City Council Meeting - 2023-12-11

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — December 11, 2023 ATTENDEES: Jamie Melky, Kathy Macho, Matt Bagheera, Nancy Rondell, and Michael Berman were recorded as present; the council said it had a quorum. • Council reviewed, but did not adopt, the proposed 2024 budget and 2024-2029 Capital Improvements Plan. The CIP includes 69 projects and purchases totaling about $21 million over six years. Staff said the electric fund represents about $12 million of that amount, largely because of a planned substation and related 46 kV line work. • The council opened and later closed a public hearing on the budget. Staff said the proposed 2024 general-fund budget anticipates roughly $160,000 remaining after operations and capital projects, after accounting for the City Beach playground expenditure. The proposed use of remaining funds is pension liability, capital-improvement reserves, and the city’s nine-month operating-reserve goal. • Staff said the electric-fund tree-trimming line needs revision. A $40,000 amount reflected prior Bay Bluffs work and should be reduced toward a more normal level, although a potential cost-sharing grant could change the eventual figure. Council also debated whether money proposed for a tree inventory would be better directed to ongoing tree maintenance. No final budget change on that issue was stated. • Council discussed a proposed street sweeper expected to cost up to about $250,000 or more in planning estimates. DPW said the current 2002 machine is designed more for warehouses and parking lots, while a new road-oriented unit would be more effective and could be used more often. Members asked staff to explore used equipment and lower-cost options. The item will remain in the plan for now, with purchase options to return to council. • Staff reported preliminary design work has begun for the uneven section of State Street. Grinding was described as unsuitable because the asphalt is thin and could deteriorate quickly. Staff may ask MDOT to help pay for road work because M-119 traffic is being detoured onto the local road; extending an existing concrete section is also under discussion. • Members raised future review of park-and-recreation cost contributions from surrounding townships, saying long-standing formulas may no longer reflect current conditions. They also encouraged more residents to use electronic utility billing to reduce mailing costs. Worth watching: • Staff is to return with final budget and CIP revisions, including tree-trimming and possible tree-maintenance changes. • DPW will research street-sweeper options, including used equipment, before any purchase decision. • Staff will pursue preliminary State Street estimates and explore possible MDOT reimbursement. Upcoming: The next regular council meeting is December 18, when budget and CIP adoption, union agreements, board and commission appointments, and possibly a substation-location matter were expected. Why it matters: The decisions pending next week will shape 2024 spending, reserves, infrastructure priorities, and service investments.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.