 Throughout the morning, department heads and community partners came
and went, arriving on time to make their presentations and leaving
shortly after they were completed. The council moved through each
one quickly, asking questions as needed but wasting no time debating
issues.
Department heads present what they believe they need and have
tried again this year to keep their budgets in a "bare bones" state.
Those who did ask for extra funding justified their requests, but it
won't be until the city looks at projected revenues that they will
be able to determine whether or not they can honor some or all of
those requests.
Miller has one storm siren on his "watch list"
For the current year, the Lincoln Fire Department budget totaled
$1,414,120. As of March 12 their budget was 85.69 percent expended.
Fire Chief Mark Miller presented his new fiscal year budget
holding most of his expenses at the current year amount.
Some of the problem areas he's going to be facing include fuel
for vehicles. Currently he's holding at last year's amount of
$15,000 but said he may have to do some adjusting. He noted diesel
fuel right now is approaching $4 per gallon.
Miller said his "headache" line is repairs and equipment.
Currently it is set at $29,000 for this year, and Miller said he
would hold the amount there for the new year.
Alderwoman Melody Anderson also noted that in the original budget
the amount was only $20,000. She explained that in order to bump it
up to the $29,000 that would cover what was actually being expended,
money had been taken away from other portions of the budget.
Miller said that included in this expense is the annual equipment
and apparatus testing for ladder, aerial, pump and breathing
apparatus. Those are required tests.
In equipment costs, the department will need two new radios this
year, and some equipment upgrades need to be done on the chief's
car.
The current year's budget includes $10,000 for negotiation fees
for collective bargaining. Anderson said the city will cut the
checks for the negotiation expenses prior to the end of this year,
and that line item will go to zero in the next year.
Miller also included in his request general expense dollars not
related to payroll for additional manpower.
The fire department is currently working with a skeletal crew.
However, there was no discussion as to whether additional dollars
could be found this year to add staff.
Moving on to ESDA expenditures, this year the city budgeted
$5,000 for siren repairs and has expended only $1,700.
Miller said one big concern he wants to cover in the new budget
is for a new storm siren. He said he had one siren on his "watch
list." In the recent test of emergency sirens, one that is 40 years
old did work, but he's still concerned about it.
He said one thing that has been noted is that the system is
supposed to send out a sound that varies in tone and volume, but
with this siren the tone has changed and is more one level of sound.
He said this was a concern and perhaps an indication it was
approaching failure. He wants to be prepared to replace it if the
need arises. He estimated a new siren will cost around $12,000.
The question was asked whether or not a siren could be a capital
expense taken from the new general obligation bond, and the answer
was yes, it could be.
[to top of second column] |
 Lebegue asks for more part-time help
John Lebegue, building and safety officer, offered his budget for
the upcoming year with a total increase in expenses not related to
payroll of $830.
For the current year the building and safety office has expended
87.28 percent of its budget.
Lebegue told the council the city-provided car would need new
tires, and there is a new set of codes and standards coming out that
needs to be purchased.
He offered two options on what was available on the standards, an
online version and a printed version. He said he would prefer to
have both, but if finances didn't allow, then he would like to at
least have the online version.
When the council was building the current year budget in March of
2010, they recognized a need to trim corners as much as possible to
make it through what was projected as being a very rough year for
revenues.
One of the dramatic cuts they were forced to make was to the
part-time help for the building and safety office. In the prior year
the amount budgeted had been $15,000, but as they worked reduce
costs, the council cut that figure to $9,200.
Lebegue told the council that trimming that much from his
part-time help was a detriment to his ability to do his job.
He asked the council to consider at least bumping the number up
to $12,000, which would allow him a part-time person 24 hours a
week. He also said if he could get the $15,000, it would be even
better, as during the summer he could use the extra help so he could
be out in the field more.
He said having the extra help would ultimately pay for itself in
the dollars brought in on fees and fines.
Since arriving in Lincoln, Lebegue has done a great deal of work
on the fee and fine structures for the city zoning office. Many of
these fees and fines have seen cost increases, which ultimately
brought the city of Lincoln in line with surrounding communities.
Anderson said she was leaning toward allowing the full $15,000
back into the budget, but she needed to see revenue figures to
support it. She asked Lebegue to put together his projection and
submit it to the city treasurer, Chuck Conzo.
The city will dive into the revenue side of the budget on March
26, and at that time may be able to tell Lebegue whether or not he
can have the extra help.
[By NILA SMITH]
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