Town setting budget priorities

ong with department heads met for the second time Thursday to talk about the future Saratoga budget.

Thursday’s meeting was the second meeting in a long process the town of Saratoga will go through to prioritize projects for the 2013-2014 budget.

The budget, just like an ordinance, will go through three readings before being approved by the Saratoga Town Council. The first reading will take place at the regular Saratoga Town Council meeting May 2. The second reading will take place June 4. The third reading will take place June 18.

In Thursday’s workshop meeting, the council, Public Works Director, Saratoga Police and Fire chiefs, and other department heads discussed priorities of goals that were set in the first budget meeting on March 28.

The Saratoga Police Department wanted to prioritize a new vehicle and radio recorder. The fire department wanted to prioritize a new pump truck.

Wish lists involving the town’s infrastructure were much longer in comparison.

Public Works Director Chuck Bartlett presented many projects involving water and sewer, the public works department and parks, some of which need to be completed “one way or another,” Bartlett said.

Many projects, like the proposed river projects along the North Platte River running through Saratoga, have grant funding, Bartlett said. But others need full, or at least matched funding, from another source.

A project that has no grant backing it up will involve the Platte Valley Community Center parking lot.

“It’s the best pavement we have in town and it needs something,” Bartlett said. “It hasn’t had anything done to it since it got put down.”

Bartlett said the public works department’s highest priority would be the North Platte River pedestrian bridge, because they have grant money allocated to fix it, he said.

“I think one of our big priorities should be our infrastructure,” said Councilwoman Judy Welton near the end of the meeting.

Welton said some issues could become “emergency situations” if left unattended.

Upcoming

budget meetings and readings

5 p.m., April 11 – workshop

5 p.m., April 18 – workshop

5 p.m., May 2 – first reading

6 p.m., May 21 – workshop

5 p.m., May 30 – workshop

6 p.m., June 4 – second reading

5 p.m., June 13 – final workshop

6 p.m., June 18 – third reading