carried unanimously by those members present. Before going to the next department budget, Mayor Jones asked the Council if they were satisfied with the salaries as proposed. It was the consensus of the Council that this pro- posal was satisfactory. ITEM II: POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET Chief Mike Watkins discussed his budget and explained that the major capitol outlay would be for 3 new patrol cars. The discussion then turned to the animal control problem. Chief Watkins explained that he thought the.present Animal Control Officer was doing a good job and had all he could handle. He thought another officer would be needed or, at least, a part -time officer and he had been unable to hire one that would do the job at the salary offered. After much discussion, it was the consensus of the Mayor and Council that something had to be done regarding the animal control in the city. Stricter enforcement of the animal con- trol ordinance and, if necessary, an increase in the part -time salary. III: CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET City Secretary Joyce Pemberton discussed this budget and explained that the only capitol outlay was for a typewriter. During the discussion, Mrs. Pemberton advised that a new copy machine had been cut from this and the Administrative & Accounting budgets. (Half and Half). It was the consensus of the Mayor and Council that a new copy machine was needed and it might be better to lease a Xerox than to buy one. Mayor Jones directed Mr. Shelton to check on a new copy machine to either lease or buy. ITEM IV: WATER & SANITATION BUDGET In the absence of Director of Utilities Danny Johnson, Administrative Assistant Rurt Ackermann discussed this budget. The major capitol outlay was a high velocity sewer main cleaner. It was the consensus of the Mayor and Council that some preliminary plans should be started for a south sewer outfall line as the present line has just about reached capacity. ITEM V: STREET DEPARTMENT BUDGET Director of Public Works R. Y. Gann discussed the Street Department Budget with the major capitol outlay to be a dump truck. After much discussion pertaining to street repairs and doing work for private indi- viduals, Councilman Hammett moved, seconded by Councilman Irwin, to rescind the policy on paving for private individuals on Saturdays or after hours. The motion carried unanimously by those members present. It was the consensus of the Mayor and Council to amend the budget, if necessary, for funds to be used for material and manpower to get the streets sealed before winter in order to prevent more deterioration from ice, snow, water, etc. The dump truck was left in the budget to be purchased if necessary. T.ANnVTT.T. Mr. Gann explained that the city is losing $5,000 per year on the sandpaper disposed of by The Norton Company. The Council agreed this should be considered either now or when a new contract is negotiated. Mr. Gann also advised the Council that a new water well will be needed shortly. PLANNING & INSPECTIONS Mr. Gann explained that the only capitol outlay was a new pickup for the building inspector. It was the general consensus of the Mayor and Council that something needs to be done with regard to the issuance of building permits before everything has been checked suffici- ently. ITEM VI: STREET LIGHTING & MUNICIPAL BUILDING BUDGET Mr. Shelton discussed this budget in which the construction of an addition to the City Hall was included was the major outlay. The Mayor and Council thought it would be a good idea to get an archetect to draw an overall plan of what is to be added and, if in the future, some more needs to be added to plan for it now. To more or less make a Master Plan for additions to the City Hall. Mr. Shelton also suggested increasing the amount given to the Senior Citizens Center and let them pay their own utilities as he thought this would give them an incentive to be more conservative with the utilities and might be less expensive for the city. The Mayor and Council agreed. ITEM VII: PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT BUDGET Director of Parks & Recreation Ronnie Isham discussed his budget and the plans he has for improvements in the parks. One of the major outlays would be for swimming pool improve- ments. Another would be a soccer field. The Council thought he would need to start plan- ning for a new swimming pool in the near future. Also the Council did not think the city should furnish a soccer field for the Soccer Association unless it came under the Parks & Recreation program and supervision. CEMETERY BUDGET Mr. Isham suggested increasing the price of cemetery lots to offset the expense. Mr. Shelton advised that in past years the sale of lots had taken care of the expenses, but that is not the case now. Mr. Isham also advised that he would like to have a full -time person to 'replace Mr. Johnson when he retires which will be soon with Mr. Johnson to remain 3 or 4 months to train another persona IIe said he would like for this person to keep all the records and have the records so that anyone could look at them and tell which lots had been sold and which ones had not. He would also like a back -up set of records in City Hall. The Council seemed to think this would be a good setup. ITEM VIII: LIBRARY BUDGET Mrs. Louise Purvis discussed her budget and advised the Council that the Library had just about reached capacity as far as new books were concerned. She would maintain mostly a replacement program now until she had more space. Mrs. Purvis advised. the Council of the loss of books due to carelessness of persons using them. It was suggested to consider an ordinance regarding a penalty for failure to return the books to the Library. \ IX: TAX DEPARTMENT BUDGET Tax Assessor. Robert Groves discussed his budget and the only capitol outlay was a typewriter. Mr. Groves also discussed the new taxing authority that will be formed in the near future. ITEM X: LEGAL DEPARTMENT BUDGET Mr. Shelton suggested, maybe a contract, or something in writing expressing the city attorney's responsibilities to the city and the city's responsibilities to him. This to be something to outline what the city could expect from the city attorney and what he would expect from the city. Mayor Jones also said he would like to be able to do something in regard to the city paying rent on the Municipal Judge's office in the courthouse. Mr. Shelton said he had in- tended to discuss this the next day in the discussion of Intergovernmental Relations. Mayor Jones said that, due to several members of the Council being unable to attend the meeting the next day, he would suggest postponing it until Friday, August 3rd at 1 o'clock p.m. to which the Council agreed. The meeting adjourned at 5 o'clock p.m. until Friday, August 3, 1979 at 1 o'clock p.m. Mayo ATTEST: ty fecretary 267 e--