City Council Agenda and Packet 2015 09 21 BUDGET

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However, reserves may be used to provide the City time to restructure operations (as might be required in an economic downturn), but such use will only take place in the context of a long -term financial plan. Use of reserves below the 20% target requires authorization from City Council. In the event reserves are used resulting in an unrestricted fund balance below the 15% minimum, a plan will be developed to replenish the reserves as quickly as reasonably possible and presented as part of a long -term financial plan. Methods of replenishing fund balance may include the use of non - recurring revenue, year -end surpluses, and, if legally permissible, excess resources from other funds. 2.2 Open Space & Parks Fund Reserves. The entire fund balance for the Open Space and Parks Fund is restricted by voters for acquisition, development, and operation of open space, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands, and parks. The minimum fund balance of the Open Space and Parks Fund shall be maintained at or above 15% of current operating expenditures. For purpose of this policy, operating expenditures include only open space and parks operations and exclude all interfund transfers and capital outlay. The targeted fund balance of the Open Space and Parks Fund will include the minimum fund balance plus an amount sufficient to cover the City's share (considering other likely joint partners) of the total projected cost of acquiring the three highest priority candidate open space properties. As the highest priority properties are purchased, this amount will be adjusted. Use of reserves below the targeted amount requires authorization from City Council. In the event reserves are used to acquire open space property resulting in a fund balance below the targeted amount, a plan will be developed to replenish the reserves as quickly as reasonably possible and presented as part of a long -term financial plan. Methods of replenishing fund balance may include transfers from other funds, securing loans from other agencies to jointly purchase property, seeking approval of bonds to finance property acquisition, and /or delaying /reducing expenditures for development, construction, operation, and maintenance of open space zones, trails, wildlife habitats, wetlands, and parks. 2.3 Cemetery Fund Reserves. The minimum unrestricted fund balance of the Cemetery Fund shall be maintained at or above 15% of current operating expenditures. For purpose of this policy, operating expenditures are defined as all expenditures, excluding interfund transfers and capital outlay. The Cemetery Fund requires a recurring annual transfer from the General Fund to fund its operational deficit. This transfer will be adjusted on an annual basis to ensure that the unrestricted fund balance of the Cemetery Fund is maintained at or above 15% of current operating expenditures. 2.4 Combined Utility Fund Reserves. The Water, Wastewater, and Storm Water Utility Funds are enterprise funds and, therefore, the measure of reserves is based on levels of working capital rather than on levels of fund balance. It is important to maintain adequate levels of working capital in these funds to mitigate risks and to ensure a stable fee structure and service level. 20