Politics & Government
Fee, Budget Increases on Bel Air Meeting Agenda
Town Administrator Chris Schlehr said most of the budget increases will be a "wash."
Monday’s meeting has a trio of resolutions on the agenda: fee increases, a general fund increase and a vote on the community legacy project.
The first two do not require a public hearing, but the commissioners have opted to hold one anyway.
Several town fees would increase if the first resolution is passed. Among them would be cost of a curb cut for a driveway increasing from $15 to $50. Instead of charging the driveway work as a separate fee, it would be included in utility permits, which already cost $50.
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The commissioners are also expected to vote on an increase of about $237,000 to the fiscal year 2011 budget.
“In probably 75 or 80 percent of the cases it’s money coming in, so it’s money going out,” Town Administrator Chris Schlehr said at Tuesday’s commissioners work session.
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The general fund would increase by $186,752 and the special revenue fund would increase by $49,378 if the resolution is passed.
About $21,000 in school security costs is included in the resolution, “since more overtime was worked than originally budgeted,” Schlehr said.
“A lot of it’s a wash. Probably the biggest part of it is there’s some additional red light camera revenue that ends up being in excess and we’re using that. We have some additional computer requirements,” Schlehr said of the overall increases. “We need to rewrite some Unix programs that are left over from 10 years ago and we have some servers we need to buy.”
The final resolution on the agenda is an annual vote on the community legacy project.
“It’s essentially the resolution that gives us permission to go ahead and apply to make a community legacy application to the state,” Director of Economic Development Trish Heidenreich said at the work session. “It’s the standard resolution that is put before [the commissioners] every year.”
Heidenreich said the town would apply for a $75,000 grant to support a revolving loan fund that would benefit local business owners. She would also apply for $50,000 on behalf of the town for facade improvements to downtown businesses.
“I know a lot of people that would love it.” Commissioner Terence Hanley said of the potential facade improvement money.
Officer Wes Salvas is also scheduled to receive a promotion.
A presentation on the is also planned.
