Agenda - Council - 11/22/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Riley stated that he would like to rely on department heads to identify areas where cuts could be made. Councilmember Shryock noted that if each department were able to identify a small item that could be modified or cut, that could provide the cost savings. Councilmember Williams stated that she would like to see the Council take an ownership role, as asking staff to make cuts puts staff in a position to prioritize in a way that may or may not help reach the goals the Council would like to achieve on the strategic plan. Councilmember Shryock stated that the Council could then review the list provided by the department heads to ensure that the prioritization is in line with the Council's desires. Acting Mayor LeTourneau stated that the Council has asked the staff to do the work they needed to do and has given very broad direction in how they would like to see this move forward. He stated that staff has done that and agreed that this is now the responsibility of the Council. He believed that the Council should take ownership at this point and would want to see staff manage a task rather than a larger concept if the Council would like further work to be done. He stated that if the Council wants staff to make further adjustments they should provide specific direction to staff rather than simply asking staff to make cuts that the Council may or may not like. Councilmember Johns stated that she would support the budget as proposed. She stated that the majority of increases are tied to personnel that cannot be cut. Councilmember Shryock stated that she liked the idea of looking at certain projects, like the Highway 47 corridor, that are not able to move forward. She asked why the website redesign is being done. Councilmember Johns stated that the website is holding the City back and is outdated and not mobile friendly. Councilmember Shryock stated that it appears there is nowhere to make cuts in the budget. Councilmember Riley stated that this is an $11,000,000 budget and therefore he would support looking for areas of the budget to make cuts. Councilmember Williams stated that the website design is necessary. She stated that she is willing to take ownership of the direction she provides to staff. She stated that making small cuts of a few hundred dollars here and there is not beneficial. She referenced the Drug Task Force position and noted that there is not proof that the City will be hurt by not having that position. She stated that while she would like to keep the EDA budget as proposed, there could also be cost savings received by continuing to stay with the broker. City Council Work Session /November 7, 2016 Page 3 of 5