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They say the longest journey begins with the first steps, and North Branch Council met in a workshop session recently to start their budget journey for setting next year’s property taxes.  

The staff tried to get city council members off on the right foot by pressing for a space needs assessment for a new police department.  The city needs to facilitate planning activities. Staff also would like details fleshed out on the near future parks/trail projects (paid for by development fees) and the capital improvement plan needs to be cleaned up.

Council members were not all on the same page, however.  

The mayor asked if it is known what numbers of personnel the city needs for its population. (North Branch is up in population by 10 percent over the past five years.) 

Having this information will help in deciding how much space the police will need, for instance.  Council member Robert Canada said it is likely North Branch will need to address overcrowded police offices in the basement of city hall soon.

When the projections are developed for offficers and support people, then there’s a proposal from Kraus Andersen on an analysis for police space needs.

Council member Peter Schaps asked about the shooting range north of town and if that facility is still for sale, thinking it could be evaluated for a new public safety headquarters.

City Administrator Renae Fry suggested the city be “better informed on space needs,” in order to decide if an existing building is “the right place.”

Council will be thinking this analysis over, there was no action in the work session.

North Branch Finance Director Sharon Wright told council  this is the time of year when the capital improvement plan must be fine-tuned. 

When a city applies to get outside funding “the first thing we get asked is if it’s on the CIP” she added.  It is “time to decide what we need to achieve,” she explained, and talked  with council about setting priorities.

Ideally, chimed in Public Works Director Shawn Williams, projects will be coordinated across departments for efficiencies. For example, trail work can be done at the same time as roads are torn up or being installed.

Parks Director Nate Sondrol mentioned the priorities of the Parks, Trails & Open Space committee and said the county is planning for the trail on the east side of County Road 30 to happen in concert with roadwork in 2025.  Williams Park is a priority and a master plan exists.  Northwoods pickleball courts have a grant already.

Police Chief Dan Meyer included for consideration the fact his department needs sirens.  The squad car rotation is fairly on-schedule but is slow-paced and it works best when car orders can be put in a couple years in advance. 

Chief Meyer said there are six civil defense and weather warning sirens— and he’d like to add two in order for newly-developed growth areas to be able to hear them.

As a guideline for council to think about while setting next year’s budget, Wright reminded the council that last year elected officials  asked for less than the tax capacity and improved property valuations could have supported.  

She said she is not keen on policymakers who are looking at the budget through the lens of its percentage increase (or decrease).  The council needs to pursue a budget number that adds the most value to life in North Branch, she stated.

Cities need to have a pay-2024  levy adopted in time for tax statements to be calculated and printed and mailed by the end of the year.  The process calls for setting a high end in September. In depth reductions and revisions are done October to December, to finalize the revenue needed.

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