TOWN OF COATS Board of Commissioners Thursday, March 21,2024 Budget Work Session  The' Town of Coats Board of Commissioners met in as scheduled budget work session on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. ini thel Board of Commissioners' Meeting Room at Çoats Town Hall.  Members Present: Mayor Chris Çoats Mayor Pro Tem Marc Powell Commissioner. Jerry Beasley Commissioner Kelvin Gilbert Commissioner Shirley Allen  Others Present: Nick Holcomb, Town Manager Connie Lassiter, Finance Director/Town Clerk Rodney Pleasant, Public Works Director Ken Storicks, Police Chief Mike Collins, Parks & Recreation Director  CALLTOORDER  A quorum being present, Mayor Chris Coats called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.  A. Invocation & Pledge  Mayor Coats delivered the invocation and led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance.  B. Approval of Agenda  RESOLVED, to approve agenda. MOTION BY: Mayor Pro Tem Marc Powell SECOND BY: Commissioner Shirley Allen APPROVED: Unanimously Approved II. OVERALL BUDGET INTRODUCTION  Town Manager Nick Holcomb declared that normally Department Heads come before the Board with requests for items tol help them do their jobl better or items in need of repair; but in light of budget constraints, departments are content to hold the line and look more toward thel Board to set the priorities based on what they would like to see ift there is additional room in the budget.  He highlighted the following information:  Estimated $26,000 property tax increase from last year  Decrease of $36,000 in General Fund for end of contract amount for Library Revenue from Interest isi relatively unknown at this time; rates could likely decrease from the past year by three-quarter point rate between now and December; amount ofp principle  Consolidation  on which to draw on would change  1    Commissioner Jerry Beasley requested that the County be pushed to give cost on the amount we would have toj pay for equipment and software for our budgeting purposes. Town Manager Holcomb responded that the County was aware and working oni it.  III. ONGOING CAPITALPROJECTUPDATE  Town Manager Holcomb summarized the ongoing Capital Projects to illustrate why the department heads had been directed not to push for capital projects and noted that wej just did not  have the capacity to handle more work even ifthe budget allowed.  He gave update on Capital Projects as follows:  ARP) Fund (43): Remaining $131,230 would be brought to the Board for final budget Capital Project Water Fund (46): Last meeting, some over $500,000 was moved over to Water Fund (60): AMI Water Meter Project estimated at $475,000 under Capital Capital Project General Fund (45): Multipurpose Hardcourt project would be closed as Most relevant to be discussed was $50,000 pass-through grant from Harnett County that Downtown Revitalization Grant: progress is being made on determining scope of work  transfer in May  cover overage of Waterline Replacement project Improvement Plan linei in FY 23-24 Operation Budget  soon as painting was done  needed a scope of work; deadline June 2025  IV. DEPARTMENT REQUESTS A. Parks & Recreation Department  Parks & Recreation Director Mike Collins asked that ifthe Program Supplies line could be increased hel had ideas of doing fireworks. He mentioned taking the old Public Works truck that was to be sold as surplus for use in the Parks & Recreation Department and noted that there He mentioned that he was not going to do any capital projects but that he would like to add lights  would be repair expenses involved in getting that truck operational. on basketball courts and add drainage in the top field.  B. Public Works Department = Streets and Water  Public Works Director Rodney Pleasant announced his plan to retire at the end ofthe year, sO in light ofhis pending retirement het turned the presentation over to Wes Blount whom he had  worked with on the budget preparation.  2    Mr. Blount requested that the grass Cutting/maintenance line item ini the Cemetery Fund be increased to $800 as the cost of pesticides had tripled. Town Manager Holcomb commented that there was a plan to present eliminating the Cemetery Fund since there would be no more revenue for lots sales to balance the expenditures and create an Appearance Department in the General Fund that would include the cemetery expenses as well as other appearance and beautification items. Mayor Pro Tem Marc Powell suggested raising the grave opening feet to $100 or $150. Mr. Blount proposed some increases to cover rising cost ofi items in the Street Department line items ofHand Tools, Street Signs, Tires, and Vehicle Repairs. He presented a request for the Water Department ofslight increases forj janitorial supplies and tires; and a more significant increase from $11,0001 to $12,000 in the Meters & Taps line due to the increase cost of brass. Mr. Blount concluded his presentation with an idea for use of the $50,000 pass-through grant at the Public Works Shop for fencing and building 20'x20' pole barn which would allow everything to Mr. Blount informed the Board regarding the upcoming AMI meter project that the 2-inch and larger meters would need to be replaced in approximately 10 years because the batters would completely die. He noted that the current cost of one register is about $1,000 and roughly 20  be moved from storage at the old) Public Works Shop.  would need to be replaced.  C. Police Department  Police Chief Ken Storicks proposed slight increases to thel Medical Drug' Test line due to increased cost and the Travel expense line item with the hopes to send officers for more training Commissioner Jerry Beasley requested that the SRO contract be on the next meeting agenda. Discussion ensued over the need for the town to provide the SRO officer or give it back to the County in relation to rather providing for two officers to be on duty covering the' Town at all  in the coming year.  times.  V. CONTRACT INCREASES  Town Manager Holcomb informed thel Board of the following contract increases:  Animal Control increasing from $12,0001 to $24,000  AMI. Annual Maintenance was originally roughly estimated at $6,000 but would probably  bes somewhere around $8,000  CAMPO annual fee is estimated to be approximately $1,800  VI. BOARD/STAFF/CITIZEN PRIORITIES  3    Town Manager Holcomb presented items with approximate associated cost as applicable that had been mentioned at previous times by the Board, Staffand/or Citizens for consideration as  follows:  Future Land Use Plan ($15,000)  Council Chambers audio/video additions and improvements and Computer ($10,000) Website Upgrade ($10,000 with estimated $3,000-$4000 annual maintenance) Remove Cemetery Fund; create a General ervice/Appearance Department in the General  Christmas Tree  Fund to include cemetery upkeep expense  VII. ADJOURNMENT  Mayor Chris Coats called for a motion to adjourn.  RESOLVED, to adjourn.  MOTION. BY: Commissioner. Jerry Beasley SECOND BY: Commissioner Kelvin Gilbert APPROVED: Unanimously Approved Meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.  Loak Connie Lassiter, Town Clerk  Chris Coats, Mayor  4