"Fun with Numbers/Commission Meeting Review"

At the Tuesday morning meeting the Commissioners approved "paying the bills" that had accrued over the last 2 weeks. Total? $904,008.36. They further approved additional spending in material and labor for site work for the new theater in the amount of $168,000. So add-up 2 weeks worth of bills and add to it the obligation to the theater and you get $1,072,008.36.
Here's the interesting part though, compare the 1+ Million spent for 2 weeks bills and the future obligations to what our City Manager presented to the Commissioners for a 2006 Capital Outlay Budget for the entire year ahead, which totals $1,666,905.00

PROPOSED 2006 CAPITAL OUTLAY PROGRAM

(Totals as presented by City Manager Richard Nienstedt, * indicates my opinion/comments.)

CODES: $70,000*

(* includes $5,000 to build, $50,000 to tear-down.)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT: $65,000*

(*incluces repairs to city hall and buying new equipment, what happened to buying a new City Hall? And what happened to budgeting in that IT person for the Website and troubleshooting computers? The city currently spends $12,000 per year for a public safety software contract agreement, which incidently has nothing to do with the City Website.)

STREETS: $315,000*

(*doesn't include brick streets that's under Special Streets, does include buying some trucks and a lift for repairs.)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: $49,000*

(* $33,750 of this goes directly to BEDCO, better known as the Fort Scott Businessmen that own the Industrial Park.)

AIRPORT: $45,000

PARKS: $14,500

(*all for a new tractor)

POOL: $30,000*

(*all for repairs, this occurs yearly. Perhaps time to budget in a new pool?)

BUCK RUN COMMUNITY CENTER: $15,000

MEMORIAL THEATRE: $15,000

ANIMAL SHELTER: $5,000

POLICE: $31,826

LEGISLATIVE: $20,000*

(*this is sort of Commissioner's "Silly Money", to be spent at their discretion.)

SPECIAL POLICE & FIRE FUND: $144,616

SPECIAL STREETS: $286,799*

(*only $20,000 of this specified for curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and ADA Compliance $20,000)

SPECIAL PARKS: $35,951*

(*a new all terrain vehicle and "projects")

TOTAL PROPOSED: $675,326

WATER UTILITIES PROJECTED OUTLAY

WATER PRODUCTION: $52,000

WATER DISTRIBUTION: $211,500

LAKE FORT SCOTT: $25,000*

(maybe folks will get those ADA docks that have been promised for years!! Notice though that this is more than proposed for all curbs, gutters and sidewalks here in the entire city.)

WATER ADMINISTRATION: $55,000

WASTE WATER: $613,079

RECOMMENDED ADD'L PERSONNEL: $35,000*

(*two for the price of ONE? This is total proposed salary for for a Public Works Secretary and a Codes Helper. With the Public Works department working on the Mann Pocket Park, the site-work for the Ward/Kraft hanger at the Airport, the site-work for the new theater, the latest request from the Commissioners to remove the concrete from Burke street and maintaining all the parks, lakes, streets, signs, curbs and gutters etc., etc., I would think additional personnel would be in order so that our fine public works men and women aren't stretched so thin. I am sure a secretary would be nice but I bet they would like to have some additional laborers too.)

TOTAL UTILITY FUND: $991,579

GRAND TOTAL PROPOSED CAPITAL OUTLAY & UTILITIES : $1,666,905

The other thing that I found really interesting is that Mr. Nienstedt stated something to the effect of... "these numbers don't just come out of a hat!") That is interesting. I wonder just how much input was contributed by the various department heads in the form of requests. Anyway, according to the Finance Director he will have values and totals for up to the previous 5 years if the Commission wants them. It's nice to know they won't have to pay for the information through an open records request, that might be because the City Manager has "deemed it appropriate" for the Commission to view financial records. That is a good thing.