Milton council adopts 2010 budget

At their last official meeting for the year, the current Milton City Council members adopted the city’s $24.1 million budget.

City staff told council at the Dec. 7 meeting that the budget was impacted by the earlier reductions to the city’s Community Development Department due to reduced building and land use permitting in 2009.

Further, the city’s has tapped $300,000 from its Cumulative Reserve Fund to help keep the general and street funds afloat.

Councilmember Bob Whalen expressed his concerns about the city’s continued reliance on using the Cumulative Reserve Funds to balance the budget.

“At some point in time, we need to balance our funds,” Whalen commented. “I’m very nervous with a budget like this.”

City staff noted that Milton’s service levels would remain the same as last year, except for the addition of a new code enforcement program, which was discussed as part of several reduction/enhancement packages during a budget review meeting last month.

The program would fund a part-time community service officer position through the Milton Police Department. This position would also provide assistance to the department by receipting, storing, taking inventory and disposing of evidence.

In the past, a part-time building inspector, through the city’s building division, has handled code enforcement. After the building inspector position was eliminated through the downsizing of the city’s Community Development Department, the police department has taken on the responsibility.

In October, the police department presented a proposal to council that would fully integrate the code enforcement program into its operations, while addressing additional needs within the department – mostly, evidence management.

“The biggest problem within the department is the evidence room,” Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes told council in October.

In coordination with the building division and the patrol unit, this new position would respond to code violation complaints, mostly relating to accumulation of trash, illegal dumping, junk vehicles, illegal parking and dilapidated property. In addition the position could be called upon to assist patrol units with traffic control, crime scene assistance and taking reports.

When the building inspector left the city last summer there were 42 active complaints. There has not been proper follow-up on these complaints since last summer, City Administrator Connie Fessler told the council in October when the proposal was presented.

“If we want to keep up with this, we need to hand off responsibility to the police department,” Fessler said. “When it’s handed over to the police, violations will be handled more aggressively.”

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