12-14-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION DRAFT 5 A resident was present to support improvements at Brandywood Park. Mr. DeGardner 177 said it’s a twenty year old structure and he expects the trail will bring more people; it 178 could certainly use an update. 179 180 Councilmember Cavegn noted that the council wanted a flat tax rate and staff has 181 provided that by changing requests. He now feels that the funds available could be 182 utilized for current needs. 183 184 Public Services Director DeGardner said there are many needs for parks. He noted that 185 the City has to absorb debt costs coming forward such as the West Shadow Lake Drive 186 Reconstruction project this year; that was done along with maintaining a flat tax rate. 187 188 Ms. Lynch noted that there has been much good discussion about needs and use. The 189 funds could be left in the contingency to be available for future needs discussions. Ms. 190 Cotton remarked that there is uncertainty and it makes sense to have the funds available. 191 192 Mayor Rafferty said it’s the same thing every year – there are many needs and there have 193 to be choices made. 194 195 Councilmember Lyden said he sees both sides. Is there a compromise possible? 196 197 Councilmember Stoesz said he is settled on the idea that recreation will probably not be 198 possible in 2021. For the contingency amount, he can see $100,000 or $70,000. 199 200 Mayor Rafferty asked what if the parks budget was allocated $60,000. How would Mr. 201 DeGardner utilize it? Mr. DeGardner responded that it would depend on where the funds 202 were focused and that would be a city council direction. The mayor said he’d like to see 203 the contingency fund no more than $70,000 and give $77,000 to the parks. Budget is 204 $177,000 - $100,000 forward – remainder to park board with the understanding that will 205 not be enough to fully improve a single park. The council concurred. 206 207 Administrator Cotton asked if the funds would go to the parks and trails fund. Director 208 DeGardner said he’d prefer they go to the parks fund. Ms. Cotton said they should be 209 added back to the budget officially and use designated; she noted the items anticipated 210 totaling $61,000. Director DeGardner suggested that the extra could augment the first 211 year of two years trail projects. 212 213 Mayor Rafferty asked about Birch Park lighting and Mr. DeGardner said that’s planned 214 for 2022. 215 216 Director Lynch asked what if $66,170 were reallocated to parks fund. The current 217 funding for the warming houses and Blue Heron Days would go to contingency to be 218 repurposed or not in 2021. 219 220 Councilmember Stoesz said his thought is that this is a shifting of funds from recreation to 221