The Atlantic City Council will hold a Public Hearing during their meeting Wednesday evening at City Hall, with regard to a proposed Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget. The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. City Administrator John Lund says if the City overspends in any of the nine state codes budget activities areas during a particular fiscal year, a budget amendment is required. Atlantic, he says, has chosen to incorporate a single amendment towards the end of the fiscal year, to reconcile the City’s current budget with its final expenditures. Lund says “This is a routine matter.”

The changes include: Amending revenues to account for $34,500 resulting from an underestimated hanger rent, and because the City parked a sizable amount of liquidity into a long-term Certificate of Deposit (CD) with Whitney Bank for 2.5%, as opposed to a regular savings account interest rate of 0.15%.  The change made for an additional $47,250 to the City through the strategic investment of cash reserves.

Lund says the Budget Amendment also accounts for $3,500 that’s needed for higher chemical costs associated with mosquito spraying, the funds for which are in the LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) Progress Fund. And, an additional $22,000 was needed in the Finance and Administration Department to cash out the City Clerk’s benefits upon retirement and to pay for a second City Clerk during a training period earlier this year.

Following the Public Hearing, the Council will act on passing a Resolution to amend the budget as stated. The Council will also act on a Resolution “Setting salaries for Appointed Officers and Employees of the City of Atlantic,” for Fiscal Year July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. The Resolution includes the final numbers for compensation as worked out by the Personnel and Finance Committee.

In other business, the Council will hold a hearing on amending the City Code, with regard to Fireworks. The Ordinance restricts fireworks use to July 2nd and 3rd, 2017, from Noon until 10-p.m., and on July 4th, 2017, from Noon until 11-p.m. News Year’s Eve, fireworks may be displayed from 6-p.m. until 12:15-a.m. New Year’s Day. No fireworks will be used within 300-feet of a Public School building, assisted living facility or hospital. Anyone who violates the Ordinance is subject to a $250 fine plus court costs. Additional violations will result in a fine of $600 plus court costs.

The Ordinance also spells out who may sell fireworks (Persons with a State Permit who have proof of Insurance), and the costs for inspection fees associated with the selling of fireworks. An inspection fee of $100 will be charged for any permanent structure where fireworks are sold, and $200 for temporary structures. The operators of such sales sites must have $1-million dollars worth of insurance each, for Personal Injury (per person) and Property Damage. Vendors meeting the restrictions will be allowed to sell their wares from June 1st until July 8th (June 13th – July 8th for locations w/temporary structures), and December 10th until January 3rd.

The Council is expected to hold the first reading of the Ordinance after the hearing, followed by a waiving of the second reading and approval after the third reading.