Council approves $5.45 million budget for city
Funds 12 percent less than last year in a down economy
The Estacada City Council recently approved a $5.45 million budget for the City of Estacada. The 2009-10 operating budget is 12 percent smaller than the previous fiscal year, but Council members expressed confidence in the city’s ability to manage the funds and unanimously approved the budget prior to the June 22 deadline.
Much of the city’s budget is dedicated to maintaining the status quo to provide services to Estacada’s estimated 3,000 city residents, but there’s no question that most of the city’s departments have taken a hit in funding, City Council Member Norm Ernst said.
Despite the 12 percent decrease in funding for 2009-10, there is a bright spot in the city’s budget thanks to Clackamas County voters. In November 2008, Clackamas County voters approved Measure 3-310 in support of a property tax of approximately 39 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to provide funding for the county’s libraries. The city will receive an estimated $595,000 from property taxes for funding the library, and the increased funding will allow the library to be open seven days a week with extended hours each day, according to city records.
In the city budget’s general fund, the City Council approved continuing the partnership with the Sandy Area Metro transportation service for $5,000 that provides free public transportation from Estacada to Sandy; the fareless route continues west from Sandy into Gresham. Council members also approved a partnership with the Estacada School District and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office to pay $35,000, or one-third of the total cost, for a school resource officer to be located at Estacada High School during the school year. The general fund also includes a plan to use an estimated $600,000 in anticipated grant money to develop phase two of Wade Creek Park, according to city records.
One of the other big-ticket expenditures approved by the council is spending an estimated $452,000 with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office for public safety coverage. But an estimated 20 percent rate increase forced the city to cut back on coverage hours and begin looking closely at the feasibility of forming a city-managed police department.
“The city continues to invest in contracting for our public safety with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Department,” City Budget Officer Denise Carey said. “[But] we are proposing a reduction to the city weekly contract coverage from 104 to 80 hours of coverage for an annual cost of $451,856.”
While the city initially considered replacing contract services from the CCSO with a city-managed police department, a committee wasn’t organized in time to pursue a feasibility study and look at all of the options and factors to consider for the potential change. But it’s not out of the question that Estacada may have its own police department one day.
Last month city residents received a survey about a proposed police department in the mail with their water bills, and the city plans to collect the surveys and look at the date to gauge citizen support for a city-managed police department, Mayor Becky Arnold said. In addition, Clackamas County Sheriff Captain Dave O’Shaughnessy provided the City Council with information about the CCSO’s rate structure for providing public safety services on a contract basis.
Carey’s budget recommendation, approved by the City Council, also included an outline of the city’s challenges that impact the city’s bottom line. The five major challenges Estacada faces in the 2009-10 fiscal year include issues related to personnel, transportation, planning, library services and public safety, according to city records.
“Retaining employees has come to the surface as a top challenge facing the [city].” Carey said. “With Estacada located so close to the Portland metropolitan area, employees are finding opportunities for professional growth at much higher salaries.”
City Manager Randy Ealy resigned at the end of April for a position as assistant to the mayor in Beaverton, and former Public Works Director Lance Weinard was terminated in March after begin arrested for fraudulently using a city-issued credit card. Public works employee Tom Seal was recently promoted to the position of public works director, and the search continues for a new library director and new city manager. Increased personnel costs for 2009-10 are a result of hiring an assistant to the city manager, prior to Ealy’s resignation, and for additional staff needed to cover the expanded hours at the library.
In addition to the City Council approving continuing the partnership with Sandy for the SAM fareless bus, the city also asked TriMet to make a stop at the Estacada Industrial Park part of the route that serves Estacada, but the request “has been met with resistance thus far by Tri-Met officials,” according to city records.
Transportation funds are also allocated by the budget for street improvements, including a major project that will enhance Hawthorne, Juniper and Ivy streets. An estimated $172,000 will be available for the project, with an estimated $90,000 transfer from the general fund to the street fund to pay for the work.
“This is the city’s 20 percent match for a CDBG [Community Development Block Grant] project that will replace water lines, install storm drainage areas, and install curbs and sidewalks, along with improving the street surface on these three roads,” Carey said.
Another major challenge the city plans to tackle during the coming year is to complete the city’s updates to its comprehensive plan, the long-term planning document for the city. The budget provides $10,000 to complete the updates regarding urbanization elements, an industrial and commercial economic opportunity analysis and Urban Growth Boundary expansion.
In other business: The next City Council meeting begins at 7 p.m. on July 13 at Estacada City Hall, 475 S.E. Main St.