Fayette City Administrator Tyler Griffith has been on the job only about seven months but says the city has accomplished a lot in that short amount of time.
Griffith issued an open letter to Fayette residents, the Fayette City Council and city employees, outlining a number of accomplishments.
Griffith said, “I don’t think that any of us could have predicted the many challenges we have faced this year, but we all know that the City of Fayette unites together to support each other during these times. This year has been shaped by major global, national, state and local public health and economic emergencies. We continue to support our community and implement the Council’s policy priorities. I am deeply proud that our City has been able to maintain its core services to all residents while still providing emergency response efforts to everyone.”
As the city administrator, Griffith says he has an obligation to manage city resources; to plan and oversee the activities and operations of the city that serves the community and employees.
Griffith says the city’s actions over the last seven months to ensure the city is moving forward include:
1. Completed real estate transaction for the sale of the speculative building which the city held for 23 years, creating $182,000 in cash flow for the community.
2. Refinancing of an outstanding bond, saving the city $400,000.
3. City Purchased a used ladder fire truck, which is a $200,000 investment by the city into the fire department.
4. Renegotiated the water contract with the Howard County Regional Water Commission, removing approximately $100,000 liability.
5. Development of a strong partnership with MoDOT to repair the state highways that run through town; and was informed that the state highways that run through town are scheduled to be resurfaced in 2024. Potholes on the state routes started to be repaired last week within the city limits, with more repairs planned in the near future.
6. Currently working on a new contract with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for cost-sharing on improvements at D.C. Rogers Lake: new ADA restroom, new ADA parking spots, new ADA fishing jetty, new ADA sidewalks to both restroom and fishing jetty.
7. Established an agreement with MDC for the treatment of the Lilly Pads at Both D.C. Rogers Lake and Peter’s Lake at no cost to the city. Thus, that saves the city at least $50,000.
8. Completion of the City’s Annual Financial Statements for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 with the assistance of Miller Bales & Company PC.
9. In February of 2021, the city officially started the Audit process for Fayette which is being conducted by Evers & Company, LLC for both fiscal years 2019 and 2020.
10. Filed the annual financial statement with the State Auditor’s Office in compliance to ensure no withholdings of sales-tax revenues by the Department of Revenue.
11. Final Plans, specifications and estimates have been submitted for the upcoming sidewalk project. It’s an approximately $250,000 investment.
12. The $5.5 million investment through Capital Improvements in the community’s sewer system is in the final stage of the approval process. This project started around 2014, but over the last few months the city has made significant progress.
13. A new police truck has been purchased and was a $35,000 investment into the community. Also, a new police radio system was purchased for $5,000, 14. Purchased used snow-plow truck for the street department and spreader for $28,000.
15. City Purchased 100 new water meters in 2020. This was a $12,000 investment into the community.
16. The city plans to order 500 new electric meters in partnership with the Missouri Public Utility Alliance, which is providing the city with $48,000 to help pay for this upgrade; and the remaining $52,000 will be an investment made by the city.
17. Saved the City around $7,000 per year starting in January 2021 by moving the fax machine at city hall and the police department to VOIP.
18. Currently conducting a rate study of the electric rates, which have not increased since 2007. That year was the last study completed for electric rates.
Griffith says, “As Fayette’s City Administrator, I work to support and implement the City Council’s goals and priorities, oversee the delivery of a broad range of services to the community, strategically and prudently manage a capital assets portfolio of over $10 million, and focus on long-term strategies to ensure a high quality of life for every resident in Fayette. Over the next few months some tough decisions around longterm strategies are going to be made to ensure a high quality of life for Fayette stays for several decades.”
Griffith continued, “For example, one of these will be to determine what direction the city needs to go with either updating or improving our current electrical distribution system which is outdated, and not energy efficient by any means. We actual lose approximately $500,000 per year in energy loss within the power lines and within the old meters that are in operation within the current system. The second key strategy decision will be if the City should start the beginning phases of capital improvement street projects for the city streets which are in need of major improvements. The third strategic objective will be strongly focused around affordable single family housing needs within the community. The real estate market in Fayette over the last few years has offered very limited listings or new homes to potential buyers. This is causing people to move out of town which stops our growth. But at the same time the homes that have be selling are moving fairly quickly and normally show and increase in the median selling price per year.”
Now, it is the duty of the city to find solutions to provide the much-needed revenues for the next fiscal year, and doing this protects the delivery of a broad range of services that we offer the community. The city could possibly be asking for the community’s support by requesting a new Public Safety Sales Tax to be added to a future election ballot.
Griffith says, “This is another key step in the right direction for the community. Also, after the electric rate study is complete, we should implement the recommend rates.”
Griffith adds, “The city has full intentions to open the City Public Swimming pool the Week of Memorial Day 2021.”