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.

FY 2020–2021 Budget Work Session (Prior Special Meeting) The Town Manager presented a summary of proposed changes to the FY 2020–2021 budget, covering all major funds. The board discussed revenue projections, rate increases, staffing, and capital projects in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

• General Fund revenues proposed to increase from $785,000 to $850,000, based on a three-year average and updated property tax valuations from Gaston County.
• The board discussed a proposed garbage collection fee increase from $9 to $12 per month for two cans. Residents who do not need a second can would have the option to sign it out at Town Hall and remain at the lower rate. The board indicated general agreement to move forward with this increase.
• A new "Governing Body" budget department was introduced to separately track commissioner and mayor salaries and attorney fees. The Town Manager recommended a $350/month salary for the mayor and $250/month for commissioners, modeled after a neighboring municipality. Commissioners indicated they did not wish to move forward with a pay increase at this time given current economic conditions, with discussion of potentially revisiting mid-year.
• The budget includes an option for commissioners to elect health insurance coverage. Multiple commissioners indicated they would not want this benefit; the item will remain in the budget with final details to be worked out based on individual interest.
• The proposed FY 2020–2021 budget includes a new recreation director salary line item under Parks and Recreation, separated from administration for greater transparency.
• $20,000 is budgeted for the Ranlo Lodge — primarily for a feasibility study, permits, and a renovation blueprint. Staff clarified this is not for demolition.
• The fireworks contract expenditure was reduced from $7,000 to $4,500. Whether the annual fireworks show would proceed remained under discussion given the pandemic.
• The police budget includes a $25,000 new police vehicle and funding for one additional full-time officer position. Staff recommended holding off on hiring the new officer until mid-year (December/January) to assess budget conditions.
• Public works staffing was reorganized for budget clarity; five employees are designated to that department. A new lawn mower is budgeted.
• Staff proposed exploring a return to Waste Management for garbage disposal, citing distance to the current landfill and related costs. A pilot period was discussed.
• A new Non-Departmental budget category was added as a catchall for costs that span departments, including workers' compensation, property/liability insurance, and drug testing.
• $50,000 is allocated for water tower restoration — both for visual improvements and to restore a backup water supply for the town.
• $50,000 is allocated for engineering and renovation studies for Town Hall and the police department, in anticipation of the volunteer fire department vacating shared space.
• The board discussed a proposed tiered water and sewer rate structure. Currently all customers pay a flat $4.64 base; the proposed structure would charge a base fee of $4 for water and $4 for sewer, with usage-based tiers above that. The primary goals are to ensure low-usage residents pay less than high-usage customers, to cover a 5% rate increase from the City of Gastonia effective July 1, 2020, and to reach the $33/5,000-gallon threshold required for eligibility for state infrastructure grants. The board acknowledged the need for the increase but expressed concern about timing during the pandemic. No fee schedule was adopted at this meeting; staff noted a formal fee schedule adoption would be brought forward in June or July.
• The Powell Bill fund balance is over $300,000. $80,000 is budgeted for street and road maintenance and repairs.
• $15,000 is budgeted as a 10% match for the Division of Water Infrastructure's Asset Inventory and Assessment Grant, which could yield $150,000 for underground infrastructure evaluation.

FY 2020–2021 Budget Message (Regular Meeting) The Town Manager formally presented the recommended budget for FY 2020–2021 to the full Board of Commissioners.

• The recommended budget totals $3,770,600, consisting of: General Fund — $2,277,850; Powell Bill Fund — $154,400; Storm Water Fund — $27,000; Utility Fund — $1,511,350.
• Fund balance appropriations required: General Fund — $140,250 (approximately 66% less than the prior year); Powell Bill Fund — $53,400 (approximately 54% less); Utility Fund — $93,350 (approximately 21% less).
• No property tax increase is proposed. The only rate changes suggested are a tiered utility billing structure and an increased garbage collection fee.
• A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for the June 11, 2020 regular Board of Commissioners meeting at 7:00 p.m. The budget document will be available for public review at Ranlo Town Hall during normal business hours and on the town's website.

Disposal of Surplus Town Property The board considered authorizing the Town Manager to dispose of unneeded town property valued under $30,000 in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 160A-266(c), without requiring board approval for each individual item.

• Staff noted plans to conduct an inventory, use on-site auction and/or the GovDeals online auction platform, and report all disposals back to the board upon completion.
• A motion was made and seconded to authorize the Town Manager to proceed. The motion passed unanimously.

Audit Contract Review The board reviewed a proposed audit contract with a CPA firm (Carrick, of Lexington) to complete the town's outstanding fiscal year audits.

• The auditor indicated he expects to complete the FY 2016–2017 audit by end of June, FY 2018–2019 by end of July, and FY 2019–2020 into August/September.
• The contract under consideration covers the FY 2016–2017 audit at a cost of $15,000 and requires signatures from the mayor and town manager.
• A motion was made and seconded to approve the audit contract. Discussion was ongoing at the point the transcript ended.