Othello 2023 budget includes park, city hall upgrades

OTHELLO — The city of Othello is projected to spend about $31.4 million on city services and projects in 2023.

Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said city officials have put together a long list of projects for next year.

“This 2023 budget is an ambitious budget that’s designed to accomplish a lot of things,” Logan said.

The city’s general fund was budgeted at about $8.3 million in 2023; the general fund pays for most city employee salaries and operations not funded through specific departments. The city’s sewer utility fund was budgeted at about $5.7 million, and the water utility fund at about $4.3 million.

Operation of water and sewer services are paid for out of those funds.

The street fund is budgeted at $2.175 million. The city also has about $1.25 million of the money the city received to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Additional chip-sealing is planned for some city streets, along with lining of some city sewers. Equipment upgrades are planned for the city’s public works department, and Othello City Council members authorized the purchase of an excavator, loader, water truck and dump truck in mid-December.

The city will open a municipal court in 2023. Council members passed an ordinance in September setting up the court, with the court set to begin operation Jan. 1. That followed a notice from Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Flyckt that county officials would not renew a contract with the city for municipal court services.

The new court necessitated a remodel of the city council chambers and some adjoining spaces to provide offices and meeting rooms for municipal court officials and attorneys.

The city’s parks and recreation activities are mostly paid for out of the general fund, and Logan said there’s a substantial list of parks projects planned for 2023.

The city purchased P.J. Taggeres Park in April and the park was annexed into the city limits during the summer. The park is in need of repairs and upgrades, and some of which are planned for next year.

A new bathroom facility is budgeted for the park in 2023 along with renovation of the park’s picnic shelter. The picnic shelter in Lions Park also will be renovated. A new playground in Lions Park is scheduled for construction in 2023. The playground project has been pending since 2020, derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. The Lions Park project also includes the addition of two basketball courts to the two already in the park. Security cameras will be installed throughout the city’s parks, and upgrades also are planned for the city’s parks and recreation building.

The city hall remodeling project also will include upgrades to the building’s heating-cooling system, a new streaming system in the council chambers-municipal courtroom and upgraded security for the city’s data systems.

City officials are planning to replace 23 breathing apparatus units for city firefighters and purchase five new police vehicles.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached at education@columbiabasinherald.com.