(KAIR)--Atchison city officials came together Monday night for their annual budget workshop, one of the first steps in preparing the yearly budget for the city.

City Manager Trey Cocking opened the meeting by reminding everyone that the meeting was intended to be a forum for non binding discussion on the 2015 budget, and no formal decisions would be made until a later date.

Cocking presented several requests that had been made for Capital Improvement funds, including improvements to the 6th Street Viaduct and a proposed expansion to the Public Works Department, but Cocking says that as they start to look at the Capital Improvement fund for next year, streets remain a concern. He says that street costs have risen steadily over the last ten or fifteen years, and the money they have been spending on streets has produced much less in return.

He adds that this is further complicated by the need to conduct concrete repair associated with the various street projects. They city needs to make sure they have good curbs when they go in to repair streets, as well as fixing any issues with the road bed underneath and making improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Cocking says officials are struggling to figure out a way to keep streets funded at an adequate level, which includes the River Road project. He says to fix that road the right way, it would require approximately $810,000, so they are looking at alternatives for that street repair.

Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce President Jacque Pregont also came before the Commission to request funding for both tourism in the city and for the annual Amelia Earhart Festival. Pregont said that tourism is a strong economic engine and is very good for small business. She says that every penny that tourists bring into the community helps the chamber defer their own costs. They contribute to the tax structure by paying sales taxes.
She adds that tourism is an ongoing, continuous part of what the chamber does, and she thinks they have been very successful in promoting the city.

Officials also addressed the city's Sewer Capital Improvement fund, with Cocking saying that it was in good shape, but they still really need to figure out a way to fund it in the near future.

Before the meeting was adjourned, Commissioners were given an opportunity voice their thoughts. Commissioner Jack Bower said that he thought money should go back to the public rather than going to improve city offices, and Commissioner Rita Hartman said that she thought it would be better if older sidewalks in the city were replaced, rather than just having new ones built.