City of Blue Springs, Nebraska

September 6, 2016


The Annual Budget Hearing and the Regular Meeting of Mayor and Council were held on September 6, 2016, in the Blue Springs City Hall, Blue Springs, NE.


PRESENT: Mayor Meyer, Council members Carmichael, Mewes, Neumann, Reedy

ABSENT;

OTHER ATTENDEES: City employee Mike Pike, Janet Roberts, Brian Blobaum, Connie Mewes, Tim Brown, Hope Brown, Lance Spencer, Matt Mittan


Notice of the meeting/hearing was given in advance by posting in at least three public places as shown by the certificate of posting placed on file. Notice of the hearing/meeting was simultaneously given to the Mayor and all members of the City Council and a copy of their acknowledgment of receipt and agenda are placed on file. Availability of the agenda was communicated in the advance notice and in the advance notice to the Mayor and City Council of the hearing/meeting. Proceedings hereafter shown were taken while the convened hearing/meeting was open to public attendance.


At 7:30 PM, Mayor Meyer called the Regular meeting to order and roll call was taken.


Motion, second and vote to approve as sent the August 16, 2016, Regular meeting minutes: Mewes, Carmichael, 4-0 affirmative.


After review -- motion, second, and vote (Reedy, Neumann, 4-0 affirmative) to approve claims as follows: Bank-Direct - Internal Revenue (941) - $1,523.00; City of Blue Springs Street Project - (DD 6/DD 7 - (All paid from local funds, with CDBG Reimbursement considerations) $10,290.27; Salaries - $3,961.90; Blobaum & Busboom (Preliminary Budget Work) - $1,100.00; Blue River Area Agency on Aging (Matching Funds) - $625.00; Constellation Energy - $2.74; Eakes Office Solutions - $31.99 (Municipal Publicity); Flood Communications (KWBE/KUTT/KGMT) (Municipal Publicity) - $1,512.00; More Than Games - $825.00 (Municipal Publicity); NE Dept of Rev. (501N) - $186.88; NE Dept. of Revenue (94) - $25.00; Lee Newspapers/Lincoln Journal -(Municipal Publicity) - $234.70; NE Public Health Environmental Labs - $15.00; Norris Public Power - $1,325.91; One-Call Concepts - $29.73; Milton Pike (Tel. Comp.) - $25.00; Postmaster - $162.00; Gene (Radar) Reedy - $700.00 (Municipal Publicity Reimb - (DJs - $300.00/ Trophy Girls - $300/00; Additional Help: $100.00); Gene (Radar) Reedy (Car Show Reimb.) - $35.82; Security First Bank (IRA - Pike) - $55.00; Shell - $243.04; Uhl’s Sporting Goods (Municipal Publicity) - $1,698.80; Westlake ACE Hardware - $320.37; Milford Woutzke (Tel. Comp.) $5.00; Wymore Arbor State - $315.17 (Municipal Publicity Portion - $180.00) ; Wymore Oil Company - $100.00; TOTAL CLAIMS: $25,349.32 (&) payments from the City of Blue Springs Street Project Checking Account - Gilmore & Associates (DD 6) - $8,700.00; SENDD (DD7) - $1,590.27.


2016-2017 BUDGET HEARING:
Motion and second to open the Budget Hearing: (Neumann, Mewes) .
Call for comments and questions, summarization by Brian Blobaum -- (some/all) of the Budget Notes (herein included) :
2016-2017 Budget Notes: The City appears to be continuing to produce revenues in excess of regular operating expenditures. The General All-Purpose Fund is producing roughly $37,000 per year (nearly the same as last year), and the Keno Fund is producing roughly $50,000 per year (decreased from previous). These funds produced are held in reserve available for capital outlays (paving, new equipment, water lines, etc.)... It is estimated that as of October 1, 2016, you will have cash reserves of about $285,000 General and $370,000 Keno. This compares to the prior year amounts of $220,000 General and $395,000 Keno... For the year 2016-2017, proposed budget property tax has been left at the levy limit of 45 cents, which increases the tax request from $28,801 to $29,087. This increase (of approx. .99%) is due to higher total assessed valuation for the City from $6,400,281 to $6,463,841.... In this increased valuation, $51.610 (approx. .81%) of increase is attributable to new growth… Other operating revenues have been estimated conservatively at $215,000 based on the prior year amounts for the general funds. CDBG grant income of $589,500 has also been included. $600,000 has been included in other operating revenues based upon prior years’ estimated Keno game gross proceeds... $1,307,500 has been budgeted as potential capital outlay in the General All-Purpose Fund (this includes $589,500 for the CDBG street project) and no capital outlay has been budgeted in the Keno Fund beyond your normal operating expenditures. However, $459,000 has been budgeted to be transferred from the Keno Fund to the General All-Purpose Fund to assist in financing potential capital outlay projects. Normal operating expenditures have been budgeted liberally at $266,000 for the General All-Purpose Fund and $510,000 (includes game winner payoffs) for the Keno Fund at 85% payout... The budget process and document perform two legal functions: 1. Sets the property tax request-budgeted at $29,087. 2. Establishes an overall expenditure limit-budgeted at $2,542,500.... The budget must be adopted by September 20. The property tax requested in the budget will be final; however, the expenditure limit may be amended, if needed, throughout the year...The expenditure limit included in the proposed budget allows for expenditure of nearly all cash reserves which are expected to be available. Since some cash reserves will be necessary, we don’t expect, nor do we recommend, that the full amount budgeted of $2,542,500 be spent. GENERAL BUDGETING NOTES: The lid law is assigned to limit the growth of non-utility government revenues to inflationary increases. Exceptions are allowed for revenues required to pay off bonded debt, real estate improvement capital outlays, and interlocal agreements... Due to the Lid Law restrictions, it continues to be advantageous to pay real estate capital outlays, pay off of bonded debt, and participate in interlocal agreements from funds where property tax, sales tax, and state pass-through revenues are deposited (i.e. General and Street). This will help keep this law from limiting your non-utility source revenues...The lid law has become a significant factor for future budgets. Although you have adequate unused budget authority at this time, this is a factor that should be monitored.
Note that the motion, vote, and approval to accept a 1% allowable additional increase in the Restricted Funds Authority was made at the July 19, 2016 Regular meeting.
Since no changes were required to the Budget, Motion, second, vote to approve/accept the 2016-2017 Budget: (Reedy, Mewes, 4-0 affirmative = Carmichael - Yes, Mewes - Yes, Neumann - Yes; Reedy - Yes) .
Motion and second (Mewes, Neumann) to open a Special Budget Meeting within the Budget Meeting.
Motion and second (Reedy, Carmichael) to approve Resolution #2016- ( 8 )
Blobaum read the resolution: (WHEREAS, Nebraska Revised Statute 77-1601.02 provides that the property tax request for the prior year shall be the property tax request for the current year for purposes of the levy set by the County Board of Equalization unless the Governing Body of the City of Blue Springs passes by a majority vote a resolution or ordinance setting the tax request at a different amount and WHEREAS, a special public hearing was held as required by law to hear and consider comments concerning the property tax request, and WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the City of Blue Springs that the property tax request for the current year be a different amount than the property tax request for the prior year. NOW, THEREFORE, the Governing Body of the City of Blue Springs by a majority vote, resolves that-- 1. The 2016-2017 property tax request be set at $29,087. 2. A copy of this resolution be certified and forwarded to the County Clerk prior to October 13, 2016.
Vote to adopt Resolution #2016-8 for a property tax amount different than that of the previous year, and the dollar amount ($29,087 ): (Vote: Carmichael - Yes; Mewes - Yes; Neumann - Yes ; Reedy -Yes )
Motion, second (Reedy, Neumann) to close The Budget Hearing and return proceedings to Regular session.



CDBG PROJECT # 15 PW-015: ANY PERTINENT INFORMATION: Acknowledgment of Mayoral signature on Request for CDBG Funds - Draw Down # 6 - Project Costs, and Draw Down # 7 - General Administration Only, and verification of payment of all by Local funds (See claims) with reimbursement to be made by State for - (DD # 6 - $3,466.95, and DD # 7 - $1,590.27). Acknowledgment of receipt of Street Improvement 2016 Plan from Gilmore & Associates.


CITY CELEBRATION, (INCOME/EXPENSE SUMMARY (IF COMPLETE): (Expenses ( less donations) to date: $5,118.31. A couple bills still outstanding. Full tabulation expected shortly. ($1,955 reported for deposit (entry fees) - Reedy. It was noted (Mewes) that there were 39 tractors for the tractor show. Council member Neumann extended “Special thanks” to three individuals in the workforce of the tractor show: Connie Mewes, Carol Carmichael, Cecelia Seachord. Reedy noted that having the event on a Sunday worked out well, and remaining members agreed. Reedy also noted information received from Jan Morris: “70 visitors” to the cabin at last open date.


PLANNING AND ZONING: No new applications.


DANGEROUS DOGS: Acknowledgement of letter sent by Carothers requesting relocation (by Wednesday, September 14, 2016) of dangerous dog to outside corporate limits of Blue Springs, based on Ordinance # 448, 6-120, and official decision of members as made at the August 16, 2016 Council Meeting and recorded in the minutes. Matt Mittan reported an unrelated incident involving a dog he described as “dangerous.” Information about the incident that was reported to law enforcement will be provided to the City Attorney, who is being asked to review the situation and initiate contact with Gage County Sheriff to discuss/determine options for legal action.


WYMORE PUBLIC LIBRARY: DONATION (JANET ROBERTS): (Last Donation: $750): Roberts addressed members, advising that Blue Springs funds from previous donations have been used to purchase large-print books (Historical Non-Fiction series, or Fiction books. A $750 donation was approved by motion, second, vote (Mewes, Carmichael, 4-0 affirmative).


GOLF CARTS (MEWES): Mewes told members he would like to see an ordinance passed to allow Golf Cart travel (by licensed drivers, over 16, insurance, flags) on City streets. Several individuals in town have the carts, and Mewes described the vehicles as, “safer than 4-wheelers, or the handicapped scooters seen around.” A motion, second, vote (Reedy, Neumann, 4-0 affirmative) approved requesting Attorney Carothers to draw up an ordinance allowing golf cart travel in the municipality, and which Mayor and Council might discuss/approve at the next/ and/or subsequent regular meetings.


CABIN (GUTTER) - MORRIS: A materials list (Morris - fr/Wymore Lumber) was reviewed. Reedy calculated the expenditure for putting gutters on the cabin to be $247.03 - both sides, less if only one side is done. The materials would be “rounded, old-fashioned - as used in the 20s. Volunteers are available to install gutters.” Approval to forward the project (both sides) was reached by motion, second, vote (Neumann, Mewes, 4-0 affirmative).


CLEAN- UP: Three properties were removed from the list due to resolution of issues. Review continues for two. Council member Reedy will contact one property owner regarding removal of a mower by the alley. Another property was discussed, but no action was taken.



NEXT AGENDA:

CDBG PROJECT # 15 PW-015: ANY PERTINENT INFORMATION

CITY CELEBRATION (FINANCIAL SUMMARY)

PLANNING AND ZONING

DANGEROUS DOGS

GOLF CART ORDINANCE # (to be assigned)

CABIN - GUTTERS (ANY NEW INFORMATION, AS SCHEDULING)

CITY SWEEPER (JUNK/BID-LETTING - RESOLUTION # - ( to be assigned)

CLEAN-UP




Motion to adjourn: 8:20 P.M. -Mewes - No objection.


The minutes of the Hearing/ Regular meeting were read and approved Sept. 20, 2016.



Mayor: Lonnie D. Meyer (Public Hearing - Budget & Regular Session)



City Clerk: Katherine A. Roche (Public Hearing - Budget & Regular Session)