minfin 11-27-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Bullock questioned the staffing structure and positions in the mayor’s office, suggesting that some of them used to be part-time. He expressed enthusiasm for expanding the role of communications at City Hall. He noted that beyond social media and events, that there is a great need for public education on important topics. Mayor George agreed, stating this was the rationale for hiring a Public Information Officer. *** Council Office Budget Presentation Clerk Bach presented an overview of the 2024 budget for the City Council Office and shared some of the highlights from 2023. She began by reviewing the core functions of the office and the trends over the past few years. She stressed that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into preparing for the public meetings and adoption of legislation, that takes up around half of staffs budgeted time. She then reviewed the public engagement activities of the Council Office for 2023, as measured by outreach activities, public comment, meeting notices and constituent calls to the office. Clerk Bach then went onto share the recent updates to the physical office space which included replacing the carpet to match the rest of City Hall, replacing window coverings and replacing ceiling tiles. She said that the 2024 proposed capital budget of $10,000 is to continue those updates by replacing the workstations for office staff, which date back to 1990. Next, she reviewed the proposed budget for professional services and travel and encouraged Councilmembers to begin thinking about their training calendar for 2024. In closing she provided an overview of the planned initiatives for 2024 which include continuing to upgrade the office space, growing public engagement, utilizing technology to grow collaboration and efficiency, and investigating new methods for modernizing record storage. Councilmembers expressed gratitude to Clerk Bach for her leadership, dedication to professionalism, and the technological and organizational advances she has ushered in as part of her tenure. Councilmember Bullock suggested areas for advancing the staff capacity regarding communications and policy development. *** Lakewood Fire Department Budget Presentation: Fire Chief Dunphy delivered a detailed presentation regarding the Fire Department’s 2024 Budget. Chief Dunphy began by providing an overview of the Fire Department’s 2023 accomplishments, emphasizing the hiring of a new Neighborhood Paramedic. Chief Dunphy explained that the Lakewood Fire Department’s call volume was consistent with previous years. He highlighted the Fire Department's commitment to the health and safety of its firefighters through a combination of health screenings, rigorous training, and the purchasing of new safety 3