Amador County – Ione City Council last week approved a schedule for its municipal wastewater project, and discussed its mid-year budget, and saw it could still end the fiscal year $200,000 short.
Approval of a contract with Winzler & Kelly starts projects toward a new wastewater plant, whatever that turns out to be, and seeks State Revolving Funds. The municipal wastewater project costs were estimated by City Attorney James Maynard at $840,000, of which State Revolving Fund and USDA programs would reimburse about $725,000. Maynard said the city could seek less reimbursement and have an even smaller impact on fee increases in wastewater for city residents. Any increase is subject to a Proposition 218 notification process.
The city’s Wastewater Capital Project fund included $1.6 million, and would pay toward the city’s wastewater project, and contracted tasks approved last week.
The council also talked about the budget. City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said the next fiscal year will have the full year when reductions will fully materialize from staffing and other cuts. Mayor Ron Smylie said the city Wastewater Capital fund could have more money if a set-aside of $8.50 per bill had been set aside after it was enacted.
Councilman Lloyd Oneto said after approval of the wastewater contract that he hoped “the council will not get the debacle of misunderstanding” that it had before, and will get step by step approval of the work.
In the mid-year budget report, Butzlaff said the Council will begin working on its budget in April and get a head start, unlike last year. Smylie wanted to set workshops and study sessions, not to make decisions, but to get public input. Butzlaff said “we will have 10 weeks to get the public fully engaged.”
He said the Winzler & Kelly funding comes from the Capital budget, and the operational budget was about $500,000, while the city has about $1 million dollars owed to other city funds.
Oneto said the $200,000 shortage goes back on the top of spending in the next budget, and cuts will have to be made. He said they will have to think of staff not as whether they are a good person, but in terms of “can we afford you?”
Smylie said: “We have to close that gap,” and there are some things that need to go through negotiations, including the benefits packages, and a police budget of $1.1 million.
Oneto asked about $200,000 paid by Rylund Homes for impact fees for property on which it was not allowed construction, and if that would also come out of the 2012-2013 budget. Maynard said Rylund wants the fee credit allocated elsewhere.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
