The Jefferson city council at its May 28 regular meeting held a public hearing and then approved amendments to the current year budget.
City finance clerk Sarah Morlan explained changes in revenues and expenditures.
Revenues are $10,829,852 more than in the original FY 24 budget, coming in at $22,495,584. Most of the increase was $9.6 million in the Intergovernmental line item. Morlan said the large majority of that has to do with the project at the wastewater treatment plant, and that it shows again as an expense.
Charges for services provided by city personnel upped revenue by $90,862, putting the total in that line item at $3,942,488. That includes increases in water shutoff fees, land fill and yard waste fees and more. The miscellaneous category increased by $684,821, up to $1,180,371. Morlan said that includes grants from Grow Greene County.
The additional revenue is offset by a $9,871,902 increase in expenditures. Changes in expenses in most budget line items are less than $150,000 each except for government activities expenditures, with an increase of $8,962,156 in the business enterprise line item. That includes water, sanitation, recycling, the airport, and the wastewater treatment plant project.
The budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2024, as amended by the city council following the public hearing, shows revenues of $10,828,852 and expenditures of $9,871,902, for a posiltive difference of $956,950. “When it all comes down, it’s a lot of the wastewater treatment where the expenditures were in the previous year but we were reimbursed this year,” Morlan said. “Overall, we’re in a good place.”
Later in the meeting the council approved changing Morlan’s job title from finance clerk/ administrative assistant to finance officer/ deputy city clerk. Her job duties and her wage will not change, but the new title allows her to pursue certification as a finance officer or municipal clerk.
Additionally, the council amended an ordinance naming the city clerk as treasurer to name the finance officer as city treasurer. Sarah (Prescott) Morlan is a 2012 Greene County High School graduate.
The council followed the public hearing on the budget with a public hearing on the plans, specifications, form of contract and estimate of costs for the pickleball courts to be constructed this summer at Russell Park.
City engineer Jim Leiding estimates cost of the courts at $181,000 with another $25,000 for lighting. There were no comments at the public hearing. Bids on the project are due June 4; Leiding said the bid would be awarded at the June 11 council meeting. Ten companies have plans for the project. After closing the hearing, the council approved the plans, specs, etc.
The council set June 11 as the date for a public hearings on the sale of city-owned lots at 504 N. Vine St, 506 N. Vine St, and 600 W. Lincoln Way. Houses at 504 N. Vine and 600 W. Lincoln Way have been demolished. The house at 506 N. Vine St will be razed. (The city does not hold title to the property yet, but is in the process of getting title from heirs of the deceased owner.)
Council member Chad Sloan voted against holding the public hearings.
Origin Homes LLC of West Des Moines hopes to purchase the lots and construct a single-family home on each lot using Workforce Housing tax credits. The lots would be sold for $500 each, with the city providing a Phase 1 environmental assessment, a geotechnical test and report, and public sidewalks for each lot.
Sloan questioned how much the city has invested in the lots and whether the general public knew the lots were available for purchase.
City administrator Scott Peterson said the city has or will spend about $30,000 on each lot. All of the funding has come from state funds for neighborhood stabilization and from a private $40,000 donation earmarked for that use. No general fund dollars have been or will be spent.
City building officer Chad Stevens said the city has sold lots previously, with one going for $25,000.
Stevens said a public hearing was held on the sale of each lot the city has sold.
Sloan asked how many more lots the city has for sale, and whether they’re listed on a website. Stevens answered there are two or three, and that they’re not posted online. When Sloan asked who would set the price for the lots, Stevens answered it would be the council’s housing committee.
Long time council member Harry Ahrenholtz interjected that when the city sells lots, there’s a clause in the purchase agreement that sets a deadline for building on the lot. The lots are not available to speculators.
The council approved leasing the alley east Sierra Community Theatre to Greg and Shirley Hacker, who are repurposing the building across the alley from the theatre as the Courtyard on State event venue. The Hackers will place fencing on the ends of the alley that will allow pedestrians but not vehicles. The fencing will be easily opened to provide access to emergency vehicles if needed.
There is no cost named in the lease agreement, but the Hackers must carry a minimum of $1 million comprehensive general liability insurance on the property.
Sloan abstained from voting on the motion.
In other business, the council approved schedule of assessment for nuisance abatements (mowing, removing junk); approved an easement allowing Alliant Energy to extend a gas main at the municipal airport; approved removing a wooden pole and street light in the 400 block of E. Washington St; and approved the third and final reading of the amended recycling ordinance allowing for single-stream recycling.
During his quarterly report to the council, Greene County Development Corporation director Ken Paxton noted that Sara Huddleston was slated to start her job as director of the Multi-Cultural Family Resource Center on June 3. She planned to focus during her first weeks on Greene County Schools (the school and GCDC share her position) and start working with local employers in July.
He also said Iryna Vaslylieva, the first Ukranian refugee to arrive in Jefferson, is settling in and has obtained employment at Greene County Medical Center. He said Vaslylieva “will be a good addition to the community.”
Paxton announced that Linc Kroeger, a key player in bringing The Forge to Jefferson five years ago, is now doing similar technical training for veterans leaving the military. Paxton has held discussions with Kroeger about providing training here, not only for veterans, but for local students.
