City Council passes 2018 budget, discusses accessory amendment

The Bella Vista City Council voted unanimously to pass a budget for 2018 and agreed that a proposed amendment to the city’s regulations on accessory structures needed further discussion.

The new budget, according to documentation released by the city, increases overall spending to $20,235,846, compared to $18,355,900 in the 2017 budget — an increase of 10.24 percent.

The proposed revenue also showed an anticipated total revenue of $19,112,799, compared to $17,288,581 from 2017, an increase of 10.55 percent. The projected budget includes the use of $1,123,047 of the city’s cash reserves.

Council member Doug Fowler said that, while the spending has increased, it’s in line with projected increases in the city’s income for next year.

“We’re going to be adding nine firemen … four policemen, one chief inspector in community development and one IT person,” Fowler said. “We’re going to be in good standing moving forward over the next two years.”

Those firefighters, he said, will be partly covered by a federal grant, which should handle 75 percent of the expenses over the next few years.

Mayor Peter Christie said he intends to have a hiring freeze in place for the next two years. With these employees, he said, the city should be fully staffed.

Christie has previously said he wants to have the budget finished in November so departments can get things in motion for 2018 in December. This is what the city did for 2017, he said, and it went smoothly.

Anyone interested in knowing more about the budget’s details, he said, can request a copy at city hall.

“I’d like to thank the council for the time they have put in on this … going through each and every line,” he said.

Many of them, he said, talked directly with department heads to better understand their budget requests.

Council member Linda Lloyd said she appreciated the work that went into the budget.

“I’d just like to thank the department heads for putting this together,” she said.

Fowler said it’s important for the council to vote carefully on a budget.

“Once that budget is passed, we own it … It’s important to really look at that budget close and know what’s going on.”

The council also discussed and had a first reading of a proposed amendment to city code designed to clarify and improve some of the regulations for accessory buildings.

The proposal includes changes for houses on curved roads, changed definitions for a house’s front plane and updated definitions for main floors on split-level homes.

Chris Suneson, director of the Community Development Services Department, said that there are a lot of curved roads in Bella Vista and this could benefit the homes alongside them.

“The redefinition of front plane to coincide with front setback with curvilinear streets, I think, is a good add,” he said.

There may be some changes to the language in this proposal, he said, that city staff could suggest down the road.

Fowler said he liked the proposal but would like to hash out the details.

“I agree with what Linda [Lloyd] has proposed so far … there are actually a couple points I’d like to add on and maybe clarify,” he said.

Council member Jim Wozniak suggested the amendment be discussed at the next work session meeting and Fowler agreed.

The council also passed an amendment to the city’s record retention policy, an amendment to city code to start collecting fines at the new Bella Vista court facility, an amended cost-share agreement for wayfinding signage and a meeting schedule for 2018.

Christie said it’s important to note that, starting in December, the city council will meet in the new court facility at 612 W. Lancashire Blvd.

“I’d like to just pause for a moment and express our thanks to the legion for allowing us to use this building,” he said.