Increased Appropriations, 2015 Crime Report, Settlement with Engineers Harris and Associates: Council Tuesday, Feb. 16
Honoring President’s Day and delaying their meeting one day, the City Council will convene on Tuesday, February 16 at 7 p.m. in a Closed Session with legal counsel in the City Hall Conference Room to discuss litigation concerning Harris & Associates, the engineering firm instrumental in the failed and costly private underground utility district.
At 7:30 p.m. the City Council will begin its Open Session in the Council Chambers, with the Consent Calendar: approve Council liaison assignments, approve catastrophic leave donations for Firefighter David Abernethy, and authorize a settlement with Harris and Associates in the amount $417,000.
Next the Council will take up its regular agenda, including the 2014-15 Audit Report, 2015 Piedmont Crime Report, Police Computer Upgrade in the amount $426,205, Emergency Operations Plan Update, Midyear Fiscal 2015-16 Report, and Midyear Appropriations increasing budgeted expenditures by $964, 250.
The meeting is open to the public, broadcast live. A copy of the meeting will be retained in the city’s archives.
Read the agenda.
Staff reports:
Council liaison assignments for 2016
Catastrophic leave donation
Settlement agreement with engineers Harris & Associates
Year End Crime Report
Mid-year Additional Appropriations
The Mid-Year Financial Report notes a reduction in mid-year real property transfer tax receipts of 20% from that of last year which correlates with the reduction in the number of homes sales by mid-year (56 vs. 73). Nonetheless, mid-year receipts ($1.44M) are 95% of the 5-year average ($1.5M) so the outlook for an end of the year transfer tax receipt of $3.3M is promising. And the lowest mid-year sales of the past 5 years (61) was followed by a huge jump in spring home sales and a record transfer tax ($4.0M) so a new record transfer tax revenue may be ahead. Property tax receipts are 3% ahead of projections as well. Unfortunately, as the table of page 5 of the report shows, spikes in worker compensation and retiree medical benefits may use up all of this expected windfall.