08/04/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Minutes of 8/4/2009 3) The June financial statements were given or sent to Council today. Since it is the end of a quarter, she would like to provide a written report to council. As a preview, in the General Fund, assuming we receive our revenue evenly each month, it appears we are still slightly ahead of plan by 1.8% with revenue projections even though year-to-date we are 10% below the prior year revenue in the general fund. Expenditures are still on target to meet plan, though they are only 9.3% below the prior year. We have been able to cover certain unanticipated items with transfers from line items such as fuel where we had planned for higher prices. These will be seen when the transfer ordinance is discussed in committee. Councilman Barker, vice chairperson of the Finance Committee: 1 }The Finance Committee met June 23 to discuss four ordinances. Two of those (2009-75, 2009-78) were passed at the special Council meeting on June 23. The two remaining are 2009-76 and 2009-77. Resolution 2009-76 is a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Service to advertise for bids for the purchase of up to 5,000 tons of stone for various Service Department needs throughout the city as detailed in the specifications on file; further authorizing the Mayor to enter into a requirements contract with the lowest and best bidder to purchase said stone, after Board of Control approval, and declaring an emergency. Committee motion was made by Councilman Gareau; seconded by Councilman Barker; vote was 3-0 to recommend approval. Resolution 2009-77 is a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Service to advertise for bids for the purchase of up to 5,000 tons of asphalt, tack coating, and related items for various Service Department needs throughout the city as detailed in the specifications on file; further authorizing the Mayor to enter into a requirements contract with the lowest and best bidder to purchase said asphalt, tack coating, and related items, after Board of Control approval, and declaring an emergency. Councilman Gareau made the committee motion to approve; seconded by Councilman Kearney; the vote was 3-0 to recommend approval. 2) The Finance Committee met again on August 3. Present at that meeting were committee members Barker and Kearney; Council President Kennedy, Council Members Brossard, Jones, Orlowski, and Mahoney; the Finance Director and Service Director. Agenda items included: • Resolution 2009-83, a resolution to adopt the alternative tax budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1, ZO10. The county tax budget for 2010 was presented by Director Copfer. She reminded Council that the primary purpose of the tax budget was to show the County there is a need to levy the taxes at the specified millage. The County also reviews it to ensure the debt service requirements will be met by the City. She noted that the amounts requested are primarily the same as the 2009 projected collections based on the advice from our county budget analyst to not adjust the request based on the recently estimated ten percent decline on the reappraisal. Director Copfer stated to expect the decline when the final values are in. Discussion ensued about 2010 property values and income tax collections and any changes in the 2010 actual budget. Audience member Jim Burns expressed concern that the two voted levies-the Library and Fire Station Bond Retirement Funds-have sizable unencumbered balances and Council should ask in the budget for the millage to be reduced. Director Copfer said she discussed this issue with our county budget analyst who stated it is the County's duty to ensure debt is paid out of current collections, and he traditionally does not reduce millage until the last five years of debt. The Library has ten years left and the Fire Station has 15 years left. Additionally, since a .1 mill reduction would reduce collectively $87,000, that would be too great of a reduction to offset the prorata share of these balances. The millage would likely have to be raised again if it was lowered now, and such a fluctuation is not good for the 5