The Hancock City Council met April 6 for both the regular City Council meeting as well as a consecutive Budget Work Session meeting.
Following a water boil advisory on March 7, City Manager Mary Babcock made note of the “confusing” nature of the notice in terms of who it applied to and its lacking reach to the public. In response, she noted, the method for distributing such notices will be “standardized.”
At the budget work session, the council heard from four city department heads about the kinds of expenses they are expecting to face in the upcoming fiscal year. The council begins making a new budget by first getting an idea about what the city needs, with more work sessions to follow.
First, the council heard from the head of public works, John Erickson, whose laundry list of expenses was something the council expected. Its contents included sweeper maintenance, an extension to an existing storm sewer, a replacement for the current street sander truck, as well as a particularly pricey replacement for the vacuum truck that unclogs city drains.
Next, Police Chief Wayne Butler presented a decidedly tamer list of expenses which included medical supplies, police report software systems, fire extinguishers, CCTV upgrades, and a replacement for the city server responsible for evidence.
The chair of Recreation Commission, Deb Mann, shared with the council the basketball court replacement at Terrace Park, new grills and fire rings at Hancock Beach, and the gazebo at Klondike Park to be built by the high school. Hancock is slated to build a one-acre dog park, which, after some crowdfunding, was another item in the expense list. The Recreation Commission is also resurfacing the badly decaying tennis court at Laurn Grove Park and converting it to four pickleball courts.
Finally, Fire Chief Rolland Bojo Jr. ran through some truck service expenses, some new turnout gear, and pointed out the city’s upcoming need for a new aerial fire truck because the current one is 22 years old. To maintain compliance with regulations, the city needs an aerial truck of less than 25 years of age.
