The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2004
Page 13
Council says police department needed more than city manager
The failure of a levy for
police services and concern
about how to fund a police
department continued to domi
nate discussion at the Decem
ber 14 Banks City Council
meeting.
Teri Branstitre spoke for the
council when she said that she
wanted the audience to under
stand that this is a very difficult
decision for council. Katie
Murdoch expressed concern
that the city would never be
able to get a police levy
approved if a department is
temporarily supported by the
general fund. Pete Edison said
that the most important thing
that the city can do is to provide
police coverage. Mayor-elect
Mike Lyons said that the city
“can’t afford not to have a
department.”
Banks resident Franklin
Smith said that people in the
city didn’t want to pay any extra
tax and Edison commented
that raising the levy amount
may have been part of the rea
son for the defeat. When the
levy passed five years ago, it
was by only 12 votes. It was
defeated this fall by 20 votes
with an overwhelming voter
turn-out.
Part of the difficulty stems
from the timing of the receipt of
property tax revenues. The city
receives small amounts of rev
enue each month, but the bulk
of the property taxes is not
received until December, so the
city must be able to operate for
six-months before receiving
most of the budgeted revenue.
Mayor Bob Orlowski explained
that, historically, the city had
“borrowed” money internally
from both the Traffic Impact
Fund (TIF) and the Water Fund.
Such internal transfers must be
paid back within the fiscal year
in accordance with state law.
Orlowski said that the city
could not depend on the avail
ability of large balances in
these funds in the future
because TIF funds will be used
for the Sellers Road realign
ment, and future water projects
may deplete the water fund.
Therefore, Orlowski said, the
city must budget a large
enough cash carry-over in the
general fund to cover expenses
until revenue is received.
Orlowski talked about sever
al options that could provide
renewable revenues, including
not hiring a city manager, hiring
a manager with planning skills,
and paying the remaining debt
on the Kelly property. All of the
options discussed had both
advantages and disadvan
tages, but no single option
would produce a large enough
renewable revenue stream to
fund a police chief and an offi
cer. Ryan Birr suggested that
Orlowski and Dennis Conner,
city auditor, develop financial
scenarios for providing a police
department from the general
fund.
Murdoch expressed concern
about the two finalists for the
chief’s position, and the officer
currently in training. Both chief
candidates are aware of the
failure of the levy. Brandstitre
will contact them to determine if
either still has an interest in an
even smaller department. No
decision was made concerning
the current officer.
Washington County Sheriff’s
Deputy Pat Garrett told council
that the sheriff’s office provides
coverage for 9-1-1 emergen
cies. However, he said, the
county is engaged in discus
sions with the City of Gaston to
develop language that will
allow county officers to provide
community policing through a
long-term contractual agree
ment. Council did not make any
decisions about the police
department.
consensus that hiring a city
manager was, as Birr put it, “a
moot point.” Birr said that he
had received four responses
from a letter of inquiry to a list
of potential interim managers
and that he would inform them
of council’s position.
Measure 37
Following a discussion about
potential, or lack of potential
Measure 37 claims, City
Attorney Jim Lucas was asked
to draft appropriate procedures
for accepting and evaluating
any such claims. A method will
need to be in place in order to
cover the City’s costs for staff
time that will be needed for
research on any claims.
Kirk Andrews reported that
the park committee decided to
make repairs to the irrigation
system in Greenville Park.
They are also recommending
adding sprinkler heads and a
temperature/water loss control
system. According to Andrews,
the landscape contractor said
the city would use about 30
percent less water with a con
troller. Andrews said that the
gazebo lighting project is mov
ing ahead, and asked for direc
tion concerning park benches.
Council agreed the benches
could be repaired and evaluat
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Mayor Orlowski told council
he had received “a flood of
calls” thanking the city for abat
ing the nuisance on Wilkes
Street. Removing the garbage
cost about $300. The property
owner was billed and, if unpaid
in thirty days, a lien will be filed
against the property. Asked if
the owner was fined in any way,
Orlowski said that a fine could
have been assessed, but the
city doesn’t have an officer to
issue citations.
Public Works
Lyons expressed concern
about money being transferred
from the road department “for a
building that can’t be complet
ed anyway” during public com
ment time at the beginning of
the meeting. Edison reminded
council of this comment when
the agenda reached Public
Works Director Tim Gross-
nickle’s report on the building’s
progress. Brandstitre said that
council decided during the last
budget cycle to budget for the
construction over two or three
budget cycles and never
intended the building to be
completed within one fiscal
year.
Grossnickle said that money
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from the Street and Road Fund
could be used to cover unantic
ipated expenses associated
with the project. The money
was originally budgeted to sup
plement a grant for improve
ments on Oak Way. However,
the city did not receive the
grant and cannot complete the
work on Oak Way without addi
tional funds from the state, so
funds are available to complete
the initial phase of the building
during the current fiscal year.
Orlowski will have a largely
ceremonial role at council’s first
meeting of the year, January
11, when mayor-elect Lyons
will be sworn in. He thanked
both the current and previous
councils for their support and
confidence.
In other business, council:
Appointed Lisa Macalister
and Deb Hassell to the plan
ning commission.
• Appointed Stephanie Jones
to the Library Commission.
• Approved a revised Park
Maintenance Agreement to be
presented to the Arbor Village
Homeowners Association.
• Postponed appointment of
council members to several
county committees.
• Approved a pay increase
for the water clerk at the end of
her probationary period.
L
Manager hunt ended
Concurrent with the discus
sion about the police depart
ment and budget limitations,
council appeared to reach a
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