Council approves fiscal budget for 2011-12

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After several amendments and discussions, the Gonzales City Council came to an agreement and the proposed fiscal year budget for 2011-12 was adopted. It was adopted unanimously by councilmembers in front of a standing room only crowd that applauded the final approval.

Before the general meeting began, the Gonzales Professional Firefighter I.A.F.F. Local 4663 group presented Gonzales police officer Doug Mundine with an award for heroic efforts he showed when he saved the life of a disabled man from a burning home on January 24, 2011.

Interim City Manager Charles Windwehen applauded the work of the city department heads in the number crunching process.

The proposed budget ended with an excess of expenditures over revenue of $102,000 in the general fund balance.

“A deficit is when your fund balance is depleted,” said Finance Director Joe Cavazos. “This $102,000 is not a deficit of budget. As long as you have a fund balance, you do not have a deficit.”

In all, the city’s total revenue from the last fiscal year stood at over $5.7 million.

 Councilmember Bobby Logan made the motion to approve the ordinance adopting the budget for 2011-12 fiscal year and Lorenzo Hernandez seconded the motion.

Windwehen approached the podium before the final vote and reminded council and the public that four amendments were needed in order to get the budget in a respectable place for this fiscal year.

After the approval of the budget for next fiscal year, council then heard and approved adopting the budget amendment to the original general budget for this fiscal year.

The ordinance provides for supplemental appropriation and/or transfer of certain funds.

Because of the need to complete the Reid/Contour/Gardien Street project, Windwehen advised that council amend $182,892 from the Wastewater Fund to allow for budgeting this project in this fiscal year.

The city received a low bid of $452,892 by Rockin Q out of San Marcos to complete the project. Council approved of the bid and to go through with the project later on in the meeting.

Four other areas of the General Fund were amended including $19,220 for outstanding invoices on demolished buildings and also work to be performed at Victoria College; $28,700 for Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter; $32,240 on work to Gonzales Memorial Museum and $121,247 on the AWOS weather station.

“There was work authorized by the city manager at that time and it was paid, but the total went over budget,” said Windwehen. “I have to assume that it was his intent to amend the budget to cover these areas.”

In the code enforcement area, buildings were demolished and the work was paid but left outstanding invoices totaling $19,220. A contract with Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter plus some fees were either overspent or under-budgeted leaving a balance of $28,700.

The AWOS weather station to be built at Gonzales Airport at a cost of $121,247 was amended into this fiscal year’s budget and will begin work in the next fiscal year. A $105,000 grant will be awarded to the city to help in the total cost. Even though there will be a grant to help cover the cost of this project the funds must be available in order for the city to let the bid for the project.

The amendment also covered work for Gonzales Memorial Museum that was done including statues cleaned by R. Alden Marshall along with the first phase of remodeling that came to a total of $32,240.

Wendwehen spoke to council about policy recommendations in regards to the budget amendments made. For future reference, he recommended some changes in policy to help the city from going through budget shortfalls as they have in the past two years.

“Even though this is a small town, this is a big corporation,” he said during public comments portion of the meeting. “I want to recommend some general policies and maybe fine tune this thing. It’s a little bit embarrassing to have budget overruns and we’ve seen this in the last couple of years.”

Some examples, Wendwehen mentioned, that should be discussed include: written contracts as opposed to verbal contracts; contracts to be reviewed by City Attorney before the Mayor sees them; what the authority level is as far as the city manager signing contracts; only authorized personnel in certain departments have authority to spend; no contract or purchase orders should be executed unless there are sufficient funds; the review of credit card policy and the role of the financial director needs to strengthen.

Another area of recommendation by Wendwehen is that the J.B.Wells account be put into its own Enterprise Fund. Creating its own fund would give the capabilities of seeing revenue and expenditures much easier.

Sam Lewis, code enforcement director, updated council about meeting with business owners on St. George Street and relocating electrical lines.

Lewis made the council aware of the “good meeting” the city had with the business owners and that electrical power lines could sufficiently be moved behind businesses with no problems. The lines would be reinstalled on wood poles.

One area of concern for the city was that telephone and cable TV lines would need to be moved as well in order to complete the look of the project.

Tony Espinosa spoke to council to request the change of a 2-block stretch of Badger Street to Espinosa Street to honor his grandfather, who passed away in 1961, marking the 50th anniversary of his death.

Council approved of the decision to rename the 2-block stretch that lies between Church and College Street.

Other items approved included:

• Zoning Board of Adjustment reappointment of directors Dawn O’Donnell, Isaac Anzaldua and Hector Porras

• Zoning and Planning Commission reappointment of directors Jereline Clack, Paul Frenzel and Phillip Borowitz.

• Golf Course Advisory Board reappointment of directors Floyd Rogers, and Debbie Tieken

• Approval of the Interim City Manager’s employment and pay agreement

• Approval of the Solid Rock Baptist Church tent revival to be held at the Gonzales High School football stadium parking lot

• Approval of street closures for the Old Jail Run on April 30.

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