City Council Minutes 2014 10 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes October 21, 2014 Page 6 of 24 Resolution levying taxes COUNCIL COMMENTS Council member Lipton stated that at the last meeting he asked a general question of the department heads about future staffing needs. Their response was an assessment of their needs several years looking forward. He asked City Manager Fleming if he had any general comments on what the expectations should be over the next two to five years. City Manager Fleming stated they do not anticipate any major new developments, other than the urban renewal area, any changes in the level of services, or any additional acreage for the Parks Department to maintain. There may be open space acquisitions requiring additional staffing. Generally there is a continuation of current levels of service. One of the goals for 2015 is to complete a five -year staffing and support plan, which will provide a detailed look at each department. The HR staff will identify the staffing needs and potential changes over the next five years and what should be incorporated into the budget. The City has to live within its means as the revenue comes in. Unless there are significant changes with additional commercial properties at CTC or retail property along McCaslin and South Boulder Road the revenues do not support additional staffing, thus should additional staffing be necessary, the City may have to reprioritize to live within their means. Council member Lipton asked City Manager Fleming what he saw as the single largest fiscal risk moving forward in the next year or two and what tools would he use to manage those risks. City Manager Fleming stated there are two areas from different funds, which are linked. The Waste Water Utility Fund has implications because of the $25 Million Waste Water Treatment Plant Construction in a climate where costs are escalating dramatically. It is linked to the proposal to borrow money from the Waste Water Utility fund to support the expenditures in the golf course. The golf course is another area where much depends on the weather and how quickly the golf course can open in the spring and begin to generate revenue. Until then there will be costs associated with maintaining the facility. The months of June, July and August are key months in generating revenue at the golf course. If the opening slips by a month it could affect revenues by $200,000 per month. There is some room in the General Fund to cover those expenses, but most of the major projects in the CIP are already committed. The Diverging Diamond (DDI) will be in its third and final year in 2015. The Overlook Underpass contribution of $168,000 will be in its third and final year in 2015. The Gateway Underpass is dependent upon the Burlington Northern Railroad schedule, but the City needs to be ready with the funding to move forward, or risk losing its place in line and delaying the project months or even years. The project could be broken down into two elements; one is the bridge structure, which creates the underpass and then all the improvements connecting the underpass to Front Street and to the urban renewal area. It may be possible to defer that phase.