The Hermiston City Council passed a supplemental budget at this week’s meeting.
The action Monday night was part of an annual process of adjusting the budget to account for expenditures that weren’t fully anticipated when the council passed its budget for fiscal year 2014-15 last year. The adjustments were made through three resolutions passed by the council.
The first resolution authorizes additional expenditures in nine funds, as well as inter-fund transfers between multiple funds, and establishes reserves for future expenditure. The supplement to the budget is $5,546,934, with new appropriations of 4,693,234, and $853,700 put into the reserve.
A second resolution passed Monday creates five new accounts in the reserve fund. Those new accounts will be for a new skate park, improvements to Victory Square Park, construction of a new entrance to the city’s public works facilities on Elm Avenue, a reserve for the Hermiston Energy Services Rate Stabilization Account, and a reserve for the Utility Rate Stabilization Account.
The final resolution authorizes an inter-fund loan from the general fund to the reserve fund for $115,000 for the improvements to Victory Square Park, which include a new restroom, parking and additional improvements.
The supplemental budget also accounts for the $2 million grant the city received for the construction of the new senior center.
A copy of the supplemental budget can be found online.
In other actions, the council approved a pair of annexations. The council voted in favor of annexing a 0.16-acre lot on N.E. Second Street. Owner Clyde Noble intends to build a single-family dwelling on the lot. The annexation will allow the lot to be hooked up to the city’s sewer services.
The other annexation involves a 20-acres piece of property purchased by the city for the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.
The council also approved liquor license application for off-premises sales for the La Carreta restaurant on S.W. 11th Street.
