Committee begins 2027 budget priority conversations; facilities grounds position and robotic mowers discussed

Committee members and staff opened a conversation about 2027 budget priorities and decision points, starting from a packet RFC. Staff said none of the listed priorities are yet built into the budget and that the committee and board will decide whether to ask for numbers to be developed for particular items.

A recurring discussion was a proposed facilities/grounds maintenance position that could perform building maintenance, parks and grounds tasks, and assist utilities. Staff suggested the position might be funded partly by utilities (roughly 50/50) because of shared facility use. One committee member noted the village currently pays a contracted mowing service (roughly $25,000/year), and staff said bringing mowing in‑house could reallocate that expense toward one new position.

Members also discussed testing robotic lawn mowers for large turf areas to reduce long‑term costs. Options included piloting one mower at the public safety building and evaluating quality and reliability before committing to additional units. The committee asked staff to flesh out costs and job descriptions and to return with draft numbers for board discussion during upcoming budget meetings.