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Home My Public Portal About05-20-1997 Continued Session I . . 139 MINUTES HILLSBOROUGH TOWN BOARD May 20, 1997 7:00 PM, Town Barn The Hillsborough Town Board met in continued session on May 20, 1997 at 7:00 PM in the Town Barn for the purpose of reviewing the FY' 97-98 proposed budgets for the Police Department, Fire Department, Governing Body, Administration, Planning, Ruffin-Roulhac, Tourism, and Special Appropriations. Present for the Board Meeting were Mayor Horace Johnson, Commissioners Richard Simpson, Catherine Martin, Evelyn Lloyd and Kenneth Chavious. Absent from the meeting was Commissioner Remus Smith. Staff present were Town Manager Eric Swanson, Town Clerk Donna Armbrister, Finance Director Sherry Carter, Interim Police Chief Nathaniel Eubanks, Detective Ross Frederick, and Planning Director Margaret Hauth. Mayor Horace Johnson reconvened the meeting at 7:06 PM. Mayor Johnson informed the Board that he had received a call from VerIa Insko, NC House of Representatives, informing him that the legislative bill which would allow an Orange Rural Fireman to perform fire inspections for the Town has been passed by the NC House of Representatives. The bill is awaiting full passage in the Senate. Mayor Johnson announced that the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund of the State of North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, has awarded the Town of Hillsborough a grant in the amount of$31,500.00 for the Occoneechee Mountain Park project, This project is one of29 to receive funding during this funding cycle. The Town of Hills borough must make a dollar-for-dollar commitment of local revenues to match the state funds received under this program. Mayor Johnson recommended that the Fire Department Budget which was scheduled to be discussed at this meeting be postponed until the May 27th Budget Work Session in order that Mr. Chandler Cates be able to attend the meeting. By consensus, the Board agreed and placed the Fire Department Budget on the agenda for the May 2Jh Budget Work Session and replaced it on this agenda with General Fund Revenues and Water/Sewer Fund Revenues. Mayor Johnson also added to the agenda a Closed Session to discuss real property acquisition. Upon a motion by Commissioner Lloyd, seconded by Commissioner Chavious, the Board moved to accept from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund of the State of North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, a 1 I . . 140 grant in the amount of$31,500.00 and project agreement for the Occoneechee Mountain Park project and agreed to make a dollar-far-dollar commitment oflocal revenues to match these state funds by a vote of 4-0. The motion was declared passed. POLICE DEPARTMENT Town Manager Eric Swanson presented the Police Department's FY '97-98 proposed budget for the Board's consideration. The proposed budget recommends the addition of one (1) additional Police Officer which would replace an existing officer to be promoted to an investigator. Interim Police Chief Nathaniel Eubanks fielded questions from the Board on the Police Department's Five Year Capital Outlay Plan. Commissioner Chavious suggested the addition of an employee to man the Police Department Office at night so there were would always be someone available at the Police Department for citizens. Manager Swanson told the Board that he would provide them with information on salary, benefits, and classification recommendation for their consideration. Interim Police Chief Eubanks suggested that the position be one that could accommodate manning the Police Department, answering phones, data entry, and filing. Commissioner Chavious suggested the need for the Police Department to have a generator in case of future natural disasters. Interim Chief Eubanks stated that a generator had originally been requested in the budget, Manager Swanson explained that the generator had been cut from the Manager's recommended proposed budget in order to keep the budget within the financial guidelines the Board had established at their annual goal setting retreat. After some discussion, by consensus the Board instructed Finance Director Sherry Carter to obtain funding information on purchasing a generator by the use of installment financing. GOVERNING BODY AND ADMINISTRA nON Town Manager Eric Swanson presented the Governing Body and Administration budget requests for the Board's consideration. Manager Swanson explained that both the Governing Body and Administration's proposed budgets were less than approved last year. Part of the decrease in Administration is due to the savings incurred due to having all of the Town's insurance policies with the League of Municipalities. The Ruffin-Roulhac line has been moved and set up as its own Department in both the General and Water/Sewer Funds. Manager Swanson stated that the reserve for merits was reinstated and there were no capital improvements budgeted, 2 , . . 141 PLANNING DEPARTMENT Planning Director Margaret Hauth presented the Planning Department's budget requests for the Board's consideration. The proposed budget included software and data files to establish a Geographic Information System. Planning Director Hauth stated that the Ruffin-Roulhac budget basically remains the same but moved from Administration to its own budget. The proposed budget includes the replacement of the HV AC system in the Town Barn and encumbers funds to paint the exterior of all the buildings in the Town Hall complex except the main Town Hall building which was painted last year. TOURISM Town Manager Eric Swanson presented the Tourism budget for the Boards consideration. Swanson explained to the Board that the Tourism budget's Capital Improvement line is the 40% fund from the prepared food and beverage tax and is also the line item where the Tourism Board Grants are awarded from. All monies received from that tax are awarded in grant funds making that line a total wash. SPECIAL APPROPRIA nONS Manager Swanson presented the Special Appropriations' budget for the Boards consideration. Commissioner Chavious requested that the designated Gold Park funds in the current budget be encumbered as reserve funds (seed money) for studies of future parks. By consensus, the Board directed staff to carry over the Gold Park funds into a newly named line for community parks. CommissioJler Simpson expressed his concern with the Town funding Orange County Communities in Schools. After some discussion, the Board unanimously agreed to cut the contribution funding for Orange County Communities in Schools. GENERAL FUND REVENUES Manager Swanson presented the General Fund Revenues budget for the Boards consideration. He explained that the largest difference in this budget is due to the Census. W A TERlSEWER FUND REVENUES Manager Swanson presented the Water/Sewer Fund Revenues budget for the Boards consideration. Swanson explained that the largest difference is this budget is due to the last water/sewer rate increase to fund the reservoir project. 3 , . . 142 CLOSED SESSION Upon a motion by Commissioner Lloyd, seconded by Commissioner Chavious, the Board moved to go into Closed Session to discuss property acquisition by a vote of 4-0. The motion was declared passed. After returning to Open Session, and upon a motion by Commissioner Lloyd, seconded by Commissioner Chavious, the Board moved to approve the purchase of5.646 acres for the Reservoir Project from Wilbur T. Oakley, Jr. and wife Shelby A. Oakley; Iula F. Wallace and wife Sara D. Wallace; Faye O. Kirby; and Robert A. Carter and wife Shela O. Carter for the amount of $15,632 by a vote of 4-0. The motion was declared passed, ADJOURN Upon a motion by Commissioner Lloyd, seconded by Commissioner Chavious, the Board moved to continue the meeting to May 27, 1997 at 7:00 PM in the Police Department Training Room by a vote of 4-0. The motion was declared passed. ~~ Respedfully submitted, Donna F. Armbrister, Town Clerk 4