Finance Committee approves travel, pre-authorizations, project budgets and bills payments

The Finance Committee approved multiple travel requests, purchase pre-authorizations, project budgets and budget amendments during a business meeting. Committee members moved, seconded and carried motions by voice vote on each item.

The committee voted to approve a package of travel requests for staff training and conferences. Items listed in the motion included: April Funch, junior human rights director, to the CARE Appraisal Foundation meeting in Clearwater Beach, Fla., March 3, 2025, not to exceed $963.37; Chief Duncan to the Iowa Association of Police Chiefs conference in Coralville, Iowa, May 18–20, 2025, not to exceed $1,027; Officer Nichols to a Remington 700 armorer’s course in Grinnell, Iowa, May 5, 2025, not to exceed $269; two electricians from the street and waste management departments to a National Electric Code CEU offering (dates to be determined) not to exceed $8,100; Ben Wagner, GIS coordinator, to the 2025 ESRI User Conference in San Diego, Calif., July 18, 2025, not to exceed $2,464; Scott Reuter and Chris Pett to backflow training and certification in Cedar Falls, Iowa, April 14–18, 2025, not to exceed $2,102; and Chaplain Caleb Reising to Individual and Group Crisis Intervention training in Des Moines, Iowa, March 5–7, 2025, not to exceed $766. A committee member asked for follow-up information on the $8,100 line for 18 CEUs for the two electricians; the staff representative present said she would check and report back.

The committee also approved several pre-authorizations to expend over $2,500. Items listed in the motion included: $8,808 plus $950 shipping and handling for runway de-icer for the airport; $2,962.95 plus $200 shipping and handling to replace a left rear side panel and parts (Central Garage, unit 194801); $6,550.82 plus $1,000 shipping and handling for a cylinder and hydraulic fittings (Central Garage, unit 151201); $3,254.21 plus $200 shipping and handling to replace a pinion gear and parts (Central Garage, unit 194B02); $9,542 for two handheld parking-enforcement devices with printers and three-year warranties and integration with IPS; $33,511.80 for an upgraded LPR (license-plate-recognition) parking-enforcement system; $5,201.27 for one replacement XL 200 radio for fire personnel; $10,652 for 25 burlap stock trees and planting labor (Lease Services); $6,530.32 for 50 duty holsters for a weapons transition project (Police); $12,199.32 for six police radar unit replacements (Police); $29,033.20 for annual police ammunition order; and up to $18,000 for a sanitation software update to separate yard waste and recycling on resident utility bills. A committee member confirmed the handheld parking devices were above previously quoted equipment and that budget lines would be amended to cover the increases.

Separately, the committee approved project budgets and budget amendments as presented by airport and department staff. The motion approved a $1,800,000 project budget for replacing an aircraft passenger boarding bridge; $97,600 for an airfield pavement maintenance management system; $438,900 for design work to rehabilitate Runway 18/36; a $110,000 amendment to increase cash-on-hand revenue and building grounds maintenance expense to pay for damages while insurance claims are processed; a small stated increase to building maintenance expense as submitted by the fire department (amount as read in the motion was unclear); a $7,000 amendment to increase various revenue and expense lines to reflect revenue received over budget for building and maintenance; and a $20,000 amendment to increase interest revenue and parking equipment expense lines to purchase new handheld enforcement devices and cover increased LPR costs and installation.

For bills payments, the committee approved forwarding to council two payment batches: $5,489,992.55 for 02/24/2025 and $1,221,276.62 for 03/03/2025. A motion was made to forward the payments for processing and to poll council; the motion was seconded and carried.

Throughout the meeting, motions were carried by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript. Jesse Garrity, collection systems director at Waste Management Services, identified himself during the discussion and said he would follow up the next day on questions about the travel and training requests.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved (1) the agenda and minutes; (2) all listed travel requests (not-to-exceed amounts listed above); (3) pre-authorizations to expend over $2,500 (detailed above); (4) the airport project budgets and budget amendments as presented; and (5) forwarding the two bills payments ($5,489,992.55 and $1,221,276.62) to council. All motions carried by voice vote.