It would probably make more sense to go back to the Council Meeting of the 18th, since so much of the rest plays off of that Keystone Kop operation?
Mr. Elem after the presentation was going on with Mr. Leach/ Mr. Rapp, asked when done, we still do not have a verifiable value and need an appraisal?
Mr. Leach: when all items are done, DEP reviews and issues a Certificate of Completion, than it will be a developable site. We will supposedly be advised of what we can put on the lower site and possibly on the upper site? As Mr. Leach said, we probably cannot put a Child Day Care center on the lower site or maybe he meant the upper one as an Industrial one?
Mr. Rapp than commented on once tested, as acres were in County and now in City. Would have to meet City Ordinances/ Rules. Investment will pan out. Now the picture is of a Glass Façade Building apparently on the corner of River Road and 28th? It seemed to be about 5 or 6 stories high? I am going to have to agree that "eventually" it will pan out. Depending on what goes in there and we are back too what kind of businesses go in there, we will in a period of no less than 5 years and probably more like 25 get back in Taxes what was expended? But, may I ask what can go in there on an Industrial/ Manufacturing site that would qualify easily for the new EPA standards on the table? Would seem to be more and more restrictive unless some additional "capping" goes on? Some sort of retail/ Business Park concept would NOT seem to be able to just drop down on that site as is? Watch the bouncing ball folks, it can ricochet.
Than the questions on how much was carried forward from 30 June 2017? I thought Ms. Roberts said $1.8 Million. At the Town Hall Mr. Conley said it was quite a bit less than that. Yet in reviewing my notes for the carryover from 2016-2017 Ms. Roberts did say the
$ !,800,000. was carried over to Capital Reserve. Remember, the carryover comes in two (2) steps. The first year whatever is left in the Budget goes into the next years unencumbered fund to be used as the City sees fit. This should have been the 2015-2016 money to unencumbered funds for 2016-2017. Than on 1 July 2017 for the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year, this money that was left in the unencumbered fund would go into the Capital Reserve, which is what she appeared to be saying to Mr. Conley?
Than Mr. Mathers spoke for sometime on the Tree and Beautification Committee and its new requested Budget. City now seems to be in the area of $90,000., to $100,000 depending on the available Grants from the State? It has escalated considerably from just a couple of years back when it was decided that Vienna need to be a "Tree City".
Some other minor points by Ms. Roberts on a slew of minor accounts set up more to hide what is going on that what is needed for presentation. All of this line by line information would be great if available to the common Resident?
One item of interest was the NGO presentation by the Humane Society on the "Animal Warden" costs for the coming year. Now because Vienna HAD an Animal Warden, it was allowed to charge us $3.00 per dog (and maybe cat?) to cover that cost. We NO longer have an Animal Warden as it is now contracted back to the Humane Society. This is only a few thousand dollars per year, but seems NO longer a valid charge against pet owners? Will that get dropped is this another charge because years ago it was implemented? Betcha my last $1.00- 2.98 it just keeps rolling along?
And than the Recycling Program came up. This per Ms. Roberts is nothing more than a "pass through". City makes no money from it, Revenues match Expenses.
Well, some years back before the current contract was allowed to expire, the City charged as is now the case $2.50/ month per water/ sewer Customer. At first, the Contract called for $2.25/ month and the City kept the other $.25 for buying new recycle bins. Than the last Contract was for $2.45. The City than kept just the $.05 for new bins. Now for the past couple of years, no Contract, so don't know who is getting what? There will be a new Contract comes the new Fiscal Year. Will be you a $1.00- 2.98 that the new cost will be $.25- $.50 MORE per month than now. Problem is and has been that the City pays 100% of the Recycling Fee to the Contractor for what seems 30- 40% of the Service?
City collects recycle fee based on water/ sewer customers NOT on pickups per week. This is over $100,000/ Year to the Contractor for about $30,000- $40,000 in service pickups? Tell me there is no margin for hanky panky in this deal?
Than Mr. Thornton says that 30- 40 TONs of recycle are being picked up per week. I do not believe that for a second. The Contractor used to have a clause requiring tonnage reports to the City periodically. When I did a FOIA on this, the City said I had to go to the Company. Once I advised it was in the City Contract, lo and behold out of the sky dropped some reports. None of them seemed to be anywhere close the above amounts at that time?
Thought I would get this done today, but still the best is yet to come. 'nuff said'.