WEBVTT

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Do you take the role on that? Please don't do that. Shadle? Aye. Sanders? He's over there. The motion to reconvene. Yay or nay? Sellers? Aye.

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Klemm, Monroe is absent, Simmons, Parker, and Stacy.

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Will that suffice as a roll call for who's present as well,

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or do you want me to take roll after a roll call vote?

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OK, now this is officially roll whether you are here or not.

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Klemm, Monroe is absent, Simmons, Parker.

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Stacy, Shadle, Sanders, Sellers, and we have a quorum.

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OK, we're going to resume where we left off.

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Actually, it's West Avenue TIF, Curt, 227.

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Have you got a page on that, Rob, or you got that?

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Yeah, I got different pages.

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227?

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Yeah, it's about 3 quarters to the rear.

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Fund number 227.

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There you go.

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OK, got you, got you, got you.

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OK.

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OK.

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OK, and we're starting off here with the West Avenue TIF.

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Nothing's really been changed with that.

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Got no change there.

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OK, Burchard Hills TIF, that is Fund 228.

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Also, no changes there.

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Meadows TIF 229, no changes there.

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The Drug Forfeiture Fund, no changes on the Drug Forfeiture

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Fund.

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Why is there no changes?

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Because when we first presented it,

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it did not change from the first time we presented it.

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But is there something that you have a question on?

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No, I just wondered.

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Tourism Fund, no changes.

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Why shouldn't that have gone up since let Greater Freeport Partnership tell it that it's been so

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greater this year? Well, Michelle, do you want to answer that as far as revenue or as far as expenses?

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Both. When Rob said no changes, it just so the last time we presented it in September or October,

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where we have not changed the budget amount.

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It did go up, the budget from 2024

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was 240,000 for revenue in the hotel motel tax.

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And we're budgeting 280 for the new year.

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280,000, we just haven't made any changes

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since we initially presented it a few months ago.

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Okay.

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the highlighted items so we went through anything that was changed since the first time that

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we presented the budget.

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This is quite the process.

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I mean it we've been working on this since the beginning of August and so tweaks do happen.

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Things do change.

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I recalculate.

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I get memos from the state saying certain revenues are up that kind of thing so anything

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highlighted was something that we changed and in this one there in the hotel motel fund

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We didn't make any changes.

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Okay, if there are no other questions, we'll go to 318 Street Improvement Fund.

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This is where we're going to have the, this is where the funds for the 1% tax will reside and these funds have been budgeted for road reconstructions next year.

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There have been no changes since we presented it in the capital improvement plan.

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Capital Equipment Fund.

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We have had a few changes and some moving around.

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The transfer in, we had a little change on that from $726,000

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to $196,000.

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We had initially budgeted for, let's see here,

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some other vehicles that we are no longer going to purchase.

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Some of those vehicles are for the street department.

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So we are gonna be purchasing an F-550 truck next year

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instead of several bits of equipment

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that we had already put in there.

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And then also the enterprise leases are paid out of this,

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as well as police vehicles.

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So we're purchasing three police vehicles.

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Any questions on capital equipment fund?

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Okay.

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Fire improvement fund, a few minor bookkeeping things,

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We put that in. We have a better idea now of what that should be. And so that's been added. And then that's essentially the only change that we've seen there.

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Moving on to debt service fund. No changes there. Police pension fund. No changes there. Fire pension fund. No changes. And foreign fire fund. No changes there.

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We're moving the landfill closure fee during the budgetary process. So we got

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gigged on the last auditor. Basically the landfill closure fund is essentially

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we're building that up at the request of the auditors to get that squared away. So

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we're budgeting $362,155 to add to the road closure or the landfill closure

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Miller.

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And then under Contracted Infrastructure Repair and Maintenance, we reduced that from 150

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to 300.

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That had to do with pumps, and all the pumps right now are working pretty well.

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So we reduced that to 30,000.

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So if anything was to pop up, we have some money on hand, but right now there's really

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nothing that needs to be done out there.

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One second.

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Yes.

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Alderman Sellers.

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Yes.

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I have a question on the landfill closure.

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Yes.

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Where are there other are there any other places that people can take their

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Their waste besides paying that fee that they would have to pay to feel whoever the people are comes down

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So the so our landfill is closed

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Completely. The only thing that's there is Gills runs the transfer station

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So if you're talking about normal garbage and that type of stuff that it goes there if you're talking about yard waste

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That's a different thing. Are you which one are you thinking of?

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Yeah, I'm doing the yard waste. I had calls on what do they do with their yard waste?

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Why isn't there somewhere for them? There is. I mean the the woody yard waste either goes down to the city yards

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There's an impound there or out to the the wood lot

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On Walnut Road, so it's right next door to landfill four

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Now grass clippings we don't take although we are working on a composting permit so we can kind of generate our own topsoil

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Hill, and in that case we might we might start accepting grass clippings there

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because it allows the nitrogen you need to mix in with the decomposing leaves to

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create the proper balance there to create potting soil. So they can take

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their leaves and debris to the to the wood lot. To the okay yeah okay right

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there across from Walnut or at the city yard. Yeah okay thank you. Now the leaves

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don't go to the the city yards they go to the they go to the wood lot brush yes

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Yes, the brush. If you have brush, you can take it to City Yards or the woodlot, but leaves specifically go to the woodlot.

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Woodlot.

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Yes.

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It's only open 8 to noon.

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Yep.

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Okay.

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or any other special garbage or waste that requires not your normal typical household garbage.

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How does that become stored or disposed of if the landfill is only going to take specifics?

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Davis, what happens to anything else that's not garbage from your household?

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Well, you would take it to the transfer station and there would be a tipping fee or some nominal

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fee per day.

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Well, you can take it out to the landfill.

00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:31.460
You could take it to the transfer station, yes.

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Transfer station.

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Yeah, that's right there where the landfill is.

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And so if I wanted to take a chair, per se, and just take it there.

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Yes, you can take that out.

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They'll have to charge you for it, but you can take it there.

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They will charge you.

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Yes.

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and just in the interest of time I'm happy to talk about those in much more

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detail I would however like to kind of keep on going with the budget any

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questions on the landfill closure fund okay health and environmental

00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:06.379
Health and Environmental Fund, nothing changed there. Water Fund, we had a few

00:10:06.379 --> 00:10:13.379
changes. Revenue, we included some of the grant revenue that increased that from

00:10:13.379 --> 00:10:20.220
five million to nine million. In addition, we were we're expected to see some of the

00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:24.500
settlement law, the perfluoronate compound lawsuits this year, so we

00:10:24.500 --> 00:10:30.100
included that. We basically were estimating about 800,000 total. We put

00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:41.620
400 in water and 400 in sewer. That's item 4661, other revenue. Then under interest income, after

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reviewing everything looks like we will end up receiving more interest income than we had

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initially thought. Under expenses, we just cleaned up all the payroll and all the withholdings and

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and made everything as close as we possibly could get there.

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Under contracted equipment, repair and maintenance,

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we went from 120 down to 50, and that's basically

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going to pay for our pressure tank over at Burchard Hill

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this year when we paint the Burchard tank.

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Contracted infrastructure, repair and maintenance,

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you'll see there.

00:11:13.860 --> 00:11:15.500
It was at $3.4 million.

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It's $1.9.

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That's lead services program.

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I believe that's three.

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So that is budgeted for the lead service line program.

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Could we bump back up to water fund?

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Sure.

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You've got highlighted the...

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400,000.

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000.

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Yes.

00:11:39.419 --> 00:11:42.419
Yeah, the 400,000 that's...

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So that we're putting in as a placeholder what we think we're going to get for in 25

00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:55.580
We're just trying to account for it a little bit. We think we'll get something this year,

00:11:55.580 --> 00:12:06.940
earned 25. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. If you will, skip down to 6315. We took

00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:14.980
engineering from 500 to 383,000, and then we also adjusted fee in lieu of property tax

00:12:14.980 --> 00:12:25.629
from, I'm sorry, equipment building and plant outside from 35 to 30,000.

00:12:25.629 --> 00:12:27.590
We've got supplies, mains and manholes.

00:12:27.590 --> 00:12:29.110
We had a real look at this.

00:12:29.110 --> 00:12:33.710
Generally speaking, supplies, mains, manholes are going to be materials that we purchase

00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:39.569
that would go into the water system, valve boxes, valves, that type of thing.

00:12:39.569 --> 00:12:41.190
So we had a look at that.

00:12:41.190 --> 00:12:42.789
We made some changes there.

00:12:42.789 --> 00:12:46.750
So we took mains and manholes down from 135 to 85.

00:12:46.750 --> 00:12:50.629
and then meter equipment we took from 60 to 50.

00:12:50.629 --> 00:12:56.909
So moving down, plant maintenance, we took that down about 5,000.

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And then vehicles, we took 2,000 off of that.

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We made a necessary adjustments where we needed to software.

00:13:03.350 --> 00:13:08.190
We were reviewing some of the software that we needed and we were able to make some changes

00:13:08.190 --> 00:13:09.190
there.

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So we went from 112 to 56,000.

00:13:12.269 --> 00:13:18.430
and the land and property acquisition, you got $100,000, but we moved that from the

00:13:18.430 --> 00:13:25.950
water budget over to the mixed assets category, so that's not actually zero, that just got

00:13:25.950 --> 00:13:31.559
moved to another place in the budget.

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Any questions on water?

00:13:37.710 --> 00:13:38.710
Okay.

00:13:38.710 --> 00:13:44.319
With that, let's move on to the wastewater.

00:13:44.319 --> 00:13:50.779
So again, just scooting down here, not a whole lot changed here, but we've got 4661,

00:13:50.779 --> 00:13:59.779
For the revenue, again, you'll see another $400,000 there, as we're anticipating about $800,000 coming in from the Forever Chemical settlement.

00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:09.269
Again, also, the payroll was adjusted appropriately and withholdings were adjusted appropriately.

00:14:09.269 --> 00:14:14.269
Skipping down to $6170, contracted infrastructure, repair, and maintenance.

00:14:14.269 --> 00:14:23.269
This is our sewer lining, and this was reduced, I believe we're pursuing some sewer lining grants through the EPA.

00:14:23.269 --> 00:14:28.629
D.A. Is that correct? And it's moved to capital instead of being in the

00:14:28.629 --> 00:14:34.269
expense items. So it's a way of looking at, so it's fixed infrastructure, the

00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:40.269
lining, the life of the lining is 20, 30 years, so it really doesn't belong in the

00:14:40.269 --> 00:14:49.009
expense item, it belongs in the in the asset side. Let's see here. Depreciation

00:14:49.009 --> 00:14:55.210
expense, we made an adjustment there. And yeah, lab testing vendors, we're gonna

00:14:55.210 --> 00:15:01.210
to do what we can to take a little reduce that somewhat.

00:15:01.210 --> 00:15:04.450
We're hoping that we'll get to a point with the lead services

00:15:04.450 --> 00:15:07.049
that our lead service line testing will

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be getting less expensive over time

00:15:08.930 --> 00:15:11.049
because we've replaced so many of them.

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And we'll be on the home stretch probably

00:15:14.129 --> 00:15:15.569
at the end of next year.

00:15:15.569 --> 00:15:19.490
So we're excited about that.

00:15:19.490 --> 00:15:22.930
A few other adjustments, construction and equipment

00:15:22.930 --> 00:15:30.129
Supplies, Lift Station Supplies, Main's Manhole Supplies,

00:15:30.129 --> 00:15:32.970
and then plant maintenance supplies.

00:15:32.970 --> 00:15:36.730
So the idea there is we should have a pretty significantly

00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:39.529
new plant pretty soon, hoping.

00:15:39.529 --> 00:15:43.410
So hoping we spend a little less on our plant maintenance

00:15:43.410 --> 00:15:44.569
because we'll have a new plant.

00:15:47.889 --> 00:15:50.289
And computer software, again, reflected a similar change

00:15:50.289 --> 00:15:56.529
to what you saw on the water side.

00:15:56.529 --> 00:15:58.490
and that's it for wastewater.

00:15:58.490 --> 00:16:00.370
Any questions on wastewater?

00:16:02.009 --> 00:16:09.259
The changes are very similar to the water side, so.

00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:10.579
Alderman Sanders.

00:16:10.579 --> 00:16:12.019
Yeah, just a question.

00:16:13.860 --> 00:16:18.860
I saw the new water plant structure, utility area,

00:16:20.579 --> 00:16:24.700
chemical area, is that what we're upgrading?

00:16:24.700 --> 00:16:33.420
some some similar with new machines and things like that to work with our waste

00:16:33.420 --> 00:16:37.740
treatment water. Right, so we're installing a chemically enhanced primary

00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:41.460
treatment to handle the inflow and infiltration problem. We're installing new

00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:45.740
headworks with new pumps, screens, grid screens, and handling equipment there

00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:49.940
replacing the lab and the UV treatment. We're getting rid of the chlorine

00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:58.759
Disinfection and putting in UV treatment at the wastewater treatment plant that

00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:06.400
lagoon that's that's not in there anymore is it we're not utilizing that I'm

00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:21.240
sorry I don't know I may be saying it wrong aeration tank or no the the I call

00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.559
it the lagoon I don't know why my call well let's talk after the meeting well

00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:28.360
Let's finish this last bit, and then I'll stay over.

00:17:28.360 --> 00:17:30.559
OK, with that being said, we'll just finish up here

00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:31.480
with stormwater.

00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:34.779
Again, you see the same changes in the payroll

00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:39.360
and the withholdings as you did the other two.

00:17:39.360 --> 00:17:41.599
Depreciation expense, and I'll have

00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:46.039
to leave that to Michelle to give me a little bit of background

00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.319
on that one.

00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:52.440
So on the 6215, could you add on that?

00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:54.460
I think it was incorrect.

00:17:54.460 --> 00:17:56.099
If you noticed the year before,

00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.039
it was probably a key punch error.

00:17:59.039 --> 00:17:59.880
There we go.

00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:00.700
So we fixed it.

00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:02.920
Okay, and then engineering,

00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:05.559
we originally had 150,000 in there for stormwater

00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:07.360
and we took that to 50.

00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:13.440
So that completes the 2025 budget.

00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.480
And I was hoping to have you guys out of here by 7.30.

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:20.440
I am available now or after the meeting

00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:26.960
or anytime this week, please feel free to call me if you have any questions on it or whatever.

00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:31.119
But thank you for your patience, it can get a little dry, but we've been able to provide

00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:32.880
you with a balanced budget.

00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:37.980
Thank you.

00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:40.320
Thank you.

00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:44.679
Is there any other discussion on revisions?

00:18:44.679 --> 00:18:48.720
Nothing about the budget, it's just a comment to make.

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:55.159
To Bundy, I was able to make it to two veterans programs, one at Carl Sandberg School, one

00:18:55.159 --> 00:18:59.720
at the high school and they put on an excellent program and made the veterans

00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:03.340
feel real proud so I just wanted to make the comment that was Monday at the

00:19:03.340 --> 00:19:17.940
schools. Item 11 is public comments, agenda, or non-agenda. Wendy? Good

00:19:17.940 --> 00:19:26.409
evening. I just want to basically make a comment in regards to issues that are at

00:19:26.409 --> 00:19:34.289
hand in regards to one's ability to speak. As an elected official your jobs

00:19:34.289 --> 00:19:44.240
Jobs is to the citizens of Freeport. It is to ask questions and it is to get answers.

00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:50.679
Limiting the ability to speak doesn't get anything done when people allow their feelings

00:19:50.679 --> 00:19:57.599
to play a part in the decisions regarding the well-being of this entire city. My understanding

00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:58.099
and Yazoo.

00:19:58.099 --> 00:20:03.720
My understanding is this is being based on an ordinance that is as old as dirt and has never been used before

00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:08.539
We have too many of those ordinances still sitting on the books and they need to be wiped off

00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:13.019
Including the one if you spit on the ground you get a fine that's still sitting on the books

00:20:13.980 --> 00:20:16.400
I

00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:19.980
don't believe that that that anybody here is

00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:26.779
At a position where they can make every determination for what goes on in our lives

00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:39.779
We're not living our lives. You're not living our lives and most of you don't have a conversation with us to even know what's going on in this community with individuals because you don't walk the streets, you don't knock on doors, you don't talk to people when you expect them to come to you.

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:43.779
Your job is to come to us.

00:20:43.779 --> 00:20:46.779
And I'm really sick of this.

00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:52.779
You know, I've been in city council meetings that have lasted longer than three hours.

00:20:52.779 --> 00:21:00.059
Oath of Office to serve us, no matter how long it takes for that to come about.

00:21:00.059 --> 00:21:02.819
And we want that to happen.

00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:06.420
I'm probably as calm as I've ever been standing at this microphone, but I'm going to let you

00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:09.440
guys know that this doesn't work.

00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:10.440
It's not working.

00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:11.900
And it isn't going to work.

00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:13.940
And those ordinance needs to be removed.

00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:17.519
We need to stop looking for something that's not there based around somebody saying that

00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:19.819
something was there 20 years ago.

00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:22.660
we haven't found that information for Open Bible as of yet.

00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:27.660
We need to start looking at the people in this community.

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:29.380
Each and every last one of you aldermen

00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:32.900
need to start reaching out to your constituents

00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:34.619
and finding out what they think about

00:21:34.619 --> 00:21:35.519
what is happening in here,

00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:37.259
because they're not coming in here.

00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:38.839
They're sick of you guys.

00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.160
We got an election coming up next year.

00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:42.960
And I would say to each and every last one of you,

00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:46.220
if you want to serve as a city council older person,

00:21:46.220 --> 00:21:51.220
if you wanna serve as the person that is ultimately at large

00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.440
then take the responsibility to go

00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:56.059
and talk to the people that have voted you in.

00:21:56.059 --> 00:21:57.759
Because that's the only way you're gonna find out

00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:01.319
what our needs are and how your decisions are affecting us

00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:04.559
physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.

00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:09.450
That's what your job is.

00:22:09.450 --> 00:22:11.569
And I shouldn't have to remind anybody of that.

00:22:11.569 --> 00:22:14.130
Some of you have sat here for years.

00:22:14.130 --> 00:22:17.210
I ask that you work with the new city council members

00:22:17.210 --> 00:22:19.930
to help them to understand what the process is

00:22:19.930 --> 00:22:22.549
without them having to go back and forth all the time

00:22:22.549 --> 00:22:23.589
with somebody who doesn't agree

00:22:23.589 --> 00:22:25.769
with what they don't understand.

00:22:25.769 --> 00:22:28.289
Their understanding will bring about an understanding

00:22:28.289 --> 00:22:29.529
to the community.

00:22:29.529 --> 00:22:31.329
You guys fighting and not helping them

00:22:31.329 --> 00:22:35.289
isn't helping us to become a better city, citizen, city.

00:22:36.610 --> 00:22:38.210
When we have things that are more important

00:22:38.210 --> 00:22:39.769
that are pertinent in this community,

00:22:39.769 --> 00:22:41.889
including what happened on Halloween,

00:22:42.849 --> 00:22:46.569
where we have racism open to everybody,

00:22:46.569 --> 00:22:49.250
for our kids to see, for people in nursing homes to see,

00:22:49.250 --> 00:22:51.670
for people going to the park to see.

00:22:51.670 --> 00:22:53.369
Two schools, a nursing home,

00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:55.089
and a park that is very well known.

00:22:55.089 --> 00:22:56.410
That should never be there,

00:22:56.410 --> 00:22:58.130
even though we know that we can't stop them

00:22:58.130 --> 00:23:00.130
from putting things on their personal property.

00:23:00.130 --> 00:23:01.970
But we can put enough pressure on them

00:23:01.970 --> 00:23:04.369
so that it doesn't happen and it never happens again.

00:23:04.369 --> 00:23:06.730
And I would submit that you guys pull together

00:23:06.730 --> 00:23:08.369
and put an ordinance out

00:23:08.369 --> 00:23:12.210
that talks about discriminatory practices on lawns

00:23:12.210 --> 00:23:14.490
and any place else in this city that is offensive

00:23:15.369 --> 00:23:16.369
to the people of this city.

00:23:16.369 --> 00:23:19.210
and it didn't just offend my culture of people,

00:23:19.210 --> 00:23:21.450
it offended a lot of people.

00:23:21.450 --> 00:23:22.450
And if you wanna know the truth,

00:23:22.450 --> 00:23:26.210
there was 7,000 hits on that live stream,

00:23:26.210 --> 00:23:29.450
which doesn't make us look real good in Freeport.

00:23:29.450 --> 00:23:33.829
7,000 people looked at that and were disgusted.

00:23:34.829 --> 00:23:37.809
Thank you for your time.

00:23:37.809 --> 00:23:39.970
Thank you, item 12 is adjournment.

00:23:39.970 --> 00:23:44.200
We've got nothing further.

00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:47.200
I have a motion by Sellers, second by Parker.

00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:48.160
All in favor?

00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.000
Aye.

00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:50.000
Thank you.

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:50.019
Thank you.