Brush City Council to set 2023 priorities

Council planning retreat to give input on 2023 Brush city budget

Brush City Council priorities will soon be discussed in a retreat with Brush City Administrator Monty Torres, allowing him to integrate those into the city budget, he said during last week’s City Council meeting.

“The priorities we discuss are what the City Council provides (as direction) to me and then what I take to department directors,” Torres said. “They then help move those priorities forward.”

City Council provided about 12 priorities in 2022, he said, sharing each of those priorities.

He began with the priority of water and considering water conservation efforts. Second, he mentioned street maintenance, noting some of the work which has been performed this summer toward that priority.

Employee compensation plans were also a top priority in 2022, he said. Morgan County has increased pay substantially for county workers, he said, and the

City of Fort Morgan may soon be conducting a salary study.

“Everywhere we go, we talk about the costs of fuel, food, construction materials, everything going up,” he said.

Public safety and housing were noted as priorities, along with evaluation of staffing needs.

“We can’t afford to hire everyone we think we need,” Torres said. “We need to be selective.”

Economic development, the Prairie Trails open space, the golf course, municipal airport and Central School were also noted as priorities in 2022.

“Central School has sold to an investor, and the city is working with the investor on grants and incentives,” Torres said, adding the city desires the investor to succeed with the project.

Among the additional priorities for city administration, Torres said, is a comprehensive plan update and reviewing ADA compliance in projects. He also noted an interest in training of City Council in various areas, including with the Colorado Municipal League and related to Robert’s Rules of Order, which are the parliamentary procedures to be used during meetings.

Priorities would need to be settled soon, Torres said, to assist in the creation of the city budget.