Iola City Council members will meet at least twice in the coming days to discuss the city’s 2012 budget.
The council will meet at 2 p.m. Monday and July 19 with department superintendents about their proposed budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. If necessary, a third session will be July 21.
Those meetings will be in the New Community Building at Riverside Park.
The goal, Iola City Administrator Judy Brigham said, was to draft a spending plan that maintains a static property tax levy — currently at about 38 mills — while not relying too much on utility fund transfers.
Council members directed Brigham to invite incoming city administrator Carl Slaugh to the budget meetings.
Slaugh’s two-year contract to replace Brigham was ratified at Monday’s meeting, although his first day on the job isn’t until July 25.
Brigham is retiring in September.
THE COUNCIL approved sending $3,000 to Faith House, a homeless shelter in Chanute serving Neosho and Allen counties.
Linda Stange, representing Faith House, appealed to Iola councilmen in June for funds. She noted that more than 40 of Faith House’s 196 clients last year came from Iola. Another 60 or so Iolans received day services.
Faith House receives $5,000 annually from Chanute. Stange said she also was requesting $3,000 from the Allen County Commission and $5,000 from the Neosho County Commission.
COUNCIL members approved utility and drainage easements on land north of a new neighborhood on the north edge of town.
The 13 easements are on what is considered within Iola’s Cedarbrook Third Addition. The easements are necessary in order for the city to eventually sell the land to private developers for housing or other facilities.
ANNUAL evaluations and subsequent pay raises ranging from 2 percent to 3.3 percent were approved for three employees. In addition, Kevin Appling was promoted from an apprentice operator to an operator’s position with the city’s power plant. The promotion brought with it a 4.9 percent pay hike for Appling.
