HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/06/1997CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
March 6, 1997
4:30 p.m.
First Floor Conference Room
Members present: Mayor Rooff, Anders, Jordan, Mollenhoff, Getty, Krizek.
Members absent: Collier, Murphy.
Moved by Jordan, seconded by Mollenhoff to approve the agenda as proposed. Ayes:
Five. Absent: Collier, Murphy.
Mayor Rooff introduced George Scully and Scott Hauser members of the Budget Review
Committee in attendance to review their recommendations on the 1998 Proposed Budget.
Chairman George Scully identified the members of the review committee as Scott
Hauser, Lori Alexander, Sandra Wilde and himself. Scully thanked the mayor, council
and department heads for the hard work that is put into the budgeting process. The
budget has looked better every year.
The committee focused it's review this year on primarily three city departments.
Waterloo Fire Rescue, Recreation and Arts and the Police Department met with the
committee and reviewed their proposed budgets. The Budget Review Committee Report
supports the goal of continuing to reduce the city's tax levy. A recommendation to
establish zero based budgeting for every city department on a rotating basis was made by
the committee. Each department should be required to identify operational problems and
provide solutions to those problems during the budgeting process.
The committee recommended reviewing the Recreation and Young Arena operations to
improve pricing policies, strengthen budget awareness and improve analysis of recreation
functions. The committee recommended that the city consider requesting donations
towards operational costs from Young Arena walkers and using jail inmates to defray the
cost of clean up after hockey games.
It was recommended that the Fire Department should review the line -item budgets and
determine actual funding needs rather than make across the board percentage cuts. The
concept of moving Fire staff from the Airport Fire Station to Station Six was supported.
Use of video equipment in police vehicles was also supported and the pursuit of grant
funding was recommended. A review of fees and telephone service costs were also
suggested for the Police Department.
The committee recommended that the city continue to pursue and evaluate privatization
opportunities in areas where it would be appropriate.
Mayor Rooff thanked the committee for its diligence and recommendations. Staff will
prepare a response to each recommendation issued by the committee and also report on
the progress of the 1997 recommendations.
With no further discussion, it was moved by Getty, seconded by Jordan to adjourn the
meeting at 5:05 p.m. Ayes: Five. Absent: Collier. Murphy. Motion carried.
Susan Fangman
City Clerk