The Warsaw City Council heard proposed budgets from department heads Monday night and will take into consideration how to add the unexpected expense of adding one or two new K-9 officers to the Warsaw Police Department.
WPD Chief Scott Whitaker asked the council for $5,636,465 to operate in 2020. That breaks down to total personal services of $4,641,365; a 7.4% increase from 2019. Personal services account for wages, insurance, pension and clothing. Cost for supplies is down 2.75% for a total of $283,000. Supplies include fuel, ammunition, tools, DARE supplies and K-9 supplies of food, grooming, medication, etc.
The total for other services and charges, which include professional services like legal matters, network management, postage, internet service, utilities, repairs and maintenance and rentals, total $398,100. That budget increased 5.65%, or $21,300, from 2019. Part of that budget includes the lease of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that garnered a comment from Councilman Jerry Frush to Whitaker.
“I see you still got that motorcycle in there,” Frush said. “Do you ever get it out of the garage?,” he asked the chief, to which Whitaker replied they do.
“I’ve never seen it,” Frush said.
“Do you want me to drive it by your house?” Whitaker asked.
“I think it’s a waste of money,”?Frush said of the $3,500 proposed lease on the motorcycle.
The chief thanked him for his input.
WPD proposes to replace four cars estimated at $31,000 each in 2020.
Also brought to the council’s attention by Councilwoman Diane Quance was the concern of not having a new K-9 budgeted.
“I know you have to replace a K-9. Do you have any idea where you would get it?,” Quance asked, wondering how much it exactly costs and how long it takes for training.
Whitaker said he would have to look at the last proposal for cost but unfortunately the resignation of WPD patrol officer Trent Shively and his K-9 Mako, which became effective last Friday, happened after the chief prepared his 2020 budget proposal.
“A portion could come from continuing education and I’m not sure where the other portion will come from,”?Whitaker said. Whitaker then told the council the force’s only dual-purpose K-9 Dax is having health issues and it’s not looking favorable.
“So, we could be down to one,”?Whitaker said. He said having that dual-purpose K-9 is very important to the safety and effectiveness of the department. The cost to purchase a new dog and training for the dog and officer costs around $20,000.
Quance noted that the police may then need an additional $40,000-$50,000 put into their budget for these needs. Mayor Joe Thallemer said he will look into that before the budgets are finalized.
The total proposed budget for the law continuing education budget is $15,500, a decrease of 59.21%.
WPD’s forfeiture fund proposed budget is $67,200, a decrease of 22.18%. WPD’s police pension fund’s budget is proposed at $305,640, a decrease of 3.92%, or $12,483.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Chief Mike Wilson is asking for $5,313.990 for 2020, an increase of 7.88%. That breaks down to $4,647,005 for personal services, a 10.4% increase; $166,520 for supplies, no change; $430,465 for other services and charges, a 5.24% decrease; and $70,000 for capital outlays, a 26.97% decrease.
This total budget adds an EMS coordinator civilian position at a $52,920 salary. That was explained by the chief as a person who would be hired by the fire territory to strictly handle the EMS reporting that needs to be done when the fire department responds. Wilson said he expects the territory to hit about 2,600-2,700 runs in 2020 and many of those are medical runs.
Thallemer said he encouraged the position after hearing how badly it was needed and while the council won’t take any action on filling it yet, they will look at doing so as the increase in reporting requirements come from the state.
Wilson then said the territory’s goal is to become a training institute with the state. That means Warsaw-Wayne would become certified by having a primary instructor on staff in the department so firefighters wouldn’t have to be sent away to train at the department’s expense. Instead, they can train new hires at the station and generate revenue from other agencies who can send their employees here for training. That revenue, and the savings from not paying to send firefighters away for training, would help offset the medical service, Wilson said.
Station 2 on Center Street needs repairs, including significant structural fixes. The money would come from the equipment replacement fund, in which Wilson is asking for $1,142,742, a decrease of 6.51% from last year.
The fire pension fund for 2020 is asking for $288,088 to operate.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen proposed $201,187, a 2.33% increase from her 2019 $196,600 budget; $258,100 for the general obligation bond; and $75,000 for the cumulative capital improvement budget.
The mayor’s budget is proposed at $178,401, an increase of 4% from $171,444 last year.
To operate the city’s common council, $1,455,527 is proposed, up 16% from last year’s $1,253,988. This includes $350,000 for utility services, $308,000 for insurance, $500,813 for professional services contracts, $75,000 for repair and maintenance and $50,000 for network equipment and improvement.
A discussion on the 1.5% cap for nonprofit council contract requests will continue before budgets are finalized, Thallemer said. Legal services were tabbed at $80,000 to $120,000. Other increases in the common council budget include a $2,000 increase from $18,000 to $20,000 for the mayor’s public relations; and $4,000 up to $10,000 alloted for travel, which Thallemer said will be due to elections and new officials that will need to travel for training, which is “critical.”
The Warsaw civil city fund is asking for $1,627,000 and includes a 45% increase for Kosciusko Economic Development Corp (KEDCo). KEDCo’s 2019 operating budget was $55,000 and is proposed for $80,000 in 2020. Thallemer and councilman Jack Wilhite said KEDCo director Alan Tio has a track record of success in bringing new and retaining existing economic opportunities that he needs more money to work with.
An engineering plan for U.S. 30 is budgeted at $25,000. The first public meeting for plans on that project, where the public can see visual overlays of ideas, is at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Lincoln Elementary School gym. The council and mayor urge the public to attend.
Two $500,000 “place holders” were proposed for capital outlays in the budget that include improvement to Buffalo Street and for the housing initiative.
Thallemer said while no set plans are approved, “we have to be ready.”
The riverboat fund is proposed at $250,000. The cumulative capital development fund is proposed at $705,000.
The next city council meeting is 7 p.m. Sept. 3 in the council chambers at City Hall, 102 S. Buffalo St.
