The Alexander City
Council approved amending the 2017 budget based on financial numbers
available up to the end of November. The amended budget also includes
any purchases approved by the council since the last time the budget
was amended.
The budget
resolution provides for the amended 2017 budget to be in “effect
until February 19, 2018.” This allows the city to have a budget
that can be used during the first month of 2018.
By law, a new budget
must be approved by February 1 each year. Mayor Paul Mitchell said
since the January meeting is always the fourth Monday of the month,
due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday falling on the regular
meeting night, that provides enough time for the end-of-the-year
financial statements to come in and finalize a new budget.
City bookkeeper JoAn
Churchill told council members the main number they need to know is
how much is left in the checking accounts on December 31 so it can be
carried over in the 2018 budget. She also said the new one-cent sales
tax, approved by voters in November, will be included in the new
budget. That tax is expected to be added to local sales beginning
April 1.
During the
announcement portion of the Dec. 18 meeting;
Mayor Paul
Mitchell announced the individual “Tagging” (spray painting)
property along Brookwood Road was arrested by the Alexander Police
Department. According to the Saline County Sheriff’s Department
website Michael Palacios has been charged with five counts of
“Criminal Mischief in the First Degree” greater than $500.00, a
Misdemeanor. He was booked December 16 and released December 18. Bond
was set at $50,000.
Mitchell
reported the gazebo for the park has arrived. As soon as the
weather lifts the concrete pad will be poured and the gazebo will be
assembled.
Beginning
sometime in January, 2018 street lights will be mounted on 36
existing power poles in South Alexander. Mitchell said additional
poles where lights can be mounted will be identified so the process
can continue until the only areas left need poles. The city must bear
the cost where poles or transformers are needed. Mitchell added
lights will also be installed in the city park and along the trail.
The process
of deeding the Human Development Center to Alexander is still
ongoing. Mitchell says he was told additional state agencies are
required to sign-off on giving up the property than originally
expected.
Mitchell
announced the street department has purchased a used street sweeper
through the Federal Government’s used equipment buying program. The
purchase price was $4,000 plus $2,500 to transport it cross-country
to Alexander. He said the sweeper, which was used to clean runways at
an airport, was valued at $200,000 new and only had 8,000 miles.
Mitchell said last year the city rented a street sweeper to remove
numerous pine needles so drivers can see the edge of the streets. He
said not having to rent will pay for the sweeper.
The two
furnaces in the front portion of city hall had to be replaced.
Mitchell said they had a manufacture date of 1978, which would have
been about the time the building was built for the post office. The
heat exchanger had been eaten away in one and the other would
eventually light shooting out flame. The cost for two Trane furnaces
was $4,400, which included building a new connector box for the
bottom of one of the furnaces.
Finally,
Mitchell announced he will be running for mayor in 2018. The position
of mayor is a four-year term while council members have a two-year
term. The positions of treasurer and recorder are also four-year
terms but those elections are held halfway through the mayor’s
term.
Due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday is on the third Monday of
January, the next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is
Monday, January 22. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the
courtroom at the City of Alexander City Hall. The public is invited
to attend.
