Budget plans draw criticism
Comments (...)MORRISON – Morrison’s city administrator is proposing everything from fee increases to a departmental reorganization to help balance the budget.
Administrator Jim Wise warned the City Council that it would have to make difficult choices for the fiscal year starting May 1.
On Monday, he presented a number of budget proposals – all of which came in for some criticism from the council. No action was taken.
One of his biggest proposals was to combine the recreation program, parks and the sports complex into a new Department of Parks and Recreation. Wise recommended the sports complex’s director, Jim DuBois, head the department.
Officials said the reorganization would make the city more efficient.
Asked whether he could handle the new functions, DuBois said yes. He said the restructuring would improve communication and allow better use of employees.
Theresa Farrell, the recreation program’s director, said she found out about the proposed reorganization only a few hours before the meeting.
“No one contacted me. I’ve done this since 1983. I would like to have been included. I put a lot of heart and soul into the program,” Farrell said.
Farrell said she didn’t know exactly how the consolidation would work. Officials said she would keep her job.
Some council members expressed concern that the sports complex, in its second year, is losing money.
In his report on the March-through-November season, DuBois said the sports complex didn’t get as many renters as expected because of scheduling conflicts. And expenses were higher than projected, he said.
“My goal is to get the expenses and revenues stabilized by years 3 to 5,” DuBois said in his report.
Alderwoman Marti Wood said she didn’t support the new Parks and Recreation Department. She said DuBois hadn’t shown that the sports complex can stay within budget.
Alderman Michael Blean also said he worried about the complex continuing to be in the red.
“How will we fund that going forward?” Blean said. “I don’t want an open-ended negative as far as the eye can see.”
Alderman Guy Hayenga said it “bugged” him when people said the sports complex lost money.
He said that when he voted to build the sports complex, he didn’t think about whether it would make or lose money.
“It’s here for the kids and the community,” he said.
Noting the complex had won a governor’s award, he praised DuBois’ performance.
Fee hikes ‘negative for development’
On another issue, Wise requested that city fees be increased, including those for liquor and business licenses. The fees would generally increase 10 percent to 15 percent, he said.
He also wants to start charging nonprofit groups for use of the community room at Odell Public Library. That would help cover more of the costs of the facility, he said.
As it is, all nonprofit groups get to use the popular meeting room for free. Wise said he was open to giving a discount to groups that use it regularly.
Alderman Leo Sullivan said he didn’t like the idea of fee increases when the community just approved an agreement to help pay for an economic development director. And he took exception to the plan to charge nonprofit groups for the community room.
“These kinds of things are negative for development,” he said.
Wood said she wanted more information before approving any fee increases.
“I thought we wanted more business to come to Morrison, not chase the businesses we have out of town,” she said.
Police chief’s vacation time an issue
Listed among Wise’s budget proposals was the handling of vacation time for Police Chief Brian Melton, which also generated some controversy.
The chief requested he be allowed to carry over 40 hours of vacation to the next fiscal year, but be paid for 63 hours of vacation he hadn’t taken.
Wood said it’s best that Melton take his vacation. He has a stressful job, so breaks are important, she said.
Alderman Ron Kallemeyn said vacation is usually a use-it-or-lose-it proposition.
But Wise said the Police Department has been short one officer. It now has five, plus the chief.
“It’s tough for [Melton] to take a break when he wants to. Due to his commitment to his job, he doesn’t want to take all of the vacation,” Wise said.
He informed the council that he already had made the decision on Melton’s vacation, which seemed to take several members by surprise.
He said administrators had the power to take such action, even though previous ones may not have informed the council of their decisions.
“I want everyone to know what’s going on,” he said.
Melton said he didn’t mean for his vacation to become such an issue. He said he simply ran out of time to take his vacation.
Proposed pay hikes for department heads
Wise also is proposing a 3.5 percent pay increase for the department heads and nonunion administrative staff. These employees hadn’t been given a raise in 3 or more years, he said. Wise himself would be excluded from the raises.
Wood suggested the raises could be smaller, noting that people are getting laid off in many organizations.
No one else commented on the proposed raises.
In a cost-cutting measure, Wise wants the city to ends its agreement in which the city reimburses the Deerview Condominium Association for street-lighting costs.
He said Deerview is a private neighborhood, so it could handle its own lighting bills.
The agreement has been in effect since 2006 and has cost the city about $700 to $800 a year, Wise said.
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