Abby reviews first draft of 2022 budget

By Kevin O’Brien

In his first go-around as city administrator, Josh Soyk presented a balanced budget with no increase in local taxes and very few things to talk about at last week’s city council meeting.

The preliminary general fund budget for 2022 includes roughly $2.1 million in revenues and expenditures, an increase of about $14,300 over this year’s budget. On the revenue side is a property tax levy of $918,864 - the same amount of taxes collected by the city this year.

Also on the revenue side, the city will see its share of state aid increase by about $3,600, up to nearly $484,000. Transportation aid will also increase, by nearly $29,000, to $220,658.

Soyk pointed just a handful of minor changes in the budget, including an increase in money allocated for utility costs at city hall. Based on $500 monthly bills for natural gas this summer, he thinks the problem is that the eight thermostats located in the municipal center were all on different settings.

“Some were left on cool and some were left on heat,” he said. “They were fighting each other.”

In the future, he said the city will make sure the thermostats are all on the same settings.

Aid. Dale Rachu remarked on how easy this budget seemed to go together compared to ones in the past.

“Some years we’ve sat here and struggled and argued to try and get it balanced,” Rachu said. “I’m worried a little bit.”

When it comes to next year’s road projects, DPW Craig Stuttgen said he’s looking at replacing lead water joints on Buttnernut Street west of Fourth Avenue, replacing clay sewer pipes in the alley between Butternut and Hemlock and reconstructing portions of Fifth and Linden streets. He’d also like to spend $22,000 in unused grant money to pave 11th Street, north from

See ABBY budget/ Page 6 Business 29 to the public works garage on East Linden.

As part of developer’s agreement with Abbyland Foods, the city also needs to spend $40,000 on parks development in the Schilling Subdivision. Stuttgen said he’d like to use that money to establish a parking lot, basketball court and possibly a pickle ball court off of Third Avenue.

Stuttgen said he’d all like to start putting money away for the eventual purchase of a streetsweeper.

“It’s my pet peeve. If you go down Spruce Street right now, there is sand in all the gutters and there’s leaves in all the catch basins. It would be nice to sweep the streets more than twice a year.”

After meeting in closed session, the council approved the following raises for city employees:

_ Deputy clerk Erin Clausnitzer, from $17.50 to $23 per hour.

_ City hall cleaning lady Deb Lenz, from $10.97 to $13.

_ Public works employees Bill Colby, Jeremy Geiger and Lavern Leffel, from $23.91 to $26.

_ Water utility operator Justin Meyer, from $22.41 to $24.50.

_ Sewer utility operator John Smith, from $23.91 to $26.

_ Public works employee Jack Kramas from $12.88 to $13.50.

_ Cemetery employees from $12.88 to $13.50.

The list of wages also includes $16 per hour for an unnamed “new city hall position” for 2022, replacing former deputy administrator Louella Luedtke.

Mayor Weix said the wage increases “needed to be done” to retain the city’s high-quality employees.

“We’ve got a good group of people making the decisions and a good group of people doing the work,” he said. “I don’t want to lose these people.”

Other business

_ The council approved the 2022 budget for the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department, which calls for a $469,645 contribution from the city of Abbotsford, an increase of $10,113 over this year. The council also approved $17,115 in monthly police department bills.

_ Soyk told the council that they received $442,450 in grant funds from the Safety Routes to School program to help pay for work done on West Spruce Street last year. The school district also contributed $75,000 toward the project.

_ The council approved new certified survey maps for 302 and 308 West Pine Street, moving the lot line over about 10 feet to accommodate a shed that is there.

_ Mayor Weix told the council about two city-owned wedges of land north of Pine Street that Jon Podevels would like to buy from the city. The land is part of an unfinished portion of North First Street that goes nowhere. Weix said the city attorney will assist the city selling the land, he’s thinking about $3,000 as reasonable asking price.

_ The council discussed issuing a raze order for a residential property at 400 N. Fourth St. (STH 13). Ald. Mason Rachu said the next step is for the city to contact a building inspector to have it inspected and to inform the owner that the city is looking at ordering it torn down.

_ The council approved an alcohol operator’s license for Tremaine Cordell Jones at the BP gas station.

_ Soyk said the city has offered a job in the water utility to one of three applicants who applied for the position and interviewed with city officials. The applicant’s name will be announced at the next meeting if they accept the job.

_ The council approved a citizen participation plan, which is required as part of the city’s acceptance of a Community Development Block Grant. MSA Professional Services has been hired to oversee all of the required public hearings.

_ At the request of Ald. Jeremiah Zeiset, the council reviewed a proposed ordinance that would allow up to five chickens to be kept on residential lots of 20,000 square feet or less. For each additional 3,000 square feet, one more chicken would be allowed, up to a maximum of eight. Zeiset said he would be happy with these rules.

_ Mayor Weix said the city will be asking for letters of interest from Ward 4 residents who are interested in filling the remainder of Dennis Kramer’s term on the council. An appointment will be approved at the next meeting on Nov. 1.

_ The council approved a total of $571,786 in monthly bills.

_ Stuttgen said he talked to Town & Country, which mows the city’s parks, about also doing the cemetery after Allen Langteau said this was his last year mowing. He said Town & Country would be willing to do it for $8,000 per year, which is less than what it currently costs. “Let’s let the outside firm come in and do it for one year and see if we’re happy with it,” Mayor Weix said.