Hillsboro budget lower than 2007 years ago
The 2008 budget for the City of Hillsboro is less than in 2007.
Total expenditures in 2006 were $10,962,628, and estimated expenditures in 2007 are $7,664,410. Proposed expenditures in 2008 are $7,114,532.
Hillsboro valuation has increased from 14,232,091 in 2007 to 14,296,788 in 2008.
A public hearing was held Tuesday and the council approved the budget as proposed.
In other business:
— During the Aug. 7 council meeting, city administrator Larry Paine was asked to check with other cities regarding guidelines for the types of insertions with city utility bills.
The city office has had requests from groups wanting information inserted with the city bill. The council voiced concerns about whether to allow anyone and everyone to have information distributed through the city bills.
Councilman Shelby Dirks asked if the information in the city bills should pertain to the city.
Currently Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce pays for copies that are inserted.
Councilman Bob Watson said he didn't want to see commercial inserts allowed, adding there are two newspapers in the city for advertising.
The question was asked if insertions are allowed, should the entities pay the postage?
Mayor Delores Dalke said she was concerned that customers might think the envelope is full of "junk mail" and throw the information away with the city bill.
— A public hearing will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, during the regular city council meeting, to select a certified grant administrator for the new fire station.
Grant writer Rosemary Saunders of Ranson Financial Consultants, reported she continues to tabulate surveys for a Community Development Block Grant for a fire station and is hopeful the city will be awarded the grant. She noted that Hillsboro has been successful in securing four grants during the past 15 years.
— The city again will apply for a CDBG for water line replacement on Birch and Cedar streets. A 2006 cost estimate was $380,000 which has increased to $420,000, Saunders said.
The city applied for a grant last year but was not successful.
— A change in the city's municipal policy statement sparked more discussion regarding worker's compensation.
The council approved the change of wording in the policy that does not specify the city administrator by name but the position. While discussing the policy, questions were asked about who actually determines whether an employee can return to work.
The policy currently states the physician is not responsible in making that determination.
City administrator Larry Paine said the physician will have the say and the city can find another position within the city that the injured worker can perform.
— Sales tax collected in the June totaled $47,000, bringing the total year to date of $298,481. g The council made the following board appointments: Clint Seibel and Larry Paine were appointed to Marion County Economic Development Council, Paine to the board of directors of Kansas Municipal Energy Association, Becky Nuss to Hillsboro Planning Commission, Glen Thiessen to Hillsboro Housing Authority, and re-appointments of Vince Driver and Jim Brennan to Hillsboro Board of Zoning Appeals.
— Dalke informed the board that the city's compost pile needed to be relocated by the end of the Tabor College football season because the land that the pile is located has been sold to the college. Another location will be determined.
The next council meeting is at 4 p.m. Tuesday at city hall.
