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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/07/1978 Adjourned Meeting 147 ADJOURNED MEETING - DECEMBER 7, 1978 The City Council scheduled for session on this date at 8:30 a.m., met in the Yakima Center Conference Room, Yakima, Washington. Council members present were Mayor Betty L. Edmondson, Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, Don Hinman and Nadine Lee. Jack Sparling and Gordon Wonder absent. This being the time scheduled for the 1979 budget review for the Public Works Department, White, Director of Public Works, stated that this department is $121,000 in F.R.S. monies and $50,000 from the Water-Sewer Fund in 1979. STREETS: An organizational chart for this department was distributed to 11/ the Council. Drainage: A correction made to the Preliminary Budget requests that approximately $50,000 will be needed from the Water-Sewer Fund in 1979 for drainage. This procedure was used in 1978 and White requested that it be continued in 1979. Street Cleaning: White introduced Ruby Dabill, Department Assistant. Thirty percent (30%) reduction in street cleaning services will be expected in 1979. This includes a reduction of one street sweeper and one personnel. This will reflect a reduction in the number of times a street sweeper will be able to cover residential areas. F.R.S. monies requested for $21,000 will be for the annual leaf pickup and $9,000 for spring cleanup program. The Council felt that if there were visual changes in the cleaning of the streets, they would have to reevaluate this reduction. Tree Conservation: The practice of removing trees for a private owner will continue to be charged back to that owner. The expense for removing any tree on public property would be absorbed by the division. Street Maintenance: The Budget narrative was corrected to show that the seal coat,. program -will be operating -on a nine (9) year cycle instead of the seven (7) year cycle as originally planned. It was noted the F.R.S. monies budgeted in 1978 for seal coating were used on major and secondary arterials and none in the residential areas. White stated that only residential streets will be seal coated in 1979. The F.R.S. Funds requested for 1979 in this particular unit are $54,000 - seal coat program; $4,500, grading/graveling; $1,500 asphalt patching. Sidewalk/Pedestrian & Bikeways: Art Zerbach, Finance Director, explained an opinion was received that the % of 1% of Gasoline Tax could be spent for planning, construction of sidewalks and maintenance. The 1979 Preliminary Budget narrative should be corrected to $4,231 for this unit. Snow and Ice Control: $10,000 in F.R.S. monies is requested for this II/ program. It was noted for the record that $36,000 had been spent to date in 1978. Administration: Pro-rated salaries for the entire department are divided among the number of service units which require a certain level of personnel services. SUMMARY: One Street Sweeper, 2 Dump Trucks, 1 Pickup Truck, 1 Brush Chopper and miscellaneous equipment will be stored in 1979 for the Street Department. There will also be a reduction of two permanent employees and all temporary laborers in this Department. TRANSIT: BO Knight, Transit Manager, distributed a corrected narrative for the 19 Transit Budget. Knight explained the various sources of 1979 estimated revenues. It was noted that the $309,997.00 estimated revenue from Federal Grants includes 5% to the Yakima Valley Transportation Exchange. The Yakima Valley Transportation Exchange was given $30,000 in F.R.S. Funds in 1978 and no funds were given from the UMTA Grant in 1978. Capital Outlay items: $35,000 for 500 bus stop signs installed and $3,600 for 12 indoor kiosks (schedule and map displays); $3,000 for uniforms. The Equipment Rental amounted to 100.4% over the 1978 Budget and reflects the replacement of 8 engines in the current buses. No F.R.S. Funds requested in 1979. 148 ADJOURNED MEETING - DECEMBER 7, 1978 REFUSE: White introduced Anna Fulton, Department Assistant and Harper Morrison, Refuse Superintendent. Handouts explained:a correction in the Preliminary Budget narrative to indicate the 1979 Refuse Budget is estimated to be $702,786. There was discussion concerning various plans presented. 1) Increase of 15% fee to all City Refuse users. This would balance the budgeted amount without asking for F.R.S. Funds. 2) Leave fees the same with a budget deficit of $81,000. 3) Existing system (2 man crew) and add 600 new customers on commercial routes. 4) Test Program: (using 1 man crew) without commercial routes. II/ 5) Test Program: with commercial routes. These Test Program revenue figures were included in a handout sheet distributed to the Council. It was noted that in order for the Refuse Department to setup a system for commercial accounts, a loan of $115,000 would be needed from the Water/Sewer Fund. It was explained that this would eliminate some positions currently on Refuse routes and result in an eight (8) man crew. Other personnel in the Division would be given lateral transfers within Public Works and putting a freeze on hiring for any vacancies. WATER-SEWER: No changes are expected and no F.R.S. Funds requested in this program in 1979. Capital Improvements: Corrections to Preliminary Budget to show $16,790,810 for Wastewater Project. EQUIPMENT RENTAL/GARAGE: A handout sheet correcting the Preliminary Budget figures reflects the correct number of pieces of equipment-that will be replaced in 1979. This correction was due to the changes in various departments in preparing their budget. There will be an additional mechanic and one custodian hired during the 1979 year. The budget reflects a 34% increase over 1978 because of the upcoming equipment to be ordered for the Fire Department (which has not been ordered and would not be delivered until 1980). The increase would be 4.8% in 1979 without the Fire equipment. This fund is underfunded $106,000 for 1979 according to Dick Zais, Acting City Manager. At this time, Art Zerbach, Director of Finance and Budget, reported that he had received the official results of the recent trip to New York to obtain bond rating for the City of Yakima. Moody's Investment Service gave the City an A-1 rating and Standard and Poor's Corporation an A rating. The City is now very close to a AA rating. Zerbach explained that there were three reasons why we did not receive a AA rating: 1) There is not enough diversification in our City economy; 2) There has not been a rate increase in water/utilitiy since 1975 and the bonding companies felt a rate increase should be seen each year; 3) This is a regional system and the above mentioned companies did not have a feel for the future debt the City would have to incur for the wastewater system. This being the time scheduled for the 1979 budget review for the Community Development Department, Carol Darby, Community Development Director, explained the order of the following reports. PLANNING: Larry Wright, Principal Planner, explained the function of Resource Planning Implementation (Current Planning); Resource Analysis (Advanced Planning); and Inter-Agency Planning. $27,000 in F.R.S. Funds is being requested for an additional staff person and partial funding for the existing Planning/Graphics Technician position. After discussion, it was the general consensus of the Council that the costs for outside utility requests be self-supporting, as there are currently no fees charged for this service. Council asked staff to prepare and recommend a fee schedule in early 1979 for all land use requests. CODE ADMINISTRATION: Newell Pock, Chief Inspector, explained the function of this Division and the various number of inspections and permits requested for Structures, Fire & Housing Safety & Land Use Regulations. There is a request of $23,000 from F.R.S. Funds for one Code Inspector in 1979. The Council questioned if there should be an increase in the permit fees and Pock stated that he did not feel it was warranted as the permit fees have doubled within the last five years. 149 ADJOURNED MEETING - DECEMBER 7, 1978 Hinman absent at 2:15 P.M. ENGINEERING: Herb Mayer, City Engineer, gave the following report: Traffic Enginerrins: $117,000 in F.R.S. requested to retain: the Supervising Traffic Engineer and one Traffic Technician; routine street lighting maintenance-one employee for this maintenance; same level of signing and striping as in 1978; re-instating signal maintenance materials. It was noted for the record that the program under HUD to replace type and number of fixtures East of 16th Avenue and North of Nob Hill has been completed. A report on street lighting West of 16th Avenue and South of Nob Hill will be presented to Council in II/ early 1979. Engineering: Provides engineering services for other departments: Sewer LID's; subdivisions; storm drainage studies; total engineering cost approximately $120,000, amount budget $80,000. Water LID's; flood control; various other water projects; total engineering $250,000, amount budgeted $53,000. Street LID's; subdivisions; community develop- ment streets funded by HUD; Pavillion parking lots and landscaping; $430,000, total engineering cost. However, these projects are funded by other than Arterial Street monies. Arterial Street Fund #142. Total 1/2c monies to match and fund other projects amounts to $500,000, include Federal Aid Metropolitan Highway (FAM) and Federal Aid Safety Projects, (FASP). Mayer stated that the study on Nob Hill Blvd. will be presented to the Council in early 1979 and will be looking for F.R.S. monies for right-of-ways and/or for study purposes in the amount of $125,000 if that decision is made by Council. Total amount of monies needed for the engineering in the above mentioned Arterial Street projects is $250,000; the Preliminary Budget reflects a total, of $135,000 which includes the requested 21/2 persons needed: Supervising Civil Engineer; Associate Engineer; Engineer Technician II. Ms. Darby stated that the 21/2 persons requested will work as a team to get projects completed and it is feasible for them to do the Nob Hill Study. Total F.R.S. Funds requested for all projects in,1979 is $125,000. AIRPORT: Del Kary, Airport Manager, gave the following report: Capital. Improvement: Kary explained the committed projects for Airport Extension included $79,171 for runway extension; $194,000 land acquisition for Fisheries and $14,433 for other land acquisition initiated in 1973. The Overlay Project amounts to $140,185 for a total requirement for the two projects equalling $427,000. F.R.S. monies budget in 1978 included $200,000 for overlay and a $11,000 surplus from' 1974 Airport Bond issue, resulting in a $216,745 request for F.R.S. Funds in 1979. Also, the Council was notified that 1978 Leasehold Tax monies were not paid to the State as required and a total of $12,000 would be needed in.1979 to balance this account. Total amount requested of F.R.S. funds is $228,745. Air Facilities Maintenance:. There will be an increase of $40,991 in 1979 due to capital outlay and salary increases. This figure is included in the budget. Air Transport Security: Air West has indicated that they,will no longer pay for the airport, security services, effective October 31, 1978. This is being negotiated at this time, but could result in a possible additional request for $15,600 of F.R.S. Funds. - There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at the hour of 3:30 P.M. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY „.. A DATE ifpc...._7( fouNciLmA DATE COUNCILMAN ATTEST: 4 A' „...„4T)2_,_, A' / A.._ CITY CL t MAYOR