No public comment - Cheney adopts 2019 budget

Cheney’s City Council engaged in some housekeeping items at it’s next to last meeting in 2018 on Dec. 11 — including the passage of the 2019 budget along with fee and wage increases.

Council approved the city’s almost $29.45 million 2019 budget, a document and figure that Finance Director Cindy Niemeier said they received no public comment on via several public hearings or through email or phone calls. In a related item, council also approved an ordinance making the fourth and final amendments to Cheney’s 2018 budget, with the $60,000 in changes bringing the total to just over $31.59 million.

Cheney’s original 2018 budget of almost $31.2 million was adopted in December 2017.

Council also approved all three readings and final passage of the city’s 2019 salary ordinance that includes cost of living adjustments agreed upon in collective bargaining. City Administrator Mark Schuller said the ordinance provides 3 percent wage increases to department heads and a 2 percent bump to non-represented employees, while also increasing the minimum wage to $12 an hour per state law.

The city’s 2018 salary ordinance provided a 3.5 percent wage increase to non-union represented city employees, which at the time came on the heels of a 2 percent increase in 2017.

In a resolution, City Council also passed updates to some of the city’s fee schedules, changing pistol licensing fees, a court fee and making textural adjustments to business licenses and building division fees. At its Nov. 27 meeting, council unanimously approved a 5 percent increase in utility customer base rates and usage fees, and a 2.2 percent increase in sewer charges.

The new water rates become effective Jan. 15, 2019 while the sewer rates begin Jan. 1. Customers will also see a slight reduction in compost rates in 2019.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing “commitment” of some governmental revenue to other governmental funds outside of the general fund. As an example, 4 percent of the residential street electric and natural gas utility taxes go to the residential street fund, while 4.75 percent of the same taxes go the parks and recreation fund — all of which were approved through voter referendums.

Niemeier told the council that authorization by the council is required under Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) rules. When asked why by Councilman Dan Hilton, Niemeier said the standards resulted from discoveries that some cities in the Midwest were moving these monies without telling their constituents.

“They were not being transparent,” she added.

Council also gave its authorization to the solid waste department to purchase a Western Peterbilt solid waste roll-off truck. Public Works Director Todd Ableman said the truck, which totals $230,383.86 with tax, is being purchased through an interlocal agreement with the city of Tacoma in order to get Cheney a better price.

“There’s a backlog, so we won’t see the truck until likely March, but we wanted to lock in (the price),” he added.

A roll-off truck is the vehicle used by the solid waste department to haul the 10-yard-by-40-yard containers often seen at construction sites and at Cheney’s yard waste drop off location. In conjunction with the purchase, the council agreed to declare the department’s existing Volvo 1020 roll-off truck as surplus equipment, enabling the department to set a minimum bid price of $60,000 for the 2009 vehicle.

Finally, in a last-minute agenda item the council agreed to a contract with the city of Airway Heights to provide part-time court commissioner services to their West Plains neighbor. City attorney Stan Schwartz said the one-year contract is similar to one Cheney’s court has with Medical Lake, except that Airway Heights is specifically purchasing the services of court administrator Terri Cooper, who will serve under the direction of that court’s presiding judge.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].