Cheney council delays capital facilities plan

CHENEY – For the second time, the City Council has postponed the third reading and final passage of the city’s capital facilities plan — with both postponements stemming from council members’ desires to call for additional studies.

The second postponement came after a proposal by Councilman Vince Barthels to conduct an “efficiency/effectiveness evaluation” of the city’s public safety, specifically police and fire departments. Barthels made the suggestion at the council’s Oct. 27 meeting, following a request by Councilman Paul Schmidt at the Oct. 13 meeting to add a $250,000 facility service analysis to make recommendations regarding replacement of the police and fire stations.

Barthels said he was “throwing out for discussion” the idea of adding some sort of evaluation of the level of service of the police and fire departments to the capital facilities plan to determine areas of efficiency needs along with extra facilities and equipment needs.

“I know we’ve been battling for many years with the overtime overages and knowing it’s a pretty significant draw on the general fund,” Barthels said. “I’m just wondering, as somewhat of a preamble to these other analysis, what the rest of the council would think about doing an efficiency/effectiveness type study to see if how we’re assembled (in police and fire) is the best for the citizens and taxpayers and community.”

In adding Schmidt’s amendment to the capital facilities plan, Public Works Director Todd Ableman apportioned $84,000 in both 2021 and 2022, and $82,000 in 2023 to conducted studies of not only the police and fire stations but also the city’s municipal pool and City Hall. Discussion at the Oct. 13 meeting indicated the studies could be paid for through the use of the city’s real estate excise tax funding, which Finance Director Cindy Niemeier indicated had a balance of over $1 million.

However, Niemeier said her research indicated that wouldn’t be the case with an efficiency study.

“Even though it has a capital tie to future capital needs, if we’re looking at an efficiency study at how we’re set up, that probably is not going to be a REET project,” she said. “That would probably come under your general fund project.”

Mayor Chris Grover questioned whether such a study would be appropriate to include in the plan updated periodically. Ableman said that while it might not be tied to a specific capital project, such a review – if carrying a large cost – could be tied to the plan’s references to levels of service.

“I’m not sure what Vince is recommending has an impact on the capital facilities plan amendment, but it does have an impact once we get that report, how it will change not only the capital facilities plan but as we move forward the comprehensive plan update,” he said.

Unknown costs aside, Barthels proposal carried support from most of the council.

Councilman Ryan Gaard said he has watched what has happened regarding overtime in the public service departments, particularly how it’s affected other needs.

“I do question what we have to offer, what benefits our citizens and what we can afford and what other options there are out there,” Gaard said.

Gaard said he would be curious to get an outside opinion on “maybe what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong.”

Schmidt also echoed a potential need for such an analysis, adding that instead of the capital facilities plan it could possibly be best presented as a separate line item in the Mayor’s Office/Administration annual budget.

“Given the cost we see escalating for police and fire, I thin we can afford some money to say ‘let’s take a look here and gut check this thing a little bit,’” he added.

City Attorney Stanley Schwartz said he agreed with the direction that an effectiveness study come from the mayor’s office as a budget item, as well as Niemeier’s view that it wouldn’t be funded by REET money.

City Administrator Mark Schuller said he would work on providing an estimated cost.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.