Appraisal district reports to council

Billy Mitchell of the Colorado County Central Appraisal District spoke to the council and gave preliminary projected differences in the 2008 and 2007 budgets at their regular meeting Tuesday, May 29.

Mitchell said that due to money designated for a new position in the appraisal district, different categories would be affected.

A salary increase of approximately $20,000 is scheduled for the hiring of the new position.

"Overall health benefits and retirement is up," Mitchell said.

He commented that supplies and printing is going to stay close to the same as last year as well as data processing.

"We are pretty stable there," Mitchell said.

According to figures presented to council, categories such as travel and education and memberships are projected to increase slightly.

"So much of our budget is determined on how much you (the city of Columbus) levy," Mitchell said.

City Manager David Meisell informed council that they would revisit this topic in early August to go over the budget process for 2008 to have it ready for Mitchell by October.

"This is just to introduce everyone to the process," Meisell said.

In other business, Meisell presented the council with his city manager's report and said he and Donald Warschak of John D. Mercer and Associates compiled a punch list of items that must be cleared prior to the completion of the job on the water delivery project.

"It is an extensive list, but all of the pipe is in the ground," Meisell said. "Construction is finished. Now it is the recovery time."

He said drying bed construction is slow due to the rainy weather. On Thursday, May 24, city workers drained the digester at the main sewer plant. Meisell said the city contracted for a vacuum truck to spend the day cleaning debris from the floor of the digester. He informed council that the city removed old valves and control devices and are now replacing them with valves mounted outside the chamber.

Meisell said, according to revenues, sales tax is up, water is down due to all of the rain, sewer is up but declining and ad valorem is on the money.

However, the city has been selling more gas than they have in several years but has not seen any improvements in the gas net revenue and said he will have to do some research on the matter.

Meisell gave an update to the council of groundwater district process and said House Bill 4032 passed without any problems, but on Monday, May 21, a substitute bill was introduced in the Senate which requires that the district include at least one adjoining county. Meisell said this maneuver was made with no local input that he was aware of, but expects conference committee to resolve this conflict.

"We did make some head way," Meisell said. "The bill is in the senate. We'll see the final product once it is signed. We're on much firmer ground than we were last week."

Police Chief Danny Jackson gave his police report for the month of April and said there were 230 service calls made, 23 arrests and 67 citations issued.

He also commented that the tasers that are now being carried by the Columbus police officers have been great in getting criminals' attention and also giving officers an alternative to drawing their firearm.

"They have done well for the department," Jackson said.

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