RES 2004-04 EMERGENCY & CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUNDSRESOLUTION NO 2004-04
A RESOLUTION of the City of Bainbridge Island, Washington, establishing an -
Emergency Reserve and a Contingency Reserve within the Current Expense Fund of the
City and amending Resolution 2003-49.
WHEREAS, The City of Bainbridge Island established cash reserve targets in 1998 by
Resolution 98-36 and subsequently restructured them by Resolution 2003-49; and
WHEREAS, The City of Bainbridge Island seeks to develop financial policies that are fiscally
prudent, that incorporate principals of budget sustainability, and
WHEREAS, The City of Bainbridge Island seeks to maintain the highest possible credit rating
for all categories of General Obligation debt that can be achieved without comprising the
delivery of basic City services, and
WHEREAS, The City Council has determined that to achieve these goals it is necessary and
appropriate to establish the following two Reserves to pay for unanticipated expenditures, now
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, as follows:
Section 1. An Emergency Reserve (formerly called the General Reserve) is established
within the Current Expense Fund of the City to pay for unexpected emergencies that can
not reasonably be accommodated by current budget appropriations or by the Contingency
Reserve. Such uses are limited to:
• Major financial loss caused by fire, flood, explosion, storm, earthquake,
terrorism or similar occurrence that could not be anticipated.
• For the immediate preservation of order or public health, or for the
restoration of public property which has been destroyed.
• For the payment of claims for personal injuries or property damage that
are not covered by insurance.
• To meet mandatory expenditures required by law enacted since the
previous budget was adopted.
A. This Emergency Reserve is subject to appropriation only by a vote of not less
than five members of the City Council or the unanimous vote of a legal quorum.
B. It shall be a policy of the City that the Emergency Reserve appropriation in
each annual budget shall, to the extent that is fiscally prudent, be an amount equal
to not less than 5% nor more than 7% of the unrestricted Operating Fund revenues
(excluding the revenues of the Water and Sewer Funds).
Section 2. In addition to the Emergency Reserve, there shall be established a
Contingency Reserve within the Current Expense Fund of the City. This Reserve shall be
utilized to meet unexpected needs that were not provided for in the annual budget and for
minor shortfalls in budgeted appropriations.
A. To the extent that it is fiscally prudent, an appropriation to the
Contingency Reserve in an amount not less than 5% or more than 8% of the
unrestricted Operating Fund revenues will be included in each annual budget.
B. Appropriations from the Contingency Reserve shall only be by a vote of not
less than five Council Members or by a unanimous vote of a legal quorum.
C. Appropriations from the Contingency Fund Reserve shall not be made for
funding requests that can reasonably be deferred for consideration within the
annual budget for the following year. Appropriations from the Contingency Fund
Reserve shall not be made for funding requests that were considered but not
funded in the current budget unless conditions or circumstances have substantially
changed from the time of the original budget request.
D. No single appropriation from the Contingency Reserve shall exceed 20% of
the original Contingency Reserve balance at the beginning of the calendar year.
PASSED by the City Council this 25th day of February, 2004.
APPROVED by the Mayor this 26th day of February, 2004.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATE:
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USAN P. KASPER
City Clerk
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: February 4, 2004
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: February 25, 2004
RESOLUTION NO. 2004-04