Council evaluates budget changes

The Conrad Mansion appears likely to get some extra money from the city of Kalispell.

The Lakers baseball program might get a little bit.

But the Buffalo Hill Golf Club appears unlikely to get the major overhaul it asked for.

The Kalispell City Council pondered Monday whether to tweak its proposed 2008 budget next week before adopting it on Aug. 20.

This was a workshop session at which no votes were legally allowed. Fiscal 2008 began July 1.

Right now, the proposed fiscal 2008 budget is $63.246 million, pending any changes. That is down from fiscal 2007's predicted budget of $65.028 million. The final 2007 figures will be nailed down soon when all the final bills are in.

The biggest budget segments for both years are $20.5 million to expand the capacity of the sewage-treatment plant from 3.1 million gallons a day to 5.5 million gallons daily in late 2008 or early 2009, and eventually to 7.5 million gallons daily when needed in a few years.

On Monday, the council considered requests for extra money from three local organizations - the Conrad Mansion, the Lakers baseball program and the Buffalo Hill Golf Club. Only the Conrad Mansion had representatives at Monday's meeting.

The golf course asked for money to upgrade the clubhouse, snack shack, driving range, greens, golf-cart paths and its irrigation system. Beyond $1 million for overhauling the irrigation system, the Buffalo Hill request did not include specific budget figures.

Council members indicated the golf course requests would amount to too much to add to the city's fiscal 2008 budget, especially with no actual revenue sources identified. Council members said the golf course should seek donations elsewhere for most of the proposed improvements, although they added that upgrading the clubhouse and snack shack might be considered the city government's responsibility.

Since the Conrad Mansion already obtained a significant amount of money elsewhere to upgrade its siding, council members leaned toward allocating money to the renovation. The potential appropriation could be up to $46,000 from the city's reserves in its general fund.

The general fund for 2008 is set at $10.893 million, which essentially covers salaries and wages.

Fiscal 2008's reserve in the general fund is $919,337, which city officials fretted is lower than it should be, contending that an ideal 2008 reserve fund should be about $1.5 million.

The Lakers baseball program asked for $30,000 to add safety improvements to the dugouts at Griffin Field and for new backstop netting.

Council members leaned toward allocating $10,000 for the netting from the Kalispell Airport area's tax-increment fund, which consists of property taxes set aside from that district.

Also Monday, the council discussed shifting $40,000 to increase the fire and ambulance segment of the budget to $2.565 million. The extra money would cover extra pay because of a shift in how wages are mapped out.

Council member Bob Hafferman worried about that proposed shift because the city's negotiations with its American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local No. 256 are currently hung up on a $22,000 difference between the two sides.

Council members wanted more details on the ambulance budget before making a decision.