Minutes - Council - 12/13/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Riley Sunder, 6900 178th Avenue, stated that it appears the City will be spending about $29,000 on the website design and noted that he could do the website redesign much cheaper. Mayor Strommen noted that the budget has a placeholder and the redesign will come back before the Council as a formal action. She noted that there is complexity to the website because it houses archived files. Finance Director Lund stated that the IT Department oversees the update and has obtained bids. Motion by Councilmember Shryock, seconded by Councilmember Johns, to close the public hearing. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Strommen, Councilmembers Shryock, Johns, Kuzma, Riley, and Williams. Voting No: None. Absent: Councilmember LeTourneau. The public hearing was closed at 7:28 p.m. Council Business Councilmember Riley stated that this has been discussed on multiple occasions and he did not think that decisions should be made in a vacuum. He stated that this is a proposed 5.1 percent to the tax levy. He reviewed other increases for wages, social security, and other rates of inflation which all range around one or two percent; therefore, he did not see a reason for a five percent increase. He stated that the intent is to remain consistent with the tax levy and noted that this is just the first in a five-year plan that only goes higher. He stated that he would not be supporting this budget for those reasons. Councilmember Kuzma noted that the debt service for the roads is a driving force in the increase as the option for a franchise fee was not approved. He stated that the roads will continue to be a bulk portion of the increase. He stated that the Drug Task Force position was also an increased item but noted that he heavily supports that position in this current time with heroin use climbing in the metro area. He stated that the Drug Task Force position will provide the City with additional avenues in that matter. Councilmember Shryock agreed with the comments of Councilmember Kuzma. She stated that she recently attended a presentation from the Anoka County Sheriff and found it astounding the problems that the County and State, as a whole, face and therefore supports a more proactive approach to the issue. Mayor Strommen appreciated the information from Councilmember Riley. She commented that this a growing community and along with that comes investments that need to be made to protect that community, such as investment in the road infrastructure; noting that item had not been accounted for in previous budgets. She echoed the comments of support for the Drug Task Force officer, noting that is a strategic investment in the community before there are issues that greatly impact the quality of life and safety of the community. She stated that the Council reviews this information outside of a vacuum in order to make decisions not just for today but also for the City Council/ December 13, 2016 Page 5 of 15