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Clerk and court administrators seek funding for landlord registration, election and AV upgrades
Summary
Court Administrator Catherine McLaren and clerk staff asked the budget committee to keep clerk lines stable while funding increased postage, codification and landlord-registration processing. Capital requests include AV upgrades and ADA hearing-assist systems for the justice center.
Catherine McLaren, court administrator, and clerk staff presented their 2025 requests to the budget committee, asking the committee to preserve essential lines and to recognize new recurring costs tied to landlord and short-term rental registration.
Why it matters: Clerk staff said the number of registered rental properties (about 280) plus roughly 50 short-term rental units has increased administrative workload and requires significant programming, additional postage/certified-mail costs and staff time to enforce registration and lead-paint certification requirements. "We charge $250 to register; the increase covers inspection and certification processes," the clerk's office noted while explaining that some charges offset higher operating needs.
The clerk recommended holding advertising and postage at modestly increased levels (advertising $5,000; postage $2,500) because local newspapers are changing print/digital models, and because legal advertising and proof-of-service requirements may move to paid electronic models until state guidance is clarified. The committee discussed shifting some copier/postage rental charges between departmental and admin lines so operating accounts truly reflect usage.
On capital needs, staff proposed a multi-part AV and accessibility upgrade for the justice center: replacing an aging sound system, adding a cloud-capable service-pro interface for hybrid meetings and installing an induction "loop" to improve hearing-aid compatibility as part of ADA compliance work. Estimated capital requests were discussed as a significant item for 2025 planning; the clerk asked the committee to consider a phased approach, pairing some AV licensing and docking costs with vehicle or other replacement planning where appropriate.
Court and clerk staff also asked that salary-request memos (for modest proposed raises) be submitted to the mayor for formal consideration and that any approved increases be handled consistently across departments once the governing body sets a citywide percentage.
The committee did not take action but asked finance staff to check account coding and to bring forward any invoices that may be encumbered from 2024 into the final 2025 appropriation discussion.
