Commissioners meet to outline objectives
The Emporia City Commission started its goal-setting sessions by bringing in a facilitator to help identify a direction for the city and the necessary steps to get there.
Bill Barnes, chairman of the master of business program and director for the Center of Business and Economic Development at Emporia State University, facilitated the session. The city paid him $500 for his services for two sessions.
“By bringing me in as an outside person, part of my role is to make sure they stay on task, which they did, and ... in conclusion coming up with some workable goals,” he said.
The goals that the commission came up with, so far, included:
Continue financing the multi-year fund through the sales tax.
Complete Phase I and begin Phase II of the property enforcement program.
Expand relations between ESU and the city.
Complete the master plan for Emporia Parks and Recreation.
Complete Phase III of the master community initiated development program.
A 1 percent sales tax continuation was approved in July 2009 for five years, said Dan Slater, Lyon County controller. The city gets about half, Lyon County get 40 percent, and the smaller surrounding towns get the other 10 percent.
The city uses the sales tax as part of its multi-year fund to fund infrastructure. This sales tax ends June 30, 2014.
City Manager Matt Zimmerman said the sales tax brought in $2.53 million toward the multi-year fund in 2011 for infrastructure projects that included road and sidewalk repairs and storm water projects. When the city put the 2012 budget together in August, it projected to bring in $2.51 million for the multi-year fund.
The commissioners and Zimmerman came up with short-term goals for the next 18 months individually and through two-person teams.
Zimmerman said the city’s 2011 goals were the following:
Review employee compensation program.
Improve infrastructure.
Strengthen relationships with other agencies in the community (Lyon County, ESU, and Emporia school district).
Address housing enforcement.
Review financial policies and maintain strong cash reserves.
In 2011, The city met with the student government and ESU Interim President H. Edward Flentje about housing and grow student population, he said.
“City has met with new President Michael Shonrock and discussed ways of working together to improve the university and the town as well as how to draw more students to campus,” he said. “City considering property enforcement program to include housing around ESU campus.”
City completed $2.06 million in capital projects in the muli-year fund, $440,560 in the water fund, $687,691 in the sewer fund and $275,269 in the solid waste fund, Zimmerman said. Another $1.46 million was encumbered in the Sewer Fund for the O’Brien family’s property.
He said the city has refinanced debt.
“The City has approximately $43.6 million in total debt,” he said. “Debt payments are planned through the end of the current outstanding debt. Debt to be repaid through property taxes are scheduled to increase through 2015 (a decrease is scheduled in 2014), then decline each year thereafter.”
The commission will finish establishing their short-term goals, coming up with their long-term goals and establishing a vision for 2020 at the next goal-setting session at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
sail (anonymous) says...
Great job commish, you have identified many fine goals for Emporia.Now determine a plan of action , and implement a plan,realy like the plan to help ESU grow......
January 31, 2012 at 4:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sail (anonymous) says...
If I read this correct,,,,1/2 cent sales tax brings in TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS,,,,,then the 1/2 cent sales tax for economic deve should have a large surplus of monies to help ESU under the banner of economic dev.I base this comment on the multi years we have been paying this tax.... and assuming the monies not spent are held in escrow for future economic dev...
January 31, 2012 at 4:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Smoke and mirrors....
January 31, 2012 at 5:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
Talk is cheap get out and find some industries to come into town!
January 31, 2012 at 7:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Why would anyone come to small town with big city tax burdens(or soon to have)? We are to busy erecting rocks and bailing out local businesses to see the forest through the trees.
January 31, 2012 at 8:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
City debt = $1,749.86 for every man, woman and child in our city.
Bill Barnes should have donated his time.
Unless the economy improves greatly by 2014 I don't think the city can count on renewing that sales tax.
February 1, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )