Agenda - Council - 08/28/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Kuzma stated that staff is aware of comments and concerns that residents have brought forward in the past and could share those concerns to ensure that they could be addressed through this campaign. Ms. Edison confirmed that they would be interested in gathering input from staff on those elements. She explained that in the past they have developed a frequently asked questions document that is available on the City website and in print format at the front desk. She stated that it is important to address those questions quickly before they spiral. Councilmember Shryock stated that she was not involved in the prior process discussing franchise fees and therefore she believes that the approach that this is an investigation of alternative road funding options is healthy and important. She noted that many residents have moved to the community in the past few years and therefore this is a fresh topic for some residents. Councilmember Riley asked if staff has done an analysis of the costs proposed. City Administrator Ulrich confirmed that he is comfortable with the costs as shown but noted that another review could be done prior to final approval. The consensus of the Council was to move forward with the proposal as drafted, making the amendment to include all Commissions. It was noted that this item will come back before the Council for formal approval. 2.02: 2019 Preliminary Budget/Levy Review City Administrator Ulrich reviewed the staff report. Acting Mayor LeTourneau stated that he appreciates the work that the staff has put into the process this year. He stated that the community has set the standard that it needs, based on growth and desires of the residents. He stated that staff is attempting to provide a proposal that meets the needs and desires of the community. He stated that staff is sharing their prospective of what would need to happen in order to meet the needs of the community. He stated that it is less of a competition and more of how the City will meet the needs of the community. Fire Chief Kohner stated that the fire department is proposing to add a firefighter, advising that the staffing level has remained constant and the last new firefighter position was added in 2000. He stated that there has been an increase to the calls of service because of the increased residential and commercial growth the City has experienced. He acknowledged the difficulty the department has had in recruiting and obtaining reliable daytime responders. He stated that the main responsibility of the new position would be to respond to daytime calls for service. He stated that when the employee is not responding to calls, they would conduct code compliance inspections and life safety education. He stated that the department is not able to keep up with the building inspections. He stated that fire prevention is one of the most important duties the department conducts, and the department struggles to keep up with the request for life safety City Council Work Session / August 6, 2018 Page 3 of 9