9. SR 08-02-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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One of the biggest savings that has carried over in the budget again this year is the reduction in staff and the related costs. There are several vacant positions that are not included in the budget. In the budget process I requested that all departments include in their budget requests the positions they need to fully function with the understanding that the positions would not be filled. Those positions are not included in the budget either. Attached is a list of the vacant and requested positions along with the cost, Although these positions will not be filled in 2011, it gives the Council an idea of how far below normal. staffing levels we are. As funds become available, the positions can be prioritized so the most needed positions are filled first, Another area that has been reduced in recent years is payment of overtime for non- emergency overtime. Only the payment of overtime mandated by the personnel policy has been paid for non-emergency overtime; the rest of the non-emergency overtime has been compensatory time. As requested by Council, attached is the overtime payment history indicating the amount of overtime paid in each department for the past three years. You may recall that in our last budget discussion, I suggested that it would be helpful to add back some of the overtime pay in 2011 to help manage the current staff shortages and to assist in meeting the demand for services. In 2010 we were fortunate to receive several energy grants to improve the efficiency of the ice arena. Gary Lore Building Maintenance Supervisor will be at the work session to discuss another energy efficiency grant that has been announced that could be used to decrease utility costs at City Hall. The application deadline is August 4, The grant requires matching funds; therefore, staff would like authorization from the Council prior to proceeding with the application. Finally, division managers and department heads will be present at the meeting to answer. questions and provide more information on then division and related budget requests. No decisions are required on the budgets being discussed on Monday as the actual budget will not be approved until December. Once the Council has reviewed the entire budget it will be easier to prioritize the services provided and to match the available funds with the Council's priority programs and services. The goal is to provide the highest quality and most important services to the citizens within the funds available.