At Monday’s Marysville City Council meeting, the city honored city Fire and EMS workers, declaring it “EMS Week” in Marysville. Mayor J.R. Rausch referred to EMS as a, “vital public service.” Pictured, from left, are Lt. Joe Daniels, Mark Smothers, Clayton Spring, Brent Mudgett, Kevin Bellman, Sean Rengert, Rausch, Battalion Chief Nate Burns, Fire Chief Jay Riley, Jeremy Rausch, Zach Welch, Cole Tomlin and Brady Monroe.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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A focus of Monday’s Marysville City Council meeting was short-term debt, and plans to reduce it.
Council approved refinancing about $3 million in short-term debt issued in 2016 and 2017 for another year. Some of the money is tied up in payment of the Decker Fire Station on County Home Road.
That debt was set to mature in August. The city asked to pay down $750,000 this year, which will leave $900,000 of debt left on the building to pay in 2019.
Other money is associated with the purchase of the Innovation Park land on Industrial Parkway in 2016. The city will pay off an extra amount on that debt now and extend the payment plan another year.
“The hope is when we sell more land in Innovation Park, the process will earmark those monies to pay off the second note as well,” said finance director Justin Nahvi.
Nahvi said he hopes that by next year, the city will have no more short-term general fund debt.
Councilperson Henk Berbee noted that when the city initially built the new city hall, police station and fire station years ago, the plan was to be debt-free by 2020. He commended Nahvi and former finance director Jenny Hutchinson for their work paying down the debt early.
“I think it says a lot for the finance directors, not only Justin, but his predecessor as well, that they have worked diligently and we’ll have a way to get this all done in 2019,” Berbee said.
Berbee said the way he looks at it, “That pays off the credit cards.” He said everything else is akin to mortgages.
“Yes, we have big mortgages, but we know that mortgages are mostly covered by the water and sewer (funds), and it’s something that’s not going to be a big problem,” Berbee said. “Financially, we continue to see year after year improvements.”
Council also approved the issuance of about $2.4 million in debt that may not end up being used.
Last year, council approved the issuance of $4.7 million in short-term debt in capital improvement. The city about ended up issuing about $2 million for work on the Innovation Park roadway on Industrial Parkway.
“The thought process here, again, is we’re seeking approval to issue this debt, but we’re hoping we won’t have to issue any of it, so it’s kind of an insurance policy,” Nahvi said.
Councilperson Tracy Richardson asked specifically what projects the city was looking to cover with the capital improvement plan. Nahvi said it’s everything, “Non-vehicle related.”
“All this $2.4 million dollars is related to is basically paving, Innovation Park signage … State Route 38 lowering, all of those roadway related items,” Nahvi said.
In other council news:
-City Engineer Jeremy Hoyt said the Main Street Bridge project remains on schedule, and is expected to be open June 26. He said ODOT would begin the process of pouring the deck in the next week.
“Everything is running smooth,” Hoyt said.
-City Manager Terry Emery reminded council that the city’s Touch a Truck event will be host Friday, June 1 at Mill Valley Park Central. Non-perishable food items will be accepted to help stuff a truck, and will be donated to the Marysville Food Pantry.