Tuesday, December 22, 2009
 
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City briefs: city budget, pension funds, Ameren payout and more

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[December 22, 2009]  The Monday night voting session of the Lincoln City Council was the last meeting of the 2009 calendar year. The council will meet again on Jan. 4. That meeting will once again be a voting session.

Anyone who wishes to have an item added to the voting agenda needs to have their request submitted to the city clerk's office no later than noon on Dec. 30.

Public hearing and vote on tax levy

Mayor Keith Snyder called the meeting to order and went directly into the public hearing for the 2009-10 tax levy.

Snyder asked if there was anyone present who wished to comment on the proposed tax levy. When no one spoke up, he closed the public hearing and turned the floor to Alderwoman Marty Neitzel, who made the motion for passing the levy.

With Alderwoman Melody Anderson and Alderman Nathan Turner absent for the evening, the motion carried with a unanimous vote of 8-0.

Tax levy increases are based on the Consumer Price Index, which is a federally established measure of the price level of consumer goods and services compared with the portion of income used by consumers to purchase those goods and services. For this year, the CPI was 0.893 percent, which comes to an overall increase of approximately $1,400 in tax revenues for the city.

City treasurer: Same story, different date

Les Plotner, city treasurer, reported on the finances of the city as of the end of November.

Basically it was the same story he's been telling for the past several months: Be cautious, be concerned, and don't spend a penny you don't have to.

The city relies on a variety of tax-based revenues to cover its general operating expenses. With the exception of the telecommunications tax, all those revenues are showing significant declines for the year.

Plotner reviewed the decreases in each tax and then summarized the "whole picture," saying that the estimated decrease in all tax revenues is going to amount to approximately $287,000.

During the course of his report, Plotner mentioned debt obligations, such as the new loan taken out this year for the roof of City Hall; rebates of sales tax due to Xamis Ford Lincoln Mercury, the Burwells and Lincoln Chrysler Jeep as a result of infrastructure agreements; and a $300,000 loan obligation.

When Plotner concluded his report, Snyder asked about the $300,000 and was told that the figure was a rotation of funds from the city's contingency fund to its general operating fund.

Plotner explained that the money was shifted from one fund balance to another at the end of the fiscal year. He explained that the money would have to be paid to the contingency fund at the end of the year but then could be "borrowed" again at the beginning of the new year.

Snyder commented, "But it really doesn't count as a debt. It isn't an added expense?"

Plotner replied, "No."

Snyder also asked how last year's expenses compared with what was budgeted.

He noted that the $287,000 deficit in revenues Plotner is projecting amounts to an approximate 4 percent decrease to the current budget figure.

He asked that Plotner look into the actual expenditures versus budget for the year ending April 30, 2009. The mayor commented that it would help to know if the city came in under budget on total expenditures, and if so, by what amount.

Plotner said that it would take some time to pull that information together, but he will work on it and get back to the council with that information.

Plotner explained that the Policemen's Pension Fund is showing a significant decrease in value. He explained that in the past, he has reported on the fund according to the actual dollars invested.

However, during the audit, Estes, Bridgewater and Ogden adjusted the figure according to the actual cash value of the fund.

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Because many of the dollars invested are in mutual funds, which are driven by the market, the declining value of stocks has affected the value of the fund as a whole.

When the auditors visited the council the first of December, Richard Ogden had commented on this, saying that as the economy recovers, the value of the mutual funds will increase.

In the Firemen's Pension Fund, Plotner reported that the balances are more stable and steady because they don't have mutual fund investments. The majority of that money is in annuities, which are not driven by the market.

He also commented that at a meeting of the Lincoln Fire and Police Commission board, it was discussed whether or not an outside accounting firm should be contracted to monitor the policemen's and firemen's funds. Plotner commented that he was in favor of this action, as monitoring and managing these funds is complicated as well as time-consuming.

Ameren pays up

Snyder reported to the council that the city has received a check from Ameren in the amount of $6,000.

In 1970 the city signed a franchise agreement with Ameren that would permit it to have electric service to five locations, including City Hall, free of charge.

When a new and separate contract agreement was signed with Mid-American Energy in May, that company took over those five locations by mistake, thus breaking the franchise agreement with Ameren.

During the six-month period between this occurrence and the city reverting to the Ameren agreement, a total of $7,436.47 was expended on utilities at these five locations.

Snyder said that currently the refund check is locked in the city safe because the letter attached had indicated that depositing the check would serve to relieve Ameren of any further obligation in the matter.

Snyder said that because the check arrived too late for this week's agenda, it would be held until the council had the opportunity to discuss whether or not to accept the terms attached to the check.

"I think we'll have another item to bring before you at our meeting in January," he added. "We'll talk about both of those, but I think we've got our losses on the electricity covered."

Other items approved by unanimous vote

Denise Martinek, city clerk, was appointed to be the city's freedom of information officer.

The city will seek bids for bar screen for the Palmer lift station. Bids will be advertised with a return deadline of Feb. 16.

The city will seek bids for one new police squad car. This will be the replacement vehicle for the new vehicle that was totaled in an accident. Bids will be advertised with a return deadline of Feb. 16.

[By NILA SMITH]

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