2004_0712_Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

City Manager's 2005 Budget Memo Page 21 of 27 above and using it for single-family housing. In addition, I recommend Council authorize staff to explore a 2005 voter referendum on a Parks and Recreation improvement bond. I think we need Community as well as Council direction on parks im- provements. We as a staff need to collect and describe priority park improvements that either aren't getting done or are getting done on a piecemeal, uncoordinated way. Then we need a Council and Com- munity dialogue and decision about the value, magnitude, and tim- ing of those Park improvements. In the past, instead of a voter-approved bond referendum we have budgeted from $150,000 to $250,000 of tax levy dollars each year for park improvements. I recommend $150,000 in tax levy for park im- provements in 2005 while we sort through the potential value of a more comprehensive and coordinated park improvement plan that could be submitted for voter approval. Council Action Recommendation #77: Council motion authorizing [not authorizing] staff to prepare a report for Council considera- tion regarding a potential 2005 voter bond referendum for parks improvements, and in the meantime authorizing a$150,000 tax levy for park improvements in 2005. B. Public Works With this memo I recommend we consolidate our snow-plowing ef- forts in the winter time under the direction of the Streets Division within the Public Works Department. This would enable us to gather and deploy more employees under one supervisor's direction to ad- dress any and all snowplowing needs -- whether on city streets, sidewalks, or trails. A larger group of employees dedicated to snowplowing would also