2011-04-27 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT City Counci12010-04-13, 7:40 p.m. � Minutes of Work Session Present were Mayor Tom Wilharber, Council members Jeff Paar, Steve King, D Love, and Ben Fehrenbacher. Also present were Mark Statz, Bonestroo & Assoc., City Attorney K u rt G laser, Finance Direc tor M i ke Jeziors k i an d Pu b lic Wor ks Director Pa u l P alzer. Budget Update. Finance Director Mike Jeziorski presented a draft budget for 2012 and reviewed the assumptions that were used. No COLA for employees (for the third year), no insurance inerease for staff (for the third year), inflation adjustments are included in supplies and utility costs, estimates of permit fees were further reduced to reflect current conditions, and Market Value Homestead Credit is expected to continue at a severely reduced level. Capital expenses included $10,000 for election equipment, $30,000 for replacement of two trucks and $75,000 for crack sealing and seal coating. Bond levies are slightly reduced due to the recent debt refinancing. The resulting combined tax levy is up about 3.6% over the current year. Public Works Director Paul Palzer reviewed his estimates to maintain city streets. He expressed concern that the stability of city streets is not uniform, even where specifications were the same and a high level of soil correction was done. He suggested that with the cost of maintenance, using current standards of construction, the city would need to expend approximately $1.7 million annually. He suggested an alternative plan that would require an annual budget of about $260,000. Seal coating would be curtailed and instead an overlay would be installed about every fifteen years. The council seemed interested in allocaring more funds toward street maintenance, but desired to have more time to review the suggestions. Council discussed the issue of laptop computers and whether the city should reduce council pay and use some of the savings to purchase computers for council. The savings for printing and distributing council packets would be about $800 per year. It was noted that two members had their own computers that were being used for this purpose. City Attorney Glaser indicated that there is a possibility the computers could be subject to discovery in the case of a lawsuit against the city. The reason that city emails were issued to council members was an attempt to avoid this. Consensus was that Council members should decline having their agendas printed if they are using a portable computer for the same purpose, but that the city would not provide computers at this time. The council discussed the insurance benefit provided to city employees. Consensus was that new hires should not be allowed to take any unused insurance benefit if they did not need family coverage, as deferred compensation or taxable wages. Future labor agreements will take this guidance into consideration. � 8