The Crookston Ways and Means Committee met on Monday night inside the City Hall Council Chambers. All six agenda items were related to the city’s 2022 budget as the committee has started to review department budgets in preparation for the 2022 calendar year. All department heads were available to answer any questions the committee had and explain any department needs.
The six budgets the committee reviewed and discussed were the Airport Budget, Library Budget, Park & Recreation Budget, Public Works Budget, Finance/Clerk Budget, and City Hall Budget. Five of the Six Departments have five-year Capital Improvement plans, with the Finance/Clerk Budget being the one that does not.
AIRPORT BUDGET
The biggest discussion regarding the airport budget was its five-year improvement plan. City Administrator Amy Finch discussed the plan more in-depth and some goals the city has. “Some of the things we see on this improvement plan are smaller details,” said Finch. “Runway improvements and updating the zoning ordinance for the airport. The total cost of that project would be $50,000 with the city covering $15,000.”
Other items within the budget that were reviewed were housekeeping, such as fees and utility costs. The proposed Airport Budget funding for its five-year plan is currently set at $1,575,000.00
LIBRARY BUDGET
The next budget the committee reviewed was the Library Budget. The plan proposed before the committee would increase the library budget to take care of landscaping and improve the building, such as improving windows, roof replacement, and labor on electrical issues. Library Director Chris Boike was available to answer any questions the committee had and discussed how the roof on the building is leaking and needs a long-term solution rather than a quick fix.
Like the Airport Budget, the Library Budget has a five-year capital improvement plan, and Finch once again discussed the City’s goals and top priorities that are a part of the plan for the upcoming year(s). “In my professional opinion, we have two sets of windows that need something done,” said Finch. “They are leaking, and not just drips; we have water raining into the building to the point we’ve had to cover up the computers and books with plastic. Those are some of our biggest investments in that building, and with it being a city building, we need to do a better job of taking care of that.”
There is also some water staining from this, and the board discussed possible solutions to fix the problem with the windows in the most efficient manner. They’ll have some more time to discuss their options before submitting the preliminary budget for 2022.
The estimated funding needed for the library’s five-year capital improvement plan is $190,263.00.
PARK & REC BUDGET
Next on the list was the Park and Recreation budget which had many items to sort through. The budget is outlined through organized recreation expenses, swimming pool expenses, highland park complex expenses, skating rink expenses, downtown square expenses, and many more, as the Park and Recreation budget is one of the city’s biggest budgets.
Finch talked about the key takeaways from the meeting and things the committee considered. “One of the biggest things we talked about in this budget was equipment,” said Finch. “The Parks & Rec department has taken on many new duties and facilities over the years and so just focusing on creating efficiencies anyway we can because they have taken more responsibilities, but they have not taken on more staff. At some point, we may need to add additional staff, but right now, we’re getting the job done, and so we’re exploring ways to continue to make that happen and making sure we have the right equipment is a start.”
The committee also discussed how to cover costs the best they can. The new arena and pool were the two examples given as they do not make the city money. The committee also reviewed programs the department runs to see if they’re outdated or could be improved moving forward.
The Park and Rec budget was given the most time during the meeting, as there will be adjustments needed somewhere and plenty of things to consider within the budget for 2022. The current Parks & Rec estimated budget for its five-year capital improvement plan is $2,511.000.
PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET
The Public Works Budget was looked over. The immediate wants for the department include a 1 Ton Gas Pickup and Motor Grader to serve multiple purposes. Sanitation and garbage hauling and weed control were other budgets discussed within the budget by the committee, emphasizing improving garbage hauling.
The budget was reviewed and discussed by the board, and the final decisions will be made at a later date. Finch talked about some of the department’s expenses that need to be considered within this budget. “We took a hard look at how the salaries are distributed in this department,” said Finch. “They charge salaries based on jobs they’re doing, so we realigned those the best we could to make it easier for HR and to budget moving forward.”
The public Works estimated budget for its current five-year capital improvement plan is $1,243,000.
Finch also discussed another line item that stood out, which was materials costing more, which makes the proposed Public Works Budget a little more than the previous year. “Throughout this budget, we saw increases in material cost,” said Finch. “Those prices are simply going up, due to possibly transport costs, or even just the struggle to find materials right now, so that’s something we’re struggling with currently.”
FINANCE/CLERK BUDGET
The Finance/Clerk Budget was also discussed, and the main expenses required within this budget include salaries, health insurance, and FICA contributions. There is no five-year plan for the budget, and the main increase for the budget would be hiring a part-time employee to work within the department to handle data entry.
CITY HALL BUDGET
City Hall was one of the smaller budgets that the board discussed, and the items mentioned included utilities, building repairs and maintenance, and miscellaneous supplies. Finch talked about the five-year plan and possible improvements. “Improvements with City Hall this upcoming year could be a water softener,” said Finch. “We may also paint the conference room, realign cubicles in the front entry, just some small updates to make the building more appealing.”
The committee also discussed potentially looking into a keyless entry for staff to allow easier access to the building for the city’s employees. Carpeting was the last upgrade the building could use and may be carried forward within the preliminary budget proposal.
The estimated cost of the five-year plan for City Hall is currently set at $105,000.00.
The preliminary budget for the city will need to be approved by September 27, leaving just under a month left for the committee to decide what the levy for the budget will look like. Any department that sees an increase in their funding means money will need to be reduced somewhere else. The committee will continue to review and discuss the potential decisions that will need to be made moving forward, and the plan is to wrap up the discussion on all the department budgets by September 20.
