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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-10-22 MINUTESSPECIAL MEETING COTTAGE GROVE CITY COUNCIL �?' October 22, 2003 CALL TO ORDER The City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota held a special meeting on Wednesday, October 22, 2003, at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80 Street South. Mayor Shiely called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Sandy Shiely Council Member Mark Grossklaus Council Member Cheryl Kohls Council Member Pat Rice Council Member Jim Wolcott Also Present: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator Ron Hedberg, Finance & Administrative Services Director Mayor Shiely presided over the meeting. Mayor Shiely explained the intent of the workshop, which was to continue discussions regarding the proposed 2004 budget and to provide staff direction on how to bring the budget into balance. Mr. Hedberg summarized the budget process and the direction Council had set at its last budget discussion. He noted that there currently was an $81,000 gap between expected expenditures and projected revenues that needed to be closed. Staff suggestion was that Council delete the proposed contribution toward a two -year purchase of a new phone system at City Hall with a $60,000 savings and deletion of a City Hall copy machine replacement with a $20,000 savings. Mr. Hedberg also distributed worksheets on projected tax dollar and rate increases for local jurisdictions within Washington County. Council discussed additional revenue sources and directed that the City Attorney research opportunities for development impact fees to cover costs for both future infrastructure necessitated by development and also increases in operating costs driven by additional housing and commercial activity. Council also requested that the City Attorney advise how the City could restrict developers from selling approved developments prior to construction of those developments. The concern is that upon such a sale promises made may not be kept. Mr. Hedberg stated that the increase in the tax levy was due entirely to the loss in state aid and the debt service created from the pavement management program, and further, that the City was proposing to levy back to the full 60% of lost state aid in addition to Special Meeting — October 22, 2003 Cottage Grove City Council Page 2 implementation of additional fees including a new franchise fee against electric and gas utilities. Council also discussed the costs of upcoming labor agreements and the impact of increasing health care premiums on these costs suggesting that affordability and ability to pay in the current fiscal environment had to be a consideration of all parties. Council also supported the concept of health care plan redesign. Final issues that Council had previously held out for future discussion were engineering and public safety staffing. The first question was if the City Engineer position, originally funded within the 2003 budget, should continue to be funded. Direction from Council was that that expenditure line item should continue in the budget as proposed by staff. Council also discussed opportunities to provide for funding of staff positions in the future with particular emphasis on police paramedic staffing. Council direction was that should unallocated revenue exist within the 2004 fiscal year after analysis of 2004 operating costs, a partial year allocation toward an additional police paramedic be revisited. Respectfully submitted, Ryan Schroeder City Administrator