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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 - January NewsletterJanuary 2016 City of pNEWSLETTER 360.379.5047 citycouncil@cityofpt.us www.cityofpt.us 2016 Budget -at -a -Glance Operating Revenues (Where the money comes from) FY 2016 Operating Revenues Utilities $6,627,400 Property Taxes $4,653,818 Other Taxes $3,389,953 Retail / Lodging Tax $3,240,153 Service Charges $2,697,346 Other $1.528.268 Sub Total Oper Rev $22,136,938 Transfers to Other Funds Total Operating Revenues Oth Tax is $4,972,203 $27,109,141 FY 2016 Operating Revenues The Operating Budget is segregated into funds, which have different restrictions on how the money can be legally spent. General Fund revenue can be allocated largely at the City Council's discretion. General Fund revenue is largely made up of property, utility, and sales taxes. Utility revenues from the Water, Sewer and Stormwater utilities are restricted for use in operat- ing and maintaining the utility. Revenues generated in other funds like Lodging Tax and Real Estate Excise Tax can only be used for specific purposes. In gen- eral, the City is experiencing moderate increases in tax and service charge revenues due to improvements in the local economy. Retail, construction, tourism and real estate activity all experienced increases in 2015 that are expected to continue into 2016. Operating Expenses (Where the money is used) Public Works $6,716,809 Admin Svs $3,055,004 Public Safety $3,014,475 Fire / EMS $2,458,561 Debt Service $1,898,916 Community Svs $1,566,803 Engineering Proj. Mgmt $1,012,859 Library $960,878 Equipment Rental $767,366 Other $324,322 Sub Total Oper Exp $21,775,993 Transfers from Other Funds Total Operating Expenses Debt Service 9% i $4,972,203 $26.748.196 FY 2016 Operating Expenses Engineering Proj. Mgmt Equipment Community 5%l Library Rental Other Svs 4 7% \ Li Public Works 31% admin Svs 14%_.Ago Operating expenses fund a number of City services including Public Safety, Fire & EMS, City Library, Parks and City Facilities. Administrative Expenses include the City Man- ager, City Attorney, Financial Services, City Clerk and Human Resources. The 2016 budget restores additional resources for Parks, City Facilities and Public Safety. City of Port Townsend 2016 Capital Improvement Budget Capital improvement projects planned for FY 2016 include repairs and upgrades to facilities on the Mountain View Campus. A grant received for Com- munity Development will also allow for tenant im- provements on the campus that will meet specific needs for the non-profit tenants. The City continues its development on the Howard Street extension project between Sims Way to Dis- covery Road. The new roadway includes sidewalks, parking, bicycle lanes and construction for water, sewer and storm infrastructure. Sidewalk On -Street Parking dewa I k 2 -Way Bike Lane Buffer Strip A regional storm water system to treat and detain storm water runoff adjacent to Howard Street will promote economic development in the commer- cial area by allowing denser development to occur. The city broke ground in 2015 and will carry out con- struction of a new water filtration plant and 5 million gallon reservoir. The plant will treat all of the City's drinking water using membrane filtration technology and is required to meet state and federal drinking water requirements. The reservoir replaces the ag- ing storage reservoir and is designed to meet cur- rent seismic standards. This project is funded by State and Federal loans. Water Treatment Facility Site Construction Capital Improvement Plan by Project Category: Capital Improvement Plan Summary for 2016 (in 1000's) General Govt Mtn View Iters, Upgrades 51,100 Mtn''4'ieviCDBG Improv $414 Mar hiner , Equip & Gth Imps, 3356 $1,900 Streets HvAwd Street Expansion $2-%G Sheridan Street $10 $2,970 Water. Water Filtration Trtmnt Facility $10,000 5 h1 G Water Reser4ir $7.000 Hovrard Street Expansion Sl5w 13ther'Nater Capital Projects $390 $18,040 Sewer I-lovmrd Street Expansion 5450 Collection System Improv 3100 $550 Storm: C1ERB Regional Storm $750 Hoy,,+,zrd Street Expansion $430 Stormtiooter Master Flan S40 $1,220 Total Budgeted Capital Expenditures $24,680 For additional information on the City's operating and capital budget for 2016, please visit the City website at www.cityofpt.us City of PortTownsendNEWSLETTER January 2016 360.379.5047 citycouncil@cityofpt.us www.cityofpt.us The City is conducting a "periodic update" to the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations. In 2015, we asked for sug- Port Townsend 2036 gestions, reviewed changes in State law, and assessed popula- tion and employment growth forecasts. On November 16, 2015, Comp Plan City Council considered all the information and approved a scope of work (aka the docket). In 2016, we will draft the revisions in accordance with the approved docket. The update must be adopted by June 30, 2016, to ensure compliance with the Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA). How can I get involved? Attend meetings & provide input: Check the City's meeting calendar at: www.citvofpt.us Check the dedicated webpage at: http://www.citvofpt.us/dsd/compplan.html Use the links at the top of the page to view past meetings and documents related to the GMA Periodic Update. Submit written comment to: 2016UPdate a().cityofpt.us Participate via SpeakUp: As we progress through the update process, we will periodically post questions on the SpeakUp site to gather feedback from citizens via this interactive online tool. Please check in frequently to give your input on the each of the five Comprehensive Plan elements (i.e., Housing, Transportation, Land Use, Capital Facilities and Utilities, and Economic Development). www.speakuppt.us Utility Tax Rate, Stormwater Surcharges & New Low Income Rates The City Council adopted several rate modifications that will become effective in 2016. The public utility tax rate will increase from 20 to 22% for the Garbage, Water, Sewer and Stormwater utilities. For most residential rate payers, the impact to your monthly water bill will be an increase of approximately $1.50 per month. The increase will take effect on Feb- ruary 1, 2016 and will end on December 31, 2018. The funds from the tax increase are des- ignated to be used to fund additional resources for maintenance of Parks and City Facilities. The City Council also adopted a Stormwater utility capital surcharge that will take effect on February 1, 2016. The surcharge will be $3 per month for each Stormwater account. These revenues will be used to maintain and improve the City's aging Stormwater infrastruc- ture. All Street and Sidewalk projects require improvements to the City's Stormwater sys- tem. The City Council also adopted new low income rates. The low income rates for the Water, Sewer and Stormwater utilities will provide a 50% credit on the base rates for each of these utilities. A 50% credit on the capital surcharges for each of these utilities is also available. There is no credit on the consumption/usage rates. To find out if you are eligible for the low income rates, please see the City website at www.cityofpt.us and click on Utility Information. Welcome new Council Members! Our first Council meeting for 2016 will be held on Monday, January 4 starting at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers of Historic City Hall. New Council members David Faber and Amy (Smith) Howard will be sworn in prior to the meeting and an election of officers will be held. City Council business meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month. Study sessions are scheduled on the second Monday of each month. Any additional meetings are usually held on the fourth Mon- day of each month. Public comment is solicited at most meetings. Each person has three minutes to com- ment and the clerk will signal at 2 minutes and 30 seconds to let you know your time is nearing the end. There are a variety of ways to reach the City Council members. Telephone: call City Administration 379-5047 for Council member phone numbers **E-mail to all at citycouncil(a)cityofpt.us or individually Pamela Adams padams@cityofpt.us David Faber dfaber@cityofpt.us Robert Gray rgray@cityofpt.us Amy (Smith) Howard ahoward@cityofpt.us Catherine Robinson crobinson@cityofpt.us Michelle Sandoval msandoval@cityofpt.us Deborah Stinson dstinson@cityofpt.us **Please note that any email is public record and disclosable to requesters under the Public Records Act. In-person during scheduled office hours at City Hall — see schedule on the home page of the City website. Making an appointment sometimes works best. Correspondence through U.S. Mail: 250 Madison Street, Suite 2 Port Townsend WA 98368 In 2015, the City expanded its technology to offer an easy-to-use Speak Up Port Townsend interface where residents can offer ideas, vote on the ideas, or provide feedback on current City projects and initia- tives. www.speakuppt.us Within a few clicks, residents will be able to easily offer suggestions on how to improve the way the City does business. Type your idea heading at "Enter your idea here" and click "Submit," you can then type in a description of your idea and pick an idea category. Once your idea is typed, click "Submit." A confirmation email will thank you for your idea. Be sure to Sign In using either a Facebook login or through setting up an email and password. EComment is designed to generate public input and provide a convenient method of participation for those unable to attend meetings. Once agendas are posted online (Thursday of the week prior to Council meet- ings), residents can open the eComment link and sign up to comment on Council action items. Comment is open until 3 p.m. the day of the City Council meeting. Comments are then posted in a report format as an at- tachment to the City Council agenda packet and become part of the public record. If citizens want to provide more commentary than the designed space allows, or submit attachments, a link is provided under the comment form. In addition to online City council agendas, residents are able to watch portions of Council meetings related to agenda items. Access eComment through the City's website at http://cityofpt.us/ video.html. There are a variety of ways citizens may voice their opinions about City Council issues. Also all agenda packet materials and City meetings are broadcast live over the Internet. Archived videos, meeting materi- als, and minutes are accessible in a searchable archive. Contact the City Clerk Joanna Sanders for more information or questions. jsanders@cityofpt.us, 360-379-5083.