Perry City Manager presents FY2021 budget

In the first work session of Perry Mayor and Council since March 2, City Manager Lee Gilmour presented the recommended budget for the 2021 fiscal year. One of the factors impacting the budget, according to Gilmour, is the uncertain impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on revenue streams. Gilmour informed that the impact has already been witnessed on revenue aspects such as the building permit tax, hotel-motel tax, and court fines. Gilmour shared the effects of the virus will stabilize in the 2021 fiscal year, and adjustments will be made if the necessity arises.

Under the proposed budget, Gilmour explained that it is not recommended that there be any new positions within the city, nor any capitol, with the exception of a knuckle boom truck for the sanitation department. The budget also does not recommend cost of living or merit raises for city employees. Gilmour said the hope and intention would be that this is one of the first items reinstated, if the funds exist. Gilmour also explained there would be no part-time positions recommended under the general fund, though the positions do exist under the fire protection fund, which has its own income source, and can pay for those positions. Gilmour later noted that Police Chief Steve Lynn is also examining a formula that will allow for the police department to keep their part-time positions by removing some of the department’s projected costs and help pay for those positions. Also relative to the police department, Gilmour pointed out that under the recommendation, animal control would be moved from the police to the department of public works. Gilmour said that it is his reasoning that everyone in the department should be focused on that department’s primary function—which in the polices department’s case, is law enforcement and not code enforcement.

Under the general fund, Gilmour explained that there is not a recommended millage rate increase, though other fees and charges are recommended to be raised by 2%, which has been the historical practice for what Gilmour believed was 10 or so years. Gilmour said that the reasoning for this increase was to avoid a substantial raise in fees at one time by invoking smaller increases over time.

Gilmour noted there would also be a rate increase under the fire protection fund—which pays for city wide fire protection—noting that in 2019, there were 23 residential fire calls and nine nonresidential. Because of the increase in fire cost, Gilmour said it is recommended the fee be raised 5%. Gilmour later explained it would be cheaper for residents to pay the 5% increase than to increase the millage rate, and in doing so the rate would be the same for all residents, rather than based on the value of a person’s home as it would be with a millage rate increase.

Under the large sewage system revenue fund, it was also recommended that there be a 5% increase on water consumption and sewer services fees, citing increases in overall operation costs, and the new water plant to be operational behind Tucker Park. Under the recommendation relative to the gas system revenue fund exists a 1.75% fee increase for users of natural gas. Gilmour shared the reasoning for this increase as an anticipated debt service increase caused by an upgrade for a gas main coming into the city of Perry. Gilmour said there would also be a 3% fee increase under the solid waste system revenue fund to cover the city’s anticipated operating cost, which Gilmour said is not as large as it had been believed to possibly be. Gilmour gave the example to this increase as a toter going from $22.20 monthly, to $24 monthly.

“On all these funds, any time there is a fee increase recommended, it is to pay for some particular purpose. It is not general across the board, except for the fees and charges in the general fund. Those fees and charges in the general fund are all paid by users for a particular purpose. They are not paid by all the customers of all the residents in the city,” Gilmour explained.

In other business, Gilmour asked council’s position on a yoga class set to resume at the Perry Arts Center. Gilmour explained that the fire department had inspected the room that the class was previously held in and said if council was agreeable to the notion, the class would adhere to the population limit of six students, sanitation and business requirements, and the rule that there were not to be classes held when there was another function happening on the premises—Gilmour used the example of Municipal Court. He also proposed that the tenant would need to resume rent payments for the space, and that the conditions be extended to other renters who have a previously signed lease agreement for the premises to resume use. Gilmour added that practices would be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that guidelines set forth would be observed. Council unanimously concurred with this request.

Also brought to the attention of council, was a special events application submitted by Perry High School Cross Country. The application, presented to council by special events coordinator Anya Turpin, detailed a request to hold a “5K Fiveraiser” at Pine Needle Park (formerly Cherokee Pines Country Club) to be held August 15.

Turpin shared the application projected 500 participants as well as 1,000 spectators, a DJ for music and announcements, six porta potties and two handwashing stations. According to Turpin, the application requested that the course be mowed (which Turpin said was done the previous year by the department of public works), permission to park on the grass at the park, the ability to charge for parking, trash receptacles, and first responders at the city’s discretion.

Councilwoman Joy Peterson voiced concern for that number of people in what she said was a relatively small area, as well as a park that had been designated passive being used for that type of function, noting noise levels in regard to people in the neighborhood.

Turpin explained that the event does have a history of being held in that location, and that the application requested a small area for parking by the golf club (where a fence now exists and would need to be addressed) and that there was a backup plan to have people park at the school, and have a shuttle run to and from the park every 15 minutes.

Councilman Robert Jones said that he was not comfortable approving the request in light of the COVID-19 situation, with Mayor Randall Walker noting that he did not know if gatherings of that size would be allowed at that point in time.

Gilmour informed that residents of the neighborhood were told the property would be a passive park, and that these types of functions were not allowed on the property. He said this type of use goes against what is allowed in a passive park. Gilmour also noted that changes have been made to the park since it was last used, like the installation of a fence and other improvements. Gilmour voiced concerns about parking charges, which he said he interpreted as a fundraiser. According to Gilmour, there are charges for fundraisers, and there is not currently a charge established for the park. Gilmour recommended that council decline to concur with the application.

Walker further explained that the previous owner had allowed the site for this use free of charge, and the event has significantly changed from what was approved in the past.

Mayor Pro Tempore Willie King called for guidelines to be established for the kinds of uses appropriate for the different types of parks, with Councilwoman Phyllis Bynum-Grace echoing in agreeance.

Council unanimously declined to concur with the application.

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