One of the biggest surprises to me was the "coming out of the closet" by the Author of United We Stand and several if not all of her "secret group" and that is really a good thing. Ms. Brenda Powell has said before that she does not like to put anything into writing and I guess that pertains to putting her name on it? She most certainly voices opinions as is her right. Their "Time to drain the swamp" signs seemed somewhat familiar but is still reasonably true here in our local version.
Mr. Conley noted he was not against the VUB Sewer/ Water Increase, just that it did not have to be so large. Had attempted to control and reduce spending, but was not successful.
It was noted in several postings over the past months, that the VUB while saying no rate increases since 2003 had actually had in one degree or another as many as three starting in 2011. It was also documented where the VUB "knowing" in 2013 it had Sewer bond payments beginning in June 2015 had the chance to save those payments for two years. It had instead spent those dollars and in the same situation bond payments on the new Water Towers in 2015. The monies that should have been set aside and the increases in Water/ Sewer Bills was noted to be right on $600,000. Dollars. Had those monies been put in the appropriate accounts, we should not have had to face the new Water/ Sewer costs.
It appeared that many did not understand the 12 1/2% reserve fund needed for Bond payments or to be used for "emergency" needs in a given Fiscal Year. Those funds used for emergency needs had to be repaid by the end of that year. The 12 1/2% was determined based on the Budget of a Utility for a given Fiscal Year and could go up or down?
Mr. Conley noted that at the end of December 2017, the total shortfall for the two Enterprise Funds was <$189,341.> Dollars. Again, the above referenced $600,000+ would have covered those needs and still shows no need for the increases.
It was noted how the City Budget just kept expanding since the 1% Sales Tax had started. The Current expected Revenue is $9,085,000. Dollars. And the City has continued to spend into every available dollar with no thought of reducing unnecessary wants from actual needs. The United We Stand Group was very vocal on several issues and some answers were provided. But not all and some were probably not really pertinent as much as people get some guff off their chests.
Questions how much put into Johns Manville were estimated by Mr. Conley at $2 Million. But we need to understand that because of the difficulty in getting data from the City it could be and probably is several hundred thousands of dollars low? It is like pulling teeth from a Chicken to get numbers on the cost of using City Employees/ Equipment on the site over the past two years.
What is expected Return on Investment was noted to be another tough question as we have absolutely no idea what has been and still needs to be put into the site(s)? Mr. Rapp has stated that the upper 19 acres could sell easily for $100,000 acre ($1,900,000.). Of course the Park side cannot be valued per say as it is just that a potential park. In the far distant future someone may be able to "guestimate" that visitors to the Park spent some guestimate of dollars in the local shops/ stores? But it will be just that, a guestimate?
To try and give some notice to many of the speakers, I will note them as S). This is because I do not know them and few gave a name when they spoke. There were some good comments and some good questions from them. As an example:
S) Why did they put in the Solar Meters? What is the actual value from doing it? Is the Water somehow better?
S) The Council needs to be reminded who they work for? Not just be puppets to the Mayor.
S) Discrepancies in Water Bills. Single, but charged for 150 more Gallons per day more than my also single Neighbor at times? Was gone for two weeks, when came back my bill was $15. Dollars more than before?
S) In the past five years do we have more employees and how many? Mr. Conley could not answer and I offered 63 in 2013, now 81.
S) How is money for Johns Manville being accounted for? Mr. Rogers noted this year is in the Council Section of expenses. In prior years he does not know?
A very interesting fact fell out by accident when Mr. Conley was talking about the carryover from one year to another. He said the amount carried forward as of the April Audit was $1,500,000 dollars. But after charging off $310,000 dollars to Johns Manville, it was only $1,192,000 for the prior year. Now here is where the giveaway occurred. Where was this money noted on a line by line basis in that years budget? At one time they had a separate line for the 1% Sales Tax Receipts and than moved to where ever they wanted to use it? Have they since put it in a account that is not readily noticeable to a member of the Community that might ask about it? Try and get copies of the actual line by line budget as is being discussed in the Council Budget Meetings OR what is actually approved in late March? Or even through out the Fiscal Year.
Mr. Rogers squared off sometimes with Mr. Bennett and Mr. Weigel over the bridges that have been built such as the new one on 28th by the City ($1,000,000 dollars) and the ones they have built on several streets in the past years. Huge differences in cost were disclosed.
Mr. Weigel noted that his father had sat for 8 years at Johns Manville using a bull dozer to push contaminated materials into the ravine (40 to 50" deep), and than dirt on top of them. I know Mr. Rapp has stated the Ravine never existed. Someone would seem to be lying? But, I have talked to a guy who worked there for many years and drove the truck at night to dump those materials. Too many people have worked there or their fathers, uncles, brothers worked there to all be liars? Again, we have come back to the misinformation, misdirection, deceit and deception that is the Mantra of our City Administration. More tomorrow on this. 'nuff said'.