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City Council Regular Meeting-10123106 <br />DRAFT Minutes - Page 35 <br />impacts on property owners; and tax benchmarlcs and <br />comparisons with similar-sized cities within the <br />metropolitan area. <br />Specific discussion included renewing membership in the <br />Association of Metropolitan Municipalities (AMM); fire <br />department turnout gear; $.50 cent hourly raise for paid, <br />on-call firefighters; and community s�gnage. <br />Interim City Manager and Finance Director Miller <br />clarified that the items listed on the staff report and <br />identified as "Program or Service Input" were NOT <br />currently included in the Preliminary Budget and were <br />only provided as potential items for funding consideration, <br />if the Council chose to keep the levy increase at 5.0%, <br />rather than further reducing the levy and budget. <br />Councilmember Kough opined his preference for a four to <br />four and one-halfpercent (4 to 4-112%) levy increase. <br />Councilmember Kough sought additional information <br />from staff regarding contract maintenance. <br />Mayor Klausing advised that Mr. Miller had repeatedly <br />provided cost-savings comparisons for contract labor <br />versus staff in-house maintenance. <br />Councilmember Pust clarified, and Mayor Klausing <br />confirmed, that he was proposing additional allocation to <br />include the �$0.50 cent hourly raise for paid, on-call <br />firefighters, iunding for firefighter turnout gear; <br />community signage, and membership reinstatement in the <br />AMM. <br />Councilmember Pust clarified, and Finance Director <br />Miller confirmed, that the estimated employee health care <br />cost increases would need to be revised following <br />tonight's earlier discussion and Council action. <br />Specific discussion ensued related to staffing of the Fire <br />Department and Councilmember Maschlca's preference <br />