Enterprise receives positive audit results

According to an audit by Brunson, Wilkerson, Bowden & Associates, the city of Enterprise is on solid ground as a representative informed the city of its "unmodified" opinion from auditors.

Misty Tindol, who reported no findings during the audit process, presented Enterprise City Council members the 2013 fiscal year audit during an Aug. 5 meeting.

Tindol said "unmodified" is the new term used to describe an audit with no discrepancies.

"We are appreciative of the cooperation that we received form Mr. (Steve) Hicks and his office and all departments of the city. They are always cooperative with us. It's a nice place to work, which is always nice when you go into an audit," Tindol said.

At the end of the 2013 fiscal year, the city has $79.8 million in total assets.

Those assets include $5.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, receivables of $4.8 million, restricted cash at $10.7 million (funds set aside for capital projects), restricted investments of $1.4 million (debt service funds) and capital assets worth $55.7 million.

For the 2013 fiscal year, the city took in revenues of $27.1 million, a reduction of about $3.5 million from last year's revenues.

The reduction is seen in the amount of capital grants and contributions the city received. In 2012, the city received $3.5 million in capital grants and contributions, while in 2013 it received $936,277.

The city receives revenues through service charges, grants and various taxes including sales, ad valorem, gasoline and lodging among others.

The majority of revenue was received through sales tax revenues, which for 2013 were $14,969,599, a slight decrease from 2012 sales tax revenues of $15,083,822.

Other major revenue streams come from charges for services at $3,524,276 and ad valorem tax at $2,747,226.

Expenditures include public safety, highways and streets, education, health and sanitation, culture and recreation and general government expenses.

Total expenses for the 2013 fiscal year were $28.3 million, Tindol said.

The majority of expenditures were in public safety with $6.9 million followed by highways and streets at $3.8 million and payments to the board of education at $3.5 million.

Tindol said one of the major changes in expenditures was in economic development.

"You've expended approximately $1.1 million in economic development funds during the year," Tindol said.

The water works and sewer fund had total assets of $43.7 million, which includes $40.9 in capital assets.

Tindol said the water works board added about $717,000 in capital assets to water works during the 2013 fiscal year and the sewer fund added capital assets of about $3.9 million, which included improvements to the wastewater treatment facility.

In other news, Jane Fletcher, who has been working with the Enterprise Bark Park project, appeared before the council to request a motion approving an additional 20 square feet of space to the proposed dog park at the Enterprise Recreational Complex.

Councilmembers approved the request. Fletcher said she hopes to begin installing the fencing as soon as possible.

"We look forward to partnering on this and appreciate everything," Fletcher told the council.

Resident Sherry McCormick also appeared before the council and Mayor Kenneth Boswell to request the procedure for filing a complaint with the city regarding an individual.

City Attorney Rainer Cotter said he had explained to her prior to the meeting that the proper procedure was contacting the human resources department, but she said it took her three times coming to city hall before learning the proper procedure.

She originally took her complaint to Municipal Judge Dwain Hardwick two months ago. McCormick said he advised that he would take her grievance to the mayor and city attorney.

She said she was contacted the next day by Cotter to discuss the matter.

During the Aug. 5 meeting, McCormick expressed her displeasure that nothing had been done since speaking to Hardwick and Cotter.

McCormick said if it takes a formal complaint to get things moving then that is "disturbing," adding it seemed to her that the city was taking a non-proactive stance regarding her complaint.

"We can not put things into motion until you make that (formal) complaint with HR," Boswell told her.

A formal complaint was filed with the city's human resources department the day before the council meeting on Aug. 4.

However, McCormick said, to her, her formal complaint came when she spoke to the head of the judicial branch.

"It doesn't get any more formal than the victim of it coming and speaking with the head of the judicial branch," she said.

With a formal complaint filed, Cotter said a formal investigation would take place.

"I am aware of the person Ms. McCormick has complained about and I spoke with Ms. McCormick on May 28, June 23 and today and acknowledged the formal complaint and told her we would be doing a formal investigation related to it," Cotter said. "I'm not saying it doesn't have merit. She has made me aware of the person that she is concerned about and we are moving forward in looking at that and I've assured Ms. McCormick as of today we would be doing that and I would keep her informed."

In other business, the council approved a motion extending the original 1996 lease with the Alabama Department of Transportation for the YMCA property on Highway 27 to extend the lease for an additional five years, ending in August 2018.

The city is also moving forward with Phase one of an environmental site assessment by Polyengineering for the College Street Elementary and Enterprise Junior High School properties, as well as a boundary survey of Bates Memorial Stadium.

The council approved a request from Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon to seek bids for the rehabilitation of five hangars at the Enterprise Municipal Airport.

Boswell said improvements would include painting, sealing the roof, returning electrical to its original state, new rolling doors, sealing and coating of taxi lanes and security upgrades.

The council made several appointments to local boards. Steve Nagy was appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Tammy Young and Becky Armstrong were appointed to the Library Board.

The council also approved a request on behalf of the Experimental Aircraft Association to host a Young Eagles Rally Aug. 16 from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Enterprise Municipal Airport.

In the mayor's report, Boswell said a project by the Rotary Club to install sunshade covers at Johnny Henderson Family Park is nearly complete.

Boswell also commended the Public Works Department, who, during a year, mows 380 miles of grass, as well as an additional 189 acres of land throughout the city.

Boswell requested a motion, which was approved, to provide up to $22,000 in matching funds for a grant to make repairs to the upper pond at the city park.

The Alabama Department of Transportation has been making upgrades to several city intersections.

Work has already begun at the intersection of Rucker Boulevard and Boll Weevil Circle, which will receive a full upgrade.

Boswell said ALDOT would eventually complete upgrades on every intersection along Boll Weevil Circle at no cost to the city.

Regarding the LaVeta Woods property, a former nuisance property, Boswell said the buildings have recently been torn down.

City Engineer Michael Walters said it is his understanding that the property has a new owner who took on the property under the condition that the buildings be demolished.

The next Enterprise City Council meeting is at 6 p.m., Aug. 19, at city hall.