Cheney’s City Council adopted a resolution at its March 11 meeting updating fees and charges for 2014 city services that provide revenue for the general fund. These charges range from business licenses to building and plumbing permits, charges for governmental goods and services to transportation and rentals and leases.
Finance Director Cindy Niemeier told the council the resolution was much like past measures, providing “tweaks and adjustments” in some areas while keeping most charges the same. Some changes include updating of pool rental fees, particularly for groups, and cleaning up language in the planning and building sections on how refunds are issued.
Niemeier said the section on animal control fees was removed as the city has contracted with the county to handle these.
The council also approved final passage of five ordinances that had their first readings at the Feb. 25 meeting. The first of these, approval of the city’s capital facilities plan, could have been approved at the February meeting, however Councilman John Taves requested a discussion with Public Works Director Todd Ableman about concerns he had with some aspects of the plan.
Taves requested more consistency across city services, more information on funding strategies for unfounded projects be included, the plan be consistent with city priorities, service guidelines and standards and provide for ways to smooth any capital costs on residents. Ableman said these had been addressed to Taves satisfaction in the document that attempts to spell out the city’s future growth.
“We’re being asked to lay out a 20-year vision in a six-year plan,” Ableman said. “We don’t really know what impacts are coming at us.”
The council approved ordinances amending municipal code chapter 1.27, setting up a more efficient regulation enforcement system, and chapter 15.08 restructuring rates, fees, charges and amending sanitary sewer connection standards and requirements. Council also passed ordinances amending and repealing portions of chapter 15.04 on definitions and regulations and repealing chapter 15.12, which now has most of its language contained in other chapters.
The council also held all three readings and final passage on an ordinance adopting the city’s first budget amending of 2014. Niemeier said the $40,400 adjustment was “fairly small,” consisting of moving $30,000 from the Fire Department reserve fund for purchase of equipment along with $16,000 from the Police Department and $4,500 from the Criminal Justice Department reserve funds to purchase police equipment.
While the amount totaled $50,500, $10,100 was offset in the general fund through elimination of budgeted revenues from animal licensing fees and charges.
Council also approved a resolution updating rates and fees for sewer along with some fees in the Water and Solid Waste utilities. Light Department fees remain unchanged.
The resolution will not take effect for 30 days after final passage.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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