09/07/2021 Minutes SpecialCITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
September 7, 2021
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Grand Island, Nebraska was conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 100 East First
Street, on September 7, 2021. Notice of the meeting was given in The Grand Island Independent
on September 1, 2021.
Mayor Roger G. Steele called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. The following City Council
members were present: Mike Paulick, Michelle Fitzke, Vaughn Minton, Maggie Mendoza, and
Mitch Nickerson. Councilmembers Mark Stelk, Jason Conley, Bethany Guzinski, Justin Scott
and Chuck Haase were absent. The following City Officials were present: City Administrator
Jerry Janulewicz, City Clerk RaNae Edwards, Finance Director Patrick Brown, Interim City
Attorney Stacy Nonhof and Public Works Director John Collins.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was said.
PUBLIC HEARING:
Public Hearing on FY 2021-2022 Annual Sin lg e City Budget and the Annual Appropriations
Bill. Finance Director Patrick Brown reported that the purpose of this meeting was to comply
with the requirements of Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 13-506 as amended by Laws 2020 LB 148. The
action item for this public hearing will be held under Ordinances at the City Council meeting on
September 14, 2021.
Reviewed was the following comparison of the fiscal year 2021/2022 proposed budget to the
FY2021 amended budget:
• The FY2022 budget appropriation was 7% or $17,956,562 lower than the FY2021
amended budget. The difference was mainly due to the weather event that occurred in
February of 2021.
• The City requested the same tax ask for Property Tax which in turn decreased the mill
levy from 0.34445 to 0.32359. Community Redevelopment Authority kept the same mill
levy resulting in a$45,000 tax ask increase. The total mill levy would decrease from
0.3650 to 0.3441.
• Total Sales Tax revenue was forecasted at $21,810,636 for FY2022. It was a 22.5%
increase over FY2021 budget. The increase was due to the uncertainty of the pandemic
and how it would affect sales tax during the 2021 fiscal year. Sales Tax receipts came in
much higher than anticipated which in turn increased the forecast for FY2022. Currently
with one month of Sales Tax revenues still due, we were at 118% of FY2021 budget.
• The General Fund was adding two full time equivalents (FTE's) staff inembers. They
were a Grants Administrator and an Interpreter/Translator. The Grants Administrator
would be located in the Finance Department and would be funded by administrative fees
associated with grants. The Interpreter/Translator would be located at the Customer
Page 2, City Council Special Meeting, September 7, 2021
Service (Utility Billing) location at 1306 West 3rd Street. This position would be funded
by the Enterprise Funds.
• The General Fund Fire/Ambulance Department applied for a grant to hire three
firefighter/EMT/Paramedics. The status of the grant was still pending however budget
authority was being established in case the City was awarded the grant. The grant would
pay for three firefighters for three years at 100% reimbursement.
• The Streets Division would be adding an Equipment Operator position (one FTE).
• The Transfer Station was adding a 0.25 FTE for help on Saturdays.
• Transfer increases in the FY2022 budget include moving the $4.5 million to Wastewater
for the Airport Sewer Project (American Rescue Plan funds), loaning $2.7 million to
Solid Waste Fund to finance the Transfer Station upgrade, and a$217,000 increase to
other budgeted entities.
• General Fund Personnel Services for FY2022 increased 7% due to step increases, COLA,
and the addition of five FTE's (of which three were for budget authority only). Operating
expenses increased 5.7% for the General Fund over FY2021 budget.
No public testimony was heard.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 7:14 p.m.
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RaNae Edwards
City Clerk