Minutes 05/07/1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 7, 1986 b. Golf fees at Portsmouth Sleepy Hole Golf Course are being recommended to be modified. { will submit a detailed schedule at your May 14, 1986 meeting; however, I am recom- mending a new fee schedule to more properly enable the residents of the City of Por.tsmoutb%q be recognized for their efforts in supporting this fine facility. c. A change in the City Code to require payment of all personal property taxes by an applicant for a City decal is being recommended. Presently, for a decal to be pur- chased for a vehicle, the outstanding taxes on that specific vehicle must first be paid. The recommended change would require all personal property taxes owed by the taxpayer to be paid prior to his or her being allowed to purchase any decal. Fees for swimming at City pools are being recommended to be increased for those thirteen or older from 65 cents per day to 75 cents per day and annual membership for those thirteen or older be changed from the current $6.80 to $7.50. Water rates, as I recommended in my budget message, will, if adopted by the City Council, increase from $1.25 to $.30 per 1000 gallons. Also included is an increase in the.sewage disposal fee for collection and pumpage of sewage from the point of origin to the treatment facilities, from the present $.48 to $.5S per 1000 gallons of water consumes. In addition, I am recommending for the purposes of cost recover that the water "on-off" charges be increased from $7.50 to $10.00. Strong waste charges levied against certain industries and businesses were~implemente last year in a three year phased program to reach parity with HRSD. Towards this end I am recommending this year that the charges for 100 pounds of suspended solids be increased from $6.10 to $8.92 and that the charge for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOP) be increased from $5.75 to $8.68 per 100 pounds. gJ Parking rates, as I mentioned in my budget message, has become a key problem in our Central Business District. I am recommending that a rate increase of $Sb~er month for space be initiated at most locations. A proposed fee schedule will/attached for your consideration at your May 13, 1986 meeting. I will also recommend at that time a resolution modifying the contractual arrangment with the Parking Authority concern- ing the payment of interest on certain debt. In addition, I will propose changes in the parking meter ordinance which, if favorable adopted by Council will update the code. The Classification and Pay Plan which establishes the pay ranges and classifications of all employees, as well as establishing the procedures for administering the plan, will be updated to reflect the Operating Budget and its modifications. Items a. through h. above only require one reading by the City Council in order to be enacted. Therefore, I am placing these on the Agenda for your May 13, 1986 meeting, where flnal consideration of the whole budget package is to be made. The appropriations ordinance; re-enactment of the Real Estate, Personal Property~ and Machine and Tool Tax rates; the change to th~-.Restaurant Food Tax as well as the reduction in the Business, Professional, and Occupa- tional License tax, do require two readings and should be acted upon by the Council at the May 7th and May 13th meetings. I am available to the members of the Council to answer any questions you may have on the budget or those related items. Further, I recommend the adoption of the four ordinances on first reading." The following letter was submitted by the Municipal Finance Commission: "At a. meeting held on'April 25, 1986 the Municipal Finance Commission reviewed the City Manager's Proposed Operating Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1987. ~fter receiving the City Ma~ger's presentation and following a considerable period of discussion, the Municip Finance CommissiQn~ ¥oted unanimously to recommend to the City Council the adoption of the Manager's recommended budget. The Commission considers this~ansmittal letter as an appropriate vehicle to further express their views on the financial condition of the City as a whole and as it will be effect by the upcoming budget. While the City is today financially sound and enjoys almost a 5% reserve as recommended by this Commission, the proposed budgei is not truly balanced. It con- tains $3.1 million of the General Fund Balance in order to meet current anticipated expendi- tures. This gap between revenues and expenditures, while temporarily closed through the use of the fund balance, needs to be fully understood by all. It represents a use of the City's "savings." By using our savings on operating expenditures Which recur every year we are in essence living above our means. To continue this policy even for two to three years could lead the City into a most serious financial position. Closing this gap will require the use of future gr~wth~ therefore, i~ would be most illogical and not financially prudent to enter- tain the idea of lowering the current tax rate below its present level. The Municipal Finance Commission, as always, stands ready to assist the City Council to the full extent of our ability and would like to assure the Council that we are available to serve in this capacity should you require additional input from the Commission on the operating budget." Eunice E. McMillan, 5513 New Colony Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, represening PBA, spoke concerning the school budget, and asked that the budget be given additional funds to upgrade the salaries. ,d