City staff outline fleet and facilities operations, and convention center finances as budget preparation begins

City staff presented department briefings April 8 focused on financial transparency and budget preparation for the Fleet & Facilities internal service fund and the Convention Center department.

Fleet and Facilities Doug Haggerty, identified by council as the city’s Fleet & Facilities director, described a 10‑person department formed about 15 months earlier to centralize vehicle and building maintenance. Haggerty said the new department will use integrated maintenance software tied to the finance system to track work orders, parts and service costs; he described vehicle‑telematics trials, a consolidation of shop locations, and a plan to absorb police fleet maintenance in October.

Key financials presented by Haggerty included: - Major expense lines: operational salaries (approximately $546,000), building maintenance ($354,000), vehicle maintenance ($261,000), and equipment maintenance ($69,000). - Insurance receipts from last year’s hail event offset budgets; Haggerty said insurance paid roughly $181,000 to repair damaged vehicles and about $123,000 for roof replacements at several city facilities. - Surplus equipment sales (paving machine, mowers) expected to return roughly $70,000 to the general fund.

Haggerty said additional staffing (a second mechanic) and a larger maintenance facility would be needed if the department takes on police fleet maintenance permanently.

Convention Center Kathy Danielson, Convention Center Director, reviewed five‑year financial trends for the 26,000‑square‑foot facility. Danielson said nonlocal events supply about 69.5% of the center’s revenue while local events account for about 30.5%; occupancy was up about 12% year over year.

Danielson listed routine operating costs (janitorial, utilities, HVAC, lighting, equipment) and noted deferred capital needs: carpets, chairs and other furnishings have reached the end of their useful life. She requested additional marketing funds (a $25,000 ask on the wish list) and cited an overall capital need for replacement of carpet and chairs (figures discussed in the presentation were general estimates tied to long‑term replacement schedules).

Why it matters Centralizing fleet and facilities work is designed to improve maintenance tracking and reduce long‑term capital and operating costs. Councilmembers praised rapid bathroom and park upgrades at Mayfest Park and discussed alignment of allocated insurance proceeds with repair and replacement funds. For the convention center, council discussed debt on the facility and asked staff to explore use of hotel‑occupancy tax (HOT) revenues and other options to reduce outstanding debt over time before repurposing any major facility functions.

Next steps Both departments’ budget requests will be folded into the city’s broader budget process. Staff said a new utility billing portal and integrated software will improve transparency for internal customers and the public as the budget season proceeds.