2011-02-28 Reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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replaced. The City has been told that it is near the end of its life and the cost to replace is approximately three million dollars based on a study done April 2009. Mr. Walker said there is also a report on an administration reorganization with respect to the Public Works Department and the Parks Recreation and Forestry departments. He said there are also several other budget consideration proposals that will be distributed in the transmittal memo to Council and for public comments. Mr. Walker concluded by indicating this is a proposed draft budget for discussion and no final decisions have been made. He welcomes the input of Councilmembers who ultimately will have to approve the budget or decide there are things in the budget they do not want to do or additional things they may want. Mr. Walker said he also welcomes suggestions of the residents and encourage residents to attend the upcoming budget meetings. The proposed draft budget that will be presented later this evening is a balanced budget, where the expenditures do not exceed the revenues. Mayor Welsch asked the Council to review the draft budget and said Mr. Walker has extended an invitation to come visit him with any questions members might have. Mr. Price said he hoped that he is not interrupted. He said he was going to time everybody up here. He said for clarification that this is a budget issue and Councilwoman Erby and Congressman Clay had worked on this Wilson flood buyout diligently and thanks to Ms. Erby, she helped with this issue. As he recalled on this issue some members of Council voted against the million dollars to help the folks on Wilson. Mr. Price said January 19 the Wilson Ave buyouts were told it would proceed and start on February 1. He said to everybody’s surprise on Jan 24 he received an email to vote on a grant and not do the buyout. Mr. Price said the new Council voted to do this grant. On January 27, a meeting was held with the residents and they were given Feb 28 as the extension date. He said it is February 28 and the same thing has happened as he stated previously that it would not happen, as it took two years to get the other grant. He said there were public hearings and there are no notes recorded for two of the hearings. Mr. Price said he travels with his job and could not make any of the three hearings. He wanted to know how public input would be used if records were not kept. Mr. Price said the other thing on the budget buyout that showed a million dollars in and then the million dollars taken out. He said he gets reprimanded that he should not talk about that. Mr. Price said if the budget is gutted as you go, what budget are we talking about that gets approved in June, when everybody is laid off. Mr. Price said the City’s Solid Waste department is the best in St. Louis County. He said for some reason the City wants to get rid of that inventory, and gut the department. We have been told that if the City recycles more the dumping fee will be reduced thereby either reduce or stop the increase in cost to the residents. But he said nothing has every taken place by this body to diligently work on that solution. Mr. Price asked why are we looking at getting rid of things before we can look at how can we gain benefit. He said the transfer station makes money. When he says he doesn’t trust it is because: every report the Council gets is confidential, reports are being approved that the public never saw as the audit reports which has budget implementation and a resolution was approved for the City Manager to carry out its recommendations. He was told that the consultant’s recommendation was confidential but has heard from others who know what is in the report. Mr. Price said he doesn’t trust because he is getting it this way and told one thing and heard another way somewhere else. Mr. Price said he is trying to find out how a colleague of his on June 2010 on their web site saying “This new Council has set a goal of reorganizing U 7