At the council meeting this week, we heard about a plan for downtown that really interested me. The city would help facilitate downtown facade improvements by loaning building owners funds to help get the work done. If the business met the relevant criteria, interest could be forgiven, and no payments would be required until the property is sold. The details are yet to be worked out, but the council is considering the allocation of up to $50,000 toward this fund.
Beyond The Minutes – After-the-fact details on the agendas of council meetings, clarifications of what we were really doing, and my thinking behind votes.
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The Daily News printed a story citing some concerns stated by the State Auditor’s Office in their recent audit. The items they discussed were suggestions for improvement, but didn’t impact their overall opinion on the financial statements or on the city’s accountability for public resources. The opinion paragraph of the accountability report states “Overall the City complied with state laws and regulations and its own policies and procedures in the areas we examined.” The opinions on the financial statements, internal controls, and compliance all indicate no material weaknesses or errors.
As an auditor by profession, I know that if there’s a serious problem, it’ll show as a finding in the audit. The city hasn’t had an audit finding since 2000, and then only because a clerk stole $20,000 from the utility department. What I have experienced in my two years on the council is that city staff are dedicated to doing things the right way.
While these findings do not seem to be severe, there have been issues within the city’s public works department in the last couple years. Staff morale and retention have been challenges. From things that we hear on the council, it sounds like the department head is trying to make some changes to address these issues. Time will tell if the changes will be effective.
Consideration of City Property Sale on South River Road
As was discussed last time, we have an offer from Tim Sparks to purchase the city’s property on S. River Rd. for $720k plus an exchange of 10 acres that could be used by the city for soccer fields. Another developer, Joel Davis, had expressed interest in the real estate, and was at the council meeting. However, due to a partner’s medical issues, Mr. Davis had not been able to bring us a formal offer for the property. Read more »
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