City set to approve $42.8M budget for 2019 fiscal year

The new fiscal year in Mountain Brook starts Oct. 1, and with it comes a new city budget with funding for projects in parks, trails, the library, school safety and more.

Mountain Brook’s Finance Department met with city department heads over the summer to work out the annual budget. The first draft of the budget was brought before City Council for review Aug. 21, when council members heard from representatives of each department about the main projects or expenses they have budgeted. 

The budget was set to be approved during the Sept. 24 council meeting, which is after Village Living’s press time.

As of Sept. 18, the city’s $42.8 million budgeted expenditures for FY19 had $34.8 million budgeted in the general fund, as well as $6.1 million allotted in the capital funds. Finance Director Steve Boone said there is a planned $216,925 surplus for the general fund and a $674,321 deficit for capital projects, which is from projects that have accumulated in past years. Boone said this is not unusual. According to the budget, the total fund balance at the end of FY19 is expected to be $30.6 million.

The capital funds will go toward a myriad of projects around Mountain Brook, including the purchase and installation of a turn-key radio frequency identification (RFID) system and additional self-checkout stations at the Emmet O’Neal Library.

The RFID system places tags in every item in the collection and uses radio frequency to deter thefts, as well as check materials in and out of the library easily. Library Director Lindsy Gardner said they have had no problems with theft, but the installation of RFID tags would easily read and register a stack of books without having to scan them individually. This would make it easier for patrons to utilize the self-checkout stations.

“We really want to make the library as user-focused as possible,” she said. 

The project would include new theft detection gates, RFID workstations, three new self-checkout stations and a mobile inventory device. It could also be implemented if book drops were added to locations outside of Crestline, which would help meet Gardner’s goal of reaching other parts of the city.

In total, everything would cost around $100,000, Gardner said, although the city is budgeted at expending $47,000 for workstations and equipment that would eventually need to be upgraded. The Mountain Brook Library Foundation will then pay around $40,000 for RFID tags and to rent an RFID conversion station.

The council also discussed hiring new school resource officers (SROs) for Mountain Brook Schools. 

After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida in the spring and other events that have occurred nationally, Mountain Brook Schools looked into acquiring additional security measures for campuses until more permanent officers could be put in place.

Due to the lengthy hiring process and training periods for new police officers and SROs, MBS opted to hire unarmed contract security for additional safety measures. This school year, however, they plan to have an SRO at every school. 

Council members approved the addition of four entry-level officer positions to the Mountain Brook Police Department during the Aug. 27 meeting, which would allow three veteran officers to transition into an SRO position,  Boone said. This would bring the total number of SROs to six, and Boone said the transition would likely take place sometime in during the second semester of this year. 

Boone said the city will pick up the total cost for the new SROs this year, and starting next year, the Board of Education will pay half of the total cost, estimated to be about $390,000 per year. 

Fire Chief Chris Mullins also presented the project to rebuild Fire Station No. 2, located on Locksley Drive.

While not budgeted for FY19, Mullins wanted to discuss the project with the council so funds could be allocated properly in coming years. The station is more than 55 years old, and Mullins said the department has had problems with the plumbing, dormitories and the bathroom.

“When they built it, I don’t know that they built it to be a 50- to 60-year-old station,” he said. “We’re just out of room.”

The goal is to have everything on a five-year plan, Mullins said, and to put together a report to find out what the station and the department needs. He said he would like to include a backup 911 center at the station and a “safe place” for firefighters in the event of dangerous weather, as well as a space for individuals to stay during emergencies, such as the “snowmageddon” of 2014.

“There’s no argument whether or not we need a replacement,” Councilman Phil Black said. “It’s a good idea to look towards that and develop a good plan.”

Boone said the city will be setting aside money annually in the capital projects funds in anticipation of future equipment and infrastructure costs.

Additional capital expenditures for the upcoming year will include:

► Jemison Park Pedestrian Bridge completion, estimated at $400,000. It is expected that the bridge will be installed this fall. Boone said the city anticipates receiving private donations totaling $205,000 towards this project.

► A new fire pumper truck, estimated to be $725,000. The vehicle has a life expectancy of 15 years.

► Renovations to the Caldwell Mill Road Bridge, totaling about $400,000, to be paid from capital reserves.

► Additional athletic complex improvements, estimated at $415,000.

► Jemison Trail improvements, estimated at $715,000, if the city is approved for a $500,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

► Completion of the Mountain Brook Elementary playing field restroom, estimated at $130,000, of which $70,000 is included in the FY19 budget and the construction of another restroom at Crestline Elementary, estimated at $65,000-75,000.