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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br />APPROVED <br />176 <br />177 <br />A resident was present to support improvements at Brandywood Park. Mr. DeGardner <br />178 <br />said it's a twenty year old structure and he expects the trail will bring more people; it <br />179 <br />could certainly use an update. <br />180 <br />181 <br />Councilmember Cavegn noted that the council wanted a flat tax rate and staff has <br />182 <br />provided that by changing requests. He now feels that the funds available could be <br />183 <br />utilized for current needs. <br />184 <br />185 <br />Public Services Director DeGardner said there are many needs for parks. He noted that <br />186 <br />the City has to absorb debt costs coming forward such as the West Shadow Lake Drive <br />187 <br />Reconstruction project this year; that was done along with maintaining a flat tax rate. <br />188 <br />189 <br />Ms. Lynch noted that there has been much good discussion about needs and use. The <br />190 <br />funds could be left in the contingency to be available for future needs discussions. Ms. <br />191 <br />Cotton remarked that there is uncertainty and it makes sense to have the funds available. <br />192 <br />193 <br />Mayor Rafferty said it's the same thing every year — there are many needs and there have <br />194 <br />to be choices made. <br />195 <br />196 <br />Councilmember Lyden said he sees both sides. Is there a compromise possible? <br />197 <br />198 <br />Councilmember Stoesz said he is settled on the idea that recreation will probably not be <br />199 <br />possible in 2021. For the contingency amount, he can see $100,000 or $70,000. <br />200 <br />201 <br />Mayor Rafferty asked what if the parks budget was allocated $60,000. How would Mr. <br />202 <br />DeGardner utilize it? Mr. DeGardner responded that it would depend on where the funds <br />203 <br />were focused and that would be a city council direction. The mayor said he'd like to <br />204 <br />see the contingency fund no more than $70,000 and give $77,000 to the parks. Budget is <br />205 <br />$177,000 - $100,000 forward — remainder to park board with the understanding that will <br />206 <br />not be enough to fully improve a single park. The council concurred. <br />207 <br />208 <br />Administrator Cotton asked if the funds would go to the parks and trails fund. Director <br />209 <br />DeGardner said he'd prefer they go to the parks fund. Ms. Cotton said they should be <br />210 <br />added back to the budget officially and use designated; she noted the items anticipated <br />211 <br />totaling $61,000. Director DeGardner suggested that the extra could augment the first <br />212 <br />year of two years trail projects. <br />213 <br />214 <br />Mayor Rafferty asked about Birch Park lighting and Mr. DeGardner said that's planned <br />215 <br />for 2022. <br />216 <br />217 <br />Director Lynch asked what if $66,170 were reallocated to parks fund. The current <br />218 <br />funding for the warming houses and Blue Heron Days would go to contingency to be <br />219 <br />repurposed or not in 2021. <br />.' 220 <br />