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Session 1922 May 17, 2004 Mr. Wagner moved approval of the Consent Calendar, Mr. Sharpe seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Ollendorff advised that the seventh item, removed from the Consent Calendar, was a recommendation from the Plan Commission that the Zoning Ordinance be amended as pertains to fences, to allow in addition to the solid six-foot height of the fence, to permit up to six inches in height for the installation of decorative items. The City Council needs to set a public hearing date and the City Manager recommended the next regular meeting, Monday, June 7, 2004, for that hearing. Mr. Sharpe moved to accept this date and Ms. Welsch seconded the motion. Mr. Wagner said that he wanted to emphasize the fact that this change does not allow the fence to increase by six inches; the ornaments at the posts will be allowed to be six inches high. The fence remains at the six foot level. Ms. Welsch expressed her approval of this issue because it keeps the cost of fences down in University City. The previous ordinance required people to cut down their pickets in order to install decorative ornaments and still meet the required six-foot level. The motion passed unanimously. BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING: Mr. Ollendorff said that two weeks ago on May 3, 2004 at this time and place the City Council held its first Public Hearing on the annual budget and heard from citizens, and these comments were taken under advisement and were given due consideration by the City Council. This evening, there is a second opportunity for citizens to comment on the annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004. Mayor Adams declared the Public Hearing open at 7:35 P.M. Edward J. McCarthy, 7101 Princeton Avenue, attended last week's study session and came this evening with five or six points to raise. The first comment focused upon the library and the fact that the Saint Louis County tax rate for the library is fourteen cents while that of University City is twenty-eight cents, so he asked if the City library could join the County system? He wants numbers issued to reflect the specific amount of library users in the past six, twelve and eighteen months, not merely the number of library card holders. Secondly, he asked why the sanitation department does not make money, and since it does not, can it be contracted out to save money? Next, he asked why the budgeted amount for operating the pool next year was $295,000 when the $87,000 revenue is less than forty percent. He would like the forty percent figure raised to sixty or eighty percent over the next two or three years. He also asked for exact numbers of pool users and expressed his opinion that the entire City pays for a benefit enjoyed by a limited number of people. The yearly charge to use the pool is too Iow, he said. He favors non-residents using the pool. Then, regarding planning and Page 4