5.3. SR 11-24-2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Municipal Liquor Store The municipal hquor store is a very important £mancial resource for the city. For the past ten years the city has transferred about $38,000 per year out of the liquor store fund to help finance the 1993 city hall project. This xvill continue until the debt is paid off. Additionally, in 2004, the city will transfer $195,000 from the liquor store to the general fund to help £mance general municipal services. This transfer amount was $120,000 in 2002. This is a substantial increase in just two years and shows in part the financial importance to the city for having the municipal liquor store. In addition to the contribution to the city hall debt payment and to the general fund, the City Council has recently used funds from the municipal liquor store for two special projects. One project was helping with the expenses associated with the gun range in the new pubhc safety building. This is expected to be about a $120,000 expenditure. The second special project was helping to fund the new ice rink floor in the Barn. This is expected to be about a $220,000 contribution from the liquor store. Annually, the liquor store makes about $350,000 net profit; so about one year's annual profit is being spent on these t~vo special projects. An item which the City Council will need to discuss at some point is the possibility of a second store which we have generally referred to as Westbound. This issue does not have to be decided at this time; however, it should be noted that $8,000 is in the 2004 budget for a feasibility study. The last feasibility study was done in 2002. After evaluation of that feasibility study, the Council decided to not proceed with the second store. Options for the City Council include doing another study, foregoing a study and simply doing the project, or leaving well enough alone and waiting to consider a study or project in 2005 or 2006. Wastewater Treatment System (WWTS) One of the highlights of the 2004 WWTS budget is the proposal to add another full time employee. This need was noted last year ~vhen the 2003 budget was presented. Growth in the system and additional responsibilities as it relates to lab work and the lift stations is generating the need for this employee. It is the intent that, with an additional employee added to the department, one employee will take the lead responsibility in the lift stations program. In 2003, the city entered into a contract for the hauling of the sludge from the plant to the sludge spreading site on 165th Avenue. This was an important safety issue for the city and everything went very well in 2003. The city will continue this program in 2004 and will evaluate expanding this contract into other sludge related work in the future. There are two significant capital improvements that are planned in 2004 that are not in the operating budget. Please see the attached memo from Terry Maurer regarding these two capital improvements. One item is the digester cover which has been discussed for a number of years and which is in the CIP. This is an approximately $500,000 expenditure and money for this project is in the WWTS fund balance. Both Gary Leirmoe and Terry Maurer feel that we should not wait any longer ~vith this project. The second item is somewhat new. This issue relates to the head works equipment that was installed in the 1970s. The head works is where the major pipes from the lift stations enter into the sewer plant. This equipment was not upgraded ~vith the plant expansion in the 1990s as it was still functioning well. We are now starting to see some sewer flow problems and we need to expand and upgrade this part of the plant. At this time we are not sure of the scope of the project and we need the City Council to authorize the project so that a preliminary design report can be completed and