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<br />Executive Session and Regular City Council- 4/7/03 <br />Page 11 <br /> <br />operations; and queried the purpose of the reserve funds. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kough thanked City Manager Beets and <br />staff for proposing various recommendations for Council <br />review; concurring with Mayor Kysylyczyn's <br />disappointment that the proposal had come so soon after <br />the union agreement. Councilmember Kough expressed <br />his preference for not cutting jobs, rather seeking <br />cooperation through an overall reduction of 5 - 10% in <br />salaries. Councilmember Kough further elaborated on his <br />previous suggestions regarding the $100,000 allocated for <br />the pathway fund; extending life expectancy for squad car <br />replacement; a fifty-percent (50%) reduction in overtime <br />or elimination except in emergency situations; elimination <br />of membership in the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC); <br />elimination of the City's July 4th celebration; and <br />reduction and/or elimination of non-mandatory training <br />and conferences. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kough disagreed with reduction or <br />elimination of suggested park maintenance items, opining <br />that it would end up costing more in the long-term; and <br />concluded that he preferred a voluntary early retirement <br />incentive program as a temporary solution, expressing his <br />desire to keep the good staff the City has and suggesting <br />that staff continue to work cooperatively to realize <br />solutions other than additional workforce reductions. <br /> <br />Councilmember Schroeder concurred with <br />Councilmember Kough's comments regarding refocusing <br />on programs, not staff; citing overtime reductions that <br />don't impact critical services; reduction or elimination of <br />training and conferences except those required for <br />mandatory licensing and certifications to maintain <br />minimum qualifications; reduction in equipment purchases <br />and pursuit of joint agreements and purchases with <br />surrounding communities, who are experiencing the same <br />issues before the City of Roseville regarding state aid <br />reductions and budget shortfalls. Councilmember <br />Schroeder further suggested possible reductions in right- <br />of-way and pathway maintenance; alternatives in some <br />