Washington’s City Council met Tuesday evening with only two items on the business agenda. The Council approved a resolution transferring $15,000 in the Park Department budget to make up for unexpected fuel costs. Mayor Rhoads this transfer should cover the department’s needs for the remainder of the year. The Council also approved an ordinance establishing the City’s Budget and projected tax rate for the year. The tax rate will be finalized after the State examines the tax rates set by all taxing units and applied the State’s circuit breakers to the tax rates.
After the regular business, Council members discussed how to deal with information they received from financial advisors Baker-Tilly at their last meeting. Baker Tilly representatives gave the Council an overview of the financial situation and suggested steps to keep the utilities financially sound. The consensus of the Council was that if any rate increases were needed, they should be phased in over several years. The Council also agreed that the most immediate need were the Sewer and Storm Water utilities.
In another area of discussion, the Council agreed to use some of the funds received from the the State and Federal governments under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to give each City employee a $1,000 bonus. Mayor Rhoads had this to say
The Council also agreed to tag $100,000 from ARPA funds to support upgrades to the Power House facility on East Main Street. The support is contingent on Power House raising the remaining funds for the project.
After the Council Meeting the Board of Public Works and Safety met and received a bid on a new truck with a telescopic articulating aerial device/equipment handler for the Electric Department. The Mayor said that this purchase was not in the current plans, but that there is now a 30 month lead time to receive this type of equipment and the City needed to begin the process. Only one bid, from Altech Industries in the amount of $222,766 was received. The Board voted to approve the bid.
