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City Council Minutes Page 14 <br /> May 6,2019 <br /> ----------------------------- <br /> Councilmember Ovall asked where the city could cut,if needed, due to a recession. <br /> Currently,it seems like we are paying for past rainy day expenses. Staff should decide <br /> where there is room to cut if the need is there. <br /> Councilmember Christianson asked what the city should do if housing prices crash <br /> again. <br /> Mr. Portner stated common practices during a recession period are to not fill vacant <br /> positions,not raise pay or send staff to training. <br /> Councilmember Ovall didn't like the options he has been presented on how to make <br /> the budget work. The costs seem to keep crescendoing a tizens are unhappy. <br /> Where are the city's priorities? <br /> Councilmember Westgaard stated some things the city could control and some they <br /> could not. The city cannot control PERA or workers compensation costs.The city <br /> should prepare for when,not if, a downturn occurs.You can cut a lot of Park and <br /> Recreation programs but it wouldn't make up for the amount in the costs incurred <br /> by the Police, Fire, or Parks and Streets departments. <br /> Ms. Ziemer agreed approximat%. 770%�o of personnel services are fixed and cannot be <br /> changed without reducing staff <br /> Councilmember Ovall asked about mai ntenance of�the'park system such as mowing. <br /> Should the city stop expanding the park system and improve what we have? Can we <br /> look at parks more strategically? Perhaps we can let some parks grow more natural <br /> which would take them off the acreage to mow. <br /> Mr. Portner said some playsets and ice rinks have been removed from parks. Prairie <br /> grasses and a reduction in mowing could be a discussion. The Park Master Plan <br /> could be reviewed to see which parks to divest in and which cannot. Many parks <br /> were received through park dedication and would need to go back to the original <br /> owner. <br /> Councilmember Ovall suggested looking at sustainability and not increasing tax <br /> capacity. <br /> Mr. Portner asked if the council was asking for a priority-based budgeting process. <br /> He recommended such exercise breaking the budget down by programs and <br /> activities. <br /> Councilmember Wagner asked what can be cut and still keep the services at the level <br /> we currently have. Can anything be done to create a lean budget? <br /> Mr. Portner stated the council seems to enjoy going through the budget line by line. <br /> The past eight budgets have been thin. It's impossible to know what will happen <br /> with housing changes. <br /> POWERED 9r <br /> UREJ <br />