In Brief: City Commission Approves Budget Amendments

The Plymouth City Commission unanimously approved some minor budget amendments Monday during a brief meeting held outdoors at Lions Park.

According to a report by Mark Christiansen, the city's finance director, the fourth-quarter budget amendments were minimal in impact to the current fiscal year's financial picture. A full breakdown of the amendments is available in the attached PDF document. 

The report tracks the city's finances through June 16.

Christiansen's report indicated the fund balance for all operating funds increased from $11,196,881 in 2010 to $11,424,150 as of June 16.

The report also indicated the following expenditures:

• $749,193 from the general fund for the geothermal system at the  last fiscal year.
• $584,674 from the Downtown Development Authority operating fund for streetscape improvements in the DDA district during the previous fiscal year.
• $325,000 financed this year to complete the geothermal project.
• $650,000 that was advanced for a fire truck, pending the arrangement of bank financing.

Christiansen indicated that the city's current financial strength was in such good shape that it was able to finance these improvements in light of nationwide economic turmoil.

He will issue a preliminary year-end report in late July or early August that will include most of the year-end accruals. 

In other business

City commissioners unanimously accepted an amendment modifying the city's liquor licenses cap.

The existing cap, which limits the number of liquor licenses to 22 citywide, includes 14 liquor licenses in the Downtown Development Authority's district. The amendment will allow an additional 10 licenses outside of the district, thus allowing two additional licenses in those areas.