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<br />City Council Regular Meeting - 12/06/04 <br />Minutes - Page 5 <br /> <br />and necessary service levels up to resident expectations, and to <br />prevent accelerated deterioration of the City's infrastructure. <br />Counci1member Ih1an opined her desire to keep the levy <br />increases as low as possible, yet maintain a sustainable level of <br />services and personnel. <br /> <br />Mr. Miller clarified that, when the City Manager had <br />recommended the specific staff reduction of that particular <br />maintenance position, neither Council priority discussions nor <br />citizen comment had supported that staff reduction; and the <br />proposed Levy did not include elimination of that position. Mr. <br />Miller further clarified that the proposed 2005 Budget and Levy <br />at an increase of 10.3% as presented tonight, continued to <br />include the maintenance position and one full-time equivalent <br />police civilian position, as interpreted by staff to be Council <br />majority directive. <br /> <br />Counci1member Kough stated, for the record, that he didn't <br />support a ten percent increase as proposed; opining his desire to <br />keep cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) salary increases at the <br />national trend of 2.5%. Counci1member Kough noted the <br />pending retirement of Bill Olein from the Parks and Recreation <br />Department, and suggested this position be absorbed within the <br />department by existing personnel. Counci1member Kough further <br />opined that he would not support a 2005 Budget or Levy increase <br />over five percent, and would prefer less of an increase. <br /> <br />Counci1member Maschka addressed Counci1member Ih1an's <br />previous comments, noting that the City had historically been <br />able to maintain and improve quality and keep costs down <br />through increased technologies and better equipment, allowing <br />for more efficiencies and good management practices. <br />Counci1member Maschka addressed Counci1member Kough's <br />previous comments, noting that the City has stayed below <br />inflation the last three years or it wouldn't be necessary to <br />increase the proposed 2005 Budget and Levy at this percentage if <br />that hadn't been the case. Counci1member Maschka opined that <br />the remaining loss of $500,000 in state aid funding needed to be <br />corrected once and for all in the structural budget. <br /> <br />Counci1member Schroeder clarified his position, opining that the <br />