Blytheville Water Department projecting surplus for 2012

The Blytheville Water Department projects a surplus of $1,106,344 in 2012. It plans to spend $143,793.80 less this year than 2011, Blytheville Waterworks general manager Gary Phillips told the City Council's Finance and Purchasing Committee Thursday.

The board spent 2 1/2 hours examining the proposed budgets and 2011 actuals for the Water Department and Public Works. It also received the final proposed Animal Control and Corrections budgets.

Phillips handed out a new, one-page proposed budget for the Water Department that included 2011 actual figures and projected 2012 figures.

The department's projected 2012 revenue is $3.3 million, vs. proposed expenses of $2,193,656.

Waterworks and the water plant, which no longer have separate budgets, spent $2,337,449.80 last year, according to Phillips.

"2010 bills were still in the file when I got there in March," Phillips said.

He added: "The actual (expenses) in 2011 was half of what 2010 was. We're going to continue cutting."

The cuts range from uniform expenses to curbing overtime.

Phillips said the department is now buying uniforms instead of using a uniform service. Last year, it spent $21,597.44 on uniforms, while this year's projected cost is $5,000.

Phillips said efficiency has allowed the department to trim overtime, which was $65,045.60 in 2011, compared to the projected $13,000 for 2012.

Another of several line-item reductions was the maintenance/repair vehicles expenditure, which dropped from last year's actual total of $30,292.01 to a projected $11,500 this year.

"It's my hope to cut costs," Phillips said, noting the two 2011 F-150 water meter reader trucks recently purchased have warranties, which should cut down on the department's maintenance cost.

"The reduction in the repair cost paid for one truck," Councilman Stan Parks pointed out.

The water department spent $39,456.53 on the new water meter reader trucks last year. It proposes spending $44,000 on equipment replacement this year.

"We've got some very old equipment," Phillips said. "We have a trencher that we seem to get repaired every month. That's simply there to replace some of the heavy equipment that is falling apart."

The biggest expenditure is proposed salaries, which add up to $551,814 -- up from the 2011 actual figure of $546,454.34 because the water plant is adding one employee, Phillips said.

Even with the additional employee, there is projected excess revenue.

Responding to a question from the audience, Phillips said he plans to put the money in one of three funds: a depreciation account, construction account or a future one for savings on water bonds, should the Council decide to refinance them.

Phillips had planned to buy $6,000 worth of blue recycling bags, but Councilwoman Missy Langston noted the city received a grant to pay for the bags.

"I want to say thank you for presenting good numbers and for a good report," local resident and business owner Joe Evans said. "I do appreciate it."

"I do too," added Councilwoman Shirley Overman, who chairs the committee.

Public Works budget

The board still has more work on budgets that fall under Public Works because officials are unclear on some items, including personnel expenses and gas and oil costs.

Budgeted expenses may have been placed in the wrong departments within Public Works, which has 41 total employees, down 12 from 2011, Public Works director Rick Mosley said.

Public Works includes the following departments and their proposed expenses: Health and Sanitation ($2,127,268); Street ($894,487); Shop ($77,836); Transfer Station ($78,923); Signs and Signal ($247,024); and Compost/Recycling (no expenses listed).

Overman plans to meet with the Finance Department today for clarification on some items.

Mosley believes the proposed $450,000 for Health and Sanitation salaries is too high because there are fewer employees in that department, currently staffed at 12.

He said the Street Department proposed salaries figure, $295,186, is also inaccurate because there are only two in that department.

"Some of this bleeds over into street; sanitation is carrying street," Mosley said. "It always has. You are carrying some street on sanitation."

Langston noted Sanitation's actual gas and oil expense for 2011 was $118,341.84, but the city only budgeted for $30,000, a 394.47 percent increase.

"That's for the city," Mosley said. "It shouldn't be on there (Sanitation expenditures in the Statement of Revenue and Expenditures)."

"It needs to be broken down better," he added.

Overman noted gas and oil isn't shown in the other Public Works departments budgets.

Langston also wanted to know how much sanitation brought in, compared to what it spent in 2011.

According to the actual figures, the Sanitation department spent $2,006,135 of the $2,106,321 budgeted in 2011, a difference of $100,186.

The report said the actual Sanitation revenue was $2,098,844.06, which includes commercial sanitation fees ($652,113.76), residential sanitation ($690,535.07), residential trash pickup ($508,053.68), sale of solid waste cans ($11,472.10) and mosquito control ($236,669.45).

The city actually spent $195,699.96 for mosquito control, giving it an excess of $40,969.49 in that line item.

Santiation's projected revenue for 2012 is $2,125,000.

Overman said all the bills and revenue aren't in yet for 2011. She pointed out the Council has to pass a balanced budget by Tuesday.

"We can always go back and amend this budget as things come in or don't come in," Overman said.

"I think we ought to look at it quarterly, throughout the year," Councilman Stan Parks said.

Overman agreed.

Animal Control and Corrections budgets

Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson made changes to the Animal Control and Corrections budgets, moves he anticipates will save about $7,000, while improving Animal Control.

The original proposed budget had three spots for Corrections and one full-time, one part-time for Animal Control.

The new proposed budget has two full-time in Animal Control and two full-time in Corrections.

Thompson also took out a $1,000 contract labor expenditure for the Police Department.

Currently, there are two full-time in Animal Control and one in Corrections. There is one open spot in Corrections. Thompson is waiting on Council approval before making the proposed changes permanent.

"We should be able to reduce the overtime expenditures and have better coverage with the two people (in animal control)," Thompson said.

Langston asked if District Court Judge Shannon Langston is comfortable with reducing the number of corrections officers.

Thompson noted uniformed police have been helping with court, including patrol Capt. Ricky Jefferson.

"We're adding a uniformed presence, even though we might be cutting back on a corrections position," Thompson said.

Corrections' proposed budget dropped from $522,373 to $493,935; Animal Control's increased from $77,785 to $88,580.

"We're making progress in animal control," Thompson said.

The Finance Committee will meet at 3 p.m. today (Friday) to discuss the Wastewater and Parks and Recreation budgets.

mbrasfield@couriernews.net