[0:00] Correct.
[0:04] » I don't have the gavl.
[0:05] >> Call the joint budget workshop meeting
[0:07] to order.
[0:08] >> And um pledge allegiance to the flag,
[0:11] please.
[0:12] >> I pledge allegiance to the flag, one
[0:14] nation under the republic for it stands,
[0:19] one nation under God, indivisible, with
[0:22] liberty and justice for all.
[0:24] >> Thank you all.
[0:26] Apologize about that.
[0:29] Let's see. Roll call.
[0:31] >> Here
[0:33] >> back
[0:33] >> here.
[0:34] >> Clark, excuse me
[0:36] >> here.
[0:36] >> Olsson
[0:37] >> here.
[0:41] >> Fin Olsson
[0:43] >> here.
[0:45] >> Daniel
[0:45] >> here.
[0:46] >> My now he's excused. Kavalo
[0:49] >> here.
[0:50] >> Recker
[0:50] >> here.
[0:52] >> We have one opening, right?
[0:55] >> Okay. Thank you. Uh public comments.
[0:57] I've got one here. I don't know if
[0:58] there's any online, but I got one right
[1:00] here from Jim Pensel.
[1:05] » Good evening, Jim Pel 512.
[1:08] Um, first I want to express my concern
[1:10] with the 6 p.m. start time of this as
[1:12] you were with the 5:30 p.m. start time
[1:14] of this meeting. I ask that these
[1:16] subsequent meetings are moved to 6 pm.
[1:18] If there is any interest in having
[1:20] public participation,
[1:22] um, I myself had to rush here. Um, I
[1:24] gota go back to work, but anyways,
[1:27] In regard to this evening's meeting, um
[1:30] I'm also concerned that there's not an
[1:33] agenda item for goals being discussed or
[1:36] mentioned. It was briefly touched on and
[1:37] there was uh a staff and director wish
[1:40] list, but even the costs of that wish
[1:43] list never made it into this packet. So,
[1:46] it would be extraordinarily difficult
[1:47] for the finance
[1:49] u HR and Philip board to weigh in on
[1:52] those decisions. Um, and then, uh,
[1:57] finally,
[1:59] I'm very concerned that
[2:02] we didn't take into consideration
[2:05] the highest rated things by our
[2:08] citizens, such as public safety and
[2:10] streets. First,
[2:13] the very first thing that we're going to
[2:14] look at tonight is paying ourselves
[2:17] more. Um and uh which is really
[2:21] difficult because there's no good data
[2:23] that comes out for what that increased
[2:26] cost of benefits are until later in the
[2:28] year. Um you don't know what your
[2:30] revenues will be until later in the
[2:32] year. I'm sure Jessica can get you those
[2:34] exact dates. But if we don't know our
[2:37] dollars in yet and the very first thing
[2:40] we're going to want to do is spend more
[2:41] money, I think that's a problem. And I
[2:43] think we need to rep prioritize. Look at
[2:45] goals. look at what the electorate wants
[2:48] and maybe not what everyone wants first.
[2:50] Thank you.
[2:53] >> Okay, let's see. Amendments from
[2:55] previous meetings. None. Resolutions.
[2:57] Number four, resolution 2026-023.
[3:01] Resolution authorizing the issuance and
[3:02] sale of up to 1,291,283
[3:07] in waterworks system revenue bonds
[3:09] series 20206
[3:11] and providing for other details and
[3:14] covenants with respect. There too and
[3:16] approval of related financial assistance
[3:18] agreement.
[3:20] >> Motion to approve.
[3:21] by early
[3:23] >> second.
[3:24] by Zagami. On the question
[3:27] >> I ask finance need a motion on this.
[3:28] It's just board.
[3:31] >> Yes, we could just use board.
[3:33] >> Just board. Okay. Any discussion? Any
[3:36] questions on board?
[3:37] >> My my only question is this was to help
[3:40] finish well three for anybody to iron
[3:42] and make these. Is that correct or
[3:44] >> correct? idea. And I guess I just want
[3:45] to point out um I guess page 46 of the
[3:49] packet shows that um with this safe
[3:51] drinking water loan, we have a little
[3:53] over $3 million in principal
[3:55] forgiveness. So of a $4.3 million
[3:58] project, we're essentially paying $1.3
[4:00] million and the other $3 million um I
[4:04] guess the state is more or less uh
[4:06] taking the cost of. So, um, this
[4:08] essentially is our agreement with the
[4:10] state for, uh, the 4.3 million, but we
[4:13] only have to pay them back the 1.291.
[4:19] » Okay.
[4:21] >> And then, um, with our PAS, I guess, uh,
[4:25] class action lawsuit, they did remove
[4:27] 272,460,000
[4:30] from the overall project amount. So,
[4:33] >> I was going to ask about that because I
[4:34] had to note it down. I was like, what
[4:35] does that mean? So they can move that
[4:37] off.
[4:37] >> Yeah, since we received some of those uh
[4:39] lawsuit monies, um I guess that's a
[4:42] portion of it, too. So realistically, I
[4:44] guess, yeah, the total project is the
[4:46] 4.57.
[4:48] Um if you take out the 272 that they
[4:50] said we can't use from our lawsuit, then
[4:52] it's the say 4.3.
[4:55] >> I think it said it in there, but how
[4:57] much was the percentage on the borrow?
[4:59] It's like two something.
[5:03] If you go to the next page, the interest
[5:05] rate is.365
[5:07] >> and then the total interest over the
[5:08] grass loan is 333
[5:11] blah blah blah something like that.
[5:12] >> Correct. Y
[5:15] >> you can't use tiff money to fund water
[5:17] works. It's like kind of like a separate
[5:19] entity. So we have to do this on their
[5:20] own.
[5:21] >> Right. Tiff is closed.
[5:24] >> Tiff is closed too.
[5:26] >> Okay. Any more
[5:28] hearing? No more discussion. All those
[5:29] in favor say I.
[5:30] >> I. Opposed. So carried unfinished
[5:33] business there's seeing that there's
[5:35] none new business review budget process
[5:37] and funds presentation review and
[5:39] equalized value of new net new
[5:41] construction
[5:46] » I'm moving right to seven
[5:48] >> no we have a powerpoint
[5:50] >> okay
[5:57] Next.
[6:12] » Okay. So, this presentation is also on
[6:14] your laptops. It's on the desktop as a
[6:18] PDF. So, if you want to open that up to
[6:20] follow along um better. Um, after
[6:24] tonight, we will put it on our website
[6:26] under the 2027 budget. So, anyone that
[6:30] wants to go back and look through it,
[6:32] it'll be up there in addition to the
[6:34] YouTube video that
[6:38] » it is.
[6:40] >> Yeah,
[6:41] >> I'm waiting.
[6:42] >> I kept looking for something else.
[6:44] >> I can start with just
[6:47] a little bit about the budget process.
[6:49] This is our our first year in a couple
[6:51] years where we've done joint meetings
[6:52] with finance and HR and board. It had
[6:55] been that way in the past and every year
[6:57] we kind of talk about how we want to do
[6:59] it because it's it's our choice. So this
[7:01] year again would be joint meetings. So
[7:03] just a little bit about the timeline
[7:05] that we're on. Uh we start these budget
[7:09] workshops with kind of what are the
[7:11] priorities, what are we thinking. Jess
[7:13] is going to go through tonight because
[7:14] we have a lot of new faces and this is
[7:16] our first time doing it these joint
[7:18] meetings in a couple years just about
[7:21] governmental financing and accounting.
[7:23] Uh just a little bit of a brief summary
[7:25] of the funds that we have. Uh we will we
[7:28] bring forward drafts through these
[7:31] budget workshop meetings that go through
[7:34] September and October so we can drill
[7:37] down into in decisions at each one. we
[7:40] can talk a little bit about the how
[7:42] we're going to handle which funds at
[7:44] which meetings and that kind of comes to a conclusion at the end of October.
[7:50] It's the end of October because we are
[7:52] required to do a public hearing posting
[7:54] and that has to be done 15 days before
[7:56] the meeting is held. So that we we shoot
[8:00] for that to go in our regular meeting in
[8:03] November, which is the third Monday, in
[8:05] order to make the that to be the budget
[8:08] adoption, the hearing and the adoption
[8:10] in order to get the information to the
[8:12] county for the printing of the tax
[8:13] bills. So that's kind of our our our
[8:16] process everyone should have on their
[8:18] calendars. Uh I I sent out invites for
[8:21] all of the meetings. they are kind of on
[8:23] some different dates and at some
[8:25] different times than our our standard
[8:26] Monday meetings and that's just so we
[8:28] can get in those additional meetings
[8:30] between now and the end of October.
[8:33] So if if through the process if anyone's
[8:35] like I wish we had more time or I wish
[8:37] we could drill down more in that it's
[8:39] important to say it right away because
[8:40] it is a condensed timeline and and the
[8:44] ultimate goal again is to make sure
[8:45] we're not delaying anybody. The county
[8:48] prints all the tax bills right at one
[8:50] time. So if we delay the county, we
[8:52] delay everybody's tax bills at one time.
[8:54] So we want to we want to make sure that
[8:56] we're getting that information to them
[8:58] by the mid November time frame.
[9:04] » Okay. A budget is a mathematical
[9:06] confirmation of your suspicions. So u
[9:09] when we go through the budget, it is
[9:11] just a guess. It's our best guesstimate.
[9:13] We don't know what the snow's going to
[9:15] do. We don't know if people are going to
[9:16] be leaving, if we have to rehire, how we can rehire. Um, so when we go
[9:21] through the budget, when we get to the
[9:23] end of 2026 and end of 2027, usually the
[9:27] actuals are not that close. We're close,
[9:30] but not where a lot of people think that
[9:34] they should be because they are a budget
[9:37] that we're doing in September usually.
[9:41] Okay, before we get into the deep down
[9:44] into budget season, I really want to
[9:46] talk about the funds so we're all on the
[9:49] same page when we're talking the
[9:51] budgeting of the funds and how they're
[9:54] how each fund operates.
[9:58] So, an introduction to government
[10:00] accounting, state requirements and
[10:02] regulations, and then where are we? So,
[10:03] that's the outline of our presentation.
[10:06] Um, first the introduction. Um
[10:08] government account is overseen by the
[10:10] governmental accounting standards board
[10:13] Gatsby. Um the type of accounting used
[10:15] is called fund accounting. Um there are
[10:18] three main types of funds. Governmental,
[10:20] proprietary and fiduciary. Um the
[10:22] governmental funds we include the
[10:24] general special revenue, debt service,
[10:26] capital and then permanent. Um the
[10:29] village does not have a permanent fund.
[10:31] So we'll just be addressing one through
[10:34] four.
[10:36] Um governmental funds are we use the
[10:41] they're accounted for on a modified
[10:43] acral basis of accounting. Um we'll go
[10:46] through that in the next page but the
[10:48] funds are the general fund which is the
[10:51] chief operating fund of the village. Um
[10:54] anything that doesn't belong in another
[10:56] fund ends up in the general fund.
[10:58] Special revenue special revenue funds
[11:01] cannot have a majority of their revenues
[11:03] coming from the tax levy. um usually
[11:06] they're for a specific um expense. Um
[11:10] example is refuge recycling. We gather
[11:13] the special charges off the tax rule and
[11:16] we put them in our refuge recycling and
[11:18] that money goes specifically for our
[11:21] horrors bill and also do does the leaf
[11:24] pickup and all our on Ryan Street when
[11:28] we have everyone bring their leaves and
[11:31] grasses there to process all those
[11:33] recyclable materials, organic materials.
[11:37] Um the next one is the debt service
[11:40] fund. It accounts for the resources and
[11:44] payments related to long-term debt for
[11:47] those debt that's taken out for the
[11:50] governmental funds, meaning it doesn't
[11:52] include the utilities. Uh the last one
[11:54] we want to talk about is the capital
[11:56] projects funds. Um we don't want you to
[11:58] confuse it with our capital improvement
[12:01] program. A lot of times we'll talk about
[12:03] CIP. It's either the CIP fund or the CIP
[12:07] program. Uh the program includes the
[12:10] utilities. So when we're planning a CIP
[12:13] plan, we talk about a road project and
[12:16] we'll talk about the expenses for the
[12:18] street, the water sewer and storm. In
[12:20] the capital projects fund, what you're
[12:23] going to see is just the accounting for
[12:25] the streets portion. We do not account
[12:27] for the utilities in that. So okay, next
[12:31] slide.
[12:35] So this is an example of our proprietary
[12:37] funds. It includes the enterprise funds,
[12:40] water, source, storm. It also has the
[12:42] internal service fund. So the internal
[12:44] service fund keeps track of our dental.
[12:47] So we are self-insured for dental
[12:49] meaning that we collect the premiums. We
[12:52] use um safer is part of that. So we
[12:55] collect money from the payroll and from
[12:58] the employees. So we put it in a pot and
[13:00] then Delta Dental is our administrator.
[13:03] So when the people go to the dentist,
[13:05] they send the claims to Delta Dental and
[13:07] Delta Tendle tells us how much we owe.
[13:10] So then we they'll take the money out of
[13:12] our account. We've been really fortunate
[13:15] with the way that it's been operating
[13:17] that we've had a surplus. We haven't
[13:19] raised our rates. Last year was the
[13:21] first increase for quite a few years.
[13:24] So, we'll see how the fund is going this
[13:27] year to see if we need additional rate
[13:29] increases.
[13:34] The proprietary funds um these are funds
[13:38] where the activities there's a fee for
[13:42] the external users for goods or
[13:44] services. Um the charges for services
[13:47] are their primary re revenue source and
[13:50] similar to private business.
[13:54] And then we talked about the internal
[13:56] service fund already.
[13:59] Um things to know about governmental
[14:00] accounting again modified acrruel basis.
[14:05] So we keep track of current resources. I
[14:07] had a question the other day. Are we
[14:09] going to see like what we just approved
[14:11] where Mountain Bet is going to be paying
[14:13] us back for that building? Are we going
[14:15] to have a long-term receivable on that?
[14:17] When you look at our fund balance sheet,
[14:20] you are not going to see a receivable
[14:23] necessarily. We'll have to I'm just
[14:24] going to talk with the auditors, but if
[14:26] you do see a receivable, you're also
[14:28] going to see a deferred revenue, meaning
[14:30] that the governmental rules do not allow
[14:35] us to include revenue that's not
[14:38] current, meaning uh 60 90 days or
[14:41] sooner. So, you're not going to see that
[14:43] revenue on the books right away. You're
[14:44] going to see the receivable for Mountain
[14:46] Bay, and you'll see a deferred revenue,
[14:48] which matches that exact same dollar
[14:50] amount. So, uh, another thing we're
[14:54] going to talk about, um,
[14:58] oh, the debt. So, when we issue debt,
[15:01] and you're going to look in the the debt
[15:03] service fund, you're not going to see a
[15:05] long-term liability for all the debt
[15:08] that we have issued. A lot of times
[15:11] people get it kind of gets in the back
[15:14] pages. People, well, you don't tell us
[15:16] how much we actually have in debt. Well,
[15:18] it's in the back pages by design. Not by
[15:21] design, but um following the rules, we
[15:24] do not account for that on the balance
[15:26] sheet, but if you look at the utilities,
[15:28] you you would see the the amount of debt
[15:31] that those utilities do owe. You'll see
[15:33] the water revenue bonds on the balance
[15:35] sheet and the geo bonds on the balance
[15:38] sheet for the water, sewer, and storm.
[15:42] And capital purchases, that's the last
[15:45] thing we're going to talk about. Um,
[15:48] we do budget for capital expenditures in
[15:51] the fund statements. We just talked
[15:52] about the capital projects fund. Those
[15:55] are expenditures. You're going to see
[15:57] what we anticipate spending on capital
[15:59] items in that fund, but you are not
[16:02] going to see it in the utilities. Uh,
[16:04] the utilities have capital assets on
[16:06] their balance sheet unlike the
[16:07] governmental funds. So, you don't budget
[16:10] assets. So, the only place that you're
[16:13] going to see where we budget spending
[16:15] money on capital infrastructure for the
[16:17] utilities is going to be on our capital
[16:19] improvement plan. So, just for
[16:22] clarification, when we're going through
[16:24] that stuff, if you're looking for
[16:25] something and you don't see it, um, just
[16:28] ask, um, it's there. It just may not be
[16:32] in the place that you're looking for.
[16:35] Any questions?
[16:38] It was a lot of information, but I
[16:40] really thought we need to really be on
[16:44] the same page. We're going to talk about
[16:45] governmental funds. Then we're going to
[16:47] talk about the utility funds. Utility
[16:50] funds are
[16:53] their main revenue is that charges for
[16:55] services. There is no tax money in those
[16:57] funds. When we talk about the
[16:59] flexibility, it has a ton more
[17:01] flexibility than those in the
[17:03] governmental funds. When we talk about
[17:05] refuge recycle, all those expenditures
[17:08] in that fund are financed by the refuge
[17:12] recycling charges that we put on the tax
[17:15] bill. They are not financed by property
[17:18] taxes. So when we talk about
[17:19] expenditures in that fund,
[17:22] the choices we make doesn't necessarily
[17:25] impact the tax bill. They're not limited
[17:28] by the allowable increase we can do on
[17:31] our tax bill. general fund is the main
[17:34] fund that when we're talking about the
[17:38] amount of revenue we can levy, it's very
[17:41] limited. A lot of times a strategy that
[17:44] many governments use is what
[17:47] expenditures can we kick out of the
[17:49] general fund because the general fund
[17:51] has so restricted on the revenues that
[17:54] we can generate for that fund. And some
[17:57] people would say you're playing the
[17:58] shell game.
[18:01] We are trying to provide the services
[18:03] that we can with the limited revenue
[18:06] increases that the state allows. So
[18:10] if you have any questions, don't forget
[18:12] to ask. We'll take a couple breaks
[18:15] because we got more information.
[18:19] » No questions.
[18:20] >> Okay.
[18:23] >> Oh, state.
[18:28] » Okay. the state requirements. Um we're
[18:31] going to talk about this because a lot
[18:33] of these reports that the finance
[18:35] department works on impacts directly the
[18:38] budget that we do. Um a good example is
[18:41] our levy limit worksheet. That's the
[18:42] worksheet we do for the state that um
[18:45] controls how much we can increase our
[18:47] levy. And then we have the tax increment
[18:49] worksheet. That worksheet is done that
[18:52] it affects the bottom line of our tax
[18:55] bill. So it doesn't that increment
[18:58] doesn't necessarily affect the general
[18:59] fund, but it affects our tiff, our tiff,
[19:02] too. Uh statement of tax is a great
[19:04] summary of all the taxes that are on
[19:07] your tax bill. That's a form that the
[19:10] village fills out on and is available on
[19:13] the do website if you're looking for it.
[19:16] Another one, municipal financial report.
[19:18] That report's super important. That one
[19:21] is directly tied to our transportation
[19:23] aid. So, if we don't fill that one out
[19:25] correctly, um that could directly impact
[19:28] our transportation aid and especially if
[19:30] we don't file it on time. That's one of
[19:33] the reports that if you do not file on
[19:37] time, they will reduce your aid. Uh
[19:40] expenditure restraint. The village has
[19:42] qualified for expenditure restraint. We
[19:44] are over $100,000 right now and has
[19:47] certain rules and regulations that we
[19:49] have to follow to um get those funds.
[19:52] We're going to talk a little bit more
[19:54] about that too in a little bit.
[19:56] >> Yes. Levy limits. Municipality may
[19:59] increase its levy over the prior year by
[20:01] a percentage increase in equalized value
[20:03] from net new construction. Net new
[20:06] construction prior year as any demo and
[20:09] destruction
[20:11] is how they determine that number. If
[20:15] there was no net new construction, the
[20:17] village would not be allowed to increase
[20:19] their levy at all.
[20:24] This is an example. This is the most
[20:26] current we just got on August 11th. This
[20:29] is our statement of changes in equalized
[20:32] value by class and item. That's a report
[20:34] that's given to us by the state. You can
[20:37] see um our 2025 equalized values. And
[20:40] then there's prior year
[20:44] compensation
[20:46] and then the economic change. the
[20:48] economic change. Those numbers are
[20:50] determined by the state. They're
[20:52] determined by the sales information from
[20:57] the area.
[20:59] Um, it's a I'll call it a makeup madeup
[21:03] number. It basically inc tells you that
[21:06] your property is now worth $100,000
[21:08] instead of um $90,000.
[21:12] but it really doesn't have a direct
[21:14] correlation to what you would see on
[21:17] your tax bill. Um, here's the amount of
[21:20] net new construction. As you can see,
[21:22] the village has close to 2% again this
[21:25] year. And you can see a lot of the
[21:28] increase came from residential
[21:29] improvements.
[21:33] Um, in the end% lower right corner, the
[21:36] total change for the villages equalized
[21:39] value was 9%.
[21:41] The next page, net new construction.
[21:45] Um, the villages equalized value of 2025
[21:48] 1.9. Our net new construction is 31.3
[21:52] million and that is an percentage of
[21:56] 1.624. So that's the amount we can
[21:58] increase our levy over our prior year.
[22:02] You can see where other municipalities
[22:05] are on that same line.
[22:10] Yes.
[22:11] >> Any questions on equalized value and net
[22:13] new construction?
[22:15] They they don't they impact the net new
[22:18] construction impacts our budget
[22:20] significantly. When we don't get a big
[22:23] number, that hurts. Um you can see our
[22:27] history on this one where we've ranged.
[22:30] You can see the equalized value, the
[22:32] assessed, and then how that affects our
[22:36] net new construction. there is no
[22:38] correlation.
[22:40] So, it's really hard to determine and
[22:42] guess that number.
[22:44] And you can see the amount of levy
[22:45] increases that we've had since 2019.
[22:50] 95,000 is pretty good. So, we've had
[22:54] some pretty good years,
[22:58] but 95,000 doesn't cover a lot of budget
[23:02] increase. There's absolutely no tie to
[23:05] um CPI. So when our fuel is running wild
[23:09] and we need to cover the cost of that comes out of that 95. Um our
[23:15] workers comp we our modify factor went
[23:18] up from86 to 1.17.
[23:22] >> That's a $30,000 increase. That's taken
[23:25] out of that number. Um mountain Bay
[23:28] increase that's taken out of that
[23:30] number. As you can see that that number
[23:33] is already in the negatives by taking so
[23:35] much out of it.
[23:37] Um this is why we continue to talk about
[23:40] our struggles. Um we do get some shared
[23:45] revenue increase. We get some general
[23:48] transportation increase, but general
[23:51] transportation increases aren't a
[23:53] forever thing. We're going to plateau
[23:55] out. So the money we get from GTA we
[23:58] need to be using wly wisely.
[24:01] Um, in our shared revenue, I think last
[24:04] year we got 30,000.
[24:10] » Okay.
[24:11] >> We want to do seventh inning stretch.
[24:14] >> Yes.
[24:14] >> Okay.
[24:15] >> Thank you.
[24:15] >> So, last year we did uh videos at the
[24:19] beginning. These are just
[24:23] they should be a little bit
[24:24] inspirational. They should be a little
[24:26] bit fun. It's a way to break up the
[24:28] presentation.
[24:30] If there's a video that you all really
[24:32] like that you think would be good to
[24:33] share,
[24:35] send it our way. But it also just, you
[24:38] know, gives a a rest in the middle. So,
[24:40] this was a video that we wanted to share
[24:43] today. They don't necessarily relate to
[24:46] budget. I just want to I want to point
[24:48] that out.
[24:50] >> This acts of generosity
[24:53] is how simple it is to make people feel
[24:57] good. I was walking down the streets of
[25:00] New York City
[25:02] and a guy walking in front of me, his
[25:04] backpack opened and a bunch of paper
[25:05] fell out on the on the street. I didn't
[25:07] think much of it. I bent down. I
[25:10] gathered up the papers, handed them back
[25:11] to him, and pointed out that his his bag
[25:13] had opened. Now, in our bodies, there's
[25:16] a chemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin is
[25:18] responsible for all the warm and
[25:20] fuzzies, unicorns, and rainbows. It's
[25:22] responsible for all the warm feelings
[25:24] and connectedness we have with each
[25:26] other. Friendship, love. Huge amounts of
[25:30] oxytocin surge through a woman's body as
[25:32] she gives birth. This is what is
[25:34] responsible for the mother child bond.
[25:36] Oxytocin binds human beings. There are
[25:38] many ways to get oxytocin.
[25:41] One of them is acts of kindness and acts
[25:43] of generosity. It feels good when we do
[25:45] something nice for someone. It feels
[25:47] good when someone does something nice
[25:49] for us. On this particular day, I did
[25:52] something for someone with no
[25:54] expectation of anything in return. I got
[25:56] a little surge of oxytocin. I felt good.
[25:59] He turned to me and he said, "Thank you.
[26:02] It feels nice when someone does
[26:04] something for us with no expectation of
[26:05] anything in return." He felt good.
[26:09] I walked to the end of the street. I'm
[26:10] waiting to cross the street and a total
[26:13] stranger who happened to be standing
[26:14] next to me said, "I saw what you did
[26:15] back there. That was really cool." As it
[26:18] turns out, witnessing an act of
[26:21] generosity
[26:24] releases oxytocin
[26:26] and he felt good.
[26:29] And the best part about oxytocin is the
[26:31] more oxytocin we have in our bodies, the
[26:34] more generous we become. It is mother
[26:37] nature's way of trying desperately to
[26:40] get us to look after each other. I can
[26:43] guarantee you that that man who
[26:45] witnessed what I did did something nice
[26:47] for somebody that day simply because he
[26:49] saw someone do something nice for
[26:51] somebody that day. So what if we commit
[26:54] to do something nice for someone with no
[26:57] expectation of anything in return?
[26:58] Imagine what happens at work. Imagine
[27:00] what happens at home. Imagine what
[27:02] happens with our friends.
[27:04] But it must be genuine.
[27:14] was going to do a pop quiz on does
[27:16] everyone know who was speaking but then
[27:18] his name flashed up huge at the end. So
[27:23] no,
[27:29] » okay, we'll continue with the lovey
[27:32] limit worksheet. So exciting.
[27:36] Uh this is just we can go quickly unless
[27:40] you have questions there. There's not a
[27:42] lot to this, but I just want you to
[27:44] understand that when we do the budget,
[27:46] when we do the levy, we just don't tell
[27:48] the state what we want to levy. Um we go
[27:51] through the calculations. You go to the
[27:54] page prior.
[27:55] >> Sure.
[27:57] Give it a
[27:58] >> That's a second page.
[28:00] >> Catch up.
[28:12] But if you have it on your computers, we
[28:13] can talk about it. So, when you look at
[28:15] the levy limit worksheet on the page the
[28:18] first page of it, um they they give you
[28:23] your last year's levy and then they add
[28:26] the personal property tax and then
[28:29] there's the debt obligation debt general obligation debt authorized
[28:35] after 20 2005. that was um that's our
[28:40] that's the money that we levy to pay our
[28:44] debt that's associated with the general
[28:46] fund. So 2.15 million. So if anyone ever
[28:50] asks how much money do we levy to pay
[28:52] for debt that that's it and it's really
[28:55] straightforward on this worksheet.
[28:58] And then we get the adjusted and then
[29:00] we're allowed to increase with net
[29:02] construction.
[29:06] And then and that's pretty much all the
[29:10] adjustments we get. Um you can see line
[29:13] one and eight are the same. I'm not sure
[29:16] how the TIFF closure is going to treat
[29:19] that. I'm anticipating the top line is
[29:23] going to be
[29:25] 88,169,
[29:26] but the bottom number might be 120,000.
[29:31] That's something we'll have to see how
[29:33] the do treats a tiff closure. never been
[29:36] through it at this I think the last time
[29:39] I was through it I think I was two years
[29:40] into it um into the village of Weston
[29:44] like 2009 so I don't exactly reme
[29:48] remember plus I think the levy limit
[29:50] worksheet was a little different back
[29:52] then so this is and then if you look at
[29:55] line five that's where you're going to
[29:57] see that tiff is going to be there
[30:00] there's going to be a percentage there
[30:02] that's going to allow us to increase our
[30:04] levy for that TIFF closure.
[30:09] So, um, very excited to see what that
[30:13] ends up being. We kind of had had it
[30:16] calculated
[30:17] close to $400,000
[30:19] additional, but when I say that, I also
[30:22] said we might be having to subtract an
[30:24] additional $100,000 because our personal
[30:27] property aid is going up. Um that's that
[30:32] would be unfortunate
[30:34] but that's the way the levy limits work.
[30:37] When we did our tiff increment we that
[30:40] personal property aid wasn't part of the
[30:42] calculation.
[30:44] Um but I think it just goes forward to
[30:48] how the state is trying to when the
[30:51] different laws are passed, they have to
[30:53] try to make
[30:55] um reports and forms to
[30:58] follow the rules for each act that was
[31:02] passed without having all the acts
[31:05] really relating to one another. So,
[31:10] and then this next page, if you go to
[31:13] the next page, that again is just our
[31:15] general obligation debt that's due in
[31:19] 2026.
[31:21] So, that includes the interest and
[31:23] principal payments.
[31:25] So, if you're ever curious, we we do
[31:28] bring this worksheet forward so we can
[31:30] talk about how much we actually pay for
[31:33] our interest in principal.
[31:37] Okay, I have a question just on you you
[31:40] hit it kind of a little bit on the
[31:42] personal property aids. Is that kind of
[31:44] a set amount or does it increase with I
[31:48] didn't think so, but I I just, you know,
[31:50] >> now the state, this is a good point of
[31:53] what the state does. We used to have
[31:54] personal property tax and it was part of
[31:57] our levy. So when we were able to
[32:00] increase our levy with net new
[32:01] construction, guess what? our levy went
[32:04] up more and right now we we add and
[32:08] subtract it and that 88 never changes.
[32:13] When we got new businesses and like
[32:16] Amazon they had personal property our
[32:18] personal property aid went up. It
[32:21] doesn't go up anymore. We're stuck. I
[32:24] mean, it was nice the state gave us the
[32:27] money to supplement the personal
[32:30] property tax for that year, but moving
[32:33] forward, we don't get an increase.
[32:36] >> Okay. That's kind of what I thought, but
[32:38] I wasn't positive. Okay.
[32:39] >> Yeah.
[32:40] >> Thank you.
[32:41] >> There's a lot of stuff. Um, they say
[32:45] cable franchise fees, they reduce the
[32:47] amount that we could collect on that.
[32:49] They give us a set amount and that
[32:51] amount doesn't ever change.
[32:54] There's just a quite a few things that
[32:56] the state has done. Oh, we're going to
[32:58] supplement you, but that supplement
[33:00] number doesn't change.
[33:02] >> So, that makes it harder and harder for
[33:04] us to reach our goals because it does
[33:06] that isn't going naturally up. It's just
[33:08] a flat fee.
[33:10] >> Yes.
[33:14] » Okay. Thank you.
[33:18] » This is just um part of our public
[33:20] hearing notice. So, if you go back to
[33:23] the budget book from 2026 budget, this
[33:26] is just a copy. These numbers will tie
[33:29] to some of the um forms that we'll be
[33:33] showing in the next couple slides.
[33:40] The expenditure restraint, the main
[33:42] point here is we received $138,000
[33:46] for our 2026 budget. We split 88 in the
[33:50] general fund and 50 in capital.
[33:53] I said this before and I'll say it
[33:55] again. I don't know if we can keep this.
[33:57] Um that means that we'll be getting
[33:58] $88,000 less less in the general fund.
[34:01] We talked about the certain rules and
[34:03] regulations that need to be followed. I
[34:05] think they're on the next page. Yeah. So
[34:09] we talk about it.
[34:12] This form is just super old because when
[34:15] we close our tiff, we're going to go up,
[34:18] like we said, around $400,000. Meaning
[34:21] that we can increase our expenditures
[34:24] around $400,000.
[34:26] But the expenditure straight form
[34:28] doesn't take into account non it doesn't
[34:32] take into account those type of
[34:35] situations. It's like if you were to
[34:37] receive say a half a million dollar
[34:38] grant you put it in your general fund,
[34:40] you would kick yourself right out of
[34:42] this program. But that's where we have
[34:44] to use the shell game or accounting
[34:47] smarts and we kick the $500,000 in the
[34:50] special revenue fund that I talked about
[34:52] earlier. That's that grant money has to
[34:55] be used for a specific purpose so it's
[34:57] able to stay in that fund and it keeps
[34:59] our general fund within this expenditure
[35:02] restraint program.
[35:07] So now, how is that I'm sorry. Can I
[35:09] just
[35:10] >> How is that going to uh with the tiff?
[35:14] >> It might kick us out of the program.
[35:16] >> Okay.
[35:17] >> There's a few things I want to look at
[35:19] and I want to see if any other people
[35:22] have done it. But one of our recom
[35:25] things we could maybe do is kick our GTA
[35:28] general transportation aid out, put the
[35:31] street maintenance, follow that all into
[35:33] fund 42, and keep our general fund
[35:37] expenditures within the restraint
[35:40] program.
[35:41] So, you're taking general transportation
[35:44] aid, which is supposed to be used for
[35:46] transportation, put it in 42, take the
[35:49] expenditures,
[35:51] maintenance, street maintenance, kick
[35:54] that out, and see if we can keep it
[35:56] down.
[35:57] >> Well, will it
[35:58] >> there? There are not a lot of rules
[36:02] like there's no rule that will prevent
[36:04] you from doing it. It asks for what are
[36:06] your general fund budget? What have you
[36:09] levied in other funds for this? Like you
[36:14] can see the debt service and you can see
[36:16] the aquatic center. They're both up
[36:17] there and that's what the state looks
[36:20] like. They look at those numbers.
[36:23] >> Okay. Cuz I was going to ask if we're
[36:25] applying some of the tiff funds to the
[36:28] borrowing.
[36:30] >> So we're you're talking about the
[36:32] closure. So when I talked about that, I
[36:35] said when we close tiff 2. So we're
[36:37] going to have our audit hopefully
[36:40] October and at the end of that audit the
[36:43] auditors will have a final number of
[36:47] what's left in the tiff district that
[36:49] needs to be allocated to the other
[36:51] taxing jurisdictions and what amount
[36:54] remains with us.
[36:56] So that final number which we won't know
[36:59] till after the audit that's the number
[37:01] and it will not
[37:04] the expenditure straight program is
[37:06] based on our 2026 budget and we don't
[37:09] have anything in there for tiff.
[37:13] >> Okay I was just wondering
[37:15] >> so it won't impact it. That's why the
[37:16] program's so messed up. It doesn't.
[37:19] There's so many ways around it and you
[37:22] need to know what you're doing to find
[37:25] those ways and stay in compliance.
[37:29] >> So, approximately what would we lose if
[37:31] we get kicked out of this program?
[37:33] >> What?
[37:34] >> How much money will we lose?
[37:36] >> $138,000.
[37:38] >> Okay. Okay. So, that's another We got to
[37:41] find it.
[37:42] >> 88 is in the general fund. When we did
[37:45] this, we split it. We split it so
[37:48] knowing if we ever lost the program, we
[37:50] wouldn't have to take the full hit.
[37:52] >> Okay.
[37:53] >> And that's part of the strategy that we
[37:56] do for budgeting. Like I said, when you
[37:58] can kick it out of the general fund,
[38:01] let's do that because
[38:04] it it just works out for your long-term
[38:07] future. You have more flexibility.
[38:11] » Okay. I was wondering. Thank you. Just
[38:14] real quick, Michael rent the flash truck
[38:17] has gone by our gates three times. Just
[38:20] is he trying to get in or something?
[38:22] >> Who is it?
[38:23] >> I don't think so.
[38:24] >> So, it's a rent the flash. It's got a
[38:26] big white truck with a a um you know a
[38:29] gated bed. He's over on this side now.
[38:31] >> Okay.
[38:31] >> He came in first here, then he went here
[38:33] and now he's back there again.
[38:34] >> Okay.
[38:35] >> I just didn't know
[38:37] trying to get trying to find some signs.
[38:39] Thank you. Sorry about that.
[38:42] >> This is
[38:44] Thank you. This is just a copy of the
[38:47] worksheet that we have to fill out. Kind
[38:49] of like what I had on that Excel
[38:51] spreadsheet.
[38:58] Uh what's my property worth? We're going
[39:00] to talk about the difference between
[39:01] assessed, equalized, and appraised. I
[39:03] know we do this every year, but I think
[39:05] it's always a great refresher.
[39:08] >> Assessed value is the value that the
[39:09] village assessor puts on your property.
[39:11] We just had a reassessment a couple
[39:13] years ago. He he did that reassessment
[39:17] based on the current sales values and he
[39:19] has to make sure that when he reassesses
[39:21] everybody the total assessed value of
[39:24] the village is close to the equalized
[39:26] value that the state put on and he has
[39:29] to do it by class. So when he's when
[39:31] you're looking at the residential,
[39:34] commercial, and all those other classes,
[39:36] at the end of his assessment when he
[39:38] went through the village, he had to make
[39:39] sure he was with was within a certain
[39:41] percentage of those.
[39:46] If there are any issues with someone's
[39:49] if you know someone that is complaining
[39:51] about their assessed value, tell them to
[39:53] go to open book border review. Um, our
[39:57] assessor does work with people if you
[39:59] feel that your assessed value is
[40:01] incorrect. Um, you need to talk to Greg
[40:04] and you can appear before board of
[40:06] review. There's always a an out to talk
[40:10] about your frustrations if you feel that
[40:12] is not assessed properly.
[40:18] Equalized value is value put on your
[40:20] property given by state. State law
[40:23] requires assessors to be within 10% or
[40:27] of the state's equalized value at least
[40:29] once in every four-year period.
[40:32] Unfortunately, that that sheet I showed
[40:34] you before with that equalized value,
[40:36] the state is definitely changing our
[40:38] equalized value faster. I know other
[40:42] municipalities are having the same
[40:44] problem. And unfortunately, it's
[40:46] municipalities that have to pay for a
[40:48] reassessment when we are without outside
[40:51] that 10% boundary. They're not they're
[40:54] not cheap. It's unfortunate that the
[40:57] system, my my opinion, is broken. We
[41:00] shouldn't be forced to pay hundreds,000
[41:03] or more because the state is continuing
[41:06] to value our property and our our values
[41:11] don't keep up with assessed values.
[41:14] There's got to be a better answer.
[41:19] Here's an example of a tax bill. It
[41:21] shows your total assessed value and the
[41:23] estimated fair market value, which more
[41:25] or less is the equalized value.
[41:28] Then the assessment ratio.
[41:34] The price value. We're just going to
[41:35] touch on this slightly. This is my what
[41:37] you're familiar with if you want to go
[41:39] refinance your home or if you're looking
[41:41] to take out a mortgage on a new home.
[41:43] The appraised value is the value that
[41:44] the banks will look at. Um, more than
[41:47] likely will be different from both your
[41:49] assessed and equalized value.
[41:56] So, where we are now, uh, this goes a
[41:59] little bit into the next agenda item,
[42:01] but just revisiting those priorities. We
[42:04] talked about them both at the finance
[42:05] and HR meeting and at the board meeting
[42:09] last week. I was going to say last
[42:12] month, but that was only last week.
[42:15] >> These were some items that we had heard.
[42:17] We just wanted to give a moment tonight
[42:20] to see if there was any additions or
[42:23] changes. Again, what sort of happens
[42:26] from this point is if there are
[42:28] priorities, we're not saying we can work
[42:30] them into the budget. What we will do is
[42:32] as we're putting items together, we
[42:35] would try to work them into the budget
[42:38] and bring that back to you and say this
[42:40] is what it needs.
[42:49] So maybe I'll I'll give a a
[42:53] we'll go to the next slide which is just
[42:54] a little bit about the consumer price
[42:56] index. um because maybe we'll read that
[42:59] priority agenda item and then if we have
[43:01] any if there's anything more to add
[43:03] outside of those we could have that
[43:06] conversation then. But I just wanted to
[43:08] point out kind of where we were last
[43:09] year to this year on the consumer price
[43:11] index. The CPI is often a common
[43:16] uh way of evaluating what the cost
[43:19] increase has been in the last year. Last
[43:21] year we were at at 2.7 at the end of
[43:23] July and this year we're at 3.4.
[43:32] We're going to talk a little bit more
[43:33] about this when we get into the agenda
[43:35] item about uh wages, benefits, and um if
[43:41] we want to establish anything different
[43:42] for trustee wages going into the next
[43:45] term of office. So we uh I have a piece
[43:49] an RFC that that covers this too.
[43:58] And then just our our last quote that a budget should reflect the values and
[44:03] priorities of our nation and its people.
[44:06] If anyone else has good quotes you want
[44:08] to share, let us know too because we
[44:10] would put them into the powerpoints
[44:11] going forward.
[44:21] » Moving on to six. Thank you, Jessica.
[44:23] >> Yeah, thank you.
[44:24] >> Veryformational.
[44:25] >> Good presentation.
[44:27] >> Like I said, any questions, let me know.
[44:29] We're going through this process, but
[44:32] there's if you have questions, let us
[44:35] know.
[44:38] » Good. Moving on to six, discussion,
[44:41] interaction on 2027 budget priorities.
[44:45] Any additional discussion continued from
[44:47] prior finance and human resources and
[44:48] board of trustees meetings?
[44:58] Can we talk a little bit more about
[45:00] doing longer term goals and would that
[45:02] be considered a priority? Like setting
[45:04] having departments set a one year, a
[45:06] three year and a fiveyear goal. Could
[45:08] that be something that could be worked
[45:10] into budgetary when they're proposing
[45:12] their 2027
[45:14] saying this is 2027, we imagine in three
[45:16] years we're going to need X, Y, and Z.
[45:18] And in five years we could look at a
[45:20] little bit longer term. Is that
[45:21] something that could happen?
[45:25] >> Yeah. I don't know that we could always
[45:26] establish a number with that but
[45:28] certainly
[45:30] what we're thinking for future. Yes. you
[45:33] know, like we talked last time when you
[45:34] brought it up, you know, we can bring in
[45:36] start just populating more and more
[45:38] spots in the next year's, you know,
[45:40] three or five year budgets and as you
[45:43] know, three or five years from now,
[45:44] it'll have we'll have more population in
[45:46] there because those are the things,
[45:47] those are the priorities that we want to
[45:49] do. I think that's a great idea.
[45:51] >> I really do.
[45:51] >> We do that
[45:52] >> and kind of have a gear mark.
[45:53] >> Yeah. Somewhat in borrowing. I can
[45:55] remember we used to they would streets
[45:58] especially would do a kind of projected
[46:03] >> correct Michael does it on a CI 2026
[46:06] 2027 2028
[46:08] >> right
[46:08] >> I would imagine there's some way that
[46:10] some of these departments could do
[46:11] something similar it would be perfect
[46:13] but something similar so we can start
[46:15] looking you know longer term if we know
[46:19] a specific department
[46:21] is going to need x y and z personnel We
[46:24] know that in two years they're going to
[46:27] need an increase which might be another
[46:28] $70,000 for budget. So we need to start
[46:30] planning.
[46:31] >> I guess I would like to ask I mean we
[46:34] can only ask that like the police and fire would kind of do that also.
[46:40] >> I think that's a good suggestion
[46:42] >> because that's where the big funds
[46:45] besides the street. That's where the big
[46:48] funds come in is this those three
[46:50] departments that you know and they they
[46:53] can kind of control where which
[46:55] direction we're going. So,
[46:57] >> and do we have a difference of what a
[46:59] priority is versus a goal? Meaning a
[47:02] goal might mean a village is looking at
[47:05] growth versus maintenance.
[47:07] >> Then a priority of a lawnmower is
[47:10] something that the department wants, but
[47:12] is that a village goal? I would say your
[47:16] goals are in your strategic plan and
[47:18] your budget would be your priorities
[47:20] that you're going to force for that
[47:22] year. So your your strategic plan would
[47:26] outline what are those big goals? What's
[47:28] that long-term vision? Because
[47:32] making the determination of whether or
[47:34] not you want it growth or maintenance,
[47:36] that's a that's a big goal for a
[47:38] village. you're you're you're projecting
[47:41] out for a long time saying we're going
[47:44] to make the determination that we're
[47:46] only doing maintenance and not growth,
[47:47] right? Like that's that's a larger
[47:49] conversation. That's a strategic. So I
[47:51] would say goals are strategic and and
[47:54] these priorities are they're really
[47:56] thinking the next one to two maybe three
[47:58] years. I mean even our capital plan we
[48:01] do project out five but it we're
[48:04] shifting all the time in that. I mean,
[48:06] we we do, which we're going to talk
[48:08] about capital here in just a little bit.
[48:10] You're certainly working on those
[48:12] engineering plans a year or maybe two
[48:15] years in advance. Um, but so in five
[48:18] years, those items could shift
[48:20] dramatically depending on what happens.
[48:23] >> And when do we re review that strategic
[48:25] plan? Out of curiosity, I don't remember
[48:28] when we did our last one. So, I had that
[48:31] as part of our priorities if we wanted
[48:33] to have someone walk through us with
[48:34] that because our our plan uh it went
[48:38] essentially through 2025 if we wanted to
[48:40] have someone come in and and redo our
[48:43] plan, update our plan um or if we wanted
[48:46] to reaffirm our four goals that were in
[48:48] the prior plan that also you know that's
[48:52] your mission, your vision and your
[48:53] values.
[48:54] >> Well, those plans if we bring somebody
[48:57] in is not cheap. I would say between8 to
[49:00] $10,000
[49:01] >> and I I think it coit funds is what paid
[49:04] for it. It was a it was part of but
[49:06] thank you
[49:08] >> um hope to assist with that and we
[49:11] certainly could do an RFP and see what
[49:14] um if there would be an entity that
[49:16] would be you know interested
[49:18] >> or maybe we need to look at what we had
[49:20] before and see if that's still our
[49:24] or do we want to tweak it you know.
[49:26] >> Yeah. And that for one of our upcoming
[49:30] budget workshop meetings, we could
[49:33] add that into the packet.
[49:35] >> It it's on the website. Um it's off the
[49:37] administrator's page if to download.
[49:40] It's it's not a a super large document.
[49:43] I think it's probably, you know, 12
[49:45] pages. Uh so it's it's a fast read.
[49:49] It's, you know, it's not a binder full,
[49:55] right? Yeah, go ahead.
[49:57] >> I guess I don't know if we want to make
[49:58] prompt discussion on just looking at the
[50:00] priorities that were on that slide and
[50:03] just making sure that they fit within
[50:04] the priorities given to us by residents
[50:07] on the comp plan. Um again reading from
[50:09] the top of that list with their
[50:10] importance. We're looking at EMS, road
[50:12] maintenance repairs, fire, blowing,
[50:14] salting, trash collection, public water
[50:16] service, recycling collection, and then
[50:18] we get underneath 60%.
[50:20] And 86% of people said road maintenance
[50:23] and repairs were important and 13% are
[50:25] currently satisfied. So I'm wondering do
[50:27] all of these priorities that we've
[50:29] identified actually fit within
[50:31] those or are these more staff and board
[50:34] member priorities versus community
[50:36] priorities? I'm not saying one way or
[50:38] another, but I do feel like a couple of
[50:40] those maybe don't don't fit in those
[50:43] identified importance levels given to us
[50:46] by the community.
[50:56] I I think some of our priorities help
[51:00] staff time be readjusted toward meeting
[51:04] um our priorities. I also think
[51:10] and I I don't have data to support this,
[51:12] but I also think part of our our road
[51:15] maintenance concerns from residents are
[51:18] on projects that are outside of our
[51:20] control. Um like Business 51, Camp
[51:22] Phillips Road. Um things that we can't
[51:26] control the the maintenance on it. Um
[51:29] because you know I've been on public
[51:32] works now for a few years and I think
[51:35] the village does a great job making our
[51:37] streets a priority and we have a lot of
[51:39] really good streets around our
[51:41] community. So it's hard to know exactly
[51:46] where we would make a priority if it's
[51:49] street maintenance or street
[51:50] improvements. Um, at least from my
[51:53] perspective as a committee member,
[51:54] because when I think of our system as a
[51:56] whole, I'm like, we have a lot of really
[51:59] good streets, we certainly know in our
[52:01] older part of the village, um, over
[52:03] toward like the the junior high, there's
[52:06] an older area that we're we're working
[52:08] on making improvements. Um, and we we
[52:12] have that as part of our CIP. Um, but
[52:16] >> yeah, I rambled. Sorry.
[52:18] >> That's okay. I said I wasn't really
[52:19] pushing one way or another. I just, you
[52:21] know, if we're presented with that
[52:23] question, how do these fit in? What do,
[52:25] you know, public safety is like
[52:27] obviously dominating the top with roads?
[52:28] So, I mean, a lot of these you could art
[52:30] articulated public safety, but I just,
[52:32] like I said, just throwing out there as
[52:34] a discussion points, you know, how do we answer those questions if we
[52:38] make sure that priorities that we have
[52:39] in this room are the priorities of the citizens that were identified for us
[52:44] with that comp? And I do realize like
[52:46] you know only 700 residents did that
[52:47] comp plan but the only data we have to
[52:50] go off of. So
[52:53] >> we could maybe delineate these
[52:55] priorities a little bit better saying
[52:57] you know if the purchase of one robotic
[52:59] lawn mower is a priority that is because
[53:02] they're trying to look at staffing and
[53:05] reallocate staffing in a better way to
[53:07] support what was saying. So maybe these
[53:10] can be delineated out a little bit more.
[53:13] Don't know if that would
[53:15] >> Yeah, I don't know what the outcome I
[53:17] was looking for. So, that really helps,
[53:18] right, when you bring up a discussion
[53:19] topic. I just I just thought it was
[53:21] something we should consider it because
[53:22] that's something as I was thinking about
[53:23] earlier today as we were looking at some
[53:24] of the priorities.
[53:28] » Well, you know, the robotic if if it
[53:30] keeps getting brought up, you know, with
[53:32] Scoffield Avenue, what's the percentage
[53:33] that we took the grass cutting down by
[53:36] putting in uh cement, stamped cement, uh
[53:39] now we've got uh you know, bushes and
[53:40] perennials and whatever in there instead
[53:42] of grass. So, it's always been one of my
[53:44] concerns, number one, they have staff
[53:45] out there cutting in the middle of a
[53:47] medium, you know, how dangerous it is.
[53:50] >> Uh, summer help and and why and then
[53:52] we've got to put water to it, you know,
[53:54] to to green it. Um, I I'm, you know,
[53:58] I've been out southwest and I think rock
[54:01] and cement and some different colors of
[54:03] cement are are gorgeous with all that
[54:05] maintenance. I mean, we we can't even
[54:07] cut our own lawn right now without
[54:08] hiring I think Riverside or whoever
[54:11] helps us out. So, we have a contract
[54:13] with that. So, the mower, we're looking
[54:14] I'm sure we're looking at the mower to
[54:16] help us with payroll.
[54:18] >> Correct.
[54:18] >> But what are the limitations of this
[54:20] robotic mower? How how much maintenance
[54:22] do we have to have? It can't be out at a
[54:24] park. I mean, I know they have GPS's, so
[54:27] if someone steals it, we can track it,
[54:29] but does it jump up and down off the
[54:30] curbs? Can, you know, can it only do
[54:33] this one section at a time, then we've
[54:34] got to go out there and help it up on a
[54:36] curb and do the next section? I guess
[54:38] that's the why I would say we'd want to
[54:40] get one to see see first how effective
[54:43] it can be.
[54:44] >> So so over at the fire department would
[54:45] be a possibility, you know. Well, we
[54:47] have personnel there all the time. We
[54:49] have personnel here all the time.
[54:51] Otherwise, everything else we'd have to
[54:53] be out there or checking back on it to
[54:55] see if it's done with the park or done
[54:57] with this section at a certain time. I
[54:59] mean, I know there's some big sections
[55:01] we do. Um, and maybe that would work. I
[55:04] don't know what the maintenance is. I
[55:05] don't know how long they last. I don't
[55:07] even know how much they are.
[55:08] >> The district uses them on all the soccer
[55:10] fields. So they would be a good resource
[55:12] and they don't check on their I mean
[55:14] they're not going out there to check on
[55:15] theirs.
[55:15] >> No. And there's people there so so they
[55:17] can help that out. And that's a big
[55:18] section at one time. Right.
[55:20] >> Right.
[55:20] >> It's also fenced in area so it makes it
[55:22] really easy to keep the robot where it's
[55:24] supposed to be.
[55:25] >> Oh, I I look at the lawns. I I look at
[55:28] personal, you know, people's lawns and I
[55:29] think they're gorgeous. You know, I
[55:31] always think that they randomly do this.
[55:32] No, they don't. They go and they they
[55:34] put the lines in that you want, you
[55:35] know. So yeah, so I'm I'm assuming that
[55:38] that's there to take away some payroll.
[55:41] Definitely.
[55:42] >> We cut a lot a lot of lawn, you know, to
[55:44] the point now that I think years ago we
[55:46] weren't even identifying where that
[55:48] labor was going. Now we are. So now we
[55:50] actually have the labor um slotted to
[55:53] what is a lawn cutting so that we can
[55:55] identify if we're up or down each year
[55:57] or whatever. Okay, good.
[55:59] >> I think we we talked with the potential
[56:01] of the facilities or grounds position
[56:05] because of the TIFF closure and bringing
[56:07] those funds back that we are paying the
[56:09] outside firm if if we had that
[56:11] additional staff help. So I don't don't
[56:13] necessarily want to say that it would
[56:15] save on labor, but it would give our
[56:17] labor the ability to do higher purpose
[56:20] task than than the mowing.
[56:26] » Yeah. Go ahead.
[56:27] >> Why couldn't we put the ground cover in
[56:29] there? If we put the ground cover, we
[56:32] don't need to cut it. Mhm.
[56:35] And it's not really difficult.
[56:39] So,
[56:41] I have used it. It work
[56:44] maintenance.
[56:46] Well, I don't know what you all think,
[56:47] but um you know, I know we have a just
[56:49] two little mediums over on Camp Phillips
[56:52] and Ross Avenue that have uh a colored
[56:54] cement one way and then we've got some
[56:57] uh actually we got a donated from
[56:58] Everest. They donated some of the extra
[57:01] turf to put on those other two. You you
[57:03] drive down Thomas Street in Wasau that artificial turf looks not that
[57:08] looks pretty good to me. And they
[57:09] maintain it well. They don't let the
[57:10] weeds come up on the side.
[57:11] >> I was
[57:12] >> and uh unless you don't like it, but I
[57:15] mean if you want green, it it can
[57:17] certainly be that. So yeah. Well, that's
[57:19] the one thing that um when you said that
[57:21] they keep the weeds out, it it drives me
[57:24] crazy when you go down these strips
[57:26] where it's cement or black top in the
[57:29] middle, then you got all these weeds
[57:32] coming up in by the cracks and it looks
[57:35] terrible. I mean,
[57:36] >> but it's everywhere, you know. So, so I
[57:38] get calls on Camp Phillips and I go,
[57:40] "Cam Phillips
[57:41] >> is the county,
[57:42] >> right?"
[57:42] >> You know, or or a road going on the
[57:44] highway and you're four feet in the air,
[57:46] >> right? Um I I used to I used to call all
[57:48] the time on the arrow bar, you know,
[57:50] right there in that that now got redone
[57:52] >> and my heavens is three four feet in the
[57:54] air bushes. And you know what? I I I'm
[57:56] old enough to know that uh train cars
[57:58] didn't used to have graffiti and now
[58:00] they all have graffiti. So is that
[58:02] something that we're just supposed to
[58:03] see and look at and not pay attention to
[58:04] anymore? I don't I have no idea. No, I'm
[58:06] just saying if we put it down, I would
[58:08] hope that we
[58:10] >> do some weed killer on it or something,
[58:13] you know, once in a while to save, you
[58:15] know, if it's saving.
[58:18] >> But public safety, that's number one.
[58:21] >> I don't follow along with the parks
[58:22] meetings as much as I probably should,
[58:23] but the Oclair River Trail, has that
[58:25] been a goal that's been around for a
[58:26] while, or is where did that one come
[58:28] from?
[58:32] » I I don't know. the
[58:35] it was a you had put forth those three
[58:38] from the last meeting. That's why
[58:39] they're on there and the I it had to
[58:41] deal with the trees being in the river
[58:43] which is going to be brought back. Um
[58:46] they did come and present to parks. We
[58:48] said that we would work with them and
[58:49] they're coming for tourism funds which
[58:51] may be a better fit long term as an
[58:53] allocation of a portion of tourism to
[58:55] keep the river passable since we have
[58:58] made the investment to have access to
[59:00] the river. And that's basically why I
[59:02] had brought it up. Access to get to it.
[59:06] Yeah, there was difficulty. They spoke I
[59:08] think at a parks meeting there was
[59:09] difficulty. Louis could probably speak
[59:10] to that.
[59:11] >> Well, there's there's
[59:13] it's a little it could be confusing.
[59:15] We're not talking about necessarily the
[59:17] gravel pathway trail that goes along the
[59:20] river. We're talking about the actual
[59:21] river, which is a a trail system in
[59:23] itself, um that the county is working on
[59:26] trying to make into a much broader trail
[59:29] system connected with um Wisconsin
[59:31] River. Um we want to make sure that if
[59:34] we're going to attract tourism to our
[59:38] community through that river and
[59:40] kayaking and other things that it's
[59:42] passable and it's people are going to
[59:44] enjoy it and not have to get out and
[59:46] carry their kayak through brush. Um, so
[59:49] they presented on some ideas about
[59:51] areas. They've already done some things,
[59:53] but some other areas that could um, use
[59:56] some help and some signage as well to
[59:59] make sure people know where to go
[1:00:00] because there's parts of the river that
[1:00:02] where it used to go and now you'll end
[1:00:03] up in a sandbar instead of going in a
[1:00:05] new channel and it's a river. So, it's
[1:00:07] always adjusting. So, um, we did talk
[1:00:10] about not necessarily about levy
[1:00:12] dollars, but about is there tourism
[1:00:14] dollars or grants we could look at for
[1:00:15] that. But that's I would say if you're
[1:00:18] looking at it in a stance of like public
[1:00:20] system, it's a priority that we keep
[1:00:22] that
[1:00:24] as it continues to develop with the
[1:00:27] county, it's attractive to people.
[1:00:37] » Anybody else?
[1:00:38] >> Yeah, go ahead. I just I guess part of
[1:00:41] one of the notes that I put down is just
[1:00:43] hoping that we keep in mind if we have
[1:00:46] is it $200,000 that has to come back to
[1:00:49] the general fund or salaries that was in
[1:00:52] the tiff
[1:00:53] >> is approximately
[1:00:54] >> approx. Yeah. Right. Approximately and
[1:00:57] to account for the three firefighters
[1:01:00] then we're going to have to look at the
[1:01:02] overall budget when departments are
[1:01:04] making that budget that we have that
[1:01:05] shortfall that we're going to have to
[1:01:07] make up. So that has to be I don't know
[1:01:10] a goal or a priority when each
[1:01:12] department does their budget that we
[1:01:15] know that we have to have that
[1:01:16] accomplished somewhere. Does that make
[1:01:18] sense?
[1:01:20] >> I mean the three safer staff are our
[1:01:22] percentage of that which is is about
[1:01:23] 68%. Um that will all be general. So it
[1:01:27] will we will account for it in the
[1:01:29] general fund and then when we bring back
[1:01:30] general we'll we will show you if we
[1:01:33] have a deficit and how much it is.
[1:01:36] >> Yes. All of police and fire and EMS are general fund. It's about I don't
[1:01:41] know 50 52% of the general fund.
[1:01:50] » I guess I would just add I mean last
[1:01:51] meeting I think the first priority
[1:01:53] listed was just maintaining staffing
[1:01:55] levels. Um, I know that wasn't
[1:01:57] necessarily on that list that was in the
[1:02:00] PowerPoint, but I mean that's a big one
[1:02:02] for us is just what can we do to just
[1:02:04] maintain our current staffing levels. We
[1:02:06] hear, you know, with some of the
[1:02:08] constraints we have and other um, you
[1:02:10] know, revenue, you know, we can't just
[1:02:13] say, "Oh, I want to add two people, so
[1:02:14] we're going to add $200,000 to the levy
[1:02:16] and, you know, poof, we have it." So,
[1:02:19] you know, a lot of this is trying to be
[1:02:21] figure out how can we more be more
[1:02:22] strategic with the monies we have and
[1:02:25] make sure we at least can keep the
[1:02:26] people we have currently.
[1:02:28] >> So,
[1:02:30] good point.
[1:02:31] >> Yeah, I think that was one of the
[1:02:33] priorities that I had mentioned that we
[1:02:36] maintain.
[1:02:47] Go ahead.
[1:02:48] >> Comment.
[1:02:49] >> No, I just wonder. Yeah. No. No. Okay.
[1:02:53] >> All right. Moving on.
[1:02:55] >> Okay. Seven.
[1:02:58] >> Okay. So, it's by this being in the
[1:03:01] budget or excuse me, in the on the
[1:03:03] agenda tonight, it looks like and
[1:03:05] there's some been some phone calls on
[1:03:07] this is our priority and this is our
[1:03:08] wish list and this is what we want. I
[1:03:10] can assure you that that's not why this
[1:03:12] why these pay adjustments on here. These
[1:03:14] are things we just have to work on. We
[1:03:16] have to we have to know what these are
[1:03:18] before these workshops are done. I can
[1:03:20] tell you right now the trustee
[1:03:21] compensation for 2729 is a question we
[1:03:24] need to ask because we have an election
[1:03:26] coming up again. We'll have u a
[1:03:28] president and three trustees. We have to
[1:03:30] establish what are the what are the
[1:03:31] rates going to be if they're if they're
[1:03:33] going to even change at all because the
[1:03:35] people taking out papers need to know
[1:03:37] what they're going to make. I I can tell
[1:03:39] you without talking to anybody on this
[1:03:40] board, I don't believe they're going to
[1:03:42] change. But unless unless there's a
[1:03:45] group that wants to change it, they were
[1:03:46] changed eight, nine, 10 years ago, um
[1:03:48] I'm actually the one that led the
[1:03:50] charge. They weren't changed for 24
[1:03:52] years prior, I believe. And uh I believe
[1:03:56] they're fine right now with the
[1:03:58] municipalities. So, I think the the
[1:04:00] trustees are that's a fair salary to uh
[1:04:03] the county board and to other trustees
[1:04:06] or other supervisors out there. uh the
[1:04:08] president is actually low. Um but it it
[1:04:11] certainly doesn't concern me and I don't
[1:04:13] think anyone running for president would
[1:04:14] be concerned at all. So I I could tell
[1:04:16] you right now I think we can leave that
[1:04:18] one right off the table. Uh but you know
[1:04:20] several people have brought it up and uh
[1:04:23] I'm uh a little
[1:04:26] you know it's just it's amazing how some
[1:04:28] of this stuff can just snowball into
[1:04:30] stuff when it's nothing at all. It's
[1:04:32] just it's a question that has to be
[1:04:33] asked. It's all we have to do. Go ahead
[1:04:35] Barb.
[1:04:36] >> Yeah. Well, I agree that
[1:04:37] >> unless we want to cut it in half.
[1:04:40] >> We want to cut in half. We'll cut it in
[1:04:41] half.
[1:04:42] >> I just want to read that whole agenda
[1:04:43] item because I there's that we move to
[1:04:45] agenda item number seven and then read
[1:04:47] all those.
[1:04:48] >> Sure. Seven. Discussion and or action on
[1:04:50] beginning review and discussion of 2027
[1:04:52] budget. Are we
[1:04:56] >> I was going to do the subsets because it
[1:04:58] would be all all three.
[1:05:00] >> Yeah. Go ahead.
[1:05:02] It's the pay plan adjustment and the
[1:05:04] 2027 wage increases, the health
[1:05:06] benefits, and the direct primary care
[1:05:08] update, trustee compensation for the
[1:05:11] 2027 2029 term and capital improvement
[1:05:14] plan.
[1:05:15] >> I should right. So, okay. So, there we
[1:05:19] are. We're on we're it's open for
[1:05:21] discussion.
[1:05:24] >> So, yeah. Go ahead.
[1:05:26] >> I'm kind of leading off what you said.
[1:05:27] You know, I know this isn't going to be the
[1:05:31] popular opinion. I'm not going to
[1:05:32] probably be well-liked for saying it,
[1:05:34] but I think we're doing this backwards.
[1:05:37] Um, how do we assign raises to positions
[1:05:40] or cola increases when we don't even
[1:05:43] know if there's money in the budget to
[1:05:44] do it? Um I I feel like we should be
[1:05:47] starting from the other side with
[1:05:49] revenue, mandated cost, operational
[1:05:51] needs, services, um capital, those types
[1:05:55] of things, and then start looking at pay
[1:05:56] for employees, for board members, for
[1:05:59] committees and commissions and all those
[1:06:00] different things. I personally feel it
[1:06:03] gives a bad look to the fact that our first
[1:06:07] budget meeting, our number one priority
[1:06:09] is who gets paid what. Um I think it
[1:06:12] looks in my opinion, it looks backwards.
[1:06:14] We have great staff. We want to keep our
[1:06:16] staff. Like Mike said, it's really
[1:06:17] important to keep the people we have,
[1:06:19] but there may not be money in the budget
[1:06:22] for raises. And until we look at those
[1:06:25] mandated costs, those things that we
[1:06:27] have to have, the state required things,
[1:06:30] we don't know what's there to give. And
[1:06:31] I think if we are going to talk about
[1:06:32] raises and, you know, get people's hopes
[1:06:35] up for raises, but then we do the budget
[1:06:36] and find out, oh crap, we can't afford
[1:06:38] that, and then we're taking it back. Um,
[1:06:41] so from a morale standpoint too, I just think it's
[1:06:45] incorrect of us to to do it in this
[1:06:48] order. Um, I realize that's not going to
[1:06:50] change anything for tonight or for this
[1:06:52] year, but I just I think we're doing it
[1:06:54] backwards.
[1:06:56] >> Okay. Anybody else?
[1:07:00] >> Well, I think we have to
[1:07:02] figure out what we're
[1:07:06] maybe looking at. I mean, yes, it it you
[1:07:10] know what is the Well, they showed us on one
[1:07:15] of the slides the cost of living and
[1:07:18] such and uh
[1:07:21] I don't know, it's kind of a
[1:07:25] >> Yeah, it's important, but I just, you
[1:07:26] know, if we talk about tonight, hey,
[1:07:28] we're going to look at 3% COLA raises
[1:07:30] for everybody, and then at the end of
[1:07:31] the budget meetings, we realize, oh
[1:07:33] crap, we're cutting things because we
[1:07:34] can't afford everything that's on the
[1:07:35] list, is I would hate to see us see us
[1:07:38] walk it back or take it back. Um because
[1:07:40] we're talking about money that we don't
[1:07:44] know either.
[1:07:45] >> So you're talking about possibly talking
[1:07:49] on this subject when it gets closer to
[1:07:52] the
[1:07:52] >> a little bit further down the line than
[1:07:54] just
[1:07:54] >> where we're looking at what monies do we
[1:07:56] have to work with rather than
[1:07:59] >> I had that on my list as well too.
[1:08:02] >> I had a couple people I've had a few
[1:08:03] people reach out. I actually spent an
[1:08:04] hour on the phone with someone today. Um
[1:08:06] and and that those few people have have
[1:08:09] shared that expression as well. It just
[1:08:10] seems like our first priority is let's
[1:08:12] get all paid and let's all get raises
[1:08:14] and what is the board going to make and I know that that's not the reason
[1:08:17] it's done in this way. Um but again,
[1:08:19] perception is reality and I just think
[1:08:22] it puts the wrong wrong look on it.
[1:08:26] >> Well, I guess I I would like kind of an
[1:08:28] update at this point on where our health
[1:08:31] insurance and such is going if that's
[1:08:35] benefits. I mean, are we do we know
[1:08:39] what um have they given us any warning
[1:08:41] that they're going to increase our
[1:08:43] premiums or
[1:08:44] >> so as part of the RFC? Well, maybe we'll
[1:08:47] do health insurance first and then we
[1:08:49] could cycle back to wages. But we do
[1:08:52] have placeholders. You know, I think
[1:08:53] that this the reason we have this
[1:08:55] conversation now is because we we put
[1:08:57] placeholders in the budget as as we're
[1:08:59] developing it through this process and
[1:09:02] we had put a 10% increase in the in the
[1:09:05] premium cost. Again, our health
[1:09:06] insurance is provided through a
[1:09:08] consortium. So, it is not just us. It's
[1:09:10] a series of municipalities, businesses,
[1:09:12] and organizations that come together in
[1:09:15] order not to have the dramatic swings in
[1:09:18] healthcare. And then this past year we
[1:09:20] went to a direct primary care provider
[1:09:23] through our consortium. They cover a
[1:09:26] percentage of that direct primary
[1:09:27] provider and then the village split the
[1:09:30] cost on the rest in order to encourage
[1:09:33] people to go there instead of to go to
[1:09:35] urgent care or to um go back to the
[1:09:38] clinic system. It was a way to have
[1:09:40] better access to health care. And since
[1:09:43] it's the per month cost to take down
[1:09:46] that, we have shown that this year that
[1:09:49] we've done that. Um, and we've had very
[1:09:51] positive response on the direct primary
[1:09:54] care provider. The other piece that that
[1:09:56] helps with is that if we ever need to
[1:09:58] leave the consortium, which we can, it
[1:10:00] was a three-year buy in at the
[1:10:02] beginning, which we are through that
[1:10:04] point in time. It takes down those
[1:10:06] medical care visits to reflect better if
[1:10:10] we were a smaller group going out on our
[1:10:12] own. Um but at this moment Spectrum has
[1:10:15] said and these are very preliminary
[1:10:17] numbers that they have gotten but they
[1:10:20] are estimating around a 15% increase.
[1:10:23] Now last year they told us 20 and we
[1:10:25] came in at neg5. So those are very
[1:10:28] preliminary. But what we will do because
[1:10:31] that it came in at that 15 is as an
[1:10:34] initial number is we'll do a form fire.
[1:10:38] Everyone here probably has healthcare
[1:10:40] form fire is just the way that systems
[1:10:42] collect that data in order to price what
[1:10:44] a group is. So we will we'll go back
[1:10:47] through that. We did it last year and we
[1:10:49] will do it again this year. So if we do
[1:10:51] have to go out on our own and leave the
[1:10:53] consortium, we know what we're looking
[1:10:55] at for pricing.
[1:10:58] But we have a 10% if it would end up at
[1:11:01] 15 right now. The way that we're
[1:11:03] developing the budget is at a a 10%
[1:11:06] premium cost increase in cost.
[1:11:10] the piece on the wages and I I do break
[1:11:12] this apart in the RFC because
[1:11:15] the staff wages are and and
[1:11:19] all of our wages are kind of broken into
[1:11:21] like a a three-part approval process.
[1:11:23] First is that pay plan and matrix that
[1:11:26] we've put together and part of our
[1:11:27] policy is that we'll develop a pay plan
[1:11:30] and matrix. We would we revisit that
[1:11:32] every year and at some point if we feel
[1:11:34] like we're off kilter with everyone else
[1:11:37] if we feel we're really you know we're
[1:11:39] getting low in in the market that we
[1:11:41] would go back out and have that that pay
[1:11:43] matrix looked again. So 2023 is when we
[1:11:47] had that approved our our policies say
[1:11:50] every 5 years um we have the potential
[1:11:53] to go back out if we feel like we we are
[1:11:56] offkilter. So, we're still within that five-year window, but the first
[1:12:01] piece of that is what do we want to add
[1:12:03] to that matrix to bring up those the
[1:12:06] minimum, the midpoint, and the maximum
[1:12:09] to make sure that we're staying
[1:12:10] competitive. So, when we're bringing
[1:12:12] people on, we we know that we're
[1:12:15] bringing them on at some place that's
[1:12:16] within the market.
[1:12:18] Then, we talk about the staff increases.
[1:12:20] So, changing the the matrix doesn't
[1:12:24] change the annual wage. So then when we
[1:12:27] talk about staff increases, um I do have
[1:12:29] in the RFC that we have a 3%
[1:12:31] placeholder. Again, we need a
[1:12:33] placeholder in order to kind of tell you
[1:12:35] how how is the budget coming together.
[1:12:38] Are we are we meeting what our
[1:12:40] priorities are that we've put forth as a
[1:12:42] board? And then the last piece is that
[1:12:45] merit and market. So we have staff, you
[1:12:49] know, we we want to keep staff. Staff is
[1:12:51] who provide the services, right, that we're offering to the community.
[1:12:55] That's every everything happens in the
[1:12:57] village because of the staff putting
[1:12:59] forth, you know, doing those jobs. So,
[1:13:02] if we feel like we need to move somebody
[1:13:04] up to hire uh to get them to that 100%
[1:13:08] because they're showing those skills and
[1:13:10] they're progressing in in their jobs,
[1:13:12] that's how we move them slightly higher
[1:13:14] because the 3% just moves everyone up to
[1:13:17] make sure that we're staying
[1:13:18] competitive. And then so we to get them
[1:13:21] up to market and then merit um we have
[1:13:25] in both cases we've put together a sheet
[1:13:28] in which department heads fill that out
[1:13:30] and after we get to market you know
[1:13:33] progressing in merit showing that that
[1:13:35] historical knowledge is how beneficial
[1:13:39] that is to the to the village and
[1:13:42] providing those services that longevity
[1:13:45] that commitment the loyalty to the
[1:13:47] village
[1:13:50] So wages are really it's a three-part
[1:13:52] conversation. It's not just a that one
[1:13:54] percentage conversation.
[1:13:59] » Go ahead, please.
[1:14:00] >> I guess
[1:14:03] um little bit of a point of order. I
[1:14:05] guess I just want to so we do have three
[1:14:08] citizen members here, part of the
[1:14:09] finance committee, finance and HR. Um,
[1:14:12] and there is discussion in here about
[1:14:14] them making recommendations and us
[1:14:17] agreeing with those recommendations. I
[1:14:18] guess how do we want to do that? Because
[1:14:20] I want to make sure that their their um
[1:14:25] their opportunity to be a part of this
[1:14:27] is just as important as ours. And I feel
[1:14:29] like we're doing a lot of board talk,
[1:14:31] but um they haven't really had a chance
[1:14:33] to talk about um from their perspective.
[1:14:37] So I think I'd like to hear a little bit
[1:14:39] from
[1:14:41] >> committee on these issues
[1:14:45] >> and then we can kind of
[1:14:48] I don't know I guess I don't know how
[1:14:49] that gets mixed in from the board side.
[1:14:52] >> Yeah. I I have just a couple of comments
[1:14:55] as we're talking about salary. I don't
[1:14:58] have just some questions. Um
[1:15:02] you mentioned the salary structure um
[1:15:05] minimum control point or midpoint and
[1:15:08] maximum. I think it would be helpful um
[1:15:11] if we knew maybe how many the number of
[1:15:14] employees that are at the below the
[1:15:17] midpoint and the maximum. Um I think
[1:15:19] that would be helpful to know where or
[1:15:21] the number of employees that are at the
[1:15:23] various ranges within those. I think it
[1:15:25] would be helpful to know the compression
[1:15:28] between supervisors and employees.
[1:15:31] Um I think it would be helpful to know
[1:15:35] you gave some um examples of how that
[1:15:38] 15,000 in merit has been used. I think
[1:15:40] it'd be helpful to know a little bit
[1:15:42] more maybe some examples of how that
[1:15:44] merit has been used. Um and then I think
[1:15:48] it would also be helpful to know if you
[1:15:50] had said you put um a 3% placeholder in
[1:15:53] the budget. I think it'd be helpful to
[1:15:55] know the total cost of maybe every 1%
[1:15:58] change in salary. So, what is every 1%
[1:16:02] the total all-in cost of that? And I'm
[1:16:05] talking salary and then what are the
[1:16:07] benefits related to that? So, those are
[1:16:10] some things that I think would be
[1:16:11] helpful for me to know um in order to
[1:16:13] make a more informed um recommendation
[1:16:16] to the board.
[1:16:17] >> Great request.
[1:16:18] >> Good. Very good point.
[1:16:19] >> Very, very good.
[1:16:20] >> Yep.
[1:16:22] Do we give raises every year?
[1:16:26] >> Are you talking trustees, committees, or
[1:16:29] staff?
[1:16:30] >> Staff. Just staff. Only staff. Yeah.
[1:16:32] >> So, was it 2024 they had 3%. Is that
[1:16:35] right?
[1:16:36] >> And then 2025 was 3% plus the 15,000
[1:16:41] merit and then 2026 was 3% and a pay
[1:16:46] grid increase. Is that right? the last
[1:16:48] three years
[1:16:49] >> the if the grid increases it doesn't it
[1:16:51] doesn't equal any salary change. So it's
[1:16:55] we do the merit and market and and the
[1:16:59] cola. So the 15 is not divided equally
[1:17:02] across the board. It's it's put forth
[1:17:04] through the recommendations. So I last
[1:17:06] year we had a three. I think the year
[1:17:09] before that we had a three. I couldn't
[1:17:11] tell you because I' I've been here three
[1:17:12] years. I couldn't tell you if there's
[1:17:14] when was the last time that there wasn't
[1:17:17] a cost of living adjustment.
[1:17:19] >> I think we froze it from 2020 to 2023. I
[1:17:22] think that was frozen.
[1:17:25] >> One year there was
[1:17:26] >> there was an increase but not a cost of
[1:17:29] living.
[1:17:29] >> Right. Correct.
[1:17:31] >> Along those lines
[1:17:32] >> because they were done at two different
[1:17:33] times and it was confusing.
[1:17:35] >> It it really Right. I mean it was it was
[1:17:37] confusing. It was confusing for me as a
[1:17:39] board member for sure that I I didn't
[1:17:41] quite understand what was happening and
[1:17:43] uh I think if we could have had our hand
[1:17:44] around it could looked at a little bit
[1:17:46] differently but yeah.
[1:17:47] >> Was it like COVID dollars or what do you
[1:17:48] mean you gave
[1:17:50] >> No, it was a cost of living raise
[1:17:51] separately than a than a raise
[1:17:53] >> at different times of the year even.
[1:17:54] >> Uh yeah, a couple months. Yeah,
[1:17:57] >> it was
[1:17:58] >> well it caught it caught me personally
[1:18:00] off work off guard because I kind of
[1:18:02] thought, well, wait a minute, we just
[1:18:03] gave a raise and and in my world it's a
[1:18:06] raise. It's It's not a cost. Well, wait
[1:18:08] a minute. That doesn't take care of the
[1:18:09] cost of living. Well, wait a minute. A
[1:18:10] raise for me is a raise. That's just
[1:18:13] what my whatever I've worked in. That's
[1:18:15] just what I did. So, that just caught me
[1:18:16] a little bit off guard here. So, and
[1:18:18] sometimes it was a 3 plus two, a 3+ one.
[1:18:21] I mean, it was it was kind of different.
[1:18:23] And I know years back back years, I
[1:18:26] think there was even some freezes,
[1:18:28] >> but I'm I'm talking 15 20 years ago,
[1:18:30] maybe.
[1:18:31] >> Not even that far.
[1:18:32] >> Yeah. Not even that far because I've
[1:18:33] been on here now.
[1:18:34] >> Michael was here. I was here. Yeah. Um
[1:18:36] there was multiple years Jessica was
[1:18:38] here.
[1:18:39] >> Yeah.
[1:18:39] >> That we were frozen.
[1:18:40] >> Yeah.
[1:18:41] >> Pay decrease too,
[1:18:42] >> right? Me trying to dig out those
[1:18:44] numbers. It was really hard to try and
[1:18:45] figure that out.
[1:18:47] >> Along those lines with all the insurance
[1:18:48] premium increases, when's does do the
[1:18:51] employees share in that ever or does the
[1:18:53] village absorb all of the increase every
[1:18:55] year?
[1:18:56] >> Just real quick, let's just make sure we
[1:18:58] answer her that that'll happen.
[1:19:00] >> Yes. We'll bring that back.
[1:19:01] >> Okay. Go ahead.
[1:19:03] >> Just Yeah. wondering is there is it
[1:19:05] always the village always incorporates
[1:19:07] the entire increase or that we passed on
[1:19:08] to employees and if so like how much and
[1:19:10] when
[1:19:11] >> so that's a has always been part of the
[1:19:13] board conversation when we have found
[1:19:15] whatever that final number is I believe
[1:19:18] the past two years they have the village
[1:19:21] has absorbed those costs we do have a
[1:19:23] split we do have an 8515 split um it can
[1:19:28] be less if you do a wellness benefit but
[1:19:30] you you have to
[1:19:32] um not everyone one participates in the
[1:19:34] wellness benefit then it those could be
[1:19:37] changed to a 9010 but that's always a
[1:19:40] conversation when we have that final
[1:19:43] number and it's been the board's
[1:19:45] determination I think the past two years
[1:19:47] that that cost has been absorbed
[1:19:50] >> and and dental is 100% right
[1:19:54] no not anymore it used to be
[1:19:57] >> it was a long time ago
[1:19:58] >> was it okay
[1:20:00] >> Daniel not to put you on the spot I know
[1:20:02] this is your very second meeting um with
[1:20:04] us. But any thoughts from you? Uh, I
[1:20:07] think chairman brought up the point that
[1:20:09] I was thinking about because I've been
[1:20:11] involved in other municipalities and
[1:20:14] they would give them a cost of living
[1:20:15] raise and then add on the raise and I'm
[1:20:18] like, hold on then that's even more than
[1:20:20] what they're saying because you're
[1:20:21] compounding for the cost of living and
[1:20:24] I'm like so all a sudden it's three, you
[1:20:26] know, it's, you know, more than 3%. And
[1:20:30] I think that's that kind of misleading
[1:20:31] the taxpayer like, oh, you gave him 3%.
[1:20:34] No, we didn't. we really gave him almost
[1:20:35] 4% with everything. So, I'm glad to hear
[1:20:38] that that at least has been frozen here
[1:20:41] the last few years.
[1:20:42] >> The question on the midpoint or the uh
[1:20:46] salary changes is that would they also
[1:20:48] be included with pay raise too or is
[1:20:50] that just a one time?
[1:20:53] >> So, our again our you don't move a step
[1:20:56] in our matrix. Our matrix is if you add
[1:21:00] a 3% it does bring it all up but that
[1:21:02] doesn't mean you automatically move into
[1:21:04] the matrix right you would when we set
[1:21:07] aside the merit and market that's not
[1:21:09] allocated at the same percentage across
[1:21:12] the way we might say to someone that's
[1:21:14] we see is lower that needs to get to
[1:21:16] that midpoint a department head would
[1:21:18] put that forth and you see that
[1:21:20] separately so I think a lot of uh pay
[1:21:23] matrix have it so exactly what you're
[1:21:25] saying there's a a 3% cola increase and
[1:21:28] you move a step on the scale. We don't
[1:21:30] move a step on the scale.
[1:21:32] >> We just move the scale.
[1:21:33] >> We move the scale. But one of the
[1:21:35] reasons we move the scale is if the
[1:21:36] scale stayed stagnant and someone came
[1:21:39] in, then they're already behind everyone
[1:21:42] else. That's why the scale has to
[1:21:43] continue to grow with how wages grow.
[1:21:47] And I just had a suggestion on if you if
[1:21:50] it's possible to in these to help the uh
[1:21:55] taxpayer understand the increases is
[1:21:58] that maybe I take the average
[1:22:01] uh village employee salary number and
[1:22:06] add in the in the increase and like the
[1:22:09] 3% so everyone says oh look they're it's
[1:22:13] the average is
[1:22:16] 3% of $50,000 is
[1:22:20] know $1,500.
[1:22:23] >> I mean, you just see those percents,
[1:22:24] you're like, "Well, hold on. What does
[1:22:26] that all really mean?"
[1:22:32] » What would be approximately the average
[1:22:34] salary?
[1:22:36] >> No idea. We'd have to look at it.
[1:22:38] >> We'd have to look. We can bring that
[1:22:39] back though. Where where are we at total
[1:22:42] employees not having safer and mountain
[1:22:45] bay metro in?
[1:22:46] >> Correct.
[1:22:47] >> 40 and that includes part-time not
[1:22:49] seasonals.
[1:22:50] >> 40 40 employees that includes part time.
[1:22:54] >> Includes part-time but not season.
[1:22:56] >> We have currently you're talking about
[1:22:58] two part-time administration
[1:22:59] >> and we and and Scott and one.
[1:23:01] >> Oh yeah, Scott too.
[1:23:02] >> Yeah. Okay. All right. Yeah. Instead of
[1:23:05] a full-time um administrative uh
[1:23:08] assistant, we now have two part-times
[1:23:11] that are more flex and they they kind of
[1:23:13] work out the schedule better. I think it
[1:23:14] works better,
[1:23:16] >> right?
[1:23:17] >> Yet. No, not yet. It's pretty new. It's
[1:23:20] pretty new right now.
[1:23:20] >> Losing another one.
[1:23:21] >> Oh, okay. Well,
[1:23:24] >> you just get the kinks worked out and
[1:23:26] then
[1:23:27] >> a loop.
[1:23:30] >> Different opportunities come along to
[1:23:31] people.
[1:23:32] >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, if they're good
[1:23:33] employees, they should be being hunted
[1:23:36] down. That's what I do.
[1:23:38] >> So, I I guess that that's a point, too.
[1:23:40] I mean, I know I have two two out of our
[1:23:42] eight uh street guys that have applied
[1:23:45] to go work for a neighboring community
[1:23:46] that's looking for a person. So I mean
[1:23:50] that that's where some of this stuff
[1:23:52] does get a little bit of it is the
[1:23:55] priority of maintaining and keeping our
[1:23:56] people you know like we can't stay
[1:23:59] behind because if we stay behind to
[1:24:02] Mark's point people are contacting our
[1:24:04] guys they are saying hey we got an
[1:24:07] opening over here do you want to come
[1:24:08] work for us and now we're training and
[1:24:11] trying to learn how to do things and our
[1:24:13] service level isn't going to be what it
[1:24:15] is it's going to go backwards.
[1:24:18] Um,
[1:24:18] >> can you mean the municipality?
[1:24:22] >> You can see who's hiring right now.
[1:24:23] >> What?
[1:24:25] >> You can see who's hiring. It's It's not
[1:24:27] a long drive from here.
[1:24:28] >> Okay.
[1:24:29] >> Well, I mean, you know, I'm It's
[1:24:33] >> If if I was a neighboring uh community,
[1:24:35] I'd be coming after our staff.
[1:24:37] Absolutely. So,
[1:24:38] >> staff.
[1:24:39] >> Yep. I'm I'm used to in my business, I'm
[1:24:41] used to a lot of ter That's just the way
[1:24:43] it is. I don't
[1:24:45] >> I think
[1:24:45] >> sometime it's hard to deal with it, but
[1:24:47] it's also a compliment. So
[1:24:49] >> I think the the part that's tripping me
[1:24:52] up here is the priorities. You know,
[1:24:54] nothing is listed about staff retention,
[1:24:55] right? We're talking about a robotic
[1:24:57] lawnmower because of wages, right? Like
[1:24:59] we want to reallocate people's time.
[1:25:02] Let's put that. Don't put like if I saw
[1:25:04] this as a just as a community member
[1:25:07] like, oh, the the priority of our
[1:25:09] village is to buy a robotic lawnmower. I
[1:25:11] would be like, seems like an odd
[1:25:12] priority to me as we're sitting here
[1:25:14] talking about retention and losing
[1:25:15] people. So, it doesn't feel like those
[1:25:17] really are our priorities. And so, I
[1:25:18] guess I would if we're going to post
[1:25:20] this on the website, like I would rather
[1:25:22] it be worded differently. I don't I just
[1:25:24] feel like a robotic and even in the
[1:25:26] minutes or in our last packet, it was
[1:25:27] two robotic lawnmowers, right? And so, I
[1:25:30] just feel like that's not really maybe
[1:25:32] one of our priorities. Like, we clearly
[1:25:33] have a bigger priority here, which is
[1:25:35] staff retention, wages, which is a big
[1:25:37] part of what we're going to decide here,
[1:25:39] right? Human capital is huge. So, I
[1:25:41] guess that seems like an odd priority to
[1:25:42] me and maybe I'm sure cuz I have like a
[1:25:44] robotic lawnmower. That's a that's a
[1:25:46] priority here. Um, so I guess I would
[1:25:48] like to see that as like what's the real
[1:25:50] reason behind the robotic lawn mower,
[1:25:52] right? It's you want to reallocate your
[1:25:53] staff's time. So, we want to
[1:25:56] >> if we have to be down a person because
[1:25:59] we can't afford them anymore,
[1:26:00] >> right?
[1:26:01] >> What alternative methods do we have to
[1:26:02] still
[1:26:03] >> true
[1:26:04] >> maintain the facilities we're expected
[1:26:06] to maintain?
[1:26:06] >> Right. And the robotic lawn mower is not
[1:26:08] the problem then it's a retention issue
[1:26:10] and that comes back to the border like
[1:26:11] we can't
[1:26:12] >> could be ordered differently for sure
[1:26:15] >> utilize technology to improve
[1:26:17] >> efficiently use our staffing yeah
[1:26:20] >> but I just blank that's what I was
[1:26:22] trying to get at there's there's a
[1:26:23] different way you could word that to
[1:26:25] present it better uh Stephanie you were
[1:26:27] talking about staff retention have we
[1:26:28] ever looked at odd things like a 410
[1:26:32] workday where they would work 10 hours a
[1:26:34] day four days a week and get a three day
[1:26:36] >> we do that right Yeah.
[1:26:37] >> Okay. Does all staff do it?
[1:26:43] » Are salary employees allowed to
[1:26:44] reallocate their time so they wouldn't
[1:26:46] have to work six days a week?
[1:26:49] >> Um, as long as we get stuff done, well,
[1:26:53] didn't Rene tell me that she works every
[1:26:55] Saturday during summer
[1:26:57] seven days a week. Rene
[1:26:59] >> I mean, a lot of
[1:27:00] >> that on her own.
[1:27:01] >> Yeah, that's true.
[1:27:02] >> Yeah.
[1:27:04] >> What about going back to increasing HSA
[1:27:07] a little bit because that would be a
[1:27:08] triple tax advantage for employees
[1:27:11] whereas a 3% or 4% or 2% would have the
[1:27:14] potential of putting some employees into
[1:27:17] that next tax bracket.
[1:27:20] So would that be a different way of
[1:27:22] showing staff that we value them without
[1:27:24] just being a straight 3% 3% 3% every
[1:27:27] year?
[1:27:28] It's certainly something that we could
[1:27:30] cost out if we wanted to increase that
[1:27:32] HSA,
[1:27:34] although I would say it's the majority.
[1:27:36] Not everyone is on our insurance. Um,
[1:27:40] the other pieces we do offer both an HSA
[1:27:42] and a traditional plan. And so even if
[1:27:44] you are on our insurance, it doesn't
[1:27:46] mean that you are on a high deductible
[1:27:48] health plan.
[1:27:50] So increasing it,
[1:27:53] if I'm understanding correctly, might it
[1:27:55] not affect everyone?
[1:27:56] >> It might not affect everyone. It might
[1:27:58] cause people to switch to the high
[1:28:00] deductible, though. That could also be a
[1:28:03] possibility.
[1:28:03] >> I just want to look at the whole picture
[1:28:05] instead of just assuming a 3%. I want to
[1:28:07] make sure that we're looking at all of
[1:28:09] our options.
[1:28:10] >> And certainly it um talking about 410,
[1:28:15] additional holidays would be another one
[1:28:17] of those items. Are there additional
[1:28:19] holidays that we want to offer there?
[1:28:21] Municipalities. Some municipalities are
[1:28:23] closed on different days than us. Right
[1:28:25] now we have nine holidays
[1:28:27] >> and two floating or
[1:28:30] not?
[1:28:31] >> No, we just we have PTO.
[1:28:34] >> What are some of the
[1:28:37] >> Well, just our offices are open five
[1:28:39] days a week.
[1:28:39] >> Correct.
[1:28:40] >> Where adjoining municipalities are not.
[1:28:42] >> Correct.
[1:28:43] >> They're closed on
[1:28:44] >> through the summer.
[1:28:44] >> Yeah. Through the summer.
[1:28:46] >> Yep. Okay. Go ahead. What are some of
[1:28:47] the holidays that we aren't giving now
[1:28:49] that others are?
[1:28:50] >> Martin Luther King Day, Junth, Columbus
[1:28:54] Day. Those are the big ones that I can
[1:28:56] think of that
[1:29:01] » given day, right? Veterans Day.
[1:29:03] >> Veterans Day. Yeah.
[1:29:07] >> We have some wellness incentives too
[1:29:09] that they get um Garmin or like cash
[1:29:14] cards or anything like that if you do
[1:29:15] certain things. Do we have any kind of
[1:29:17] wellness incentives that employees get?
[1:29:19] >> We do wellness um
[1:29:22] I guess contests. We want to say it that
[1:29:25] >> yeah challenges. So, if there's the
[1:29:28] potential to win a prize if you're part
[1:29:30] of the wellness challenge and that can
[1:29:32] offset your health insurance premium for
[1:29:34] the next year to a 9010 if you you get
[1:29:38] your annual exam. If if you um you have
[1:29:41] to do a questionnaire and then if you didn't qualify in your annual exam,
[1:29:46] you have to complete that challenge,
[1:29:47] then you can get that that lesser
[1:29:49] premium. Um so, I mean that's a very small number. And then for Garmin,
[1:29:56] every two years you can have $45 off a
[1:30:00] Garmin purchase.
[1:30:08] » Anybody? Everybody
[1:30:10] >> is wage going to be the largest expense
[1:30:12] that we'll talk about.
[1:30:15] >> It's like we're saying all the time and
[1:30:16] I was like probably makes the most sense
[1:30:17] that we're talking.
[1:30:18] >> Yes, by far.
[1:30:24] or which is our largest expense they owe
[1:30:26] it.
[1:30:26] >> They have Oh, so I was just pulling up a
[1:30:30] spreadsheet. One of our main expenses we
[1:30:32] call them fixed expenses. Um that
[1:30:36] includes Mountain Bay, it includes safer
[1:30:38] and insurance. Um we also have con and
[1:30:41] those are over 50% of our budget. Um we
[1:30:45] have no say in that. Those are
[1:30:47] contracted. We get told how much we have
[1:30:50] to pay. So those increases are already
[1:30:52] known. So when we talk about the budget,
[1:30:55] >> the board really only has control of
[1:30:58] about half our budget.
[1:31:00] >> That's general. I mean, what we're
[1:31:01] talking about is general.
[1:31:02] >> We're talking about general.
[1:31:03] >> Your contracts are are 50 52% of your
[1:31:08] general.
[1:31:08] >> The next is contracted services. So
[1:31:12] street maintenance is in our general
[1:31:13] fund. That's is it a half a million?
[1:31:17] 300,000 half a million. That's that's a
[1:31:20] huge expense in our general fund that we
[1:31:23] don't have we have control over it, but
[1:31:26] we just said street maintenance is a
[1:31:28] main priority. So, what we've done in
[1:31:31] the past is we've shipped those expenses
[1:31:33] out of the general fund trying to
[1:31:35] maintain that funding it with the
[1:31:37] general transportation aid increases not
[1:31:40] to affect the general fund so much. Um,
[1:31:44] when I looked at my spreadsheet for
[1:31:46] 2025, I know it's a year ago, but our
[1:31:49] wages and benefits were about 27% of the
[1:31:52] total budget. So, when we're talking
[1:31:54] about that, um, I did find, so the
[1:31:57] average hourly wage in 2026 is 63,382.
[1:32:03] To give you an idea with that, um, I
[1:32:07] have my salaries in a separate column.
[1:32:09] So, um I was going to get those numbers
[1:32:13] for you.
[1:32:14] >> Your 27% is that just general, too?
[1:32:17] >> Yes, that was just general fund. And
[1:32:19] then so salaries the average is 88,724.
[1:32:25] » Okay. You need for salary and what was
[1:32:28] it for hourly 63 or
[1:32:30] >> 64? 83.
[1:32:31] >> Okay.
[1:32:33] >> And that that's based on the 2026
[1:32:36] estimate. So
[1:32:38] >> you by chance have the highest and
[1:32:40] lowest in front of you as well.
[1:32:43] >> The highest
[1:32:45] 127
[1:32:47] and then the lowest
[1:32:51] I don't have the lowest
[1:32:54] you can have.
[1:32:59] » I don't have it because they're lowest
[1:33:02] paid and play left.
[1:33:06] What are your hourly?
[1:33:07] >> That was hourly.
[1:33:08] >> Yeah.
[1:33:18] » Questions,
[1:33:19] discussions?
[1:33:21] >> Not on that. Next item. Trustee
[1:33:24] compensation. Yeah, just on if we I took
[1:33:28] down good notes on those questions so we
[1:33:30] can bring that back to continue the the
[1:33:32] conversation at the the next meeting.
[1:33:34] But then on that last one that the
[1:33:36] actually there are two more trustee
[1:33:38] compensation and and capital. Um on
[1:33:41] trustee compensation I added that in
[1:33:43] because before you take papers you need
[1:33:46] to set trustee compensation for the
[1:33:48] term. Not that we have to make a
[1:33:50] decision tonight. it. But if there was a
[1:33:52] strong decision and it was made, then
[1:33:54] it's can be budgeted for. But we we do I
[1:33:58] did have in the RFC that wallpapers the
[1:34:00] earliest that they can be turned back in
[1:34:02] would be that December when they could
[1:34:04] come out if if people collected all
[1:34:06] their signatures and turned them back in
[1:34:07] that day. um you you do have to
[1:34:10] establish the wage before and it makes
[1:34:12] sense to have it budgeted so it's
[1:34:15] accounted for and it would only be for
[1:34:17] the trustees that are up for the 2729
[1:34:20] term that it would impact.
[1:34:23] >> Yeah. Well, I wasn't in favor of the
[1:34:26] raise to begin that we got back when,
[1:34:29] and I think we got one the last term.
[1:34:32] Um, where you, um, my term,
[1:34:38] we were given a $50
[1:34:42] compensation for all meetings that we
[1:34:45] attended
[1:34:47] >> other than board
[1:34:48] >> other than responsibilities.
[1:34:50] >> Border review. No, it was but border
[1:34:53] review and and
[1:34:55] um
[1:34:57] I have I do not take it.
[1:35:01] >> I don't get it cuz that was
[1:35:04] >> Right. Right. And that was voted out
[1:35:06] that the new term will not have it. Um,
[1:35:10] I just think that the amount of money
[1:35:14] that the trustees are paid,
[1:35:18] um, minus the extra one that they had
[1:35:21] the 50 is more than sufficient.
[1:35:25] Um, as I had pointed out
[1:35:28] back when, um, if you if you count the
[1:35:32] board meetings and the board of review,
[1:35:36] you're getting $600 a month.
[1:35:40] And I think that's more than sufficient
[1:35:42] compensation.
[1:35:44] I mean, Mark, your salary probably is,
[1:35:46] but this was the trustee salary that if
[1:35:50] you do that, um,
[1:35:52] >> so the the trustees in the village of
[1:35:54] Weston, um, about eight years ago, I
[1:35:56] think, is when we did it, um, is $7,200
[1:35:59] a year, and the president makes $8,400 a
[1:36:02] year. Prior to that, the the prior 24
[1:36:05] years was $4,800 and $6,000.
[1:36:09] So, it's a $1,200 difference between the
[1:36:12] trustee and the president. Um, but yes,
[1:36:15] it went from 4,800 to 7,200. And uh, and
[1:36:19] I I led the charge on it. We didn't get
[1:36:21] a raise for 72 years, some people didn't
[1:36:23] want it, one being Barb and some others.
[1:36:26] Uh, but looking around for what this
[1:36:28] village is doing and how it's growing
[1:36:30] and and looking at other municipalities,
[1:36:32] the town of Weston chairman gets $14,000
[1:36:35] a year. Town of Weston. Um the city of
[1:36:39] Scoffield, 2,000 people gets uh 12 or
[1:36:42] 13,000 hours a year. I'm not
[1:36:43] complaining.
[1:36:44] >> They weren't numbers one more time.
[1:36:45] >> Well, you can look them up, you know.
[1:36:46] So, but um you know, so uh the county
[1:36:49] board the county board uh um supervisors
[1:36:53] I think get 46 thou $4,600.
[1:36:57] The the the um the chair was getting um
[1:37:00] 10 or 12, but now it's like 40.
[1:37:03] >> Yeah.
[1:37:03] >> It's like $45,000 a year. So, um, uh,
[1:37:07] the town of Maine, uh, chair gets,
[1:37:11] um, but she also does planning like
[1:37:13] 30,000 or $32,000.
[1:37:15] So,
[1:37:16] >> but, you know, they're all out there.
[1:37:17] They're all public published. So, so I
[1:37:20] I'm I'm I I think the wages are fine
[1:37:22] right here. I do.
[1:37:23] >> And, uh, you know, some people uh, uh,
[1:37:26] we've had trustees that have donated
[1:37:28] their money. Um, I know Jim has said
[1:37:30] that several times. he donates his for
[1:37:32] fundraisers and stuff that he does for
[1:37:33] the public safety. Um, so I've heard
[1:37:37] some say it's a car payment and I I just get disgusted when someone says
[1:37:41] that, but um I think it's a heck of a
[1:37:44] service and a heck of a responsibility
[1:37:46] and um so that's where we are,
[1:37:48] >> right? And I was glad that they we
[1:37:52] actually reversed the
[1:37:54] >> the 50 um
[1:37:56] >> we had a couple trustees that wanted
[1:37:58] extra payment on it,
[1:37:59] >> right? And like I said,
[1:38:01] >> um, they Okay,
[1:38:03] >> I was just going to let everybody know
[1:38:04] that I have a spreadsheet from the
[1:38:06] county clerk from 2025 with a lot of
[1:38:09] municipalities in Marathon County with
[1:38:11] all the rates of who what they all get
[1:38:13] paid. So, if anybody would like a copy
[1:38:15] of that, I can email it to you.
[1:38:16] >> And I didn't want to be I didn't want to
[1:38:17] say what I said, Lisa, but I I'm not
[1:38:20] exactly sure, so I don't want to be
[1:38:22] quoted exactly the number. I know I'm
[1:38:24] very close, but I I don't want to all of
[1:38:26] a sudden come out, hey, you know,
[1:38:27] Mahoney says 12,000 for, you know, this.
[1:38:29] So,
[1:38:30] >> can you send it out to all of us?
[1:38:31] >> What's that?
[1:38:32] >> I can I can if you'd like it. Sure.
[1:38:33] Thank you.
[1:38:34] >> It's amazing how so many municipalities
[1:38:36] don't share, which is
[1:38:37] >> they're probably not all on here, so
[1:38:39] >> Okay, go ahead.
[1:38:40] >> Yeah, I was just going to say if if
[1:38:42] they're donating their wages, I guess I
[1:38:44] donate donated the $50 every meeting
[1:38:47] back to the village. Well, because two
[1:38:50] years I could have did it
[1:38:51] >> when I was 40 when it was 4,800 for a
[1:38:52] trustee and it went to 72 and some of
[1:38:54] the trustees said they didn't want the
[1:38:56] raise. I said, "Then donate it. Donate
[1:38:58] the raise.
[1:38:59] >> Go do something good. Do uh what's
[1:39:01] that?" Oxycodin. No, that's a drug.
[1:39:05] » I I knew I said that on purpose. Very
[1:39:08] small a very small attempt at humor. But
[1:39:11] what does that uh what does your body
[1:39:12] do? Oxy what?
[1:39:14] >> Oxytocin.
[1:39:15] >> Yep. Hey, cool. you you start going
[1:39:17] around and handing out $100 bills,
[1:39:18] people are going to be very happy with
[1:39:19] you. So, and it might spread to somebody
[1:39:21] else.
[1:39:22] >> I just decided the village needed it
[1:39:24] more.
[1:39:24] >> There you go. Good for you. So, here we
[1:39:26] go. Yes.
[1:39:27] >> I can't take it off my taxes because I
[1:39:29] didn't get it.
[1:39:31] >> I don't think we need to increase.
[1:39:33] >> I totally agree. I think we can move on
[1:39:35] from this point if everybody
[1:39:36] >> I totally agree.
[1:39:37] >> I wanted to make a motion. The finance
[1:39:39] committee needs to make a motion and
[1:39:40] approve first and then the board if I'm
[1:39:42] reading everything correctly.
[1:39:43] >> Yes. Right.
[1:39:44] >> Okay. So on behalf of the finance and
[1:39:45] human resources committee, I make a
[1:39:47] motion to leave trustee compensation as
[1:39:50] it is going forward.
[1:39:52] >> Again, it would be for the 2729 term.
[1:39:54] >> 2729 term.
[1:39:56] >> I'll second. Okay, that is that cut
[1:39:59] >> by Daniels. Any discussion?
[1:40:02] Whereas the committee, all those in
[1:40:03] favor signify by saying I.
[1:40:05] >> I
[1:40:07] motion so carried. Now, on behalf of the
[1:40:09] board, uh, we'll make the same motion
[1:40:11] that the trustee compensation for the
[1:40:12] 2027 2029 term remains the same as
[1:40:17] $7,200 and $8,400. 7,200 for trustee and
[1:40:20] $8,400 for president.
[1:40:23] >> Second.
[1:40:23] >> A motion by
[1:40:25] >> I'll make the motion.
[1:40:26] >> Oh, you said second.
[1:40:27] >> Well, yeah, because I thought you were
[1:40:28] making the motion.
[1:40:29] >> No, I'm just reading off. Okay, I'll
[1:40:32] make that motion that we
[1:40:33] >> um motion by Mling.
[1:40:36] >> Second by Luiz and um any more in the
[1:40:39] discussion? Hearing none. All those in
[1:40:41] favor say I.
[1:40:42] >> I opposed. So carry done.
[1:40:45] >> Now we can go tell all the people that
[1:40:47] called and said that that was our number
[1:40:48] one priority that that was not our
[1:40:50] number one priority and uh it was just a
[1:40:53] placeholder. So we have it now it's set
[1:40:55] for the next term. So there you go.
[1:40:57] Okay. uh capital project funds.
[1:41:06] » So as I explained before, this is our
[1:41:09] kebab improvement fund. Our this um the
[1:41:12] facilities fund, streets fund, and
[1:41:14] equipment fund. We keep track of them
[1:41:16] separately, but if you were to look at
[1:41:18] our financial statements, they're
[1:41:20] combined into our capital improvement
[1:41:22] fund. So um we keep track of them
[1:41:24] separately here. As you can see, the the
[1:41:29] projects that you see on the sheets in
[1:41:31] front of you are part of the 2026 2027
[1:41:35] capital improvement plan. This a plan
[1:41:38] was approved about a year ago. We are
[1:41:41] moving forward with the plan that was
[1:41:43] approved at our next meeting. We plan on
[1:41:46] bringing you the borrowing that will
[1:41:49] support the expenditures you see on
[1:41:51] these next couple sheets. So, um, a lot
[1:41:55] of this stuff was already purchased as
[1:41:58] approved by the plan, but I thought it
[1:42:00] was prudent to bring it forward to show
[1:42:02] you what we're planning on spending that
[1:42:05] was approved and where the prices are
[1:42:07] coming in.
[1:42:09] Uh, we will be talking about our next
[1:42:11] capital improvement plan will be 2028
[1:42:14] 2029. We try to borrow in two-year
[1:42:18] segments um to reduce the cost of
[1:42:20] borrowing.
[1:42:22] Any questions on what's on those sheets?
[1:42:25] >> So, the 2027 proposed budgets, all of
[1:42:28] that stuff and there was stuff that was
[1:42:30] already agreed to pass is done.
[1:42:34] >> If you have absolutely concerned, but a
[1:42:37] lot like for the streets, the
[1:42:38] engineering is being done. The contracts
[1:42:40] are being signed for those streets.
[1:42:42] Correct.
[1:42:44] >> Yeah.
[1:42:47] >> Just go ahead.
[1:42:48] >> I just have one quick question. I'm
[1:42:49] assuming it's a perhaps just a coding
[1:42:52] error. Um I I'm on page I'm not sure
[1:42:56] what page I'm on. Um there's a a million
[1:42:59] dollars in the 2027 proposed budget
[1:43:01] under workers comp for Howland.
[1:43:04] >> Yeah, that would be an error.
[1:43:06] >> Okay. I just want to make sure we were
[1:43:07] paying a million dollars for workers
[1:43:08] comp.
[1:43:09] >> Good good question because I had that
[1:43:10] not like is that something I don't know
[1:43:12] about I need to talk to or to get
[1:43:14] educated?
[1:43:14] >> Um it could have been just a line below.
[1:43:18] It should have been under contracted
[1:43:20] services instead of workers comp
[1:43:22] >> page 73. 73. Okay.
[1:43:25] >> So that number is correct for that
[1:43:28] project. It's just in the wrong line. I
[1:43:30] need to add a line. Street and curb.
[1:43:32] >> We usually budget all the expense for a
[1:43:36] project on one line.
[1:43:39] >> I just feel that's what you do.
[1:43:42] >> Just be time to go home. The only really
[1:43:45] big guestimment I'll put on here is that
[1:43:48] leak detection. I put a $100,000 in
[1:43:50] there. I talked to Sean. It's totally
[1:43:53] unknown. They are just doing the
[1:43:55] exploration right now for that leak for
[1:43:57] the pool. So, obviously, as a reminder,
[1:44:00] before any work is done, we always bring
[1:44:02] it back here. It's in the plan, but
[1:44:04] nothing gets approved,
[1:44:07] nothing moves forward without the final
[1:44:10] board approval. All contracts for
[1:44:12] streets get approved by the board. And
[1:44:13] it's just the way that we have always
[1:44:16] done things. Final approval, even if
[1:44:18] it's in the budget, is done by the
[1:44:20] board.
[1:44:25] Any questions on the process that we
[1:44:28] use? As again, there are no utility
[1:44:31] costs in there. So when you see the
[1:44:33] Holland's a million dollars, that's the
[1:44:35] street portion. There's water source
[1:44:37] storm on that, too. Um, same with all
[1:44:40] our other roads. We usually have
[1:44:42] utilities when we're digging up a road.
[1:44:44] We have some utility work right away.
[1:44:49] » Jess, do you just want to cover a little
[1:44:50] bit about what the how that borrowing
[1:44:53] piece looks like at the next meeting?
[1:44:56] Just the flow?
[1:44:59] >> No, I don't know.
[1:45:03] » We We work with Ellers. Oh, Greg already
[1:45:06] sent us a projection with what that
[1:45:09] borrowing looks like. He does
[1:45:12] usually four or five years. He'll send
[1:45:15] out a plan. He gives us the estimated
[1:45:17] tax impact with equalized value, not
[1:45:20] necessarily what will be on the tax
[1:45:22] bill, but uses our equalized value and
[1:45:24] gives the potential tax impact that we
[1:45:27] will see. Um, we will probably get Greg
[1:45:31] on the phone. He has done it in the past
[1:45:33] where he'll walk through his
[1:45:35] presentation and answer any questions.
[1:45:38] We use Ellards as our financial
[1:45:40] advisors, quarrels as our bond counsel.
[1:45:43] Um I reached or I forwarded from the
[1:45:48] last meeting I forwarded Greg our
[1:45:52] approved bank note and the schedule
[1:45:55] and he has already incorporated that
[1:45:58] into our borrowing. I do anticipate that
[1:46:01] being a little bit differently, being
[1:46:02] able to pay off some of the debt early
[1:46:05] because we levied $400,000 last year
[1:46:08] towards that debt. So, we'll be taking a
[1:46:10] big chunk out right away. I'm lowering
[1:46:12] that, but yeah, hopefully um everything
[1:46:15] goes smoothly and we'll be able to
[1:46:18] report and get that approved at our next
[1:46:20] board meeting in September.
[1:46:22] >> Will we be rated again?
[1:46:24] >> Yes.
[1:46:24] And so you'll we'll likely also see
[1:46:27] they usually put out a media release on
[1:46:30] the villages rating afterwards too.
[1:46:33] >> We're double A3 right now if that if
[1:46:37] anyone cares. It's it's a good we get a
[1:46:40] lower rate. The better our rating, the
[1:46:42] lower our interest rate, the more people
[1:46:44] want to buy our bonds in notes. We're
[1:46:48] going to be notes. It's not I think
[1:46:50] there is a revenue bond that he'll be
[1:46:51] recommending for the water utility. And
[1:46:54] the reason that we split it up between
[1:46:56] revenue bonds and geo debt is to make
[1:46:58] sure we stay well under that threshold
[1:47:01] that is um put on by the state. So and
[1:47:05] our policy.
[1:47:07] >> Yes.
[1:47:08] >> On page 75 it's it's the last two pages.
[1:47:13] >> Um 75 says transfer from room tax fund
[1:47:16] for 2027. And then the last page says
[1:47:20] transfer to facility and transfer to
[1:47:23] street for 2026. How often do we
[1:47:26] transfer between funds?
[1:47:28] >> So I record all the bond proceeds in one
[1:47:31] fund and then I just transfer it to the
[1:47:33] other funds
[1:47:34] >> just for simplicity sake. Makes it
[1:47:36] easier.
[1:47:37] >> Yeah,
[1:47:39] that's why I mentioned when that the
[1:47:41] financial statements have one fund. Um,
[1:47:44] I keep it so I don't have to recreate a
[1:47:47] hundred accounts. Um, previous to me,
[1:47:50] they actually reported all the funds in
[1:47:53] our financial statements. So, that's why
[1:47:55] that transfers and they're all separate.
[1:47:58] But, um, when we weren't using the
[1:48:00] facilities fund for so many years, it's
[1:48:03] you don't want to just keep adding and
[1:48:05] subtracting funds. that really the
[1:48:07] continuity of looking at your financial
[1:48:10] statements and comparing when you have
[1:48:12] funds dropping and adding every year
[1:48:13] isn't very good.
[1:48:17] » Yeah.
[1:48:18] >> Um for the 2027 budget, I'm looking at
[1:48:20] your equipment fund and your streets
[1:48:22] fund. They carry relatively high
[1:48:24] balances and I see you have interest
[1:48:26] income. There isn't anything
[1:48:28] specifically budgeted for 2027. I know
[1:48:31] you have some limitations as a
[1:48:32] governmental entity as what you can
[1:48:34] invest in, but do you have a um a cash
[1:48:37] management strategy or investment
[1:48:39] objectives like a policy or anything
[1:48:41] like that?
[1:48:42] >> No.
[1:48:43] >> Okay.
[1:48:44] >> Something we could use.
[1:48:45] >> Okay.
[1:48:46] >> We add that to our priorities
[1:48:49] like
[1:48:51] the
[1:48:57] » we won't be having much money come. um
[1:49:00] we'll be spending that capital
[1:49:01] improvement. That's where right now
[1:49:04] we're looking at our balance. What do we
[1:49:05] want to keep in there and what should we
[1:49:07] not borrow for? Um having a policy that
[1:49:11] has a minimum in there is probably a
[1:49:13] good idea, but looking towards what
[1:49:18] should it be, I think that will require
[1:49:21] a lot of research and personal
[1:49:23] preference. I'm not quite sure
[1:49:26] where it should be. Anyone
[1:49:33] else?
[1:49:38] » Nothing. No more. Our first workshop's
[1:49:42] almost done.
[1:49:44] >> Don't sound happy.
[1:49:46] >> How about if we go into remarks from
[1:49:48] staff? Any staff have any remarks?
[1:49:49] Everyone's got one.
[1:49:50] >> I do. I have one. So every Tuesday we
[1:49:56] meet as department directors and we talk
[1:49:57] about our frustrations and the future
[1:50:00] and what we're planning on and what's
[1:50:02] going on with our department. And we
[1:50:05] also
[1:50:07] we always talk about what's going on at
[1:50:09] the meetings. So, one of the things we
[1:50:12] talk about is our staff, our staff
[1:50:15] retention and the importance of our
[1:50:17] staff and how you don't always see that
[1:50:21] we are able to do so much with so little
[1:50:25] because of our staff. We got good staff.
[1:50:27] So, I was on LinkedIn the other day and
[1:50:30] I found a really good article. So, I'm
[1:50:33] going to read some of it. It's just
[1:50:34] going to be really quick. Um, and it's
[1:50:38] the most convers controversial item,
[1:50:41] $400 I have ever spent as a nonforprofit
[1:50:44] leader. So, I simplified this. I did
[1:50:47] forward it to our department heads and
[1:50:49] they thought it was a really excellent
[1:50:50] article and it's an article we we feel
[1:50:53] that we would like to share because we
[1:50:56] feel this way very much so. So, a few
[1:50:59] months ago, I spent approximately $400
[1:51:01] on a coffee and espresso machine.
[1:51:05] Hear me out. It wasn't the cheapest
[1:51:06] machine available. It was certainly
[1:51:09] nicer than the basic coffee maker it
[1:51:11] replaced.
[1:51:12] Um,
[1:51:14] but this discussion also exposed a
[1:51:17] larger
[1:51:19] phys theological
[1:51:22] » physiological tension that I suspect
[1:51:25] exists in many nonprofit organizations
[1:51:28] including governments. Um, what does
[1:51:32] responsible stewardship actually mean?
[1:51:36] Does it mean spending as little as
[1:51:38] possible on the people doing the work?
[1:51:40] Does it mean operating with outdated
[1:51:42] equipment, avoiding anything that could
[1:51:44] be described as a perk, and expecting
[1:51:47] employees to accept less because they
[1:51:49] work for missiondriven government?
[1:51:54] There can sometimes be an unspoken
[1:51:56] belief that government slashnot
[1:51:58] forprofit employees should work with
[1:52:00] holes in their shoes, eat instant
[1:52:02] noodles for lunch, and feel grateful
[1:52:04] simply because the work has a meaningful
[1:52:06] purpose. The mission matters. Of course,
[1:52:09] it does. But the work does not happen by
[1:52:13] itself. It happens because people answer
[1:52:16] emails late at night. They solve
[1:52:18] scheduling problems involving hundreds
[1:52:20] of teams which hundreds of residents.
[1:52:22] They respond with fields and streets
[1:52:25] suddenly become unavailable and flooded.
[1:52:28] Many of these efforts will not be
[1:52:30] visible to the families we serve.
[1:52:33] They will however determine the quality
[1:52:35] of those families are community
[1:52:37] experience. That is why I do not believe
[1:52:40] supporting employees and supporting the
[1:52:42] mission are competing priorities. In a
[1:52:45] healthy organization, they reinforce one
[1:52:47] another. Notfor-profit/government
[1:52:50] leaders have an obligation to be careful
[1:52:52] with money. That's not up for debate. We
[1:52:55] should question expenses. We should
[1:52:57] compare costs. We should avoid waste,
[1:52:59] negotiate contracts, build responsible
[1:53:01] reserves, and make sure our spending
[1:53:02] reflects our priorities. But responsible
[1:53:05] should not automatically mean cheapest.
[1:53:07] and refusing to invest in the employees
[1:53:10] experience may eventually show up
[1:53:11] through burnout, disengagement, poor
[1:53:13] service, or turnover. Those costs are
[1:53:16] real, even if they're not neatly labeled
[1:53:18] on a monthly profit and loss statement.
[1:53:21] Could that small investment
[1:53:24] help reinforce a culture in which
[1:53:26] employees feel valued and therefore
[1:53:28] better positioned to serve others?
[1:53:30] People need to know that the
[1:53:31] organization cares about them, not
[1:53:33] simply about how much work it can give
[1:53:36] them.
[1:53:37] Sometimes supporting the people who
[1:53:39] carry the mission is one of the most
[1:53:41] responsible investments we can make and
[1:53:43] I care immensely about the staff here
[1:53:45] and they in turn care immensely about
[1:53:47] the village that they serve. What can I
[1:53:51] say is our staff are work incredibly
[1:53:53] hard. They care about the game. This is
[1:53:56] for a soccer organization and the people we serve
[1:54:00] which are our residents. They regularly
[1:54:02] give more than their job descriptions
[1:54:04] require and they do it in an environment
[1:54:06] that can be demanding and stressful.
[1:54:09] After all, taking care of people is not
[1:54:12] separate from taking care of the
[1:54:13] mission. It's how the mission gets
[1:54:15] accomplished.
[1:54:16] So, I'll forward the article. It's a
[1:54:19] really good article. I kind of skipped,
[1:54:21] but it was this person who was a head of
[1:54:24] a not for-profit soccer organization in
[1:54:27] Oregon. um she bought a $400 coffee
[1:54:30] machine and she got a little flack from
[1:54:32] the board. So, um that is a really good
[1:54:35] article, but it really reflects our
[1:54:38] feelings here that we are trying to make
[1:54:40] sure that the staff we serve feel
[1:54:44] um they feel good about what they're
[1:54:47] doing. So, that's my mission.
[1:54:51] >> Thank you.
[1:54:55] >> You're appreciated.
[1:54:57] Uh, any other staff? Any other remarks?
[1:55:00] Uh, let's see. Trustees, any remarks
[1:55:02] from trustees? Go ahead.
[1:55:04] >> I just like to thank you, the staff, for
[1:55:07] sending a card and express your concern
[1:55:10] about me. Thank you.
[1:55:12] >> Yeah. Welcome back.
[1:55:14] >> Yeah. Glad glad you're healthy.
[1:55:18] No, just the you know there's a lot of
[1:55:21] work there and and I agree that um
[1:55:25] we can't just look at
[1:55:28] staff for cuts. We got to you know
[1:55:32] remember that they are doing a lot with
[1:55:35] a lot less people.
[1:55:38] >> Okay.
[1:55:41] Um, no, I I appreciate you sharing that,
[1:55:43] Jessica, and um, obviously I'm I'm
[1:55:46] probably a little biased in my opinion
[1:55:48] on that because of the fact that I do
[1:55:50] work in the public sector. Um, but
[1:55:54] with what Michael said earlier about um,
[1:55:56] you know, maintaining our staff and
[1:55:58] everything, it it is true that the cost
[1:56:00] to um, retain staff in a budget is much
[1:56:05] cheaper than trying to replace staff
[1:56:07] because the cost the time it takes for
[1:56:09] staff to go out and seek new applicants,
[1:56:12] to find qualified applicants, and to
[1:56:13] train them up to the level of the the
[1:56:16] people that were already doing the job.
[1:56:18] And and it's hard because we can't take
[1:56:20] an employee who gets a job offer
[1:56:22] somewhere else and be like, "Okay, I'll meet your offer." Like, we just
[1:56:25] can't do that in the public sector. So,
[1:56:27] it's important that ahead of time we're
[1:56:30] taking care of those staff members so
[1:56:31] that culture-wise and financially they
[1:56:35] feel taken care of. And it can be the
[1:56:37] little things. I mean, at my employer,
[1:56:40] it was as simple as a grill that our
[1:56:42] staff can use to just cook their food
[1:56:44] and get together as a team. And people
[1:56:47] would be like, "How are you buying a
[1:56:49] grill?" But it was as simple as that.
[1:56:51] Like it's a relatively cheap thing that
[1:56:53] you can use for um helping the team. So
[1:56:58] um I appreciate you sharing that and I
[1:57:00] think that is an important priority for
[1:57:02] us is making sure we're taking care of
[1:57:04] our people. So thank you.
[1:57:08] » No, Jessica, thank you for doing that
[1:57:10] presentation. I know it's a lot to go
[1:57:12] over, but I thought it was super
[1:57:13] beneficial. So thank you. Yeah, good
[1:57:15] presentation on my side, too.
[1:57:18] >> Uh, we do have a good staff here and um,
[1:57:20] you know, I I made the point of asking
[1:57:22] how many people work here because when
[1:57:24] you look at 16,000 people, the miles we
[1:57:26] cover, um, all the different things and
[1:57:28] it's, you know, 40 people around about,
[1:57:32] you know, I used to run a grocery store
[1:57:33] right down the street that had 250
[1:57:35] people, you know, and we never had
[1:57:37] enough. And uh the place I was working
[1:57:40] at the last 20 years uh if we were we
[1:57:43] were down we we had 15 to 20% turnover
[1:57:45] at all the time. But uh to retrain a
[1:57:48] truck driver at tens of thousands of
[1:57:50] dollars and it took your your focus off
[1:57:53] of what you should be doing as a
[1:57:55] manager, supervisor or something like
[1:57:57] that because now you you're you got to
[1:57:58] make sure that these people are getting
[1:58:00] up to speed having others help too. And
[1:58:03] um it's it's invaluable to have a a good
[1:58:05] staff and we have one. So, um, uh, I'll
[1:58:08] turn it over to the committee. Anything
[1:58:10] any remarks?
[1:58:14] » None.
[1:58:15] >> Good, good questions tonight, by the
[1:58:16] way.
[1:58:16] >> No, I mean, you I've said it enough for
[1:58:18] these meetings and I feel like the same
[1:58:20] vibe happens is that the staff feel
[1:58:23] unappreciated. And I don't know what
[1:58:25] that why that's the vibe I get when we
[1:58:27] sit in the um, and so I think we have
[1:58:29] some work to do, whether it's on the HR
[1:58:31] and the finance committee, but that's
[1:58:33] the the vibe I get it. whether it was
[1:58:34] the clothing stipen that we couldn't we
[1:58:36] eventually came to an agreement on. Um
[1:58:38] so I just I think that's an interesting
[1:58:41] thing that we need to dive into whether
[1:58:43] it's about a grill or a coffee maker or
[1:58:45] wages or whatever it is. But that's not
[1:58:47] the first time that that's been the
[1:58:49] conversation and I think it's something
[1:58:50] that we have to look at as a committee.
[1:58:53] >> I think um um you know citizens um at
[1:58:56] the federal level you can't go at it.
[1:58:58] You can't it's too big. It's too it's
[1:59:00] too far out there. In the state level
[1:59:02] you can't. But local level Citizens can
[1:59:04] attack and citizens do attack local
[1:59:07] level all over the place. They they
[1:59:09] attack on on minuscule things and they
[1:59:13] micromanage and I'm not I'm not saying
[1:59:15] all of them. I I get some wonderful
[1:59:17] calls and some wonderful comments and I
[1:59:20] actually would like to share all those
[1:59:21] instead of the negative ones I get. But
[1:59:24] um we've had staff leave here because
[1:59:26] they don't feel appreciated.
[1:59:27] >> Yeah. And and they don't they don't feel
[1:59:29] anybody speaking up for them. And um but
[1:59:32] uh but the local level you can go right
[1:59:34] at it. You can tackle all you want. Um
[1:59:37] but well said. It's a vibe that over the
[1:59:39] years it's it's becoming more and more
[1:59:41] prevalent.
[1:59:42] >> Yeah.
[1:59:43] >> Did you have something to add?
[1:59:45] >> No, I mean you're past your staff
[1:59:47] comments, but go ahead.
[1:59:48] >> Yeah. No, I mean you kind of hit on the
[1:59:49] head there. I mean, we had a a drinking
[1:59:51] water loan that we were able to get
[1:59:53] through, which to be perfectly honest, I
[1:59:56] because of other ancillary things
[1:59:58] happening in the community. I was almost
[2:00:00] a week away from missing the deadline to
[2:00:02] get that passed. And that's a $3 million
[2:00:05] hit. Had I missed that, nobody would
[2:00:07] know. We're still putting in the
[2:00:08] treatment facility and we're paying $4
[2:00:10] million and that's the cost of business.
[2:00:12] Mhm.
[2:00:13] >> But because we're able to stay and work
[2:00:16] nights and weekends and all of a sudden
[2:00:18] realize, hey, I'm catching up on these
[2:00:20] things, we're saving our utility payers
[2:00:23] $3 million. You know, it's it's those
[2:00:25] items that I think are a little harder.
[2:00:28] Um, and and I I guess that's, you know,
[2:00:31] budget honestly is a very tough time for
[2:00:34] a lot of us because we're the ones in
[2:00:36] this day in and day out and we know, you
[2:00:39] know, 1% of all of our wages is what,
[2:00:42] $15,000 or something like that.
[2:00:44] Sometimes I feel like we argue over that
[2:00:46] $400 cost, but if I'm focused on this
[2:00:49] $400 cost, I can easily miss a million
[2:00:51] dollar cost
[2:00:52] >> and nobody understands. And I guess I do
[2:00:54] a poor job sometimes of that. and our
[2:00:57] staff the ability to do what they can do
[2:00:59] with equipment and materials. It's it
[2:01:02] saves the taxpayers dollars. And
[2:01:04] sometimes we don't have the the time
[2:01:06] that we'd like to put together to show
[2:01:08] how our staff raising water valves and
[2:01:10] manholes and fixing all those items
[2:01:13] before we put an asphalt overlay on
[2:01:15] saves the taxpayers $100,000, $200,000 a
[2:01:18] year. Um, but our staff's able to do
[2:01:21] that. And I guess that's where the angst
[2:01:23] starts happening is when they start
[2:01:25] feeling underappreciated and the little
[2:01:27] things we can do to help them show that
[2:01:29] they are appreciated go away. Now we're
[2:01:32] getting staff that can't do those
[2:01:34] things. So now we're trying to train
[2:01:36] them to do it or we've got equipment
[2:01:38] that sits because we just don't have the
[2:01:40] talented staff anymore. So
[2:01:43] >> thank you. Um, Christina or Daniel. No.
[2:01:47] Okay.
[2:01:48] >> All right. So, future items, uh, let's
[2:01:50] see. The next meeting is September 8th
[2:01:52] at 6:00 p.m. Uh, let's see. Monday,
[2:01:55] September 21st at 5:00 p.m. Monday,
[2:01:57] October 5th at 5:00 p.m. and Monday,
[2:02:00] October 19th at 5:30 p.m. I think two of
[2:02:02] them are are together. Uh, what the 5
[2:02:05] and 5:30. The second and fourth one are
[2:02:07] with boards.
[2:02:08] >> The 21st and the 19th are with boards.
[2:02:11] >> Okay. And on the on the 21st and the and
[2:02:14] the 19th, if if we need to do a separate
[2:02:17] finance, we might start like a half hour
[2:02:18] beforehand if there are any financial or
[2:02:21] HR things that we need to handle
[2:02:23] separately. But we'll communicate with
[2:02:24] you if that's if we do need to.
[2:02:27] >> Okay. All good. Looking for a motion to
[2:02:29] adjurnn.
[2:02:31] >> So move.
[2:02:31] >> Motion by second by Olsen. Uh anything
[2:02:35] further on discussion hearing? None. All
[2:02:38] those in favor say I.
[2:02:39] >> Opposed. We are adjourned at 7:32.
[2:02:43] >> Oh, yeah.
[2:02:45] >> Technically never started our meeting
[2:02:46] though.
[2:02:46] >> Well, technically did it for both of
[2:02:48] them.
[2:02:48] >> It was on both. Yeah.
[2:02:50] >> But just go ahead and adjourn yours.
[2:02:53] >> I think we should adjourn the committee.
[2:02:55] Yeah. Go ahead.
[2:02:55] >> All right. Why don't you guys adjourn
[2:02:58] like you know meeting for a month?
[2:02:59] >> Yeah. Well, just adjourn. Motion to
[2:03:01] adjourn. Anybody?
[2:03:02] >> I'll make a motion.
[2:03:03] >> Motion by Daniel. Is there a second?
[2:03:06] >> Second by Daniel. I'm guessing there's
[2:03:08] no discussion. All those in favor?
[2:03:12] stay. We're journey.