The Capital Improvement Plan was the agenda item of focus at last night’s (Monday) Carroll City Council meeting and project plans for fiscal year 2017, which begins July 1, 2016, as well as those on the table for 2018, 19, 20 and 21 were discussed by members. The majority were met with little push back, but when it came to a discussion on the proposed construction of a street maintenance building in FY 2018, Carolyn Siemann said she wanted to express the disdain she has been hearing from the public. She said the improvement plans for the past three years have shown the project funded by General Obligation bonds of a citizen vote at $2 million. The cost is now estimated at $3 million for planning purposes only and she understands that, but she does not understand why in the FY 2016 planning process the funding was moved from citizen vote to General Obligation bonds on council vote. She said after two years of people hearing they would get to vote, they are now parceling out the project and bonding right at the $700,000 mark for General Corporate purpose projects that only requires a vote of the council.
City Manager, Gerald Clausen said the proposed plan for a council vote spread the cost over multiple years and was a way to keep from conducting a citizen vote that would result in a bond issuance and tax levy on Carroll residents.
Council member Mike Kots said Siemann had proposed one perspective, but he is hearing something very different. He is hearing people say that they are already paying for Local Option Sales Tax, so why not use that for projects such as this. Siemann’s response was she believes that Local Option Sales Tax should be used for other projects.
Clay Haley and Jerry Fleshner agreed with Kots, asking Siemann if anyone at all had provided her with a different viewpoint as what they are hearing from the general public varies greatly from what Siemann put forth last night.
After further discussion on the fact that the CIP is a fluid, planning document that can allow some leeway in funding adjustments for future projects, the council approved the CIP for FY 17 through 21 on a vote of five in favor and one against.
