The City of Pampa Commissioners continued their workshop concerning the 2022-23 budget, this time focusing on the special revenues, rates for service and enterprise funds. Commissioners Bryan Fisher and Brian Doughty were absent for the meeting.
City Finance Director Theresa Daniels started the presentation of noting the projects for the ARPA (America Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Daniels listed a number of projects that had been suggested with the remainder of those ARPA funds and City Manager Shane Stokes said the Commissioners seem to have the consensus of utilizing the funds for Recreation Park improvements, downtown project for the west side of Cuyler Street and the rest can go toward building two new cells at the landfill.
Daniels went over the special revenue funds which include M.K. Brown Civic Center, Lovett Memorial Library and Public Safety funds (grant-based).
In the service rates, Daniels said the City would like guidance moving forward in regards to the water rates.
“Our water rates within and around the City of Pampa have remained the same since ordinance 1674, which was in effect Oct. 1, 2018,” Daniels said. “We are recommending a two-percent increase within these rates.”
The slide-show graphic broke down the rates in relation to tiers and pipe size. There was no action taken on increasing the rates, this presentation was solely for informational purposes.
The next rate discussed was the sewer rate, which hasn’t been increased since 2018, as well.
“We are recommending a two-percent increase,” Daniels said. “There will not be a change to the $5 surcharge. The prison rates have been the same since 2016, we are looking at a 10 percent increase on that. On the base sewer rates of $15.50, we are proposing an increase to $15.81.”
The City is also recommending a two-percent increase to the sanitation fee, which is reflected on the water bill. The Operation Community Pride App fee, which is $3, will not change.
“A single-family dwelling is $24.08 currently, we are proposing an increase to $24.56,” Daniels said.
Stokes noted that with some of the rates that are not being proposed to increase, most bills should not see a full two-percent increase.
“The two-percent across the board increase is actually only about 1.8 percent on the minimum bill,” Stokes said.
Tapping (installing new lines) fees will also see an increase regardless of the size, but these increases will bring the City of Pampa up to where other communities are.
“The water department did some analysis of other cities in the area and we realized we were pretty far behind,” Daniels said.
Tonnage rates at the landfill are looking at a proposed increase to $44/ton.
The final area discussed in the budget presentation was the enterprise funds, which include Hidden Hills Golf Course, the water park, water/wastewater and solid waste.
Director of Community Services Dustin Miller also presented the Commissioners with a report on the July 4 Celebration.
Miller said the event was a long-time coming since before the 2020 pandemic. After a discussion with Commissioner Bryan Fisher over the winter, Miller, the City and the Pampa Chamber of Commerce teamed up for what became last Monday’s event.
“She (Cortnie Patterson, Chamber Executive Director) was all in,” Miller said. “We started off with a 5K. We’ve had a 5K with the Recreation Department for several years. We usually average 45 to 50 people. This year we had 78. We bought 1,000 flags for the parade, we could’ve given out 5,000. Cortnie said they had 89 participants with 43 motorcycles. Compared to the Christmas parade, she said it was the largest crowd since probably the 1990s.”
Miller went over all of the departments involved with the event.
“I want to give everybody credit,” Miller said. “I know it was Cortnie and my faces all over it, probably too much, but there was a lot that went on behind the scenes that couldn’t have happened. We had almost $6,000 of donations to give away and sponsor things.”
Miller added the Pampa High School Choir vendors made more than 900 hamburgers and Soda Jerks said they had a record-day for their business.
“Within the first three hours, they (Soda Jerks) had surpassed their largest sales event ever,” Miller said. “That includes anywhere they’ve taken their truck in Amarillo.”
The Commissioners commended the City for their work on the event.
The following items were also approved by the City Commission:
• Approving the minutes of the June 13, 2022, Regular Commission Meeting.
• Excuse the absence of Commissioner Fisher from the June 6, 2022, Work Session and Commissioner Keough from the June 13, 2022, Regular Commission Meeting.
• List of Disbursements dated May 2022.
• Bid for Mowing and Maintenance of Select City Parks and Facilities to Noble Mowing, the respective lowest bidder, in the amount of $55,000.00 annually and authorize City Manager to execute agreement with successful bidder. Miller noted there were four companies that put in bids but Noble was the lowest bidder. They will help take a load off of the City of Pampa’s Parks Department. “We have 42 parks within our city with six on staff that mow, weed-eat our parks and half of them are taken for high weeds/grass complaint issues,” Miller said. “[Noble Mowing] will take on everything in the City that is an acre or less, with the exception of the water park. It takes a huge load off of our staff.”
• Award Bids for the Armory Renovation Project, consisting of separate bids for Electrical section, HVAC section, and General Contractor section, to the respective lowest bidders. Miller said these bids were awarded to Burns Electric ($28,917.44) and Larry Baker Plumbing ($109,493). There were no bids on a finish contractor, but there was interest expressed after bids were due.
• Resolution No. R22-010, a Resolution by the City Commission Reappointing Mac Smith to a two (2) year term on the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) Board of Directors.
• Amended and Restated Agreement with Operations Management International (OMI) for Operations, Maintenance, and Management Services for the City of Pampa’s Water/Wastewater Plant, Wells, and Pump Stations.
• Resolution No. R22-011, a Resolution by the City Commission authorizing the submission of an application to the Texas Division of Emergency Management for funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grants Program to install generators to support continuous operation of the City’s water and wastewater facilities. Director of Public Works Gary Turley said this resolution moves the grant from a 75-25 matching grant to a 90-10 matching grant.
