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City Council <br />Meeting Minutes <br />October 13, 2015 <br />Page 4 of 18 <br />Council member Stolzmann felt Council should provide staff with the level of <br />expectation and then ask the Public Works Director to determine the cost. She asked <br />for clarification on the dollar amounts the previous council members spoke of. She felt <br />Public Works Director Kowar was saying $415,000 additional dollars were needed. <br />Council member Keany responded, yes this was the figure for 2016, but he was also <br />looking at the additional funds in water and sewer. Council member Stolzmann noted <br />the water and sewer projects are incredibly large, with large dollar increases and those <br />dollar amounts will not contribute significantly above that. She was not concerned <br />about the dollars spent on water and sewer. <br />City Manager Fleming noted there would not have to be dramatic cuts in 2016 to meet <br />the level of funding, but a problem could arise in 2017 and 2018 due to phasing of water <br />and sewer funds and following up on work done previously. <br />Public Works Director Kowar emphasized the water and sewer replacement is the <br />constraint. It is what is holding back the booster program on the streets. It is important <br />to be aggressive on the water and sewer; the rate increases are primarily a function of <br />increasing revenues to meet the debt service coverage requirements. There is a good <br />reserve in the Utility Fund and this is a good use of it. Staying aggressive over the next <br />three years in the utility and getting that part out of the way is important. Then when the <br />paving funding is established, staff would be ready to go. <br />Council member Stolzmann would like to do more in 2016, but recognized not <br />everything can be done now. It is not about a dollar amount, but about setting a goal <br />and determining the cost. Multi -year budgeting may help in getting a better rate. She <br />supported being aggressive in 2016 and developing a plan for out years to buckle down <br />and budget for paving. This would include addressing streets not involved in the <br />water /sewer replacement. <br />Council member Loo asked City Manager Fleming to clarify if there was not a problem <br />to find the moneys in 2016 and what was the dollar figure. City Manager Fleming <br />pointed to a table in the packet showing the additional funding needed to raise all <br />streets above Overall Condition Index (OCI) 35 in five years. For 2016, the Capital <br />Projects Fund would need to increase $415,000, accomplished by either drawing down <br />the fund reserves which still leaves $1 million in reserves or as both he and Council <br />member Lipton suggested, other cuts if Council wishes to keep the Capital Projects <br />Fund reserves higher than the million dollars. <br />Mayor Pro Tem Dalton noted the Public Works bid process is changing and could result <br />in a staff capacity issue. Road conditions as a goal needs to take place not in this <br />budget but urgently addressed in 2016. This budget needs an added half million dollars <br />as a down payment toward paving. <br />