The Village Board of Trustees held its budget worksession on October 15, 2019. Below are budget policy items that the board took action on. The budget hearing is scheduled for November 13 @ 6:30 pm at 3100 Eaton Road. After the budget hearing, the board may take further action on the draft budget prior to adoption, also during the November 13 meeting.
1.
Apply revenues from VOM sale of
vehicles to general fund revenue: $34,000
Based upon current VOM fund balance and the proposed
vehicle replacement expenditures for 2020-2025, the fund is capable of
sustaining emergency replacement of our most costly piece of equipment. Currently, revenue from sale of equipment is
retained in the VOM fund. This action
would direct the revenue into the general fund.
The amount is estimated and assumes replacement of a pickup truck and
the jet vacuum truck.
Policy consideration: VOM would be hard pressed to sustain multiple substantial
breakdowns or emergency replacements.
Applying sale of vehicles for a single fiscal year is safe, however it
is not recommended for multiple fiscal years.
APPROVED
UNANIMOUSLY
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $5.03
2.
Reduce levy contribution to VOM: up to
$45,520
Based upon current VOM fund balance and the proposed
vehicle replacement expenditures for 2020-2025, the fund is capable of
sustaining emergency replacement of our most costly piece of equipment.
Policy consideration: The draft 2020 budget as presented includes a
general levy contribution of $214,593 for vehicle operations, maintenance, repair,
and replacement. After additional budget
analysis, staff feel the levy contribution to VOM could be reduced up to
$45,520 based on the current budget revenues over expenditures of the VOM fund.
APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
2020 Tax impact to
owner of median value ($184K) home: $6.74
3.
Eliminate capital levy: $25,000
The capital levy is intended to reduce future
additional debt that will be incurred due to the newly created special
assessment subsidies.
Policy considerations: elimination of capital levy increases required
future debt service, which is more costly than capital levy due to interest.
APPROVED
UNANIMOUSLY
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $3.70
4.
Reduce roundabout contracted
maintenance: $8,000
Contracted roundabout maintenance could be reduced to once every 3 years,
with minor maintenance done by village summer staff.
Policy considerations: shifts
contracted services to internal, may negligibly reduce aesthetics between
contracted maintenance, requires future commitment to fund contracted
repair/maintenance in future years.
APPROVED
UNANIMOUSLY
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $1.18
5.
Storage area
network server system replacement: $27,500
This project is to replace servers that are beyond
their life expectancy with a storage area network system. The total cost of the project is estimated to
be $90,000. Staff could prolong the replacement for 1 year by purchasing
extended warranties for existing servers, perform upgrades, budgeting ½ the
general fund levy in year 2020, ½ the general fund levy in 2021, and purchase
the server in year 2021. Costs
associated with prolonging the purchase are estimated at $2,000 (warranties and
upgrades) and inflation.
Policy considerations: This may
only occur if the board commits to completing the project in year 2021,
including committing funds in the 2021 budget.
Prolonging the project may result in increased costs due to inflation
and labor availability.
APPROVED
UNANIMOUSLY
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $4.07
6.
Parking lot maintenance: $25,000
Budget area:
contracted services in parks ($8,000) and buildings and grounds
($17,000).
This budget item is for maintenance (crackfill,
sealcoat, and stripe) of parking lots at 2828 Allouez Ave, Josten South, Tiger
Court, and Bethel Park. Staff could
complete striping of parking lots using existing paint that the village has
on-hand. This would address the striping
of the parking lots, but would not complete the
Policy considerations: The village
is behind schedule in recommended parking lot maintenance. Continued postponement of regular maintenance
can shorten longevity and increase overall costs.
Complete
parking lot maintenance at 2828 Allouez Ave, remove parking lot maintenance at
Josten Park south, Tiger Court, and Bethel Park from 2020 budget.
REDUCES
2020 DRAFT BUDGET BY $8,000
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $1.18
7.
Spring Creek Trail Study: $22,000
While this is a discretionary expenditure, staff
strongly recommends against removing this from the 2020 village budget.
Policy considerations: the combination of removing the original planned
trail from the Willow Glen development and not completing a study for an
alternate route is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan,
the Strategic Plan, and the Bellevue Comprehensive Plan and past commissions
and board decisions. The trail has been
included in Village plans for decades, the Park Commission recommended
proceeding with the study due to elimination of possibility of the trail being
developed as originally planned, the village continues to grow in population
looking for recreational opportunities and increased quality of life, and not
proceeding will likely result in another missed opportunity.
Background: The Willow Glen plat includes the area that
was identified as a linear park along Spring Creek. This linear park/trail has
been in the Village’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan for over 20
years. In October 2018, the Park
Commission recommended that easements be negotiated for a future trail as
condition of the approval of the Willow Glen subdivision. The Village Board approved the preliminary
Willow Glen subdivision with the understanding of inclusion of the trail
corridor. In January 2019, the developer
of Willow Glen requested the trail requirement be removed and the Village board granted the request and approved the plat without the trail (3-2 vote). At that time,
President Soukup asked that the Park Commission study alternative options for
the trail. The Park Commission
reviewed a Scope of Services for a trail study and recommended approval and
funding of the study. Staff
presented the Scope of Services and Park Commission recommendation to proceed
with a trail study along Spring Creek at the June 26 Village Board
meeting. At that time, the board
directed staff to include a trail study in the 2020 CIP.
MOTION TO REMOVE SPRING CREEK TRAIL STUDY FROM THE 2020 BUDGET. 4-1 vote
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $3.26
While this is a discretionary expenditure, staff
strongly recommends against removing this from the 2020 village budget. The project is to repair and re-install the
kayak launch located at Manderly Way and was damaged by spring flooding.
Policy considerations: a decision to not meet village responsibility of
maintenance and repair of grant-funded/partnership projects and purchases could
negatively affect relationships with partners and grant funding opportunities
for future projects. Elimination of an American with Disabilities Act recreational opportunity may reflect negatively on the Village of Bellevue because the 2012 ADA audit
revealed that the Village has limited opportunities for persons with
limited or restricted mobility.
Background: The Kayak launch was a grant funded project
completed through a partnership of the Village of Bellevue, the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, and the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway. Grant proceeds totaled nearly $45,000 for the
purchase and installation of the kayak launch and signage. The only expenditure required by the Village
of Bellevue was annual commitment of $150 membership fees to the Fox-Wisconsin
Heritage Parkway for 7 years, which was paid for by Cedar Corp. The launch was completed in the summer of 2015. The useful life of the launch is estimated
to be 20 years. The Village agreed to
the conditions of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway when we accepted the gift
of the launch. These conditions include commitment
to maintenance and upkeep for at least 7 years.
APPROVED
UNANIMOUSLY TO MAINTAIN $8,000 IN 2020 BUDGET FOR KAYAK LAUNCH REPAIR/RE-INSTALLATION
2020
Tax impact to owner of median value ($184K) home: $1.18