Columbus Junction City Council increases budget, hears additional funding needs
COLUMBUS JUNCTION — On a night when the Columbus Junction City Council held a public hearing on a proposed Fiscal Year 22 budget amendment adding more than $338,000 in additional spending to the budget, the council also was presented with additional spending proposals and requests for updates involving a handful of groups, organizations and projects.
Among them were the League of United Latin American Citizens; Columbus Children Care Center; Columbus Junction Community Building/Heritage Museum; Columbus Junction-Columbus City Trail; and street patching and surfacing work.
Mayor Mark Huston began the nearly 90-minute meeting Wednesday by opening the public hearing.
He explained the budget amendment is needed because city expenses for some activities exceed the amount budgeted for them. According to Huston, one of the largest expenses that had not been budgeted was $204,000 to assume the local ambulance service.
There was also about $117,000 in excess expenditures for street work, mostly involving Colonial Avenue and the wall repair at the top of Second Street. There was also an about $7,000 expense for public safety and another $10,000 in general government expenses.
About $512,850 in additional revenue also was received by the city to cover those extra expenses, Huston reported. The city council is expected to formally approve the amendment at a later meeting.
Meanwhile, while the city finalized its FY 22 spending and revenue, the city council also received several updates on other issues that included a substantial financial element.
LULAC requests city's help in finding new funding source
Mike Reyes, a LULAC representative from Davenport, and Columbus Junction Community Advocate Araceli Vazquez Ramirez provided city officials with a Columbus Junction COVID-19 Report that focused on activities LULAC provided in the community during the pandemic.
Reyes explained the group’s grant funding will expire in August and asked the council to assist in finding a new funding source to continue the group’s activities.
“I’ve got a couple of ideas,” Huston told the pair following their presentation.
Director of Columbus Children Care Center announces retirement; $40K needed to attract replacement
The Columbus Children Care Center is also facing a crossroads.
Center director Marsha Gerot told the council she wants to retire, meaning the center will need a new director. She also said a new board must be established.
Gerot and center consultant Vickie Brandenburg of Iowa City indicated about $40,000 will be needed to attract a new director. The two also said they are reaching out to local businesses to help sponsor the center.
They asked the city council to help with brainstorming and funding ideas. Huston said city officials would try to come up with some ideas.
Planned trail needs additional funding
It also apparently will take some brainstorming to come up with additional funding for a planned trail between Columbus Junction and Columbus City.
Huston reported that proposal, which would involve hard surfacing a shoulder of 145th Street and County Road X17, is about $10,000 shy of being full-funded.
More: Louisa County finds funding path for trail between Columbus Junction and Columbus City
He indicated he will contact other trail development partners to discuss funding assistance.
Council OK's community building/museum repair work
The council also reviewed about $59,000 in street repair work presented by public works staffer Todd Salazar.
In the final financial discussion, the council agreed to move forward with repair work on the Columbus Junction Community Building/Heritage Museum, despite a $298,000 bid as the only bid for the work.
Huston said Monster Metals, Inc. of Iowa City indicated some modifications could reduce the cost by up to $50,000. The council agreed to use $100,000 from the city’s Roundy Fund and borrow another $150,000 over a three-year period to cover much of the anticipated expense.
The loan will be repaid from the city’s annual Roundy Fund allocation.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Columbus Junction City Council hears funding needs
