City Council discusses budget priorities

Sidney City Councilors met on Wednesday for a special meeting to discuss a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The six-hour meeting was the first of two scheduled budget workshops, and councilors are set to meet again Thursday evening. While the budget has yet to be formalized, the meetings allow city department heads to explain possible expenditures for the next fiscal year and identify expected revenue sources.

On Wednesday, councilors examined proposed budgets for many of the city’s departments.

Golf

Chuck Christensen, director of golf, proposed offering a payment plan for memberships at Hillside Golf Course. Currently, an annual single membership costs $569.46.

Christensen said allowing people to pay for a membership over multiple months – something many nearby golf courses provide – could increase membership numbers.

Councilors supported the concept, and Mayor Mark Nienhueser asked Christensen to identify the specifics of a payment plan and bring it back to the City Council.

Water

Representatives from Diamondback Engineering and Surveying presented a number of possible upgrades to infrastructure to ensure current water demands are met and further development is possible.

Councilors discussed potential funding sources for the improvements that include adding a water tower and water lines.

A tentative timeline for moving forward with the initiatives was approved.

Parks, cemetery and pool

Sidney Park Superintendent Tom Von Seggern presented a proposed budget that included increased staffing for a new municipal swimming the City Council is in the process of finalizing.

Additional entry fees, concession sales and swimming lessons would help offset the costs, he said.

For the cemetery, Von Seggern said he expected equipment purchases to decline and employee costs to rise.

Additionally, he said, in the upcoming year, the city will need to discuss expansion options for the cemetery.

Proposed line item expenses for the parks department included expansions and improvements to city parks.

Sewer and wastewater

treatment facility

Budgets presented for the sewer and wastewater treatment facility included only modest line item expenditures for the upcoming year.

Bill Tayor, sewer department superintendent, asked for a generator and $30,000 for sewer projects. The budget he presented for his department came in slightly less than the current fiscal year.

Wastewater Treatment Facility Superintendent Todd Sukup included $17,500 in his department’s budget for replacement parts for equipment.

Solid waste

Councilor Wendall Gaston asked Solid Waste Superintendent Rob Campbell about $70,000 in budgeted overtime for worker salaries.

Campbell said because of the hours the department operates and weekend trash pick up for businesses, the overtime is required. To reduce that expense, he said, it’d likely require hiring two more employees.

Public Services Director John Hehnke said city staff monitor the overtime hours and make changes when they can to reduce the cost.

Electric

Revenue for the electric department is slated to increase in the upcoming year, and Nienheuser asked Electric Superintendent Mike Palmer if that was because rates or usage are expected to increase.

“A little bit of both,” Palmer responded.

He also requested a new position for an electrician be created to help move along the city’s underground conversion projects. Because so much construction is taking place in the city, he said, it’s difficult to find electricians to complete the work required to connect residences to the underground utility. Having an electrician on staff who is licensed to complete the residential work would save the city money, he explained.

Palmer said he doesn’t want to compete with the private sector, but the department can’t find electricians to complete the work.

Councilors said they would consider the request.