The Collegedale Commissioners were ready to vote on the second and final reading of the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget Monday night when they were stopped by Matthew Sadler, a citizen watchdog, and candidate for a Collegedale Commission seat in November 2020. He pointed out that, according to law, a notification should be published no less than 10 days prior to a public hearing and second and final vote on the budget ordinance.
City Attorney Sam Elliott verified that the advertisement had been published, but not in the required time.
As a result, the second vote on the budget was postponed from Monday night to a special called meeting on June 29 at which a public hearing for the budget and the final vote will take place, contingent to the announcement being published 10 days before then.
The city’s proposed budget of over $10 million plans for no property tax increase. The rate will remain at $1.65 per every $100 of property value. There will be no salary increases for employees, no vehicle purchases, no capital projects and no expansions of programs, said Vice Mayor Tim Johnson. “It is a plain Jane budget this year,” he said. The budget in its entirety can be found on the city’s website.
In new business, the commissioners approved a runway culvert construction project at the Collegedale Municipal Airport. Airport Director Chris Swain said the lowest bid and one that was accepted is for $250,312. That cost came in under the amount budgeted for the work, said Mr. Swain. This project will replace a culvert that goes under the runway. A grant will pay for 95 percent of the work with Collegedale being responsible for just five percent of the cost. The construction is expected to take 30 days during which the runway will be closed, starting around Aug. 10.
A professional airport services agreement was authorized with Garver Engineers for engineering services for the Airport for the next five years.
Commissioners gave approval for a contract with Verizon for data plans for nine iPads. It uses the state contract which has already negotiated the best price.
After the city attorney reviewed the contract, the commission approved a sewer collection agreement with Grindstone Estates. The company that runs trailer parks will be able to continue discharging sewers located in the Grindstone Estates Trailer park into Collegedale’s system.
Marty Miller was named to a two-year term ending in 2022 as a parks and recreation advisory board member.