Linn aldermen adopt a deficit budget for 2022-23

By Theresa Brandt, Staff Writer
Posted 4/27/22

At their meeting last Tuesday night, Linn aldermen adopted a deficit budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, with projected revenues of $3,161,414 and projects expenditures at $3,338,793. According to …

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Linn aldermen adopt a deficit budget for 2022-23

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At their meeting last Tuesday night, Linn aldermen adopted a deficit budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year, with projected revenues of $3,161,414 and projects expenditures at $3,338,793. According to City Treasurer Janelle Jaegers, this leaves $177,379 of the projected expenses to come out of reserves. 

The budget projects increases in several areas of revenue for the city: sales tax ($7,500), Motor Vehicle Sales Tax ($4,200), local use tax ($6,000), property tax ($16,100), fines and tickets ($10,000), trash revenue ($4,330) and rent income from T-Mobile ($1,000).

Linn’s new budget also projects an increase in expenditures in many areas for the new fiscal year. Salary expenses are projected to increase by $35,940 to keep up with the minimum wage increase of $.85 per hour. This will also increase the contribution to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) by $2,797. 

Several other expenses are projected to increase, including insurance ($18,775), fuel ($8,360), trash service ($11,040), capital outlay for a sign west of town ($18,800), modifications for the License Fee Office ($13,000), professional/audit services ($25,000) pool chemicals ($500), equipment purchase for water ($4,733), and capital outlay for Stonegate and State Tech wastewater projects ($179,303).

In other business, aldermen voted to increase water rates for the city from $14.75 to $15 per month. Rates for water over the minimum rate will also increase from $.005375 per gallon to $.00562 per gallon for residential customers. Commercial customers will see an increase in the water over the minimum rate from $.005375 per gallon to $.005625 per gallon. The city projects an additional $8,057 per year in revenue with the adjustments will be received.

Aldermen also voted to raise residential sewer rates, with the base rate for those inside the city limits to increase from $15.75 to $16 per month. The flat rate for the sewer base, for those who have a well of their own inside the city limits will increase from $30 per month to $32.25 per month. Rates for over minimum usage inside the city limits will also increase from $.005500 per gallon to $.005750 per gallon. 

The sewer base rate outside city limits will increase from $19 per month to $21 per month. The rate for sewer use over the minimum will also increase for customers outside the city limits, with domestic customers’ rates increasing from $.00650 per gallon to $.00725 per gallon, commercial customers seeing an increase from $.00500 to $.00550. Large commercial customers will see rates go from $.00425 to $.00450. The city estimates that this will increase revenues from the sewer for the fiscal year by $26,910.

 • Aldermen awarded the Jaegers Wastewater Regionalization Project to Brulez Trenching, LLC, which submitted the lowest estimate of $309,307. Others submitting a bid were Ryan Construction Company, LLC ($357,051.25), Kelpe Contracting, Inc ($841,315), M&M Landscaping and Construction, LLC ($560,070), and S&A Equipment and Builders, LLC ($1,102,394.85).

Bartlett & West plans to have the Notice to Proceed for May 17. The City of Linn is still working on getting the final easement signed. City Clerk Carrie Grellner noted that the problem is that one of the properties is owned by several individuals who live in different parts of the country. The Osage Nation is also requiring that an additional area have a cultural survey completed. Bartlett & West Project Engineer Hope Drennan explained that after the initial cultural survey, an area 200 feet by 300 feet was designated as an area of cultural significance.

“Everything was good to go, and the Osage Nation said they would rather see more information,” Drennan explained. “They would like to see the whole area have a cultural survey.”

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been informed of this request and has pushed back the deadline to comply.

“The new deadline will be Oct. 31, 2023,” Drennan said. “They have extended the deadline 18 months, but we don’t anticipate that it is going to take that long.”

Drennan noted that they have included the contractor in the discussion. She is hoping that Brulez Trenching can begin work while the cultural survey is underway. The project will be covered by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Capitalization Grant, and that will include rising costs and any change orders that may be needed. Currently, the total award for the grant is $607,507. 

 • Bartlett & West also set up a tentative schedule for the StoneGate Subdivision and the Osage Country Club sewer project’s design-build project. 

The Stonegate sewer lines are set to begin construction on May 9 and will be completed, weather permitting, by May 27. Bartlett & West will work with a local company, Aplex, Inc., of Linn, and the cost is $136,788. 

The Osage Country Club sewer project will begin on May 30 and be completed by June 24. Aplex will also be working on this job, and the cost to the city is $217,106. The city will use $174,591 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to cover part of the cost. Bartlett & West has submitted the first invoice for the project to the city in the amount of $30,654.50.

 • Bartlett & West Construction Project Manager Patty Lemongelli presented aldermen with plans for street resurfacing in the new fiscal year with input from Utilities Superintendent Larry Fredrich. Lemongelli showed four groupings for consideration. The first group will include South Third Street between Main Street and across East Jefferson Street to the end of Third Street. The second grouping will be on the north side of Seventh Street and Benton Street to the north end of Seventh Street.

“Our Benton Street resurfacing will end right at the post office,” Lemongelli explained. “That will tie in resurfacing that was done years ago.”

North Ninth Street will also be included in that grouping.

The third grouping will include South Ninth Street, East Lee Street and South Tenth Street until it ends at Washington Street.

The fourth and last grouping to be bid will be North Klebba Drive from Hwy. 50 until its end, and Oak Street. 

Each of the four groupings will be bid in a lump-sum approach, but aldermen can pick which groupings they would like to proceed with once the bids are opened.

“It’s pretty simple resurfacing; however, we have a couple of areas of adjustment that add complexities, and we have some repair areas in places,” Lemongelli explained.

For the bulk of the streets, there will be a one-inch leveling course and a 1.5-inch overlay of asphalt on top of that. 

Alderman Bill Turner asked Lemongelli to ensure that any street work did not cause water problems for residents and their properties, noting the problems with runoff after First Street was built up.

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Lemongelli said. “That is something we always try to watch for with the intent to maintain drainage so we don’t cause any problems.”

“This is a pretty big aim, but I aim big because we can always decide not to this street or that street,” Fredrich said. “We are hoping to get the most bang for our dollar.”

Lemongelli also noted that at Fredrich’s suggestion, the bids would stipulate an asphalt taper at driveways to make for an easier transition. Bartlett & West estimated that the four groupings would come in at about $225,000.

“It will be interesting to see how the bids come in,” Lemongelli said. “Everyone knows gas and petroleum prices continue to rise. We’re just going to have to expect a contractor is going to cover themselves when they bid and bid risk into the prices.”

 • Aldermen approved the election results from the April elections. 

“There was relatively low voter turnout,” Grellner reported. Mayor Dwight Massey returns as mayor for a four-year term with 105 votes. Steve Boeckmann will continue as the Ward 1 alderman with 41 votes, and Mike Montgomery will return as the Ward 2 alderman with 75 votes. All candidates ran unopposed. Both were sworn in.

 • Linn Parks Committee Chairman Neil Loethen proposed that the city move the ramp and other equipment in the city’s skate park and repurpose that space for other activities. In the past, Massey expressed concern about moving the skate park since money had been donated specifically to have the area set aside for this purpose. 

“Dwight has said he would like to see the skate ramp exist somewhere in town because it was originally created 15 to 20 years ago, and he made a commitment to that,” Loethen explained. “I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to use extra resources to keep a skate park I’ve seen no skateboarders on.”

Loethen has contacted all the donors on the skate park sign, and everyone has agreed that the city can do what they want with the area.

“They have said there is no restriction on it,” Loethen explained. “I don’t understand the connection with holding onto it forever.”

Loethen proposed moving the ramp to Maguire Park and was open to suggestions on what space would be a good fit.

“As this area continues to grow, I want to create something for people to spend time doing,” Loethen said.

He proposed removing the fencing around the skate park, repaving or repairing the concrete in this area, and creating a basketball court and pickleball courts. Loethen also proposed creating a small area for younger children to play while their parents are watching ball games. The small playground area would not interfere with plans for the All-Inclusive Playground and would be relatively inexpensive, with rocks and logs for children to play on. These “Nature Play Area” are popular in ballparks, according to Loethen.

He also noted that the batting cage would be converted from chainlink to netting soon.

 • Aldermen approved an Eagle Scout project by local scout Shane Greer, who would like to put up a sign for the Linn City Park Ball Fields. Greer has already raised all the funds for the project; he has checked with Dig Rite and is working with Loethen on sign placement.

 • The city will be placing barriers at McGuire Park on the road by the playground to stop people from using the park as a through street.

“We’ve discussed this several times,” Fredrich said. “We’ve got little kids down there. We’re going to get someone killed down there.”

Fredrich explained that signs were already posted, yet people continue to speed through the park.

Fredrich spoke to Aplex owner Ron Helmig, who suggested using the same barriers that his company uses in medians when they do road work. The barriers would cost $100 each, and the city would need four to block off the area. Helmig volunteered to put reflective stickers on the barriers and to set them in place the first time.

Linn will run ads in the Unterrified Democrat for the next two weeks to announce that the barricades will be put in place and the road closed.

 • Resident Levi Elliot asked the board to consider adopting an ordinance to allow Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) to operate on city streets.

Elliot noted that many cities in the area — including Union, Hermann, Cuba, and Owensville — have approved such ordinances.

Elliot noted that UTV use has increased by 33% since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“More and more people are buying UTVs, and it’s very inconvenient to get to a gas station or go to a car wash,” Elliot said.

Elliot provided copies of ordinances from other cities for the aldermen to consider.

“Obviously, we have Highway 50, and it’s no secret that you can’t run down Highway 50 since it is a state highway, but back roads would be fine,” Elliot said. 

Boeckmann asked Elliot if Hwy. 89 was also a state highway, and Elliot responded that it was a county road. Several other aldermen quickly corrected Elliot, noting that Hwy. 89 is a state road the same as Hwy. 50.

Elliot noted that according to the Union ordinance, you can cross Hwy. 50 but not drive down it. Union charges $15 for UTV permits and restricts the vehicles to daylight use, and requires mirrors, roll cages, windshields, insurance, and other stipulations to drivers. 

“I presented this to Chief (Michael) Bickell, and I think it is something that could bring the community together and maybe spark interest in UTVs in our county,” Levi said. “It would be kinda cool to see some side-by-sides at BJ’s.”

“We have a lot of dead-end streets, so some streets won’t see any UTV traffic at all,” Boeckmann said. “Some of the streets you can’t access without driving down Highway 50, not just crossing it.”

“As long as you just go short distances, maybe it would be okay,” area resident Joe Voss suggested.

Aldermen plan to check with other municipalities that have passed the ordinance to allow UTV traffic and check with area residents on how they feel about it.

 • Property owner Donna Magrowski asked aldermen to consider allowing parking on one side of Adams Street for her tenants. Magrowski noted that parking is permitted on at least one side on other streets in the city limits.

“If I remember right, if you had parking on both sides of the street, you couldn’t get an emergency vehicle down the street,” Boeckmann said. 

“That’s right, but it is really wide by my duplex,” Magrowski said. “It’s such a pretty place there with big front yards, and I don’t want to put parking in the front because I think it will look horrible.”

Aldermen promised to set up a time to meet with Magrowski.

After Magrowski left the meeting Fredrich clarified with aldermen that he and Mayor Massey had met with her several times.

“We’ve told her that she needs to supply parking for her tenants, and she doesn’t want to put a parking lot in,” Fredrich said. “There is also a fire hydrant down there, and it doesn’t allow enough parking for three cars, and that’s what she wants.”

 • Aldermen authorized the Linn City Police Department to pay double time for officers when they participate in programs covered by Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) grants. There would be no additional cost to the city, but it would encourage more participation from police officers to work overtime for the grant programs.

 • A bill that would make texting illegal while driving in city limits was tabled. Aldermen were not opposed to having a distracted driving law in the city but did not like the language of the ordinance and will wait until it is reworded to take action.

 • Aldermen approved outstanding bills for the month totaling $225,133.02.

 • Linn had the following ending balances in their government fund accounts at the time of the meeting: general ($324,104.43), pool (-$8,481.22), police training ($3,715.18), general fund-improvement and equipment ($8,646.09), park-improvement and equipment ($26,770.50), and pool-improvement and equipment ($13,985.14).

 • The city had the following ending balances in their business-type funds: water ($416,024.93), water replacement ($123,587.17), sewer ($420,338.70), sewer replacement ($85,985.30), and grants ($83,339.62).

 • Linn has nine certificates of deposit accounts totaling $1,089,798.13.

 • The annual spring cleanup is scheduled for May 13.

 • The Linn License Fee Office will be closed on May 9 in observance of Truman Day.

 • Claire Baker will be the new City Pool manager this summer, and several of the lifeguards from last season will be returning.

 • Fredrich noted that there have been a lot of complaints with water issues lately.

“It is hard to plan for these monsoons we keep getting,” he explained.

Fredrich and his crew are busy filling potholes and noted that this last winter has been hard on the roads.

 • The next meeting is scheduled for May 17 at 5 p.m.