Gonzales city council meets tonight

The Gonzales City Council meets tonight at 6 p.m. A few items from their agenda are:

• Eliminating the rental of city-owned tables and chairs

As described in the council's agenda, the city once owned 112 long tables, 15 round tables, and 600 chairs that they would have available for rent, mainly by the school district. There are now 10 long tables, 14 round tables, and 500 chairs remaining due to wear and tear.

It has been some time since the city has replaced their inventory, and city staff is recommending that the rental option be dropped. This would eliminate the cost and time that it takes city employees to load, deliver, and pick up the chairs, as well as replacements. This would decrease revenues from the rentals by about $400, but would save $50-150 in labor for those deliveries.

• Amending pricing discounts for non-profits for the use of J.B. Wells Park facilities

Currently, non-profits get deals for renting the J.B. Wells facilities. For example, Saturday rentals for the expo center run $1,500 for regular renters while non-profits are only required to pay $1,000. There are similar discounts for other days and facilities. The argument is that it costs the same for the work to set up and clean up after a non-profit event as a regular event, and thus the discounts should be eliminated.

• Purchasing a 2018 John Deere skid steer and post auger with 12 inch auger bit for $36,864.70

The city currently borrows a skid steer from the J.B. Wells department, which is not efficient for day-to-day operations. The city needs one of their own for street repairs and had budgeted $40,000 this year in which to find one.

• Postponing general fund expenditures

Due to “economic uncertainty,” the city is looking to trim $407,512.44 from their already approved budget. This would require “postponing” already suggested expenditures from the general fund, such as a special contract to the Edwards Association for $7,500; the Senior Citizen Association for $7,500; the Mental Health Advisory for $2,640; cutting a 3 percent merit increase for all full-time employees, including increases for FICA and retirement accounts; cuts to the Youth Summer Program in the amount of $17,622.54; and cutting a street department repair project on Fair, St. Andrew, and St. Louis streets in the amount of $212,000.

• Postpone hiring of any newly-created part-time positions within the current budget

This could save the city $13,758.11 on salaries and costs within the Economic Development Corporation budget.