HIGHFILL — After council members took their oaths of office, the town council adopted a budget for 2011 and set meeting times for the new year.
Council meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month rather than the second Thursday. Council members approved the change with the adoption of an ordinance resetting regular meeting dates.
The council will continue to meet in the new council chambers at the newly built Highfill City Hall. Meeting times continue to be 6:30 p.m.
Also approved by ordinance, with rules suspended and passed on three readings with a single vote, was a 2011 budget for the town. The administrative budget reflects receipts of $768,400 and budgeted expenditures (including salaries) of $706,595. The adopted budget also lists savings account balances totaling $576,291, though some of those funds are restricted in use.
The Street Department budget lists anticipated income of $69,750 and expenditures of $86,450. The Parks Commission was allotted $6,500; the Police Department (including payroll), $203,410; the Fire Department, $137,681; and the Water and Wastewater Department (including bond payments), $907,635 with anticipated incoming revenue at $722,260.
The council approved an ordinance on its first reading to establish territorial boundaries for its planning jurisdiction. The change, according to Highfill Fire Marshal Rob Holland would only straighten up existing planning jurisdiction boundaries by going to section lines and following natural boundaries like creeks.
No other cities or planning jurisdictions have any issue with Highfill’s proposed new boundaries, Holland said.
The ordinance deals with that area over which the town would have a say in such things as lot splits and subdivisions because of the possibility the land - which can extend up to five miles form city boundaries - may some day become a part of the city.
A resolution was approved authorizing the mayor of Highfill to apply for a Rural Services Block Grant to be used to construct a multi-use community center in the city park. In conjunction with the 90/10 grant application approval, the council also approved resolutions establishing an anti-displacement plan and a policy restricting the use of excessive force by police against individuals participating in non-violent civil rights demonstrations within Highfill’s jurisdiction.
The council, with Sandy Evans voting no, also approved the use of fire department training funds to send fireman to be trained in the use of their new turnout gear recently purchased with grant funding.
Those trained would then be trainers who could train other firefighters.
News, Pages 2 on 01/19/2011