HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-23-2009 Council Minutes (2) CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION February 23, 2009
APPROVED
1 CITY OF LINO LAKES
2 WORK SESSION MINUTES
3
4 DATE : February 23, 2009
5 TIME STARTED : 6:00 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED : 6:31 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT : Council Member Gallup, O'Donnell,
8 Stoltz and Mayor Bergeson
9 MEMBERS ABSENT : Council Member Reinert
10
11
12 Staff members present: City Administrator, Gordon Heitke; Director of Public Safety,
13 Dave Pecchia; Community Development Director, Mike Grochala; City Planner, Jeff
14 Smyser; Finance Director, Al Rolek; City Attorney, Joseph Langel; City Clerk, Julie
15 Bartell.
16
17 REVIEW REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
18
19 There were no changes to the agenda.
20
21 STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLANNING
22
23 Finance Director Rolek reported that the council has indicated that they would like
24 general information on the city's financial picture for 2009 and coming years. They plan
25 to hold strategic planning sessions with a facilitator soon. He envisions that the strategic
26 planning process will be most helpful in looking past 2009. He recommends that the
27 council look at information like the citizen survey and visioning plan and even the
28 comprehensive plan update to develop a strategy for dealing with financial planning.
29 That information can be used to establish the policy basis for the prioritization of city
30 services so the council can balance services according to critical needs and priorities. He
31 recommends the assistance of a facilitator in that process.
32
33 The council indicated that they would like to work on 2009 budget issues with Mr. Rolek
34 (no facilitator necessary for that portion). As a preview, Mr. Rolek noted some of the
35 elements driving the need to revisit the 2009 budget including the governor's proposed
36 reduction ($237,500 to Lino Lakes in both 2009 and 2010), stagnation of development in
37 the community, and loss of investment income due to the market performance. He
38 believes a worst case scenario for 2009 would be a reduction of about $350,000. There
39 are some one-year solutions such as deferring some capital investments and attrition but
40 that doesn't address the situation past the year. The biggest expense to the city is
41 personnel costs (70%) and in that area strategies being used by other cities are such things
42 as retirement incentives, furloughs or four-day work weeks.
43
44 The council suggested the following dates for continuing discussion: March 16, 24 and
45 26, all meetings to be begin at 5:30 p.m.
46
1
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION February 23, 2009
APPROVED
I The council requested that staff bring forward suggestions for discussion. Information
2 on current open positions would be helpful. They would like a$500,000 threshold so that
3 choices are possible. Mr. Rolek suggested that a figure that high would undoubtedly have
4 to touch on personnel levels.
5
6 INVOICE FOR SERVICES TO CHARTER COMMISSION
7
8 It was noted that the council's request for more detail on the bill in question has been
9 turned down by the Charter Commission attorney. The city's attorney has provided an
10 opinion relative to the claim that the charges involve attorney-client privilege.
11
12 The council concurred that the bill should be returned to the Charter Commission unpaid
13 via their chairperson.
14
15 The meeting was adjourned at 6:22 p.m.
16
17 These minutes were considered, corrected and approved at the regular Council meeting held on
18 March 23, 2009.
19
20
21 /
22
23 Julianne B. ell, City Cl:.k J' 'Berpt.on, Ma %r
�-- 24
2