Belgrade City Council

CITY OF BELGRADE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL CHAMBERS November 6, 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 Assistant City Manager( ACM) Greg Tryon, City Attorney Rick Ramler, City Clerk Camille Gregory, Executive Assistant Dana Jambor, Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk, Municipal Court Judge Chris Gregory, Chief of Police Dustin Lensing, Director of Information Technology Ryan Curtis, City Engineer Tom Eastwood, Fire Chief Lonnie Rash, Director of Public Works Camaree Uljua, and Library Director Gale Bacon. Others in attendance were Vivian Crouse 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 Minute Draft( S): 10- 16- 23. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to approve the consent agenda items as submitted. Council Member Mattimoe seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. DISCUSSION AGENDA Discuss and Consider ARPA Water & Sewer Competitive Grant- Lagoon Rehabilitation Project Funding Letter of Commitment. City Engineer Eastwood stated that before the preparation and issuance of the American Rescue Plan Act( ARPA) Contract Agreement by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, a series of items must be completed. One of the required items is the award recipient' s firm commitment to funding sources. Eastwood stated that the Funding Letter of Commitment being brought before the Council would address this requirement. The Funding Letter would document the commitment of all non- ARPA funding sources listed in the project budget for the Lagoon Rehabilitation Project. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. Page 1 of 5  ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Funding Letter of Commitment with the support of the Belgrade City Council associated with the American Rescue Plan Act Water and Sewer Competitive Grant for the Work Order Number 22- 04 - Lagoon Rehabilitation Project. Council Member Simon seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Audit Services. Executive Director of Finance VanKirk stated she is searching for a new auditor for the City, after learning that the City' s old auditor did not have the time/ resources to handle the City of Belgrade this year. She noted finding an available and qualified auditor in Montana is challenging, especially with late notice. Many state- approved firms are at capacity and unable to take on new clients, while others are retiring or shutting down their practices. VanKirk noted that most firms she contacted were interested in working with Belgrade, but they were unable to do so within the timeframe necessary. VanKirk also noted that the short supply of available firms, combined with the increase in Belgrade' s size, meant that the cost of the annual audit process would be substantially more this year than it was in the past. VanKirk advised that she had found an auditing firm ( Denning, Downey& Associates CPA) that was willing to take Belgrade on as a client. They had agreed they could meet a deadline of December 3 Pt for this year' s audit. VanKirk stated this deadline is important because meeting it helps the City maintain its credit rating and it completes the federal audit by year' s end. VanKirk stated the proposed auditing Denning, Downey & Associates was for contract with three years. The contract would include completion of the Fiscal Year 2022 ( aka FY2022) audit by the end of this calendar year. It would also include timely audits for FY2023 and FY2024. The audit cost for FY2022 would be $ 225, 000, with an additional $ 12, 500 for the Belgrade Library Foundation as a component unit. The cost of audits for FY2023 and 2024 would be $ 100, 000 annually, with an additional $ 12, 500 for the library component unit. VanKirk noted that Denning, Downey& Associates did offer cheaper audit options for FY2022, but it would involve later filing dates. If the audit were filed on January 315t, the cost 28th, would drop to $ 150, 000. If the audit were filed by February it would cost$ 125, 000. If the 31St, audit were finished on March it would cost $ 100, 000. These amounts would also require an additional $ 12, 500 for the component unit. However, City staff recommended the December 31st option because it would save the City money in the long run by lowering interest rates on new debt and lower interest rates if the City needed to refinance old debt. VanKirk advised that Denning, Downey & Associates is a Montana company based out of Kalispell. They work with 140 different cities in Montana and primarily do city work. VanKirk stated a budget amendment would be presented at the next Council Meeting to reflect the unbudgeted portion of the annual audit. She noted a large portion of the audit is due to Page 2 of 5 the significant amount of federal funding used on the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Wastewater Fund will cover 50% of the audit cost, and all other operating funds will be charged a percentage that is based on major fund determination. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Meis moved to authorize the City Manager to enter into a three- year contract with Denning, Downey & Associates for auditing services. Council Member Mattimoe seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Contract for Non- Audit Advisory Services. Executive Director of Finance VanKirk stated that this contract allows Denning, Downey & Associates to act in a non- audit advisory capacity for the City's Finance Department. With this contract, the firm will prepare and/ or assist with preparing the state- required Annual Financial Report ( AFR). They will also assist in training City staff to prepare the report in the future. These services will also be used to train staff and assist in the continued development of new processes and procedures that will help to ensure that future reports and audits are simple and clean. If approved, the funding for this contract will be included in the budget amendment with the audit contract at the next Council Meeting. It will be a one-time fee of$ 50,000. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Mattimoe moved to authorize the City Manager to enter into a three- year contract with Denning, Downey, & Associates for non- auditing advisory services. Council Member Simon seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. REPORTS Mayor Nelson notified Deputy Mayor Meis that he may not attend the December 4th meeting. He asked if Meis would run that meeting. Meis agreed. City Attorney Ramler had nothing to report. Assistant City Manager Tryon reminded everyone that City Hall will be open until 8 pm on Election Day, November 7th, 2023, for ballot drop- off. He then asked Chief of Police Lensing to speak. Chief Lensing advised that the Belgrade Police Department has returned to its upstairs area in City Hall after renovations. Page 3 of 5  Chief Lensing also offered that the Belgrade Police Department has been invited to participate with the Western Montana Regional Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team. He said the State Department of Justice is overwhelmed with these types of cases, and they aren' t able to assist smaller jurisdictions with major felony investigations around the state. So, the DOJ decided to create a western regional investigation team. Belgrade will be the only member that was not a Big Seven" law enforcement agency. Chief Lensing also stated that the Police Department is working to fill their final detective vacancy. That will give Belgrade four full- time investigators. One of those positions will be assigned to the Missouri River Drug Task Force as a narcotics detective. He added that the position also opens the Belgrade Police Department up to receive additional funding from a federal grant. FOR YOUR INFORMATION Council Member Guffey had nothing to report. Council Member Meis mentioned that next Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the PCC will have their last meeting of the year. He also noted that he had participated in the UTD meeting on October 16th. Finally, Meis mentioned that the Belgrade Community Coalition( BCC) will start putting up Christmas lights at the Senior Center on Sunday, November 12, 2023. After that, they will focus on downtown lights on November 19, 2023. Council Member Simon asked if the City had seen any movement from MDT on the Jackrabbit Lane widening. Mayor Nelson commented that City Manager Cardwell had contacted Senators Danes and Tester and explained the situation to see if they could help. Council Member Menicucci said that the Water Quality Board was happy with the proposition City Manager Cardwell and Menicucci came up with and thanked the Council. Council Member Doyle had nothing to report. Council Member Mattimoe advised that she had attended the League of Women Voters' Candidates Forum on October 24th. She said she was very happy with the turnout. She thanked the Belgrade Library for hosting, recording, and posting the event on their website. Mattimoe also noted she attended the Parks Board meeting and touched on what they went over in that meeting. Mayor Nelson asked ACM Tryon if he had any update on the $ 20, 000, 000 the State is supposed to dispense to cities in Montana. Tryon explained that only $ 127, 000 was reserved for Belgrade. He noted the amount was based upon the population in Belgrade and the road miles that aren' t designated as state funds or urban areas. Tryon asked the Director of Public Works, Uljua, to speak on their plans for the money. Public Works Director Uljua stated they have made up a list of projects which the money in question could be spent on. She noted that list will be provided to the Council. Page 4 of 5 ADJOURN Council Member Simon moved to adjourn the meeting at 7: 30 p.m. 1, Attest: i , 1///e147-71. Russell C. Nelson, Mayor 467, ilte' Camgn',Gre Ci o etg___ Cl Page 5 of 5