Curfew Also Lifted
The city of Orange has reserved money to cover six months of operations, making it financially stable, the city’s outside CPA said Tuesday during the presentation of the annual audit.
Jon Watson of WatsonBrooks said accountants recommend a government agency keep three to six months of reserves. The audit was for the 2018-19 fiscal year that ended September 30, 2019.
The city currently has $21.6 million in investments, up from $17 million the year before. Watson said the increase is from the $8 million in bonds the city sold last year for projects like road improvements and a riverfront pavilion.
He also praised city Finance Director Cheryl Zeto and accounting manager Sherry Jackson. “They really do a phenomenal job,” he said.
The city’s income includes 33 perceent from industrial district contracts for in-lieu-of-taxes payments, 30 percent from property taxes, and 13 percent from sales taxes.
In other business, the council agreed to spend an extra $5,240 at the covered Riverside Pavilion for stor water drainage. The pavilion off Simmons Drive is currently under construction.
Public Works Director Jim Wolf said the drainage was not part of the original bid. The addition will send water off the roof and sides into a storm sewer.
The city awarded a construction contract last year for $695,000 to Better Built Buildings. The money is coming from bonds approved by the council in late 2018. Orange County is contributing $100,000 to the project for fencing.
The change order also adds 70 days to the completion for contractor Better Built Buildings. Wolf said construction started in December and had been delayed because of rains earlier in the year.
The pavilion was supposed to be finished in time for the Bassmasters Elite fishing tournament at the end of May. Bassmasters has postponed all of its tournaments because of the covid pandemic.
Kunst told the council that Ida Schossow, president of the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce, reports the tournament has been rescheduled for November 12-15. She is trying to reschedule country singing star Neal McCoy, who had been signed to perform in May.
The carnival held in conjunction with the tournament has been rescheduled. Kunst said the river festival may lose some sponsors and food vendors because of the change in dates.
The council also lifted a special pandemic curfew that required youth outside to be accompanied by a parent. The move was made after schools were released and stay safe orders were issued.
City Manager Mike Kunst said the city is following the lead of the governor’s Monday order of gradually reopening businesses. He said the city will end its order of having only one family member inside a store.
Kunst also pointed out the regular youth curfew still is in effect. That curfew requires youth 17 or younger to be off the streets between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day from Sunday through Thursday. The hours for Friday and Saturday are midnight to 6 a.m.
Exceptions are if the youth are with a parent, traveling to or from work, or for an emergency.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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