Marvin Canfield, Board President of the Fie Rivers Public Library in Parsons, presents the library’s needs during Tuesday’s Parsons City Council rescheduled meeting. Council members voted for the distribution schedule of the upcoming William Mahan Harman Memorial Funds.
PARSONS – Even though funds available the William Mahan Harman Memorial Fund have grown, they were not enough to cover the more than $1 million in requests for the 2015 distribution. Parsons City Council members met Tuesday during a rescheduled meeting to decide the best way to divvy up the $907,000 available for 2015.
Initial requests included $115,000 for the Parsons City Cemetery, $256,000 for the Parsons Park Board, $100,800 for the Five Rivers Public Library and $576,500 for the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons.
The request for the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons request was broken down to include $150,000 for the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike Project, $15,000 for the sewer department, $22,500 for the water department, $50,000 for the public works department, $100,000 for the Parsons Police Department, $15,000 for the Fairs and Festivals, $10,000 for the Parsons Volunteer Fire Department equipment grant, $25,000 for fleet equipment replacement, $10,000 for ordinance codification, $154,000 for PRO ONTRAC and $25,000 for the contingency fund.
Parsons Attorney Pat Nichols explained the purpose and the perimeters of the William Mahan Harman Memorial Fund.
“I am handing out the court order that establishes the distribution for the money,” Nichols said. “There are basically four components – one is the Parsons Cemetery, another is the distribution of funds to maintain the Parsons Parks, one for the Parsons Five Rivers Public Library and finally, any remaining net income to be used for the benefit of the citizens of Parsons.”
Nichols said basically, the city is blessed with the money the Harman Fund has generated.
“Your duty as Councilmembers is to divvy up this money as best you can, utilizing the court order as best you can,” Nichols said. “Jason (Myers, Parsons City Administrator/Treasurer) will tell you each entity has submitted a proposal for the funds needed to function under the terms of this order. Luckily, we have this money. Not many city councils have this mechanism where they can bestow money on different agencies.”
Myers asked Nichols to further elaborate what ‘After consideration of other funds’ means in the distribution order of the Harman Funds.
“I would assume that says you would look at all of the entity’s assets to see what they have and how they intend to spend the Harman Funds,” Nichols said.
Councilman David Greenlief, chairman of the Cemetery Committee. Greenlief said the request includes $45,000 for personnel; utilities and maintenance, $14,500; $50,000 for land and buildings; $3,000 for equipment and $2,500 for contingencies.
Councilman Tim Auvil, a member of the Parsons Parks and Recreation Commission, said his group was requesting $256,000. “That is a combined cost and operating expenses for the maintenance of the River City Park, Mill Race Park and the Wellness Center,” Auvil said.
Included in the request is $127,000 for personnel; $44,600 for utilities, maintenance and audits; $58,000 for buildings and improvements; $29,000 for equipment; and $5,400 for contingencies. “We took it down to the bare minimum to what is necessary to get by this year,” Auvil said.
Marvin Canfield of the Five Rivers Public Library said he was asking for $100,800 for his group. They asked for $75,000 for benefits; $10,000 for books/DVDs/materials; $2,000 for programming; $900 for the ancestry library edition database renewal; and $12,000 for library improvements and maintenance.
Greenlief asked Canfield the amount of money that Five Rivers Public Library has on hand.
“If you go to the balance sheet, we have $97,787.33,” Canfield said. “We owe Upshur County $5,203.15 and we have monies in there for this year from the Harman Fund that will be applied in the amount of $56,788.58. We have petty cash of $100 and a CD worth $5,000.”
Greenlief asked about the outlay between the current date and the date of the outlay of the Harman Funds.
“I would imagine you have an outlay of approximately $10,000 per month,” Greenlief said. “Using that figure, your total cash at draw time would be $120,000, is that correct, give or take a tick and a quiver?”
“Yes, relatively,” Canfield said.
“So at the conclusion at draw time, we will be adding approximately $100,000 more to your cash available, is that correct?” Greenlief said.
“That is correct,” Canfield said.
After much discussion, Parsons City Council members divided the William Mahan Harman Fund as follows:
-$70,000 to the Parsons City Cemetery Committee.
-$245,000 to the Parsons Park Board.
-$40,000 to the Five Rivers Public Library.
-$552,000 for the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons Committee.
The breakdown of the Benefit of the Citizens of Parsons Committee includes $150,000 for the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike Project; $5,000 for the sewer department; $25,000 for the water department; $45,000 for the public works department; $80,000 for the Parsons Police Department; $12,000 for fairs and festivals; $10,000 for the PVFD equipment grant; $25,000 for fleet replacement; $10,000 for ordinance codification; $65,000 for PRO ONTRAC; $25,000 for the contingency fund; and $100,000 for the splash park. This designation was unanimously passed by all members of council.
Councilmembers restricted the $100,000 for the splash park to be used only after repairs at the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike had been completed.
