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Dardenne Prairie staff outlines FY25 budget priorities; stormwater study and snow removal costs flagged
Summary
City staff recommended a conservative FY25 revenue estimate and proposed several special projects — a $150,000 stormwater master plan, upgraded city hall security, chamber A/V improvements, a website/myGov refresh, and a placeholder increase in snowplowing costs after county service ends.
Speaker 1 presented the city's fiscal-year 2025 budget approach, proposing a conservative revenue estimate of about 4% growth and saying the administration will review historical costs before recommending final expense levels. "Last year, general fund revenue was budgeted with a 4% projected increase," Speaker 1 said, adding that staff will confirm FY24 year-to-date numbers before making final recommendations.
Speaker 1 detailed specific cost pressures and proposed projects. Health insurance costs are up nearly 15%, which Speaker 1 described as about $38,000 for the year and roughly $3,200 monthly. "The cost reductions that [brokers] could achieve would come on the backs of our employees with increasing co-pays or deductibles," Speaker 1 said, and recommended keeping the current benefit package while reviewing dental and vision renewals in February.
On capital and special projects, Speaker 1 proposed: replacing city hall locks at about $1,200 each (around $30,000 total); pursuing chamber technology upgrades (audio-visual and microphones) with vendor proposals and RFPs for purchases over $10,000; budgeting roughly $30,000 for a new city website and an initial similar cost for a potential myGov replacement application (with ongoing annual maintenance fees); and evaluating options to add police visibility to address speeding in subdivisions under the county contract.
Parks and stormwater needs were a focus. Public works requested a cedar aerator/field groomer at about $25,000 and a mower at about $13,000. Speaker 1 also said the county will discontinue contracted snowplowing after FY24; the city currently pays $122,000 and staff proposed a $130,000 placeholder to contract third-party services. "We're going to have to look at an alternate third party provider for that," Speaker 1 said.
For stormwater planning, Speaker 1 recommended a stormwater master plan study (needs assessment, project identification and a 5–10 year capital plan) budgeted at $150,000 based on conversations with consultant HR Green. Smaller parks projects noted included an $8,000 repair to Barrett Haven Trail and about $10,000 to relaser and grade ball fields. Speaker 1 said the parks/stormwater sales tax generates about $760,000 annually and the fund holds approximately $1,516,000 in reserves.
The presentation finished with staff seeking board input on these priorities before formalizing the FY25 operational and capital budgets. The work session adjourned after a motion to adjourn was seconded and an affirmative voice vote was recorded.
