Belgrade City Council

CITY OF BELGRADE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL CHAMBERS September 5, 2023 7: 00 PM This meeting was open to the public and attended in person.. Mayor Russell C. Nelson called the meeting to order. Council Members in attendance were Jason Guffey, Mike Meis, Jim Simon, Kristine Menicucci, Jim Doyle, and Renae Mattimoe. City staff in attendance were City Manager Neil Cardwell, City Attorney Rick Ramler, City Clerk Camille Gregory, Executive Assistant Dana Jambor, Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk, Director of Information Technology Ryan Curtis, Fire Chief Greg Tryon, Municipal Court Judge Chris Gregory, City Engineer Tom Eastwood, Director of Community Development Jason Karp, Director of Public Works Steve Klotz, and Library Director Gale Bacon. Others in attendance were Vivian Crouse, Robert Schumacher, Jane Schumacher, April Kries, Geno Kries, and Judy Doyle. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There being none, the public forum was closed. CONSENT AGENDA Consider Approval of Council Minutes from 7- 17- 23, 7- 24- 23, 8- 7- 23, and Approval of the old Parks Board' s Minutes from 7- 11- 23. ACTION: Council Member Simon moved to approve the Consent Agenda as submitted. Council Member Mattimoe seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. PUBLIC HEARING Discuss and Consider Approval of the Fiscal Year 2024 Final Budget. Executive Finance Director VanKirk presented highlights of the Final Budget for FY24 via PowerPoint. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. Council Member Guffey made it known that each member of the City Council had met with VanKirk to review the budget before this meeting. Page 1 of 5 ACTION: Council Member Guffey moved to approve Resolution 2023- 23 to approve and adopt the Final Budget for Fiscal Year 2023- 2024 and set the mill levy pursuant to compliance with MCA§ 7- 6- 4030. Council Member Meis seconded the motion. There was a roll call vote: Motion carried 6- 0. Council members voting " aye": Meis, Simon, Menicucci, Mattimoe, Meis, Guffey, Doyle Council Members voting " no": None DISCUSSION AGENDA Discuss and Consider Approval of Resolution 2023- 26 to Amend the Final FY2023 Budget. Executive Finance Director VanKirk explained the Amendment was included in the budget. She included both the original and the amended budget in the budget book that she provided to Council. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to approve Resolution 2023- 26 to amend the final budget for FY2022- 2023 to increase spending authority pursuant to compliance with MCA§ 7- 6- 4030. Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Resolution 2023- 25 to Budget Additional Property Tax Revenue for FY2024. Executive Finance Director VanKirk explained that this Resolution was meant to address additional revenue the City would be taking in. She explained the City would collect$ 183, 000 in additional revenue from the general mill levy. That number included roughly$ 47,00 from inflation and$ 135, 000 from new value. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Mattimoe moved to approve Resolution 2023- 26 to amend the final budget for FY2022- 2023 to increase spending authority pursuant to compliance with MCA §7- 6- 4030. Council Member Guffey seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Resolution 2023- 21 to Set Annual Municipal Court Salaries. City Manager VanKirk explained that this resolution authorizes the City Manager to set the Municipal Court' s salaries based on the current pay scales. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. Page 2 of 5  ACTION: Council Member Simon moved to adopt Resolution 2023- 21 allowing the City Manager to set the salary for.the Municipal Court Judge and Municipal Court Clerk for the FY24 budget. Council Member Meis seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Resolution 2023- 24 Adopting the FY2024 Permissive Medical Levy. Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk explained that this is the only mill levy that increased. It increased from 7. 93 mills ($ 180, 075) to 15. 57 mills ($ 568, 047) City Manager Cardwell explained that the increase in the mills is due to the City having more full- time employees ( FTEs) and the increase in insurance premiums. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Meis moved to approve Resolution 2023- 24 to adopt Fiscal Year 2023-2024 additional mills levied for employer group health insurance. Council Member Mattimoe seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Purchase of 115 N. Kennedy Street City Manager Cardwell explained that this Item is similar to others previously heard. The City had negotiated a Buy/ Sell Agreement with the owners of 115 N. Kenedy Street. The purchase amount would be $ 668, 660. That money would come from the remainder of the CDBG funds and the building fund. Cardwell noted that this would be the last City purchase of property on North Kennedy for the time being. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary agreements and contracts for the purchase of 115 N. Kennedy Street. Council Member Simon seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Resolution 2023- 22 to Cancel Uncontested Elections for all Council Wards City Manager Neil Cardwell explained that the Election Office had notified the City that there were no additional candidates for the open City Council seats this election cycle. The write- in period had ended, meaning no other candidates could file and the open seats were uncontested. With those seats uncontested, he said the City could pass a resolution notifying the Elections Office to close those races and allow the current Council Members to assume the new terms. Page 3 of 5  Cardwell further noted that the Mayoral and Municipal Judge races are contested, so they will remain on the ballot. Cardwell also mentioned that the City and Central Valley Fire Department will split the cost of the return postage for the mail- in ballots. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to approve Resolution 2023- 22 Canceling the November 7t6, 2023, Uncontested Elections for Belgrade City Council Wards 1, 2, 3 ( Full Term), and Ward 3 ( Unexpired Term). Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. REPORTS Mayor Nelson had nothing to report. City Attorney Ramler had nothing to report. City Manager Cardwell thanked VanKirk and the Finance Department for all of their efforts in preparing the budget. He then called on Chief Tryon to introduce new Central Valley Fire Chief Lonnie Rash. Cardwell noted Rash will take over as Fire Chief once Tryon transitions to Assistant City Manager. Fire Chief Lonnie Rash is returning home from the Spokane County Fire District 8, where he was Fire Chief. Rash said he is very grateful to come home. He also said he is thankful for the opportunity to continue the positive relationship that Central Valley and the City have already established. FOR YOUR INFORMATION Council Member Guffey had nothing to report. Council Member Meis attended the lunch put on by HRDC, along with Council Member Menicucci. The lunch celebrated 17 years of the Streamline bus service, 50 years of the Galavan service, and the formation of the Transportation District. Council Member Simon attended the 8- 22- 23 Fire Board special meeting, where they approved their budget. He noted that Trustee Sheehy resigned during that meeting. The trustees accepted his resignation, and Darren Wilkins was approved by the trustees as Sheehy' s replacement. Wilkins had to be approved by the County Commission as well. Further, Simon noted the Fire Board approved the Interlocal Agreement between them and the City of Belgrade. Council Member Simon also asked if the City could use the TIF District funding to match the grant that the City was given for the Madison Sidewalk Project. Cardwell said he had not received an answer on that issue but would look into it. Page 4 of 5  Council Member Menicucci noted she will meet with the Water Quality Board regarding their five- year plan. Council Member Doyle had nothing to report. Council Member Mattimoe had nothing to report. Mayor Nelson thanked the City for their efforts to take care of the weeds on Jackrabbit and in Yellowstone Plaza. ADJOURN Council Member Simon moved to adjourn the meeting at 7: 41 pm. 2 1/ Russell C. Nelson, Mayor Attest: CamilfGregory City lerk Xa Fig Page 5 of 5