Conrad council hears requests from library, daycare center

During a relatively brief regular meeting last Thursday evening, the Conrad city council heard budget requests from both the public library and the Wolf Creek Childcare and Preschool Center.
           
Library Director Sue Blythe mostly requested small increases for a total fiscal year 2019 budget of $135,285—up from $132,260 in fy2018. City administrator Lori Stansberry proposed a relatively large change in the library’s insurance expenditures, which would go from $7,149 to $8,100 (a 13.3 percent increase), and the allocation for building maintenance would increase by 33 percent (from $3,000 to $4,000) under the new budget. On the other hand, spending for the summer rec program and telephone usage would both decrease by at least 20 percent for fy2019.
           
Jane Katzer spoke on behalf of the daycare, which received $65,000 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds for fy2018. She acknowledged the difficult realities of operating a community childcare center in the modern era: Wolf Creek is competing against at least nine in-home providers locally. Currently, its student numbers are only at about half of the capacity of 77. 
 
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