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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,July 11,2011 <br /> Page 18 <br /> and energy-related costs. Mr. Malinen noted that the fire station and park system <br /> capital needs remain unfunded at this time in the recommended budget. <br /> City Manager Malinen advised that it was his hope in this budget and City Coun- <br /> cil direction, that a new normal would be created, or a place from which to move; <br /> one that would finally address future concerns about capital/asset replacement, <br /> and only require normal increases for healthcare and inflationary costs and not re- <br /> quiring continued reduction in the City's operating budget, but just an adjustment <br /> to revenue to maintain the level of services that the City Council established. <br /> Mayor Roe questioned the inclusion or lack thereof of additional capital set aside <br /> funds in the 2012 and 2013 tax-supported budgets; and previous City Council di- <br /> rection that the 2013 budget not increase over the 2012; and noted the Council's <br /> prerogative to revise levels of services or programs. <br /> Councilmember Willmus asked that the next spreadsheet include the 2012/2013 <br /> cycles in neighboring columns for a better understanding of how the numbers <br /> were reflected each year and comparatively. <br /> Mayor Roe noted that previous Council direction was for the eventual budget do- <br /> cumentation to provide a three (3) year history. <br /> City Manager Malinen concurred, noting that this first attempt was to focus on the <br /> 2012 budget immediately before the City Council and was meant to provide a <br /> broad summary and program budgets as requested, including personnel, capital <br /> and supply costs for program comparisons. <br /> Councilmember Johnson noted his appreciation of having an understanding of <br /> impacts to personnel; opining that he didn't take the proposed reduction in staff of <br /> three (3) FTE's lightly; and asked that a more defined understanding of where <br /> those impacts were at would be preferred sooner than later. <br /> While not going into specifics, City Manager Malinen noted that the four(4) larg- <br /> est personnel budgets were Police, Fire, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation; <br /> and further noted that the Fire Department was going through a significant reor- <br /> ganization, and had already been reduced by one (1) position; thus leaving the <br /> other three (3) departments. <br /> Councilmember McGehee questioned the increased costs for dispatch services; <br /> with City Manager Malinen advising that those services were contracted with <br /> Ramsey County and were based on a formula based on the number of calls for <br /> service to all users in most suburban Ramsey County and other cities served by <br /> the Ramsey County dispatch service. <br />