FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING

November 19, 2018

The City of Jackson Finance Committee met in the Council Chambers of the
Jackson City Hall at 5:45 p.m. on November 19, 2018 with the following persons
present: Finance Committee members Mayor Wayne Walter, Brandon Finck
and Dave Cushman, City Administrator Matt Skaret and Recording Secretary
Dave Maschoff. (A quorum of the Finance Committee was present.)

BUDGET 2019 – ORGANIZATION FUNDING REQUESTS

City Administrator Matt Skaret said he wanted to convene the Finance
Committee to review budget requests for 2019 from several community
organizations. Skaret distributed a packet of information to the Committee
members outlining the organizations’ budget requests. He explained all of the
organizations were given a form along with information they needed in order to
submit their request.
Skaret explained the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce was requesting
$14,000 for 2019 along with $1,600 for the Holiday Fest Fireworks. He pointed
out the itemized list of how the Chamber would use the $14,000 budget request
in 2019 along with the Chamber’s financial information.
It was the consensus of Finance Committee members to recommend
granting the Jackson Chamber’s budget request for 2019 of $14,000 along with
$1,600 for the Holiday Fest Fireworks.
Regarding the request from the Fort Belmont Foundation, Skaret said they
are requesting $10,000 for 2019. Following discussion, Finance Committee
members recommended granting $9,000 for 2019, similar to what was granted
in 2018.
Finck mentioned if Fort Belmont has a specific project that needs funding,
they can come to the City Council with a request at the time of the project.

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 Skaret explained the Jackson Center for the Arts is requesting $8,000 for
2019, two-thousand dollars less than their 2018 request of $10,000. It was the
consensus of the Finance Committee to recommend granting the Jackson Center
for the Arts budget request of $8,000 for 2019.
Finance Committee members then reviewed the request from the Jackson
County Central Community Education Summer Recreation Program for $6,800.
Skaret said Pam Grussing submitted the request before she retired from her
position as director. Since that time, Skaret said there have been additional
communications with JCC Finance Director Jim Hoffbeck who is recommending a
budget request of $7,500. Finance Committee members reviewed the budget
information provided by the JCC Summer Recreation Program. Following review
and discussion, it was the consensus of the Finance Committee to recommend
granting $7,000 to the JCC Community Education Summer Recreation Program.
Skaret explained a request from the Southwest Minnesota Initiative
Foundation. He said this is an organization the City has not granted budget funds
to in the past. Skaret said the Southwest Minnesota Initiative Foundation is
requesting $1,126 for 2019. Finance Committee members recommended not to
grant the request.
Finance Committee members reviewed the budget request from the Jackson
Cemetery Association requesting $10,000 for 2019. Committee members did not
make a decision on the request. Committee members first wanted to hear the
budget requests from the Jackson Food 4 Kids and Jackson Food Shelf
organizations before making a decision on the Cemetery Association’s request.
Responding to questions from Mayor Walter regarding finalizing the 2019 City
Budget, Skaret said the City Council will have a Truth In Taxation Public Hearing on
December 4th, but the 2019 City budget won’t actually be approved until
December 18th.
Finck asked to have the representative from the Jackson Food Shelf meet with
the Finance Committee at an upcoming meeting.

MEMORIAL PARK FINANCING PHASE 1 CITY SHARE

Skaret explained he wanted to hold off discussion on this agenda item as
engineering firm SEH is revising their cost estimates for the project. He said the
costs may go down a little bit because there are some things that are going to
have to be cut out of Phase One because of the flood plain situation.

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 Finck asked if there were any updates regarding the fundraising efforts by the
Splash Pad Committee since the splash pad will be incorporated into the
Memorial Park Project.
Skaret reported the Splash Pad Committee has raised approximately $220,000
so far. He said their goal is to raise $300,000.

AUDIT PROPOSALS
Skaret explained a Request for Proposals was done for auditing services for
the City.
Skaret said four proposals were submitted. He reported the auditing firm of
Abdo, Eick and Meyers submitted the lowest cost proposal. Skaret noted a
representative from Abdo, Eick and Meyers also made the effort to come to
Jackson to meet with him and City Office Manager Deb Mitchell.
Finance Committee members unanimously approved recommending to the
City Council approving the contract with Abdo, Eick and Meyers of Mankato,
Minnesota to provide auditing services for the City of Jackson for fiscal year
2018 with an option for 2019 and 2020.

ADJOURNMENT
With no further business, the Finance Committee meeting was adjourned.

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David A. Maschoff, Recording Secretary