Weatherford
Weatherford City Council, March 10, 2015: 5 items, 2 split votes; Distribute copies of and receive staff briefing regarding the draft FY14 Comprehensive
0 consent items, 5 regular items, 4 executive-session topics; 5 recorded votes. Written from the minutes.
Distribute copies of and receive staff briefing regarding the draft FY14 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Chief Financial Officer Dave Croff presented this item. Mr. Croff stated that the primary objective is to improve accounting and financial reporting by state and local governments by providing more comparable and visible information within the financial statements of a government. An unmodified opinion (this has the same meaning as a clean or unqualified opinion) was received from Pattillo, Brown and Hill. No difficulties or disagreements with management on financial accounting or reporting matters were noted. The auditors made the following suggestions for modifications: Segregation of duties for internal control Number of employees using single cash drawer Consider centralizing invoicing function under Finance Department The City of Weatherford received the following 2013 financial and budget awards: Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle Gold Member Mr. Croff explained that government activities are typically supported from taxes and intergovernmental revenues. Business type activities are intended to recover costs from user fees and charges. The Statement of Activities shows how net position changed during the current fiscal year as well as [...]
Consider and/or act upon approval of Ordinance 716-2015-05 amending the FY2015 Annual Budget. Budget and Strategic Planning Manager Kyle Lester presented this item. Mr. Lester stated that this item is to amend the City's FY15 budget for the following items: Moving a total of $46,000 dollars from Non-Departmental (City Manager’s Contingency) into City Administration (Professional Services) for: CC031015 Page 2 of 5 o $10,000 worth of miscellaneous expenses in conjunction with the new Public Relations position. o Adding an additional $36,000 to extend the Grant Writing consultant’s term through the rest of this fiscal year. Adding a total of $20,000 in personnel expenses to Planning and Development to convert a part- time administrative assistant to a full-time permit technician. Fees will be increased in order to offset this increase on an annual basis. Adding a total of $985,000 in expenses for the full purchase of fire apparatus, paid for through proceeds of tax notes issued in January. Initially, the purchase of these apparatus was budgeted as traditional vehicle financing, whereby the city puts down $433,000 and finances the rest with annual payments of $160,000. Because this was adjusted to tax note financing, the apparatus were bought outright with proceeds from the tax notes, and the $160,000 will be used to service the tax note debt. Add a total of $3,216 in [...]
Heidi Wilder and Waymon Hamilton voted in opposition. Consider and/or act upon approval of Ordinance 717-2015-06 amending the City of Weatherford FY2015 Fee Schedule. Mr. Lester presented this item as well. Periodically the Council adopts an ordinance amending the City of Weatherford's fee schedule. Mr. Lester stated that the following changes are being proposed for the Planning and Development’s fee schedule: Addition of contractor registration fee, at $75 per permit Addition of fence permit, at $35 per permit Addition of road approach permit, at $25 per permit The projected revenue from these fees will help to convert a part-time administrative position to a full- time permit technician in the Planning and Development Department. On the motion of Heidi Wilder, second by Jeff Robinson, the Council voted unanimously to approve this item. Motion carried 5 - 0.
Consider and/or act upon Resolution R2015-03 to establish guidelines and criteria governing tax abatement agreements. Director of Economic Development Dennis Clayton presented this item. Mr. Clayton explained that Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code governs the designation of the reinvestment zones and granting of tax abatements. The City Council approved Resolution R2014-13 on May 13, 2014 pursuant to Chapter 312.002 of the Texas Tax Code, establishing the current City of Weatherford Guidelines and Criteria Governing Tax Abatement Agreement, effective for a period of two years, ending February 2016. The City Council and economic development department periodically receive requests for consideration for a tax abatement from various businesses, and the City Council is asked to consider the revisions to the approved with the following provision added under Section II. Minimum Standards for Tax Abatement. Page 1: No Tax abatement will be considered for retail businesses, except: o The City Council upon special consideration, circumstances, qualifications and specific approval may make an exception for retail businesses, on a case-by-case basis. o Special consideration, qualification and specific approval may be made for retail businesses located in the designated Historic Downtown Weatherford/Northside Neighborhood Empowerment Zones, and is thus retained in the revised Guidelines [...]
Heidi Wilder voted in opposition.
Future agenda items: Discuss ratio of debt
Executive session topics, as posted: *Section 551.087 - Deliberations regarding economic development negotiations: Roger Williams; *Section 551.074 - to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties,; *Section 551.087 - Deliberations regarding economic development negotiations: Roger Williams; *Section 551.074 - to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties,.
Compiled from the city secretary's minutes by the Ledger's extractor, in the minutes' own wording, item by item; the Ledger adds no characterization. Read the minutes for the full record.
Sources: City of Weatherford: council minutes, March 10, 2015 (Granicus); Agenda for this meeting (Granicus); Meeting video (Granicus)