City Council met in special session on July 10, 2023 at 6:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.
Mayor Lester presided:
Councilmembers present:
Scott Winkler
Mike Peterson
Beryl Grant
Amy Farris
Pete Lane
Dylan Canaday
City employees present were City Administrator Kennedy, Treasurer Rowland, Chief Newman, Public Works Director Mager, Gabe Forsmann and Scott Wasem.
Snowhaven
Gabe Forsmann stated most things didn’t change. He did budget to fix the retaining wall by the T-bar shack in case the National Guard can’t get it done $44,650, a used groomer $80,000 and the ARPA funds $626,640. The project committee is still meeting to have ideas and make a recommendation to the Council.
Street, Recreation, Water, Sewer
Old Dump: Public Works Director Mager include a price of $100,000 to do an initial assessment of the old dump. The vendor will put in a grid pattern over the dump and it does ground penetrating radar to create a 3D picture to determine what needs to be done. If we have contamination, then they will help us work with DEQ to apply for funds to correct the issue. If not, we than know there is no contamination.
Nuisance Property: The Council chose to budget $20,000 for nuisance properties.
Street: Mager increased the paved street maintenance base amount to $70,000 to include small blade patching and seal coating projects. A true seal coat project would be under the seal coating project code. Capital Outlay projects include a ¾ ton pickup at $17,00 (Total $70,000 – street 25%, parks 25%, water 25% and sewer 25%), truck snowplow blade $6,000, sander $18.000 and new sweeper $300,000. The current sweeper was purchased new around 1997. It’s been rebuilt multiple times and it’s worn out at almost 7,000 hours.
Parks: Capital Outlay projects include the second section of wall at Lions Park $49,000, a ¾ ton pickup at $17,00 (Total $70,000 – street 25%, parks 25%, water 25% and sewer 25%), and possible GEM Grant for construction of the pavilion $50,000. Pool maintenance was increased to include new grates, paint and deco seal and concrete repair.
Water: Office supplies is increasing due to additional lead and copper rules. Maintenance on water lines is increased to cover clay valve maintenance of $35,000 which is completed every 5 years, ¾ ton pickup at $17,00 (Total $70,000 – street 25%, parks 25%, water 25% and sewer 25%),
Sewer: ¾ ton pickup at $17,00 (Total $70,000 – street 25%, parks 25%, water 25% and sewer 25%). The WWTP has a ton of small engineering projects, $125,000, to complete to get ready for Facility Plan, Landia mixer maintenance $17,000, sludge pump $13,000, snowblower for skid steer $12,000 and phosphorous building pump $45,000.
General and Wages
General: Administrator Kennedy is budgeting for VoIP telephones to replace our hard-line phones. To finish the council room, Kennedy would like to have a department head table, podium and storage for tables built to match the Council tables $5,000.
ICRMP has an approximate 25% increase, medical insurance is 6.1%, Avista is 3% for small services, 11% for large and/pumping services, city utilities water 4.88%, sewer 4.8% and consumer price index (CPI) from May 2022-May 2023 is 4%.
Engineering study for broadband: $15,000 is in the budget for a fiber study for Grangeville that would determine the routes for fiber through the City. Mayor Lester is trying to have David McKnight come to a meeting to explain more.
Wages: Kennedy stated all employees on the step schedule are budgeted. Those maxed out on the schedule can be considered for a COLA. Current CPI is 4%. Social security is estimating between 2.7% – 3.1%. The federal retirement COLA is based upon social security so it is estimated at 2% or 3% as they always round down. Kennedy and Mayor Lester met to discuss wages on the administrative assistant/utility billing clerk as they didn’t feel the City would get applicants at $13.97/hour. They are advertising at $16/hour and Kennedy would like to increase the treasurer position by $2.00/hour to start at $20. She is also proposing a $1/hour increase for all library positions.
Police Chief Newman stated he is proposing a 15% increase for his officers, to try to stay slightly higher than the county sheriff’s department.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 P.M.
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Wes Lester – Mayor
ATTEST:
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Tonya Kennedy – Clerk
