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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAUGUST 29, 2016 COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA BUDGET WORKSHOP AUGUST 29, 2016 The Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville met in Budget Workshop in Room 101, 500 Quartermaster Court,Jeffersonville, Indiana at 6:00 PM, on Monday August 29, 2016. Council President Owen called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. The roll call was conducted and those present were: Councilpersons White, Councilperson Zastawny, Councilperson Jahn, Councilperson Maples, Councilperson Gill, Council President Owen, Councilperson Hawkins, and Councilperson Rodriquez. Council President Owen stated it was the decision of the Council to come back this week and look through the proposed budget presented by the Administration ask questions and discuss. Councilperson Maples stated that one of the questions the Council had was about the hiring of six (6) new police officers and the vehicles for the new officers and he has spoken with Chief Kavanaugh. Chief Kavanaugh with his budget he will be able to purchase new cars and handing down the older vehicles in the fleet to the new officers. Councilperson Gill stated her concerns is the salary out of EDIT and open this up to pay for salaries and opens for other department to come forward. Councilperson Gills stated this practice has not been done this way on her previous term and preserved EDIT for capital purchases such as Garbage Trucks. Councilperson Hawkins stated this is something that he would like guidance from members who have served previous terms on the Council. He has the same concern using either EDIT or LOIT and the situation with the expansion of TIF and Circuit Breakers and is this something that should be done. Councilperson Gill concerns the Council has been very firm that the LOIT is not for the 100 series and EDIT has been a stopgap in case something comes up we always kept aside money in LOIT or EDIT if a major capital purchase is needed. Councilperson Zastawny in the past this has not been used for salary and has been used for sidewalks, SALT, emergency fund, for capital purchases, build parks and build buildings, and opportunities that come up such as grants and havening the matching funds, and concerned about using EDIT for salaries and General Funds. Councilperson White asked if this is concerning the Public Arts Administrator and the Green Team. Looking at the cash balance end of this year will be less than the estimated cash balance at the end of the budget cycle and the estimated balance will go up. Councilperson Zastawny stated this is also up to the Council priorities and discretions. Council President Owen stated traditionally he has been against using salaries out of income tax money, and the thought here is have shifted the burden of what the EDIT is traditional used for being the investment in Parks and the 600,000 that was being used to pay off Woehrle Parke shifted from EDIT and paid by Redevelopment and the money from PARKS being spend and spending$400,000.00 on the Green Team including the payroll and the payroll coming from the Parks General Fund and not coming thought the City General Fund. Councilperson Gill stated she is concerned about being tight concerns is using EDIT and opening up for request coming from EDIT. Councilperson Zastawny also stated that he has never seen as many new hires for this year as was done in the Annexation and every year it seems as we hire 3 to 4 new employees to Finance, Planning and Zoning and Parks. Council President Owen stated the EDIT fund would be over$200,000 in the black next year. Les Merkley said the number is historically what the numbers that are brought in. The administrator has presented a budget that is neutral revenue and that is what was asked; the budget cannot handle any more in the general fund. In addition, keep going as in the past going to have to start using the reserves. 2014 in 7 million and ended last year 2015 in 5 million and been using reserves. Les stated that the council and redevelopment are going to have to get together in the next few years to use TIF. The budget is revenue neutral. Councilperson Gill stated what Mr. Merkley has just stated this has been her concerns regarding the reserves. Mr. Merkley stated that he explained the cash reserves in an email that he sent out last week regarding the chart that was handed out at the last week's budget workshop. Councilperson Rodriquez brought up his concerns as he was not part of the e- mail, and does not know what Mr. Merkley and the other Councilmembers are talking about. Councilperson Gill thought this meeting was to be used to bring up concerns and feels that every time she brings something up feels like she is shot down, and expressed her concerns with the amount of work that is going to be on the Green Team with the work being done on HWY 62 with the Bridge construction and the roundabout. Councilperson Maples stated this is not our responsibility, Councilperson Gill stated this is what the Green Team is going to be responsible everything that is being inherited by the state. Councilperson Zastawny stated this statement will be unpopular and being the bad buy but would hiring less police officer. When it comes to and brought up at the last council the ratio for the police and fire we were before annexation. In the meantime, a lot of technology has been added to the Police Department. Council President Owen if didn't add total amount of police officers and move the green team out of EDIT into the Parks. Councilperson Zastawny stated why not shifts the levy from General to Parks levy. Council President Owen suggested (Page 20) of the budget to move Improvements, Equipment, Vehicles, and Transfer Out$395,000 to the Edit Fund ( Page 52) move General Labor, Greenspace Manager, Seasonal Labor, Overtime, Social Security and INPRS $226,3000 to Parks 204. Council President Owen stated the Art Administrator is set to come out of EDIT money(Page 51) Transfer Out to Public Arts Fund 271 (Page 36)the total amount of$90,000.00. Council President Owen reported he had spoken with Councilperson Samuel and he had suggested taking the money out of Cum Cap Improvement instead of the EDIT. Mr. Merkley replied that Cum Cap Improvement cannot be used and read the Indiana Statute for how the fund can be used. Mr. Merkley suggested moving$50,000.00 from IT(Page 11) Software/Hardware and Computer Maintenance fees of$10,000.00 shift to Cum Cap Improvement Fund 301 and shifts the levy of$60,000.00 to Parks. The entire payroll for Public Arts be deleted from 271 and put into the 204 Fund. Council President Owen stated on September 6, 2016 workshop at 5:00 with Redevelopment and Canceling the September 7, 2016 Budget Workshop and keep the Budget Workshop on September 8, 2016 if needed. Mr. Merkley stated he will be advertising the joint workshop with Redevelopment and Redevelopment is aware of the change of the meeting time from Noon until 5:00. ADJOUNRMENT: With no further business of the Council, Councilperson Maples made the motion to ADJOURN, seconded by Ms.Jahn. Meeting adjourned at 7:16 P.M. APPROVED BY: Matt O ers, rest en ATTEST: !._ / J Vicki Conlin, Clerk