July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Cuts ahead for Dunkirk (08/15/06)
Dunkirk City Council
By By ROBERT BANSER-
DUNKIRK - Budget trimming talk topped the agenda at Monday night's city council session here.
Faced with shortfalls in several funds - especially the street department where paving projects are in jeopardy - members of the audience and council tried to cut spending.
A public hearing is set on the 2007 proposed budget on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. in city hall. Clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said that plans call for adopting the budget Sept. 11, also at 7 p.m.
Kesler said the proposed general fund budget is $1.2 million, and the city's net assessed valuation is approximately $46 million.
However, due to the down-sizing of Indiana Glass, the loss of the community's only full service grocery store, closing of Stewart Brothers Furniture Store and other negative factors such as a mistake in a state worksheet which resulted in a sizable property tax refund to Saint-Gobain Containers late last year, city revenue figures are down from previous years.
Saying that the city's budget woes have been building over the past few years, former Dunkirk council member Dan Watson spoke out strongly at Monday's session in favor of making some tough budget-cutting moves.
On his list of possible money-saving measures was the elimination of full-time police dispatchers in Dunkirk with more reliance placed on the county's 911 emergency calling system, based at the Jay County Sheriff's Department in Portland.
Watson, who formerly supervised the street department, said that changes in that department were needed, too. He pointed out that street department funds were on the decline, gas prices to operate equipment were on the increase and since he left office, the department has been taking money from its budget to repair numerous streets and alleys which had been damaged as a result of other departments making emergency repairs to water and sewer lines.
Jim Doughty, current council member in charge of the street department, presented a report Monday night from assistant street department superintendent Howard Fisher, showing that street repair work due to water and sewer line breaks is cutting into the street department's paving budget.
On the list of paving projects for this summer was Jay Street with an estimated cost of $53,000, Fisher said, but current paving funds available only total $33,000, he pointed out.
Fisher said that if current trends continue, "Then there will be no money for paving streets left in our budget."
Watson said he didn't want to see paving cut, but would rather trim back on personnel such as police dispatchers, noting that the county could handle that service.
Watson said eliminating city dispatchers could save the city about $150,000 a year in wages and health and pension benefits.
"I don't know where else you can cut," Watson said.
In another related matter, Fisher pointed out that the street department has been directed to mow tall weeds and grass on several lots in the city without reimbursement from property owners.
He said that more than a dozen of these lots have been mowed six times this summer.
Council members said that in the future, proper procedures should be followed to notify land owners that if their lots are not kept mowed, the city will place liens against their property.
Mayor Sam Hubbard said that many of these areas are located in prominent locations where tall weeds would detract from the overall impression given to newcomers and visitors to the city.
"I don't want to see our city looking like a big trash pile," Hubbard said.
On a brighter note Hubbard said that a great deal of progress is being made on cleaning up the former railroad depot site which was recently purchased by the Dunkirk Economic Development Committee. "That project is coming along great," Hubbard said.
In other business at Monday night's session, council members:
•Tabled a proposal to raise fines for loose dogs following a presentation by Dunkirk City Judge Tommie "Chip" Phillips II, who stressed that higher fines could create hardships for financially strapped families where a child may have let the family pet loose by mistake.
Phillips said he favored stricter enforcement of city ordinances rather than increasing fines, pointing out that in the last year only about a half dozen stray dog cases have gone to city court.
After further discussion Hubbard recommended tabling the issue, pending more research into the matter. Also Hubbard said that he wanted to discuss the situation further with city animal control officer Charles "Butch" Parfitt.
•Heard a report from Hubbard that the idea of putting a fee for trash collection on city water bills had been shelved. "This will definitely not happen this year," the mayor said, noting that he had received negative feedback about this idea.
•Asked that the city health and safety officer Robert Bicknell begin attending council meetings.[[In-content Ad]]
Faced with shortfalls in several funds - especially the street department where paving projects are in jeopardy - members of the audience and council tried to cut spending.
A public hearing is set on the 2007 proposed budget on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. in city hall. Clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said that plans call for adopting the budget Sept. 11, also at 7 p.m.
Kesler said the proposed general fund budget is $1.2 million, and the city's net assessed valuation is approximately $46 million.
However, due to the down-sizing of Indiana Glass, the loss of the community's only full service grocery store, closing of Stewart Brothers Furniture Store and other negative factors such as a mistake in a state worksheet which resulted in a sizable property tax refund to Saint-Gobain Containers late last year, city revenue figures are down from previous years.
Saying that the city's budget woes have been building over the past few years, former Dunkirk council member Dan Watson spoke out strongly at Monday's session in favor of making some tough budget-cutting moves.
On his list of possible money-saving measures was the elimination of full-time police dispatchers in Dunkirk with more reliance placed on the county's 911 emergency calling system, based at the Jay County Sheriff's Department in Portland.
Watson, who formerly supervised the street department, said that changes in that department were needed, too. He pointed out that street department funds were on the decline, gas prices to operate equipment were on the increase and since he left office, the department has been taking money from its budget to repair numerous streets and alleys which had been damaged as a result of other departments making emergency repairs to water and sewer lines.
Jim Doughty, current council member in charge of the street department, presented a report Monday night from assistant street department superintendent Howard Fisher, showing that street repair work due to water and sewer line breaks is cutting into the street department's paving budget.
On the list of paving projects for this summer was Jay Street with an estimated cost of $53,000, Fisher said, but current paving funds available only total $33,000, he pointed out.
Fisher said that if current trends continue, "Then there will be no money for paving streets left in our budget."
Watson said he didn't want to see paving cut, but would rather trim back on personnel such as police dispatchers, noting that the county could handle that service.
Watson said eliminating city dispatchers could save the city about $150,000 a year in wages and health and pension benefits.
"I don't know where else you can cut," Watson said.
In another related matter, Fisher pointed out that the street department has been directed to mow tall weeds and grass on several lots in the city without reimbursement from property owners.
He said that more than a dozen of these lots have been mowed six times this summer.
Council members said that in the future, proper procedures should be followed to notify land owners that if their lots are not kept mowed, the city will place liens against their property.
Mayor Sam Hubbard said that many of these areas are located in prominent locations where tall weeds would detract from the overall impression given to newcomers and visitors to the city.
"I don't want to see our city looking like a big trash pile," Hubbard said.
On a brighter note Hubbard said that a great deal of progress is being made on cleaning up the former railroad depot site which was recently purchased by the Dunkirk Economic Development Committee. "That project is coming along great," Hubbard said.
In other business at Monday night's session, council members:
•Tabled a proposal to raise fines for loose dogs following a presentation by Dunkirk City Judge Tommie "Chip" Phillips II, who stressed that higher fines could create hardships for financially strapped families where a child may have let the family pet loose by mistake.
Phillips said he favored stricter enforcement of city ordinances rather than increasing fines, pointing out that in the last year only about a half dozen stray dog cases have gone to city court.
After further discussion Hubbard recommended tabling the issue, pending more research into the matter. Also Hubbard said that he wanted to discuss the situation further with city animal control officer Charles "Butch" Parfitt.
•Heard a report from Hubbard that the idea of putting a fee for trash collection on city water bills had been shelved. "This will definitely not happen this year," the mayor said, noting that he had received negative feedback about this idea.
•Asked that the city health and safety officer Robert Bicknell begin attending council meetings.[[In-content Ad]]
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