City Auditor, John Morris, gave the Minonk City Council a good financial report for the Fiscal Year ending on April 30, 2006.
The highlights of the report are:
• Loans continue to be paid down. Total debt for the City for the
fiscal year (2005-06) was $947,256, down from a $1,086,000 the previous
year.
• State income tax, sales tax, and use tax went from $216,000 to $340,000.
• Hotel tax went from $7,760 to $13,400.
• Investment income which is very attractive doubled from $22,606
to $41,000. TheTreasurer andCity Manager are keeping every thing
invested properly, timely, and at the highest rates they can get.
• Ambulance fees went from $118,000 to $127,000.
• Water, sewer, and garbage had a slight increase from 2 ½ % to 3 ½ % spread across the utilities.
• Overall expenditures and capital outlay decreased from $415,000 to $140,000.
• Total assets which are representative of the underappreciated
value of the land, investments, and cash on hand increased from
$9,012,244 to $9,378,903 for an increase of overall assets of $360,000.
Morris reported that the City was able to operate under budget
for the past fiscal year. Charges for services, contributions, and
grants minus the City’s total expenditures, it cost the City about
$828,000 to operate for the last fiscal year.
Morris gave the following tax revenue sources.
• Property taxes $522,000
• Utility taxes $142,000
• Sales tax $175,000
• Income tax $164,000
• Miscellaneous and investment income $111,000
Morris stated that total city revenue was 1.2 million dollars
for an increase in change of net assets cash basis of $460,000 which
was very positive and important to the City. The deposits and
investments of the City and as of April 30, 2006 were as follows:
• Checking----$161,000
• Money Market----$1,377,000 (totally insured)
• $140,000 of authorized expenditures categorized as capital equipment
Sound System
The City Council balked at spending $6,000 for a wireless sound system
in the meeting room for the hard of hearing. Alderman Brian Petersen
said that another option could be to look at a mobile ear unit for
those that are hard of hearing. Petersen said, "Not everyone was having
a hard time hearing, only a few people. Could we look into something
that is a lot less money, but would still afford those people who
cannot hear the ability to have it boosted?"
Mayor Bill Koos said that over time there have been numerous
complaints about the sound. He said we have to do something to address
the sound issue in here for those that are hard of hearing. Koos said
to find out what the mobile units cost and get a proposal on a wireless
system from the two vendors and bring it to the floor at the next
meeting.
Public Comments
Larry Hill (403 North Walnut Street) expressed his concern about
skateboarding on Main Street (Chestnut Street) as he was almost run
down by the IGA store last week. He said skateboards and bicycles on
Main Street are pretty dangerous and we need to take a serious look at
it before an elderly person gets hit and then we wish we would have.
Larry Hill also reported that the street light at the corner of
Seventh and Lincoln was out and that the wire going to the pole was
knocked down in early July and has been coiled up and laying on the
ground and now someone has hung the coil of wire on the yield sign at
the corner.
Charlie McGuire (610 North Walnut Street) thanked Trent Smith
for organizing the City potluck picnic and also thanked Bill Bane for
providing the grill and also for cooking for everybody.
City Administrator Comments
• Announced that the water department received from the Illinois
Department of Public Health a certificate of commendation in
recognition of achieving the high standard of compliance for a least 5
consecutive years in accordance with the Illinois Fluoridation Act. It
is actually eight years (1997-2005). It is by the Division of Oral
Health and the EPA Division of Water.
• The “Welcome to Minonk” community sign have been installed and
thanked Woodford County for providing funding for 50% of the cost
through their Small Communities grant program.
• Most of the trees donated by Gerdes Wholesale Nursery have been
planted. Over 100 trees were donated by Jason Gerdes again this year
and our thanks go out to him for his generosity.
• Is looking into a CDAP grant through DCEO to pay for 75% of a
sanitary sewer line replacement project. To qualify, the affected
residents must be low to moderate income and a residential survey may
be required to be eligible for the grant which would pay up to $350,000
for the project. Such a project would require an EPA permit and an
engineered design.
Mayor's Comments
• Said that if you are going to address the sidewalk issue, then it
must be addressed in its’ totality. The whole issue has to be
addressed; that is pallets on the sidewalk, pop machines, gas
cylinders, carts, and business owners being responsible for
obstructions on the sidewalk. So if we are going to look at it we need
to look at it from top to bottom and address it, but we cannot
piecemeal this and just address the kids. We have created a little kind
of a nuisance up there by allowing things to be stored on the sidewalk
as part of storage. We need Miner’s Trail to help alleviate some of
this. We need to address the whole issue of safety besides just the
sidewalk issue.
• Thanked Trent, City Treasure Steve O’Riley, the Finance
Committee, and all the committees for their work on the budget process.
The process does not end on May 1 of each year, but it is a continuing
process. One of the encouraging things that we heard tonight is that we
are paying down our debt and we have a handle on our budget and a
handle on our financial well being in this community. This gives the
City an edge to be competitive with other towns.
• In TIF II we are starting to see some advances.
• In TIF I we are paying down the debt in the Carolyn Development.
• Hopefully with TIF III and the out lots we may be able to become
very competitive with future businesses that want to locate out there.
• Thanked Charlie McGuire for the award the water department had received.
• Thanked Jason Gerdes for the trees he has donated to the City.
• Said that the process for the sewer grant is going to take the
cooperation of citizens completing the survey if we are to get the
grant. Trent reported that the survey is confidential and would be done
by an outside source and no one in the City would have access to the
information.