CC_Minutes_2013_0722 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday,July 22,2013 Page 25 Mr. Miller opined that, depending on the discretion of the City Council on a poli- cy level, the question was if they supported their employees at 100% of the peer average, recognizing that the average was already a range with some cities below and some above that mark. Mr. Miller suggested that the first fundamental ques- tion was on principle if the City Council wanted to aspire to that average; and the second question was how to get there—whether incrementally or all at once. Mr. Miller noted that this still required more discussion and a consensus of the body. If the City Council decided on full implementation today, mid-year 2013, Mr. Miller advised that it would require use of reserves. Regarding Councilmember McGehee's suggestion for using $200,000 in Park Renewal Project funding for the Skating Center, Councilmember Etten spoke in opposition to that suggestion, opining that it would not be appropriate since use of the funds have passed through and been vetted by a community process and would not be justified to put it somewhere else. Based on Councilmember Etten's comments and noting that this $200,000 was a one-time only revenue source, Mayor Roe concurred that it was neither appropri- ate nor sustainable. Regarding the License Center suggestion, Mayor Roe noted that building reserves in anticipation of constructing a new License Center in the future was one option; but noted that such an effort would also be appropriate for a future bonding project. Mayor Roe asked that everyone be aware of the use of reserves for ongoing operating expenses. In response to Councilmember Etten, Councilmember McGehee note that of the $19 million in bond revenue, she was tired of the perception that those dollars were carved in stone, especially when the City had significant funding constraints and those funds could be used for maintaining or renewing existing assets. Coun- cilmember McGehee opined that she had no problem adjusting those funds to ad- dress those issues, and clarified that she was not suggesting a slush fund. In her review of community support for parks and amenities, Councilmember McGehee opined that some were supported and others not as much; and further opined that the Skating Center was a large piece of the park system, and in difficult times to label such a use as inappropriate was too harsh, and suggested that everything should be on the table for consideration or reconsideration. Councilmember Willmus disagreed with the notion that the City wanted every- thing but didn't want to pay for anything; opining that such a perception was a disservice to the public. Councilmember Willmus noted that each year during budget discussions, there was a significant amount of money left out of the dis- cussions—reserves—and at some point in time, the purpose of those funds needed serious review and re-evaluation of the target funding and actual dollar amounts for each of those reserve funds.