NEWBERRY — The first reading of the proposed fiscal year 2017-2018 City of Newberry budget was approved last Tuesday at the city’s regular council meeting.

Following no public comment in favor or opposing the proposed budget, council made a motion to approve the first reading.

Second and final reading of the budget is scheduled to be held June 20.

The total proposed budget for the city’s General Fund is proposed at $9,949,827. The budget was balanced for the upcoming fiscal year without any proposed increases in taxes or business license fees. However, there were incremental increases in both commercial and residential sanitation service.

City Manager Matt DeWitt said there had been no millage increase in over six years and outside of utilities, other services had held their rates flat since 2014.

Pending final reading, the proposed budget would show that beginning July 1, (fiscal year 2018), one of the free garbage pick-ups each commercial bin currently receives would be eliminated.

This means that a small business would likely see an increase of $21 to its normal monthly bill, DeWitt said and commercial garbage would cost $44 a month for those businesses getting one pick up each week.

The proposed adjustment would yield an increase of $36,750 to general fund revenues.

“The city will continue to be the low cost provider for quality commercial sanitation in the city,” DeWitt told council.

The proposed budget also includes a small incremental residential garbage fee increase of $2 per residential service, putting the service at $12 per month for three-day per week curbside pick-up that includes residential garbage, yard debris and white goods. The city’s last increase for this service came in 2014.

By taking the residential garbage fee up to $12 dollars per month in the proposed budget, it would still allow Newberry to be cheaper than the communities that surround Newberry and to help better cover the rising cost of providing the service, DeWitt said, and allow the city to maintain a very high level of service to their customers.

Also in the proposed budget is a cost of living increase of three percent for employees.

Under the Utility Fund, the total proposed budget is set at $55,660,467. The total estimated gross revenues in the 2017-2018 fiscal year are $38,277,242 compared to $37,232,450 in fiscal year 2016-2017, representing an increase of 2.8 percent.

Retail electric base rates are proposed to remain the same again this year. However, the city will continue to use the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA), DeWitt told council to pass through Purchased Power Costs.

No increases are budgeted for water rates in fiscal year 2017-18 but staff anticipates an increase of approximately two percent in revenues due to the elimination of included gallons in the base facility charge.

Under the Utility Capital Fund, the Electric System Capital line item totaling $1,060,000 is recommended to increase by $90,000 or 9.3 percent compared to fiscal year 2016-17 due to contract labor to assist with reworking the city’s electric distribution system and continuing the build out of the city’s fiber network.

Because of the completion of the West End rehabilitation project, the Water System Capital budget which totals $875,000 is proposed to decrease $130,000 or 12.9 percent compared to last year’s budget. According to DeWitt, only some of the curbing still needs to be completed in the West End area.

Construction continues from the 2015 bond issuance. Funding of $14,719,375 is proposed in this year’s budget to complete the city’s Water Plant rehabilitation project, continue the Scott’s Creek sewer line rehabilitation, complete various water distribution rehab projects and the construction of both a water storage tank and a second electrical substation to add increased reliability to serve customers.

New business

Under new business, City Council reappointed four members to the Newberry Opera House Foundation Board. Mayor Foster Senn said Tuesday that it was necessary to appoint four members to serve a two-year term to the foundation board.

Current members Cole Lawrimore, Denise Reid, Joe MacDonald and Bob Shirey expressed interest to continue to serve, Senn said and council then voted unanimously that they be re-appointed for another two-year term each.

City staff recently received a letter from the Trustees of First Baptist Church in Newberry indicating that the church has acquired land on three different blocks around the church.

Due to this, the church is requesting that the city close McKibben Street between Boundary and Johnstone streets to enhance the safety of their property.

The city and Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas Authority both have utilities (water, sewer and gas lines) that run beneath McKibben Street, DeWitt said, and would need to maintain a permanent easement to access those services when needed.

“The church uses that area (lot beside the church) a lot and I can understand their desire for safety,” Senn said.

Because council members had not had ample time to research the area, Senn recommended they table the discussion until next month’s council meeting.

In an effort to keep council updated on city happenings, Senn told them that earlier this month, a proclamation was signed declaring the month of June as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

Elizabeth Brantley, program director for the Midland’s Region of the Alzheimer’s Association, will be holding a series of free workshops June 20 at Newberry County Memorial Hospital in hopes of informing residents of the early stages of Alzheimer’s and how to cope.

Dates and registration information for the workshops can be found at www.alz.org/sc.

Newberry City Council has approved first reading of the budget for fiscal year 2017-18.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_IMG_2258.jpgNewberry City Council has approved first reading of the budget for fiscal year 2017-18. Elyssa Haven | For The Newberry Observer

By Elyssa Haven

For The Newberry Observer