Finances and disaster planning at Bronaugh

Saturday, January 13, 2018
Monday’s board of aldermen meeting in Bronaugh included (clockwise from bottom left): Hailey Jones; Lori Conner, city clerk; Rachel Jones, alderman; Terry Fleener, alderman; Sherry Brown, mayor; Harry Pitts, alderman; and Ann Loudermilk, treasurer.
Johannes Brann

On Monday evening, in a cold city hall, Bronaugh’s board of aldermen reviewed 2017 finances, approved the 2018 budget, discussed water and sewer operations and heard an invitation to be a part of Vernon County’s next 5-year hazard mitigation plan.

The building’s heat pump has not been working properly for some time and projected high repair costs combined with the evening’s brisk temperatures moved aldermen to authorize Mayor Sherry Brown to investigate the cost of less costly possibilities including baseboard heaters.

While Bronaugh began 2016 with just over $430,000 in debt, it ended 2017 with just over $355,000 in debt, a reduction of almost $75,000.

Commented Brown, “While we’ve still got a long ways to go, that’s amazing progress for a small town like ours.”

The City of Bronaugh maintains three primary funds: general, water and sewer. For 2017, only the sewer fund showed a net gain for the year ($10,874.42) while the general and water funds posted net losses of $28,426.23 and $30,165.48 respectively.

“You remember we paid off a $55,000 loan last year and to do that the general fund loaned money to the water fund and we depleted some of the reserves there [water fund] to make the pay-off,” explained Ann Loudermilk, city treasurer, to the council. “But we’re saving ourselves a lot of interest and we’re now making larger payments on our other loans to pay them down faster.”

When she came to the line item for streets in the general fund, she reminded aldermen of two things. First, they had made the decision in 2015 to do minimal patching of roads until funds were sufficient to afford actual repaving. She also pointed out they had purchased a second load of cold patch in 2017, in order to fill all of the larger potholes.

Thus, while the line item for streets had a net surplus of $1,688.37 that was considerably smaller than the gains for 2015 and 2016 which were $6,707.17 and $5,995.35 respectively.

The city’s budget for 2018 looks to return to the more moderate expenditure levels of 2016. The general fund’s largest change is an increase in the city’s electric bill. Last year, Kansas City Power and Light Company replaced Bronaugh’s conventional street lights with high powered light emitting diodes.

“While KCP&L will save money in the long run, they are passing on some of the costs for fixtures and bulbs to us, about $35 to $40 more a month,” said Loudermilk. “And so I had to up the budget for lights.”

Bronaugh’s treasurer also included funds for the purchase of recycling dumpsters (for aluminum and plastic) and the cost of elections for 2018.

She budgeted a high amount for street repairs which allows aldermen either to do more patching as in 2017 or they can choose to be more aggressive in setting aside funds for repaving as was done in 2015 and 2016.

For 2018, the water fund is projected to earn a small profit for the year ($2,200) even as it begins a 20-year repayment of what was borrowed last year from the general fund for that loan payoff. The sewer fund is projecting a net gain of $8,050 for the year.

A motion to approve the financial reports and the updated 2018 budget received the unanimous support of aldermen Terry Fleener, Harry Pitts and Rachel Jones. Board President Nancy Pitts was absent.

An annual audit is required while the city maintains a loan with the United States Department of Agriculture; Alderman Fleener agreed to perform it. This became the city’s first ordinance for 2018.

Derek Brown reported to the board his successful completion of all tests as he prepares to succeed current water and septic systems operator, Gary Loudermilk.

“Once they review and approve my paperwork, I should be getting my Class D license and I can take over on the water side from Gary,” said Brown.

His 12 days of classwork in preparation for testing and licensure on the septic side will begin in April, followed by a required number of hours of hands-on work under Loudermilk’s supervision and the passing of requisite examinations.

Mayor Brown introduced Cassie Sanders, community engagement coordinator with Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission.

“I’ve been tasked by the county to pull together and write Vernon County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and I’d like to get your participation,” she said.

Sanders told aldermen she was not asking them to do any writing — that she said is her job — but she did ask for a formal resolution to agree to be a part of this and supply the information she needs about the town.

She then offered a carrot and a stick.

Said Sanders, “While I certainly hope Bronaugh never has a serious disaster, if something should happen and you’re not a part of this plan, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will not help you. But if you do participate in this plan, not only would they and the state emergency management agency help you in a disaster but you become eligible to apply for many different types of grants for disaster preparedness.”

Hearing this, Alderman Terry Fleener said, “We tried applying for some grants before but we got nothing,”

“You’re a part of Vernon County and the commission pays to be a part of Kaysinger which means, after this hazard mitigation plan is done, I’m not going away,” said Sanders. “If you identify what you really need, I will help find you the money.”

Items discussed ranged from weather radios and storm sirens to a notification app to alert citizens via their smartphones.

As there was a meeting of the Bronaugh Fire Department that evening, Chief Kael Zoglmann was on hand to answer questions even as he asked if the grants might help his department with equipment needs.

“Absolutely,” responded Sanders. “In any emergency here, and your department would play a huge roll in any response.”

When Fleener and Pitts said Bronaugh usually can’t afford the matching portion for most grants, Sanders responded with, “I’ll help you with that too.”

She described her work with the Katy Allen Lake project in Nevada on behalf of the county in which she was able to secure funds from various private sources.

The mood of the board turned from polite but skeptical to positive which was reflected in the unanimous vote to approve participation in the county’s hazard mitigation plan.

An ordinance addressing brush, weeds and grass on local property and a separate one related to vehicles, trash and debris were tabled “until all council members are present,” which it is hoped will be on Feb. 6 at the board’s next meeting.

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