Jun 05, 2024 Work Session

[ WORK SESSION]

[00:00:03]

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.

AND ARE WE READY TO GO? ARE WE READY, MR. ROARKE? I THINK SO.

ARE YOU ALL READY FOR THIS? WE'RE READY. ALL RIGHT.

TO START OUR 2.5 HOURS OF THE MOST FUN YOU WILL HAVE TODAY.

SO ENJOY YOUR CHOCOLATE AND YOUR GUMMY BEARS AS WE KICK THIS OFF.

OKAY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

OH, AM I DOING WELL? YOU'RE RUNNING FOR THE AUDIENCE.

AND ANGELA, FOR NOW IS RUNNING.

OKAY, OKAY, I CAN DO THIS.

SO THE ANNUAL BUDGET IS OUR PRIMARY WAY OF FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTING THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN OUR THAT ARE IN OUR 2020 STRATEGIC PLAN, THE DESTINATION 2030 PLAN.

AND JUST AS A REMINDER FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM AND ZOOMING IN AND MAYBE STREAMING IN, THE VISION MISSION STATEMENT FOR OUR PLAN IS TO CATER WILL FOSTER AN EQUITABLE, THRIVING AND WELCOMING.

COMMUNITY FOR ALL TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE.

THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE SLIDES ON THE SCREEN.

WE HAVE TO WIGGLE THE CABLE.

THE NEXT SLIDE ONTO OUR STRATEGIC THEME PLANS.

THERE ARE SIX THEMES IN THE PLAN, AND WHILE NOT ALL DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE OR FUNDING FOR EACH OF THESE THEMES, I THINK IT'S THE CABLE AND ANDREA'S LAPTOP.

SO START AGAIN.

NOT ALL OF DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE OR FUNDING FOR EACH OF THESE THEMES AREA, AND THE LEVELS OF FUNDING COULD VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

JUST KNOW THAT EVERYONE, JUST BY BEING A MEMBER OF THE DECATUR TEAM, PLAY SOME ROLE IN EACH OF THESE THEMES, WHETHER THEY HAVE A PROJECT OR SOMETHING FUNDED IN THEIR DEPARTMENT THAT YEAR, WE ALL ARE MAKING A WAY IN EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE, CLIMATE ACTION, CIVIC TRUST, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.

AND THAT LEADS US TO WHAT WE HAVE CREATED OUR OWN PROCESS HERE, THE VISION BASED BUDGET PROCESS.

AND THIS PROCESS ALLOWS US TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY'S VISION WITH THE NECESSARY RESOURCES REQUIRED FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

AND IT DESCRIBES IN NARRATIVE FORM AS WELL AS NUMERICAL FORM THE PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND EACH DEPARTMENT'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE PLAN.

AND IT IS ALL OF THOSE SEVEN THINGS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE SCREEN.

WHICH OF THE NEXT ITEM IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT? FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE DONE SOMETHING CALLED THE BUDGET AND BLOOM PROJECT, WHERE DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH, WE PLACED TRELLISES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASKED OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LEAVE US SOME FLOWERS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE GROW BE GROWN IN THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR.

SO SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED ON FLOWERS THIS YEAR WERE PICKLEBALL COURTS OR LINES FOR PICKLEBALL ON TENNIS COURTS, MORE TREES, LIDS FOR TRASH RECEPTACLES, MORE GREEN SPACE.

CONVERT THE SQUARE INTO A PARKING LOT, THE SQUARE PARKING LOT INTO A PLAYGROUND.

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. THE SQUARE PARKING LOT INTO A PLAYGROUND, PAVED THE POTHOLES, SOME UMBRELLAS FOR OUR CROSSING GUARDS, REPAIR SIDEWALKS AND ADD NEW ONES, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, A DAY CENTER FOR THE UNHOUSED, AND WATER FOUNTAINS IN OUR PARKS.

AND AS WE DELVE DEEPER IN JUST A MINUTE, YOU WILL FIND THAT MANY OF THESE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

AND THEN OUR I THINK OUR TRULY OUR MOST FUN WAY BESIDES THIS WORK SESSION RIGHT NOW OF INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY AND TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT THE BUDGET, IS THE TOUCH A BUDGET AND TRUCK EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 9TH.

WE PARTNERED WITH PARKS AND REC AGAIN THIS YEAR TO HOST THAT EVENT, AND WE ONCE DID IT AGAIN, DID A BUDGET IN BLOOM ACTIVITY WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND THE TOP THREE RESPONSES WERE PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS AND DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS CANDY.

THIS YEAR IS AN ANIMAL SHELTER AND THAT'S WHAT THE CITY SHOULD SPEND ITS ALLOWANCE ON.

THAT WAS THE QUESTION THEY WERE ASKED.

AND THEN I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT GO BACK JUST A SECOND.

JUST THE SMILEY, HAPPY KIDS WITH THE CHOCOLATE THAT'S BURN IN JUNE.

AND THEY WERE SUPER PUMPED TO BE THERE AND TO GET THEIR DECATUR LOGO CHOCOLATE BAR.

AND THEN THERE IS NOT ON A SLIDE, BUT ONE MORE THING IS THE ONLINE ADOPTION.

THE ADOPTION QUESTION IS ONLINE, CHECKED IT TODAY AND THERE ARE 53 RESPONSES, ABOUT HALF IN FAVOR, HALF NOT IN FAVOR, AND IF SOMEONE LEFT US AN

[00:05:08]

BUT IF THEY'RE WATCHING TONIGHT, THEY'LL FIND OUT WHY WE'RE REQUESTING A MILLAGE RATE INCREASE.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER.

THANKS, MEREDITH. THANKS, MEREDITH.

THANKS TO ALL THE STAFF FOR BEING HERE.

AS WE DIVE INTO THE BUDGET, I HAVE A LITTLE PREAMBLE.

JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS BUDGET, THIS BUDGET IS THE DOCUMENTATION.

IT'S OUR WRITTEN PLAN FOR HOW WE INTEND TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK IT IS JUST THAT SIMPLE.

LIKE, THIS IS THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

BUT AND WE, WE KNOW, WE KNOW THAT IN OUR HEADS AND, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

AND THIS BUDGET IS REALLY THAT WRITTEN PLAN, THAT TANGIBLE ITEM.

THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY, OF HOW WE INTEND TO SERVE AND SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.

WE WANT TO DO THAT IN A MANNER THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WITH OUR VALUES.

IN A WAY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH OUR CHARTER AND WITH OUR ORDINANCES.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.

WE DO, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES AND THAT WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHAT GETS FUNDED.

WE MUST SEEK A VARIETY OF SOURCES OF FINANCING OR FUNDING SOURCES AND MEANS OF FINANCING THESE SERVICES. WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE IN THE FACE OF WHAT WE SEE AS STAFF.

DEFINITELY GROWING DEMANDS AND EXPECTATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR THE SERVICES.

WE FIRST AND FOREMOST MUST BE SENSITIVE TO THE FINANCIAL BURDEN THAT'S PLACED ON MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS.

BUT THERE'S ALSO, AGAIN, THE EXPECTATION THAT THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED.

AND WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THESE SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED IS WITH THE TRAINED, SKILLED, CARING, SMART, JUST, SUPER PASSIONATE, CREATIVE STAFF THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND THAT WE HOPE TO ATTRACT IN THE FUTURE. AND I SAY THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T USE TECHNOLOGY.

WE CERTAINLY DO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER TOOLS TO COMPLEMENT THE WORK WE DO.

BUT ULTIMATELY THE, THE WORK IN THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING FUNDED BY THIS PROPOSED BUDGET ARE BEING DONE BY OUR EXCELLENT STAFF.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS BUDGET REFLECTS ALL OF THAT.

AND WE'RE REALLY EAGER TO TO DIVE IN AND DISCUSS THE CONTENTS OF THE BUDGET OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

CERTAINLY, AS YOU ALL YOU KNOW, FROM YEARS PAST, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION TO GET THROUGH.

BUT CERTAINLY JUST WANT YOU ALL TO MAKE MAKE THIS AS INFORMAL AS POSSIBLE.

STOP AS QUESTIONS.

AND I APPRECIATE STAFF BEING HERE BECAUSE THERE MAY BE TIMES I'LL CALL ON THEM FOR, FOR THEIR EXPERTISE, AND WE'LL GET THROUGH IT.

AND, WELL, JUST THE BASED ON THIS SLIDE HERE, THIS IS KIND OF SUMS UP THE BUDGET MESSAGE THAT I PREPARE, YOU KNOW, REMINDER THAT WE HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AS AN ALL-AMERICAN CITY.

I, YET USE THIS TERM WORLD CLASS CITY, AND YOU'LL SEE.

ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A MOMENT.

I'M GOING TO JUST READ THROUGH SOME OF THE DESCRIPTORS.

I HAD SOMEONE ASK ME, WELL, WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THESE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WORLD CLASS CITY.

AND I SAID, THERE'S THERE'S NO THERE.

ACTUALLY, THERE'S NO THERE'S NO BOOK, THERE'S NO PRIMER, THERE'S NO LIST.

BUT YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND AND AS I SAID, THIS IS ON AN EXCLUSIVE LIST AND I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD ADD TO THIS.

BUT AGAIN, I DO BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WORLD CLASS CITY AND MANY OF AND MANY OF THESE AREAS THAT WE HIT AND SOME OF THESE AREAS WHERE WE COME UP SHORT AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THERE ARE PROPOSALS IN THE BUDGET TO HELP ADVANCE SOME OF THESE AREAS, BUT WORLD CLASS, CITY INCLUSIVE, ACCEPTING, WELCOMING CULTURE, OPERATIONALIZED EQUITY, FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS, HIGH LEVEL OF SAFETY AND

[00:10:01]

QUALITY PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND ATHLETIC FIELDS ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOUTH INFLUENCED CULTURE, STRONG EDUCATION SYSTEMS, ETHICAL AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT ATTAINABLE HOUSING QUALITY MEDIA SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. PUBLIC ART, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

MULTI-MODAL ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.

WELL MAINTAINED INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES.

THRIVING BUSINESS DISTRICT.

ACCESS TO QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE.

CLEAN SAFE WATER AND AIR.

TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY AND CURIOUS COMMUNITY.

STRONG LOCAL ECONOMY.

BOLD AND BRAVE LEADERSHIP.

ACCESS TO FRESH AND AFFORDABLE FOOD.

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE.

AND I THINK WE HAVE A COMMUNITY CAN ACHIEVE THOSE CHARACTERISTICS.

THAT'S A PRETTY AWESOME PLACE TO BE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE REALLY CLOSE.

AND THAT PUTS US IN THAT CATEGORY OF A WORLD CLASS CITY.

BUT WITH THAT SAID, ALSO WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS, AND IN TERMS OF ANY CHARACTERISTICS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE NEED TO MAKE THE LIST.

STRATEGIC PLANNING.

PLANNING. SO WHO'S WHO'S OUR NOTE TAKER.

WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE HAVE THAT CAPTURED.

I MEAN, I GUESS IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE SPECTRUM CITIES THAT SORT OF MEET THAT THEY DON'T JUST GET THERE BY ACCIDENT.

RIGHT. THERE'S A PLAN.

THERE'S A PLAN.

THAT IS STUCK TO AND IMPLEMENTED.

AND THESE OTHER AREAS, UM, ARE THESE ARE THE, THE MAJOR THEMES THAT ARE ADDRESSED IN THE BUDGET AND DISCUSSED IN MORE DETAIL IN THE BUDGET MESSAGE AROUND THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE.

YOU KNOW, AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY PUT EQUITY BEFORE THAT EQUITY THAT, THAT NORTH STAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE GUIDE.

AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ROAD SAFETY, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND PARKS AND RECREATION, ALL THAT IS ALSO DONE IN A WAY THAT WE ARE, WE'RE CONSIDERING EQUITY AS WE CREATE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AND SERVICES AND ALL OF THOSE AREAS.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET INTO THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SOME OF THE NUMBERS.

AND THE THE REVISED BUDGET.

THIS IS PRETTY TYPICAL.

THERE'S A DROP OF JUST SHY OF 4%.

FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET, THE 23, 24 BUDGET, THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN.

AND THAT'S ROUGHLY A REDUCTION OF $1.5 MILLION.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WHERE WE WOULD ANTICIPATE.

TO SEE A REDUCTION IN THAT AMOUNT BY THE BY JUNE 30TH.

THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS ALMOST 5 MILLION, OR 12.8% HIGHER THAN THE REVISED BUDGET.

SO WE DO COMMUNICATE THIS BASED OFF OF THAT LOWER REVISED NUMBER.

AND SO AND WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.

BUT A LOT OF THAT INCREASE FROM THE REVISED TO THE PROPOSED IS DUE TO THE FULLY FUNDING OF POSITIONS AND MANY OF THE POSITIONS WHERE WE HAD SALARY SAVINGS IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR FROM VACANCIES.

AND THE DIGEST, AS YOU ALL KNOW BY NOW, THE INCREASE ENDED UP AT 5.75% AND THE BUDGET WAS BUILT AROUND 6%.

AND I'LL ADDRESS THAT LATER.

AND FROM THE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS EVEN WHEN WE WERE ASSUMING THE 6%, THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN AND REMAINS TO INCREASE THE MILLAGE RATE SLIGHTLY FROM 12.47 MILLS TO TO 12.97 MILLS.

AND EVEN WITH THAT INCREASE IN THE MILLAGE RATE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A USE OF JUST OVER $3.3 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, AND WE WILL REMAIN WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY GUIDELINES.

AND ALSO TO THAT POINT, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A TWO WEEK MERIT BASED SALARY ADJUSTMENT, AND THAT IS IN LIEU OF MERIT BASED SALARY INCREASES AND THE SALARY ADJUSTMENT ESSENTIALLY, AN EXTRA PAYCHECK WOULD BE PAID IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.

[00:15:03]

BUT THAT IS A ONE TIME, ONE TIME NON-RECURRING EXPENSE, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DIPPING INTO FUND BALANCE IS AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO SPEND FUND BALANCE.

STAFF RELATED COSTS.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY SALARIES AND BENEFITS.

AND IT'S CLOSE TO 60% OF THE BUDGET.

IT'S CONSISTENT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM IS INCREASING FROM 9.3% TO 9.5% OF PAYROLL.

AND I HAVE THAT THE, THE THE VALUE OF THAT AT A LATER SLIDE AND VERY FEW CHANGES OR ENHANCEMENTS TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN OR TO THE BENEFITS I'LL GET, I'LL TAKE A GOOD DIVE INTO HEALTH INSURANCE LATER.

AND, AND OF COURSE, OUR, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT THE OTHER PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN RECENTLY ADOPTED.

THEY'RE ALL DRIVING THE CONTENTS OF THIS BUDGET.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT REVENUE.

AND WE'LL START WITH THE TAX DIGEST.

SINCE THE THE REVENUE GENERATED BY TAXES IS OUR LARGEST REVENUE, LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF REVENUE.

SO THE DIGEST DID INCREASE 5.75%.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 177, ALMOST 178 MILLION.

AND THE DIVING INTO THAT INCREASE JUST 31, I SAY JUST I THINK IT'S JUST 31% OF THAT IS NEW VALUE.

SO NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW STUFF AND THEN 69% IS REVALUATION.

AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN 2023.

SO LAST YEAR THE NEW VALUE WAS ACTUALLY EVEN LOWER.

IT WAS JUST AT 22%.

AND SO THE LARGE WE HAD A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE DIGEST LAST YEAR AND THAT WAS DRIVEN BY REVALUE.

AND I SUSPECT IT WAS REVALUE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME INTERESTING NUMBERS ON THAT IN A SECOND.

AND IN 2022 THE NEW VALUE WAS 33%.

SO 2022 AND 24 ARE PRETTY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF THAT BREAKDOWN.

AND THEN THE REAL ESTATE DIGEST IS 9,098% OF THE TOTAL TAXABLE DIGEST.

THERE'S OTHER THERE'S MOTOR VEHICLE, PERSONAL PROPERTY OTHER DIGEST THAT WE ALSO TAX.

WE DO ADVERTISE A WE HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS TO ADVERTISE A TAX INCREASE.

AND THAT IS JUST OVER 8%.

AND THIS IS ALL PART OF THE STATE'S TRUTH AND TAXATION LAW.

AND WE ADVERTISE A ROLLBACK RATE OF 10.104 MILLS.

SO IF WE WERE TO ROLL BACK THE MILLAGE RATE SO THAT WE WOULD NOT BE RECEIVING ANY REVENUE AS A RESULT OF REVALUATION, WHERE WE WOULD ONLY BE GETTING ADDITIONAL REVENUE BASED OFF OF THE NEW VALUE.

THAT'S THE ROLLBACK RATE, THE 10.104.

BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING A TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE.

WELL, THIS THIS TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE AT 10.99 MILLS.

THE IS I'M LOOKING AT MEREDITH BECAUSE THE MILLAGE RATE IS 10.99.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE.

THAT'S JUST MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED.

SO IT'S HARD TO FIND APPLES AND APPLES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE THE MILLAGE RATE AND WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE FOR THE STATE DOESN'T INCLUDE THE DEBT MILLAGE.

AND SO YEAH, THIS IS WHERE IT GOT A LITTLE INTERESTING.

SO BREAKING OUT THE PROPERTY TAX DIGEST BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.

SO WE'RE AT COMMERCIAL BEING 22% OF THE OVERALL DIGEST.

WELL, LAST YEAR IT WAS AT 24% OF THE DIGEST.

AND SO THERE WERE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT APPEALS THAT RESULTED IN DECREASES TO THE COMMERCIAL DIGEST, FOR EXAMPLE, I SENT THIS INFORMATION OVER TO THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE, BECAUSE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND I WILL SAY THAT THE CHIEF APPRAISER OR MR. HICKS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE.

[00:20:02]

THEN ESSENTIALLY THE GROWTH THAT WAS EXPERIENCED IN THE DIGEST IN 2023 OH, HAS DISAPPEARED THROUGH THE APPEALS PROCESS.

I HAVE COMMENTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT PG, SO.

WELL, IT'S A SHAME THAT TONIGHT IT'S JUST BEEN EYE OPENING.

YEAH, THAT'S VERY EYE OPENING.

AND NOT TO GET TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS.

AND I SHOULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE NUMBERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WE DID SEE, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY.

FROM THE DIGEST THAT WE RECEIVED AT THIS TIME IN 2023.

AND THEN LOOKING AT RUSS BECAUSE HE HE SENDS ME THESE NUMBERS.

WHERE THE DIGEST ENDED UP IN THE BILLING THAT WAS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN MARCH, APRIL OF THIS YEAR.

THAT DROPPED ALMOST 6% OR CLOSE REALLY.

RIGHT, AT 6%.

BASED OFF OF APPEALS, I COULDN'T TELL AT THAT TIME WHETHER IT WAS RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL.

AGAIN, WE JUST GOT THIS THE MORE DETAILED DATA FROM THE COUNTY IN THE LAST, LAST TWO WEEKS.

AND I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE BUDGET, WHEN I SAID, OH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE ARE ASSUMING A 6% INCREASE IN THE DIGEST.

THE DIGEST THAT WE USED WAS THAT LOWER NUMBER.

THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER THAT WAS USED FOR BILLING IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.

AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT IT JUST IT GIVES US IT GIVES US SOME BREATHING ROOM, SOME WIGGLE ROOM.

IF WE WERE TO HAVE BUILT A BUDGET BASED ASSUMING A 6% INCREASE OFF THE DIGEST THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US IN MAY OF LAST YEAR, WE'D BE HAVING A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.

ARE THE NUMBERS FOR THE REVISED FY 24 BUDGET, THEY REFLECT THE CHANGE IN THE DIGEST IN TERMS OF EXPECTED? YES, YES OKAY.

SO THOSE NUMBERS OKAY.

THANKS. BEEN ADJUSTED.

AND THEN, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT ONE MILL I ALWAYS ASK THAT QUESTION TO WHAT IT BRINGS IN WITHOUT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, JUST OVER $3 MILLION.

AND THEN FOR THAT, I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THE TAXPAYER, IT'S ROUGHLY $210 FOR EVERY MILL THAT IS $210. MORE IN TAXES IF YOU HAVE A HOMESTEAD.

OKAY. OKAY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.

SO WE'RE SHOWING YOU THE EXEMPTIONS FROM 2023, THE TOP THREE.

AND THAT WAS WHEN THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION WAS AT 25,000, AND THE OTHER TWO, GH TWO AT 10,000, GH THREE AT 15,000. THERE'S SMALLER NUMBERS.

AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE THE VALUE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS BEING IN GH ONE FOR 2024, BILLING INCREASED TO $40,000.

THE OTHER 15,000 AND 25,000, AND AND ALSO GH3.

THE INCOME ELIGIBLE ELIGIBILITY INCREASED.

I THINK IT WAS FROM A 50,000, 50,000 INCOME TO 60,000.

AND WE HAD WE, I ASSUMED THAT THE IMPACT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO 2.6 MILLION AND WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, AS OF TODAY, ROUGHLY ABOUT A $2.8 MILLION IMPACT, MEANING LIKE THAT IS THE THE COST OF THE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS TODAY.

ANDREW. SO IF I CAN, MY INTERPRETATION OR MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS NOW ARE BROADER BECAUSE THEY CAPTURE A

[00:25:04]

THAT NUMBER WENT UP TOO RIGHT, RIGHT WHEN THE NUMBER WENT UP SLIGHTLY IN TERMS OF THE THE.

AND THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO.

FOR GH1. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO TOTALS IS THE 2.8.

THE HOT PINK MINUS THE PURPLE IS 2.8.

THE, AT 2.8 WOULD BE THE LAST THREE OR LAST THREE ROWS.

THE LAST COLUMN, THE 2.4 MILLION, IS THE COST OF PROVIDING THE GH1, AND THAT IF THERE WAS NO GUN EXEMPTION, THEN THE REVENUE WOULD BE 2.4, ALMOST $2.5 MILLION HIGHER.

AND THEN THE SAME WITH GH2.

THE COST IS 242,003 112,000.

SO GH1 PLUS TWO PLUS THREE IS 2.8 CORRECT? OKAY. GOT IT. SO WERE YOU SAYING THAT I THINK MAYBE SHE SAID YES.

YES. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO EXEMPTIONS NOT 2.82.8.

THE TOTAL IMPACT. RIGHT, RIGHT.

THE TOTAL, AND SO ACTUALLY IT WAS IF I'M LOOKING AT IF I CAN ADD THAT THAT'S 2.8, THAT'S ABOUT A MILLION.

ONE POINT ABOUT A MILLION, YEAH.

YEAH. QUICK QUESTION.

JUST. SO TO IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, GH1.

BASICALLY EVERY RESIDENT OF DECATUR WHO OWNS A HOME QUALIFIES FOR GH1.

YEAH. EVERY RESIDENT.

YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE YOU OWN, THE HOME, YOU QUALIFY.

YOU STILL HAVE TO APPLY.

YES. BUT THIS IS AFTER AT 5600.

THAT'S GOING TO BE CLOSE.

YEAH. AND WE INCREASE THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BY 60% OR WE DIDN'T DO IT.

THE VOTERS DID. BUT WE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR THEM TO WRITE FROM 25,000 TO 40,000.

AND THAT SAVED THOSE TAXPAYERS $1 MILLION.

OR I'M A TAXPAYER TOO.

OVERALL. OVERALL, YEAH.

THE SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYERS WITH AROUND $1 MILLION.

AND WE'LL SEE IN A MOMENT HOW THAT TRANSLATES TO A TAX BILL.

THE MILLAGE RATE AND THE CURRENT MILLAGE RATE FOR 2023 IS 12.47.

AND THAT'S FOR ALL OF THE FUNDS, ALL OF THE CITY FUNDS.

AND THEN THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED IS 12.97.

AND AGAIN THE 12.97 THAT ASSUMED A 6% INCREASE IN THE DIGEST.

THE DIGEST WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT.

AND WE WE JUST.

ADJUSTED THE BUDGET BY ADJUSTED IT DOWN BY $140,000 TO MAKE UP THAT 0.25 DIFFERENCE.

SO THE THE BUDGET NUMBERS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE ONES THAT ARE IN YOUR HARD COPY.

BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT MEREDITH HAS GIVEN YOU SOME REPLACEMENT PAGES THAT HAVE THE NEW NUMBERS.

AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO SEE THE MILLAGE RATE HISTORY.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I'VE PROVIDED THAT IN THE PAST.

BUT GOING BACK TO 2013 YOU SEE, WHERE OUR MILLAGE RATE IS STABLE FOR TWO YEARS, INCREASED IN 2015, DECREASED IN 16, INCREASED IN 17 1819, AND IT REMAINED STABLE.

AND THEN THE LAST TWO YEARS WE REDUCED THE MILLAGE RATE.

SO THINK WHAT PROBABLY THE MESSAGE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE ABLE AS A BODY YOU KNOW, WE, WE REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE.

AND THEN, BUT WHEN WE NEED TO INCREASE IT, IT GOES BACK UP.

BUT I AND I DO THINK THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN HAS, HAS DONE THE RIGHT THING, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF REDUCING THE RATE. BUT THEN, OF COURSE, THIS YEAR WE ARE COMING BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR AN INCREASE.

BUT I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN WHEN WE CAN WE REDUCE IT AND THEN OTHER YEARS WE HAVE TO HOLD STEADY.

AND AND THERE ARE ALSO PLENTY OF YEARS WHERE WE WHERE WE'VE NEEDED TO INCREASE.

AND THIS IS JUST A CHART SHOWING THE BREAKDOWN BY FUND OF THE MILLAGE RATES.

SO THE GENERAL FUND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT IS THE GENERAL THE GENERAL FUND THAT NEEDS THE REVENUE AT THE MOMENT.

WELL ACTUALLY I'M GOING TO ARGUE THAT BUT IT CONSIDERING THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE AND THE NEED TO PAY SALARIES AND

[00:30:08]

WE ARE LEAVING CAPITAL WHERE IT IS, BUT I WOULD ALSO ARGUE CAPITAL NEEDS MORE REVENUE.

AND YOU YOU WILL SEE THAT THE GENERAL FUND CONTINUES TO SEND CASH OVER TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND, AND DDA REMAINS WHERE IT IS. AND THEN THE BOND FUNDS FOR THE CITY GO BONDS AND THE SCHOOL GO BONDS.

THOSE WERE ABLE TO JUST SHAVE OFF JUST A BIT 0.05 SINCE THE BOND OBLIGATIONS REMAIN RELATIVELY FLAT FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

SO THE DIGEST GOES UP.

WE NORMALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHAVE OFF A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S ONE THAT I WATCH REALLY CAREFULLY.

CAN YOU REMIND OUR TAXPAYERS AND OUR VIEWERS WHAT THE SCHOOL GO BONDS WERE ORIGINALLY FOR? BECAUSE MANY MAY NOT HAVE ANY IDEA.

FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A DEBT SLIDE.

BUT IT'S FOR THE THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

AND, AND ACTUALLY THE 2007 GO BONDS, HALF OF THAT GO BOND DEBT SERVICE IS FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AS WELL.

AND THEN THEY HAD A SUBSEQUENT ISSUE BOND ISSUANCE FOR THE FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.

AND I WILL WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THOSE NUMBERS WHAT THEY REALLY TRANSLATE TO IN JUST JUST.

SO AFTER ALL THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO A TAX BILL? SO ASSUMING A FAIR MARKET VALUE OF 500,000.

AND AGAIN THIS IS ANOTHER THIS IS AN INTERESTING SLIDE BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE IF THIS WAS HOW IT WAS GOING TO FALL OUT, BUT IT DID.

SO 2023 YOU SEE AT THE TOP THIS IS THE 2023 TAX BILL.

AND THAT'S WHEN THE EXEMPTION THE HOMES.

THIS IS JUST THE GENERAL HOMESTEAD WAS AT 25,000.

AND THAT BILL $2,856.50, FOR 2024, THE NEW EXEMPTIONS ARE IN PLACE.

AGAIN, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT YOUR FAIR MARKET VALUE REMAINS AT 500,000.

YOUR TAX BILL WILL GO DOWN $53.60 TO $2802.90.

SO, AGAIN, I KNOW WE SCRATCH OUR HEAD AND WONDER HOW YOUR TAX BILL CAN GO DOWN WHEN THE MILLAGE RATE GOES UP.

BUT IN THIS CASE YOU KNOW, THE INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, THAT IS ENOUGH TO OFFSET THAT SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE MILLAGE RATE.

BUT OF COURSE, PLENTY OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO SEE THEIR TAX BILL AND IF THEY HAVE A $500,000 HOME, IT MAY GO UP TO 550,000.

AND THEN AGAIN, WE CAN DO THE MATH AND SEE.

I'M NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT THERE WOULD BE LIKE A BREAK EVEN OR OR.

AN ADDITIONAL TAX.

YES, COMMISSIONER DUSENBERRY.

AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE AVERAGE ASSESSED VALUE OR THE MEDIAN, THE MEDIAN ASSESSED VALUE..

IS THAT OUR BILLING, IS THAT PART OF OR THE ADVERTISEMENT? ADVERTISED. COUNTY ASKS US TO ADVERTISE $675 THAT THE AVERAGE OF THE MEDIAN.

THAT'S THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD VALUE OF A HOMESTEADED PROPERTY.

IT'S 875 FOR A NON HOMESTEAD, AND I PROBABLY NEED TO COME TO..

875 WOULD BE THAT WOULD INCLUDE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AS WELL.

I GOT IT OKAY OKAY.

THANK YOU, THAT 670.

WHAT WAS IT, 675? AND THAT NUMBER IS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE TRUTH IN TAX ADVERTISING.

SO TO COMMISSIONER POWERS OR MAYOR PRO TEM POWERS QUESTION.

THIS CHART REPRESENTS ALL OF THE DEBT SERVICE THAT THAT THE CITY IS OBLIGATED TO PAY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND THE, THE THIRD AND FOURTH COLUMNS, AND THIS IS THE INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL THAT THE CITY MUST PAY IN 24-25 AND YOU WILL SEE HOW MUCH IS OUTSTANDING.

AND THEN WHEN IT FINALLY MATURES.

SO WHAT'S EXCITING IS AT LEAST THE TOP ONE.

THE CITY HALL CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION.

THAT LAST PAYMENT IS DUE JANUARY 1ST, 2026.

[00:35:02]

WE'VE GOT IT SPENT ALREADY I'M SURE.

BUT THEN YOU SEE THE NEXT DATE.

I DID NOT PUT THESE IN ORDER.

THE ONE AT THE BOTTOM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ISSUED THESE BONDS ON OUR BEHALF, AS IT RELATES, RELATES TO THE THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT THE THE THE HOUSING IS BEING.

WE WE CARVED OUT THE SIX, SEVEN ACRES ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LEGACY FOR THE PURPOSE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

HOW ARE WE PAYING THAT DEBT FOR THOSE BONDS? FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND.

OKAY. YES. AND THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING SOURCE IS LISTED IN THAT SECOND COLUMN.

SO THE PFA YOU SEE, HAS, YOU KNOW, A FAIR AMOUNT OF DEBT AND BUT THERE'S PFA DOESN'T HAVE A REVENUE, DOESN'T HAVE ITS OWN REVENUE SOURCE.

AND SO THE CAPITAL FUND GENERATES THE REVENUE TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.

AND JUST ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION.

SO WHY DOES THAT SERVICE END QUICKER THAN THE OTHER PFA DEBT? I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, THIS THE PFA, THE GFA AND THE 2022 REVENUE BONDS, THOSE.

OH WELL. AND THAT ACTUALLY 2022 REVENUE BONDS.

THAT WAS A REFINANCING OF THE ORIGINAL BONDS WHEN WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.

SO PART OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE SIZING AND THE DEBT BURDEN THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE DEBT SERVICE THAT COULD BE CARRIED FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IF WE SET UP OUR PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR THE THE HOUSING BONDS BASED OFF OF THE KIND OF THE MODERATE.

FAIRLY MODERATE AMOUNT OF DEBT SERVICE, BUT I CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY BY THAT WOODEN MIRROR, THE REST OF THE PROPERTY.

AND THEN TO MAYOR PRO TEM'S QUESTION THE THIRD LINE DOWN THE 2016 SCHOOL GO BONDS, YOU WILL SEE THAT INTEREST IS OVER $2 MILLION.

PRINCIPAL IS ALSO OVER $2 MILLION.

AND STILL $58 MILLION.

THAT'S OUTSTANDING.

SO THE THE SCHOOL DEBT SERVICE IS BY FAR THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEBT.

AND AS I SAID, THE 2007 GEO BONDS, HALF OF THAT REMAINING PRINCIPAL OF 21 MILLION IS ALSO WAS WAS ISSUED TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THERE? I'LL JUST BE GLAD WHEN WE HIT MORE AND MORE OF THOSE MATURITY DATES, AND OTHER REVENUES.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, AS YOU SEE HERE, THE REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE FROM TAXES IS ALMOST $31 MILLION OUT OF A $43 MILLION BUDGET.

BUT THERE ARE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT GENERATE REVENUE.

PERMITS FROM DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, CODE VIOLATIONS, PARKING METER FEES AND RECREATION FEES.

AND THESE ARE ALL NUMBERS THAT WE SAW IMPACTED PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND HAVE ALL REBOUNDED SINCE THAT TIME.

AND JUST TO SEE SOME OF THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE THIS IS THE HOW WELL DID OUR BUDGET PAGE THE REAL PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR WE ADOPTED BUDGET OF 21.6 MILLION.

AND IN THE REVISED BUDGET, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE CLOSER TO 21.8 MILLION.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE PROPOSED GOING UP CLOSER TO $25 MILLION.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S REAL PROPERTY TAX ONLY.

AND LIKE I MENTIONED, WE HAVE OTHER TAX DIGEST, ONE OF THOSE BEING PERSONAL BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY DIGEST AND THAT TAX, IT BEING A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH SMALLER NUMBER THAN REAL PROPERTY TAXES.

DON'T REALLY SEE MUCH DON'T ANTICIPATE MUCH CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR WITH PERSONAL PROPERTY OCCUPATION TAX.

[00:40:06]

IT'S THE SAME AS AN OCCUPATION TAX.

WE SEE THAT STAYING PRETTY FLAT, THE ALCOHOL EXCISE TAX REMAINING FLAT.

CONSTRUCTION PERMITS.

CLEARLY WE BUDGETED PRETTY CONSERVATIVELY FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

AND WE'VE SEEN THAT COME IN STRONGER THAN EXPECTED.

I THINK THAT 1.3 IS GOING TO BE CLOSE.

BUT NONETHELESS AN INCREASE.

AND THEN FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET JUST SORT OF HOLDING STEADY AND THEN THE PARKING METER FEES.

THERE'S FOR THE REVISED BUDGET.

NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE.

SO REMAINING MORE CONSERVATIVE AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT YEAR.

AND THEN THE RECREATION FEES DO WANT TO POINT OUT.

THAT CAME IN OPTIMISTIC, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR 4.6 MILLION.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE CLOSER TO 3.6 MILLION IN THE REVISED BUDGET.

ON THE FLIP SIDE, THOUGH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION EXPENDITURES DECREASE OVER $800,000 IN THE REVISED BUDGET.

SO WE'RE THERE WHERE THERE WERE PROGRAMS THAT DID NOT THERE WERE PROGRAMS THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.

THEY DID NOT HAVE THE EXPENDITURES.

BUT ON THE ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE REVENUES.

ANDREA I GOT A QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DIG INTO.

HAVE WE EVER SEEN A CORRELATION BETWEEN PERMITTING AND YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE FIGURES ARE FROM YEAR TO YEAR VERSUS WHAT OUR ASSESSED VALUES COME IN AT? HAVE WE EVER SEEN OR HAVE WE EVER CHARTED A CORRELATION BASED ON PERMITTING? I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WELL, I HAVE NOT DONE A, YOU KNOW, SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS, BUT I, I USE THAT IS ONE OF MY DATA POINTS WHEN I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE, SAY, YEAH, IS THE DIGEST GOING TO COME IN AT, YOU KNOW, AT 5 OR 10%? I'M USING THAT DATA FROM PERMITTING TO, TO HELP ME MAKE THAT, MAKE THAT DECISION.

BUT OF COURSE, ALSO, YOU KNOW, ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT THIS, THIS PERMIT DATA THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LAG.

SO I WOULD NEED TO BE LOOKING AT PERMIT DATA FROM ESSENTIALLY A YEAR AGO AND THEN LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE REFLECTED, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY A YEAR LATER, YOU KNOW, JANUARY 1ST IS THE DATE THAT THE COUNTY IS USING FOR ITS VALUATION.

AND SO, AGAIN, I, I USE IT AS A DATA POINT.

AND I THINK IT'S, I MEAN, TO THAT POINT, I THINK IT'S FAIRLY RELIABLE.

YEAH. IN TERMS OF WHAT I WAS KIND OF DRIVING AT THAT YOU CAN, WE CAN SORT OF FIGURE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON WHAT THE PERMITTING IS.

YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, IF THE PERMITTING IS WAY OFF, WE GOT TO FIGURE GROWTH IS GOING TO BE FLAT.

SO, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I GUESS WE CAN SORT OF LOOK FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE.

IF WE START SEEING THAT NUMBER MOVE, WE CAN ALWAYS ANTICIPATE.

RIGHT. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S ONE ONE OF THE DATA POINTS IN TERMS OF NEW VALUE.

OF COURSE THE REVALUATION I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, OTHER SOURCES, DATA SOURCES TO HELP ME MAKE A DETERMINATION OF, YOU KNOW, OH, ESSENTIALLY SALES DATA TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE.

SO THERE'S THE ONE NUMBER WITH THE REVALUE.

BUT AGAIN, REALLY A GOOD SOURCE OF INFORMATION IS THE PERMITTING DATA FOR, NEW VALUE.

SO I DID HAVE THIS QUESTION WHEN I MET EARLIER WITH YOU, JUST ABOUT THE PARKS AND REC, THE RECREATION FEES, BECAUSE THEY CAME IN, YOU KNOW, A MILLION LESS.

AND YET FOR THE PROPOSED 24-25, THEY ARE IT'S HIGHER THAN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND 23-24 AND I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION AS TO KIND OF THE, THE STRATEGIES OR THE THOUGHT BEHIND THAT GOING UP THAT MUCH.

IF WE FELT LIKE WE KIND OF WERE SHOOTING FOR THE MOON AND DIDN'T MAKE IT, ARE WE ARE WE TAKING ANOTHER SHOT AT THE MOON, OR IS THAT SOMETHING BASED ON WHAT WE'RE PREDICTING? RIGHT.

AND I WOULD I MEAN, I WOULD SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOOTING FOR THE MOON.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO COME UP SHORT WITH THE REVENUES, THEN WE ARE GOING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE OFFSETTING DECREASE IN, IN THE EXPENDITURES.

I MEAN, I'D BE REALLY CONCERNED IF WE SAID YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO REDUCE OUR ESTIMATE BY $1 MILLION.

BUT, YOU KNOW, BY THE WAY, IN THE SAME YEAR YOU KNOW, PARKS AND REC EXPENDITURES ARE REMAINING THE SAME OR GOING UP.

SO YOU KNOW, SO THEY WILL GO UP AND DOWN TOGETHER.

AND SO, SO THE EXPENDITURES ALSO, YOU KNOW, ASSUME THAT THE YOU KNOW, THE CLASSES ARE GOING TO BE HOSTED, INSTRUCTORS ARE GOING TO

[00:45:07]

AND I SAW THERE WAS A PHOTO TODAY OR YESTERDAY THAT THESE.

BUT WE SEE THAT IT'S JUST IT'S TAKING IT'S TAKING MORE TIME TO TO GENERATE THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE RECREATION CENTERS.

YEAH. I MEAN, THIS ISN'T YOUTH ATHLETICS OR SUMMER CAMP OR AFTER SCHOOL.

THOSE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY, PRETTY SOLID IN TERMS OF OF OF KNOWING WHAT AFTER SCHOOL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ARE GOING TO BE.

BUT THE, THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT NANCY FOR THE NOD IS FOR A LOT OF IT IS THE WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING WITH THE CENTERS.

BUT WE AGAIN, WE'RE GOING BACK INTO THE NEXT YEAR.

AND WE ALWAYS WE BUDGET AGAIN.

WE BUDGET AS IF EVERY POSITION IS GOING TO BE FULL, AND WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET AS IF PROGRAMS AND CLASSES ARE ALSO GOING TO MAKE UP.

AND SO AGAIN, WHAT THE THE EXPENDITURES ARE KIND OF THE YOU COULD CALL IT THE WORST CASE OR BEST CASE SCENARIO.

I MEAN, IT'S, THE MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO TAKE I BELIEVE.

HELPFUL. THANK YOU.

WITH THE PARKING SO I BELIEVE PRE-PANDEMIC, WE'RE GETTING ALMOST $1 MILLION A YEAR IN PARKING.

WE'RE UP TO 500,000 NOW.

WHAT IS OUR COST FOR MAINTAINING AND ENFORCING PARKING AND DOING ALL THAT STUFF? ALL I CAN ANSWER RIGHT NOW IS THAT THESE REVENUES ARE AFTER EXPENSES.

SO THAT'S HOW THE REVENUES ARE BROUGHT IN THE THE PARKING COMPANY EXTRACTS THEIR PAYMENT AND THEN THESE ARE OUR, OUR RECEIPTS AND SO I COULD GO BACK AND FIND OUT WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.

BUT YEAH. SO THIS THAT'S TRUE.

SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE AFTER AFTER EXPENSES.

AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPENSES ON THE OTHER SIDE.

I HAVE TO GO BACK AND SEE IF THERE'S WHEN THE REVENUES WERE COMING IN SHOWING $1 MILLION.

THAT WAS A DIFFERENT CONTRACT WHERE WE HAD, WE HAD THE PARKING MANAGEMENT BUDGET.

WE HAD THE EXPENDITURES GOING OUT TO THE CONTRACTOR.

SO OKAY, SO I'LL HAVE TO SEE WHETHER IT'S SP PLUS, DID THEY DO THEY ENFORCE TO LIKE IF I SEE PEOPLE DRIVING.

SO. OKAY. GOOD OKAY.

GOOD. THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT WAS BEFORE MY TIME I GUESS WHEN WE HAD A DIFFERENT CONTRACT.

THANKS. A FAVORITE TOPIC IS THE FUND BALANCE. OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, AS YOU KNOW, DO REQUIRE THAT WE KEEP A FUND BALANCE OF 20 TO 30% OF GENERAL OPERATING REVENUES AT THE END OF 22-23.

WE DID USE ONE OVER $1.3 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE, AND THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.

AND IT WASN'T AS MUCH AS WE WERE TRYING TO SPEND, BUT WE SPENT IT DOWN.

HAVE LEAVING US WITH A FUND BALANCE OF AROUND $15 MILLION, BUT STILL AT 40% OF EXPENDITURES.

AND THE REVISED BUDGET FOR 2023-24, WE DO WE ARE PLANNING, AND I EXPECT WE'LL USE CLOSE TO $2.8 MILLION FROM FUND BALANCE.

OF COURSE, THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS CLOSER TO 4 MILLION.

AGAIN, PRETTY NORMAL EXPENDITURES.

AND COME IN, END UP LOWER REVENUES CLOSE OR MAYBE SLIGHTLY HIGHER.

WE'RE ABLE TO USE LESS FROM FUND BALANCE.

AND THEN AS WE GO INTO 24-25, WE ARE LOOKING TO USE $3.3 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE, TAKING US DOWN TO ABOUT 9 MILLION, OR 21% OF EXPENDITURES.

[00:50:01]

AND EVEN THOUGH 21% IS, YOU KNOW YEAH.

IT'S FINE. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THERE.

WE'RE IN. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE IN THE RANGE OF THE OF THE POLICY.

WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE WE'RE SITTING HERE NEXT YEAR SAYING, YOU KNOW, OH CRAP, WE'RE AT $5 MILLION.

AND SO WHICH IS WHY I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS BUDGET WHILE WE'RE ADVANCING.

AND IT'S PROGRESSING.

IT ALSO REPRESENTS SOME RESTRAINT.

HOW MUCH OF THAT DID THIS PROPOSED FUND BALANCE EXPENDITURES FOR? FIVE IS FOR THE EXTRA PAY PERIOD.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN A MOMENT.

IF WE CAN PARK THAT QUESTION, I'LL HAVE IT FOR YOU.

IT'S LESS THAN A MILLION, I CAN TELL YOU THAT.

OKAY. OKAY.

SO REVENUES FUND BALANCE AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION.

EXPENDITURES. SO THE EXPENDITURES JUST HAPPEN TO BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF AS REVENUES BECAUSE WE MUST BY STATE LAW HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.

SO 43,000,021 180.

OF COURSE, WE DO BALANCE THAT BUDGET WITH REVENUE, AS WELL AS THE USE OF FUND BALANCE TO REACH THE 43 MILLION $4.8 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE REVISED BUDGET.

PERSONNEL SERVICES INCREASE $2.7 MILLION.

NOW, THAT'S OVER THE REVISED BUDGET.

SO THE REVISED BUDGET IS WHERE WE SEE WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE PERSONNEL NUMBERS GO DOWN BECAUSE OF VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ORIGINAL 2324 BUDGET WHERE WE BUDGETED AS IF ALL POSITIONS WERE FULL, THEN THAT INCREASE IS CLOSER TO 940,000.

SO I THINK THAT PUTS IT IN PERSPECTIVE.

ANOTHER AREA OF INCREASE OUR HEALTH CARE COSTS.

WE GET TO DIVE INTO THAT LATER.

AND THEN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

THAT'S ONE OF OUR MORE SIGNIFICANT LINE ITEMS, $3.3 MILLION.

BUT I WOULD SAY IT STAYS PRETTY FLAT UNDER 80,000.

AND THEN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES THAT'S ANOTHER LARGE LINE ITEM, $4.4 MILLION, AN INCREASE OVER 600,000. AND THAT INCLUDES THE POOL MANAGEMENT CONTRACT, OUR GIS CONTRACT.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT THESE ARE INCREASES NECESSARILY.

I'LL TELL YOU THE INCREASES.

THERE'S A STUDY FOR FLEET ELECTRIFICATION, THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT IS NEW, AN ADDITIONAL 170,000 FOR WEBSITE HOSTING CONTRACT, LIVE STREAMING CONTRACT.

SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS HAVE COLAS, ESSENTIALLY COLAS BUILT IN.

SO THERE ARE SOME INCREASES, SLIGHT INCREASES WITH INFLATION THAT ARE BUILT IN.

BUT THE TWO DRIVERS WOULD BE THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT JUST GOT UNDERWAY.

AND THEN THE POOL MANAGEMENT CONTRACT.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $355,000 OVER THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT.

BUT YOU MAY YOU MAY RECALL THAT DISCUSSION WHEN WE APPROVED THAT CONTRACT AND THERE WERE SOME TWEAKS TO IT AND BE OPEN SEVEN DAY HAVE ALL POOLS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

AND THERE'S JUST THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE POOL CONTRACTS.

SO THE DRIVERS OF THE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES ARE THE POOLS AND THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.

AND OF COURSE, PERSONNEL, THAT IS OUR LARGEST SINGLE LINE ITEM.

PERSONNEL EXPENDITURES AS A WHOLE MAKE UP 59% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET.

I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT OUR RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION INCREASES FROM 9.3% OF PAYROLL TO 9.5% OF PAYROLL, AND THAT COSTS US ABOUT $103,000, BUT THAT IS REQUIRED.

WE ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO FUND THE RETIREMENT PLAN.

AND THAT IS..

THAT'S A DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN? DB PLAN. YES, YES.

AND THEN THERE ARE RECLASSIFICATIONS, WHICH WE WILL GO THROUGH.

I'LL SHOW YOU THE LIST OF THOSE RECLASSIFICATIONS OF 34 POSITIONS.

AND WE HAVE FOUR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS RELATED TO COMMUNICATIONS, WORKING WITH THE CITY'S UNHOUSED

[00:55:06]

THERE'S ALSO A PLAN FOR POSSIBLY PICKLEBALL WITHIN COCHRANE.

SO PROGRAMING WITHIN THE FACILITIES AND ALSO ALSO SO [INAUDIBLE] SO THAT'S MY FAULT.

I'M SO SORRY. OUTDOOR NATURE CENTER WORKING WITH OUR URBAN NATURALIST AND THAT THE OUTDOOR NATURE CENTER AND ACTIVITIES THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THE TOP REQUESTS THAT WE SAW IN THE RECREATION MASTER PLAN AND THEN A SUSTAINABILITY POSITION, WHICH I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT LATER THIS EVENING.

NOT FORGET THE PALEONTOLOGISTS THAT THE KIDS.

CITY STAFF PALEONTOLOGIST FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE PALEONTOLOGIST.

SO NEXT YEAR. SORRY, DAVID NIFONG.

SORRY, YOUNG CHILDREN.

AND AS IT RELATES TO PERSONNEL, THERE'S THE I MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, THE TWO WEEK MERIT BASED SALARY ADJUSTMENT WHICH IS IN LIEU OF AN INCREASE TO BASE SALARIES, AND THAT WILL BE PAID IN AUGUST OF 2024.

AND THIS LOOKS LIKE A LOT GOING ON.

SO LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE RECLASSIFICATIONS FOR THE MOST PART THESE RECLASSIFICATIONS.

AND YOU SEE IT'S FROM ONE RANGE TO ANOTHER.

AND IN MOST CASES.

I THINK IT JUST GOES FROM IT ONLY JUMPS ONE ONE RANGE.

SO 1 TO 2, 2 TO 3, 3 TO 4 AND THESE ARE BASED OFF OF SALARY SURVEYS OR THE SALARY SURVEY THAT WE DO EACH YEAR.

AND YOU KNOW WHICH SAID OKAY, YOU KNOW YOUR YOUR CREW WORKER SHOULD BE IN THIS HIGHER RANGE.

AND, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE I SAID, MOST OF THESE CAME FROM THE SALARY SURVEY AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS THERE ALSO THERE'S A KIND OF A DOMINO EFFECT. YOU KNOW, IF THIS ONE POSITION GOES UP, THEN IT MAY KNOCK ANOTHER ONE INTO THE NEXT CATEGORY.

SO IT'S THE SURVEY RESULTS DRIVEN BY THE LABOR MARKET AND THEN ALSO INTERNAL EQUITY ISSUES.

AND THEN THERE'S SOME CASES WHERE THERE WERE THERE'S SOME CHANGES IN JOB DUTIES.

AND WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY A CHANGE TO A NEW RANGE.

AND TO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT YOU MIGHT BE THINKING WHEN A WHEN A PERSON WHO IS IN A POSITION THAT GETS MOVED TO ANOTHER RANGE THAT NORMALLY DOES NOT IMPACT THAT PERSON'S, THAT EMPLOYEE'S SALARY, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS GETTING THIS POSITION IN THE RANGE AND A PLACE WHERE THAT POSITION IS COMPETITIVE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE MARKET.

HOWEVER, IF IF YOU ARE AT IF YOU'RE AT A STEP A AND YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ANOTHER RANGE, YOU GO TO THAT NEXT STEP A, WELL THAT IS GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE AT A MINUS MINUS OR AND YOU WILL SEE IT MAY BE A TWO AND A HALF OR 5% INCREASE.

YES, SIR. LAST YEAR WE DID A.

COMPREHENSIVE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ASSESSMENT OF THIS AND JUST OF THE SALARIES.

IT'S A DID WE LOOK AT THESE RANGES AS PART OF THAT MAKE CHANGES THEN TO? WE DID OKAY. SO THIS IS AFTER THAT WE FELT THE NEED TO MAKE ADDITIONAL CHANGES.

YES. SO.

WHICH? YES.

THE MY AND MY CONCERN THERE, SO, SO IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THE EMPHASIS WAS ON THE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE IN THAT IN THAT POSITION IN LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE AND, YOU KNOW, DETERMINING, YOU KNOW, MAKING CHANGES TO THEIR SALARY.

YOU MAY RECALL 8.35 WAS THE THAT WAS THE LEAST, THE SMALLEST INCREASE RECEIVED BY ANY FULL TIME EMPLOYEE.

AND THEN OTHERS WENT.

IT WAS IN DOUBLE, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE DIGITS AS HIGH AS 20, 20% IN SOME CASES.

SO THERE THAT WAS THERE WERE SOME SIGNIFICANT SALARY CHANGES, WHICH THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR THOSE.

[01:00:06]

AND THAT'S PART OF THE IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET AS WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT AFFORDING, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR AS WELL.

BUT MY CONCERN IS IS IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT OF, OF NOT OF NOT PROVIDING SALARY INCREASES TO PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GIVE THEM INCREASES.

AND WE'VE MOVED UP THE RANGES AND WE'RE HIRING PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING COMPRESSION OR WE'RE STARTING COMPRESSION ALL OVER AGAIN.

I MEAN, I'M WE'RE AWARE OF THAT.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET WAS DIFFERENT LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.

WE'RE CERTAINLY SEEING A SHIFT IN THE MARKET.

AND I BELIEVE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE OVERSEEING OUT OF SCHOOL TIME, YOU KNOW, HAVE CERTAINLY SEEN A POSITIVE CHANGE AS AN EMPLOYER THAT WE WE ARE GETTING YOU KNOW, APPLICATIONS FROM, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE AND MORE QUALIFIED PEOPLE. AND SO WHERE IT'S, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A STRONGER POSITION AS AN EMPLOYER AS OPPOSED TO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHERE IT WAS HARDER TO BRING IN PEOPLE AT THE LOWER STEPS IN THE RANGE. ALL THAT TO SAY, THOUGH WITH, WITH POSITIONS THAT ARE REQUIRING PROFESSIONAL DEGREES OR CERTIFICATIONS, I.E., YOU KNOW, AN ENGINEER THE THOSE ARE STILL THAT, THAT HASN'T THAT PART OF THE MARKET HASN'T HAS NOT SOFTENED UP FOR US.

TWO MORE QUESTIONS.

WHEN DID WE ADOPT THAT? LAST YEAR. SO IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE FULL FISCAL YEAR.

IT DID. IT AFFECTED THE FULL FISCAL YEAR.

THE FULL FISCAL YEAR.

OH, YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN IS THERE A DOLLAR AMOUNT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE RECLASSIFICATIONS FROM THE BUDGET? NOT. NO NOT WITH THE RECLASSIFICATIONS.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE IS I THINK I CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND.

OKAY, I HAVE TWO HANDS.

OKAY. BUT TEN FOLKS THAT WOULD HAVE A SHIFT FROM WHERE THEY WOULD WHERE THEY WOULD BE RECEIVING AN INCREASE.

WE CAN CALCULATE THAT.

WE CAN CERTAINLY CALCULATE THAT.

BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE THAT'S GOING TO BE A TINY PART.

THAT OWE YOU AN ANSWER TO THE COST OF THE, OH, THE TWO WEEK MERIT BASED SALARY ADJUSTMENT AROUND 770, LET'S SAY AROUND $800,000.

THAT'S AN. AND THEN I TALKED ABOUT THE NEW POSITIONS HOMELESS STRATEGY MANAGER, SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR, COMMUNICATIONS.

THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR WILL BE FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, EMBEDDED.

IN PUBLIC WORKS.

I THINK THERE'S A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY.

TO HAVE THIS PERSON COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF THE SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, EVEN PRIVATE PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NORTHWOOD, RAVEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SPILLOVER EFFECT.

ROADS MAY BE CLOSED, TRAFFIC IMPACTED.

YOU KNOW, SIDEWALK PROJECTS TRAFFIC CALMING.

AND IT'S NOT JUST THE, THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE DISRUPTION IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVEN PULLING BACK OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC ON PLANNING PROCESSES AND WHETHER THAT'S TRAFFIC CALMING OR SAFE STREETS FOR ALL.

AND OF COURSE, WITH THIS BEING IN PUBLIC WORKS, I MEAN, THAT'S ALSO GOING TO INCLUDE OUR FAVORITE STREET SWEEPING.

WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STREET SWEEPER YOU KNOW, SOLID WASTE COLLECTIONS AND IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES IN SCHEDULES.

SO THERE'S A LOT, A LOT, A LOT THAT THIS PERSON CAN DO.

AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THE ESB HAS A NUMBER OF GOALS AS IT RELATES TO PROVIDING RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND WHETHER THAT'S ABOUT RECYCLING CONTAMINATION.

AND I THINK THERE'S, AGAIN, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS PERSON CAN ALSO PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT WITH, WITH ESB.

SO AS THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR OR THE OTHER PIECES OF THE OF COMMUNICATION BE COORDINATED WITH THIS PERSON OR

[01:05:08]

YEAH. OKAY. YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN YOU KNOW LAST WEEK I WAS PART OF A MEETING WITH OUR EQUITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR THE TWO COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATORS WHO WERE WITHIN EQUITY AND ENGAGEMENT AND IN THE COMMUNICATIONS POSITION IN PARKS AND REC, AND WHAT WHAT I WOULD ENVISION IS THEN THAT SAME KIND OF MEETING, IF WE HAD HAD THE PUBLIC WORKS PERSON, THEY WOULD BE AT THE TABLE.

AND AGAIN, HAVING, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE DISCUSSION ABOUT COORDINATED COMMUNICATION AMONG THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATORS.

SO COORDINATES.

YEAH. SO I MEAN, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT RETREAT AND THAT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IS LIKE KIND OF A CENTRALIZED PROCESS AND THAT WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS LIKE TEXT MESSAGING OR WHATEVER THAT IS, SO THAT THERE ARE TIMELY MESSAGES SENT OUT ABOUT NOT NOT JUST ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS KINDS OF THINGS, BUT ABOUT OTHER SO IS WHO WILL THAT FALL UNDER IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER.

AND THAT POSITION IS VACANT AT THE TIME.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS, POSITIONS WHERE I THINK WE'RE THIS MAY BE THE AT LEAST THE THIRD, IF NOT FOURTH ROUND OF RECRUITING FOR THAT POSITION.

AGAIN, IT'S BEEN BUT WE DO HAVE A POSITION THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER THAT WOULD OVERSEE AND AGAIN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE STREAMLINED PROCESSES.

AGAIN, THAT WAS PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.

YOU KNOW, WITH THAT WITH THE GROUP MEETING LAST WEEK IT WAS TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE VARIOUS WEBSITES AND YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR KIND OF A THE PUBLIC SHOULD ONLY HAVE TO GO TO ONE, ONE PLACE, EVEN IF THE CONTENT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IN DIFFERENT BUT BACK IN MAY BE SEPARATE BUT JUST THAT THERE'S KIND OF ONE POINT OF ENTRY.

SO, SO I THINK, I MEAN, I'M, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY HAVE COMING OUT OF COMMUNICATIONS GENERALLY.

IN ADDITION TO THIS NEW ROLE IN PUBLIC WORKS.

BUT YEAH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A PODCAST AND I THINK THERE'S ACTUALLY A DRAFT OF A CITY COMMISSION RECAP.

AND SO THAT'S THAT WOULD BE ONE OF OUR NEW INITIATIVES IS AFTER EVERY CITY COMMISSION MEETING, THAT THERE BE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN A AN INTERESTING WAY DELIGHTFUL WAY TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT OUR ABOUT OUR MEETINGS.

SO A LOT MORE LESS A LOT LESS LOBBYING.

SO WE'RE SAYING, I MEAN, I THINK TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN QUICKLY PUSH OUT INFORMATION TO EVERYBODY WHO SIGNS UP FOR IT. AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TEXT THING.

I WOULD REITERATE THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.

FOR SOME REASON. I RECALL AT THE ARTISAN, I WAS LIVING THERE.

THERE'S SOMETHING WITH THE POLICE OR FIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND WE WOULD SIGN UP FOR IT.

AND MARTIN 911.

YEAH, SOMETHING LIKE, BUT WE JUST SAID WE SIGNED UP FOR IT.

WE GOT THAT. SO I JUST I WOULD REITERATE THAT WOULD BE GREAT JUST TO GET THAT TEXT.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT WE ARE RETITLING A POSITION THE SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER.

THIS IS A VACANT POSITION TO AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR TO BETTER REFLECT WHAT WE REALLY NEED.

AND AND THIS PERSON DOESN'T DOESN'T NEED TO BE AN ENGINEER TO WORK WITH OUR ENGINEER AND OTHER STAFF AND EVEN CONSULTANTS ON, YOU KNOW, ON OUR TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, NOT NOT JUST IT'S NOT JUST PAVING ROADS, BUT, YOU KNOW, PRIMARILY IT'S GOING TO BE SUPPORTING OUR POLICY OF ELEVATING THE EXPERIENCE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.

AND AND THERE IS A POSITION THAT IS WE'VE ELIMINATED BASED OFF OF OF OF IT BEING RECENTLY VACATED.

THE, THE POSITION IN PARKS AND RECREATION AND REPLACING IT WITH AN AQUATICS PROGRAM SUPERVISOR POSITION.

AND THEN THERE ARE SOME PART TIME RECOMMENDATIONS WE DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME, I REALIZE TALKING ABOUT OUR PART TIME POSITIONS.

AND WE HAVE SO MANY EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CRITICAL POSITIONS THAT ARE PART TIME.

AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST TO MIND WOULD BE OUR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS.

[01:10:06]

AND WE DO HAVE DATA FROM SURROUNDING AGENCIES TO, TO JUSTIFY THAT INCREASE.

AND THERE'S A REQUEST FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD POSITIONS.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO ADD TO PART TIME RECREATION SPECIALIST TO HELP OUT AT LEGACY PARK.

SO YOU IMAGINE HAVING SOMEONE TO, YOU KNOW, OPEN AND CLOSE THE GYM, WHEN WE HAVE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.

IT MAY NOT NOT JUST THE GYM, BUT CORCORAN AND BEING ON SITE. WHAT DOES THAT BRING OUR TOTAL FOR CROSSING GUARDS POSITIONS? IS IT 148? IT'S GOING TO SAY 50.

48 OKAY.

YEAH I THINK YEAH.

48 48.

I DON'T THINK OUR COMMUNITY HAS A CLUE THAT THERE ARE THAT MANY CROSSING GUARDS.

SO AND WE STILL I MEAN, WE'RE STILL NOT GOING TO STAFF EVERY, EVERY INTERSECTION WHERE, I MEAN, WHERE WE HAVE RECEIVED REQUESTS.

BUT WHEN WHEN WE RECEIVE REQUESTS, NORMALLY JENNIFER ROSS GOES TO THAT AREA.

IT SPENDS A FEW MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS JUST, YOU KNOW, WATCHING THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND MAKES A DETERMINATION.

BUT AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING WE CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT THE PEOPLE YOU SEE HERE AND DON'T SEE HERE, OUR EMPLOYEES, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A LIVING WAGE AND OUR MAKING SURE THAT OUR SALARIES REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET SALARIES AND RANGES BEING TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND THEN OUR BENEFITS.

I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE, THE BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER EMPLOYEES.

THE AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO DIVE INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THERE'S THE HEALTH INSURANCE.

BUT OF COURSE, OUR RETIREMENT PLAN THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER RETIREMENT SAVINGS.

WE OFFER TUITION ASSISTANCE, AND WE HAVE THE, THE WELLNESS PROGRAM THAT THAT THE MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN AND JUST THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT. I THINK YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS, IS A REFLECTION OF THE HEALTH OF AN ORGANIZATION.

AND SO THIS IS NOT WORK THAT WE'RE JUST STARTING.

YOU KNOW, FOR DECADES, WE'VE EMPLOYEES HAVE ENGAGED AROUND CROSS DEPARTMENTAL TEAMS. YOU KNOW, MORE RECENTLY, WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN EMPLOYEE EQUITY TEAM MORE FOCUS WITH OUR NEW INNOVATION AND STRATEGY POSITION ON OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

BUT EVEN BEFORE FILLING THAT POSITION, WE HAD EMPLOYEES WHO VOLUNTEERED TO SPEND TIME SPEAKING WITH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, ALL EMPLOYEES ENGAGING AROUND VISION, VALUES AND PRINCIPLES WHERE EMPLOYEES WERE DEVELOPING THOSE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OR IDENTIFYING THEM AND JUST CREATING A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE NOT ONLY DO THEY FEEL WELCOME, BUT THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG HERE.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S WHAT'S EXPECTED, WHAT'S NEEDED TO CREATE THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.

AND THEN AN AREA WHERE I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.

AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO NEXT THIS YEAR, IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

BUT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION AND JUST BEING VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT THAT.

SO I PROMISED YOU HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND I THINK WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF MORE SLIDES, AND THEN WE MAY HAVE TIME FOR A STRETCH BREAK.

THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS BREAK.

A HEALTH AND WELLNESS BREAK.

YEAH. WE CAN DO SOME YOGA.

NO, NO, DON'T LOOK AT THE SNACKS.

TAKE A STROLL TO GET MORE GUMMIES.

SO, LIKE I SAID, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR OUR HEALTH HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER RELATED BENEFITS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT INEXPENSIVE.

HEALTH CARE COSTS TOTAL ABOUT $3.8 MILLION, AND THAT IS ABOUT 9% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

AND I'D SAY THAT'S REMAIN PRETTY, PRETTY STABLE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

[01:15:01]

THAT'S INCREASING CLOSE TO 12%.

JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ARE SELF-INSURED.

WE'RE SELF-INSURED UP TO THE STOP LOSS.

AND SO TODAY, THE STOP LOSS IS AT 95,000.

AND SO ALL COSTS INCURRED BY AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER, THE CITY PAYS OUT OF POCKET.

UP TO THE STOP LOSS.

FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE FUNDING OF 80 OVER 20 FUNDING RATIO FOR COST, WHERE THE CITY COMMITS TO PAY 80% OF THE COST, AND THEN THE EMPLOYEE WILL PAY THE OTHER 20. AND I PUT A LITTLE ASTERISK, BECAUSE THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE STRAYED FROM THAT.

AND THE CITY TOOK ON 85% OF THE COST FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY COVERAGE.

AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE CONTINUE THAT.

WE SAID THE LAST.

I DON'T THINK WE DID. I'M LOOKING AT THERESA.

IF WE DID, DID WE DO ANOTHER BENEFIT SURVEY? ALL RIGHT. SO WE TRY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE BENEFIT SURVEY, LISTENING TO OUR EMPLOYEES MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.

BUT ALSO, I MEAN, IT'S TRYING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITHOUT DRIVING UP THE, THE COST OF THE PLAN.

HOWEVER, AS I SAID, WE WERE ALREADY LOOKING AT INCREASES WITH OVERALL COSTS.

YOU KNOW, THE STOP LOSS, THE ADMIN FEES, THE CLAIMS LIABILITY.

AND SO THE EMPLOYEES PAYROLL DEDUCTION WILL INCREASE ABOUT 9.6%.

THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF $16 PER PAY PERIOD.

I SAY THAT'S AN AVERAGE.

SO EMPLOYEE ONLY IS GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT LESS.

THE FAMILY COVERAGE, THAT'S WHERE WHERE THE FAMILY COVERAGE WILL SEE A GREATER DEDUCTION.

BUT THERE'S NO CHANGE TO DEDUCTIBLES.

AND LISTENING TO OUR EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE ADDED SOME CANCER SCREENINGS, AND WE'LL BE COMMUNICATING WITH EMPLOYEES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE.

UNDER THE PLAN, WE'VE EXPANDED LAB COVERAGE SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO TO A LAB THAT'S OUTSIDE THE NETWORK.

AND IT'S THE THE, THE THE BENEFIT IS THE SAME.

SO WE HAD HAD SOME FOLKS WHO WOULD GO TO A LAB BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE TOLD TO GO.

AND THEN THEY FIND OUT IT'S OUTSIDE OF NETWORK.

AND THEY GOT BILLED. WE WERE DOING AWAY WITH THAT.

THERE'S SOME NEW CHILD CARE RESOURCES AND I ALREADY FORGOT THE NAME.

IT'S LIKE. SOMETHING.

CITY. URBAN.

URBAN. URBAN SITTER.

OKAY. SO TO HELP PEOPLE FIND ACCESS TO QUALITY CHILDCARE THERE'S A DESIRE.

THIS IS A CONTINUATION FROM LAST YEAR.

JUST MORE TRAINING AROUND THE THE THE FOR 57 THE THE VOLUNTARY PLANS FOR 57, THE IRA IN ADDITION TO THE CITY'S RETIREMENT PLAN.

ANDREA. DOES THAT ANY OF THAT INCLUDE, LIKE, ACCESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE AS WELL? OUR OUR PLAN INCLUDES BENEFITS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

ABSOLUTELY. SO AND AND IT'S THE COVERAGES IN NETWORK AND OUT OF NETWORK.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND EAP PROGRAM, AND THAT THEY OFFER. YOU CAN HAVE TELE VISIT TELEPHONE IN PERSON.

THROUGH EAP AT NO CHARGE.

THANK YOU. AND IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE BURDEN ON THE EMPLOYEES MY CALCULATION INCLUDES ESSENTIALLY A CREDIT OF $500,000.

FROM THIS, I KEEP A RUNNING TRACK OF A FUND BALANCE OF OUR SAVINGS FROM YEAR TO YEAR WHEN WE USE LESS THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

AND IN TERMS OF OUR HEALTH CARE BUDGET AND BECAUSE THE WE THE EMPLOYEE DEDUCTION IS SET BASED OFF OF SOMETHING CALLED A PURSE.

I SWORE I WASN'T GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

THE PREMIUM EQUIVALENT RATES.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE TO USE TO DETERMINE THE EMPLOYER, THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION.

AND IT'S BASED OFF OF.

THAT'S BASED OFF OF AN ESTIMATE, BUT IT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT OUR CLAIMS ARE GOING TO BE.

AND SO NOT TO GET TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS, BUT WE DO.

[01:20:04]

AND THE BURDEN BEING PASSED ON TO THE EMPLOYEE.

AND SO I AM ANTICIPATING USING $500,000 FROM THE HEALTH CARE COST.

I THINK I ASSUMED AROUND THAT SAME AMOUNT FOR THE CURRENT YEAR.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING WE'RE NOT GOING TO END UP USING IT.

LET'S JUST SAY THAT IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

IN TERMS OF CHANGES, WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITH THE CURRENT TPA, WHICH IS ALLIED, THE THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR.

WE HAVE A PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT'S HELPED US CONTROL COST.

BUT WE ARE GOING TO A NEW STOP LOSS PROVIDER.

OTHERWISE AT 11.8% WAS GOING TO BE CLOSER TO 14%.

AND WE ARE INCREASING OUR STOP LOSS.

FROM 95,000 TO 105,000.

AND WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT 100 TO 105 IS CLOSER TO THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR STOP LOSS, BUT IT ALSO MEANS THAT FOR EVERY PERSON, EVERY MEMBER, WE ARE TAKING ON AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 OF, OF FINANCIAL RISK BECAUSE IN THE PAST, AT 95,000, INSURANCE WOULD KICK IN AND NOW AT 105, INSURANCE WILL KICK IN.

HOWEVER, THIS WILL THE SAVINGS TO US BY MOVING TO 105 IS REAL MONEY.

IT'S IT'S OVER $85,000.

SO AFTER THE EIGHTH PERSON HITS THE STOP LOSS AFTER THEY GO OVER 105.

THAT AT THAT POINT IT BECOMES, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT.

WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T REAP THE SAVINGS ANYMORE.

I CAN SAY THAT I THINK WE HAD MAYBE FOUR.

WELL, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THERE THERE ARE AT LEAST THERE ARE FOUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE HIT STOP LOSS.

AND HERE WE ARE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE EARLY JUNE AND THERE.

SO THERE'S ONE MORE THAT WOULD BE FIVE.

SO IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE TODAY AND WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL LIKE WE WILL STILL COME OUT AHEAD BY MAKING THIS CHANGE IN STOP LOSS.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE THE WORKSITE WELLNESS PROGRAM.

AND WE HAVE A WELLNESS COMMITTEE THAT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND AS SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES PARTICIPANTS IN OUR VARIOUS CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE EXERCISE CHALLENGES, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND HEALTHY EATING.

HEALTHY COOKING.

AND WHAT I, WHAT I BELIEVE REALLY IS ONE OF THE, THE MORE IMPORTANT OR SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS OF THE WELLNESS PROGRAM IS THE REQUIREMENT THAT THAT YOU HAVE YOUR BLOOD DRAWN EVERY YEAR AND, AND HAVE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED AND, AND WITH THOSE, YOU KNOW, AN ANNUAL SCREENING AND THOSE HAVE REVEALED, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE THOUGHT THEY WERE FINE, FOUND OUT THAT THEY HAD HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE DIABETIC.

AND SO JUST THE, YOU KNOW, THE THE ABILITY OF HAVING THIS WELLNESS PROGRAM AND PROVIDING INFORMATION TO PEOPLE.

AND THERE'S ALSO AND I WAS REMISS IN SAYING THERE'S HEALTH COACHING AS PART OF THIS.

AND SO YOU ARE REQUIRED AS A PARTICIPANT TO MEET WITH YOUR MEET WITH YOUR HEALTH COACH.

AND SO YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE IF YOU HAVE YOU FOUND OUT THAT YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL MAKE SURE, ARE YOU GOING TO THE DOCTOR OR ARE YOU TAKING YOUR MEDICATION. SO JUST ONE MORE PERSON WHO'S ON IT, WHO'S NOT A DOCTOR, BUT HELPING TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE? WHAT PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES.

I CAN TELL YOU AT THE BREAK.

AFTER THE BREAK. OKAY.

I DID LOOK THAT UP.

AND HERE. HERE ARE THE HARD COSTS.

THIS IS WHAT THE WE THE CITY WOULD BE PAYING CLOSE TO.

MAYBE PAYING CLOSE TO $3.5 MILLION IN CLAIMS. THE INSURANCE.

SO THAT WE DO HAVE INSURANCE.

ONCE THE CLAIMS HIT THE 95 OR THE 105, THAT'S OVER $1 MILLION.

AGAIN, THAT'S A REAL NUMBER.

ADMIN FEES 350.

THAT'S A POLICY. THAT'S A REAL NUMBER.

AND THEN WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW TO TO PAY FOR THIS FIREFIGHTER POLICY.

AND THEN WE HAVE RETIREES THAT PARTICIPATE IN A HEALTH PLAN.

SO THAT'S WE PAY FOR THAT.

AND THEN THE COST OF THE WELLNESS PROGRAM, ALSO, EMPLOYEES WHO PARTICIPATE RECEIVE 30% OFF OR 30% REDUCTION IN THE, IN THE THE AMOUNT THAT THEY PAY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.

AND THAT'S WRAPPED UP INTO THAT 186.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE HOPE IS THAT PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME IN THE WELLNESS AREA AND THAT CAN HELP WITH THE CLAIMS.

[01:25:08]

YOU KNOW. WOW. $3.5 MILLION SOUNDS LIKE A LOT.

YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T.

WHY DON'T WE JUST PAY AN INSURANCE COMPANY? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY $3.5 MILLION IN CLAIMS? WE ALSO DO. WE DO THAT ANALYSIS EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO BE FULLY INSURED? AND WE CONTINUE TO COME OUT AHEAD YEAR AFTER YEAR.

EVEN WHEN WE DO HAVE, SAY, IF WE HAVE A BAD YEAR.

YOU KNOW, ONE BAD YEAR IS NOT A REASON TO SWITCH TO FULLY INSURED, BUT, I MEAN, OUR HISTORY OF BEING SELF INSURED AGAIN, YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE CONTINUE TO COME OUT AHEAD OF BEING SELF AND BEING FULLY INSURED.

ALL RIGHT. TAKE A BREAK.

ALL RIGHT. ARE YOU READY? YES. OKAY. WE ARE ALL RIGHT.

LET'S. YES.

PART TWO. LET'S KEEP GOING.

YES. AND JUST TO ANSWER A QUESTION THAT THE MAYOR HAD BEFORE THE BREAK ABOUT THE THE PERCENTAGE OF EMPLOYEES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE WELLNESS PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S 63% OF EMPLOYEES, 63% OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON THE CITY'S INSURANCE.

SO NOT EVERYBODY HAS TO TAKE THE CITY'S INSURANCE IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE, SAY, THROUGH A SPOUSE, THEIR WORK.

BUT OF THOSE THAT ARE ON THE CITY'S PLAN, 63%, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, I DO WANT TO THANK SANTANA DAWSON IN HR FOR PROVIDING US NOT ONLY WITH THAT NUMBER AGAIN, SHE'S NOT HERE.

I KNOW SHE'S WATCHING, BUT EVERY SO MUCH OF WHAT YOU SAW IN TERMS OF THE THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND BENEFITS SHE IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN SO TAKE TAKES A TEAM TO GET US HERE.

SO LET'S JUST JUMP IN.

WE'RE GOING TO.

SPEND A LOT OF THE THE REST OF THE EVENING TALKING ABOUT OTHER FUNDS.

BUT FIRST OF ALL, I DO WANT TO JUST HIT THE TOPIC OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

YOU KNOW, THIS CONTINUES TO BE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A, A HIGH TOP PRIORITY OF THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO MUCH OF WHAT, WHAT DRIVES OUR ACTIVITIES IS THE TASK FORCE REPORT FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE.

AND WE DO CONTINUE AND RECOMMEND CONTINUING TO PROVIDE $100,000 ANNUALLY TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE CITY COMMISSION HAS DEVELOPED THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AROUND THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS.

SO I DO ANTICIPATE THERE BEING DISCUSSIONS IN 24, 25 ABOUT OPENING THE FUND UP FOR, FOR APPLICATIONS AND USE OF THOSE FUNDS.

YES, SIR. SO IN SECTION.

SOMETHING OR OTHER.

YOU HAVE ALL THE FUNDS AND I DIDN'T SEE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I SAW THE COMMUNITY ENERGY.

WAS I BLIND? NO, NO.

THE AT THIS POINT, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND IS MERELY A BANK ACCOUNT.

AND AND IT ACTUALLY IS.

IT'S IT'S A BANK ACCOUNT UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

AND SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT TODAY.

IT'S NOT UNDER OUR PURVIEW.

AGAIN, I DO ANTICIPATE IN 24, 25 THAT WE WILL MAKE THAT SHIFT TO A CITY BANK ACCOUNT, AND THEN IT WILL BE AN ACTIVE FUND WHERE WE WOULD HAVE A BUDGET.

BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S IT'S A IT'S UNDER ANOTHER ENTITY.

GOT IT. EXCELLENT.

OKAY. THE BALANCE.

I MEAN, WE NEVER MIND.

WE FOLLOW UP WITH IT. I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.

YEAH. OKAY. I HAD TO GUESS IT WOULD BE IN THE 400 ISH RANGE.

I THINK 4 OR 5? YEAH, 4 OR 500.

IF I HAD TO GUESS.

BUT WE WHEN THE THE NEXT ACTIVITY AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE JUST GOT APPROVED TO PARTICIPATE IN ARC'S NEXT ROUND OF CDAP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CALL ABOUT THAT TODAY.

AND THIS IS TO DEVELOP NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIES, ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE LIMITED AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE HAVE TODAY?

[01:30:02]

AND SO WE'VE HAD OUR FIRST CLOSING AND WE ARE YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE CITY CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

MOST OF THE INTEREST HAS COME FROM CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR EMPLOYEES, BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHO PURCHASED THE THE HOUSE.

MOST RECENTLY, I DID SEE A CAR PARKED AT ONE OF THE UNITS TODAY.

SO. YEAH. SO WE HAVE OUR FIRST.

YES WE DO. YEAH, THEY HAVE IT ALL TO THEMSELVES.

HOPEFULLY NOT FOR LONG.

YEAH, YEAH.

I MEAN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE WITH THE DECATUR LAND TRUST AND NOT ONLY WITH THE, THE COTTAGE COURT BUT THEN WITH 600 COMMERCE DRIVE, I WOULD ANTICIPATE AND AGAIN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

FURTHER, WE HAD THE PRESENTATION MONDAY NIGHT.

FROM MISS THREADGILL AS WELL AS MICRO LIFE INSTITUTE.

BUT THE 600 COMMERCE DRIVE WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MODEL THE OUR MISSING MIDDLE ORDINANCE.

AND THEN THE DECATUR HOME REHAB PROGRAM.

I BELIEVE THAT WE WE'VE JUST GOTTEN THAT MOU SIGNED, AND WE WILL BE MAKING THE FIRST OF THREE PAYMENTS TO THE LAND TRUST TO GET THE HOME REHAB PROGRAM UP AND RUNNING, AND THEN, OF COURSE, CONTINUING THE TO THE SECOND PHASE OF ARPA FUNDING FOR THE THE SOUTH HOUSING VILLAGE AT LEGACY.

THEN, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO START GOING INTO SOME OF THE FUNDS AND I MIGHT GO A LITTLE BIT FAST ON SOME OF THESE.

AND SO STOP ME IF YOU WANT TO DIVE IN.

BUT OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX FUND AND FROM THE ADOPTED TO THE REVISED TO THE PROPOSED.

I'M NOT ESTIMATING MANY CHANGES.

I MEAN, BASED OFF OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND THE ADOPTED BUDGET, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH SPOT ON.

WITH THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX REVENUES.

SO PRETTY STABLE REVENUE SOURCE.

I'LL BE CURIOUS IF OUR NEW SHORT TERM RENTAL HOUSING POLICY OR THE NEW SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, IF THAT DOES IDENTIFY MANY MORE PROPERTIES AND GETS PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH PAYING HOTEL MOTEL TAX CURRENTLY YOU SEE HERE YOU KNOW, THE CITY RECEIVES OVERALL WE RECEIVE ABOUT $200,000 FROM SHORT TERM RENTALS.

AND THAT GETS DISPERSED OVER THE VARIOUS ENTITIES WITH THE CONFERENCE CENTER.

FUND. NOW, WHATEVER THIS IS ON PAGE 154, IT SHOWS US PUTTING $297,000 INTO THE CAPITAL RESERVE DEPOSIT. AND SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, LIKE, DO WE HAVE A BALANCE THERE? AND I ASSUME THIS IS BASICALLY ASSET MANAGEMENT AND SAVINGS FOR A RAINY DAY.

YES, YES. AND ALL THAT.

THEN GOES BACK INTO THE CONFERENCE CENTER AND I HAVE AN ACCOUNTING, YOU KNOW, OF, BUT THAT THAT IS A SEPARATE RESERVE FUND.

DO WE SPEND THE $297,000 EVERY YEAR? NOT EVERY YEAR.

I MEAN, I MEAN, SOME YEARS WE MAY SPEND IT ALL, AND SOME YEARS WHERE WE HOLD IT UNTIL THE UNTIL WE HAVE SOME CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OR MAYBE A YEAR WE HAVE TO REPLACE ALL THE TABLES AND CHAIRS YOU KNOW, INSIDE THE CONFERENCE CENTER.

SO IT VARIES.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SMALLER CAPITAL NEEDS THAT THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT WE WILL NEED TO TAKE CARE OF AT THE COMPANY.

SO I WOULD SAY THE, THE REVENUE THAT'S BEING GENERATED IS IT'S AT THE LEAST OF WHAT'S NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THE FACILITY IN GENERAL.

LIKE ONE THING I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT KIND OF IS OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT.

I'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER ON.

BUT I KNOW WHEN WE DID THE PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN, THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE FACILITIES AND THEY DID KIND OF LIKE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO MAINTAIN IT AND PUT THAT FORWARD. AND I NOTICED THAT IN OUR CAPITAL BUDGET PEOPLE WOULD SAY THERE WAS A QUESTION OF, DO OUR NEW FIRE HYDRANTS, LIKE, WOULD YOU SAY WE EVERYTHING'S A MONEY? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, REPLACING IT WITH OLD.

BUT IT'S IN GENERAL, I KNOW WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST IN THE, YOU KNOW, SHORT LIKE 2 OR 3 YEARS IN TERMS OF OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

AND WE EXPECT BUT WE EVER DONE KIND OF A THOROUGH THESE ARE OUR ASSETS AND THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD COST TO MAINTAIN THEM ASSESSMENT.

AND I WOULD SAY SHORT ANSWER WOULD BE NO.

[01:35:02]

NOT WITH THE CONFERENCE.

I WASN'T I WAS NOT JUST LIMITED.

RIGHT? RIGHT. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT ALL THE STUFF THAT WE ACTUALLY OWN.

RIGHT. AND WE HAVE DONE THAT.

AND I GUESS IT'S BEEN THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT TERESA FROM AN INSURANCE STANDPOINT WHERE THEY'VE EVERY, EVERY ASSET HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED.

AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT FROM AN INSURANCE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WOULD THE COST BE TO REBUILD? NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF IF THIS NEEDS A NEW ROOF.

AND WE WE HAVE DONE THAT MORE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, LIKE WHEN WE'VE ACQUIRED WHAT'S NOW THE OAKHURST RECREATION CENTER.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE WE HAD THE FACILITY YOU KNOW, REVIEWED.

AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THAT BUILDING.

YEAH, I WAS I WAS EVEN THINKING LIKE, WE HAVE A RHODES, WE HAVE OUR SIDEWALKS.

OUR STORMWATER SEEMS TO BE VERY WELL, YOU KNOW, DOCUMENTED.

RIGHT. YOU MENTIONED JUST CAPITAL IN GENERAL.

SO OBVIOUSLY THE MORE ASSETS WE HAVE, THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT IS.

AND SO WE HAVE A STAFFING COMPONENT IN ADDITION.

SO YEAH LIKE YEAH FACILITY FACILITIES MAINTENANCE PLAN.

YOU KNOW SPECIFICALLY LIKE THE, THE BUILDING LIKE BUILDING.

I JUST IN GENERAL, I WAS, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE CITY OF ATLANTA AND IT'S WATER SYSTEM KIND OF RIGHT.

AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE? WHAT'S MOST VULNERABLE. YES.

JUST MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN SO THAT.

YEAH, THAT'S WHY I SAYING STORMWATER WE SEEM TO BE VERY GOOD.

ONE OF OUR OLDEST OLDER FACILITIES.

BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE A $38 MILLION.

WE HAVE 32. $3.2 MILLION A YEAR WE'RE GENERATING.

AND SO IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS GOOD.

AND IT WAS JUST ALSO, I'M HARKENING BACK TO WHEN I WAS COMMISSIONER OF PARKS AND RECREATION FOR THE CITY OF ATLANTA AND JUST HAVING THAT ASSET MANAGEMENT AND TRYING TO DO THAT ASSESSMENT.

SO WHEN WE DO BUDGETING TO HAVE A REALISTIC EXPECTATION, LIKE EVEN WE DO THE THE REPAVING OF OUR STREETS, THAT IT DOESN'T KEEP UP AND MAYBE JUST I WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT IT ENDEAVOR TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR ASSETS AND UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT THEM SO WE DON'T.

RIGHT? I WOULD SAY PROBABLY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE THING THAT WE DO IS COMING TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO DEVELOP OUR TEN YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN. AND, AND THAT'S WHEN WE ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS A TEAM OF US, YOU'RE LOOKING AT EACH YEAR REALLY USING OUR OWN EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE TO DETERMINE ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, WHEN DO WE THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING IS GOING TO NEED NEW CARPET OR THIS IS GOING TO NEED A NEW ROOF, OR THIS IS GOING TO NEED SOME NEW, YOU KNOW, A NEW BOILER, THE NEW CHILLER, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE, THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AT THESE FACILITIES, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN MAINTAINING THEM OR PATCHING THEM OR REPAIRING THEM. AND THEN WE, WE CHART IT OUT ON A TEN YEAR PLAN.

AND SO WE'RE NOT SURPRISED WHEN IT COMES UP OR WE TALK ABOUT LIKE, OH, THIS IS COMING UP NEXT YEAR.

YOU KNOW, IS THERE STILL A NEED HERE? AND THEN WHAT WHAT'S COMMUNICATED WITH YOU ALL IS A VERY CONDENSED YOU GET THEY GET THE FIVE YEAR.

THEY YOU GET THE FIVE YEAR VERSION.

WE HAVE SOME. YEAH. YOU GET THE YOU GET THE FIVE YEAR.

BUT WE ACTUALLY WE ACTUALLY GO OUT TEN YEARS OKAY.

GOT IT. AND THAT ALSO INCLUDES YOUR OUR FIRE TRUCKS AND OUR POLICE CARS.

YES. EXACTLY.

SOME THINGS THAT ARE MORE PREDICTABLE.

OKAY. I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

ALL RIGHT, SPLOST.

SPLOST FUND. NOW THIS IS THE SPLOST.

SPLOST ONE.

THE SPLOST IS IT'S DONE IN THE SENSE OF THE SIX YEAR TERM IS ENDED IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.

AND THE SIX YEARS AGO, WE ANTICIPATED RECEIVING 20,529,000.

AND WE LITERALLY DID NOT COULD NOT GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER AND ACTUALLY NEVER GOT A STRAIGHT ANSWER.

IF WE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THAT.

AND AS OF THE END OF MARCH OF 2024, WE RECEIVED JUST OVER I, I THINK WE WILL HAVE RECEIVED JUST OVER $22 MILLION FOR SPLOST.

AND YOU CAN SEE JUST A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF THE EXPENDITURES WILL BE WE WILL SPEND CLOSE TO $12 MILLION OF THAT 22 ON DEBT SERVICE.

AND THEN THERE'S AN ESTIMATE SIX AND A HALF FOR ATLANTA AVENUE, AND THERE'S 1.3 BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR FOR SOUTH COLUMBIA DRIVE.

WE ARE HOLDING $1 MILLION FOR THE RAISE GRANT MATCH.

IF THAT'S AWARDED, WE'LL HAVE THAT AVAILABLE.

THERE'S A QUESTION. SHOULD WE KEEP IT HERE?

[01:40:01]

SO WE DON'T WE DON'T WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HOLD UP MONEY IN THIS ACCOUNT.

AND THEN WE HAVE $500,000 IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT EASTLAKE AND PARKWOOD.

AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE.

CAN YOU REMIND ME TO THE 6.5 INCLUDE HOWARD AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS OR NOT? DON'T THINK SO.

I THINK THAT'S THIS IS.

I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND I'LL GIVE YOU A I CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER FULL ACCOUNTING.

OKAY. YEAH, I THINK THERE'S.

I THINK THAT'S THE FULL PICTURE.

SO, IN THE BUDGET BOOK, IT SAYS THAT WE ESTIMATE AT THE END OF 24-25 TO HAVE A OVER $3.5 MILLION.

IS THAT FOR THE, THAT'S FOR HOWARD AND ATLANTA AVENUE.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE A SPENDING OUT OF SPLOST ONE INTO THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.

I THOUGHT I SAW SOMEWHERE WHERE WE STILL HAVE SOME HOST FUND POSITIVE BALANCE.

AM I MAKING THAT UP? WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE TO DEPLETING THAT.

IT'S IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND.

YEAH, I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED, BUT WE.

YEAH, WE ACCOUNTED FOR THAT VERY CAREFULLY.

I'M NOT QUESTIONING, I JUST I CAN WE SEE IT? I SAW IT SOMEWHERE. I CAN'T FIND IT NOW, BUT.

YEAH. OKAY.

I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY.

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ON PAGE 133? IT'S THE FUND BALANCE.

FUND BALANCE IS [INAUDIBLE] LOOKS LIKE WILL BE.

OKAY. REMAINING.

I GIVE US ABOUT ONE MORE YEAR AND IT SHOULD IT SHOULD BE DEPLETED.

DO WE STOP GETTING REVENUE FOR THAT LIKE EIGHT YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING OR SIX YEARS AGO? AT LEAST SIX YEARS AGO WITH THE SPLOST.

AND THEN SPLOST TWO THAT STARTED APRIL OF THIS YEAR, A SIX YEAR TERM AS WELL THROUGH MARCH OF 2030.

ESTIMATED REVENUE 30,000,592.

AND IT WILL BE A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE I HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHETHER WHETHER WE'RE ON TRACK TO THAT NUMBER.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO $12 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE.

AND THEN FROM THERE IF THIS BODY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DECISIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I DO ANTICIPATE THAT THE ONE OF THE FIRST PROJECTS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD BE FUNDED OUT OF SPLOST TWO WILL BE THE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE, AND THE $6 MILLION IS AN ESTIMATE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS TO REALLY KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE IF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR INITIAL ESTIMATES THAT THIS WAS THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE, THE OUTDOOR STAGE AS RESTROOMS AND PLAY AREA.

BUT OF COURSE, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING THIS IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE $6 MILLION COLLECTED BY THEN.

AND YOU'LL SEE, THOUGH, THAT THE THAT THE, THE SPLOST REFERENDUM.

AS PART OF THAT, THE VOTERS ALSO APPROVED THE ISSUANCE OF BONDS UP TO $10 MILLION.

THERE ARE THERE'S AT LEAST ONE OTHER PROJECT IDENTIFIED.

SOME WE HAVE SOME MONEY.

THAT WE WOULD THAT WE'RE BUDGETING AT LEAST $500,000 FOR SOME VERY INITIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO NORTH DECATUR ROAD.

SO ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO NORTH DECATUR WILL BE.

MUCH GREATER THAN THAT, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO JUST IDENTIFIED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SIDEWALKS.

IT WILL BE FUNDED, EXPECT TO BE FUNDED OUT OF SPLOST TWO.

LEGACY. THERE MAY BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO LEGACY POND PURCHASE OF OPEN SPACE.

DEVELOPMENT OF BIKE TRAILS ARE ALL POSSIBILITIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD ENVISION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE LEAST WE WOULD TALK ABOUT ISSUING THE BOND FOR THE SQUARE IMPROVEMENTS.

[01:45:01]

IS THAT A ONE TIME 10 MILLION? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT HAS TO BE.

THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE MY PREFERENCE.

BUT WE WOULD I MEAN, JUST FROM FROM A COST STANDPOINT AND THAT WE SHOULD WE SHOULD DO IT ONCE.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE THE PFA.

WE FUND FOR WELL, THIS IS DECATUR LEGACY PARK.

THE PURCHASE OF LEGACY PARK IS FINANCED THROUGH THE PUBLIC OR ACCOUNTED FOR, AND THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY FUND, AND THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE IS JUST OVER $2 MILLION.

AND AS I STATED EARLIER, THAT ENTIRE AMOUNT IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND.

SO THE MILLAGE RATE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, I THINK IT BRINGS IN ABOUT $6 MILLION, AND THEN 2 MILLION LEAVES THE FUND TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THERE'S A GRANT THAT WE'RE STILL SPENDING DOWN FOR INVASIVE REMOVAL WHERE WE ARE EXPECTING A FEDERAL FUNDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CREATIVE VILLAGE.

WE SET ASIDE ABOUT 150,000 FOR VARIOUS REPAIRS TO THE COTTAGES SO THAT THEY ARE LEASABLE AND HABITABLE.

AND THEN WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT $125,000 FOR REPAIR AND REPAVING ON THE NORTH DRIVEWAY.

AND I HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT WE MAY BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NEEDING MORE JUST BECAUSE OF THE USE THAT THOSE DRIVES ARE GETTING.

AND, YOU SEE, I SKIPPED OVER THE TRACK AND FIELD.

THIS WE THE CITY HAS COMMITTED 3.5 MILLION TO TRACK TO THE TRACK AND FIELD.

WELL, IT'S ARPA MONEY THAT HAS BEEN COMMITTED.

BUT THE ACCOUNTANTS THE AUDITORS ARE ACCOUNTING FOR IT AND THE PFA, SINCE THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT.

SO NOW THAT I KNOW THAT WE CAN SHOW IT THERE, BUT IT IS ARPA MONEY.

BUT JUST JUST TO CONFUSE US.

THAT'S HOW IT IS. THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE, THE SAKE OF LITERALLY JUST FOR THE SAKE OF, OF BEING CONSERVATIVE WITH THE MILLAGE RATE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RECOMMENDING, YOU KNOW, WE'LL STAY AT THE SAME MILLAGE RATE AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE, THE REVENUE THAT THAT GENERATES TO YOU KNOW, TO HANDLE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS NEEDS AROUND THE CITY.

THIS WILL BRING IN NOT QUITE $6.3 MILLION IN REVENUE.

AND AS I SAID, 2 MILLION GOES OUT THE DOOR.

AND WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OTHER PROJECTS WITH OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE.

WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THE SOLAR ARRAY AND BATTERY.

AT DECATUR REC. THAT'S 750 $750,000 FROM REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS. THERE'S A $500,000.

REVENUE PLUS A $500,000 MATCH.

SO THAT MATCH IS COMING FROM THE CAPITAL FUND AND THAT'S FOR SOLAR ARRAY AND BATTERY.

AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND WE HAVE THE FEDERAL GRANT FOR THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANT FOR THE ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM.

AND EVEN WITH THE GRANT REVENUE AND THE TAX REVENUE, WE'RE TRANSFERRING, RECOMMENDING THE TRANSFER $750,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

BUT ANOTHER APPROPRIATE WAY TO USE FUND BALANCE.

AND WE EXPECT TO END UP WITH ABOUT $695,000 IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.

AND I THINK THAT WE NEED AT LEAST THAT MUCH, JUST AS YOU KNOW, SURPRISES COME UP.

JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE US ENOUGH TO BE PREPARED FOR UNANTICIPATED, UNANTICIPATED EXPENSES.

ANDREW, QUICKLY ON THIS.

THIS SEEMS LIKE AN AREA REALLY RIPE FOR OPPORTUNITY FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, AS CAN BE IDENTIFIED.

AND OBVIOUSLY ONE COULD THIS BE A PLACE WHERE THE BENEFIT OF A CONTRACTUAL GRANT WRITER, GRANT HUNTER TYPE PERSON TO AUGMENT STAFF WORK, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL COULD REALLY PAY US BACK? I WOULD SAY THE.

THE I THINK THE STAFF DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF PREPARING GRANT APPLICATIONS.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT'S THE EASY PART, BECAUSE, I MEAN, A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO IT.

HOWEVER, WHERE WE REALLY NEED SOME HELP IS ONCE THE GRANT IS AWARDED AND WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPLIANCE.

[01:50:03]

AS I LOOK AT MEREDITH, I MEAN, THAT JUST THE FEDERAL PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU KNOW, THAT STAFF SPEND ON THE THE PROCESS AFTER THE, AFTER THE AWARD HAS BEEN GRANTED.

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND, WE DON'T GO FOR LESS THAN $500,000.

I MEAN, SO, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE LESSON LEARNED AT WITH THE CREATIVE VILLAGE, ABOUT 209,000, LIKE, OH, LIKE WE'RE IT'S I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S NOT WORTH IT, BUT AT SOME POINT THERE IS A POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURN.

AND YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR US, IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE SOME IT WOULD BE SOMEBODY THAT, I MEAN, AND IT COULD BE SOMEONE WHO'S SUPPORTING ALL THE DEPARTMENTS JUST WITH ITS COMPLIANCE.

CAN WE ASK GEMMA ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES MAY BE IN THE SAME SPOT THAT WE ARE.

AND MAYBE PEOPLE COULD SHARE SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.

YEAH, YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK COMMISSIONER WALSH IS RIGHT.

IT'S GOTTA BE BURDENSOME FOR STAFF, RIGHT? BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE ARE I MEAN, WE SEE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES COME IN AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YOU CAN'T.

CAN WE EVEN TAKE THAT ON? AND IT'S NOT IT'S I MEAN, WE COULD WRITE THE GRANT, BUT IT'S CAN WE TAKE IT ON ONCE WE ONCE WE ARE AWARDED.

I THINK WE'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND BEING AGGRESSIVE WITH OUR GRANT APPLICATIONS, I MEAN, IN A WAY THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

OKAY. IT FEELS LIKE THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE'RE CONSTRAINED AND WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED NEEDS FOR MORE REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS, EXPANSION ACROSS OUR FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND HOW DO WE.

AND THERE'S MONEY OUT THERE.

YEAH. AND THERE'S MONEY OUT THERE AND AND ARPA MONEY IS YOU KNOW, ARPA MONEY IS DRYING UP AND THAT'S THE NEEDS HAVE NOT.

I THINK GMA HAS PLAYED A ROLE AS WELL AS ARC IN TERMS OF LIKE MAKING SURE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GRANTS AND WHAT'S OUT THERE AND WHAT THEIR DEADLINES ARE.

AND BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY THEY HAVE THE STAFF TO HELP WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION PIECE.

BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ARE THERE IS ALL TOGETHER.

TOGETHER LIKE THEY HAVE THEY DO HAVE A NEW LIKE PLANNING GROUP THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY I SENT IT I THINK TO ANDREA AND ANGELA ABOUT IS SORT OF A GROUP OF PLANNERS THAT CAN GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT WHATEVER THEY NEED TO TALK ABOUT, AS, YOU KNOW, A CITY.

AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, I GUESS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS CONVERSATIONS TO TAKE PLACE IS HOW HOW ARE YOU IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE AVAILABLE FUNDING. SO IT'S MORE REPORTING IS JUST LIKE, IS THERE SOMEBODY COMPLIANCE, RIGHT, WHO SPECIALIZES IN THAT.

RIGHT. I'LL DO THAT.

I DO THE ARPA REPORTING, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST ONCE A YEAR, IT'S JUST I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT OF MY TIME.

YEAH. IT WOULD WOULD BE LOVELY IF THERE WAS SOMEONE TO ASSIST WITH THAT.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.

I WON'T GO, I WON'T READ THE WHOLE LIST.

YOU HAVE TO LIST. THEY'RE IN THE BUDGET, BUT YEAH.

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, THE POLICE VEHICLES CHARGING THE EV, CHARGING STATIONS THE VOLLEYBALL COURTS HAD BEEN OUT, AND NOW THEY'RE THEY'RE IN.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CAPTURED.

AND THEN AND SOME FACILITIES MAINTENANCE.

AND THEN THE REALLY THE BIGGER TICKET ITEM SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION, THE EL MIG PROJECTS, TRAFFIC CALMING.

THE ONE WAY PAVEMENT FAILURE.

I THINK I PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO A COUPLE OF FOLKS TODAY.

WE'RE WAITING ON THE COUNTY TO FINISH THEIR REPAIRS, AND THEN WE'LL BE READY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.

AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE, IT'S NOT JUST THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND WHERE WE ARE WHERE WE'RE BUDGETING FOR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS THAT IT RUNS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND.

WE'RE USING SPLOST ONE AND SPLOST TWO AS WELL AS ARPA.

AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ARPA.

THAT TIMELINE SEEMS SO FAR AWAY.

WHEN WE DID.

AND NOW THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

THE CLOCK IS REALLY SURE DID RIGHT.

AND SO WE RECEIVED NINE AND A HALF, ALMOST 9.6 MILLION.

[01:55:02]

AND THERE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OUT THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE OBLIGATED.

I MENTIONED THE FINANCIAL REPORTING.

THAT'S WHAT I GET TO DO.

AND WE DID TAKE THE STANDARD ALLOWANCE.

AND HERE IS THE BUDGET AND HOW EVERYTHING HAS EITHER BEEN SPENT, OBLIGATED OR BUDGETED.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNTS THAT WERE SPENT.

THEN THIS $3.8 MILLION FOR THE SOUTH HOUSING VILLAGE.

WHILE WE WE SHOW THAT IT'S OBLIGATED ONLY A PORTION OF THAT ACTUALLY HAS BEEN SPENT OR OBLIGATED.

AND THAT WAS FOR PHASE ONE.

PHASE TWO.

AND I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT PHASE TWO.

STILL NEEDS TO BE OBLIGATED BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.

SO I'M AWARE OF THAT, BUT JUST HAVE TO WORK WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO GET THAT OBLIGATED.

AND THEN AND AGAIN, I'M NOT WORRIED.

IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S SOMETHING WE JUST HAVE TO GET DONE.

THE ATHLETIC FIELD AND TRACK THAT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN OBLIGATED THE 3.5 MILLION.

AND THEN YOU SEE WHERE WE'VE PIVOTED BECAUSE OF THE THE TIMELINE, THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, WE'VE DETERMINED THAT THAT WE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO TO OBLIGATE OR, YOU KNOW, COMMIT THOSE FUNDS AS ARPA DEFINES OBLIGATION.

I CAN'T JUST COME TO THIS BODY AND HAVE YOU PASS A RESOLUTION SAYING WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO OBLIGATE $2 MILLION FOR STORMWATER.

THERE HAS TO BE THERE HAS TO BE A CONTRACT IN PLACE OR SOMETHING MORE SOMETHING MORE BINDING.

AND SO THE PIVOT IS LET'S LET'S FINISH UP SOUTH COLUMBIA DRIVE DOWN TO KATY KERR.

AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WE'LL HAVE THAT IF THE, THE BID DOCUMENTS AND CONTRACTS READY TO GO BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WHY IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON THE ATHLETIC TRACK AND FIELD? THAT THE FULL THERE'S 3.5 MILLION ALSO COMMITTED FROM THE CITY SCHOOLS OF DECATUR.

THAT WAS THE NOTE.

JUST MY NOTE TO SELF.

AS AND AS YOU SAW EARLIER WHILE IT'S.

ARPA FUNDS.

THEY'RE BEING ACCOUNTED FOR.

IN THE PFA FUND.

SO MOVING ON TO THE SCHOOL ZONE CAMERA SAFETY PROGRAM FUND.

THIS IS THE FUND THAT WAS SET UP IN THIS CURRENT YEAR IN ANTICIPATION OF THESE CAMERAS BEING OPERATIONAL IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE PROCESS TOOK HAS TAKEN, HAS TAKEN MUCH LONGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

MAYBE I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

BUT THE I'M LOOKING AT DAVID YOUNGER, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE JUST WAITING ON GDOT TO UPDATE OUR LIST OF ROADS, WHICH INCLUDES THE SCHOOL ZONES, AND EVIDENTLY THERE WAS THERE WAS GDOT WAS TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGED IN THAT REGARD.

THERE'S SOME NEW SYSTEM.

AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST IT'S TAKING A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

AND I JUST AND I SAY THIS, BUT, I MEAN, WE REALLY NEED TO GET UP AND RUNNING.

YOU KNOW, IN OUR MINDS, WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TEST IT OUT, SAY, DURING SUMMER SCHOOL.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WE'LL BE TESTING YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONCE SCHOOL STARTS AND SO, SO THERE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY'RE JUST WHERE WE'RE TESTING IT AND THEN WE'RE WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.

SO I'M REALLY NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL.

SO BUT REALLY WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO ME IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE IT'S UP AND RUNNING AND THAT THEY STOP.

THEY STOP SPEEDING.

DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE MIGHT.

THE SOLVED.

NO, MA'AM.

HOWEVER, WE DID MEET WITH THE GDOT STAFF PERSON RESPONSIBLE.

AND LAST WEEK WHEN WE MET, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, I BELIEVE, THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK.

[02:00:02]

TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE THE AUTOMATED SCHOOL ZONE ENFORCEMENT, AND I CAN CHECK ON THAT TOMORROW TO FIND OUT IF SHE ACTUALLY.

IT NEXT GOES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, STATE PATROL FOR APPROVAL, AND THEY WON'T APPROVE IT UNTIL THAT OFFICIAL LIST ELECTRONIC LIST IS UPDATED. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS IT WAS NOT GENERATING THE ELECTRONIC MODIFIED LIST.

SO I'LL CHECK ON THAT TOMORROW THOUGH.

IT'S. SO WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT ONE OF THOSE SCHOOL CAMERAS ZONE CAMERAS.

IS THIS IS THAT NO SO SEPARATE ISSUE.

AND CAN YOU PIGGYBACK AND DO THE SAME THING OR IS IT TWO SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS WITH.

TO CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE SAYING WHERE THE SCHOOL ZONES ARE GOING TO BE FOR THIS FIRST PART.

SO WE ARE ALL WE ARE TRYING TO DO FOR THE AUTOMATED SCHOOL ZONE ENFORCEMENT IS ADD THAT AS AN ENFORCEMENT METHOD WITHIN THE EXISTING SCHOOL ZONES, THE EXISTING SCHOOL ZONES.

SO IF WE CHANGE THE SCHOOL ZONES, THOUGH, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND CHANGE APPROVAL? BUT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THE AUTOMATED SCHOOL ZONE ENFORCEMENT AS IT IS TODAY IN THOSE SCHOOL ZONES THAT WERE LISTED.

AND THEN WE ARE WORKING TO POTENTIALLY CHANGE A IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND GO THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THE WARRANT FOR THAT ONE? SO LET'S REALLY LET'S GET THE OTHERS OPERATIONAL.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM UP ALL UP AND RUNNING, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE THAT WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT HOW THE TWO WORK TOGETHER.

YES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE LEARNED FROM THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO BUDGET A WHOLE LOT OF EXPENDITURES IN THIS FUND.

SO, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST WE'RE BEING VERY CAUTIOUS AND JUST HAVE $54,000 WORTH OF EXPENDITURES.

AND IF THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IT GOES EITHER WAY, YOU KNOW, IF FOR SOME REASON THERE'S NO REVENUE, THEN WE'LL THIS IS EASY TO ADJUST OR IF THE REVENUE IS HIGHER, THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST THE BUDGET AND MOVE EXPENDITURES, PERHAPS FROM THE GENERAL FUND PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO THE GENERAL FUND AND PULL IT OVER HERE.

SO THIS NET CLOCK JUST CURIOSITY IN THE 911 SENSE.

DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN GIVE MISS WORK THAT OPPORTUNITY.

OKAY. A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR A SOFTWARE THAT INTEGRATES WITH THE SYSTEM SO THAT THE PHONE SYSTEM AND THE COMPUTER OPERATED DISPATCH SYSTEM, ANYTHING THAT HAS A TIME STAMP, POSSIBLY WITH IT, A TIME THEY WILL ALL READ THE SAME TIME.

SO THAT WHEN WE GET REQUESTS FOR REPORTS, RESPONSE TIMES, THEY WILL ALL MATCH UP WHERE IT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE.

AT THE MOMENT, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE WAY OFF, BUT THEY WANT TO BE RIGHT ON AS BEST THAT THEY CAN.

THANK YOU. SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD USE OF THAT MONEY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND, THAT FUND WAS DEVELOPED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, AND THAT FUNDS ARE MEANT TO ACHIEVE OR MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS MANY OF THE CLEAN ENERGY GOALS FROM THE CLEAN ENERGY PLAN.

YOU RECALL THAT THAT WAS THAT PLAN WAS ADOPTED IN 2022, AND IT DID RECOMMEND WHAT WAS REFERRED TO AS A CLEAN ENERGY FUND.

WE'RE CALLING IT THE COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND.

AND IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'RE EXPECTING JUST OVER $150,000 AS A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE ROUGHLY 10% OF ANY OF THE ENERGY RELATED FRANCHISE FEES.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE LARGEST ONE OF THOSE BEING FROM GEORGIA POWER.

BUT GEORGIA POWER, NATURAL GAS, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO WHATEVER THAT NUMBER ENDS UP BEING, WE'LL BRING OVER 10%.

WE ALSO HAVE A OR HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND WE WOULD BE RECEIVING FUNDING OF $400,000 FROM THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS FOR OUR WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY ACCELERATOR.

AND THAT $400,000 WILL BE SPENT ON RECOMMISSIONING HVAC SYSTEMS AT A HANDFUL OF CITY FACILITIES.

WE WILL ALSO MOST LIKELY CONTRACT WITH SOMEONE OR WITH A FIRM TO SERVE AS THE A RESIDENTIAL ENERGY

[02:05:08]

SO TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO RESIDENTS ABOUT VARIOUS VENDORS THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING YOU KNOW, CLEAN ENERGY.

YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT DAVID.

I'M STRUGGLING.

HOLD THAT THOUGHT. AND THEN ALSO FUNDING.

AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH, THIS COMMUNITY ENERGY FUND, WHERE WE'RE GOING IS ALSO FUNDING THE HOMEOWNER REBATE PROGRAM.

IN PARTICULAR FOR, FOR LOWER INCOME HOMEOWNERS.

AND AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SAY? BECAUSE I KNOW I'M JUST I'M FLUBBING UP THIS WHAT THE CAMPAIGN ADMINISTRATOR WOULD BE DOING? PLEASE. DAVID. YEAH.

DAVID NIFONG, ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER.

SO IF YOU ALL RECALL THE TWO SOLARIZE CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE IN DECATUR THAT HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED BY A FIRM CALLED SOLAR CROWDSOURCE THAT REALLY SERVES AS THAT ONE STOP SHOP, YOU KNOW, THE ENTITY THAT'S REALLY COORDINATING THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO RESIDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE.

THE GOAL OF THAT CAMPAIGN ADMINISTRATOR IS TO SERVE A VERY SIMILAR ROLE TO, YOU KNOW, VET CONTRACTORS.

POTENTIALLY IDENTIFY SOME FINANCING SOURCES THAT RESIDENTS CAN USE TO PAY FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS AT LOW TO NO UPFRONT COSTS AND OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO REALLY MAKE THAT CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL.

THEY WOULD BE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE HOMEOWNERS.

YES. YEAH.

CASES. OKAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THIS FUND.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THAT THIS ISN'T INCLUDED AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE RECOMMENDING TAKING OUR SAVINGS THAT THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING AS WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE PUT SOLAR ON MORE AND MORE BUILDINGS, THAT WE CAN TAKE SOME OF THAT SAVINGS AND THE VALUE OF THAT SAVINGS AND PUT IT TOWARDS THIS FUND.

I'VE GOT MORE.

A COUPLE MORE SLIDES WHERE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS, MOSTLY GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS THAT ARE WORKING TOWARDS OUR CLIMATE ACTION GOALS.

HAD MENTIONED ALREADY IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FUND THE SOLAR ARRAY AND BATTERY AT DECATUR RECREATION CENTER.

THE SAME, PLUS A FAST CHARGER AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND THEN WE ARE IN THE FINAL, FINAL? FINAL STAGE.

WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS SOLAR ARRAY BATTERY STORAGE PROJECTS.

SO THAT WAS OUR FIRST PROJECT.

THAT WAS WE HAD FUNDING THROUGH GFA, AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, AND EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARNED IN THAT PROCESS WILL BE APPLIED TO THE PROJECTS THAT DECATUR REC AND AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

BUT I THINK ALL THAT'S LEFT AT THE AT PUBLIC WORKS IS GEORGIA POWER PERFORMING A WITNESS TEST, AND THEN WE'LL BE WE CAN WE CAN CLOSE OUT THAT PROJECT.

SO. IS THAT SCHEDULED? IT SHOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO BEING SCHEDULED.

WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING THAT SCHEDULED.

I WOULD HOPE BY JULY THAT WE CAN GET THAT DONE.

I'M LOOKING AT DAVID.

THERE WAS SOME EMAILS BACK AND FORTH ABOUT IT TODAY, SO WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT.

YEAH, IT'S IN PROCESS.

HANNAH SOLAR HAS BEEN GETTING OUR SYSTEM BACK READY FOR THE WITNESS TEST.

IT UNFORTUNATELY HAS BEEN OUT OF COMMISSION FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS NOW.

RIGHT? BECAUSE GEORGIA POWER TOLD US TO TURN IT OFF, AND SO THEY'VE BEEN OUT ON THE SITE FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS GETTING THAT READY, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE READY AT THIS POINT, AND THEN GEORGIA POWER IS GOING TO COME TO THE BUSINESS.

THEY HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER LIKE TRANSFORMER OR ANOTHER.

YES. THEY COMPLETED A TRANSFORMER UPGRADE AT THE AT THE BUILDING.

THEY DID. SO WE GOT WITNESS PROTECTIONS.

WE GOT. AND WE'VE BEEN AWARDED.

SO IN THE GRANT FUND, WE ARE ACCOUNTING FOR THE AWARD OF $500,000 FOR THE EMPOWER GEORGIA PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S FROM THE ENERGY FUTURE GRANT.

THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ATLANTA, SAVANNAH AND GEORGIA TECH.

AND THAT INVOLVES MICRO GRID TARIFFS, VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS, LARGE SCALE RENEWABLES.

WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE IN DETAIL AT A LATER TIME.

THANK YOU. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO $100,000 ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE GRANT FUND FOR THE DOWNTOWN DECATUR

[02:10:09]

AND I BELIEVE TO GET THAT STARTED, THEY'RE JUST WAITING.

THEY THEY JUST THEY JUST SENT US AN AGREEMENT THAT I NEED TO REVIEW BEFORE I SIGN IT.

SO THAT WILL BE WE'LL BE GETTING THAT DONE STARTED THIS WEEK.

AND IN THE SOLID WASTE FUND, THERE'S 100.

WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR THE THE CURBSIDE COMPOSTING PILOT PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS A GRANT OF 170,000, AND THE CITY IS MATCHING 30,000 FOR THAT.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU MAY RECALL, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE DID THE WASTE CHARACTER WASTE CHARACTERIZATION STUDY.

AND THAT WILL BE UPDATED.

AND BEFORE AND AFTER PROGRAM, AND THEN THERE ARE JUST OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

THERE'S GRANT FUNDING FOR STORM MITIGATION PLAN.

156 MILLION.

I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN, 156 MILLION FOR THE GEORGIA SOLAR FOR ALL PROGRAM.

AND THERE ARE DETAILS THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

BUT WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT THE LEAD AGENCY.

BUT THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER PARTNERSHIP.

SAME CREW, SAME GROUP.

SAVANNAH AND ATLANTA AND THEN THE.

YEAH. SO THE LEAD APPLICANT ON THAT WAS A 501 NONPROFIT CALLED CAPITAL GOOD FUND.

AND SO THEY'LL BE RECEIVING THE AWARD AND THEN SUB AWARDING TO THE CITY OF DECATUR, ATLANTA AND SAVANNAH, AS WELL AS OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE STATE.

SO WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH FUNDING WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY.

THOSE DETAILS ARE STILL TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THERE WILL BE FUNDING THAT WE CAN USE FOR ENABLING REPAIRS.

HOMEOWNER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SUPPORT THAT AWARD.

AND AGAIN, QUICKLY AND CONTINUING WORK WITH THE ON THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE PLAN WITH AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE.

WE HAVE SOME FUNDING TO PREPARE THE RFP FOR ENERGY SAVINGS PERFORMANCE CONTRACT.

WE HAVE A WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ENERGY FELLOW THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.

AND WE'RE THAT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH DEKALB COUNTY.

IT'S A DATA HUB PROJECT.

MAYBE THAT THAT COULD BE A GOOD WORK SESSION LATER.

OH, WHAT DID I WHAT DID I LEAVE OFF HERE? AND THEN OF COURSE, THE WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE NEW POSITION, THE SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR.

AND IN CASE YOU WONDERED WHY WE NEED A SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR, I'M HOPING THAT THESE LAST FEW SLIDES MADE THAT A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE MORE CLEAR ON JUST THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S OUT THERE.

AND THAT IS SOMEONE WHO ALSO COULD HELP YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WITH SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRANTS.

BUT I WOULD ALSO SEE THEM AS PLAYING A ROLE SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BOARD.

THEY'RE JUST HELPING WITH THE THE COMPOST PILOT PROJECT THE DATA HUB PROJECT.

YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S THE GREEN CERTIFICATION FOR THE RESTAURANTS.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD GET THAT OFF THE GROUND.

SO THAT LOTS OF POSSIBILITIES FOR THE NEW POSITION.

I PLUGGED THIS IN HERE.

HOUSE BILL 581.

AND THIS MAY BE, I SUSPECT WE'LL WANT TO HAVE A LONGER CONVERSATION, BUT JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS IS THAT THE NEW STATEWIDE FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND AND REALLY THE BULK OF IT DOWN HERE IN THE PARAGRAPH, IT'S A FLOATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

IT WILL THIS WOULD BE WE'LL GO TO THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER ON A REFERENDUM.

AND THEN IF IT DOES GET APPROVED, THEN THE TAX, I DON'T THINK IT'S THE TAX INCREASE THAT'S CAPPED.

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ASSESSED VALUE WOULD BE CAPPED AT THE RATE OF INFLATION.

AND THEN BUT WE WOULD HAVE WE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO OPT OUT.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY BETWEEN JANUARY YOU CAN'T START UNTIL JANUARY.

BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE BY MARCH IF YOU'RE GOING TO OPT OUT.

SO CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION THAT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE IF WE WOULD.

BE SUBJECTED TO THE RATE OF INFLATION.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY ARGUMENT IS, WELL, WE TRY TO KEEP OUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS UP TO DATE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE PUSH THOSE UP.

TO BE BASED OFF OF INFLATION AND, AND ACTUALLY MORE SO AS PROPERTY VALUES INCREASE, WE ADJUST THE, THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AMOUNTS.

[02:15:01]

YOU WANT TO SEE THE THINGS WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED.

JUST A FEW THINGS OVER THE PERIOD.

TOUCHES EVERY EVERY DEPARTMENT, REALLY EVERY EMPLOYEE INVOLVED IN THESE.

INITIATIVES. AND ULTIMATELY AGAIN, ALL ALL ABOUT HOW WE'RE WE'RE DOING THIS WORK TO SUPPORT AND SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. WHAT'S NEXT? PUBLIC HEARINGS.

THE NEXT ONE IS MONDAY AT 6 P.M.

AND THEN THE FOLLOWING MONDAY THE 17TH, 11:30 AND 7:30.

AND THERE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE JUNE 17TH MEETING TO ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE AND TO ADOPT THE BUDGET.

AND THE BUDGET WOULD BE EFFECTIVE ON JULY 1ST.

DON'T FORGET OUR AMAZING ARTWORK BY OUR LOCAL ARTIST, LAURIE LEJEUNE, FLY HIGH DECATUR AND IT'S ON DISPLAY IN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE.

735 AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.

SO I'D ASK ABOUT TAX ALLOCATION.

DISTRICT EAST DECATUR STATION TAX ALLOCATION DISTRICT.

LOOK AT THE OH WAIT, DOES IT NOT.

IS IT ON YOURS? I'M MISSING IT.

ONE MORE SLIDE OKAY.

HEY. PSYCHIC I DID.

YOU TELEGRAPHED IT.

YES. SO YEAH.

JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

WELL I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WINDING DOWN.

DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO KEEP IT.

AND I NOTICED ALSO THE RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK FOR A DOWNTOWN TAX ALLOCATION DISTRICT.

SO I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING WORTH TALKING ABOUT.

YEAH. SO JUST AS A REMINDER, THE TAB WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2015 AND THE THE TAX INCREMENT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED SINCE THAT TIME, WE'RE UP TO $2 MILLION OF FUND ESSENTIALLY FUND BALANCE AND THE TAD FUND, WE DID DISPERSE $438,100 THIS YEAR TO THE EAST DECATUR PHASE TWO PROJECT. THAT'S FOR THE 70 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

WE ALSO HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH NORTHWOOD RAVEN AND THAT THE PAVEMENT WHERE THE TAD WILL MAKE PAYMENTS TO NORTHWOOD RAVEN FOR THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THAT PROJECT AND THAT THOSE PAYMENTS WOULD BE INITIATED ONCE THEY HAVE THEIR I KNOW, AS A CO AND IT MIGHT ALSO BE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION AS WELL TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.

SO, SO WHAT I FROM MY READING OF THE TAB, AND I'LL HAVE TO CLARIFY THIS, THAT IF THERE ARE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENTS THEN THAT THE TAD HAS TO SURVIVE THE LIFE OF THOSE COMMITMENTS.

SO LET'S SAY IF WE ISSUED DEBT, I'M LOOKING AT THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND A SIMILAR WAY AND THE THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT GOES THROUGH 2033.

SO I THINK IN TERMS OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO CONSIDER THE THE FUTURE OF THIS TAD WOULD BE IN 2033 BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A A COMMITMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT COMMITMENT.

WHAT IS OUR WHAT IS OUR THE EXTENT OF THAT? AROUND $5 MILLION.

IT'S A $5 MILLION COMMITMENT.

OKAY. AND AND I'D BE CURIOUS TO ANSWER IT NOW, BUT IF WE WERE TO, IF WE WERE GENERATING $700,000 OR MORE A YEAR AND PROBABLY GOING TO GO UP, I'M GUESSING $1 MILLION A YEAR, IT SEEMS THAT WE COULD SATISFY THAT OBLIGATION SOONER, AND IF THE MONEY'S NOT GOING TO THE TAD, THEN IT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL FUND.

OKAY, GREAT. OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING THE QUESTION.

SO SO CERTAINLY IS YOU KNOW, IT'S A FUND WE JUST WANT TO KEEP OUR EYE ON AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

AND ALSO, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF WE IDENTIFY, THERE MAY BE PROJECTS THAT WE IDENTIFY WHERE WE DO NEED TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT OUT OF THE TAD FUND INTO INTO THE PROJECT AREA AS WELL.

THERE'S A TAD ON THE DEVELOPERS ASKING US FOR MONEY FROM.

IT WAS LIKE MAGIC HOW THAT CAME UP.

PUT IT IN THE WRONG PLACE.

[02:20:02]

ARE THE MECHANICS OF THE SALES TAX THAT ELIGIBLE ITEMS GENERALLY THE SAME? THE SAME, RIGHT. YES.

OKAY. AND SO THE INCREASE IS JUST BASED OFF OF THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'LL BE PRICES WILL BE HIGHER AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS MORE ITEMS OR MORE PEOPLE PURCHASING.

THAT'S WHY I SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO NEED A COUPLE OF YEARS TO REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT $30 MILLION NUMBER.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

AND JUST A REMINDER, I'M AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH ANYBODY AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO 730 ON JUNE 17TH.

CAN YOU SEND US THESE SLIDES? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

IT'S HELPFUL. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND THANKS TO THE THANK YOU TO THE STAFF.

YES. THANK YOU. I CALLED IT TWO HOURS AND 40 MINUTES JUST FLEW BY.

IT ACTUALLY DID IT DID IT DID.

IT WENT BY FAST.

I TELL YOU THAT 2020 BUDGET RIGHT THERE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.