By Charlotte Caldwell
SIDNEY — The Sidney City Council discussed the 2024 budget, an additional 0.5% permanent income tax, charter amendments, and a new liquor permit at a workshop meeting on Nov. 6.
The 2024 budget is $49,372,487. Local taxes make up 46.1% of the total while fees and charges make up 23% of the total projected revenues. Fire and police services are funded primarily by local taxes and intergovernmental revenues. The proposed operating budget of $60.26 million was an overall 6.4% decrease — excluding debt-funded projects — from the 2023 budget.
Each department highlighted its goals for the upcoming year. Goals included the following:
• City Administration: Continue downtown revitalization with emphasis on Ohio Building, shops boutiques and other small businesses; focus on neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment of Wagner building; promote city by public participation, community outreach, and radio/TV segments, while being the face of the organization; promote positive employee workplace experiences through teambuilding and workplace events;
• City Council: Successfully onboarding the new communications manager and working to develop plans/strategies to improve community connections; review city files for compliance with records retention schedules and coordinate annual records destruction event; coordinate successful amendment to City Charter, if sought by council; coordinate foreign friendship relationship activities;
• Community Development: Update of comprehensive plan; implement new rental registration program; work with parks department to combine code enforcement officer and park ranger positions; assist with downtown, utility, and other targeted planning studies; implement new permitting and code enforcement software which includes a forward-facing, customer portal;
• Finance, Purchasing, Revenue Collections: Maintain high level of financial data and achieve GFOA excellence awards; work towards implementing an online income tax tool to provide better service to taxpayers and tax preparers; promote utility billing online payments as well as receiving bills via email;
• Fire Department: Engage additional training opportunities in EMS, fire, technical rescue, hazardous materials, and administrative/leadership; provide comprehensive employee health and wellness (i.e. annual physicals, sports medicine/athletic trainer, mental health); continue fleet, facility, and equipment maintenance and improvements; support increased fire safety awareness, education, and investigation efforts;
• Human Resources: Engage in more on-site employee and supervisory training; continue exploring new avenues for team building activities; coordinate employee service award recognition, summer appreciation, Christmas luncheon and volunteer appreciation; onboarding the two new positions created for 2024; advertise and hire seasonal employees as well as hopefully recruiting laterals for both police and fire;
• Law Director/Prosecutor: Provide direct or secondary assistance in the prosecution and defense in civil matters; continue to provide financial assistance to the victim services advocate program; offer sound, precedent-supported legal advice and service within ethical standards;
• Municipal Court: Continue to expand on the use of new and available technology; work with case management vendors and law enforcement agencies on legislative changes; continuously update our website to provide the proper resources and improve the delivery of court services; develop and implement a sustainable digital records management strategy; comply with goals set by the state for our probation grant and provide services for probationers; comply with new rules from the Supreme Court that require a technology plan and language access plan;
• Parks and Recreation: Provide Sidney’s residents, both young and old, with safe, diverse and engaging recreational activities with the available funding; provide safe and aesthetically pleasing parks, athletic facilities and playgrounds for passive and active recreation by upgrading park equipment, picnic tables, and play equipment (ex. new restroom fixtures at Deam Park); maintain Graceland Cemetery as an aesthetically pleasing and safe environment for the benefit of bereaved families, friends and public;
• Water Park Concession Stand: Reduce cost of operations of the concession, without reducing the quality of food or service; encourage and promote the water park in order to improve facilities reputation, increase daily attendance and season pass sales; provide free swim lessons to reduce number of lifeguard rescues during season; manage the park financially by achieving a 40% self-support ratio;
• Police Department: Attempt to reach and maintain full staffing levels; expand leadership training for newly promoted supervisors; focus on specialized training for new and tenured officers (tactics, traffic and investigations); modify and implement our new officer wellness program with the annual fitness assessment, Protect the Protector program, and annual mental wellness checkups; expand training and educational programs for police dispatch and administrative staff;
• Engineering: Coordinate engineering and design of all street and utility public improvements; inspect all public and privately funded public improvements; additional training planned for new and existing staff; administers all the city’s capital improvement projects;
• Street Fund: Adding no parking and street signs to phase two of Burr Oak subdivision; continue systematic change-out of LED traffic signals lights (average seven intersections per year); begin upgrades to the 9 block traffic lights downtown through a Centracs program to optimize traffic flow;
• Sewer Fund: WWTP perform timely sampling and lab analysis as required by National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Schedule; WWTP Industrial Pretreatment Program complete annual inspection of each Significant Industrial User (SIU) and provide technical assistance to all Industrial Users (IU); sewer collection continue to inspect, jet, and clean known problem areas in the city’s 126+ mile sanitary sewer system; perform planned and emergency repairs or replacements to provide adequate sewage conveyance to the WWTP; sewer I&I continues to reduce inflow and infiltration into the city’s sanitary system through camera (CCTV) inspections, grouting, repairs, or replacement of mains, city owned laterals, and manholes;
• Stormwater Fund: Continue to maintain the city’s storm water drainage system by repairing or replacing piping, catch basins, and storm manholes which all paving areas are inspected and maintained annually in the spring before paving begins; perform storm sewer jet cleaning and root-cutting needs to keep piping open to better convey flow during heavy rain events; maintain the nine city-owned retention basins removing debris and clearing outfall piping, as well as the seven river backflow gates and two storm water pump stations;
• Water Fund: Perform timely sampling analysis required by OEPA. Semi-annual cleaning of tanks, and repairing pumps and motors; water distribution system semi-annual flush fire hydrants, check water system valves, as well as perform needed necessary repairs; per OEPA mandate the city needs to identify all water service lines as part of the revised lead and copper rule; meter department perform meter repairs, service change reads, and water shut-offs;
• Transportation and Garage/Fleet Fund: Shelby Public Transit to maintain current service levels with the current job market challenges; inflated costs in fleet supplies, parts and equipment have been creating challenges as we work to stay current with technology and a rapidly changing industry; supply chain issues, high demand and low inventory in all aspects from parts to complete vehicles has forced us to explore and creatively find ways to work through these current trends;
• Information Technology Fund: Design and implement next-generation cyber security software solutions to provide an efficient and secure workflow environment; optimize IT service delivery to all city departments with collaboration and departmental diversity; expand the opportunities for a secure mobile workforce with expanded wireless connectivity within city facilities; continue to enhance the secure computing approach by leveraging MFA across several operational platforms.
The budget is scheduled for adoption at the Nov. 27 council meeting.
The council also discussed the proposed change to the permanent income tax rate from 1.5% to 2% in lieu of extending the .15% income tax street levy. The goal of the increase is to move projects into fruition that have long been discussed but were not justifiable due to financial constraints. A survey of income tax rates of surrounding communities was provided.
City charter amendments were discussed to be voted on during the March 2024 primary election. The first amendment will eliminate the need to include an abstaining council member when determining what constitutes a majority when taking action on a matter not involving the adoption of an ordinance. The second amendment is, “All ordinances, or a succinct summary of the ordinance, and any other notice or notices required to published, may be published in a newspaper published and of general circulation in Sidney or in any manner permissible by Ohio Revised Code not later than one week following passage. If a summary of an ordinance is published, the publication shall contain the notice that the complete text of each such ordinance may be obtained or viewed online or at the office of the City Clerk. Resolutions need not be published.”
Lastly, Gallery 2 Ten LLC requested a new D-2 liquor permit at 684 Fair Road to allow wine and pre-packaged low proof mixed beverages sales on and off premises until 1 a.m., and the council approved.
For the full 2024 budget presentation, view the Nov. 6 agenda packet on the city’s Documents on Demand website: https://tinyurl.com/mrxh437e.
