Building up the Capital Improvement Sewer Fund

The city conducts an annual audit which puts the city’s finances in perspective as to what was spent, what was collected, and what are the balances in the various accounts of the city.  After the audit these balances are compared to a threshold that was established in the city’s Comprehensive Fund Balance Policy.  The policy in general provides for a minimum amount of cash to be held as undesignated reserves to be used for cash flow and/or unbudgeted expenses.

The threshold for the General Fund is 40% to 45% of the following years budgeted expenses.  The threshold for the sewer fund has been maintained at 45% but there is no formal threshold for sewer funds.  Sewer funds are split into either operating or capital improvement accounts.  Sewer funds in excess of the amounts are transferred to long term resource accounts.  If funds were to dip under the threshold a decision would need to be made as to how those funds would be replenished. 

In reviewing these balances from year end the General Fund fell within the 40-45% threshold so no transfer was recommended.  The Sewer Fund on the other hand had resources in excess of 45% in the operating fund.  The amount that exceeded the threshold was $23,469.  These funds were recommended to be placed in the Sewer Capital Improvement Fund.  As such the council approved the transfer and funds will be moved.   

Gravel Packer

Most people are familiar with a grader going down the road to smooth out the gravel.  In the spring the grader brings gravel from the shoulder area that was displaced from winter plowing and smooths it out over the road.  This effort of grading continues to be accomplished periodically throughout the summer months as needed.  

As roads are graded the material is repositioned on the roadway in a relatively loose manner.  We have relied on traffic to compact this material. If it rains before it gets compacted it becomes a muddy mess.  If it dries out too much without compaction it creates dust.  The dust eliminates some of the fine materials leaving the material as mostly stones.  A good gravel roadway needs gravel and some clay materials to hold it together to create a smooth surface.

The city continues to look to ways to improve and manage gravel roadways.  One approach not previously used in the past was that of using a gravel packer.  A packer is a multi-tired unit that applies pressure across the width of the roadway that was just graded. Packing the roadway just after it has been graded firms up the surface allowing for a smoother roadway that is expected to hold up longer.  It is also hoped this will reduce grading time in general as it shouldn’t be needed as often. 

Another advantage of the packer is using it when gravel is added to improve its base.  With an inch or two of new gravel being spread the hope has been that traffic would firm it up.  This doesn’t work as well as you might think.  Compaction becomes uneven and it can even create ruts.  Placing gravel with the packer improves the operation and the final outcome.  A better finished project is the result. 

The city council considered the purchase of a packer unit at its May meeting.  Under the state bid the unit was purchased for $33,920.00.  The budget for this piece of equipment was $35,000.  The city will be using this unit as soon as it arrives so hopefully we’re on the road to better gravel roadway surfaces.  

Roadway Vacation

The majority of streets and right-of-ways that become our transportation system came about through the platting of a subdivision.  When lots are created public right-of-ways are required to get people to and from the lots.  With a platting of a public right-of-way the plat dedicates to the public the use of the property in perpetuity.  To remove a platted right-of-way the statutes require a procedure known as a vacation of them.  The process involves a public hearing with published and mailed notice to affected property owners.  The process can be initialed by a petition of the abutting property owners or by action of the city council.

A petition was received and a public hearing was held on May 1^st to consider the vacation of a small strip of right-of-way that lead from the platted portion of Hilltop Drive to the shore of Lake Ossawinnamakee.  This right-of-way is 16.5 feet wide and approximately 210 feet long.  Given it terminates at a lake, providing public access, the  Commissioner of the DNR is also given notice.  They are invited to comment on the proposed vacation.  At the public hearing individuals were given the opportunity to speak for or against the proposed vacation.  A good amount of testimony was heard.  The statutes require the city council find it is in the best interests of the city to vacate a roadway.  In other words the city must find a benefit in the vacation.

The DNR, in responding to the proposed vacation had recommended denying it based on a number of factors. 

1.    The right of way was dedicated to the public for public use.  It provides multimodal access to the lake.

2.    The vacation as proposed provides no public benefit to match the value of the current and potential public resource.

3.    Although the access is generally undeveloped and the DNR does not advocate improvements, it provides lake access.  They cannot anticipate what needs may exist for public access on this lake in 100 years, but once this valuable land leaves public ownership; it is likely gone for good.

4.    The proposed road vacation negatively impacts access to public waters.  The public has the right to use all of the public waters in the state.  The public includes persons other than those in the immediate vicinity.

This access point also provides a location in which the Fire Department can access the lake to draft water in an emergency, as there are no fire hydrants to use.  It was stated that this is part of their fire protection program.

At the conclusion of the public hearing the council considered the request and voted unanimously to deny the request stating the above findings as well as the need to preserve the option for fire protection.