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Page 3 of 4 <br /> <br />maintenance employees will be hired; and fewer hours will be authorized for the part <br />time rite inspector. <br /> <br />Another possible way to save some funds in the personal services category is to offer <br />a limited voluntary leave program for select positions. The city would be offering <br />these employees the opportunity to "buy vacation time" so that they can retain full <br />benefits. Guidelines need to be established for thisprogram. This program would be only <br />available for positions which the department head feels that they can temporarily <br />make do with fewer hours. For example, we don't want to incur overtime expense <br />for some employees because other employees took voluntary leave without pay. <br /> <br />A big impact to the budget and to employees are adjustments in wages and benefits. <br />For 2004, the city should offer some increase but not the typical increases that we <br />have seen over the past five to ten years. Options and a recommendation on what to <br />consider in 2004 will come at a later date. <br /> <br />The biggest impact to employees with this budget crunch may be the fact that few or <br />no additional employees are likely to be hired by the city until sometime around <br />2006. This will create a pent-up demand with increased workloads so when funds do <br />become available there will be many requests. In this regard, it looks like reserves will <br />have to be used in 2004 and that these reserves will need to be replaced with <br />additional tax revenues in 2005; and therefore funds (additional tax revenues) may <br />not be available for additional employees until 2006. <br /> <br />Overall the key to balancing the 2003 and 2004 and future budgets is identifying reoccurring <br />additional revenue sources and program reductions or cuts. <br /> <br />Public Safety- City Hall <br />One comment that has been heard a few times regarding the city budget relates to the Public <br />Safety and City Hall project. The comment centers on how the city can afford these building <br />projects and then have to make cuts and reductions in services and employees. The city <br />needs to explain how the Public Safety facility and the City Hall project are being funded and <br />that the building project is a one-time capital expense, while the general fund budget is for <br />ongoing operating expenses. Information on this issue can be given to the StarNetvs, put in <br />the city newsletter, put on the city website, and a brief cable TV show can be produced. The <br />Mayor would be the likely spokesperson for the city to present the information to the public <br />with technical support from the finance director. <br /> <br />A recent StarNetvs article provided a good update to the public on where the city is at with <br />the Public Safety and City Hall project. This article noted that the city offices were scheduled <br />to be closed on June 13, 2003. This information is also being provided in the upcoming <br />(May) city newsletter. At this point everything is still on schedule for the official move to <br />take place on June 13. In this regard, a motion from the City Coundl to close d(y hall mould be <br />appropffate. <br /> <br />S:\ COUNCIL\PaAupdate. doc <br /> <br /> <br />