City Looks at Infrastructure Improvements

In a budget workshop Tuesday, City Council members —mindful of projections that sales tax revenues will rise more than last year's predictions — asked city staff to develop proposals for increasing infrastructure spending.

A couple of council members suggested staff prepare some options for the city to increase the assumed $1.75 million (with no projected increase from current levels) the city would put into the capital improvement projects for 2012-13. Council member Gary Skrel suggested the staff prepare different scenarios showing what an extra investment would mean in terms of improvements.

Council member Kristina Lawson agreed, citing the problem of chronic underfunding cited in last year's report the Community Blue Ribbon Task Force on Fiscal Health. "Let's see a budget that puts a realistic number on infrastructure replacement," said Lawson.

Council member Cindy Silva asked for cost projections for restoring or augmenting staff in police and other departments. She also staff to prepare for the next budget session comparisons of fees in neighboring cities as the city contemplates changes in fees.

The council discussed ways to recover more costs in city fees and charges for services. In response to council questions Barry Gordon, the city's director of arts, recreation and community services, said adjustments have been made recently by city commissions. The moves have paved the way for the department to move its recovery of costs by fees charged by classes, rentals, etc., from an average of 73 percent to an average of 77 percent for 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The city stands to have a one-time revenue boost from The money realized from the sale should be in a separate fund with the council discussing how to apply the money in a long-term strategic way, Silva said.

There was a discussion of whether to use money off the top to restore reserve funds. City Manager Ken Nordhoff said staff would report on the status of reserve funds and a policy for using one-time revenues vis-a-vis reserve accounts.