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07/26/11
Special Council Meeting
Mayor David Anderson called
the special meeting of July 26, 2011 to order at 5:00 p.m.
Present for the meeting were Mayor
Anderson, Council President Chris Clark, Council
Members Mike Klaus, Connie Wells, and Tom Mayo,
Clerk Kris Larson, Assistant City Administrator
David Sims, Police Chief Rick Alonzo, and Street
Department Supervisor John Youngwirth.
Also present was Dave Gray, Jean Diel,
and Jerry Higgs.
The purpose of the special
council meeting was to discuss 2012 budget.
David Sims presented a
slide show of an overview of the city’s
historical six largest sources of revenue and
historical expenditures by department in the
general fund. Mike Klaus spoke about wages.
He said he thinks cost of living
allowances should match the consumer price index
(CPI).
He thinks we are five to six percent
behind in keeping the employees whole.
He thinks the CPI
should be followed with utility rates also.
There are a few employees that are under
paid and in need of adjustment.
Chris Clark said he has been
independently employed and has to work harder to
make it.
Now government workers are some of the
highest paid employees with the best benefits
out there.
He gave an example of a relative retiring
from the Forest Service.
Mayor Anderson spoke about PERSI
retirement and the morale factor.
He said he gets good compliments
regarding the city employees and would like to
see the employees rewarded.
He understands the revenues are not as
substantial as they used to be.
He wants to see a cola for the employees.
Mayor Anderson said he would feel
comfortable to take the contingency down to
$250,000 if this would help give a cola for the
employees of about three percent.
Connie would like to give a
raise but she is worried that pretty soon our
budget will be all wages and fringe.
She is worried that pretty soon we will
have no money for supplies and equipment to do
the work that needs to be done.
She does not want to see the utility
rates increase either.
Connie is concerned about laying off
employees.
Tom said if we do a cost of living wage
adjustment then he will make less than the city
employees.
He said city employees have good jobs.
Tom said we will have to raise fees and
some of the people paying these fees make less
than the city employees.
The group discussed wages.
Increases included in the wage
projections for 2012 were three employees in the
clerk’s office (two positions currently at
$11.35 per hour requested by Clerk/Treasurer to
be raised to $13.50 per hour and one position
presently at $10.00 per hour to be raised to
$11.00 per hour).
Mayor Anderson asked about
the county deductible and coverage.
The county has a $500 deductible and
optical and dental insurance.
Mayor Anderson said the increased
benefits make up about $1,500 per employee per
year.
The group discussed wages between
entities and the city.
Tom said he and Connie think the
employees do a great job and their comments are
not meant differently.07
Rick spoke about the amount
on the capital list for a reserve for a patrol
vehicle in the future.
He said the police department is getting
good at garnering used equipment.
He said the computer link to the
Sheriff’s office for an operating system would
be great for the sharing of data.
John Youngwirth spoke of
the cost of a new loader under the State bid.
He estimates the cost to be about
$120,000 and the business services the loader
for 18 months and then when the 18 months is
over the company comes back in and buys the
loader and gives the city about $7,000 and a new
replacement loader.
John is still checking to see if we can
get in on the buyback program.
John asked for $8,000 for auction
purchases that may come up during the year.
The concrete lift pump jack is a piece of
equipment that pumps concrete under pressure
into an area that is not level.
He said this would be cheaper than
replacing sidewalks and streets that are not
level.
Connie suggested researching the concrete
pump jack as to how it does in our climate.
John said the stump grinder
would also be used quite often by the street
department to take out trees that are in the
streets.
David said there is a lease option also
that we could look at for a loader.
David explained the buyback program to
Connie.
John said the buyback program for the
State has been successful for the past three
years.
David said the county is doing the
buyback program on graders.
He said the equipment is good
advertisement for the equipment companies.
Tom Mayo asked about the
slough at the dam.
David explained that at this time we are
just maintaining it.
Chris Clark said the city
needs to start annexing the areas that receive
city services without being in the city limits.
David informed council that there is
$20,000 in the 2012 budget for annexation
services.
David said Connie asked
about how the water tank will be funded.
There are the loan payments from the
water fund to the electric fund for the
clarifier loan and district 1 loan for seven
years.
These payments total about $100,000 per
year and when they are paid off that money can
go toward the tank replacement.
The next budget workshop
will be held on August 2, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. before the regular council meeting.
The meeting adjourned at
6:20 p.m.
/s/
David K. Anderson, Mayor
Attest:
/s/
Kris Larson, City Clerk
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