In front of an overflow crowd in the meeting room on Monday the Belleville City Council unanimously approved a $2.1 million balanced budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
“The nice thing about our proposed budget is there’s no tax increase,” said Mayor Richard Smith. The current 17.9 mill tax will be continued.
Many of the people in the audience had attended the meeting because they felt there was a chance the council could raise taxes to balance the budget.
Molly Goike of Plante Moran, the city’s financial consultants, explained how the proposed budget got from a $40,000 to $50,000 deficit a few weeks earlier, to the balanced budget before them for consideration.
She said they sat down and worked at it and balanced the figures with a little bit of a surplus.
Goike said they readdressed the administrative fees to other funds, which gained $9,000-$10,000. Federal CDBG funds can be used for a couple of demolition projects, which would save about $5,000. Another $5,000 came by eliminating planning commission fees. The $25,000 contingency fund was cut by $10,000 to add to the budget.
“We also took a closer look at fees for September Days,” she said, referring to the senior center in Van Buren Township. “Back in the day the fee was for something, but now it’s not for anything specific.”
She said the $10,200 September Days fee has been eliminated from the budget and she is sure there will be no change in services to seniors.
She said that left an $8,600 surplus. Goike said the budget “is a moving target” and as the year progresses other changes will be made.
Ron Vesche asked if there will be new inspection fees for landlords, which was discussed, and he was told there wouldn’t.
Mike Foley asked about the $117,000 transfer out of the public improvement fund to the general fund. Goike said the general fund needed money back. She said the general fund levies 17.9 mills and part of it was allocated to public improvements.
Goike said the fund balance in the public improvement fund would be used to pay down the things already purchased through that fund, like the fire truck.
Foley said the council hadn’t rescinded the motion that allocated those funds and attorney John Day replied, “Not yet. This is just a proposed budget.”
Former Mayor Tom Fielder said a few years ago the existing council said that one mill would be for that purpose and councils since then chose to follow that, but were not bound by the old council’s actions.
Goike said a new fund has been established for current and future purchases.
Expected total general fund revenue for 2010-11 was $2,159,022, down from $2,226,357 in 2009-10.
The Downtown Development Authority budget for 2010-11 was also approved as part of the city budgets. The DDA expects total revenue of $980,814, down from $1,372,296 in 2009-10.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
* Unanimously approved Kenneth Lee Grant as the new fire chief and thanked Bill Emerson for filling in as chief;
* Unanimously approved the request of Brian Copsey, operator of the Bayou Grill, 404 Main, for use of Fourth Street Square during Strawberry Festival for an outside café and classic rock bands from 4 to 8 p.m. Copsey said no alcohol would be served outside;
* Opened five bids for removal and replacement of the existing surface in the alleyway between W. Columbia Ave. and W. Wabash Street. Start date would be June 22. The budget for the project was $20,000 and engineering costs have already been deducted from that amount, said DPS Director Keith Boc. The following bids were opened, with estimated length of work and cost: Al’s Asphalt, three days, $20,445.75; ADT Paving Co., seven days, $38,742.50; Nagle Paving Co., five days, $32,475; The Jeffery Co., four days, $19,733; and Best Asphalt, eight days, $29,173.25. The bids were turned over to the administration for study and recommendation;
* Unanimously approved closing Robbe Ave. behind Mayor Pro-Tem Rick Dawson’s house at 155 E. Columbia Ave. from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 26, to allow for parking of about 20 motorcycles during a progressive dinner for members of Star Touring and Riding, Chapter 211. Members Rick and MJ Dawson will be serving appetizers and salad from 10 a.m. to noon;
* Unanimously approved the Advance Construction Contract with MDOT concerning the $1.7 million Main Street enhancement project and approved official signators as (Mayor) Richard S. Smith and (Clerk/Treasurer) Lisa Long;
* Approved holding the annual citywide garage sale, where no permits are required, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11 and 12. The council agreed to consider having Friday added to the dates next year, as well as the suggestion to hold it before school starts in the future;
* Approved accounts payable of $165,837.17 and the following departmental purchases in excess of $500: $675 to Alpha Psychological Services to assess new part-time police officer; $606 to Barrett Paving for cold patch; $995 to Bio Care Inc. for physical exams for new fire fighters; and $850 to Gene Taylor for reimbursement for the Dumbo Drop program;
* Heard Mayor Smith refer to the article in the Independent about the streetscape at Five Points minimart, stating he went over twice to ask Mo to sign the easement agreement and Mo said the city should pave his parking lot or pave half of it. “I don’t know if he was kidding,” Mayor Smith said. He said they moved forward and Mo signed. Mayor Smith also said he was there and DPS Director Keith Boc did not yell at Mo, but only talked in a loud voice since, “It’s his natural tone of voice.” Foley said he’d take the mayor’s word for it about the yelling, but he said there definitely was blackmail involved with Mo, with Boc threatening to take 11’ of his parking lot if he didn’t sign. Also, Spicer engineers painted lines all around Mo’s sign showing how they would take it out and lines in the parking lot to show what they could take. They said they would only take 2’ if he signed. Foley said that kind of treatment “is not pro business… The facts of how he was treated was not pro business.” Boc insisted it wasn’t a “blackmail situation.” Boc explained that in order to put the planned planter in, they needed easements on both sides and because of the shape of the planter, Mo’s sign was in the way;
* Heard Copsey of the Bayou Grill complain that he’s from “the other side of the bridge,” referring to his time at O’Charley’s in Van Buren Township, and the police in Belleville are not as hospitable as those in VBT. “I’ve been losing guests because they feel they’re being targeted,” Copsey said. He said a particular police officer has pulled over five customers and questioned them as to what they are doing out so late. This is five people in just the month since they’ve been reopened. “The pro-business attitude from VBT is not being reciprocated here,” Copsey said. He said he was forced to do a field sobriety test in front of the Bayou after giving an intoxicated female a ride home. He said the officer smelled the alcohol in his car. “I’m not feeling welcomeness this side of the bridge,” Copsey said. He said the young officer sits within a block of his business with his lights off. Owner Yanni Cristodoulo was due to return home from Greece on Wednesday evening and the mayor asked them to meet with him and other officials in the near future to discuss the situation. Police Chief Taylor told theIndependent the story is not quite what is being told, but he didn’t want to say anything further at this time; and
* Heard Kay Atkins say she would like to ask, again, that the council publish a tentative council agenda in the newspaper of record so people would know what would be discussed at the meeting. Clerk/Treasurer Long said she sends the agenda by email to those who request to be on her list, but Atkins said some people don’t have email and don’t get to city hall, but do get the paper. When Atkins was on the council, a resolution as passed to publish the agenda ahead of time, but it hasn’t been done for several years. Mayor Smith said he would look into it.