The scheduled agenda of the Branson Board of Aldermen for its Sep. 22 regular meeting will be long and full. In addition to the quarterly marketing report to be presented by the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, the board will also consider matters relating to delaying the final approval of the city’s 2009 fiscal year budget until the end of October and will again address the matter of a new liquor control ordinance.
It appears the Branson financial caution light that came on about midway through the city’s 2008 fiscal year will be on at the start of the city’s 2009 fiscal year. At a special joint meeting of the Branson Board of Aldermen and the city’s Budget and Finance Committee held on Sep.16, Branson City Administrator Dean Kruithof stated it was too ambitious to get the budget done by Oct. 1 and suggested a target date of the end of October.
Kruithof suggested that the public budget hearing for the fiscal year 2009 budget, scheduled for the boards Sep. 22 meeting, be conducted as scheduled. That hearing is on the agenda.
He also suggested the interim measure of the board adopting a resolution providing for the continuation of the budget process into October and for the payment of the basic expenditures necessary for the city to conduct basic operations and provide services to its citizens. The board will consider a resolution providing for the continuation of necessary and essential expenditures of the budget to operate the city of Branson through Nov. 3.
The staff report introducing the resolution states, “City and State Statutes allow for the continuation of the budget into the following year for good and sufficient reasons. On September 16th the Board of Aldermen and the Branson Finance Committee acknowledged that good and sufficient reasons exist to allow a continuation because of the City Governments financial status.”
The city’s proposal to amend its liquor ordinance has been in process for over a year. The initial amendment met with considerable opposition when it was presented earlier this year. As a result of the considerable public input on the proposal a number of changes and revisions have been made to the initial proposal and an entirely new bill has been substituted for the original.
The new revised 47 plus page substitute bill incorporating the changes and recommendations from the previous hearings and meetings on the issue is on the agenda for its first reading. If approved the final reading for the bill will be scheduled for the Consent Agenda of the boards first meeting in October which will be on Oct. 14. A review of the substitute bill indicates it does not contain any notations or other indications showing what was changed from the original bill. The complete text of the substitute bill as well as the complete agenda for the meeting is available on the city’s web site at www.cityofbranson.org under the “Agendas & Meetings” link.
Furnished Courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent https://bransoncourier.com/view_article.php?news_ID=41
