HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-2019 Council Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
APPROVED
1 CITY OF LINO LAKES
2 MINUTES
3
4 DATE August 12, 2019
5 TIME STARTED 5:30 p.m.
6 TIME ENDED 6:20 p.m.
7 MEMBERS PRESENT Council Member Rafferty, Maher,
8 Manthey, Stoesz and Mayor Reinert
9 MEMBERS ABSENT None
10
11 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Public Safety Director John
12 Swenson; Community Development Director Michael Grochala; Finance Director Sarah
13 Cotton; Public Services Director Rick DeGardner; City Clerk Julie Bartell
14
15 2020 Budget Consideration — City Finance Director Cotton distributed an updated
16 General Fund Gap Analysis. She noted that the new information included in the analysis
17 is the change in valuation from the County and a $180,000 surplus identified for 2019.
18 Those changes would result in a reduction from 13.07% to 11.30% for Year -Over -Year
19 Levy Increase. Council Member Stoesz asked if the surplus is at risk for disappearing
20 over the rest of 2019. Ms. Cotton said that most of the surplus is related to personnel
21 savings (vacancies) so that shouldn't change. Outstanding items are assumptions and staff
22 would revise the Gap Analysis based on final figures.
23
24 Council Member Rafferty remarked that there are a lot of wants but he doesn't think an
25 11 % increase is feasible. It's a big bill and it needs to comedown.
26
27 Administrator Karlson remarked that a part of the increase is related to adding staff. He
28 noted that staff did reduce the budget by about $200,000 before bringing it forward.
29
30 Mayor Reinert remarked that with valuations rising significantly, he expects there should
31 be a reduction in levy. He recalled his work on the city budgets of the past decade and
32 that there were ups and downs but doing the necessary review has brought it down. It
33 was confirmed that this year is steady in building (permit) activity.
34
35 Council Member Stoesz asked if the soon to be vacated Environmental Coordinator
36 position should be reviewed. The council discussed the duties related to that position
37 and the proposed salary reduction for the position. Community Development Director
38 Grochala remarked that there is an offer out on that job and the council will see a hiring
39 request in September.
40
41 Council Member Rafferty asked about the investigative position requested by the Police
42 Department. Public Safety Director Swenson explained that the position would be non-
43 sworn and would assist with certain investigative activities to free up sworn staff for other
44 duties.
45
CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
APPROVED
91 The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m.
92
93 These minutes were considered, corrected and approved at the regular Council meeting held on
94 August 26, 2019.
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9 Q sec .�.-
99 Juli e Bartell, City Jerk
100