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A two hour special meeting August 20 provided four members of the North Branch council (Peter Schaps was absent) a detailed look at facility needs, as part of a longer term planning effort spearheaded by Kraus Anderson contractors and construction management firm.  North Branch hired Kraus for the condition assessment of four main facilities.

By the end of the session council was realizing facility needs will not be the only area where the city could benefit from taking a longer look at things.

Council members expressed some surprise that the most recently-built one, the fire station, was assessed in “poor’ condition and needs the costliest attention.  This is due to well-used appliances and mechanicals turning 20 years old, and items like laminate countertops in the firehall kitchen needing change out.  It’s to be expected as general wear and tear, the Kraus Anderson presenter advised. The fire station roof also has aged rather rapidly and the stonework requires major maintenance.  New LED lighting is recommended along with HVAC work and a new trash enclosure on site.

Council also saw assessments of the public works, city hall and a stand alone police storage buildings.  City hall is in “good” condition but replacing water heaters, parking lot repairs and a furnace-ventilation project are recommended. There’s over 100 feet of sewer line that needs integrity attention too.

The Public Works building diesel tank has some issues, its air exchange systems are lacking and the roof load is a concern. Windows could stand replacing.  This site was listed in “fair” condition though.

If North Branch does nothing the next 10 years the bill to address the facility needs will come in at $4.4 million in today’s dollars.  This is useful for planning new building construction or upkeep for existing sites, council agreed.

The long term picture was balanced against the upcoming 2025 budget and levy, as informal discussions continue on next year’s costs for running the city.  Council had heard a couple weeks ago about nine new staff members, this has been trimmed to five.Council learned there is about $1.3 million maximum in balances that could be tapped for one time expenditures.  Compared to the levy for 2023 at $5.9 million, this latest version was coming in closer to $7 million, but there was no vote last week.

Acting City Administrator Lynda Woulfe and Sharon Wright, finance director, noted the city’s levy for debt is down 20 percent as North Branch’s borrowing is approaching being paid off.  This may be an opportune time for a wrap around bonding package to be absorbed into the debt service line item North Branch is used to carrying.

There are also expenses needing consideration in public safety.

There are 28 firefighters  who could be affected by a plan for revising financial compensation and “moving away” from traditional stipends, Administrator Woulfe shared.  The difference could be $98,000 extra under a per hour rate versus the traditional more complex compensation.  Council heard this new structure is in the interests of a work-family life balance and could also enhance turnout by firefighters, whose response to fire scenes is reported on the decline.

Council member Kelly Neider disputed the conclusion that lack of participation is tied to money. “There’s something deeper going on,” she declared.  She also observed that the fire department could be more involved in raising its own revenues in a variety of methods,  which should be looked into.

Mayor Kevin Schieber remarked he does not support a double digit budget hike and council needs to keep chipping away, and a $98,000 hike for a new firefighter pay structure is “a big jump.”

Council member Travis Miles said pay levels now are not sufficient and the city has to give compensation a good look.  Council member Robert Canada suggested financial impacts be spread over the next few years—  so implementation is in “increments.”

North Branch is also looking at a $1 million share in a round-a-bout project that prior city councils committed to. The public works director said elected officials agreed to be part of cost sharing on the upcoming CSAH#30 and 377th round-about along with the county and developer of nearby property.

An additional decision by previous elected officials was to not keep up with police vehicle rotation, with the chief explaining six squads with two on-order now, are a preferred budget item.  Plus, the chief explained that in the last 16 years North Branch P.D. has grown by two new positions. 

Budget and levy discussions continued as the meeting went on. The preliminary numbers need to be submitted to the county for tax statements to be estimated and mailed this fall.  This early budget can be reduced but can not be increased.  The final levy for 2025 is voted on in December.

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