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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, March 18,2024 <br /> Page 4 <br /> Roll Call <br /> Ayes: Etten, Schroeder, Groff, Strahan, and Roe. <br /> Nays: None <br /> b. Receive the 2023 Cash Reserve Fund Report and Consider Transfers <br /> Finance Director Michelle Pietrick briefly highlighted this item as detailed in the <br /> Request for Council Action and related attachments dated March 18, 2024. <br /> Councilmember Groff indicated,in regard to the one-time infusion money from the <br /> State to the registrars to make up the time difference, next year the City will not <br /> have that. He wondered how that will be handled. <br /> Ms. Pietrick explained the fund reserves will not be increased above the high level. <br /> The City was also successful in getting the fees raised slightly in 2024. <br /> Councilmember Strahan indicated she had two questions. One was regarding the <br /> Parks and Recreation Fund. She noted this is not hugely over target but she <br /> wondered if there was any fee reconsideration given so that fees or scholarships are <br /> equal so it comes a little bit closer and the City continues to provide that value to <br /> the residents in a way that they expect. <br /> Ms. Pietrick reminded the Council that the Parks and Recreation Fund is not one <br /> hundred percent fee supported. The City does put property tax money into it. <br /> Parks and Recreation Director Matt Johnson explained staff does try to keep fee <br /> supported programs to essentially pay for the expenses in the fee column. The City <br /> did increase the scholarship uses this year. It is the first time the City has been over <br /> ten thousand dollars, which is a positive thing. He explained the programs are still <br /> under what similar cities charge for the fees. He thought the fees were fair,but the <br /> City does try to keep the fees as low as possible. He noted staff did find that about <br /> fifty percent of the scholarship users were hitting the scholarship maximum, which <br /> indicates they are using the money. That is a good thing,but it also could indicate <br /> that they are not able to take advantage of other programs. It is a fair part of the <br /> conversation,but the City does try to keep its fees as low as possible and are pretty <br /> intentional on the expense side. <br /> Councilmember Strahan stated,as a follow-up,the Park and Recreation Department <br /> needs to take into consideration the summer help this coming year, which will take <br /> a cost that had not existed in the past as well as the City raising pay rates a bit to be <br /> more competitive for summer staff. <br /> Councilmember Strahan indicated,regarding the license center, she knows the City <br /> is having to provide so much more service. She wondered if the City was able to <br /> add any staff on a more long-term basis in order to accommodate that with the fees <br /> as they were. <br />