RUSTON WIFFLE

Ruston, WA Town Council meeting July 20, 2009 7pm cont.,

BUDGET IMPACT STATEMENTS
Dan - was supposed to say discussion. Need to know who proposes motions and increased revenue and costs.
Jim - Many bureaucrats (in Olympia) more about revenue offset than on legislation.
Dan - Focus on starting point not hours and hours. Focus on starting point.
Dan - Do not need an ordinance but include in rules, fiscal point impact on Town.
Wayne - Impact on utilities.
Note:
A starter how about including LAWSUITS in the rules.
How about TAX INCREASES putting people out of business.
How about DO OVERS, voting down legislation on TECHNICALITIES.
Probably more but it is late. Please comment.

MAYOR'S TIME
. Revenue six months $369 thousand dollars expenses $419 thousand dollars resulting in shortfall of $23 thousand dollars.
. Town $6 million dollars invested receiving less than one percent .07 percent interest.
. Investment interest half of what expected. Do we have any other options.
Note: probably on demand, time deposits earn more.
. Retail sales and use tax are OK, on schedule.
Note: How about the gambling tax $30 thousand dollars per year gone kaput.
. Curb painting July 25 and 26 gutters to go. Need volunteers.
. Have offer from Commencement to release us from lease (500 years). We are miles apart.
. Electrical work complete on moving kitchen in school. Kevin Moser did the work.
. Plumbing contractor will give us bid in two weeks.
. Room will, upon completion, be used for Town meetings and can be rented out.

COUNCIL TIME
Wayne - Street lights need replacement.
Bruce - Mo (Town electrician) has RFP ready. To recommend to DOE project must be green. Must be paying into Federal Government green fund to be eligible.
Bradley - in on August 3rd.
Jim - Attention to public. Clarence Bundrock, (covered in Ruston Home blog July 9, 2009) passed away recently. Clarence was a long time manager of the Boat House Grill. Oldest living resident of Ruston since 1943.
Dan -
. Regarding budget. Surplus property fund has been tapped into for $225 thousand dollars. Dangerous to draw conclusions on short period of time. $1 trillion dollars disappeared in the USA. We need a two year plan.
. Just received building permits for 2009. Supposed to receive monthly.
. Stop historical error depriving the Town of revenue.
. Notice to Assessor must be filed timely with return receipt.
. No notice to Council how about notice to Assessor?
Jane -
. AWC training class on budget approaching.
. Sign up early and receive small town scholarship.
. Handout supplied, need to read page five on utilities ordinance.
. No burden to elderly, low income.

FINAL NOTE: I detect a lot of worry regarding indemnification. Possibly concerning private lawsuits filed on Town's dime. The CABAL has never made a secret of their intention of turning Ruston into a bedroom community sans any businesses or public services. In short, annexing to Tacoma.

If there has been a pay raise for public servants in the last three and one half years I missed it. This does not include the Police Department which has received royal treatment.

Most of the Union problems derive from the three and one half year effort to get rid of the Town Clerk/Treasurer. Remember the very first council meeting after the cabal took over they forced her to falsify the public record when one council person didn't like to be quoted correctly. Soon after she was banned from EXECUTIVE SESSIONS and public comments which used to be readable became short meaningless clips.

The veil of secrecy descended upon the town; Open meetings violations and failure to maintain and archive public records.

But the latest cheap shot was the failure to approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement worked out over the past four months on technicalities, ostensibly because a pay raise for Town Employees was not budgeted for. In the next six months it will take to do over this agreement the cost will be huge and NOT BUDGETED FOR. Make this fiasco the first BUDGET IMPACT STATEMENT.

Ruston, WA the Council of the TROLLS?

Town of Ruston officials:
Mayor, Bruce Hopkins
Council, Bradley Huson, Jim Hedrick, Wayne Stebner, Dan Albertson, Jane Hunt
Attorney, David Britton
Planner, Rob White
Clerk/Treasurer, Karen Carlisle
Fire Chief. Don Torbet
Police Chief, Jeremy Kunkel

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