[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
PLEASE CALL THE ROLE COUNCILMAN COLT.
COUNCILMAN KUHL PRESENT, MAYOR MOORE WOLF.
PLEASE STAND AND JOIN IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC RELIGIOUS HANDS OF ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVIS WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE PEARL.
[II. Study Session: Study Sessions are less formal meetings of the City Council called to discuss broad policy themes and obtain input from the governing body about proposals and initiatives that are still being developed. No formal votes are taken at Study Sessions, and no informal directions expressed at Study Sessions bind the City Council, or its individual members, to vote in a certain manner at a future City Council meeting. Members of the public should limit their remarks to three (3) minutes after Council discussion.]
TONIGHT'S MEETING IS A STUDY SESSION.STUDY SESSIONS ARE LESS FORMAL MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
CALLED TO DISCUSS BROAD POLICY THEMES AND OBTAIN INPUT FROM THE GOVERNING BODY ABOUT PROPOSALS AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED.
NO FORMAL VOTES ARE TAKEN AT STUDY SESSIONS AND NO INFORMAL DIRECTIONS EXPRESSED AT STUDY SESSIONS.
BIND THE CITY COUNCIL, ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO VOTE IN A CERTAIN MANNER AT A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THREE MINUTES AFTER COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
TONIGHT'S TOPIC IS A CONTINUATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET DISCUSSION.
MR. WRIGHTON, MAYOR COUNCIL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING SO MUCH TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR TO GO OVER THE, THE BUDGET.
THE STAFF AND I ARE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
UM, TO UPDATE THE SCHEDULE THAT WE'LL DO, THE ORDER THAT WE'LL DO THINGS IN THIS EVENING IS WE'LL DO, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
AND I KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T MAYBE FINISH TALKING ABOUT, UH, FUND 84 REVENUES ON MONDAY NIGHT, SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO JUST TALK ABOUT REVENUES FIRST THING, FOLLOWED BY THE THREE SECTIONS OF THE BUDGET THAT WE, THAT ARE THE IT BUDGET.
UM, JIM EDWARDS IS WITH US NOW FOR THAT.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, WE'LL COVER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL COVER ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN PAGES 1 41 AND FOLLOWING TO THE END OF YOUR NOTEBOOKS, MOST OF WHICH IS PUBLIC WORKS, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.
SOME OF IT IS INTERNAL SERVICE WITH.
SO IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, THEN WE'LL PROCEED.
SO, UH, I WANNA MAKE A COUPLE OF GENERAL OVERVIEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND AND, UH, UH, THIS PERTAINS TO PAGES 16 THROUGH 20 IN YOUR NOTEBOOK.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE REVENUE CALCULATIONS THAT WE MADE IN THE DETAIL PAGES ON PAGES 17 THROUGH THROUGH 20, AND WE'LL BE PLEASED TO ANSWER THOSE.
BUT LET ME JUST MAKE SOME OVERVIEW COMMENTS ABOUT JUST THE GENERAL FUND, UH, WAIT ON COMMENTS THAT ARE ABOUT REVENUE FOR NON-GENERAL FUND.
UM, THE, AS AS I, AS I LIKE TO SAY, OFTEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FUNDS OF A BUDGET, WHICH I GUESS ISN'T THAT OFTEN, UH, THE GENERAL FUND IS THE ONE THAT IS FOR GENERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO THE ONE THAT IS SORT OF THE FUND THAT PICKS UP EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES TOO FOR WHAT DOESN'T FIT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO ALL THE OTHER FUNDS OF THE CITY BUDGET ARE USUALLY, UM, NARROW FUNDS.
THEY HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE OR THEY'RE ENTERPRISE FUNDS OR THEIR TRUST FUNDS.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T FIT IN ONE OF THOSE, IT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, AND THAT'S REALLY THE PURPOSE OF A, OF A GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL FUND.
AND THERE ARE, BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE ARE A LOT OF DEMANDS ON THE GENERAL FUND.
AND IN MY TRANSMITTAL MEMO, PARTICULARLY ON PAGES FOUR AND FIVE, I'VE OFFERED JUST AN INCOMPLETE LIST OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE COMING, UH, THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UH, THAT ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL DRAW ON THE GENERAL FUND, UH, IN SOME CASES BECAUSE THEY, UH, DON'T HAVE ANOTHER FUND TO GO TO.
UH, AND BUT TO, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
SOME OF 'EM ARE JUST THE NATURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TOO.
AND IT'S WHY I GUESS I'M TRYING TO MAKE AS A, AS A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION ON THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, THE ARGUMENT THAT WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT THE GENERAL FUND IS NOT RUNNING, UH, SUPER LEAN BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE ABILITY OF THE COUNCIL TO BE RESPONSIVE AND, AND FLEXIBLE WHEN UNANTICIPATED THINGS COME ALONG.
THAT, THAT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO USE FOR YOUR CONTINGENCY BROAD OVERVIEW ABOUT SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND, UH, REVENUE CATEGORIES.
UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY REPLACEMENT TAX, WE CALL PPRT.
UM, IT'S IDENTIFIED AS STATE REPLACEMENT TAX ON, UH, PAGE 17 OF THE BUDGET.
THIS IS A, IS A CATEGORY OF THE BUDGET THAT HAS, UH, TAKEN A NOSEDIVE BECAUSE THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS CHANGED THE FORMULA ON THIS.
IML HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING US IN, IN THE KNOW ABOUT IN ALL CITIES IN ILLINOIS IN THE KNOW ABOUT THIS.
BUT THE STATE CHANGED THE FORMULA SO THEY CAN KEEP MORE OF THE MONEY.
OUR, OUR INCOME TAX MONIES HAVE NOT, UH, GONE IN THE SAME WAY AS PPRT, BUT THEY ARE, THEY'RE TRENDING FLAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT, WHICH I WON'T GO INTO.
JUST TO SUFFICE TO SAY THAT THAT'S HOW IT'S IMPACTING THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
OUR SALES TAXES AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAXES ARE NOT COMPLETELY FLAT, UH, BUT THEY SHOW A, A, A TENDING TO FLATTEN TREND THAT THEY WERE UP SHARPLY FOR A WHILE, AND THAT, AND THAT CURVE IS, IS COMING DOWN TO FLAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT COMPLETELY FLAT.
CABLE AND UTILITY TAXES, AS I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTION TO SOME OF YOU IN THE PAST, UM, HAVE BEEN, HAVE SHOWN
[00:05:01]
A MULTI-YEAR TREND OF, UH, DECLINING AS THERE IS, THERE ARE, UH, FEWER CUSTOMERS THAT USE DIRECT CABLE LINES AND AS MORE SERVICES GO TO WIRELESS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY, UM, BY FRANCHISE FEES OR BY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, UH, COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, TAX LAWS.UM, SO THE FACT THAT SOME OF THESE TAXES AREN'T, UM, BEING PAID BY CITIZENS IS CERTAINLY, IS A GOOD THING, I SUPPOSE.
BUT IT'S ONE OF THE CATEGORIES OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE'VE COME TO RELY ON.
AND SO THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES ABOUT HOW THE REVENUE MIX IS CHANGING.
THE REVENUE MIX HAS ALWAYS CHANGED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT I THINK THAT SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE BECOMING MORE, MORE PRONOUNCED THAT, UH, PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON, ON THE PROPERTY TAX.
UM, IN DECATUR, WE'VE, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE BEEN SPENDING PRO, WE'VE BEEN LEVYING PROPERTY TAXES ONLY FOR FIVE THINGS.
UH, FIRE PENSION, POLICE PENSION, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT, AND A SMALL AMOUNT FOR THE MUNICIPAL BAN WHILE THE CITY IS, IS AUTHORIZED BY LAW TO ISSUE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES FOR 30 OR MORE ITEMS. THOSE ARE THE FIVE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO USE.
AND PENSIONS TAKE UP A GROWING PORTION OF THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
I MEAN, EVERY YEAR IT'S ANOTHER 300 TO $400,000 MORE IN PENSIONS.
AND THAT PUSHES, UH, MORE ACTIVITIES THAT HAD BEEN COVERED BY THE PROPERTY TAX OUT, PUSHES THEM INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND, AND, AND CANNIBALIZES PORTIONS OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT HAD BEEN, HAD BEEN FUNDED BY OTHER THINGS.
UH, PENSIONS REPRESENT ABOUT 80% OF THE, UH, IF, IF THEY WERE FULLY CHARGED, THE PROPERTY TAX, ABOUT 80% OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY TAX.
AND THAT, THAT TREND SHOWS NO SIGN OF ABATING ANYTIME SOON.
THE LIBRARY, UH, WHICH IS THE THIRD LARGEST, UH, OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROPERTY TAX, UM, IS, UH, FOR THE LAST THREE AND A HALF, FOUR, FOUR YEARS HAS, HAS STAYED RELATIVELY FLAT REALLY TO THE, TO THE EFFORTS OF THE, OF THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVEN'T TOLD THEM THEY HAD TO STAY LOW, BUT, UM, THEY HAVE DONE SO JUST THROUGH THEIR OWN DISCIPLINE, THEIR OWN FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE, BUT THEIR COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THEM AS WELL.
UH, AND THE WAY WE HAVE HANDLED THE PROPERTY TAX, THE WAY YOU CHOSE AS A POLICY MATTER TO HANDLE PROPERTY TAXES THROUGH THE PANDEMIC WAS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAREFUL WITH OUR PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND SO YOU MADE THE DECISION AND IT, IT WAS, IT WAS FINE AT THE TIME TO, UH, ABSORB ON A ONE-TIME BASIS, SOME OF THE LARGE PENSION INCREASES BY NOT PASSING THEM ON IN PROPERTY TAX INCREASES.
AND, AND GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE PANDEMIC, THAT MADE PERFECT SENSE.
BUT I MEN, BUT I REMEMBER MENTIONING AT THOSE TIMES THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN KEEP ON DOING.
AND, AND WE'VE ALSO HAD TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND DEBT.
AND SO I HAVE RECOMMENDED A PROPERTY TAX, UH, ADJUSTMENT OF 7%, UM, WHICH IS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OR SO.
UM, AN INCREASE OVER THE, OVER THE CURRENT AMOUNT, AN AMOUNT THAT IS ABOUT, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN A HUNDRED DOLLARS IN COST FOR THE AVERAGE OF PRICED HOME INDICATOR, WHICH ACCORDING TO OUR RECORDS IS ABOUT $114,000.
SO, UM, THE, UH, AND THAT AMOUNT OF, OF MONEY FOR THE PROPERTY TAX HAS BEEN BROUGHT DOWN AS WELL.
AND INSTEAD OF BEING HIGHER, UH, BECAUSE OF THE HOW IT, IT'S IT'S DRIVEN BY, BY PENSIONS BROUGHT DOWN BY OUR DECISION TO INCLUDE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUES IN THREE PRINCIPLE CATEGORIES THAT ARE NEW.
UH, AND THE FIRST IS A, UH, A STREAMING TAX, UH, WOULD BE A FLAT ANNUAL, EXCUSE ME, FLAT MONTHLY, UH, FEE ADDED TO STREAMING, UH, BILLS.
UH, THE SECOND IS A FEE ON, UH, STORAGE UNITS PER UNIT STORAGE, UH, AND THE, AND THE THIRD IS A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSING.
I, I, NOW NOT ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS ARE, ARE WORKED OUT, UH, BECAUSE THE BUDGET DOESN'T APPROVE THESE, YOU APPROVE ANY OF THESE, ANY OR ALL OF THESE SEPARATELY, IF THE, THE BUDGET IS, IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT.
AND SO IF IF YOU LEAVE, LEAVE THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED IN PLACE, THEN THEN WE COME TO YOU LATER ON WITH, WITH A SEPARATE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE COME TO YOU LATER ON WITH AN ORDINANCE ON STREAMING OR ON, UH, STORAGE FEES OR ON, ON, UH, GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSING.
THE LAST THING I WANNA MENTION IS THIS IS A, A GRAPHIC THAT I THINK IS HELPFUL.
UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT USE NOT ONLY FOR THESE MEETINGS, BUT ALSO FOR CONVERSATIONS WITH CITIZENS.
IT JUST SHOWS THE, THE BACKSIDE OF A, OF A DOLLAR BILL.
AND MR. WRIGHTON, CAN YOU DO THAT EXPLANATION WHEN YOU SAT DOWN AT THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? SO THAT, UH, THE FOLKS FOLLOWING ALONG AT HOME CAN FOLLOW YOU.
SO, SO THIS SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF A TAX DOLLAR PROPERTY TAX DOLLAR BASED ON TWO, ON 2023, NOT, NOT OF COURSE ON 2024
[00:10:01]
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE LEVIES OF THE OTHER TAXING BODIES.AND, AND SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT PORTION OF, UH, OF TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES GO TO THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
AND SO WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT IS BE, BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT VISUALLY SH SHOWS THE COMPARISONS IS THAT THE 7% THAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS 7% OF THE CITY'S PORTION, NOT 7% OF THE TOTAL.
UM, SO THAT, HOPEFULLY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A USEFUL, UM, A USEFUL GRAPHIC.
SO WITH, WITH THAT, I WILL, UM, STOP AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT THE BUDGET NARRATIVE AND THE BUDGET DETAILS.
UM, AND JUST HOLD FOR A SECOND, YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS ON, UM, ON FUND 84, UH, I, I FORGOT, UM, AT THE, ON MONDAY, COUNCILMAN HORN ASKED, UM, IF I COULD PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE, IF, IF WE HAD IMPLEMENT, IF WE IMPLEMENTED THE SAME APPROACH THAT WE HAVE THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WHERE WE ONLY HAD A LEVY THAT CAPTURED NEW ANNEXATIONS AND NEW, A NEW, UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT CAME ON THE TAX ROLLS, BASED ON OUR ESTIMATE OF WHAT THOSE INCREASES IN THE EAV WOULD BE, WHAT WOULD THAT BE AS COMPARED TO THE 7% THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING? UM, IT'S, UH, THE SHORT ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS IT WOULD BE ABOUT A 3% INCREASE INSTEAD OF A 7% INCREASE IF WE JUST DID THAT.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION AND PROVIDES THAT, THAT COMPARISON.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL STOP AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE ABOUT THE LINE ITEMS ON REVENUES.
MS. WRIGHTON ON THE GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSING, UM, WHEN YOU AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT ABOUT SETTING A VERY HIGH FEE ON INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES, WHICH COULD BE, UM, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT.
IT IT IS MORE ABOUT CAPTURING REVENUE THAT, UH, THROUGH AUDIT PURPOSES WHERE PEOPLE MAY NOT BE PAYING, PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF TAXES.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? YES, MAYOR, AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE, THE WAY THAT WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THIS BE DONE, AND THE DETAILS OF THIS AREN'T IN THE BUDGET, THEY WOULD BE IN WHATEVER ORDINANCE YOU WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPT IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, IS THAT THE FEES WOULD BE NOMINAL 10 $25 A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WHICH BY THEMSELVES AREN'T WORTH DOING AND CERTAINLY NOT WORTH DOING FOR THE MONEY.
THE, BUT WHAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED, UM, FROM OUR CONSULTATION WITH OTHER CITIES AND WITH A VENDOR THAT WE USE, WHO DOES THE KIND OF EXTERNAL AUDITING THAT WE DO, UH, HERE IN DECATUR, AND WE USE THEM FOR, FOR LIQUOR LICENSEES AND, AND SEVERAL OTHERS, IS THAT WHEN YOU DO THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY, OKAY, WE JUST NEED YOU TO FILL OUT THIS FORM, UH, THAT, THAT, SO WE KNOW WHERE THE, THE BUSINESSES ARE, WE HAVE WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS IT IS, WHERE IT'S LOCATED, WE ALSO NEED YOU TO TELL US YOUR ILLINOIS BUSINESS TAX NUMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU REALLY HAVE FILED INCORPORATION PAPERS WITH THE ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
AND, AND THESE SORTS OF VERIFICATIONS HELP US DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE, YOU'RE PAYING SALES TAXES, WHETHER YOU'RE, WHETHER YOU'RE REPRESENTING, AND THIS HAPPENS, IT HAPPENS HERE REPRESENTING THAT, WELL, I DON'T, YES, I'M IN THE CITY.
UH, THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT IN THE CITY OF DECATUR AND HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WITH DECATUR ADDRESSES THAT AREN'T IN THE CITY LEGITIMATELY, BUT OTHERS THAT HAVE CLAIMED THAT.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE ESTIMATED BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE CITY AND WHAT AZAVAR HAS SAID, THIS, THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE IN OTHER CITIES THAT, THAT DO THIS KIND OF GENERAL BUSINESS LICENSING AND THEN SCALED THAT DOWN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS WON'T START UP RIGHT AWAY IN JANUARY 1ST.
UH, THAT IT, THAT, LIKE ANY NEW REVENUE, IT TAKES A WHILE TO, TO RAMP UP.
AND SO AS YOU RIGHTLY SAY, THE, THE IMPACT FOR THE GENERAL FUND IS NOT THE FEE, IT'S DE MINIMIS AND NOT SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY PAYS THE FEES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE WITH THE EXISTING RATES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AND SO THAT THERE'S AN EQUAL AND LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
AND ADDITIONALLY, IT WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL IF WE DECIDED TO GO THIS WAY, WHERE IT WOULD ALLOW US TO INSPECT BUILDINGS BEFORE THEY BECOME POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS.
WE'VE HAD SOME BUILDINGS THAT HAVE, UM, CRUMBLED AND, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY INJURIES RELATED TO THOSE, BUT, UM, IT WOULD ALLOW POTENTIALLY, IF THAT'S PART OF THE ORDINANCE, WOULD ALLOW US TO INSPECT SOME BUSINESSES.
Y YES, I I, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ALL BUSINESSES NEED TO BE INSPECTED.
IF SOMEBODY'S RUNNING AN ACCOUNTING BUSINESS OUT OF THEIR HOUSE, THEY DON'T NEED TO HAVE AN INSPECTION.
BUT IF IT'S THE WALRUS MANUFACTURING BUILDING OR IT'S, IF IT'S SOME OTHER KIND OF A BUSINESS THAT, THAT'S INVOLVED IN FOOD PREPARATION OR GOODS ASSEMBLY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, AND, AND AN OLD BUILDING ESPECIALLY THEN PERIODICALLY, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE EVERY YEAR.
I MEAN, SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE COLLAPSED, IF WE WERE JUST INSIDE THEM EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE WOULD'VE CAUGHT SOME OF THESE, THE, SOME OF THESE HAZARDS.
UH, THE OTHER THING I THINK, MAYOR, THAT THIS COULD DO IS, UH, PROVIDE AN IMPETUS FOR US TO SPREAD OUT SOME OF THESE INSPECTIONS.
THEY DON'T ALL HAVE TO BE AT THE SAME TIME OF YEAR.
AND AS I SAID, SOME OF THEM CAN BE EVERY SECOND YEAR, EVERY THIRD YEAR.
AND SO I, I CERTAINLY ENVISION THERE'LL BE DIFFERENT TIERS BECAUSE THE, OF THE DIVERSITY OF BUSINESSES.
I, I REALLY THINK THAT, AND YOU'VE PROVIDED THIS DIRECTION AS A COUNCIL ON COUNTLESS
[00:15:01]
TIMES, WHILE WE NEED TO DO THESE THINGS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WE WANT TO BE AS, AS THE LEAST INTRUSIVE AS POSSIBLE INTO, INTO HOW THE BUSINESS DOES WHAT THEY DO.AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WAY OF DOING THAT.
BUT WE WANT TO HAVE FAIR AND, AND EVEN TAXES APPLIED TO EVERYBODY, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ACTIVITIES ARE SAFE AND THAT THERE'S NOT HAZARDS.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL ON ANY OF THIS THAT THE MANAGER HAS BROUGHT UP TO THIS POINT, MR. KEEL.
SO WE WANT DISCUSS THESE THREE.
IS THAT, IS THIS THE TIME YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT STREAMING AND STORAGE? I, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THESE THREE AND THE PROPERTY TAX AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON THE, ON THE LIST OF, 'CAUSE I'VE ONLY TOUCHED ON MAYBE HALF A DOZEN OR SO OF, OF THE REVENUE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE FOUR PAGES THAT MAKE UP ALL GENERAL FUND REVENUES ON PAGES 17 THROUGH 20.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT? I'VE GOT SEVERAL, SO I'LL THAT'S FINE.
I'LL TRY TO DO A QUICK SO YOU HAVE ANY QUICK, I'LL HAVE QUICK QUESTIONS.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THEY'RE INFLATION PROOF IN SOME RESPECTS? FOR INSTANCE, FOOD AND BEVERAGE? I MEAN, IF WHEN THEY RAISE THEIR FOOD PRICES, THE TAX GOES UP, CORRECT? UH, YES.
SOME TAXES, UM, GO UP WITH INFLATION.
HOTEL AND MOTEL TAX, ANOTHER ONE WOULD GO UP.
IF THEY RAISE THE ROOM RATE, WE'RE GONNA GET MORE TAX.
UM, WHAT ABOUT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE STATE DOING AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT EVS AND, AND TAXING FOR ROAD, YOU KNOW, FOR ROADS? 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT PAYING GAS TAX.
SO WHAT'S THE STATE DOING AND IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR REVENUE SOURCES.
WHAT ABOUT FROM ELECTRIC VEHICLES? THAT'S ONE QUESTION.
SO THE, UM, THE, THE, THE STATE'S MOTOR STATE, AND LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAXES ARE SLOWLY, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A RAPID DECREASE, BUT IT'S A SLOW TREND OF, OF REDUCTION THAT'S BEEN REALLY HAPPENING FOR A WHILE, EVEN BEFORE THE PUSH TOWARDS EV JUST BECAUSE OF FUEL ECONOMIES.
UM, AND EV HAS MADE THAT EVEN FASTER.
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSING HOW IT SHOULD CHARGE MOTORISTS FOR THE USE OF THE ROADWAYS THAT THEY USE IF THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR GASOLINE.
AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS NOT ANSWERED THAT QUESTION YET.
WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A FEE, YOU KNOW, FLAT FEE THAT, THAT ON AN EV THAT GETS ADDED TO YOUR ANNUAL LICENSE OR SOME, OR SOME OTHER METHODOLOGY.
UH, ANOTHER STATE, NOT ILLINOIS SUGGESTED, YOU KNOW, MONITORING IT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MILES YOU PUT ON, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE MONITORING YOUR ODOMETER.
AND THERE'S, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS OUT THERE ABOUT HOW TO DO IT.
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, LIKE MOST OTHER STATES HASN'T ANSWERED THE QUESTION YET.
BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME UP WITH SOME WAY OF CHARGING, UH, PEOPLE WHO BUY EVS FOR THEIR USE OF USE OF THE ROADWAYS TO REPLACE MOTOR FUEL TAX.
OH, AND, AND IF I, AND IF I CAN ADD THE, THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE IML WILL BE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SAY, HEY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO GET A PIECE OF THAT.
JUST LIKE THEY GOT A, THEY HAVE A PIECE OF MFT.
'CAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU THE STATE OF ILLINOIS WON'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY GIVE US A PIECE OF THAT UNLESS WE LOBBY FOR IT, JUST LIKE THE CITIES DID FOR MFT.
WELL, ADDITIONALLY, WHEN WE FIND OUT BEST PRACTICES, WE CAN ALSO ADOPT A LOCAL ORDINANCE MUCH LIKE WE DID WITH THE LOCAL MOTOR FUELS TAX.
UH, BY THE WAY, OUR ROADS ARE NOT THE WORST ROADS IN THIS COUNTRY.
I WILL NOT SAY THE CITY I'VE BEEN IN, BUT I'VE BEEN IN CITIES WITH WORSE ROADS IN DECATUR.
UM, WHAT I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE BILL, BUT I DIDN'T GET TO IT TODAY.
WHAT DOES A, WHAT DO WE PAY RIGHT NOW ON OUR CABLE BILL TO THE CITY? 'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING $3 A MONTH ON THE BILL, IS THAT CORRECT? FOR STREAMING? I WROTE, I BELIEVE YOU SAID $3 A MONTH.
SO THAT'S $36 A YEAR THAT WE'LL HAVE ADDED TO OUR, I GUESS, CABLE BILL, OR NOT CABLE BILL.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW TO THE STREAMING.
I KNOW, BUT HOW, HOW DO YOU DO IT? I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY STREAMING SERVICES.
HOW WILL YOU DO THAT? UH, IT, IT'D BE IMPLEMENTED THE SAME WAY.
UH, WE GET SALES TAX FROM AMAZON.
WE NOTIFY THE STREAMING SERVICES OF AMAZON, NETFLIX, UH, XBOX LIVE, UH, THAT WE HAVE A LOCAL, UH, STREAMING ORDINANCE.
AND IF YOUR ADDRESS, YOUR HOME ADDRESS, YOUR BILLING ADDRESS IS WITHIN THE CITY, UH, THEN THEY TACK ON THE STREAMING CHARGE, UH, TO THE BILL AND THEN THEY DISTRIBUTE IT TO US.
THE CITY OF AURORA HAS ONE, UM, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND THAT'S HOW THEY IMPLEMENT IT.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT ARE WE PAYING NOW? I MEAN, THERE, THERE IS NO LOCAL, UH, NOT FOR STREAMING, BUT FOR CABLE.
I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
IT'S A GROSS RECEIPTS TAX ON THE TOTAL.
BUT BECAUSE THAT TOTAL IS DECREASING, 'CAUSE MORE OF THE SERVICES ARE BEING SHIFTED TO STREAMING SERVICES, THAT NUMBER IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT'S GOING DOWN.
I, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THE MOMENT.
DR. HORNE, I THINK I SAW YOUR FINGER UP TOO.
MORE OF A COMMENT THAN A QUESTION.
[00:20:01]
I'M OPPOSED TO A 7% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES AND I'M, I'M GONNA ADVOCATE FOR A, A 3% INCREASE.WE, WE HAVE JUST INCREASED WATER, 6%, UM, SEWERS 6%, OR, WELL, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT WE, IT WAS FIVE, 5%, UM, SANITARY, UM, STORM WATER.
WE'VE JUST CREATED AN ADDITIONAL FEE TO IT.
AND AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WE, WE HAVE TO, UM, HOLD THE LINE WITH TAXES AND WE HAVE TO LET THE REAP THE BENEFITS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AS IT PERTAINS TO NEW DEVELOPMENT IN DECATUR.
AND I'D REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT MACON COUNTY WAS RANKED THE SECOND MOST AT RISK COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES OF A HOUSING DOWNTURN BY ADAM DATA SOLUTIONS IN QUARTER TWO OF THIS YEAR.
AND MACON COUNTY IN THAT QUARTER HAD THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE UNDERWATER RATE IN THE COUNTRY.
THERE ARE 17.6% OF MACON COUNTY PROPERTIES WHOSE MORTGAGE IS UNDERWATER.
AND SO TO THEN SAY WE'RE GOING TO RAISE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES, I FEEL IS, IS JUST UNNECESSARY.
IN FACT, I WOULD ARGUE THAT IF WE WANT TO ATTRACT NEW RESIDENTS, UM, WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT AS OPPOSED TO RAISING PROPERTY TAXES.
IT IS JUST THE WRONG TAX TO RAISE.
MR. MCDANIEL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO TALKING ABOUT FEES.
AND I HAD MENTIONED THAT INSTEAD OF DOING IT ALL AT ONE TIME, WHICH THE COUNCILS OVER THE PAST HAVE DONE THIS, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, WE'VE HELD THE LINE ON PROPERTY TAX AS A SENIOR ON A FIXED INCOME.
I DON'T WANT HIGHER PROPERTY TAX, BUT WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
DO WE JUST, UH, LET THIS GO BY DOWN, UH, SEVERAL MORE YEARS TO ANOTHER COUNCIL AND THEN THEY REALLY HAVE TO JACK UP THE, UH, OUR, UH, PROPERTY TAX.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING.
AND EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TAKING, IS IT CORRECT IF I BROUGHT UP WE'VE BEEN TAKING ADDITIONAL FUNDS OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND AND OTHER FUNDS TO SUPPLEMENT, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO PUT IN FOR THE PENSIONS ON A YEARLY BASIS.
WE CAN'T, UH, CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
'CAUSE THEN, THEN THERE'S LESS FUNDS TO DO SOME OTHER PROJECTS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT PROPERTY TAX, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ILLINOIS IS THE WHAT, UH, NEW JERSEY IS THE NUMBER ONE PROPERTY TAX, UH, STATE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, BUT, UH, AGAIN, WE WILL COME UP TO A COMPROMISE IF WE HAVE TO.
BUT LET'S DON'T KEEP GOING DOWN THE ROAD.
AND THERE'S LESS AND LESS IN THE GENERAL FUND TO DO OTHER PROJECTS.
AND PAT, YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS BETTER THAN I, BECAUSE YOU WERE COVERING THE COUNCIL FOR THE TRIBUNE, BUT SEVERAL COUNCILS BEFORE ANY OF US WERE ON, UH, THERE WAS A MOVE TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES.
AND IT TOOK US MANY YEARS TO GET BACK UP TO WHERE WE WERE IN THE EIGHTIES.
AND HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO DO SLIGHT INCREASES, WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH MANY OF OUR FEES FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO WE WENT FROM VERY LOW FEES TO HAVING TO INCREASE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.
'CAUSE THE CAN KEPT GETTING KICKED DOWN THE ROAD.
WELL, I REMEMBER THE COUNCIL, UH, WHEN I WAS SCRUBBING FOR THE TRIBUNE, UH, ENACTED, UH, FIVE TEMPORARY TAXES.
THOSE TAXES ARE STILL, AND THAT, THAT WAS BACK IN 19 20, 21, NOT 20.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE TAXES ARE, WE'RE NEVER TEMPORARY, SO WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN.
'CAUSE THAT THAT HURTS EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO THAT WAS FIVE TEMPORARY TAXES.
AND WE STILL HAVE 'EM, OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL ON THE PROPERTY TAX.
SO THE MANAGER HAS SOME DIRECTION.
MS. GREGORY? WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE MY HAND UP
BUT, YOU KNOW, TAXES ARE A HARD THING TO THINK ABOUT, TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT, UM, COUNCILMAN HORN IS SAYING.
[00:25:01]
5% IN SEWER INCREASE IN SANITARY, YOU WANNA ADD ANOTHER 114 PER HOME PROPERTY TAX, $36 FOR STREAMING.KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, EVERYONE'S POWER BILL HAS GONE UP.
KEEP IN MIND THAT EVERYONE THAT SAW ON PAPER AND INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME, THEIR HOME INSURER'S HAND WENT OUT AND THAT WENT UP AS WELL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, UM, IT'S PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM AT.
UH, I THINK I SAW SOME THINGS ON MONDAY NIGHT IN THIS BUDGET THAT IF WE HAD TO CUT, I THINK WE COULD, I WOULD WANT TO DO IT.
AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN HORN AND I WOULD DISAGREE ABOUT WHERE TO DO IT, BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, IF YOU INCREASE IT BY 7%, WE'RE GONNA SPEND 7%.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT TONIGHT THAT I HAVE ANY DIRECTION TO PROVIDE.
I DO KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I SAW IN THE, ON PAGE FOUR AND FIVE THAT TALK ABOUT, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF, OR THAT ARE GOING TO REQUIRE DOLLARS.
UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT, WHEN I LOOK AT THE FOURTH DOT POINT HERE, RENOVATION OF THE CITY'S PARKING GARAGES, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT RENOVATION OF THE CITY'S PARKING GARAGES SINCE 2015 AND NOBODY'S DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT INCREASED MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR FOUR FIRE STATIONS THAT WERE NOT COMPLETELY REPLACED, I MEAN, WE HAD, UH, CHIEF ABBOTT HERE THE OTHER NIGHT THAT SAID SHORT OF THE SEWER AT SIX, HE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE OKAY.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE NEXT TO THE LAST DOT POINT ON FOUR, UH, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I GET A LITTLE AGGRAVATED ABOUT THAT.
ANTICIPATE PAYING THE CITY'S PORTION OF STREET LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE INHERITED THE STREET LIGHTS THAT WERE IN THE HISTORIC PART OF OUR COMMUNITY TONIGHT.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN KICKING THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD ANYMORE.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN A 75 25 SPLIT.
SO I DON'T, THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW.
I TEND TO AGREE MORE WITH COUNCILMAN HORN ABOUT NO 7% INCREASE.
AND TO LOOK FOR A COMPROMISE AND LOOK IN THE BUDGET WHERE WE CAN AGREE THAT THINGS THAT, THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING, WE DON'T SPEND.
AND WE REPLACE IT WITH WHAT OUR FUNCTIONS ARE.
UM, AND WE SEE WHERE THE SWAP IS AT.
AND I WISH, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT IMPOSSIBLE, THAT THE TAXING BODIES OF MACON COUNTY COULD SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND SAY, FOLKS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS IS POINTED OUT IN, IN THIS, THAT THE MANAGER PRO, UH, PROVIDED FOR US, WE'RE, WE'RE ONE PART OF THIS.
WE'RE NOT EVEN THE LARGEST PART.
WE GET THE LION'S SHARE OF THE BLAME, BUT EVEN IF WE WERE TO DO, LET'S SAY A, A 1% TAX INCREASE, IT DOESN'T STOP THE OTHER BODIES FROM DOING THEIR TAX INCREASES.
AND I, I'M VERY TORN, LISA AS WELL, BECAUSE I MEAN, EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
WE ARE HAVING, WE ARE SEEING MORE PEOPLE AT OUR FOOD BANKS, MORE AT OUR SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES LOOKING FOR HELP THAN, THAN WE HAVE IN RECENT YEARS.
AND YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M VERY TORN ON THIS, BUT KEEP IN MIND, MANAGER, WE HAVE TO HAVE A DECISION, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS IN MID-DECEMBER.
THE, UM, TENTATIVE SCHEDULE IS FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER TO HAVE THE HEARING AND FINAL ADOPTION OF THE, UM, OF THE BUDGET.
UH, BUT IN ANY EVENT, IT MUST BE ADOPTED BY THE END OF DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST A DISCUSSION ITEM OR, OR SOME, UM, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO BOG THIS MEETING DOWN TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF US ARE PROBABLY PRETTY TORN.
I MEAN, I THINK COUNCILMAN HORNE HAS HIS RANGE THAT HE WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH.
I THINK I, I I DON'T HAVE MINE AT THIS POINT.
I I DIDN'T ADDRESS THE PERCENT.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, LET'S SAY WE WENT HALFWAY AND WE DID THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT, WHERE WOULD WE FIRST SEE THE BUDGET BREAKDOWN? WOULD IT BE IN THE GENERAL FUND OR IS IT JUST ACROSS EVERY PAGE IN THIS BOOK? WHERE WOULD YOU FIRST SEE THINGS STARTING TO BREAK DOWN IF YOU REDUCE THE, THE PROPERTY TAX?
[00:30:01]
UM, THAT WOULD, IT WOULD, IT'S THE GENERAL FUND THAT, THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED.NOT REDUCE IT, BUT JUST NOT INCREASE 7%, WHICH THREE POINT HALF IS WHAT I MEAN.
WELL, WHATEVER REDUCTION THAT YOU, THAT YOU PROPOSE OR THAT, THAT YOU DIRECT, UM, WOULD TAKE IT FROM THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THE, THE PROPERTY TAX FUNDS, GENERAL FUND AND PENSIONS AND, AND LIBRARY, THAT'S SO, SO IT'S, IT, IT DOES, IT PROVIDES NO SUBSIDY TO THE, TO THE OTHER FUNDS, UH, UH, ABOVE FUND NUMBER 10.
AND HOW THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED IS, I MEAN, THE EASIEST, THE, WE, WE WILL DO WHAT YOU DIRECT
I MEAN THAT THE CITY HAS RESERVES AND, AND WE WILL GET BY, UH, WE WILL HAVE TO PROBABLY DEFER SOME CAPITAL.
UH, WE, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO MAKE DRASTIC CUTS IN SERVICE DELIVERY.
BUT, UH, THAT THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE RESULT IS THAT THE EASIEST PLACE TO CUT WOULD BE ON SOME CAPITAL ITEMS AND, UH, TO, TO GET IT INTO BALANCE.
I, I JUST REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THIS COUNCIL, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE WERE DOWN TO LIKE 20 DAYS WORKING CASH OR SOMETHING, WEREN'T WE? OR WAS I, WHEN I FIRST TOOK OVER AS MAYOR, WE WERE DOWN TO FIVE.
SO NOW WE'RE AT 90 AND WE WANT TO BE AT 90 ALL BUT IF WE GOT TO 60, IT'S NOT A DISASTER.
BUT I'M, THAT'S JUST WHAT'S GOING THROUGH MY MIND.
UM, MAYBE THERE'S A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM WITH OUR GENERAL FUND POLICY.
UM, I I, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M THINKING WELL BUILT INTO.
I THINK A LOT OF THE BUDGET, UM, ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
IF THERE IS A MAJOR OPPORTUNITY THAT COMES BEFORE US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CASH WHEREWITHAL OR TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE.
I, I'M NOT SURE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT IS, IS GONNA BE ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE, I THINK SEVEN MAY TOO MUCH FOR MOST OF US TO STOMACH, BUT MAYBE SOMEWHERE IN THE 5% RANGE.
BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE CHOICES.
NOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS LIKE THE FLOCK, UM, CAMERAS, THAT FUNDING RUNS OUT OF THE END OF 24.
WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 24, SO WE COULD LOOK AT FLOCK CAMERAS NEXT YEAR THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS WE CAN ADJUST.
BUT I ALSO DON'T WANNA BE IN THE POSITION WE WERE IN, IN LIKE, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY 2009, 2010 WHERE OUR POLICE CARS DIDN'T WORK.
YOU KNOW, OFFICERS WOULD GO OUT.
WE HADN'T REPLACED ANY, 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
WE HAD A COUPLE YEARS WHERE WE DIDN'T DO ANY DEMOLITIONS 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
SO IT, THE REALITY OF IT IS OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP JUST LIKE RESIDENTS ARE GOING UP AND OUR RESIDENTS WANT OUR SERVICES TO CONTINUE.
THEY ALSO WANT US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL GROW OUR FUTURE, OTHERWISE WE'VE BECOME STAGNANT OR WE DIE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT IT TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SCOTT DIDN'T SANTA CLAUSE, WE, WE CAN'T JUST HAVE IT ALL WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME, EITHER SOME PAIN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
EITHER PAYING CUTS OR PAYING IN IN HIGHER TAXES.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, AND WE CAN, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, SOLID ON EVERYTHING THAT THAT'S IN HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN NEGOTIATE AND FIGURE OUT, WE GOTTA FIND THE SWEET SPOT.
SO OTHER COMMENTS, MR. COOPER? I THINK AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA BE AT THE POINT OF, AS YOU JUST INDICATED, OF MAKING SOME DRASTIC CUTS THAT NOBODY'S GONNA BE HAPPY WITH.
UM, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO INCREASE WHERE WE NEED TO INCREASE TO KEEP THINGS GOING AS IS, AS THE MONEY CONTINUES TO DECLINE AND ALL THE COST OF EVERYTHING KEEPS CONTINUING TO GO UP.
AND I KNOW THE SUBJECT IS NOT, IT'S NOT POPULAR, BUT I AM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND STAY AHEAD ON RECORD.
UM, I THINK WE, I THINK WE, AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE NEED TO LOOK AT A, A LARGE REVENUE STREAM.
UH, I KNOW WE GOT THE PUSH TAX OVER ANTICIPATING THE PUSH TAX, BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN IN IN PLACE THAT WE ARE GONNA GET IT OR IF WE GET IT, IT'S STILL GOING FROM WHAT YOU, YOU INDICATED THE OTHER DAY.
THERE'S STILL GONNA BE A LOT OF DETAILS THAT'S GOT TO BE WORKED OUT.
AND I IMAGINE IT'LL ONCE, IF THE COURTS APPROVE IT, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE A YEAR AFTER THE COURTS APPROVE IT FOR THEM TO HAVE EVERYTHING WORKING BEFORE WE PROBABLY WILL SEE ANY OF THE REAL FUNDS COMING FROM THAT.
UM, I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE CANNABIS DISPENSARIES.
THAT'S A BIG REVENUE FUND GENERATOR FOR THE CITIES, ESPECIALLY THE CITIES THAT'S GOT IT.
UM, DANVILLE, DANVILLE HAS IT DOING WELL.
HARRIS TOWN HAS IT DOING WELL FROM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE PLANNING ON POSSIBLY GETTING A SECOND ONE.
BLOOMINGTON NORMAL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BLOOMINGTON OR NORMAL, BUT ONE OF THEM HAVE JUST APPROVED TO DO 'EM IN BLOOMINGTON.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN EVERYWHERE
[00:35:02]
IN DECATUR VERY WELL.MAY NEED, WE MAY NEED TO START LOOKING AT THAT, UH, GOING THAT DIRECTION TO, TO BRING IN THE NEEDED REVENUE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM WHETHER WE GOT ONE IN, IN THE CITY OR NOT.
THE PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO ELSEWHERE AND GET IT AND WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR IT.
SO IT'S ONLY GONNA COST, SOME COSTS ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO GO UP.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT A SUBJECT NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, THE PEOPLE VOTED THAT THEY WANT IT.
I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE SERIOUSLY AS A COUNCIL LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO SOLVE OUR REVENUE ISSUE IF WE'RE NOT GONNA FIND ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL REVENUES COMING IN OTHER THAN RAISING TAXES.
AND I'M TOTALLY AGAINST THE, UH, THE, THE 7% THAT OBVIOUS, UH, RAISING PEOPLE'S TAXES.
UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE PAYING ENOUGH.
NOBODY WANTS TO COME TO, TO COME TO DECATUR OR ILLINOIS NOW BECAUSE OF TAXES.
WE'RE, WE, WE'RE DOWN TO 70,000.
WE'RE ONLY GONNA LOSE MORE PEOPLE, NOT BRING IN MORE PEOPLE IF WE RAISE, CONTINUE TO RAISE OUR TAXES HERE IN DECATUR.
OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A A NOTE OF MAYBE LONG-TERM OPTIMISM.
THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT, UH, LANDING NEW BUSINESSES, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ADDED TO THE EAV YET.
UH, AND THOSE, UH, ADDITIONS TO THE EAV, WE WILL NOT LIKELY SEE UNTIL 2027 OR 2028.
UM, AND, UH, WHILE I CAN'T PREDICT THINGS THAT FAR OUT AND AND WOULDN'T PRESUME TO DO SO, UM, EVEN, EVEN MODESTLY ESTIMATING THEM WOULD PROBABLY MEAN THAT ONCE THEY ARE ON THE EAV, BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS AND, AND WON'T REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, UM, CITY SERVICES TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY'RE ADDING TO THE, TO THE TAX BASE.
THAT SHOULD BRING, UH, A DEGREE OF RELIEF, UH, FROM, FROM THE NEED TO, TO INCREASE TO COVER OPERATING COSTS.
AND SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WE'RE TRYING TO BRIDGE
SO, UM, THE OPTIMIST IN ME SAYS THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KEEP ON DOING AT, AT THESE RATES, UM, FOREVER.
BUT IN THE SHORT TERM ANYWAY, UNTIL THOSE ARE ON THE TAX ROLLS, I THINK THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ROBUST BUDGET.
I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR THIS EVENING, BECAUSE, UM, I CERTAINLY WANT TO BRING TO YOU THE BUDGET THAT YOU WANT, UM, AS COMPLETE AS IT AS IT CAN BE FOR EARLY DECEMBER.
SO, UM, IF YOU PREFER A DIFFERENT, IF, IF THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL, AT LEAST, AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF YOU USED TO HAVE A, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THAN SEVEN, THEN I, I WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING THAT DIRECTION HERE.
AND THEN, UM, UH, IF THE OTHER SUGGESTED REVENUES ARE FINE, THEN, THEN WE'LL KNOW HOW TO PROCEED.
AND, AND THEN WHEN IT COMES BACK TO YOU, YOU'LL KNOW WHERE WE'VE MADE SOME REDUCTIONS.
IN FACT, I CAN EVEN DO THAT AHEAD OF TIME IN BETWEEN THIS MEETING IN THE NEXT, MAYBE BY AN INTERNAL MEMO TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP US ON TRACK, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT MEETING IS IN ABOUT FOUR DAYS, RIGHT? SORRY, THE NEXT, BY THAT I MEANT, I MEANT TO SAY BY THE FIRST BETWEEN NOW AND THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR HEARTBURN ABOUT STREAMING TAXES OR STORAGE UNIT TAXES? I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY ON THAT.
ARE YOU READY TO GO TO IT? SO, SO THE ONLY ISSUE THEN IS, IS, IS WHERE YOU'RE ALL ALL AT ON, ON THE PROPERTY TAX.
SO YOU WANT TO HANDLE THAT BY JUST TALKING ABOUT IT LATER? UM, YES.
ACTUALLY HERE'S, HERE'S A SUGGESTION, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW, MAYBE RUBY, YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS ITEM IS ON THE AGENDA TENTATIVELY FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR MONDAY NIGHT MEETING ON NOVEMBER 20TH.
UM, WE COULD, UM, UH, TRY TO FINALIZE IT BY THEN, UM, GIVING YOU MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT AFTER TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS, RUBY.
SO ON MONDAY, UM, IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S REQUIRED THAT 20 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE TAX LEVY, UH, THAT WE ARE TO, UM, HAVE A RESOLUTION, UH, DOING A TAX ESTIMATE.
AND SO IT'S, UH, TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF WHAT WE BELIEVE THE TAX ESTIMATE IS GOING TO BE THE TAX LEVY.
AND SO THE, IT, IT IS COMING ON MONDAY, UM, WE COULD PUT THE 7% BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNTS ARE.
IN FACT, WE COULD PUT, UM, SEVEN AND ANOTHER PERCENTAGE THAT YOU GIVE US GUIDANCE TONIGHT ABOUT, SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE TWO OPTIONS.
UM, AND YOU'LL HAVE THE, THE AMOUNTS IN FRONT OF YOU OF WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS WOULD BE.
UM, AND WE COULD COME TO HOPEFULLY SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION, UH, ON THAT NIGHT, UM, THAT YOU COULD PASS.
AND AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT BOUND TO THAT.
UM, THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THE TAX LEVY, THAT WOULD PASS THE SECOND MEETING IN DECEMBER.
AND WE DO NEED TO PASS A TAX LEVY, UH, BY LAW SO
[00:40:01]
THAT WE CAN FILE IT WITH THE COUNTY BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER.SO COULD I ASK FOR THREE OPTIONS? ONE BEING THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, BECAUSE DAVID, YOU GOT YOUR ANSWER FROM SCOTT, WHICH WOULD BE BASICALLY NO, 3% IS WHAT I WOULD SUPPORT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE ESSENTIALLY DID LAST YEAR, BUT COUNCILMAN KS SUGGESTED THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT, UH, WHICH I, I I GUESS THAT WOULD ALSO BE FINE.
HOW ABOUT IF WE WENT 3%, 5% AND 7% AND WE CAN, BECAUSE THAT GIVES US SOME OPTIONS.
ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT? WELL, ARE YOU HAVE A PAIN TO LOOK PAT? WELL, MIKE, I I I'M MORE IN FAVOR OF MAYBE, UH, 5%, FIVE AND A HALF, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, BUT WE'RE JUST GETTING INFORMATION ON MONDAY.
HERE'S WHAT IT WOULD BE AT THREE, AT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT, 5% OR THREE, FIVE AND SEVEN.
WE, WE, WE CAN GIVE YOU THREE OPTIONS, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO PICK ONE OF THOSE ON MONDAY NIGHT.
YES, I, I KNOW THAT, BUT WE, THIS RESOLUTION IN THE END, WE'LL HAVE ONE NUMBER ON IT, RIGHT? BUT THE DETAIL BEHIND IT COULD HAVE THE THREE OPTIONS, RIGHT? AND WE COULD ADOPT THE RIGHT, THE ONE THAT THE COUNCIL CHOOSES AT THAT MEETING, BUT, BUT WENDY COULD GIVE SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT DOES THE RESOLUTION NEED TO SAY THAT GETS POSTED TO THE PORTAL.
THE RESOLUTION, THE STATUTE REQUIRES THAT COUNSEL PASS, UM, A RESOLUTION, UM, WITH AN ESTIMATE OF THE, UH, AMOUNTS NECESSARY, UM, TO BE LEVIED FOR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A SINGLE AMOUNT PRIOR TO THAT.
YOU COULD HAVE THREE RESOLUTIONS ON THE TABLE OR ON THE AGENDA WITH THREE SEPARATE AMOUNTS.
BUT ONE, UM, DOCUMENT WILL HAVE TO BE PASSED BY MONDAY.
IF, IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THE COUNCIL, WE CAN PREPARE ACCORDINGLY.
PAT STILL HAS A SNARL ON HIS FACE.
AGAIN, I, MY, I'M WILLING TO COMPROMISE.
I THINK, AGAIN, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, WE KEEP PUSHING IT BACK AND THEN IT, THEN IT'S GONNA BE EVEN HIGHER.
AND THEN THAT'S GONNA CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS, NOT ONLY WITH, UH, CITIZENS, BUT WITH, UH, UH, INDUSTRY IN THAT.
SO, UH, IT'S, WELL, YOU GUYS DECIDE WHAT YOU WANNA DO AND I'LL I'LL SAY YAY OR NAYYY COUNCILWOMAN GREGORY.
WELL, I THINK WE CAN NARROW IT DOWN.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A MAJORITY OF FOLKS HERE THAT ARE GONNA VOTE FOR 7%.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE SEVEN CALCULATED, SO THAT'S FINE.
SO WE WILL HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS THEN ON THE AGENDA WITH A THREE AND A 5% OPTION OR ONE RESOLUTION FOR EACH.
AND YOU'LL, UH, IF YOU CHOOSE THE FIRST ONE, UM, YOU'LL VOTE ON, THE NEXT ONE WILL BE PULLED OR VICE VERSA.
MS. GREGORY, DO THE, UM, STORAGE, UNIT TAXES AND THE STREAMING TAXES HAVE TO BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY? THEY'LL BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY, PROBABLY NOT IN, PROBABLY AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
THIS IS A, A PLAN A, A SPENDING PLAN.
AND IF YOU'RE FINE LEAVING THEM IN THERE, THEN THAT TELLS STAFF, OKAY.
PREPARE THE NECESSARY ORDINANCE TO SEPARATELY BRING THEM TO YOU AND DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THEM SEPARATELY FOR YOU TO SAY YAY OR NAY TO, I'LL JUST SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I'LL BE A NO ON BOTH OF THOSE.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS WE GET CONSISTENTLY IS THAT WE JUST TAX EVERYTHING AND FEE EVERYTHING WE CAN.
AND THE REASON THAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM CABLE TO STREAMING IS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD CABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, UM, ALL WE'RE DOING THEN IS MOVING IN AND TAKING THE PLACE OF CABLE AND TAXING STREAMING AND, AND ONCE WE TAX IT, ONCE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA INCREASE EVERY YEAR.
I'M STRUGGLING WITH THE STREAMING TOO, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND THOSE OPTIONS WILL COME BACK BEFORE COUNCIL, BEFORE WE WOULD TAKE ACTION ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
SO, BUT FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE OR BREAK THE BUDGET, BUT IT GIVES YOU SOME DIRECTION.
UH, MY, MY LAST QUESTION IS THAT, UH, AND, AND MAYBE WE FINISHED TALKING ABOUT FUND 84 REVENUES, BUT I GOT THE, THE SENSE THAT WE DIDN'T ON MONDAY.
UM, I HAVE THE, THE SECOND TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH DISCUSSES THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN COOPER, UM, MENTIONED THIS EVENING, AND ACTUALLY IN AN EMAIL TO ME AS WELL ABOUT THE PUSH TAXES.
I WANNA POINT OUT THAT HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THE PUSH TAXES.
I'VE SIMPLY ALLOCATED IT AS A FUND, EXCUSE ME, AS A, AS A RESOURCE FOR FUND 84 SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.
BUT IN, AS YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT FUND 84, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S ONLY
[00:45:01]
A PLACEHOLDER NUMBER BECAUSE WE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN ANTICIPATE SIGNIFICANT REVENUES AT ALL IN, UH, IN 2024.AND, UH, IF WE RECEIVE NOT A THIN DIME FROM PUSH TAXES IN 2024, IT'S NOT GONNA IMPACT THE PROGRAM WE HAVE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY FUND 84.
BUT WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT FUND 84 REVENUES? MR. HORN? I APOLOGIZE.
MAYOR, I, I NEED TO GO BACK TO STREAMING FOR JUST ONE SECOND.
COOLING FOR THE STREAMING TAX, IS THAT $3 PER MONTH, NO MATTER HOW MANY STREAMING SERVICES YOU HAVE? UH, THE PROPOSAL WAS, UH, 6% OF EVERY STREAMING SERVICES, WHICH USUALLY IS LIKE $15, RIGHT? FOR MY NETFLIX AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO 6% OF THAT WOULD BE ABOUT $3 ON, ON EACH, YOU KNOW, SO THE MORE STREAMING SERVICES YOU HAVE 6% OF EVERY WHAT THE COST OF THE STREAMING SERVICE WOULD BE.
SO IF IT, IF I SPENT $10 A MONTH ON STREAMING, IT WOULD NOW BE, UH, 6%, SIX, IT'D BE 10 60, YEAH.
BUT IF I SPENT $20 ON STREAMING, IT'D BE, UM, 2120.
THE, THE AVERAGE HOME HAS TWO TO THREE STREAMING SERVICES.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S WHERE THE $3 COMES FROM.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS, UH, JIM EDWARDS.
UM, AND, UH, THE IT SECTION BEGINS ON PAGE 31.
THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF IT.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY GENERALLY AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO JIM FOR DETAILS THAT, UH, THIS BUDGET IS UP.
UM, THE, THE COST OF CYBER PROTECTION AND KEEPING US FROM BEING, UH, SUCCESSFULLY HACKED.
WE ARE HACKED OVER A HUNDRED TIMES A DAY, UM, SOMETIMES 10 TIMES THAT AMOUNT, UM, UH, AND SO FAR NOT SUCCESSFULLY BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY JIM AND HIS TEAM, BUT IT'S NOT WITHOUT EXPENSE.
UH, SPECIAL SOFTWARE, UH, SPECIAL INSURANCE FOR IT.
AND WE ARE PHASING OUT OF SOME, UH, OLD DB PROGRAMS AND TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES THAT SUPPORT OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK HE'S GIVEN A LOT OF DETAIL FOR THAT.
JIM, DO YOU WANNA GIVE A HIGHLIGHT, UH, AN OVERVIEW? SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FLEXIBILITY IN CHANGING THE SCHEDULE SINCE I WASN'T, UH, ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.
THEY DIDN'T LET ME OUT THERE YESTERDAY, BUT I'M GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
SO THIS IS NOT A FUN YEAR FOR ME IN IT, UH, BECAUSE I'M IN ALL MY YEARS OF BEING IN IT, I'VE, I'VE PRIDED MYSELF IN TRYING TO CONTROL COSTS TO A BETTER DEGREE THAN WHAT THEY'RE COMING ACROSS TO YOU TONIGHT.
SO HAVING A, UH, A, A $500,000 INCREASE IN, IN A BUDGET AREA THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD, WOULD CONSIDER SOMEWHAT OF A BLACK HOLE, IS KIND OF HARD TO SWALLOW, UM, FOR SOME OF THE REASONS THAT THAT, UH, THAT MANAGER MENTIONED AND OTHERS, THE, FOR WHATEVER, I MEAN, IT, IT'S NOT JUST IT, IT'S EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING IS GOING THROUGH THE ROOF.
SO I CAN'T EVEN SHIP A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T COST AROUND 20, 25% MORE TO SHIP IT.
I CAN'T EVEN GET A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LIKE I COULD IN PRIOR 2020.
I COULDN'T GET A $10,000 PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR LESS THAN $15,000 TODAY.
IT, IT'S, UM, IT'S GOTTEN DIFFICULT.
UM, THE ONE ANGLE OF IT IS THE CYBERSECURITY AND OTHER TYPES OF SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE TRY TO DO, AND THAT'S WHAT KEEPS ME AWAKE AT NIGHT.
SO, UH, AND I'M SURE IT PROBABLY CROSSES YOUR MIND MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT YOUR, YOUR TENURE HERE.
UM, IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO CONTROL, UM, THE OUTSIDE FORCES AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE CONNECTED TO THE WORLD WITH OUR, WITH OUR INTERNET ACCESS.
AND THE, AND THE WAY TO REDUCE COSTS IN IT IS TO, UM, GET RID OF ON-PREMISE TYPE EQUIPMENT AND START RUNNING IT OVER THE CLOUD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHERE THAT REQUIRES A STRONG IT STRATEGY SURROUNDING, UH, INTERNET ACCESS, WHICH WE HAVE, BUT IT ALSO CONNECTS EVERY DEVICE WE HAVE IN OUR ORGANIZATION TO EVERY DEVICE IN THE WORLD.
SO WE HAVE TO PUT IN, UH, GATEWAYS AND, AND OTHER TYPES OF, UH, APPLIANCES AND THINGS AND, UH, UH, ARRANGE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THIRD PARTY, UH, COMPANIES AND STUFF IN ORDER TO HELP PROTECT US OF THESE, UM, THESE RISKS REALLY.
AND SO THIS YEAR MITIGATING THE RISK, UM, COME AT COME AT A, A PRETTY HIGH DOLLAR.
SO SOME OF IT'S, SOME OF ITS BUDGET IS SPINNING OUTTA CONTROL BECAUSE OF INCREASE IN FEES AND THINGS TO KEEP THE PROGRAM GOING AS IT'S RUNNING.
[00:50:01]
COME ACROSS TO US JUST THE SIMPLE COST THAT, THAT THAT CYBERSECURITY'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO CONTROL.I THINK IF YOU THROW THE RIGHT, UH, THE RIGHT MONEY AT IT AND THE RIGHT, UH, EQUIPMENT AT IT AND THE RIGHT THOUGHT PROCESS AROUND IT, IT CAN BE CONTROLLED.
BUT IT DOES COME AT A, AT A COST.
AND, UM, SO I'M, I'M, I'M HERE TO SAY I'M NOT PROUD OF THE BUDGET I'M PUTTING IN FRONT OF YOU.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT, UM, THE BUDGET ON PERMIT IN FRONT OF YOU WOULD, WOULD HELP US CONTINUE THE STRATEGY THAT I'VE PUT IN PLACE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
AND THAT'S CONTROLLING, TRYING TO CONTROL OUR OR, OR FIX OUR SECURITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTROL THAT ASPECT OF IT.
I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
I DID PUT, DID PUT QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL IN MY, IN MY PROGRAM NOTES, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
AND I WILL SAY JIM AND I GO BACK ALL THE WAY TO HIGH SCHOOL OR MAYBE BEFORE THAT, AND, UH, WORK TOGETHER IN A PREVIOUS LIFE AS WELL.
AND HE IS VERY FRUGAL AND VERY, VERY DEDICATED TO DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.
SO APPRECIATE YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND EVERYTHING YOU DO TO PROTECT US.
'CAUSE CITIES ARE, UH, PRIME TARGETS FOR CYBER ATTACK.
SO QUESTIONS FOR MR. EDWARDS FROM COUNCIL MR. Q.
JUST ONE, BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE SALARIES.
ARE WE ADDING A POSITION THIS YEAR? 'CAUSE THE SALARIES ARE UP 14%.
SO TECHNICALLY WHAT HAPPENED IS THERE WAS A RESOURCE, A COUPLE, IF YOU REMEMBER, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE MOVED A RESOURCE OUT OF IT AND PUT IT IN TRANSIT.
UH, WE'RE MOVING THAT RESOURCE BACK.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON FOR THE 14%.
THERE WAS ALSO A, UM, A SALARY ANALYSIS DONE IN ON THE IT TEAM AND THERE WAS SOME INCREASES DONE OVER THE YEAR FOR THE, AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED.
AND THEN JUST THE REGULAR RAISES AND, AND, AND THE COST OF HAVING EMPLOYEES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. EDWARDS? IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS ON HIS GENERAL FUND COMPONENT ON PAGES 1 42 AND 1 43 IS THE, UM, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT FUND PEG FOR SHORT? UM, THIS IS A SEPARATE FUND FROM GENERAL FUND BECAUSE WE RECEIVE DEDICATED REVENUES FROM THE CABLE COMPANIES FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UH, MONIES FROM THIS HAVE GENERALLY STAYED FLAT OR DECLINED OVER THE YEARS FOR THE SAME REASON WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED ABOUT CABLE FEES GOING DOWN.
UH, BUT WE STILL HAVE REVENUES THAT WE USE FOR THE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE ON THOSE TWO PAGES.
IS ANY QUESTIONS JIM CAN ANSWER? 'EM, IT'S A REALITY WE LIVE IN IT, ISN'T IT? IT ISN'T DECREASING YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND UH, I THINK FOR, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU HAVE SPOT ON WHOEVER MENTIONED IT, IT'S A, IT'S AN EASIER WAY TO GET PROGRAMMING IN THE HOME OR A CHEAPER WAY.
THIS IS REALLY SARCASM, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STREAMING FEES.
WELL, WHAT ABOUT ANTENNA FEES? WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING THEIR SIGNAL FOR FREE WITH ANTENNAS? ARE WE GONNA TAX THAT TOO? I MEAN, IF WE COULD FIND A WAY THERE, CHUCK, I WOULD BE IN TROUBLE IF THAT WAS THE CASE.
THE LAST ITEM, THE LAST SECTION OF THE BUDGET THAT JIM, UH, MANAGES FOR US IS THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
IT BEGINS ON PAGE 180 8 AND, UH, CONTINUES THROUGH PAGE ONE 90.
THIS IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND AND THIS IS, UH, SET UP AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND BECAUSE WE CHARGE FEES FOR THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE CITY'S BROADBAND NETWORK.
UM, BECAUSE OF, UH, JIM'S ANALYSIS OF PREVAILING FEES IN THE INDUSTRY, WE HAVE NOT CHANGED THE, UM, THE ANNUAL RECURRING CHARGES, BUT WE HAVE EVALUATED SOME SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE ONE TIME HOOKUP CHARGES.
UM, AND BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE ANY OTHER ENTERPRISE FUND, WE WANT IT TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE, UH, DELAYED, FRANKLY FOR MORE THAN A YEAR IS DOING MORE AGGRESSIVE MARKETING WITH THE BROADBAND.
I MEAN, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE NOT AMONG THE MAJORITY OF CITIES AND, UH, WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN BROAD, WE WE'RE, WE'RE UNIQUE.
I'M SORRY, I JUST SHOULD SHOULD'VE SAID IT THAT WAY.
WE'RE, WE'RE UNIQUE IN THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN BROADBAND.
SOME CITIES DO, BUT IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY SMALL AND THAT WAS, UH, FARSIGHTED ON ON THE CITY'S, ON THE CITY'S PART.
AND, UH, ONCE YOU MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO, TO FOR-PROFIT, UH, BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY AS WELL, UM, I THINK THAT WILL, THAT MAKES IT MORE SELF-SUPPORTING IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE NEED TO MARKET IT MORE.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE PLANNING TO DO THAT.
WE HAD PLANNED TO DO IT LAST YEAR AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE WE WERE UPGRADING THE SYSTEM WITH THIS, UH, JOINT PROJECT WE DID WITH DPS 61.
UH, AND WE'RE PAST THAT NOW, AND SO WE WILL REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS IN MARKETING AND SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE CUSTOMERS, UM, AND SO THAT IT'S EVEN MORE SELF-SUPPORTING GOING FORWARD.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SECTION OF THE BUDGET, MR. COOPER? AND JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
I SEE YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLANNING ON INCREASING THOSE FEES, UM, BY 6% IN 2024, ROUGHLY 6% OVER THE ALL WHOLE FEE STRUCTURE.
I'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WHEN WE, WHEN WE GO TO DO THAT.
[00:55:01]
THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY WANTS TO SIGN UP OR BUY FIBER FROM US, WE'LL PRESENT TO YOU AT AN INCREASE AT THAT TIME AND THEN ADOPT IT AT THAT TIME.BUT, UH, IS THAT GONNA AFFECT NEW CUSTOMERS OR CURRENT CUSTOMERS THAT'LL AFFECT NEW CUSTOMERS AND IT WOULD ONLY BE THE ONE TIME CHARGE THAT THEY PAY AT THE BEGINNING.
SO, SO THE CAPITAL CHARGE FOR CONNECTING, NOT THE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE FEE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR CON FOR CONNECTION, IT'S FOR THE, IT'S WHEN WE SELL SOME OF OUR FIBER STRANDS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
SO WHAT'S WHAT WE CALL DARK FIBER.
AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, WE DON'T PROVIDE ANY ELECTRONICS TO MAKE IT OPERATE.
WE'VE DONE THAT A COUPLE TIMES FOR THE CRDC, UM, WHERE THEY BUY THAT FIBER AND THEN THEY, THEY LIGHT IT UP WITH THEIR ELECTRONICS AND THEN UTILIZE THAT FIBER THAT THEY'VE PURCHASED FROM US.
SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE FEES ARE.
MR. MCDANIEL, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STRANDS IN OUR PRESENT, UH, CABLES? YEAH.
SO WE'VE GOT 144 STRANDS THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE NETWORK.
UH, SO THE QUESTION YOU REALLY WANT ANSWERED IS, JIM, HOW MANY ARE WE USING NOW? SO WE'RE NOT USING VERY MANY.
SO TO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'VE GOT FOUR TRUNKS OF 144 STRAND FIBER LEAVING THE CIVIC CENTER, GOING DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO THAT GIVES YOU CAPABILITY OF MUCH MORE THAN 144 STRANDS ACROSS THE NETWORK.
IT COULD BE 144 TIMES FOUR, DEPENDING ON HOW IT'S DIVVIED UP.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WAY, WE'RE WAY UNDER.
WE'RE 10% IF, IF THAT, MR. KHL, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS, SO I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT HERE.
I MEAN, WOULD IT PAY, WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO PAY SOMEBODY TO GO OUT AND TRY TO SELL THIS TO PEOPLE
AND HOW MUCH, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE THAT.
SO HOW MUCH IS THAT? PROBABLY, WELL, WE PUT 2020 GRAND TO GET US STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HIRE SOMEBODY FOR 20 GRAND TO TRY TO GO? NO.
SO YOU'LL, WHAT YOU'LL DO IS YOU'LL PARTNER WITH SOMEBODY ELSE THAT, THAT DOES IT FOR OTHERS.
SO THEY, WE WOULDN'T BE FULL-TIME, BUT THEY WILL CALL YOU WHEN THEIR CABLE GOES OUT.
MAYOR FIRST
WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU ARE BETTER WHEN WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
GET SOME REST AND STOP STAYING UP ALL NIGHT.
I'M SORRY IT DOESN'T KEEP ME AWAKE.
THE NEXT SECTION OF THE BUDGET FOR YOUR REVIEW IS, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH BEGINS ON PAGE 1 76.
I THINK, UH, JOHN AND LACEY ARE GONNA JOIN FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
LET ME MAKE, UH, TWO OVERVIEW COMMENTS BEFORE LACEY GIVES HER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
UH, THE FIRST IS THAT, UM, LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, YOU, UM, AGREED TO MY RECOMMENDATION TO CREATE A NEW TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
IT HAD BEEN RUN REALLY AS A DIVISION OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR MANY YEARS, AND NOW WE ELEVATED IT TO, UM, TO DEPARTMENT STATUS.
UM, AND THE REASON FOR THAT WAS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VISION FOR WHAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN BE INVOLVED IN BEYOND SIMPLY BEING BUS TRANSIT.
AND, UH, I THINK IN, PROBABLY IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS HAVING A, A STUDY SESSION TO GIVE COUNCIL MORE OF AN UPDATE ABOUT THAT, UM, HOW THAT'S INVOLVED WITH ALL SORTS OF THINGS FROM MICRO TRANSIT TO, TO, TO, TO PEDESTRIANS, UH, UH, THOROUGHFARE AND EV AND SOME OF THE OTHER NEWER TECHNOLOGIES THAT, THAT WARRANT A MORE HOLISTIC LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION.
SO THAT'S IN THE COMING ATTRACTIONS DEPARTMENT.
THE SECOND IS THAT THE, THAT THE LARGEST PERSONNEL CHANGE IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF DECATUR.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PERSONNEL SUMMARY NUMBERS OCCURS HERE IN THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE, AS WE HAVE MENTIONED TO YOU IN THE PAST, UM, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, OF THE CAMPUS DOWN THERE SOUTH OF WOOD STREET, UM, WE'LL BE DOING MORE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND FUELING IN CONJUNCTION WITH PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS TRANSIT.
AND SO THAT CAUSED US TO EVALUATE THE EFFICIENCY AND THE FEASIBILITY ADVANTAGES TO THE CITY OF PUTTING THE, UM, MAINTENANCE SHED THAT WE HAVE AT, AT THE MAIN, AT THE MSC UP ON NORTH JASPER STREET UNDER THE SAME, UH, MANAGEMENT OR AT LEAST MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY AS THE COMPARABLE OPERATION IN THE BUS BARNS.
AND SO WE PLAN TO MAKE THAT CHANGE WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR ON ONE ONE OF 24.
AND SO, UM, AT THE NEXT, I GUESS MONDAY
THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER THINGS IN THAT AMENDMENT AS WELL.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON MONDAY NIGHT.
BUT THAT, THAT, SO THAT WE ARE ADDING EMPLOYEES, BUT THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
THEY'RE BEING TRANSFERRED FROM MV.
UM, LACEY, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO PULL THE MIC UP REAL CLOSE.
SO, UM, THIS YEAR WE ARE SEEING INCREASED REVENUES AS WE DID LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL GRANTS, BUT WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE MORE OF OUR DOWNSTATE OPERATING
[01:00:01]
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.THAT'S OUR DOPE FUNDS FROM IDOT, UM, IN A HIGHER AMOUNT.
HISTORICALLY, UH, DECATUR HAS ONLY BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE AROUND 4 MILLION A YEAR BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE REQUIRED MATCH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE HIT CERTAIN KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, THEY HAVE INCREASED OUR MATCH FROM AROUND 1.8 MILLION UP TO ALMOST 3 MILLION, WHICH ALLOWS US TO LEVERAGE MORE OPERATING DOLLARS.
SO THIS YEAR YOU'LL SEE A HIGHER OPERATING BUDGET OF AROUND 13 MILLION.
SO THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 40 PER 42% OF THIS BUDGET.
THE OTHER 58% ARE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, FROM THE STILL EXPENDING SOME LEFTOVER CARES MONEY.
WE HAVE THE ARP FUNDING, UM, PARTIAL LOW NO EMISSIONS GRANT IS IN HERE.
UM, I DID NOT PUT THE ENTIRE GRANT IN THERE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO EXPEND IT IN THIS NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THIS ALSO ACCOUNTS FOR OUR REBUILD ONE, TWO, AND THREE FUNDINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE.
AND SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I AM HERE TO ANSWER THOSE.
IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MICRO OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, BUSES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW ON OUR ROUTE STUDY.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY IN TOWN LAST WEEK TO DO INTERCEPTOR SURVEYS AND SOME BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
UM, THE MICRO MOBILITY SOLUTIONS FOR DECATUR.
SO MICRO TRANSIT IS ALMOST AN UBER-LIKE, OR TAXI LIKE CONCEPT, UH, WHICH WITH MUCH LOWER RATES MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE.
IT WOULD ALLOW FOR A CURB TO CURB STYLE PICKUP.
UM, AND IT WILL BE ABLE TO ALLOW PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE, MORE MOBILITY OPTIONS.
SO WE CURRENTLY RUN, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR ADA PARATRANSIT OPERATION UPLIFT, THAT IS LIMITED TO CITIZENS WHO CANNOT MENTALLY OR PHYSICALLY NAVIGATE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE.
A MICRO TRANSIT SERVICE WOULD BE SIMILAR, BUT IT WOULD BE OPEN TO EVERYONE.
SO IF YOU HAD THIRD SHIFT WORKERS WHO DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND THE BUSES AREN'T RUNNING, THEN IT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO WORK, CORRECT.
AND IT WOULD, IT IS A MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION THAN RUNNING A FIXED ROUTE SYSTEM.
SO IT WILL, UM, SUPPLEMENT THOSE GAPS IN SERVICES THAT WE'RE SEEING FOR SECOND AND THIRD SHIFT EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE PLANES THAT COME IN AND WE DON'T HAVE A TAXI SERVICE OR TRANSPORTATION TO GET THOSE PEOPLE AROUND.
I JUST WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE JOB YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
I HEAR FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE HOW OUTSTANDING YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IN GETTING GRANTS AND WORKING WITH THEM.
SO THEY ARE VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR WORK.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, MR. MCDANIEL.
UH, WITH THE NEW SERVICE, UH, HOW MANY MORE EMPLOYEES WOULD YOU HAVE TO HAVE WITH MICRO TRANSIT? UM, SO THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING.
UH, WE WOULD PUT OUT A TURNKEY SERVICE.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
THEY, UH, WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING APPLICATIONS OUT RIGHT NOW.
UM, ACTUALLY THERE'S AN EARMARK APPLICATION OUT WITH SENATOR DURBIN, UM, AND THE THUD REQUESTS FOR MICRO TRANSIT.
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS HAS AGREED TO MATCH THAT GRANT WITH OUR DOPE FUNDING, UM, AS LONG AS WE PUT OUT A TURNKEY SOLUTION.
AND SO WE WOULD KNOW MORE ONCE WE HAVE RESPONSES BACK FROM THE RFP.
THEY, JOHN MADE OF A GOOD POINT.
UM, THEY WILL BE, UM, IT WILL BE LESS EXPENSIVE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE MICRO TRANSIT IS NOT GOING TO REQUIRE ACDL.
THOSE ARE, UM, SMALLER PASSENGER VEHICLES, MR. KEHL.
SO DOES THAT OPERATE, DOES THAT OPERATE 24 7? IT COULD OP, YES, IT COULD OPERATE 24 7.
AND SO HOW WOULD A, HOW WOULD A PASSENGER, IS IT LIKE AN APP-BASED PROGRAM LIKE UBER OR HOW WOULD IT WORK? SO, SO FAR, UM, THE ROUTE ANALYSIS, UM, COMPANY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, THEY HAVE SUGGESTED BOTH AN APP-BASED SERVICE AND A CALL-IN CENTER LIKE WE HAVE FOR OUR ADA OPERATION UPLIFT SO THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE A SMARTPHONE CAN STILL ACCESS OR PEOPLE THAT JUST COME INTO DECATUR THAT AREN'T FROM DECATUR.
IT WOULD BE EASIER TO CALL RIGHT.
THAN DOWNLOADING AN APP WOULD BE MY HUNCH.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. COOPER? COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU LOST, YOU LOST ONE EMPLOYEE FROM THAT.
WELL, THE, THE EMPLOYEE YOU RECEIVED FROM IT NOW WENT BACK TO IT.
WAS THAT DUE TO PERSONAL OR OR OPERATIONAL REASONS? WE LOST THAT EMPLOYEE TO WORKING AT THE, WORKING FOR THE STATE.
UH, THE STATE PROVIDED MORE FLEXIBILITY, UH, REMOTE WORK AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THE CITY CAN'T COMPETE WITH, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY.
UM, THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, IN YOUR OPERATING, UH, FUNDING SOURCES, UM, IT
[01:05:01]
APPEARS THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL WITH RICHLAND AND, UH, DDPS.SO THAT IS STILL PENDING AND I THINK THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE LEVERAGE OR BETTER OPTIONS FOR MILLIKEN WHEN A MICRO TRANSIT LIKE SOLUTION COMES AROUND.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANYBODY.
SO, UM, WITH YOUR PERMISSION COUNSEL, I'D LIKE TO JUST BEGIN WITH PAGE 1 44 AND THEN JUST WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRANSIT AND THE ONES WE'VE ALREADY COVERED, JUST WALK THROUGH THE REST OF, OF THE, OF THE BUDGET NOTEBOOK.
THEY'RE ALL EITHER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE VAST MAJORITY 'EM ARE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND A FEW UN IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND RUBY'S HERE FOR THAT.
SO I THINK IT'D BE SIMPLER TO DO THAT THAN FLOPPING BACK AND FORTH.
SO, UM, FUNDS, UH, 34, 42, 44, 45 AND 46 ARE EXPLAINED ON PAGE 1 44.
UM, THEY, UH, UH, AND THEN THE DETAIL IS PROVIDED.
TWO OF THOSE ARE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUNDS AND THE, THE STATE MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND AND THE, AND THE, UM, LO LOCAL MOTOR FUEL TAX FUND THAT, THAT SUPPORT OUR STREET PROGRAM.
UH, MATT, IF YOU AND YOUR TEAM WOULD COME UP TO THE TABLE, WHATEVER QUESTIONS COUNCIL HAS ABOUT THOSE WE CAN DEAL WITH WHILE YOU'RE GETTING THERE.
UM, FUND 34 IS, UM, IS A, IS A CAPITAL FUND FOR OUR BUILDINGS.
WE, WE RUN IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE LIBRARY THROUGH THAT.
UM, FUND 44 IS A SPECIAL FUND THAT, BECAUSE WHEN THE, THE BILL OF ILLINOIS PROGRAM WAS APPROVED THAT HAD, YOU HAD TO HAVE CERTAIN CAPITAL PROJECTS AS WELL THAT WERE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND THAT HAD RUN THROUGH SEPARATE FUND.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I'LL STOP AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS GROUP OF FUNDS.
32, 30 44, 45 AND 46 THAT RUN THROUGH PAGE.
UM, 1 50, 1 51 62, SORRY, THROUGH PAGE 1 59.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. NEWELL THROUGH PAGE 1 59? OKAY.
UM, ON PAGE ONE 60, UH, GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT, AS WE'VE REFERENCED SEVERAL TIMES IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX, UH, OUR SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR BONDED DEBT, OF COURSE IS FOR WATER AND SEWER.
AND SO IT'S SERVICED BY THE WATER AND SEWER FUNDS, BUT THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT IS FUNDED THROUGH THIS FUND 50, WHICH, UM, GETS ITS REVENUES TO SUPPORT THE, THAT THROUGH, PRINCIPALLY THROUGH THE PROPERTY TAX OR THROUGH OTHER GENERAL, UH, FUND REVENUES TO THE EXTENT THAT THE PROPERTY TAX DOESN'T PAY FOR THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? NOPE.
ON PAGE 1 63 ARE OUR INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS AND INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, UM, MEAN THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING SERVICE TO THE OTHER FUNDS.
THEY DON'T PROVIDE EXTERNAL SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WE, BECAUSE CENTRAL GARAGE IS HANDLED, UH, AS A DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, BUT THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE ROLLING STOCK.
UM, THEN THOSE DEPARTMENTS PAY A FEE FOR THEIR, UH, FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
AND IN ORDER TO SEPARATE AND SEGREGATE THOSE, THOSE EXPENDITURES, UM, FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTAL EXPENDITURES, WE HAVE THIS SEPARATE FLEET MAINTENANCE FUND, WHICH IS FUND 60.
UM, FUND 61 IS, IS A FUND THAT WE USE TO ANTICIPATE MAJOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, PRINCIPALLY OF ROLLING STOCK.
THE RISK MANAGEMENT FUND, UH, AND THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FUND THAT FOLLOWS, UH, ARE, ARE FOR THOSE TWO, I MEAN, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS IS WHERE THE GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE MOSTLY RUNS THROUGH AND WE CHARGE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR IT.
IT COMES INTO THIS FUND AND THEN WE PAY OUT CLAIMS AND THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FEES AND EXCESS INSURANCE FEES AND OTHER EXPENSES RELATED TO THAT RISK MANAGEMENT, THE, THE COST OF INSURANCE FOR, FOR THINGS OTHER THAN OUR GROUP EMPLOYEES MOSTLY RUN THROUGH FUND 64, THE RISK MANAGEMENT FUND, BOTH OF THOSE ARE MANAGED BY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE WHICH RUN THROUGH PAGE? UM, 1 75? YEAH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE, UM, WELLNESS PROGRAM.
IT'S ON PAGE 1 75, UH, PROJECTED, UM, COST FOR THIS YEAR WERE 52,000, BUT THEY JUMPED TO 99,000 FOR NEXT YEAR.
IT'S ON THE TOP LINE OF PAGE 1 75.
I MEAN, OUR BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR WAS A HUNDRED
[01:10:01]
THOUSAND WHEN WE WEREN'T CLOSE TO THAT IN EXPENSES.SO, SO THIS IS, UM, WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET THEIR, UM, ANNUAL CHECKUP AND IT'S THE GIFT CARDS THAT WE GIVE OUT TO, UM, UH, PROMOTE THAT.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT FOR FOLKS TO HAVE, GO GET THEIR WELLNESS CHECK BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY CAN IDENTIFY CONTINUING AND ONGOING, UM, HEALTH CONDITIONS THEY MAY HAVE AND THEN, AND THEN KNOW IF THEY NEED TO CONTINUE THEIR MEDICINE, UH, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO, TO HAVE THE NEED FOR THAT, QUITE FRANKLY.
SO ALTHOUGH THIS YEAR, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS, UH, MUCH NEED FOR THAT, WE'RE HOPING THAT NEXT YEAR WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT PROGRAM AND HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO GET THEIR, THEIR WELLNESS CHECK.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL OF THE FEE.
IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME OF THE OTHER PROVIDER VENDORS THAT WE WORK WITH AS WELL.
BUT, BUT THAT'S THE REASON IT'S UP.
WE, WE HAVE HAD TO INCENTIVIZE THE USE OF THE CLINIC.
IT HAS CERTAINLY YIELDED GOOD RESULTS, BUT WE HAVE HAD TO INCENTIVIZE IT, SO PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T TAKE AS MUCH ADVANTAGE OF IT THIS YEAR AS WE HAD HOPED THAT, AND PLUS WE'RE WANTING TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN THE CLINIC.
AND SO AND SO WITH THAT, IF THEY GO GET THEIR PHYSICAL, THEN HOPEFULLY THEY'RE COMING TO THE CLINIC MORE OFTEN TO GET HELP TO, TO GET SERVICES.
SO THEY GET A GIFT CARD FOR GOING TO THE CLINIC ONLY FOR THE PHYSICAL, JUST ONCE A YEAR FOR THE PHYSICAL TO ACTUALLY GET A PHYSICAL, WHICH IDENTIFIES A LOT OF TIMES, CONDITIONS THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
I'M BIG ON PREVENTATIVE HEALTH.
SO PAT, UH, GOING BACK TO THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, UH, DIFFERENT ITEMS WE'VE BOUGHT HERE, THIS, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE JUST, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL, CAN YOU AVERAGE, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING COSTS, LIKE MR. EDWARDS SAID, YOU KNOW, HIS COST OF BUYING EQUIPMENT HAS SKYROCKETED AND I'M SURE ANYBODY THAT'S BOUGHT A CAR RECENTLY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THIS SKY, ANY PERCENTAGE? I'M SORRY, GO AGAIN.
UH, AGAIN, ON THE EQUIPMENT, OF COURSE THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT THE CITY GETS.
UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE? JUST THE AVERAGE, UH, INCREASE, UH, IN, IN, UH, PERCENTAGES OF BUYING EQUIPMENT NOWADAYS WE'RE SEEING A A, UH, WE'RE SEEING A, A LONG WAIT FOR, UH, SUPPLIES AND, UH, MANUFACTURING.
UH, THE, THE ACTUAL INCREASE IN COSTS, UM, IS SIGNIFICANT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT'S IN THE 25% NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT AGAIN, THE DELAY IN GETTING MATERIALS IS, IS STILL REALLY CAUSING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH US, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S HAVING THAT PROBLEM.
THEN YOU CAN JUMP OVER TO PAGE ONE, UM, 80, WHICH IS WHERE OUR DUETS FUND BEGINS.
UM, THE, IT, THERE'S ONLY ONE PAGE.
UM, DUETS IS MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO, UH, TO HELP DEFRAY THE COST OF OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
IT'S NOT A LARGE SECTION OF THE BUDGET, BUT IT HAS TO BE KEPT COMPLETELY SEPARATE BECAUSE THAT'S A REQUIREMENT OF THAT FUNDING SOURCE.
UM, ON PAGES 180 1 AND ONE THROUGH, SORRY, 180 1 THROUGH, UM, 180 6 IS MORE OF THE LINE ITEM DETAIL ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH WE ALREADY COVERED.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND I'LL KEEP MOVING QUESTIONS, ASSUMING THERE ARE NOT, THEN THAT TAKES US TO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
ON PAGE 180, WHICH BEGINS ON 180 7, WE ALREADY COVERED THE FIBER OPTICS FUNDS.
SO I, I'LL DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 1 91, UH, WHICH IS WHERE THE, THE FIRST ONE UP IS, UH, IS STORM SEWER, AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO WATER AND SEWER AFTER THAT.
UH, MATT, ANY KIND OF OVERVIEW THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, UH, LET ME ASK, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY ADOPTED, UH, A, A GRADUATED MULTI-YEAR, UH, INCREASE IN THE STORM SEWER RATES.
UH, THE FIRST YEAR RATES OF THOSE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO YOUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS.
UH, THE, UH, ON PAGE 1 94, THAT TOP NUMBER 2,193,000 INCLUDES THE INCREASE IN THE STORM WATER THAT THE COUNCIL ALREADY APPROVED.
ANYTHING ELSE ON STORM WATER THAT YOU WANT TO ADD, MATT OR PAUL? I THINK WE, WE PUT IT ALL PRETTY MUCH IN THE, UH, IN OUR NAR NARRATIVE.
IF, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR.
THE SANITARY SEWER FUND BEGINS ON PAGE 1 96.
[01:15:06]
AGAIN, IT WAS PRETTY DESCRIPTIVE.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES ANYONE HAS DR. HORN? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, PAGE 1 97, ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE BRUSH COLLEGE PUMP STATION AND THE RAISES BRIDGE SEWER EXTENSION $25 MILLION OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
COULD YOU JUST PROVIDE AN, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT PROJECT IS AND WE'LL START THERE AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THE MONEY.
THE BRUSH COLLEGE PUMP STATION RAISED BRIDGE SEWER EXTENSION IS IN MANY WAYS THE OUTGROWTH OF THE INOVA FEED PROJECT.
UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, BACK IN 2020 AS PART OF THE INOVA FEED PROJECT, AT THAT TIME, THE CITY AGREED TO PROVIDE SEWER TO THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT, UH, SPECIFICALLY RAYS BRIDGE BRUSH COLLEGE WHERE THERE IS NO SEWER SERVICE CURRENTLY.
AND SO, AS PART OF THE INCENTIVE AGREEMENT FOR ANOVA FEED, UH, THE CITY AGREED TO PROVIDE, UH, SANITARY SEWER SERVICES FOR THE NEW IN ANOVA SEED PROJECT IN THE CITY.
UH, AS PART OF THAT, RDA EXPECTED THEM TO PROVIDE A SMALL CONTRIBUTION AS WELL, BUT THE BULK OF IT WAS PUBLIC AT THAT TIME.
I THINK THE, WHEN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR THAT SEWER LIFT STATION WAS ABOUT A ONE MGD SEWER LIFT STATION, THAT WAS PRIOR TO LG CHEMS ANNOUNCEMENT, THAT WAS PRIOR TO BROADWING POWER PLANT'S ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND THAT SEWER LIFT STATION HAS NOW GROWN FROM ONE MGD TO I BELIEVE FIVE OR SIX MGD IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT NOW.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, WE NOT ONLY ARE PUTTING OR DESIGNING TO PUT A SEWER LIFT STATION ON THE WEST SIDE OF, OF BRUSH COLLEGE, BUT WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING THE AREA TO THE EAST OF BRUSH COLLEGE ALONG RAYS BRIDGE WHERE THERE IS MORE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE, UH, SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL PROJECT THAT ADM HAD TALKED ABOUT AT THE COMMUNITY BREAKFAST BACK IN THE SUMMER, UH, EARLIER THIS SUMMER FOR THOSE THAT WERE THERE, UH, WAS AN ANTICIPATED PROJECT, UH, THAT IS MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, AREA IS ALSO ON SEWARD.
AND SO THAT LIFT STATION IS BEING DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO THAT LIFT STATION, UH, HAS CONTINUED TO GROW AND GROW, UH, WITH THE NEW INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, WITH THE ABILITY TO ALSO CONNECT, UH, THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS ALL THE WAY OUT TO CHRISTMAS TREE LANE, ET CETERA.
COUNCILMAN HORNER, I'M GLAD THAT YOU BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THIS ITEM, UH, BECAUSE IT, IN SOME WAYS IS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE CONVERSATION THAT THE COUNCIL HAD AT THE STUDY SESSION DOWN AT THE SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT ON SEPTEMBER 25, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT MOSTLY WATER, BUT ALSO SEWER, ADDITIONAL CAPITAL EXPENSES NECESSARY TO SUPPORT, UM, THE SUCCESS OF, OF LOCATING THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT MR. KINSEY HAS MENTIONED AND OTHERS THAT, UH, THAT ARE YET TO COME.
I THINK THAT, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD TO JOHN'S EXPLANATION, WHICH WAS PRETTY THOROUGH, IS THAT, UM, AS WITH WATER, IT'S CERTAINLY OUR EXPECTATION THAT ONCE THE ACTUAL LOADINGS ARE FINALIZED, THAT IS THAT SOME SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THIS AMOUNT WOULD BE NEGOTIATED TO BE PAID FOR BY THE, BY THE INDUSTRIAL USERS AS TAP FEES.
AND NOT ALL OF IT GOES ONTO THE, UH, ONTO, ONTO THE RATE BASE.
UH, BUT THAT NUMBER IS STILL, UM, SOMEWHAT FLUID AS WE TRY TO GET A HANDLE ON EXACTLY HOW MUCH, UH, WASTE STREAM THERE'S GONNA BE FROM THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT.
FORGIVE ME, MY MEMORY IS A LITTLE BIT HAZY, BUT WHEN WE VOTED ON THE NOVA FEED SEWER EXTENSION, MY RECOLLECTION WAS IT WAS ABOUT A $2 MILLION PROJECT, RIGHT? AND NOW WE'RE ADDING, AND NOW WE'VE GOT LG CHEM THAT HAS ANNOUNCED IT'S COMING IN.
AND IS BROADWING THE, AN ENTITY OF WARWICK? AM I, DO I HAVE THAT? YES.
AND WARWICK IS CONSIDERING, UH, MOVING IN AND MAKING MORE POSITIVE STEPS TOWARD COMING.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY OF THE SEWER PUMP STATION.
BUT THEN YOU ALSO MENTIONED RAISE BRIDGE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OR ACTUAL ANNOUNCED DEVELOPMENT, IF I CAN PUT IT BLUNTLY, IT WAS ANNOUNCED TO DEV, IT WAS ANNOUNCED DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS SINCE, UH, BEEN PUT IN JEOPARDY, IF I CAN PUT IT THAT WAY.
UM, AND THAT IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE CALL THE, UH, THERE'S VARIOUS NAMES FOR IT, JUST LIKE BROAD BROADWING IS A CODE NAME FOR WHAT WAS LATER ANNOUNCED AS WARWICK.
[01:20:01]
UH, WE CALL THE PROJECT MAVERICK.UM, BUT IT IS THE SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL, UH, ETHANOL PLANT FOR, FOR, UH, AIRPLANE, UH, FUEL.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, UH, PARTNERS, J UH, JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS THAT ADM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THAT, THAT OUR STAFF HAS HAD TO, UH, UH, ACCOMMODATE FOR AND, AND WORK WITH.
UM, AND SO WE, THE RAISE BRIDGE SEWER EXTENSION IS THE BRUSH COLLEGE PUMP STATION IS ALL THAT'S NECESSARY TODAY.
UH, THAT, THAT MUCH I CAN SAY HOWEVER, THAT LIFT STATION NEEDS TO BE DESIGNED AND ANTICIPATE ANY POTENTIAL GRAVITY, SEWER, UH, OR SEWER THAT THE CITY WOULD EVER WANT TO DO EAST OF, OF BRUSH COLLEGE ON RAISED BRIDGE, BECAUSE THAT AREA IS ENTIRELY ON SEWARD AS WELL.
AND SO THIS SEWER LIFT STATION IS BEING DESIGNED, IT WAS BEING DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT PROJECT.
NOW IT IS AT LEAST BEING DESIGNED TO ANTICIPATE A SEWER EXTENSION FURTHER TO THE EAST AS IT'S NECESSARY.
COUNCILMAN HORNE, YOUR RECOLLECTION IS LARGELY CORRECT ABOUT WHAT THE EXPECTATION WAS IF IT ONLY SERVICED IN IN NOVA FEED.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT HAS HAS MUCH CHANGED.
WHAT'S CHANGED IS THAT WE'RE GROWING THE CO THE, UH, THE SIZE OF IT BECAUSE OF ADDITIONAL DEMAND AND, UH, AND DI AND, UM, INDUSTRY LOCATION DECISIONS.
UH, AND I'D ALSO SAY THAT, UM, AT THIS STAGE, THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE FLOWS AND LOADING IS STILL VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A FIRM HANDLE ON.
AND WE WILL BE SPENDING THE NEXT, UH, YEAR OR SO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT NUMBER IS SO WE CAN BE MORE PRECISE THAN, THAN THE GENERAL NUMBER THAT WE, OR THAN THE ESTIMATE THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU ON PAGE 1 97.
WOULDN'T THAT BE COST MY CON, WOULDN'T IT BE COST SAVINGS BY THINKING AHEAD THEN, THEN BUILDING ONE THING AND THEN EIGHT WE GOTTA EXPAND IT? WELL, IT'S NOT ONLY COST SAVINGS BY THINKING AHEAD, IT'S ALSO COST SAVINGS BY COMBINING THEM RATHER THAN BUILDING SEPARATE, UH, FORCE MAINS AND LIFT STATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES.
FAR MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO COMBINE THEM, BUT THAT IT, BUT THAT'S MORE OF A PLANNING CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH DR. HORN.
WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE WATER STUDY SESSION, I'D URGE CITY STAFF TO HAVE A GOOD SENSE FOR WHAT PROJECTS ARE COMING BECAUSE $25 MILLION IS A LOT MORE THAN $2 MILLION, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KNOWN PLAN DEVELOPMENT LIKE INOVA FEED, LG CHEM, AND BROAD WING, THAT'S ONE THING.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN AND THAT'S ADDING $10 MILLION TO THE COST, THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
AND SO I REALIZE THAT IS A, A FINE LINE FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO, UM, THINK ABOUT, BUT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENCES OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THE RAISE BRIDGE SEWER EXTENSION THAT WOULD CONNECT TO THE LIFT STATION IS ADDING 3 MILLION, POTENTIALLY 5 MILLION.
THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THAT PRO THAT THAT PROJECT HAS FALLEN APART IS LITERALLY NEW TO THE CITY WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
AND SO AFTER THIS BUDGET WAS PREPARED, WAS WHEN THAT, UH, THAT ANNOUNCEMENT CAME.
UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, MEETINGS, UH, WITH ADM, UH, RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING TO, TO REALLY HEAR THE STORY MORE DIRECTLY, UH, AND AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE CITY'S, UH, SEWER DESIGN AND, AND FOR THE PROJECT.
BUT, BUT IT IS ADDING THREE, MAYBE, UH, MAYBE 5 MILLION TO THAT 25.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT THE 25 MILLION IS A CONSERVATIVE NUMBER.
REALISTICALLY, WE BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT LESS THAN THAT EVEN IF WE DO THE FULL PROJECT.
UM, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE WE WERE PREVIOUSLY, WHERE IT WAS UNDERESTIMATED CONTINUES TO GROW INCREMENTALLY, AND, AND WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND SAY THAT IT'S EVEN MORE THAN WHAT, UH, WAS ANTICIPATED.
I REALLY, I KNOW YOU INDICATED THAT YOU, YOU MAY GONNA KIND OF ASK THE COMPANIES TO CONTRIBUTE SOMEWHAT.
UM, I THINK WE NEED, WE NEED TO GET MORE SERIOUS THAN A DONATION.
UM, THEY, WE TALKING ABOUT BILLION COMPANIES MAKING BILLIONS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THEM OFFSET MORE OF THE COST.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A $25 MILLION PROJECTS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A FIGURE TO GIVE THEM OTHER THAN WE'D LIKE YOU TO GIVE US A DONATION.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, IT IS FAIRLY COMMON IN CITIES THAT HOST LARGE INDUSTRIAL, UH, COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE LARGE WATER AND SEWER CUSTOMERS, TO REQUIRE AS A CONDITION OF THEIR CONNECTION, ESSENTIALLY MAKING IT A PART OF THE RATE BASE FOR THEM TO HAVE SPECIAL CHARGES, UM, THAT ARE, THAT, THAT REFLECT THE UNIQUE DEMANDS THAT THEY PUT ON THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE, IT'S NOT REALLY AKIN TO ASKING FOR A DONATION.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A SPECIAL CHARGE UNIQUE TO THAT INDUSTRY.
[01:25:01]
QUESTIONS? DR. HORN OR COMMENTS? SO PAGE 1 97, NUMBER FOUR, PART A TALKS ABOUT $17 MILLION PROJECT.I'M SORRY, I DID NOT LOOK THIS UP BEFORE THE MEETING.
IS THAT THE SAME COST THAT WE HAD WHEN WE VOTED ON THIS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO? I BELIEVE SO, YES, I BELIEVE SO.
UM, AND THEN PAGE 1 97, PART FOUR C, FLORIAN BASIN AND TARGET AREA THREE AND LOSS BRIDGE NORTH.
IS THIS PROJECT PART OF THE, UM, EPA CONSENT? CORRECT.
I GUESS WE, WE'D, WE'D, UH, QUALIFY THAT AND THAT THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO THAT PORTION OF THE CONSENT ORDER.
UH, WE'VE JUST RECENTLY HEARD BACK FROM THEM SAYING, YOU KNOW, HOW'S IT GOING CITI? UH, BUT UH, WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN MUCH FROM THEM, SO IT IS NOT, THAT IS WHAT WE PROPOSED TO THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM THAT THEY WANTED US TO IDENTIFY AND FIX.
AND, UH, THAT IS, SO WE PROPOSE THAT TO THEM AS A FIX, WHICH, UH, WE HAVE HEARD CRICKETS BILLY FROM THEM ON.
JUST AS A FOLLOW UP ON THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, LOOKING AT PAGE 1 96, PART TWO, AN OVERHEAD SEWER PROGRAM, LATERAL EMERGENCY PROGRAM, RIGHT? WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING NOW A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FUNDING FOR, UM, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS TO INSTALL BACKUP PREVENTION DEVICES.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET OF 250,000, SO 25 RESIDENTS, RIGHT? AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TARGET AREA SIX, FLORIAN BASIN COST OF $15 MILLION.
AND SO IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF WAY TO MODEL WHAT THE MOST VULNERABLE PROPERTIES WERE AND TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES AT THE PROPERTY LEVEL, I WOULD PREDICT THAT WE WOULD SUB, WE WOULD SAVE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONEY.
AND SO I, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MODELING TECHNIQUES ARE AVAILABLE, BUT THERE'S SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO, UH, THIS, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS WHEN THERE MIGHT BE A LESS EXPENSIVE WAY.
WELL, I WOULD, UH, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE CHEAPER TO BUY EVERYBODY A A, UH, AN OVERHEAD SEWER, UH, IN SOME OF THESE PLACES.
BUT, UH, THE OVERHEAD SEWERS WILL NOT KEEP THE WATER FROM JUMPING OUT OF THE MANHOLES, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A PROBLEM WE'VE HAD IN ALL OF THESE AREAS THAT IT'S, IT IS SURCHARGING IN THE MANHOLES.
AND, UH, THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THOSE, THE, THE, THE EPA WANTS US TO FIX THE PROBLEM, NOT JUST, UH, UH, YEAH, THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM.
AND, UH, AND THAT WAS 'CAUSE THAT YOU, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT WOULD BE MUCH CHEAPER TO, TO DO THAT.
BUT, UH, THEY, THEY WANT THE PROBLEM FIXED, UH, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, UH, JUST GIVING MORE COUGH MEDICINE.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANT, THEY WANT THE, THE CURE IN IN PLACE.
IT, IT'S PROBABLY WORTH NOTING THAT THE NUMBER OF BA BASE BASEMENT BACKUPS WE'VE HAD, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE OVERHEAD SEWER IS INTENDED TO DO, IS KEEP PEOPLE FROM HAVING BASEMENT BACKUPS.
THE NUMBER OF BASEMENT BACKUPS SINCE THE U-S-E-P-A WAS INTERACTING WITH THE CITY ON THE CONSENT DECREE HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY.
UM, AND IT'S DROPPED DRAMATICALLY, BOTH BECAUSE OF THE OVERHEAD SEWER PROGRAM AND PROBABLY MORE BECAUSE OF THE SEWER SEPARATION PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH KEEPS THAT OVERFLOW FROM HITTING THE MANHOLES.
OTHER QUESTIONS IN THIS AREA, OR ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON? THE SEWER FUND DETAIL PAGES GO THROUGH PAGE 2 0 9.
UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS THROUGH PAGE 2 0 9? I DON'T THINK SO.
SO, UM, THE WATER FUND BEGINS ON PAGE TWO 10 AND WE BRING A
[01:30:01]
NEW CAST OF CHARACTERS.SO I'LL, I'M MATT, ARE YOU GIVING THE OVERVIEW? YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
UM, I SEE WE DIDN'T EVEN NEED A CAST OF CHARACTERS.
WE'VE GOT OUR OWN NOW I'LL JUST MAKE ONE GENERAL COMMENT ABOUT THIS IS THAT, UM, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO PLANNING, UH, NOT JUST IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT, BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, YOU GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT, UH, BUT A YEAR OR SO AGO, MAYBE MORE TO THE CDM SMITH REPORT, WHICH HAD A PLANNING HORIZON, UH, TO YOUR CREDIT OF 2050 FOR OUR WATERLINE AND WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE SOLD BONDS, UH, AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME WHEN THE, WHEN THE RATES WERE REALLY LOW, MOSTLY TECHNICALLY FOR WATER AND SEWER, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT MOST OF IT WILL GO TO WATER.
UM, EVEN THOUGH, UH, WE HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE WATER FUND AND IN THE WATER BOND FUND TO SUPPORT THESE PROJECTS.
UH, THESE ARE, THESE ARE EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, UH, AND THE, UM, AND THERE WILL BE THE AMOUNT IN THE WATER BOND FUND AND WHAT'S COMING IN THE, UM, ASSUMING NORMAL AND REASONABLE RATE INCREASES IN WATER STILL IS NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH TO PAY FOR ALL THE CAPITAL GOING IN IN THE NEXT, UH, FIVE YEARS OR SO.
AND SO THERE'LL LIKELY BE A NEED FOR ANOTHER BOND ISSUE AT SOME POINT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY NOW, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TO GO TO THE MARKET RIGHT NOW ANYWAY 'CAUSE IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE GOING TO THE MARKET.
UM, BUT, UH, THE FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN I HAD THE PLEASURE OF STARTING AS YOUR MANAGER, THE CITY WAS REALLY JUST EXHAUSTED FROM THE SEVERAL YEARS OF, OF DREDGING WORK THAT YOU HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN LAKE DECATUR, UH, WITHOUT NECESSARILY A CLEAR PLAN ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, BOTH FOR BRINGING, MODERNIZING BOTH THE WATER TREATMENT AND THE WATER DELIVERY SYSTEM AND PLANNING FOR, AND, UH, USING WATER AND TO A SECOND, TO A SECONDARY EXTENT, SEWER AS AN INDUSTRIAL RECRUITMENT METHOD.
I BELIEVE THAT NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE PLANS IN PLACE AND, AND IT'S CLEAR WHERE WE'RE MUCH CLEARER WHERE WE'RE GOING, UH, FOR THE WATER SYSTEM, NOT ONLY TO, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR USERS, BUT ALSO FOR THE BENEFIT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S ALL PAID FOR THROUGH 2050.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE, THEY'LL HAVE TO BE, UH, MORE DISCUSSION IN, IN THE YEARS AHEAD ABOUT, UM, ABOUT ADDITIONAL BONDS, ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE CHARGING FOR INDUSTRIAL CONNECTION FEES AND SO FORTH, UM, MEET THOSE GOING FORWARD.
SO THE, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FAIRLY LARGE, EVEN IN THE SHORT TERM, SOME FAIRLY LARGE EXPENSES DOWN AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UM, THAT, THAT WE DISCUSSED ON, ON SEPTEMBER 25, CHIEF AMONG THEM BEING THE CHANGE OUT OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND THE, UM, UH, LIME FEED SYSTEMS DOWN THERE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MATT AND IF HE, HE HAS NO ADDITIONAL REMARKS TO, TO YOUR QUESTIONS, THE WATER FUND IN THE BUDGET RUNS, UM, QUITE A WISE THROUGH PAGE 200 AND, UM, THROUGH PAGE 239.
SO TWO 10 TO 2 39 IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE BIG EXPENSES AS COUNCILMAN HORNE WAS BRINGING UP PAGE TWO 20 AND THE, UM, CAPITAL NEEDS THROUGH 2028, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
IS THIS GONNA BE PAID FOR OUT OF, DO WE KNOW IT'S PAID FOR OUT OF A COMBINATION OF, OF GRANTS AND OF, UH, AND OF BONDS AND OF SEWER USER FEES AND FUND BALANCE? DR. HORN IN REGARDS TO WATER PROJECTS AND PARTICULARLY WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS, IF WE LOOK BACK AT THE INTER REPORT, THERE OPTIONS FOR PIPELINES TO BRING WATER FROM POINT A TO B OR BASICALLY TO USE, UH, THINGS LIKE FRIENDS CREEK AS A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FROM FROM THE DEWITT WELLS TO, UM, UH, IN THIS CASE TO THE LAKE DECATUR.
AND IN MY READINGS OF THE BUDGET, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, YOU'RE LEANING TOWARD USING PIPELINES TO TRANSPORT WATER, UM, WHICH WOULD BE A MORE EXPENSIVE OPTION.
SO I'D LIKE JUST SOME COMMENTS ON USING PIPELINES AS A WAY TO TRANSPORT WATER, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY,
[01:35:05]
I GUESS, UH, COUNCILMAN HORN, THE, UH, THAT IT IS HOW YOU WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT IF IT IS AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY, I THINK WE ARE GENERALLY OKAY WITH IT BEING FRIENDS CREEK.IF IT IS A, UH, NEEDED WATER TO AUGMENT THE, THE CITY'S WATER SYSTEM TO, TO SUPPLY LIKE ADDITIONAL, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT IS OCCURRING THAT YOU NEED THE WATER, UH, THEN, THEN THE MORE RELIABLE WAY TO GET IT WOULD BE THROUGH A PIPELINE.
IF, IF IT NEEDS TO BE A, AN ONGOING, REGULAR WATER SOURCE THAT THE CITY, UH, NEEDS TO RELY ON AS, AS AN EMERGENCY SOURCE.
I, I BELIEVE WE'RE, WE'RE STILL ONLINE WITH, WITH, UH, DUMPING IT IN A PRINCE CREEK AND, AND RECEIVING THAT WE LOSE 30, 30 TO 40% OF THAT WATER, UH, THAT WAY WE, WE KEEP A HUNDRED PERCENT OF IT.
THE, UH, INTERS HAS STATED THAT THE DEWITT WELL FIELD COULD MAINTAIN A SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, UH, ONGOING IF, IF WE NEEDED THAT, THAT WATER AND WE NEEDED IT, UH, AT, AT SOME POINT IN THE CITY.
COUNCILMAN MCDANIEL, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO, I REMEMBER YOU SAID IT WAS AROUND A 30% IN THAT AREA, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO GO BY PIPE AND LOSE, UH, LOSE ALL THAT, THAT WATER BY GOING TO THE CREEK UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
SO DR. HORNE, WELL, I, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT RIGHT, THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PIPELINES AND USING FRIENDS CREEK IS IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND SO, UM, LIKE WITH, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, SEWER, IT IS CRITICAL FOR THE CITY TO GET THAT CORRECT BECAUSE IT MAY VERY WELL BE LESS EXPENSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE FOR US TO MOVE THE WATER FROM THE NEWLY PURCHASED LAND TO THE CURRENT LAND AND THEN PUT IT IN FRIENDS CREEK.
AND THAT WOULD BE A QUICK WAY TO ACCESS A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER SUSTAINABLY, ALTHOUGH ALBEIT WITH LESS, UM, WITH LOSS OF EFFICIENCY.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THEN IT WOULD BE TO CREATE A DIRECT PIPELINE AND THIS IS DECISIONS THAT ARE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND, AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING SO TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
I I DIDN'T REMEMBER THE ENTIRE REPORT EXACTLY, BUT YES, I, THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION TOO.
UM, SECOND, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND DO WE HAVE A SENSE, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN IN, I THINK WE'RE IN YEAR FOUR OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING.
UH, IN 2024 IT'D BE FOUR YEARS.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE PROJECTS WHERE WE CAN SAY, WE'VE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF SEDIMENT ENTERING LAKE DECATUR BY 10%, OR WE'VE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS ENTERING LAKE DECATUR BY 25%.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT LEVEL OF RESULTS? I'VE BEEN ELECTED TO TRY FIRST, UM, AS WE, AS WE DISCUSSED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN SEPTEMBER AT THE SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLANT, UM, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF WORK IN OUR WATERSHED EFFORTS IS JUST BEING UNDERTAKEN.
AND THAT'S THE ALMOST $10 MILLION USDA GRANT, UM, THAT THAT WILL, THAT WILL REALLY START TO COME INTO BLOSSOM NEXT YEAR AS OUR, UH, LANDOWNERS, FARM MANAGERS AND TENANT FARMERS START TO SIGN UP FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT THAT GRANT IS OFFERING THEM.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION MORE DIRECTLY, UM, WE ALSO DISCUSS SOME OF THE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT.
NOT ANYWHERE NEAR 10% REDUCTION IN SEDIMENT NUTRIENT FLOW INTO THE LAKE, BUT, BUT WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY SLOWLY BUT SURELY.
UM, ANOTHER WAY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS, THE FIRST YEAR OF THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WAS REALLY ONE OF ORGANIZATION OF, OF WRITING GRANTS, OF SEEING WHO OUR PARTNERS REALLY ARE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN ASSISTING THE CITY.
'CAUSE WE CERTAINLY CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
UM, SO THE FIRST YEAR IS REALLY, WAS REALLY A PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL YEAR.
UM, ALSO THE FIRST YEAR INCLUDED THE PLANNING AND INSTALLATION OF THE WATER QUALITY MONITORING NETWORK THAT WILL EITHER PROVE OR DISPROVE FROM A SCIENTIFIC STANDPOINT WHETHER OUR EFFORTS ARE DOING GOOD OR NOT DOING GOOD.
UM, AS WE'VE STATED BEFORE, OUR WATERSHED IS HUGE,
[01:40:01]
926 SQUARE MILES OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS.AND IN ORDER TO PROVE BY WATERSHED MONITORING, WHETHER YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT, WE'LL TAKE SEVERAL YEARS OF DATA WITH A LITTLE BIT OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS TO EITHER PROVE OR DISPROVE WHETHER WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BENEFICIAL OR NOT, OR COST EFFECTIVE, I GUESS WOULD BE MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO PHRASE IT.
'CAUSE ANYTHING THAT WE DO IS BENEFICIAL.
IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION OF IS IT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING OR DO EVEN MORE.
I I'M JUST SAYING I'M A STRONG SUPPORTER OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT.
I'M STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE PLAN, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT BASED ON WHAT NORTHWATER REPORTS ARE, 50% OF THE SEDIMENT IS COMING FROM MACON COUNTY AND WE DO KNOW BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
AND SO AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE, WE, WE NEED TO MAKE A, A, A DIFFERENCE, UM, IN THE AMOUNT OF SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENTS COMING IN TO THE LAKE.
UM, NEXT TOPIC FOR ME ON WATER, IF THAT'S OKAY, MAYOR.
UM, AGAIN, IS IS PAGE 220 AND THERE, THERE IS, IT LOOKS LIKE 1.1, ONE POINT, UH, $1 MILLION IN BOAT RAMP IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS.
COULD YOU DISCUSS THAT? UM, I, I AM NOT A BOATER, SO I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO IMPROVE A BOAT RAMP, BUT $800,000 DOES SOUND LIKE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO THE NELSON PARK BOAT RAMPS WERE BUILT IN THE 1960S AND THEY ARE NEARING THE END OF THEIR EXPECTED LIFE EXPECTANCY.
IN TERMS OF BEING SERVICEABLE.
WE'VE DONE SOME MINOR REPAIRS TO THE CONCRETE, UH, THE REPAIRS HAVE HELD UP FAIRLY WELL.
UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE CHALLENGE THAT THE WALKWAYS IN BETWEEN THE RAMPS WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WALK ON THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THEIR BOAT AND GET ON AND OFF THEIR BOAT, UH, THOSE ARE NOT ADA UH, UH, THEY DON'T MEAN ADA STANDARDS, AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT STANDARDS.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO, UM, REPLACE AT LEAST PART OF THOSE WALKWAYS TO MEET THE ADA STANDARDS.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THE, UH, THE BOAT RAMPS ARE, ARE FAIRLY DEEP AND IN ORDER TO, UH, REPLACE THE CONCRETE BOAT RAMPS, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.
ONE IS TO DEWATER THE AREA WITH, UH, WITH COFFER DAMS, WHICH ARE TEMPORARY WALLS THAT ARE BUILT.
AND THEN YOU PUMP THE WATER OUT FROM BEHIND THE WALLS.
UH, ANOTHER OPTION IS TO USE PRECAST CONCRETE SLABS AND THEN SLIDE THEM, UH, FROM THE TOP OF THE RAMPS DOWN INTO THE WATER AND HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ANGLE AND THE RIGHT ANCHORING SYSTEM AND THOSE WOULD WORK WELL ALSO.
THOSE ARE NOT CHEAP EITHER, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE $780,000, UH, BUDGET IS OUR ESTIMATE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE THINK IT WOULD COST TO, UM, REPLACE THOSE RAMPS TO THE QUALITY THAT OUR, OUR CITIZENS HAVE BEEN USED TO, UH, WITH GOOD WALKWAYS AS WELL.
WELL, AS I'VE BEEN MENTIONING THROUGHOUT, I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO PROCEED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THEM WHILE KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE NUMBER OF BOATERS IS FLAT AT BEST IN 2023 COMPARED TO 2022 AND IS DECLINING, UM, OVERALL, IF WE LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY.
AND SO, UM, I I, I PERSONALLY AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF INCREASING WATER RATES.
6% OF SAYING WE CAN'T FIND A WAY TO STOP WATER SHUTOFFS DURING EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS.
AND THEN SAYING WE NEED $800,000 FOR NEW BOAT RAMPS, AND I REALIZE THEY'RE DIFFERENT SUBJECTS, BUT IT IS THE PERCEPTION ISSUE HERE THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
OTHER COMMENTS, MR. KEHL? I WAS JUST, UH, ONE THING CAUGHT MY EYE WAS THEFT OF SERVICE AND YOU HAVE A 15%, I GUESS, UH, OF UNACCOUNTED WATER.
HOW MUCH OF THAT 15% IS THEFT OF SERVICE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR YOU DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY'RE STEALING IT AND WE DON'T KNOW.
DO I GET THIS ON YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE IT REALLY CLOSE.
THEY, UH, WE, WE DO CATCH QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT THEFT THE SERVICE.
'CAUSE WE HAVE THAT AAMI SYSTEM.
SO IF THEY'RE CONNECTED TO THAT AND
[01:45:01]
THEY'RE, UH, THEY'VE BEEN SHUT OFF, WE, WE DO FIND THEM AND, UH, THEIR NEIGHBORS NORMALLY TURN 'EM IN, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T LIKE SOMEBODY GETTING SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT GETTING FOR FREE.SO, UH, SO THAT, AND BASICALLY THAT 15% IS WATER PUMPED VERSUS WATER BUILD.
AND THEN I, WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN HERE ALL THE OTHER APPROXIMATELY 3% WHAT WE HAVE TO USE FOR MAINTENANCE AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE WATER MAIN FAILURES, FLUSHING, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT I'D HAVE TO SAY THEFT, THEFT IS VERY SMALL.
I, I JUST NOTICED IT WASN'T IN YOUR PROACTIVE WEEK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
THERE WAS TWO OR THREE CATEGORIES, BUT THE THEFT OF SERVICE WASN'T ONE.
WE, EVERY YEAR, OR AT LEAST TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR, WE LOOK AT INACTIVE ACCOUNTS AND WE GO OUT AND VERIFY THAT THEY'RE ON OR OFF.
WE DO SURVEYS ON THEM, AND THAT COULD GET UP TO ABOUT THREE OR 400.
MR. COOPER, I THINK, UM, COUNCILMAN COPE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR'S BUDGET IN THE, UM, PHASE 2 21 ON YOUR REVENUES, THE DUCK BLIND FEES, AND YOU BASICALLY LEFT IT THE SAME.
UM, WASN'T THERE, WAS THERE ANY WORK DONE? I I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME WORK BEING DONE TO RECHECK THE LIST AND THE LIST PROBABLY WERE GONNA GO DOWN OR WHAT, OR DID THEY STAY THE SAME? WHERE WE AT WITH THOSE DUCK BLINDS? SO RECENTLY CITY STAFF, UH, REVISITED HOW THOSE DUCK BLINDS ARE, UM, ASSIGNED TO PEOPLE.
UH, BECAUSE WE HAD A VERY LONG WAITING LIST AND WE HAD SOME VACANTS, HE'S UP THERE AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO JUST RENEW AND REFRESH THE PROCESS TO BE FAIR TO FOLKS THAT WANTED TO ACTUALLY HUNT VERSUS THOSE THAT WERE ON THE LIST 15 YEARS AGO AND THEY NO LONGER ARE INTERESTED IN HUNTING.
SO THE NUMBER OF SPOTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR, UH, ANNUAL PERMITS DID NOT INCREASE OR DECREASE.
THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE A CHANGE IN REVENUE, MR. KEHL, NO, SORRY.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS DID THAT CREATED A BUNCH MORE, CREATED MORE FAIRNESS FOR THE DUCK BLIND AND, UH, THE SPORTSMANSHIP OUT THERE.
I WANTED TO GO BACK TO MR. HORN OR DR.
HORN'S STATEMENT ON THE BOAT RAMP IMPROVEMENTS DESPITE THE PERMITS YOU'RE SEEING, WE'RE WE'RE, WE HAVE A VENDOR THAT'S BUILDING MORE AND MORE DOCKS WITH BECAUSE OF THE DRAW OUT THERE.
THESE DOCS, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB MAINTAINING, BUT THEY ARE UNSAFE.
AND THE ADA QUALIFICATION IS FOR THE ENTIRE PUBLIC, THOSE THAT HAVE LIMITATIONS AS WELL.
SO I COMMEND THEM FOR TAKING THIS STEP AND GETTING US UP TO DATE AND CREATE A MORE SAFE LOADING UNLOADING ZONE.
AND WE, WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT ISSUES FOR YEARS OUT THERE, AND FINALLY THAT'S, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THAT UNDERTAKING.
SO I COMMEND THEM FOR TAKING THAT STEP.
JUST, UH, GO BACK JUST, JUST A STATEMENT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SEDIMENT.
I BELIEVE I ASKED THIS QUESTION WHEN WE WERE AT THE, UH, AT OUR, UH, MEETING OUT AT THE, UH, UH, WATERWORKS.
UM, TRYING TO GET FARMERS ON BOARD IS PRETTY TOUGH TO GET IN ACTIVE IN HELPING REDUCE SEDIMENT.
THAT'S WHAT WAS IS THAT, THAT'S STILL TRUE, RIGHT? UH, YES.
IN FACT, WE HAD A MEETING WITH OUR STAFF THAT WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THE FARMERS AND FARM MANAGERS AND TENANT FARMERS, AND IT'S A TOUGH SELL.
UM, IT'S SURPRISING EVEN THOUGH WE ARE FUNDING UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST ON SOME OF THESE, UH, LAND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND ALTERNATIVES THAT, UM, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS PEOPLE, UM, THEY ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF, OF WHAT THEY SHOULD DO FOR THEIR PROPERTY.
AND RIGHTLY SO, IT'S THEIR PROPERTY, NOT OURS.
BUT IT IS A CHALLENGE AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER WAYS TO MARKET IT, OTHER WAYS TO MAYBE PARTNER OUR, OUR PROGRAMS WITH PROGRAMS THAT THEY MIGHT ALREADY BE USING TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME SYNERGY THERE TO GET MORE SIGNUPS.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILMAN COPE'S COMMENT, YOU KNOW, YEP.
WE NEED TO HAVE ADA COMPLIANT DOCS AND IF THEY'RE NOT ADA COMPLIANT, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT THE COST OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ARE BECAUSE $800,000 IS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR, UM, UH, REVENUE STREAM THAT IS, IS FLAT AT BEST AND USAGE THAT IS FLAT AT BEST.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, THE POTENTIAL COSTS ARE, BUT THAT, THAT, UH, DEFINITELY, UH, CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
IN FAIRNESS, I, I THINK THE EXPECTATION IS THAT USAGE IS GONNA GROW IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND THE PARK DISTRICT HAS BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY ELEVATING
[01:50:01]
EVERYTHING DOWN AT THE LAKE.SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE AN INCREASE.
UH, I ACTUALLY HEARD THE OPPOSITE.
I HAD A FRIEND OF MINE THAT HAS A HOME ON THE WAKE AND SAID THEY'D NEVER SEEN THE WAKE BUSIER THIS YEAR, AND THEY WERE COMPLAINING, HOW MANY MORE DOCKS ARE YOU GONNA BUILD? SO I'M NOT SURE WHO, WHO TO LISTEN TO, BUT I GUESS THERE'S TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.
I I'M JUST USING THE STATISTICS THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF NUMBER OF PASSES AND AMOUNT OF GALLONS OF GAS.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS SEGMENT? THE WATER FUND, LIKE I SAID, GOES THROUGH PAGE 2 39.
UH, AND IT'S DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THAT SEGMENT? NOPE.
THEN THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE BUDGET EMPHASIS ON LAST IS THE AUTONOMOUS FUNDS.
THESE ARE AUTONOMOUS FUNDS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CONTROLLED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR BY THE MANAGEMENT.
UH, THEY OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE DECATUR MUNICIPAL BAND.
UM, THE DECATUR LIBRARY BOARD, THE, THE FIRE PENSION BOARD, THE POLICE PENSION BOARD ALL HAVE THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT, UM, GOVERNING BODIES AND, BUT THEIR BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW, THEIR BUDGETS RUN THROUGH OUR BUDGET AND SO THEY ARE INCLUDED HERE.
ANY QUESTION ON THESE FUNDS? I DON'T SEE ANYBODY GETTING REAL EXCITED ABOUT 'EM.
I THINK THAT THE ONLY, UH, I SENT OUT A MEMO TO YOU ALL YESTERDAY ABOUT SOME REVISIONS FROM OUR FIRST MEETING, BUT FROM THE SECOND MEETING, I THINK THE PRINCIPLE ONE IS YOUR DISCUSSION OF THE PROPERTY TAX AND I THINK WE'RE CLEAR ON HOW YOU WANT THAT BROUGHT BACK TO YOU IN, UM, IN PACKET, PRESENT PACKET PREPARATION FOR MONDAY.
SO THIS CONCLUDES THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANY FINAL QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS BEFORE WE GO TO APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS? OKAY, SCENE, NONE.
[III. Appearance of Citizens]
CITIZENS IS UP.POLICY RELATIVE TO APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS IS AS FOLLOWED FOLLOWS, A 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD IS PROVIDED FOR CITIZENS TO APPEAR AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.
EACH CITIZEN SPEAKING WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE APPEARANCE OF UP TO THREE MINUTES.
NO IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WILL BE GIVEN BY CITY COUNCIL OR CITY STAFF MEMBERS, CITIZENS, OR TO GIVE DOCUMENTS, IF ANY, TO THE POLICE OFFICER FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL.
THE MAYOR DETERMINES ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS POLICY HAVE DONE SO.
MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND KEY STAFF MAY MAKE COMMENTS.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNSEL TONIGHT? I AM STILL AM OWENS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY ENGAGING DURING THIS PROCESS, WHICH IS A DIFFICULT DAY.
I'VE BEEN TO MANY OF THESE IN MY LIFETIME.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY AND THE CONVENTION IN THIS HARRIS BUREAU.
THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH MAINTAINING THE SAME BUDGET, BUT YET OFTEN HAVE INCREASED THEIR SERVICES.
SO I THINK THAT'S WORTH NOTING AND GOING THROUGH.
UM, I OBVIOUSLY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A 7% PROPERTY TAX PRIMARILY.
I LOOK AT THE SENIORS AND I ALSO LOOK, WE HAVE A LOT OF SINGLE MOTHERS THAT REALLY ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.
AS THE MAYOR NOTED EARLIER, WE'RE SEEING AN UPTICK OF SERVICES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
WE'RE A VERY FORTUNATE COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GENEROUS PEOPLE THAT ALLOW US TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, BUT IT'S ALSO VERY SAD THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
UM, BUT I'M ALSO MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO, AND ALL OF YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M A PROPERTY MANAGER, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ALSO LANDLORDS.
SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD TO INCREASE A LOT OF RENT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I MANAGE PROPERTY FOR BECAUSE OF THE OTHER FEES.
AND THEN PROPERTY TAX IS JUST GOING TO BE ANOTHER ADDED SERVICE ON THERE.
I HAVE ONE CLIENT, WE HAD THE BUILDING ON THE MARKET, WE DID RENT THE APARTMENT, BUT WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SELL THE BUILDING.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN A VIABLE BUILDING, SO SHE'S DECIDED TO TAKE IT OFF THE MARKET.
UM, I CERTAINLY HATE TO PUT IT BACK ON THE MARKET WITH A 7%
[01:55:02]
PROPERTY INCREASE.UM, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT I HAVE A FRIEND AT ALMOST ONE OF OUR SHOPPING MALLS.
IT'S, IT'S AT ABOUT 50% VACANT.
UM, HE DOES A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING IT.
HE HAS OWNED IT, HIS FAMILY HAS OWNED IT, BUT A 7% INCREASE FOR HIM IN PROPERTY TAX WOULD BE A HUGE NUMBER.
AND HE'S ALREADY PAYING QUITE, I MEAN, TAXES.
UM, I'VE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS AND I WILL CERTAINLY EMAIL ALL OF YOU AND I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN EMAILS FROM ME ON A FEW OTHER THINGS.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK BEFORE COUNSEL TONIGHT? GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS ABIR MOTIN AND AGAIN, I ALSO LIKE HER WANNA THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS MEETING AND TAKING EXTRA TIME TO WORK IT OUT AND EXPLAIN THINGS TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE PUBLIC.
NOW, WHAT I'M GONNA SAY RIGHT NOW IS NOT TO CHALLENGE ANY OF YOU.
EVERYTHING THAT I DO IS NOT FOR CHALLENGING HONESTLY.
I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE TAXES COVER WATER, SEWER IMPROVEMENTS, WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE PROTECTION, EDUCATION, ROAD AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTIONS, LIBRARIES AND OTHER SERVICES THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT DOES COVER A LARGE PORTION FOR SCHOOLS.
SO WHEN MR. WRIGHT SAYS 7%, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN BETTERING THE COMMUNITY, BETTERING AND MAKING DECATUR MORE UPDATED.
UPDATING THE MACHINES AND THE WATER TREATMENT PLANS NEED MORE UPDATING.
SO WHEN PEOPLE WANNA GO LESS, THEN THEY'RE GONNA GET LESS QUALITY, THEY'RE GONNA GET LESS SERVICE, THE KIDS AREN'T GONNA GET THE RIGHT EDUCATION AND THEN KIDS ARE NOT GONNA BE GETTING THE SAME SCHOOLING THAT WE GOT.
IT'S GONNA GET WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
IF PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO BUY MARIJUANA, THEY CAN PAY TAXES.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THE PEOPLE ARE MAKING MONEY AND NOT REPORTING IT.
PEOPLE CAN PAY IT, THEY CAN DO A LOT OF CRIMES, THEY CAN PAY IT.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WANNA TRY TO MAKE IT LOWER, BUT THIS COMMUNITY AND THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY NEED HELP.
IF YOU GO AND CHECK OUT SCHOOLS OR CHECK OUT THE KIDS WHO WALK IN THE STREETS OR GO TO GROCERY STORES, THEY NEED HELP.
AND SO IN ORDER TO BETTER, IT LET US FOCUS ON TRYING TO REACH THE STANDARD OF THE EDUCATION.
YES, IT'S TRUE, WE NEED BETTER STREETS, BUT IT TAKES MONEY, IT TAKES FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND THEN ALSO, CAN WE COME UP WITH A PLAN TO LIKE REMOVE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BETTER THE COMMUNITY.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, OVER AT BY THE MALL, THE HICKORY POINT MALL, THEY HAVE THE AMC THEATER JUST SHUT DOWN.
IT CAN TURN INTO A GROCERY STORE, A MAJOR GROCERY STORE, AND THE WHOLE MALL THAT'S PRACTICALLY HALF SHUT DOWN, IT CAN TURN INTO A TRAVEL CENTER BUS FOR BUSES FOR TRA TRACTOR TRAILERS.
WE GOT ADM HERE IN CATERPILLAR.
THEY GOT SO MANY, UM, SEMI TRACTOR TRAILERS GO BY, THEY CAN STOP BY AND THEY CAN SLEEP ON THE PREMISES THERE.
AND THERE'S PLENTY OF HOTELS THERE, HOTEL.
SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES IF WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FILL THAT MALL UP.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE MORE PEOPLE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WISH TO APPEAR BEFORE COUNCIL? SEE NONE.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.