01-13-14-R - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION NOVEMBER 18, 20132 Mayor Grant recommended that the Council assume there would be sales and use tax relief close to $10,000 for 2014. Councilmember McClung suggested that the Council do away with work session meals and proposed meeting start times be adjusted. He was in favor of dropping the tuition reimbursement in 2014, along with expenses for training and conferences. He supported the three intern positions being removed from the budget and recommended the directors of these departments report back to the Council in 2014 as to the needs of their departments. He wanted to see the expense for Professional Services and Consultants in the Planning Department cut in half. He explained that these cuts would get him closer to a budget that he could support due to the fact it would be much Mayor Grant noted that the Council had discussed eliminating Celebrating Arden Hills for 2014. He proposed the Council discuss all further budget adjustments at the City Council meeting on December 9, 2013. Councilmember Holmes questioned the purpose of this agenda item if discussion was to be delayed until December 9th. Mayor Grant indicated that the discussion this evening would allow the Council to discuss which budget items they were in agreement with, and which they were not. He wanted to have all final decisions on camera on December 9th. Councilmember Holmes asked if the transfers to PIR will continue in 2014. City Administrator Klaers recommended that this transfer be removed from the general fund. Councilmember Holmes requested further information on the $500,000 TCAAP loan. She expressed concern that the City had a $500,000 expenditure in the budget with no guarantee of revenues for five to seven years to reimburse this expense. Director of Finance and Administrative Services Iverson discussed the interfund TCAAP loan in further detail. She reported the loan was a 2013 expense. She indicated that the loan funds would be paid back to the City once SAC fees were collected for the TCAAP development. Councilmember McClung did not object to the TCAAP interfund loan noting that this type of loan was used rarely by the City. Mayor Grant commented that the loan could be undone, however, he found the $500,000 interfund loan to be a transparent solution to accounting for TCAAP expenses. He questioned if the Council wanted to change the interfund loan. Councilmember McClung saw no reason to change the loan. Councilmember Holden suggested that the Council address the TCAAP expense in a different manner.