During last night’s meeting, Morganfield City Council approved a water rate increase, the City’s Budget for the next fiscal year, along with other business items on the agenda.
Mayor Dickie Berry informed councilmen there would be 25 percent increase in the water rate in order to make improvements to the City’s water system. City Administrator Gary Vetter said compared to other cities in the area, Morganfield’s water rates are low.
Mayor Berry added “people aren’t going to like it, but we do not have a choice.” The first reading of the 25 percent rate increase was unanimously approved.
Councilmen also approved the first reading of the City’s Budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 with a total estimated revenue of over 8.4 million dollars, total appropriations of over 8.8 million dollars and an estimated fund balance at the end of the fiscal year of over 1.1 million dollars.
In other business, councilmen unanimously approved a grant application to the Department of Local Government under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 as presented by Dustin Duncan of GRADD for recreational needs by the City.
He also presented the grant amount.
Also included in the grant amount is the purchase of equipment for five soccer fields to be constructed at Legion’s Park.
Councilmen also approved funding for Downtown Morganfield, Inc. for 9-thousand dollars and over 41-thousand dollars for the Union County Planning Commission for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2017.
In other action, councilmen unanimously approved a one-time payout of 15-hundred dollars supplemental fee for the auditors, McElroy, Mitchell & Associates LLP, to cover the new liability the City has to report; and an over 16-thousand dollar proposal from GBS for the Phase II Sidewalk Trip Hazard Project to remove and replace some sidewalks within the city.
And councilmen set the April Spring clean-up dates as the first three full weeks of May.
During comments from City department supervisors, Chief Craig Bolds announced that Officer Stefon Douglas has resigned and taken a job at the Henderson Police Department. He added that he has received six applications to fill the position, thus far.
The next regularly scheduled Morganfield City Council meeting will be Thursday afternoon, April 28, 2016 at 5:00 at City Hall.
(Featured Image: WMSK File Photo)