Finance director reports strong interest income, reimbursements; committee hears about sewer-plant chemical costs

Sunbury’s finance staff reviewed year-to-date revenue and expense reports to the finance committee on June 18, reporting strong interest income and several reimbursable grant and project expenses, and the committee discussed recurring chemical costs at the wastewater treatment plant.

Finance staff said interest income is at $325,000 of a $400,000 budgeted total as of May 31. The packet also shows $98,406 in other intragovernmental revenue year to date, of which $52,000 was a reimbursement from Big Walnut Local Schools for two school-resource officers covering half a year. Staff noted the city also recorded a Martindale property cleanup grant and $21,000 for law-enforcement continuing education.

In the street and capital programs staff reported reimbursable spending under the Safe Streets for All grant. Staff said $21,599 has been paid so far for the relevant line item in the street fund and that $19,600 of that amount went to consultant VerDandis; the Safe Streets program entitlement is up to $120,000. Staff also noted the Walnut Street stabilization project has $294,000 in capital outlay spent so far and that the expected reimbursement tied to that project is $520,000 (as noted in the packet).

On checks and operating expenditures, staff flagged an $18,000 payment to NNO Water Treatment for wastewater chemicals and said that is one of the larger recurring operating purchases for the plant. Committee members asked whether those purchases are quarterly and whether a new filtration system in the planned larger treatment facility might change chemical usage; staff said the costs are likely to rise with greater processing volume but that the city will seek more detail from plant staff on efficiencies to be gained under the new plant.

Staff also noted capital debt and bond-payment timing: the packet shows bond note payments with one half paid in January and the second half expected in July, explaining timing-driven expense patterns on the report.

The committee reviewed the check register and asked several clarification questions; staff said they had received between $30,000 and $40,000 in reimbursements to date and that federal reimbursement procedures required some initial setup but are now functioning.

Separately, staff reported the city received $50 in credit-card rewards in the June 1–May 31 reporting period; those rewards were deposited to the general fund’s miscellaneous revenue account. That item was presented as part of the annual credit-card policy reporting requirement.