Weekly Report
City Manager Report 8/27/10
Council to Conduct 2011 City Budget Work Session Next Tuesday
Starin Road Extension Project to Begin After Labor Day
CDA Tours Whitewater Innovation Center Building Project
Kudos to All on Municipal Response to Last Friday's Storm
News From Around the Country
Council to Conduct 2011 City Budget Work Session Next Tuesday
The Common Council will be meeting in special session next Tuesday evening to begin its planning for the 2011 City Budget. In addition to reviewing the current status of the 2010 Budget and the General Fund Balance, the Council will review 2011-2015 revenue and expenditure projections. In addition, the Council will review alternative funding options for the city residential refuse collection and recycling services.
A 2011 Budget Schedule will also be set by the Council. Preliminary plans call for departmental budget hearings to be held by the Council in late October and early November with a public hearing on the proposed budget scheduled before the Council on November 16th.
Starin Road Extension Project to Begin Right After Labor Day; November 15th Substantial Completion Date Eyed
Mann Brothers, the construction firm awarded the contract for the Starin Road extension project, has informed the City that it will begin construction on this project in earnest right after the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Clearing and grubbing for the project has already begun and the contractor is projecting a November 15th substantial completion date for this work.
CDA Tours Whitewater Innovation Center Building Project
Members of the Community Development Authority (CDA) met earlier this week at the Whitewater Innovation Center construction site job trailer to tour the project. This was the first time that the CDA, which will have ownership of the Center, had the opportunity to look at the building while under construction.
The CDA heard that the Innovation Center is right on target for completion by January 1, 2011. J.P. Cullen and Sons, the project’s general contractor, hopes to have the building fully enclosed by the end of September. Currently, the sixty (60) deep wells (275’) that are the integral components of the building’s geothermal heating and cooling system are being drilled.
Kudos to All on Municipal Response to Last Friday’s Storm
Special thanks this week go out to Emergency Government Coordinator Mike Ciardo, Police Chief James Coan and his staff and Streets and Parks Supt. Chuck Nass and his crew for their great work in responding to the severe storm event we had in the City last Friday afternoon.
There were a number of trees in the City that were downed in the City, electricity was interrupted and there was flash flooding at a number of locations throughout the City. After the storm rolled through Whitewater at about 3:45 p.m. and created all of this damage, however, due to the diligent efforts of all who responded all streets were open to the public by 7:00 p.m. and all electricity was restored to community residents by 8:00 p.m.
The response by all was terrific and is greatly appreciated!
Each day I receive an electronic newsletter from the International City and County Management Association (ICMA) that contains newspaper articles from across the U.S. that pertains to local government issues. I include some of these articles in my weekly report that may have pertinence to issues here in Whitewater or may be of general interest.
Pinellas County, Florida, Deciding If Parks Should Remain Free.
The St. Petersburg Times (8/23) editorializes "faced with a $900,000 gap in the parks budget, County Administrator Bob LaSala had given county commissioners two options: Close parks two days a week or institute a $5 parking fee at Fort De Soto and a $3 fee at the other regional county parks. Commissioners declined both options and chose to use $900,000 from reserves to keep all parks open without new fees." Commissioner Calvin Harris said, "There are a lot of paid attractions in Pinellas County, but the parks system should not be one of those. We ought to strive to make that an amenity for everyone." However, "Maintaining assets like parks and public buildings gets more difficult every year. The county parks department has been decimated by budget cuts during the last three years, losing 58 percent of its staff and now dependent on volunteers for many park maintenance tasks."
Casa Grande, Arizona, Officials Have Concerns Televising City Council Meetings.
The Tri-Valley Dispatch (AZ) (8/21) reported, "Everyone wants 15 minutes of fame, which could be a problem as Casa Grande begins live television at City Council meetings. As City Manager Jim Thompson pointed out, people will see it as a chance for free advertising and there will be political candidates wanting to appear, groups wanting to promote an event, businesses wanting self-promotion. And there are the professional complainers who will come out just to be on television." He stated the council needs to be "cautious" of self-promotion, adding, "The mayor may even have to start gaveling people, which we traditionally haven't done." Mayor Bob Jackson added, "We need to be cognizant that we're on TV, but at the same time we also need to essentially continue to do business like we've always done business, because otherwise we're going to prolong the meeting."
Phoenix Pays For Research On Water Supply.
The Arizona Republic (8/23, Bui) reported, "Making sure residents have clean water on demand is one of the biggest responsibilities of the Phoenix Water Services Department, but water officials are also working on long-term strategic issues to make sure that service will always be there. Phoenix is watching three issues related to the city's water supply. The city has partnered with other organizations to learn more about climate change's effect on water supplies, salt in water and pharmaceuticals in the wastewater system." To remain ahead of problems, Phoenix "paid $239,767 this year to continue its membership with the Water Research Foundation. The city's membership in the foundation will give Phoenix access to millions of dollars worth of research and reports used to help keep the city's water system safe and up to federal regulatory standards." The three issues of note are climate change, salinity, and impact of pharmaceuticals in the water supply.
California To Utilize Mass Mobile Alert System.
Government Technology (8/24, Nichols) reported, "California and Sprint have officially joined forces to spearhead the nation's first mass mobile alert system, which means warnings about terrorist attacks, wildfires, hurricanes, school shootings and other emergency situations could soon be at citizens' fingertips." California's Emergency Management Agency and Spring announced "plans to deploy the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), a public safety tool that uses technology to deliver warnings and safety information via text alerts to wireless phones in specified areas. The first CMAS pilot program will begin in San Diego County this fall, in partnership with the county's Office of Emergency Services (OES)." The technology will sent alerts via text messages "in a defined geographic area, which could be as large as a county or city or as small as a few blocks."
City Governments Shutting Firehouses, Using "Rolling Brownouts."
The New York Times (8/27, A14, Cooper) reported, "Fire departments around the nation are cutting jobs, closing firehouses and increasingly resorting to 'rolling brownouts' in which they shut different fire companies on different days as the economic downturn forces many cities and towns to make deep cuts that are slowing their responses to fires and other emergencies." The Times notes that cities that have begun the brownouts include Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Sacramento, among others. Furthermore, "San Jose, Calif., laid off 49 firefighters last month. And Lawrence, Mass., north of Boston, has laid off firefighters and shut down half of its six firehouses, forcing the city to rely on help from neighboring departments each time a fire goes to a second alarm." Additionally, "Fire chiefs and union officials alike say it is the first time they have seen such deep cuts in so many parts of the country."
Hennepin County, Minnesota, Considering 1% Property Tax Hike.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (8/26, Duchschere) reported, "Hennepin County officials are proposing a property tax levy increase next year of no more than 1 percent, which they say is just enough to provide the county some wiggle room as it heads into another year of economic uncertainty." Assuming the County Board "accepts the administration's recommendations when it sets the maximum levy on Sept. 7, the stage would be set for the lowest Hennepin levy increase in at least 15 years. Maximum levy means that once set it can't be raised, only lowered. A 1 percent increase would yield a levy of nearly $683 million." Furthermore, County Administrator Richard Johnson believes the 1% levy increase exists because "the county needs some flexibility to respond to uncertain economic conditions. Critical information about the state's short-term future won't be available until November: the next economic forecast and the next governor."
Junction City, Kansas, Proposing Furloughs To Cover Deficit.
KTKA-TV Topeka, KS (8/26, Elliott) reported, "As a way to make up for $650,000 Junction City will be short at the end of the year, city manager Gerry Vernon has proposed furloughs for all city staff members starting in September. Vernon is presenting a proposal to the city commission September 7 which includes furloughs, an increase in rate for some city services, and the liquidation of some city property." If the furloughs are approved, they will begin in September, meaning "City employees would have one day off per pay period in September without pay. Then, employees would have two days off per pay period from October to December, which equals out to 15 days. Vernon says it would be a 17 percent wage reduction."
Quote for the Week
“A wise man or woman will make more opportunities than he or she finds.” - Francois Bacon