SPECIAL SUNFISH LAKE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
First Calvary Baptist Church – 5495 S Robert Trail
5:00 P.M.
Attendants
Mayor: Dan O’Leary
Councilmembers: Present: Shari Hansen, Steven Bulach, Mike Hovey, Shannon Nelson
City Attorney: Timothy Kuntz
City Clerk: Christy Wilcox
City Treasurer: Ann Lanoue
- Call to Order
- Approve Agenda
Mayor O’Leary asked if there were any additions or corrections to the agenda.
Councilmember Hansen moved to adopt the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Bulach. Motion carried (5-0).
- Discuss the City of Sunfish Lake Proposed 2024 Budget and Tax levy
Treasurer Lanoue presented the documents associated with the budget and tax levy. The city must set a maximum tax levy by the end of September.
Mayor O’Leary asked if there is a spreadsheet that shows the requests for 2024 and Treasurer Lanoue said she has not done that yet. Councilmember Hovey asked if there is a rough estimate of the dollars that the increase will be. Treasurer Lanoue said that at this time it would be roughly a $50,000 increase. Mayor O’Leary suggested going through each line item and preparing a list of all the requests.
- Police Department: The amount requested for 2024 is $108,474. Budget for 2023 was $108,384.
- Planning Department: Amount requested for 2024 is $48,000 which is an increase of $3,000 from 2023. The request maintains the 2023 planning budget but is adjusted for expected billing rate increases for 2024 associated with WSB’s higher level of efficiency and service. The budget number does not include the approximately $39,000 that was approved in July of 2022 for the ordinance and escrow work. The $48,000 would include the different line items/account numbers that have been established related to the Planning budget. The number includes general planning services, pre-application questions and code enforcement/complaints. In July of 2022, the City Council approved a budget request from WSB for work associated with updating the zoning ordinance and work on researching and maintaining project related escrow funds. The budget request at that time was approximately $39,000. The Planner began work on the ordinances as soon as this was approved, but it was clear that the work would be put on hold given other circumstances and projects happening within the city. The work done to date has left the project with a remaining budget of $28,000. To account for expected billing rate increases for 2024, Planning is requesting that the new budget number for the remaining work be adjusted to $30,000. Below is a summary of what has been approved and what is now being requested.
July 2022: $39,000 for escrow ordinance work
As of August 2023: $11,000 of this work has been completed in redlines waiting for review by the Mayor and City Council
As of August 2023: the remaining budget for the project is $28,000 (based on last year’s WSB rates)
New Remaining Budget Request: Based on new WSB rates in 2024, the remaining budget for this project should be adjusted to $30,000. The $30,000 only includes charges relating to WSB costs.
- City Engineer: Based on the Engineer’s memo, the request for 2024 is $49,750. City Engineer miscellaneous items in 2023 was $14,200. The request for miscellaneous items for 2024 is $22,100 which is an increase of $7,900.
- Snow Removal: The request is $45,000 which is an increase of $6,000 for the next three years.
- Discussion regarding designating dollars each year for street improvements and what can be done. Councilmember Hovey mentioned that this was discussed in previous years, and it was the consensus of the residents that they did not want this done. The council will revisit this issue again next year.
- City Clerk Budget: Due to elections being held in 2024, staff is requesting an increase of $2,400.
- Staff was directed to include a 3% increase for City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Forester for 2024.
- Building Official Budget: Mayor O’Leary reviewed the process of how the building inspection program works. The City of West St. Paul will quarterly send SFL a check for 18% of the building permit fees. There should be no other fees associated with building inspections, therefore, no dollars should be budgeted for the building official department.
- City Attorney: 2024 request is $40,000 which is an increase of $5,000.
- Digitization of records: Request of $15,000 for digitization of city records. City Clerk will be working on getting proposals for this service.
- Accounting Software: Include $1,200 for accounting software.
- Publishing-Printing and Advertising: Increase to $5,000 due to the number of ordinances that will be required to be published with changes being made to the Zoning and Code ordinances.
The council concurred to direct the Treasurer to prepare documentation for the 2024 Preliminary Budget for their review and adoption at the September meeting as discussed and summarized.
- Adjournment
Mayor O’Leary asked if there was any further discussion and, hearing no response, adjourned the meeting at 6:59 p.m.
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Christy Wilcox, City Clerk Dan O’Leary, Mayor
We are a small community proud of our heritage and committed to the preservation of our pristine, rural character. We cherish our privacy, yet know we are part of a thriving Dakota County and the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area. With these partnerships in mind, we strive to preserve that unique spirit which is Sunfish Lake, Minnesota.