Benton City Council minutes, Dec. 18, 2017:
Benton Mayor Rita Dotson gave an update on the pool house project. The pool house is going to run about $16,000 over budget. Dotson gave Pinnacle approval to move forward up to $250,000 which is the amount the City had appropriated for this building.
City Attorney Zach Brien read the first reading of an ordinance amending the application process for temporary businesses during Tater Day.
Brien read the first reading of an ordinance correcting the required information for a sexually-oriented business license.
Brien read the second reading of an ordinance amending the City of Benton’s investment policy to state that all cash and investments maintained in any financial institution shall be insured by the FDIC or collateralized to the extend uninsured. Councilman Charlie Edmonds introduced a motion to approve, which was seconded by Councilwoman Rita Murray. The motion passed 5-0; councilman Stanley “Butch” Holland was absent from Monday’s vote.
Brien asked that the second reading of the subdivision regulation amendment ordinance be tabled until he receives further information on the requested changes. Councilman Justin Lamb introduced a motion to table, which was seconded by Councilwoman Sherra Riley. The motion passed unanimously.
Edmonds made a motion, seconded by Lamb, to approve a general fund budget amendment to move $34,968.12 from reserve contingency account to property account in order to cover the cost of purchasing the two recent properties located near Benton Fire Department. The motion passed unanimously.
Dotson updated the council on the Kentucky Retirement System rate increase for fiscal year 2018-19. Non-hazardous rates are increasing from 19.18 percent to 28.05 percent, and hazardous rates are increasing from 31.55 percent to 47.86 percent. This increase will cost the City of Benton about $206,000 in additional retirement expenses.
January’s regularly scheduled meeting will be moved to Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, since Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and City Hall is closed.
Dotson presented the police report for November in the absence of police representation. There were 23 cases, 22 collisions, 25 citations, 619 calls to service and 0 written warnings.
Edmonds moved, seconded by Riley, to approve payroll and invoices. All agreed. Motion passed unanimously.
Murray moved to approve the regular minutes of Nov. 20, 2017, and the special called minutes of Dec. 12, 2017; Lamb seconded the motion. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
In Council items, Smithmier voiced that he doesn’t feel that the City should pay for any Council member to be a member of an organization on behalf of the City. This was initially discussed by Murray at November’s regular meeting.
Keith Travis was present and asked if the City residents should be paying the Marshall County Refuse tax since residents have local garbage pickup. Dotson stated that all Marshall County residents have this line item on their county tax bills.