MINUTES –MORRIS CITY
COUNCIL-REGULAR MEETING– DECEMBER 8, 2009
The regular meeting of the
Morris City Council was called to order at 5:15 p.m. this 8TH day
of December, 2009, by Mayor Giese in the Council Chambers of the Morris Senior
Citizens/Community Center.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
ROLL CALL: Roll
call was taken with the following members present: Council member Carrington,
Miller, Storck and Mayor Giese. Council member Webster was absent. Also
present was City Manager Hill, Finance Director Krosschell, Public Works
Director Dittbenner, City Engineer/Surveyor/Inspector Fier, Police Chief
Beauregard and City Attorney Glasrud.
CITIZEN’S COMMENTS:
Presentation of HRC Award: The Human Rights Commission presented Sal
Monteagudo with the HRC Award for 2009.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
None
READING AND APPROVAL OF
MINUTES: 11/24/09 Regular Meeting Minutes: Council member
Carrington moved, seconded by Miller, to approve the 11/24/09 regular meeting
minutes. Motion carried.
11/24/09 Condensed
Version Minutes: Mayor Giese moved, seconded by Council member Storck, to
approve the 11/24/09 condensed version minutes. Motion carried.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Council member Miller moved, seconded by Mayor Giese, to approve the consent
agenda, which included the following items:
A. Audit
of City Bills
B. November
Transit Report
C.
Application for Exempt Permit –
St. Mary’s School
Upon a roll call vote
taken and with three voting in favor, one absent and Council member Storck
abstaining, motion carried.
PETITIONS, REQUESTS AND
COMMUNICATIONS: None
EDA Meeting: The
council meeting was recessed at 5:20 to conduct an EDA meeting.
The council meeting
reconvened at 5:25 p.m.
ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS: Resolution Decertifying TIF Economic Development District
(DENCO, District #14): Council member Storck moved, seconded by Miller, to
adopt Resolution #2899-12-09, Resolution Decertifying TIF Economic Development
District (DENCO, District #14). Upon a roll call vote taken and all present voting
in favor, motion carried.
CITY MANAGER’S REPORTS
& RECOMMENDATIONS: 2010 Licenses: Council member Miller moved,
seconded by Carrington, to approve the 2010 licenses as presented. Motion
carried. Prairie Inn is the only license information that has not been
received.
Capital Improvement
Plan: Hill stated in the next year the council will have to decide if the
city is going to be as aggressive at doing big projects. Hill noted the city’s
debt service may not be able to sustain doing a big project every year. Hill
pointed out the future is uncertain because of what may happen with the legislature
and taxes.
City Engineer Fier
reviewed the potential 2010 franchise projects, but noted these were subject to
change and not cast in stone. Fier noted now that there is more of an ability
to evaluate the city’s infrastructure with televising, some of these projects
may be moved around. Hill stated the most important thing to remember is that
this is the best money the city can ever spend. Hill noted it is an investment
into the future and to have brand new sewer and water at your house for $10,000
is a steal.
Fier asked, with regard to
the last council meeting, if the council wanted the block of Colorado Avenue
from East 2nd to East 3rd Street included in the East 2nd
Street project. It was the consensus of the council to include that area in
the project.
Storck asked if Green
River Road from Elm Street to Columbia was on the plan. Fier stated it is
scheduled for 2015 with the sanitary sewer trunk line to be replaced from South
Street to Skyview Lane on Green River Road. Fier indicated it is very shallow
and this is the missing part of the old trunk line that has never been fixed.
It was the consensus of the council that this is an important project and may
need to be moved up in the plan. Public Works Director Dittbenner indicated
staff would get the area televised.
Considerable discussion
was held on moving the sanitary sewer trunk line project up from 2015 to
possibly 2011. This would be a general city utility fund project.
Council member Storck
moved, seconded by Miller, to adopt the five-year capital improvement plan as
submitted and to direct City Engineer Fier to check on the cost for the trunk
sanitary sewer line project. Motion carried.
City Manager Report:
This was informational for the council.
NEW BUSINESS: None
OLD BUSINESS:
Glasrud informed the council that the bankruptcy court approved the sale of the
Ransone house so HRA is sending a check.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:
None
BUDGET MEETING: Hill
stated the purpose of the meeting was to take public input on the budget and the
information being presented is for levy year 2009 for taxes to be collected in
2010.
Hill explained some of the
budget considerations. The first being the state budget crisis, which has a
projected deficit of $1.2 billion. To date the city has lost $502,675. Hill
noted that the state is telling cities that they need to learn how to spend
their money wisely, when the state hasn’t done anything to tighten their belt.
Cities are a small part of the state’s budget and are loosing a lot of money.
There will be a 3% wage
increase for 2010. Hill indicated the city is in the last year of its union
contracts and unions were told that they would be looking at a one or two year
wage freeze. There was a 15.75% increase in insurance. Also included in the
budget were the following: the addition of the Highland Homes bond, a 5% cut in
SCEIC, Library and Community Ed funding, the elimination of the full
contribution to the Chamber of Commerce in lieu of the lodging tax and no
increases in utility rates.
The city’s levy is the
amount the city certifies to the county to collect for taxes. The 2009 levy is
$1,191,872, for collection in 2010. The 2008 levy was $1,098,501, which was
collected in 2009. The levy is going up 8.5%.
The market value is the
assessor’s estimated value of property in the city of Morris for tax purposes.
The 2010 market value is $219,496,400. For 2009 it was $202,249,618. Market
values saw an increase of about 8.5275%.
The tax capacity is the
ability of market value to generate taxes based upon applied state tax rates.
The 2010 tax capacity is $2,176,188. For 2009 it was $2,151,409. The tax
capacity increase was 1.1518%.
The total proposed budget
for 2010 is $8,481,806. For 2009 it was $8,418,760 for a total budget increase
of .748%.
Most of the city’s money
is spent in the general fund of the city, which is the operating fund. The general
fund budget for 2010 is $3,377,031, which is an increase of 1.19%.
The major revenue sources
are LGA, taxes, transit fares, transfers, rent and interest income.
The largest expenditure in
the general fund is the police department at $840,039. This is followed by
Street/Maintenance at $445,279.
The capital improvement
fund is for street maintenance and includes seal coating, overlays and other
road maintenance. The primary funding source is the franchise fees. The 2010
proposed budget is $493,600 which is an increase over 2009 of 2.099%.
The capital outlay fund is
where the city buys equipment. The biggest expense in this fund for 2010 is a
new police car, which is budgeted at $21,000. Hill stated the city is also
possibly looking at a new street sweeper. Hill noted he thinks it is important
to try to figure out a way to pay for a major equipment purchase each year.
Hill reviewed the library
fund, TIF district fund and debt service funds. There are three TIF districts
left in the city. Lodging tax money is used for promoting tourism in the city.
Revenues are generated through a 3% lodging tax on local motels. The city
retains 5% of the tax and then the Morris Tourism Board determines where the
rest is spent. The amount proposed for 2010 for this fund is $35,000.
The debt service fund
totals $903,610. The utility fund has a projected net income of about $58,000
in reserves. There will not be an increase in utility rates for 2010.
The liquor store has a
proposed budget of $1,467,302 for 2010, which is an increase of 6.3%. A
portion of the liquor store reserves will be used to help pay for the street
sweeper. Even with that draw the liquor store still has a projected net income
of $41,198.
Hill noted some concerns for
the future include the state budget crisis, LGA cuts, labor
contracts/negotiations, health insurance costs and continued infrastructure
needs.
Tony Gausman stated he got
his projected tax statement and the valuation on his home hadn’t changed from
2009 to 2010 but his city taxes went up $125. Giese explained that was based
on the proposed levy being set at 22% and the actual adopted levy will be 8.5%.
Council member Miller
moved, seconded by Carrington, to adopt Resolution #2900-12-09, Resolution
Approving Final 2009 Tax Levy, Collectible in 2010. Upon a roll call vote
taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
Council member Carrington
moved, seconded by Storck, to adopt Resolution #2901-12-09, Resolution
Approving the Final 2010 Budget for the City of Morris. Upon a roll call vote
taken and all present voting in favor, motion carried.
ADJOURNMENT: There
being no further business, Mayor Giese adjourned the meeting at 6:48 p.m.
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