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Long Beach budget committee opens 2027 review; water meter upgrades, stormwater and building-fee changes flagged
Summary
At a July 9 meeting, Long Beach’s Budget & Finance Committee reviewed preliminary 2027 budget lines and asked staff for more detail on water capital needs (meter replacements and AMI), rising street costs (salt and stormwater), and state-required changes to how building fees are accounted and reported.
Long Beach’s Budget & Finance Committee convened July 9 to begin a high-level review of preliminary numbers for the town’s 2027 budget, with department heads outlining capital needs and state-driven accounting changes that could shift costs off the general fund.
Austin, the town’s water representative, told the committee the utility is planning meter replacements, increased meter maintenance, a continuing valve project on Oriole Trail and work on the booster station control panel. He described a pilot to add automated meter-reading capability, saying the system “will send us emails letting us know that there’s been no activity” so the town can detect leaks and reduce drive-time meter reads. The committee asked staff to gather six months of bills, vendor quotes and a cost breakdown to refine the capital request.
Streets and public-works staff warned that La Porte County will not be part of the state QPA for treated road salt this year, pushing the town to seek competitive bids and plan for significantly higher prices per ton. Mark, who presented the streets budget, said the town expects to double salt storage capacity when a new facility opens in September and proposed modest increases in repair and leaf-collection line items. He also recommended the council consider raising the stormwater fee, noting catch-basin installations and drainage work identified in a Lakeshore Drive study could add substantial costs.
The building department briefed the committee on requirements tied to a state law affecting building-related fees. Staff said House Enrolled Act language effective Jan. 1, 2027, will require building fees to be placed in a special fund, and that towns must produce several reports and hold a public hearing tied to their unified development ordinance. The committee agreed to schedule follow-up work in August to map responsibilities and ensure the required reports and public processes are complete.
Police and public-safety leaders reviewed planned capital: a lease buyout or replacement decision for a 2024 Durango, a new deputy vehicle budgeted at about $70,000, ongoing body-camera and license-plate-reader contract costs, and a grant application for portable radio replacement filed through the congressman’s office with no local match.
Committee members set a next step to hold a public workshop and to invite councilors and the public-works committee when vendors (including the meter vendor Neptune) present technical options. The committee adjourned after agreeing that staff will refine numbers and return with a more detailed packet in August.
What’s next: staff will compile vendor quotes, six-month billing histories and cost scenarios for meter replacements, salt procurement and stormwater projects; the committee plans a workshop in August and said council action will be required for any fee changes or capital approvals.
