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| UC’s water, sewer, garbage rates climbing |
By: Donna Ryder Messenger Associate Editor
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Posted: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 9:02 pm
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| By DONNA RYDER Messenger Associate Editor Water, sewer and garbage rates are all going up and Union City will no longer pay for dependent health care for city employees’ families. That’s about the extent of accomplished business from the two-hour Union City Council meeting Tuesday evening. The council was prepared to consider an ordinance for setting a property tax rate. But because publication requirements had not been met, no action could be taken. The city is proposing a 29-cent increase on the city’s property tax rate, which would make it $2.10. A public hearing was set for Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m., with a special meeting to follow to consider adopting the new rate. Interim city manager Kathy Dillon told the council the city needs to get the tax rate set so property tax notices can be sent out. They should be ready to send by Oct. 1. With respect to setting the increased service rates, Mayor Terry Hailey was quick to point out that they were increases to cover what it costs to provide the services. New water rates inside the city limits include a minimum of $7.60 for the first 2,000 gallons, with the next 23,000 charged at $2.30 per 1,000 gallons and $1.55 per 1,000 over 25,000 gallons. Outside the city limits, water rates will be a minimum of $15.15 for the first 2,000 gallons. Additional water usage will be charged at $3.40 per 1,000 gallons. Sewer rates approved include a minimum of $7.15, with $2.05 charged per $1,000 inside the city limits. Outside city limit rates were set at a minimum of $15.70 and $2.10 per 1,000 gallons. Residential refuse collection fees will now be $19 per month per unit, with low-rent public housing rates set at $12. Commercial and industrial rates, for those business which use containerized refuse systems, will be a minimum of $37 per month, plus an amount computed by multiplying $13 times the average weekly cubic yard volume of the refuse collected from each establishment. Refuse collection services provided to businesses which utilize some method other than containerized refuse storage will be charged at a rate of $120 per hour, in minimum increments of $30 for 15 minutes for the service. Carnivals and other traveling shows appearing for more than one day, but no more than one week, will be charged $900, with $400 refunded if the owner cleans the area and hauls the refuse to the city landfill. Circuses appearing for only one day would pay $500, with $200 refunded if the owner cleans the area and hauls the refuse to the city landfill. The council was unanimous in its vote to discontinue paying for health insurance for employee dependents. Employees’ families will no longer be covered after Dec. 31, the date in which the city’s contract with its current insurance company expires. Employees will continue to be covered at 100 percent. In an earlier meeting, Hailey said it is difficult for the city to get insurance companies to bid on the city’s group because, in the past, claims for services have exceeded the premiums paid to the company. When the council was to address the city manager search, Hailey said the council has too much on its plate right now and with the budget problems, he doubts anyone would want to come to Union City now anyway. Ms. Dillon then informed the council that the salary for a city manager had already been removed from the 2009-10 budget anyway. The council agreed to continue a fluoride program at the water department. It costs about $10,000 per year. Council members agreed to leave the program in place to add fluoride to the city’s water because infants need the fluoride and there were thoughts that parents are unlikely to purchase fluoride to add to their baby’s formula. During discussion on the budget, Ms. Dillon said most of the budgets are in from the departments, but the big questions are in fire and police. Before cuts from those two departments are figured, the budget is still $515,444 over. “If you desire to eliminate one of the three fire stations, that needs to come from the council,” she told them, adding, “If you don’t, we need to figure another way to make cuts.” Fire Chief Kelly Edmison said the fire department has been asked to cut another $221,000 and there is no other place to cut, except to close Station 3 and lay off five people. He said the result will be slower response times, especially in that area. He said closing the station and cutting the positions would leave 30 firefighters, with 10 per shift. The department currently has positions for 42 personnel, but is understaffed by four people. Three positions are in administration. When asked by the mayor if that number of employees would work, Edmison replied, “Anything will work.” Hailey told Edmison he was on the council when the third station was voted on and approved and he immediately thought a mistake had been made and that the station should not have been built. He compared Union City with others in the area. He said Brownsville, with a population of 10,800 (the same as Union City), has only 26 firefighters and 32 police officers and an ISO rating of 3. Lewisburg has 21 firefighters, 42 police officers and an ISO of 4. Paris has 25 firefighters and three volunteers and an ISO of 4, while Martin has 28 firefighters and 27 police officers. “So my question is, why do we go to 42 when all the others have 26?” the mayor said, adding the other cities were all happy with their fire service. Edmison said he couldn’t answer to the reason for how their ISO ratings were determined, but that it depends on water supply, communications and how the city is laid out, among other things, like how many firefighters respond on each truck. Hailey said the proposed cuts to 33 employees still puts Union City ahead of the other cities he mentioned. “We will continue to do the best we can,” Edmison said, adding the department will continue to respond to medical calls. Before a vote could be called on closing the fire station, councilman Billy Jack “B.J.” Cranford said, “It seems to me, we’re picking on the fire department. We’ve got good trained people and it cost us money to train them. I don’t think we should throw them out the window. I think we’re concentrating on one department over the others.” Hailey asked Cranford what he wanted to do and what he wanted to cut. Cranford wasn’t specific, but he said he thought the city was letting other departments have some things they shouldn’t. He said he wants the city to do everything it can before cutting personnel. Police Chief Joe Garner said he has cut everything he could from the budget to avoid lay offs. There will be no new uniforms for the officers and the fuel budget was cut by $40,000. He said the cars may have to sit more than usual. He also said he will actually eliminate two positions from the department and it is because the officers are leaving on their own. One had already planned to leave and the other is expecting to be hired by the Obion County Sheriff’s Department. He said he is still looking at pulling the school resource officers, to which Hailey said he feels the school system should have to pay for the SROs. Ms. Dillon told the council the public works department has made severe cuts. Public Works director Steve Ladd said if seasonal employees were cut, it would save an additional $15,000 and the leaf machine, which is in the budget to replace the 1970s model which did not make it through the last leaf season, could be chopped at a savings of $19,000. But, if those changes are made, citizens would have to bag their leaves instead of blowing them to the curb. Hailey commented he didn’t think the city “can fool with leaf pick up.” Ladd said the department has already figured a reduction in street pick up, with that service only to be provided on Mondays and Fridays and for emergencies. He said the boom truck is only being utilized when needed because of the amount of fuel it uses. Ms. Dillon also informed the council that it needs to be realistic with the planning and codes department on the number of houses it can demolish. She said the council can’t expect $30,000 in demolition for only $10,000. Councilman Judy Robinson asked if anyone had found out the number of employees who might be interested in retiring if insurance coverage was offered. Ms. Dillon said she had just started working on that. She said under the current insurance coverage (meaning if they have dependent coverage, the higher rate was included) at today’s rate, for employees ages 55-64, it would cost $718,232 per year. She said she hadn’t been able to figure the total salary of those in that age range. Mrs. Robinson said she didn’t think the council “could make any rational decisions until we have all the figures.” She called for the council to have another budget workshop “before going out on tangents.” Councilman Johnny Bacon said he’d like to know within two weeks how many employees would take the early out if the city offered insurance for the employee only. Ms. Dillon said with the economic crisis, she was trying to have everyone be responsible for the budget — from citizens paying increased taxes and fees to the departments cutting from their budgets based on percentages. “Everybody needs to take a part in the solution,” she said, adding it would be easy to simply raise the property taxes to the level to cover the expenses. Council Bill “Rat” Harrison said the council is doing something now that should have been done years ago. “I don’t think the residents will continue to allow taxes to be raised without cuts. ... If you try to please everybody, you will break the bank and that’s what we’ve done,” he said. After an outburst from the crowd about cutting the turf management department, director Chris Crockett took to the stand to say he is “tired of getting slammed by people in this town who don’t know what we do.” Crockett said if the city cut him and the foreman that would only be $86,333. If the city got rid of all the seasonal employees, he said it wouldn’t even be the salary for one firefighter. Crockett said he’s cut everything he can from his budget. He said the lights at the minor league field had to be replaced because they were condemned. “It’s easy to be the target. We do a really good job because we work hard,” he said, adding he worked “2,000 some odd hours I don’t get paid for.” He said that includes mowing the fields on Sundays. “The kids who play at that park appreciate it,” he said. Crockett said state code requires the fields to be maintained. He said for those people who complained about the Greyhounds, they don’t understand that the team donated everything they did at the field. He also said the softball fields have been neglected and that they are “falling down.” In addition, Crockett said the department has been able to cover its operating costs by hosting tournaments. A brief heated exchange started when firefighter Garrett Stork yelled from the crowd that getting rid of turf management would save his job. His comment was followed up with a reply by Crockett as to why Stork’s job was any more important than his own. The exchange was stopped by Hailey before it got out of hand. Edmison then stepped forward and stated that at no time had the fire department said it would not make cuts, that cuts had been made and they were not refusing. “I’m just telling you of the consequences,” he said. Harrison then replied and repeated several times, “I think the consequences will be what you want them to be.” Hailey told those in attendance that turf management was created because a group came before the council and said it would raise money for the city. He said the upfront budget was “of a good size,” but that the department runs at an economical rate with only two full-time employees. He said it may be a good thing for the city with the Greyhounds gone because the field will be available for more tournaments, then added if the department was eliminated, the costs would just be transferred over to the parks department budget. He added the parks look nice and the department brings in revenue. Harrison then added, “The people of Union City do not value what they’ve got.” Hailey told the crowd the city council is to blame for the budget. He said the council should have, over the years, been increasing the rates a little at a time to cover costs, but instead it took the money from the fund balance. Another budget workshop has been set for Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. Associate Editor Donna Ryder can be contacted by e-mail at dryder@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 9.16.09 |
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