City committee gives preliminary approval to 2012 JSDC budget

The Jamestown City and Finance and Legal Committee gave preliminary approval to the 2012 budget for the Jamestown/ Stutsman Development Corp. during its regular meeting Tuesday. The unanimous approval places the issue on the consent agenda of the City Council, which meets July 5.

“The overall increase is 3 percent,” said Connie Ova, CEO of the JSDC. “The increase amounts to $16,000 for the city of Jamestown share and $4,000 for Stutsman County.”

The projected 2012 budget totals $392,000 with the addition of $9,000 for an intern position and $7,000 for increases in salaries. The budget line item for salaries increases from $163,000 to $170,000.

“The salary increases are in line with raises given to city and county employees at 4 percent,” Ova said.

The committee also addressed the costs of employee health insurance. Jamestown operates a self-funded plan where the costs of covered medical care for employees and their families are paid by the city through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

Jeff Fuchs, city administrator, projected costs for a single plan at $415 per month with family plans at $975. The city covers the entire cost of a single plan and pays the same amount toward the cost of a family plan or a family plus dependents.

The withholding amount for a single plus dependent will increase by 7.4 percent and a family plan by 6.9 percent from current withholding rates.

The committee also scheduled a bid opening for a lighting renovation project at the Jamestown Civic Center for July 18. Engineer’s estimates for the project are just under $200,000 and will replace all lighting throughout the building with energy efficient fixtures.

“The payback in energy savings with these lights is less than four years,” Fuchs said.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at (701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com

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