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City Council Regular Meeting - 12/18/06 Minutes - Page 31 Chief Gasaway concuned, with the caveat that the department's budget was contingent upon the number and type of calls; and justified his attempts to make good estimates, recognizing budget impacts. Councilmember Pust assured Chief Gasaway that he could return to the City Council if a worst case scenario or crisis happened, to assure the City's firefighters were paid; and again expressed her confidence in Chief Gasaway's management for contingencies. Chief Gasaway concurred that the cunent proposed operating budget could manage the raises; and recognized the wisdom of Council member Pust's budget observations. Pust moved, Ihlan seconded, to authorize $.50 hourly wage increases for firefighters from the Fire Department's Operating Budget as proposed in the Budget proposal; with no additional monies allocated, utilizing the cost savings outlined by Fire Chief Gasaway previously in reallocation and net savings from part-time work hours and cost reductions from conducting training on duty and hiring and training part-time daytime staff. Roll Call Ayes: Ihlan; Kough; Pust; Maschka and Klausing. Nays: None. Councilmember Ihlan advocated the need to keep as close to the rate of inflation as possible, noting the number of citizens on fixed incomes, and those with static and/or declining incomes in real terms. Ihlan moved, Kough seconded, reducing the proposed levy increase to four percent (4%) and to phase in repayment or elimination of the reserve fund use; and the amount set aside for asset replacement over a two year period; thus cutting the numbers in half, $64,000 and $43,000 respectively, for a total of $117,000; representing roughly a one percent decrease in the proposed levy increase; with