Thornton City Council Grapples with Budget Issues and Rate Increases at August Meeting

Thornton City Council focused heavily on monetary issues at its Monday, Aug. 12 meeting following public comments by citizen Bryan Becker regarding the voting process from the council’s July meeting. Becker expressed concerns about the nomination procedure for a vacated council position.
“From my perspective, this was not a transparent process,” Becker said. “Not only was there no nomination process, but there was also no discussion about the candidates at any previous city council meeting prior to the submission of the blind ballots.”
City Secretary Victoria Winstead provided Becker with a document outlining the process, which showed it was done in compliance with regulations.
The council unanimously approved the July minutes, payment of bills, and the financial report. They received an update on June’s water report, noting that more leaks have been repaired and that they are working with insurance to replace boxes.
Regarding July’s court report, Police Chief Tim Brewer, who has not been medically cleared to return to work, mentioned he was training a part-time officer and considering additional hires. Mayor Pro Tem Carla Robison voiced concerns about safety issues.
“The only problem I see is kids on ATVs and side-by-sides in the streets,” Robison said. “We need to address it.”
Pam Capps was then sworn in to fill the vacated council position.
A heated discussion followed about purchasing a used truck for city employees, as concerns arose over the condition of the current truck, referred to as “the Blue Truck,” which needs fuel injectors replaced. Mayor Paul Miller, who has been considering replacing the truck, proposed a $13,000 vehicle and shared its specifications with the council. Capps questioned, “If they’ve damaged the other equipment, what makes us think they won’t do it to a new truck?”
The council debated finding a less expensive truck than the one presented by Miller. Robison reminded them that the city currently lacks funds for a replacement. Council member Jr. Noel asked Miller if he had obtained a quote for the fuel injector repair. Miller replied, “I am looking for that now; I just replaced the fuel pump.”
The council then discussed contacting Generac for rent-to-own possibilities for generators for Well #1 and the pump house. Robison again noted the lack of funds. Winstead explained that since the freeze, there have been numerous inquiries about preparedness for another major freeze event. “We need to show we are being proactive,” she said. Winstead also mentioned the city has had eight insurance claims since May, each with a deductible. Despite the discussion on the importance of being proactive, Robison moved to table the discussion for now.
The council reviewed a request by Charley Wiskey, who lives just outside the city limits, to connect to city water. Although Wiskey was not present, Winstead reported that no more taps can be added due to the water line being at maximum capacity.
Discussion then turned to a proposed tax rate increase, with some confusion over whether it concerned sales tax or property tax. Robison clarified that while sales tax had been raised, it remained low. She moved to proceed with a voter approval rate.
The council then addressed the need to raise water and sewer rates to qualify for a grant. This is the city’s primary source of revenue, as it makes no money from trash collection. Robison proposed increasing the drinking water rate by $12 to $60 and raising the sewer rate by $5 for in-town residents only, since out-of-town residents do not use the city’s sewer system. “So this is only going up $17 a month,” Robison said. “If we don’t raise the rates, we won’t get the grant.”
Miller suggested a $10 increase for sewer rates, but Robison expressed concern about the impact on fixed-income residents. She moved for the proposed increases, which passed unanimously.
The agenda also included a discussion of Diane Masters’ concerns about Vic Thomas’ property. Masters was not present, but Winstead explained that the property has been an issue for over three years. Robison motioned to table this issue until executive session.
Lastly, the council tabled Becker’s questions concerning Ordinance: Manufactured Homes 03-O-03 until the next meeting at his request.
Thornton City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at City Hall.