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City Council Study Session — 08/16/04 <br />DRAFT Minutes - Page 16 <br />sewer system, and street maintenance) and the importance of <br />maintaining the infrastructure to avoid negatively impacting the <br />taxpayer's investment; and increased mandates and needs (i.e., <br />turnback of Roselawn Avenue west of Snelling Avenue; <br />additional street mileage with development at Applewood <br />Pointe; increased maintenance of streetscapes, rights-of-way and <br />trails to the increased expectations of the taxpayers; increased <br />maintenance with completion of additional facilities at the City <br />Center Complex; and increased inspections and security related <br />to Homeland Security mandates) and the way those items impact <br />the department and increase costs. Mr. Schwartz advised that <br />his department would do their best to maintain expected levels of <br />service as close to existing as possible, but noted the service <br />level impacts that would be impacted with further staff <br />reductions. <br />Councilmember Schroeder sought clarification on cost savings <br />projected to eliminate the City's participation in the leaf <br />collection program, with residents delivering their leaves to the <br />collection site. <br />Public Works Director Schwartz responded that the City would <br />still need to remove leaves from catch basins, but anticipated <br />cost savings annually would be approximately $25 — 30,000. <br />Mr. Schwartz estimated that the program cost between $80 — <br />100,000 to operate, with approximately $23,000 revenue <br />generated; but that elimination of the program would also allow <br />allocation of personnel to other maintenance areas during the <br />month of November, the most intense time for leaf collection. <br />Mr. Schwartz noted that the City's maintenance program was <br />year-round; and that the costs of the program were allocated to <br />the City's storm water utility fee, and would not represent any <br />savings to the General Fund Levy. <br />Further discussion included the contract labor hired for the leaf <br />collection program; participation fees and their relationship to <br />reduced participation in the collection program; and advantages <br />or disadvantages of continuing to subsidize the program. <br />Councilmember Kough sought clarification on the number of <br />times the streets were swept each year, and the cost of contract <br />