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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-01-13 Transcription(2)January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 1 Council: Lehman, Champion, Kubby, Norton, O'Donne!l, Thomberry, Vanderhoefi Staff.' Atkins, Helling, Karr, Yucuis, Mansfield. Tapes: 98-11, Side 2; 98-12, all. Budget Discussion 98-11 S2 Lehman/What I would like to be able to do, if we are able to tie things up .....First item on the budget ought to be a new tape recorder for Marian. Okay, questions or comments on the budget as proposed. Karen, do you want to start? Kubby/I want to start with the Animal Control Kennel Assistant (pg. 72). I think they need it...question I have is it is only $14,000 a year. Does that include benefits? Atkins/That is everything, it is a .44. Kubby/So how many nights does that cover? .... I think they need somebody there every night .... Atkins/I would estimate it is 4 hours a night. Norton/Are you following a sequence? Kubby/No .... Lehman/ Arkins/It is approximately a 1/2 time position ....General Fund .... Lehman/If that is all they asked for, I certainly wouldn't be interested in giving them any more. Norton/Is that one that is shared xvith Coralville or not? Is that cost shared? Kubby/ ....Diana said she would advocate and I don't know how the agreement is written .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of Januar3' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 2 Atkins/If we put $14,000 in the Animal Shelter budget .... that is an operational cost and that we have a formula with Coralville that they would share whatever that formula calls for .... Kubby/ Atkins/This $14,000 is the cost. Lehman/l am assuming that there is absolutely nowhere else in our pool of employees that we can draw someone to help out with this. Atkins/It is late night .... Lehman/There is no place where xve got slack where that could beo Atkins/If we were to discover that, then I would have to figure how to reschedule the person... Kubby/Let's do it. Lehman/Do we have consensus on that? Champion/Yes. Norton/Yes. Vanderhoef/ Norton/I was thinking of that cluster of requests: Arts, Friday Night, Jazz, Historical Society and Heritage Trees. I think there were five of them .... Arts is getting $5-; Friday night is getting $5-, Jazz is now getting $5-, Historical is getting what? Vanderhoef/ Atkins/Let me give you kind of a corrected version of that. Arts Festival is S5,000-they want S 10-. Friday Night Concerts were getting $5-, they want S7,500. Heritage Trees is getting $3-, they wanted $4,000 for a three year commitment, S4-/S4-/S4-. The Museum is getting $3- and they want S5-. And the Jazz Fest is getting $5- plus we paid for the porta-potties, S460.00 and they want- my notes show $15,000 to S20,000. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 3 Norton/I am proposing Arts goes fi-om $5- to $6-; Friday Night from S5- to $6-; Historical Society from S3- to $4-; Heritage Trees from $3- to $4- but no longer term commitment .... going up $1,000 for each of those ....I am uncertain about Jazz .... Lehman/If you look at percentages .... Kubby/Heritage Trees has done a great job ...fundraising... Norton/...importance of trees in this town. I think we are getting a bargain. Kubby/The work that they are doing is doing the survey work for the City Forester to know where to do maintenance, where to do replantings .... Norton/Have an inventory on our trees .... That is just a proposal, $1,000 each. I would prefer to do more for Jazz but I don't want to get out ofsynch. Vanderhoef/Heritage Tree thing... we have the PIN grants going out... doing a lot of things with trees... When it is specifically neighborhoods, I would like to see Heritage go and make their case to the neighborhood for PIN money. Kubby/...except they are doing slightly different things .... Heritage... doing things all around the city .... Neighborhoods are going in a planting stuff.... Vanderhoef/They are also doing things in the neighborhood with historical preservation... may be a way to encourage more neighborhoods to get involved as neighborhoods .... through the PIN grants... It may be appropriate to do that. We have some neighborhoods getting a tremendous amount of resources put into their neighborhoods because they are active and asking. Norton/...still seems to me the Heritage Tree thing is a contribution to the community as a whole... We are talking $5,000 for five outfits here .... Kubby/When you look at events that bring people in... DTA Friday Night... people are starting to come in on Friday night and the weekend.. It is also a big economic development thing .... Jazz Fest is a huge event. Lehman/I spoke to Kathy .... I would be- I am not interested in furthering the Friday Night Concerts unless the DTA are willing to match whatever we give them. She is enthused about that. If we were to give them their S2500, they would increase This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January. 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 4 their contributions for the downtown community by an equal amount. And if they didn't, they ~vouldn't get it. I think it is fair. Kubby/I would be okay with that for the Friday Night Concerts and... have an increase of $1,000 for the Friday Night Series with the condition that it is matched. Lehman/I ~vould do the $2500 and see to it that the downtown people matched that. Kubby/But they don't need that much. Lehman/I think their total budget... talking about trying to do Sundays as well. Kubby/ ....l think we should do $1,000 and they do S 1,000 .... Norton/ Lehman/ Vanderhoef/There are a lot of volunteers. Lehman/We are talking about spending time on real small numbers .... Kubby/I think Jazz should be higher. Thomberry/...got up there $21,710 and they are proposing a $25,000 increase. Kubby/None of us are talking about that. Thornberry/...to justify each increase .... I think some are probably more important than others. Some bring in more people. Lehman/Some of a better ability to raise money than others on their own. Kubby/I think we should go up at least $2,000 for the Ja77 Fest ....good publicity for our community nationally. Norton/ Thomberry/Increase Jazz $2- and the rest $1- Kubby/With no long term commitments to Heritage. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa CiD' council meeting of Janua~' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 5 Lehman/I frankly feel Friday night concert do more overall for do~vntown than Jazz Fest does .... run entire summer .... Champion/The thing about Friday Night Series... who it brings downtown... Jazz Festival is a weekend thing .... Downtown thing ... community effort. Norton/Let's go to $75- with the Friday Night and ask them to match. Lehman/Contingent on them matching. Vanderhoef/Do you want to give them the whole 52500? Norton/And ask them to match it. Kubby/I say do half of the increase and match the other half because that is what they said they need to do the increase .... Champion/Karen has a good point, if they only need $2,500 to do the Sunday Concert Series. If we give them the $1,250 and then they can match .... Norton/They ask for $7500. Lehman/I don't know that they said $2,500 is what they needed... Another biggie to talk about later... renovation of downtown... Vanderhoef/I will go the Sl,250. Atkins/Let me read you a letter, "We very much appreciate the City's past contribution of $5,000 for the Concerts and would like to ask you for S7,500 for 1998. If funding is available, we would like to expand the concert to include some Sunday afternoon concerts to bring more people downtown." I think it is implied in the $7,5000, some Sundays. Kubby/They... wanted to just do some... So you got three people for $1,250. Norton/But we are making that contingent on a match and not others. Lehman/Make it contingent .... Thomberry/When is their cut-off?.... How long do they have to- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 6 Kubby/No date. They can show us that they have done it. Champion/ ....they should know soon. Norton/Don't they already get some contributions from downtown? Champion/The collection for that is now, so they should know soon. Norton/But don't they already get some contributions from downtown? This is my concern. Vanderhoef/Above and beyond what they have done before. Lehman/We want merchants to increase their contributions. Atkins/The letter said the budget for now is $15,000. Norton/Give them $1,500 and urge them to match .... How do you work that otherwise? Kubby/They are trusp, vorthy people. They tell you they matched it... Lehman/That is true .... Up to a certain amount, you match whatever they raise in increased contributions .... O'Donnell/Give them $1,250. Champion/Give them $1,250 .... Norton/Give them $1,250 and encourage them to match it. Council/(All talking). Lehman/$1,250, write it down, and that is matching funds. Champion/No matching funds. Norton/Encourage to match. Council/(All talking). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cid' council meeting of Januar? 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 7 Thomberry/I xvant participation ....It is bringing people downtoxvn. Lehman/$1,250 is nothing. There is no reason they can't match that .... Kubby/So $6,000 for Arts? Lehman/One of the things the Arts people said... was for safety and sanitation ....We are basically providing both except for a guard at night .... Thornberry/I asked about the porta-potties, they said no, we did not provide. Atkins/No, we didn't do it for them. Thornberry/ ....they would like to have them. Lehman/What is the cost of providing those things? Arkins/Porta-potties are about $500.00. Kubby/Theirs is a multi-day event. Lehman/Do we not take care of the clean-up? .... Arkins/The Jazz Fest and Arts folks are really pretty good about organizing... They have got volunteers... Lehman/Arts? Norton/56- Champion/$6- Lehman/$6,000, all right. Champion/ Lehman/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City. council meeting of January 13, 1998 ~VS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 8 Atkins/We budgeted $7,500 in that account misc. thinking that we were having a number of other downtown activities ....additional funds in that account ....diminishes your flexibility .... Lehman/Heritage Trees. Arkins/What did you do in Arts? Lehman/$1,000. Trees? Kubby/Go up S 1,000, no long term commitment .... The amount that they have raised from last year to this year... huge leverage .... Norton/$18,000 in two different categories .... donation in hand to cover professional arborists fees in Manville Heights Survey... S15,000 for Sieberling Grove. Lehman/ Norton/S 1,000. Champion/$1,000. Lehman/What about Heritage Museum? Norton/$1,000. Lehman/The Museum we increased from $2,000 to $3,000 a couple of years ago. Atkins/I think you are in the third year of that $3,000 ....We finished the third, now it is a new proposal .... Lehman/We are recommending $1,000. is that what I hear? Norton/Yes. How about the Ja?z Fest.? Norton/$2- Kubby/A couple to grand. Lehman/All right, 52-. That is done. What is next? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cid' council meeting of Janua~' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 9 Kubby/Is money... are we taking that out of the 5;7,500? Atkins/Personally, because I would hate to see you cut into the 5;7,500 too much .... We are going to want some sort of .... Kubby/I think we should take half from that pot and half new. Lehman/Jazz, DTA and Arts Fest are downtown events .... Atkins/ Norton/Let's proceed and figure out where to take it later. Vanderhoef/Tell me xvhat this 5;75- is? Atkins/$7,500 was put in our Downtown Community Affairs Account .... appropriated but not earmarked a particular activity .... February a winter festival .... small budget... see how it goes .... kind of a fallback for covering some of these costs .... Parks and Recreation sponsoring some noon time activities .... General Fund. Norton/We xvill worry about it later. Kubby/ ....Cedar Rapids ....Their Winter Festival is not happening this year. Champion/After last night, did we only have 5; 100,000 allocated for the downtown? Atkins/We had in the capital budget we had approximately... without Iowa Avenue, you have approximately $325,000 moneys that have been appropriated... intended at the time... carry-over: 5; 100,000 for playground equipment and about $200- for other downtown plaza improvements. Champion/If we decided to go ahead- Atkins/$3.5 million? Champion/Right .... Where does that money come from? Atkins/You will have to come up with a source of funds .... capital decisions .... frees up indebtedness and you still stay within your existing tax policy .... There is money available .... Example, $900,000 in GO debt ...Hwy 6... You made a decision we are going to do a study the first year. That creates that as an available source of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cit3' council meeting of January. 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 10 funds ....You could apply that anywhere you want or you could choose not to do it at all. Vanderhoef/ .... maintenance of downtown. You are talking about putting it out as a capital project of GO bonds? Arkins/To buy street lights... limestone. Vanderhoef/ Atkins/Maintenance things... $5,000 for trees... brick replacement... We budget that routinely every year... Lehman/The budget is $278,000 for maintenance of the plaza. Vanderhoef/The capital outlay number that you have got is $20,000 for CBD. Atkins/Operating accounts some misc. moneys also .... page 65. Norton/Downtmvn improvements... debt .... Arkins/We would have to work that through... capital investment... Kubby/ ....say this is the project we want... financing... Arkins/With no Mormon Trek sidewalk and postpone H~vy 6, you create Sl million. Simple numbers. Lehman/I think when we get to CIP, talk about that more. Norton/How come Aid to Agencies went down? .... Kubby/It is not down. It is up 4.3% Atkins/The contingency is down. Kubby/ Thomberry/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of Janua~' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 11 Kubby/We are meeting tomorrow and we will have for the 29th a complete report to you to tear apart. Atkins/Page 60. Norton/It is also page 27. Yucuis/If you look at the contingency line ....FY98, there is $20,420. That is actually 2-3 years of carry-over .... Kubby/For emergencies .... Norton/It would be as though you take $20,000 offof the $413- then you would have a coherent bottom-line. Yucuis/About $15- Norton/You would see a progression them .... Thornberry/I am not on the Emergency Management Committee but xve are allocating money in contingency for something that could happen .... I like to have a cushion there in case something does happen. Kubby/Red Cross .... they have disaster sen, ices planning down. Thornberry/ Norton/We may face a request for an increase from Emergency Management .... Lehman/ Kubby/I want us to talk about the Parkland Acquisition Fund because it is a real shift in policy to say we are going to squirrel money away .... trend over time .... buses and fire trucks... slowly getting away from that, saying we are going to debt and that costs you more in interests. We are doing the same thing in Parkland Acquisition, diverting that $45,000 per year to the General Fund from the Hotel/Motel Tax to Mercer Park gym staff.... So it means xve have to borrow for parkland .... I guess I really want to hear from the Commission before we bless that change of policy. Atkins/I met with Matt Pacha and Rex Pruss... Terry .... They are meeting tomorrow night. I said I strongly encourage them to prepare a recommendation for you .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cit3' council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 12 Kubby/Tricky on your part to say it is for the Mercer Park Gymnasium .... Lehman/Parkland Dedication Ordinance maintains the stock ofparkland .... Vanderhoef/It was squirreled away originally during that time period we were writing the Neighborhood Organization Policy .... Once we got the dedication .... When the Neighborhood Open Space Plan was adopted then, that allowed those dollars to be available more for this higher ticket only for the inner city... where we don't have any parkland... The plan... tells you exactly where there is deficiencies... Kubby/Having that pot of money growing .... Parks and Rec has borrowed from that policy... that gives them some flexibility as well.. Where Steve, will that flexibility come from in the future? .... Vanderhoef/ Arkins/I reminded them that 4°5 years ago when I proposed borrowing from that fund to pay for a couple of projects, the Commission was not thrilled ....with that idea .... pay it back. Vanderhoef/They have never received the interest off of their money. Atkins/ .... As far as the flexibility is concerned... We would just simple have to go to the either a General Fund Reserve ....Probably recommend to you the S400,000 existing in that account- Norton/Stays. Atkins/Leave it in. Ifyou have a major purchase, let's say over $100,00, then I would go to either borrowing .... Vanderhoef/ .... Willow Creek Trails... having to get easements through .... Neighborhood Open Space Plan, parkland can be linear... There ~vouldn't be any reason in my mind that that money couldn't be used for the trail either. Arkins/Let the record show that that was your idea. Vanderhoef/l understand that ....that was the vision ....We could possibility get trails through there .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Ci~~ council meeting of Janua~, 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 13 Atkins/ Vanderhoef/ Lehman/We are going to get a report back from them. Atkins/They are meeting tomorrow. Norton/I would like to ask- Atkins/If for some reason you choose not to do that, remind you that shortens the General Fund .... Norton/Are xve in any difficulty in the Fire Department? I see them asking for three fire fighters .... Using same force that we used in 1902, whatever the date was. Atkins/Our Fire Department has a compliment of personnel that has not changed in 10- 15 years. The incidents, the calls have changed in volume but the characteristics ofthe calls .... more EMS related... Andy is working on a master plan... We will have to consider a new fire station ....sometime in next five years ....First Avenue Extended... area of greatest exposure ....Development out there ....quality of our equipment... real good with that .... Kubby/ ....new fire station also means new fire trucks. Atkins/One of the things that Andy is thinking about is do we need to go to a different strategy .... multiple locations...? Norton/I was concerned that 65% ... in emergencies .... three vehicles there ....Sometimes I worry... overkill... Atkins/I think we provide such a superior emergency response. I would be very cautious in recommending to you any kind of change. What do we do .... dispatch an ambulance... pumper... usually a police car. So you have 6 people there .... Kubby/ Atkins/I think our service is so far superior to anybody else in Johnson County. Our people are there. Norton/ ....also reduced the number of runs you have to make... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cid' council meeting of Janua~' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 14 Arkins/You will find... working fires... the numbers have gone doxvn dramatically .... education... whole variety of issues .... accidents, hazardous materials. Our folks are getting far better training ....There are other options ....We use our own people .... Norton/Put on the agenda .... Andy... have a chance to tell us. When Coralville, when the Mall comes on the scene, are they going to want a fire contract for support? Atkins/I sent them a letter a year ago making them an offer .... that a joint response made a lot of sense to me .... They are eventually going to have to go to full-time services and they have not made that step yet ..... We can provided some services that would help back them up .... We have mutual aid .... Their EMS response is different from ours. They dispatch police and the ambulance .... O'Donnell/Doesn't Coralville also do Sunrise Trailer Court clear on the other side of Iosva City? Atkins/I have heard that ....unusual. Norton/We have mutual aids... You are going to see a new one for hazardous material .... 28Es to share hazardous materials ....It is a big operation. It needs to be looked at comprehensively. Atkins/Andy is working on that comprehensive strategy .... I am assuming we want to put together a fire master plan. Kubby/There is a proposal in here for a confined space vehicle to consolidate the two vehicles. We just bought those vehicles or got those two vehicles. Atkins/We had a van given to us by the University .... it is not sufficient .... Kubby/ Atkins/ ....they aren't big enough to carry everything .... Kubby/They are providing OSHA regulated selwices to the University to construction crexvs .... Atkins/We are meeting with private industry now .... Private industry has to declare who their responder... They can choose to do it internally .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 15 Norton/There might be some resources to come along, too. Kubby/The Civic Center and Police second floor, we are going to come back to that. Lehman/I have got a question for Marian. What is a jukebox? Karr/It is for the imaging and scanning equipment (can't hear). Lehman/In other words, it is not a jukebox. Thank you. Karr/ Lehman/ O'Donnell/l read in the paper we are cutting our Boy's Baseball. We are cutting funds from their $3200. Atkins/The Parks and Recreation Commission had proposed and there are three programs, Mike. One of them was Boy's Baseball. It was like $1100 each .... Softball, Babe Ruth and Boy's Baseball. Kubby/And they were all okayed. O'Donnell/It just seems like we are cutting. We are going to close the pool early and charge more money and cut a score keeper and cut $3300. I didn't know- Champion/ .... They did point out to me that they don't give money into soccer, they don't give money to swim clubs .... Thomberry/ ....they weren't unhappy with it. Arkins/The Parks and Rec Commission are really very good about it. They get down to the nickels and dimes .... they work very hard at that 45% policy .... Terry and I arrived at the same time and the Recreation Division had serious financial trouble and Terry turned that around ....they have really stuck to it. Lehman/I have a question on Neighborhood Services, page 62. Capital outlay... one program to improve neighborhoods, $25,000. Yucuis/PIN Grants. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa CiD' council meeting of January. 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 16 Lehman/Then move down to the next one... 5120,000 for land acquisition. Kubby/There is a bunch in the community development for land acquisition. Atkins/Most of those are match moneys that we have to identify in the budget for HOME related projects. We have to showy that as a match. We have always used land acquisition as an account. I mentioned to you the other evening about being able to cover the cost of the Community Housing Forum. That was what I was talking about (can't hear). Kubby/There is S30,000 in that budget for capital outlay that was requested that you did not recommend. What was that for?...community development non-grant, page 62. Yucuis/We had talked to Karin Franklin about scaling back. Do we need the full 5150,000 or can we scale it back to $120,000. Kubby/So the match is smaller .... Karin and Planning has 530,000 for a consultant for the Peninsula. And when we spoke at an informal meeting about it in December, she threw out the figure 550-. has it gone up since budget went into you or is 530- going to do it? Atkins/I have 531,000 for consultant service is what she had recommended. Norton/I never thought that was enough. Atkins/ ....page 61, it goes from $71- to 557- Lehman/That is one... that is her best guess. Page 114, we got a snowblower for 5137,000. CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-12 SIDE I Lehman/You don't want snow packed pile up next to the runway. Other thing I question there, two things .... What is an L/F impactor? Atkins/Landfill. The big thing with the huge tires, spikes that run over and crush and smash everything. Lehman/$405,000. That is self-propelled .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Ioxva City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 17 Atkins/There is a guy ....It is a huge piece of equipment. Lehman/Another item- $568,000 for two bulldozer class.- Arkins/Those are probably all Landfill ....expensive. Kubby/That all comes from landfill monies .... no increases slated for that. Arkins/We set aside money over the years. Lehman/Aside from Landfill, we don't o~vn bulldozers? Atkins/We have a grader... bobcat...front-end loaders. Lehman/ Vanderhoef/While you are on that same page, page 114, the recycle trucks. Do these trucks have any more capabilities for sorting? Atkins/No really .... Usually when we buy these things... take the unit off and buy a new unit ....chassis will remain. This must be a comprehensive replacement at that cost. Vanderhoef/That is three of them. Kubby/So what do we do if we expand the materials at curbside ..... ? Arkins/ ....probably use our reserve packer .....for boxes ....all it was was cardboard .... What xve would do .... Ifxve do go to expand that ....have to rethink some ofthe equipment .... Kubby/Will we not go out for bid on these until we have made our landfill decisions? Arkins/I don't know the timetable on these. These are not to be purchased until July. Kubby/Let's make a note to not go out to bid until we make out policy statement. Norton/Can you explain... telecommunications area, page 96-97 .... I am thinking about the move of PATV out of the Library and I don't quite understand where the horses are going to come from. Ho~v they are going to finance a relocation? l am This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 18 curious about what we are planning with that cable re-franchising, that $200,000, that sits there burning a hole in my pocket .... Lehman/It was just in conjunction with the renewal franchise agreement that there was a lump sum payment .... Helling/They all kind of dovetail together because xve had looked at in anticipating not only the move of Channel 4, these offices from this building, but also PATV out of the Library. We looked at a joint facility .... local access facility. That is what we had hoped to use the $200,000 for plus some other funds... to buy something .... better for us and the operation to maintain some equity because when you go out and rent... commercial space, your money disappears very rapidly .... Also money set aside in the pass-through, as part of the new franchise agreement .... all that is to go toxvards some sort of a joint facility to purchase .... PATV is funded separately. The cable company allocates so much per year to them besides franchise fee and pass through and all of that. We will be sending them a check this week, $161,000 for the 1998- The money just passes through US. Norton/The $.50 pass through and the franchise fee. Then there is S200,000 sitting in the kitty .... There is no chance they can all go into the Senior Center? .... Helling/If space were available in the Senior Center, it would be a wonderful location. Kubby/If we do expanded library/cultural center .... Why did we spend all this energy for our our cable office and PATV to find a space that we might own?...then move them again .... Why not delay the ICN room, maybe delay not kicking our cable t.v. folks out of the second floor, at least to wait to see if the referendum gets passed? Then if it does pass and we decide do we want to lease space and then move to a permanent space. If it doesn't pass, then get them together .... Helling/I understand the library has a very narrow window. Champion/Is the interactive room being paid for by the state? .... Helling/The state will pay them so much money to bring them in if they do it within a certain time frame. The other thing, we looked at that... library.. expended areas to the west. Then we look ahead .... a year to referendum... at least a couple of years before anything could be actually occupied... looking 3-4 years down the road .... library needs that space and in terms of the offices here...policy question... get Assisted Housing here... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cid' council meeting of Januar3' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 19 Vanderhoef/ .... I had conversations with the library about ICN. I did more research in the city about where ICN is available and ..... There are four locations that appear not to be utilized that much. That includes that three at the school district and the one at the armory. University has some different kinds of policies and there is one of their channels... allowed to use that channel. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/It belongs to the public. All we have to do is call and schedule. There are two ways to do the scheduling with the school district and you can call down here and check at the Board office or you can schedule through the state office. There is one at Kirkwood... very full... That one is more restricted. What l am also learning about ICN is that even though there may be a neutral space for a group of teachers .... Does not mean that necessarily it will be piped into the Iowa City School District. You still may drive to Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids... the way the funding goes and the xvay they are charged is so much per hour .... School District charges $12.50 per hour plus another S5.00 per hour ICN hook-up that goes to the state. Personally for me right no~v, to consider putting ICN into the library and on our budget is about $75,000 .... above and beyond the grant money, I think it is premature to consider putting ICN in when I cannot see at this point a need within our geographic boundaries. Champion/I disagree with you .... I don't think most people understand how those classrooms work and how effective they are .... I think it is a matter of educating the public ....more accessible it is ....They are very effective... I think the time to do it is now... bargain at that price ....I think it is nice to be ahead of the need .... simply the central location makes it very desirable. Vanderhoef/Having it available ... at the Board Office ....it is in the Board Office. Lehman/My question is... library... constraints ....PATV... moving out ....ICN occupies a space that really should be used for library ....is the tradeoff worth it for ICN when the library is so constrained the way it is. That is my only question .... Vanderhoef/My concern is that first floor .... Lehman/ Kubby/ ....the library is a real center .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 20 Norton/ ....library would be a great place .... Vanderhoef/Any new building that we do... to make arrangements for ICN in that building .... At this point in time, to take that space .... Children's area .... keep talking about stroller grid lock... This is first floor space. I am with Ernie on this that until we get our space needs for library needs taken care of, I think this is one thing that can wait awhile .... Champion/What is the price if you wait? .... Vanderhoef/The price for me right now is it is too high .... I agree with you... definitely education for the public .... In my conversation with people at the School District, they are very aware... that people don't know about it very much yet. I think working together with the library... between the School District and the Library to use these rooms more effectively .... Kubby/Is there any constraint on the state grant money .... wire that space but maybe not rehab it for ICN yet? .... move faster later .... Vanderhoef/Leaving PATV sit for a while until we get everything lined up .... Kubby/That space for ICN is great because there is a separate door .... Vanderhoef/ Norton/ ....that could become a right place for a combined t.v. center. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/But xve don't have a design of where things would go in that building, so where would you xvire it in? Kubby/ Norton/ Kubby/Can we find out that question about if you have to redo the room and use it within a certain period of time or if we can just wire the room? Vanderhoef/Or can we just bring it up to the library and not necessarily put it into a room. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January. 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 21 Atkins/Deb, did you get a note of that? Norton/This started with a budget question, Ernie. How are we going to get $200,000? Is there anything in here that is being sent down... back off. Now PATV is planning to move. Helling/Because the library has told them to move. Norton/There are going to be expenses. Kubby/They are a non-profit. We are not responsible for paying for PATV to move .... Norton/But there are no chances to consolidate under these circumstances? Kubby/Yeah, we are talking about a joint facility .... for both PATV and Channel 4 .... At this point, are there four people who are not interested in ICN .... ? Norton/l am not ready today .... could we come back to it? Lehman/We may need some more information. Norton/Yes and talk to the library a little. Lehman/Is there any other questions or comments about the budget? Kubby/I have a couple of more. The Personnel Assistant for S40,000. I don't have a page number .... I don't really understand the need for that... What they would be doing that is not being done now. Helling/That I something we proposed for several years. The primary thing that person would be doing ....coordination and planning of inservice training ....in-house inservice training for our employees ....anything you do training for ....safety .... customer relations... training of our supervisors ....variety of things ....ADA compliance .... Norton/Who does it now? Helling/A lot of the inservice training we are not doing. Thornberry/ ....department manager .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cid' council meeting of Janua~' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 22 Atkins/We do it on a decentralized basis .... with laws and changes in legislation, the liability is organizational .... ! don't see in the horizon that we will add many employees... work very hard at how do I improve the productivity .... I don't think we could go wrong with putting a substantial amount of money into training and education of your employee. Norton/ Atkins/ ....couldn't afford it last year .... Norton/ Atkins/ ....this is the employee and how do I make them more productive .... I think you need to have a coordinated policy. Helling/ ....put out brush fires .... Lehman/ Kubby/ ....ICAD ....especially the article in paper that their new focus is recruiting skilled workers ....I don't want to just bring more skilled xvorkers to the area ....need to focus on training of people that are here .... to fill in local need of employers... Atkins/I can assure you that the thrust of ICAD was that workforce development .... We have got to get people trained in these things .... Kubby/Article was that they were going to recruit people from other places to move here .... Champion/Workfair for local people .... combination... Atkins/Statewide policies... thriving economy and aging population and there is disproportionate numbers. We are having trouble attracting people... How can we take our current workforce and boost those skills .... challenge for ICAD. Kubby/I am not sure it is appropriate for the Iowa City City Council to be giving this .... that 25% of their budget should come from us. I think we should go down a little bit .... Norton/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 23 Thomberry/We could increase our participation to DARE. Lehman/I think ~ve have a strong commitment to economic development .... We are now looking at a sizable development on north side of the airport .... We are really sending a lousy message if we cut our funding to the organization... primary purpose to help attract business .... timing is terrible and the message is worse. Thornberry/l agree with that. Kubby/You have got a growing Coralville and North Liberty. Are their contributions increasing? .... The region should be paying. Are they keeping up? Atkins/I don't know what the other cities are paying .... Lehman/I know there is significant development that has taken place outside of Iowa City .... employees live in this community .... development in this area... benefits Iowa City. Norton/Okay leave it in there. Thornberry/ ....we are trying to increase our industrial base .... Norton/We have never gotten proper accounting either in my judgment. Lehman/I won't argue xvith that either. Norton/Do you think we have gotten the proper accounting with them? Lehman/l am becoming very interested in being on their board. Norton/I assume that relates to good accounting. Okay. Champion/ Lehman/Are you serious about DARE, Dean? Thomberry/No. Norton/Okay. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 24 Champion/Isn't DARE coming up on a work session in the future? Kubby/It is on the pending list. Norton/A discussion on Police. Atkins/We have a session scheduled on Police issues. I thought DARE was separate from that .... Vanderhoef/It was Larry's issue .... Lehman/ Kubby/Future money issue .... begin... franchise agreement with Mid-American. I am interested in having and exploring a franchise fee with them. It is silly that we don't. They are using our r.o.w. Same is true with the telephone companies, too .... I would be interested in learning more about what that means .... make a decision whether to direct our legal staff to head in that direction .... Lehman/Deregulation... will that change the franchise?... Atkins/Deregulation is a federal issue .... implications... being dealt with by the state... r.o.w. management is r.o.w. management. We have certain rights .... We are going to be bringing back to you .... franchise negotiation strategy .... I don't think the Iowa legislature is going to give us as much latitude as some of the other states do... legal changes... basic research... that has to comeback to you .... Kubby/ ....what about the telephone company? Atkins/I don't know .... seems to me that if they use our r.o.w, they are under the same obligation as electric. Helling/We will be coming back to you very soon, the Legislative Committee in particular .... Legislation introduced before the Iowa legislature this year .... tries to pull rug out from under local authorities in terms of any kind of compensation for r.o.w ....Leagues high priorities this year ....You will be hearing a lot more about that. Thomberry/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 25 Atkins/We have an agreement for 15 years that was adopted in '86 .... timing is getting close... does require a referendum .... the agreement .... Kubby/ Thomberry/ Norton/I had a question, page 45, Authorized Personnel Listing Full Time Equivalents. Under sewer connection, north and south plant, we have gone from 3 to 5 .... Atkins/Two new inspectors that we are going to hire... managing those construction projects during the life of the project .... approved those already .... We show them in this account ....When we finish up ....Willow Creek... addition to South Treatment Plant ....Water Plant ....strictly charged to each project and the employee is there for the life of the project. Norton/ Atkins/In-house supervision, fight .... Norton/ Vanderhoef/ Atkins/ Kubby/Next page is a list of positions requested and funded and maybe we should just go through those .... The Kennel Assistant is now taken out of the not funded .... I was worried about the emergency dispatcher... I don't have any figures on number of calls coming in... what the burden is on current dispatchers .... Atkins/This is a part-time position ....We have cross-trained our CSO's ....I feel comfortable with this one. Thomberry/How many lines are there for 911 calls? Atkins/I will find out for you. Thomberry/ ....I have never gotten a busy signal .... Atkins/ ....if line gets jammed, it rolls over to the county immediately .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 26 Norton/Is there a sunset clause on the Library Levy? Arkins/No .... Norton/What are the permitted uses of Tort Liability levy? Atkins/Insurance. Vanderhoeff Atkins/Employee Benefits is disability, life, health, dental. This is property, casualties. Kubby/Does it include our Law Enforcement liability? Atkins/Yes. Norton/You have shuffled some funds. Atkins/What I did is the Tort Liability...expense .... traditionally been charged against the General Fund... By charging a portion against the new Tort Liability... begins to open up the money .... Norton/You are going to have to help me understand the M & E numbers .... On page 23, you show M & E replacement... FY99 includes $714,000 in M & E revenues. Where is that $714-? Yucuis/The S714- would be part of your property tax revenues. Norton/ ....little state replacement... We don't even see it. Yucuis/State and federal funding, M & E Replacement, page 24 .... Norton/$72,000. Atkins/But the number goes up .... Norton/Where is the S89,000 state credit? .... deal with it privately. Deb Mansfield/Basically the way it is happening right now is you have got a taxable portion of M & E and so the state has a number that says okay, we are going to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 27 take total property taxes at this value and as that value goes down, we will give you state credit. It keeps your revenue base at a certain level up until the year 2002. So right now we have a property tax credit from them of S89,000 and we are getting a good chunk of property taxes from the businesses, the M & E. Then that number gets- Norton/The $714- as that tax part goes down. Mansfield/As it starts shifting, then the M & E credit gets bigger from the state and the property taxes get smaller from the businesses. Then the year 2002, they are both done. Norton/Okay .... Kubby/Page 57, Central procurement, there is a difference of. 14 employees .... Yucuis/There are two part-timers at the Info Desk and we extended a few minutes on each end so they could overlap a little bit .... Kubby/In Treasury on the next page there is a .26. Yucuis/We did the same thing at the Cashiers. They are also two positions... overlap .... able to do a lot better of keeping things running smoothly. Atkins/Our coverage has changed .... Yucuis/We are open 8:00 to 5:00 .... morning person comes in at 7:45 and the afternoon person to 5:15 .... Kubby/It is better for customer service. Norton/What is Police accreditation costing us? Atkins/We did not put in a fee. We have an officer who is going to be taking us through accreditation policy. Lehman/Is he going to be doing that internally? Atkins/Yes. Norton/But that means shifting an officer from someplace? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cit3' council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 28 Kubby/Not full-time... Thomberry/Do they have to get specialized training from somewhere else? Atkins/Not really ....just the task of... getting the things done .... Kubby/The officer did go to some training. Norton/So some portion of his time is taken? Atkins/Yes. Norton/Could we have a person in house that could be certified... go somewhere else and do that? Arkins/I expect you could .... Norton/He is just a data gatherer inside? Atkins/ Norton/Seems mildly incestuous. Lehman/You have a way with words. Arkins/The policies themselves are spelled out in the accreditation. Karr/The other thing, if I could insert... another city, West Des Moines, who just went through the process...very eager to work with us .... They have gone through it .... Lehman/Two things... I really would like to have a police dog. Arkins/A canine unit. Thomberry/We talked about that last year. Arkins/You parked it, set it aside. Lehman/I watched in T.V. last week .... Cedar Rapids... I just think it is a tremendous asset .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa Cit3' council meeting of Januao' 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 29 Norton/We just called the sheriff. I think it is part of the xvhole package of police issues .... Council/(All talking). Lehman/There is no interest on the part of council? Norton/I thought that when we talk police issues .....visit the canine unit among other things. Champion/ Lehman/This is just generally .... we decided that we would do some basic maintenance sort of things xvith debt... a little concerned that we don't finance too many maintenance projects with capital improvements budget. Atkins/What I try to do... sensitive to the maintenance issue. We try to use our capital for the purposes of creating a capital asset and or improving upon an existing one... judgmental ....invest in the municipal plant ....done a good job on it. I do xvatch that .... Thornberry/...always an added cost... maintenance... staffing... in the long term .... Lehman/ Atkins/ ....expanding our inventory of streets .... Thomberry/We just have to watch what we do .... on-going administration. Atkins/ Vanderhoef/One of the things is xvhen xve move all of this into capital GO bonds...I want to be sure that the things that we are doing with our General Fund are not going to be things end up being put over into capital .... Champion/Give an example... Vanderhoef/The debt, therefore freeing up dollars in the General Fund .... Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January. 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 30 CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-12 SIDE 2 Vanderhoef/Things that we have traditionally paid for out of the General Fund are now going into bonds. Norton/Tradeoff.... between past tax payers and future tax payers .... you spread those costs onto the future tax payers... a real tradeoff... balance those two... Atkins/You try to measure what is the fixed assert I'm creating ....enjoyed by future generations... they should be paying .... Vanderhoef/Credit card kind of approach to all of this ....instead of paying as we go... Kubby/ ....there is responsible use of the credit card ....We are only at 45% of our allowable... responsible use of that bonding. Norton/I threw the library in there and we could be at 60% of that. Thomberry/We made a conscious decision to keep our debt load... reasonable... Kubby/ ....additional operations of library... become even tighter... suggestion every year... need a full institutional game plan for efficiency ..... Thomberry/...TEAM .... Kubby/ ....it is not happening ....suggestions on how to save some money .... Helling/ ....Personnel position ....training ....advantages ....communication .... Kubby/I would like council to direct staff that when that person gets on-line ....there be a push in that direction .... Lehman/I would have to think... our supervisors actively encourage people...doing things more efficiently. Kubby/...incentives .... Norton/ Thornberry/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 3 ! Norton/This new person can help look at that question .... I have a question about Employee Benefits levy .... page 18 .... $3,130,000 or something like. On page 24 I see it at $3,639- Am I reading wrong? Yucuis/They are two different things. Page 18 is property taxes that will go into the Employee Benefits Fund .... page 101. FY99 Employee Benefits levy at $3,130- the revenue from that is in FY99 on page 101 .... The money that you see on page 24 for Employee Benefits is- There is a transfer of expenses on page 101 which goes out of Employee Benefits and goes into the General Fund .... Kubby/Page 93, Landfill Perpetual Care. That is not the Landfill closure fund. Is that grounds keeping for closed down cells? Norton/Mandated? Kubby/This is not the closure fund .... Yucuis/Correct. Norton/Closure reserve? Kubby/You want money there .... Council/(All talking). Lehman/We are getting close to 6:00... a number of CIP things... got to address them .... I would suggest that if we have another questions about the general budget, that between now and our next meeting... we really need to try to find out on our own... bring to the meeting... I think we got through this pretty thoroughly... questions .... I would like to see us discuss capital improvements .... Keep in mind is this downtown revitalization thing ....need to decide what... to what degree, how we stage it... Atkins/ Kubby/In that February meeting, will we have Iowa Avenue in front of us at the same time? Atkins/Close call .... Kubby/That would be helpful. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398 January 13, 1998 Council Work Session-Budget page 32 Norton/I need one last piece... when do we talk capital improvements next? Lehman/I think we have talked this budget. Anything we have not resolved .... bring back on 29th. On 29th.. primary focus... CIP ....focus on some projects in progress .... adjustments .... Norton/ Atkins/Thanks ..... Meeting adjourned: 6:00 PM This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 13, 1998 WS011398