With just two days remaining until the start of the new fiscal year, Chillicothe City Council members moved swiftly through a packed agenda Monday night, passing more than 20 ordinances relating to the new year and approving the roster of seasonal employees for the parks department. The city’s new year begins April 1. The main item on the agenda was passage of the annual budget, which was approved with a 4-0 vote following a public hearing. The city’s financial document calls for revenues of $10,732,305 to support expenditures of $10,726,579 and leaves a planned surplus of $5,726.

Before the vote was taken, 4th Ward Councilwoman Pam Jarding expressed concerns about the railroad portion of the budget which included $4,000 to be paid to the street superintendent and $40,000 to buy equipment to maintain a portion of the railroad line near Chillicothe but not currently in use. Despite those concerns, Jarding, along with Councilman-at-Large Darrel Rinehart Jr., 1st Ward Councilman Earle Teegarden Jr. and 2nd Ward Councilman Maurice Zion, approved the budget. Third Ward Councilwoman Donna Preszler was not present at the meeting.

This year’s budget process, unlike many in the recent past which generated little or no public comment, drew much interest from members of the public as well as from many candidates seeking office in next week’s municipal election. The council will see at least two new faces following that election as Teegarden and Jarding are retiring off the council. Two current council members — Rinehart and Preszler — have opposition to their bids for re-election.

City Administrator Dean Brookshier said he was glad to see community interest and that he was pleased with the entire budget process. “This is a good budget,” Brookshier said. “It is a balanced budget and I am very appreciative of the council for their unanimous support of it.” He also expressed appreciation to Auditor Theresa Kelly and her staff as well as the department managers for their time and effort put into the budget.

Aside from the budget discussions, the biggest dollar item addressed at Monday night’s meeting was the awarding of the contract for the Third Street Phase I project, which involves reconstructing the street with a concrete surface between Mitchell Avenue and Brunswick Street. The city received seven bids for the project, ranging from $599,477 to $877,483. The engineer’s estimate for the project was $675,233. M&M Utilities of Chillicothe submitted the low bid. While the company has not worked on a Chillicothe street project before, it has worked on projects in town, according to Ron Urton, of the city’s contracted engineering firm of Shafer, Kline & Warren. He said that the company completed a concrete street project in Carrollton last year and that city officials there recommended their work.

When it came to discussions about improvements to Hedrick Medical Center, the council tabled one project and accepted another. Councilwoman Jarding urged her colleagues to approve spending $33,900 to remodel the registration and triage area of the emergency room; but her vote was defeated 1-3 with the other council members stating their desire to wait until next month after a long-term hospital needs assessment is presented to the council. The assessment, expected around mid-April, will weigh options of building a new hospital or renovating the existing hospital.

The council, however, did approve spending $17,021 to replace the loading dock door based upon security reasons. Sargent's Glass Co. was awarded the bid. Council members also heard annual service reports regarding the YMCA, economic development from Rumery and Associates, Summer Playground Association, Chamber of Commerce, and the Livingston County Humane Society.

The council subsequently approved contracts with those entities as well as with the Small Business Development & Technology Development Center, Main Street Chillicothe, the University of Missouri Extension Center, OATS, Inc., Shafer, Kline & Warren (an engineering contract, and a lease agreement reflecting a $2,000 annual increase), and with Livingston County for tax assessment books. The dollar amount of many contracts approved Monday night were the same as previous contracts; however, amounts were increased for Main Street Chillicothe from last year's budgeted amount of $5,000 (plus an additional $20,000 paid in December) to $38,000, and for the Livingston County Humane Society from $60,000 to $63,000.

The city also approved a contract with Dr. James Suchsland, DO, for medical services. The contract will be in place until the city goes through the formal bidding process. Administrator said that the city was recently notified that its previous contracted physician declined to continue with the services.

Council members briefly discussed a proposal brought to the table at the last regular council meeting that would grant the city administrator additional power in dealing with city personnel issues. Discussions had been tabled with a 3-1 vote at that meeting because the full council was not present. Councilwoman Jarding asked on Monday night that the issue be placed on the city's next agenda.

In other business Monday night, the council approved an ordinance accepting a deed of permanent utility easement from Ray O. Chastain and Alice M. Chastain and a second deed for permanent utility easements from Donald J. Hatfield for the Third Street project. Mayor Chuck Haney presided over Monday night's meeting. The evening began with the council conducting a workshop meeting and concluded with an executive session.

The council's next meeting Monday, April 13, will be the last meeting of the current council. The new council will be sworn into office on Wednesday, April 15. In other business, the council:

• Approved the payment of invoices, $377,599.98, and two payroll statements, $113,483.47 and $111,688.13
• Approved the purchase of two new police cars. Three bids were received and the city chose Chillicothe Ford to provide the city with two 2009 Crown Victoria cars fro a combined price of $48,182
• Approved the hiring of Colin Chang as an EMT/firefighter with the Chillicothe Department of Emergency Services
• Approved the lone bid submitted by O'Dell Towing of Chillicothe
• Approved the termination of employment with Duane Kelchen in the street department
• Approved a contract with Lockridge, Constant & Conrad. LLC, to perform financial and compliance audits for the City of Chillicothe and Chillicothe Municipal Utilities for 2009, 2010, 2011
• Approved an ordinance amending the 2008-09 budget.

City Budget Hearing Nears
Tuesday, March 24, 2009, C-T

Chillicothe city officials conducted their third and final scheduled budget workshop Monday night at City Hall and will likely approve the spending plan when they gather next week for the budget’s official public hearing. At the close of Monday night’s three-and-a-half-hour meeting a majority of the Chillicothe City Council members said they supported the proposed budget. Some stated that they didn’t consider the budget draft a “perfect” spending proposal, but said they could support it. Fourth Ward Councilwoman Pam Jarding said she had concerns with some elements in the proposal.

One of the biggest points of contention which had come out of one of last week’s budget workshops was the proposed elimination of the part-time City Hall office staff as well as cuts to training funds for the clerk and treasurer. Part-time staff members whose positions would have been eliminated were assistants to the clerk, attorney, treasurer and code enforcement officer. Those cuts, however, were put back into the proposed budget — albeit scaled back some — through amendments introduced last night. Those amendments were the results of a special meeting which City Administrator Dean Brookshier had called on Friday. At that meeting, the city administrator along with Mayor Chuck Haney and Finance Chairman Darrel Rinehart met with City Clerk Roze Frampton, Auditor Theresa Kelly and Treasurer Sherry Parks.

Rinehart served as a mediator during the meeting and said that an amicable compromise was reached among all parties involved. The new proposal calls for minimal reductions for training in the clerk’s and treasurer’s office, budgeting 100 fewer hours for the treasurer’s assistant (1,500 hours to 1,400 hours), and reducing the code enforcement officer’s assistant’s time from 25 hours a week to 20 hours a week. “We wanted to make sure that the general public got taken care of,” Rinehart said. “We saw that there was a need for those people.”

The funding to retain the part-time positions and training was taken from the general revenue fund which had been proposed to have a $31,298 ending balance. By adding the part-time staff and training back into the budget, the ending balance is proposed to be $6,026. The initial proposal was announced by Brookshier, who had said he was doing what the council had asked him to do when he proposed those cuts. “I want to commend Dean for trying to make cuts,” 3rd Ward Councilwoman Donna Preszler said Monday night. “He took a lot of heat for what came out of this council.” Brookshier said that the proposed budget amendments put the interest of the city above all else.

The amendments were introduced at the start of Monday night’s budget workshop with the full council in attendance. Throughout the rest of the meeting, the council heard budget proposals for the Department of Emergency Services from Darrel Wright, the Golf Course from Gerry Gabel and Joe Gilliland, the Parks Department from Ron Krammes, the Street Department and Railroad from Hugh Musselman, and City Administrator/Council budgets from Dean Brookshier.

The council chambers were full of candidates seeking elected offices next month, members of the general public and a number of city employees as well as members of various city boards. Audio speakers were turned on in the lobby to accommodate an overflowing crowd.

At the close of the meeting, the council members expressed appreciation to those involved in the budget process. “I feel very good about what we’ve got,” said Councilman-at-Large Rinehart, who also serves as the council’s finance chairman. Haney also acknowledged the work by everyone involved in the budget process and said he was pleased to be able to have a positive budget. He also stated that he was glad that the city would be able to increase retirement benefits for city employees.

The city is now proposing a 2009-10 budget with estimated revenues of $10,732,005 to cover expenditures of $10,725,979, resulting in a balance of $6,026. The official public hearing will be Monday evening at City Hall.

Budget Talks Start
Tuesday, March 17, 2009, C-T

The first of several Chillicothe city budget workshops was met with heated discussions Monday night at City Hall with a proposal to eliminate the positions of three part-time individuals and one seasonal employee at City Hall. City Administrator Dean Brookshier said he believed the work could be absorbed by the current full-time employees and that employment of the part-time individuals could not be justified. The elimination would include the part-time assistants for the city attorney and city clerk (who currently share a part-time worker), the city treasurer, city auditor and the code enforcement officer. According to early budget draft figures, these employees would have had a combined payroll of around $37,000. Those who would be directly affected by the elimination of the part-time positions — Attorney Adam Warren, Clerk Roze Frampton, Auditor Theresa Kelly and Code Enforcement Administrator Gil Gates — strongly advocated for the city to retain those positions.

Monday’s workshop was the first of three scheduled between now and the end of the month when the council is expected to formally adopt the budget before the city begins its new fiscal year April 1. Around 40 people attended Monday night’s meeting. Brookshier defended his staffing recommendations by stating that he was doing what the council had directed him to do when he began his duties as city administrator. “When I was hired, I was told to not be afraid to make tough decisions,” Brookshier said. “I was told to go into all city departments and do not be afraid to make tough recommendations.”

The proposed budget projects revenues of $10,681,107 to support proposed expenditures of $10,649,809 and shows a proposed decrease of 3.3 percent in sales tax revenues reflecting the downturn in the economy. In his formal budget message which he delivered to the council Monday night, Brookshier stated that the proposal was a balanced budget with a slight surplus. He said the state of Missouri is projecting anywhere from a 1 percent increase to a 3.5 percent decrease in state sales tax revenues. The proposal does not call for any cost of living increases for employees due to the economic situation, he said. However, the plan allows for the city’s retirement plan (LAGERS) to be increased to the next level. “The 2009-2010 budget includes continued support for the many community organizations that provide various services for our citizens,” the administrator said in his budget message. Those organizations include YMCA, SPA, University of Missouri Extension and the Livingston County Humane Society.

Many equipment and facility needs are addressed in the budget with most of them being paid from the capital improvements tax and the fire tax. “Included in the capital improvements tax expenditures is the annual payment on the bowling alley which the city council decided was an asset worth saving,” Brookshier said. “Additionally, funds have been included to hire a part-time Livingston County Emergency Management director splitting the cost four ways between the city, Livingston County, the Livingston Health Center and Hedrick Medical Center.”

As part of the workshop, the council reviewed the line-item budget proposal and heard from Police Chief Rick Knouse, Airport Manager Bill Kieffer, City Attorney Adam Warren, Code Enforcement Officer Gil Gates, City Treasurer Sherry Parks, City Auditor Theresa Kelly, and City Clerk Roze Frampton. Knouse, who manages the police department with 17 commissioned officers, said that everybody would like to get a raise, but noted that he was pleased with the proposed increase in retirement benefits.

Warren, who was appointed as a part-time city attorney and who will begin his first term as the elected city attorney next month, told council members that he wished his part-time assistant was full-time. He also expressed his desire to be able to have someone at City Hall available when he — as a part-time attorney — is not present. “There is quite a bit of work that runs through there,” Warren said, adding that his assistant keeps city-related paperwork out of his private office. He also stated that having a part-time person would be beneficial to help ensure continuity of legal matters if someone else becomes city attorney in the future.

Clerk Frampton said that although her part-time assistant works mostly for the city attorney, she said her assistant — who works three days a week — is necessary. Gates also stated that it would be difficult to handle the responsibilities of the code enforcement office without the approximate 25 hours put in by his part-time assistant. “I don’t know how to get it done with only one person,” he said.

Parks said that during the last several years the workload in the city treasurer’s office has increased. She also expressed concerns about being able to operate the various offices at City Hall when the full-time individuals take vacations or are sick. “I am extremely concerned,” Parks told the council. “I am 100 percent certain if any of these positions are cut our customer service is going to go down and people will not be happy.” Parks also stated that having a part-time person would help retain continuity within City Hall if someone unfamiliar to the office was elected. Kelly also expressed the need to retain the current personnel. “We don’t have the manpower to do it on our own,” she said.

Brookshier said the functions of the City Hall business can be completed with less staff. “I think everybody can tighten their belts,” he said. “It’s amazing what you can do when you do lose employees.” Brookshier also questioned Parks about the use of her computer at City Hall for non-city business. He alleged that even after he sent a memo prohibiting the use of city computers for non-city business, Parks continued to do so. Parks said that she puts in more than 40 hours a week on city business, often works through her lunch hours, and works on weekends and holidays during her busy seasons.

Councilman-at-Large Darrel Rinehart Jr. stated that the budget draft is a mere proposal at this time and that it wasn’t certain that the part-time positions would be eliminated. “None of this has been decided,” Rinehart said. “We will certainly take all of this under advisement.” However, it was mentioned that the city administrator had notified some of the elected officials via e-mail stating that the part-time positions could not be justified and that the elected officials should notify the part-time help about his recommendations.

Discussions also involved the administrator’s proposal to cut expenses relating to training for the city clerk and to eliminate training funds for the city treasurer. Brookshier said that the city has paid for elected officials to attend training sessions in the past, but not all attended certain sessions. Some of the elected officials defended their record stating that they attend the sessions which pertain specifically to their jobs. Third Ward Councilwoman Donna Preszler asked whether those seminars could be ordered or whether they were broadcast on the internet.

In closing of the workshop meeting, Brookshier reiterated comments he had made in his budget message regarding the performance of Auditor Kelly and her assistant, Jackie Mammen. “Many hours of work went into this budget,” Brookshier said. “I am grateful to all department heads and elected officials for their input but I am particularly grateful to City Auditor Theresa Kelly and to her assistant, Jackie Mammen, in preparing this document.”

Tonight (Tuesday) the council will hear presentations about Hedrick Medical Center from Brian Johnston and about Chillicothe Municipal Utilities from Jim Gillilan and department managers. The workshop begins at 6:30 p.m. On Monday, March 23, the council will hear presentations about the Department of Emergency Services from Darrell Wright, the golf course from Gerry Gabel and Joe Gilliland, the parks department from Ron Krammes, the street/railroad from Hugh Musselman, the city administrator/council from Dean Brookshier and the miscellaneous funds also from Brookshier.