BUDGET 2008 – GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
GENERAL FUND
The goal of the City Clerk Treasurer and the Deputy City Clerk is to give the best quality of service to our customers that we can. We want to make our customers feel important, and make them feel that they have a friend at city hall. We want to feel that we go the extra mile for our citizens. We will continue researching to find ways to service our customers, and keep services available to them.
We have contracted with Whitman County Sheriff Department for our police coverage. We made this decision in 2004. We also annexed with Whitman County for our Library Service saving the city about $4,500 per year.
Our Fire Department has applied for several grants to improve their department’s safety. The County pays for half of the expenses on most expenditures, as they share half of the building and expenses are generally county related. Our Fire Chief will continue to apply for grants for the department.
Our City Municipal Airport has functioned primarily from Grants. Their goal is to expand and have city water and sewer to the airport. To also support businesses wanting to build at the airport with an airport related venture. Three grants have been applied for in 2008.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
The Public Works Department is responsible for providing a variety of services to the citizens of Tekoa. These services include transportation, water, sanitary sewer and storm drainage.
The goals of the Street Department are to pave as many streets as funding allows, ultimately having all streets paved within the city limits. Until this is accomplished, an interim goal is to have a comprehensive dust control program. Chip sealing will be done in 2008 with a grant from TIB for $45,934.
The goals of the Water and Wastewater Department are to upgrade both of the systems and install new water and sewer lines as needed.
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The Water Department this past year located and repaired several large leaks. One was a major leak that the city has been trying to locate for several years. Stopping these leaks and this one in particular has saved the city hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.
The water department is working with our engineers pursuing grants to replace several major water lines throughout the city. The short term goal is to increase the flow and pressure on the upper east side of the city. A plan is being formulated with the goal of completely replacing the cities reservoir within the next few years.
We are working with our engineers to replace old water and sewer lines and a complete upgrade or replacement of our treatment plant.
As funding allows, the water department will continue to replace fire hydrants and install new water meters that have the anti back flow device and can also be read electronically.
CEMETERY DEPARTMENT
The Goldenrod Cemetery is an Endowment Care Cemetery. At one time, the interest off the endowment supported the running of the cemetery. In the last few years with interest rates as low as 1%, it is impossible to run the cemetery without help from the General Fund or Cemetery Memorial Fund. Our Cemetery has done a beautiful job with maintenance and beautification.
· TREE TRIMMING
· CLEAN UP SOME AREAS
· BETTER COVERAGE OF WEED SPRAY
· BETTER COVERAGE OF FERTILIZER
· BETTER COVERAGE OF RODENT CONTROL
· CONTINUED SUPPORT OF ROSE GARDEN
CEMETERY MEMORIAL
We have had memorial contributions to the Goldenrod Cemetery over the years, and the Beautiful Rose Garden is there because of the generous gifts, and also the beautiful retaining wall. Benches several years ago were purchased in memory of a donor who was once a citizen of Tekoa. Also, a citizen who passed away last year donated money to have the roads paved at the Cemetery. This was done in memory of David Drain.
CEMETERY ENDOWMENT FUND
The Cemetery Endowment Fund continues to grow as people purchase plots from the city. This money is never to be touched. We can only use the interest off of the endowment. When interest rates are high, this endowment funds the cemetery.
