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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES OF UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL <br />STUDY SESSION <br />May 14, 2009 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />The Council Study Session, held on the Fifth Floor of the City Hall, on Monday, May 04, <br />2009, was called to order by Mayor Adams at 5:30 p.m. In addition to Mayor Adams, the <br />following members of the Council were present: <br /> <br /> Mr. Michael Glickert <br /> Mr. Arthur Sharpe, Jr. <br /> Mr. Terry Crow <br /> Mr. Robert Wagner <br /> Ms. Lynn Ricci <br /> Mr. Byron Price <br /> <br />Also present were the City Manager Julie Feier, Deputy City Manger/Finance Director <br />Janet Watson, City Attorney John Mulligan, all Department Directors and the Assistant City <br />Manager. <br /> <br />The study session was opened by Mayor Adams and the floor was given to Mr. Price, who <br />had a joint proposal with Mr. Wagner on how to balance the budget. <br /> <br />Mr. Price’s and Mr. Wagner’s proposal was to balance the budget and be able to honor a <br />commitment to the Wilson Avenue properties. In order to reduce the 1.3 million dollar <br />projected deficit, Mr. Price stated that increasing the revenue would come from the passing <br />of a sales tax ballot initiative, initiate a rental property registration fee and additional <br />revenue to be received from natural gas. In conjunction with the increase in revenue, <br />reduction in certain projected expenditures as medical insurance savings, moving the two <br />pumpers to a property tax bond issue, reduction of two police officers (stimulus fund would <br />replace them), and the use of an additional $220,000 from the Economic Development <br />* <br />Sales Tax for street lighting and administration cost. This would result in a budget <br />surplus of $242,241. Mr. Price and Mr. Wagner proposed using from this surplus $20,000 <br />for marketing campaign of the City and Centennial Commons, known as “Destination <br />U.City”, which will involve residents, businesses, school district and Council, all promoting <br />the City. Two other recommendations from the city staff were $77,000 for a fire <br />dispatching contract and $15,000 to increase minimum wage for part-time employees. <br />With these additional expenditures, the FY 10 surplus would be $130,241. Mr. Price <br />moved to accept this proposal. <br /> <br />Mr. Wagner stated that it was his and Mr. Price’s intent to present a balance budget and <br />avoid balancing the budget on the back of the City’s reserves. With this balanced budget, <br />the Council could support the Wilson buy-out. <br /> <br />Ms. Ricci suggested a reduction in areas as: <br /> <br /> Professional Development and Staff Training, <br /> <br /> Awards and Gifts, <br /> <br /> <br />