HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/11/1979 Study Session 398 STUDY SESSION - BUDGET REVIEW - WRAP-UP
December 11, 1979
The City Council net in session on this date at 9:00 a.m. in the Council
Chambers of City Hall, Yakima, W Mayor Betty L. Edmondson
presiding, Council members Henry Beauchamp, Lynn Buchanan, Don Hinman,
Nadine Lee, Frank Roberts and Gordon Wonder present on roll call.
It was the general consensus of the Council to discuss the budget in the
order that it appears by Departthmt.
City Manager Zais stated he has some information to give Council per-
taining to the questions they had at the last study session on the
budget.
REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS
$25,000 - Capitol Theatre Maintenance & Insurance/
Fund with Roan Tax
$24,000 - Admission Tax
$40,000 - Unexpected Utility Tax Revenue
$89,000 - Total
EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS
$26,000 - Reduction in payment to Library
5,000 - Emergency Services
30,000 - Salary Adjustments
He stated that the salary adjustment for the Phase IV Reclassification
questioned for retroactive pay to the first of the year is a legal
question which will be researched.
CITY COUNCIL - Councilman Wonder questioned the need for $3600 being
budgeted for travel when last year Council only spent $2400. City
Manager Zais stated that there will be new Council members next year who
may wish to take advantage of some seminars.
CITY MANAGER - Council members discussed the vehicle allowance for the
City Manager and it was the general consensus of the Council to accept
the recanmendation and approve the $110 monthly vehicle,allowance for
the City Manager. Councilman Roberts requested that the City Manager
keep track of his mileage for a quarter of the year to see if this
system is equitable.
CITY CLERK - No changes
PERSONNEL - Councilman Roberts asked about the amount the City is paying
for the Gibbons service for separation of employees. Art Zerbach, Dir-
ector of Finance & Budget, reported the City is paying Gibbons $2400 a
year. He stated that the City went with Gibbons when it was first re-
quired that the City pay unemployment. Following discussion regarding
the feasibility of using this service, it was MOVED by Hinman, seconded
by Wonder to take the $2400 out of the budget for service with Gibbons.
Mr. Zerbach stated that this money does not come from General Fund; the
City charges payroll for each employee and puts that in a reserve
fund in the event unemployment benefits need to be paid. He stated that
it would be his recommendation to continue deducting the h% from the
payroll. Council member Lee expressed concern about deleting this
service without obtaining further information. Councilman Buchanan
suggested keeping the service the first quarter of the year and then II/
analyzing it. The question was called for the vote on the motion:
Beauchamp and Wonder voting aye by voice vote. Buchanan, Edmondson,
Hinman, Lee and Roberts voting nay. The motion failed for lack of a
majority vote. It was the general consensus of the Council to have a
report on Gibbns after the first quarter of the year.
LEGAL - No changes
PURCHASING - Councilman Hinman confirmed that the Purchasing Agent will
come back with a proposed Charter amnduent for increasing the general
bid limit.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS - No changes
TOURIST PROMOTION/TROLLEY - No changes
STUDY SESSION - BUDGET REVIEW - WRAP -UP 399
December 11, 1979
FINANCE & BUDGET - Councilman Hinman inquired about the figure used for
projecting interest income. Mr., Zerbach stated that he used 9% and
stated he is concerned that that figure might be a little high.
Councilman Beauchamp inquired about the $30,000 increase in expenditures
for the next year. Mr. Zerbach explained that $20,000 will be to hire
an accountant and $7,000 is for 2 of a Department Assistant which will
be shared with the Treasurer's Office. He also stated he expects an in-
crease in State Auditor's fees.
CUSTOMER SERVICE - Walt Feser, Customer Service Manager, reported that
Council had discussed the bail for parking violations. He stated that
in 1979, $15,000 of warnings were issued and the City collected 1 of
them. City Manager Zais stated that.the issue of increasing the sug-
gested bail has not gone to the DARC Committee yet. Mr. Zerbach stated
that the revenues will be decreased because of the loss of one parking
checker, which he requested to be funded from FRS Funds.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - Council discussed the need for using FRS funds
for one Planner who would be working on the Urban Area Plan. Miss Darby
stated that she received word from HUD that they made an error and found
$50,000 more for the City for the Canmunity Development Block Grant.
She stated that after the first of the year, she will come back with
proposals for that.
POLICE - Councilman Hinman stated he would like to use General Fund
revenues to fund the Police positions that were proposed for FRS funds.
Mayor Edmondson stated that the same level of safety personnel should be
kept. City Manager Zais recanmended Council delay filling the Police
positions with FRS funds until an arbitration award has been given.
Speaking about the loss of the Department Assistant II at the Canplaint
Desk at night, City Manager Zais stated that the Complaint Desk would be
closed for walk `in traffic from 12:00 Midnight until 8:00 a.m. He
stated it does not preclude emergency help from the Dispatcher. Captain
Qualley explained that there will be one Clerk at the Complaint Counter
to handle the phone and the front door will be closed because one Clerk
cannot handle walk -in, telephone and do clerical work. He stated that a
field' officer may have to be called in to relieve the Dispatcher for
lunch. He stated that that office is at a minimum manning level now.
FIRE - Speaking about the recanmendation given by the Council /Citizen
Canmittee regarding the Fire Department, Mayor Edmondson stated she
agrees with the consolidation of the Fire and Code Inspection under Code
Administration and the deletion of equipment rental /replacement fund.
She stated she also agrees with the recanmendation regarding the reduc-
tion of fire personnel, however, she suggested that this be phased into
a program over the next few years to reduce staff by natural attrition.
She stated that by that time, which she estimated at approximately three
years, the volunteers would be trained. She suggested that $160,000 FRS
money be used to fund four fire personnel for the first year. For the
balance of this program, she suggested that the utility tax be increased
by 1% to fund this program. Councilman Hinman stated that the volun-
teers are not going to replace the company that is going to be reduced.
He stated that there will be fire companies that can arrive before the
standard time limit. He stated that the City has some young fire-
fighters that have had up to 8 to 10 years training service that we are
going to lose. He also stated that by attrition the City will lose the
older person who retires or leaves on disability. Councilman Wonder
stated that if the City were to impose a tax, it should not go to keep
personnel in just one division.
PARKS & RECREATION - Councilman Hinman stated that since the Parks
Department is a seasonal business, perhaps the part -time positions
should be given more priority for funding than the full -time positions.
Dick Hilligus, Parks & Recreation Director, distributed a personnel list
for the department. He stated that there are 13 parks to care for and
described the duties the personnel have in the winter, i.e., trimming
trees, repairing picnic tables, and painting. Councilman Wonder ques-
tioned the vacation scheduling of the Parks Department personnel which
allows for vacations in the summer. Mr. Hilligus stated that although
he encourages winter vacations, the Civil Service' Rules are that the
employees be allowed their vacation when they want it, if possible.
Council members discussed possible programs for volunteers to manage.
It was the general consensus of the Council to continue the budget
wrap -up study session on Thursday, December 13, at 9:00 a.m. in the
Council Chambers.
4 00 STUDY SESSION - BUDGET REVIEW - WRAP-UP
December 11, 1979
There being no further information or business to cane before the Coun-
cil, the meeting was adjourned at the hour of 12:00 Noon.
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