Belleville Council gets audit of financial budget ending June 30, 2012

At the Dec. 3 meeting of the Belleville City Council, Brian Camiler of Plante Moran in Ann Arbor helped give a presentation on the financial audit for the City of Belleville for the year ended June 30.
He said the audit by Alan C. Young & Associates showed the city did better than expected during the last fiscal year.
Total revenues were $2,304,000 and total expenditures were $2,153,000. The fund balance is up to $582,000.
He said the city has done a tremendous job over the last three to five years in “righting the ship”.
He said the fund balance had been rebuilt and the unrestricted money in the water and sewer account has grown to $906,000 and $161,000 is there for restricted debt service.
“You’re not out of the woods yet, but the fund balance is at a comfortable level,” Camiler said.
He said the city still has a long way to go to cover long-term liabilities. He referred to the MERS retirement for employees that is about 60% funded.
He said there was 3.5% difference between what was budgeted and what was spent, which is very good.
Molly Goike, the Plante Moran consultant who works at the City of Belleville several times a week, presented the financial highlights.
• The current year General Fund operations resulted in revenue in excess of expenditures of approximately $151,000;
• The total net assets related to the City’s governmental activities increased by approximately $388,000 and business-type activities increased by about $372,000; and
• Governmental activity revenue saw decrease of about $1.177 million from the prior year. This is due to a large street reconstruction project which was significantly completed within the City in the prior year. This project, which was facilitated through the Michigan Department of Transportation, was paid for with bond proceeds issued by the City’s Downtown Development Authority and federal grants associated with the project. The DDA contributed these reconstructed roads and side streets to the City.
In other business at Monday’s regular meeting, the council:
• Amended the meter installation contract with SLC Meter Service, Inc., to replace the Elster meter with the Badger meter. Elser cannot supply the 500 out of 1,085 meters needed to complete the meter replacement program approved in October 2011. DPW Director Boc said it is still the same company, same price, is supposed to be more accurate and they will supply a free re-programmer. George Chedraue said his water use doubled overnight in the apartment complex he owns with the new meters and when he called the company, they threatened to turn off his water;
• Approved the mayor’s reappointment of Michael Loria to the Civil Service Commission with a term to expire May 31, 2018;
• Approved council meeting dates for 2013 at 7:30 p.m. on the first and third Mondays except for three held on Tuesdays: Jan. 22, Feb. 19, and Sept. 3;
• Approved the annual permits with Wayne County for maintenance special events, and pavement restoration;
• Approved extending membership in the Joint Management Committee of the Downriver Wastewater Treatment System until the end of December 2013. DPW Director Keith Boc is official city representative and City Manager Diana Kollmeyer is alternate;
• Heard representatives of the Boys and Girls Club report there currently are 257 children in the club and a waiting list of more than 200 children. It is located at Edgemont School and serves children six and up after school. Cost is $50 a year and there are educational activities along with other fun things for the children to do;
• Approved accounts payable of $95,098.47, including a departmental expenditure over $500 to Hennessey Engineers for DWSD Meetings/Contract Updates, out of the water budget, $666;
• Heard Trustee Kim Tindall said the city officials who worked to make a special float for the parade felt they were slighted because they did not fit into any category and so were not judged. Trustee Brian Blackburn said, “We got robbed.” Tom Fielder said the city could take a picture of the float and give themselves an award. Mayor Pro-Tem Jack Loria said it was a shame the ice sculptures melted right away and maybe they should be part of another event in January or February. “An actual winter event in, say, Winter?” Tindall asked;
• Was informed next year’s parade will be on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day, so perhaps a military theme would be in order;
• Heard Fielder report that museum director Katie Dallos broke her ankle the previous Saturday and will come back to work after surgery. The museum will have odd hours because volunteers will be keeping the doors open in her absence; and
• Heard Fire Chief Brian Loranger thank the Sumpter Fire Department for bringing Santa to town in their beautifully decorated fire engine.