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Council Minutes of 2/6/02 <br />planned and implemented code enforcement strategies for revitalization of the <br />,~ neighborhoods. She will be an excellent addition to the city administration. Currently, <br />she is working on a part time basis through February and she is completing her course <br />work for a Ph.D. at the Levine College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. <br />Lisa has been appointed as chairman of the labor negotiation team, which is currently <br />negotiating the fire fighters union contract. <br />2) The second Citizen Police Academy is being planned for March or early April <br />3) The Police Department's canine unit was involved in a mutual aid drug bust with <br />North Ridgeville. <br />4) We anticipate taking delivery in May of the new triple combination pumper for the <br />Fire Department. <br />5) The Recreation Department handicapped accessibility project is progressing very <br />well. Automatic bi-fold doors in the facility have been installed and the rest room <br />renovations are almost completed. <br />6) He has been in communication with Congressman Kucinich's office relative to <br />possible help to secure all or some of the $4 million needed to purchase the property for <br />the completion of the Crocker/Stearns project. To date, he has had no positive comments <br />from the Congressman's office. <br />Finance Director: 1) This evening Council received the November and December reports <br />along with the key revenue comparison report. The general fund ended the year with <br />approximately $1,065,000 as a carry-over. That is after consideration of the $200,000 in <br />the budget stabilization reserve fund balance account. The property tax appraised value <br />went up 11%. However, the actual collection compazed to the prior year only went up <br />10.2%. This is either due to a collection issue with the county or some people got their <br />values re-appraised during the year. The municipal income tax collection was up 1.1% <br />over the prior year, but in November it was up almost 2%. This is an indication of how <br />quickly municipal income tax can come and go and why it is important to be cautious <br />when making projections. The estate tax came in at $721,000. With the general fund in <br />total, compared to the esrimated resources for the year, was 3.85% over that plan, which <br />equates to $b72,000. That amounts to good, conservative projections. <br />4) Last week, she and the Mayor attended the Bureau of Workers Compensation <br />program. It was very informative and well done. The public sector is the only sector that <br />continues to rise where every other sectors of business worker's compensation costs are <br />actually on the decline. So the state felt it very important to help municipalities through <br />this process. There are several areas where they ate providing initiatives, rebates or <br />grants to put programs in place such as the city-wide safety program. We do have <br />departmental ones, but there is not achy-wide one implemented. Also, there is a city- <br />wide transitional work program. Our city has transitional work available in many <br />departments, but it has to be at the city-wide level so that everyone has access to that. <br />Also, achy-wide drug and alcohol policy which is both random testing and suspicion. <br />We do have the suspicion program and also city employees who have CDL licenses are <br />required to be submitted to random drug testing. There aze a number of azeas that the <br />administration is going to be looking into to help keep costs down and keep safety of our <br />employees up. <br />~. <br />2 <br />