Committee accepts minutes; discusses state landfill fee reimbursement, finance trends and an unauthorized police correspondence

The finance committee formally moved and accepted meeting minutes for Feb. 10, 2026 and then covered several other items of municipal business including a state landfill fee reimbursement, finance reports and an internal police commission correspondence issue.

City staff explained a new state rule that effectively imposes a $3.50-per-ton fee on out-of-state landfill tonnage; Waste Management will bill the city for the charge but municipalities can submit for reimbursement from the state. Staff estimated the annual flow associated with the change at about $70,000 but said the city would receive reimbursements, describing the change as a pass-through. The committee agreed to place the matter on the workshop agenda for further discussion; no action was required tonight.

Finance staff reported non-property tax revenues are tracking at or slightly above budget while winter-related overtime (salt, sand, public works staffing) has increased expenditures in several departments. Staff characterized overall trends as within expectations at this point in the fiscal year.

Chair (Mayor Grassi) informed the committee that Police Commissioner Jim Gray had sent correspondence without authorization from the police commission; David Stevens, the commission's chairman, called to say Gray was acting on his own and the commission had not been consulted. The city manager and committee members said they would follow up after the meeting.

The committee did not take votes on the landfill reimbursement program or on budget policy items tonight; the city manager reminded the committee that school budgets are due to his office by March 25 and that he will present his proposed budget to council at the April workshop.