Harrison City Council Appoints New Member

HARRISON – The Dec. 7 meeting of the Harrison City Council was preceded by a 5:45 p.m. hearing on the city’s 2021 budget.

The formal meeting followed as Dan Sullivan, mayor pro tem, began the Mayor’s Report by introducing a motion to appoint Mick Haley to fill the vacant seat left by the resignation of former member Mike Kirby. Haley had secured the fourth greatest number of votes cast for three open seats in the Nov. 3 general election.

Sullivan also introduced the topic of employee Christmas stipends, and Council voted unanimously to issue those stipends to all city employees.

Under Old Business, Council heard a second reading of Peddlers Ordinance 2020-12 which formalizes specific guidelines for sales and ignition of fireworks in the city, as well as the onsite containment/security requirements and camping restrictions for fireworks vendors. Council moved to adopt that ordinance.

Reports of Committees and Department heads began with Mike Freeman, code enforcement officer, who noted that things were “going pretty good; it’s been fairly quiet around town.”

Sam Russell, DPW superintendent, started his report with thanks to his crew for “getting the town looking like Christmas, even in COVID times. Russell then made a financial request, not to exceed $2,500 to purchase accessories for the new department truck which is expected to arrive the second week in January. Council moved to approve that request.

Fire Chief Chris Damvelt reported 335 runs year-to-date, with 12 runs already for December, and added that there had been several structure fires in the past couple weeks.

Tracey Connelly, city manager/clerk, reminded that the city’s Town Square Christmas celebration has been altered due to the current epidemic restrictions. The event will now begin with a reading of Memorial Tree names at 5 p.m. at the tree in the Town Square, followed by a tour of the town by Santa on a fire truck. She said there will be a sack at the Town Square where children’s letters to Santa may be deposited, but that there would be no contact between him and children.

 It was also noted that the city’s audit is scheduled for the last week in January.

New Business for the first council meeting of the month dealt with four resolutions which must be adopted annually. The first was adoption of the 2021 Tax Administration Fee resolution, which seeks to offset the cost incurred in assessing and collecting, the property tax and in the review and appeal process.

The second was a resolution regarding the street funding formula the Act 51 Resolution of 1951 as affected by Act 338 of 2009; that resolution limits to 40% annually the amount returned to the Major Street Fund that can be transferred by the city clerk to the Local Fund.

The third was the Depositories Resolution 2021, which stated that the PNC Bank and TCF Bank (or their legal successors and as an alternate any other banking institution within the state) would be the city’s official depositories.

The fourth was the 2021 Budget Resolution which was a final estimated itemization of the city’s budget for the coming year. Totals estimated funds sums included: General Fund $2,148,713.95; Major Street $165,500; Local Street $ 170,200; Fire Fund $691,828.98; Sewer operation/maintenance $457,500; Water operation/maintenance $3,840,235; and Garbage and Rubbish Collection Fund $163,200. The budget further stated the City Assessor would be notified that total funds to be raised by the General AD Valorem taxable is $845,000.

All four resolutions were adopted by unanimous roll call votes.