The Jefferson City Council could finalize the $64.6 million budget for 2022 as part of its meeting Tuesday evening.
The budget passed committee Aug. 19 in a 7-3 vote after four weeks of staff presentations and changes to the proposed budget.
Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer, along with Ward 4 Councilmen Ron Fitzwater and Derrick Spicer, voted against approval.
Fitzwater said it was too early to approve the budget, and Spencer said he doesn't think it addresses resident concerns regarding public safety, infrastructure and public works.
Over the course of budget meetings, council members made numerous changes to Mayor Carrie Tergin's proposed budget. Most of the changes focused around funding requests from different city departments, which are referred to as pink sheets.
Of the 88 pink sheets provided by staff, this final draft of the budget has 28 receiving funding.
Tergin's budget had four replacement police vehicles funded, but that has since been increased to the full 13 vehicles requested.
Her budget also funded two 1-ton trucks for the streets division, an accident prevention incentive program for staff, replacement of a camera used for sewer and sanitary inspections, replacement of aeration diffusers at the wastewater plant and a wastewater truck.
Those items are still funded under the amended budget.
One item Tergin's budget funded, which no longer gets money under the amended budget, is the upgrade of some city operated streetlights to LED bulbs.
Council members voted to redirect that funding toward other projects.
Projects that would now receive funding, if this version of the budget passes, include:
A pay increase for those who are on-call after hours and on holidays to address issues within various departments. The pay would increase from $8 per day to $16 for weekdays and from $20 per day to $40 on holidays and weekends.
A Polycom system for the municipal court to better communicate with inmates. It costs $5,000.
An electronic procurement system for the Finance Department, which will be used to accept and track project bids. It costs $15,000.
An electronic employee filing system for the Human Resources Department, which would digitize employee records. It costs $9,000.
An electronic learning management system for the HR Department, which would offer employees online training for their position. It costs $18,000.
An electronic performance appraisal system for the HR Department, which would digitize the city's performance evaluation system for employees. It costs $10,000.
Replacement of a glass recycling bin, likely the one at McKay Park because out of the four the city owns, it is the one in the worse condition, according to staff. It costs $5,000.
The budget will also allocate a total of $1 million toward stormwater projects.
Consent agenda
Council members will be asked to approve a $45,350 contract with JCD Floorcovering for new tiling in the police department.
They will also be asked to accept $300,250 through the Community Development Block Grant program. The funding will go toward down payment assistance, emergency home repair, infrastructure improvements, administration cost and demolition assistance.
Bills introduced
Council members will hear bills pertaining to:
Vacating the right-of-way at the 400 block of Union and Case streets and the alleys to the south and north as well as the Oberman Place right-of-way. The request comes from the Jefferson City School District and will allow those areas to be used for the construction of the new soccer and baseball fields.
Authorizing the construction of a single-family home at 805 Monroe St. by the Central Missouri Community Action Agency. The agency would also purchase the property from the city for $500.
Bills pending
The council has two bills pending.
One will approve the renovation of the Ellis-Porter Riverside Park Historic House by Verslues Construction Company Inc. for $606,100. The building will be turned into a ticket booth for the amphitheater, offices and storage.
The other authorizes a $152,359 consolidated planning grant agreement with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for metropolitan planning services for 2022.
How to participate
The City Council will meet in person 6 p.m. Tuesday but will have a virtual option due to COVID-19 and social-distancing recommendations.
Community members can attend the meeting at the council chambers in City Hall, 320 E. McCarty St., or view the meeting live via the city's YouTube page.