Sidney City Council meets to discuss budget

The Sidney City Council met on Tuesday for a workshop to discuss the upcoming fiscal year’s budget.

The discussion had originally been scheduled for the council’s regular meeting last week, but was tabled until Tuesday to allow the council more time to talk over the budget.

While approval of the final budget is expected to take place at a meeting next month, the council reviewed city departments’ expected revenues and expenses.

The park’s department has a budget of $1.1 million, which is $1 million dollars less than the current fiscal year.

Sidney City Manager Gary Person said that’s because the additional funds last year were intended for park improvements that weren’t undertaken because of the cost increases for the new municipal swimming pool.

A line item had also been included for a new building for storage of equipment.

Councilor Joe Arteburn asked how badly the new structure is needed.

“We could go another year,” Park Superintendent Tom Von Seggern said.

Mayor Mark Nienhueser said it’s the council’s desire to postpone construction on the building, and the item was removed from the budget.

The council also discussed the purchase of a new pumper truck for the fire department. The $500,000 purchase will replace the current truck that is 26 years old.

Sidney Fire Department Chief Keith Stone said the pumper responds to multiple calls a month and is an important resource.

Nienhueser said it would be difficult to deny the purchase because the department’s volunteers help ensure the safety of the city’s residents.

Councilor Wendall Gaston added the department is economical and the volunteers are dedicated.

A proposed item in the special project’s budget to extend the walking trail along 11th Avenue was removed. The expansion would have connected the trail from its current terminus to Legion Park and would’ve cost $275,000.

Councilors said there had been numerous recent expansions to the trail system and further work could wait.

“Let’s let the grass grow around what we’ve built,” Gaston said.

Budgets for the solid waste, electric, water and sewer and wastewater departments were balanced.

After discussing the budget for two and a half hours, the council entered an executive session to hear a report from an attorney who has been hired to provide input on a personnel matter.

Under Nebraska statutes, discussions in executive sessions are privileged. This closed session was the fourth in the past month. Councilors emerged nearly three hours later and took no further action.

“At this point, we have nothing to report in regards to any action,” Nienhueser said. The meeting was then adjourned at 10:14 p.m.