Budget and Finance Committee

City of Sidney, MT Budget and Finance Committee Meeting 6-5-25 June 05, 2025 5:30 PM 115 2nd Street SE |Sidney, MT 59270 The City Council meetings are open to the public attending in person, with masks encouraged when social distancing cannot be accomplished. If the public does not wish to participate in person, they are also invited to participate via a Zoom meeting. You can participate via phone: Meeting ID: 713 080 5898 Passcode: 4332809 Call: 1-346-248-7799 1. New Business a. FY25-26 Parks CIP Budget-Svarre Park Court $50,000 Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated at the August 12th, 2024 Budget and Finance Committee agreed to transfer $50,000 to Park Facilities CIP with stipulation that before transferring it is brought back with total in grants received. PWD Hintz stated Parks Superintendent Ridl has received $120,000 in grant funding and the total project cost is $228,000. He stated the project will likely be expanded to include two pickleball courts, but they are pursing funding through the County for that expansion and it is not included in this cost estimate. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated in order to have the equipment shipped, we need $170,000 funded, which we will have with this FY transfers. She stated the remaining cost of $58,000 Parks Superintendent Ridl is still working on getting funding for, but she does not like the thought of ordering equipment without the backup funding for installing, so she is also recommending the Budget and Finance Committee allocate $58,000 out of FY25-26 budget in a transfer from the Oil and Gas Fund to the Parks Facility CIP to cover this possible cost. In discussion the committee discussed the pickleball court expansion and the additional estimated cost of at least $40,000 for the concrete for the two courts and the unknown costs of surfacing the concrete, nets etc. The Committee also discussed that this expansion of the project should not move forward unless funding is received for it. Motion was made to recommend approving the budgeted $50,000 transfer in FY24-25 and to budget an additional $58,000 transfer from Oil and Gas to the Parks Facility CIP in FY25-26. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Koffler. Voting Yea: Christensen, Koffler, DiFonzo b. FY25-26 Payroll Budget and Finance Committee Meeting 6-5-25 June 05, 2025 Page 1 of 3  Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the Budget and Finance Committee with several options to start the discussion of the FY25-26 payroll. This options included variations of covering the 12.2% health insurance increase and a 2.9% increase to wages per the Price Index and MACO COLAs. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated she is recommending the City Council approve moving to the City covering a flat percentage, including possible increases or decreases to premiums in the future. She stated she is recommending this because it will be easier for budgeting, as how much of an increase the City will cover will not be a part of the discussion, the rates will slowly adjust for employees over the years instead of large adjustments being made should the City not be able to afford covering all of a large increase and it keeps it more equitable for employees no matter their coverage. Alderman DiFonzo stated he agrees that the City covering a flat percentage is the best option and it mitigates the chances of the City not being able to afford to cover increases. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated she is recommending an 85-15% split, which is the City and the employees splitting the current 12.2% increase. She stated the City can afford to cover this increase due to the fact that she discovered the City was budgeting to cover the entire premium previously. She stated she also looked at the employee net incomes, with and without the 2.9% increase, and with the increase there is only a few employees who would have a negative increase in their net income, which can be adjusted also. Motion was made to recommend the City of Sidney cover a flat 85% of the health insurance premium starting in FY25-26. In discussion Alderwoman Christensen stated she agrees with the 85-15% split and Mayor Norby stated he feels it is best. PWD Hintz stated as an employee he agrees and that we have had it very good with no premium increases on very good insurance and even with this increase it is less than most pay. he stated when he worked for Interstate they covered 50% and he was left paying over $1,500 a month in insurance. Mayor Norby stated should he get insured elsewhere he would be paying over $1,000. Alderman Koffler stated there will be employees who are not happy with the increase and Alderman DiFonzo stated they will review the sheet provided on employee net pay. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Koffler. Voting Yea: Christensen, Koffler, DiFonzo Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the FY25-26 payroll which included a 2.9% increase on wages. She stated there are some public works employees who are budgeted to get higher than the 2.9% which include Tiesen and Jurgens who are being increased to the superintendent pay for their promotions in the water and sewer departments. PWD Hintz stated he is also requesting an additional increase to Haverkamp for the same reason and also for Quilling and Ridl who are deserving due to the additional work they do. He stated Moore was also budgeted and additional increase for possibly moving to the sewer department and becoming certified. Mayor Norby stated he was approached by Chief Kraft about increasing PWD HIntz and Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin's wages to match his, as they are all department heads. he stated these increases are included in the spreadsheet. Alderman DiFonzo stated to increase to his wage would be large increase for one fiscal year and the committee reviewed spreading the increase over several fiscals. The Committee agreed and reviewed the possible scenarios to accomplish this. Budget and Finance Committee Meeting 6-5-25 June 05, 2025 Page 2 of 3  Motion was made to recommend giving PWD Hintz and Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin double the increase, 2.9 to 5.8% this fiscal year and evaluating again next fiscal year. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Koffler. Voting Yea: Christensen, Koffler, DiFonzo Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the 2.9% increase and the health increase is approximately only $150,000 spread over all of the funds, the larges chunk being in the general fund. She stated she has confidence that the enterprise funds and the general fund can cover this increase. Motion was made to recommend up to a 2.9% increase in FY25-26 wages and the additional pay for the employees designated. Motion made by Koffler, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Christensen, Koffler, DiFonzo The Budget and Finance Committee also reviewed the 3 employees whose net wages would go negative and agreed to give them the additional increases needed to cover, Dunn $.03/hour, Lynde $.01/hour and Schroeder $.09/hour and motion was made to recommend doing so. Motion made by Koffler, Seconded by DiFonzo. Voting Yea: Christensen, Koffler, DiFonzo Adjourned 6:30pm Budget and Finance Committee Meeting 6-5-25 June 05, 2025 Page 3 of 3