HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-01-10 TranscriptionJanuary 10, 2009 City Council Page 1
January 10, 2009 City Council Budget Work Session 8:10 A.M.
Council Present: Bailey, Correia, Hayek, O'Donnell, Wilburn, Wright
Council Absent: Champion
Staff: Lombardo, Helling, Karr, O'Malley, O'Brien, Craig, Mansfield, Lewis,
Rocca
Others Present: UISG Representative, Gunn
Budget:
Lombardo/ Want to get started? Well, um, we're pleased to present to you a balanced budget.
Um, that is to say expenditures and revenues are balanced and equal, um, without a
designated use of our fund balance or proposed increases in...major increases in tax
revenues. Certainly there's some modest increases as attributable to the, um, employee
benefits' levy and um, we do have some fee increases proposed, and we'll get into the
detail of which, but by and large, the budget is balanced, um, looking back at 2008, I
think there's an identifiable trend that we would have a deficit this year, um, albeit I don't
think any of us even as early as this summer would have predicted that it would have
been to the tune of about $3.5 million, um, plus another million dollars in additional
extended service level requests, uh, that department directors felt were needed to, uh,
round out services and provide better services in their departments. Um, that pretty
much, um, caused us to rethink how we approach, or at least me to rethink how I
approach putting this budget together. Um, when you have a situation where you have a
looming deficit of that magnitude, and the projections for the next five years are...are,
um, also the deficits, even with these cuts, um, it...to me, um, harkens of a more systemic
problem that needs to be dealt with, and so, you know, in terms of context for putting this
budget together, uh, my approach was to deliver a...a reasonable budget, not to harm
services, um, adversely where possible, um, but to put together a budget with the
expectation that as soon as we're done we start a process for, not only identifying all of
our programs and services and cost centers, and...and enumerating them, but going
through a process by which we start prioritizing and assigning a level of priority
and...and Kevin and his staff and I are...are working through, uh, various models to
decide what we think will work best for Iowa City, but uh, fully expect by February or
early March, at the latest, and done by May, uh, end of May, um, to...to go through this
exercise and...and we'll all have some level of involvement, but we have to flush out the
details, but really, um, come to a point where we understand fully what we do, what each
of those discrete things cost, and where they fit in terms of priority for Iowa City, and uh,
and the people we serve. Um, so approaching, or closing the gap was...was um, not
necessarily an easy one. We went through the budget with department directors,
discussed, um, their services thoroughly and then, um, looked at where we thought, and
predominantly in capital outlay and putting off, deferring modestly some maintenance,
but mostly in capital outlay and...and heavy purchases, uh, to see where that would get
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us, and there was still...that got us perhaps half of the way. Um, I went back to staff and
asked them for about a 1 %, uh, reduction in services and... and with the expectation that
if it was going to dramatically affect the way they do business that they tell me, and...and
you know, we look anew at the situation, but uh, by and large department heads were
able to put together their budgets, um, they're not budgets that can be sustained, uh, the
things that we defer, the things that we put off, have to get done, uh, and we have to find
a way to do it if we're going to continue to deliver services at the levels that we expect,
and so this is not a budget that can be sustained. Uh, this is a budget that, um, gets us
through this year with the expectation that harder work is ahead of us and that we're
going to have to go through this process early this year to get a jump on it, and make
some decisions that can be implemented throughout this summer, hopefully, um, to put us
in better stead for next year and the years to come. Um...so, uh, I know Amy and others
had asked, uh, the context by which we put this budget together, and by and large it was a
budget...the context was to hang .on, um, not...not harm services adversely, uh, not
make, uh, quick service level considerations, but to get...get the budget together and then
build a process that we can thoughtfully and meticulously go through and make good
decisions about what it is we want to deliver and what we want to affect out in the
community. Um, we have a rather lengthy presentation on revenues, and... and to get
into really a good, I think, um, deep discussion about why, uh, we find ourselves in this
place and why...why we think the revenue situation is going to play out for several years
to come. Um, with that I'll turn over to Kevin, uh, for some charts and graphs and...and,
you know, my tendency is budget work shop is to keep it as informal and questions as
they come up. If they're going to be answered later in the...in the presentation, in the
discussion, we'll make a note of it, uh, if there are items you want to talk about
specifically, um, bring them up as you deem appropriate, or we can put them in kind of a
parking lot and make sure they get addressed, but, um, just keep the discussion kind of
loose and moving forward, and...and we'll get through all the material. Uh, our
expectation is that we'll go through the whole budget today, um, at least in some fashion,
albeit the...the uh, enterprise funds, we may, if there's more thoughtful or deep
discussion about some of them, our expectations are we might have to come back, you
know, on Monday and...and get into those a little bit more deeply if you'd like, but we do
expect to touch on them today, and in particular the, um, the road use tax is something we
want to spend some time talking about, because that fund is in...in uh, difficult shape as
well. We have concerns about that moving forward and need to make some decisions
there. So, Kevin, I'll pass over to you, um, loosely and we'll just keep it...jump in
whenever you (mumbled)
O'Malley/ Thank you, Michael, and thank you, uh, City Council. Is this too loud, Marian?
Okay. Not used to hearing myself this loud, um, also want to thank Leigh Lewis. She's
our Management Analyst, and Deb Mansfield, our Budget Analyst. This year, uh, Leigh
helped put the budget together pretty much because Deb has been dealing with FEMA
and FEMA issues. In our budget we neatly put FEMA in a dollar point of view, but that's
about as neat as that flood has been, is just that dollar point of view. We've got tons of
paperwork that, uh, FEMA requires and...and our staff, not only our staff, but
Engineering and everybody else is continuing to work on this, that issue. I liken it a lot to
the, uh, the tornado of April of, uh, 2006. I was trying to think, some of you remember,
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and I think of St. Pat's Church getting knocked down pretty quickly, just like our flood
knocked down a lot of things, but that church hasn't been rebuilt yet, and it's going on
three years, and that's pretty much how our operations have been impacted, but in the
budget point of view, it's...it's, uh, we just stuck it in 09 as a $7.5 million and it'll
probably play out in 10 and 11 also. So, that's one of the provisos. The other thing I
wanted to mention is that, um, we've got two handouts. One is the PowerPoint which, uh,
is pretty easy to go through. The other is some detailed more managerial type reports,
kind of a show-your-work. When I went to school, every time I did math I had to show
my work, so uh, I wanted you to see where my logic or my rationale is coming from. So,
I'm going to be trying to balance the timing of when those two things occur. Can
everybody see the PowerPoint clearly? (unable to hear person in audience) Okay.
About the nicest thing is this picture in the front, uh, it's very calm and tranquil...I
wanted to go through, um, revenues mostly because expenditures is an easy story, but
revenues is...is really our life blood and, uh, it's...and we have less control over it. And
so I may be revisiting stuff that you already know in the past, but for the sake of the press
and...and some of the other people, I may go through how we get our revenues a little,
uh, little more intensely. This is just a quick graphic overview of...of where the revenue,
the composition of our revenue - 67% in the General Fund is property taxes. Um, you
could add the other city taxes, that's mostly excise tax, gas and electric excise tax, and
um, hoteUmotel tax. Uh, we had some discussion under licenses and permits. We had
very little discretion under intergovernmental. We are subject to the market forces on use
of money and property, and charges for services - it looks large, but um, we have a... an
accounting function in there, which really inflates it. It's really charges and services, and
other financing sources are...are...should be increased. And miscellaneous is some stuff
you can't count on, it just comes in, just a normal way of doing business. So I want to go
through today and go through each one of these eight categories, or nine categories, and
explain further how we get to where we are. This is the, uh, the tabular form of our
revenue, so that if some people enjoy looking at pictures and can quickly grasp it.
Others, accountants, like to look at tables and...and make, uh, relationships from that. As
you can see, um, the property taxes have gone up, oh, about $1,300,000. Other city taxes
are pretty flat. Licenses and permits are, uh, pretty flat as far as growth. Use of money
and property, this is mostly our interest income. I've got some slides showing how the
market has, uh, pummeled our interest income revenue, and only looks worse going out.
Intergovernmental, of course is what we, uh, you see in FY09 that $9 million -that's
pretty much the expected FEMA funding, uh, charge for services to increase quite a bit,
and that's because I took a look at our, um, administrative charge-backs, uh, that the
enterprise funds assist in...in paying for city services, and I...and we had this $3.5
million budget hole and this is one area where I felt a different formula would help, uh,
ease our, ease some of the hole, some of the pain. Miscellaneous is...is, uh, odd
information and other financing sources. It's pretty much transfers, uh, from other
funding sources within...taking money out of Peter's pocket to pay Paul, or taking money
out of, uh, other areas to fund this. Now, I...I want, I forgot to thank our Doc Services
department. Yesterday I had them quickly put this timeline together. I've been hearing
comments, uh, I assume you have heard comments too about how come my, uh, my
property should be less now and I shouldn't have to pay as high a taxes. Well, I wanted
to point out this timeline and actually I...let me stop this one moment. I want to...how
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do I get back to my title bar? I want to get up here to, uh...our web page, and show you
the source of our information, and we talked about this last year, about watching our
property, uh, our building statistics. And; so we've been taking a close look at that, and
I...just more charts in the...in our presentation, but what I wanted to quickly show you,
this is what, and you see a, uh, a report every month that shows all the building permits
that were issued...oops. Accept or decline...hey, this is what we (noise on mic) to the
public. God bless you, and um, let's see if I can make this 100%. This is a tabular
information that Jan Ream puts together on building statistics...buildingpeanit statistics,
and in comparison to last year, and I've got a slide in here to show you about...it shows
$145,000,000. What...you really need to break that down and look at, you know, if it's
residential, commercial, etc., and non-taxable, which is this column to the right, is...is,
uh, impacting. So how much real growth are we getting versus...and so the dollar looks
large this year compared to last year. It was like $117,000,000, but most of it was, uh,
due to non-taxable buildings, and I...and I can identify them, uh, the Department of
Human Service building the County built, the, uh, they built a garage also that came in
later, about six months later. The Armory came in, and then the Joint Emergency
Communication came in, and then our salt building came in. So, $32 million, uh, they
had to get a building permit, but they don't pay the fees for those building permits. So,
there's...a lot of this is integrated. So, it looks like...you know, if you look quickly at it,
'Hey, we're doing well,' well, we're not really doing that well, and I'll get back to that.
But anyway, I want to show you our source data. I'll go back to the PowerPoint, and I
want to give you...um, a history and I'll give you a little background. I used, before I got
into accounting, I was going to be a history teacher. So I always think of things in the
past, try to learn from the past. So, I like to take the example of, in this timeline...all the
activity in the year of accounting year 2007 occurs, building permit activity, and...and so
I came in and I've got...I want to build a house in October of 2007, and I come in
downstairs and they say, 'What's it going to cost?' 'Oh, about $200,000.' So, you see that
$200,000 valuation at that point in time, uh, so then the City Assessor comes around in
December and January (mumbled) assessments begin. He's coming by the house and
says, 'You only got about 50% done, so your valuation, your assessed valuation is
$100,000.' So that's January 1st of 2008. Well, I got a couple months to appeal it, that's
when the assessment's complete...oops...oh. I guess you have the larger handout, which
is easier to read. So that's where I have an opportunity to...to argue with them, and etc.
They have to send, or actually, he has to prepare it and send a notice out by April 15th.
.Then I've got from April 15th...16th to May 5th to argue about it, uh, and then if I'm not
happy it goes to local Board of Review. They get to...to consider my appeal, uh, they
have to the end of June to get it to the, the, uh, Director of the Iowa Department of
Revenue. They have, uh, processes where they look at property throughout the whole
state to...and they have a process called "Equalization." Uh, so just in case some
counties don't want to...to tax their, uh, their citizens much, so the State kind of plays
a... a governmental role or a role as regular, saying if a house sells for so much in
Johnson County and it sells so much in Potawatomi, there should be some relationship.
Um, so anyway, that's...they have quite a bit of role, uh, it comes back to the County
Auditor, uh, the information from the Department of Revenue in, uh, October of 2008.
The, uh, local Board of Review can argue with the State. There's, that happens through
October to the end of...to the end of November, and then, uh, the Iowa Department of
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Revenue also determines the rollback, I'm sorry (mumbled). And, uh, we get that
information and the local Board of Review in November...and that's when we start using
these valuations for the preparation of the budget, uh, and by November 15th the...the
state, local Board of Review is finalized and then we have from November 15th to March
15th, essentially, to use those valuations, that my $100,000...that Ihave on my $200,000
property, and you apply a tax levy against it, uh, and obviously during that whole time
period, I can come and tell you not to raise taxes, you know, fight for lower levies,
because I can't really do anything about the valuations cause somebody else is...several
other people telling me I can't change that, so I can come to you and say, 'Please change
your levy,' and then I can go to the School Board and say, 'Please change your levy,' and I
can go to the levy and say, 'Please change your levy,' and if you listen, then you will
change it, but if not, then we...it goes into effect and then it goes back to the, uh, County
Treasurer to send me the bill, and I've got a year to pay the bill, which I get some of it in
September, and I get some of it at the end of March. So, it's very long and complex
system, and um, and it's...it's really looking at stale data that we're paying taxes on. And
so, we in Finance have to keep an eye on valuations very closely, and it's very inflexible.
So, it's not much we can do, so we have to look to the, the community to...to build, you
know, to issue more building permits, to...want people to live in town. Our motto's been
'grow the tax base' for years, because 68% of our revenue comes from property taxes.
That's the long...I appreciate you taking the time to listen to that, but that's the
environment we live in, and I wanted to remind everyone. Yes? (unable to hear person
in audience)
Bailey/ You're going to need a mic. Here...
Mansfield/ The valuation that you're talking about, that timeline, so people may have seen the
flood, you know, hit in June. Those valuations that they're going to pay property taxes is
from January 2008 valuations. So...
O'Malley/ That was my initial comment -people are criticizing their valuations.
Mansfield/ Right, they're, yeah, they're criticizing it, but it, you know, hits January 2008.
O'Malley/ That was the purpose, thank you.
Mansfield/ LTh-huh.
O'Malley/ Okay. So, from an overview, we have...our 100% assessed valuation is $4.3 billion.
That includes the different property classes of, uh, residential, commercial, industrial,
agricultural. The rollback, our residential properties is about three-quarters of the
valuation, and so it gets rolled back to 45%, and so taxed valuation ends up being $2.6
billion, and the percent of change from FY2009 is 4.2%. Let's see...
Correia/ So our taxable valuation from 2009 has gone up 4.2%.
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O'Malley/ That's correct. And, most...some of that, I'm not sure if people remember, but last
year we had an actual lower rollback. So some of that valuation that was on the books
last year we got to tax on (mumbled) we weren't able to tax on last year. It's existing, so
it's not really new growth. It was valuation that was sitting there that couldn't be taxed.
So that's probably the 4.2%. That happens about once every ten years. It...it, instead of
going down it spurts up a little.
Correia/ Can you, I mean not right now or not even, but in terms of just looking at it, can you
break out the taxable valuation increases in the different classes, industrial, commercial.
O'Malley/ I think I might have a spreadsheet...
Correia/ Because I think, you know, we've talked about lowering the tax base and specific
sectors of the taxable valuation would be...informative just to see the trend...
Bailey/ Well, also when we talk about, oh...when we talk about alternative revenues, one of the
proposals at the State level is service fees for, uh, exempt property and just knowing how
much exempt property we have in Iowa City...
O'Malley/ We have, uh, something in our handout for both of those. If you turn to page 2, uh, of
the document you will see the different classes of property, um, for the...for the year
we're talking about, the 2010 budget year, and it shows the total, uh, tax...uh, before roll-
back and the total after roll-back. Uh, but I think to your question, Amy, you want to see
year to year, uh, changes.
Correia/ Right, well, cause I mean, this is complicated to understand, where that is easy to
understand (laughter)
O'Malley/ Right, exactly! This is, uh, compiled from Assessor information by the way.
Lewis/ Page 3 has the change from year to year. It doesn't have percentage changes, but we can
get that to you.
O'Malley/ Right. I...I took the two major classes of property -residential and commercial -and
I...I gave you a little bit of a history there. The first, uh, year, the 2002 is actually like
the January 1st of 2002, we collected taxes in FY2004, and the, uh, County...the City
Assessor has, uh, has different ways of, there's different aspects to property. So, one
year, um, I might own a...an apartment building, and then change it into a condo. So it
would have been a, uh, it would have been classified as commercial, and so that valuation
gets transferred to residential, and that's what those...annexation is one aspect.
Revaluation is one aspect. New construction is our growth, and net transfers from...to
and from property classes. So that net transfers is where things happen like, uh,
apartment buildings going to condos, uh, some property going to tax-exempt, like going
to a TIF district. LJh, some property might be, uh, purchased and made exempt in lending
to a church. So there's...different things can happen to a piece of property from the year
before.
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Lombardo/ And we don't have a tremendous amount of value coming out of TIF over the next
few years. Um, you know, we looked at that to say, okay, is there any, uh, is there
anything to look, uh, positively towards, in terms of value coming on the books as a
result of TIF's retiring, and it's not a tremendous amount. Um, where we're being
impaired is that assessments are flat, and look to remain so for quite a while. You add to
that the effects of the flood and...and just in, uh, hazard mitigation grant program alone
there's $11 million or more in value that will come off the books, definitely, because
they're going to be bought out and return to flood plain, and then, you know, several um,
more houses, um, 240 odd total, uh, at varying levels of...of reconstruction or not,
and...and many still not, and so uh, there's quite a bit of value coming off the books in
two years is when it will really hit us. So we see this as, you know, assessments and how
it's going to plague our revenues, barring any changes, um, as being at least a three to five
year proposition, and perhaps even a little bit longer, unless there's, you know, there's
a...there's a rekindling of...of construction, new construction. We have great hope,
certainly, in the industrial park, and...and so that could change it, but as a point I think
Kevin is making here is that it's atwo-year lag, and we have at a minimum that two
years, and then there's, you know, counterbalancing forces on flood properties that...so
this is, we think, uh, five years is probably, you know, a minimum, and likely you know,
as many as five to seven years, barring new construction or any changes that are
unforeseen at this point.
O'Malley/ Thank you. Um, this chart -you might be familiar with. We usually have it in our
budget presentation. It essentially shows you how much property...taxable property, or
assessed valuations that are not, uh, captured...through the rollback. This is some more
tabular data as to what our valuations are -residential being $3 million, but only about
45% of that is taxed. Commercial being $1 million. That's our total, $4.3...this is what I
tried to do in a graphic form to answer your question. This is the annual residential
valuation increment. This is what happens every two years, that the Auditor does,
and...and the different colors are...are the, the, uh, the, well, actually, this is the total
increment. The...the blue line, the spikes that you see every two years is the revaluation
done by the City Assessor. Some of you may remember four years ago that we had a
16% increase in valuations. That's that big blue line there. LJh, some of you may
remember two years ago we had a 8% increase. Um, the FY09...that's...that, so I said, I
called the City Assessor up when I started this budget process, and I said, you know, he
does these assessments every two years. He puts them on the book, but he watches them
for those two years. I said, what am I to expect, the 4%? You know, something. He
said, 'Zero percent, maybe a half a percent.' He said houses are... are selling; if they are
selling, he said about 700 houses are sold each year, a turnover in the market, uh, and if
they are selling, they sell at about 95% of value, which is what he has for assessed
valuation. So, if houses sell pretty close to his, uh, percentile, 5% above or 5% below,
the, uh, the property is not revalued. And so, that's the expectation going forward. The
other, um, the little yellow line is annexations, which is pretty much, uh, moot as far as
picking up valuations. New construction line is the other thing that I like to look at, to
see what kind of growth, sustained growth is going on. Uh, and then, uh, a little bit of
that towards FY10 there is, I found out yesterday when I was doing further analysis is
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that, is a little inflated due to the building permits that we issued for flood properties. So
we have about $12 million in there, and that really shouldn't be in there. I mean, it's not
really new growth, but ended up being there. And then the, uh, other small flat line is
those transfers from different classes of property that the City Assessor does. And also, I
think I've done the same thing...oh, this is just another representation of 100% valuations
versus net taxable valuation, and it pretty much follows the revaluation spike. And uh, by
the way, the colors are presented to you today by Leigh. (laughter) I had some ugly
colors and they didn't (laughter) they didn't pass (several talking). This is the commercial
aspect of, uh, revaluations, growth, annexations, and transfers. And, uh, there again, he's
thinking that there won't be much growth in commercial revaluations, because of the
economic issues. The new growth is what I like to look at, because that's...that's 100%
growth. That's...is there a problem? (mumbled) Okay. And then, the annexation is
pretty much flat, and then the one under the line is the issue, where they take commercial
property and they put it into residential, or they put it into TIF. So, we lose 100%
valuation. (mumbled)
Correia/ Although with TIF we don't use, lose...I mean, we lose 100%, but we don't lose what
we've been getting. Right?
O'Malley/ Right.
Bailey/ The base stays.
Correia/ Right.
O'Malley/ Right. Okay. I have to make sure I'm following my agenda. Okay, I want to,
yeah...get back to, and this is just a net taxable, or just a, just revaluation versus new
construction. Here's that exempt property that, uh, Regenia, I think you alluded to maybe
the...the, uh, State allowing us to assess some kind of service fees on. Um, so this is
another $2 billion...I believe that's, oh, it's in...so that'd be $2 billion of, uh, and this is
not, oh yeah. The University of Iowa, we do get, uh, some service revenue in the form of
the fire contract. So...okay. This, uh, this is what I did yesterday. I kind of enjoy doing
this, but, uh, this is building permits, over ten years, and I think I've got also a tabular, on
page 4 of your documentation, I show the tabular graphic. And this is where, at the 11th
hour, I found that the residential, uh, valuations at $45 million, uh, let me back up. Do
you remember my first slide that showed the $145 million for 2008? Building permit
valuations? Well, that's where I found the...$45 million, $12 million was in building
permits for the flood.
Lombardo/ I'd like to interject here for a moment. What's not necessarily apparent at...in this
slide that I find very interesting, and it dovetails with Moody's, uh, evaluation of our
credit worthiness this past year, is...is that the two spikes, or the spikes spanning 2001 to
2003 are coming back to bite us now in a sense, because um, our residential market is
overbuilt, and that...that also has a dampening effect on assessments. Um, so we have
more houses that are available than are in demand and that drives prices, or keeps them at
least flat, and so...that's another constraint that we're having to work with is that the
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new...the new value that was brought on, we've enjoyed the revenue from but now
because there's an oversupply, it's having a dampening effect on...on assessments
moving forward, in terms o£ ..of how much they'll grow as a result o£ ..of normal market
conditions. Sorry, Kevin.
O'Malley/ That's okay. Just for further explanation of this graph, uh, as you can see yourself the
blue line residential, that spike up is...is not really new growth, which I had thought it
was when I was putting it together, after talking with the building, uh, department, they
said that most of that's, a majority of that is the, uh, permits that came out for the
replacement property in the Parkview Terrace area and uh, Idyllwild. As you can see,
commercial is dipping, and these are building permits. This is what we talked about.
Okay, two years from now we're going to be taxing on this, and so we don't see that
growth, sustained growth. We see a dwindling of resources. And there's a spike there in,
uh, non-taxable, and then the, the bottom one, the pinkish one is the industrial, which uh,
we hope will increase.
Lombardo/ Kevin, did you have a breakout in here of, um, how much is renovation and
reconstruction, versus new construction?
O'Malley/ Uh, it's...I have it in the, uh, supplementary information, but I haven't got it...I didn't
total it, uh, and that's...let's see, uh,
Lombardo/ That's another point though. A lot of that activity, um, particularly in 08 and then
moving out is going to be in reconstructions and not new construction, and so, um...
O'Malley/ How do I get back to my task bar? (several talking) I hate doing that. Anyway, this
building permit graph, just to show you how it's constructed, there's asingle-family
duplex, which is residential; sororities, etc., um, we go down to motels. Churches are
exempt. Industrial, service stations is commercial...hospitals are normally exempt.
Offices is commercial. Public works and utilities is exempt. Schools are exempt. Stores
and customer service - sometimes...I usually put this in commercial. Sometimes it is
exempt, I find, after further review. And here's what Michael's alluding to - we also look
at remodeling, residential value and commercial, uh, each year. And, uh, if you would
like we could get some of that charted for you. But you see some of that ends up being in
the non-taxable column, the remodeling. (several talking) I don't...I'm not usually into
the PowerPoint business. I'm into the spreadsheet business. I can get around in a
spreadsheet a lot better. Property tax levy -the task that you have before you, uh, just to
show you what, uh, you decided in 2009, and what we have proposed to you for 2010 is a
very minor increase in the levy amount. That doesn't equate to the tax bill. It's just our
levy, because we have two other taxing bodies also who may impact that. This is the
tabular form that you're used to seeing in your book, to show you the dollars and the
rates. As you can see, it's about a $2 million overall in taxes that we need to pay debt
service, and uh, our...the rest of our operations. Maybe just to give you a reminder, uh,
looking at these levies, the General is fixed by the State; Transit is fixed; Torte Liability
floats, uh, with the insurance premiums and the cost of, uh, claims, and I think you're
familiar with some of the claims that go to you during those sessions. One of the other
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things I did this year to help, uh, close the $3.5 million gap is that I, uh, for several years
Eleanor has been trying to impress on me the value of some of her staff being funded
from torte liability. We do have some staff members funded from Torte Liability, and so
I...that rang a bell, and I thought maybe I better fund one of her people out of there. So,
Eric Goers is now funded out of Torte Liability. So that's why that went up a little bit.
The Emergency Levy, uh, we've proposed the same nickel that was decided last year.
Employee Benefits floats with the Pension and Health Insurance costs. Uh, Debt Service
Levy, oh, I'm sorry. Emergency Levy is fixed at...at the maximum. That is 27 cents.
Employee Benefits will float with the actual cost of benefits provided. Debt Service, uh,
has a State restriction that we're not, uh, anywhere of reaching, but we have a City
restriction of 25% of these total levies. And so, we uh, there's a graph that shows you
later that we haven't broached that for 2010. Here's the, uh, our example for the average
homeowner that, uh, $30 some dollar increase is roughly...represents a 4.2% increase in
what the City will be collecting from the taxpayer. Uh, other City tax (mumbled)...do
you have any questions about property tax, before I move on? Do you...okay. Other
City taxes pretty much is composed of only two groups, uh.. .
Wilburn/ Maybe just a comment.
O'Malley/ Sure.
Wilburn/ Um, I was just sitting and musing, it's kind of the same point every year. People get it
and understand it and accept it, um, when their salary either stays flat or doesn't adjust
with inflation because their costs go up, and they, you know, they understand when their
dollar doesn't purchase more.
O'Malley/ Uh-huh.
Wilburn/ But they don't geY it, or they don't understand it or don't accept it when City, well, any
level of a government the same thing happens. Even if we, you know, don't raise my
property taxes, even if we deliver no more services, doesn't necessarily translate or accept
that our costs...if our costs go up relative to, or, um, if our income doesn't increase,
because we rely on property tax so much, um, we have to pay inflated costs for any
services the City purchases because other folks salaries go up, um, the medical, uh, health
insurance goes up, set by, you know, by State, etc., etc., uh, so um, they'll, but then you
say, well, okay -property taxes won't go up, and you understand that means you get less
service. Well, that's okay until it's the service that you want and just a musing that...not
amusing, but a musing that, uh, always hits me when you go over that.
O'Malley/ Yes. Always...always enjoy the fact that you guys have to handle those questions.
(laughter and several commenting) No, no, I mean, I'll give (several talking) yeah! I'll
give them this beauracratic answer and they'll go, geez, and I'll say, at the end, of course
you can see your local representative. (laughter)
Lombardo/ Well, and...and I'll say too. I think there's a perception, um, and it plays out in
generalities, I think, in...in some media formats, talk radio and other places, um, that,
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gosh, it's just because, you know, your local, your governments. It's never differentiated
between federal, state and local. It's talked about in generalities that...that we're
somehow bloated and all we need to do is just tighten our belts. Um, I'll say for this city
government and many that I've worked with, uh, they're running very lean and, in terms
of service delivery, and...and so I think it's perhaps decade-old kind of mentalities about
local government and...and uh, how much room there is in their budgets or not, and
there's this misperception that somehow it's just because we're not efficient. I...this, this
local government is very lean and I would argue that many local governments, or if not
most to date now, because of the last decade or more of...of forces on local government
finances have stripped out any... any of that wiggle room, and it's really about
prioritization and... and trying to understand what you're trying to effect out in the
community, and targeting resources toward that. Um, and so I...I wish there was a way
or a forum by which you can engage that and get people to understand and see that. Uh,
certainly it's all right here, but getting folks to really pay enough attention to understand it
seems near impossible, and if you have any.. .
Bailey/ Well, and we're only a part of the picture. That's been the challenge, I mean, the couple
of years that we held our levies flat, the School District and the County was increasing so
people saw a tax increase. It wasn't our tax increase (several commenting) it's presumed.
It's very generalized. I mean, what you said is, you know, government this whole big
blob, and people aren't determining who's providing the service and what is happening.
So, you're right, but that's what we're going to face. I mean, that's the game we play.
O'Malley/ When we walk in the door, we know that's what's going to happen.
Bailey/ Right. Exactly.
O'Malley/ Uh, just a reiteration that the hoteUmotel tax, uh, the on1y...I'm...I wasn't clear about
this. I've heard maybe...maybe, Dale, you could expand on this, but there's some
discussion about this being flat because of, uh, of state institutions being exempt from
this tax?
Bailey/ Yeah.
Helling/ I think that has to do with the legislation that was passed last year that exempted
government, uh, customers, essentially, from the hoteUmotel tax, um, to the best of my
knowledge there's a movement afoot to...to change that, as soon as the Legislature
convenes.
O'Malley/ Oh, to convert back?
Helling/ And if that's the case, there'll be a window where there'll be a loss, but then it would go
back, and I...I think if it were to remain in effect it was something like $90,000 that Iowa
City would lose each year, uh, but if it's not in effect for, you know, even a year, then
that's scaled back and then that loss doesn't...doesn't project forward. So, it...it's a matter
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of whether legislature plugs that hole immediately, or whether it doesn't get into, go into
effect until July 1 (mumbled)
O'Malley/ Okay. Thank you, Dale. The other aspect of hotel/motel tax is Iowa City, if you have
a robust economy, people will be out spending their money and...visiting Iowa City more
often, uh, so the economy will also impact the amount of that revenue. The gas and
electric excise tax, this used to be a property tax, but the gas and electric companies didn't
like the way things were going. They thought electricity was going to be nationalized or
something, and so they had to convince the legislature about ten years ago. What this
more or less becomes is just a pain for us budgeteers to carve out roughly 2% of property
taxes. It's supposed to be done on an excise tax basis versus a property tax basis, but
really hasn't come to pass. I think Enron kind of killed it. Licenses and permits - by the
way, that was really only 2% of your revenue, and, but it is still subject to risk. Um,
licenses and permits - here's an area where you do have some discretion, some...some
power. Um...and we, in order for us to close the gap, we had, uh, are recommending, uh,
we're bringing back the recommendation from last year to increase the rental inspection
fees in housing to make it aself-sufficient cost center. iJh, the other issues in licenses
and permits, to give you a breakdown what some of the other items are. I think, Leigh,
you might know better as to what...I know electrical licenses are in there and other...
Lewis/ Electrical, mechanical, um, used to be licensed through the City. It's now going to the
State. Um, and I think it's about $50,000 in annual revenue that we 're losing.
O'Malley/ Okay. Uh, also in here, like I was mentioning before about the building permits, those
building permit - we get a certain dollar amount for just the building permit. Uh, and we
don't get anything for the non-taxable, uh, we don't get any revenue from the non-taxable
buildings. However, we do get plan review fees, uh, we look at the building plans, on all
property, and we do get maybe 40 to 50% of that same building permit fee, revenue, and
so if building...if we have good construction going on, we'll still get pretty good fees
from that, but we don't see a, uh, forecasting much new construction. So, we've more or
less stopped this flat. (several talking)
Correia/ We're going to have an opportunity to talk about these different recommendations
later.. .
O'Malley/ Yeah, we have decision point, yeah. (several talking)
Lombardo/ But if you want to, I mean, if you want to talk about particular aspects of it now, I
mean, it's timely...we can...we can jump into that right now. I...I, you know, these are
increases that I've built into the budget, and so there's expectations if we...if we don't
follow through on them, then we'd have to find additional cuts elsewhere to...to, uh,
compensate, but uh, they have been added in.
Hayek/ I have a data question as it relates to this. Of the entire rental landscape, do we know the
percentage, um, that is taxed commercial versus residential?
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O'Malley/ I'd say most of it is...is, no, I wouldn't be able to say that, because most are converting
over to residential. Um, except for like the Lodge and some of those that can't.
Hayek/ That'd be some interesting (both talking)
O'Malley/ Yeah, that's something...we'll ask Building about that.
Lombardo/ Yeah, we'll see if we can get some additional data for Monday night. (mumbled)
Correia/ So I have a question, I mean...I mean, I do have questions, would like to fully discuss
this recommendation.
Bailey/ So is the preference to do overview and then detail?
Wright/ That would be my preference.
Bailey/ That would be my preference, as well.
Hayek/ Me too.
O'Malley/ We do have a slide...
Bailey/ I have a question about building permits for exempt property. Is that governed by the
State that we cannot charge them building permits?
O'Malley/ Uh, yeah.
Bailey/ Okay. Thank you.
O'Malley/ And uh, like we don't bill ourselves too, for like salt sheds and...uh, why don't you
write that question down and I will confirm that state.. .
Lombardo/ I got it written down.
O'Malley/ Okay. Use of money and property - 2% of our revenue, um, we used to make a nice
piece, we used to make sufficient funds here in interest income. There's two...the two
aspects are interest income and parking permit fees. Transit owns a intermodal facility
that earns parking permit fee revenue, and uh, the Department of Transportation Services
in order to help close the gap have recommended an increase of $120,000. I think...do I
have a chart on interest...yes, there's...explain the interest income. This is, uh, as you
see, this chart shows the Fed fund rates, and this pretty much dictates the short-term
interest rates that we'll get on, uh, the base, the lowest area of interest income that we
would get on our invested monies. As you see back in June of 2004, we were at 1 1/4%,
the Fed funds rate, and we were...at that point in time, we were getting about $300,000 in
interest income. Uh, then we've been living nicely there in 06 and 07 and 08, and
precipitously it is dropped.
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Lombardo/ Our fear is that we're going to have to start paying money to invest.
O'Malley/ Some people have done that with Treasury Bills. Um (both talking) the uh, so this is,
these are indications, these are stimuli to me that says, 'I can't plug a budget with interest
income that I don't believe will be there.' So, we've even reduced FY09's, uh, budgeted
amount, based on collected revenue to date. Uh, and this also creates ashort-fall. This is
part of the $3.....$3.5 million hole, whereas we had to come up with $600,000 or
$700,000 that we used to have when interest rates were higher. That's a...so we, to do
that, we've done some balancing, but that's one of the mix that I want to make sure that
you're aware of. The other aspect of this, if your fund balances go down low, uh, if
you...if your fund balances start to shrink, you also lose revenue. So it's kind of a
double...double, uh, loss. (mumbled) excuse me...intergovernmental revenue. This is
the revenue that's in, uh, that...the largest part of this is to fund Transit, and uh, Transit
services. We also have the Library, the Senior Center, and Animal Shelter. I think we
have, uh, the table that shows that in our books (several talking) yeah, there it is. Um,
and then the fire contract with the University. So, of that $3.6 million, uh, I'd say about
$2 million is, um, not quite $2 million, is...Transit related. This $364,000 of Transit
assistance, Transit pass through, that's about $400,000, and $873,OOO...I'm sorry. That's
probably more like $1.5 ... $1.4 or 5. Uh, and there's some Transit up here with the
University Heights. The one thing I...I think would be, is pretty solid in this area is the
University of Iowa contract. Hasn't changed since the 50's. It's a good contract. We're
fortunate to have it. Um, the other ones, the federal and state transit system revenue,
that'll be determined by...by somebody else. Usually based on our Transit delivery, our
services. So this, so those monies pretty much are dedicated to Transit, plus the 95-cent
property tax levy, and we can't use that for any other services.
Lombardo/ And...on those 28E's, you know, our concern, or that many of them, they're all with
other local governments and as they look to correct any budget maladies that they have
by, could affect these agreements, then we maybe in renegotiations. We may be at a loss
for service completely, you know, that's a concern we've been discussing a little bit lately,
and, um, there's no way to predict that. None have come to us and said they intend
to...to, uh, open up those, um, agreements again, but it's...it's possible, and maybe even
probable.
O'Malley/ Some of you may remember, uh, when the Johnson County unilaterally cut their
Senior Center.
Bailey/ And it wouldn't surprise me if that would happen again.
O'Malley/ Uh-huh.
Bailey/ This year.
O'Malley/ Like in half. Uh, charges for services -this is another area where we have some
discretion. These include, um, recreation fees, some animal fees, um, let's see, we have
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an intergovernmental administrative charge-back. This is up 25%, mostly due to the
administrative services charge. And let's see, I keep losing my mouse...oh, I want to go
back now and...to, uh, your document handout, and there's a spreadsheet there called
"Administrative Chargeback Calculations for FY10."
Lewis/ Page number 5.
O'Malley/ Page number 5, thank you. When we were...when we were faced, when we
determined that we had, uh, when we made the determination that we...that our revenues,
and looked at our expenses, and saw the gap, we said let's take a look at the things that,
um, we can possibly change, and the Administrative Chargeback, we hadn't changed in,
uh, three or four years, and the original, uh, basis for that was, um, maybe about eight, 18
different pieces of one spreadsheet. We were following some costs all around, uh, from
water and sewer and parking that flowed through the City and we were chasing paper
supplies and ink and stuff, and I said instead of trying to spend a day and a half trying to
refresh those numbers, I want to take, uh, a different cost allocation method. So that's
what you see there, uh, on that chargeback is I took the cost centers that we consider the
Administration, and down below that, that cost was about $5 million, and uh, well, that
$5 million is just to get a ratio, and then down below, I took, uh, the enterprise funds that
use Administrative services, and took their budget, and then I came up with the ratio of
their budget to the...to the total, and then I came up with a proposed charge. That's the
third column over, and in the past, sometimes we would just take money and transfer it
right out of the funds without calling it Administrative chargeback, and I wanted to
negate that effect, so that's what's...we used to just take $200,000 from Parking and that
was established years ago when Parking could not afford to pay for Administrative
chargeback.
Lombardo/ There's a real temptation, you know, when we look at our enterprise accounts, and
say, gosh, they're healthy and...and robust, um, you know, how deeply can we reach in
there and grab funds to...to shore up, um, the General Fund, and uh, I...I think, the way
we've put it in the budget I think is defensible, uh, pretty much on all levels. Um, I've
been in jurisdictions where they've done that, gone into Landfill or others, and well, we'll
just tap this for this year or for a couple years. You end up, um, undermining the...the
um, enterprise funds. They're capital intensive, they have ongoing projects, um, you look
at the...the waste water treatment plant and consolidation prospects and...and just
managing, I mean, it's a capital intensive facility, um, it...it's not good, um, financial
practice to...to just reach down and grab large chunks of money, because it's there,
because inevitably the large capital projects come, uh, they have special needs, that type
of...and...and rate payers pay for that service, uh, arguably it should be spent for the
services in which they paid and so you get into a lot of, um, audit, uh, gray areas
and...and so I, you know, we've reached deeper as a result...with this budget than...than
we have in prior years. I think it's defensible and...and it's needed, uh, but to just go in
and...and tap Landfill or waste water treatment or the water plant and say I will grab, you
know, $500,000 more or a million more, um, you know, it...I don't believe it can be
sustained and...and then I think you get into a lot of, um, just basic accounting
procedural issues that...that really aren't good practice. So, I...open for discussion, you
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know, talk about that threshold more, but I think we've reached about as deep as I would
recommend, in terms of tapping those enterprise funds. For arguably justifiable costs,
Administrative costs that we all, my time, Kevin's time, others when...in our involvement
with them, HR, and the like, but um...
Hayek/ Does there have to be a...a legal or accounting, a legally defensible nexus between those
enterprise funds and the purposes for which we grab them? I thought there had to be like
a rational relation, or had to be, you know, Administrative charge-backs make sense
because they...
Lombardo/ I think Eleanor would say, um, that it's...it's legal troubled waters. From an
accounting standpoint, we can go in and take it and move it over and...and I think there is
no, uh, general accounting practice that we, I mean, they may make it an exception and
identify it as a huge problem. It may affect bond rating and credit worthiness and things
like that. We likely would get a, uh, a note in our financials, but in terms of us being, um,
legally scrutinized, I mean, I think it's defensible. Eleanor would say it's troubled waters,
and she'd be right, but I think in terms of us being, um, indicted on charges type thing -
no. (laughter)
Correia/ Cause basically you're saying that this charge-back for work, for example that personnel
provides work for these other departments (several commenting) right, legal (several
talking)
O'Malley/ And... and from an accounting point of view, it's a matching concept. Uh, as an
accountant, I can't just grab money and say, I feel good about taking it from them. I'd go,
okay, in the old days, we would say count how many payroll checks, count how many
payable checks, count how many job postings, and that would take an enormous amount
of time, and so they'd say, okay, let's take a different look.
Lombardo/ I've seen very complex, um, formulas to try and...and get at really what...and really,
um, and they do take a tremendous amount of time and data gathering and, uh, I don't
know that they're any better than the method that we have here. And I've probably seen
eight or ten different ways of getting at that. They're always cumbersome, and they
always...are always this big black box. I think if anything this...this trimlines it. It says,
look, we're doing on a ratio basis. We think it's...it's a reasonable, uh, way of getting at
it, and um, and I think it's...it's defensible, um, it's more than defensible. I think it's...it's
perfectly appropriate.
O'Malley/ Now, the only time you can get into trouble is in the, in certain enterprise funds have
bonds outstanding, and in the covenants we made with the bond holders, is that when the
revenue comes in, it'll be first applied to operations. Next to the debt service part. Next
to your capital outlay, and whatever's left over can be used for any legal purpose. Well,
if you take too much out of there, and there's no...then you really violated that legal
purpose. You've got...you had no surplus to take from. So, that's the one gray area that I
think Eleanor would say you're in troubled waters by going down a path without any kind
of matching concept, or any kind of cost allocation concept.
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Wilburn/ There's also the Landfill where we have to be able, in that case, we're required to
keep...to be able to close it (both talking so if you (both talking) that likely would not
happen, or years down the road, but you know (both talking) the other thing in terms of
defensible and non-defensible, it, um, we get ourselves, set ourselves up for some, um,
unacceptable, um, practices with the public. For example, if we...if we tap into water to
build, um, you know, a...
Bailey/ A recreation building.
Wilburn/ ...a big...a new rec building, and then we, uh, a year or two later jack up the, um,
water, you know, water bills, people are not going to be...less accepting (several talking)
Lombardo/ ...the rules change often and we have to have funds, I mean, you look at the chlorine
changes and how it affected the water treatment plant. When was that? Five years ago?
(several responding) Um, you know, they have dramatic impacts on their operating
budget and...and they don't ask, you know, what have you done with your budget to...to
be able to pay for this or not. It's essentially "do it." Landfill very much the same.
Waste water treatment, uh, also the same. Technologies change, you know, so...it's
something, I think the bottom line is, we think well, the rate structure we come up with
is...is a defensible method. It's reasonable. Uh, we've taken more, um, to support
general operations, um, than we have in the past and...and, um, I don't know that there's
much more room to go there.
Hayek/ So the...the $l.l million increase in charge-backs over the last...for this year, that
is...that is due to a...a recalculated charge-back structure that you've come up with...
O'Malley/ Correct.
Lombardo/ Hasn't been done in three or four years.
O'Malley/ Right.
Hayek/ But it's not...it's not a million one increased costs. It's...
O'Malley/ No. Let me back up. That million one actually, about $700,000, and that's what this
spreadsheet shows, about $700,000 is increase in that Administrative charge-back. The
other $300,000, I changed...we were taking transfer, just pulling it out, and I've taken
that and added it to the Administrative charge-back, and reduced the transfer section, the
other financing sources, which we'll see later. So, essentially it was a net increase of
about $700,000.
Hayek/ Arid, Michael, when you say dip into those enterprise funds, this is what you're talking
about.
Lombardo/ Yes.
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O'Malley/ Correct.
Hayek/ Okay.
Lombardo/ That we think as an Administrative charge-back, it's defensible. The transfers, the
direct transfers, um, I mean, it's defensible on an accounting perspective, but in terms of
management practices, too much of it is...is not a good thing.
O'Malley/ Right, and I was trying to clean up that past practice.
Wright/ So this is essentially a cleaner way of getting to the (both talking)
O'Malley/ Exactly, exactly, Mike!
Correia/ More accurately reflecting...
O'Malley/ Right.
(Lewis)/ Right, and it's just a reallocation of those costs from General Levy property taxes to the
users...accounts for billing and accounts for personnel, and accounts for your payroll,
accounts payable, accounts receivable, all of that.
Wright/ And it's probably a little more accurate, besides.
Correia/ A more accurate reflection of the enterprise...department. Actually paying for itself
(several talking) which is what we want it to...right.
O'Malley/ And we do the...we do their mail. We do every back office function, and a
governance function is done for them. So I wanted to make sure that was clear, because
that was a significant, uh, change from last year's revenue.
Correia/ I think that's good.
O'Malley/ Miscellaneous revenue, which, uh, we do have, uh, it's broken down with the
Magistrate court fines, parking fines, Library fines, this is where the State tells us
we...we put that infor...that stuff, that type of receipts. And in here we're also looking,
um, I think we talked about maybe increasing parking violation fines last year, and...and
we didn't, but this year because of the...the ongoing, uh, the projected hole in operations,
uh, we asked, um, for information from people, and Chris O'Brien was...suggested
increasing fines because it also, this is the fines that are charged in...in the General Fund.
He has fine revenue that goes to the Parking Fund. But these are the...the current $10
tickets for parking too close to a stop sign, parking too close to a fire hydrant, those kind
of...not the overtime meters. So, that would be another $250,000, uh, increase.
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Lombardo/ And I think...and Chris, jump in, or if you have questions. I think the rates are...are
defensible, in terms of what the broader market are charging in other areas, too. I think,
Rick, or Chris, um, looked, uh, quite a bit at other rate structures and...in coming up with
this, and so I think it's reasonable, and it's for those bad actors that are not doing what
they're supposed to be doing.
O'Malley/ You know, coming from a larger city, our...our (several talking)
Wright/ I think we've provided too good a value in this area (laughter and several talking)
O'Malley/ I agree. The only question I have, Chris, is...is there a state limit on how much we
can charge, uh, on parking fines?
O'Brien/ (unable to hear; several talking)
Lombardo/ Wherever you're comfortable. Incidentally, you may find, uh, department directors
and others in and out throughout the day. I've, uh, sent a message out to them saying
please come and attend, and if questions come up regarding your areas, I expect, you
know, department directors jump in and be part of the conversation. So, um, it's a little
bit of a change from...from how things may have been in the past, uh, you know. I
welcome the...their input and their presence here.
O'Brien/ To answer...Michael had brought up a question about research done. We've checked
kind of local areas, and especially the University - we try to stay kind of in line with what
they do in the rates, uh, for fines or right in touch with what they're doing right now. Um,
with reference to, uh, a cap on violation amount, the cap is on the escalation. Um, so you
have a base citation amount. You can only escalate it by State code $5.00, regardless of
what you're violation amount is, so...if your violation amount's $5.00, you can escalate it
$5.00. If it's $50.00, you can still only escalate it $5.00 if...for nonpayment. So, uh, we
checked into, can you put administrative fees. For example, if you tow a vehicle, which
the State does not allow for that. Um, and one other thing, I mean, I guess while I'm up
here, you'll see with the proposal for expired meter violations is, uh, we proposed it at
$10, with a discount if you pay within seven days. Discounted down to seven, but if you
don't pay after 30, it escalates up to $15. So that, uh, you're offering a discount, but still
have that escalation factor in there, so it...if you pay promptly it...it doesn't, uh, cost
quite as much. So...any other questions about the $10 violation? We also have in there a
$25 violation for, uh, commercial vehicle, which is something we talked about in prior
Council meetings, as well. (several talking)
Bailey/ ...but, uh, I used to pay my parking tickets in advance, um, finance would hold $50 on
account for me (laughter). Works quite well actually! (several talking) It's a great...it's
a great thing. Maybe we can get some use of money out of that kind of program.
(several talking)
Wright/ A deposit account, essentially.
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 20
Bailey/ Yeah, it works well!
Wilburn/ Like a Christmas Club.
Bailey/ Yeah. Um, so who else did you...what, besides the University, what other cities did you
benchmark?
O'Brien/ LJh, Cedar Rapids was one we looked at. They have a $25 violate...so we're actually
well below where they are for some of their violations as well.
Bailey/ Okay. Thanks.
O'Brien/ And with the...potential building at St. Pat's we needed to look at our fee structure
anyway, at parking, and to try and accommodate that facility if it goes through as well.
So...
Bailey/ And you're messing with the fee structure in a way that...that reflects our conversation
about getting long-term packers into our garages.
O'Brien/ Correct. That's all in this proposed budget and increase in the meter rates, um, we also
increased the permit rates, um, one thing that we found was that the University, who has
permits through the City, was actually charging a higher rate than we were selling them at
for covered facilities, and so we're in line with the covered facility rates, with the increase
that we've proposed. (several commenting)
Bailey/ Yeah, no kidding.
O'Malley/ Thank you, Chris. I knew there was some kind of state cap or some issue there.
(mumbled) Other financing sources -this is, uh, really not revenue so much. It's...it's
more transfers amongst ourselves. This is more of an accounting function, and it's also a
place where we can show, um, the loans aspect. You may remember some discussion,
maybe two years ago about the A-2 occupancy loans. The, uh, we...we, uh, it was
approved by Council, but it really wasn't reflected in the budget. So in order to get it into
the budget we...we have to do a lot of transfers, and this is part of governmental fund
accounting. It kind of inflates the revenues and it also inflates your expenditures. But
essentially what happens is, uh, the example is that if a business comes in for that loan,
we have to borrow the money from the Landfill. So, there's a transfer in which will show
as revenue in, uh, shows an increase in your Other Financing Sources; and then when we
give the money to the person, it'll show as an expense out of Building Inspections. When
that person pays us back the money, it will show as a receipt into, uh, Loans Paid, which
would show up in Other Financing Sources, and then when we...when General Fund
pays back Landfill, it'll be an expenditure in the General Fund to Landfill. So, that's what
I mean about...I, in fund accounting the worst thing in fund accounting is transfers, cause
they...they make, from an accounting point of view, they inflate, it looks like it inflates
revenue and it inflates expenditures, but that's the concept of fund accounting.
Everything has to be run through it, versus, um, normal accounting or accrual accounting,
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where you stay within assets, liability...liabilities (mumbled). In any event, that's my,
uh, problem with fund accounting, but anyway to reflect that we have in FY09 a
$500,000 increase in...in revenue and expenditures, and some loan...loan pay...loan
revenue, and we also have the Housing Fellowship loan, which is, um, the revenue from
that will be from the bonds, and...from the issue of the bonds, and the bonds will send,
transfer in the money to the General Fund, and that'll be a transfer in or show as a
revenue receipt, and the money given to the Housing Fellowship will come out of I think
Economic Development. I think that's where it's at, and show as an expense there. And
then when their repayments come back, they got to go through the General Fund as a
receipt and expenditure back to Debt Service. The only problem with...I'm not saying it's
a problem. The only issue here is timing. We sell bonds for ten years, and usually these
loans are for 20 years. So, we don't...we have, there's a loss of revenue, loss of interest
income for those years. In any event, that's...that's how this Other Financing Sources of
revenue work.
Lombardo/ Now, on your schedule, we haven't built in, um, breaks, and I don't, if you want...we
want to just probably be a good point, uh to take maybe a 10-minute break or...transition.
We're going to get into expenditures here (mumbled) (several talking) (BREAK)
Bailey/ Want to get started again?
O'Malley/ Yeah, I'd like to also finish up another financing sources, uh, page 6 is, uh, of the
handout. I wanted to kind of show you how our revenues are...are constructed, just the
way we kind of talked about property taxes down to other financing sources, and that
starts pretty much with the transfers from road use tax down to the loans. Total receipts,
just to kind of give you an idea of how it's been presented in the past, currently presented
in your book, that's...those are the transfers from other operations. By the way, those
small transfers like that that you see the $19 million from water and the $19 from sewer,
from waste water, those are from...were the charges for the Economic Development, uh,
Coordinator, about three years ago when Council decided it should be funded directly
from water, sewer...Water, Waste Water, and Airport. And then you can see the
$200,000 we used to transfer from Parking is now in the Administrative charge-back, and
a portion of broadband...$152,000 of that, $100,000 went into, uh, the Administrative
charge-back and the $55,000 is the remainder that goes to the Library. Then, just to bring
you back to what you're used to seeing from a tabular form of view, and to ignore the
questions then of revenues or receipts, uh, going to expenditures. And just to kind of
give you an overview or reminder or put into context, these are the, uh, the General Fund
activities, uh, pretty much on all service activities, it's uh, not like water and waste water
where we produce a product or...or have a product for sale, these are services that...that
are 67, 68% funded by property tax dollars. So, sometime...you know, it's different
when as a governmental body versus the school system. When people think of schools,
sometimes don't even think of them as government, but they have one focus and that's the
education of students; whereas in a city we have, uh, quite a few focuses. So if they get
upset with you City Council, then they might be upset with other people, for an action
that you've done, or if they're upset with the Police Department for what they've done,
they don't think they should give any more money to the City or to anybody else, so
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anyway, it's just that we have so many diverse focuses in the General Fund that it's
sometimes harder to sell our services or sell the value of our services, and that...we want
to get, discuss, later on as far as, uh, priority setting, making sure the public understands
what services they're receiving for their property tax dollars. Here's the tablet form again,
uh, I try to compare FY10, 2010, to FY2008 actual. It...even that is not a good, uh, good
from abottom-line perspective, but it is a good from a personnel services and supplies
perspective. There is a graphical form of this, that same tablet information, and most of
our service delivery is through personnel, which is the...the blue column, and services
are...are partners providing, uh, us...helping us provide the same service. So these are
really the people aspects of budget, and then uh, supplies are usually fuel, office supplies,
O & M supplies, uh, things to help sustain the staff in providing services, and then capital
outlay, the...which are mostly commodities, excuse me, I forgot, yeah. Commodities
that are more expensive and last longer.
Lombardo/ In terms of dollars, it's about this year, uh, personnel costs or personnel related costs
are about 71 % of our bud...total budget. People cost.
O'Malley/ Here is the assumptions, when we built the expenditure budget, um, cost of living
increases, uh, you have the, uh, AFSCME union, this is the last year of their existing
contract, 2009, I believe, and so, and uh, I believe, Police and Fire are...are in
negotiations or maybe partially settled. I'm not sure what the FY10 is...amount ends up
being, but any event, we use the same amount for 200...FY2009 as we did in 2010. So
that's a 3% increase, and what I always track is, uh, the cost of our payroll, versus...I try
to match that with the cost, the revenue received in taxes alone, and in that, in going
forward in this year it, our tax...property tax revenue is less than...the increase in
property tax revenue is less than our cost of, uh, expenditures, the payroll expenditures.
So that's where we start, we've got to look at raising different forms of revenue. Health
insurance -our assumption was 6%. I talked with Blue Cross, uh, last Tuesday or
Wednesday, and they gave me my final projected numbers and it's 5.89% so...um, Police
and Fire retirement comes from the State. They...they did this, uh, actuarial report
before the market fell...fell apart so we're expecting, uh, and so they came up with the
17%. That's the minimum that they can charge, uh, for pension costs on police and fire.
The maximum that I've seen so far is 28%, which is about four years ago. We project in
2011, because of the market issues, that it'll probably go to 25% and we kind of, we're
hoping we tempered it with 20% in 2012. The other anomaly that we talk about every
now and then, it's kind of like the leap-year effect, uh, but it isn't just leap year, it's the
27th pay period which comes about because we get paid every two weeks. Well, those
two, as you'll recall from our discussions last year when we brought up the subject, that
there's 365 days in a year, so one of those days doesn't get accounted for, and so every 11
years you've got another pay period. So, we end up having a 27th pay period in one year,
so we have to come up with that kind of revenue to pay for that expenditure. Uh, and
that's on a fiscal basis. I believe you've been informed that on a cash basis it's going to
happen this year because of the way it falls, and um, I believe the City Council's salaries
is by ordinance, and so because of that, you'll be shorted versus staff. Staff will get the
27 pay periods, uh, so in any event, it's going to cost $1.4 million, and that's an anomaly
for the year 2012.
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 23
Lewis/ Generally to avoid raising taxes in that year, that will be use of cash balance.
O'Malley/ Right, that's what's projected. Thank you, Leigh.
Helling/ Just to note, I think, and we have all referred to it as the 27th pay period, but really it's
only, there's 27 pay days in...there isn't really a whole other pay period of two weeks...
O'Malley/ Right.
Helling/ That accumulates over the 11 years, so I think the better way to...to express it is, every
11 or 12 years we'll have 27 pay days, and that's why we have to have that extra amount.
O'Malley/ Thank you. That's a better...uh, way to say it, thank you. Okay, uh, Services line
item is composed of insurance, property on insurance, torte liability insurance, general
liability insurance, bonds. Repair and maintenance, we have service contracts, uh,
utilities is in there with gas, electric, and staff training. iJh, and the supplies, 2.4 million,
we have office supplies, repair and maintenance supplies, vehicle fuel. Here's an
assumption that kind of surprised us when we started the budgeting. All of a sudden gas
prices fell. We were very happy about that, because otherwise we'd be even deeper hole
to be digging out of.
Lombardo/ Instead of buying gas we're buying salt.
O'Malley/ Yes. Right (laughter) that was the, yeah, the disappointing thing that happened in
commodities, uh, this year was the salt level trip line. In any event, we revised that back
down to just 2008 levels. These are all our assumptions. Maybe I should have prefaced -
the budget is a matter of assumptions, a matter of estimates from the financial point of
view. Obviously the budget is more than that. A budget is also your policy setting form,
it's also your, um, service delivery context, and it's also a communication device, letting
the taxpayers know where you plan to put your resources. Um, back to the expenditures,
capital outlay, most of that is vehicle replacements, Library materials is...is classified,
categorized in capital outlay, um, operating equipment and building and maintenance
improvements. And then transfers out, uh, which is part of our fund accounting. We
have to, certain revenues, uh, in transit, since they're, um, restricted, if we have...if we
have excess revenues coming out of the Transit cost center, we have to pay into a Transit
reserve to use for our capital outlay. We have loan repayments. When...when we use,
um, the...let's see. An example of a loan re...I think years ago we...we had some loan
for expensive, um, fire equipment, and we knew it was going to take several years to pay
it back, so we borrowed money from the Landfill to, uh, to pay, uh, to finance that, and
then over time we would pay it back to the Landfill. The Senior Center, uh, I want to say
every year they end up getting a loan from Landfill for a capital expense to that building,
and we have to, uh, slowly pay it back, and this helps us budget, try to keep the budget
even. Otherwise we'd be spiking the budget with these, those types of capital
expenditures. And also we have the, uh, Airport and uh, JCCOG operating support,
actual tax dollars, uh, in those areas to finances those operations. I don't expect you to
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 24
read that on screen. This is also in your book. This shows you, uh, is this the right
transition time...to cash balances. Are there any other comments about expenditures,
Michael, you'd like to make, or Leigh? About the expenditure levels?
Lombardo/ No, I mean, I think we discussed up front, you know, um, what we affected in terms
of reductions in expenditures. We can talk about them more discretely if you'd like or,
um, the extended service levels. There's a page in the budget, as well, and I think you
have that slide on that coming up too, though (mumbled)
O'Malley/ Right, we do.
Lombardo/ Um, but if you have questions about expenditures, um, for any particular department,
we can get into it now or we can continue...
Bailey/ Do you have more overview?
O'Malley/ Yeah, we do have more overview. When all is said and done, we started with so much
cash in the bank and then we're, we got some cash in and we spent some cash out, and so
we always look at, uh, what our fund balances are and some of it is.restricted, uh, some of
you may remember this from last year, this slide or this, um, this table that's in your book
that...that sometimes it looks like we have large balances, but they are reserved or
restricted for other activities. Um, from a fund accounting point of view, this is getting a
little technical in accounting, but we...that 1.13 million of restricted cash, we have to
show that as revenue coming in. It's actually a liability. We have to pay that out. Cash
basis accounting doesn't do a good job of showing that, so we have to restrict our fund
balance so that, to make that same effect. Um, we, uh, reserved accounts are more or less
designated by Council and...and different boards, or...or State law, uh, to keep those
funds available for those...those activities. Then we get down to what financial analysts
and everybody looks at is the fund balance. We have a policy in the front of the book
that...that talks about no more than 30% and no less than 15%, and um, and it's how you
use your fund balance, whether you have balanced budgets every year or if you're dipping
into it for one time expenses like 2012 for the 27th pay day, uh, anyway, that's the,
excuse me (mumbled) that's...looks like our...our, uh, finding, or what our calculation is
as far as fund balance. Yep, that's correct. Uh, I think that you're more familiar
with...we started last year and updated quite a bit, is that um, legal...legal sized
spreadsheets that shows, uh...
Lombardo/ Page 7.
O'Malley/ Let's see...
Lombardo/ In the additional handouts.
O'Malley/ Let's see if I can quickly put it up (mumbled). Uh, let me see if I can find this from
last year. Oh well. You've got it in your handout there, and it shows the use...how our
fund balances are, um, staying in line with policy and unfortunately it also shows that by
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January 10, 2009 City Council
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the year 2014 we'll be at our floor. Um, I'm sure if that really happens, we'll probably uh,
be losing our, um, our triple-A bond rating, and as you may recall, it's...it's composed of
three aspects. The general economy, which in this day and age we'd all be on the same
playing field. Most people's...most cities economies are in the same...same area. The
other two items are how quickly you repay your debt. We continue to show in our, uh, in
our debt funding that we're going to try to do that over 10 years time, and we can always
change that and extend it to...to lower that percent of, uh, the 25%, uh, cap, and then the
third leg is how well you do with balanced budgets, and if you continue to use fund
balance as a way to plug operating holes, it won't go unnoticed, because every year we go
to Moody's and we have to discuss, uh, in detail what Council's, uh, adherence to fiscal
policies are.
Lombardo/ And beyond...beyond the bond rating component of it, um, there...when we talk
about the...the debt end of it first. When you start increasing more debt and you're
raising your...your, um, debt capacity, or extending the repayment terms, I mean, it's like
having a balloon payment on the end of your mortgage in some ways. I mean, you're
leveraging future dollars, um, and...and the need is still there for additional borrowing to
that so it's kind of a snowballing effect, uh, in some ways. With regard to fund balance,
the...the thing that's alarming in addition to the bond rating component of it is, you know,
if we deplete those reserves when rev...when interest rates come back, we rely in that
revenue now already, and so by reducing the balance there that we invest and we use for
cash flow and for...for particular projects, then we're also, um, reducing the amount of
income that we have for potential, so it exacerbates or it...it drags out any...any fiscal
distress that we have by...by reducing those beyond a certain point and...and you know,
there's a lot o£ ..we can probably debate and all be right about what that nexus is, um, but
I would encourage that we...we treat that fund balance, uh, as respectfully and keep it as
healthy as we possibly can. It's not to say it's not a no-use thing, but...but to use it for
ongoing operations is troublesome, um, to any great extent.
O'Malley/ Okay, um, here's where we, uh, wanted to kind of recap the operations as the general
fund and some of the decision points, uh, and also we can add to this any comments,
decisions that you want to bring up. I think, Amy, this is where you were wanting to,
uh...
Lombardo/ If we can fast-forward ahead too, I'd like to maybe, before we start talking about the
decision points, we...we just touch on Fire Station 4 and...
O'Malley/ Okay. That's also under decision points.
Lombardo/ Right. There's a slide that's...
O'Malley/ Oh, okay, sure.
Lombardo/ ...that captures the cost and I...I indicated to you earlier last year that, um, I...you
know, some thoughts or proposal for a...what it might be like. There are different ways
we can get at it, and... and one of the strategies I think that we should consider or, you
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January 10, 2009 City Council
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know, one of the questions certainly that we...we have to resolve is where does Fire
Station 4 fit in terms of priorities overall for the City, and if we...come to a point where
we agree that it's something that has to happen this next year, then we have to be able to
raise revenues or...or, uh, reduce expenditures elsewhere, or a combination, to be able to
get there. One of the strategies could be, and what we have up here depicts, if we were to
increase, um, the emergency levy. We have 22 cents, um, on an emergency levy, uh, that
is not in play currently, um, this is what it would look like, um, there's a delay, you know,
some of the costs that would be, um, an obligation of the University would not come into
effect unti12011 and so we would have to absorb the $190,000 um, that they would
ultimately be paying in 2011 and beyond. Um, so there's aone-year kind of increase or
spike in what we would have to use. We'd have to use the fu1122 cents on the emergency
levy to get there, and then that would reduce to about 15 cents on average in future years.
Correia/ Is Fire Station 4 estimated to be online for the full 12 months of fiscal year 10?
Lombardo/ Uh, it depends on...on building (mumbled) yeah, um, we would have to hire the staff
sooner.. .
Correia/ In advance.
Lombardo/ ...to get them trained and ready to go. So, you know, timing is, I mean, we
could...you know, that's an option, certainly, would be to hold off six months on, uh, the
construction cycle, but you know it's...you're casing, you know, I'm not suggesting that's
a bad idea or not.
Correia/ I was just wondering what...
Lombardo/ ...it's going to catch up to us, uh, so I, you know, the cost would come. We'd have to
well in advance, I think at least six months is the lead time to get recruitment and
training, and I think Chief has indicated to me that he'd even like a little bit more time
than that, and I think it's reasonable, um, six would be a...we're only three or, you know,
a handful it might be easier, but nine is...nine is a lot of firefighters to get in, get trained,
and then, you know, decide who's going to what station and work through all those
issues, so...
Correia/ Right.
Hayek/ Do those personnel costs at the top of the chart reflect total compensation, or total cost?
They're not just salary. They're everything.
Lombardo/ Fully loaded.
Hayek/ Fully loaded.
Lombardo/ Fully loaded.
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 27
Hayek/ And then you...and then you get some of that paid by the employee benefits levy, and
that's why you back it out towards the bottom?
Lombardo/ Correct.
Hayek/ Okay.
O'Malley/ Yeah, but...yeah, that's correct.
Hayek/ That's right, because the benefits levy would just go to whatever our personnel level is.
O'Malley/ Correct.
Hayek/ That 206 is "automatic," right?
Lombardo/ Well, it's still, you know, it still is an increase on, I mean, it's...it's not part of the...
O'Malley/ Right. It's a tax increase.
Lombardo/ (several commenting) Yeah, it's a tax increase...
Hayek/ But it's an automatic tax increase.
O'Malley/ Well, what's showing...it's showing,. what's not showing on there is employee benefit
levy rate would be about 8 cents, so you're talking about 30 cent addition to the tax levy.
Total tax...
Lombardo/ The emergency levy of 22 and then 8 cents (several talking)
Hayek/ To get the 206 and the...
O'Malley/ Right.
Hayek/ Okay.
O'Malley/ Correct. So you're talking about a 30-cent increase on a $17.70-some cents per $1,000
tax levy.
Lombardo/ Another option could certainly be that we go through the priority setting model and
we're going to talk about that a little bit more in a bit, um, we looked at what programs
and services are perhaps at the lower, um, threshold of priority, uh, and we have some of
those things fall off the table, or we stop doing them, and...and use the resources to apply
towards other services, um, fire and anything else that you deem, uh, needed, you know,
we can reprioritize and...and structure our budget to address those priorities, uh, as
opposed to some of the other things that we do now.
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 28
Bailey/ Well, and there was, there should be a slight shift, what, in 2011 with the
Communication Center here going off-line and going to joint. Now that, I mean, which
was part of it, but it doesn't seem to be the impact that we anticipated. I mean, why is
that?
O'Malley/ Another capital aspect that's not shown on here is, you will have to...well, you don't
have to, but we normally, as we do in Fire Station 2, is remodeling, uh, a charge, the loan
to the out...to the $8.10 so there'll be a loan...besides the $700,000 of debt service to
build the structure, um, you'll have a loan to Landfill to pay back for, uh, the cost of that
structure over ten years. So, if it's a, the remodeling or raising of...of Fire Station 2, uh,
and that's not an eligible cost for University reimbursement, uh, is the...is, that's the only
element that's not in the, the only fund (mumbled) personnel, so we...we started with the
$700,000 debt service on, um, Fire Station 2, and estimates, uh, with, um, increase the
scope and other capacities ended up with a $2.7 million structure. So that $2 million was,
I believe we took it as a loan from Landfill. We couldn't fund it out of our own General
Fund, so that loan has to be paid back, or our policy has been in the past to pay it back,
and so that...that amount will impact your $8.10 capacity. So, if you have a $2 million
loan or ten years, maybe $200,000 a year, plus interest...you have that $200,000 that will
come out of the $8.10 that you lose capacity (mumbled). So I mean, this isn't a...a full,
complete picture. It's a little out of context of the total cost, ongoing costs, of this, uh,
initiative.
Lombardo/ And the question, I think, Regenia was asking too is, um, we've built in, you've
anticipated the shift of dispatchers to the Joint Communication.. .
O'Malley/ Yes, that's in...that's in the total operating budget.
Lombardo/ ...and the question is, why, um, why doesn't it show up as a bigger impact.
O'Malley/ Well, because in aggregate, it's the issue that property tax valuations aren't keeping up
with expenditures.
Lombardo/ So if you look at, you look at 2012 and out on this spreadsheet, you'll see that we do
close the gap modestly from 2.2 million, uh, in 2012 as a deficit, to you know, between 1
and 1.5 million, so some of that is accounted for in, um, in the level of...of deficit, that
we're not going to see as big a deficit, because of some of those off-setting costs, but in
. my budget message...this is really what I referred to in terms of our ability to pay for
current services with current revenue generating capacity. Um, based on revenues to
date, and...and what they project, you know, we're not able to keep pace. That we can't
raise sufficient revenues through taxes and other fees, to keep pace with increased costs,
um, through just normal inflation.
Bailey/ You said there are a minimal number of TIF's rolling off. I thought that there were more
in 2011.
Lombardo/ We can get that schedule. Um...
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January 10, 2009 City Council Page 29
Bailey/ But...but you've looked at it and it's (several talking)
Lombardo/ It's not enough to save our bacon.
Lewis/ (several talking) for this next tax year (mumbled)
Bailey/ But I thought there were some in 11 and 12 that would be more impactful.
Lewis/ Let me check on that.
Lombardo/ You know, we're very hopeful about the, uh, the industrial park. Uh, there's a lot of
good, um, looks at that property and that could be substantial, um, assessments coming
on the books, but again, it'll be a little bit of a lag, so you know you get out to 2013,
2014, the picture could change with some healthy development, but is, you know, a lot at
stake and...and we don't know how...how readily that's going to come online or not. Uh,
there's going...I think the general sentiment that wind industry is going to see a
flourishment in the next couple years is true. Whether or not Iowa City is part of that, we
hope so and we're going to push hard, but you know.
Bailey/ So walk us through this. In this budget, we've got...we've got the capital project, and
we're bringing people online...I mean, just walk us through this, and then what you
would recommend.
O'Malley/ Let me back up, uh, hopefully we haven't misspoke, but the fourth Fire Station's
operations are not in this budget, not in 9, 10, 11 or 12.
Bailey/ Right.
O'Malley/ This is a pro forma here.
Lombardo/ This would have to be added in.
O'Malley/ This'd have to be added, an additional, uh, revenue (mumbled)
Bailey/ There was an understanding in last year's budget that we expected to see that.
O'Malley/ Correct.
Bailey/ So...
O'Malley/ Right.
Bailey/ It's not.. .
O'Malley/ It's not in there...
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Lombardo/ It is. Here's the proposal for getting you there.
Bailey/ But it's not, I mean (several talking) context.
Correia/ Right, but you're saying (several talking) but you're saying if...if we want this...
O'Malley/ Exactly!
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Correia/ ...in fiscal year 10, I mean, you...you could have put it in and just added the 22-cents to
fund this (several talking) we would put 22-cents on the emergency levy, which we still
have that .OS so it would be at the max.
O'Malley/ The max, and 8-cents on...
Correial ...so that...
Lombardo/ The 1 %, it's less than 1 % tax increase that's built in, is attributable to normal growth
and...and you know, we haven't inflated costs. We haven't taken on additional
expenditures. So I feel very comfortable proposing that to you. The rate increases, I feel,
is just of all because we're asking to off-set true costs with true revenues and match them
up, and...and uh, in a comfortable way. So I...those are the types of things I feel
comfortable proposing to you. This is...this is, um, you know, this is a policy decision
really, I mean, this is a tax increase that I can propose to you, but it comes down to a
policy level decision about, is this a good strategy. It's the right strategy. An alternate
strategy would be prior...doing the priority setting and...and reducing service in other
areas to find the value to, or the revenues, to pay for this. That's another strategy, or
some combination and...and so, we put it, you know, there for discussion, and you know,
I'm happy to talk through the pluses and minuses of either approach.
Bailey/ It's hard to understand it though if we can't see it broadly in context, like this proposal
versus that proposal. That's the challenge for me, looking at...in the aggregate.
Correia/ But what I see from this is...is this what you're saying, is you're saying, if we...with
what we have here, we're essentially...we are at a balanced budget, keeping the property
tax levy rate about the same as our current year.
(O'Malley)/ Correct.
Correia/ Okay. And it represents a...it represents a, um, a status quo service level, what we've
been providing, barring maybe a little bit of decrease, based on the requests that you have
so far, right? Okay. And this represents an increase service level, what it would cost. I
mean, I actually like that it's broken out separately so that we can really see, and then if
we...if we want to incorporate this into here, there's two options. One, we...well, maybe
more than two options, but just sort of off the top of my head, two options. One, we
incorporate it and increase our levy rate by .22 cents in the emergency levy where we
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have room, and then it's very clear in terms of being able to communicate to the public,
we are increasing service levels, with Fire Station #4, and it's going to cost an extra 22-
centsper $1,000 in valuation, and that's kind of how you would communicate it (several
commenting). Right. Um, or, if we...if we want to maintain the same levy rate, that is
proposed here, but we want to increase the service level, we need to cut...a half million
dollars in...in, um, General Levy support throughout the organization, or in specific
departments. Where it's going now, it needs to be moved out.
Lombardo/ Or, you could say, look at the $400,000 on average, you know, uh, the first year costs
of $540,000 and then they drop off because we're shifting costs to another paying agent,
um, and so you could say we'll fund that $400,000, uh, we'll find additional expenditure
reductions of $400,000, and the Delta will take out a fund balance for that one year
because it's finite. We know it's there, and...and I could be comfortable, and it's not a,
you know, staggering amount of money. We can...we can work with that, and, but you
know, there are some level of...of flexibility in there. It really comes down to, um,
where is the square in terms o£ ..of the need and priorities and what we want to effect in
the community, and if indeed this is something we want to put in, then this is what the
costs look like and here are some strategies for how we get there.
Wright/ This has been a football for years, but eventually, uh, Council promised the community a
fourth Fire Station last year, and I think whether it's a combination or the levy or
reductions in our priorities in other areas, we need to fund this.
Lombardo/ Yep. I will say that we're going to be looking at cost cutting, I mean, based on the
budget that, I mean, you see the projections...the whole priority setting to me is a given.
We have to get at some level of understanding about what we want to offer for services,
because on average, you know, um, next year is a little bit...we're cushioned a little bit,
although I'll say that's a little bit false because I don't think we can...we can maintain this
budget projected forward at $238,000 deficit. There are some pent up projects and
capital outlay and things that we are not doing this year, that if we're going to maintain
services, they're going to be begged to be funded. So I think the next year, the 2011
budget deficit really is higher than $200,000, but we haven't even...our thoughts going in
are that we're going to prioritize and decide what we want to try and preserve or not,
and...and so, it's right now a little volatile for 2011, but on average, there's a sustained
deficit of around a million to a million and a half that we have to come up with a strategy
for closing. So, we're all ready to be in a cutting mode...is where I feel, you know, that
we're coming from. I think that if truly we're going to add Fire Station 4, then this is a
cleaner way...the proposed increase in the levy is a cleaner way to do it, because it
separates it out and says, you know, here is the funding and how we're doing this, and
then we can still go to work on reduct...reducing, uh, the expenditures to off-set just
basic service things.
Wilburn/ I don't have a problem with how it's presented, I mean.
Hayek/ No. I.. .
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Wilburn/ He has said...he's asked every department to cut 1% across the board. They've
trimmed down even more, current service level provision. Council, I understand that
you've promised the public a Fire Station. Here's how we're going to do it. That's how
it's funded. That's the proposal from the City Manager. If you don't like it, and you want
to continue to fulfill that promise, you gotta come up with another, other... another round
of...of cuts by either...through prioritization or some other type of across the board,
which probably wouldn't be recommended, um, or pull a rabbit out of the hat with
another funding stream.
O'DonnelU It's still the same old question that we have every year, and that's what are you
willing to give up? You know, what are you going to cut to have this.
Wilburn/ And his recommendation is this here's how you can do it.
Lombardo/ And...and I'm...we're prepared internally to, and certainly with your involvement
and input along the way, absolutely, but we are...we are forging ahead on a prioritization
model. We need, I need that to understand, I mean, I don't think any of us sitting here
can today go through the 300 to 500 probably programs and discrete funding
opportunities that we have and name them and tie costs to it, and I want to do that. I want
to know specifically what we do every year and how much does it cost, and then come up
with that, and the prioritization part's the difficult part, but i£ ..there're different models
that we're looking at. I think they're objective. I think they'll stand the litmus test, and
we'll have peer review, and we're going to look at it from a lot of different angles, so that
there's buy-in comprehensively that if we are reducing services that we understand why
those have been targeted as a service to reduce, because of how they square with other
priorities and other needs. Um, and...and I think that's the best we can possibly do in
terms of demonstrating to the public that we've looked at this thoughtfully.
Wilburn/ And to sustain it (mumbled)
Lombardo/ Correct (several commenting)
Wright/ I do think that we will be, when we were talking about this in, what year is this...uh
(several talking) calendar years, but when we were talking about this in 06 and 07, that
folks were being fairly frank about the fact that constructing and staffing that Fire Station
probably would take some sort of a tax increase.
Hayek/ I, um, I'm very comfortable with this presentation, and it actually helps me understand
what the nut is if we...if we injected into our planning, um, and what our options are, um,
and it makes sense, uh, to me to want to hold tight and spend the next year deciding a
prioritization regime, or approach, um, but I wonder whether this body will...will deem it
important to start that process, at least modestly, now (several responding) prioritization.
Bailey/ Yeah, there are some things in this budget that I think we could look at (several talking)
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Wilburn/ And I would modify what you said by further prioritization process, because it's been
done on a certain level at the department level, by the 1% across the board.
Hayek/ True statement.
Correia/ Well, and what I...you know, last year we went through this, we had, you know, done a
plan that was sort of incremental increases in personnel, so that by...by 11 it would be
fully up and running. So if we're saying, if we think...if we want to, say a priority is that
January 1, 2010 is when we hire these firefighters to train so that July 1, 2010 for fiscal
year 2011 it's online, that that, you know...
Lombardo/ If this is a direction you wish to go in, then I...I would presume that I'd get together
with Kevin and some of his staff, and the Chief, and...and Kumi, who is handling the
construction piece of it, and we sit down and we come up with an actual timeline and
schedule, um, to...to really refine the timing issues relative to this, so that you better
understand when the cost would come on board. I mean, it's not inconceivable that we
could straddle the, the fiscal years, um, but I wouldn't delay it more than three to six
months, because then our construction, uh, plans become stale-dated, cost estimates. If
we're going to do this, then it's within that window that I would recommend we start
construction and we develop the...the protocol for bringing staff online, if we're going to
do this. Uh, so it's not a, you know, you'd see it straddling a little bit maybe, but it, you
know, it's not going to be a major cost shifts across (mumbled)
Bailey/ So I think there is that direction, and I think it would be helpful to have that timeline with
this budget discussion, so we can begin to talk to the public about the impact. I mean, am
I...I'm hearing that direction. (several talking)
Lombardo/ ...it'd be easy enough, I think, to figure that out.
Hayek/ Is this the only, uh, pro forma you've done on...for example, you know, you...Police
have been backed out of, in terms of recommended funding. Is there anything for that,
any slide like that that we have?
Lombardo/ No, I've not made any proposals for additional policing services. I really, there are
three areas that I'm trying to decide and I'd like to have that conversation with you at
some point about where do you see, um, the biggest need for kind of looking to
(mumbled) service levels, and it really, I mean, some of that's going to depend on what
we do with a priority setting model, but to me, um, policing services, you know, they've
said for several years now that they need additional staffing, and I'm trying to understand
and gain... get data to support and understand how we staff, how we deploy, um,
and...and look at that in terms of service needs. The data is not as granular, quite
frankly, as I would like it to...it's difficult to work with, the data we have, because the
systems we have are outdated. We're in the process of putting in a new records'
management system, and it'll allow me to really extract the data in very precise, uh, ways
to be able to get at that. That's going to, you know, we'll likely have contracts signed in
the next month or two, and then implementation. Six months to a year from now, we'll
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be getting good data. I'm trying to pull out what they have and understand is this even
workable, is it...is it orange...apples to apples comparisons or not, and I'm finding that
it's not. It's not in as granular, to really look at, you know, where we overlap shifts and
what does that mean in terms of service needs and how, um, but I'm trying to understand
that better, before I make additional recommendations about additional policing services.
Um, another area that...that probably hasn't been looked at in a long time is Parks and
Rec, um, and I think...I think in light of the changing, uh, demographic and the people
we serve and all, that's another area that, uh, could use kind of an organizational review
and look at how we're structured and...and that may have, uh, implications for...for
expenditures or not, but and then the third area, to me, is the development review process,
uh, I think there, uh, there cost savings are probably not as...as um, available as perhaps
streamlining some of the process and making it a little bit easier, but there's only so...I
mean, those are big reviews and...and there's only so many of those that you want to do
to an organization at any given time. I'm trying to decide really where our time and
energy is best spent this, uh, this next year, but one or two of those areas, I think,
are...are ripe for, um, some re-examination. I've asked Mike Moran (mumbled) to pick
up. Terry and I were working on Sand Lake and trying to understand what the increment
in costs will be for that, um, that's not been projected in any budget, but it's not
insignificant and we need to get arms around that, um, we're pursuing a lot of funding
and we're trying to make that park happen. It has a lot of implications, but there there
maybe offsets to some other things that we do, uh, that could help make up some of the
cost. We're going to get to that in...in the next couple of months or so, um, and really
understand that better as well.
Bailey/ Can we go back to the, you had a question about police, and can we just start talking
department by department in broad sort...sort of things, just since we're in public safety.
Um...
Correia/ Can we have some natural light, is that possible? (several talking)
Bailey/ Okay, I think this question is for you though, so I'll wait. (several talking; noise on mic)
Wright/ That's very nice! (several talking)
Wilburn/ Like the scene in "White Christmas." (laughter)
Hayek/ The massive (several talking)
Bailey/ Oh, the snow, I thought you said the movie "White Christmas." I thought.. .
O'Donnell/ Not a snow person.
Wright/ And yet you stayed here!
Bailey/ Yes!
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O'Donnell/ Yes I did!
Hayek/ Didn't you pick up a sidewalk frontage to shovel, by moving?
O'DonnelU Uh, yes I did.
Hayek/ You didn't have that over.. .
O'Donnell/ But I lost 200 feet of hill.
Hayek/ Yeah!
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Bailey/ I never understood how you did that, or the lawn. Mike doesn't, but Amy does, so it
works out beautifully because his back is to it (laughter).
Hayek/ Pretend I'm at Tahoe!
Correia/ That's better, thank you!
Bailey/ So, um, I asked this question last year and I'm going to just ask it again this, these five
community service officers to replace, I mean, when we talk about increasing police sort
of funding, I'm not sure that's exactly where we went, and then you mentioned that you
were talking to the School District about, I mean, it's a small dollar amount, that the
crossing guard issue?
Lombardo/ I haven't had that conversation yet.
Bailey/ Oh, okay.
Lombardo/ It's $60,000 a year, um, the level of angst and...during this budget that it would stir
up I didn't feel was worth the...the uh, effort right now, but it's something I would like to
broach with them, um, as we're, you know, it's the type of thing and I'll be candid, even
looking at, uh, Aid to Agencies and other outside funding, it's certainly part of the
discussion in terms of, you know, there're services we provide, and then there are services
we give others to provide, and I think those have to...those, that funding has to be, uh,
brought into consideration, in terms of priorities as well because it's a cost to us, and you
know, as we're looking to reduce services for what we do, um, I think it's fair to ask how
does that square with other...other funding that we provide to other agencies, and...and
um, bring that into the prioritization mix.
Bailey/ Well, and then going back to these five community service officers, cause when we
talked about it last year, he, um Sam said he would look at if five was the optimal
staffing, and it seems like that's what he's come back with but is there any explanation for
that?
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Lombardo/ Um, he had provided a memo. Uh, the date he had...uh, not a date field in here to
Dale, but it's not January 8th. This is when I opened it, um, now the talks about...his
claim and the email with it is that really five is not enough. We need to start looking at
shift relief and vacations and sick time and all that. They're expecting to have to fill
the..the shifts with, um, community service, other, you know, the road service officers
at...at other alternate times. So his...his belief is to staff that window of 24/7 and
provide the service, um, that he believes is expected that he needs in addition to five he's
going to supplant that with, uh, some of the community service officers when there's, you
know, there's no ability for shift relief and vacations...
Bailey/ But do they have to be community service officers, I guess is what, I mean, can they be
administrative staff at certain times of the day?
Lombardo/ Um, you know, yes...in some ways you could argue yes, and other ways you could
say depends on what you want them to do. Uh, Chief feels strongly that he needs a
uniform presence there, uh, because of the safe haven aspects, um, warrant entry, some of
the police work that they would help do. I certain...that's something I think that warrants
consideration, if we're going to look at the department, if that's part...if we think that
we're going to look at staffing and...and service levels and what we do out of policing
services, I think that's fair to scrutinize, but his argument is that there...the bodies are
needed and, uh, that they should be CSO's, um, the line is between administrative
and...and other duties and functions, and...and, you know, some of it's a soft call.
It's...it really depends on what we want them to be doing and what type of service level
we want to provide.
Bailey/ Well, and I think that this group is interested in seeing additional, um, support for that
particular department, but not necessarily in that way, because they would be
fundamentally behind a desk, right? Is what I'm understanding. And so...
Correia/ And would, is a community service officer an administrative staff in different unions,
let's just say? If you had somebody who's a clerk, you know...okay. (several talking)
Helling/ The community service officers are in the AFSCME unit. They're not in the police unit.
Correia/ Oh, okay.
Lombardo/ Yeah, I may have mentioned...I may have said they're sworn, and they're not.
They're not going to be sworn...
Bailey/ They're not sworn.
Helling/ No, no, they're not considered sworn personnel.
Correia/ Okay. So...
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Lombardo/ But could they be an ad, like a secretary position is what, you know, a lower level
position.
Bailey/ I guess when we've talked about priorities for this department, I think we've seen more
priorities for people out on the street, versus a community... and so that would be a
discussion, I think, that we would...some of us would be interested in having, I think,
because...
Correial Just so I understand, there's community, I mean, there are community service officers
that go out on the street (several talking) right, and so they're not...they're not sworn
officers. They're not part of the police union, and they're in AFSCME.
Helling/ Correct.
Lombardo/ They're administrative, but certainly, you know, there's a gamut of administrative
levels, and these are fairly robust. I don't have the exact.. .
Wright/ These particular community service officers would not be...
Lombardo/ ...cause they're doing report entry. They're not going to be the...the, you know,
entry-level type positions.
O'Donnell/ What do they do, Michael? There are community service.. .
Lombardo/ ...still answering the phones and routing them to the appropriate officers, uh, they're
going to...uh, warrant entry, um, helping assist with some report writing, um, data,
there's some question about whether they can do some data analysis, um...
O'DonnelU I'm talking specifically of the ones that are out in the community.
Lombardo/ Oh! Uh, they do a lot o£ ..with the traffic, things that rather than tie up a police
officer, you know, abandoned vehicles or bicycles, or traffic accidents often they'll
respond to (several talking)
O'DonnelU Traffic and so forth, do they do (several talking)
Lombardo/ I don't know that they run traffic, um.. .
Helling/ They do direct traffic at accident scenes, fire scenes, that sort of thing. They basically
pick up the, I guess what you would say is, the kind of things that police officers do that
normally are not, you know, don't tax their better skills and their training.
Correia/ But it seems like...we're looking at two different types of community service officers.
There's the one type that we're familiar with that are out on the street doing those things,
like responding...whatever.
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Wright/ Parking problems.
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Correia/ Parking problems, pets, or whatever, animal stuff, whatever, but that these are positions
that are primarily going to be behind the glass, administrative. I mean, I guess...has there
been a review of job duties, I mean, has there been a review of what would their job
description be. It seems to me that it's different than the traditional community service
officers that we have. (both talking) an analysis of where they're pay should be, to see
what the cost is, because I guess just plug them in to the community service officer's job
description and pay grade seems like if I were the community service officer going out on
the street, and doing all of those, you know, doing different job description, I might also
feel that, well, you know, why are they in the same job classification and they're doing
different things, not maybe as advanced things or whatever, um, to then get a sense of
what the true cost for these will be...
Helling/ Yeah, you do...the analysis is like you do in any job, you know, um, analysis you look
at the duties, rather than the title. For instance, we have a CSO right now who is
basically the evidence custodian. Doesn't do any of the street work, um, but visa vie one
another, those...those functions are, you know, are on a par. They're not, uh, one isn't
way, you know, higher than the other one in terms of complexity and all that sort of thing
you take into account. So, yeah, I think once it's kind of nailed down what people do, we
could look at the position and see if it's...if they are, uh, comparable. The CSO's, as I
recall, are not that, they're not that, uh, high in the, uh, in the classification plan. They're
lower than the...than the dispatchers (mumbled)
Bailey/ Well, and I, yeah, and I don't know how we approach this in this budget, versus the
prioritization process, but what I've generally heard from this group is we would like, if
there is interest in pursuing some more support for this department, but uh, more out in
the community. And so, how that effects this, and how we look at this, I think, is...is
something that we'll...we'll need to discuss, either in this process this year, or as we move
forward in the next few months, and I think that's really going to be significant.
Correia/ And I guess I'm interested in determining what the needs are in the department, for
service needs out in the community, based on data. I mean, cause we can hear we need
more officers, but...
Bailey/ Well, that's what my...
Correia/ Right, that's what I mean, I mean, I think that that makes sense to me to not...
Bailey/ But I don't know how that affects this proposal...that, Iguess that's what I'm saying, I
mean...(several talking)
Lombardo/ This presumes 24/7 operations, and so that, I mean, at some point a discussion about,
do we expect there to be a presence when somebody comes in and, um, in the night, you
know, in the middle of the night perhaps, or you know, are there intervals where we want
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to consider having the window shut. That would certainly affect staffing needs, but...we
haven't looked at how that would be structured at all.
Correia/ There's always someone there...not, I don't mean the window. I mean in the
department. I mean, all the officers aren't always out on the street. I mean, even with the
communication or whatever, dispatch won't be here. It's not like there'd be a period of
time where there'd be nobody available.
Lombardo/ But if they're patrol officers and they come in to, you know, pull a warrant or...or
enter a report, that type thing, gear change, something like that, then if there's a buzzer
and they're being rung out to answer a window, then we're taking them away from their
time on the streets, so it's, I mean, there are people there, but depending on the time of
day, who they might be and what they might be doing could come into conflict with our
ability to get them out on patrol. So, it's not as...as easy as just saying, well, there's
always somebody there. Um, it really, you know, are they dedicating to being able to
answer those questions and...deal with that customer if they come walking in.
O'DonnelU A lot of communities, uh, maybe not a lot, but every once in a while, auxiliary police
services, and these discussions and I don't know if we've pursued that like we should,
because I...I know the Sheriffs Department has auxiliary deputies. Um...
Lombardo/ Reserve officer programs, are, um, from my perspective, a nightmare in terms of
liability and other issues. Um, I...we had one at the County and it was a constant, um,
challenge.
O'Donnell/ But I don't...I don't think they'd be a liability if they weren't out in the street. I mean,
if they're doing, um...
Lombardo/ It's something to look at. I...I come with a healthy dose of skepticism about the
programs because of past experience, but you're right, it depends on what we're asking
them to do, um, there we had them on horseback in...in crowd control and it posed a lot
of problems. Uh, here it might be a little bit different, uh, on the other side of.. .
Bailey/ Horses? Is that what you said?
Lombardo/ Horses and a helicopter, yeah.
Bailey/Great!
O'Donnell/ What a combination! (laughter and several talking)
Lombardo/ Um, I...you know, my point with policing services is...is, I'm...I really want to try
and build the data case for the need, for the community need, in terms of cost for service
and try and match that up with how we staff, and I'm not convinced yet that...that we've
talked internally about power shifts or...or restructuring shifts, um, I understand the
difficulty, you know, Matt and uh, Sam have been very articulate in discussing why it's a
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January 10, 2009 City Council
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challenge. I want to see the data to back it up, and...and, because that would give me the
level of comfort to know, uh, the officers per thousand discussion to me is...is a non-
starter. There...the policing services industry, I'll throw caution against using that as the
sole indicator for... for adding police, I want to dig deeper and understand the data
of...behind calls for service, not just in terms of times of day, but also then months of the
year and... and really understand what the need is out there so that we can staff
accordingly and deploy accordingly.
Bailey/ Do we have the capacity to do that analysis with this prioritization process? That's a
tight timeline.
Lombardo/ ... a little bit of help to, to comb through and get the data. I...I haven't really, you
know, we're just now putting together the...
Bailey/ Because I think that this is going to be the, this is going to be the conversation that...
Lombardo/ I think it has to happen.
Bailey/ ...ripe for next budget session. I...if I'm reading the community correctly, but I don't
know what others think, but I think that this is a discussion that's going to be...
Wright/ I think it's a discussion we need to have.
Bailey/ Oh, I absolutely do too.
Hayek/ We're not going to have those figures for, as you said, at least six to 12 months. Um, but
as they relate to this round, 2010, um, you know, we do have a sense of...of changes,
increases in crime and severity and variety and that sort of thing. Um, and so we may
even absent this detailed data that...that you, uh, you want to get into, and for good
reason, we may still want to be talking about whether, uh, that is a priority we want to
make right now, um, and then also, is it people behind the glass or out in the street, um,
that's my (mumbled)
Lombardo/ We...we can have this done...my intent would be to have it done within the six
months, not beyond that.
Bailey/I think we're...
Lombardo/ ...if not sooner.
Hayek/ But that gets us through 2011...2011 (several talking) right, right.
Bailey/ ...discussion, but I think...
Lombardo/ But, just because you adopt a budget doesn't mean that we can't amend it, and that's
my intent, would be, look - if the handwriting's on the wall and we're heading in a certain
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direction, why wait to 2011, if we know we want to get there, then I would, the
recommendation from me would likely be, let's start now,. if it's May, you know, May of
this year, roll up our sleeves and let's start doing that, and that will affect the 2011...2010
budget dramatically (mumbled)
Bailey/ But at this point though, you are recommending these five community service officers at
this point, because that was indicated that that's the need.
Lombardo/ There's been prior thought on it, and...and quite frankly, I haven't had an opportunity
to really look at the data and get at where I feel comfortable undoing that, um, if there's
an expectation that the window's going to be open and...and I think there is, then...then
this certainly is a way to get there. Um, but I, I mean, I think that it absolutely should be
examined, in terms of the full service gamut of what policing services do.
Wright/ Not...not keeping the, that window open 24 hours is, uh, certainly not a customer
service expectation, and...
Lombardo/ We are afull-service city, full-service police department, and I think there's an
expectation for a city this size to have somebody there to (several talking)
Wright/ Just closing that window would just be...a very bad idea.
Lombardo/ I agree!
Bailey/ I agree. Any other public safety, fire, um, animal services, police, just I guess I am sort
of heading through sort of area by area, if that's okay with people. Any questions,
anything jump out that you want clarified?
Correia/ The housing inspection fee increases.
Bailey/ Yeah, let's go there. Do we want to talk about the housing...can you walk us through
what you have on this?
O'Malley/ These are also in your handout...is Norm's letter.
Bailey/ Yes.
Correia/ Um, one question that I have just about this whole department area is why a percent of
the HIS administration isn't charged off to percent of...of fees, and let's just say building
inspection, where in the building inspection department you see total receipts of $1.6
million. Total expenditures of $1.4 million. I'm just rounding. Um, but up in the
department administration, we see...
Wright/ What page are you on, Amy?
Correia/ Um, I'm sorry, 49 and 50.
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Wright/ Thank you.
Correia/ (several talking) 49 and 50, is where HIS is.
Bailey/Start your comment over, so we can walk through this (both talking)
Correia/ Okay. I think I talked with Kevin and Deb about this at the end of budget season last
year, but we have three different areas in this department -administration; we have
housing inspections; we have building inspections. Just going to page 50 with the
building inspections, we see we have $4.7 million in receipts with $1.5 million
expenditures, um, I'm wondering why the...a percentage of those receipts aren't applied
to administration in the department, in that, you know, first area. Cost center 42-4100.
Since you wouldn't...didn't need administration over that department, you wouldn't have,
you know, I mean, they provide (mumbled)
Lombardo/ They, those receipts come into the General Fund (several talking)
Correia/ But, except that, I mean, I had this conversation last year. In all of our departments, we
account for the revenue that covers the expenditures. So basically are we saying that
those receipts just go to our contingency, go, I mean, where do they show up. They don't
really show up as revenue covering costs in any other departmental area, that we see.
O'Malley/ It's a presentation. It's a presentation, semantic issue. The.. .
Lombardo/ Much like property tax, they come into the General Fund, and they get distributed as
part of the...the funds that we have available to fund all of our services. So, I mean,
what's not, I mean, if you wanted to just look at tying revenues to cost center, um,
then...then in building inspections, uh, there's an amount that goes to, um, to fund
other...other service areas I guess is the long and the short of it.
Correia/ But I guess I'm wondering why we just don't show (mumbled) where it applies. So
that's a question.. .
O'Malley/ It's, uh, it's cost benefit and it's a very difficult to...to do that for just this department.
To...
Correia/ But it really is the only department that we have in (mumbled) fund area that has that
situation.. .
O'Malley/ The only...the...the format of this presentation, uh, we call it the all-in-one page, is it
plug...you have your actual real receipts and then you have your actual real expenditures,
and then whatever the debt net difference is comes out of property tax. It doesn't really
go into that cost center. It actually, all the property tax goes into my cost center. I've got
like the $22 million revenue, you know, but for presentation purposes, it'd be misleading.
So we try to show the actuals and actuals. This is the only division that has excess
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revenue. So to create a construct in our data base for that kind of presentation is not
worth the programming time to show it, because then we've got to determine how much
excess revenue should be charged off, come up with a scheme and a cost allocation of
how much a building should be charged to, or how much of admin should be charged to
building, when admin's budget's only $200,000 to begin with.
Lombardo/ And...and you know...
Correia/ Well, I mean, it is, it's almost $300,000 of General Levy support going into department,
HIS department administration.
O'Malley/ Right. But...
Lewis/ It actually isn't though. That excess revenue, I mean, you could.. .
O'Malley/You could say it, you could present it that way, I mean, you know, we could write it on
a piece of paper and say it, but is it true? Do we actually put the money into that
department? Not really.
Lewis/ That $290,000 that you see coming in to HIS admin in 2010...
O'Malley/ We could label that...(several talking)...it's not, no, it's not actually going in there.
That's that plug figure. That's for presentation purposes.
Lombardo/ Meant to show the activity, you know, much like the other departments it shows the
revenue and the activity that is attributable to that division, but...but it's not discrete, you
know, it's not enterprise fund. It's not a discrete entity or subsection of...of our
organization. They are part of the General Fund, and so...
O'Malley/ Right.
Lombardo/ ...it also goes into the same big pile.
O'Malley/ I could just change that property tax levy to the building fees. Cause in that, in the
bank account, I wouldn't know if it was really...I don't see, I can't keep track of the
property tax revenue, once it hits the bank, versus the...the building fees. Once it hits the
bank, it's, that's how the General Fund works. It hits the bank, and then you process it
around. So it's really present, I mean, you can call it whatever we want, but.. .
Correial As we make decisions about whether we have enough General Levy support, tax levy
support to expand services to the Fire Department, I mean, this is the format that we use.
Do we have General Levy support or General Levy...dollars to do that, you know.
We've tied up...$300,000 that you know...
O'Malley/ Take the $300,000, the net gross that you make on building, and...and say it's not
property tax support, because what happened to the $300,000 in building? It went into
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the same fund that we put the property tax money. So you can label it whatever you
want. This is still a balanced budget. Cause all the money goes to the same place,
essentially. So we could label that excess building fees paying for that, but you didn't
gain any property tax, because we're using (several talking) you didn't gain any $8.10, is
what I'm saying.
Correia/ Right. So, my other...
O'Malley/ Cause I mixed it up...it's like making a cake. You throw the eggs in there, and you
throw the flour in there, and you spin it all together and you have a product, but to say I
want the piece of egg out of here and put it here, it doesn't happen any more.
Correia/ Okay. Um...
Hayek/ It's a Johnny Cash song, actually (laughter)
O'Malley/ Is it? (laughter and several talking) You can label it whatever you'd like. I mean, but
if it helps you feel that it's a cost center justification. You don't gain anything.
Correia/ But it seems like there, I mean, the other thing is if we see that we are over-receiving
dollars in building inspections and we're expending, and those are all fee based, does that
mean we're charging too much?
O'Malley/ No.
Correia/ Okay.
Lombardo/ It's activity, I mean (several talking)
O'Malley/ It's activity-based.
Lombardo/ It's a volume of activity component to that.
O'Malley/ Right. (both talking) What if the activity drops down? How do you then get tax
dollars to fund the negative balance that was occurring?
Correia/ Plus if the activity drops down you would think that the work in the department would
decrease, so then you would not need as many people.
O'Malley/ It's hard to staff that way though.
Correial No, I understand that.
O'Malley/ Today you guys are off because we don't have enough building permits.
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Hayek/ I'd like to understand the trend behind this suggestion. You know, as I see it, the, uh, that
department's reliance on, uh, General Levy contributions decreased over time. It looks
like it bottomed out around 9% and now it's slowly working it's way up, 12, 15, 22% -
what explains that? Is that fewer rental units coming online?
O'Malley/ I'm sorry...
Hayek/ No, that's all right. (both talking) The reliance of...of uh, of this department on General
Levy contributions drops, you know (several talking) bottomed out, right? And now
it's...it's projected to increase, absent some fee increase.
Bailey/ Are you looking at housing inspections (mumbled)
Hayek/ Yeah. I'm really looking at Norm's memo (several talking), and I'm just trying to
understand the trend behind that. It dropped for many, I don't know -five, six years in a
row -and now it's creeping back up.
Wilburn/ There was a decision way back that it becomes self-sufficient.
O'Malley/ Right.
Wilburn/ When, in order to do that, fees had to go up. It wasn't coming from property tax.
There was a decision by a majority of Council, uh, in part due to, uh, disagreement from
some members in the building community about fee increases and the amount of fee
increases, and so there were several meetings where, uh, based on that input from the
public, and particularly the building community, that um...that those fees not, either not
be present or not increase as much. Another piece to it was that decision to change the
cycle in inspections, but the money has to come from somewhere. So, it comes back
from the General Fund. So that was a decision by a majority of Council, knowing that,
uh, if the...perhaps one might look that maybe it's not...uh, it wasn't a consensus to have
it self-sufficient by, uh, by fees.
Hayek/ But that doesn't explain to me why it's on the increase.
Lombardo/ (several talking) If you would like for Monday, I, you know, we can have Norm be
here, I mean, it's tied to the type of inspections. I don't have...we, I mean, it's something
we discussed probably two, three months ago now. (both talking)
Correia/ Well, it looks like in the memo, it says that in fiscal year 10, they moved 75% of a
housing assistant position from admin (several talking)
O'Malley/ Right. They've been doing some personnel changes.
Hayek/ I mean, my understanding when we...when we went to the two-year cycle, they thought
they could accommodate that without an increase in internal costs.
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O'Malley/ No, not increase in additional staff.
Hayek/ Without...without increasing additional staff. (several talking)
O'Malley/ Right.
Hayek/ And...and if that's the case, and if fees have not decreased...
O'Malley/ Correct.
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Hayek/ There's gotta be something that explains the increase, above and beyond moving that one
position (mumbled)
O'Malley/ Well, the...you would normally get more revenue by going...it's not a homogenous,
uh, housing inspections. You've got...you've got single-family homes and duplexes that
have rental housing, and then you have the multi-unit places. Multi-unit are
already...we're already on a two-year cycle. The single-family homes are on a three-year
cycle. So, the decision made in FY09 was, when those three-year...when those single-
familyhomes come up, put them on a two-year cycle. So you should, without doing
anything, you should gain revenue in a couple years. So the question came, well, how
much...how much of the building inspection is residential, and how much...I mean, how
much is single-family versus multiple, and Norm and Leigh and I were talking about his
math, and we weren't in agreement with his math, um, and so, but anyway, he's...you
know, we were plugging a hole. So he says, well, I'm willing to raise the rates on these
things, so that's what was put in the budget to fill that gap. Now I'm not sure I answered
your question, Matt, about increased, but without increasing revenues, you increase
inspections so you will get some additional revenue.. .
Lombardo/You're accelerating (several talking)
O'Malley/ But at some point in time it'll catch up and then you'll be done. In year 2005, I had an
inspection. I won't have one now until 2008, and then after that I'll have one in 10, okay?
So, I'm going to pick up a little more revenue.
Correia/ I have...I'll just put it on the table. I mean, I have a concern about raising the fee such a
high percentage in this year. You know, and...and primarily because, um, that fee
increase will get passed on to the renter, you know, and we have a high percent of renters
in Iowa City, probably about half that are already strapped trying to pay their rent, and so
if we push all of this...this high percentage, I mean, I think that that...the end user of
these rental homes are going to be feeling it, not so much the owners. I mean, it's going
to be passed on. So in this time where we have, you know, people are getting laid off,
wages not increasing, you know, as we've seen, um, utilities increasing so that folks that
are having a hard time paying their rent are already strapped there. I...I just, it's hard to
stomach, you know, proposing this percentage increase in this area, and I understand, you
know, past Councils wanting to make this area self-sufficient; however, I...I thought
that...that past Council wanted to continue to push the Airport to be more self-sufficient,
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and I do not see any talk of raising rents at the Airport for hangars. We continue to keep
their General Levy support at $130,000. I thought that was, there had been consensus to
decrease that over time, and that is a business enterprise.
Lombardo/ I guess I was unaware of that expectation, but we can...I, we were just talking the
other day and I raised the issue of why are they a separate entity and why are they not a
City department, where we have broader control over, you know, it's something to
consider. Um...
Correia/ So I mean I guess if we're meaning to make up some revenue; some...I'd rather see it on
the backs of, you know, a...a business enterprise versus you know, this...there is a public
benefit...to having, making sure our rental stock is...
O'Malley/ It's a public safety.. .
Correia/ That's what Imean - a public safety, right and...
Lombardo/ My charge to staff, Amy, was to find, if there are revenue-raising opportunities, uh,
to propose them so that...because it, I couldn't close the budget gap without affecting
services, beyond what we did, and so I...your points are right on the mark, and if that's
something Council...there's apreponderance of Council that said this is untenable, then
certainly we want to...we would have to come back with strategy, and that's where the
prioritization comes in and, um, and we look at reducing costs, you know, earlier, as
opposed to waiting to next year's budget.
Wilburn/ The only...perhaps there's more, there would be more sharing the burden if it comes
out of General Revenue, but if it's not a building fee that, uh, if it's a property tax, then
the landlord is going to raise the rent anyway. So then it's a question of staffing. If you
don't wish to have, um, if it's a staffing, um, or cut for the department, then theoretically
there's no...
Correia/ I guess what I'm saying is that if we need to make up, um, expenditures somewhere, to
make, um, to make a balanced budget, I don't want to look in this department, I mean, I
don't want to do something that's going to...a 19% increase and we're not proposing that
big of an increase in our property tax, I mean, it's a small...
Lombardo/ I'm not suggesting if you don't do this we would take it out of their staffing, I mean,
we would...
Correia/ No, I know, I guess that's...what I'm saying, if we need to make up, I would you know,
see cutting or decreasing our support of the Airport. Like I said, I didn't see...I haven't
seen in the last three years any talk about increasing rents at the Airport for hangars, for
example. Why, I mean, the folks that own airplanes seem to me to have more of an
ability to absorb an increase if they own a luxury item than somebody renting an
apartment, um, or at least half of the people that are renting apartments that are having
trouble paying their rent every year. So I mean, I guess, um, you know, I'm not saying I
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wouldn't be opposed to any increase, but not 19%, not when the folks that are renting
homes, significant number of the non-student households, and those are the ones I'm
concerned about, you know, are not seeing a 19% increase in their ability to pay their
rent.
Wright/ Obviously it's not going to mean a 19% increase...
Correia/ No, I mean, you know.. .
Wright/ I agree with you, uh, it's...and in addition to the fee being passed onto the tenants, uh,
we didn't raise the rates when we changed the inspection cycle, but we did ultimately
increase the cost to the landowners...
Correia/ ...fine doing that.
Wright/ ...and, uh, not all the landlords are necessarily going to pass this along, but they're still
going to be, they're going to take the hit, uh, and if...depending on how much property
you own, it's a fairly substantial hit every year.
Hayek/ Can I ask...I'm trying to use my own calculator to do some costing, which is a dangerous
thing for all of us. If, uh, back on the fire station just as an example, if we did, um, a 22-
cent per thousand increase, uh, as well as the 8-cent, um, employee benefit that would
come along with that, that's 30-cents per thousand. Does that mean that fora $200,000
structure that's a $60 hit per year? Is that accurate math?
O'Malley/ Yes. That's a commercial structure.
Hayek/ Okay.
O'Malley/ A house would be...(several talking)
Wright/ That's a fairly minimal hit.
Bailey/ For a fire station.
Hayek/ I'm just trying to...(several talking) lay it out, uh (several talking) that's not an argument
against or in favor, it's just trying to understand what the actual impact is to a property tax
payer.
Wright/ Now switching back to...
Bailey/ Yeah, let's go back to this (several talking) it's all right. We can all...(several talking,
laughter) It's Saturday morning. If we need to bounce around...
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Wright/ Uh, you know, between the what's going to be passed along, and the fact that, although
we...we defacto increased the fees by changing that inspection cycle, I'm not sure 20% is
going to be palatable.
Bailey/ Do you guys want to talk about this with Norm here on Monday night? Would that be
helpful? (several responding) Is that possible?
Lombardo/ Absolutely.
Bailey/ Great.
Lombardo/ Um, and keep in mind, I'll go back to the budget intro, you know, I...I didn't feel I
had a mandate to...to cut, to stop doing something completely, and I'm happy, you
know.. .
Bailey/ But, this was on our schedule to come to us, after we had the discussion of cycle, so this
is not a surprise to any of us, um, that they...that they had a proposal, cause they brought
it last year post-budget I think, so we'll just talk about it on Monday with Norm.
Lombardo/ Okay. Will you follow up then (mumbled)
O'Malley/ Yes.
Bailey/ Um, do we want to just keep going department by department?
O'Malley/ Yes. (both talking) Whatever you'd like to do, because we had these other decision
points.. .
Wright/ Maybe we should go to the next decision point.
O'Malley/ Actually, I just looked at this (mumbled) and building should actually be housing
inspection fees, not building.
Bailey/ So do, okay, so the next...
O'Malley/ Anyway, the next one would be parking citations, and Chris has got a memo in there
talking about parking citations and parking garage permits, and...and I think you can
identify who the affected parties are, um, and whether or not...(several talking). Um,
give you a moment to read those...
Bailey/ Chris, did you want to walk us through this memo or...you have to wait till we read it, it
can take a while. Since you're here, might as well.
Lombardo/ Speak a little bit to, you know, I'm trying to incent certain behaviors (mumbled)
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O'Brien/ Yeah, some of these items are directly from the conversations we've had about
downtown parking, um, starting with an increase in on-street meter spaces, or meter rates.
Um, for years the, and as far back as I've been with Transportation, which has been 11
years, the meter rate on-street in the downtown has been the same as the parking garages,
which if you go almost anywhere, most of your meter rates are higher. That's your prime
parking, you're right in front of where you want to be parking, um...and, what you want
that to be is your short-term parking for people who want to come in, do business, um,
whether it's going to lunch, whether it's, you know, and we keep the meter terms at an
hour to try to promote turnover, and for those that want to spend time, um, whether it's
going to class, whether it's work, whether it's...to encourage them to go into the garage,
um, where the rates...and when they're the same there is no encouragement at that point.
Now there's citations, there's...there are items for people who can't get away every hour,
but what we've seen, and...and I think, um, the meter feeding memo that we discussed,
um, show is that there's a large amount of people that have time to come out and feed
their meters, which then decreases the amount of on-street space to the point I think we
had 98%, uh, we were at a 98%, um, occupancy of our metered stalls. So in order to try
to get people into the garages, which you know, during peak times were in the 80, 85,
90% depending on a facility. We have the space to accommodate those people and to try
to get that gap of people who maybe that 25-cents is something that would make them
think about moving into the garage, in addition to the fact that we're raising, um, citations
for meters, um, for... for expired meter violation. There's another incentive to move into
the garage, where we don't issue citations, um, except for stores for people that are there
for extended periods of time. Um, so that was the basis for the meter, uh, increase.
That's something we've talked about for years and just at this time, um, between
encouragement and between the fact that like I said, in looking at the parking structures
and future, what we're trying to do, which with the St. Pat's site being, uh, lingering there,
uh, it was a time for us to look at how we do things internally, without raising garage
rates, um, and...and going through a wholesale change. But we thought getting that
meter rate out in front was...was the way to go there. Uh, as far as the increase in
parking citation fines, um, you know, once again the meter rate we had discussed, uh, in
talking about downtown and how we're going to do things, um, but one of the things that
we added was the discount, um, so raising the actual fine from $5.00 to $10, I know that
looks like a large jump. I mean we're talking 100% if you want to do percentages.
You're talking doubling if you want to, um, but as far as the sheer dollar amount, it's still,
um, you know, we're talking...it's a $5.00 rather than you're going from say $10 to $20,
or $20 to $40, but by offering that discount what we're trying to do is encourage people to
pay quickly so we don't have to go out, we don't have to send letters, we don't have
to...there's other costs that we can...avoid if we get them to pay quickly. So offering a
discount for the first week, basically to pay it off the window is what we...would refer to
that as. You get the citation, you come in and you pay it. You save $3.00 if...um, rather
than waiting until you hit that seven day mark. Then we just go to the base amount with
a fine, which is $10 and from eight...day eight to day 30, you know, you're still at the
base rate of the fine, and then after 30 we would escalate it the $5.00 that we're allowed.
Bailey/ Can people pay tickets at your office, as well?
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O'Brien/ Online, our office...
Bailey/ Yeah, online I knew, okay.
Lombardo/ I can't remember...did, uh, we had talked about extending the meter time to 6:00 too.
Did we build that in or no?
O'Brien/ We didn't talk about that. I think that's a broader discussion for later. We have to start
talking about labor increases, um, safety issues when you start getting into it's dark and
you're enforcing meters...there's, there were some other options that we thought we
needed to talk about later, and in more depth. And then the $10, once again, the increase
in the citation from $5 to $10, or from $10 to $15 -once again you're, uh, hitting your
alley areas. That was just an increase in order to, um, along with the expired meter fines
to, um, hit those areas that are the non-expired meter violations, um, which then goes,
that is a General Fund, that's where that revenue source goes, is into the General Fund.
Wright/ And hopefully, rather than just being truly a revenue source, this is also a behavior
modification.. .
O'Brien/ Right, and that's what all of it has been really. Our whole...I think everyone looks at
the parking as it's a revenue generator, and what we're trying to do is, for all those people
park illegally in meters, who park illegally in commercial zones, who park illegally in
loading zones, they're affecting the way we can do business downtown.
Wright/ Absolutely!
O'Brien/ Um, and trying to educate people that if we went free parking, which you know, you
hear that all the time, is I shouldn't have to pay to park, I should...if we did that in
downtown Iowa City, I mean, to have...you would have, I don't know what the square
blocks are, nothing but a big surface parking lot in downtown Iowa City, with a, um, the
University traffic and...and the number of houses and residences in the downtown, yeah,
it would be chaos, and you would never...the business would die.
Wright/ The price of free parking is too high.
O'Brien/ Right, and...yeah, there's books about that and, um, so all of these have been to modify
behavior, and...and every time, we started looking at rate structures and you know, what
is your effectiveness of...of getting people to change, and what you see is, initially you
get your dip when you do your increase. Well, once again now our violations are coming
up to the point where we're starting to have trouble keeping people out of the stalls that
they shouldn't be in. Um...
Lombardo/ I witnessed it just this past week. I...I was at lunch and the waitress was going out
and feeding the meter. I wanted to grab her by the collar and say, what are you doing?
Wilburn/ Of course you wouldn't do that.
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Lombardo/ No, I wouldn't do that (laughter)
O'Brien/ Of course not!
Wright/ No, I actually think this is, uh, a smart move for us in a number, for a number of reason.
One, I mean, 98% occupancy of our meters downtown is too high (several talking)
turnover (several talking)
Bailey/ I have a question about, I mean, you know, but I also...okay, I believe that there's
parking, blab, blah, blah...um, not going to go with those arguments, but I know that this
has come up before, the one-hour and 15-minute meter. That would...I wouldn't mind
paying a lot of money for a meter if I could go to lunch and not get a ticket.
O'Brien/ Right, and...and what I would say to that, and I'm not arguing that there's not a reason
for that, but what you would find, and I'm not trying to discourage against the student.
What I'm trying to do is encourage the student into the garage, and by going an hour and
15, you're almost telling them, you know what - go to class, park there, and then you lose
your ability to...to have people coming down doing business.
Bailey/ We're also...we're also, you don't want to park in a garage if you're coming downtown
for lunch. You really don't. I mean, okay, some of us don't ever want to park in a garage.
I don't care how beautiful they get. Um, but so have we looked at that, or do other
communities do the one-hour, 15...do they exist anywhere?
O'Brien/ I think what...they do, and it's usually in areas that are municipalities solely. When you
start running into your right, when your campus is basically in your downtown, that's
when you'll run into the issues, and that's what we've always seen, and a, our meter rates
are usually less expensive or equal to the University's. They're closer to the proximity of
where they want to go for their classes. Um, you know, and our enforcement, which I
feel we do a good job of enforcing, as far as making sure we have people on the streets,
and trying to encourage people to go into other places, but it...the minute you get past
that hour, which you know, classes are 50 minutes to an hour, you're almost telling them -
we want you to park on the metered spaces, which is not...not at all what we want to do,
and it's not because we're discriminating. It's because we want to keep that open for
business.
Bailey/ Is there a strategy that we could use that would not encourage students, but would
encourage, I mean, like Linn Street, College Street, outlying areas where it's an easy walk
to restaurant row, but not such an easy walk to campus? I... and I'm really serious about
the friendliness, because I think it is a...
O'Brien/ Our meter rates in the outer areas are at 60-cents. We're not proposing...
Bailey/ I'm not talking about rates. I'm talking about length of time for meters. Cause there's
still hour meters.
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O'Brien/ Right, and we still have lots in the area that are extended. We used to have, before
we...before we put where the Vitro and...we used to have a lot in the downtown that we
charged, the first two hours were like 75-cents each. Then we kicked it to $5.00 per hour
after that third hour.
Bailey/ I miss that lot.
O'Brien/ Right, but we lost it, and we don't have any where in...the vicinity was perfect to the,
you know, the location and everything was perfect.
Bailey/ Like the Library.
Hayek/ I think your question though is, in the areas where people are more likely, for example,
go to a restaurant for lunch, could you lengthen the meter time.
O'Brien/ That's right where people would want to park to go to class, and that's what we find.
Bailey/ But it's farther! I mean, it's not by the Physics Building, it's not on Iowa Avenue.
Wright/ Where are you talking about? (several talking)
Bailey/ Linn Street, you know, parking near the Pedestrian Plaza you just shoot in, you know,
you park there you walk in.
O'Brien/ Between the residences and...and the, I mean, they will park as far down as...
Bailey/ Okay, so I'm not going to convince you (several talking) I'm giving up.
Hayek/ Well, Van Allen and Philips are across the street from the area you're talking about.
Bailey/ I just think that it's not very downtown friendly for what we want to do downtown,
because we're always focused on discouraging the students. I don't have any problem
raising the rates for the meters, but you're almost...if you park in a meter for lunch,
you're either going...you're going to do one of two things -you're going to pop out and
feed your meter, which is illegal, or you're going to get a ticket, which is irritating, and
then next time you plan to go to lunch, you're going to go to a restaurant that has a
parking lot. Chances are that's not going to be in our community -it's going to be in the
community to the west.
Lombardo/ But the time it takes to drive and do that, you can park in the Dubuque Street ramp
and walk to the Ped Mall in a matter of minutes.
Bailey/ But if you are going in for a quick lunch, you think you're going to spend an hour and 15
to park in a ramp...it seems time-consuming to many people. There's a...there's a
psychology, and for some of us there's a huge psychological barrier to our ramps.
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Correia/ By the time you drive around, to look for that metered space, you could have just gone
(several talking and laughing)
Bailey/ Well, I'm not...clearly am not going to convince you, but I just think that we have to be
aware of if we want people in our downtown, we have to balance our concern about
students parking for long term, and also making it easy for people to buzz in, buzz out,
and you don't buzz in, buzz out if you're in a garage. I don't care.
O'Brien/ No, I agree, and that's the purpose.
Bailey/ There's always somebody digging for their dog-gone money in the bottom of their car
who's always in front of you.
Wilburn/ The discouraging of the students from parking there for class is related to opening the
downtown up for people to come down. and (several talking)
O'Brien/ Have to make the rates in the garage really low, or make the meters really high, so that
student would think to themselves, what is my income, what can I afford?
Bailey/ It's...it's linked to rates, but it's also linked to time of the meter. I'm much more likely
actually to go to the north side because they have, you still have two-hour meters there.
O'Brien/ Uh-huh.
Bailey/ So, I mean, but you know...
O'Brien/ The minute you go Iowa Avenue, Linn Street, Clinton Street, and...you're...you can't
do that in, I just think because of the location of the campus.
Correia/ College Street has two-hour meters (mumbled)
O'Brien/ And some of our lots have extended hour meters and (several talking)
Wilburn/ But the point of people driving around, looking for that meter is salient, because that's
taking up the time that they.. .
O'Brien/ Well, and we're actually going to be putting a lot where the Greyhound building stands,
which will have extended hour...it won't be one-hour meters in the lot, which shoot right
up College Street into the Ped Mall, and um, but that's down the road a little bit.
Correia/ So this, so the hourly rate in the ramps will stay the same.
O'Brien/ Correct.
Correia/ The bus, the fee to take the bus will stay the same.
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O'Brien/ Correct, which, yeah. It's been ten years since we've actually increased that.
Correia/ Cause I mean, you know, the...the increasing, the monthly permit rates, I mean that
additionally might encourage people to take the bus instead of...
O'Brien/ Correct, and the reason for the increase in the...in the, um, the permit rate, once again,
we're looking at...as an enterprise funds we have certain responsibilities to...to cover,
uh, our bonds, things like that, and everything you look at -what are your rate structures
when you go into these things. Um, second is what people that are...people that rent our,
you know, we have landlords, we have University, we've heard things of what they
charge, but we're really...the key to us is, our waiting lists are obscenely long, and to tell
someone they have to wait two to three years to get into a facility because you have 300
to 400 people on it, it's tough when you're trying to circulate...circulateperrnits. So, um,
that was a lot, you know, we had the room um, you know, and that rate if you start
breaking down hourly, you're still saving...30 to 40% by getting a permit for people who
have extended stays who work downtown, things like that.
Bailey/ So none, you don't consider any of these, um, garages preferential. The rate would be a
little bit higher.
O'Brien/ Um, before it was based off location to...
Bailey/ Right.
O'Brien/ ...but, the downtown is kind of shifted at this point, and I think what we look at is
covered versus non-covered.. .
Bailey/ Okay.
O'Brien/ ...facilities. Our parking lot rates will not be increasing, um, it'll be, uh, and the ability
to maintain these lots is, I mean, we're putting substantial money into them in order
to...to maintain them, even after they're paid off. Um, and we have some more garages
that will be coming due with their annual maintenance. Usually that five to ten year
mark, you start seeing deterioration, and you have to start putting more money into your
Court Street, Tower Place, those are ones you're going to start seeing increases in, which
and in our budget this year we eliminated...go outsourcing that, and we've started, we've
put a plan in to do our own maintenance, which has saved us, uh, I believe it's about 60%
off what the proposed amount was to, um, to do, because we can spread it out over a
time, and...and we're not paying their work force, so there's things we've done to lower
those costs by doing things internally rather than going outward, and outsourcing those
to...to outside vendors.
Hayek/ Uh, one of the options you list in terms of increasing monthly rates in structures is to
spread it out over two years. What is the hit to our calculations by doing that? Is
there...pain pretty high for that or.. .
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O'Brien/ Yeah, that actually, I think we lay out...um, by going to, I mean, the ones you're going
to see the biggest on are your Chauncey Swan and Court Street.
Hayek/ Right.
O'Brien/ Um, so there'd be, let's see, you'd be looking at 60...roughly $60,000 you would lose in
FY10.
Hayek/ Yeah.
O'Brien/ And that's generally, that's a General Fund hit. Um, basically a Transit hit is actually
what that would be, to be perfectly honest. That, um, as far as what Parking would lose,
um, actually that's...the only two that we're proposing so it would be a...$40,000 hit to
Parking, for the Chauncey Swan and Court Street, if we extended that out. The other
three we're not proposing any extension. So just those two garages.
Hayek/ You said 60 and then 40...um...
O'Brien/ Right. They each have, they have a different number of permits in each. One has 600
permits, one has 400, so there's a difference (several talking)
Lombardo/Because of volume of spaces, is a different dollar amount.
Hayek/ Right. I'm looking at in terms of our overall budget, the hit to the General Fund (several
talking)
O'Brien/ Right, 60 to the General Fund, 40 to Parking.
Hayek/ Oh, 60 and 40.
O'Brien/ Yeah.
O'Malley/ The 40 is to a enterprise fund.
O'Brien/ Right, that'd be the...
Hayek/ Got it.
O'Malley/ I have a question, Chris. I know you mention in your permits that you got a, uh, a big
waiting list. So it's probably not much elasticity of demand, but uh, on your parking
citations, the numbers that you provided us, did they have a little dip in the...
O'Brien/ Yeah, we didn't take...we didn't actually take a 100, you know, for the expired meters,
we didn't say, well, we're going to...it was 100% increase in fines, so we're going to have
100% increase in revenues. Um, what we saw the last time we raised rates, and this is the
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same formula we used. The citations dipped, the on-street revenue increased, because
people were paying the meters rather than letting them expire, um, so yes, you're going to
see people that change their habits, which is why you're going to see a decrease in the
revenue. And then what happens as people come into the community, whether it's you
know consider it freshmen, whether you consider it new employees, whether you
consider it people just moving to Iowa City, that's what the rates are when they get here,
so they don't know any different. The people that you see usually move are the people
that are used to trends, used to how you do things, so they'll alter their patterns, whether
it's pulling into the garage, whether it's park further away from downtown, and walk in,
um, because of the increase in the fines, so it works and then you have to modify after a
certain amount of years, as...as people care less about the increase that happened three or
four years ago, um, to your actual...your parking fines. So it wasn't a percent, 2%
increase in revenues to...it was substantially lower, as far as what we put into the budget.
Bailey/ So are we good with this proposal and how about the phasing in versus the increase in
monthly permit rates? How would you like to approach that? I'm fine just increasing
them all, rather than phasing in. I think it gets confusing if you have a phase in at two
and.. .
O'Brien/ Well, and what we looked at was, do you want to just see one increase, or do you want
to see it for two consecutive years an increase. Granted it's more, but it's one increase
and then we hold that for a while, until we...we have to look at those rates again.
Wright/ I'm fine with just doing it all in one year.
Hayek/ Yeah, I am too, and I think the response is an elastic...as Kevin mentioned, and so, I
mean, I don't want to have...it's not worth finding $100,000 elsewhere to, uh, lower the
inconvenience to this particular group of...of people.
Bailey/ You indicated when we talked about...
Hayek/ Myself included!
Bailey/ ...this (laughter) wondered if that would come up. Um, you talked...when we talked, um
about some configurations of the loading zone that you would be bringing us some data
about does this change behavior and...and you'll be tracking that...
O'Brien/ Correct, yeah and actually you're going to be getting the one-way report, I think on the
next...it's going to be on the next Council...
Bailey/ Great, cause I'm getting questions about that.
O'Brien/ Right, and I think that's going to address, and it's unfortunate Connie's not here, but
if...going back to our initial proposal, we'd proposed...
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Bailey/ Probably shouldn't talk about this today, I mean, cause it's not strictly budget (several
talking) um, so, but we're all excited about it! (several talking) Yeah, as soon as it's on
an agenda we'll be thrilled to talk about it, but are we good with this, um, yeah. Thanks,
Chris. (several talking) Okay, those were our decision...
O'Malley/ Yes, um, unless you have some other areas that you want to...
Bailey/ Well, I mean, just looking at different areas, were there other questions or comments or, I
mean, I had some questions. I'm assuming others had different questions and...we can
go departmentally, we can jump around...whatevertyorks. Jump in.
Correia/ Well, I guess and maybe this would be for Monday or a different day, I mean, my...I
had a question about the Airport.
Bailey/ I have a question about the Airport, and I don't see why we couldn't talk about it, I mean,
today maybe if we need somebody...
Correia/ ...infor...right, having somebody here, getting more information in terms of, um, rental
rates, what...
Bailey/ Well, and the minutes for the Airport Commission, they have touched upon that
and...and exhibited at least in my reading of it a reluctance to do, I mean, to
increase...yeah, maybe we can get some thoughts on that, but on page 101 is the Airport
budget if people want to look at it. Well, I share Amy's concern about, um, you know,
this 130. We were getting down to 112 and I think we understood that the 130 was to
match some grants, and why are we (coughing) again, I guess, is the question, and
perhaps we'll need somebody from the Airport to answer that, or perhaps you or Kevin
can answer that.
O'Malley/ We pretty much put in what...what was, uh, in last year's financial plan. Um, the
Airport, uh, is a, uh, separate Board that has different powers and policies, and um, it's
difficult sometimes to get information out of them in a timely fashion, uh, I think their
C1P projects came in late, uh, some other things came in late, so it's hard for us to do any
analysis, uh, with...with that group. So, I...I'm hoping the communications comes from
a commission to Council point of view, uh, 'cause we don't get as much communication.
Bailey/ Well, and...and perhaps Greg and Mike need to be here on Monday, but I...in a difficult
budget year, I would be comfortable in cutting this, our General Fund Levy, back to a, to
the 2008 actual.
Correia/ Or 100,000.
O'Donnell/ Well, I think...in all fairness, you have to have them here so we can ask these
questions (several talking) and I...I, I think...
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Lombardo/ Yeah, we'll have them here Monday night, if you want that conversation about
what.. .
Bailey/ But I think it would, I think there is some interest in scaling that back.
Correia/ Yeah. Cause I mean I do think if, you know, if we don't decrease our support, there's no
incentive for them to in...attempt to increase their revenues. I mean, no, you know...
Bailey/ I think we were clear last year that, you know, they can use our General Fund Levy to
match the grants or whatever. I mean, obviously we can't control how they.. .
O'Malley/ That policy still is in place.
Bailey/ Right.
Correia/ That's separate from, that's an additional.
O'Malley/ That's a, that's a...
Lombardo/ Are you content with them being a discrete entity?
Bailey/ We've had that (several responding) once, but not with this Council.
Wright/ As opposed to just another department (mumbled)
Bailey/ Yes.
Wright/ As opposed to just being another department.
Bailey/ But...there's been marked improvement since I've been on Council in the running of the
Airport, and in understanding that we were...our intent was to encourage...decrease the
General Levy and...and, um, I think we just need to have that conversation again and
remind them, because they were headed in a really good direction for a period of time,
and I think that they continue to do that, um, that's my feeling. I don't know how others
feel. Ross, I know that you...you had supported making it a department at one time.
Wilburn/ I...I think the other piece to that is that, um, is addressing that communication piece
with the staff, because uh, that was, I was supporting that but if...and that was for that
purpose because there were clear communication and clear budgetary implications at the
time, and so if the expectation was that...that you're working with, and part of it was
because of a personnel issue, which is no longer an issue, but um, I think that would be a
clear, um, reminder in some cases and new information for some of the new commission
members.
O'Malley/ As an example, I heard just this week that they're not going to fill their operating
position, or personnel position. They want to contract with Jet Air. Well, it's too late for
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us to put anything in the budget, you know, take that position out and put in the Jet Air
as...in Services, um, it seems like they're not part of the planning process, on our...
Bailey/ ...questions we should be discussing with them on Monday, as well.
O'Malley/ Oh, I'm...that's a policy...
Correia/ They're taking it out of the Airport operations' budget?
O'Malley/ No, the...the maintenance worker.
Correia/ Oh!
O'Donnell/ Weren't they to work closer with...with us, Kevin?
O'Malley/ Well, they were for a while. (several talking)
Lombardo/ The message I sent back was that, because what we're hearing is that they wanted to
use, um, City vehicles and...(several talking) and I said absolutely not, from a risk
management perspective. I'm not having a... a third party, I mean, they're not even acting
as agents. They'd be a contracted service, using our...our materials and putting us in
liability position, so we're in the process of articulating that. That's not acceptable, um, if
they want to buy our vehicles and equipment or whatever they would like to use, uh, Jet
Air that is and contract, you know, we can work out the deta...excuse me, the details, but
um, I'm not going to expose us from a loss perspective.
Bailey/ Well, I think Ross is right. I think we once again have to clarify communication
expectations, I mean, it was going well for a while.
Hayek/ And there's this new hangar too, right?
O'Malley/ It's set for discussion too.
Hayek/ Okay, but at some point that comes on, I forget where it is in the CIP...
O'Malley/ Uh, 2011, they'd like to move it up.
Lombardo/ They would like us to advance it, and I'm not willing to do that with our C1P as
constrained as it is, and with flood projects and, I just...I'm, I don't feel it's, you know,
warrants moving up. Um, and it wasn't what we discussed and what was agreed to prior.
So (both talking)
O'Malley/ There's been changes in the agreement, into the proposal. It was a 50/50 share and it
got to be a 75/25 share for the City (mumbled)
Lombardo/ We'll have them here Monday night.
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Bailey/ That'll be great. And if you could outline some of these questions for them, sounds like
General Fund communication, the hangar, and then just our...we'll just go from there.
Okay, other items? Other things to bring up. Can do it by category, we can do it if you
just tell people the page number it's helpful.
Hayek/ We had talked a year ago, I think Connie brought this up, um, with respect to personnel
costs, getting a better figure for the complete costs, salary plus...the full enchilada if you
will. Is that information, uh, something that's easy to.. .
O'Malley/ Yeah, it's, well, Matt, we more or less dropped the ball on that. I think I remember
that conversation, uh, kind of a, sort of like a W-2 for the employees, you know, they just
see the cash that was paid them. It was actually, there's a cash component to the benefits,
so they'd get like a statement. If this is what we're talking about, a statement at the end of
the year saying your compensation is not only in dollars paid, but the family health
insurance that was paid, the life insurance that was paid, the FICA taxes that were paid,
so your total compensation is "X." I think that's what she was talking about.
Wright/ That is what we were talking about.
O'Malley/ Okay. I think we were going to give that to Personnel to do, and then there was some
turnover in Personnel, retirements, etc. We kind of dropped the ball on that issue. So we
can bring that subject up again.
Lombardo/ I'll have to become more familiar...I'm not, I think I understand generally what
you're asking for, but it's not something that we discussed during budget, so I can...we
can work toward getting that in the next, you know...what would it take? Could we do it
in a week to ten days?
O'Malley/ I think so, uh, Leigh, does that program (mumbled) (unable to hear response)
Karr/Deb, mic!
Lombardo/ Why don't we, rather than debate this, why don't we come back on Monday night and
let you know when we can get it to, you know, we'll provide you a good point in time
when you can expect that information.
Hayek/ Sounds great. (several talking)
Wilburn/ I'm not sure what, uh, I think when Connie brings it up...has brought it up in the past,
um, I know it's brought up every time at budget time, but um, it's...isn't that really
something in the subject of, um, negotiations? Because we, I mean, we...we don't ,you
know, those are costs that we don't, uh...
O'Malley/ I think it's always brought up in that context, in the bargaining...
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Wilburn/ So I don't know that it's, I mean, it impacts our budget, but in terms of our decision
making at budget time, I'm not so sure...unless you can tell me what it leads to, um...
Hayek/ Well, no, I agree. It has, it definitely serves a purpose in...in negotiations.
Wilburn/ Right.
Hayek/ Um, and to be fair, the, at least the positions which are either recommended or not
recommended, do have that data, right? (several responding)
Lombardo/ So you want to know just on average for an employee what...what the additional
costs are in...other than wages, is that...
Hayek/ Yeah.
Lombardo/ And do you want to buy position, or.. .
Hayek/ I don't know.
O'Malley/ I think Connie was using it in...in, as an awareness tool to the employee, that you
know what? You're not only getting this dollars, you're also getting this fringe benefit
package that costs money.
Wilburn/ And that's why I think.. .
O'Malley/ But it was (both talking)
Wilburn/ ...negotiation time and bargaining, rather than at...I don't know that, I mean,
department heads and everyone, I mean, at our budget time (mumbled) but in terms of
creating (mumbled) for the employee, I don't, I think that focus would be more, um,
if...if folks are wanting that information, I don't see a problem, I'm just, in terms of...in
terms of what staff needs to prepare for our discussions that's all I'm.. .
Hayek/ I'm not looking to jam people's work loads here, but there's an additional benefit in terms
of dealing with the public and its expectations, and for example if you're talking about
funding another fire station, you know, we need to be able to say, if we want to do that as
a community, it's going to cost us and...and here's why. Now we have that information,
that pro forma you generated. That's an example of why, uh, why the public needs to
understand it's not just salaries. It's salaries plus 20 to 30% more for the full personnel
side.
Lombardo/ We have different ways of stratifying the data. We'll meet on Monday, uh, talk about
what we have, and maybe even mock up some, just to show you and...and then we can
find out more about, you know, is this the right...are we headed in the right direction or
not.
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Hayek/ Sure.
Lombardo/ I have some ideas.
Bailey/ Other questions? I see Susan's here, and we'll just look at the Library budget if there are
any questions for her, since she's here. Page 57. You want to join us at the table
(mumbled)
O'DonnelU What page is that?
Bailey/ 57. And there might not be any questions. I just thought that since you're here this
morning.
Wright/ Apparently you didn't have anything else you wanted to do on a Saturday morning.
Craig/ Oh, no, this is the most exciting thing I can think of, other than shoveling the walk, you
know. (laughter)
Bailey/ So...questions, comments?
Wright/ Just one question. Susan, on the capital outlay.
Craig/ Uh-huh.
Wright/ It's a pretty large jump, uh, what is that?
Craig/ The...the large jump is down there in the server hardware, um, and...
Wright/ Okay.
Craig/ ...I don't know if you noticed earlier when they were showing the reserve accounts, and
the Library's computer replacement fund was beginning to show a deficit, and we have
since reworked that and carried equipment replacement schedules out further, so we
aren't' showing a deficit, but one of the issues with the new building was we added a lot
of equipment and we've been unable through the budget to get our replacement funds up
where they need to be to be replacing all of that equipment, and so this is an expensive
item that would otherwise have been in that replacement schedule with those reserve
funds and because the reserve funds aren't where they need to be, um, it needs to be in
this part of the budget.
Hayek/ Terms of the, uh, source of the primary sources of funding, you've got the General Levy
and then the Library Levy, and those are increasing 09 to 10, but your FTE's stay the
same. Is the dollar increase to, from both levies just to...just to, you know, the 3 or so
percent increase in cost to personnel?
O'Malley/ Right.
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Hayek/ And how does that get allocated between those two levies. I forget...you max out the
Library first then you go to (several commenting)
Craig/ The Library Levy is...point seven cents.
O'Malley/ Right, as we explained earlier, this is what we call our all-in-one page, and everything
except property tax General Levy are actual dollars, and so then what the formula is, is
take all your actual dollars, subtract...uh, take your expenses, subtract your actual dollars,
and plug what comes in out of the General Levy. It's not an actuality that happens, it's
the presentation. Essentially that's what...it will need to take to balance that expected
budget.
Lombardo/ My family doing their part to increase their penalties and fines, and.. .
Craig/ Well, it was interesting talking to Chris about how behavior changes for a while and then
it goes right back where it was, and I know a year ago we started this service of we send
emails to people to say something's due in a couple of days, and we were concerned that
our fine revenue might take a fairly dramatic hit and it really, I mean, it went down for a
while, but it's back up, I mean, it's steady.
Wright/ Should take credit cards.
Craig/ We do take credit cards.
Bailey/ They do online. You can pay your fines online, trust me! (laughter) You can pay them
at the Library.
Craig/ In person, we take credit cards. Yep.
Bailey/ Okay. I gotta support my (mumbled) and I know that you continue to be the busiest
library in this state...
Craig/ Yes we do.
Bailey/ And that continue, it continues to grow...
Craig/ I don't know if you had time to read the paper before you came in, but there was an article
in the Press-Citizen today about how hard economic times increase library use, and...and
you know, they interviewed Coralville and Iowa City, and it's...it's just absolutely true.
People can get things for free at the Library. It's the free public library. It's what we do!
Bailey/ Well, and I think maybe that's something we should remember as we're looking at
service.. .
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Wright/ That is very consistent every time there's an economic downturn, library use goes up.
It's a historic trend.
Wilburn/ It's all part of that, people need to recreate, they need recreation, entertainment, and it's
(mumbled)
Wright/Best value in town!
Wilburn/ Yeah.
Bailey/ And now we have the (mumbled)
Craig/ Have you checked any of those out?
Bailey/ No. I would never leave my house! (laughter) You don't have Guitar Hero, that's my
favorite! So, any other questions for Susan, besides why they don't have Guitar Hero?
(laughter)
Lombardo/ I see some revenue generation here. I'll bring in our P1ayStation and.. .
Craig/ Hey, revenue generating, the penny smashing machine is coming next week, so...
Bailey/ I'm so excited about this.
Craig/ As part of our "Thinkin' Lincoln" we have this, we're getting a penny smashing machine
with some of our Thinkin' Lincoln and ICPL local on it, and we learned that we're also
going to have an Obama image to put in the penny smashing machine. So, we think
we're going to be the only place in the country with an Obama smashed penny.
So...(several talking) It costs 51 cents. You put in two quarters and a penny, and you get
back your smashed penny. (several talking) And we get a quarter and the company gets
a quarter. So...(several talking) late next week, I think.
Lombardo/ I might as well get some change now. (several talking)
Bailey/ Get in line now! Any other questions for Susan, since she showed up this morning.
Thanks (mumbled). Oh, I do have one, the Foundation continues to...
Craig/ Well, as, um, all Foundations, we've taken a hit in our invested income this year, and um,
you know, we're...we are at a stage in our annual fund that we're looking...we're happy
with where we're matching up to last year, considering again how bad it could be, but
um...
Bailey/ What is your annual fund ballpark?
Craig/ The annual fund ballpark is, um, a little over 100,000 I think. And then all of the special
events that we do, um, the revenue that comes in.. .
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Bailey/ ...people's houses, dinners and stuff.
Hayek/ Is that in addition to the annual fund amount?
Craig/ Yes.
Hayek/ Okay.
Craig/ The annual fund is, you know, you send out your letter and.. .
Bailey/ And that typically, that goes for materials, right?
Craig/ Yes. They give us, um, 75,000... $76,000 a year, um, for materials.
Bailey/ Okay. Thanks.
Craig/ Thank you.
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Bailey/ One of the things I noticed in the Library is they're getting cable, a transfer in to Cable
TV to the Library AV, um, and the Senior Center is also doing some Senior Center TV,
and they're not getting a transfer in from Cable TV. Why is that...that would seem to be
a likely...I have questions about Cable TV this year.
Helling/ That...that was a Council decision many, many years ago...
Bailey/ Oh!
Helling/ ...um, that the Senior Center would fund their own. Uh, the Library has a dedicated
channel and I think that was the primary difference between the two at that time.
Bailey/ I was unaware of that. Okay.
Hayek/ I don't know if it needs to come up to a Council decision level, but do we have a sense of
where the 1 % cuts...how they were enacted within the departments. Do they vary, or are
they consistent?
Lombardo/ iJh, no, uh, well, Leigh, you probably could speak to the...the, largely, um, where
they felt, um
Lewis/ It varied quite a bit. (several talking)
O'Malley/ It varied. It was no one activity, or like travel. Some took travel, some took supplies,
some took postponing...
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Bailey/ I know that one department, cause this came up at the Chamber meeting the other day,
um, in Planning they took some out of their consultant, the services' line, which would
mean that we're going to do more things in-house was indicated, but my question is, I
mean, we should probably discuss our expectations. That would be like the Towncrest
development and that, I have a little bit of a concern cause that was a specific question
about how quickly Towncrest is moving. That's an economic development initiative, and
how quickly can we do it in-house, and can we get those, I mean...
Lombardo/ I haven't had a chance to talk to Planning about that, but uh...I don't think we...I
think we can...we can juggle that and...and decide how to, without altering the budget.
It...it might mean...
Bailey/ I would be interested in knowing how that's going to impact some of the expectations we
have, especially...I'm concerned about some of our economic development initiatives
have been impacted by this budget.
Lombardo/ My...looking at contingency, I think I'm going to have a modest amount left over,
and my thoughts were rather than fund it as a 2010 expense, of carrying over the 09, um,
revenue fund (mumbled) contingency line. Uh, so I...I have expectations to do the plan,
I just didn't want to budget the expense, because I think I might have a little bit left over
from 09. Now if we do other things, then or if something comes up, then we're, I mean,
my theory goes out the window. We'll have to scramble, but I...I think that there will
be...so I, I'm expecting to do that plan, just in a different way and not necessarily in-
house, and just fund it...
Bailey/ Cause there seems to be a lot of community interest in that, and...and I think...I think
actually when we look at, uh, property tax revenue, I...I don't know what we projected
for that area potentially with redevelopment and if we TIF it and all those kinds of things,
but we can't cut off our nose to spite our face here.
Lombardo/ No. I fully expect the plans that they proposed, I...I plan on carrying through with,
it's just a matter of how we fund it, and I haven't had a chance to talk to Jeff about that
yet.
Bailey/ Can you sort of get a sense about time...pardon me? (both talking)
Lombardo/ You guys got him tied up in the Joint Communication program (laughing)
Bailey/ We're not causing problems! Um, can you get a sense of what that, how that would
effect the timeline, I guess?
Lombardo/ Yeah (both talking) yeah we're going to get it done, again, it's just how we fund it. I
didn't want to budget it as a 2010 expense. I think there's room.
Bailey/ And then, this year we didn't have the $100,000 transfer from, uh, from Cable, the
General Fund?
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O'Malley/ I mentioned that we...we took it out of the transfer and put it into Charge-Back.
Bailey/ Okay, thank you. I...I couldn't find it and that helps, and I must have missed that when
you said...do we want to talk about this economic development, the Englert, um, how
you've got that programmed in? Can you just overview that? It's on page 71 (several
talking)
Lombardo/ ...now is as good a time as any, um, in the, you know, every other year we've
budgeted an amount for economic development, um, projects and um, the Englert's
request, at least initially, my expectation is if there's favor, and the Economic
Development Committee recommends approval as well, that we would take $50,000 uh a
year for the three years out of that, uh, amount to fund...is there a...
O'Malley/ Yes, page 71.
Lombardo/ Um, see...there you go.
O'Malley/ I guess to explain the chart a little bit, the ICAD, we have an on-going five-year plan
with them to give them $100,000...they started in 2007, give them $100,000 towards
their support. That ends in 2012. Uh, a commitment was made, uh, couple of years ago,
and then the Englert, uh, came up in our budget, uh, compilation and production, and we
thought we would use, uh, this area, or it was explained to us that we could use this, some
of the, uh, community development funding for that, and normally we...we do $200,000
a year...$200,000 every other year, for economic development initiatives.
Bailey/ I know, Mike, you had some questions about this.
O'DonnelU Well, I'm wondering what's, you know, what is the $50,000 for. Is it operating
expenses? Is it administrative? Um, what is the $50,000 for?
Bailey/ It's for general support, and we, um, the Economic Development Committee is interested
in developing some accountability standards, and...and if this is approved, we'll meet
with them and develop it, similar to what we would do with a T1F, and have an annual...I
think we thought about an annual.. .
Lombardo/Benchmarks and data (mumbled)
Bailey/ Annual benchmark, but annual report from them, based upon those.
Hayek/ There was....the, uh, there was concern at the ED Committee level, uh, about making a
multi-year commitment, um, especially before receiving this budget and especially in
light of the unknowns, 12, 24, 36 months from now, and I think it's...I think an
appropriate thing for this Council to talk about, um, you know, a is the funding amount
right, and b, is the multi-year portion of it right.
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O'Donnell/ That was my second question.
Hayek/ And...and...
O'DonnelU The multi-year, why did we do that, uh, is there...
Hayek/ You know, we...we, I mean, the recommendation from staff was...was multi-year, and it
was approved as such, but, uh, I think we kind of wanted to shove it up to this level, to
talk about it, more than anything, um, I've got...I've got questions about whether it should
be multi-year, in light of these numbers, um, and I...I don't think I'm the only one who
does.
Bailey/ Connie did too.
Hayek/ Connie did too, um, so they're really two discussion points, amount and...
Bailey/ And I was comfortable with the multi-year, just because, you know, they plan just as we
do, and...and you know what happens with our budget if something that we were
counting on, for example when I asked about the Senior Center funding, if that was, if
you felt, I mean, that was coming in, if something sort of goes out of whack this
represents a very, uh, a high percentage of their...their budget, and so if we don't do
multi-year, I would encourage us to...to approach this in such a way that they have plenty
of indication, um...
Lombardo/ I think too, you know, I met with them last summer, um, had lunch, discussed with
the Board kind of their programming and all, and I think from my...I came away from
that thinking the three years should be enough to get them at a... at a kind of new level in
terms of their sustainability and their ability to fund their own operations. This is kind of
a hurdle in terms of them juggling the number of days booked, and really kind of giving
them stronger fee...or legs to stand on, um, and I think it...after that period of time, there
should be an expectation of, can we apply this money elsewhere to further economic
development, that...that they would presumably be more self-sufficient at that time. So I
see it as though, now that certainly could play out differently, but going into this, I have
an expectation that in three years, they're hopefully going to have funding to...to make up
this $50,000 and then we could use the funds elsewhere, but this is not necessarily a...a,
or indefinite commitment.
Bailey/ And this does give us the opportunity I think from an economic development point of
view, there are lots of things in that downtown study that we are not going to be able to
implement. I mean, we don't have the...you didn't fund a...an economic development
person for'that.
Lombardo/ Right, um, I really would love to see a downtown manager.. .
Bailey/ Yeah.
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Lombardo/ ...and, um, you know, in light of our not being able to fund it out of our General
Fund, I still want to pursue the discussion with the Downtown Authority to talk about a
SMID and, or another way of getting at that. I think there's...
Bailey/ But this is an important, this Englert, and...in lieu of our abilities to fully invest in some
of the opportunities outlined in that market study, this enables us to invest in the
downtown, in the way, you know, it's alternative entertainment. It's...it's a venue. It gets
traffic downtown, and that's the critical...and the traffic they generate downtown, it...the
numbers look really good.
Correia/ Well, I have a question though. It's on this page, there's a chart, but it's not related
to...is it, I guess, related to what's above the page, like is this...okay, so this...
O'Malley/ It's under Services.
Correia/ Ser...oh, so it is, okay.
Bailey/ That's where the line item comes (several talking
Correia/ Because it...so it's essentially, oh, under (mumbled)
Hayek/ And, Mike O'Donnell, another...another thing to consider is, um, presently we take
$100,000 into this fund, every year, but also presently there is a balance, there are
unspent funds, um, and I can't remember what that number is...do you guys know what
the current balance is on the, in the ED fund? We haven't spent dollars out (mumbled)
O'DonnelU My...my question was, how did we arrive at the three years, um, and would this be
more prudent if...if we went year to year, and the second question was, is it for salaries,
because we are at a, we're at a very critical point in this community. Today we've got
people that are recovering from floods and um, and struggling right now, very badly, and
if this was for salaries, administrative rather than...than a, a repair or something, now
I...I would have had a problem with it, but I...I still think it should be on a year-to-year,
not three years.
Correia/ Well, I...I mean, I think that...I mean, I'm comfortable with...with having a
commitment of three years, um, with the caveat that it depends on our budget number, I
mean, it depends on if we have the ability to sustain that support, over, I mean, over you
know, over the next two years, and...
Bailey/ Certification.
Correia/ ...that their doing, you know, that there's an agreement we want this to happen, you
know, we want something back from our investment, and we'll evaluate that every year.
Lombardo/ Some months ago I...I passed out, uh, a report (several talking) uh, some, uh, an
article that referenced some research about, um, arts and entertainment, and cultural
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activities, and from an economic development perspective, and I don't know...it's been a
while. I can get another copy of that, but from my perspective anything we can do to
help promote or advance, uh, arts and entertainment and cultural opportunities, um, in our
downtown, that's our bread and butter, and... and it has significant potential. I even think
of things like Mission Creek musical festival, and if in, if there's a way to...I think those
are important events to have take hold, and if we can fan the spark a little bit, uh, it's
money well spent, um, so I, that's why I've tried to build it in. I think, and I advocate for
it because I think it has tremendous potential for identifying Iowa City as a premiere, a
place to go for music in particular, but even other arts and...and entertainment options.
Correia/ I think there are other communities that put municipal dollars into art centers. I mean,
the City of Coralville's going to be putting dollars into their (mumbled) the Coralville
Center. Other communities, you know, around the country do that, um, I mean...need to
be assured we're getting what we...
Bailey/ Michael's point is well taken about arts and culture too, I mean, somebody was talking to
me about Jazz Fest the other day, and you know, think about the summer we had and
how...how eager people were for Jazz Fest, and that sense of community and that, when
you call them quality of life events, but they truly make or break the difference between
our cohesiveness and our commitment to our community, and it's a difficult budget year.
It's going to be hard for a lot of people, just as library use is up and that can't be an area
that we look at cutting services, because people need that. Our arts, our downtown,
our...our sense ofplace, these are going to be critical factors and in, I...I know that this
is not going to be a very popular statement, but in the scope of our budget, $50,000, I
mean, it's a small amount for an investment in our down, in our critical downtown area,
and I think that we really have to...I agree, we're going to have to step into this carefully,
you know, see every year if we can afford it, and do accountability measures, but
we...once again we can't...cut off our nose to spite our face. (several responding)
Wilburn/ If I could, Matt, excuse me. When this first came up, I...was, uh, I had gone back and
forth about this, and the important part for me was the fact that you all did look at, um,
the multi-year, with the benchmarks, uh, because when the initial proposal for the group
to buy the Englert and have the City buy it on their behalf, and all that, I actually...I had
voted against that because of concerns about it being able to sustain itself. We had no
history, there was no organized group, um, and then with my vote I'd said, you know, I
need to see the community step up if the community truly values this as a potential venue
to become what it has become, and the community proved me wrong. Um, you know, I
didn't think they could, but they did. Uh, you know, with Summer of the Arts, Jazz Fest,
Arts Festival, etc., and Friday Night Concerts - we had history, there was organized
groups, and because of the things that you're pointing out in terms of economic activity
and a sense of place and...and, um, you know, really a...a basic drive for people to want
to congregate and recreate and celebrate and...you know, that type of thing, um, you
know, but now again I guess, um, with the benchmarks I'm...I'm okay with it, because
there's a history now with the Englert. The community did step up, and so I would be
looking for, uh, if this will provide, uh, a foundation for them to, um, take it to the next
level, um, then I'm okay with that in terms of benchmarks for those, uh.. .
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Wright/ Yep, I agree with...with your points there, and with what Amy said, that I...I think
$50,000 this year is a good investment, and I think it...if we can sustain that for the next
three years, again, those are...that's a good investment. It may be that next year we can't
come up with $50,000, but we...I certainly hope we could come up with something.
O'Donnell/ Well, that's why...do we commit to the three years now?
Hayek/ My, um, I...I am a firm believer in the economic engine that is arts and culture in this
community, and I've been talking about that for... for a long time and, um, and we've got
some general data to support that - $60 or $70 million in the corridor on an annual basis,
generated by arts and culture, and I know this particular organization, I was on the Board
for five years and served as its President for a year and a half, and I can defend the
$50,000 for...at a minimum this year, especially since there's an excess balance in this
fund, um, and I would...I, you know, I may be the biggest fan of...of this organization,
but I think it...it delivers to the community just because of my personal experience, but
I've...I am so sobered by our...our budget right now that I have real, uh, concern about
making the multi-year commitment, in writing so to speak. Making it iron clad, and I
would personally be more comfortable with...with the commitment now and then, and
we've got these benchmarks, but...that Regenia was insisting on, which I think were great
ideas, but then looking at it on either an annual or bi-annual or (several talking)
Bailey/ But for a corporations, we make multi-year commitments, and we make larger
commitments when we make a TIF agreement, and those are multi-year, and regardless
of what our budget looks like, I mean, I am...I would encourage us to approach this
similarly to a TIF agreement. Um, it's an investment and (several responding) and it
certainly, it doesn't even come close to some of those levels of commitment, and...with
the understanding, I mean, I don't know how you back out of, you know, an intent, but...I
think they need it for planning purposes. Michael is right, if we look at this in three years
their job is to replace this and not need us any longer, is to become...is to shore up, and it
is for operations. I mean, let's not...let's not sugarcoat it. Um, and so, I mean, we have to
be comfortable with that, but when we're talking about afor-profit, we make multi-year
commitments, and I would encourage us to try to step into that with this.
Correia/ Yeah, I mean, I have no problem, because...just because we have an intent that doesn't,
we're not saying a guarantee of funding, I mean, you know there's.. .
Bailey/ Yeah, if they don't meet their accountability measures.. .
Correia/ ...accountability or you know the bottom falls, something happens, I mean, you know,
we don't have the money, but I think because we do budget projections on a multi-year, if
we want, if we think that they are doing a good job and we have the money, we want to
support them, we put that there. It'd be the first thing to cut if we need to cut non-
essential services in a future year.
Hayek/ That sounds like a commitment to keep them in as a placeholder, not as a.. .
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Bailey/ Yeah, that...that sort of straddles, I think. It's (several talking)
Hayek/ It may not be a bad idea, but that's not a commitment in my mind.
Correia/ Well, it's a commitment if we have the money and they're doing what we want them to
do. How could we even say that we (both talking)
Bailey/ For a corporation it's a commitment, I mean...
Wright/ You don't back out of a TIF, is what you're saying.
Bailey/ Yeah, a TIF agreement is an agreement.
Correia/ But that's, I mean, I understand the, your correlation, but it isn't the same.
Bailey/ No, it's not...it's not the same, but I mean, I'm just saying that if we view this as an
investment, we should step into it as a business arrangement and make a commitment,
similar to what we do with our other business partners.
Hayek/ I think what (both talking) what proceeds that is a discussion about the ED fund itself,
because this is half of that fund for three years, assuming we continue to fund that fund.
Bailey/ And, which I would hope that we would, because once again, if we don't invest in
economic development, we can't hope to come through.
Lombardo/ I...you know, economic development is another area that I feel is important
and...and is another area that I want to begin to examine over time, but there's only so
many morsels I can put on a plate this next year, um, and a comprehensive review of our
economic development strategy, I think, is going to take...I think we need to get our
operations kind of in a place where we're comfortable, and then how and what we do, in
terms of economic development, I think, is ripe for discussion, uh, there are a lot of
opportunities out there and...and I have some questions about our structure and how we
approach economic development, and are we, are capitalizing on those opportunities as
best we can - I'm not sure, and it's something over perhaps the next 12 to 18 months or so
I really want to delve into a little bit more and... and get my mind around some other
ways, or strategies of getting there.
Bailey/ So we don't have to necessarily decide on this today, but um, is there additional
information.. .
Hayek/ Is this issue decided like as an independent agenda item at a formal session, or is it part
of our budget?
Bailey/ Budget (several commenting)
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Hayek/ Okay.
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Lombardo/ In terms of logistics, I...I just want to say, lunch is here, uh, question of whether you
want to take a break and have lunch in the other room, or whether you want to bring it
back here and...and keep working?
Wright/ I think probably an actual break would be a good idea (several responding)
Bailey/ A break I think...
Hayek/ I don't like hearing people chew into these microphones either. (laughter) (BREAK)
Bailey/ So Andy is here, and um, before he takes off, I wanted to see if anybody had any
questions related to the Fire budget. I know we talked about the Fire Station #4. Give
him an opportunity if you have questions.
O'DonnelU No questions, other than, uh, we gave every indication that we're going to support
that. (mumbled)
Lombardo/ Andy did have a, uh, an extended service.. .
Bailey/ Andy, you're going to have to come to...let's not drive Marian crazy.
Lombardo/ Extended service level request, um, for additional staffing to round out the...the, um,
manning of, uh, is it rescue...
Roccal Rescue 1.
Lombardo/ ...rescue 1, um...
Rocca/ Rescue 1.
Lombardo/ And so there was, um, additional staffing that he requested that I did not put in the
budget. I did want to just make you aware of that and...and if you had any questions
(mumbled)
Bailey/ Andy's here and he needs to take off so I thought maybe we would see if we had any
specific questions...about Fire for Andy. We can ask him other questions about, you
know, the Library, but I don't think he'll be as...
Rocca/ I'll be glad to answer those, yeah.
Hayek/ Is that the...the three positions, the first set of three positions?
Rocca/ No, those were the phases for Fire Station 4. The other had to do with, uh, let's
see...there would have been...
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Hayek/ On 39.
Rocca/ Three, three and three in each consecutive year was for Fire Station 4, and the other
positions, there was a code enforcement specialist position, plans review, and then the
other positions were for rescue 1.
Hayek/ There's three, six, three, one...
Rocca/ There'd be the six were for rescue 1.
Hayek/ Okay.
Bailey/ Okay?
Hayek/ Yep.
Bailey/ Any other questions for Andy, cause he does have an appointment and he needs to take
off.
O'Donnell/ Have a nice day!
Rocca/ Well, thank you, appreciate it. You too!
Bailey/ Thanks for being here, Andy.
Roccal You bet, thank you.
Bailey/ And if we come up with anything else, you know.. .
Rocca/ Let me know.
Bailey/ Yep. Thank you.
Hayek/ Sound the alarm.
Lombardo/ Can we get direct com to the headset or...(laughter and several talking). Have a
good time!
Bailey/ So can we go through the, um, I mean, Matt brought up the not recommended positions.
Can we go to page 39 and, and Michael, you can walk us through some of these? I think
that would be helpful to just get a perspective on what you wrestled with, with this
budget.
Lombardo/ Sure. Um, I mean, virtually all of them are...are meant to round out existing services
and provide them in a more comprehensive way, um, the electrician, uh, position, you
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know, we do contract out a lot of that, and I think that there are...a very strong case to be
made for that position, and quite frankly, Transportation Services has the ability to pay.
My...the difficulty, uh, that I wrestled with in that position particularly was, uh, internal
equity and if we're holding the line, or even potential leaving positions open throughout
the year next year, you know, it's hard to justify, um, adding...adding staff in an area that
we already contract for service. There was a means for delivering that, albeit perhaps
less efficiently, um, I mean, feel free to add to that if you'd like, um, and that's primarily
the main reason is just internal equity and...and in terms of adding too many positions.
Um, I do know, you know, the environmental specialist, um, that to me differs a little bit
in that we've...we've started building kind of an expectation for heightened awareness or
research or work on environmental type issues. It's become kind of a program initiative
if you will and a lot that we do, uh, and so I felt more comfortable including that, and that
too is funded from, uh, from a, uh, enterprise fund, but um...
Bailey/ That's funded form Landfill.
Lombardo/ Uh...Landfill, correct.
Bailey/ And I had a question about that when we spoke about doing that more regionally, but
since it's funded from Landfill, and technically that is a regional entity, we will be
making those other, the other county entities aware that this percent is coming online.
Lombardo/ Yeah, we haven't worked through a full job description. I mean, there's some work to
be done, but my expectations are that it will be a resource, uh, beyond just City work that,
you know, we would be doing a lot of collaborating with some of the other environmental
initiatives and things that are out there.
Bailey/ Well, which just makes sense because even though we, um, take care of the, I mean, the
Landfill is the County entity, I mean, the...(several talking)
Correia/ Serves the county.
Bailey/ Serves the county, that's what I mean. Yeah. So, I mean, there's that opportunity. Any
other, um, I mean, this..:not recommended, that you...
Lombardo/ You know, criminal investigation, uh, you know, the argument is about caseload and
turnaround time, though I don't have a lot of data to support it, um, the verbal argument
seems reasonable, but again, I...I want to get the organization to be more driven by data
and justifying, um, a lot of what we do, where we can, and I think in policing services
there's a real opportunity to...to get better data and make decisions based on, you know,
matching, uh, caseload volume and deployment with resources over time. Um, similarly,
I mean, you know, the patrol officers, um, evidence custodian, I mean, those are all, uh,
similarly, I want to see it square with...with volume of business and what we need to do,
and I want to look at where there's down time, and are we deploying efficiently, and
making sure that we're getting, we're using our resources, um, to the maximum extent,
before we start adding additional positions, and...and without a plan for how, you know,
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what positions and how they'd be deployed. Um, Fire, you know, um, I think Fire Station
#4, uh, really was from what I, and talking to each of you individually and others in the
community, I think that is the big push, uh, we just simply can't afford additional rescue.
They split, uh, two squads, you know, to man the apparatus, and it works. It's not optimal
and I know Andy has a lot of good reasons for wanting those...those crews, but we...and
those, uh, positions, it came down just to raw resources and, you know, this year it looks
as though there's an opportunity for Fire Station 4, but we just simply don't have the
resources to add, uh, to the rescue, and there too, I do want to look at, uh, staff down time
and understand how we're utilizing our firefighters and...and whether or not here are
other opportunities for using them in different areas...program areas to make sure that,
you know, they're busy, um, throughout their entire shift, where needed. Um, Animal
Shelter, this to...those two requests to me would, is clearly expanded service levels, um,
the um, the decisions been made to put them back into their existing shelter, to renovate,
and that's largely out of a timing issue, um, the proposal that we got back for a new
facility was...perhaps triple or more what I was expecting to see, um, timing is such that I
don't, I mean, FEMA dollars getting the funds to renovate and get them back into a stable
facility, uh, I think over two to four years we can flush out a plan for a new facility, and I
have expectations that their foundation is going to help do a capital campaign. Already
talked to them about that but the positions to me that are mentioned there are...are really
for expanded care and service, and I don't know that we have that kind of commitment
yet, and um, it warrants a lot more; uh, scrutiny.
Hayek/ You just maintaining the leasing arrangement until that point in time?
Lombardo/ Until a certain point, and then they, FEMA stops reimbursing, and so I want to make
sure that we get'em back into a facility that...that they can be in, because it's going to be,
it's going to be a few years before or more before we're able to build another animal
shelter, and I'll be candid. I want to explore opportunities for a...a separate, um, shelter,
a not-for-profit, I mean, there are a lot of different structures, but it's to me it's the type of
service level that we don't necessary have to provide as a city, and I think it gives them
much broader flexibility for bringing in resources from other grant opportunities
that...that they maybe constrained with by being a municipal entity. Uh, so I want to
explore that more, um, you know, we could work out a level of commitment that sustains
operations based on...on our current volumes, or average volumes, and then if they, you
know, they want to expand or...or go to a different level of care or, you know, whatever,
they have the flexibility to make those decisions without the budget constraints of a
municipal entity. Um, Parks...Parks, I think um, their an area that really concerns me in
terms of general maintenance and I...I want to get a better understanding there too of
how we staff. In...I haven't had a real opportunity to look at, to me their use of
temporary and seasonal, um, seems to be disproportionate to full time staff, and I want to
based on just work in other organizations, and I want to flush that out more and
understand how they utilize those positions, and there maybe some consolidations and
getting a full time person on that, to me arguably can be more effective and um, produce
more than a, you know, three or four temporary or seasonal, uh, so I want to explore that
staffing, but they need maintenance, uh, people based on the, you know, the volume of
mowing and right-of--ways work and...and just open space and things that they maintain.
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They haven't had additional staff in that area, but um, until I, you know, we have a better
understanding of how they're structured and...and all, I'm not really ready to, you know,
they're getting by and I know that it's...it's a challenge. Um, the, you know, the proposal
for an assistant, um, was it assistant parks director, I question whether we need another
layer of management, um, and want to have some discussions about roles and
responsibilities there; and you know, are we managing or are we doing, and if it's a
delegation issue or, there's some more to explore there. Uh, but I don't think an added
layer of management is really what's needed. I'd rather put worker bees out there that
are...that are getting the job done. And so we have some work to do there. Um, Susan's
not here -Library building maintenance, again, is a cost factor, um, you know, I don't
doubt that they could use the support, and...and keep them busy, it's just a question of
dollars. Computer systems, um, that's another position in the Library, uh, and then
economic development, that's the downtown business manager. I wish I could find a way
to fund that, but it's a new position, um, it'd be straight General Fund dollars. I don't have
away to fund it, minus a SMID, and I'd really like...I think a self-supporting municipal
taxing district downtown would be, uh, would be the way to go, but it requires a certain
level of buy-in and, uh, signoff on their part, and.. .
Bailey/ What's the lag time if we got something going even this year for a SMID, uh, funds to
come through? I remember that discussion when we talked about other...do you
remember.. .
O'Malley/ It's been two years ago, three years ago.
Bailey/ Do you remember what the lag is, is it.. .
O'Malley/ There is a, like a two year or 18-month...
Bailey/ Two year...
O'Malley/ Because it...it follows the same adoption process (both talking)
Bailey/ ...work on that this year.
Lombardo/ Where that becomes important, you know, we have a proposal that we're...we're
putting together for funding for EDA for a downtown incubator, and I, you know, I see
this position being, uh, partly responsible for managing that function, and so it's not
something I plan on giving up on, um, I'd like to pursue, but you know, unfortunately
the...the, that taxing district is not something that you all could adopt by ordinance. It's
something that we would have to put out to vote of the people who are affected. I forget,
there's a protocol, maybe you could speak to it a little more readily, Kevin, but.. .
Bailey/ Come to us with a petition and.. .
O'Malley/ Petition, and then it's got to be approved by a certain percentage of the property
owners (several talking)
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Hayek/ Tread lightly on this, I mean, SMID's are controversial downtown, uh, imposing or
offering a downtown manager's controversial, and a $123,000 salary would, and benefits,
would be very controversial and you get 20 different owners downtown, and you get 19
different opinions, um...
Lombardo/ Well, we're going to pursue EDA funding...the first step is to do the feasibility study
and...and just make certain that we're headed in the right direction. I think it's a great
idea. I think it has huge potential, but we want the data and the market to bear it out, and
if it proves to be, you know, um, a good opportunity as I think it will, then there's
opportunity for operational fundings from EDA that, you know, quite frankly maybe, we
maybe able to get this off the ground and it'd give us a little bit longer time to work with
the Downtown Authority to try, you know, to see if it's something we can persuade them
to support and...and justify what it is that we plan on doing and getting their input and,
um, you know, there are a lot of fagade type improvements that I think would...would
benefit our downtown greatly. That could be included. There are a lot of different ways
to slice it. Question is, can...will, are they willing to come onboard and support it.
Wilburn/ And even with that support, the bottom line will be up to the property owners (several
responding)
Bailey/ It's a challenge.
O'Donnell/ Was this...was this badly defeated downtown last time? Do you remember?
O'Malley/ No, I think it was kind of 11th hour issue. There was a lot of momentum for this to be
done, and one major property owner was silent until just about the crucible time and then
came in and said, naw. I think it was Dean Oakes.
Bailey/ It was Dean Oakes. I remember the meeting, and it was pretty...it shifted in the meeting.
O'DonnelU But that was...that was, I...what surprised me, a number of people supporting this
downtown.
Bailey/ Right.
Lombardo/ My experience with those overlay type districts are they want to know what am I
going to get for it, if it's...if it's to supplant, just find another way to fund what level of
service we already get, there's not terrible lot, a lot of support for it, but if you can show
value added and demonstrate the things that are going to happen in addition to what we
currently do, uh, there's always an expectation for maintenance of service, and...and if
we can get to that point, then maybe it'll. be supported enough.
Hayek/ Yeah. I think there, that sector is hesitant to fund a position, as much as fund services,
whether it's holiday lighting or snow removal or whatever you want to call it. That's the
word I have always picked up on, just talking to downtown folks. (several talking)
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Bailey/ That did seem to be a huge point of contention, um, in the last discussion (several
talking) the coordinator, what would they do and (several talking) well, and it was also...
Lombardo/ Well, and that's why I think tying, you know, managing the business incubator, I
think, could be a big chunk of that, the time, and so that's you know, we'll flush that out a
little bit more and maybe that makes it a little bit more appealing than, and then, you
know, the remainder of the time can be for a marketing and...and um, and promoting
downtown, that type of stuff. We'll do a much more thorough job of flushing out the
details, before we even begin conversations in that...
Hayek/ ...interesting concept.
Bailey/ Do you want to talk about these enterprise ones or...
Lombardo/ Uh, well the, um, the electrician, that's the other half of it, so it was going to be half
funded in the enterprise funds, and then Airport operations was, uh, to increase and I
believe we.. .
O'Malley/ That actually did happen.
Lombardo/ That happened.
O'Malley/ (mumbled) the all-in-one page shows it.
Lombardo/ Couple weeks ago.
O'Malley/ Yeah, just before, uh, compositions. (several talking)
Bailey/ Okay, are there any other...in the budget questions? If not we can jump into this, the rest
of this presentation -the priority setting model and going forward. Any other questions
or, um, prepping for Monday, if you want people here? I'm sure other things will come
up. If things come up, contact Michael on Monday cause we have a meeting on Monday
evening, and then we can be prepared for those questions. Okay.
Lombardo/ I've a journal article that, on prioritization that I just thought was interesting. I came
across it the other day and...and it ties into the, um, the webinar that we did a few weeks
ago, and...and you know, you can read this through. This is one method we're looking at
and going to examine other op...you know, other types of prioritization models. Um, but
you know just to give you some...some reading to do, and help kind of understand the
context of...the concept a little bit further. Kevin, do you want me to do that, or do
you.. .
O'Malley/ I guess we both were at that webinar. Essentially, in your packet, and I think it's pages
14, 15 and 16, um, Deb Mansfield and myself, uh, Dale Helling and Michael listened in
on one, uh, community's, um, efforts at, uh, prioritizing their services. They were caught
with, Colorado has this, had a proposition done on their State ballot, and uh, it essentially
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cut...cut the property valuation about two years ago, and so all taxing bodies are always
trying to figure out ways to get around it. Well, this taxing body decided to examine
what the customer (coughing, unable to hear) and uh, to achieve fiscal health. And so
they did some surveys and they did some rankings and some, uh, public education, and
uh, they focused on fiscal health, getting, or...like a triple-A city, and then maintaining
that, uh, fiscal wellness, page 16, is getting that... selling the services or at least providing
the services according to their priority model. And uh, it was a very informative webinar,
and it's just one way of doing it. Uh, and also have...when we started this budget, I went
and ordered a book on priority setting models. Essentially it's, you can have real off the
cuff ones where you could wait, list all your services we provide, which is probably about
250 services, and then you can do a scale 1 to 5, kind of off the cuff internally do it, or
you can ask for some, uh, feedback from the community. Have what they want to rank
the services. It also kind of ties in to what Michael had brought up earlier about this
strategic planning initiative. This is kind of a sub-set of that. If you go for the larger, uh,
concept of a community, uh, planning initiative, this would have been aproduct -
deliverable. I think when our discussions, during budget, we said we can't really wait for
that 18-month project. We really need to bring it to Council, have you go through a
process that you chose, whether you want more community input or you want to decide
amongst yourselves, that is to what, uh, services should be cut, because we know that
some in...it doesn't seem appropriate that if we want to put in a fourth Fire Station that
we tell everybody across the board to cut 10%, then tell the Fire Department to cut 10%.
So we have to say, okay, some things are on the table, some things are off the table, and
then look at that impact as to what's left, and kind of do it with eyes wide open sober
effect, uh, we may see that the public has different ideas than...than staff, obviously.
Lombardo/ And unless we identify all the discrete programs and costs on those, then it becomes
kind of a blanket. You know, any time we go back to the departments, and it's like well -
we're, you know, you cut...if you do it by percentage, you're not really looking at the
discrete things they do and the expectation, well, I gotta try and manage a11...I don't want
to give up anything. This gives us a way to identify all of...of the discrete functions,
programs, cost centers, and say, okay, you know, in...in even the Fire Department,
maybe there's a certain level o£ ..of advocacy or awareness, I mean, there maybe
something in there that we by and large don't want to cut necessarily fire services, but
there maybe some other things in there that...that, you know, and it may be a modest
amount, uh, 20, 30, 100,000 -whatever -but then, you know, in looking at it in that...in
those terms, we can say, well, we don't want to give up direct fire services, but we may
be willing to give up "X". And...and that may hold true throughout other departments as
well, by and large we don't want to strip...you know, strap the department or the broad
functioning, but there maybe discrete little programs and things that they do that we say,
look, that's not as important to us as some of these other things, and so now we have a
tool then to say, we're going to stop doing that. The first thing is to go through and really
identify all those that we do.
O'Malley/ This tool becomes important now because of the economic malaise, morass, that we're
in. Uh, in my years at the City, we've had two reduction in force, uh, due to economic
times, but they have never been as severe as what is being forecasted by
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economic...economists to date. So we feel a structured device, such as a priority setting
model, would suit everybody. Uh, if there's no questions on that, we want to continue on
the agenda and go to road use tax? From one problem to another problem? (several
talking)
Hayek/ I'm sorry, the, uh, the prioritization. You're just giving us, just a taste for what..what that
is and what community went through.
O'Malley/ Yeah, unfortunate I don't have the slide that...I remember one of the end products.
They had a ranking and this is Colorado, and the number one priority was snow removal.
Beyond public safety, snow removal was the number one priority. Well, would that be
your number one priority?
Lombardo/ What I'd like to...
Bailey/ Today it would!
Lombardo/ ...is spend some time working with...right now it is...(several talking) um, is to
work with the finance staff and talk about the different...I like to see one with better
metrics than what you have in front of you and so, um, ta1k...I want to talk it through and
come up with a kind of strategy and more or less a proposal. Here's what we envision,
the process to look like, and at what level of engagement, you know, we'll all be involved
and... and then have that in a work session to discuss with you further, and say, is this,
you know, do you support this type of approach, or do you want to see more community
input, less community input, more of your time involved, just, you know, really work it
through and make sure we're on the same page in terms of...of what the process is going
to entail, because it'll be a fair amount of work, and we want to make sure we have the
right bodies and people involved. So that, the end product is...is, um, something that will
be supported.
Hayek/ Yeah.
Bailey/ And you thought that, you know, February through May would be your ideal framework
as we...look at preparing for budget for next year.
Lombardo/ We're going to go to work on this now, and I imagine within a couple few weeks
of...of having that work session discussion with you.
Bailey/ So you can bring us a timeline in the next...okay.
Lombardo/ Right.
Hayek/ That's going to trigger all sorts of philosophical introspection, you know, what's the role
of representative government, which this is, you know. To what extent do you solicit the
public's input when they elected us, and what other resources we have to bear for that.
All sorts of stuff.
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O'Malley/ Yeah, and I think this one that we looked at, they...they had staff input, public input,
so it was kind of weighted. It wasn't just what the public wanted.
Lombardo/ If we do it because of the time expediency here, I would think it'd be something more
in line with a survey type instrument, as opposed to focus groups and like a strategic
planning initiative. Because we want to get it done quicker, and...and in order to do that,
I think the surveys, or abbreviated survey, would be, um, the way to go, but again, there's
a lot of different ways to slice it, and we really haven't spent much time putting the
substance of it together yet, and we want to do that. Um, ultimately where I'd like to see
this head over the next couple of years is really to start developing a system of
performance measurement, where we have key indicators and benchmarks for all of our
services, and that we're reporting out to you periodically on that, and tracking that, and
using that to help know, are we...are we accomplishing what you want us to accomplish,
in the community and internally, or not, and you know, a lot of the data's already there. It
just needs to be massaged or pulled together in different ways. That's going to be another
big step. I don't see doing that this year necessarily, or we could start working towards it,
perhaps in the latter half, but that's a...that's a whole paradigm shift in terms of how we
manage and make decisions that take some doing.
Hayek/ Okay.
Bailey/ More to come, right? Okay, road use tax, another piece of good news, huh?
O'Malley/ Yes, uh, on page 17 in your handout is a copy of the all-in-one page that's in your
book, with the one notation that, uh, we didn't calculate the 27 pay day, uh, estimate in
year 2012, but uh, what's concerning to us is that we're not getting funding at levels not
keeping up with expenses. And uh, we were hit with high fuel costs last year and a bad
winter. This year we're hit with high salt costs, and we're not sure what our winter's
going to be, but it's...it's on track for being a bad winter, but not as bad as last year. We
did expand this program in 2009 by two employees.
Lombardo/ Let me qualify that. Um, cost wise we're beyond our salt budget and snow removal
budget for even last year. So there is a...there is a cost impact. In your, I don't know if
you got a chance to review your packets, but there's a memo in there regarding this. Uh,
that I asked Rick to put together and it compares cost last year to this year, and um...
Bailey/ And that's in our supply line item is where that impacts, right?
O'Malley/ Right. And you see that jump up in 2010.
Bailey/ Yep.
O'Malley/ ...70,000 (mumbled). Um, questions that have to be considered here, uh, if you want
to...area that you have some discretion on is in our policy of, in the front of our budget,
in policy...section we have that we will fund, we require the road use tax to fund 5% of
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the benefits. I believe it's on page...7, at the top of the page, the second box. You could
chose to increase the employee benefit levy and thereby allowing, um, about $200,000
more of, um, funding to stay in in the road use tax fund. If not, we're going to have to
look at, uh, some of the capital outlay programs, and transfer out programs. Then of
course there's always, uh, the legislature, Iowa State Legislature, coming to our aid.
Bailey/ Did they ever do that?
Correia/ Is this something that the Metro Coalition has discussed related to...
Bailey/ There was some different coalitions discussing it, but I don't think (mumbled)
Wilburn/ Road use tax...(several talking)
Bailey/ ...is not on our priority list, is it?
Wilburn/ Well, it's...I think it's, uh, to be watched.
Bailey/ Yeah.
Wilburn/ There were so many different directions, as I recall, that uh...that people felt the
legislature was or was not going to go and because we had focused on trying to get, um,
consensus on the, uh revenue alternative options, uh, that it was decided...I believe it was
decided to, uh...(several talking) yeah, go ahead, Dale.
Helling/ Well, yeah, I don't think it's specific, but I think it's always been part of the, the time-21
package, and transportation funding in general. Uh, and you know, that's...that's on the
board every year, but I...I don't believe the Coalition actually specified the road use tax
fund this year.
Wilburn/Yeah, I...I, uh, under time-21 I believe it was generally, uh, road use tax, uh, good
(mumbled) so it could be watched type of thing, within the constraints of (mumbled)
Lombardo/ It's conceivable that...that uh, any stimulus package could supplant some of the
funds, potentially on...for paving and other projects, but that's a big kind of black box
right now. You know, we're getting our list together and making sure we're identifying
projects that could be ready to go, but you know, who knows how much and whence it
will come and what strings, you know, there's a whole level of uncertainty, that I have
right now about when and how much, you know, um, there are a lot of needs out there,
and everybody's got their big list of projects. So, but it's conceivable that some of it
would supplant some of the funding that we would use this for.
Hayek/ Is the services, uh, entry on this all-in-one page, is that outside contracts we signed?
What is that?
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O'Malley/ Most of that, I believe, is um, a charge-back from our Equipment division for the
trucks and vehicles that are operated in, uh, in the Streets department. So it's an...most of
that is internal charges. They don't use much contracted...they do contract services for,
um, removing the snow downtown. They hire haulers every fall and we contracted
haulers every fall to...to assist them in snow removal, of the downtown snow.
Correia/ Like pavement, the pavement markings...paint, do we do that, or do we contract out?
O'Malley/ We usually contract. You'll see that...
Lombardo/ We've been contracting out. This fall, uh, our own City crews did...
O'Malley/ ...but it's in the transfers out of the 185,000, Street (mumbled)
Correia/ Oh, it is, but I mean that's...
O'Malley/ ...been talking about doing that in-house.
Correia/ Oh.
Lombardo/ To try and save money, uh, we were hiring out and it was, uh, a high-end durable
bond product and they could do it more often with a...a cheaper type paint and save
costs, and still keep the intersections marked (mumbled)
Correia/ But that's not what's (mumbled)
O'Malley/ No, that...if you notice under transfers out (both talking) the 1.187...there, because
it's transfer from somebody else, either CIP or to another operating division (both talking)
Lombardo/ We haven't had the discussion yet in C1P, but I think it's coming, is are we going to
have to move some of these projects to our...our CIP or not, and I don't have an answer
for that yet, but it's something that's...I mean, we're running out of resources in this fund.
We need to do something about it.
Correia! But basically, for the next...for 2010 and 2011, we're covering the shortfall of receipts
to expenditures with our fund balance (several commenting) so I mean in terms of
thinking about changing that policy about employee benefits, I mean, it makes sense to
continue to use, I mean, that...the fund balance that's in there is from road use tax
(several commenting) I mean, it's not...
O'Malley/ No property tax going...
Correia/ There's no property tax in there, unless you say otherwise there's not an inherent benefit
to keep it there, I mean...
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O'Malley/ Back up there...we, it only uses 5% of road use tax. There is some employee benefits
being paid.
Correia! Right, but I mean in terms of having, I mean to minimize the impact to the...to the
taxpayer.. .
O'Malley/ Correct.
Correia/ ...who are actually paying the road use tax anyway, because they're paying it in their
gas tax...
O'Malley/ That's right, that's correct.
Correia/ ...we could just hold off on that.
O'Malley/ But what we're doing is we're relieving the State of its obligation.
Correia/ Right.
O'Malley/ And funding it locally.
Hayek/ This is somewhat of an aside. There was an issue at the JCCOG meeting that I (noise on
mic) contributions to I think ECICOG.
Bailey/ Yes, I was going to bring that up...later.
Hayek/ Is the transfer out first line item JCCOG, transportation planning, that related or is that a
separate...
Bailey/ That's separate.
Hayek/ Okay.
Bailey/ ECICOG...I can't, I think that's...
Lombardo/ ECICOG's funded in the JCCOG budget.
Bailey/ It's on page 85 (several talking) right.
O'Malley/ ...transportation planning in JCCOG that's being (mumbled)
Hayek/ And what kind of, um, forecasting do we do as to the road use tax. I mean, I've been
reading stuff about anticipated drops, just by virtue of less driving (both talking)
O'Malley/ Correct.
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Hayek/ ...fuel and all sorts of things.
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O'Malley/ Since, you know, it's managed by the State, we have to rely on the information they
give us, and they usually change their forecast every six months. (mumbled)
(female)/ The latest numbers are from November.
O'Malley/ Right. So that's more of an awareness. We're okay, but we're eating into fund
balance. Um...
Bailey/ So your question...I mean, we have to talk about if we want to reduce capital project
financing, or reduce operating costs in Streets and Traffic, and that's a decision point that
we need to make.
Lombardo/ Decision point I think...I think my recommendation is that we're...we're able, this
year I think, you know, to fund it, um, consistently, but we need to make some decisions,
and I think that could be tied and rolled into the priority setting, as well, um, and...and
then make decisions for next year's budget about...
Bailey/ I'd be more comfortable putting it in that kind of scenario than making a decision this
year, if we think we can move forward as is. I mean, how do other people feel? Mike?
(several talking) Put it in the priorit....we've got to come up with another name for that,
or another...
O'Malley/ Yeah, I believe the, you know, we have to see what the Legislature's going to do.
They might really do something this year, and then that'd help.
Bailey/Well, it's an issue for every city and, I mean, they've been talking about it, and they're
seeing these projections, as well. So...I'm not hopeful that they're going to raise any
more (mumbled). Okay.
O'Malley/ Okay, the next slide is debt service. Um...and in your packet, I think on page 18, is
also, it's a table that's also in your book, and um, what I want to make mention here
besides the issues that are coming up that's forecasted in our, uh, in our proposed book,
which is tied to the current C1P. I want to make mention that the abatements. We do
have these loans found in the bottom box there, the GRIP loans, which was...used to be
TARP. Every year we do $200,000 um, in funding on that, and we are getting
repayments. So, that reduces some of that expense at one time. And we have the Iowa
City Housing Fellowship. We have loans to them, um, and we give them, that's
obviously the timing issue. We do a ten-year payback, but they have a 20-year payback.
Uh, reminder the Library commercial space net income, there was a request again by the
Library to take that money and use it for their operations; however, those bonds have not
been paid off yet so that's why they're still in the net income from that commercial space
is still being funded. Uh, gas and electric is something from the state. Water user fees,
years ago we used to combine our utility issues with our GO debt and then have the water
or sewer fund pay the debt service. That's what that represents. And the last one I want
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to give you a heads up on, that's the Plaza Tower TIF district revenue, and uh, that is
coming in better than expected, and I'm hoping maybe by 2012 or 13 I can call those
bonds and that would put more taxable valuation on our books. So, those are what
reduces the tax levy, uh, for those bonds. If there are no further...oh wait, there's some
charts, uh, showing that we are...we are fiscally sound. We're not eating up our debt
margin, uh, by State law we can go up to 5% of our valuation, and we're using about 30,
40...around 40%. This is our, the next slide is our, uh, self-imposed 25%, uh, levy.
Lombardo/ So, just to back up, what that one chart, uh, demonstrates is we can issue a heck of a
lot of debt, but our ability to repay might be, uh, something different. So, I mean, if there
are a lot of projects, there's capacity. It's just finding the mechanism to fund it. That
would be necessary.
Hayek/ What do we estimate a new fire station at?
Lombardo/ $2.6 to $2.8 million, depending on if we do snow melt. There's some, we'll cleanup
those numbers, but that's initial estimates.
O'Malley/ Unfortunately what we have in the CIl' is last year's estimate of $1.5 million (several
talking)
Lombardo/ If this is going to move forward and...and it seems like it will, I'll schedule that
presentation, um, at an upcoming work session, but to go through in detail Fire Station 4,
the updated designs and site plans and...um, I just, we'll get through this and if you're, if
we're ready to go, you...you tell me and I'll get...they're ready to go. I sat with
them...couple weeks ago, I think it's been now, uh, and Kumi and Roger and, uh, Chief,
uh, Rocca went through a presentation. They have new storyboards and, so it's ready. I
mean, we're ready to go.
O'Malley/ Now, there is an alternative to the $700,000 of GO debt and loan, and that is put it to a
vote of the people, like we did the Library, and if they vote it in, we can do the whole
thing through debt service. And then it doesn't impact your General Fund operations
going forward.
Hayek/ Cause the levy's used for both bricks and mortar, and operating?
O'Malley/ Cause right now, as it's currently financed, the $700,000 to General Fund does not see
an impact, only the Debt Service fund. But the other $2 million that you're going to need
is...is, we've structured as a loan, that has to be paid back out of the General Fund, which
means it's going to eat into your $8.10 property, you know, it's besides the...the labor and
the O&M, you have a capital cost that won't be shared by the University. So in order to
relieve all of that, put it to a vote of the people. If they say "yes," it's all in Debt Service
and you still saved your, uh, $8.10 capacity.
Lombardo/ The challenge with that is...is timing, certainly, and then (mumbled)
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Bailey/ This would be a referendum. There's (both talking) plenty of head (both talking)
O'Malley/ You do it now, by the time the next election is, boom -you've got it.
Correia/ It's in November.
Bailey/Yeah. Something to think about.
O'Malley/ Then you have the public's decision.
Correia/ Right.
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O'Malley/ Just like the Library. And we've...we've also used that concept to go over our 25%
policy, because it's voter approved. (several responding) Right. So, it's just
another...now, staff sometimes thinks it's not wise to do that, because the voters might
say "no."
Lombardo/ And then what, you know, is the question, if the voters say "no".
Bailey/ And we think it's still a priority.. .
Lombardo/ Correct.
Wilburn/ One of the challenges is interpreting (both talking) what a no vote means, uh, some
indicators that there's support for this have been through some past elections and
conversations, and input, that the public is supportive of... some people may... one person
might be "no" but I want you to go ahead and do it based on the plan that was presented.
For others it's like "no" you need, you know, so that's the challenge of that is interpreting
what (mumbled)
Bailey/ Right. If the question is a...a response to how we fund it...
Wilburn/ Right.
Bailey/ ...or if it's, we don't (both talking) yeah.
Lombardo/ And in times of fiscal uncertainty, uh, there is a large block of the voters who vote no
period, without really thinking of the significance or need for a prof ect, and I've seen it
done a lot of times. Um, so you're right, Ross, there's a huge effort to try and understand
what that might mean.
Hayek/ Does it mean they still want it, but they want us to cut elsewhere to pay for it.
Bailey/ Well, and that's the question, do you get those kinds o£ ..do you get that kind of
discussion going by having a referendum or...or are we going to have that sufficient
discussion and feel...
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Lombardo/ My concern about that going in that direction is...is it eats up time.
Wilburn/ And I would make, I personally make an argument based on...input from the public
over the last three years, is that the public would like to see a fourth fire station, wants the
fire protection, but that's my...that's my inter, I mean, there's been...there's been two
Council elections during the time. There's, you know, etc., etc.
Correia/ But I guess, this...I guess I see this as...as um, I don't, I guess I would see a referendum
not as an issue of do you think we need a fourth fire station, but of...do you think we
should pay for this fourth fire station in this way. We can't pay for it in that way unless
the voters tell us to.
Bailey/ Right.
Correia/ So I mean, I...I wouldn't see...I wouldn't see wording, and I don't know anything about
how you would word, or who gets to come up with the wording, but not have it be do you
think we need a fourth fire station, but can we pay for this fourth fire station using
(several talking) funding mechanism, and then if we get no we don't want you to pay for
the fourth fire station using this...if we get a "no" vote, that's a directive to we need to
find this, in the (several talking)
Bailey/ Ross's point holds, though, I mean. Some people look at language more specifically than
others when they go into a voting booth, but I agree with you. That's how I would want
to structure something.
Wilburn/ I would need to hear it...I think it would be helpful to hear from Eleanor. Could you
even fashion a referendum question in that fashion, because...
Bailey/ We determine the wording. If we, if...people who put it on the ballot determine the
wording. Am I correct, Marian?
Hayek/ But, if you still have 22-cents available in your emergency levy, I guess it begs the
question could you try that before you take it to a referendum, and maybe that's a
strategic or political consideration. (several responding)
O'Malley/ I just wanted to make you aware of that alternative.
Lombardo/ This climate, I have concerns about referendum vote on this. Um, and whether or not
there'd be wide...even if people generally supported the idea of additional fire services,
that they would pull the "yes" lever to fund it.
Wilburn/ And then there's the question about, there'd be a huge voter education piece to
understand, but even after that there would still be a portion of the public that, uh, I
thought I voted "no" - I didn't want you to build that.
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Lombardo/ We would have to start by March we would have to have a campaign up and ready to
go, so that throughout the spring and summer we can educate the public, and...I've seen
easier referendums than this go down. Just because of poor...
Correia/ You also saw a really what people thought difficult referendum, to pass the land...the
conservation bond, just this past November.
Lombardo/ I wish there was more study on that. I've heard that because of the large volume of
turnout, that uh, there...I've been talking to a few people about it, that there was a large
contingency who's, gosh yeah, preserving land is a great idea without really thinking
about the cost of that (several talking)
Bailey/ Well, and that's what I say about language in a referen...I mean, there is feeling (both
talking)
Hayek/ Do you like kittens and puppet...puppies.
Bailey/ Yeah. Right, yeah. Clean water and clean air? (several talking)
Correia/ Well, I mean also I think that this Coun...or electorate, but I mean...
Bailey/ No, but I...I think that you don't necess.. .
Correial ...for free.
Bailey/ I think that there is, I mean, if we specifically tailored a question about, it's not about the
fire station so much as how we pay for it, we would have to very clearly make that
distinction and I think, without discounting the electorate, that some people would still
believe that they were voting up or down on a fire station.
Wright/ Because the education issue is...relative arcane for a lot of folks. Um, those are some
fine points of budgeting, and I...I had the same concerns as I sit here and think about it,
um, a referendum being misconstrued.
Bailey/ Well, and it goes back to Matt's, um, point about representative, you know, sort of
democracy, I mean, we have decided that this is, I mean, we've heard from people and as
a result, we (both talking) priority, and to send it out through referendum is almost to say,
I don't know.
Wilburn/ We may have talked more about the logistics and mechanism of...
Wright/ Starting to have some problems with that notion.
Wilburn/ Well, maybe it's something to think about.
Bailey/ I'd like to still think about it, but...
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Correia/ But I mean, as we, I mean, as we've had discussions about...and there have been
discussions in the public about, um, municipal, um, ability to fund services, constraints,
and you know, other potential funding sources, and I think that when the conversations in
the past here have been about local option sales tax, it's been about, well, but we don't
really know what you're going to do with that money. We might support it but it's very
nebulous, I think this is saying to the public, okay, there's a specific thing you want. We
can fund it, you know, this way or this way. We have, in order to fund it this way, we
need your permission. Do you want to fund it, you know, do you want to lev...do you
want to allow us to fund it this way?
Hayek/ Right, and then it goes down, and then we have to say, well, do we still have that need,
irrespective of the outcome, and if we conclude yes, then.. .
Correia/ I think we've already said that we know we have the need. We're trying to figure out in
this, in these tight economic...our tight budget times, we're trying to figure out how best
to fund it.
Bailey/ It's a question about funding, and once again it goes back to how people perceive what
they.. .
Correia/ ...have control over how, how people...
Bailey/ Well, we do, if we don't put it up for the question.
Hayek/ We have a 22-cent capacity on the emergency benefits levy, and that's what complicates
it a little bit more, for me.
Correia/ That 22-cents was that...that was about operations. That wasn't about funding it. The
building. That was about staffing it. Those projections on that slide, the 22-cents, the 15-
cents, the 10-cents or whatever it was.
Bailey/ The capital we have the ability to do the...through General plus an internal loan, and
then hit into our General Fund to pay back the debt.
Correia/ Which then will constrain us from doing other services.. .
Bailey/ Which is where the 22 (several talking)
Correia/ No, no, no, no, no! Other services, not other fire services.
O'Malley/ Right, you have a 30-cents that, well, you have 22-cents of emergency levy to help
fund the operations. You have 8-cents from, we looked at as the employee benefits side
of it. What was not shown on that pro forma chart was your debt payment to the Landfill
of $200,000, which would eat up part of your $8.1 O levy. (several talking)
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Lombardo/ Which means you could modify your debt policy and...and say we're going to issue
$2.5 million in bonds and...and pass this through the debt service levy, or we do it as
internal loan and it doesn't eat into. So, I mean, there are different ways to structure it.
They all have, you know, uh, some ups and downs.
Hayek/ Is that a $200,000 hit to the $8.10 levy for the (both talking) repayment?
O'Malley/ For the ten years.
Bailey/ Ten years.
O'Donnell/ I still think regardless of how you put it on the ballot, it's going to be a yes or no on
the fire station. I don't think people will read it clearly enough to understand that we're
talking about funding, and then after the vote, say that it does get defeated badly, we're
still sitting in the situation where we...we need the fourth fire station. So, then we're
going to do it anyway, and I'm...
Correia/ Well, yes, but, I mean, whether or not people who are voting understand that, I think if
we're clear about what it is, and if...I mean, I guess I'm wondering if like the, if we can
get some...I don't know if the local government affairs committee at the Chamber would
be willing to consider whether this is something they would take up to be champions of,
that it's not necessarily only up to us. I mean, we had that letter from, you know, if we go
to Dick Ferguson and whoever else from that area to say would you support our attempt
to finance the construction of this in this way...you know. We're still going to do it;
we're talking about the finances. I think we can get some...
Wilburn/ I had a meeting...
Bailey/ How much does it cost to...to do a referendum? How much would that cost us, Marian?
I think we looked at this when we talked about the local options sales tax and the flood
stuff. I mean, that's...I think that's another thing that we have to consider.
Karr/ Uh, a special election, a city election, we budget 130.
Bailey/ Okay, so if...if in this election year we had a referendum...
Karr/ Now I don't know off the top of my head, I assume it could go on, again, with the
November. So we're budgeted at 130 for our city election in November anyway. This
would be an additional cost of printing the question on the ballot.
Bailey/ Okay.
Karr/ So we're already plugged in to a city election at 130 anyway.
Bailey/ Right, so it wouldn't be a lot.
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O'Malley/ It'd be a marginal cost increase.
Karr/ That's correct.
Bailey/ It gives us another criticism that people (mumbled) (several talking)
Hayek/ You could make it a public safety thing. I mean, and add several police officer positions,
as well, if you're going to do that. Um, I'm not saying it's a good idea in this climate.
Bailey/ Well, we couldn't necessarily cause that's a referendum for a capital.
O'Malley/ It's a specific statute saying, because of the population of Iowa City, all you can issue
is $700,000 in GO.
Hayek/Yeah, and I'm confusing the...the construction and the personnel side, I think (several
talking)
O'Malley/ It's neither. Yeah, I'm talking only the construction.
Hayek/ Okay.
Bailey/ If we had a local options sales tax referendum, that's when we could do a public safety
initiative. So that would be different, because that's an operational sort of.. .
Wilburn/ You know, I'm not trying to downplay, you know, your idea. I mean, there's certainly
merit into trying to figure out, uh, you know, this has an impact on our $8.1 O levy, um, I
just think individually and collectively we just need to make a decision, um, one, how
much weight do you put behind the past input that we have that the public wants it, uh,
two, um, other political considerations, such as, uh, the referendum or the ballot issue you
just talked about. There were public champions, and certainly it can help if there are
public champions, you know, to take...to take a particular issue and item and increase the
likelihood of a success of a referendum, um, but then you're still left with, uh, even after
all of that what does a "yes"...I mean a "yes" vote would be clear what that means. A
"no" vote, then that's when it gets, it can get...mucky.
Lombardo/ If it's a "no" vote, um, returning to this level, or this strategy and just doing it I think
becomes a challenge, and...and I think there's a lot of groundwork that would have to be
done before you do that. Typically, if you're going to go to a referendum on any type of
initiative like this, it's either because you're uncertain whether the public wants it, or you
don't have the ability to fund it in a different way, and so I...I, you know, I guess that's
some sole searching to do in the coming days is, are...are you certain or uncertain. We
have the ability - if you're certain - we have the ability to do it and...and do in such a way
that doesn't put things into a gray area for a period of time, um, and...and I'm not sure,
you know, it may be a year or two to try and recover from that, if it is a "no" vote. So,
I...it's not a light decision to be made.
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Correia/ But the budget that we have in front of us now...I mean, if we've been thinking that
we're going to build this in 2009, if we had been up until, you know, build it during fiscal
year 2009, have it then fully operational in 2010, or we're now saying we're going to
build it over 2010 and have it operational, you know, fully operational beginning 2011
with, you know, staff coming onboard 2010 to be fully trained, so that on, you know, the
go date or whatever, but we don't have...we don't have the...we don't have the capital or
the operating in this book. (several responding)
Lombardo/ No, but we have a means to do that. (several talking)
Bailey/ We will have it.
Correia/ But I mean, but I guess we don't have (several talking) right, but I mean, if we want it,
then there are going to be implications...
O'Malley/ Correct.
Correia/ ...for other things (both talking)
O'Malley/ Another issue for priority setting.
Correial But I mean, we don't have it for.. .
O'Malley/ I'm just saying, this pro forma that we're trying to come up with, that if we decide to
go forward, if the Council decides to go forward, is lacking about $200,000 of expenses.
Correia/ Then can...an internal loan (both talking) can we pay it off slower than (several talking)
so we can pay $100,000 a year?
Wright/ The other thing to consider is that we're talking about debts, that debt service coming out
of our General Levy.
O'Malley/ Correct.
Wright/ And if you, which is from the $8.10 is like for two...2010 is $33 million and a little
extra, correct?
O'Malley/ I'm not following you.
Wright/ Our income.
O'Malley/ Oh, the income! (several talking) The $8.10 levy (several talking)
Wright/ ...payback, or so.
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O'Malley/ Yeah, I'm thinking, you're talking about one-cent gives you about $25,000. So if you
need $200,000 you need roughly 10-cents.
Wright/ Yeah. So we're talking about, out of our $8.10 income, a tiny fraction going to repay
that every year. And admittedly, it's money we can't use for something else, but it's a
very, very small percentage of the total fund. And I'm not sure I want to risk that.
Wilburn/ Well, the concept...again, this goes back to whether you believe that the community
has stated that; and wants, uh, perceives adding the station, getting us closer to adequate
fire protection, because...the...the understanding has always been, we can build it
because we have the capacity to take on debt, and we're within our...our State statute,
bonding issue. It's that question of how close or not we get, or whether we...justify
going slightly over for a certain period of years, our self-imposed additional credit limit.
Um, but you know we can build it; we just can't staff it (mumbled) here's how we can
staff it. And we always have the ability to go in debt. It's a question of whether, again,
affects our $8.1 O levy and based on whether or not we want to, uh, for a short term, like
we did with the Library, um, you know, make an exception to our self-imposed credit
limit.
O'Malley/ You know, you could also just take it out of your fund balance, and not pay it back. I
mean, you have many options. What do you feel comfortable doing?
Lombardo/ Not supposed to offer those things unless he runs that by me (laughter and several
talking)
Bailey/ That's an easy one for all of us! (laughter) Well, I think...(several talking)
O'Malley/ My philosophy is (mumbled)
Bailey/ So...do we want to further, I mean, Amy, you seem really interested in further exploring
this idea, but I mean.. .
Correia/ Obviously I'm the, I mean...
Wilburn/ I think we'd have to put this on a topic for a work session, perhaps, discussion or, um,
because, um, maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem to me that further discussion about
the...if we already haven't, the mechanics of a referendum or vote is...
Bailey/ It starts with the language we get...far enough beyond budget.
Lombardo/ Well, we would have to schedule this before February date that we...that we
schedule the public hearing.. .
Bailey/ I think we could, um, if...I think it would be, I think it merits another...I think it merits
another discussion for all of us to think about this one more time and to get really clear,
put it on an agenda in a budget work session so we have another time to talk about it, and
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then we'll just go from there, and perhaps Eleanor could be at that, if we had specific
questions, although I think Marian has been through the referendum process, um, as well,
quite a bit so I think we've got those questions. I think...that's the way I would be
inclined to approach that.
Correia/ I don't even get a sense that there's (several talking)
Wright/ I don't think it's necessary (both talking) I don't care to pursue this.
Bailey/ I want to think about it a little bit more. I want to have one more discussion about it.
I...I don't think I'm inclined, but I want to make sure.
Hayek/ That's fine.
Bailey/ I mean...I think it...I think it merits some consideration, cause it's another option. I just
want to think about it a little bit more.
Lombardo/ Do we have the update, the CIP...(mumbled)
O'Malley/ iJh...yeah.
Lombardo/ I want to make sure that they have a copy if we, if it's ready to go. I think it is.
Lewis/ I can go print it, it's not a problem.
Bailey/ Are these the CIP summaries?
Lombardo/ Yeah.
Bailey/ Thank goodness!
Wright/Before we leave the fire station, for the next 20 minutes or so, could we get a copy of
that slide that you had up there, Kevin?
O'Malley/ Which one?
Wright/ The fire station.
Bailey/ The pro forma.
Wright/ ...options (several talking)
Bailey/ It is, but could we get a large, uh, full page? (several talking) Full page copy.
O'Malley/ We'll get you that, because Marian also wants one, uh, the whole packet.
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Bailey/ Okay, so um...debt service...
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O'Malley/ This is just, uh, discussion will have to be made on years FYl 1 and 12 as to, um, if
there are some projects you want to cut, in the CIP. It's for future discussion.
Bailey/ Right.
O'Malley/ It's for a CIP discussion, and also in light of that, because the flood has impacted, uh, I
said all the staff in the City, after uh, budget was done, we've had, uh, several CIP
estimates put in. So, if you, and we'll give you those singularly. We're going to give you
a separate page on that. If you decide to, um, go forward on any of those projects, we
either have to raise, you will have to bypass this policy, or pull some of the other projects
out of the CIP.
Bailey/ And so if we decide, I just want to clarify this as a policy and how it affects, you know,
our whole, you know, financial rating, I mean, if we want to ignore or bypass our own
policy it would be best to amend our policy.
O'Malley/ Correct. Yeah. Be consistent...there's other policies that are not quite as restrictive.
Lombardo/ And you can amend it for a finite period, and...and have it revert back to the original,
you know, if we agree it's a year or two, you know.
O'Malley/ Um, refuse collection. I guess we're getting into the enterprise funds now, uh, water,
waste water, no increases, um, refuse continues to need an increase, uh, due to recycling
mostly, and so uh, we're projecting another 50-cents. This was in last year's
financial...financialphnner also. So that was the pretty much the only issue for refuse.
Um, Landfill, Michael talked about the...this approval of the environmental coordinator.
Bailey/ I have a refuse sort of question...
O'Malley/ Oh, sure.
Bailey/ ...or comment, and some of the things that I've been hearing, and I might not be
understanding the terms correctly, but I get questions often about our refuse collection,
uh, going to a more, um, I know we're kind of volume based. I talked to Jen Jordan about
this, but even a more almost pay as you go volume based approach. Have we looked at...
O'Malley/ I think about, uh, 12, 13 years ago we looked (several talking)
Bailey/ Weigh as you pay, maybe is a better way to describe it, because I get questions about
that, particularly from small households that are rabid recyclers and composters. I mean,
they, you know, put out a garbage bag every two weeks maybe. And, pay the same rate
as a household that puts out the maximum.
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O'Malley/ Uh, yes, that was discussed about 13 years ago, and uh, at that time it was changed to,
the one container, and then you have to pay, uh, strips, I think, you know, tie things for a
dollar, or two dollars, that's the only volume...that's the last time I remember volume
based discussion.
Correia/ And now with the, for...going to the City, the one garbage can and then you pay extra.
O'Malley/ Right.
Helling/ Yeah, Kevin's correct. That's when we went to volume based. Before that, we picked
up an unlimited amount.
O'Malley/ Correct.
Helling/ Um...
Bailey/ So it is technically volume based. When people say why don't we do volume based, we
do.
Helling/ It is, except that...that, there's a certain amount we'll pick up, that container full or if it's
their own containers, there's two, um, the most important thing to remember in that
discussion is that the large share of our cost is driving, getting the truck out and driving it
past your house. It doesn't cost that much more to stop and pick up.
Bailey/ All right.
Wilburn/ So one way to look at it is...we have a weight based, we have a...we have a level one.
O'Malley/ Correct.
Bailey/ Service level, that doesn't cost us any...yeah.
Wilburn/ And everybody (both talking) that cost gets everybody, and then if you want level two,
in other words more trash, you gotta buy the extra.
O'Malley/ Yes, and we do sell quite a bit of those.
Wright/ Although, in practice it, at least in our neighborhood, I know that that gets ignored pretty
widely. It's not the least bit unusual to have a house with two cans and six or seven bags,
and no tags and the stuff always gets picked up.
Bailey/ It always, that is accurate on the northside particularly at certain times of the year, and I
had talked to previous staff about that and it's just, you can't really leave garbage on the
curb. I mean, that's...health and safety issues...
Wright/ ...other way to assess that back, if that's actually going to be our policy.
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Bailey/ So that would be, yeah.
Wilburn/ I've actually seen stuff not get picked up in certain neighborhoods.
Bailey/ In certain neighborhoods. See.
Wright/ In our neighborhood it always gets picked up.
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Correia/ (several talking) but over on the northside they pick it up. That would be something to
ask about.
O'Malley/ We do have radio systems, and we can add charges to people's bills. We do that, to
landlords during...
Bailey/ Well, and maybe that does happen, and...and we don't know about it, too. That would be
.the information that would be good to have. Cause I have no problem with them picking
it up, because I don't want garbage left on the curb, in any part of the community. Um, as
long as it's fair, that it...if you're supposed to pay, you pay.
Wright/ I think that was where the discussion came from in terms of weight based charges.
Bailey/ I think you're right.
Wright/ That would be a way to take care of what we were perceiving as an inequity, in terms of
the...the pick up.
Bailey/ Okay.
Lombardo/ So come up with a base amount for just, you know, to cover our costs of driving by,
and then based on your weight, that increment.
Bailey/ And that's what we had sent, as Ross explains, that we do have a tier one service. If the
cost of service is the truck and the person, I mean, it doesn't matter. And as long as
they're being assessed, if they have extra bags I think that's the fair...thank you.
O'Malley/ Uh, Landfill, we do have an extended service level, and I think Michael spoke to that
earlier, as far as your initiative. Um, we kind of put this in decision points that need to be
discussed. We'll probably keep these up until you're completely through the budget
process. Here's the schedule for next meeting.
Bailey/ And that...that CIP one needs to be changed. We're going to what time, not ti118.
Karr/ Six.
Lombardo/ 1:30 to 6:00.
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Bailey/ Six.
Karr/ And I...I do have a question about the January 28th one, if you are to that point. I don't
want to get out of the budget mode, but I...if we're on to scheduling I do have a question.
O'Malley/ Yeah, I...scheduling, this is the time.
Karr/ Okay. LJh, your January 28th is solely for community events and boards and commissions.
A letter did go out. I am currently booked solid from 6:30 to quarter to 10:00, and I've
got more to slug in. So my question to you is...is two-fold. Is there anyway you could
start perhaps an hour early, or it's going to overflow or else we're going to be scheduling
people to come in at 10:00.
Bailey/ How early can we start on the 28th -let's start with that one.
Karr/ Cause even an hour would make a big difference, starting at 5:30.
Bailey/ We could start at 5:30.
Wright/ 5:30 would be fine.
Karr/ The other option is obviously shortening the presentations.
Hayek/ And that's what I'd like to know, but can we do that by 5 minutes per?
Correia/ Is this the day that we have JCCOG, the 28th?
Karr/ Yes.
Wright/ Oh yes, it is!
Correial We have JCCOG...
Karr/ Until.. .
Correia/ I don't know, until it's over (several talking)
Hayek/ It's in City Hall too.
Correia/ ...it's here, so that starts at 4:00 (several talking) 4:30...it's not (several talking)
Hayek/ Talk to Dave and he can make it an hour long meeting.
Bailey/ I bet he'd love that! (several talking) ...still Chair until, are you having elections...
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Karr/ I'm sorry. I can't...I can't hear you.
Hayek/ Okay, there's a JCCOG meeting at 4:30 on the 28th here in Emma Harvat.
Karr/ Yes.
Hayek/ And we're talking about whether we could communicate that that meeting needs to end
by 5:30 and we can quickly...
O'Donnell/ We can end that by 5:30.
Hayek/ Yeah.
Karr/ And I know the set up is going to be the same, so I can tell you logistically that is not going
to be an issue. (several talking)...the set up you've got.
Hayek/ I mean, we're going to have to grab a banana somewhere in the hallway.
Wright/ I was going to say, we may need to have some food.
Bailey/ We're going to have food.
Correia/ Five of us are going to be here beginning at 4:30.
Hayek/ I don't know about that.
Correial It starts at 5:30. There's no way to...
Karr/ I...I certainly.. .
Bailey/ Ross can't be here at 5:30.
Wilburn/ I would just have to miss the...if that's the only time, I would just have to miss the
initial presentations. I have a labor management meeting until.. .
Bailey/ How...how long did you tell them that they had for presentation?
Karr/ The typical response, uh, information we give them is that it tops ten-minute presentation
and five minutes for questions, and to come 20 minutes early in case we do run ahead.
And .often we do run ahead, but...we are booked solid.
Hayek/ What if we did afive-minute presentation with five minutes of questions. Is that doable?
O'Donnell/ They're already ready.. .
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Karr/ I think anything is doable. It comes back to you, from the standpoint if you have questions
how practical is a five minute presentation and five minutes for questions.
Wright/ My recollection is last year not too many of those groups took their full time (both
talking)
Karr/ We often run ahead and that's why we tell 'em 20 minutes.
Bailey/ Tell them for every minute they go over it's a $100 off their...
Lombardo/ ...just not funding outside entities this year.
Hayek/ It just seems to me that some of the requests are for $1,000 and here we are trying to
decide a gazillion dollar budget and.. .
Karr/ Well, you've got some for board and commissions too, that represent over 1,000
community events. That's true with the community events, but some of these
boards...are your city boards and commissions where it maybe more.
Hayek/ Yeah.
Bailey/ Which City boards and commissions are coming?
Karr/ Uh, as of right now, uh, Library, Senior Center, Youth Advisory, um, Parks and Rec, that's
off the top of my head. I can remember those boards and commissions. I anticipate, I
have not head from broadband yet, and I anticipate, but that's one that I haven't heard
from yet. Airport is coming.
Bailey/ Airport's coming on Monday (several talking)
Lombardo/ Yeah, we're going to move 'em up.
Karr/ Um, I.. .
Bailey/ I think they should be prepared to present on Monday. (several talking) I mean, it's...
Karr/ So that would open up a slot if that would be the case.
Bailey/ It's two days. I mean, it's a difference of two days.
Correia/ I think a lot of it, at least the community events, most of them we've funded
before...from last year, so we...and we're all the same people that funded them last year,
so they're...I mean, I think at least for those, and they did go very fast. I remember, even
like a half hour ahead... (several talking)
Bailey/ So what are our options...
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Karr/ Ran a half hour ahead in that one spot because we had somebody not show, and you paid
the price at the other end. (several talking) But, so we can do that.
Bailey/ Well, we're just going to have afour-hour meeting. Is that the answer? Or do you want
it to go into Thursday night?
Lombardo/ We could split it over two dates, if we need to.
Bailey/ But we do need to have some deliberation time, because you have to have the budget for
us...we have to be able to give you direction and...and we should finalize on those
decisions (several talking)
Karr/ Then you start...can you start Thursday earlier, if it overflows? I mean, if you want to tell
me, for instance, you'd like to end that discussion on Wednesday by 9:00 or 9:30. Can
you start early Thursday, and...and wipe off then the remaining community events or
boards and commissions and (both talking)
Bailey/ When can we start on Thursday, given your schedules, um, given your work and life
schedules?
Correia/ I can start earlier on Thursday.
Bailey/ Uh, how early? How about...throw out a time?
Correia/ 4:30.
Bailey/ Mike, can you be hereby 4:30?
Wright/ Um, maybe...
Wilburn/ On the 29th I can.
Bailey/ You can?
Wilburn/ I can on the 29th.
Bailey/ Mike, can you? 4:30 on the 29th?
O'Donnell/ Uh, on the 29th I'm...I'm going...
Bailey/ If we have spillover for these presentations, we could have them come at 4:30.
O'DonnelU I can...I can probably do that.
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Hayek/ Yeah, I...I, yeah, I think we're spending too much time on that portion of the process, but
I can make myself available.
Bailey/ We should...and that maybe something that we can debrief right away after and think
about it for next year, and note to self -next year instead of scrambling.. .
Karr/ So is there an ending time you'd like, since you're starting at 4:30 with JCCOG, some of
you, and you're starting earlier Thursday, do you want to end at a certain time
Wednesday.
O'DonnelU Let's end at 9:00 Wednesday, if we're going to come in at 4:00.
Bailey/ Can we go to 10:00?
Wright/ Let's say 9:30. No later than 9:30. That's still an awfully long evening, five hours.
Correial Are we starting at the regular time on Wednesday, 6:30?
Bailey/ We're starting at 6:30.
Wright/ Yeah, with JCCOG.
Bailey/ Yeah, I'm actually...
O'Donnell/ We're starting at 6:30 on Wednesday...6:30 to 9:30?
Wright/ Council at 6:30.
Bailey/ That'll work - 9:30? (several talking)
Correia/ ...since we already have people scheduled.
Karr/ Well, that was tentatively scheduled. So, I...all of them came back to me and said if by
any chance you can adjust it, and so we'll firm that up in a memo form so I think most of
them...so, 6:30 to 9:30 the 28th, and on the 29th we're starting at 4:30.
Bailey/ Uh-huh.
Karr/ And...and you do want something to eat on the 28th?
Bailey/ Yes.
Karr/ And you want a break built in to eat it.
Bailey/ Yes. (several talking) Between JCCOG and...
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Correia/ But we don't need to break then, we're starting at 6:30.
Bailey/ Yeah. If food can be here by 6:00, we'll be good.
Karr/ So I'm feeding you in between JCCOG and...(several responding)
Bailey/ (several talking) Okay.
O'Malley/ Um, as far as capital improvement, the summary - we don't have all the, uh,
paperwork done due to the nature of the people not getting their four or five projects n.
So we should have that by...by uh, Monday. We'll hand that out Monday.
Bailey/ Good. (several talking)
O'Malley/ ...that was the regular budget. This was, um...Public Works, due to FEMA related
issues. Sorry! (laughter) Uh, that's all I have ready for today. I appreciate your
attention in putting up with my monotone voice, um (several talking)
Wright/ You really did a terrific job with this, thank you. (several talking)
O'Malley/ I gotta compliment my staff, and...Deb and Cyndi and Leigh, um, they keep me
focused, and also input from Michael. Thank you.
Bailey/ There are a couple of other things that I wanted to just put out there. We don't
necessarily have to discuss them. On page 85 is that ECICOG support that we've
mentioned, and I've been the rep to ECICOG and I brought this, Michael and I have
discussed this, and I think it warrants some discussion, um, given that...the services that
we use are minimal, and I don't know when we want to discuss that, but I think it's
something we should discuss. Another thing I want to discuss, and it would be fairly,
um, not particularly impactful to the budget, but um, certainly symbolic, is I checked with
Eleanor about Council compensation. It's set by ordinance, and we could certainly freeze
our own compensation in a tough, uh, budget year. We've talked about this in previous
years. We didn't change that ordinance at that time, but if...if we would like to consider
that. It also links to something Marian has been talking about. Do you want to speak to
that, and just put it out there? We can either talk about it today or not.
Karr/ When we talk about Council compensation it also includes what we had talked about,
about a stipend for equipment, because Eleanor has researched it and as I mentioned to
you earlier, if we were to look at establishing a stipend. For instance, of $1,000 and each
Council Member would get it and spend it on equipment, whether it be a cell phone, a
Blackberry, whatever. The City would then cease providing you your laptops, and each
individual Council Member would chose to spend that stipend, uh, in a way that they best
feel allows them to do their job. That would go into the compensation package. And I
had committed to you to bring that back to you, this year, because by State code you
cannot give sitting Councils, uh, a raise. You give new Councils. So this would be the
year by ordinance, or resolution, you would establish that stipend to go into effect
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January 1 of 2011. So when Regenia mentioned to Eleanor the possibility of freezing the
stipend, it...it comes right up with on one hand you maybe interested in freezing the
stipend, or excuse me, freezing your Council salary, but on the other hand, we're
establishing a stipend that goes to your compensation anyway.
Correia/ Is the stipend one time over four years, or every year?
Karr/ We are just looking at that. It would be per term.
Correia/ Oh, term, right.
Karr/Per term, so it would be a stipend for afoot-year period, and whether you spend it in year
one or whether you spend it every other year, is entirely up to you. But it would have to
be viewed in your compensation package.
Hayek/ This started with a recognition that the existing reimbursement, uh, reimbursement's the
proper word, applied to technology that really isn't even used anymore?
Karr/ Uh, pretty much. We really don't even have, per se, a reimbursement, uh, what we have is
the ability to purchase answering machines and things like that...which are rather archaic
by today's standards. We don't have per se a...a stipend. What we offer right now is the
equipment itself, and what we have found is that each individual Council Member when
given the same equipment, it may not meet their needs or their background, and then
it...it forces our staff and each Council Member to make some different arrangements.
So we thought...it came up as a result of those discussions and the ability for each
Council Member to hook in, as it were, to what their needs are and what their equipment
they have right now is.
Lombardo/ And I'll be candid. I...I, um, I don't want to say bristle, but it concerns me if a, if IT
staff, if there's an expectation for them, if there's configuration issues and having to come
off site or a service in your home and...and I'd like to get away from that, if that's
happening, to any extent, and maybe this stipend can.. .
Bailey/ It's not. They're really clear about that actually.
Lombardo/ Okay.
Bailey/ They've always, I mean...
Karr/ They are clear, but they have made exceptions. That's the problem. (several talking)
That's the problem.
Bailey/ So, those are a couple of things I wanted to bring up, um, you know, like I said, I mean,
changing the ordinance to change our, or to freeze our salaries is...is, uh, not that
impactful, but it's...it sends, I think it sends a message, and that's what I would suggest
sending. Um, but...
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Correia/ We couldn't do that for fiscal year 09's, or 10's budget. You're saying that would, we
would.. .
Karr/ It would be partial. It'd effect partially.
Wright/ We could do that for our...Council pay.
Correia/ ...fiscal year 11.
Wright/ But not for the...
Karr/ For half, it'd be half of the year, because we're, you're working on a fiscal...this is on a
calendar. The State law.
Wright/ So we could freeze our, we could freeze our pay, effective...
Karr/ January 1 of 2011.
Wright/ Okay.
Bailey/ Something to think about.
Hayek/ Read up on the Linn County Board of Supervisors on...
Bailey/ Well, I think that part of it (several talking)
Karr/ 2010, January 1st of 2010, cause you're in the 10 budget.
Bailey/ Okay.
Wright/ But the stipend would not take, for the technology, would not take effect unti12011.
Karr/ Well, no. The stipend as it...doesn't even exist. My question to you is if you want to...do
I spend the time doing it if you want to freeze your compensation.
Bailey/ We're going to freeze compensation and give ourselves a stipend, it's sort of like (several
talking). Yeah, it's not...
Karr/ No, they would both be in...they'd both in essence...the stipend can come to you. It's by
resolution. It can come to you much, much sooner. There are ramifications to the
budget. The ordinance is in place right now. The State code kicks in to the
compensation you can give yourself.
Wright/ Gotcha!
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Bailey/ So...we can talk about on the 29th, but I just wanted to put it out there as a couple of
ideas.
Lombardo/ Do you want to talk about the ECICOG now or...
Bailey/ If you wanted to further, I mean, discuss it, I mean, I...
Wilburn/ Before you do that, I...just to comment about, um, you know, for me it's...it's one thing
to, I understand a symbolic gesture to...to freeze our salaries, if we could do it right now.
If it impacts a next Council, then I would have a concern. There's some folks, there's a
different philosophical view about how much Council gets compensated. There's some
who say, well, I'd do it for nothing. There's some who say that the current Council fee
may limit some people from running for Council, based on income and the amount of
work that goes into it. So, um, I would have a concern about, uh, I'm one who has the
concern about the level of pay prohibiting, being prohibitive of some people choosing,
um, you know, based on their job and ability to get away and etc., etc., um, some
(mumbled)
Karr/ But Ross, would it be, excuse me, Ross, would it be true to say though the State code
mandates a, you as a Council to make those type of decisions, because you can never
bind yourself ..on compensation. You always bind the next Council. Up or down.
(several responding) So that's State code.
Correia/ Right, but what you're saying is that if we, if we instituted a freeze on compensation for
the next Council's four year, you know, that have afour-year term, would that, could that
potentially limit the pool of potential (several talking) not a lot of money, but for
somebody...it's sort of a second job. I mean...
Karr/ It needn't be for...it needn't be for a four year term, just to clarify. We have Council
elections every two years. So in theory you have a new Council every two years.
Bailey/ I just wanted to put it out there. If...if you know the idea comes up on occasion,
especially in difficult budget years. I wanted to put it out there so we could discuss it.
You know...I just wanted to open the door. And then the compensation thing, I think
merits also discussion, because it's been out there for a while. So...stipend.
Wright/ I don't even know in terms of the compensation, is there abuilt-in increase every "X"
years? (several commenting) How much is it?
O'Malley/ It's uh based on rolling the average of the CPI, from Midwest (mumbled) (several
talking)
Bailey/ Yeah, it's not a lot. (several talking) Once again (mumbled) Do you want to talk about
ECICOG?
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Lombardo/ Yeah...I mean, there's not a lot of substance in it...it's really a question of what do
we get for the dollars spent, and with JCCOG and our Planning department, I'll be
candid. We don't buy a lot of service, but we pay $20,000 to them, and I struggle with
that. Those are resources that's being used elsewhere, albeit, you know, there's argument
to be made that ECICOG provides a broader regional service and I'll be .candid - I don't
have a good way of tying that kind of softer benefit, um, or quantifying it. LJh, I've
looked at, in terms of just a straight dollar for services rendered thing and I don't think we
get $20,000 worth of service. So the question is, how deeply would you like to...my
recommendation would be not to fund it because I don't know that we get that level of
service for it, but yet, there're arguments, uh, that they, the benefits they provide do
impact us regionally and...and I haven't a good way of coming up with a softer, tangible
cost for it.
Hayek/ And my understanding of why we don't get the benefits is that we're an entitlement city
and so we're already getting funding in...and performing those services internally.
Lombardo/ Internally, and through JCCOG there's...
Bailey/ And Linn County, which is Cedar Rapids also an entitlement city, in Linn County the
pay model is different. The County Supervisors' pays the Linn County, uh, ECICOG
assessment. Um, it's not divvied up by the cities and the entities, as we are. We have a
different pay structure, um, is what Doug...Doug Elliott and John Yapp have explained.
Lombardo/ I don't have the history surrounding that. I don't know.. .
Wilburn/ Related to your question too, um, Matt, that um, you know, if you're, uh, if you're a
Hills or an Ely and you don't have a...a planning department or afull-service planning
department, then the regional ECICOG makes sense and you would demand more of
those services, um, but if you're...if you're a larger entity, um, if you're Iowa City, if
you're Coralville, you've got your planning departments then, uh, those type of, uh, direct
services you're not necessarily going to be looking for so...
Lombardo/ They are updating the emergency response plan for us, but to me that's something
that we could buy that service, either through them or elsewhere, if we need it.
Bailey/ Are we contracting with them to do that though? They're not just doing that, right?
Lombardo/ Um, I believe we are contracting, but I don't...I don't...off the top of my head...
Bailey/ I mean, but there is a fee for that service, as well, right?
Lombardo/ Yeah, I don't...I believe so, but I'd have to qualify that. I don't know.
Bailey/ Yeah, I...I think that...
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Wright/ If there's a fee, you know, if that's one of the few services we're getting and there's a fee
for it on top of our annual, then no, it's not worth it!
Bailey/ Well, and what Doug explained to me is we couldn't for example not, I mean, if it were a
model like Cedar Rapids, we would still be "members" because the County took care of
the, is taking care of the entire county, and then we could do the fee for service,
whatever, those kinds of things, but if we opt out of participation then that amount isn't
covered in some way, then no, we couldn't buy services from them is...is how it's been
explained to me, and perhaps we should have John and/or Doug come, I mean, if people
are interested in walking through this. I brought it up because I...I think we need to be
very careful about, I mean, it kind of goes with the service prioritization, Imean, what are
we paying for and what are we getting. Well, it's $20,000 of we don't need much service.
Lombardo/ My first inclination (several talking) was to eliminate it from the budget. I'll be
candid, and I was heading down that path...conversations started taking place about the
softer benefits and, you know, it's a matter of time and thinking through it, and I'm like
for $20,000 this is not a can of worms I'm ready to open up yet, because I haven't, you
know, thought through all the details, but from a straight cost for service, I don't feel like
we're getting $20,000 worth of service, and you know, that's a, you know, a third of an
officer or close to it, um...
Wilburn/ There's another couple historical pieces to it, related to what the State, some initiatives
the State made, try to fund and sometimes through the COG's there was, a few years back
in terms of this big economic development push and whether funds would be distributed
through the...the regionalized, uh, COG's or not, and that never really went anywhere,
um, and then back to the thing about the entitlement cities because we are entitlement
cities it doesn't really, so the question would be, does it look like, at least in terms of that
historical piece to it, uh, in terms of, um, structural regional activity, uh, whether
something potentially through the State would be coming through, working through the
regionalized COG's or not, and you could make an argument that since we as a county
function as a region for the county, then maybe we wouldn't be impacted by that.
Bailey/ Marian, you had a comment?
Karr/ Just...John Yapp is going to be here on the 12th because of the ECICOG appointment on
your special formal meeting, right before your budget continues on the 12th. So John's
going to be here so that ECICOG discussion may be...I don't (several talking)
Correial Well, and then I guess the other question might be, what's the minimum amount of a
membership fee that we could make to be able to purchase services like...
Bailey/ It's a population assessment, and that's...this is their model. And so...
Wilburn/ And I wasn't advocating to keep it...I was just trying to point out some of the pieces to
it.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
budget work session meeting of January 10, 2009.
January 10, 2009 City Council Page 112
Bailey/ And I am not for any, I think ECICOG does great work. It's just work that we don't
necessarily need because we have that professional staff in-house, and we're...and
(several talking)
Lombardo/ ...not a judgment call on them.
Bailey/ Right. I just want to be clear, um, I've certainly enjoyed, but...
Wright/ Essentially redundant.
Bailey/ It is quite. Yeah. So, we'll talk about that on Monday. All right, any other things that
heads up for Monday, or um, questions for...we'll have those, those summary pages
tomorrow, right? Monday. Tomorrow's not Monday! (laughter) I just want to skip a
day. Okay, anything else? Thank you all. Thanks, staff. Nice job! Nice job!
Lombardo/ I think this maybe my first budget session where I didn't have a Council Member or
Board Member with a ruler going...wanting to go through line items, so thank you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
budget work session meeting of January 10, 2009.