GUNNISON—Following a public hearing last week, the Gunnison City Council made final adjustments to the city budget for the current year and then adopted a $5.3 general fund budget for 2022-23.
The FY 2023 budget is actually down nearly $1 million from the $6.2 million budgeted for July 1, 2021 to June 30,2022. That represents a 14.5 percent drop, both in projected revenues and expenditures, from last year to the coming year.
The general fund budget covers the city staff, police, public works, parks, the library, cemetery, maintenance of city hall and other general government activities.
But the general fund is just a drop in the bucket compared to all city expenditures. That’s because the city has several operations designed to be wholly or partly self-supporting, such as the Gunnison Valley Swimming Pool, culinary water system, pressurized irrigation system, sewer system, fire department and storm water control.
Projected revenue for those areas for FY 2023 is $7.3 million. Projected expenditures are about $6.7 million. The budget projects that the city will keep about $128,000. And the budget calls for eventually transferring just under $400,000 from these self-supporting operations, sometimes called enterprise funds, to the general fund. Such transfers would not occur about a year from now.
The council also met on Zoom with Martha Larson, who owns Valley West Properties LLC at 450 N. 100 West. The complex is associated with the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 program, which subsidizes rents for needy families.
She is looking to build more federally assisted apartments and needed to reinstate her conditional use permit.
Council members told her they need to see a management plan before any new construction can begin. Larson said the apartments would be managed by a property management company.
She was told the city would like her to improve the current apartments as well as provide details about operation of prospective new apartments. The council said there would need to be more discussion with her in the future.
The council then approved an increase in the cleaning deposit for Heritage Hall rental. It is currently $100, but will now be $200. The deposit is returned if everything is left clean.
The council also decided that they would like to review fee schedules every year to make sure the schedules are keeping up with demand.
In other business, Councilman Mike Wanner said the final section of the G-Hill trail has been graded, and the trail is now ready to ride on.
Councilman Shawn Crane said the Fourth of July celebration is ready to go. He is grateful for the help he has received to make it all happen.
The proceeds from the auction this year will go toward improvements for the Gunnison Ballpark. The ballpark has just received a new entranceway, installed by volunteers, with several more improvements to come