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the big issues. There is going to be pressure to change the LGA formula; <br />if there are changes, they should be changed in a way that won't devastate <br />those who are now winners. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley stated that it is not a good idea to look at mill rates alone <br />as a measure of what's happening because they are subject to what is being <br />spent, what property values are and fiscal disparities. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley stated that pages 9 and 10 show the cost to continue operations <br />either with people directly or indirectly (contracting out) employed by <br />government. The city will have to make some decisions about the level of <br />service it is going to provide and the method in which they will be <br />provided for. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cox stated that if it is cost effective, the city will make <br />every effort to use the privatization method to provide the expanded <br />personnel needed to carry out the services the city decides to provide. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley stated that the personnel figures in the budget do not, in most <br />cases, reflect sufficient staffing to do the job and to rely on those <br />figures would be wrong. <br /> <br />Mr. Graczyk noted that page 20 of the budget draft shows how the total <br />personnel positions are funded. Page 12 and 13 contains all the detail for <br />the General Fund. Page 14-19 represents the individual fund revenues for <br />each one of the funds. Page 70 shows the debt fund that General Fund has <br />to pay. Page 73 shows the budget reserve for unknown expenditures; this <br />includes $47,000 for unanticipated expenditures. Pages 75 and 76 is Other <br />Financing Uses and details all transfers out of the General Fund. Page 83 <br />is a work up for capital acquisitions and a person for sewer and water <br />operations. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley noted that the city has a sewer and water system and without <br />properly trained personnel maintaining it, the city is exposed to <br />1 iab il ity. <br /> <br />Councilmember Cox directed that discussion of operation and maintenance of <br />city sewer and water system and the most appropriate method of staffing for <br />those needs be placed on the next regular Council agenda. <br /> <br />Mr. Hartley stated that park maintenance is another area in which the city <br />has begun to develop standards; those standards, when complete, can apply <br />to people directly employed by the city or they can apply to contracting <br />out. The process of developing standards forces the city to put in writing <br />what is expected from the employee or the contractor. Mr. Hartley asked <br />that Council also give some consideration to contracting out all of <br />Ramsey's planning needs to an engineering firm with in-house liaison being <br />employed directly or indirectly by government. The city would be billed <br />for those services and most of them in turn could be billed to the <br />developer. <br /> <br />Councilmember DeLuca stated that the engineering and planning costs could <br />wipe out a project. <br /> Budget Committee/September 14, 1987 <br /> <br />Page 3 of 4 <br /> <br /> <br />