Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting

The following is a staff-prepared summary of key discussion points and decisions from this meeting. For the complete official record, please refer to the approved minutes above.

Juneteenth Proclamation The Board considered a proclamation recognizing June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth in the Town of Ranlo.

• The proclamation acknowledged Juneteenth as the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, tracing its origins to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news of the Emancipation Proclamation.
• The Board voted unanimously to adopt the proclamation.

LGBTQ+ Pride Month Proclamation The Board considered a proclamation declaring June 2022 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in the Town of Ranlo.

• Prior to the vote, a commissioner — noting they are the first openly LGBTQ+ member to serve on the Board — expressed personal support for the proclamation and stated that all Ranlo residents should feel they belong in the community.
• The Board voted to adopt the proclamation. A brief recess followed to allow attendees present for the proclamation to take photos before the meeting continued.

Fiscal Year 2023 Budget The Board held a required public hearing and then considered adoption of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget ordinance, along with two capital improvement grant ordinances.

• Staff presented three budget documents for adoption: the FY2023 operating budget ordinance; a Department of Environmental Quality / Division of Water Infrastructure grant project ordinance totaling $3,367,300; and a State Capital Infrastructure (SCIF) grant project ordinance totaling $3,592,750.
• No members of the public offered comment during the public hearing.
• A commissioner raised a concern that board members who use the town's health insurance benefit receive significantly more total compensation than those who do not, and proposed equalizing pay by setting a flat monthly salary of $300 for all commissioners and the mayor, with those currently on the town health plan reimbursing the town for the difference in premium cost.
• Staff noted the negotiated health insurance premium for the upcoming year is $480.15 per month per employee. Staff raised logistical concerns about billing elected officials and collecting reimbursements, and suggested an alternative approach of setting compensation at $480.15 per month with officials choosing either the cash payment or health coverage.
• After discussion, the Board voted to set governing board salaries at $300 per month.
• Staff informed the Board that a water main valve near the Bill Manufacturing property had failed. Because there is no isolating valve between the location and the town's main line, repairs require a specialized insertion valve installation. A quote of $26,876 from KMP Construction was presented. The Board reached consensus to add this as a capital project to the utility fund budget. Staff indicated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds may be used for revenue replacement once the second round of ARPA funding is received.
• A proposal was made to increase the recreation budget by $5,000 to cover Fourth of July event supplies and begin planning for a veterans memorial. Discussion noted the veterans memorial could also be incorporated into upcoming park renovation design work. The Board voted to approve the $5,000 recreation budget increase.
• The Board voted to adopt the FY2023 budget as amended, incorporating the salary adjustment, the water valve capital project, and the recreation budget increase.

Fiscal Year 2023 Fee Schedule The Board considered the updated fee schedule for the coming fiscal year, which included several changes from the prior year.

• The fee schedule reflects a 5% increase for water rates and a 5% increase for sewer rates, passed through from the town's service providers, applied to both inside and outside town limit rates.
• A new industrial water and sewer rate was proposed, with a base charge of $10 per month (compared to $7 per month for residential). Staff noted fewer than a dozen properties in town would qualify as industrial.
• A proposed new garbage fee category for tax-exempt entities (such as churches, nonprofits, and other 501(c)(3) organizations) was set at $18 per month — between the residential rate of $12 per month and the non-residential/commercial rate of $24 per month. These entities were previously charged the non-residential rate.
• After discussion, a motion was made and approved to remove the separate tax-exempt garbage rate from the fee schedule, leaving tax-exempt entities at the existing non-residential rate as before.
• The Board voted to adopt the fee schedule as amended.

End-of-Year Budget Amendments Staff presented budget amendments to close out Fiscal Year 2022.

• General fund revenues exceeded projections by approximately $250,000, primarily due to higher-than-anticipated sales tax receipts and the town's conservative practice of underestimating revenue. Staff requested formal amendment of revenue line items totaling $215,142.66.
• Expenditure amendments of approximately $90,000 in the general fund were needed to cover costs incurred during the year, including contracting for code enforcement services, work on the Unified Development Ordinance, and a mid-year 6% employee pay raise approved by the Board.
• Additional line items related to grant expenditures were included for formal ratification.
• The Board voted to approve the end-of-year budget amendments.

Recreation Program Proposals The Board received a presentation from a community representative regarding a youth sports program seeking town partnership.

• The presenter outlined a proposal for a youth sports organization, emphasizing diversity, volunteer background checks, long-term commitment, and plans for managing concession stand operations.
• The transcript of this presentation was incomplete; the full discussion and any action taken were not fully captured in the available recording.