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ccsbs 08-07-1990 x 290 \ \ \ SPECIAL SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 7, 1990 The Schertz City Council convened in Special Budget Workshop Session, Tuesday, August 7, 1990 at 7:36 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Municipal Complex, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas, with all members present. #1 BUDGET WORKSHOP: Mayor Sawyer informed the Council that the budget workshop would stop at 10: 00 p. m. as requested by Council. Mr. Sweatt suggested that after some general observations, Council start with the revenues, then deal with the expenditure pages. He said he has filed the recommended budget with the City Secretary, per Charter requirement, that includes Water - Waste Water and SAFES for the year 1991. This budget is based on a tax rate of 35.84 cents. Using the $273,000,000 assessed value, under the terms of the Uniform Truth in Taxation Legislation, the effective rate would be 33.32 cents per $100 value. A 3% increase would bring that tax rate to 34.32 cents per $100 or the Rollback rate to 36.59 cents per $100 value. This budget recommendation includes the recommendation of the tax rate at 35.84 cents per $100 value, which is a 4.01 cent increase per $100 value. Under the formula required by the Truth in Taxation Legislation, the 33.32 cents Effective Tax Rate would raise the same amount as was raised last year. The 1990 General Fund expenditure recommendations are approximately 7.7% over the 1989- 90 mid-year budget. Comparing this to the 1989-90 original budget, that is only a 2.93% increase. There are substantial assessed values in contest so we will not actually have an assessed final report until well into our tax year. We believe the $273,000,000 to represent an attainable and correct number, and after the hearings that may increase. Included in the recommendation for revenue items, in addition to the tax rate increase, there are al so other items of increase proposed. We proposed an increase in swimming pool gate charges from $0.50 to $1.00. We have begun the process to solicit grants from different foundations for Economic Development activities. We have anticipated in the revenue estimates, the full effect of last year's change in the telecommunications tax and cable franchise Charge. We have anticipated an increase in the overall sales tax this year - approximately 2.5% increase. We propose an increase to recognize the actual costs of chipping service. We current I y charge $10 per thirty minutes and propose that be increased to $20.50 per thirty minutes, which will recognize both manpower and equipment costs. In the Water and Waste Water Operations, we are recommending implementing - no later than November - the full effect of the proposed rate increase that was discussed at bond time. That is an increase of fifty cents in base rate and ten cents per thousand in the overall water rate. This recognizes the water and waste water portion of the debt service. The single largest new item in this year's budget, 291 is the recommendation to begin a three to four year lease- purchase proqram to update data processinq services for all of the using departments. Some of our departments are extremely out of date, both in hardware and software. Many departments are functioning with little more than manual record keeping. We bel ieve the addition of data processing services for all the operating departments and tying them together into a logical system is absol utel y imperative. We will try to work smarter, rather than hiring more people to accommodate increased demands. In non-departmental expenditures in the General Fund, we are recognizing the increasing debt service for the General Fund portion of the bonds. There is a proposed creation of an Equipment Service Department that is a division within the Water/Waste Water operating budget. There will be the addition of one full-time person in that department. We are recommending the addition of part-time personnel in the Economic Development Department, the Building Maintenance Department, Finance office and the Library Department. We have included in Council packet the list of the bonds, recognizing both the existing debt and the additional debt that was alluded to before. We have included in the budget the revised table of organization that reflects those changes that are in the budget, along with the manning document shown on the table of organization with the service grade. Along with the Personnel portion of this year's budget is the second of a two-year program to bring the employees service grade salaries into line as discussed last year. At the end of this year, everyone will be in their proper steps in the pay plan. The budget further continues a program that was begun last year of a recognition of longevity for employees at the rate of $2.00 per month per year of service. Mr. Baldwin asked about the changes in the manning document. Mr. Sweatt pointed out that there is an additional part-time person in the Library Department, a part-time person that was recognized at mid-year but is new to the manning document in the City Manager's office for the finance clerk, there is a part-time in Economic Development shown as an Administrative Assistanti there is a part-time custodial help in the Municipal Building Department. There is a proposed reclassification in the Pol ice Department. There is no proposed change in numbers in the department but the creation of a Lieutenant position and the establishment of the Juvenile Officer as a Sergeant rather than a Corporal. There is a change in the Street/Parks Department with the new classification of Worker III but no change in the number of employees. Mrs. Marsh questioned the Municipal Court fine revenues and Mr. Sweatt said considerable time was spent on this issue and it appears that these figures are realistic. Mr. Baldwin said that he personally would prefer, if he is going to pay for police service, to see the patrols in the business and residential neighborhoods at night. \", J\ 292 Mrs. Marsh said she would rather see additional patrolmen than the Lieutenant position. Mr. Potempa agreed with Mrs. Marsh. Mr. Sweatt said it is not our intent to set up a dollar producing goal. Out effort in the Municipal Court fines was to recognize how much activity the courts will have this year. The Council thorouqhly discussed the Police Department manninq and patrols with Mr. Sweatt. Councilmembers asked how much it would cost to add one patrol officer on the eveninq shifts. Mr. Sweatt said it would take two patrolmen and one vehicle for a weighted cost of about $38,000 per man. Council all aqreed that they would like to add patrolmen to the force. When discussing the Lieutenant position, Mr. Sweatt said the purpose of creating that position was to reduce the Police Chief's span of control so that he does have an executive officer. We are not increasinq the number in the department but taking a Sergeant and makinq him a Lieutenant and eliminating the Corporal position and makinq him a Sergeant. The total net effect of this change in classification is less than $2000 a year for both the revisions. We believe that the establishment of the Lieutenant position would <Jive Chief Agee an executive assistant to provide some additional supervision in the department. Current I y each of the Serqeants report direct I y to the Chief. That is not a most desirable arrangement. We believe the role of executive assistant justifies the rank of Lieutenant. Mrs. Marsh asked for clarification of the County library funds, General Fund Miscellaneous income and retirement reversion. Mr. Sweatt said the County Library is the amount of money that is paid from Guadalupe County to the City of Schertz for library services that are offered outside the City limits. Last year it was $21,000 and this year it is proposed at $37,000 to place the two libraries (Schertz and Sequin) on the same per capita formula. Miscellaneous income - this includes reimbursements, anticipated grants, sale of gasoline to Housing Authority, long distance payments for use of public telephones. This is sort of a catch all column. Retirement Reversion is the City's portion that is due back from our retirement system that are forfeited funds from those employees that leave and are not vested in the retirement system. Mr. Potempa asked why no funds are listed for vehicle impoundment. Mr. Sweatt explained that currently the wrecker service picks up and stores vehicles at our call. If they are proposed to be released from impoundment, the owner pays the impoundment fees directly to the wrecker yard. If the vehicles are not redeemed by the owner, they are offered for public sale. 293 The impounding authority authorizes the charging of daily storage fees. The yard bids on those vehicles for his storage fees. If the vehicles were purchased for more than the storage fees, that money would go to the City. Typically those impoundment fees and storage fees eat up the value of the vehicle. The impoundment dollars do not come to us. Mayor Sawyer suggested going over the expenditure portion of the budget page by pages instead of skipping around. Mr. Sweatt explained that the left-hand column shows the figures for the 1988-89 budget, the middle column shows the figures as adopted as the mid-year 1989-90 budget and the right-hand column is the proposed 1990-91 budget figures. The first department is the City Council and that is budget number 50. In the expenditure area, there are several categor ies. The Personnel Services will always begin with the zero series, suppl ies is the 100 series, Contractual Services would be 200 series, Maintenance is 300 series and Capital Outlay would be the 400 series. For example the number 50252 tells you that is the City Council in the 200 series, which is Contractual Services, and the number 52 is the specific item of Memberships and Subscriptions. These same numbers appear throughout the budget in all departments. This is the process we started last year of the reorganization of the accounting system. City Council budget totals $21,395, this includes the election costs for $1,000 under operating suppliesi contractual services incl ude four meetings a year for each member of the Council; memberships projected for the Chamber of Commerce, Texas Municipal League, the 135 Corridor Council, the Council of Governments and miscellaneous memberships; conference/travel expenses for the TML meetings i special events - the Mil i tary Appreciation program, Senior Citizen Appreciation; publ ic relations ads, Christmas lighting program and float improvements. City Manager's Office - the 88-90 budget $317,687i 89-90 mid-year budget $109,523 and the proposed 90-91 budget $121,888. The 88- 89 budget included a number of personnel that have since been realigned to their own budget department. Mr. Sweatt explained that the capital outlay figure is the purchase of a letter writer for the secretary. Municipal Court the 88-89 budget reflected only the professional services, which was the judge and prosecutor; and it now includes the total costs of the department of $43,218. Mayor Sawyer called for a short recess at 8:44 p.m. The Special Meeting was reconvened at 8:49 p.m. Tax Department 88-89, $49,006; 89-90, $56,967 and 90-91, $59,864. Personnel Services contain one full-time and one half- \" 294 \ time person. Mr. Baldwin asked if there was any prov~s~on in this budget to use the Appraisal District computer system. Mr. Sweat said no, we have included in the data processinq budget funds to finance data processinq services in the Tax office and to connect to the Guadalupe County Appraisal District. Also have anticipated some funds for software to do the billinq work in the Tax office here. Rather than put data processing costs in each department, we have put a lump sum item in this year's budget. We have provided data processinq funds in the budqet to brinq the Tax Office up with CRTs and necessary hardware and software that will enable them to be part of the qeneral ledger accounting system that receives across the counter. It also would allow us to connect that equipment to interface with that of the Guadalupe County Appraisal District so that we would have access directly to their records as the school does now. Planninq Department - proposed budget is for $72,780. The Other Professional Services are basically enqineer costs for qeneral engineerinq, surveyinq, plat review and those kinds of enqineering costs that are not tied to anyone project. This department has the same number of people - two. Legal Department - proposed $27,300. We are not anticipating any areas of litigation this year. This just represents the attorney attendinq one meetinq a month and the general telephone services. Police Department - the 88-89 budqet was $480,746; the 89-90 mid-year adjustment budqet was $599,456 and this proposed budget is for $631,370. You will notice that there is increase of about $10,000 in Workers Compensation alone. The increase in salary line item is to brinq everyone up to the plan level as started last year. Under Rental-equipment,that is the copy machine. As pointed out, the maintenance aqreement was more than the new lease-rental rate. Mr. Sweatt said we expect the total dollars to go down in vehicle maintenance; but we will continue to bill ourselves costs out of these kinds of maintenance accounts. The Water Department will bill each individual department for their pro-rata share of at least the time involved for that mechanic. There will be no new purchases of police vehicles this year but next year in our replacement proqram we will be replacinq two vehicles. The item of Uniform/laundry includes the uniform allowance for patrolmen. This does not include the dispatchers uniforms. They decided on their own to purchase their own uniforms and provide their own cleaninq. Council requested Mr. Sweatt try to find the funds to allow for cleaninq allowance for the dispatchers. Fire Department - the 88-89 budqet was $133,503; the 89-90 mid- year was $179,674 and the proposed 90-91 is $194,466. Mr. Potempa suqqested that the bUildinq needs more maintenance than the $300 budqeted. Durinq their tour, Council Members notice several thinqs that they felt needed to be repaired. Namely, water heater, the heater in the garaqe area, some 295 paneling that needs to be replaced, mop board is rotting away in places and some ceiling tiles need to be replaced. Mr. Sweatt said he would get estimated costs for some of the repairs mentioned for Council consideration. #2 ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Sawyer declared the meeting to be adjourned at 9:44 p.m. ATTEST: \ \