2020_07.14 Minutes_CC_SpecialKENNEDALE
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KENNEDALE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE
JULY 14, 2020 AT 6:00 PM
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I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Brian Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
A. ROLL CALL
Participating via VideoConference: Mayor Brian Johnson; Josh Altom, Place 1; Chris Pugh, Place
2; Mayor Pro Tem Lee, Place 3; Linda Rhodes, Place 4; Chad Wandel, Place 5; Absent: None. Stag
Participating via VideoConference: City Manager George Campbell, City Secretary and Communications Coordinator Leslie
E Galloway, Finance Director Lakeita Sutton, Public Works Director Larry Hoover, Fire Chief James Brown, Police Chief
Tommy Williams, Library Director Amanda King, Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services Danielle Clarke,
and Director of Planning and Economic Development Melissa Dailey
II. WORK SESSION
A. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding FY2020 21
Budget priorities
City Manager George Campbell first announced that, for the first time in 13 years, the City's
FY19-20 Budget received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), and congratulated Finance Director
Lakeita Sutton and all associated staff. Sutton stated that she and her staff had focused on
making the budget more user-friendly and meaningful and were proud of the
accomplishment. The Mayor and Council expressed their appreciation and congratulated
the staff on the achievement.
Campbell then stated that this meeting had been requested by the Council to provide input
to staff regarding budget priorities. Finance Director Lakeita Sutton then offered a
presentation that included end -of -year FY19-20 projections, high level FY20-21 revenue and
expenditure projections (noting that final numbers had not yet been received from the
County Tax Assessor), new program requests submitted by each department (but not yet
evaluated by Finance or the City Manager), a budget timeline, and next steps. There was
some discussion of savings realized through personnel vacancies, staff's continued
dedication to preserving the bond rating and encouraging development, actual expenditures
versus approved amounts, the continued drawdown of the General Fund Balance, the
potential for the City Manager's Proposed Budget to be supported by an ad valorem tax rate
increase, and the impacts that COVID-19 might continue to have on revenues.
405 Municipal Drive, Kennedale, TX 76060 I Telephone: 817-985-2100 I Fax: 817-478-7169
There was also some discussion among the Council of the requests to add a Fire Marshall
and Assistant City Manager position, succession planning, the requested ambulance, a
recent hiring freeze, minimal staffing levels, staff salaries, the effects of COVID-19 on local
businesses, CARES Funding, the possibility of obtaining a Buxton Report to assist in
development efforts, and generally weighing the desire to avoid a tax rate increase against
the need to maintain service levels and adoption of a balanced budget.
City Manager George Campbell thanked the Council for their input that would be
instrumental in finalizing his budget proposal, adding that several meetings to continue
budget discussions were already scheduled, but that more could be added at the request of
the Council. He then asked that the Council reach out to staff with any questions or
additional input that they might have throughout the budget process.
Finally, he noted that the Council had recently been provided with an informal staff report
detailing those capital projects recommended for funding during the next five years and that,
having not received any objections, staff planned to move forward on the recommendations
within. Councilmember Josh Altom requested that the staff also provide an update on
residential development.
III. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Brian Johnson adjourned the meeting at 7:24 p.m.
APPROVED:
BRIA ' JOHN ON, MAYO
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ATTEST:
LESLIE E GALLOWAY, CITY SECRETARY
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES I JULY 14, 2020