Budgetary revisions and transfers for the Cuba Board of Aldermen to approve were presented by Jennifer Basham, staff accountant and bookkeeper, at the Oct. 20 meeting. When the budget was first approved on June 16, a hiring and spending freeze was implemented to help improve the city’s cash flow.

Basham said that, looking at the budget, it is slowly increasing, but not at a high enough rate to remove the freezes.

“At this time in our bank accounts, we currently have approximately $5.1 million of spendable and committed cash in the bank,” Basham said. “Until the city bank account is at least $8 to $10 million, I am not recommending a hiring freeze be removed nor a spending freeze at this time.”

The beginning budget was expected to end with a net income of $363,650, but after the revision, it is $312,716. Transfers increased by $12,624 over the quarter.

“Which is a slight increase in past years,” Basham said. “They have (slightly) decreased, in part, due to an increase in revenue from general funds, from sales tax and building permits. Therefore, a decrease in the transfers was warranted.”

A motion to accept the budget revisions was approved by a 5-0 vote.

Basham said they are trying something different by providing quarterly budget transfers throughout the course of the fiscal year instead of doing them all at one time.

“So we are asking…to transfer $128,863 into the general fund for administrative costs from the electric, the waterworks and the natural gas,” Basham said. “For capital improvement, we’re asking for $191,174 to go out of capital improvement into the street transportation tax for that overlay project, and then $21,161 for the McBride project, and then we’re also asking for the grounds transfer from the parks fund of $9,239.”

They are also asking to transfer $51,723.31 from the transportation tax fund into the street fund.

A motion to accept the transfers was approved with a 5-0 vote.

Chris Kight, Cuba Parks and Recreation Board president, presented the aldermen with an end of the pool season report.

“Cuba Parks and Rec Department has enjoyed a successful season, providing family and community members with a place to gather and enjoy the summer,” Kight said.

The board recommended during its Oct. 13 meeting that the manager hiring process start on Jan. 1, 2027, and be filled by March. This would give more time to the board to recruit lifeguards and other pool staff, and prepare for the upcoming pool season.

With the Parks and Rec Board, the pool committee plans to update the aquatics manual and develop an emergency action plan.

A motion to start advertising the pool manager position on Jan. 1 was approved by a 5-0 vote.

Resident Cyndi Mercer requested approval to hold the next Witches Night on Route 66 on Oct. 2, 2027, to begin advanced planning and advertising.

A motion to accept the request was approved by a 5-0 vote.

In other business, a motion to approve Bill No. 2244, which is an ordinance that accepts and approves the final development plan of the McBride Homes Silo Ridge subdivision as submitted and authorizes the mayor to execute an acceptance and approval of said final development plan, was approved by a 5-0 vote and became General Ordinance 1257.

Bill No. 2245 accepts and approves a utility easement recorded as instrument number 202603061 with the Crawford County Recorder of Deeds from grantor Village at Silo Ridge Homeowners Association to the city of Cuba (water/sewer). A motion to accept the ordinance was approved by a 5-0 vote and became General Ordinance 1258.

Bill No. 2246 became Special Ordinance 981 after a motion to accept it was approved with a 5-0 vote. The ordinance authorizes the mayor to enter into an agreement with Archer-Elgin for engineering services for wastewater treatment facility improvements.

A motion to accept Bill No. 2247 was approved with a 5-0 vote. It authorizes the mayor to enter into a modification of the agreement with CM Archer Group P.C. for professional consulting services, and it became Special Ordinance 982.