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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudgetInBrief-compressedRed Poppy Capital of Texas Budget In Brief Table of Contents FY2016 Budget Summary General Fund Summary Georgetown Fire Begins a New Chapter Utility Funds Summary City of Georgetown Goes Green in 2017! General Capital Projects Summary A Familiar Park gets an Updated Look Georgetown moves toward a true City Center Phasing the City’s Overall Transportation Plan City of Georgetown, Texas Life in Balance - Modern Living in a Historic Setting Click here to be directed to the City of Georgetown public website for the full budget document. US Census data showed Georgetown was the second fastest growing city in America in 2015, with a population over 50,000. On average, over 11 people a day moved to the City to make Georgetown their home. This level of growth is unseen before in this city and makes this an exciting time to live in Georgetown. However, with the growth comes the reality of increased demands for fundamental City services like public safety, transportation, and utilities. Throughout the budget process, it was our goal to help mitigate the impact growth has on service demands through sound financial investments in key service areas and infrastructure. The $282 million FY2016 Annual Budget capitalizes on the expanding local economy and the successful efforts of the FY2015 goals and projects. This budget addresses Council’s Strategic Goals as well as the needs of a rap- idly growing community. The budget is based on an approved tax rate of $0.434 per $100 dollars of valuation, the same rate as FY2015. High property values allow the City to deliver in this fiscal year enhancements to programs and services, invest- ments in capital improvements, and additions to personnel and employee compensation and benefits without raising the tax rate. This document is intended to highlight some of the accomplishments achieved in FY2015 and look forward to new programs, services, and enhancements planned in the new fiscal year. David Morgan, City Manager Stand Pipe & Fire Dept - Art Center and Thundercloud Subs FY2016 Budget Summary G e o r g e t o w n F Y 2 0 1 6 B u d g e t S u m m a r y New Programs, Personnel, and Requests for FY2016  Two Combination Building Inspectors: To support the rapidly growing num- ber of construction inspections in the City.  Librarian: To assist in increased cus- tomer demand.  Police School Resource Officer (SRO): Partnership between Georgetown ISD and the City. Costs for the SRO will be split 50/50.  Emergency Management Coordina- tor: Develop and maintain compre- hensive plans for emergency events.  Two Part-time Park Maintenance Workers: Ballfields: To enhance our ability to attract increased tourna- ments and league play.  City Council Goal Setting Facilitation & Implementation: Funds an external facilitator to work with the City Coun- cil in developing goals and strategies.  Citizen Survey/Employee Survey: Funds a survey to provide the City Council with feedback on City ser- vices and programs that can be used in developing future budgets.  Phase 2 of the Historic Resource Sur- vey: Funding to complete the project that begins later in 2015.  Williams Drive Corridor Study: Fund- ing for a planning study to develop a comprehensive transportation plan in the Williams Drive corridor. Where Does the Money Come From 12% Sanitation $6,554,000 24% Fees for Service $12,708,450 4% Admin & Interest $1,947,000 23% Property Tax $12,217,560 22% Sales Tax $11,587,812 15% Transfers/ROI $11,587,812 The General Fund is the primary operating fund for the City. This fund is used to account for services tradition- ally associated with government including public safety, parks, streets, and city management. Budgeted revenues total $52,562,323, which represents an increase of 3.48% over FY2015 year-end projec- tions. Property tax revenue is budgeted at $11,716,698. Due to higher valuation and new development, property tax revenue is budgeted to increase by 5.42% over the previous year. The City’s property tax rate will remain $0.43400 per $100 valuation. Sales tax revenue is budgeted at $11,587,812. Financial modeling indicates the hyper growth trends seen in the FY2013 and FY2014 are slowing. Much of the growth seen in recent years is due to increases in building materials. This volatile sector continues to remain strong however, it is projected the double digit growth trends seen in previous years will give way to a slower growth pattern. The FY2016 budget is based on a 2.5% increase over FY2015 year-end projections. Other revenue is expected to remain relatively stable, assuming development related revenues continue to follow current trends, and growth continues within the utility service areas. Where Does the Money Go 49% Public Safety $25,038,204 22% Fire $11,206,609 6% Transp. $3,137,882 19% Downtown $10,086,696 13% Utilities $6,794,002 27% Police $13,831,595 General Fund Expenses $51,894,268 13% Admin Svcs $6,837,484 General Fund Summary G e o r g e t o w n F Y 2 0 1 6 G e n e r a l F u n d S u m m a r y The Georgetown Fire Department recently transitioned from a medical first responder organization to a full service emergency medical service provider. This transition means the Fire Department will now pro- vide emergency medical transports to the entire City and in ESD #8. This move allows for a continuation of care from first re- sponse to arrival at the hospital. Currently, nearly 80% of all 911 calls are for medical emergencies. This shift to a Full EMS program allows the City to reallocate existing fire resources and focus on deliv- ering high levels of care to those in critical need. The Fire Department has added four tran- sitional response vehicles (TRVs), with a fifth in reserve, that allow for a more rapid deployment during an emergency incident. Additionally, the Fire Department is plan- ning to retrofit all fire engines with ad- vanced life support (ALS) equipment. Both moves are design to provide the highest level of care to our community. Moving forward, the department plans to staff both fire engines and TRVs with Para- medics and Emergency Medical Techni- cians that are cross-trained as firefighters. This will allow the Fire Department to op- erate more efficiently and ensure that ad- vanced care is only minutes away. Overall the goal of the Fire Department is simple. We want people to rest comforta- bly knowing that in your time of need we are committed to getting there quickly, we are committed to solving the problem, and we are committed to treating you and your family with respect and compassion. John Sullivan, Fire Chief The City of Georgetown’s new Paramedic program began servic- ing the citizens of Georgetown on October 1, 2015. Click here to be directed to the City EMS website. Paramedic Program G e o r g e t o w n F i r e B e g i n s a N e w C h a p t e r The EMS program is focused on provid- ing pre-hospital services that include treatment, transport, and mobile inte- grated health services. The goal of this program is to improve patient outcomes after acute medical emergencies and re- duce preventable diseases through edu- cation and outreach. The EMS program begins service on Oct 1, 2015. Quick Facts:  15 Fire/Paramedics are budgeted in this fund.  4 TRVs are run in the City with an ad- ditional unit in reserve.  It is anticipated this program will transport over 4,500 people annually.  The program services both Georgetown and ESD #8. The Firemen Lunch Buddy Mentor Program is a program the City of Georgetown Fire Department started in 2014. The goal of this program is to create a presence in all GISD elementary schools and help children learn about fire safety as well as bullying and the importance of reading and making good choices. Firefighters Cory Westerfeld, Craig Owen, Gary Traxler, and Shawn Carter enjoying another great lunch with a group of elementary kids. BUDGET IMPACT FIREMAN LUNCH BUDDY MENTOR PROGRAM The EMS Paramedic program is a Special Revenue Fund (SRF) which is anticipated to begin medical transports October 1st, 2015. Originally budgeted in FY2015 with nine FTEs and two Transitional Response Vehicles (TRVs), the scope of the program was expanded midyear to include 15 FTEs and four active TRVs and one in reserve. Fees for medical transports fund this SRF. The capital start-up costs of the fund total $1,003,928.84 and include the costs of the TRVs, and necessary equipment like cardiac monitors, defibrillators, and stretchers. The funds to purchase this equipment are locat- ed in the Fleet ISF fund, which is funded with $700 thousand of 2015 CO Bond Proceeds and existing fund bal- ance in the Fleet ISF. Currently, all vehicle replacements related to public safety are located in the Fleet ISF and not within the oper- ating department. Long Term Financial Goals of the Fund 1) Reimburse the General Fund for the $450 thousand cash infusion which stabilized the start-up costs of the EMS Paramedic fund. 2) Assist in funding TRV capital replacement when the useful life of current assets expires. 3) Develop rate structures consistent with best practices and analyze revenue forecast using concrete data spe- cific to our unique community. 4) Extend the useful life of engines through the use of the TRVs and the Fleet Infor Management system. Paramedic Program G e o r g e t o w n F i r e B e g i n s a N e w C h a p t e r New Programs, Personnel, and Requests Electric Services Fund  10 new FTE’s: including Electric Ser- vice Scheduler, Project Manager, and a safety training position. Water Services Fund  In-house Water & Wastewater Treat- ment: this will add 15 FTE’s and will result in a decrease of $5M in oper- ating cost over the next 5 years.  Customer Information System: the se- lection and implementation of a new system to house and track all cus- tomer related information. Electric Services Fund Budgeted revenues total $66,699,775. Revenues are projected to decline by 5.15%, due to less bond proceeds. Overall, primary sales are expected to grow by $3.17 million. The chart to the right identifies the fund’s reve- nues by source. Budgeted expenses total $65,346,407 and are expected to decrease by 10.08% from FY15 projections. The decreases result from less CIP expense in 2016 and lower purchased power costs. The utility begins oper- ating the Spinning Spur 3 wind farm as early as October of 2015. Recommended enhancements include 10 new FTE’s to address system growth and operational needs, includ- ing an electric services scheduler and project manager to assist in providing reduced coverage to critical ser- vice needs. An additional safety training position is also added to manage on-going training and safety needs. The utility is expected to review rates over the next 2 years to continue ensuring cost of service based fund- ing. Water Services Fund Budgeted revenues total $48,461,160. Overall, revenues are projected to decline by 2.89%. The decline is a re- sult of lower bond proceeds and less impact fee revenue, as prepaid impact fees are not budgeted. Base rev- enue growth, of approximately 6%, is still expected as new customers are added. The chart to the right identi- fies Water Services Fund revenues by source. Budgeted expenses total $63,353,367, which represents an increase of 19.15% over FY2015 projections. The increase is primarily due to new CIP projects, as well as recommended enhancements for FY2016. The largest change to the fund this fiscal year is to bring the Water and Wastewater treatment plant opera- tions and maintenance in-house. It is expected this move will result in a savings of over $5M in operating costs over the next 5 years. In-house operations include the addition of 15 FTE’s. The other major enhance- ment in FY2016 is the selection and implementation of a new billing system (CIS). Utility Funds Summary G e o r g e t o w n F Y 2 0 1 6 U t i l i t y F u n d s S u m m a r y Wind turbines are providing for Georgetown’s energy needs three months ahead of schedule. The Spin- ning Spur 3 wind farm near Amarillo, which was projected to start producing electricity in January of 2016, became operational September 28, 2015. The wind plant is now providing energy to meet most of Georgetown’s daily power needs, positioning Georgetown on the path to a 100% renewable energy goal. The Spinning Spur 3 plant has 97 wind turbines, each of which produces 2 megawatts of power and will supply the City with 194MW of power. Georgetown already contracts for some wind generation out of the South West Mesa farm owned by AEP, which helped make Southwestern University 100% wind powered in 2010. Georgetown will take power production from a 150 megawatt solar farm, being built by SunEdison near Fort Stockton, by Janu- ary of 2017. These three sources of power will pro- duce more than twice as much energy for Georgetown than the utility is ex- pected to consume, allowing it to be 100% green through at least 2030. Georgetown will be only the second Municipally Owned Utility in the nation to achieve 100% renewable energy for its power, but the first to do so with ze- ro emissions. Chris Foster, Mgr. of Res. Plan. & Int. Click here to see a short video of Mayor Ross talking about Georgetown going green! The wind turbines in North Texas will begin to provide Georgetown electric customers with sustainable power begin- ning in January 2016. S u s t a i n a b i l i t y G e o r g e t o w n G o e s G r e e n i n 2 0 1 7 Did You Know??? The City of Georgetown municipally- owned electric utility started in 1911. The City closed its power plant in 1945 and began a long-term purchased- power contract to supply energy to its customers. Ending the long-term power contract in 2012 allowed the City to pursue new power suppliers. A 150-megawatt solar power agreement recently finalized, in addition to a 144 megawatt wind power agreement in 2014, will make the City of Georgetown one of the largest municipally-owned utilities in the U.S. to supply its customers with 100 percent green energy. The long-term agreements also allow Georgetown to provide competitive electric rates and hedge against price volatility for energy produced by fossil-fuels. The City of Georgetown signed a power purchase agreement with SunEd- ison to purchase 150-megawatts of solar power starting in 2016. SunEdi- son will provide electricity to Georgetown through 2041. The new renewable power contracts signed by Georgetown provide electricity at a lower overall cost than its previous wholesale power contracts. “When Georgetown Utility Systems opted to seek new sources of power in 2012, we were charged with a mission to secure the most cost-effective energy that balanced risk and reward,” says Jim Briggs, Assistant City Manager and General Manager for Utilities. “Our team took advantage of a unique time in the market place and did just that. By securing these renewable contracts the utility can consider itself 100 percent ‘green,’ but it does so at extremely competitive costs for energy, and it hedg- es against future fuel and regulatory risks, fulfilling our initial goal.” SUN EDISION SOLAR POWER Georgetown Utility Systems has given it’s logo a bit of an update to depict the new sta- tus that will be realized in January 2017. This logo pre- sents the utilities green sta- tus by highlighting the sun and wind as the new sources of the energy we provide to our customers. Buckthorn Farm in Western Texas is the location of Sun Edison solar farm that is sending power to the City of Georgetown power grid. City of Georgetown Historic Light and Water Works Building. S u s t a i n a b i l i t y G e o r g e t o w n G o e s G r e e n i n 2 0 1 7 This section highlights three major CIP projects in the FY2016 Budget:  San Gabriel Park Phase II  Downtown West Project  Transportation Bond Projects The City of Georgetown annually updates and adopts a five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) as part of the operating budget adoption process. Generally, the City defines high dollar fixed assets to be capital improve- ments. The CIP is divided into three major categories: the Georgetown Utility System (GUS), Transportation, and Gen- eral Capital Projects. GUS manages Water/Wastewater Services and Energy Services. Transportation manages Streets, Stormwater Drainage, and the Airport. Finally, General Capital Projects manages Parks, the Downtown Master Plan, Sidewalks, Public Safety, and Facilities. Fiscal Year 2016 Budgeted expenses for FY2016 CIP total $72,906,484. General Capital Projects (GCP) total $35.8 million, and include the first $20 million of bonds from the 2015 Transportation Bond. Additionally, investments in GCP will include San Gabriel Phase 1 and the first debt issuance for Garey Park. Downtown improvements include $675,000 for the Austin Avenue Bridge Design, as well as $125,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance projects. Water Services CIP totals $25.7 million. Water related improvements total $13.2 million, and include upgrades for water mains, pumps, and plant expansions. Wastewater related improvements total $12.5 million, and in- clude upgrades for interceptors and pumps. Electric Services CIP totals $6,098,000, and include improvements for substation improvements and funding for system expansion. The sales tax street maintenance projects total $3.36 million. Rehabilitation projects are schedule at Pine St., Holly St. and 6th @ 7th St. Other CIP improvements include $20,000 for a Master Plan at the Airport and $950,000 related to stormwater system. The timeline for the CIP planning process is outlined below: Capital Improvement Projects G e o r g e t o w n , b u i l d i n g f o r t o m o r r o w San Gabriel Park is Georgetown’s signa- ture park located just north of down- town where the North and South San Gabriel Rivers come together. Over the past few years, plans to reno- vate the park have been discussed. In the summer of 2015, a master plan for San Gabriel Park was completed to help provide vision and direction and guide future improvements to the park. The master plan proposes to construct the improvements in four phases. Phas- ing is recommended because much of the park is in the flood plain and critical steps must be taken to insure water quality along the river is maintained. The first step in the process will be to prepare a schematic design for Phase 1 and 2. The first two phases will be de- signed together to allow for a consistent design along the river corridor. Con- struction for Phase 1 could start as early as the fall of 2016 and be completed by the fall of 2017. Phase 2 will likely begin soon after phase 1 is completed. Im- provements to the park during phase one will include entry monuments and signage, roadway and parking Improve- ments, new picnic and BBQ Pavilions, improved trailheads, children’s play are- as, restoration of existing springs and new restrooms. Funding for these improvements will come from Park Bonds that were ap- proved by the voters in 2008. Kimberly Garrett, Dir. of Parks & Rec San Gabriel Park has been a part of the Georgetown Community since 1933. With it’s many trails, playgrounds, grassy fields, and easy access, it is one of Georgetown’s most used parks and provides citizens with a beautiful area to recreate. S a n G a b r i e l P a r k A F a m i l i a r P a r k g e t s a n U p d a t e d L o o k Budget Impact: How is this funded? Phase 1 of the San Gabriel Park Im- provements are anticipated to costs $2.7 M. The park is funded through General Obligation (G.O.) bonds. G.O. Bonds have to be authorized by voters. The authorization for these projects were approved by voters in 2008. How much of my taxes pay for this park? The debt service to pay for the bonds equates to about half of one cent on the tax rate. San Gabriel Park is about to receive a facelift. This is going to provide Georgetown citizens with many new amenities including picnic areas, playscapes, and trails. The first phase of this project is projected to begin in Fall of 2016. PHASING MAP ARTIST RENDERINGS OF PHASE 1 ELEMENTS Here is what half a penny gets you! Phase 1: $2.7 million  Spring & river restoration  Entry monuments & signage  Picnic pavilions  Play areas  Trailhead  Restrooms  Trees & plantings  Parking S a n G a b r i e l P a r k A F a m i l i a r P a r k g e t s a n U p d a t e d L o o k The map above depicts the areas of the park that will be updated during each phase. Phase 1: $2.7 million — Phase 2: $3.4 million — Phase 3: $4.6 million — Phase 4 As a part of the 2014 Downtown Master Plan and the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the City of Georgetown is working to provide an enhanced “City Center” for the community, with consolidated ser- vices in the downtown where many city government operations can be conduct- ed. The City would also like to provide space for small cultural events and addi- tional parkland downtown. Specific needs for a future City Center are iden- tified in the 2014 Downtown Master Plan Update. They include:  Outdoor public space for civic events and gatherings  Indoor public space for meetings and small performances  An outdoor amphitheater  Public parking  Consolidated city facilities  Renewed investment on the west side of downtown the Downtown Overlay District. In 2015, the City contracted with the Lawrence Group for the development of Architectural Design and Engineering for renovating the 1987 Library and the Georgetown Communication and Tech- nology Building, building a canopy for the Public Library/Red Poppy Café courtyard located on the north side of the current Library, and a Master Sign- age Plan for the entire center. City Council approved funds for the renova- tions in 2016. The project should be complete in early 2018. Laurie Brewer, Assistant City Manager The rendering above provides a visual representation of what citizens can expect to see at the completion of the Downtown West project. D o w n t o w n W e s t G e o r g e t o w n m o v e s t o w a r d a t r u e C i t y C e n t e r The funding for Downtown West comes from proceeds from building sales. The initial funds stem from the sale of an old Albertsons the City owned and sold for $3.5M. The next tranche will come from future building sales. The city plans to sell the current City Hall for $2.6M (estimate) and the Visitors Cen- ter for $450,000 (estimate). The cur- rent Council Chambers will be pur- chased by the Visitors Center for $850,000 (estimate) for a total of $7.4M. Other considerations to be not- ed will be the increased value for Down- town TIRZ when the buildings are re- turned to the tax rolls. Additionally, this generates revenue for County and the school district. Funding is made availa- ble in FY 2015/2016 for the marketing of these buildings. The Downtown West project has kicked off with an update to the dirt parking lot across the street from the Georgetown Library. In conjunc- tion with Williamson County, the City of Georgetown has undertaken this project to provide much needed parking in the western part of the Downtown corridor. This project kicked off in Fall 2015 and is expected to be completed in Spring 2016. DOWNTOWN SURFACE PARKING LOT (150 SPACE LOT SHOWN ABOVE) D o w n t o w n W e s t G e o r g e t o w n m o v e s t o w a r d a t r u e C i t y C e n t e r In May of 2015, voters approved a $105 M Transportation Bond. The successful bond election will provide the City the capital to invest in key transportation projects over the next decade to help improve mobility in our growing com- munity. The bond projects were thoroughly vetted by staff, a City Council appointed citizen transportation bond committee and the City Council. Over the course of 6 months and 17 public meetings, the citizen committee developed a prioritized list of projects from the Overall Transportation Plan (OTP). The OTP defines the City’s Trans- portation network and identifies pro- jects through the year 2035. The committee’s proposed bond pack- age sought to address the following eight transportation issues:  Reduce traffic on Williams Dr. and im- prove circulation in the gateway area.  Reduce traffic on SH 29.  Repair sidewalk ADA and safety is- sues.  Reduce congestion and improve traffic flow on Leander Rd.  Improve intersection management.  Improve accessibility to GISD facilities from Austin Ave. and FM 971.  Improve safety and access from SH 29 to Sam Houston Ave.  Improve capacity and safety of east- ern SH 29. The City Council reviewed the work of the committee and proposed a bond package based on their recommenda- tions. The bond passed with 75% of the vote. Nat Waggoner, Transportation Analyst These children are utilizing the new sidewalks near Mitchell Elementary School. These sidewalks are part of the City’s effort to promote safe travel for children as well as en- courage increased fitness activity. 2 0 1 5 R o a d B o n d P h a s i n g t h e C i t y ’ s O v e r a l l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n P l a n The first project citizens will see from the 2015 Road Bond Package will be construction of the Southwest Bypass (from Leander Road to Wolf Ranch Park- way) and Wolf Ranch Parkway (from Southwest Bypass to the extension of D B Wood Road). It is anticipated this pro- ject will begin construction in the 1st quarter of 2016 and be completed in the 3rd quarter of 2018. Other projects in the next five years in- clude the extension of Rivery Blvd. (from Williams Dr. to Northwest Blvd); Northwest Blvd. (Bridge over I 35); and Leander Road (at Southwest Bypass). Additionally, the City will invest $1 mil- lion dollars annually for sidewalk design and construction. As part of the 2015 Road Bond, the City Council made a Contract with the Vot- ers, which states the City would not raise the tax rate more than 2 cents in any given year to pay for road bond pro- jects, and that the cumulative impact of the Road Bond shall not have a tax im- pact more than 10 cents at any time. Bill Dryden, Transportation Engineer The map below provides a visual representation of the Transportation projects that are currently being worked on or considered. Please click on the map to be directed to a larger version on the City of Georgetown website. Project Phase FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 SW Bypass: Leander to Wolf Ranch Pkwy Design $300K Utilities $50K Construction $17.5M Wolf Ranch Parkway Design $500K Construction $3M Rivery Utilities $1.2M Construction $6M Northwest Blvd Bridge R.O.W. $3.5M Utilities $700K Construction $8M Leander to SW Bypass Design $700K R.O.W. $800K Sidwalks & Intersections Design $2.5M Construction $2.5M CURRENT 5-YEAR PROJECT SCHEDULE MAP OF CURRENT ROADS PROJECTS 2 0 1 5 R o a d B o n d P h a s i n g t h e C i t y ’ s O v e r a l l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n P l a n