Work Session Minutes 09-19-2024

CITY OF SOUTHSIDE
COUNTY OF ETOWAH
STATE OF ALABAMA

The City Council of the City of Southside convened for a special called work session at the Southside City Hall on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Prior notice of this meeting was given in compliance with Resolution No. 0-035-2005 of the City of Southside, Alabama and the Alabama Open Meetings Act. Mayor Dana Snyder called the meeting to order at 1:11 p.m.

The following council members were present: Mayor Dana Snyder, Council Members: Keith Clay, Don Steward and Danny Garnett. John Hatley and Joseph Hutchins were not in attendance. Councilman Clay led the prayer. With a quorum being present the meeting was opened for the transaction of business.

The following items were on the work session agenda, which would potentially be addressed at the 09-24-2024 council meeting:

THE FOLLOWING WERE ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION:

 FY 2024-2025 Budget
 General Business of the City

• Finance Director, Nickie Pylant was recognized, and explained to the council that after discussion at the 09-12-2024 budget work session, she had done more research into the percentages at which collected sales taxes were distributed into various city accounts. She stated that Councilman Steward had been correct, the percentage going into restricted accounts is 30%, where 20% had been budgeted into restricted, thus creating a deficit in unrestricted funds that the council had previously approved. Ms. Pylant stated that the correct amounts (per Resolution from 2020) were being deposited, she had just budgeted the amounts based on an older distribution model.
• Discussion: Options were, to either cut budgeted items, or pull from previous year’s unrestricted funds.
• Director Pylant presented the council with new documents they had requested to make it easier to see amounts in various restricted and unrestricted accounts.
• Discussion: Amounts to be budgeted from the potential sale of surplus Police vehicles, as well as scheduled reimbursement from ADECA and COPS grants, which had not been taken into consideration yet.
• Director Pylant then showed the council the changes made to the potential budget per their last work session discussions.
• Discussion: Additional paving project due to existing funds in the paving fund, funds to be deposited, and the anticipated future deposits.
• Discussion: Future meeting with SAIN associates for updates on their traffic study that is in process.
• Discussion: Outstanding P.O.’s going into the fiscal year end on September 30, that would have to be included in this budget if they aren’t cleared before year end.
• The council was also given the budget documents for other funds.
• Director Pylant stated that if the community center roof was completed by fiscal year-end, there would be a need to release the ARPA C.D. currently in Metro Bank to pay for the roof replacement. There was discussion of pulling the funds from another account, and reimbursing from the matured C.D. on November 29, 2024.
• Discussion: Radio repeaters needed for the schools and fire department being funded by ARPA, and the possibility of the Etowah County Board of Education helping fund this.
• Discussion:  Proposed amendments from current FY 2023/2024 amendments, and explanation of need for items to be amended. The council discussed the reasons for amending the budget during the year, so it more accurately reflects revenues and expenses.
• Discussion: Possibly using disaster fund to pay for repeater to be installed for Fire Department if necessary
The work session was adjourned at 2:23 P.M.