New City Budget Up For Final Passage Monday Night, June 26

June 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night, June 26 are scheduled to adopt on second and final reading, during a special called meeting, a budget ordinance for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The action will be taken following a public hearing at 5 p.m. at city hall.

The budget includes funding for four new full-time employees, specifically the addition of a new police officer, fire fighter, and two public works positions.

The city property tax rate will remain at the same level but water and sewer rates are going up again as recommended by Buddy Petty of RateStudies based in Hermitage who recently conducted a rate study for the city to determine what rates should be to keep the water and sewer utility financially solvent as required by the state.

The water and sewer rates, which were increased by 4% last year and 2% the year before, will increase by 3% this year. Tap fees are also being increased by 3%.

Even with the rate hikes, the water and sewer fund is projected to barely show a surplus by the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year on June 30, 2024 at $2,874 if all budgeted expenses are met. Likewise, the general fund is estimated to run close with only a projected surplus of $2,619 by the close of the 2023-24 fiscal year on June 30, 2024. If the city holds the line on spending during the year, the bottom line in both water and sewer and general funds could look better by year’s end but for now, the city’s financial advisor Janice Plemmons Jackson said there was little wiggle room in either fund.

The new rates for city water customers will be $7.94 per thousand gallons of usage (up from the current rate of $7.70 per thousand). Rates for customers outside the city limits will be $11.90 per thousand (up from the current rate of $11.55 per thousand. City sewer customers will pay $7.39 per thousand (up from the current rate of $7.17 per thousand).

The budget projects city metered water sales to be $1,380,720 for the year 2023-24, up from the actual collections of $1,299,151 for the 2021-22 year. Sewer charges are budgeted to bring in $1,133,000 for the year compared to actual collections of $1,057,797 for the year 2021-22. Projected water tap fees are budgeted at $38,000 for 2023-24, down from the actual collections for water tap fees of $74,868 for 2021-22. Sewer tap fees are budgeted at $35,000 for 2023-24, down from actual sewer tap fee collections of $69,636 for 2021-22.

The city property tax rate will remain at 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value which is expected to generate $1,355,000 which is not much growth from the 2021-22 fiscal year which ended on June 30, 2022 with $1,312,363 (actual) property tax collections. The city is projected to end the current fiscal year (2022-23) on June 30 with $1,350,000 in property taxes.

According to the budget, the city general fund is projected to finish the 2022-23 year with a surplus of $21,660 on June 30, 2023 but only $2,619 at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year on June 30, 2024. The city ended the year 2021-22 with a surplus in the general fund for the year of $218,774 (actual). The water and sewer fund is expected to finish the 2022-23 year in the black by $67,455 on June 30, 2023 but projected to show a surplus of only $2,874 at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year on June 30, 2024 after making allowances for various factors including grants and depreciation. For the year 2021-22, the city ended with a surplus of $143,747 (actual) for the year in the water and sewer fund.

In addition to adding employees, the city has identified other projects in the budget for which funds have been allocated for the 2023-24 year.

City employees will get a 3% pay raise in addition to whatever step increase they may be entitled to receive on the city’s wage scale. Pay will be increased for lifeguards and part time pro shop workers at the swimming pool and golf course from $10.00 to $12.00 per hour. The pool was unable to open this year due to a lack of lifeguards. Public Works Department employees with Commercial Driver Licenses (CDLs) will get a one dollar per hour increase in pay.

A total of $30,000 has been budgeted ($20,000 new money) for consultant expense as the city makes plans to hire someone to succeed longtime Certified Municipal Financial Officer Janice Plemmons-Jackson who will soon be retiring. This money will be to train her successor if needed. The new CMFO will be paid $65,000 per year once he takes over.

The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce will receive more money from the city. The allocation to this non-profit will go from $15,000 to $25,000.

The new budget also includes the following:

*The addition of a fourth paid full-time firefighter (budgeted salary $36,342 plus benefits)

*The addition of another full-time police officer (budgeted salary $41,056 plus benefits)

*The creation of a new public works city maintenance position. (Budgeted salary $44,109 plus benefits)

*The addition of a new public works “floater” position to be filled by someone cross trained to fill in as needed in various city departments ($44,109 plus benefits).

*Tire changer ($10,000- carry over from current year) for the public works department.

*Police department-one patrol car and related equipment ($52,700) and two radar speed indicator signs ($6,200)

*Street paving ($150,000)

*New irrigation system at Golf Course ($191,400)

*The purchase of 100 new replacement trash cans for sanitation department ($8,000)

*Security cameras at Green Brook Park ($20,000)

*Fire department- portable radios ($5,000), extra fire hose & equipment ($12,000), outfitting 2022 pickup truck ($2,500), site work for training site ($10,000), fire hydrants ($40,000)

*New jet washer on Ford F-550 diesel chassis ($256,156) funded by the city’s water/sewer fund ($128,078) and street department ($128,078).

The General Fund Debt Service for the new police department building is projected to be $167,500 for the year including $100,000 in principal payments and $67,550 in interest on long-term debt.

Ending cash by June 30, 2023 in the general fund is estimated to be $6,470,563 and $6,976,763 in the water and sewer fund.

June 20, 2023
By: Megan Trotter

As musicians take the stage for the 52nd Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree this June 30-July 1, little do they know that a group of recent graduates from Tennessee Tech University helped make this year’s registration much smoother.

Computer science majors Earl Pike of Knoxville; Christopher Mitchell of Smithville; Justin Miller of Chattanooga; Destin Harris of Knoxville and Sean Tyrer of Elk Rapids, Michigan, were responsible for designing a new database for the Jamboree’s contestant registration system.

The project was their senior capstone project, which they picked from a list that described a number of projects without mentioning the name of the organizations the projects were for. Once the team was formed, the organizations were revealed.

“When we found out it was the Jamboree, we were excited!” Pike said. “I have a deep connection with my Appalachian heritage and being able to bring that forward in time and be a part of that cultural preservation is awesome.”

Tyer described what drew him to the project in the first place: “I decided to put this one on my list of interesting projects due to how it could help improve not only my web development skills, but also backend coding skills.”

The new system that the team created allows the event organizers to more easily keep track of the contestants registered for each musical competition. It displays to organizers the city each contestant is from, how many are competing in each division, if the person has paid the registration fee and other information vital to the organization of the bluegrass and Appalachian music and dance competitions that draws thousands of spectators every year.

“I hope that it will improve registration speeds and make keeping track of registrations easy for those using the system,” Mitchell said.

Organizers of the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree say they are very pleased with the results.

“The computer science capstone group has created an innovative registration system for the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree that promises to take the event to greater heights,” said Ethan Shaw, Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree board member. “Thanks to the team’s hard work and expertise, the new system is highly versatile, enabling us to add, modify, or eliminate event categories with ease. This was a significant upgrade from our previous registration system, which was not as flexible.”

Miller said, “I hope that this project will make the lives of the registrars for the event easier. I know how much of a hassle it can be to manually enter data or try to add things to a database and have it crash. My main hope for this project is that they will be able to use it for years to come, hassle free!”

Each of the team members graduated from Tech this past spring and are moving on to start their careers in fields that include cyber security, web development and even a computer scientist in the U.S. Navy’s largest command center in Virginia. They all mentioned they had chosen Tech as their university due to a number of factors, including the reputation of its programs, scholarship options and the closeness to home.

“I chose to come to Tech because of the engineering program, as well as how affordable it is compared to other colleges,” Miller said. “The engineering program itself is very high quality, and to be able to get such a good education for a relatively cheap price made the choice very easy.”

As preparations for the Jamboree are underway, those using the new system thanked the Tech graduates for their work.

“The capstone group’s contribution has opened up endless possibilities for the Jamboree’s future technological growth, as we can now explore and leverage multiple avenues of technological innovation,” Shaw said. “We cannot express enough gratitude to the Tennessee Tech computer science department for their partnership and invaluable assistance. The Jamboree is immensely proud of what this group has achieved and what it means for our future. As a former Tennessee Tech capstone student, I knew that the Jamboree was fortunate to partner with Tech on this exciting project.”

June 20, 2023
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County and the Cities of Smithville and Alexandria are being awarded grants for either water and or sewer line improvement projects according to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The local grant awards are among 131 grants totaling $299,228,167 from the state’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure grants. Since August, TDEC has awarded and announced $933,632,711 in grant funds through ARP programming.

Of the 131 grants, 29 are collaborative grants and 102 are non-collaborative grants. Collaborative grants involve multiple entities (cities, counties, or water utilities) partnering on projects to work toward a shared purpose. All grants awarded represent 469 individual drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater infrastructure projects.

DeKalb County is receiving a “Collaborative Grant” in the amount of $700,000. DeKalb County, in collaboration with the Baxter Utility District, will use ARP funds to modernize aging infrastructure and reduce water loss. The grant will be used to replace approximately 12,150 linear feet of existing water line, which will improve operations in the City of Baxter’s water system and reduce leak responses.

The Cities of Alexandria and Smithville are receiving “Non-Collaborative Grants”.

The Town of Alexandria will use $674,931 in ARP funds to develop an Asset Management Plan and address critical drinking water and wastewater needs. Projects include the replacement of aged meters with new reading meter heads, the replacement of an aging booster pump station with new pumps and upgrades to the electrical system, a new back-up generator for the pumping station, and the replacement of an aging can-type sewer lift station with new grinder pumps.

The City of Smithville will use $1,336,999 in ARP funds to address critical wastewater needs. Projects include the renovation and replacement of approximately 9,000 linear feet of aged gravity sewer line subject to high amounts of infiltration and inflow.

Tennessee received $3.725 billion from the ARP, and the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group dedicated $1.35 billions of those funds to TDEC to support water projects in communities throughout Tennessee. Of the $1.35 billion, approximately $1 billion was designated for non-competitive formula-based grants offered to counties and eligible cities to address systems’ critical needs. Those include developing Asset Management Plans, addressing significant non-compliance, updating aging infrastructure, mitigating water loss for drinking water systems, and reducing inflow and infiltration for wastewater systems.

The grants are part of the $1 billion non-competitive grant program. The remaining funds ($269 million) will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.

“As Tennessee continues to experience unprecedented growth, we’re prioritizing critical infrastructure investments that will address the needs of Tennesseans and give local communities the resources needed to thrive,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We look forward to the improvements these projects will bring, and we commend the communities who have gone through the application process.”

“More than ever, infrastructure is critically important to our local communities,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge. “This money will allow cities and towns to address deficiencies and make improvements that will pay dividends not just in the present but in the years to come as well. I greatly appreciate the work of the governor and my colleagues on the Financial Stimulus Accountability Group for their work in making sure these funds were spent appropriately and efficiently.”

“We continue experiencing considerable growth across the state, and many of our communities require additional resources to address their evolving needs,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. “These grants will play a major role in ensuring cities and towns have access to infrastructure solutions that will enable them to continue thriving so Tennessee remains a preferred destination for both businesses and families.”

“We are grateful to the local applicants, and we anticipate excellent results from these grants,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “This shows that Tennessee recognizes the need for improved water infrastructure, and we are grateful for the leadership of Governor Lee and the General Assembly in seeing that communities get this assistance.”

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