Transcript

Event transcript
Sounds we got formed, so we're going to go. 00:00:03
Good evening now. 00:00:10
Good evening. I'll call to order the. 00:00:12
Public hearing on the. 00:00:15
Proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. 00:00:17
So this is a. 00:00:20
Opportunity for the public to. 00:00:22
Come up and. 00:00:25
Give us whatever comments you have so. 00:00:27
Respect the five minute time frame that we normally do. 00:00:31
Floor is open. 00:00:36
Mr. 00:00:38
We run a little late, he has some out of town. 00:00:40
Business guests that he. 00:00:42
Kind of. 00:00:44
OK, good. 00:00:47
I'll start it out. My name is Mark. 00:00:58
And. 00:01:03
Kind of people talking the microphone. 00:01:05
Please, please give us your address as well, Mr. Faust. 00:01:09
Better get better. 00:01:14
My primary comment is on the. 00:01:26
Budget item to Saint Mary's. 00:01:28
Marina and that's pages 86 through 88 Ross packages. 00:01:30
I did a real quick. 00:01:37
Analysis of it. 00:01:38
And it looks like in fiscal year 2024. 00:01:40
The Marina had earned revenue of $66,867. 00:01:44
And operating expenses that does not include depreciation of $110,475. 00:01:49
So that gives me an operating loss. 00:01:58
$43,608. 00:02:01
According to the documentation, the city transferred $200,100. 00:02:04
To the Saint Mary's Marina, that's out, I guess of the general fund, that's taxpayer money going to subsidize the Marina. 00:02:10
So at the end. 00:02:18
Of 2024 fiscal year. 00:02:19
There should have been $156,492.00 in carryover somewhere. 00:02:22
And I don't see any evidence in the documentation here. 00:02:28
That. 00:02:32
That money was returned back to the general fund. 00:02:33
Now in 2025. 00:02:36
I see a total earned revenue. 00:02:40
Of $91,200. 00:02:43
I see total operating expenses of $201,377. 00:02:46
For a net loss. 00:02:52
Of $110,177 for fiscal year. 00:02:54
2025. 00:02:59
I also see that. 00:03:01
City Council subsidized the Saint Mary's Marina. 00:03:03
To the tune of $110,176 for that year. 00:03:07
I find it peculiar that the amount. 00:03:13
Of money transferred from the General Fund to the Marina. 00:03:16
Almost equaled exactly the operating loss for that time period. 00:03:19
But nonetheless. 00:03:25
What it really means is that the carryover for 2025. 00:03:26
Is $156,491. 00:03:30
So I see for 2026. 00:03:34
City Council has approved $88,855, another subsidy to the Marina. 00:03:37
So my question to you is. 00:03:45
If there's 156,000. 00:03:47
7 iron. 00:03:51
$156,491.00 Carryover. 00:03:52
Why are you putting more money into it? 00:03:56
First question. 00:03:59
Second question. 00:04:00
The Marina. 00:04:02
It's operating at a net loss of every year. 00:04:04
So. 00:04:07
How long has Saint Mary's been operating Marina? That's at a net loss. The City Council can want to continue to subsidize. 00:04:08
At the rate of 80 to $100,000 every year to the Marina. 00:04:15
Seems to me the city is not in the business of running a Marina. 00:04:20
We're not very, very successful at it. 00:04:24
Now I appreciate that you all are doing something as far as trying to give the. 00:04:26
The people in Camden County, some have some some reduced rates for the arena. 00:04:30
That'll probably help a little bit. 00:04:35
But when you're losing $100,000 a year on operating expenses? 00:04:37
Something's wrong. 00:04:40
And I think City Council needs to look at it very seriously. 00:04:42
And actually, I think one of you guys needs to take this as their personal thing. 00:04:45
And make sure that and come up with a plan either make it operational, make it at minimum. 00:04:50
Make it break even. 00:04:56
Or make some plans to do something else with it. 00:04:58
Either started over to somebody who's a subject matter expert. 00:05:01
Or whatever. 00:05:05
But I'm sorry, but the Marina doesn't help all the citizens of Saint Mary's. That $100,000 can fix a whole lot of potholes. 00:05:06
They can clean a whole lot of ditches. 00:05:15
So I think that's something City Council really needs to take a look at. That's the one I keyed in on. There are probably some 00:05:17
other ones in the budget that I didn't key in on. 00:05:21
But I probably will in the future. Thank you. 00:05:25
Thank you, stress. 00:05:28
Are we responding? 00:05:31
Well, since we've only got 30 minutes now, yeah. 00:05:34
Tom-tom Canning for 10 Point Peter Place. 00:05:42
The good news is some of the things I wanted to say has already been said. 00:05:45
Oh, but you know me, I'm not all that short of my words. 00:05:49
OK. So yes. 00:05:54
Saint Mary's Marina. 00:05:56
Is getting $88,000. 00:05:57
Out of the general forum to keep it afloat. 00:06:01
We all recognize your responsibility for a balanced budget and. 00:06:03
This coming year, that's what you expect it's going to take just to keep that line item balance. 00:06:08
But you need to find out a better solution rather than. 00:06:13
Taking it out of. 00:06:17
Tax dollars, it needs to be something else, whether. 00:06:19
I won't pretend to know the answer if I knew the answer. 00:06:24
I'd be a rich man today. 00:06:27
The Aquatic Center. 00:06:29
Over the years we've said this over and over, we've talked about the fact that it requires so much supplement. 00:06:32
To keep. 00:06:39
The lights on to keep it open for a few months. This year we're providing a $269,000. 00:06:40
Lot of that has to do. 00:06:46
With some of the maintenance that you need to put in there and you keep recovering from. 00:06:48
What old stories are about things not being done properly but. 00:06:52
We put a lot of money over the last few years. 00:06:56
Well, intended or not? 00:06:59
Building up. 00:07:01
The capability of that. 00:07:02
But never really recovering. 00:07:04
The value per ticket and. 00:07:06
Differentiating between out of state and in state users. 00:07:08
Special facilities. 00:07:13
In your budget you you do specify what special facilities are, but it's special facilities are Orange Hall. 00:07:17
And. 00:07:24
The Submarine Museum. 00:07:26
I'm not going to go into the history of the Submarine museum. Most of you know it as well or better than I do, and I don't have 00:07:27
any problem. 00:07:30
But decisions made 30 years ago to. 00:07:34
To make that a. 00:07:36
A good aspect of Saint Mary's. 00:07:38
I do have a problem. 00:07:40
With a few weeks ago when you approved under consent with no discussion. 00:07:42
To allow a 10 year contract. 00:07:49
With the Submarine Museum. 00:07:52
Giving them 9000 square feet of prime space. 00:07:54
At no cost, I realized they got a lot of. 00:07:58
Building and architecture and all these other things but. 00:08:01
That's what a business does. 00:08:05
So anyway, I would really like you to. 00:08:07
Rethink and take a look, and those of you that haven't read it in detail, please go to the contract. 00:08:10
9000 square feet in the middle of that property over there has a value. 00:08:17
But we're not recognizing it, and we're paying for it. 00:08:23
General government building expenditures, you talked about this, you we know that it's going to cost money to move in, more money 00:08:26
than we ever expected when you first bought that. 00:08:31
Property because you. 00:08:36
We thought it was in a lot better condition in so many other ways. 00:08:38
There's a lot of wood. It could have, should have stories going on, but right now you've taken $6 million. 00:08:42
And it's been clearly asked by some of you council members that says, wait a minute. 00:08:46
Before you spend a nickel of. 00:08:51
Let's see what the plan is, and let's make sure that we are actually doing what needs to be done rather than. 00:08:53
And then putting lipstick while doing more than we need to. 00:09:02
OK, Legislative expenditures? 00:09:08
I don't know whether anyone else has mentioned this before. I do have an issue. 00:09:10
I do have a concern. 00:09:15
About the legislative expenditures being? 00:09:16
There are $64,000 additional $64,000 on the legislative. 00:09:21
Expenditures. 00:09:26
And the rationale for that? 00:09:28
And I haven't done my research to find out whether this is. 00:09:30
Something that is known in other communities and I. 00:09:35
But I don't know that any of you ran for office with the expectation that the city. 00:09:38
The city taxpayers would be paying for your. 00:09:43
Health insurance and your life insurance, and I think that's where the 64 K comes in. 00:09:47
And that's 64K if I understand correctly. A lot of information. I don't have the details, I only know what I hear from you guys. 00:09:51
A lot of that 64K only represents. 00:09:59
A small number of you that are taking advantage of that. Think about if all of you were taking care of taking advantage of that. 00:10:02
Not that all of you are, some of you are gainfully employed and have your own system, but. 00:10:10
But, you know, that's a lot of money and I think we're setting a stage that setting, setting ourselves up for future expenditures 00:10:14
that will really take a heavy bite. 00:10:19
I'm not sure. 00:10:24
I don't know that you're being overpaid your monthly fee too much. I'm not saying that at all. I just don't think that. 00:10:26
Insurance was a part of the package or should be part of the package, so I really am concerned about that. 00:10:33
And the last thing, and like I said. 00:10:40
Mentioned already already. 00:10:43
Hall and the sub base. Neither one of those have a. 00:10:45
Revenue stream. Neither one of them have the ability to generate a revenue stream. 00:10:48
Over the years. 00:10:53
And it's impossible for a citizen without doing a request. 00:10:54
To get 1000 cents totally I know by 5 minutes. 00:10:58
Total amount of iron's whole money spent on Orange Hall. 00:11:02
During the last. 00:11:05
What would you say 10 years or more? A lot. We're we're talking about millions. 00:11:07
OK. And we keep pouring money into that place and we don't have a plan and I'm not sure that's the right thing to do. 00:11:12
Southern Museum. 00:11:18
Is also a special facility. Thank you very much. 00:11:20
Thank you, Mr. 00:11:22
Good evening, Christine Adamo. 00:11:33
901 Ann Street. 00:11:35
I think we've just heard some discrete details. 00:11:38
That are very important. 00:11:42
For the city to really. 00:11:44
Deep dive into. 00:11:46
I have a solution. 00:11:48
None of you guys. 00:11:51
As city councilors. 00:11:53
Have operating responsibility. 00:11:55
Your oversight? 00:11:58
You are supposed to be looking after what the taxpayers. 00:12:02
Are clearly interested in preserving. 00:12:06
And improving, but it's not your responsibility. 00:12:10
To make sure we have a positive bottom line. 00:12:15
For any of the assets in our portfolio. 00:12:18
The city has been operating like its a venture capitalist. 00:12:23
It invests. 00:12:28
And it doesn't have the capability to do that. 00:12:30
We don't have a management team. 00:12:34
With investment. 00:12:36
Experience. 00:12:37
They're doing the best they can. 00:12:38
They're not the right people. 00:12:41
To manage. 00:12:43
A tight budget. 00:12:45
And an asset portfolio that's losing money? 00:12:47
The Aquatic Center. 00:12:51
The Marina. 00:12:53
How many cities actually subsidized the library? 00:12:55
There's money for all of those. It shouldn't be our taxpayer money subsidizing losses. 00:13:00
In these assets. 00:13:06
And it's really not your responsibility. 00:13:08
To step in and do that on a granular level, we have a management team for that. 00:13:12
They are not equipped, they don't have that experience. 00:13:17
I think it's time to really. 00:13:23
Deep dive. 00:13:25
Into what the needs of this city actually are. 00:13:27
With regard to managing. 00:13:31
The financial oversight. 00:13:33
And operations. 00:13:36
Bring in the skills and the talent. 00:13:39
And the ability. 00:13:41
To look at those assets. 00:13:43
If we're going to keep them on Earth. 00:13:45
Financial sheet. 00:13:47
As a revenue center and an expense. 00:13:49
Bring somebody in that knows how to make it work. 00:13:54
And has positive by the way. 00:13:57
Anyone else? 00:14:18
OK. 00:14:23
Close this public hearing. 00:14:25
And we'll be back at 5:45 for the public hearing on. 00:14:27
All these alcohol license. 00:14:31
* use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search in document
* use Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on Mac) to search in document
Unable to preview the file. Make sure you have Adobe Reader installed

Transcript

Event transcript
Sounds we got formed, so we're going to go. 00:00:03
Good evening now. 00:00:10
Good evening. I'll call to order the. 00:00:12
Public hearing on the. 00:00:15
Proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. 00:00:17
So this is a. 00:00:20
Opportunity for the public to. 00:00:22
Come up and. 00:00:25
Give us whatever comments you have so. 00:00:27
Respect the five minute time frame that we normally do. 00:00:31
Floor is open. 00:00:36
Mr. 00:00:38
We run a little late, he has some out of town. 00:00:40
Business guests that he. 00:00:42
Kind of. 00:00:44
OK, good. 00:00:47
I'll start it out. My name is Mark. 00:00:58
And. 00:01:03
Kind of people talking the microphone. 00:01:05
Please, please give us your address as well, Mr. Faust. 00:01:09
Better get better. 00:01:14
My primary comment is on the. 00:01:26
Budget item to Saint Mary's. 00:01:28
Marina and that's pages 86 through 88 Ross packages. 00:01:30
I did a real quick. 00:01:37
Analysis of it. 00:01:38
And it looks like in fiscal year 2024. 00:01:40
The Marina had earned revenue of $66,867. 00:01:44
And operating expenses that does not include depreciation of $110,475. 00:01:49
So that gives me an operating loss. 00:01:58
$43,608. 00:02:01
According to the documentation, the city transferred $200,100. 00:02:04
To the Saint Mary's Marina, that's out, I guess of the general fund, that's taxpayer money going to subsidize the Marina. 00:02:10
So at the end. 00:02:18
Of 2024 fiscal year. 00:02:19
There should have been $156,492.00 in carryover somewhere. 00:02:22
And I don't see any evidence in the documentation here. 00:02:28
That. 00:02:32
That money was returned back to the general fund. 00:02:33
Now in 2025. 00:02:36
I see a total earned revenue. 00:02:40
Of $91,200. 00:02:43
I see total operating expenses of $201,377. 00:02:46
For a net loss. 00:02:52
Of $110,177 for fiscal year. 00:02:54
2025. 00:02:59
I also see that. 00:03:01
City Council subsidized the Saint Mary's Marina. 00:03:03
To the tune of $110,176 for that year. 00:03:07
I find it peculiar that the amount. 00:03:13
Of money transferred from the General Fund to the Marina. 00:03:16
Almost equaled exactly the operating loss for that time period. 00:03:19
But nonetheless. 00:03:25
What it really means is that the carryover for 2025. 00:03:26
Is $156,491. 00:03:30
So I see for 2026. 00:03:34
City Council has approved $88,855, another subsidy to the Marina. 00:03:37
So my question to you is. 00:03:45
If there's 156,000. 00:03:47
7 iron. 00:03:51
$156,491.00 Carryover. 00:03:52
Why are you putting more money into it? 00:03:56
First question. 00:03:59
Second question. 00:04:00
The Marina. 00:04:02
It's operating at a net loss of every year. 00:04:04
So. 00:04:07
How long has Saint Mary's been operating Marina? That's at a net loss. The City Council can want to continue to subsidize. 00:04:08
At the rate of 80 to $100,000 every year to the Marina. 00:04:15
Seems to me the city is not in the business of running a Marina. 00:04:20
We're not very, very successful at it. 00:04:24
Now I appreciate that you all are doing something as far as trying to give the. 00:04:26
The people in Camden County, some have some some reduced rates for the arena. 00:04:30
That'll probably help a little bit. 00:04:35
But when you're losing $100,000 a year on operating expenses? 00:04:37
Something's wrong. 00:04:40
And I think City Council needs to look at it very seriously. 00:04:42
And actually, I think one of you guys needs to take this as their personal thing. 00:04:45
And make sure that and come up with a plan either make it operational, make it at minimum. 00:04:50
Make it break even. 00:04:56
Or make some plans to do something else with it. 00:04:58
Either started over to somebody who's a subject matter expert. 00:05:01
Or whatever. 00:05:05
But I'm sorry, but the Marina doesn't help all the citizens of Saint Mary's. That $100,000 can fix a whole lot of potholes. 00:05:06
They can clean a whole lot of ditches. 00:05:15
So I think that's something City Council really needs to take a look at. That's the one I keyed in on. There are probably some 00:05:17
other ones in the budget that I didn't key in on. 00:05:21
But I probably will in the future. Thank you. 00:05:25
Thank you, stress. 00:05:28
Are we responding? 00:05:31
Well, since we've only got 30 minutes now, yeah. 00:05:34
Tom-tom Canning for 10 Point Peter Place. 00:05:42
The good news is some of the things I wanted to say has already been said. 00:05:45
Oh, but you know me, I'm not all that short of my words. 00:05:49
OK. So yes. 00:05:54
Saint Mary's Marina. 00:05:56
Is getting $88,000. 00:05:57
Out of the general forum to keep it afloat. 00:06:01
We all recognize your responsibility for a balanced budget and. 00:06:03
This coming year, that's what you expect it's going to take just to keep that line item balance. 00:06:08
But you need to find out a better solution rather than. 00:06:13
Taking it out of. 00:06:17
Tax dollars, it needs to be something else, whether. 00:06:19
I won't pretend to know the answer if I knew the answer. 00:06:24
I'd be a rich man today. 00:06:27
The Aquatic Center. 00:06:29
Over the years we've said this over and over, we've talked about the fact that it requires so much supplement. 00:06:32
To keep. 00:06:39
The lights on to keep it open for a few months. This year we're providing a $269,000. 00:06:40
Lot of that has to do. 00:06:46
With some of the maintenance that you need to put in there and you keep recovering from. 00:06:48
What old stories are about things not being done properly but. 00:06:52
We put a lot of money over the last few years. 00:06:56
Well, intended or not? 00:06:59
Building up. 00:07:01
The capability of that. 00:07:02
But never really recovering. 00:07:04
The value per ticket and. 00:07:06
Differentiating between out of state and in state users. 00:07:08
Special facilities. 00:07:13
In your budget you you do specify what special facilities are, but it's special facilities are Orange Hall. 00:07:17
And. 00:07:24
The Submarine Museum. 00:07:26
I'm not going to go into the history of the Submarine museum. Most of you know it as well or better than I do, and I don't have 00:07:27
any problem. 00:07:30
But decisions made 30 years ago to. 00:07:34
To make that a. 00:07:36
A good aspect of Saint Mary's. 00:07:38
I do have a problem. 00:07:40
With a few weeks ago when you approved under consent with no discussion. 00:07:42
To allow a 10 year contract. 00:07:49
With the Submarine Museum. 00:07:52
Giving them 9000 square feet of prime space. 00:07:54
At no cost, I realized they got a lot of. 00:07:58
Building and architecture and all these other things but. 00:08:01
That's what a business does. 00:08:05
So anyway, I would really like you to. 00:08:07
Rethink and take a look, and those of you that haven't read it in detail, please go to the contract. 00:08:10
9000 square feet in the middle of that property over there has a value. 00:08:17
But we're not recognizing it, and we're paying for it. 00:08:23
General government building expenditures, you talked about this, you we know that it's going to cost money to move in, more money 00:08:26
than we ever expected when you first bought that. 00:08:31
Property because you. 00:08:36
We thought it was in a lot better condition in so many other ways. 00:08:38
There's a lot of wood. It could have, should have stories going on, but right now you've taken $6 million. 00:08:42
And it's been clearly asked by some of you council members that says, wait a minute. 00:08:46
Before you spend a nickel of. 00:08:51
Let's see what the plan is, and let's make sure that we are actually doing what needs to be done rather than. 00:08:53
And then putting lipstick while doing more than we need to. 00:09:02
OK, Legislative expenditures? 00:09:08
I don't know whether anyone else has mentioned this before. I do have an issue. 00:09:10
I do have a concern. 00:09:15
About the legislative expenditures being? 00:09:16
There are $64,000 additional $64,000 on the legislative. 00:09:21
Expenditures. 00:09:26
And the rationale for that? 00:09:28
And I haven't done my research to find out whether this is. 00:09:30
Something that is known in other communities and I. 00:09:35
But I don't know that any of you ran for office with the expectation that the city. 00:09:38
The city taxpayers would be paying for your. 00:09:43
Health insurance and your life insurance, and I think that's where the 64 K comes in. 00:09:47
And that's 64K if I understand correctly. A lot of information. I don't have the details, I only know what I hear from you guys. 00:09:51
A lot of that 64K only represents. 00:09:59
A small number of you that are taking advantage of that. Think about if all of you were taking care of taking advantage of that. 00:10:02
Not that all of you are, some of you are gainfully employed and have your own system, but. 00:10:10
But, you know, that's a lot of money and I think we're setting a stage that setting, setting ourselves up for future expenditures 00:10:14
that will really take a heavy bite. 00:10:19
I'm not sure. 00:10:24
I don't know that you're being overpaid your monthly fee too much. I'm not saying that at all. I just don't think that. 00:10:26
Insurance was a part of the package or should be part of the package, so I really am concerned about that. 00:10:33
And the last thing, and like I said. 00:10:40
Mentioned already already. 00:10:43
Hall and the sub base. Neither one of those have a. 00:10:45
Revenue stream. Neither one of them have the ability to generate a revenue stream. 00:10:48
Over the years. 00:10:53
And it's impossible for a citizen without doing a request. 00:10:54
To get 1000 cents totally I know by 5 minutes. 00:10:58
Total amount of iron's whole money spent on Orange Hall. 00:11:02
During the last. 00:11:05
What would you say 10 years or more? A lot. We're we're talking about millions. 00:11:07
OK. And we keep pouring money into that place and we don't have a plan and I'm not sure that's the right thing to do. 00:11:12
Southern Museum. 00:11:18
Is also a special facility. Thank you very much. 00:11:20
Thank you, Mr. 00:11:22
Good evening, Christine Adamo. 00:11:33
901 Ann Street. 00:11:35
I think we've just heard some discrete details. 00:11:38
That are very important. 00:11:42
For the city to really. 00:11:44
Deep dive into. 00:11:46
I have a solution. 00:11:48
None of you guys. 00:11:51
As city councilors. 00:11:53
Have operating responsibility. 00:11:55
Your oversight? 00:11:58
You are supposed to be looking after what the taxpayers. 00:12:02
Are clearly interested in preserving. 00:12:06
And improving, but it's not your responsibility. 00:12:10
To make sure we have a positive bottom line. 00:12:15
For any of the assets in our portfolio. 00:12:18
The city has been operating like its a venture capitalist. 00:12:23
It invests. 00:12:28
And it doesn't have the capability to do that. 00:12:30
We don't have a management team. 00:12:34
With investment. 00:12:36
Experience. 00:12:37
They're doing the best they can. 00:12:38
They're not the right people. 00:12:41
To manage. 00:12:43
A tight budget. 00:12:45
And an asset portfolio that's losing money? 00:12:47
The Aquatic Center. 00:12:51
The Marina. 00:12:53
How many cities actually subsidized the library? 00:12:55
There's money for all of those. It shouldn't be our taxpayer money subsidizing losses. 00:13:00
In these assets. 00:13:06
And it's really not your responsibility. 00:13:08
To step in and do that on a granular level, we have a management team for that. 00:13:12
They are not equipped, they don't have that experience. 00:13:17
I think it's time to really. 00:13:23
Deep dive. 00:13:25
Into what the needs of this city actually are. 00:13:27
With regard to managing. 00:13:31
The financial oversight. 00:13:33
And operations. 00:13:36
Bring in the skills and the talent. 00:13:39
And the ability. 00:13:41
To look at those assets. 00:13:43
If we're going to keep them on Earth. 00:13:45
Financial sheet. 00:13:47
As a revenue center and an expense. 00:13:49
Bring somebody in that knows how to make it work. 00:13:54
And has positive by the way. 00:13:57
Anyone else? 00:14:18
OK. 00:14:23
Close this public hearing. 00:14:25
And we'll be back at 5:45 for the public hearing on. 00:14:27
All these alcohol license. 00:14:31