Lind Town Council approves 2017 budget, fee changes

The Lind Town Council approved the town’s 2017 budget and wages during their council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 27, in the absence of Mayor Jamie Schmunk.

Clerk-Deputy Kim Michaels presented the pay request from Stantec, which had been approved during their meeting on Dec. 13.

The Council approved the request for up to $700 due to the fact they had not received the physical statement yet.

Council members Paula Bell and Kathy White had opposed the motion. The payment totaled $649, said Michaels.

Michaels then presented Ordinance No. 1603 pertaining to the 2017 proposed budget, which had been revised since their last meeting on Dec. 13.

She advised the Council the Mayor’s wages had been increased $150 a month as approved in the previous meeting. The liquor excise tax also increased from $1,000 to $1,200, she added.

There have also been some increases in utility rates for 2017. The water rate has been increased by 1.87 percent and the sewer rate has been increased by 1.74 percent.

Due to an increase in insurance rates, the town allocated a $2,500 increase for the expense. The Clerk-Treasurer wages increased from $20,000 to $35,000 because the position has been divided into two separate positions.

An additional $7,500.38 had been allocated for the town’s vehicle reserve fund for the possible purchase of a new backhoe.

The Council motioned to approve the 2017 budget.

Michaels then presented Resolution 6012 regarding salaries. Full time employees of over a year received a four percent wage increase.

The Council also approved the Clerk-Treasurer position be advertised for $14 an hour at their last meeting which had been allocated for in the resolution.

They discussed adding the verbiage declaring which positions were full time and which were part time in the resolution’s line items. The Council also discussed the possibility of changing the Clerk-Deputy position down to five hours instead of the current five and a half.

They then motioned to approve the resolution with the noted changes.

Michaels stated the increase in utility rates, wage adjustments and the liquor excise tax prove to be the biggest changes in the town’s 2017 budget.

The budget includes the town’s Current Expense fund to total $278,780 and the street fund to be $61,550.

The Water Works Fund has $933,173, an increase of $2,000 from 2016. The town has allocated $213,515 for the Sewer Fund and $70,658 for the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Fund.

The Garbage Fund has increased to $100,455, a $100 difference from 2016.

Bell presented the council with the request for a motion regarding placing the storm water rate fee under a separate line item from the water charges.

After contacting multiple cities including Spokane and Moses Lake about where they place their storm water fee in the budget, she said all of them had a separate line item for the fee.

Due to the fact the town currently has the fee included with the water charges, the annual increase in water rates are applied to the storm water fee as well, she explained.

The rest of the members decided they did not feel comfortable making a motion without additional research on the topic.

Councilmember Tom Strohmaier said he agreed the change would make sense, but he suggested Bell provide them with her findings within the week to be discussed at the next meeting.

The motion failed due to the lack of a second and the Council agreed to table the discussion for their next meeting.

The Council then requested an update on the town’s inventory listings for 2016. Michaels said she would present the list at the next meeting.

Councilmember Craig Cooper announced his resignation from his position due to a necessary relocation for a job promotion. The Council expressed their gratitude for having Cooper on the Council.

White said the position will be posted on the town bulletin board and will require interested individuals to write a letter to the Council explaining their qualifications for the position and then attend the next meeting.