Audit, utility fees, flooring headline City agenda

Center City Manager Chad Nehring provides details on agenda items at Monday’s council meeting.

Leon Aldridge Light and Champion

The Center City Council approved a financial statement audit report, amended the city’s annual rate and fee schedule, and approved a Police Department budget adjustment for flooring at Monday’s meeting.

The general report of last year’s financial statement audit presented by Eric Carver of Axley & Rode Certified Public Accountants was as “an unqualified opinion indicating no findings or issues in review of government-wide and fund statements of activities.”

Summary findings by the accounting firm were favorable in all areas of the budget report. Council acceptance and approval allows city staff to complete annual adjusting journal entries.

Utility Account Fees Also approved an ordinance to amend ‘Special Utility Account Fees.’

According to City Manager Chad Nehring, many of the minor fees are not reviewed to the same degree of detail during budget preparation. A recent review of actual time and material costs indicated that several of the fees could be reduced, and none necessitated increases.

Changes included reductions of After-Hours Call Out ($125 to $100), Curb Stop Replacement ($100 to $75), and Returned Check ($50 to $30) fees based on recoverable amounts if prosecuted and current staff time and material costs attributed to each situation.

The changes will be applicable immediately rather than delayed until next budget year.

Police Department flooring A Police Department budget adjustment allocation for facility flooring from almost five years ago was approved. The budget included carpet replacement that due to age and around the clock wear, warranted replacement at that time.

According to Nehring, budget, contractor response and other factors reportedly negated replacement delays and it was subsequently removed from budget requests.

The carpet is now well beyond necessary replacement, and a supplemental funding request based on current pricing, was made as the item was not requested for inclusion in this year’s budget.

Quotes were Russell Floors $37,960.58, East Texas Carpets $43,693.51, and Jody Cooper $52,693.51.