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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, August 16, 2010 Page 11 City Manager Malinen clarified City Council directive, by consensus, for staff and the City Attorney to proceed with an audit of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel's actual lodging tax due through pursuit of their books and applicable records, un- der provisions as outlined by City Code, Chapter 312. City Attorney Bartholdi clarified that there would be no additional fees for his firm's legal services, as this would be included as part of their retainer; and sug- gested that the City Council authorize the City Attorney to perform the audit first, then give staff direction on how to proceed for collection. By consensus, the City Attorney and staff were so directed, and asked to report the results back to the City Council. c. Continue Discussion on the 2011 Priority-Based Budgeting Process Finance Director Chris Miller summarized additional information provided and detailed by staff in the RCA dated August 16, 2010, specifically funding for Community Development Department activities; list of employee position vacan- cies for 2011; and a revised list of proposed capital equipment purchases. With respect to Community Development funding, Mr. Miller noted staff's ratio- nale, following the completed "time spent profiles" by staff, in shifting code en- forcement activities as a function of the General Fund rather than through Com- munity Development permit fees. However, Mr. Miller noted that even with that shift, given lower anticipated permit fees for 2011, previous depletion of desig- nated reserves for the department, and continued economic challenges, there re- mained astructural deficiency in how the Community Development Deparhnent was funded that needed to be addressed immediately. Mr. Miller noted that, even though the City Council had requested, and staff had provided, additional information for the larger picture on programs/services not funded by property taxes (Attachment B), there remained an urgency in finalizing adoption of a preliminary, not-to-exceed budget and tax levy for the General Fund by September 15, 2010. Discussion included clarification of current vacancies for employee positions, their history and projection; $130,000 in salary savings clarified in relation to the specific department budget(s); definition of the $43,000 needed for the Skating Center, with Parks and Recreation Director Lonnie Brokke clarifying that these general maintenance items were not part of the bonding bill, since that was stipu- lated for specific projects only, not general maintenance. Further discussion included segregation of vehicles and capital equipment needs projected for 2011 and reductions made by staff to-date for programmed needs and realistic replacements and maintenance of the City's vehicle fleet and every- day equipment needs.