[APRIL 24, 2006]
The city treasurer, Les Plotner, provided a brief
summary of finances at last week's council meeting.
While city revenues have improved over recent years, Plotner still
cautioned department heads and chairmen to watch spending.
Plotner said, "As we go through the next few months, we are going
to be pressed a little bit." He said that it would be nice to have
$500,000 to $600,000 at the end of April to get through May and June
before income tax revenue starts coming in, but he doesn't think the
money is going to be there. It will be a challenge to meet payroll
and bills, he said.
The cash flow crunch has been created while $400,000
infrastructure expenses are laid out on the Sysco project. The city
has already received the first two scheduled payments back from
them, City Clerk Melanie Riggs said.
In the meantime, Plotner is calling upon everyone to help. "It's
not going to be easy," he said.
Pension funds had an ending bank balance of $5,871,717. The amount of
$400,000 was transferred from the depreciation fund to the general
fund.
The finance committee will meet for final approval and
recommendation to the council of the 2006-2007 fiscal year budget,
which is to begin May 1. Wait-listed items were discussed at last
week's committee meeting.
Possible additions include part-time filing help that would be
shared with the building code office and the mayor's office. Mayor
Beth Davis observed that we should try to get someone acquainted
with the code office before the day that code officer Les Last
decides that he would like to retire. He holds a wealth of
information that someone should start learning, such as the BOCA
code and contracting, she said, and then emphasized that she wasn't
encouraging him to leave.
Also in the plans are to replace two police cars and a canine.
Finance and law enforcement chairs Verl Prather and Buzz Busby were
in agreement that the fleet needs to be kept up.
It was agreed to fund a portion of the cost of the signs that
will mark the bicycle trail through downtown. A total of $2,000 will
be allotted for the small signs. Downtown businesses will be asked
to participate in the project also. A single, large $5,000 sign will
also be going up.
Alderman Daron Whittaker suggested that while the city is in
tight times they should re-evaluate organizations that receive city
support. When pressed about which organizations, he said that Main
Street Lincoln originally said they would become self-sufficient
after a few years of boost to get them going, yet they are at the
same support level as they were to start.
He said that he was not against giving to them at their current
amount but would like to know that they actually need this amount
and would like to hear that from them.
Jonie Tibbs said they do a wonderful job. "If I were going to
cut, it would be on some other entity," she said.
Prather said that they are short-staffed all the way around and
pay just under half a salary in certain areas.
He also suggested that it would be impractical to take away from
them with what they do for the city.
Crane agreed and said that if they were going to reduce support,
the organization should have some time to prepare for it and
suggested that it not be considered for this year.
The meeting April 17 was adjourned to 7 p.m. Tuesday (tomorrow)
in order to approve the new fiscal year budget.
