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Council ushers in municipal budget for 2016
12/19/2015 9:20:27 AM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
New Year. New budget.
On a festive night at City Hall that included holiday treats, sparkling lights and plenty of accolades for municipal employees, the City Council rang in a financial gameplan for 2016 that featured very few changes from the initial budget Mayor Steve Peterson introduced back in October.
The budget – all $11.6 million of it – was unanimously approved 4-0 by a governing board missing three representatives with excused absences. Finance Director R.J. Stevenson wound up fielding 31 "mayor's budget questions" from council addressing the document Peterson first revealed on Oct. 20. Before the final vote was cast on Tuesday, $9,500 had been added for Liberty Lake Days along with a $6,000 increase in the city attorney contract.
The final budget also reflects no change in the property tax despite a recommendation by Stevenson to raise the rate by the allowable 1 percent. Council originally voted on Nov. 24 to bypass the hike and "bank" the increase for a future year. On Nov. 30, the board convened for a special meeting to reconsider the vote with Council Members Dan Dunne and Hugh Severs supporting an amendment to reverse the resolution and install the 1 percent upturn. Ultimately, the change failed to gather enough momentum to earn approval.
In his brief summary of the budget prior to Tuesday's vote, Stevenson told council that revenues for 2015 are surging ahead of projections to the tune of $200,000. The surplus has been due to a banner revenue year from sales tax, utility tax and building permits.
"The news is good," Stevenson said.
The city has just a pair of ongoing capital projects that will impact the 2016 budget, Stevenson added. The renovation of Liberty Lake Road is slated to break ground in the spring while ongoing pedestrian safety improvements are also in the cue. The city earmarked $200,000 for the design portion of Liberty Lake Road in the 2015 budget.
The city has set aside nearly $2.4 million for 2016 in the street capital projects fund. Municipal will end the year on a healthy note with a fund balance of just over $2 million.
When asked by Council Member Bob Moore how the restructuring of the Parks and Recreation department would be reflected in municipal expenditures for 2016, Peterson said the transition would save the city $140,000.
Stevenson asked council to consider the idea of creating dedicated capital funds for three specific areas in 2016, beginning with $100,000 for community messaging brought about by the new changes to the sign code that will soon take effect. A total of $100,000 is already included in the budget for the project. Stevenson also raised the possibility of an underground utility fund ($25,000 for 2016) and a building contingency fund ($125,000). Council Member Odin Langford echoed his council colleagues in attendance in asking that the actual vote on the new capital funds be tabled until a larger quorum could discuss the transition.
Tie voids planning commission change
Council considered an ordinance on Tuesday that proposed to change the residency requirement of planning commission members. Moore, who once served on the planning commission, brought the idea up in the fall, asserting that commission delegates should be required to live within city limits just as members of the City Council.
Since the city incorporated in 2001, the planning commission has allowed for two of seven seats to be occupied by non-residents. Peterson said the contingency was a way to include representation from south of Sprague Avenue while permitting non-residents who owned property in Liberty Lake to have a voice in the city's approach to development.
In his written response to Moore's proposal, Planning Commission Member Larry Laux said "the existing ordinance allows for diversity and broadens the scope for those who have an interest in our community to serve on the planning commission."
In gauging opinion on the suggested changes at its last meeting, the majority of the planning commission weighed in to keep the requirements the same. Currently, Stan Jochim is the only member who resides outside city limits.
On Tuesday, Dunne – who also spent time on the planning commission – said he opposed the new ordinance since council already had the final say on who is named to the group. When votes were cast, Dunne and Council Member Keith Kopelson opposed the ordinance while Moore and Langford supported it. The 2-2 tie negated passage.
In other city news:
• Council approved the contract with Gregg Dohrn of G.R. and Associates for work on the city's development regulations in 2016. Dohrn served as a consultant over the past year, streamlining the comprehensive plan and facilitating discussions on the sign code that led to major changes.
• Mayor Peterson acknowledged Jeff Nelson for reaching the decade mark as an employee in the city's maintenance department. Jennifer Camp, Parks and Open Space superintendent and Trevor Ragan, maintenance worker, were co-recipients of the Mayor's Recognition award.
• Police Chief Brian Asmus honored Officer Jeff Jones with the Chief's Award, Officer Austin Brantingham with the Sergeant's Award and Officer Mike Bogenreif with the Officer of the Year Award.
• The city's annual food drive will run through Dec. 31 with drop-off sites at City Hall, the library and Trailhead. Canned food donations will benefit Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest.
• The city-sponsored Christmas Light Tour will again feature the Mayor's Choice winner for the most festively decorated home. Residents wanting to participate in the tour and contest must register their home at City Hall before Dec. 18. All registered homes will be added to the tour list with the winner being announced in early January.
• The annual holiday tree lighting ceremony took place on Tuesday with carols and refreshments as part of the agenda. Following the ceremony, a multi-faith contingent guided a group of nearly 200 to Pavillion Park as part of a new program called "Walk to Bethlehem."
• Steve Skipworth, commissioner with the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District, told council on Tuesday that LLSWD is looking at the prospect of installing pipes for reclaimed water when the city renovates Liberty Lake Road next year. Skipworth said the reality of reclaimed water still awaits approval from the Department of Ecology and the completion of the district's water reclamation plant. Reclaimed water must meet certain standards before it is utilized on properties like the Trailhead golf course or released in the Saltese Flats area west of Liberty Lake – two options that have been discussed by LLSWD.
• City Hall will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 24 and closed Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The Liberty Lake Library will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 24 and closed Christmas Day.
• The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 5.
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