Published: June 03, 2009 07:58 am      

Berea’s budget: Project funding cuts, pay raises

BEREA — The Berea City Council heard the first reading of the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget Tuesday, that if passed upon a second reading, will include a 2.5 percent increase in pay for all city employees, as well as a 50 percent decrease in capital outlay expenditures.

“No other projects are in the budget,” said Berea City Manager Randy Stone. “We have to continue to budget money to finish the (city) park and a couple of buildings that need renovating.”

Projects that began in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, like the park and building renovations, will be completed as planned.

The city’s total revenues, according to the preliminary budget, will be $35,102,929.When the 2008-2009 fiscal year ending fund balance of $16,389,062 is added, the total of the city’s available funds will be $51,491,991.

This amount includes fees collected from: municipal taxes, licenses and permits, charges for city services, fines and forfeitures, intergovernmental revenue (includes grants and other state-allotted funding), other financing and $23,401,000 in total utilities revenues.

Even though capital outlay funds were decreased by half, the category still requires the most funds from the city and utilities district.

Expenditures for both entities will total $43,619,837, leaving a $7,872,154 ending fund balance on June 30, 2010.

The second reading of the budget’s ordinance is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 at the Berea Police and Municipal Building on Chestnut Street.

In other business:

• The council heard the first reading, but did not take a vote, on an ordinance to increase electric utility rates.

“The city has contracted for and received a ‘Retail Rates and Revenue Requirement’ study from The Prime Group LLC, (based in Crestwood, Ky.) which recommends for a revision of rates in order to provide for a return on investment sufficient to permit the electric utility to continue to provide quality service to customers,” the ordinance reads.

If passed upon the ordinance’s second reading, the residential service charge rate would increase from $9 to $14 and the commercial service charge rate would go from $10 to $15.

Call Berea City Hall at 986-8528 for a complete list of proposed rate changes included in ordinance 11-09. A copy of the ordinance will be available on PDF form for viewing Thursday at www.richmondregister.com.

• Berea’s “Big Box” development ordinance was amended to allow retail stores the option of hosting sales outdoors.

“We had an exclusion in our Big Box ordinance that there be no outside sales unless it was enclosed,” Stone said. “If you’ll notice, any of the Walmarts, they all have outside sales. It conforms our ordinance to what some of the bigger stores are doing.”

• Stone announced that Berea would be receiving $393,905 in municipal road aid to help blacktop several city streets.

• Belle Jackson, Berea’s director of tourism, announced a meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. June 11 at the Broadway Center at 204 N. Broadway.

The purpose of the meeting is to encourage residents to become ambassadors for Berea’s new trolley where they will be responsible for familiarizing guests with the Berea area.

Those interested in becoming city tourism ambassadors can sign up to work on the trolley every Saturday throughout the summer or just a one-time, three-hour period, Jackson said.

Call the Berea Tourism Department at 986-2550 for more information.

• Maggy Kriebel, Berea parks and recreation director, announced Tuesday that Berea’s public swimming pool would open Saturday at 11 a.m.

Normal operating hours will be Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 6:30. There will be a free family swim night Tuesday, June 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sign-ups for swimming lessons continue for ages five and up.

Call the Berea Parks and Recreation Department at 986-8528 for more information.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.