Finances, water VW City Council topics

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Finances and water were the main topics on the agenda of Van Wert City Council at its first meeting of the year Monday evening.

City Auditor Martha Balyeat gave an update on the city’s budget situation for 2012, noting that the city General Fund ended the year with $115,000 more than at the end of 2011. Most of the increase came from higher income tax revenues, Balyeat noted, although she noted that real estate taxes were down for the year, as was state funding, including the Local Government Fund revenues.

The auditor noted that the city spent $337,000 more than it took in during 2012, but added that the figure is because the city used its $500,000 reserves as upfront money to pay for infrastructure work at the Jobs Ready Site north of the city. Without that expenditure, the city would have been nearly $170,000 in the black, Balyeat added. That money will be repaid as state funding reimbursement is received on the project.

Still stung by a remark by Finance Committee Chair Joi Mergy about her view that there was a “sense of complacency” on the part of city officials in cutting costs, Mayor Don Farmer read a rebuttal to the statement that included a list of cost-cutting initiatives implemented by the city.

Those included:

• Paying a portion of city salaries from funds other than the General Fund, as approved by the state.
• A freeze on hiring and promotions, particularly in the fire and police departments.
• 12-hour Police Department shifts to save on overtime.
• Soft billing for EMS and fire runs that accounted for $214,000 in revenues in 2012.

• Health insurance contributions by city employees for the first time.
• Negotiating for the best health insurance premiums and coverage.
• Reducing the parks department staff from four full-time employees to two, with one of those also shared by the street department in the off-season.
• Elimination of the human resources position, which saved the city $70,000.
• Elimination of a position in the engineering department (savings of $30,000) and replacement of the city engineer’s position with an engineering department supervisor ($20,000 savings).
• Reducing the fire department to 16 people, including the chief.
• Elimination of a full-time secretary and full-time janitor’s position (approximately $60,000 savings).
• Using up to two-thirds of the safety income tax fund for fire and police salaries during the economic downturn.
• Increased permit fees and charges.

“These are just a few that have resulted in cost savings for the budget without going into the efforts by each department and administrations to conserve on a daily basis,” the mayor read. “Since the statement was reported from that meeting again, I felt obligated to let the public know of our concerns for the budget and the services we can provide to our community are, and always will be, of top priority.”

Mayor Farmer noted that there were no plans to reduce staff at this time, adding “we’re making the right moves” in keeping city expenses below revenues.

For her part, Mergy said the statement was not an “attack” on the city administration, adding that “I “just want everyone to work together.”

Also Monday, Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming talked about some turbidity problems experienced when water employees switched from the south reservoir to the north reservoir while pumping new water into the south reservoir. Fleming said turbidity problems had been seen earlier at the north reservoir and speculated that there could be an “organic” reason for the cloudiness in the water, although he said the use of phosphates in the reservoir could also have spawned algae growth in the reservoir.

Fleming said the water was safe to drink, adding that city residents did not have to boil water.

City resident Joe Jared also spoke to City Council about his concerns about fluoridation of city water, noting that he feels city officials should research the issue. Jared, who recently became a father for the first time, said he feels fluoridation could affect children’s brains and intelligence.

Currently, the city “enhances” the natural fluoridation of city water, which already has a fluoride level of 0.3 or 0.4 percent, increasing that level to 1.0 percent. He also noted, though, that new EPA recommendations are to have fluoride levels at 0.7 percent.

Also during Monday’s meeting, City Council read for the second time a resolution that would place a 1.2-mill, 25-year levy on the May ballot to fund a city aquatic center.