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VIENNA -- Vienna City Council met on Thursday to talk about Spencer's Landing fill project, Jackson Pool and the kayak launch.
Council discussed the 2022-23 General Fund Budget revision. The revision will appropriate $5,000 toward a contribution to Discovery World on Market and $35,000 from capital reserve for the Spencer's Landing fill project.
The $5,000 for Discovery World on Market, will help cover membership scholarships for 50 children in the Vienna Community.
There will be approximately another $80,000 budget revision from the coal severance account for the Spencer's Landing fill project, but it won't be discussed until the next council meeting on Aug. 25.
Council member Kim Williams said she had concerns about the fill project and where the money was coming from. She said she thought it was unnecessary money being spent to move the dirt from Jackson Park to fill in the ravine in Spencer's Landing, even though she said that council needed to complete the project.
"I just want to make sure that we're clear where the money is coming from, number one, and number two I don't want to see this project expand beyond the $115,000 that we are looking at," she said.
The revision was approved unanimously by council.
City Recorder Melissa Elam gave an update on the Jackson Pool project.
She said Omni's mechanical and electrical engineers will come to the site on Wednesday, Aug. 17, for a site investigation of the pool.
"The goal is still to have the pool open and ready to go for everybody next May," she said.
Council discussed a resolution approving the new business economic development tax credit application for Wings Etc. in Vienna. With the restaurant being a new business in town, producing at least a quarter of a million dollars in payroll, it qualifies for the tax credit for the next three years, which will relieve the business from city taxes for that period of time.
Council approved the resolution, the vote was 6-1 with Williams dissenting. Williams said she thought the $250,000 payroll threshold was too low. Russ Skogstad, city attorney, suggested that council might want to increase the payroll requirement in order to attract bigger businesses to the area. He said the number is a lot lower than it used to be due to the inflation of payroll and the rate of the labor market.
Mayor Randy Rapp discussed the kayak launch. He said the state is finally ready to allocate the funds for the project. The project will be built at the 12th Street location.
"It looks like the kayak launch is going to take off," said Rapp.
Council unanimously approved a bid of $19,200 from Bridgeport Equipment to purchase a UTV for the parks department, a bid of $41,794.65 from Davis Athletics to purchase outdoor exercise pieces and youth playground pieces for the parks department and a bid of $14,207 from Fore Timber to purchase a Scag Turf Tiger II Mower with a mulch plate for the parks department.
James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com.