City Council Minutes 2023 08 15 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Council Meeting Minutes August 15, 2023 Page 5 of 7 Mayor Pro Tern Fahey agreed this is a good plan it would make us a leader in the community. She would like to determine what funding is available and what the timelines will be, then determine what to prioritize. Councilmember Hamlington asked how long the funds from the Inflation Reduction Act will be available. Brasovan stated they are set to go through 2032 but that could change with a new administration. Councilmember Hamlington wants to see real action implemented and would like to see a way to hold the City accountable to meeting these goals. Mayor Maloney proposed continuing this item to a special meeting on October 24 for further discussion of how to start the financing of the plan. Councilmember Most stated she would like to approve the plan this evening and also have the October meeting to start discussing implementation. She feels it is a reasonable commitment to approve the plan now and discuss the financing in October. Mayor Maloney stated he agrees, however, he has questions on the financial side and he wants to make sure we get it right. He stated he is supportive of the plan but wants to make sure there is a financially doable strategy to move it forward. Councilmember Dickinson agreed with Councilmember Most that the Plan can be approved this evening to show our commitment to the plan. How we fund this and how fast that happens can be addressed at the October meeting. Mayor Maloney stated he would prefer a later vote when everyone can feel comfortable with the timing and understanding the funding so there is unanimous support. Councilmember Hamlington stated the strategy is important and so understanding what is financially doable. The plan and the financing are tied together and she doesn't want to move forward with something without committing to pay for it. Councilmember Hoefner agreed. He wants to understand the near term expenses and if we can pay for that before we commit to anything. Mayor Pro Tern Fahey agreed everyone supports this but we need to know what we can afford and how it fits in the budget. Councilmember Leh stated we need to know we can fund the projects before we adopt the goals. We need to understand how we will phase it and how it impacts other priorities. Members agreed to continue the item to October 24 for further discussion of the financing and how the City can commit to making this happen.