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Council asks staff for per‑property cost report, considers scaling community events amid tight budget
Summary
Council asked staff to compile per‑property cost breakdowns for town‑owned assets, discussed creating a public improvement fund for impact fees, and weighed cutting or repurposing community events to reduce costs while using targeted grants where possible.
Council members asked staff for a detailed accounting of each town‑owned property — purchase price, abatement and maintenance costs, utilities and any rental income — so the council can evaluate whether to hold, repurpose or dispose of properties.
A council member requested a report to show annual costs per property and how any rental income offsets those expenses. Staff said property costs are currently mixed across GL accounts and she will research and compile a per‑property breakdown for the board, noting that one property is already rented and rental income will be netted against expenses.
The retreat also covered community events and whether to continue them at prior spending levels given current constraints. The Chair provided rough historical figures: "Taco Tuesday was about 5,000. Movie night was about 1,000, and the annual picnic was about 20,000," and councillors discussed attendance estimates (around 200–250 people) and per‑person cost. Staff cautioned that creating a separate GL for every single event can produce many unused accounts; instead she recommended staff track event descriptions in internal reporting and present summary numbers in the annual budget.
Council discussed using dedicated modest grant funds (for example, National Night Out funding and in‑kind discounts such as reduced‑price food from local businesses) to host lower‑cost community gatherings. Staff said she will propose a July packet item outlining options for using National Night Out funds in August to combine community engagement with cost savings.
Members also discussed fee schedule updates tied to a land use code overhaul; staff said the fee schedule will be adopted annually by resolution and must reference updated land‑use impact fee calculations. Council agreed to defer major development or capital projects until the town stabilizes its operating picture and secures grants or other revenue to fund longer‑term infrastructure work.
