This video documents a City Council budget work session where officials analyze a $1.5 million revenue gap between budgeted and actual funds, with property taxes under by $400,000 and sales tax under by $600,000, demonstrating how revenue forecasting errors and overspending create budget deficits that require careful departmental cuts and strategic fund allocation.
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City Council Budget Work Session 05.27.26本站添加:
account.
>> But you know what though?
>> I will say this.
>> But I also don't have really any way to know.
>> I mean, we know there was at least someone offer Somebody understands the job.
>> Here here's my problem.
>> We really don't know.
>> I agree. I agree. It would be my last but it's really all of a sudden Oh, yeah. No, that don't.
>> We have three different people though.
We have three different finance directors.
>> No, three different annual audit by a CPA firm. Come on, man.
I'll tell I'll tell I'll tell you you stole some money in the damn CB.
>> How you going to audit a place and say everything's a-ok okay gold star and then there was none of the none of the accounts were reconciled and everything wrong.
Sorry, that's [ __ ] >> Councilwoman Noah >> here.
>> Councilwoman Coington >> here.
>> Councilman Kasaw >> here.
>> Mayor Schwabshshire >> here.
>> Councilman Franklin >> here.
>> Councilman Palmer >> here. Councilman Williams I want to explain what's going on. So first sheet I'm giving you is an analysis of revenues dates for the general fund only.
second sheet is kind of a rundown of things that I know we've looked at current president I will explain in a All right. So the first sheet I gave you is the highlighted yellow goes over revenues by day. You look at it. First column is going to be what we budgeted for revenues.
Second column is year to date and action. So that's a actually collected two days. The column all the way at the end is adding two months to May 7. So if your actual year to date times.16 you hit the final number you look at the overall fees and service charges uh were a little bit overperforming what we budgeted fine public safety same thing inspection fees it's pretty close to about 30,000 short the ones you want to look at starting on page two you look at our property taxes we're under by about 400,000 sales tax we're under by about 600,000 that's a million dollars in revenue that we forecast that we were going to have but we are not going to have by the end of year. That's where you get your million dollar debts. The problem that has occurred over the last several years is not a new problem but the finest record we've passed since 2020 forecast revenue both sales tax and property tax.
We're paying attention two dates just that it's going to increase by 1% or it's going to increase by 7% 1.2. If you continue to do that over the course of four or five years, you're compounding the problem. So the bottom line is our revenues are not performing we budgeted for. On top of that, we're overspending.
So you've got a gap in the middle. The bottom line today, you got a $1.5 million gap we need to close between what I gave you on paper 322 negative and the million dollar revenues from so we need to look at this budget to cut 1.5 billion. That's the bottom line. Do a question before I move on.
We have been depleting our fund balances as well. If we cut $1.5 million, are we addressing that adequately? In my opinion, no. We have to start some. It's going to be a combination of two. A, we're going to have to tighten the belt up on a month-to-month basis and monitor our spend, get that under control, and really monitor and do the same for our revenues. Monitor that. It's going to fluent things for the next year. We're going have to look at revenues and maintain what we're spending on a month basis. be very diligent with department heads and our finance department to keep track. I do not disagree. We need to start building our fund balances. I just don't think we need both. We need to get back to a breaking even and then we can look at increasing those funds moving forward if that makes sense. I don't think there's room in this budget, no matter how we cut it, to look at 2.5 cuts, three million cuts. It's just not a possibility. Can we find 1.5?
We'll get into that as we get a question about sir question no votes to >> thanks off what you said the city if I understand correctly based off our number year after year I'd say 2020 I say and the bandit has been funds and everything else but if I'm honest that falls in several different people but since 2020 And I guess my last question before we dig in, how did we finally discover this overight over the past 3 to six months digging into the financials looking closely?
>> Three to six months. Okay. I'm just asking because you know I guess when you realize it because I I just think of everything this council has appropriate for funding this first my first year on council you know we just paid we voted to you know redo planning and zone I think that was $200,000 we bought truck spreader whatever else I can't think of everything he done like had we appropriate some of that funed because it wasn't there.
That's a little deceiving portraying.
Um I firmly believe that council this one and previous ones realize a lot of the budget amendments were dipped into our reserves. Um I don't doubt or disagree that there was thoughts reserves look differently based on lies and that kind of stuff. Uh but I think was unknown to the participated budget very clear the resolutions and the legislation being presented. Um even based on audit reports it was evident that we were patching things on the budget bottom lines transfers from other accounts and that type of stuff. When you actually dig in and look at the actual revenues to these expenditures, it's always clear.
It depends on what fund you're looking at. That was in the budget book. So, we can ask a little bit, but all the reserves are on page three, I believe, two of your budget book, and it goes by fund and tells you exactly what each reserve is at, but we that's not I I think that we knew that supplementary appropriations that are made after you have a balanced budget are by their very nature dipping into the reserves. And to a certain extent that's that's permissible. Things happen. Um a a fire truck is totaled, you have to have another fire truck. So in you know, and that's or you know, somebody crashes into a building, you got to patch the hole in the side of the building, whether it's in your budget or not. And I get that. Um, but we also had another another situation which I believe misled council and that is and and you might want to get into this briefly for the sake of of people who aren't familiar with it. Um, we for I don't know how long, but for several years at least were not properly doing a year-end reconciliation of interfund transfers. And so we made some appropriations. For example, I was under the impression that the EDST fund had six or seven million dollars in it. I don't remember the exact number, but it was it was a huge pool of money. And I know that we we as a council, some of us had conversations saying, why have we been letting that money build up for so long? We really need to do some stuff for the community that is compliant with the requirements of state law for EDST and and so we made some appropriations based on what was was inaccurate. Um can you get into some details on that and about what it was and when it was resolved and why it happened? What you're speaking of is fiscal year 23 24 and the kind of got lumped together and that was during the evalu.
But to answer your other question was on page two at the very bottom that goes over where it's going to sit at where it sits at currently at the end of this 26 based on forecasting the top section where it sits at currently at the end of the budget we're looking at right now 27 bottom section if you look at the top goes from general parks EST all the way every single fund is separated in separate counts and all the funds list the body when you lump them all together they're not new but when you lump them all together there's about 11.1 billion in funs across the board your The general fund at the end of next year is going to be sitting around 574 parks about 1.5 EST about 3.4 and so on and so forth. But those are your funds and not you're speaking of the very bottom that page after next year's proposed budget. The top is after this current year's budget as of July one issue if that makes sense.
>> I get enough detail there.
>> It does. Um one followup to that. When I asked Nodrick about this in his last council meeting, um I asked him why is it that we have an annual audit by an outside CPA firm and every year we get the gold star and yet this has been going on for several years. And his response to that was, well, they only audit what we put in.
and he's not. So they audit the information they are given. Uh the unfortunate part is >> it seems like that would have been something somebody would have noticed.
Millions of dollars in phantom money.
>> Indeed. Thank you, sir.
>> I don't have to get too deep into just to illustrate miscalculating for quite some time but special assessment increase for overage 1% due to the new policy attaching special tax bills or what is that?
>> Uh it's a combination. So unfortunately there's some yard sort out there. When Rachel was here, she loved a bunch of the fees that we got together.
System numbers accurate response as far as those go. I would say some specials.
It's also disenourage >> that be similar to when it comes to 4600% increase in miscellaneous income.
>> So just threw it in there >> and that's a problem when it comes to income revenues also expending that right now.
So probably right.
>> So you have big fun.
>> So now I think it's on.
All right. So, if there's no more questions about the yellow sheet, I'd like to move into the next packet of sheets that I gave you, which is this one. What I did on this packet, because I've been through a couple of these with you guys, is I wanted to highlight kind of what our cuts potentially could like look like on citywide, show that it's not going to be the bottom. Um, so I'll throw out the table.
Citywide is going to be the total of $85,000.
So if you don't give a 3% increase to 94 by that's it. We move on to our personnel on the salary profit in there. If you look about $15 million in salaries that makes up between 75% $10 million just the next one is pension contributions. Cut that $550,000 there.
conferences. If I cut conferences citywide, we save a total of 75,000.
Training education, we got city wide save 130,000 office supplies. If I didn't buy one single pencil to 32,000 miscellane,000 those are all prime examples in years past.
I agree. We need to look at those. The bottom line is I all that either $393,0007.
So it's not enough. We got to look elsewhere.
The real budget difference is going to be staling.
Uh, so my question to you point blank, you want to go to close session at the beginning so we can talk about the bid dollars or do you want them at night one go through there and see because that's where we're going to be.
>> I move to go to close session to discuss personnel issues.
>> My next question is you everybody go upstairs. We have to take a vote.
>> Oh, sorry.
Roll call, please.
>> I may.
>> So, would you guys like to go upstairs?
have a close session >> or we could do it in back but >> there's only >> I mean is that available the room?
My question is you want to have everybody wait. I want you to talk about This How do you All this might be over.
But I don't think >> See, I told you we had it all turned down.
>> Well, that's why we were back there for so long.
>> Right. Right.
Yeah, I have I have good stuff in my office.
>> Oh, >> remember I had to go buy 30 bucks to >> Oh, right.
>> What page?
That's what you get. You better open your phone up.
>> My legs are >> Your legs are so short. You can crackers.
>> It looks like cracker.
>> It's really good.
>> You know what? That's not popcorn.
That's candy made to make.
>> Yeah, that's good.
Butter and salt man >> ball.
>> Yeah, I was going to say you I have a motion and a second >> I Dr. Williams.
All right. So, after close session, we're going to move in order. We'll go to next. We're going to go over General page two. Look at the capital sales tax.
We're predicting a forecast to be in deficit by overion.
Main reason for that snow.
What we've done together for next year.
The question is capital where it needs to be in the black.
So that's normally here in spreadsheets backage soon pulls up.
It is available online.
>> We'll go read All right.
Or you can just How did I get you?
42.
There we go. She got on the screen.
probably.
>> All right, my mic is half on, so we'll go with that. Uh, the first section in capital is always parks. Uh, I will see if Joseph wants to talk about it, but really he's only got two things. Um he has the parks muting grant that's grant funded and then he also has the uh plaza 501 project.
Those are the only two things in there basically.
So moving on to the next one. It's the parks kind of vehicles next year that so the next one after that is going to be chief oil with us. I can talk about those. The ones that are outlined in green are things that we identify as need ones in yellow funded. I go line by line. We got facility upgrades. Uh we have police cars purchased over lease.
Uh we have the police car outfitting.
We have the automated license plate reader. We have grant funding for ballistic vests with the dash body cam.
Uh we have the tasers. We have the pilot drone safety cameras.
We have the portable.
And then we have batteries.
They keep I'll circumvent this. No certain um anything about that at police capital section question concern so far at this point.
>> What is the building facility upgrade specifically?
>> Chief, would you like to answer the question on building facility upgrades?
office space.
So, we probably do something.
>> You got them jail cells downstairs, right?
Any other questions about PD?
That's correct.
Anything else?
All right, we'll move down to fire. Uh we've got the monitors AED citywide. Uh, that's a grant-f funed project. We've got the turnout gear. We've got the repair fire equipment. We've got firehouse infrastructure. We've got a grant for the replacement of the self-contained breathing apparatus.
We've got the portable walkie-talkies.
He's got portable walkie-talkie batteries. Again, those are the contracts already in place. Um, but as you see, he's got two grant-f funed projects that won't be funded unless he gets the grants and then everything else was identified as a need.
>> Any questions for Chief?
I have a general question. We've got fun projects in there which will only happen if the grant happens.
>> Are the gr is the grant money included in revenue?
>> Correct. So, uh the way the budget is laid out, you've got for example general 1000, that's a revenue account that 00 you've got a 1099 which is a transfer account. So if there's money being transferred between inner funds that's identified in 1099 I'm using 10 as a general I mean you got 20 28 all the other funds but just in general for 10.
So 10 is revenue 99 transfers and you've got your expense accounts kind of in between all those when you get into 10 11 10 12 all that stuff. So the first there's your fund first line is revenue and the last transfers.
>> Right. I I understand it. But so like for example, the Beathing apparatus, it's $160,000 grant funded. It's 90. It's a 90% match.
So the expense is only 90% of that. The funding is on the 00 line for capital identified in funding.
>> And if the grant for some reason doesn't happen, that 160,000 goes away and 90% of 160,000 on the revenue side would also go away.
>> That is correct.
>> Okay. Thank you. We'll defer to Chief John Hampton.
Any other questions on fire capital?
All right, we will scroll down to our infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, and all that fun stuff. The only two projects they're identified in capital for streets next year are EDST projects for Paul and the Elkins Woodwinds in Atmore. Um this is where you're going to get into a little bit of EDST funding because they're grant match projects. So there's some revenue on the reverse side for that grant match already coming for EDST. Uh but that's the revenue source for that portion. Everything else is being supported in capital on this one.
>> Questions?
Not on those three or the four.
>> There are no additional road projects planned for this fiscal year or other than those.
>> That is correct.
All right. There's nothing there. We'll move down to common fleet. This is the one that's is the fleet lease at $369,000.
That's what we have remaining on our leased vehicles. That number does drop in half next year to 140 something three I think numbers up there. I can't read it. $103,96.
This is the bottom line. And I don't know how anyone feels about this. We did a fleet lease going two or three years ago. We had to do it to get caught up.
completely does not make sense. Um, what we need to do is hold on to these vehicles as long as we physically can and start buying outright again to the tune of five, six vehicles, whatever we can afford moving forward. Uh, but until we get out of this lease, we can't afford to do that. So, this year is tight on that and then we're looking at next year drop down 103 and then it's paid off the year after that and we're back in a better place. I mean, that's just the truth. So, um, after that we drop down to uh the bed for the service truck. That's a minimal for public works. They have a different bed for that service truck. Um, you look for an engine for the plow truck. Rather than replace an entire plow, we're trying to find the cheapest way we can. The chassis and the bed are decent on it.
So, we're just looking at replacing the engine that'll get that one back up and running. And then we are also looking at the crack sealer so we can go around doing our crack seal this fall for all of our roads so they're maintained better. Uh, but those are the minimal expenses we have in that right now.
Questions I'm more than happy to answer.
We do not currently. Did I answer that correctly, Mr. Gilbert?
>> How old is it?
How many times did we use it?
Do you see an advantage to renting a piece of equipment and crack sealing for two or three weeks at a time? That way it's we're not responsible for it. We know it's going to work. Renting one for two or $3,000 a week from Seal Master in Bridgton.
>> You could get the biggest one they got that'll pump out as much sealer as you need. And if it breaks, you call them and they come and fix it. That way it doesn't sit and not run, you know, for 52 weeks, 51 weeks out of the year. Just a thought because we got a mulch blower right now that's been used what, three times in about six years.
>> Council woman. So when these items break down the counter fleet items, does our maintenance mechanics are they repairing these items from counter fleet or are we hiring maintenance or >> 90% of the time it's taking place in-house? It depends on exactly what it is. Uh so there's still some wiring and electrical stuff that is outsourced, but most of our accident repair, engine repair, actual maintenance is taking place in house. Yes.
>> Okay. Thank you.
Um, >> do we have formal bids for the bed for the service truck or the engine for the plow truck as of now? Are those are estimates?
>> I believe those are estimates. Pardon?
>> Estimates. Yes.
>> Those would come before council for a um resolution when those are done, right?
Those go out for bid.
>> So, it'll be a formal bid process because it's over $10,000 no matter what. And then it'll come to approval for council for the final purchase on all those.
>> Right. Clearly, I don't know specifications what we're looking for, but I I don't think the engine or the bed will come in that price. So, I think we will we will achieve some savings there when the time comes. I'd imagine we both are needed, so I don't want to take them out of the budget, but I do think we'll have some savings there. Um, I just hope that staff gets multiple bids when the time comes to get all that done. Um, but I think we will end up saving some there. if you wanted to try to in the next couple days get some before we got you know month you know try to get some firm numbers you might be able to amend that a little bit to help with the bottom line but um I do think uh when we're looking at new equipment it is important to think how often will this leave the garage and who actually knows how to run it. Um, like I said, a crack slayer is one of those things if we can properly plan for a crack ceiling. You could set up three or four guys and have one truck pulling a heat lance in front with a compressor, blow them all out, and have the guy right behind them, and you could do three or four miles a day. And uh, it's going to be a lot more efficient. Like I said, you could have a guy toss, you get the biggest one they got, which is probably not what this is, but you could be tossing blocks in that oil jacketed thing all day, and it will go all day.
So, I already know what you're dealing with. you're dealing with it starts up, then the wand gets full of tar and you got to heat it up. Then the guy gets lunch and then it's froze up again. It's hard again and you're trying to heat it up with a torch and then it becomes a whole thing. So that's all I got on this one.
Anything else before I move on to the next one?
All right, next up is facilities. We got the leak detection, the Vita route for $40,000.
>> Leak detection.
or you mind explaining that real quick?
>> Detects unled fuel diesel and also detects if you have leak on the ground.
Any questions?
All right. And then the next section is non-dep departmental. The only thing in there right now is IT infrastructure and that is server replacement repair and citywide IT infrastructure stuff >> servers. Okay.
>> And the last few sections are always our debt services and those are pretty much set prices. You've got all of our general obligation bonds, fire trucks, PD, the ladder truck, we've got the community center, all that fun stuff.
But if there's any other questions, I'm more than happy to answer them at this point. That's pretty much what we've got in capital right now.
There are proposed cuts. You can do that now or you can do it later, but that's up to you guys.
Well, I mean with the IT infrastructure, I'm not proposing a cut, but I am asking, is there an opportunity?
>> According to it, no. Uh, all of our stuff is aging. Uh, if I'm honest, our previous IT director bought a lot of used equipment and penny pinched and everything else and we're not at a place we can keep doing that. We need to replace and make sure we're up to date and moving forward in the right direction. So, If the city of was to rent a piece of equipment, should that be in capital or out of the budget?
Um, so my rule of thumb with capital is if it's a reoccurring lease or payment and or over $10,000, I believe it should be in capital. So I personally believe we're going to rent or lease something versus purchasing that should go back to the general fund budget and be eliminated from C. I make a motion to cut the crack sealer for $60,000 off of the capital budget.
>> I'll second that.
>> There discussion >> up to you guys.
>> Um >> any questions?
>> Yeah.
>> I Does the department have have any comment?
>> Cory, do you have anything to add to that? She asked if you had anything to say about it.
>> Very much throughout the year. So, and we can we can we can lease some or rent them or whatever we need to do to get the job done.
>> Okay.
>> Uh can I ask one comment here? Uh for the effort of time, would it be okay with council if while we cut this you make a motion to add to Cory's budget for the rental if there's not something already to capture that expense? Now I'll default to Cory if he thinks there's anywhere in his budget to capture that or not. But that way I could have a clear line of Excel as we're moving through this. I'm keeping notes over here of the changes I'm making budget.
>> But in general or in capital >> it would go into general. So you're making a motion to cut out a capital within a motion to add X dollars for the rental of a stripe sealer ent.
>> I will remove my I'll remove my initial motion.
I'll propose a new motion which is to remove the $60,000 from the capital budget for a crack sealer and amend the general fund budget in streets and public works maintenance to reflect $5,000 for the rental of a crack sealer for fiscal year 2627.
>> I'll second So the question I had was basically uh how much would it cost us in a fiscal year to rent this machine? Like if you used it twice, three times what do we anticipate using so that you know I don't want you to be underfunded or overfunded but is 5,000 is 10,000 is it adequate for what do you think you would use it in a fiscal year?
three to four times a year. And Mike, uh, you you seem to have experience.
What would it cost us to rent that machine three to four times a year?
You could always come back and amend it later. So, thank you.
>> I was speaking online with recording, so I apologize for that. Uh, but I believe this is work is going to take place in the fall. If we needed to use it again in the spring or any time, you get back to the budget in December if you need additional.
>> Any other questions?
Um, please >> I >> passes.
capacities.
Uh, any other business with capital before I move on to our next item?
>> I just I do I just can I ask the question >> for clarity? I just really thought that some of our debt was coming off sooner.
>> You still got about five years.
>> I see that. I thought 27 when I first started that number just kind of stuck out.
>> The only one that rolled off recently was the pool. Rolled off two years ago, I believe. Uh, but anything Half of this is going to be five years from now.
>> Thank you.
>> Will the public works director be here for the next budget meeting or is this the last opportunity who will be here?
>> He's going to be here for the next one as well.
>> Thank you.
>> You're welcome.
>> Speak up. Mr. >> We talked about that earlier, actually.
>> All right. Anything else for capital once twice?
You want ESD?
I'm gonna have Mr. Nathan come up here.
I'm gonna pass out some sheets to you guys that he printed out. I printed out earlier. One second, Nathan. Those ones I sent you earlier today. Yes. I'm going to give them all. Wonderful. Cool. See my crazy brain. You can keep those. I got >> 28.
>> Sure.
They're handouts.
>> Um, >> yes. What I do, >> whenever gave us documents, they always had like flowers and stuff on them.
>> Yeah.
>> I was just saying.
>> Yeah, you do.
page 411 in the book, but the handout I passed out is supplementing that page, but the original page is 41.
>> Yep. A lot of the stuff, so all this will obviously end up in the budget book. Um, it wasn't put in not for any uh, you know, secretive reason, shall we say. A lot of the lines were new. They just didn't get put in in time to put the numbers in.
And we had also discussed um originally instead of um billing >> ABS cost a general fund and doing a transfer. We had discussed um just building directly but the auditors asked to change that back. It's it's really neither here nor there. Um but they'll be in the right place. So it it all everything will be covered. So the first sheet is the personnel sheet. Um this will be left basically this is the 1020 of this sheet right here. This is all the departmental costs uh for obviously salaries, benefits and just the things we buy.
There will be and if I lose you on any of this because it was a little complicated but there will be in the budget a transfer of 25% of the EDST revenues back to the general fund. So as part of the statutes for EDST money 25% that can be used for administrative costs. You'll see on this sheet the total for my department I'm asking for $291,000.
That means I'll be an additional $125,000 that can be used for other salaries related to EDST functions like the city manager if total enforcement happens to do uh if finance happens to do some work that's related. So EDST will pay for planning and development department entirely and additional $125,000 or so to help subsidize other positions in the general fund. Any questions about that?
Conceptually, >> I like silence >> especially from you.
>> Is it okay? Can I >> think? Okay. No, hit hit me.
>> Well, just for clarity, so the salaries for the this is for two people in the department. 170,000.
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
And then >> me and Luke obviously.
>> You and Luke. And then the conferences for 10,000.
Um um so just to be honest, I'm going to be upfront. So as I was going through the budget because we are in a you know deficit.
I'm here I'm looking at this sheet. I'm looking at this sheet. I'm starting with the conferences >> like all this. Please address >> this. Okay. We can leave that alone.
>> But like this top number that's something we >> No, I just already >> which is okay.
>> That's fine.
>> So are you asking not to discuss?
>> No, I wanted to discuss.
>> Okay. All right.
>> Just make sure we were talking about individual salaries and open session.
>> No sir. So um Okay. So with the wearing apparel again because we are in a deficit and we have been asked to cut I am proposing across the board no conferences for any staff this year this is just one year that's my you know ask to this council that's not a motion at this time it's up for discussion um but um even the wearing apparel I mean I want you all to look nice but I think for one here. We can sacrifice on wearing apparel, conferences, training and education depending on what that really means possibly. Or can we cut that, you know, cut a little off there?
Memberships possibly um subscriptions and publications. Um does is that it or >> that that was uh would include um paying a for the newspaper. So that's why that number was high because uh the EDSC board uh wanted to recommend um giving helping the newspaper out. So that would cover um two pages every two full pages every um issue >> every issue for one year. So >> yeah 2500 bucks times 12 and then we had some additional um publications that we get as subscriptions to stuff.
>> Okay. And then so >> thank you the office supplies if we could cut that back. And then the mis miscellaneous because really what is miscellaneous exactly?
>> So again the wearing apparel cut that training and education exactly what is training and education the conferences cut that memberships if we could possibly cut the memberships back. Maybe not. Um, and the office supplies take 1,000 off and miscellaneous cut that.
I I just have to say, I mean, I definitely think we need to look at these things. And last year, as you may recall, we we went through and every department head said, "Well, I need to go to this conference, but I can give up that conference." Um, and it took a lot of time. Um, and I think we in the end we we maybe gave up eventually, and some of the people at the end of the agenda probably never had to cut anything. Um, I think I I think it's really drastic to say we're not going to have any conferences or memberships. Um, but I do support cutting a good chunk of them wearing apparel.
I mean, that's a nice shirt he's got on there.
>> You know, I >> I shop I shop locally. It's a Councilman Franklin has his Ferguson polo shirt.
So, you know, um I could live without that as well. Um, and I I know the EDST board recommended giving giving a a some money to the newspaper and some people going to be mad at me for saying that this, but I think with the drastic cuts we are asking some of our important departments to make in this budget session, and we haven't even talked about them all yet, But I think it shows very misplaced priorities to say you can't go to any conferences and the other cuts that we're going to talk about later on in this session that we've we've been chattering in the background about that are much more serious than things like conferences.
I've got a real problem with, oh well, we're going to do these drastic cuts, but we're still gonna spend 20, what is it? $2,500 a month for the newspaper.
That That's a luxury. That's something that could be converted to digital format, as I've said in the past. And I I it just doesn't strike me as when you're cutting to the bone that that shouldn't be in there.
Council woman covers council, >> did you have some?
>> I just wanted to point out as council Noah alluded to it. Um, you're not wrong like conferences, trainings, but there are some that are required by certifications. There's some that are involved in contracts with police chief, other things like there's certain things we cannot cut when it comes to conferences, training, education, that kind of stuff. Um, if that's a motion you would like to make, what I can suggest is like we did in close session, I can talk to department heads tomorrow, identify those and come back at our next session and tell you these are the required ones that we have to do because of certifications or because of our contracts or DBAs, that kind of stuff, and present those back to council and tell you where those savings can be. Uh, or as was identified earlier, we can nickel and dime and go back and forth.
That's up to you guys. I just wanted to point that out. I'm happy to get like if you need details for some of the subjects for sure and that's what I'll do. I'll go back to department and tell them what you really need and give you a response.
>> I just gave my turn.
>> Okay. Going back to the money for the newspaper.
Not that this is a Joseph problem, but we do have >> we we do have for Parks use theirs. Is there any way we can combine those together and maybe it'll save and >> I >> I don't want to take away from what he does, but >> so we've had this discussion internally, Joseph and I. The problem we have is getting the content from department heads and getting it timely and in a manner that's uh acceptable to the parks department. They have no problem adding additional pages to their publication.
Not going to change it. Um, but we're going to have to be more diligent and that's comes back on me to get with department heads and get the information from them to get to Joseph and just apply more pressure. So, yes, it is a due. There has been a discussion.
>> I speak out of line.
>> So, I am a proponent for the allocation of the $25,000 for the 100 year old newspaper. Um, you know, we have all these different boards and commissions.
They're made up of residents. I think EDST has our former mayor, has a former council woman, and they voted unanimously to support this newspaper.
It's one of the uh staples, and it's part of our positive history here as a city. And it is a newspaper that hits 8,500 households here in Ferguson and local communities. and a lot of people attend events in the city from that newspaper.
Um, I think they also print a total of 10,000 copies and they have drop off locations. So, I think for me it's important to keep that history alive. I know a lot of people are on social media, but not everybody is on social media. I think we learned that in the last election. So, I just think that um we should listen to the EDS board. Uh, I know we have financial uh issues this year. We had them last year and I think this board unanimously voted to allocate $300,000 to FNIP.
Excuse me. You're out of order. So, you know, uh, again, this isn't coming from the general fund and this would do a lot to supplement that newspaper and keep it in existence and I think our community deserves it.
Uh I will say as far as travel uh conferences, you know, we have a economic hardship here at the city. I think we should cut all non-essential travel uh to conferences. You know, some things you have to do for your continuing education, but some conferences are they're just uh you know, they're just that, you know, and uh I can't I haven't been able to travel in two years with my job because of financial constraints.
Although I can go to events that are essential for my job and events that we sponsor. So um I think if we if we cut that it's it should be across the board with all departments that are you know no non-essential travel to conferences and memberships as well. If if you need it for your day-to-day great keep it there. But that's something that should come from department heads because we don't have the expertise to know which conferences which memberships are essential for staff.
And then lastly, I know um Councilwoman Noah said, you know, I think we should consider as it relates to wearing apparel and also miscellaneous across our departments to say to ask our directors to cut 50% of that across the board, you know, like I don't want to really nitpick and tell you how many shirts, shoes, boots you need, but everybody share the load and you just come up with a percentage and everybody cuts that off their budget and saves a lot of time.
So that's thank you for >> so I agree with cutting um non-essential travel and conferences across the board for all agencies.
However, the newspaper, and I love that newspaper, but it is a tight budget.
Um, I don't think we should fund that. U, it does have a historical value to Ferguson, but so does AOL dialup.
Nobody uses that anymore because it's obsolete.
>> I'm sorry.
I didn't hear you. I thought make us nostalgic.
>> If you if you look at a lot of major newspapers across the country, they are digital platforms now.
>> So, it doesn't make sense. A local paper is still trying to print daily copies or monthly copies. That's an expense. they can actually go online and probably get advertisement dollars and make a profit instead of seeking money from the city.
I think normally when we had the money, we could pay it, but the budget is so dire this year. I mean, if we're asking departments to cut to the bone, but we're giving money to a newspaper, I think that is a luxury.
Um, as I mentioned earlier, like if there's specific areas I would love to hear that have been given to Jonathan for notes, though I've heard so far training, education, conferences, wearing apparel, and miscellaneous. Have I missed anything that I need to be targeting with lists from department heads that we can do without >> office supplies? Can I speak to that real quick?
of supplies, wearing apparel, train, education, conferences, miscellaneous. I will say wearing apparel, you have to remember by department, yes, it's polar shirts in some departments. Other departments, you're looking at gear for service, uniforms, that type of thing.
So, just be cognizant of that when we're saying wear apparel.
>> Yes. And that's that's what I'll go back to department. What can you relate to with what I will ask and I'll bring those lists to you with justification as to police?
fire X Y and Z public works X Y and Z.
Uh Nathan, I I don't need five shirts.
I'll get two things.
>> Come on.
>> Not Not that my department is any better or worse than any other department, right? Um >> we do print and mail a lot of stuff. For example, when I had when I put this together, I had $1,500 for postage. I pulled the budget a few hours ago. We've already spent $3,400 in postage this year. And we barely notifi we own notified plan commission case 185 feet.
So we just happen to print and mail and the signs we have to get signs made which seem to disappear after every planning commission case when we put them out. Those are not cheap. Um so that stuff it just adds up really fast.
Um, so I totally understand the desire to want to be as, you know, frugal as we can, but some of the costs that I have that I just will always have, they're going to be high. I can't really do much about that. Um, but I totally understand what you're saying.
So I would like to see just being in the trades there's certain certifications certain conference you have to go to for certifications to keep your >> your searchs back to date. Would you give us a list of those when Yeah.
Because we want to keep you up to date in all your searchs so you can maintain a good >> Yeah. And keep in mind the the things that Luke and I go do. Number one, we're not traveling out of state for stuff.
We're trying to do everything in in the state of Missouri, but we do try to go to a lot. One, to learn, two, to make sure that Ferguson is taken into consideration and at the table. You know, I'll just I'll use my example of one city manager next door, right? You know, a lot of groups and and places Berkeley was never showing up to. So, the time I would go to places, oh, suddenly that community is is considered and and recognized. So even just being in places like we're going next week to the economic development uh conference which is at Margaritavville which wouldn't have been my first choice but that is a really important place for us to be to get information and to make those contacts there right so that kind of stuff it really does pay pay off um which is not necessarily different from a lot of other places but it's not like we're just you know we're not just going to New York and kicking back which I know you guys understand so but I'll definitely get a better breakdown of that information >> and important memberships there's a membership you have to shape to keep your costs down.
>> Yeah.
>> When you go to these conferences. Am I right on that?
>> Yeah. Like we both have our professional memberships and the city is a member of several local and organizations as well.
Um and so those might have been in some other place in the budget. So we'll just double check that. But you know, like we've got municipal league stuff, we've got North County, Inc. I mean I know there's more that the city is a membership of the North County Chamber.
Just on and on things like that. So we need to stay in those groups for obvious reasons. So, we just maintain all those.
>> Thank you.
>> Sure. Councilman, >> one last question and Dave, this is for you. Be does the city have a machine that prints postage or a postage meter?
So, how come we pay for postage out of each budget?
>> Uh, so the machine, >> so we're paying for the machine. the machine is off. We have to pay for the actual postage being applied to the mail. You're still paying the postage regardless. Just put the stamp on 75.
>> In one of the departments budget I saw where we're paying a price, a fee for the machine, but you're saying it's ours.
>> No, it may be an old >> and we may lease.
>> It's probably a lease.
>> So, we're paying for the machine. We actually Okay, that makes sense. I'm just asking for clarity. So, it's okay.
Thank you.
>> No matter if it's stamps or paper.
>> Yes, sir.
>> And also the the um the advertising for meeting notices in the paper and place things we have to do is also really expensive.
>> Yeah. Even when for uh the budget here that has to be advertised in St. Louis County, we have to pay to put that into the county.
Those are expensive involvement.
And I was looking at uh when I went over the budget, office supplies for all the departments. Can we like have a universal room that has office supplies for everybody? You go in if you need ink, if you need paper or whatever it might be, you sign it out and so it can >> Yes.
>> Go ahead. I'm sorry. We're doing things in waves. So the first one that we're addressing right now in staff's essence is custodial supplies. Custodial supplies is something that's been driving me nuts for a long. So we're making a move to buy everything involved, decrease cost, have delivered, that kind of stuff. Um I would like to do that office supplies eventually too.
We're actually moving to an Amazon account. We can have things delivered in co that way. So we're not going to staples or Walmart, wherever buying things. We make baby steps. So we have to budget a amount per office supplies.
I can tell you what that amount can be at our top department. I think the bare minimum is for that. Uh, but we can only do so much at a time.
>> Thank you, Dave.
>> Like, we hear what you're doing, but what you're saying, I hear you.
>> Okay. Sure.
>> I can't explore the world.
>> So, I got a variety of questions that I'm hoping the city manager or Mr. My Lombardo can answer. So, we're forecasting a revenue for EDST of $1.7 million, give or take. Is that correct?
>> Yes.
the $76,500 community development line item. Is that based on your wishes, needs, desires, as well as the input from the board?
>> What line is that?
>> Community development expenditure 76,500.
>> I'm not sure. I don't even know what that is.
>> That could just be a wrong um something based on bad was in Questica because I'm not really familiar with that line of what was put in there.
>> Yeah, that is just that is just incorrect.
>> This this page is just not right.
>> Yeah, 11 is just not >> Yeah, because I was I thought the fund balance was significantly higher.
>> It is. I think we'll draw that.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah, this will be totally different.
>> So, guess I got to regroup here. So, but you are planning a transfer from EDST to G general fund of $350,000 which reflects the 25% that the state constitution law allows for. Correct.
>> So, that is actually wrong. Also, the other sheet that that was sent that was just handed to you has that number on it. So, that was just it was just wrong.
It was this bigger sheet that was just wrong old data that was in Questica that will be all replaced $291,23020.
This one, >> this this sheet has this is just second sheet. Okay. The transfer to the general funding, it will be $425,000 for next year. That's 25% of 1.7 million. The 350 I don't know where that number >> was based on 1.4.
>> Okay. Okay. So, what is the where in the budget are there relatively accurate numbers that reflect the other 1.25 $25 million that would be in it.
Okay, then I'll wait till the rest get rest my questions.
>> No saving.
>> And again, I apologize for the numbers in the book being incorrect. There was just issues getting the new lines created in that will all be uh fixed in as you update the book. So that'll all be in there.
>> Recent staffing changes trying to focus on general work.
I'm just kind of curious. I I'd like to see the suggestions for the I understand we're using roughly 25% for the permissible administration costs to that's allowed by the state. I get that. We're also going to use a significant portion for STP. Correct. Grant matching.
>> Yeah. And I'll walk you through all that. So, and and no.
>> Okay. includes Nathan's, you know, proposal projects and anything else you want to take on or off. We can do kind of whatever we want to do.
>> Nate, you're speaking in the third person. Nathan's yours your list.
>> Only in that only in that.
>> Okay.
>> Because it is it is just Nathan Nathan's dream list.
>> Thank you.
>> But it will not keep me awake at night either way.
>> Okay. Is there any questions about the first sheet? This is all the items that are technically the planning and development department personnel just the stuff materials that we'll use dayto-day other than getting the the details of the conferences and things like that.
Okay. So the sec second sheet I'll walk you down. The only column you need to really cons concern yourself with is the 2627 request. Uh because everything is just the other stuff is just past data to make the formulas in Excel work. But they are correct. I pulled them out of our our finance software. So the very top is in spite of the colors and things is pretty self-explanatory. So the top is your revenues 1.7 million50 $50 in interest total 1.7 million50 bucks. The next two numbers the 425 that's your 25% that goes to the general fund to cover all the administration. The 623 is your STP match that covers the two repaving projects that were in the capital budget under public works.
So that'll cover that.
Okay, that's >> okay.
>> Then we jump down to actual expenditures. The 200,000 that is the line that we would put assign improvement grants, disaster recovery grants, things of that nature.
So I just put and and all of these big numbers are just placeholders. Even one even numbers when we get later that I put as cost estimates for projects.
They're all just placeholders because we have such a big fund balance in my humble opinion, it's time to start investing some of that money in the community. So, this $200,000, it's a placeholder. It's an amount of money to use for facade grants, things like that all around the city. What's up?
>> Okay. 220 is professional services. This is going to pay for the rest of the GIS project, uh the rest of the zoning uh project that we're doing right there.
Payment for affiliates. This is one where I know we're gonna had to catch our breath. This is the FNIP.
So, we have 100,000 next year. I know that there's a history and with a 300 this year, we've paid 100. That's why there's 100 next to it because the column next to it is this current year, which ends in a few weeks. Um, but I I put in there 100,000 for FNIP for next year. Should I pause and duck or keep going?
>> Okay, I'll keep going.
Any >> questions? Councilman Franklin, >> I just want to make sure that if if the if this council is okay with allocating a hund another an additional $100,000.
Is that correct than what we already >> So, I think we should give we should support our newspaper as well for their uh $25,000 request or we can just give nobody any money. But I don't think we should be picking and choosing especially when we got the recommendation from the board that funds this council.
>> Uh my question would be for the city manager Musgrave.
What should we get to June 30th and the other 200,000 from this fiscal year isn't distributed. How is that handled come July 1st?
>> A great question. Um, I'm still waiting on a contract, point blank, from legal. I have told them I want the bare bones thing from them. Uh, until I see that, I I'm not comfortable moving forward at this point. Uh, I would love to issue the other 200 if we had a contract in place because that's what you wish it were, but without that contract, it's just kind of a tough one for me. So if we sorry >> if we get to June 30th and that contract has not been resolved is the 200 no longer applicable and we just go on to the next fiscal year or >> budget amendment. It's a new fiscal year to reappropriate the money moving forward. It's not allocated this current year.
>> Thank you.
>> Y >> So city manager, I have a couple questions. So would we have to if we're going to make a bud a budget amendment then we would have to vote on that. It would come to council. So we would have an opportunity to vote. Okay. As far as this contract, so there's an understanding that the previous city manager uh went ahead and approved the $100,000 that FNIP has received out of the initial $300,000 that was approved without a contract. Um, so are we privileged to that contract because we're voting for FNIP to receive the funding or >> I believe all contracts do have to be approved by city council because we're entering into agreement. So yes, it would come to you first.
>> It would have come to us. Okay.
>> My plan of action would be to first take the FNIP, make sure they agree on it so I'm not wasting your time. If they agree on it, then I would bring it to you for approval and then we move forward.
>> Although they were given the 100,000 without a contract. Um, I do agree with Councilman Franklin that if we are going to go ahead and place money in the budget for FNIP to receive $100,000 in the 20, you said we're looking at the 26 27 request, then we should support the newspaper. I mean, the newspaper, a lot of people do read the newspaper.
We're still a community where everyone is not online. Everyone does not have a Facebook page. I deal with a lot of seniors that do not. And this economic development sales tax fund was approved by the voters in 2016. So this is their money. This money is to help further our community and it brings awareness to different programs and events in our community. So let's just please let's be fair, you know, and let's think about all of the residents. So, um, Nathan, I just want to say I really appreciate this. I know you're still working, but so far I can really appreciate this.
Thank you.
>> Council, >> I'll tell you what, this council allocated $300,000 to FNIP for this fiscal year.
They legal has been batting around this contract for six months now. The initial contract they presented was ridiculous.
It literally required that volunteer members of the FNIP board be personally liable for the actions of FNIP. No contract we have with any vendor anywhere says that. And if we placed this requirement on any other board or commission of the city, nobody would sign up for it. And and we know that that was a poison pill.
And so I'll tell you what, I will withdraw my objection to funding the newspaper subject to this.
The monthly allocation for that newspaper will start when and if the full payment of what this council has already allocated to FNIP for this fiscal year will be made as well as the payment for next fiscal year because I'm not going to be sitting here having this conversation about oh well contract oh well this that and the other. You know what? Are we going to have a contract with the with the neighborhood news that if they publish an article that that the city doesn't like that they're going to have to be personally liable to the city? I'll bet we won't.
I'll bet we won't because because that is a unique requirement that was imposed only on FNIP and it was imposed because there were certain people who wanted to zero out FNIP and send that money elsewhere. So no, when we when we pay out the money that we already committed to paying out this year from EDST, then we can talk about giving some money to the neighborhood news. Until then, no.
>> Oops.
>> Right.
>> So, I'm unaware of anybody on this council or our city staff that wanted to zero out, zero out FNIP and send the money elsewhere. That's a lie. Uh, two, you said this was the worst contract or a bad contract. I wish you would have shared that with council because I haven't seen any contracts and it appears that you're privy to information that your fellow council members don't have. So in the future, please share information as you receive it and you get it so that we can make so that we can make informed decisions. Also, FNIP is no longer a part of the city. They're independent. They're a 501c3. I can't speak to the contract because it was never sent to me as a councilman of war.
So, I know you're passionate about it, but this isn't a for me it's not tick for tack. You just told us about how tight our budget is and we can't do this, we can't do that. Now, you're singing a different tune when it's something you're passionate about. So, I'm just saying if be consistent and more importantly be factual because no one on this council has ever tried to zero out. No one on this council, especially in the minority vote, has the ability to dictate to city staff or our attorneys. So, please, if you're going to speak, speak truths. Don't lie.
Appreciate it.
I would like to ask that any funding for FNIP is appropriated separately. So, when we vote, it's not included. So, I'm not voting. I don't want to not vote for all of these other items because FNIP is included because what Councilman Cass off is suggestion suggesting just does not make sense. First, we're talking about 300 $400,000 compared to $25,000.
And I it's not my knowledge that the neighborhood newspaper has ever written anything negative about our city. And we cannot choose the people who serve on FNIP. That was made clear. That's why they changed their bylaws. So FNIP did a lot of things to distance themselves from the city. And there's just rules you have to follow. And again, with this contract, you were privileged to it. The entire council should have been privileged to it saying that we're voting for FNIP to receive that funding.
Thank you.
For clarity, none of the council technically received the contract. It was in negotiation with FNIP. So, none of you got it. Just like I said before, if I get a contract, it'll go to FNIP first if they agree to it before I bring it to you because for you to approve it and then them not approve it seem like a waste of everyone's time. Um, I'd like to say something on that. I wasn't I wasn't on council last budget. I've been to a lot of meet Um, okay.
But if everybody's taking cuts, this is a cut I think we need to do.
If the fire, police, all the other departments, this is something I think we need to put on hold to make re reook at this issue in January.
This is just how I feel, you know, because everybody's taking cuts and um every little bit helps. I use I don't have anything against FNIP. I use it.
And um I just think this should be part of our um cut back if we if we cut cut it in half. But I just don't think 100,000 is is ready for us right now.
>> Yes, Steve. I just want to be clear that the EDST dollars are earmarked and they can only be used for certain things. So it's similar to the parks fund, EDST, capital improvements, sewer lateral, GO bonds, all these funds can only be used for certain things. EDST dollars cannot be used to fund the police department, cannot be used to fund the fire department, just like parks dollars have to be used within the park system. Um, and so while I understand that we're trying to be fair with cuts, uh, saying that we're going to cut money out of the EDST budget that's there in the reserves and they have, is not comparing apples to apples when we're making cuts to the general fund that is drastically close to being in the red uh, without reserves. But just for clarity, >> thank you, city manager.
Council Councilman Palmer. I'd like to make a motion to amend the 2526 budget for EDST for FNIP from 300,000 to 100,000 and then amend this budget 2627 for FNIP to $300,000 on the condition that a contract is acceptable to the city manager and FNIP is agreed upon and voted on by the city council and that $100,000 of that 300,000 is earmarked for first time home buyer programs within the city of Ferguson.
>> Council Palmer, would you repeat the motion, please? Make a motion to amend the current year's budget 20252026 for FNIP from 300,000 to 100,000 and amend the upcoming budget for 2026 20227 for FNIP from 100,000 to 300,000 on the condition that a contract is agreed upon by FNIP and the city manager and ultimately voted on by the city council. And of that $300,000, $100,000 is earmarked specifically for firsttime home buyer programs within the city of Ferguson.
>> Uh discuss >> discussion please. You have something to say council council.
>> That's what he said.
seems like >> the 100 return to 300 for next year.
>> So I have a question um where you guys vote.
Couple of questions. Uh FNIP have they been before EDST uh and and obtain their recommendation for these funds for this uh upcoming fiscal year.
>> But 100,000 was presented to the uh board. Uh so they knew that that was going to be moving forward.
Okay, thank you. So 100,000, not 300,000. Okay. And then uh my second question is um I I'll leave it at that. I I'm good.
>> Councilman Cass.
So, if I understand it, um, Councilman Palmer, what we're doing is since we face a fiscal year deadline for the money that this council already appropriated, we're simply accommodating the fact that our legal team and FNIP and city council aren't going to be able to act by the end of the fiscal year.
And so rather than having some ambiguity on how that money can be distributed, we're simply moving money that we already approved as a council this year to the next fiscal year. Is that correct?
>> That is correct. And also providing the safeguards of a contract that is agreed upon by city administration, the council, and FNIP themselves that they are comfortable with while also encouraging more home ownership within the city of Ferguson.
woman.
>> So, I definitely encourage home ownership. However, I can't support this at this time. You know, not until a contract is presented. And um we're still going through that audit with the state. And so, I just at this time I want to let everyone know that's why I cannot support.
So, um, I'm ready to vote when you all >> So, $100,000 sounds like a lot of money, but it is not. So, the matching grant is $1,500.
So, if you divide $100,000 by 1,500, that only helps 66.6 6 residents, 66 people basically.
And so I actually found out today that FNIP has discontinued their tree program.
They no longer have it. I don't know if they've gone public with that or not. So I had a tree fall in my yard. I didn't use them. I just paid. But that tree program can help a lot of people.
But they don't they don't have the money. So they no longer do the tree program.
And to make it clear, Adrian, we are cutting, but you have the general budget and economic development sales tax. It's two buckets of money. So when we allocate it from this bucket, it's not the general fund. So, I know a lot of people don't think FNIP should get the money and we've all have used it, but I think we should go forward with uh Mike's motion cuz last year it was unanimous that we funded the $300,000 and it was not contingent upon a contract. So stuff has changed. Since they're technically not a part of the city and the city wants to contract, I'm okay with that going forward, but we should do what we uh said we're going to do. And you you got to realize it's it's helping a lot of people.
And I'll make this quick. The thing about Ferguson that makes it unique are the houses.
So I think that is uh what's that road?
West Florison and Chambers. Like if you come down Chambers, the houses look horrible. But soon as you make that right on West Florison and start coming to Ferguson, it's like a oasis.
The houses, the yards look a lot better.
I think FNIP has something to do with that. So home ownership is not easy and it's expensive.
But when your neighbors property looks good, it increases your housing value.
When neighborhoods look good, housing values increase. So Mike advised me yesterday that the florescent home values are 25% more than ours, but we share the same school district. 25% more. And the reason we got on that one of my properties, the the grass is high.
It was only high for a week. I got an email saying they're gonna sight me if I don't cut the grass in seven days. And I'm like, Mike, are they messing with me? He was like, "No, Ferguson does not play. It's it's legit." So the the housing is what makes Ferguson unique.
If you look all around us like Jennings, Dalewood, some of those areas look dilapitated, but when you come into Ferguson, the housing actually looks really nice.
That's it. Thank you, Councilman Franklin.
>> Oh, sorry. Um, Councilwoman Cington.
>> Thank you. Okay. So, I am okay with this because we did vote to give them the uh 300,000. Um I feel like it is a safeguard having that we all still got to approve the contract. So, it's not set in stone. If they don't like the contract and they never sign the contract, they don't get the money. Um also, it's I am not for letting the paper die. I put it out there that we could team up with Parks and we can still get it out there. Um, I'm not quite sure how often Park do their uh newspaper, but I'm not for disbanding them, but if we can come together and have parks and the neighborhood paper together, I don't understand why that is a problem.
Councilman Franklin.
>> So the recommendation from EDST was to fund the paper 25,000. So the question isn't whether or not the parks can come together. It's you know that what the parks was already paying can be included. They can join that 25,000 and and use that. That's the allocation.
That's the recommendation. So it should be pretty cut and dry if that's if we really want to save our paper and keep it going. Um, and then I'll just say, you know, with with FNIP, like I said, I use the program probably more than anybody else on this council. Uh, it's a great program, but and and you know, before we got the letter asking for $150,000 from FNIP and council email, I sent Larry a text and and I advised him to go before EDST and get their recommendation. He did not do that for whatever reason. He did not respond.
That's fine. I'm also curious to know how many ARPA dollars are left over.
Have they been extinguished? Are they still using that money for this last fiscal year of that program? You know, uh, you know, how much money do you have left from the money we already allocated to you? They just got 100,000 I guess a month ago, two months ago. I don't know.
But I just think you do your due diligence and see what the need is. like if they're extinguished, like you said, hey, the tree program is cut off because maybe they're out of money for that line item. That's something this council should know if we're going to fund. So, I just would have liked a little bit more due diligence like the newspaper group did. They went before EDST. It wasn't just my idea. They went advocated and got a unanimous approval from them.
And so, but I mean, like I said, I just would have liked to see the same from FNIP, you know, before we allocate anything or like I said, it sounds like they didn't agree on the contract for whatever reason. But I just would like to know what those account balances look like as it relates to money already received. And the and the, you know, the elephant in the room for me for a lot of this is FNIP was mentioned as it relates to financial records in this state investigation that's ongoing. We don't know where that's going to lead. You know, things could get worse based off of the state's findings. That's just the reality where we are. So, we're going to allocate funds to a organization that their fund is actually being investigated as far as I know. Now, there may not be any wrongdoings, but shouldn't that be completed before we do anything? But that's just my two cents.
Uh, as Councilwoman Noah said, I'm ready to vote when you all are.
Councilman Cass, >> I am the council rep to the EDST board and I don't know whether a meeting got cancelled or if I was out of town or something, but there was a request from FNIP to present to the EDST board. I don't know if it I don't know if it happened and I missed it or if it hasn't happened yet, but they've definitely been communicating about that. Um, so you know, but but the bottom line deal is they requested $100,000 in new funding from the FNIP from the EDST fund. The $200,000 that Mr. Palmer is proposing is money that was allocated this year and never paid. And because we have that fiscal year deadline, he's proposing to roll it over to the next year. And I I think we've all said all we need to about this. Um I'm ready to vote.
>> No other discussion. Well, I will just say lastly, thank you, mayor, that to Councilman Williams point, the tree program won't die because FNIP should have a reserve account. I know in January of 2023, um Mr. Robinette presented to the council and stated that FNIP had approximately $700,000 in that reserve account. And that's another question.
Where is that money? you're talking about $650,000 of the ARPA funding, $100,000 just this last January. And then there's a reserve account. Where is all the funding? Um, again, I'm not against FNIP. I'm not against the program. I support home ownership. However, you know, we need transparency and it's just not here at this time.
Yeah.
Who's who was here?
>> Uh yeah, Council Williams.
>> Just just real quick. So I also have a 501c3.
When you have a nonprofit, all the records are public. Your bank accounts, everything is public. So I think Nodric or someone they misqued how much money the FNIP had. That was a mistake. If they had that much money the tree program would not be dead.
So, so they are transparent in public and the reason why they had to lead the city because when management kept switching their nonprofit kept getting didn't get renewed and some of the bookkeeping wasn't adequate. So, they kind of separated somewhat. But I just filled out a FNIP for my sidewalk leading to my house.
When that tree fell, it cracked it. And the emails that I received, it actually says the city of Ferguson on it. It's not an email that's from FNIP. It says the city of Ferguson. So technically, they are separate, but they are not. They still use the infrastructure and the email of the city of Ferguson. So, you know, just for clarity, um, their records are transparent and anybody can look them up because they are a nonprofit following C3.
>> Councilman Cas, >> one other thing that I I I need to address. Uh, Councilman Franklin stated that well, so far as he well, he he's suggesting that the state auditor is investigating FNIP for improper recordkeeping.
That that is what you said, Councilman.
Um, to be very clear, the city of Ferguson received a letter from the state auditor last December, I believe it was, requesting a whole bunch of financial records from the city as well as some other things.
I believe FNIP was included in that. I but it was they they they received all of the city's credit card statements, all of the city's bank statements, a whole bunch of things. There's no and they haven't came back to the city with the result of their investigation yet.
If they investigate and they find that there's anything a miss, that will turn into a complete audit by the state auditor, which um you've probably seen them before. They publish little books after they do the audit and they do a public presentation, but they'll they would come back and do an audit. We're not even at that stage yet, but they haven't provided the city, to my knowledge, with any feedback. and city manager confirms that at this point we have no feedback from the state auditor that anything's right or wrong. They're still looking over things and there's never at any time been any suggestion that FNIP did anything improper. So I just want to lay that down.
I'd like to say one thing. I'm for a homeowner, first-time home buyers.
That's that's just how I feel about our city. If we want to get people in here, we have to be able to offer something.
And personally, I'm okay with the 100,000 long as it's being spent on firsttime home home buyers.
Thank you.
Uh it was that m Councilman Palmer, was that uh first-time home buyers or was that how how was that?
>> FNIP currently has a first-time home buyer program that has been extinguished multiple times. They have dipped into their reserves to fund that initiative.
I believe it's $2,500. Could you confirm or deny that for Mr. Castrom since you just recently Was it 2500?
3500. They've increased it from 2500 to $3,500 for at one time what was just uh first responders, teachers, and city employees, but that has since been expanded to all first-time home buyers in the city of Ferguson.
So, currently, if you're a first-time home buyer in Ferguson, you can get $3,500 for a grant to purchase a first-time home for yourself, your family.
And uh there's no limits as to who is eligible other than being a first-time buyer.
That's currently how the program is set up now. And you can also stack other grants. So, you could take um you know, US Bank's got some really nice generous programs for $8 or $10,000, I believe, due to the census tract we're in. Um I've heard rumors of people receiving up to $20,000 with three or four different grants for firsttime purchases in Ferguson. Does that answer your question?
>> Thank you. Yes, it does.
>> Thanks.
>> Any other questions? Clark conversation.
Let's vote. Roll call, please.
Councilman Palmer.
>> Hi.
>> Councilman Cass.
>> Hi.
>> Councilwoman Noah.
>> No.
>> Councilwoman Coington.
>> Hi.
>> Councilman Franklin.
>> Councilman Williams.
>> Hi.
>> Mayor Shshire.
>> Yes.
>> Pass.
>> Okay. Um, we'll jump.
>> Yes. C Councilman Palmer, >> I do have a couple questions about the Ferguson neighborhood news. Is there anybody on this council or on staff that'd like to be a subject matter expert on it as I'm not >> I can try to answer what I might know, but >> what's the question?
>> I want to say that I I >> Does the city of Ferguson appoint the um editor of that paper?
>> No. Do >> we have any oversight of that paper?
>> No.
Do we have a contract with that paper?
>> No.
>> There was a rumor that there's 10,000 papers being circulated. Is that correct?
>> I can't answer that, >> Mr. Franklin.
>> Are there approximately 10,000 Ferguson neighborhood newspapers being circulated every month?
>> How many households are in the city of Ferguson?
Why the surplus >> they have? So they also advertise in neighboring communities. So they have like if you go into Walgreens, you see what you used to see an American different newspapers. So they have designated spots where you can pick up a paper.
>> Is there still to the city of Delv?
>> Yes, it is.
>> How about Pasadena Hills?
>> How about Pasadena Park?
City of Ferguson and I know residents in Delwood.
>> Has the editor or anybody with the publication dulge any information that they receive funding from any of the adjacent communities they also mail the paper to?
So we mail the paper to communities that are not in Ferguson and we are subsidizing a paper publication to other cities next to us.
coming into our city tax which drives us.
>> Do we still mail the paper to every single department of the 2000 within the city of Ferguson?
Thank you.
I'd like to say one thing about the newspaper.
I used it very reasonable.
It does reach out to areas that um outside our city.
I'll be for funding 8,000 homes of this and cut out the surrounding suburban communities, whatever that number might be. if you could come back with a number from them that would um say cut out all the suburbs of us and then go from there.
Yes, Dave.
>> So, the price that was proposed to us was for a content. So, two full pages within their newspaper. It didn't have any bearing as far as the delivery radius.
>> Okay.
>> Um so, that's what it was based upon.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> Meeting recaps, just whatever.
>> Okay. Thank you.
I'm learning. Hey, learning every day out here.
So, >> so for clarity, we're not Fergus the city of Ferguson isn't basically subsidizing the entire paper.
>> I mean, it depends on how you want to slice and dice it, but in effect, we' be buying two pages worth of ads and put whenever we want it Ferguson related in the paper >> and that cost $25,000 a year.
>> Well, it's 2500 a month.
>> 2500 a month. Okay. So, um and what's the total per year? a year.
>> 246. That was be the 32.
>> 246. So approximately $25,000.
>> 32,000.
>> $32,000.
>> Pages in every >> Okay.
Well, I would make a motion to appropriate the Ferguson Neighborhood News the $32,000 for the 2627 FY.
Yes, it would it would be part of the budget. So, yeah.
>> No, 32 is what's in there.
>> 32 is what? Okay. Well, well, I will withdraw the motion. No problem. It's in the budget.
>> All right, let's roll through the capital. This is this a little bit more fun. Um, we'll get to the I'm going to do the three smaller items because they're fast before I get to the big the big item. $250,000. That would be good for demolition. I will say I have applied for a grant through the Department of Economic Development for CDBG money for demolition. Obviously, there's no guarantee. I would suggest that we put a placeholder for an amount for demolition, wait and see if we get any grant money so we can spend somebody else's money first and then see if we don't get it start to to use that to uh use uh for any demolition.
Do you have a question?
>> You said 250,000. Do you have a list at properties?
>> Yes, but I I know that list exists and will continue to go.
>> Those are all coming off the dangerous building list.
>> Exactly. So, let me ask you this, city manager. When we demo or the the company that demos the property and it has bricks, it's built with bricks. Do we keep the bricks and resell those or does the demo company can they have the bricks or how does that work? So, the demo company up to this point has taken care of everything. So, they dispose of all the material, dumping, all that stuff. Moving forward, the plan is hopefully to do it in-house. And as I've mentioned in previous meetings, we have locations identified with MSD that we can put clean fill. So, bricks, concrete, things that don't have rebarb are considered clean fill can be used for bank stabilization throughout town.
>> You're good. the $7,500 and the $100,000 uh below that are related to um some site work and angles properties down in suburb for plaza 501. So that should finish up all the properties that we would need to fully expand that very far down the street. So, and we've been talking to these property owners. Well, these particular property owners don't really care to talk to us too much, but we do need to have some placeholders for when we get those properties uh just to make sure that we can acquire them to finish that project. Any questions with that? Okay, this is the big fund number.
This is where I get to talk in the third person. So, this the 2.6 million. What I've done, this is Nathan's dream list.
Um it will you will not hurt my feelings if you don't like the ideas. if you want to change them. What I really want to try and um impress on the council is that this money is really intended to be used as an investment in the community in our commercial areas to spur economic development, community development, traffic, to raise morale, to improve the the feel, the look, the emotions of an area. Um, and there's a lot of different ways to do that. Some of these may be things that make a lot of sense. Some of these may be things you've never even considered before. And that's okay. Also remember that we're going to be getting $1.7 million every single year. And because our overhead costs are less than 25%, we're going to have over a million dollars free and clear every year to spend on these projects. All the projects in Nathan's dream list here will be done in a year. So they won't be recurring costs. So we will have money into this account for this every single year to invest. There's keyword invest in our community. So, on this list totaling $2.6 million, I put $350,000 for everyone's favorite whistle stop. I do I am working with the contractors to refine their bid. Amron's uh going to be getting back over there to see how much of the electrical system and the HVAC can actually even be salvaged. We haven't had power over there for a while. So, I will have a different number for the council for that project.
I have no concept of what it's going to be this second. I'm very confident it's not going to be that cheap, but I am working on getting a an an updated bid for that. I'm just going to keep rocking and rolling unless someone is just so offended by these projects.
>> Can I just one thing real quick? I do want to point out that anything over $10,000 has to come to council for approval. So, even though you're saying yes, this is an earmarked amount, it will come back to you for a vote before it's executed. Just put it >> would have to go out for RFPs for bids.
And these are all placeholder amounts.
Whatever the cost will be different than this, but I just put numbers there because they had to have something in the budget for these projects.
>> And these are not all current fiscal year.
>> These would be >> the firms weren't put a balance.
>> Yes, we got very healthy fun.
>> So you're you're sucking the whole balance.
>> Well, let's let's let's spend some money. It's the fun stuff, man.
>> I >> Okay. And I know you like this next one.
$50,000 to restruct road. That is one of my personal most important projects. I think that would completely transform the streetscape. Yes, ma'am.
>> I I agree. I'm sorry. And you're speaking of South Flores and Road. Are we able So, I love this. However, there are two um what do you call sink holes on South Flores and Road? So, are we going to is there an Yeah, there there's one closer to UNMB bank. I don't you know what I'm talking about? And then there's one that was patched over near Spot.
>> Spot drive was fixed. It was dug up. It was old train tracks.
>> The one right there. Okay. Okay. So, that's been repaired. But there's another one. It's not as great as the one that was near spot. But there's you got to go. It's right there near bank.
So, before we get before we restripe, just to ask that you can would look at that. And is there an opportunity to also stripe the streets that are adjacent to South Florison Road like Elen um Paul Woodstock?
>> My personal opinion on that street I would be very intentional um on how much of EDST money you would use in residential areas because it's intended for commercial but you know parts that are certainly downtown. So you know could we go six blocks in? No. Could we go a block in?
Probably.
>> And that happens just right there.
>> We could certainly make the whole project make sense.
>> You know, >> and I would even want to include things like the physical pumps to keep bike lanes separate from traffic. You know, the whole goal would be to calm traffic, keep people safe, really transform the streetscape there. It would be a tremendous project. Okay. Now, some of these projects went to EDST, some did not. Why did the ones did not? because I realized we had some more money and I said, I got a little bit of time. Let's give council. Let's see how much I can put in their brains at once. But if there was any real issues, I'm happy to take it take things back to the board.
But I don't think we're going to have any problems. Uh new downtown signage, $50,000.
What that would all encompass, I don't know. But I do agree that the sign down by Pool Valley could be definitely redone.
>> Uh street signs could be done differently. And if we want to do even different signs, any kind of historical or commercial district signs, let's put them up because they'll look great. Um, repainting of that rail bridge has got to happen.
It just has to happen. It looks terrible. It's the gateway into the city. We've got the railway is certainly not going to pay for it for us, but we've got to get that done. I would even suggest that we just prime it and find an artist to do something really amazing on the trestle and on the sides of the concrete. It doesn't need to be just one solid color. be something really beautiful or outrageous. We could there's no limit to what we could do there, but I think that's a real opportunity for us with the gateway into into Floss Road.
>> Well, we all know that Norfolk Southerns or whoever it is, the railroads probably not going to do anything with that. I seem to think they'll probably have a problem if we do something with it.
Would there be >> So if we can actually get permission and get them to respond to us, why can't we get them to actually paint their own ridge?
>> So the last time it happened, we had to provide the paint and I think they provide the labor. That's been several years ago. That's just a rumor I heard, but through the grapevine, that's what I heard.
>> I definitely would be interested in figuring out how to encourage them a little more to take care of their infrastructure.
Uh when it comes to that, >> the next one, and I always say this, uh with full disclosure, I drive an EV. Um there's not one public EV charger in the city of Ferguson. I think in 2026, that's a huge oversight. There's a lot of opportunities to have creative design of putting an EV charging station in one of our city parking lots downtown. I think not only would it be something that could be used by the residents, but it would be a driver of traffic. when I built them in Berkeley, all the visitors that came to use the plugs we put in were from from other places. And so we got a lot of new visits just to charge their cars. Um, building a station has a wide variability of costs because of depends on how close you are to the transformer, if you need to add a transformer, what speed of charges you put in, how many, all that. So I put a number that seems too high, that seems well, I don't know if it's too high, but it seems high because there's a lot of variability. If you want to cover over a station, I think it's public amenity that is really really missing and it's a big oversight on our part. We could charge for it, we could not charge for it. We could put parking meters there on there's a lot of options, but I think it's a really worthwhile investment and I I'll say the same thing I said when I put them in Berkeley. Every community is worth and deserves to have up-to-date technology and showcase they are forward thinking. So, this is just one example where I think we could do something pretty cool.
>> Um, go ahead. Council Pal, >> are there still Amarind grants for EV charging stations?
>> There is not.
>> What happened to them?
>> I took all of them in Berkeley and I'm not even joking. I use up all the money.
>> Do they anticipate doing more?
>> No.
>> Why?
>> I saw Sam, the ammon at atl conference, and she loves it, too. But I can't I can't tell you why not. Thank you.
>> I did talk to our community rep and she was supposed to get me information on grants are available both for solar and if there's any EV, but I haven't received that information yet. But I'm trying to look at any grant operation opportunities that Amaran is offering currently.
I think um back uh probably three or four years ago, there was a uh plan to put one at the Burlington and 270 area in that parking lot right straight across the street from the Burger King. If that if you want to look at those plans, I think that would be ideal if you're going to put them in. I think that would be a ideal money maker. We had got some plans in for Tesla to put a station over on Halls Ferry, but they have not reached back out in a long, long time. But again, there's no and even when I did the ones in Berkeley, if you look at the charging map of all of North County area, there's just no infrastructure.
The closest one is over on Lindberg in Florison at a commerce bank, and it's not a good charger, and it's on one plug. So, there's just nothing up here for the infrastructure. It's just a big oversight, I think. Yeah, because I know um right off of Brentwood that they have eight to 10 charging stations and they're and they're always used Tesla's always in there charging up.
>> If you South of 70 there's tons because I use them north of 70 >> is hard to find. It's not >> how many um charging stations, EV charging stations with this cover.
It's a it's a huge variability because the speed of of of the charging unit itself changed the cost. Um, so you could spend $50,000 on two plugs, you could spend $200,000 on two plugs depending on on how fast you want. We would never choose ones that were that fast. But there's just a wide variability of that. Um, that's why I just that's why I put a large nub in it.
>> Again, just these are just placeholders.
if we actually want to do it. I mean, I can put out 10 RFPs tomorrow to get get this stuff moving because the money's in the bank if if the next one is a sound wall on West Florence, which I'm sure no one has before, but could just intercept.
So, West is a bit of a challenging area for us. mostly because most of it we don't control especially the parts that you really most immediately think of need some TLC right in this area so up liquor up north is Delwood so that's nothing for us then you go south we have all these residents here with their backyards facing west road so their quality of life is probably not the best with that noise and the traffic and the people walking by and doing who knows what. I would suggest we investigate what the cost would be to put some sort of sound wall up there in their backyards. You could get um the pre-cast concrete, you could do designs, you could find arts, do murals, but you would improve the quality of their lives dramatically by not having chain link fence and not having it open to the noise of West forest. Now again, I know that's kind of a, you know, off the wall idea, but if we're thinking about doing something that's new and different, let's do it. Also, this part of West Flores is not going to get bought up and turned commercial. It's always going to be somebody's backyard there. So, what are we what can we do to improve their quality of life? And that's a lot of residents there as well. You know, it's about 4,000 ft total. That's both sides of the streets. It's 2,000 ft off and on that you would consider doing something with. Obviously, if you thought it would investigating and useful investigating, but it's just something I thought of that we could that would make a dramatic difference as an entrance to the part of West Florence that we know we really need to redevelop and improve the quality of life for all those residents.
Just an idea.
>> Is the sound wall something that's already been considered by the Great Streets Project? I am not aware of that time frame, but obviously that all of us will be totally redone, but I'm not aware that anyone's considered that at all.
>> Assuming this dream list happened and that specific item happened, you'd probably want to run that by that group that's been planning that project for over a decade now.
that we hate to put a sound wall in then them then tear it down or something or >> by just getting an easement on the resident's backyard and say out of St. Louis County rightway. So we could wouldn't even necessarily have to deal with them if we got people's permission to get an easement on their property um in their backyards. So again, just an idea. Um one of the things that was brought up a bunch was spot drive repaving.
>> Yeah, go on. I had a comment about that.
We would have to get residents buy in for sure, you know, but I don't with the look would it look like the soundwall that's on 270 near a Christian cuz that's a bit much of a soundwall, but but possibly I mean it may not be a bad idea if again it's not part of the great streets project. Thank you.
>> Just an idea. Isn't the branch reach project supposed to slowly traffic coming?
>> Well, so yes, but but on that road, what they're going to do, it will be traffic coming because they will have some crosswalks and racing, but you're still going to have two lanes of travel each way. So, you're still going to have a lot of traffic moving down West Florida.
And that makes sense. It's a big arterial road. It's a lot a lot of traffic that's there.
>> It won't come at very much then, >> you know, probably not.
>> But it may for the residents Are you talking about both sides or >> Yes.
>> So, um, quick Google search, a little bit of calculation. It's a third of a mile from Elite Liquor down to, uh, the last street there. It's a third of a mile. Um, which is 1760 ft.
>> We did the same math, >> which is three And it's 300 bucks a foot for six to eight or six foot or eight foot. I forget which one it was. Um, so you're talking half a million per side.
There's 24 houses on the west side that back up to West Florescent and I think it's a little less on the other side, I think. So, >> and with your M, you know, you'd have to have distance from each of the intersections for sites. So, that kind of stuff. So, right, >> how much would be, you know, in one fell swoop?
>> I don't know. And there's there's just be a lot of variability in heights, material design, all that kind of stuff.
It's just I think it's interesting opportunity to to think about. That's all.
>> So, next is spot drive repaving.
Apparently, that's been an item that's been needed to be discussed for a while.
Um, let's get that done. It's right in the middle of downtown.
>> Please. Um, so yeah, that's >> is this spot drive from like Adams to Florescent Road or >> That's the impression I'm under. So, and I know that that goes because the parking lot that we have there, it's still a street through the back. So, and I know it's kind of it's kind of mixed mis mismatched over there, but my impression of this project and again it was brought to me as something that's been discussed for a while. We repave a whole section through the parking lot, >> right? I've often kind of wondered why that road even existed to be honest with you.
>> You know, it's seems like it's if you're trying to direct traffic to Florent Road to see the businesses, it seems like you'd probably not have spot drive. I mean, I know there's a substation there and it abuts the railroad, but I've always wondered why that even existed to be quite honest, right? Or make it green space and just a way to get to those parking lots. I don't know. I just always kind of wonder why that existed. So, I wasn't sure.
>> I will say Victorian Plaza D brought up is an item that we could certainly use some of this funds to because it needs some TLC over there. Um, okay. The next one is a really interesting one that I've talked to you about to Corey about today. So, over on a little more and this is related to the gentleman last night that came to talk about that lot that he wants for free.
So, we have Ted Jones right here. You see it?
is coming through with construction that I'm sure we've all heard about and this is related to the board of Fergus.
Okay. They're going to be connecting Elizabeth and Ferguson to the Ted Jones.
They're going to come down Paul up St. Louis and go right on the lot the general was talking about last night is at that corner. It is too good of a lot to get away because we put a trail head there something.
>> Um it's just too convenient to this greenway trail to not do something related there. However, the greenways plan and what they do in areas that are built out and their design stand for an 8 foot uh side. That's their standards. Well, wouldn't you know, we have our plaza right there.
>> Also, one of the capital projects next year is to repave Paul Avenue.
Why don't we, and I've talked to our parks, uh, our public works, and I have a friend who works for the greenways, who's their plan director, coincidentally.
Why don't we be generous, build to their design standards an additional section of the greenway that's not planned, but connecting the greenway at St. Louis dead end to our plaza 501.
That way, anything that gets here will have access the Jones Trail directly or once they get the part of uh Ferguson Avenue right built up with the with the uh ware connected to the entire rest of the greenway headed towards downtown.
So, if we build like I think it's maybe 2,000 ft or so of 8 foot wide sidewalk as we're redoing Paul Avenue anyway, we connect one of our parks, our closets to the entire trail space.
Just something to think about. So, we're going to be tearing up anyway. Also, all power lines are on the opposite side of the street from the current sidewalks.
So it wouldn't be touching the power lines and we would only need a little bit more easement on those residents because we already have sidewalk there which is not great.
Just something to think about since all coming through.
>> Yes.
>> You're describing the north side of Paul Avenue.
>> Yes.
>> I hate being devil's advocate all the time, but what do you do when you get to what do you do when you get to the bridge?
>> Bridge where at?
There's a bridge.
>> Where's laser?
>> My bad.
>> Bridge right by that triangular shaped building.
>> Oh, the bridge. Yeah.
>> With a guard rail that Councilwoman Noah has brought up 300 times.
>> Sure.
>> There's a bridge right there past the last house.
>> So, I'm just curious what you do. You got it.
This is Nathan's dreams, not Nathan's traffic engineer, but >> you know, >> I wasn't sure if the greenway is going to have issue if it scales down for a way.
>> Their plan, what I say, the word planning is basically we've had this thought, we've written it down, and that's as much we've done to it. So their plan for the next 100 years is to somehow go all down the creek and I think just do a straight shot down suburban to connect that can be 20 years from now.
And so the only suggestion is since we have a plaza right there we're spending a million bucks plus on might as well connect it to the big amenity that's yeah >> 8 million. Well we got the million right now. You know what I'm saying? Just a thought to connect that to the to the greenways to get all around the metro area. Just a thought.
>> Thank you.
>> Absolutely. I put $500,000 for miscellaneous.
Yes.
>> It is a little chilly, but I don't know what that mean.
>> I'm so amped on caffeine. I make it run.
>> Okay.
>> I put $500,000 in miscellaneous property acquisition or renovation. I will say when I was in Berkeley, one of the things I really impressed upon the council, the biggest thing we can do uh to to really impact economic development is have control over properties.
Especially on West Florence, we talked about this a little bit last night.
Though the a lot of the spots on West Florison, if we don't get ourselves involved and invest in ourselves, if we wait for people to do stuff, we're it's just not going to happen. If we can get control over property, and let's face it, some of these properties are not going to be that expensive. We can use that as a leverage to further economic development. If we buy a property for 50 grand and we can donate it to somebody who's going to spend half a million investing something that is a really good investment on our part. Plus then we have a say what actually happens in some of these areas. So I would just suggest we have a amount of money set aside just for projects. If a property comes for sale or one is available that we really think would be critical to us, let's have the mechanisms there to get it. Or if we have a project like Victorian Plaza that we know needs to get fixed up, let's just have a a pod set aside. So we don't do supplemental appropriation. We can just have that there for things that might be used for.
That's all. Next, I bought $100,000 for bus stop upgrades on South Florida, which is desperately needed. US an aluminum shelter are 10 to$15,000, and we can do better than that. Um Metro will happily let us help them on this infrastructure. I talked to them personally on separate on other other stuff. Um that would make a huge impact in people's lives.
>> Um Councilman Noah >> and and I really appreciate that because first the bus stop right there across from Circle K people sit on the trash can lid. So there's and I know that Metro has a program. I think it's a red bench program. Are you aware of that?
But there's a red I'll try to find the link and send it I'll send it to Dave of course but there's a program where they will donate the bench but we have to maintain the upkeep. So but that I just really appreciate that because and then down there near the plaza that bench is sinking. Oh my it's sinking into the ground and then the one near the plaza.
So that's three right there. I don't know of any any other one by the laundromat.
Would we be able to have this upgrade also on West Florison or only on South Florison the butt stop?
>> So we could do the wherever we want on the bus routes. I would get back, you know, talking about other other places, you know, like on West Flores and we if they I know says they're going to spend some doing that. The standards that that may get built to in the future could make an one just really difficult, right?
>> But South Florison, it's just it's there. that'd be really easy and quick to do something with those bus stops and I know they would just love us doing that work for them. So, I think we have money.
>> Um, last one is probably Sorry, >> Council Palmer.
>> Our bus stops certainly don't look great on Florisonent Road. Um, how well, if well at all, does Metro plan in the future for their routes and so on and so forth?
I don't know, but I can find out. I can't imagine drastic changes, but we can certainly find that out.
>> I'd just be curious. I I know that they're they've had a lot of issues of writership on a lot of their routes, and they've been slowly over the decades cutting routes out. Um, so it'd be good to kind of know if they, you know, I would tend to think they probably don't have a long-term plan, but it'd be good to know if they did. I would tend to think Florescent Road is probably one of the last ones, but I don't know anything because I don't have any idea what goes on at Bstate or Metro. So, but it'd be good to kind of know if they do have some future plans um for any routes within Ferguson because there was talk years ago about a couple routes getting removed. I know they're going to uh their VIA program, which is, you know, more tailor, you know, they come actually pick you up from your house and drive you where where you want to go, like an Uber. And it's actually pretty impressive how they do it. It's got an app and everything and it's it's free or very cheap. It's via just see those little vans. They just go around.
They'll pick you up and take you right to where you go. So you don't got to jump off and wait for another bus and go three different routes. So I don't know what they're how that's going for them.
It might be good to talk to whoever the current CEO is over there. They got plans or something.
>> Thanks, >> Councilman Franklin.
I have a good contact for the for the grant program they have for bus stops.
So I can send it to you and uh you can make that contact and >> because I think they have monies available. So >> I love them.
>> Yeah, >> there it is.
>> Hey, and then the last one, you know, I we got, you know, just little I had to throw some public art in there. Let's get a sculpture. Let's commission a sculpture. Let's get a mural on the side of the building. you know, that kind of stuff makes a huge deal. They've even done studies on how, you know, painting intersections and and putting art on in the streets can just totally change the feel of areas and it's it's real simple to do. So, just, you know, simple. Let's let's get some art done in some of these spots.
>> Awesome.
>> This is one I think is actually kind of kind of cool and unique and actually probably relatively easy to get going.
Um, I made it a point about 14 years ago when I started building buildings that I tried to put a piece of art in front of each building I did. And I have three to this day. People generally don't notice them too much, but I have three pieces of relatively permanent metal art up and down Florescent Road that I put up and I actually purchased from the artist. I always hoped that others would kind of follow suit and you could have like a little art walk or something, but it kind of never caught on. Um, that's when I also kind of had an idea for like the business district to try to do live music at multiple locations within the city on the same evenings. That way you could kind of come down and if you didn't like what you heard at one place, you could walk to the other or walk to the other or just come like them all.
Um, but another thing that kind of never caught traction. Um, for a while we had three or four of us all doing it down there, but then it kind of fizzled out, especially around COVID things kind of took a falter. But, um, I definitely think we have some resources in town that could be worth talking to also about, you know, public art and how to strategically achieve that. I'm biased.
My dad used to be an artist. He rented a space next to Little Caesars for it was called the North Gallery. He had an art gallery there for years and years at Ferguson. So, I would I'm totally biased with art and art. So, >> yeah. Me.
>> Thank you, mayor. Just one last comment.
You know, you talked about the re um where is it at? Miscellaneous property acquisition and renovation. So, we own 830 South Florescent.
What is the opportunity there for renovation? Is there going to it's going to be auctioned off? Okay.
>> We've we got a whole bunch of property connected to that. I actually had a lunch with a commercial broker today.
Just want to know what's going on.
So that property was identified in capital as additional revenue. Um >> it was that property, three adjacent properties to that and there's one more property down the street a little bit that will all be auctioned off. It'll be separate in a group separate. Uh and then we've got uh Mr. Palmer had mentioned material blower. We're looking at getting rid of that, figure out how much we can get for it. And we also have several auctions that'll be or several vehicles out of the fleet that aren't using all that we go to auction to. Um, we earmarked about $350,000 in total revenue there. I think it's a little low, but I didn't want to overestimate because of previous history. So, that's where we're at.
>> Will you inform us of when the auction will be and will we get the appraisal?
>> Can you share that?
>> It's about 200k >> for 8:30 South Florida. Okay.
>> Thank you, >> Nathan. I have one um question about the Victorian Plaza. Is there anything in your scope of uh future that you might do some some kind of renovation on that to >> Well, in the 500,000, you know, that would be that's why we just put these blocks that are just placeholders in the budget. We can fill them in with other things later without having to do reappropriations and stuff because we have places to put those things. And I would suggest that if Plaza would be a great project to put that money towards.
>> Thank you. Any other question? Mr. Palmer, >> would be appropriate to address Nathan's dream list in hole right now.
>> Um, have a couple questions more gear geared towards Nathan, but also mostly probably the city manager. Um, I see we have $250,000 allocated for demolition in the uh building and grounds.
based on what you guys have done with the DB kind of streamlining that figuring out process for order demo permitting so you know getting our own abatement team so on and so forth how much do you how much demolition do you realistically think you could actually accomplish the next fiscal year >> my goal truthfully and Nick and I have discussed this if we can get grant money then we will look at doing that way but to be as if we're going to spend 250k I would like to purchase a piece of equipment mini excavator and do it in-house. Then we can absorb the labor of it. And all we have then at that point is the dumping of the materials once it's torn down. Uh realistically, you're looking at around $500 per load. I'm ballparking six to eight loads. So you're looking at real estate $4,000 in actual cost per structure. So if we acquire a piece of equipment for 150 ballpark, 4K per structure, you can do the math from there, but we could knock down significant houses as much as we can. I would hope we could at least get 25 to 30 done in the offseason with our staff, but that's probably being a little bit ambit uh ambitious.
>> Are you planning to do these as ordered demos or are you going to go through the typical channels that uh we've done in the past?
>> So, we will have to go through the actual channels for the most part. We're exploring other options.
>> Okay. Um, I'd like to see us, quite honestly, I I'd like to see us get extremely aggressive. This has been going on for far too long. We have neglected uh housing for until relatively recently, for decades, especially in W three and parts of W 2.
Um, I'd like to make sure we allocate enough funds to get all of these houses torn down and get extremely aggressive on dangerous building hearings and really start holding people accountable. Um, if there's anything on Nathan's dream list that could be cut, I'd like to cut it and add additional revenue or uh funds into the demolition program because like I said, I'd like to see us get a lot more aggressive on that, especially if we have the staff and we're going to get the equipment. We kind of get rid of a lot of the scheduling issues we ran into with third parties, not to mention the cost. I mean, we're probably pay we're paying three or four times that when we were paying other people to do it. So, I don't know. You know, do you have an idea of how many structures we have that ballpark that need to come down? Is it 50 60?
>> I would guess currently it's between 25 and 35. I believe there was 60 homes on our DB list that we just went through and I would say ballparking it, a quarter to a third showed up and we gave extensions to that kind of stuff. But actual homes will be moved to the demo list, I would guess between 25 and 35.
>> And have you considered uh the bowling alley on this project?
>> Yes. Um that one is questionable, but we can discuss that.
>> The bowling alley just >> I'm aware >> it still still looks terrible. They were actually >> well they were there looking at the windows today for a brief period. The new >> owner someone broke the day someone >> minimal work but there was stuff taking place today for about an hour >> the ve the vehicle size hole in the roof is probably what they should be looking at first. Um so is there anything uh Nathan if you were to cut an item off your dream list what would it be?
still have money left over in the fund balance and we're still going to have tons coming in next year that will have nothing earmarked to it. So, if I had to cut one, I'd probably just lob a little bit off each one and and and keep it all there since I know that we will have money to do it all. Um, and again, I intentionally put in numbers that I think are probably high. Uh, first of all, because I like to look, but um, I just wanted people to I wanted there to be adequate space to to do projects.
>> Um, >> so fiscal year 2728, the only anticipated expense for EDST as of now is the 25% portion for staff administration.
A city manager, is there any STP projects planned for 2728 that would have a grant match portion?
>> Um, I'd have to check with Corey. I don't want to speak out of line.
>> Okay. Are there any other grant opport qualify for grant match for 501 plaza projects?
>> It would if we went after specific grant opportunities.
>> Are we going after those specific grant opportunities?
>> I believe that we talked about it depending on the phase going after the park beauty grant for certain phases of that project, but the goal right now is to get it into bite-sized chunks so that we can afford to pick and choose based on grants that are available.
So, I'd like to amend the EDST budget for miscellaneous property acquisition and renovation to change that number to $250,000 and put that additional 250,000 from that line item into buildings and grounds to make that number $500,000 for demolition of residential structures and commercial structures deemed to be dangerous buildings by the city of Ferguson.
I'm going to take half the money from miscellaneous property acquisition and renovation, which is 500,000, and put it added the 250 to the 28-88 building and grounds.
That's my motion.
>> Is there discussion on this?
manager and I've asked you because last year during the budget you made a similar motion and I guess I misunderstood but I thought we allocated $500,000 from EDST funding towards demo and property. I mean does anyone else >> we >> remember that >> we did but if we don't spend it fiscal year you have to reappropriate money for the following.
>> No and that's fine. I'm not against this. I I'm just for clarity. I guess I I would like to know what properties were demoed for $500,000 last year.
>> We didn't spend We only spent $134,000.
>> We spent 134 >> on the current.
>> Okay. Just asking for clarity. Thank you.
>> You just appropriated towards that actual bills that came 136 to call.
Right along with >> right along with Councilman Palmer's um ask I'd like to know is there will there be any money for abatement?
There's quite a few properties over there that are >> so we abatement is out of the general fund. It won't be out of EDS.
>> It won't be out of ES.
>> Correct. But that is part of uh 32's budget. It's in there.
>> Okay.
Thank you, Councilman Palmer. Just to be clear, my intention was that I'm just assuming that the the forecast for this year is well, it says 115 here, but he said it's a little bit higher in actuality. I'm just assuming that that money is just going to stay in EDST and that I'm reallocating basically I'm trying to push this across the finish line. I was hopeful it would happen years ago. So it didn't happen and didn't have to finish this year, but I'm trying to continue to keep this funded so that if we actually do get it together where we're get more efficient, which I think we are leading it, the sound that we're doing this possibly in house with our own equipment, with our own waste hauler, is going to be a game changer for us because we're not literally waiting on somebody to show up and then say, "Well, I forgot to disconnect the water line.
I'll come back in six weeks." You know, or the water line's already tore up.
there's a mountain of dirt in the front because no one cares to fill it in nicely, rightfully so. You're tearing the place up. Then the sewer line's not disconnected or waiting on spire or waiting on AT&T. So, you know, it seems like these projects, you know, people get excited at dangerous building hearing. It's deemed dangerous, tear it down. They think it's going to come down the next week. In reality, it could take years. I mean, but I think we're getting to the point where we could actually once it's deemed dangerous. They've been given grace and due process. I think I would hope that staff's goal is to once it's deemed dangerous, you say tear it down, that we immediately order disconnections from a third party and then once those are done, we get it on the books. I mean, I don't see why it couldn't go it just that fast. So, >> like truthfully, and you're already speaking to this, I would love to see in the summer months when we're not our baitment teams are busy, our public works teams are busy. We're ordering the tap destroys everything else third party getting them done everything that we're going to demo. And then once the cold months hit, September, October, we're transferring some of our basement workers over to do those demos. We got two, three guys on a site, knocking down a house as quickly as we can. Moving, moving, moving, moving, knocking them through.
>> Right. Makes sense. Right now, grass won't stop growing, so they have their hands full. But when it comes winter time, there's less vegetation to combat.
>> Any other discussion?
>> I request a motion and a second to Hold it. Hold it. Oh, >> are we going to do parks tonight or we waiting for another time? He's here still.
>> Okay. Sorry.
>> Got a vote. No, please call.
>> Council Palmer.
>> Hi.
>> Councilman Franklin.
>> I.
>> Councilwoman Coington.
>> I council Noah.
>> Councilman Cass. Hi, >> Councilman Williams.
>> I, >> Mayor Shire, >> I.
>> All right. So, I believe that wraps up EDST.
>> Unless want to make any additional motions.
>> All right. Now, here's my next question for you. So, I'm going to have Joseph come up for parks. Um, I know we're getting late in the night. My question is, this budget is very self-sufficient.
Uh, it's balanced. There's a lot of things in there. Um, in the interest of time, do you want me to have him move quickly and then we can come back and look at cuts? How do you guys want to do this?
>> No, don't say that >> quickly.
>> Yeah. So, >> yeah, high points and we can circle back if there's things you want to cut, but I would suggest by department. So, he'll start with 72, which is going to be recreation. Go to 73, 74, 75, then 76 will be last, and we can go from there.
>> Uh, you're going to have to pull out your pages. Uh 312. We'll start there.
>> I'm great.
>> I can go all night.
>> I can be here to midnight.
>> I live right around the block.
>> Absolutely.
where they say you're retired. You can do whatever you want to do.
>> You ready to go?
>> Let's wait for another.
>> All right. You guys all on 312?
>> All right. I'll start with a quick overview of everything for parks. As you guys know, and those that don't, again, parks is very self-sufficient. We have our own funding sources. Um, it's completely isolated from the general fund, from all those other things. Uh, do not look at the 2025 actuals, obviously, because of some of those bank transfers and some stuff that happened previously. Uh, that line is wrong. But if you look at the 2026 forecast for this year, um, going down again, parks is in the black. Uh, we are still good.
Um, if you look at the bottom, those red numbers, that are the transfers. That 700K, that is us covering the general fund for all of parks maintenance and more. Uh, right now we're budgeting around 650k for 1071. Um, so that's covering all of parks maintenance. We reimburse the general fund for from parks um sales tax uh and property tax and all that. Uh I don't have those slides but for those two uh we are 60% sales tax based 23% uh fees and charges and only 22% actual I math a little off there property tax base. So sales tax is our biggest driver. Um as you can see from those numbers um the 35k or sorry the 241 you see there that's transferring to capital um which actually goes to cops that is paying for the community center. We didn't used to pay for that. Uh it wasn't ever planned for parks to pay for that, but since we paid off the pool, we're helping again the general fund and our capital budget by paying down the community center, which we still have seven years to pay. And then the 35,000 transfer out, that is to cover the farmers market, which again used to be covered by FSBD and other funds. Uh when we took parks, took that over three years ago. Uh we're covering that. The reason it's not in this year is because we went ahead and just made a farmers market fund in parks, so we don't have to transfer money and worry about bank transfers and all of that. it is now comes out of a new 2076 but as you can see a farmers market uh under my expenditures there uh it is covered um and then for this year 2027 again transferring out to covering parks maintenance and then transferring to cover the community center um as you guys saw with capital I don't have any capital expenditures um so that's we took everything out so no new mowers no new buildings no new funds stuff for parks um we are being bleed a little bit we are being a little more realistic the only capital projects I'm looking at is 501 because we got that grant money and then possibly another grant uh which I'll be taking apart for hopefully next month and then to you guys in July. Uh one or two projects we might be able to pull out from Park Muni. Other than that, I'm not asking for any capital.
Park's not going to have any capital money for next year. Um if you look at next year's budget, um total change in fund balance, I'm looking at 80K in the black and that's it. Um before we break into some of those individual lines and funds, you guys have talked about it a lot tonight. I'll be honest with you, I already tried to cut as much as I can.
All of the uh nickel and dimming, all of that kind of stuff to be very, very realistic with parks. I broke through uh all of electric bills, water bills, gas bills, everything that we've done. Um as you guys know, I mentioned last week, uh administratively, we're only at five full-time staff. Dave left us. We were at eight. Um I've frozen a bunch of position that we don't plan on hiring for. Um the biggest issue this year starting January one that we had was minimum wage went up from 1350 to $15 an hour. So that's your 15 year old uh concession stand workers are now making 15. Last summer I got to pay him 1350.
That's $150 per person per hour all the time that the concession stand is open.
So that ate a lot of any extra budget that parks had. Lifeguards, front desk staff, camp counselors, minimum wage at a lot of that. So that is where most of my money now is going is back into personnel from the seasonal part-time.
Um this is why we took that from full-time. So I'm running with less full-time staff now. Um other than that, like I mentioned too, I did pre-cut a bunch of things such as uh conferences, all of that stuff. The only things I did keep in were things that again like me and Caitlyn have our CPR fee. We have to do 10 credit hours of training a year.
We go to an annual conference to knock all 10 out in one swoop. Um that kind of stuff. my wearing apparel. I did cut a lot of the extra fluff, our fancy polos.
Um the wearing apparel you're going to see in my budget again is that's the lifeguard uniforms. That's my front desk looking good at the community center. Um that's our farmers market attendants and volunteers um representing our brand, that kind of stuff. That's not for full-time staff to get cool new jackets or anything like that. Most of my wearing apparel is more, I'd say, necessity for my staff to do their job out in the field. Um things like that.
So, um, at this point, I will walk through happily every line or which budget you guys want to look at. That kind of overview though, again, parks is completely self-sufficient. In the next future years, we're going to have to look at some options once we pay off the community center. Um, that's going to help. That'll give me an extra 300k to put back into personnel. Um, but other than that, it's kind of where parks is at. We're good. Uh, I was very realistic with sale tax and revenue numbers, my fees and charges. Uh, we are trying to get more people to the pool. Uh, we didn't raise fees this year. We're going to have to probably raise fees next year for both community center memberships and pool memberships. But realistically, I pay the guards there no matter what. So, we would just want more people at the pool.
The more people to buy a membership to go to the pool, spend that admission dollar, the more revenue we make.
Expenditures doesn't change. I have to pay as many lifeguards legally to be there. So, more people, great for us.
Um, so I encourage the community, everyone to use the amenities thing we have and things like that. Um, to answer probably some questions that might be coming. Uh, we do pay for parks maintenance, um, reimbursing, all of that. I do have money budgeted for, uh, repairs, including course with bathrooms and all of that starting July one. It's not a huge amount. And so if somebody were to go into General Wash and demolish it this weekend and we have to include that, any vandalism that we weren't expecting, graffiti at Hudson that needs cleaned up, graffiti at Helpin that needs cleaned up, that all comes out of my generic line. And again, I reimburse public works for that. Um, but we can only do that so much. Um, but uh that force bathroom is earmarked in there as a repair. As I mentioned last Tuesday, our estimate right now is 19,000. Um, I'll have to go to bid. I'll have to bring that to you guys for approval. I'll try to get that ready to go. So, as soon as January budget hits, I can bring it to you guys um to get a bid to get that repaired as quick as possible. Um we looked at all in-house options, other options, some of the stuff we have to have professionals do though um and things like that. So, I will kind of turn it over to you guys and you tell me where we want to go.
Oh, Council Palmer, >> is there a plan for these bathrooms to go to uh get away from porcelain and get more towards like the stainless steel tamper resistant fixtures?
>> Yeah. Uh as if you didn't see some of my pictures last week, um yes, all we've found some new ways to do things including cinder block, um por or yeah, stainless steel. Any new bathrooms that we put in, if they break the porcelain toilet, we're putting in stainless steel. until they break the porcelain sink. We're putting in stainless steel and encasing it in concrete. Um, and that's been a little bit fun. Uh, we're putting in sinks again where you push the button and it shuts off automatically so they can't leave the water running or bathe in there or do anything like that. Um, the only thing I've not found a solution for is the toilet paper racks. Kids love tearing things off the wall um and stuffing all their toilet paper down into this toilet and then flooding it. I've not found a solution for that. So, has to be great ones. Um, but yes, we're public works has done a great job. Leon over there has come up with some creative ways.
Even like the electric that got vandalized, we're now locking that into a locked cage. Again, we're spending a little bit more, but hopefully deterring and stopping.
>> Yeah, certainly talk to some of your peers at other cities because I mean, I've been to some bathrooms in, you know, some real nice communities and they they've also have issues with vandalism, too, because you go in there and it's like a prison bathroom. I mean, they got everything is metal. you know, you can't really mess with too much. I mean, you can, but you can't. But they also had those power flush modules where when you hit it, I mean, it'll flush a basketball down the toilet, you know, if you got the water pressure. So, um, like I said, I don't know about toilet paper holder. I'm sure they got something recessed in a wall, maybe, but still a foot kicking it sometimes won't do much.
Um, maybe put a bedet in there or something. Get rid of toilet paper.
>> We also get rid of water and do drop toilets like skate park. Well, that's my other suggestion is look at these modular concrete setups they use at state parks where it's basically a latrine, you know, it's a cement structure that comes in on a trailer and they set it with a crane.
>> Y, >> you know, and you poop into a hole, you know, I mean, it's they're really nice.
They got them at uh Confluence Park.
They got a really nice one there. You seemed fine to me, but they do have running water, you know, it's just not as much. So, >> yeah, we learned a few options. At first, we put in one that's actually uses rain water to cycle through and stuff like that. And then, yeah, has a You definitely want to get away from any porcelain. Definitely get away from.
That's for sure. So, >> we're trying to be as creative as possible. Like I said, it's just >> effort and time and all of that.
>> Thank you.
>> Of course. Thank you, Joseph. But yes.
Okay. the bench the bench that is sinking near the tennis court is is that in the budget to be replaced or repaired?
>> Uh yeah, I believe uh I in 1071 parks maintenance budget under equipage I put I believe 8,000 or $10,000 in new park benches. Um something we've not accounted for in a long time. It's typically only when it's memorial bench that someone donates the money. Uh we've not put park benches in.
Uh >> I have to triple check, but I as far as unless Dave took it out, it's still uh in there. So um that is again that's eight that's 8,000 to $10,000. That is only 8 to 10 benches. Even the memorial benches and the good benches cost us about a,000 to,500 depending on quality.
Um so that's only putting in 10 new benches across 14 parks and facilities.
Um, so we'll have to determine, >> right, the need >> which ones need the most and come up with a list and that.
>> Okay. Well, hopefully that one in Forestwood is on the list because it is in need. I mean, I I did go there and assess it myself. So, hopefully Okay. I did make a suggestion earlier that we, you know, kind of cut back on the um workshops on the conference across the department. So, I see here there's it's page $329 $9,000 for the conference. Can you Is this the conference where you said you get the credits you were explaining earlier about the credits that you and Caitlyn get? Um >> yes. Yeah. So, this is our state parks and recreation conference um for the MP and then I do have the national conference in there. uh that was either earmarked. Um there's actually a uh national uh management and supervisor training that I'd like to send Caitlyn to. Um that one could be cut if that's how council sees fit. The MP one. Um yeah, for me and Caitlyn for sure, we have to get our 10 CU credit hours a year. Um I put in there for five staff. Um my staff has gone every year. It's a team building morale thing. Um they technically don't all need it. Trenton is currently registered to take a CPRP to get certified. Um if he passed that before next February, um he would need to go to begin to get those CUS. My other two staff are currently not certified though, so would not be have to go by.
>> So that can be cut back.
Okay. If you would um even with the staff apparel. So page 318. I understand that we have a a lot of seasonal staff.
So, is there an opportunity just to buy the apparel from the seasonal staff and not current staff? I mean, do you all can you all make it through a year without new apparel?
>> Yeah, the 2072 wearing apparel. Um, that's camp staff. Um, uh, w leaders that do our events and stuff like that.
And then, yeah, polo, anything extra. I buy full-time staff.
>> Okay.
>> From year four. Um, and then 2073 covers pool and concessions, but each each line has its own, >> right? Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. Again, if there's any opportunity to cut back on the apparel if there's an opportunity I know Dave has he wants to go ahead, Dave.
>> Well, we already I was just going to mention that the plan was to do this with all department heads across these lines tomorrow in my department head meeting. Yeah. So, wearing apparel, training, education, conferences, miscellaneous, uh, office supplies is all be addressed every single department. And then I'll bring a report back to council probably via email before next Tuesday. This is what we're looking at now so you guys can see those numbers.
>> Um, I do have a question. I don't think you >> just mentioned this, Dave. What about the fitness equipment for $4,000?
repair and maintenance. Didn't we just purchase new fitness equipment?
>> We purchased all new cardio, um stretching, free weights, and all of that. We did not replace all of the uh weight equipment though. Um so like our leg press, it usually needs a new cable like every six months. Um and that's also preventative maintenance even with the new equipment. Um they come uh four times a year quarterly and oil the machines, make sure the computers are updated software or the treadmills have updated software and all that.
>> One last question with the with back to the bathroom. So when the restrooms are repaired um will they repair the men's and then um open it or will the men and women restroom have to be repaired before both are open >> for us? Make sure they're both repairs open at the same time. I would not want to open one without the other because of liability issues. And >> okay, so it could potentially be July, August, probably.
>> Okay. Before there's a restroom available in Forest Wood.
Okay.
>> Yeah. I mean, that's kind of the timeline we're looking at. Obviously, I'll start now to have everything ready to go. um depending on the contractor and supplier uh see how fast they can work um and then okay >> any underlying issues that come up >> hopefully there >> thank you >> I got just just an ask um does any of the staff have any kind of ability to I've worked in a lot of gyms and I've always had to maintain equipment uh or the pulleys um clean the rails, the slide rails.
Now, do we do preventive maintenance on that to make it the machines uh the cables and stuff last a little longer?
More tension and less oil brings stretching of the cables. So, that's just my ask. Do we maintain Do we have a maintained staff that would do that? Oil it and >> Yeah, some stuff we do in house. Um some stuff we just contract out just with liability. We want to make sure the professionals are drinking the cables correctly and that kind of >> right. Not so much.
>> Yeah. The lighter stuff that we try we try to do as much in house.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> All right.
>> Any other discussion?
>> Any other discussion for Joseph?
Any other motions for Joseph?
All right. So before we kind of I guess I could stand out.
>> Uh before we go too far, uh just to reiterate, um my plan is to meet with my department head smart at 10 a.m. I conversed with them before they left this evening. My goal would be to email you guys realistically hopefully tomorrow or Friday at the latest. My proposal to you would be do we go ahead and cancel tomorrow night and move to a Tuesday meeting to finalize this.
Okay. Um so if it's okay with council, I will go ahead and cancel tomorrow's meeting and then we'll post one for a special meeting on Tuesday for our budget session. The goal will be to wrap up all cuts uh to the remaining general fund budgets, those things, and then we can kind of move through the next steps that we've isolated, which would be uh final cuts and then we'll have a budget to propose on June the 9th. We good with that?
>> Yes. But don't fail to get that out because Monday afternoon >> I will be very clear to my staff that I would meet by noon on Friday. so that I can have it to you Friday afternoon and you'll have the whole weekend to look at it and Monday if that's okay.
And if they don't get it to me, then I will make those cuts myself.
Is that fair? All right, I give it back to you, Mayor. You're up. Um, yes.
Before we leave, I want to thank u city clerka for doing a great job keeping us in line. I appreciate it. And uh I request a motion and a second to adjurnn.
All in favor?
>> I >> The eyes have it. The meeting is adjourned.
>> Council mayor, thank you. I know it's a little longer than anticipated, but I feel like we did accomplish.
>> You said, >> "Oh, that's right. You're not gonna be here. I forgot."
>> No.
>> And we can get you a zoom in.
>> Yeah.
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