CC_Minutes_2010_1206 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, December 06, 2010 Page 15 Councilmember Pust advised that she could not support this motion, opining that is exactly a service that should be tax- supported, as it benefits the entire City, and had been of great benefit over the last four years from HRA funding. Council- member Pust further opined that it was not a function of the HRA to ensure ongo- ing quality of life issues affecting the entire City and should be tax- supported through the General Fund. Councilmember Pust noted that, without funding this program in the past, the City would be forced to reduce this vital service or elimi- nate it completely; and further noted the significant and positive comments from the majority of its citizens related to the positive benefits to property values and their quality of life. The Mayor ruled the motion failed for lack of a second. Lines 27 31 -33 (RCA) Councilmember Ihlan noted the need to reduce the $62,000 for contractual obliga- tions (dispatch, legal, audit, etc.) as another area that was minimal and could be absorbed internally. Ihlan moved, to remove these $62,000, and $36,000, $37,000, and $35,870 amounts from the 2011 levy and find other ways to absorb them in the budget or other revenue sources. Councilmember Pust clarified with City Manager Malinen that Ramsey County dispatch services were mandatory, as well as legal and audit costs in accordance with negotiated agreements and /or contracts; and that the City was legally obli- gated to pay or break the contracts. Councilmember Ihlan suggested that the $37,000 additional allotted for supplies and materials should not cause the levy to increase, but should be incorporated in- to the Preliminary Budget and Levy or cut from the budget and funded by other revenue sources; or in extreme circumstances, authorized as a reserve expendi- ture, but not an automatic tax levy increase. Councilmember Pust further addressed lines 31 -33 for temporary /seasonal wages for parks recreation and fire employees ($36,000); supplies materials ($37,000); and contract maintenance and professional services ($35,870) as the cost of doing business. While recognizing the wage comparisons used during pub- lic comments, Councilmember Pust noted that wages couldn't be the only eco- nomic measure, but the cost of doing the actual business needed to be taken into consideration; and the expenses didn't represent discretionary spending, just the cost of business costing more and the City needing to absorb those costs, similar to the private sector. The Mayor declared the motion failed for lack of a second.