The Langley City Council’s priorities for the 2016 budget shared a handful of small tasks and noticeably omitted some of the major lingering issues.

During a two-hour workshop specifically about next year’s budget Tuesday afternoon, all five council members met with city staff to share what they want taken care of in 2016. Estimates for the revenue and expenditure were not available, and would likely not be published by City Hall until October or November and will be a “rough estimate” at best, City Clerk/Finance Director Debbie Mahler said in an email. The first draft of the 2016 budget is due in a couple of weeks.

“If something really creative comes up, it’s not too late to make a change,” said Councilman Jim Sundberg in a phone interview Thursday.

Department heads submit their estimates in late September, per the Municipal Research and Services Center’s recommended timeline. The true preliminary budget comes out Nov. 2. The 2015 operating budget was penciled in at about $5.5 million in operations and expenditures.

Part of the budget process was input from the council, solicited by Mayor Fred McCarthy, on what projects and issues should be prioritized in the coming year.

New is the inclusion of some voices outside of City Hall, such as the Langley Main Street Association and mayoral hopeful Sharon Emerson and Tim Callison. Both candidates were present at the budget workshop and invited to offer their input prior to the meeting.

McCarthy, who is not seeking re-election this fall, implemented a council priority process when he was first appointed and later elected unopposed in 2013. It began as a policy priority list and was expanded to include budget priorities.

The nature of the budget priority, said Sundberg, meant it should have largely excluded policy concerns, such as dealing with persistent noise complaints about Mo’s Pub & Eatery, and should be more about funneling funds to certain projects. As an example, he said he wanted money included in a line item for “token support” of the House of Hope, a transitional home for families facing a residency crisis and Island County Senior Services.

Most of the council’s items would be public works tasks, and the majority of them will cost money. Ideas such as remodeling the public restrooms behind the Langley Chamber of Commerce, solar-powered trash compactors, parking changes and signage, curbed sidewalks, and tree trimming are included in all five council members’ priorities submitted to the mayor.

Councilman Bruce Allen included some of the city’s more controversial topics, such as the marina connection improvement project (funicular), noise concerns over Mo’s Pub & Eatery, and the Dog House Tavern restoration. Items such as the funicular are costly capital projects that would already be included in the city’s comprehensive plan and thus its budget as long as funds exist for them.

The Dog House Tavern, council members agreed during the budget workshop, was largely out of their hands at this point. Owner Charlie and Janice Kleiner have not submitted any building permits, possibly over a misunderstanding of a land swap deal that was approved in March, but found to have missed a public hearing. A public hearing fixed the problem, and the Kleiners now have a green light to apply for a building permit.

Langley’s planning director and planning advisory board are working on the details of what transport will best serve the city between the marina and rest of the town. With that project largely stalled and being held until a new administration takes over, the council’s lack of including it as a budget priority was not surprising.

Noise complaints stemming from Mo’s Pub & Eatery and nearby residents have persisted for years. The city council implemented an ordinance restricting amplified music performances, only to find that the majority of the noise was coming from the crowds, which then is a law enforcement duty.

Emerson proposed three projects: an emergency text alert, a telescope at Seawall Park and a sidewalk on Sixth Street. The e-lert system, she said, could cost $30 per month or less, and would be useful during emergencies such as the recent windstorm when much of the city lost power. A cell phone text message would mean an opportunity to quickly and uniformly inform residents.

The telescope was proposed as a feature for the park, where visitors can watch whales or boats passing through Saratoga Passage.

Adding a sidewalk, which was a popular item among council members for various parts of town and especially Sixth Street, was seen as a safety need by Emerson. In her email about the budget, she said many of Langley’s streets don’t need sidewalks, but Sixth Street does.

“Seeing parents with strollers, kids going to and from school, and people walking dogs with cars whizzing by within inches makes me wince,” she wrote, adding that a bond would likely be required to pay for it.

Mayoral candidate Tim Callison said his top concern was to provide some funding for the South Whidbey Homeless Coalition and House of Hope, which is located in city limits on Camano Avenue.

“The homeless situation on the South End of the island and in Langley will most likely get worse before it gets better,” he wrote.

The council member’s priority lists are available from the city’s website under the finance/clerk tab (http://www.langleywa.org/2016_Preliminary.pdf) or copies are available at City Hall. Future budget meetings are scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5 for the mayor’s preliminary budget, Monday, Nov. 2 for the city’s preliminary budget, with a final hearing set for Monday, Dec. 6.