POA board gears up for budget

The POA is gearing up to work on its 2020 budget. General manager Tom Judson reviewed the budget calendar for the board of directors at its work session on Thursday.

Budget work begins at the committee level in July. Each of the joint advisory committees is asked to consider recommendations for capital projects, as well as changes in operations for the coming year.

The capital budget is for large-ticket items. For example, the 2019 capital project budget included a signal for a cart path crossing near Metfield and a small ranger boat for the Lakes Department. Some of the items in the capital budget last year were deferred to pay for work at the Trafalgar Road fire site.

The committees’ recommendations are due in mid-August when the department heads begin budget training during weekly staff meetings. Department heads develop their own budget, Judson reminded the board.

The fee schedule is considered in September. Some departments, usually golf and recreation, consider a local market analysis when they discuss fees. Judson and CFO Dwain Mitchell review the department heads’ work.

Board members see electronic copies of both the operating and capital budgets in late October. In early November, each department head presents a department budget to the board.

An open meeting in Riordan Hall is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 14. The board will discuss all three budgets — operating, capital and the day-to-day financial budget. A week later, a vote to finalize the budgets will take place at the regular board meeting.

There is no assessment increase included in the 2020 budget, Judson explained, answering a board member’s question. If an assessment election is successful, the budget can be changed.

Although there was no vote taken at the work session, the board members indicated they will accept the Golf Committee recommendations to keep the nine-hole Brittany Golf Course open.

The committee also submitted a list of suggestions for adding rounds to Brittany, and Judson suggested it form a subcommittee to help enact some of the changes, including acquiring clubs to loan to beginner golfers and for family tournaments.

The course will be evaluated in the fall of 2021 to see if the changes have made an impact.

The Trafalgar Road fire is out, but the site is still being stabilized, Judson told the board. A plan to remediate the site has not been finalized.

The ADEQ did approve a plan to officially close the Highlands stump dump, which was the last stump dump in operation when it closed last summer. The plan includes a “geosynthetic clay liner” and will cost about $326,200. The 2019 budget included $100,000 for the project.

Judson said some of the proceeds from the ArkMo land sale will be used. He expects the sale to close later this summer.