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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, May 16, 2016 <br />Page 5 <br />Mr. Mayer responded that capital didn't really enter in, as these addressed spend- <br />able resources and provide a net position number. Mr. Mayer stated that the ex- <br />penses category for capital occurs through depreciation over the next twenty <br />years, a challenge in evaluating funds under that context, when the city actually <br />used funds to address capital needs. <br />On a related note, Mayor Roe noted in the General Fund and other Funds, it ad- <br />dressed operating revenues versus operating expenses, noting much funding <br />comes from non-operating revenue such as property taxes and other governmental <br />sources. <br />Mr. Mayer used the Solid Waste Recycling Enterprise Fund as the best example <br />for operating revenue, basically serving as an exchange transaction for taxpayers <br />receiving a good or service and the city receiving a revenue stream, in addition to <br />a grant from Ramsey County inaking up the bulk of the rest of the funding re- <br />quirement. Mr. Mayer noted the need was to evaluate the fund on whether or not <br />the revenues are sufficient without the grant to fall back on; such as the city cur- <br />rently did with its Water Fund and Sewer Fund and their rate structures to keep <br />them in sync. <br />On the tax-supported funds, Mayor Roe noted it was much more confusing to the <br />reader because operating revenue is actually only a portion of the revenue gener- <br />ated through an activity, even though that activity may be mostly funded by other <br />revenue sources. <br />Mr. Mayer noted the city's operational goals to cover those needs; using munici- <br />pal golf courses as examples of challenges, causing some jurisdictions to move <br />them to a more governmental-type structure. However, Mr. Mayer again recog- <br />nized the great year the golf course had experienced in 2015, so therefore, he <br />wasn't too alarmed. Mr. Mayer suggested this may be a decision the city chooses <br />to make in the future, in moving the golf course into a government or recreational <br />fund. <br />Regarding the Golf Course Fund, Councilmember Laliberte noted that the Club- <br />house Task Force heard from several other municipalities funding capital needs <br />versus daily operations. Councilmember Laliberte asked Mr. Mayer if he was <br />aware of other examples that may be helpful or ramifications in moving the golf <br />course into a government or recreational fund versus an enterprise fund. <br />Mr. Mayer responded that in an enterprise fund, user fees would fund both opera- <br />tional and capital expenses, unless in order to provide this service or program, <br />capital needs will need other city resources as well. Mr. Mayer advised that this <br />became a policy decision, but created an indication to him of potential benefits in <br />moving toward a governmental or park and recreation tyupe of fund. <br />