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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,June 10, 2013 <br /> Page 19 <br /> fled to avoid confusion. Mayor Roe advised that he was seeking a back and forth <br /> dialogue, with tough questions addressed and realistic answers provided. <br /> Councilmember Etten opined that it would be key information for the City Coun- <br /> cil for each Department Head to look at the global picture, not just their own de- <br /> partment, to determine how shared positions or responsibilities among depart- <br /> ments and personnel could achieve efficiencies (e.g. communications efforts) and <br /> suggested a discussion among Department Heads before meeting with the City <br /> Council to consider some different ways to accomplish that beyond the current <br /> sharing. Councilmember Etten opined that it should be evident to staff that the <br /> City Council had a strong willingness to look at things in a new way, to develop <br /> more efficiencies, and what impacts that would mean for their Departments based <br /> on previous discussions. <br /> Mayor Roe suggested consideration be given to which departments presented at a <br /> given time to address sharing among obvious departments; with both Department <br /> Heads available at the work table for the entire discussion, not just for their spe- <br /> cific department. <br /> Councilmember McGehee concurred with the cross-department sharing and effi- <br /> ciencies, suggesting that the Department Heads consider which tasks they could <br /> shift to Administration from their department to free resources; with Interim City <br /> Manager Trudgeon picking up that discussion for an administrative overview. <br /> Regarding a biennial budget process, Mayor Roe expressed his preference for al- <br /> ways looking ahead as far as possible and for the City Council to be aware of <br /> known impacts that will be fairly major to the organization and community (e.g. <br /> TIF Districts due to be de-certified in certain years; balances coming into an ac- <br /> count; known mandates whether funded or not; etc.) Mayor Roe advised that he <br /> was noted interested in minor supply costs; but wanted to look out a minimum of <br /> five (5) years for the major items to make sure those items and any CIP items are <br /> brought into the discussion, for the current and future City Councils as well. <br /> Councilmember Laliberte noted that one of her points was the benefit of a second <br /> or third year forecast for debt service or contract obligations, to make sure they <br /> were on the radar as far as they could be known in advance, similar to the CIP <br /> planning recently accomplished. Councilmember Laliberte suggested a set of up- <br /> front questions of the City Council to initiate discussions with Department Heads <br /> versus an on-the-spot discussion with substantial information provided. Coun- <br /> cilmember Laliberte suggested a "best wish list" from each Department, what <br /> they would do if planning for a certain percentage reduction in their annual budg- <br /> et, a flat budget, or a certain percentage increase; with those Department Heads <br /> coming prepared to answer and consider shared efficiencies. <br />