09-25-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION September 5, 2017 DRAFT 4 Replacement Timeline). Mayor Reinert said he’s maybe looking for more 127 comprehensive information. He is hearing that the council is unanimously dedicated to 128 funding in the 2018 budget; a plan could come forward in parallel with funding set aside. 129 130 Council Member Kusterman added that the Park Board should have a role as well. 131 132 Mayor Reinert remarked that the Public Services Director has much of the information 133 already and he could decide if he can put it (a plan) together or if he’d like to bring 134 someone in. The council concurred. 135 136 Finance Director Cotton reviewed the written report on the preliminary 2018 budget. 137 She noted the adjustments to the budget that have occurred based on past council 138 discussion. She has updated as well the calculation for fiscal disparities, anticipated 139 2017 surplus (Ms. Cotton has gone over the 2017 budget line by line and is confident in 140 the number presented). 141 142 Mayor Reinert noted that the general fund levy is increasing by 11% and the overall levy 143 increase is lower but that is related to debt service payoffs. 144 145 City Administrator Karlson further noted that staff has included some suggestions to 146 utilize surplus funds. 147 148 Council Member Kusterman said his preference would be to set up contributions to 149 investments in the future rather than spending the surplus funds on one-time projects. 150 151 The council discussed the possibility of dedicating some of the $300,000 budget surplus 152 to the previously discussed park plan. Mayor Reinert said he’d be supportive but would 153 like to see the plan come forward first. Council Member Rafferty noted that the city plan 154 for paths is just as important as parks because they serve an element of the city’s 155 population. 156 157 Council Member Kusterman noted that staff has mentioned the possibility of funding 158 development of the rec land and he’d like to hear more about that; he thinks that an area 159 that serves the city and is that large could be good for the future of the city and create 160 excitement for both the north and south side of the city. 161 162 Public Services Director DeGardner noted that, with recent discussion of the rec land as a 163 possible location of a new water tower, staff has been looking at a preliminary basic 164 master plan for the land so that if a tower project occurred, the city could take advantage 165 of grading and other work to plan for future park improvements. 166 167 Mayor Reinert pondered the possibility of self-bonding for an athletic complex and that 168 would allow other use of the surplus funding. Council Member Kusterman noted that 169 utilizing the surplus as debt service on a self-bonded project would leverage more capital. 170 171