Among the strategies the city is implementing are the requirement of prior approval for any city expenditure that is more than $200, any travel by city employees outside city limits extra-territorial jurisdiction and all overtime for city employees, Monty Crump told the council.
In addition, he said all department heads have been asked to use as little energy as possible, all job vacancies are to stay open for at least 30 days and the city is exploring a new policy concerning take-home vehicles for employees not on-call at all times.
Crump also told the council there is a shortfall of anticipated sales tax revenues. He said the city had predicted more than $1.8 million, but will fall short of this figure by approximately $100,000.
He explained 22 percent of the general fund budget comes from sales tax revenues, and 29 percent of this budget comes from property tax collection.
“We benefit from the fact that we are very conservative with our numbers,” Crump said of the city’s forecasts for these income sources. “For that reason, we’ve seen reduced revenues, but we won’t have to furlough employees.
Crump also told the board there are several projects identified as possible sources of funding from the stimulus package, including the city’s planned recreational complex and the East Rockingham water and sewer project.
Council Gene Willard addressed this, thanking Crump for “the quickness with which you decided to go after that stimulus money.”
The council also accepted the suggestion of a citizen in asking Crump to include a one to two acre dog park in the plans for the planned recreational complex in the city.
Resident Judy McEntire was granted an audience with the council to suggest the inclusion of the dog park, styled after one in North Wilkesboro.
“As a pet owner, I think it would be great,” McEntire said. “I’d love to have a place where I could take my dog and let him off the leash and let him run.”
The park in North Wilkesboro is maintained by the city, but was created through the efforts of the local humane society, she told the council.
She related through conversations with officials in North Wilkesboro, the park is between one and two acres and would most likely cost something like $30,000 to $35,000 to build.
Crump addressed the council, saying plans are in the process of being finalized, and he needed to know if this idea should be worked in. It was the council’s pleasure that he do that.
Mayor Gene McLaurin commended her for the suggestion, noting it was not only creative, but timely as well.
Also at the meeting:
n The council went into closed session to discuss economic development, but no decision was reached, according to the clerk .
During council member’s reports, Councilman Steve Morris, who serves on the county’s economic development board, addressed economic development opportunities for the city and county.
“There are a few people expanding business, and we are on the short list for a few companies,” Morris said.
He noted the competition is stiff due to current economic conditions.
n The council was informed of the hiring of a new building inspector.
City Zoning Director John Massey informed the council that Tim Combs brings 30 years of experience in construction and eight years experience as a building inspector to his new post.
He said Combs was formerly the head inspector in Moore County.
n Crump discussed several other items during his report.
He said the city has received the necessary permission from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to remove the Steele’s Mill Dam, adding the city is hopeful to bid the project in March.
He also said the City Attorney Reece Saunders is currently negotiating the construction of a Verizon Wireless Cellular Phone Tower.
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