Cuts in budget coming

DUNKIRK — Budget-cutting options are on the minds of city councilmen.
Although no members of the audience spoke out at Monday night’s public hearing on the city’s 2011 budget proposal, council members had plenty to say on the need for serious trimming.
They set a special council meeting to discuss the 2011 budget on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.
Dunkirk’s proposed budget for 2011 is $1.6 million.
Clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler said she basically followed 2010 budget amounts in preparing the new budget, which does not include pay raises for city employees.
At a budget work session in August city council members said that they felt $150,000 should be cut.
Options to be discussed at next week’s meeting include eliminating the city’s three full-time firefighters and changing over to a totally volunteer fire department and cutting back on staffing for the city’s full-time emergency dispatching service.
City officials have suggested that having a city dispatcher only during daytime hours would be a way to cut expenses.
The council needs to approve its budget and salary ordinance by Nov. 1, and final adoption of the 2011 budget has tentatively been set for Oct. 25.
No changes were approved in the 2011 budget proposal, as presented by Kesler, at Monday night’s hearing. With no one from the audience asking to speak, there was a long pause before council president Chuck Rife finally said, “We know that changes have to be made.”
Council member Judy Garr suggested a special meeting.
“Yes we should have a special meeting,” Rife said, “We can’t pass it in its current form. That’s my opinion.”
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, council members:
•Decided to survey  city residents about whether to continue having the annual Glass Days Festival in Dunkirk City Park or return it downtown. Councilman Tom Johnson initially suggested conducting an informal poll at the city building, but Rife proposed including a ballot question with city water bills.
Councilman Eric Bowler said he had discussed the idea with several carnival vendors who favored moving the festivities back downtown. “I feel if it stays out there (at the park), it (the Glass Days Festival) will die,” Bowler said.
•Said water hydrants would be flushed throughout the city during the week of Nov. 1-5 during the daytime hours. City officials cautioned residents to be careful doing laundry during these times, as the city water may be discolored in appearance.
•Set fall leaf-pickup times for Oct. 25-29 and Nov. 8-12. Bowler said residents should have leaves raked to the curb, but not in bags.
•Were informed that Allan Brown, the city’s animal control officer, Allan Brown, had resigned effective Friday, Oct. 8. Bowler said street department employee Stacy Fisher has temporarily been appointed to take over his duties for the regular dog catcher’s pay of $115 a week.
Council members said this arrangement could create problems as now Fisher would have two city jobs. Bowler said he would like the city to hire a retiree whose only responsibility would be animal control. Selecting a new animal control officer is the responsibility of the mayor, and Ron Hunt said he would be making a decision soon.
Also discussed Monday by council members was the idea of hiring a private service, Critter Control, to handle the animal control duties. In addition Bowler said he had received a quote of $290 for a tranquilizer gun, to be used by the police department to deal with vicious animals.
•Approved a motion to advertise for a new waste removal contract for the city. The current contract with Best-Way Disposal expires on Dec. 31. The council will be accepting sealed bids for a contract of either one, two or three years to collect trash from 1,050 residential and small business accounts. Deadline for submitting bids will be Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. at the city clerk-treasurer’s office.
•Discussed the need to advertise for two part-time workers for the wastewater treatment department. For the past few weeks the department has been using two temporary workers but not deducting federal income taxes from their pay. City attorney Bill Hinkle objected to continuing with this practice, saying it would be better to hire two part-time employees.
•Agreed to have attorney James Forcum from Hartford City review the proposed contract between Dunkirk and the Jay County Regional Sewer District. The agreement spells out conditions of Dunkirk accepting sewage from homes which will be part of two sewer projects by the district north and south of the city.
City attorney Bill Hinkle said his law office had a conflict of interest in reviewing the contract.
•Agreed with to post a sign near the recycling site in the Ludwig’s parking lot, advising residents to only leave their recyclable goods on the Saturdays when an attendant is present.
•Approved a recommendation from the West Jay Community Center board of directors to appoint Rick Caldwell to that board.[[In-content Ad]]