CEDAR KEY HOLDS
SECOND BUDGET MEETING
NEXT MEETING 29 JULY
*** Public Welcome ***
July 26, 2014
The Cedar Key City Commission met Thursday, July 24, 2014, at 6pm in City Hall for its second budget workshop for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. In attendance were Mayor Dale Register, Vice Mayor Sue Colson, Commissioners Tina Ryan, and Royce Nelson; Commissioner Nettie Hodges was not in attendance.
Staff in attendance were Police Chief / Public Works Director Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief / Building Department Manager Robert Robinson, City Clerk Teresa George, and Staffer Lisa Fine. Attorney Norm Fugate and CPA Robert Beauchamp were not in attendance but available by telephone should they be needed.
In the audience were Steve and Jan Stackhouse, Allison Nelson, Jim Hoy, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
CITY AND CRA DOLLARS SEPARATED
As requested, Clerk George presented budget worksheets containing figures separating City and the CRA dollars.
INSURANCE RECATEGORIZED
Clerk George was asked to place the costs for insurance in the specific departments from which they are generated; she has done so.
The City has three blanket insurance policies that include several departments; employee liability is one. George received permission to place those three into the newly-created City Hall budget.
FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET DISCUSSED
Fire Chief Robert Robinson presented his budget for the upcoming year. He asked that the $8,000, previously set aside and designated Fire Department Capital Outlay, remain set aside and remain earmarked for emergencies such as blowing an engine. After lengthy discussion, commissioners approved setting the $8,000 aside, earmarked as requested, under the general category of contingency / carryover dollars. Commissioner Colson commented that setting aside the dollars was “good stewardship” on Robinson’s behalf.
The contingency / carryover dollars will also have $13,000 earmarked for the Eighth Street shoreline restoration project. The carryover / contingency fund is estimated to have a total $255,000 at the end of the fiscal year.
Commissioner Nelson asked Robinson how he saw the idea that the county will take over smaller fire departments. Robinson responded that he has heard nothing to validate that idea, that he attends county meetings, and that he speaks to persons responsible for that sort of decision regularly. Nelson told Robinson that he was “ just telling you what I’ve heard, letting you know the big picture.” Robinson said that he “can’t answer to rumors.”
Robinson also put a three percent increase in his salary and noted that he is on duty twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Robinson’s proposed 2014-2015 budget is less than the current 2013-2014 budget.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT DISCUSSED
Robinson overviewed the proposed Building Department budget. That budget will remain basically the same.
CONTINGENCY ITEM
Commissioner Colson asked about the state of the City’s computer network or lack of network. Currently Robinson is the computer systems problem solver. He said some programs are on Macs and others are PC based. The systems cannot communicate with each other. He suggests that the City needs a professional at some point.
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
Discussion was started on the City Clerk’s budget but as the Mayor is trying to limit the meetings to no longer than two hours the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will continue with the City Clerk’s office followed by the Public Works budget. The tentative millage rate will be also be set at the next meeting.
NEXT BUDGET MEETING
Tuesday, 29 July 2014 at 6:00pm
August 2014
Tuesday, August 5 - CRA/City Meeting @ 6 pm
Thursday, August 7 - Budget Workshop @ 6 pm
Tuesday, August 19 - City Meeting @ 6 pm
Thursday, August 14 - Budget Workshop @ 6 pm
Thursday, August 2l - Budget Workshop @ 6 pm
September 2014
Tuesday, September 2 - CRA/City Meeting @ 6 pm
Tuesday, September 16 - City Meeting @ 6 pm
September Budget Workshop Dates: TBA
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