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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, November 09, 2009 Page 10 Mr. Miller duly noted the request; however, advised that in the Compre- hensive Annual Reports, the actual budget for each major function was provided; in addition to the detailed information provided to the City Council from staff through their quarterly financial updates, providing the actual budget figures. Councilmember Johnson asked and City Manager Malinen confirmed, that this budget had been prepared from information from the public, staff and City Council and his recommendation for what was in the best interest of the City; however, he had not gone to staff for their preferred numbers for a proposed budget. Councilmember Johnson opined that his perception was that while opera- tions were down overall by certain percentages; it appeared that the Parks Improvement Program (PIP) funds were taking the brunt of reductions. Councilmember Johnson further opined that the Parks and Recreation De- partment had taken a substantial hit with the previous loss of state aid, and suggested that there was a need to keep the level of service in this area and at a level that citizens expected. Councilmember Johnson noted that it ap- peared that the department was facing an additional reduction of two FTE from their staff, and he didn't observe that in other departments, and ques- tioned that imbalance. City Manager Malinen noted that, while it appeared to be the most signifi- cant, the PIP was at the level as the 2009 adjusted budget. Councilmember Johnson noted that, when PIP funds were used to create the Diseased Tree Fund, this had precipitated his concern; opining that the actual PIP budget should be $215,000, not the reduced $165,000. Mayor Klausing recognized City Council concerns, as expressed, noting that this illustrates the overall budget problem in addressing state restric- tions and setting a maximum levy amount, with desires exceeding funding to achieve them. Mayor Klausing noted that this was what made the deci- sion-making challenging in what should or should not be funded, or how to find additional revenue sources to fund those higher priority items. Mayor Klausing reviewed his rationale in his ranking higher those items that would provide greater and more long-term ramifications to the City and its citizens if they were unfunded or deferred, and the need to protect the public by not falling further behind (i.e., infrastructure maintenance and replacement), even though those decisions may not be politically popular, but representing honesty for Councilmembers and the public, and what leadership indicated. Mayor Klausing noted that a citizen may not recognize if fewer patrol cars were in their neighborhood; but that they