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Mounds View City Council December 9, 2002 <br />Regular Meeting Page 11 <br />Finance Director Hansen indicated the budget needs to be certified to Ramsey County by <br />December 30, 2002 and Council would need to meet prior to that to consider this again. <br />Council Member Stigney indicated that, for his vote to change, he would need to see a reduction <br />in the budget. <br />Mayor Sonterre indicated he shares Council Member Quick's concern with the Community <br />Center. He then said he did not vote to approve the wage increase for Council and would be <br />happy to review a format of compensation that would be a better one. <br />Council Member Thomas indicated she has trouble with the $100,000 transfer to the Community <br />Center but that is a long term problem that will take time and research to resolve. She then said <br />the budget is a guiding document that can be amended along the way. She further commented <br />that the Council compensation was approved by majority vote of Council and she does not know <br />how Council can vote to hold up a budget because they disagree with something that has already <br />been approved by the Council as a whole. <br />Council Member Quick indicated he shares concerns with the Council pay package but has some <br />very strong concerns about what goes on at the Community Center and what he proposes is that <br />the City start the ball rolling by giving notice to the YMCA to begin the process of changing the <br />management so that the City has more control. <br />• Council Member Stigney commented that Council Member Quick could not bring up the matter <br />for reconsideration as he did not vote in the majority. <br />Council Member Quick indicated he was not making a motion just stating his position. He then <br />said he feels the City owes it to the residents to deal with the problems at the Community Center <br />and he does not have to vote for the budget if he feels the City has not dealt with the problems. <br />Council Member Stigney indicated that the Community Center issues are along-term problem <br />and it does not make sense to give notice unless there is an alternative in place and, in order to <br />look at alternatives, the City needs to look into what those alternatives would be. He then said <br />that the budget should be brought back to a work session and gone through to see where it can be <br />reduced. He further suggested that the costs for national conferences could be reduced as he is <br />not in favor of the City paying for them but he is not voting against the budget for the <br />Community Center issue. <br />Council Member Marty indicated he felt the Community Center is something that will take time <br />to fix and should be referred to a work session. He then said that he does not understand why <br />Council Members have waited until the 11 `h hour to vote against the budget in an attempt to push <br />through a personal agenda. <br />Council Member Quick clarified that he has brought this matter up from the very beginning of <br />• the budget cycle and had received no encouragement other than from the mayor. He then said <br />that everyone has commented that it is too big to handle and nobody has been willing to take the <br />