Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 02/01/2011 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA FEBRUARY 1, 2011 The Ames City Council met in special session at 5:15 p.m. on February 1, 2011, in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Campbell presiding and the following Council members present: Davis, Larson, Mahayni, Orazem, and Wacha. Ex officio Member England was also present. Council Member Goodman arrived at 6:38 p.m. FY 2011/12 BUDGET PROPOSALS: Moved by Mahayni, seconded by Davis, to approve the proposed FY 2011/12 budget. (Vote will be taken on March 1, 2011.) Library. Director Art Weeks presented the proposed budget for Library Operations, including Administration, Outreach, Collection Development, Youth Services, Information Services, Circulation, Network Services, and Grants and Gifts. There are 552 volunteers working at the Library; it is the largest volunteer program among Iowa libraries. At the inquiry of Council Member Wacha, Mr. Weeks replied that circulation is projected to be fairly steady (1.4 million). He summarized that the Library’s projected budget increase is 3.1% from the 2010/11 Adopted. Council Member Orazem asked when the Library Board is expected to hold an election on library construction. Mr. Weeks replied that the Board has not yet voted, but it is contemplated that the election would occur in November 2011. Water. Steve DuVall, Water and Pollution Control Assistant Director, gave highlights of the budget of the Administration, Production, Treatment, Plant Maintenance, Plant Operation, Laboratory, and Water Metering/Cross-Connection Control. Overall, there will be a -1.2% change in the 2011/12 Budget from the Adopted 2010/11 Budget. He made reference to the August 2010 floods and resultant loss of the water distribution system for four days. The Smart Water Conservation Program will be ongoing. This year, the City’s annual Energy Fair will merge with the Clean Water Festival in a City-wide Eco Smart activity to occur on March 26, 2011. Mr. DuVall reported that, as of January 25, 2011, a bill was re-introduced into the U. S. Senate that would allow the USDA to sell land to the City for a new Water Plant without the need for a land swap. This is the same bill that failed to move forward last July. In conversations with Senator Grassley, the City has been told that it is hoped the bill will move forward some time this month or next. If that is unsuccessful, the next attempt would be more time-consuming as it would have to be attached to an appropriations bill. It was noted by Mr. DuVall that results of the most recent round of testing performed by staff revealed no concerns with lead or copper in the distribution system. He added that the Department has a performance goal of completing 95% of all testing in-house. Another goal of the Department is to maintain unaccounted-for water below10% of total delivery to the mains. The proposed 2011/12 Budget for WPC Operations, including Administration, Plant Maintenance and Operation, and Laboratory, is -1.3% below the 2010/11 Adopted Budget. Mr. DuVall said that, in September 2010, the Water Pollution Control Facility received a new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. Staff believed that the Permit contained a number of significant technical and regulatory errors, and the City Council authorized an appeal with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources seeking to have the errors corrected. An additional $25,000 is included in FY 2011/12 for ongoing NPDES Permit assistance. Public Works. The Council heard an overview of the major work activities for the Public Safety Program, which included Traffic Control (Traffic Maintenance and Traffic Engineering), as presented by Public Works Director John Joiner. Budget highlights of the Utilities Program, which included Resource Recovery, Water Distribution Maintenance, Storm Sewer Maintenance, and Sanitary Sewer Maintenance, were given. Council Member Larson asked what the City is doing to ensure that there are no potentially dangerous situations in the water main system, especially along the rivers. Mr. Joiner advised that the City utilizes its Geographic Identification System (GIS) to identify any areas that would be subject to vulnerability. Reports were summarized for the Street Surface Maintenance, Cleaning, Snow and Ice Control, and Right-of-Way Maintenance. Under Parking Operation and Maintenance, Mr. Joiner noted that a nearly ten-year effort to convert all mechanical parking meters into electronic meters has been completed. This has resulted in a reduced number of maintenance reports for parking meter failures. Lastly, Mr. Joiner reviewed the budget details for the Airport, Cemetery, Public Works Administration, Public Works Engineering, and Public Buildings. Addressing a previous inquiry from Council Member Davis, Mr. Joiner advised that it is estimated that the remaining land in the Ontario Cemetery will provide for burials for the next 75 years, and the 9th Street Cemetery will accommodate burials for the next 75 - 100 years. Under Public Works Engineering, Mr. Joiner noted that a Civil Engineer I position that will carry the responsibility to complete in-house design of public improvements has been added beginning in FY 2011/12. Based on the anticipated $16,219,000 in construction and engineering included in the CIP, it is anticipated that the addition of this position will save approximately $500,000 for in-house design compared to hiring consultants. Finance. Finance Director Duane Pitcher presented the budgets for Storm Disaster Activity, Economic Development, Finance Administration and Budget, Accounting and Reporting, Information Technology and WiFi Services, and Communication. Lastly, Finance Director Pitcher gave the highlights for the Purchasing Services, Customer Service, and Parking Violation Collection budgets. Under Storm Disaster Activity, Mr. Pitcher reported that preliminary estimates totaled $2,000,000 in damage from the wind storm in July 2010 and severe flooding in August 2010; 75% will be covered by federal FEMA dollars and 10% by state funding. The reimbursed total will be $1,700,000. There is a 15% local match required. The City receives credit for its volunteer labor, and due to the outpouring of assistance by volunteers, a credit of over $38,000 towards the City’s local match, will be realized. Council Member Goodman arrived at 6:38 p.m. Under Customer Service, Mr. Pitcher noted that the City adopted an Identity Theft Protection Program in order to comply with revisions to the FACT Act. The revisions hold businesses 2 liable for the prevention, detection, and mitigation of identity theft. This does have a budget impact; FY 2010/11 and 2011/12 include $16,800 for verifying the identities of applicants who apply for utility service via the City’s web site. It was pointed out by Mr. Pitcher that the responsibility for coding unpaid parking tickets so they get referred to the collection agency was shifted from the Legal Department to Parking Violation Collection. Lastly, Mr. Pitcher highlighted the City Council Contingency, which allows the Council to be able to respond to needs that were not foreseen at the time of budget preparation. He briefly covered City Council Special Allocations, which include miscellaneous requests from outside groups for City funding. Council Member Wacha suggested that as many ongoing funding requests as possible should be filtered out of Special Allocations. Discussion ensued as to how to best do that. It was pointed out that the funding requests listed under Special Allocations do not really fit any place else in the budget. City Manager Schainker stated that staff will provide, prior to budget wrap-up, the history of funding provided by the Local Option Sales Tax Fund as it pertains to City projects (one-time smaller capital improvements), ASSET, COTA, and miscellaneous requests from outside groups. Mr. Schainker said that the history will show that the number of requests is increasing. Council Member Larson said that he liked to have the miscellaneous requests listed under Special Allocations because it shows the funding history for the past three years. According to City Manager Schainker, under the Hotel/Motel Tax Fund, it takes all the funding just to cover economic development program activity. Therefore, other special requests need to be funded by allocations from the Local Option Sales Tax Fund. Finance Director Pitcher lastly explained the merit pool, which is used to reward employees for good performance. City Manager Schainker noted that City employees do not receive bonuses. Other than those governed by Union contracts, City employees are not guaranteed any increases; they must be earned through excellent performance. Council Member Goodman asked if it would be beneficial for the Council to set aside a certain amount of funding in the Special Allocations Fund. City Manager Schainker advised that it would only be beneficial if the Council members would only allocate the amount in that Fund. He noted that eligibility requirements/criteria would need to be established. Council Member Wacha stated his opinion that it doesn’t seem fair that some agencies are following a process with criteria for funding, but others are not. Mr. Schainker noted that the funding would still compete for Local Option Tax dollars as the Council doesn’t want it to come out of the General Fund. Council Member Goodman expressed his desire to develop criteria to enable the Council to judge each request. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Davis to adjourn at 7:21 p.m. ****************************************************************************** 3 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA FEBRUARY 2, 2011 The Ames City Council met in special session at 5:15 p.m. on February 2, 2011, in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Campbell presiding and the following Council members present: Davis, Goodman, Larson, Mahayni, and Orazem. Ex Officio Member England was also present. Council Member Wacha arrived at 6:05 p.m. FY 2011/12 BUDGET PROPOSALS: The Council heard and discussed highlights of the Community Enrichment, Public Safety, and Utilities Programs. Parks & Recreation. Director Nancy Carroll gave a summary. Revenues are generated through user fees in the total amount of $1,363,517. The total tax subsidy is 57%. The two enterprise funds, Homewood Golf Course and the Ames/Ice Arena, had a net gain of $15,710 and a little over $6,000, respectively. The cell tower lease brings in $26,040, and motorized carts equate to $17,000 in annual revenue for the Golf Course. According to Ms. Carroll, fees and charges for 2011/12 were approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission at its meeting in January. Furman Aquatic Center had a total of 103,000 visits in 2010. Ms. Carroll noted that that total would have been even higher if the Aquatic Center had not been closed for ten days during the August flood. In December 2010, $5,000 worth of season tickets for the Aquatic Center were sold. Highlights of the Instruction and Athletic Programs were given. It was noted that Keith Abraham, Recreation Supervisor, devotes approximately 12.5% of his time to lead employee process improvement teams through the Excellence Through People program. Under the Aquatics Program, Ms. Carroll reported that the School District is struggling to maintain the Municipal Pool wading pool. Its usage and value will be assessed during the upcoming summer season. Activities for the Community Center/Auditorium/Bandshell and the Wellness Program were described. Bridgeway Church no longer meets in the City Auditorium, which equates to $17,600 loss in revenue. Bandshell averages over 800 people at each Municipal Band concert. There are over 2,400 participants in 50+ fitness classes/week Ms. Carroll reported that the Wellmark 3-Point-Play Program totaled $13,930 as of February 1, 2011, and per Council direction, that money will be used to purchase fitness equipment. It was also pointed out that over 250 people/week participate in Zumba classes. Regarding the Ice Arena, Director Carroll stressed that the Capital Reserve is important, they don’t want to go lower than $434,643. She reminded that the City and University each contribute $20,000 annually. Ms. Carroll advised that last year, an ice resurfacer was purchased. A substantial fund is needed in order to maintain the facility. Council Member Goodman asked where the Capital Reserve fund balance should be kept to ensure adequate funding for required maintenance. Ms. Carroll said that a certain amount has not been set, but want it to keep building for a while. She advised that the City would work with Iowa State to see if they can 4 forecast when improvements will be needed. Mr. Goodman asked about the CIP project that inspired the need for a capital reserve. Mr. Schainker said that used mobile refrigeration equipment was located outside in a trailer. An addition had to be built onto the old facility to accommodate that equipment, which was a major unplanned expenditure. It was noted that the Capital Reserve is to ensure against large budget implications caused by similar projects. City Manager Schainker said he would like to see solar panels installed at the Ice Arena to cut operational costs. Electric costs equate to 20% of the Ice Arena budget. Ms. Carroll listed the names of the organizations buying ice time. She stated that there will be no increase for ice rental in 2011/12. The Park System budget was reviewed. There are 37 parks and woodland/open spaces totaling over 1,200 acres. Ms. Carroll stated that the Park System will be experimenting with energy efficient trash receptacles in Campustown Court and Tom Evans Plaza. They cost approximately $5,000. Mr. Schainker said that two were going to be purchased. If successful, more would be added. Various partnerships with other agencies were highlighted by Ms. Carroll. She said that, most recently, the City has partnered with the DNR to stock Ada Hayden Lake with 4,000 Rainbow Trout. One thousand two hundred (1,200) use permits were purchased for the Dog Park last year. User permit fees are projected to exceed the annual maintenance expenses at the facility by $7,161 in 2010/11 and $8,156 in FY 2011/12. Noting the annual requests for operational funding from the Hunziker Youth Sports Complex (HYSC), Council Member Larson asked if there would be large cost implications to the City Parks and Recreation Department if the HYSC were not operational. Ms. Carroll advised that she did not have the exact number, but felt that it would be “staggering;” however, it would be way over the $25,000 subsidy provided to HYSC annually. She believes that the HYSC is very well run by the parent volunteers, who arrange the programs, maintain the fields, work the concessions stands, and arrange for and hire the referees. Council Member Wacha arrived at 6:05 p.m. Electric. Donald Kom and Brian Trower, Director and Assistant Director of Electric Services, respectively, highlighted the operations budgets for each division (Administration, Production, Fuel Purchases, Distribution, Technical Services, and Engineering). Mr. Kom noted that the Electric Utility Operations Review Advisory Board (EUORAB) has reviewed and supported the Operations Budget and the CIP. The total expenditures for all divisions of the Electric Services Department equate to $49,349,283, which is an increase of 2.8% from the FY 2010/11 Adopted. According to Mr. Kom, due to a healthy unreserved fund balance, there is no rate increase requested for FY 2011/12. Director Kom reported that the total expenditures for FY 2011/12 for Electric Administration equated to $1,389,120, which is down 12% from the 2010/11 Adopted Budget. “Smart Energy” programs were specifically highlighted. The budget is currently$800,000; for 2011/12, $1,000,000 is being recommended. To date, $486,366 has been paid out, which is 5 61% of the budget. This year, 947,097 kWh has been saved, which results in reducing demand by 3.1 MW. Customer savings has equated to $85,151 and resulted in $795,419 in future avoided costs. Electric Production’s total expenditures equate to $10,348,588, which is 8.5% lower than FY 2010/11 Adopted. Fuel and Purchased Power total expenditures will increase by 8.8% from FY 2010/11 Adopted due to transmission service costs increasing and increased market energy purchases. Mr. Kom noted that wind is one of the most expenses resources. It costs approximately 15% more than energy produced at the Power Plant. Discussion ensued on the City’s agreement with NextEra to provide wind energy. Electric Distribution Operations and Maintenance will see an increase of 1.5% from FY 2010/11 Adopted due to building and grounds improvements. There will be a decrease of 11.7% from FY 2010/11 Adopted for Electric Distribution Extension/Improvements. Electric Technical Services will increase 14.1% due to replacement of a meter tester and the accelerated replacement of defective meters. Four thousand meters will be replaced over the next two years. There will be a decrease of 3.7% for Electric Engineering. Electric’s share of the Customer Service’s budget has increased a little over 3%. Council Member Goodman asked if there was any type of system for Council members to be notified of outages. Mr. Kom reported a new Outage Management System is in the works. Police Department. Details were given, by Police Chief Chuck Cychosz, of the budget for the Public Safety Program, which included Administration and Records, Crime Prevention and Police Services, General Investigation, Emergency Communications, and Forfeiture/Grants. The costs of overall operations are up 3.6%, the majority of which comes from the mandated increased contribution to the 411 Fund (Police and Fire Retirement). Under Administration, Chief Cychosz reviewed the time line required for hiring new police officers. It takes approximately 41 weeks to take an officer from recruitment to training. New programs, Safe Neighborhoods and Crime Free Housing, have been initiated in Crime Prevention and Police Services. Due to officer shortages and normal training requirements, the Safe Neighborhoods program has not been rolled out in full force. Mr. Cychosz reported that the Patrol Unit concentrated heavily on alcohol enforcement and burglary prevention. Council Member Larson noted that the Department averaged 575 cases per officer. According to Chief Cychosz, in the coming year, the Department plans to experiment with automatic external defibrillators in three area-assigned squad cars. Chief Cychosz reported that, for the first time in a decade, there has been a decrease in the number of noise complaints and disorderly conduct calls. Special initiatives being conducted by the General Investigations Division were listed. It was pointed out, that due to the Juvenile Detective position being vacant for most of the year, the number of community outreach contacts with juveniles and juveniles participating decreased significantly. Under Communications, Emergency Medical Dispatch will be implemented in the first quarter of 2011. The Department has been operating under the same radio system since the mid-1980s, and it is approaching the end of its useful life. Chief Cychosz advised that more information on options will be forthcoming. 6 Highlights of Forfeiture/Grants and Parking Law Enforcement were given. The $6.78/ticket exceeds the revenue received if the ticket is paid. Chief Cychosz compared what Ames charges to the City of Nevada and Iowa State University. He will be presenting a report on this to the Council in the future. Chief Cychosz reported that the Animal Shelter has a 90% rate for animal reclamation and adoption. It has seen more issues with the bulldog-related breeds. The Shelter is not well- equipped to handle those animals when they are aggressive or dangerous. Additional staff time has also been needed to deal with urban wildlife issues. Remodeling is part of the facility plan due to receipt of a federal energy-efficiency grant. Improved mechanical systems will be one of the benefits of that grant. At the inquiry of Council Member Wacha on urban deer hunting in North Ames, Chief Cychosz advised that deer hunting was suspended due to concerns of some of the neighborhood residents. How to reach consensus of all residents remains an issue that the Department continues to work on. Council Member Orazem feels that communication is crucial, but receiving 100% consensus is not realistic. Mr. Cychosz advised that guidance from the City Council will be requested at a future date. The meeting recessed at 7:30 p.m. and reconvened at 7:40 p.m. Fire Department. The Fire Safety Activities portion of the Public Safety program was presented by Chief Clint Petersen. This included budgets for Administration and Support, Suppression and Emergency Action, Prevention and Safety Education, and Building Safety. Overall, the Department will see a 7.7% increase. Wage and step raises will make up 1.7% and 1.2%, respectively, of that increase. The retirement mandate makes up 3.6% of that increase and equates to $190,895. After operating with one reserve unit for the past year, it became evident that two units were necessary. The budget reflects the additional expense of maintaining a second reserve unit. Chief Petersen reviewed the Fire Suppression and Emergency Action budget. Call volume increased by nine percent (9%) from calendar year 2009. During the last decade, the largest growth in incident types has occurred in EMS, service calls, and false alarms. Chief Petersen referenced the Council’s response time goal of five minutes travel time to 85% of the City and highlighted administrative changes that have been made in an effort to decrease response times. Council Members Larson and Davis asked for response times to be broken down by type of call. Chief Petersen described how the use of the City’s GIS assists the Department. Response times are closely monitored. He also explained innovative ways that are being explored to reduce the number of false alarms. Discussion ensued on the possibility of charging for malicious false alarms. Council Member Goodman voiced his preference for mandated improvements to alarm systems, rather than using a punitive system. Chief Petersen stated that there has always been only one Fire Inspector for the entire City. He believes that at some time in the future, another staff person will need to be added to cover all the activities needing to be addressed. He also advised, under Building Safety, that it is anticipated that 400 rental units will be added during the next year. The Health and Sanitation budget was reviewed by Chief Petersen. It was noted that, under contract with the state, the City Sanitarian inspects food service establishments, food establishments, schools, vending operations, mobile food units/push carts, temporary food 7 establishments, and hotels/motels. Chief Petersen advised that the City Sanitarian has announced that he will be retiring in June 2011. There have been discussions on whether to retain the Sanitation position or have the state perform the inspections. Mr. Petersen gave a comparison of levels of service. He also noted that position review indicated that the salary could be lowered and it would still attract a quality person. Food Service Establishment Permit fees do not offset the expenses of the program; the program is subsidized by the City. Sanitarian Kevin Anderson advised that the Department of Inspections and Appeals has stated its goal of performing one inspection every 18 months, whereas he does two inspections a year. City Manager Schainker pointed out that it was clear to him that the Council did not want a decrease in the level of service, and the draft budget includes retaining the City Sanitarian position. Referencing the former direction given by Council to conduct a survey of local restaurants, Council Member Goodman suggested that the Chamber of Commerce be asked to perform the survey since they would have all the names and addresses. Moved by Larson, seconded by Goodman, to direct that the Chamber of Commerce conduct the survey of restaurant owners (as directed by Council on January 28, 2011). Vote on Motion: 6-0. Motion declared carried unanimously. City Manager Schainker pointed out that, under Building Safety, the draft budget proposes the following changes: a full-time rental inspector from a temporary one-half time inspection position and a one half-time clerical position to full-time to support rental housing. It is also proposed that annual rental registration fees be increased to pay for the additional staff costs. Council Member Davis stated that a 22.7% increase in one program (Building Safety) was too much. He felt a different approach was needed and suggested that the clerical position be increased first to deal with the back-log. Council Member Goodman said that it would help the Council if it had a break-down of just the rental inspections’ budget. Council Member Goodman asked if the need for additional personnel was the result of the requirements of the new Rental Housing Code and if it would level off in the future. Chief Petersen advised that it is anticipated that the demand for rental inspections will remain high. Council Member Larson said that a separate discussion needs to occur in the future on whether the same degree of success could be accomplished if a different rental inspections’ schedule were followed. Chief Petersen advised where the rental housing inspections backlog currently exists. Council Member Davis asked to have the budget numbers specific to Rental Housing itemized. Council Member Mahayni left the meeting at 8:45 p.m. Council Member Larson noted his frustration over the mandated increases to the Police and Fire Retirement Fund. That contribution alone comprises over $360,000 of the overall increase to the City’s operations budget. Mr. Larson emphasized that citizens need to understand that the City has no control over that mandated increase, which must be funded by taxpayer dollars. City Manager Schainker noted that Iowa State University helps fund the Fire Suppression costs; the University is a partner in 25% of the costs. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Davis to adjourn the meeting at 8:59 p.m. 8 ****************************************************************************** MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL AMES, IOWA FEBRUARY 3, 2011 The Ames City Council met in special session at 5:15 p.m. on February 3, 2011, in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Campbell presiding and the following Council members present: Davis, Goodman, Larson, Mahayni, and Wacha. Ex officio Member England was also present. Council Member Orazem was absent. FY 2011/12 BUDGET PROPOSALS: The City Council heard reports on the Transportation Program and General Government and Internal Services. Transit System. Transit Director Sheri Kyras noted that CyRide had seen ridership increases in excess of 7% for the past three years. This year, they are seeing more stable ridership. Budget initiatives were described. Ms. Kyras explained the budgetary challenges CyRide is facing: (1) Federal Funding. The House of Representatives eliminated Transit Funding Guarantees, which means that all of the money from the gas tax that formerly went to Transit can now be used for other things. There will be cuts in the funding from federal dollars. It is possible that the City will receive an allocation back to the 2008 level, which would mean a decrease in funding by $170,000. On the other hand, the City is an intensive transit city, and funding might be increased due to the increases in ridership that have been seen. (2) Fuel Prices. This is a huge unknown that can really impact the budget. They have budgeted for $2.50/gallon, which equates to approximately $800,000/year. If it increases to $4.00/gallon, it increases the total to over $1 million just for fuel. Ms. Kyras said that they are planning no service modifications and no staff changes. A previous commitment is the repayment of the Intermodal Grant local match in the amount of $8,750, which is the City’s share. Ms. Kyras noted that the total operating budget is approximately $7.8 million. The closing operating balance dropped down to about 8%. The Transit Board would like that to be increased to approximately 12%, and this budget reflects a 1% increase in trying to get the closing balance up. Regarding funding, the City’s share will increase by 4.7% ($1,376,656). The Transit Levy will increase slightly to .63. Fare box revenues are increasing. Ms. Kyras advised that the Transit Board approved the proposed budget at its meeting held January 20, 2011. Fleet. Director Paul Hinderaker presented the proposed budget for Fleet Maintenance Services and Fleet Acquisition and Disposal. Loss of interest earnings required a 12.8% increase in the shop rate and a 13% increase in administrative fees. Also, in-house labor hours have been reassigned., outsourced tasks have been reduced, and a portion of the Fleet Director’s salary will shift from Fleet Services to Facilities on July 1, 2011. Fuel costs are also a concern for this department. 9 Mr. Hinderaker pointed out the benefits of the wireless vehicle lifts that have been purchased. These will improve labor efficiency and safety and reduce the amount of maintenance being outsourced. Operating departments will benefit by receiving maintenance at up to 50% of the cost of outsourcing. Mr. Hinderaker presented a chart that showed the revenues by agency. Under Fleet Acquisition and Disposals, Mr. Hinderaker noted that the Fleet Replacement Value equates to $16,000,000. The projected fund balance as of 6/30/2012 is $6,175,000. Council Member Larson asked if the City had discussed providing services to the School District. Mr. Hinderaker said that the City had in the past, but had not done so in recent years. He emphasized that the City does not want to solicit business or compete with the private sector. Facilities. Director Hinderaker reported on the City Hall and the Maintenance Facility located on Edison Street. He noted that the heat pumps in City Hall will be replaced this year. Human Resources. The budget for Human Resources was detailed by Human Resources Director Julie Huisman. In 2009/10, 55 recruitments were launched. A total of 2,363 applications were received. NEOGOV, the on-line applicant tracking system, significantly reduced the amount of paper and postage used by the Department The Employee Development Center (EDC) attendance was down a little for 2009/10, mainly due to classes for supervisors being suspended for a while and improved with different topics. There have been 147 EDC classes in 2009/10, which is up from 128 in 2008/09. Ms. Huisman advised that current status of negotiations for the bargaining units. Risk Management. The Risk Management budget was highlighted by Inta Bingham. She highlighted the workers’ compensation, safety, and insurance categories. Expenditures for 411 disability retirement claims are increasing. All but one large workers’ compensation claim from prior fiscal years have been settled. OSHA-required training and written procedures are progressing on schedule. Property insurance decreased slightly due to a membership credit of $47,977. Liability insurance increased slightly, but also earned a credit of $70,485 for FY 2010/11 and the next two fiscal years. An explanation of the funding sources was given. Health Benefits. Inta Bingham also reviewed the service objectives of Health Insurance Management. She outlined the three programs that have strengthened the City’s ability to moderate and absorb expected fluctuations: (1) Outcomes Medication Therapy Management Services, (2) Disease Management Services provided by Wellmark/Healthways, and (3) Health Promotion. For FY 2011/12, health insurance rates are budgeted to increase approximately 5%. City Council. Assistant City Manager Sheila Lundt presented the budget for the City Council. She listed the events historically funded by the Council, as follows: City Council Night at the Bandshell Fourth of July Community Breakfast Welcome Back Event Ames Citizens Academy VEISHEA/ISU Homecoming Board and Commission Appreciation Luncheon 10 Civics 101 United Ames Iowa State University Partnerships Main Street Cultural District Activities/Support “Cool City”/sustainability efforts Visioning efforts Executive Management. Ms. Lundt outlined the City Manager’s Office budget. The many boards and commissions headed by members of that Office were listed. A major initiative is to work with staff on Excellence Through People. That program is currently concentrating on the Total City Perspective and how staff can all work together to provide excellent service at the best price. City Manager Schainker noted that a year-round intern has been programmed into the proposed budget. Ms. Lundt noted that she will be retiring in late spring/early summer of 2011. City Clerk. Diane Voss presented the City Clerk’s Division budget. It is anticipated that iPads will be purchased for the Mayor and City Council members in the near future, thus reducing the need for printed copies of Council meeting packet materials. A major expense for the City Clerk’s Division is the publication of legal notices, minutes, and ordinances, which is projected to equate to more than $35,000/year. Public Relations. Susan Gwiasda, Public Relations Officer, listed ways that the City communicates internally and externally. There were over 230 media releases during 2010. A new website will be launched in February. The City participates in Twitter and Facebook and is exploring whether to participate in Foursquare. Ms. Gwiasda described the campaigns done during 2010, two of which were Census 2010 and Eco-Smart programs. She also explained the many events that will be coordinated by the Public Relations Office, specifically the Boards and Commissions Luncheon on March 24, new ECO Fair on March 26, Free day at RRP on April 23, and opening day at Furman Aquatic Center on May 28. Cable TV. Ms. Gwiasda introduced Derek Crisler, Cable Coordinator. During Mr. Crisler’s 18 months with the City, there has been an increase in programs and continued improvement in quality; videostreaming and video-on-demand has been introduced, and a replacement switcher for the control room has been purchased. Ms. Gwiasda also highlighted upgrades planned for Channel 84 (the public station), which was formerly known as Channel 16. Other desired equipment upgrades were listed; it is hoped that the cameras in the Council Chambers will be upgraded. Legal Services. The budget for Legal Services was explained by City Attorney Doug Marek. The Process Server position has been eliminated, which reduced the budget by 10%. According to Mr. Marek, Legal staff litigated 253 court cases to final judgment, which were primarily criminal misdemeanors and municipal infractions. Legal staff represented the City in more than 87 Administrative Actions, which was a 74% increase over last year. They also stepped up debt collection processes, including unpaid medical expenses on behalf of Mary Greeley Medical Center. Mr. Marek noted that, at some time in the future, a request for outside codification services may be made. 11 The Department implemented the Judicial Branch’s Electronic Document Management System pilot project, which requires the filing of court documents electronically. Mr. Marek also noted that he has established a pro bono services litigation program with a leading law firm in order to expand available resources to the City, without cost, while training new lawyers interested in trial practice. Funding sources and expenditures were reviewed. Mr. Marek noted that there are some times when big projects come in with impending deadlines. Those must be made a high priority, which means that other projects have to be put on hold for a while. He advised that one such project is the NPDES Permit Appeal, which is a major priority project that will take a great deal of time. Council Member Larson noted that the Legal Department’s ProLaw System should be fully implemented at this point, so that should not be a continued time-consuming endeavor. Mr. Marek said that it is fully operational; however, there are technical problems that still arise. Planning & Housing. Highlights on the budgets for Long-Range and Current Planning were presented by Planning and Housing Director Steve Osguthorpe. Activities of each program were described. Mr. Osguthorpe said staff has spent a lot of hours attempting to find the best way to help customers accomplish their goals and still be consistent with City development policies. The long-range and current planning projects that were accomplished over the past year were highlighted. Leased Housing. Vanessa Baker-Latimer, Housing Coordinator, recalled that by the end of the FY 2010/11 budget year, the City of Ames will have relinquished the administration of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program will then be administered by another area Housing Authority to cover the Ames jurisdiction. City-Wide Affordable Housing. Ms. Baker-Latimer advised that the County-Wide Partnership has been dissolved; it was in effect since 1990. Ms. Baker-Latimer is currently administering the Hazard Mitigation Flood-Buy-Out/Demolition Process and the Iowans Helping Iowans program. Community Development Block Grant. Ms. Baker-Latimer said that the number of programs will be reduced. The programs to be implemented will be as follows: (1) Neighborhood Sustainability Program to include home improvement and home buyer assistance and (2) Public Facilities Improvement Programs, which include neighborhood infrastructure improvements. The projects to be completed under the CDBG-Recovery Funds Project were also explained. Ms. Baker-Latimer said that she learned today that there has been a House File introduced that is proposing to eliminate the CDBG program. The City was asked to send a letter to Congressman Latham in support of program retention. According to Ms. Baker-Latimer, there was also an indication that the federal government would be making any entitlement city with a balance to relinquish those funds. Ms. Baker-Latimer pointed out that those funds are planned to be used for the City’s Flood Buy-Out Program. The letter in support of retaining the CDBG program was prepared, signed by the Mayor, and sent out this afternoon. 12 Council Member Goodman asked if the City had so much housing stock that Habitat cannot utilize it all. Ms. Baker-Latimer said that the City currently has five homes that are being renovated for purchase by first-time home buyers. They have, in the past, partnered with Habitat; however, Habitat is not in the position to do so on every home. As requested by the City Council, City Manager Steve Schainker distributed and explained information pertaining to Building Safety broken down into Building Code Inspections, Rental Inspections, and Property Maintenance Enforcement. He also noted that tomorrow, he will send out information as to the evolution of the Local Option Sales Tax over the past ten years as it relates to community betterment projects. COMMENTS: Mayor Campbell advised that she and Assistant Manager Bob Kindred participated in a telephone conference with the Metropolitan Coalition discussing the 411 Fund as well as a proposal to significantly reduce commercial property taxes. She felt that it was crucial for the Council Members to be informed of the possible pending legislation and to inform others. Council Member Larson asked the Mayor and Mr. Kindred to filter out the information and provide pertinent information from the League of Iowa Cities and the Metropolitan Coalition to the Council. Mayor Campbell again sought the assistance of the Council Members to recruit applicants for Boards and Commissions. The deadline is tomorrow, February 4, 2010; however, she may have to extend it. ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Davis to adjourn at 8:00 p.m. ______________________________________ ____________________________________ Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ann H. Campbell, Mayor 13