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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 06.25.2002 COUNCIL WORK SESSION BUDGET PRESENTATIONS BY DEPARTMENT HEADS COUNCIL CHAMBERS JUNE 25, 2002 PRESENT: Mayor Bud Johnson Aldermen: Lauren Van Roekel Ken Olson, Gay Easton Dan Mears Doug Poehls Mark Mace Daniel Dart John Oakes Staff: Steve Klotz Jan Faught Cai Cumin Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Public Works Department Steve Klotz used the projector to present a General Fund Overview of the Public Works Department. The Public Works budget divisions that are supported by the General Fund include: General Fund Building; Fire Inspections; Building Department; Public Works Director; City Shop; Cemetery; and Parks. The budgeted dollars in the General Fund Building have decreased each of the last three fiscal years. However, there have been cost increases in personnel, utility services, telephone, garbage, building maintenance, janitorial service, building and liability insurance. The Building Maintenance needs include ADA compliance, electrical concerns ($8,000 cost to bring up to date), heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues, additional parking needs, space facilities studies, and structural failures. The Fire Inspections budget dollars have also decreased in the previous three years. Costs are increasing in: personnel; operation; fuel costs; maps and codes; memberships, dues, and certifications', travel and training; and insurance. Since operational costs are barely covered by the budgeted dollars, no extra money is available for other progressive projects. The Fire Inspections needs include travel and training in order to stay up to date with the changes. As a result of the new direction with the Public Works and Public Utilities Departments, the Fire Inspections budget may be deleted and absorbed by the Building Department. The building fees are still set by the 1985 schedule. The method of assigning fees has changed in the New International Codes. With the new method, overhead is assessed and the fee is billed out using a complex formula. The New International Code states that the fees are assigned by jurisdiction. The Building Department budget increased from 1999-2000 to 2000-2001 because a vehicle and some survey equipment were purchased. However, the budget decreased in the 2001-2002 fiscal year. The cost increases in the Building Department include: personnel; operation; fuel; maps and codes; maps and codes; memberships, dues, and certifications; travel and training; insurance; and accounting and auditing. The Building Department needs include travel and training, equipment, updating codes, and software. The Building Department covers code enforcement of Council Work Session - Budget Presentations by Depamnent Heads - June 25, 2002 the Laurel Municipal Code and fire code and building codes. Software is available to organize the information, to provide a database for record keeping, and to provide public accountability more efficiently. The Public Works Director budget has also dropped, but costs have increased. The cost increases include: personnel; operation; fuel; maps and codes; memberships, dues and certifications; travel and gaining; insurance; consultant services; grant writer; and office equipment. The City Shop budget has remained at a relatively steady, but low level. Cost increases include: personnel; operation; fuel; clothing and uniforms; utilities; garbage; and insurance. The major City Shop need is the building maintenance. The major building problems are drainages, roofs, the structure, doors, and heating. The building problems hamper efficiency at the shop. The trucks need extra idling time on cold days; manpower is necessary for storing things outside; the shop is not set up fight for the mechanic; and the plumbing needs to be updated. The Cemetery budget decreased from $176,226 in 1999-2000 to $69,511 in 2000-2001. The bare bones budget was at $67,381 in 2001-2002. The Cemetexy cost increases include: personnel; clothing and uniforms; fuel; utilities; tree care; insurance; vehicles; and operation. The Cemetery needs include tree care, maintenance equipment, an irrigation system, curb and gutters, and street repair. Steve stated that it is difficult to have a presentable cemetery without the necessary funds. Work at the cemetery is done without new mowers and without an irrigation system. The streets in the cemetery are in great need of repair. There was discussion regarding whether the proposed budgets include the needs of each department. Mayor Johnson explained that a number of departments presented budgets that had to be pared back in order to provide a budget in which revenues and appropriations would balance without dipping into reserves. The 2001-2002 Parks budget was $145,862, compared to $239,130 in 2000-2001 and $281,130 in 1999-2000. The Parks cost increases include: personnel; clothing and uniforms; fuel; utilities; garbage; gravel and sand; building maintenance; tree care; park development; insurance; vehicles; operation; pool chemicals; and professional services. The lack of revenue affects the park needs of lawn maintenance equipment, irrigation systems, playground equipment, pool equipment, parking lot construction, landscaping, professional services, restrooms, and curb and gutter. Ken Olson asked how park maintenance districts are funded. Cal explained that a park maintenance district could be established within a defined area where a majority of the property owners willingly participate. The district would be established with the county clerk and recorder or the city, and the districts could be assessed by square or front footage. The dollars would be spent on park maintenance and those expenses would be taken out of the General Fund. Creating a park maintenance district would be a step in the tight direction to provide more funding for the parks. If the district were created by subdivision, the dollars would have to be spent within that specific subdivision. 2 Council Work Session - Budget Presentations by Depamnent Heads - June 25, 2002 There was further discussion regarding the needs of the city parks. Ken had information regarding creating a park maintenance district. Cal proposed a citywide park maintenance district and suggested providing a list of expenditures and documentation to promote it. Ken explained that the funds from a park maintenance district would free up funds in the General Fund. Mayor Johnson stated that ongoing discussion is necessary to find ways to bring in more revenue to address the needs. Delaying the needs of each of the budget divisions of the Public Works Department results in higher replacement costs and higher levels of depreciation. The Public Works Department General Fund Revenue Overview showed that revenue is decreasing while operational costs continue to increase. Further accumulation of deficit and decay result each year that solutions to the needs are delayed. There was a lengthy discussion regarding the needs of the parks and the need for community and voter support in order to fulfill the needs. Laurel Volunteer Ambulance Jan Faught gave a Power Point presentation regarding the ambulance budget. Jan stated that the ambulance service has the ability to make money and to cover expenses. City rates have been increased and county rates have been created. The ambulance service is now accepting assignment from Medicare, which should bring in more money to accounts that were not paid in the past. Revenues should rise as attendants become more qualified and more hours are covered. Expenses for medical and office supplies and fuel and oil were raised to cover generalized increases from manufacturers: New ambulance attendants must receive the Hepatitis B Series, and TB tests need to be renewed yearly. The cost of a Hepatitis B shot is $77.00, for a total of $231.00 for the series. The series needs to be completed every ten years. Jan requested a new budget item to cover the cost of the series for three new attendants each year. The TB test costs $20.00 each. The total expense for the immunizations would be $1,455. Ambulance attendants must recertify every two years with the state and the National Registry Group. The requirements consist of 48 hours of continuing education and 24 credit hours of refresher courses. The majority of the hours are completed by traveling to out-of-town symposiums, seminars, and conferences. Ten crewmembers must recertify by March 3 l, 2003. Two crewmembers, which are qualified as training coordinators, give the refresher class to the crew at no charge to the city. Jan stated that it would be possible to do more classes if the ambulance service had more room available. Vehicle maintenance has been a large expense this year. The light bar, the air bags, and the left rear view mirror on Care 2 need to be replaced at an estimated total cost of $1,400. 3 Council Work Session - Budget Presentations by Department Heads - June 25, 2002 The ambulance crewmembers are volunteers. The goal of the ambulance service is to provide coverage twenty-four hours a day for seven days a week with a trained crew to answer every call. At the present time, the crew has extra attendants and two calls have been answered at the same time. The goal has been exceeded, and Jan stated that the crew's experience is an asset to the city. Jan explained the current and proposed graduated payroll budget, a copy of which is attached to these minutes. Crewmembers often respond to calls to assist the on-call attendants. lan requested that the training officer and the vehicle maintenance officer receive $600/year compensation for their work. The future needs of the ambulance service include a replacement program for the vehicles, a repeater station to provide better communications, and an upgrade from Basic Life Support (BLS) service to Advanced Life Support (ALS) service. Some immediate needs for the ambulance service include proper office space for the director and attendants, a dedicated training room, a bathroom with a shower and laundry facilities, and adequate storage space. The problem caused by ice and snow build up by the door needs to be corrected in order to provide a safe entry for the attendants. During the winter, the ice and snow build up makes it difficult to maneuver the ambulance in and out of the bay. Jan suggested that a solution to the problem would be to build out the bay and provide some extra room and to take care of the build up and create a dedicated drain o~.. Jan distributed drawings of suggested solutions to the space problem and a proposal for a structure on the lot located at 1~ Avenue and 1~t Street. Jan stated that the present ambulance crew is doing a great job, and she requested any help available from the city to keep the attendants certified and willing to work. CiW-CounW Planning Board Cal Cumin distributed a CIP Rating Criteria Worksheet for Community Planning and reviewed it for the Council. The last legislature passed a new requirement that every local government would develop and adopt a growth management plan, which is another name for a comprehensive plan. In order to enforce subdivision and zoning laws, the city's growth management plan must be referenced. That was due to go into effect on October 1, 2001. Laurel does not have this done, so it is one of the problems we face. The Growth Management Plan requires data, plans, maps, and analysis for land use, housing, public facilities, population and socio-economics, natural resources, transportation, intergovernmental cooperation, implementation strategies, and provision for keeping such information current. We do not have those requirements and do not have any current information. Our comprehensive plan is old, and now we are under a mandate from the legislature. A lot of work will be required on this. As part of our planning effort, Cal said that the city needed to work with economic development, which is the key to making a community work. Most people agree on this but disagree on how it is to be done most successfully. We need to make a major effort on supporting existing 4 Council Work Session - Budget Presentations by Department Heads - June 25, 2002 businesses and attracting new industry without destroying what is attractive about Laurel as a place to live and work and without depleting our children's future resources. Economic development activities the City needs to be involved with include the following: developing incentives for doing business in Laurel; establishing baselines and methods of assessing impact of economic development activities; developing public/private partnership (i.e., water sports park); supporting development of a Business Improvement District downtown; creating a private development corporation; coordinating and working with the Laurel Revitalization League (LRL); working with Big Sky Economic Development Authority, the Beartooth RC&D, the railroad, the Department of Agriculture, the State Department of Commerce, Certified Communities, etc.; adopting the streetscape program, and supporting development of an Airport Industrial Park. With the LRL, we have a core group of local businesses actively promoting downtown, but it needs encouragement, assistance, and cooperation from the City government. The Entryway Zoning District is being considered by the council and is a major step forward for the City. The draf~ Planned Unit Development/Smart Growth Ordinance is a major revision to regulations as to how Laurel will grow. Revisions are also needed to the Subdivision Ordinance to implement many of the things that have come out of the TCSP Oversight Committee program. The Bike Path Plan and coordination with the Billings area is a big item because it may have to be done by a consultant. There is a lot of interest in the City of Laurel for developing more walking paths and bike paths. There is an extensive bikeway system in Billings that we can coordinate with and organizations like the Yellowstone River Parks Association and Bike Net that would like to extend trails along the river. There is also the potential for US 212 to have a bike path and for us to capitalize on the use of that route for biking. The North First Avenue Planning District grew out of the Ricci's zone change several years ago. The work needs to be done in anticipation of the State Highway Department improving Buffalo Trail and the impact of that on the community's north residential neighborhood character. We need to be proactive in funding this program. We have a vision of where we want to go and how we want our community to be. Nobody else is going to do it for us. This is not a cost but an investment, and it is up to all of us to make it work. Planning and economic development budgets will increase as required activities and growth and change occur. If the investment in both is not beneficial to the community, the effort can be reduced to a status quo, non-proactive level. Cai has done consulting work for Laurel for over twenty years. Cal asked the City of Billings how much it would cost the City of Laurel to have planning administered in the City of Billings. The figure was $71,000. He has done the services for Laurel at a much lower fee than he should have. Cai stated that the City of Laurel needs a planner or more money needs to be invested in planning services. The only thing that would help is to combine it with an economic development office and get the Laurel Revitalization League and the downtown business people Council Work Session - Budget Presentations by Department Heads - June 25, 2002 to finance part of that through a Business Improvement District. Cai stated that the LRL needs encouragement and help to find the resources available to the organization. Cai distributed copies of the proposed City-County Planning Budget. The only change is the $15,000 for the Growth Management Plan. Two large subdivisions are being considered for approval, and a zone change at the comer of Yard Office Road and Airport Road will be contentious. Cal also distributed a sheet of projected revenues, and stated that there is not enough revenue to go around. Cal stated that the city needed to consider increasing the planning budget. If it were necessary to replace him, it would cost a considerable larger amount. There was further discussion regarding the Growth Management Plan. Mayor Johnson distributed the minutes fi.om the previous budget presentation. The draf~ council agenda for July 2, 2002, was discussed. The public hearing on the intent to vacate the public right of way (west of 12th Avenue between 9~h Street and Maryland Lane) is on the agenda. If the resolution to vacate were approved by the council, a price would be set for the sale of the property to the petitioner. Mayor Johnson has been working with the Laurel Outlook to find a way to distribute our printed material. He received cost figures for an insert similar to The City Link, which is the insert that the City of Billings places in the Billings Gazette. Layout, printing, and distribution of a color insert would cost about $680. July 12t~ is the deadline to submit information for the insert. The insert will be in the July 24th Laurel Outlook issue and about 3,500 copies will be printed. This will provide communication with the residents of the City of Laurel between two and four times each year. MMIA is scheduled to meet with the Public Works Committee on July 8th. On July 9th, MMIA will present liability education to staff members in the afternoon and to the council at the evening workshop. Mayor Johnson thanked Steve, Jan, and Cal for their presentations. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Allen Council Secretary 6