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Regular City Council Meeting Monday,August 22,2011 Page 9 Police Department Lake Patrol; reduction in the Human Rights and Ethics Advi- sory Commission funding; Police Department Administration (accomplished through reorganization); reduced copier/printer supplies; reduced Fire Relief Fund; reduced FTE's through Fire Department reorganization; Police Department reduced conferences, training and recognition; Police Department training and conferences; reduced energy use and maintenance; Police Administration supplies and equipment; telephone and conferences for Administration; and a reduced pa- trol fleet for the Police Department* (Mayor Roe noted that this last reduction in the fleet was moved to the capital budget at a lower amount). Those programs recommended for reinstatement or funding included: Finance Department Receptionist Desk; shifting wages from Elections to Com- munications Fund; Police Explorer Program; Street Department FTE; Police De- partment — Public Safety Promo/Community Interaction; reduced FTE's at the Skating Center; employee testing, wellness and recognition; $123,325 of the orig- inal $140,000 cut restored for summer, entertainment, spring celebration, July 4, Halloween and Rosefest events; with the parade reduced from $16,650 to $3,500 in City funding. Councilmember Willmus questioned the shift of wages in the amount of$19,000 from Elections to the non-taxpayer funded portion personnel costs in Communica- tions, and why that appeared to be allotted to the expanding the newsletter when that had been ranked fairly low. Councilmember Willmus further questioned the trend for cable franchise fees if that were brought into the funding mix. Finance Director Miller advised that the primary election budget included sup- plies, and was not being allocated to the Communications Fund from local fran- chise fees. Mr. Miller advised that the cable franchise fees have increased over the last three (3) years, from $10,000 to $15,000; and while not like the growth experienced ten(10) years ago,they were still trending up. At the request of Councilmember Willmus, City Manager Malinen advised that it was staff's intent to contract with Ramsey County for Elections management, and reallocate Ms. Curti's time to records management, to make more of the City's records available to the public on the internet; and that the intent was not to ex- pand the newsletter, but to get the records out on the website. While perhaps not a website function, City Manager Malinen opined that it was related. Mayor Roe concurred that the change in record management and data practices from currently tax-supported to partial funding through the cable franchise (At- tachment C, bottom of page 2), had been a function ranked higher by the City Council; and clarified that it was not intended to further enhance the City's new- sletter.