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Council reviews FY25 budget amendments; $4,300 water/sewer increase tied to metering at wastewater plant
Summary
Councilors discussed FY25 budget amendments including a $5,700 net change in the general fund, a $29,000 grant-funded correction and a $4,300 increase in water/sewer operating tied to metering the wastewater plant; members warned the town is running a deficit.
Councilors discussed proposed FY25 budget amendments and several technical corrections across funds. The speaker said the general fund section shows a net change of $5,700 and noted a larger $29,000 correction that is fully grant-funded and does not affect operating totals.
The meeting also addressed an approximately $4,300 increase in the Water and Sewer operating lines. The council member explaining the change said the town began metering the wastewater treatment plant’s water; that metering increased reported revenue and in effect repays the water department. “That $4,300 is paying our water department back … so it’s a wash,” the speaker said.
Council members expressed concern about the town’s broader fiscal position. One speaker said, “we’re already in the hole … we’ve got to find some revenue; we can’t live like this,” and urged a focus on next year’s budget.
Operations and maintenance issues were also raised: staff reported increased overtime in the water department (one person reported about 100 overtime hours), an instance of bringing in a contractor to rebuild equipment at the water plant, and a planned temporary shutdown during which the town will purchase water from a supplier in Athens while repairs proceed. A recurring roof leak near an office tied to the HVAC system was noted as another facilities item requiring attention.
The council discussed scheduling a workshop to continue budget and operational planning and set a tentative date for the 25th at 5:30 p.m. during the session.
Public comment during this portion of the meeting raised a separate public-safety concern: a resident described a dog-bite incident in a park and asked the town to issue a public-service announcement to remind residents to leash dogs; councilors discussed posting the message on the town’s Facebook page and contacting the sheriff’s office about notices.
What happens next: the council set a workshop date to continue discussion; the transcript does not include full detail on formal adoption steps or the final vote tally for every amendment in this excerpt.
