VILLAGE OF NORTH AURORA
SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING
MAY 4, 2005
CALL TO ORDER
Village-President Hansen called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL
In attendance: Trustee Shoemaker, Trustee Berman, Trustee Mitchell, Trustee Herlihy, Trustee Gaffino, Trustee Herwig.
FY 05-06 BUDGET HEARING
Sue McLaughlin said that she would start by giving an overview, and touch on a few issues that are outstanding. Then do the departmental.
Sue McLaughlin said that they are looking to stay conservative on the sales tax portion. Overall taxes are looking at not quite 9 % growth and the general fund overall a reduction by .4%. When they did the levy they attempted to capture as much of the growth as possible. It came back at 78%. They are transferring $200,000 from the impact fees under capital improvement that is for growth to the general fund, as well as $500,000 to general fund from the auto mall. In the expenditures they will rely heavily on departmental review. There is a 15% increase in police payroll and benefits and a 15% increase in the general fund overall from last year. Do to the growth the EAV grew 10% and they are expecting another 10%. The EAV was just over $354 million dollars in 2004. Issues they want to touch on are the Road Program and tourism as an overview.
Issues
Road Program – Ms. McLaughlin said when you look at the revenue, $730,000 dollars is from utility taxes, $219,000 from MFT and $4,000 dollars is from investment income for a total of $953,000 dollars, but the expenditures are slated at $1.2 million dollars. They looked at options for solving the shortfall.
Tourism – Ms. McLaughlin said that currently we have a 90% contribution to the CVB. North Aurora Days is in a deficit. If they take $15,000 dollars out of the growth portion for tourism, and follow the current budget for North Aurora Days, there will be a $17,000 deficit in the tourism portion.
Administration
Finance Director Meg Dolasinski said that one of the main changes that was added was the laptop and salary for the intern. There was a 3% increase in salaries. Ms. McLaughlin said that she is removing the laptop for the intern.
Trustee Berman wanted to know more about the Village Administrator National Convention. Ms. McLaughlin said that it used to be the ICSC. However, she uses it for the International City Manager’s Association. It is beneficial for educational and networking purposes. She said she thinks that it is more beneficial for where the village is right now.
Ms. McLaughlin said they kept the pay classification study in there. It did not get done this year, and whether they go out and get someone or just do it themselves may affect that number.
DEPARTMENTS
Engineering
Jim Bibby said that he will give a quick overview. He thinks that with Meg’s financial analysis of the Road Program from his perspective that the sunset of the utility tax will not allow them to maintain the $1.2 million dollar program. They were afraid if they didn’t maintain the level of the program they would not be caught up when the larger issues arose. All the different sources for money are good for this year, but if the utility tax runs out then they will need to figure out where to get the money. Paul Young was able to set up the capital improvements. They have the numbers and they are in the budget. Have some huge financial investments coming up in the next two years. He said they are up to date with sanitary sewer structures. The item he wanted to bring to the board’s attention was that under the storm water management they have an obligation that will increase the cost to the village. He wants to complete the storm water system, and will then want to enter into a program that will cost $50,000 dollars a year for the next 5 to 6 years.
Public Works
Mike Glock said that he would like to purchase a new 3 quarter ton pickup. This is part of his five year vehicle plan. He wants a Leaf vactor. He thinks that the village will benefit from this machine. The third item he wants to purchase is a model 331 track haul that would be used in backyards. They are running out of room with water mains. They will also create less mess with service breaks. He said they are looking to add a lot of sidewalks in town. They are going to be cleaning about 8,000 feet of storm sewer this year. They are in the fifth year of fixing holes and leaks in the sanitary sewer. He said he will try to have a cost for the Leaf vactor.
Water Works
Paul Young said the first part under waterworks a salary should have been removed. That reduced the sheet by $81,555 dollars. Under water collections they have a little bit more to investigate there. Some of the water testing was lowered because they went to a different testing. Under fire hydrant repair and maintenance that went up due to the fact that they want to go to the Storz nozzles. In a four year period we can convert over our existing hydrants. It will cost $20,000 dollars for four years. There will be $3 million dollars worth of water treatment plant construction.
Trustee Mitchell thinks that this needs more discussion.
Trustee Berman said that since there is a separate fire district he thinks that it is their responsibility and not the responsibility of the village.
Paul Young said if this is voted against then it would drop this portion of the budget to $8,000 dollars. He is pushing his budget this year, and is over a tad. With building the way it is going he thinks that he may have to implement a meter change in older sections of the village.
Trustee Herwig said we have to have money in the budget for new staff, and they should leave the budget money in for Ken Lopez, so that just in case they have that money there.
Paul Young said that the revenue sheet explains the capital fund. The water treatment plant needed to be done by June of next year. They have to finish the 2004 water treatment program that is why the $100,000 is left over. It did not get used. Due to the rate study this year they wanted to budget $368,000 for well house #7, but because of the treatment plant they will not invest any time or money into this project.
Village-President Hansen said we are about $30,000 dollars short in the water works capital.
Building and Zoning
Dewayne Williams said that his expenditure budget has a 3.9% increase over the year. Most of it is in the salary and fringe benefit areas. He has only one line that shows an increase. This year will be too busy in the department to implement something new.
Police
Chief Fetzer said that on the staff levels there is an increase for two additional patrol officers, and the police clerk he added a request for a part time police clerk/software programmer. They have spent a lot of money with a program called File Maker. They are going to automate all their payroll records. They want to put their performance appraisals into the system. They are also looking to purchase a module jointly with Montgomery and Sugar Grove for the racial profiling information that they have to collect. They are working with the clerk’s office to obtain a grant for a livescan fingerprint system. Fingerprints would be done digitally. If they implement all these changes they could postpone hiring another clerk for 3 to 5 years. Two expansion officers they are looking to hire in June will not be hired till next year. The original radios they purchased in 1995 would be no good in two months. They do not know whether they will have to purchase the radios or not. If it does not come to pass then the money budgeted can be used for other purposes.
Trustee Herwig said that it needs to be discussed if the village is interested in taping the meetings to be played on local television station. Oswego does not pay their people to tape the meetings. He said we have a possible loss in revenue with regards to activity center, and he would like to wait through this year to look at the OTB.
A motion was made by Trustee Gaffino to adjourn the meeting and seconded by Trustee Berman. All in favor. Motion approved by a vote of 6-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Joseph P. Lowery
Village Clerk
