Town Council Regular Meeting

Page 1 of 4 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES May 7, 2025 The St. James Town Council met in Regular Session at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in the Earl Dye Council Chamber. Council Members Present: Mayor Jean Toner, Mayor Pro Tem David DeLong, Councilors Jim Board, Dennis Barclay, and Lynn Dutney Staff Present: Town Manager Jeff Repp, Finance Director Pauline Haran, and Town Clerk Jamie Burns Others Present: State Port Pilot Reporter Eliot Duke and 12 residents. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Toner opened the meeting at 4:01 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE All in attendance joined Mayor Toner in honoring our flag. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Toner asked if there were any changes or corrections to the agenda. There were none. Mayor Toner asked for a motion to approve the Agenda as presented. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong moved to approve the agenda. Councilor Board seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Vote: 5/0 APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Toner asked if there were any corrections to the minutes included in the consent agenda. There were none. Councilor Board made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which consists of the minutes from the February 24, 2025 Special Meeting, the minutes from the March 20, 2025 Work Session, and the minutes from the April 2, 2025 Regular Meeting. The motion passed unanimously. Vote: 5/0 PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Toner called for a motion to move into a public hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget. Councilor Board made a motion at 4:02pm to enter into the Public Hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2026 Proposed Budget. The motion passed unanimously. Vote: 5/0 Town Manager Repp introduced the public hearing for the upcoming budget to take effect on July 1st. He then turned it over to Finance Director Pauline Haran to present the FY 2026 budget that has previously been discussed at numerous work sessions between now and February.  Page 2 of 4 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES May 7, 2025 Ms. Haran presented key points of the proposed budget: ● No proposed tax increase, with property tax remaining at 6 cents ● Conservative approach to budgeting with realistic projections ● Full funding for St. James Fire Department operations and capital needs ● New investments in upgrading town facilities and expanding community events ● Continued building of reserves for disaster recovery Ms. Haran provided a detailed breakdown of projected revenues and expenditures for FY 2026: • Proposed budget includes a balanced budget with $5,936,000 in revenues, which includes $320,000 in grant income and $5,936,000 in expenses • No new tax or fee increases proposed. • Ad valorem taxes projected to increase about 2% • Local option sales taxes remain unchanged • 61% of the budget goes toward basic operations of running the town • 9% of the budget is going towards new projects (Town Campus facilities, Community Relations, and Personnel) totaling $522,000 • Personnel and benefits at 14% of budget Ms. Haran discussed various departmental budgets, personnel metrics, and new projects included in the proposed budget. She also explained the town's commitments to disaster recovery funding and long-term capital needs for the fire department. Council and Staff thanked Mrs. Haran for her presentation. After the presentation, Mayor Toner opened the floor for public comments. Eric Holmes of 2741 Park Ridge Drive asked about the location of three electric lights mentioned in the budget and whether they were stoplights. Mr. Repp clarified that they were mobile message trailers, not stoplights. Mr. Holmes also suggested that recurring events like fireworks and the Veterans’ breakfast should be part of the annual budget rather than listed as new projects. Mayor Toner asked if there were any comments or questions from Council. There were none. With no further public comments, Mayor Toner called for a motion to close the public hearing. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong made a motion to close the Public Hearing at 4:25pm. The motion passed unanimously. Vote: 5/0 Mayor Toner noted that the Council would take action on the budget at the June meeting. MAYOR/COUNCIL/STAFF REPORTS - None  Page 3 of 4 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES May 7, 2025 OLD BUSINESS – None. NEW BUSINESS 25-07 Proclaiming May 2025 as for Operation at Ease Month in the Town of St. James Mayor Toner read the proclamation declaring May 2025 as Operation at Ease Month in the Town of St. James. She highlighted the organization’s 16-year history of providing recognition and gratitude to active duty military personnel and their families. The Mayor then presented the proclamation to Eric Holmes. Mr. Holmes spoke briefly about Operation at Ease, emphasizing its importance in helping military families restore relationships and cope with the stress of deployments. He thanked the town for its support of this and other military-related initiatives. 25-08 Proclaiming May 18-24, 2025 Emergency Medical Services Week in the Town of St. James. Mayor Pro Tem DeLong read the Proclamation for Emergency Medical Services Week, recognizing the vital public service provided by EMS teams and the importance of quality emergency care. 25-09 Proclaiming May 4-10, 2025 Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week Councilor Dutney read the Proclamation for Professional Municipal Clerks Week, acknowledging the essential role of municipal clerks in local government.. 25-10 Proclaiming May 17-23, 2025 National Safe Boating Week Councilor Board read the Proclamation for National Safe Boating Week, emphasizing the importance of boating safety practices and encouraging all boaters to wear life jackets Mayor Toner thanked the town staff for their work on the new "Town of St. James News and Notes" newsletter. She explained that the monthly newsletter was created to keep residents informed about town council actions and other important information. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Toner asked if there was any public comment. There was no public comment on any other subjects. ADJOURNMENT At 4:39pm Mayor Pro Tem DeLong made a motion to adjourn the meeting. All were in favor. Vote: 5/0  Page 4 of 4 TOWN OF ST. JAMES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES May 7, 2025 Mayor Toner adjourned the meeting. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, _________________________ ______________________ Jamie Burns, Town Clerk Jean R. Toner, Mayor