Colmar Manor council approves FY24 year‑end transfers and several grants including police equipment funds

The Colmar Manor council approved year‑end budget adjustments and accepted multiple grants intended to cover expense overages and new community projects.

Clerk/Treasurer (speaker 13) presented a year‑end spreadsheet comparing actual fiscal year 2024 results to the adopted budget and explained customary end‑of‑year transfers to reconcile accounts. He reported higher‑than‑expected revenues in several categories—income tax (+$30,041) and rental income (+$25,000 among them—and proposed using approximately $35,890 of additional revenues to cover departmental overages so the town remains in compliance with charter budget limits. The council approved the recommended transfers.

Separately, the council accepted a Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) placemaking grant (≈$81,500, previously accepted at a work session) to fund a street mural and lighting project near the Dueling Grounds, and approved the acceptance of a police accountability/community‑transparency grant (≈$35,000) to help fund Lexipol policy modernization and upgraded body cameras. Staff cautioned that the awarded police grant is smaller than the original application and that the town will coordinate with vendors to fit equipment and maintenance within the award.

Why it matters: the transfers reconcile the budget for FY24 and avoid charter violations; the grants fund community safety, placemaking and equipment upgrades that will affect public safety workflows and urban design in key intersections.

Next steps: staff will incorporate these adjustments into the official budget and continue vendor discussions to determine exact equipment and maintenance terms for the police camera/system procurement.