City Council

CLARKSVILLE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION MAY 29, 2019, 4:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 106 PUBLIC SQUARE CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE AGENDA CALL TO ORDER A special session of the Clarksville City Council was called to order by Mayor Joe Pitts on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 106 Public Square, Clarksville, Tennessee. A prayer was offered and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councillady Valerie Guzman. ATTENDANCE PRESENT: Richard Garrett (Ward 1; arrived 4:35 p.m.), Vondell Richmond (Ward 2), Ron Erb (Ward 3), Tim Chandler (Ward 4), Valerie Guzman (Ward 5), Wanda Smith (Ward 6), Travis Holleman (Ward 7), Jeff Henley (Ward 9), Stacey Streetman (Ward 10), Jeff Burkhart (Ward 12) ABSENT: David Allen, Mayor Pro Tem (Ward 8) NOTE: Ward 11 - Vacant FY20 BUDGET WORK SESSION GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS Chief Financial Officer Laurie Matta highlighted proposed amendments to the FY19 Budget and noted Clarksville has the fourth lowest property tax rate in Tennessee. She presented an overview of Governmental Funds, Enterprise Funds, and Component Units of the proposed FY20 Budget totaling $523,180,639. She noted the inclusion of fifteen new employees and a 3% employee pay increase in the budget. There would be no increase in the health insurance cost for employees. Ms. Matta shared highlights of each department’s budget as well as revenues and capital projects. DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICITY General Manager Brian Taylor said the Broadband Division was projecting a revenue of $22.7 million. The Electric Division was planning upgrades for some substations along with a new substation proposed for the Fort Campbell area. Councilman Erb complimented the department for their quick reaction to a recent power outage. In response to Councillady Smith’s question, Mr. Taylor said office renovations should be completed by May 2020 at a cost of $8 million. In response to Councilman Garrett’s question, Mr. Taylor said state law allows a utility to provide services to annexed territory and that CDE was in the process of acquiring power lines from CEMC for the Rossview Road area. In response to Councilman Henley’s question, Mr. Taylor said the department was requesting a 3% pay increase for employees. GAS & WATER DEPARTMENT. Interim General Manager Mark Riggins said the department was moving forward with engineering and land acquisition for the north water treatment plant to be completed in 2022 along with two new sewer collection facilities. He said department managers were studying the feasibility of a partnership for construction of a redundant gas feed at the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. Mr. Riggins noted plans to acquire property on Cunningham Lane for a north service center were ongoing. He noted the proposed budget included a request for one new sewer lift station mechanic and two new customer service representatives to work directly with developers. In response to Councillady Smith’s question, Mr. Riggins said the current $15 monthly charge on customers’ monthly bills was part of the ongoing sewer rate and would not be removed from billing or refunded to customers. CLARKSVILLE TRANSIT SYSTEM Paul Nelson said CTS was requesting $246,000 from the City to match grant funds for projects including Transfer Station renovations, three new buses, and a bus storage shed, and $2,160,000 for State and Federal matching grant funds. He said the remaining $4.9 million for operating expenses would come from State and Federal grants and directly generated funds. PARKING COMMISSION Ms. Matta said this funding was related to downtown parking services. In response to Councilman Henley’s question, Ms. Matta said the capital request of $40,000 was for kiosk replacement. She said the Parking Commission will reimburse the General Fund for actual expenses incurred by the Finance Department for management services. INTERNAL SERVICE FUND Ms. Matta said the City’s became self-insured several years ago for the dental plan, five years ago for the health plan, and opened the employee clinic six years ago and said costs have been well managed compared to the private sector. She said all departments contribute to the revenues for the ISF which covers general liability claims, on-the-job-injury claims, workers compensation, and auto liability. CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND Ms. Matta said this fund provides for currently established and new capital projects and said transferring funds or changing the scope of capital projects are at the discretion of the City Council with the Mayor having limited authority to reallocate savings. COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Ms. Matta said funds are accounted for in a special revenue fund along with Federal grants. Director Keith Lampkin said this department manages the City’s Community Development Block Grant, HOME funds, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Shelter Plus Care grants. GENERAL FUND Ms. Matta said funding for the majority of administrative departments and core functions are housed in the General Government Fund. She said revenues sources were not only property taxes, including PILOT payments from CDE and Gas & Water, but also local option sales tax and state-shared revenues which are based on census counts. Ms. Matta noted the importance of all citizens responding to the upcoming census which will generate $1,100 per person. Total projected FY20 revenues were over $98,000,000. PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE: Ms. Matta said department reporting to the Public Safety Committee included Building & Codes, City Court, Fire Rescue, and Police & Dispatch. Each department budget had been reviewed by the Public Safety Committee. There were no questions. PARKS & RECREATION COMMITTEE: Ms. Matta noted the department budget, including budgets for Swan Lake and Mason Rudolph Golf Courses, had been reviewed by the Parks & Recreation Committee. There were no questions. FINANCE COMMITTEE: Ms. Matta noted departments reporting the Finance Committee included Legislative, Finance & Revenue/Parking, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Internal Audit, Mayor’s Office, Internal Audit, Municipal Properties, and Purchasing. All department budgets had been reviewed by the Finance Committee. In response to Councilman Henley’s question, Mayor Pitts said $78,000 was being requested for a leadership development program for department heads. GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS: Ms. Matta said this group included Street Department, Transportation, Crime Stoppers, and Retirement Benefits/Unemployment Insurance. There were no questions. GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS: Ms. Matta said the new budget will set aside funds for specific expenses and give the government the authority to spend the funds. She said there was no crossing of fiscal year funds. The proposed FY20 General Appropriations Budget would be 5% more than the FY19 Budget. Recipients included Regional Planning Commission, Regional Airport Authority, E-911 Communications District, Transit Alliance, Corman Bridge Lighting, Ajax Turner Senior Center, Arts & Heritage Development Council, Clarksville Transit System operations, Housing & Community Development, some special revenue funds and capital projects, and Debt Service. There were no questions.  GENERAL WAGE INCREASE In response to Councilman Henely’s question, Ms. Matta said the Director of Human Resources performs a market study each year to determine what percent pay increase will be recommended for employees. Mayor Pitts said some equity adjustments were being proposed for FY20 to bring some lower-end employees’ pay in line, and noted 98% of the current pay plan was still being followed. FUND BALANCE Ms. Matta explained how the fund balance is computed, citing the current policy of 20% of general fund expenditures, and said the projected FY20 Fund Balance would be $20,626,534. There were no questions. COMPONENT UNITS Mayor Pitts expressed appreciation to the Ajax Turner Senior Center, Arts & Heritage Development Council, and Customs House Museum for their contribution to the City’s qualify of life. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:41 p.m.