CityCouncil UNOFFICIAL NOTES from ntg 8-2-12

[Steve or Patty Smith]

Please join us on Facebook for discussion of these items.  There is a closed group, for Residents only, called "Lake Tapawingo Resident Town Hall".  There are currently 41 members.  All you have to do is request to be added.  If it is verified that you are a resident, you will be added.

 

UNOFFICIAL NOTES from City Council Mtg 8-2-12, 6pm at City Hall.

NOTE: What you read here IS NOT OFFICIAL.  The purpose of this notice is more for conversation and input from those who could not attend.  Perhaps we could engage our thoughts and offer solutions to our Aldermen, making their position a true representation of the people.

I was about 10 minutes late to the meeting but here are the bullets of what was discussed.  To get what was discussed before that, Beverly Payton was there on time and could fill in some important facts that she pointed out I missed….

1.       City is in a bit of financial despair.  Sounds like mostly due to the grinder pumps which is an important part of the Lakes infrastructure.  It may come to owners having to buy and perhaps pay for install of a replacement.  That would be the worst case.  Still discussing outcomes.

2.       Alcohol and Drug random testing and rehabilitation assistance for all employees is being introduced, read and passed as a new ordinance #1093. 

3.       A new ordinance was introduced for discussion, #1094, restricting anyone parking in their OWN yard.  The motivation for this issue is being driven by one small home with MANY residents, each having a vehicle.  The spillover is being absorbed into the yard.  It was disturbingly noted, no wait… duly noted, that police discretion will be used in issuing warnings and tickets for any infractions of this ordinance.

4.       Growing out of the above mentioned ordinance is another ordinance being considered to put picture ID in the file of each resident.  This will allow law enforcement to better identify who is a home resident and who is not.

5.       Water bills were discussed.  Water gets cheaper the more you use.  The use is tracked by what comes out of the tap and hose and sprinkler.  The Sewer charge is directly calculated from this water usage.  It was discussed that that is not a fair formula to use when considering the difference in what is going down the sewer (where your grinder pump is).  The city is charged by our supplier by what is discharged into the sewer system and goes into their treatment plant.  That number is tracked and used in calculating the city’s bill.  In consideration for those with a sprinkler or a pool, where that water does NOT go down into the sewer, that creates an imbalanced billing regarding the sewer part. (Although, we were recently directed to drain pool and hot tub water into the sewer)  So as we further discuss this issue, it was offered that perhaps a unit that would be placed into the grinder pump area to record a true use of the sewer system, thus giving an indicator to adjust for the Sewer charge.  It was discussed that the resident would have to request and pay for installation of this device, as well as providing information regarding the property on a form to be designed.  This is all still under review.

6.       COMMITTEE: City ordinances regarding City cleanup were briefly address and continue to be.

7.       COMMITTEE: Building Inspector is reporting issues based on his language and interpretation of situations.  There is some discussion of Lattice vs Handrails that needs to be resolved.  These discussions may be brought to the Country Club for clarification, education and communication.  One of the Aldermen is questioning some of the ‘language’.

8.       COMMITTEE: Office is doing a redistribution of duties as a result of the City Clerk position recently vacated.  Alderman is writing a “Scope of Administration for Court” to created a position combining Deputy Clerk and City Clerk.  The previous 3 positions, that have become 2 are being looked and defined for clarity and responsibility.  Nepotism was brought up as a consideration, in light of the recent infractions under investigation.  It was clarified that Nepotism regulates one person HIRING a related person, not working with someone..

9.       COMMITTEE: Budget concerns were questioned regarding the disparity in revenues that will be created resulting from the difference in who residents are billed for sewer charges vs who the City is charged for usage.  In these scorching hot recent days, there may result in a larger than normal profit for the City. 

10.   COMMITTEE: Budget-Payroll: Reviews by a competent resident also revealed an item of interest in an inflated payroll expense.  It was revealed as past vacation days not previously paid to the Chief from an accumulation of years.  The amount was split over a period to be paid out so as not to pain the budget in any one period.

11.   COMMITTEE: Budget-Fuel:  That same competent resident identified a recent spike in fuel costs.  It was revealed that prior purchases on a police credit card were being billed to some Lawnmower in Blue Springs??  After this was discovered, we now owe that money to repay BS.  That is being done over a period of time.

12.   BUDGET: A line will be added to the financial report comparing monthly “actual vs budget” in order to identify an infractions on a timelier basis.  At the present, our budget is figured on an annual basis.  That does not allow for monthly accurate scrutiny.   Our keenly eyed competent resident brought that to light and the Mayor responded favorably and agreed to add it to the report.

13.   BUDGET: Our Bond is coming due, which means a tax we have been paying will drop off unless we decide to vote for another Bond to fund whatever projects it is designated for.  I expanded that comment as it was brought up that we put on the ballot a NO TAX INCREASE “new Bond”.  I wanted to bring it into the light, that rather than thinking money can drop out of the air at no cost to us, we ARE paying for it.(There IS NO OBAMA MONEY here!)  Our Bond generates around $8,800 monthly.  That is $105,600 annually.  For a 10 year Bond, if that is what is presented, that creates $1,056,000.  These, remember, are not official numbers.  It is what I recorded our attorney offer, generally speaking at the meeting.  We were all enlightened by our attorney that tax assessments on property are adjusted along with tax levies to essentially create the same outcome, based on budgets.  Property values can go down but property taxes levies will then go up to compensate for the shortfall.  And visa versa.

 

Please give any comments that may surface as a result of reading this.  Discussion is good.  All vantages (I hope) can be presented and before enacting some superficial laws with unintended outcomes, we can visualize the total impact of our actions prior to it being written in stone.

 

Also, site the “#” you are commenting on to help folks follow your thoughts. 

 Patty Smith
The "goal" is not ease and simplicity, though they will surely follow, but learning even more.