City works to manage freefall

“The sky is falling,” may not be the best thing to hear at a city budget workshop.

Neither are the words “managing the free fall,” which is what a portion of the budget presentation was titled at Thursday’s workshop.

“The sky hasn’t fallen yet, but it’s getting pretty cloudy,” city finance director Chris Meats said.

After a reduction of between $1.3-$1.5 million in sales tax revenue, combined with the city’s $3.9 million in operational costs, and two rounds of cuts across the board, the city is still $79,000 in the hole.

“The department heads and Reed (Clevenger, city administrator) have cut a significant amount from the budget, now we need additional guidance,” Meats said. “The fat was gone, now we’re cutting on muscle.”

One by one, directors presented their proposed cuts for their department. Parks and Recreation Department Director Brad Raney said the majority of their reductions are operational cuts. He said about $400,000 was cut, which is about 10 percent of their operation budget. Compared to the $120,000 cut in operations last year, it is a significant loss in funds.

Various aspects were cut including some after-school programs, which have either been consolidated or completely eliminated. Raney said they have worked with families using the programs to find alternatives. As for kids’ sports, no extras will be given out such as T-shirts. He said they would rather preserve the sport itself, then the extras. Parks and recreation reduced seasonal staff hours as well, half the hours used previously.

“Less man power is less watering, a different mowing schedule, weeds,” Raney said. “This is what it means, these cuts. The difficulty getting to everything with limited staff.”

Other departments cut large amounts from their budget as well. The Community Development Department cut 24 percent of their overall operation and management budget; a $6,750 reduction. They’ve chosen not to fill a vacant building inspector position which eliminates about 37 percent of the division’s budget. On the down side it could mean a slower level of service, operating with one building inspector.

The police department has currently cut about 30 percent of their travel and training budgets. The question now is what to do with the personnel costs, which is about 92 percent of the department’s total budget. The force is down one officer position out of the budgeted 28, which Green River has maintained since 1984.

“Would the position have to be filled,” councilman Gary Killpack said.

“If we do and the what if’s happen, what do we do,” Police Chief Chris Steffen said. “We can live without it until we can’t.”

Steffen said there are challenges they would face with a short patrol shift.

“I’m in favor of budgeting for the position and filling the position,” councilman Allan Wilson said.

Questions of filling vacant positions were discussed throughout all of the departments, as well as cutting back overtime hours for staff across the board.

Questions of potentially not filling a vacant position in the fire department was considered as well.

“Two doing the job of three people, we’d rely on volunteers for time off,” Interim Fire Chief Mike Liberty said. “We could really be in a bind if an emergency comes up.”

With the rising call volume, the fire department relies heavily on their 34 volunteer fire fighters.

The bulk of the public works department operation and management funds go to the streets’ budget, which was cut by $69,000. With a cut that large, level of maintenance comes into question.

“If we defer maintenance too long, it turns into rebuild instead of repair,” Public Works Director Mark Westenskow said.

Again, a cut in overtime hours was discussed.

The human resources department cut an administrative position, paired with some other miscellaneous cuts totalled $14,000.

The city’s finance department cut back their budget by 25 percent from last year and cut one staff position. Finance is operating with half the amount of staff it had in other years. One cut from the information technology section will be a reduction in the fireworks show for the next two years; the cost of $10,000 each.

“We’ll pay for two shows with one budget,” Meats said.

The council discussed programs, city commitments such as fireworks and community services and requests and how much funding each will receive from the city this upcoming fiscal year, and which if any should be eliminated for a year if not longer.

“There’s a lot of cuts, a lot of challenges. We’re living on the edge,” City Administrator Reed Clevenger said. “We need to focus on city and operational aspects first.”

A couple events the council discussed possibly eliminating for a year or making the events sponsorship opportunities was movies in the park, and the middle school new year’s eve party; a majority of the council spoke in agreement. There was also discussion of suspending the Crystal Classic festival for a year as well.

“It’s time to make some difficult cuts,” councilman Brett Stokes said.

“I think everyone is taking some cuts, except for areas of safety,” Mayor Pete Rust said.

No official decisions were made at the workshop, but ideas were considered and solutions were proposed to ponder until the next budget workshop. Budget cut decisions made in upcoming meetings won’t be easy ones for the council and are relevant one to residents; decisions that will affect Green River in the upcoming year to come and beyond.

“We’re crazy if we budget thinking this will last only 12 months,” Killpack said. “Boy will we be in trouble.”