Monday night’s Sutton City Council meeting was headlined by council members adopting the 202425 budget, and make the final pay app related to the newly-developed Schwab Housing Development in Southeast Sutton.
Council members approved an operating budget that is 29.31 percent below the 2023-24 operating budget of $19,241,983, as the newly adopted budget was set at $13,602,634.57.
Within the budget, the property tax request for the new fiscal year budget will rise 3.77 percent from $1,177,754.09 last budget year to $1,208,483.20 when the new budget year kicks in on Oct. 1.
The new property tax request by the city will cause its tax rate to fall from 0.892852 last budget year to 0.8829 for the 2024-25 budget year.
According to resolution 2024-6 passed on Monday night, the property tax request for changes to the total operating budget for the city will decrease 29.31 percent from the previous budget year.
SCHWAB FINAL PAYMENT
City leaders also approved the final payment to be made on the new housing development, known as the Schwab Housing Development. The final payment of $186,132.28 was approved by the council to close out the $5.57 million project in southeast Sutton.
TRASH AND FEE SCHEDULES
Trash rates for the upcoming fiscal year will increase for single and family dwellings, up $1 to $27 per month.
Additionally, the City of Sutton’s schedule of fees for the upcoming fiscal year will see four changes for the new budget year.
Cemetery rates will see three of those increases coming, including:
• Grave opening and closures during a regular weekday will increase to $610;
• Grave opening and closures during a regular weekend (Saturday) will increase to $675;
• Grave opening and closures during a regular weekend (Sunday and Holiday) will increase to $850; and
• Additionally, in the area of debris disposal, a new rate of $10 will be applied to each appliance that is disposed of.
OTHER BUSINESS
Council members approved a project to begin with the design services to replace the James Street bridge over School Creek, presented by JEO Consulting. The project is set to begin this October and be completed by February 2025, and will include the following services: project management, a topographical survey, preliminary hydraulic design, and environment services. The project comes at an estimated cost of $33,070 to the city.
Council members approved the 2024-25 One-and-Six-Year-Road Plan, with a focus on three projects within the City of Sutton, including:
• Concrete, sidewalk, lighting, and erosion control between Elm and Maple Streets along Saunders Ave in downtown Sutton at an estimated cost of $550,000;
• Concrete removal and replacement along Cedar Street, between James and Butler Avenues at an estimated cost of $100,000; and • Aggregate surfacing, grading, storm sewer improvements, and erosion control along Cedar Street from Highway 6 to Dorr Avenue.
Work as been completed on property in the damaged area of Sutton’s downtown business district left after the July 29, 2023 tornado damaged much of the northern end of Sutton’s business district.
The City of Sutton will pay Al’s Old House Repair of Red Cloud a sum of $185,000 for the repair work on a building located at 217 N. Saunders Ave., owned by Abat Lerew Construction, LLC.
The scope of work in turn had a lien assessed on the property earlier this year, and the property will now be turned over for foreclosure to be filed against Abat Lerew Construction.
This allows the city to sell the property to a new owner in the future and recoup funds spent, to bring the property up to code and ready to sell.
Surplus items that were put up for bid by the City of Sutton last month were awarded during Monday night’s council meeting, including:
• A surplus police vehicle was awarded to a $2,024 bid submitted by Luke and Jess Hinrichs for the ownership of the vehicle;
• A surplus ambulance was also awarded to the Hinrichs’ with their bid of $1,507.00;
• The Hinrichs’ were also awarded, with a bid of $509.00, a Land Pride 60-inch zero turn lawnmower;
• A bid of $1,201, submitted by Jim Van Kirk, was awarded for a surplus 574 IH commercial tractor; and
• Todd Mau was awarded two surplus items, including the former street lights that ran along French Street (Highway 6) which were collectively all sold to Mau for $20. Additionally, Mau, with a bid of $20, was awarded a homemade trailer used by the City of Sutton for grass clippings.
City officials wrapped up the meeting in executive session to go over employee evaluations, along with their salaries and wages, as well as to allow council members to review the city administrator’s contract with the city.
