8.2. SR 11-13-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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hiring another police officer to participate on the drug taskforce, taking over some prosecuting attorney services from the county, and establishing the city recreation program. Two of the budget changes listed in the attachment relate to computers and technology expenses. This issue is generating a great deal of discussion at the staff level. There is some frustration in not being able to adequately plan for computer/technology expenses that are out of their control, or in the case of the police department, which are dictated to them by the State. (We have also used the Council contingency for some of these expenses over the past few years.) We currently have a part-time information technology employee, whom we share with the city of Andover, and Andover and Elk River are nearing the time when both will need full dme employees. In Elk River this will most likely mean another program budget with funding being allocated for some of these unknown types of repairs and upgrades. The City Council should briefly discuss the Todd Besser situation. This police officer got called into active reserves duty and will be gone for at least one year and potentially longer. If the city decides to add another officer to address our police manpower needs, and if Todd comes back in November 2002, then we will have to decide whether or not to retain the other (replacement) officer. If we keep this replacement officer and Todd comes back in November then the budget is short. Wages for this additional officer for the last two months of the year amounts to approximately $8,000 and this is currendy not in the budget. It should be noted that in February we are scheduled to hire the drug task force officer and the replacement officer to address our manpower needs due to Todd leaving for active duty. Each officer, each month equates to $4,000 in expenses. One item not included in the budget at this point, but which is a revenue and expenditure "push", is the underground utilities facility inspector and program. This new 2001 program helps the city deal with construction activities in the public right-of-way. Some type of program is expected to continue in 2002, but it may differ greatly from the 2001 program and more review of 2001 activities is needed before projections can be made for 2002. Some funding and expenditures for this program will be incorporated into the final budget figures that will be presented to the Council on December 10, 2001. The final attachment to this memo is the table of contents from the 2001 budget. Regarding the supplemental budget information section, it should be noted that: · The Council is considering the enterprise budgets on November 13, 2001. · The EDA (and business incubator) and HRA budgets and tax levies have already been considered by the Council. · The library and ice arena budgets were presented to the Council on July 2. · The surface water management, special assessment, and equipment certificate amounts are in the tax levy resolution. · The capital outlay page includes the equipment reserve expenditures. · The landfill and safety budgets have yet to be presented.