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City
council approves annual
appropriations
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[JULY 22, 2003]
The city's annual
appropriations were approved at the July 21 meeting of the Lincoln
City Council. The city's annual gross appropriations before
transfers total $21,266,741.00, less transfers within fund and other
sources of $12,126,900. The final net appropriations after transfers
are $9,139,841. These appropriations are for the city's fiscal year
beginning May 1, 2003, and ending on April 30, 2004.
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Councilman Verl Prather, the finance
committee chairman, said that without the approximately $10 million
sewer project planned by the city the appropriations would be lower
this year than last year. Mayor Davis thanked Prather and the
council for the work they had put into the appropriations process,
saying it was a difficult year to do that job and they did it well.
Lincoln's city treasurer, Les Plotner,
gave the treasurer's report for the month of July. The report
contained the monetary balances from the end of June. The bank
balance is $2,997,600. The investment balance is $1,775,263. This
gives the city a total available balance of $4,772,863.
The city of Lincoln took sealed bids
July 10 on a certificate of deposit for $1,150,000 over a 32-day
investment period. The high bid was submitted by State Bank at a
rate of 1.01 percent, yielding $1,018.30 interest on Aug. 11.
Plotner said that it was sad, but that is where we are; it is a sign
of the times.
Plotner told the council that more
attention needs to be paid to where businesses are paying their
sales taxes. Some businesses have more than one address at which
they conduct business. The business locations that are in the city
should be paying taxes to the city.
Plotner pointed out another flag when
checking tax reports. When there is a "CL," it means the business
was changing locations at one point. They may not have made the
switch to start paying city taxes after the move was completed.
In addition, there was a discrepancy
some time ago when the county misinformed some businesses properties
on the west side, especially on Woodlawn Road, about whom they
should be paying taxes to. Some could still be paying their sales
taxes to the wrong governmental body. A&W, for example, has been
paying county sales tax, but they should have been on the city tax
list. There are probably other businesses that are on the wrong tax
list as well, Plotner said. An awareness and thorough check of
business property taxes will be made in the future.
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The council also acted upon sidewalk
petitions. A petition for work at 356 Fifth St. was approved. Curb
work at 1029 N. Monroe St. was also approved. The request for a new
sidewalk at 539 10th St. was declined. Councilman Patrick Madigan
said that upon reviewing this request it was found that the address
had a brick sidewalk covered over by grass. The council felt that
the grass could be removed down to the brick sidewalk and the city
would not need to put in a new concrete sidewalk.
In new business the council appointed
councilman Glenn Shelton to work with Dan Fulscher of the ESDA/911
board on the proposed new Emergency Telephone System board.
Approval was also given to hire an
employee for a position in the city clerk's office. The need exists
because of a retirement in the office. The new employee will be
hired from the employment list, and the hiring will be effective on
Aug 18. Currently, with the one person retiring, there are only
three people working in the city clerk's office, including City
Clerk Melanie Riggs.
The next
city council meeting will be on July 29. At that time the company
that currently is doing work at the site of the old junior high
school will address the council about proposed temporary street
closures. The S.M. Wilson construction company would like to close
off Kankakee Street from Broadway to the alley behind the current
junior high building and the northern one-third of Broadway Street
between Kankakee and Ottawa streets. The council has asked the
company to attend the meeting, formally make their request and
address concerns that the city council has regarding the street
closures.
[Don Todd]
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