09-05-2017 Council Work Session Minutes

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CITY COUNCIL WORD SESSION September 5, 2017 V WMAMa]L 127 Replacement Timeline). Mayor Reinert said he's maybe looking for more 128 comprehensive information. He is hearing that the council is unanimously dedicated to 129 funding in the 2018 budget; a plan could come forward in parallel with funding set aside. 130 131 Council Member Kusterman added that the Park Board should have a role as well. 132 133 Mayor Reinert remarked that the Public Services Director has much of the information 134 already and he could decide if he can put it (a plan) together or if he'd like to bring 135 someone in. The council concurred. 136 137 Finance Director Cotton reviewed the written report on the preliminary 2018 budget. 138 She noted the adjustments to the budget that have occurred based on past council 139 discussion. She has updated as well the calculation for fiscal disparities, anticipated 140 2017 surplus (Ms. Cotton has gone over the 2017 budget line by line and is confident in 141 the number presented). 142 143 Mayor Reinert noted that the general fund levy is increasing by 11 % and the overall levy 144 increase is lower but that is related to debt service payoffs. 145 146 City Administrator Karlson further noted that staff has included some suggestions to 147 utilize surplus funds. 148 149 Council Member Kusterman said his preference would be to set up contributions to 150 investments in the future rather than spending the surplus funds on one-time projects. 151 152 The council discussed the possibility of dedicating some of the $300,000 budget surplus 153 to the previously discussed park plan. Mayor Reinert said he'd be supportive but would 154 like to see the plan come forward first. Council Member Rafferty noted that the city plan 155 for paths is just as important as parks because they serve an element of the city's 156 population. 157 158 Council Member Kusterman noted that staff has mentioned the possibility of funding 159 development of the rec land and he'd like to hear more about that; he thinks that an area 160 that serves the city and is that large could be good for the future of the city and create 161 excitement for both the north and south side of the city. 162 163 Public Services Director DeGardner noted that, with recent discussion of the rec land as a 164 possible location of a new water tower, staff has been looking at a preliminary basic 165 master plan for the land so that if a tower project occurred, the city could take advantage 166 of grading and other work to plan for future park improvements. 167 168 Mayor Reinert pondered the possibility of self -bonding for an athletic complex and that 169 would allow other use of the surplus funding. Council Member Kustennan noted that 170 utilizing the surplus as debt service on a self -bonded project would leverage more capital. 171 C!