Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION MINUTES <br />August 15,2005 <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />As part of the budget preparation process, City staff is reviewing the five-year CIP, fuel costs, <br />utility fees, and other services that are impacted by inflationary costs. Also, City staff is <br />reviewing our existing revenuc collections. At this timc, thc City is expccting a reduction in <br />revenue in the arca of building permits due to a reduction in the number of projects (Guidant and <br />Bethel Univcrsity) occurring in the City this year. The projected shortfall is $150,000. StafT is <br />looking at either eliminating smaller projects or pushing back these proj ects into future years in <br />order to ofTset a portion of the anticipated shortfall. <br /> <br />Councilmember Holdcn asked if the City Council would considcr a levy of 5% and then lower <br />the rate at a future meeting ifthe additional revenue were not needed. <br /> <br />City Administrator Michelle Wolfe said that City staff could provide the City Council with a <br />number of different funding options to consider. <br /> <br />Mayor Aplikowski stated that she would bc comfortable with a 5 or 6 percent levy, <br /> <br />Councilmember Holden said that she would be comfortable with a 4 percent Icvy. <br /> <br />Councilmember Larson said that he would be comfortable with a 4 percent levy, but would like <br />to see a 5 percent levy and have the additional funding used for park improvements. <br /> <br />Councilmember Rem also suggested that a 5% levy be approved by the City Council and utilize <br />the I perccnt for future park improvement projects. It is a one year increase and future City <br />Councils could decide if this practice should be continued in the future. <br /> <br />Mayor Aplikowski said that the levy tool is there for the City Council to ralse additional <br />revenues. <br /> <br />Finance Director Siddiqui stated that an additional 1 % lcvy would result in $24,000 of additional <br />funding dedicatcd to the park fund. <br /> <br />COlillcilmember Larson recommended that the City Council approve a 4% levy for 2006 and <br />explore other funding options that could lead a more permanent funding mechanism for future <br />park improvement projects. <br /> <br />Members ofthe City Council agreed to a 4% preliminary levy for 2006. <br /> <br />Finance Director Siddiqui asked the City Council if they were comfortable with offering City <br />staff a 2.75% cost of living increase for 2006. The 2.75% salary increase is the same increase <br />that the Local 4gers are scheduled to receive in 2006. <br /> <br />Members of the City Council were in agreement with the proposed 2.75% salary increase for <br />City stafT in 2006. <br /> <br />3 <br />