Agenda - Council - 12/08/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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stated that from his point of view a lot of the things that are presented are in support with the direction the Council has wanted to go. He noted that the decision will cause some angst and asked how ready the Council is to assume the risk. He stated that he wants to be confident that the Council is doing the right thing and will continue to do the right thing. He noted that he gets comfort that the information is here and adjustments can be made along the way. He wanted to make sure that the City is aware of the end results and how they are going to get there without the assumption that The COR will fill out. He stated that he is comfortable adding all three new positions and is confident that the Council will make it work. He noted that the Council has said that this is the direction they want to move. Councilmember Kuzma stated that he would like to see the drug task force position added for at least one year to determine the impact that could have on the community. Mayor Strommen was unsure the return that position could add in just one year. Police Chief Katers stated that an evaluation could be done after one year as the current Joint Powers Agreement allows for a member to leave the group during a year if notice is provided by July. He stated that numbers can be produced in terms of the number of arrests and the measurable amount of drugs taken off the street, but was not sure the long-term impact that would be known after one year. City Administrator Ulrich stated that another option would be to consider whether the planned officer addition in 2018 is needed, as that decision could be delayed with the drug task force positon continuing. Councilmember Riley stated that he would support the position of Mayor Strommen as that is the closest that he has seen to what he has desired in terms of not adding to the budget. He stated that having the five-year plan is wonderful but noted that the plan does not include all the elements. He stated that he does not want to keep going down the road the City is going down and believed it would be a mistake to approve a higher budget. Councilmember Williams stated that she is unsure whether she has heard that the three positons have been prioritized or whether one position would be more impactful than the other and therefore she does not support adding any of the three positions. She stated that she has not supported the proposed increase from the start and therefore would oppose the added positions. She stated that she would like the Council to focus on growing the community in an effective way and remain budget conscious while still attempting to accomplish the goals identified in the Strategic Plan. Mayor Strommen stated that this budget will come before the Council at the next regular session and she would like to see a budget presented that will gain four votes. She noted that this discussion was healthy and included different perspectives. She referenced the time left in the Work Session and asked if there is a consensus of the Council at this time. Councilmember Johns stated that she tends to support the addition of the three positions. She stated that in terms of prioritization she would like to see the code enforcement, public works City Council Work Session / November 24, 2015 Page 5 of 7