Perry Council hears from department heads on $$$ requests
Perry City Council members heard from the city’s police chief on why the two
positions that are requested for next year’s budget should be funded.
The proposed budget recommends that the police department
receive an upgrade for a computer workstation, a replacement computer system
and several pieces of equipment. But, the two positions that are requested are
not recommended in the budget.
Chief Steve Lynn told the council Monday that the training
sergeant would be needed to staff the training center because a firearms
instructor must be at the facility when in use and can help in several areas of
the department.
Currently, the city has two firearms instructors and they
are taken “away from their primary duties” when they have to be at the training
center, according to documents from Lynn.
The investigator position would focus on combating drugs.
Lynn stated that the current investigators focus on drug enforcement when they
can, which “isn’t the way to be effective.”
After he explained the need for the two positions, he
offered an alternative of hiring a part-time person to work on the
infrastructure support.
Mike Beecham, the director of community development,
presented the budget requests for the public works department. The proposed
budget, “recommends (an) increase in director’s pay level based on the
assumption of managerial duties for public works function.” The pay increase
would be $4,500.
The proposed budget calls for a four percent increase in the
base charge for water and sewer. It also calls for an adjustment in the base charge
for gas from $4 to $5 per month and an adjustment to the consumption rate from
.3065 to .3706 per unit.
Beecham told the council that the contract with ESG includes
a proposed increase of 2.9 percent.
In the solid waste portion of the public works department, a
position in the yard/bulk collection is recommended to be closed out. Beecham
told council members that the position was “needed when people are out,” citing
vacation and sick leave.
Brenda King, the director of the administration department,
told council she was “completely satisfied” with the proposed budget for her
department, which includes the addition of a full-time person for purchasing
and record retention.
After hearing from the departments, council members decided
that they would need an additional meeting to discuss the budget. They decided
to meet on June 10 at 5 p.m. at city hall. This meeting is in addition to the
meetings on June 3 and the official budget hearing on June 4, both are at city
hall at 5 p.m. The council is expected to vote on the budget June 18.
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