Van Buren nixes 2010 pay raises, proposes $11.3 million budget

story by Marla Cantrell
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It will again be tight in 2010 for Van Buren, which is something Mayor Bob Freeman expected and planned for.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Freeman said there will be no across-the-board pay raises for city employees. Raises could be reconsidered during the course of 2011, if revenue improves. The city will continue to pay the entire health insurance premium for workers and their families. It’s something Freeman said few people, either in the public or private sector have.

The move is part of an effort by the city to work with the struggling economy. Next year’s proposed budget reflects the restraint the mayor is using to keep the city on track. In 2010, the city plans to spend approximately $11.3 million, which is slightly higher than the 2009 budget of $11.2 million. While the budget is conservative, it does provide for growth.

Next year, a federal Safer grant is pumping more than $117,000 into the city coffers for three additional firefighters. The city will pay the additional $23,000 for the salaries.
The city will also add a new yard waste removal service at a cost of $168,000. The service will run seasonally to city homes, and will add three new employees to the books. Yard waste will be picked up and shredded. The new service should not only help residents with yard cleanup in the spring and fall, but will also help curb flooding in the area.

Debris is now washed away and ends up in the city’s drainage system. That collects over a period of time and when heavy rains fall, the system is overwhelmed.

A city planner will also come on board next year. The slot has been empty since the former planner left his post to work for the police department early this year.

Another $32,000 was set aside to pay for housing city prisoners. Freeman said that adjustment was necessary because the cost was higher than expected last year.

The budget faces a council vote during the December meeting.

In other business, the council approved a $100 Christmas bonus for city workers.

Also, the council approved a request by the school system to close a portion of North 19th Street between Poplar Street and Baldwin. The move paves the way for the construction of a $10 million King Elementary School, scheduled to begin in February. School officials said they need the new school because the current facility does not meet the Americans With Disabilities Act and does not meet state standards. King Elementary is one of the city’s oldest schools. The school now has 300 students, and the new building will hold another 250.

Freeman also asked that the city look into rerouting traffic around the railroad track near the school, once construction begins.

Alderman Donna Parker opened a discussion about the new library, thanking City Attorney Don Jenkins for his help in writing policy for the yet-to-be opened facility.
Danalene Porter, Van Buren library director, attended the meeting. She said her staff is anxious to get into the new facility.

“Every day we have patrons ask when the new library will open,” Porter said. “We’re hesitant to say because of the repeated delays. We know there’s been a lot of work by city and county officials to facilitate the move and we appreciate that.”

The new library remains closed due to a fire that damaged the 19,000-square-foot building Sept. 20, 2008. It was just weeks from completion at the time. Since then the parties involved have been through arbitration to see how to move forward. The insurance company finally released funds to repair the damage from the fire. That work should soon be finished.

Freeman said they’re probably weeks away from coming to an agreement with the bonding company. When that’s finalized the construction work still remaining when the fire occurred will be finished.