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<br /> <br /> <br />To: Honorable Mayor Adams and City Council <br /> <br />From: Julie Feier, City Manager <br /> <br />Date: June 18, 2007 <br /> <br />Subject: City Manager’s Report <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />budget is <br />After careful and substantial analysis and deliberation, the $1,979,905 deficit <br />balanced. <br /> In order to preserve City services, and stabilize employment for all <br />University City employees we were required to reduce ongoing operational expenses. <br />Unfortunately, this includes a number of fee increases, service reductions and difficult <br />personnel decisions. The goal was to make adjustments based on attrition as much as <br />possible. In the end, seven positions will go unfilled via attrition and 12 positions <br />eliminated as a part of a layoff. It is always difficult to make the decision to eliminate <br />jobs and lose valued employees because of budgetary concerns. Please be assured <br />that we gave very careful consideration to these layoffs and did not take this decision <br />lightly. In the end, however, a layoff was the only reasonable choice given our <br />budgetary issues, and our desire to continue to provide a high level of service and a <br />quality work environment, including competitive pay and benefits for our remaining <br />employees. As follow up to our May 18 study session I provided the Park and <br />Recreation fee summary sheets on June 1. At the time, I indicated that it would appear <br />on your June 18 agenda. While these changes have helped minimized the impact to <br />our overall financial picture, the City will need to continue to utilize prudent fiscal <br />management practices in order to ensure a more positive long-term financial outlook. <br />To that end, we have three budget items for discussion prior to final budget approval. <br /> <br />Item 1: Revising 2007 Community Development Block Grant Allocation <br /> <br />Two funding areas in the current year will need to be reallocated so as not to lose <br />funding. The County has determined that the Mt. Gideon Church does not qualify for <br />direct funding. Since the City has made a commitment to this program, staff <br />recommends moving this allocation to Code Enforcement and paying Mt. Gideon from <br />this general fund savings. For energy assistance, the City is in the process of <br />contracting for this service but at this time staff recommends reallocating the $10,000 to <br />other areas. This reallocation will be to the areas of additional police services, code <br />enforcement and additional home improvement loans since it is doubtful that at this <br />date the full energy assistance funding could be distributed in the remainder of this <br />I-1,2,3-a <br />June 18, 2007 <br /> <br />