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<br />City Council Regular Meeting - 08/28/06 <br />Minutes - Page 28 <br /> <br />extensive volunteer network and department staff; stagnant <br />staffing for the department while significant growth had <br />occurred; recognized volunteer involvement foundations; and <br />several unmet needs due to lack of funds. <br /> <br />Mr. Brokke expressed concern for several areas not being <br />sufficiently ftmded, including skating center capital and <br />maintenance items; the diseased and hazardous tree removal <br />program; and bringing the PIP back to the 1990 level of funding <br />at $250,000. <br /> <br />Discussion included community meeting space and fees or non- <br />fees for facility users; increased utility rates and decreased utility <br />usage at the OVAL; and needs of the diseased tree program. <br /> <br />Mayor Klausing thanked Mr. Brokke and the department staff. <br /> <br />12. <br /> <br />City Council Discussion of the Preliminary Budget and Tax <br />Levy <br />Interim City Manager and Finance Director Chris Miller <br />reminded Councilmembers that at their September 11, 2006 <br />regular City Council meeting, they would need to adopt <br />resolutions adopting a 2007 Preliminary Budget and Tax Levy, <br />which could be decreased, but not increased; and those <br />preliminary figures would be used to calculate tax impacts for <br />the November mailing by Ramsey County of the Truth In <br />Taxation statements to taxpayers. <br /> <br />Mr. Miller opined that 2007 will be another difficult and <br />challenging year, with limited resources, and continued <br />increasing costs and service inputs at a rate faster than that of <br />inflation, and will continue in the foreseeable future. Mr. Miller <br />noted that, while staff continued to look for additional cost <br />efficiencies, the City Council would need to look at priorities of <br />services for programs and services; and hoped that the <br />community visioning process would assist them in that <br />prioritization. Mr. Miller further opined that, if the City <br />continued on the current track, amenities, quality of services, <br />street and park maintenance and conditions, would all start to <br />show the stresses. <br /> <br />Discussion of the <br />Preliminary Budget <br />and Tax Levy <br />