2018.08.16 WS Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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NEIN RI BRIGHTON building tomorrow today Council Worksession August 16, 2018 5:00 pm Present: Mayor Valerie Johnson Councilmember Graeme Allen Councilmember Mary Burg Councilmember Emily Dunsworth Councilmember Paul Jacobsen Absent: Staff in Attendance: Dean Lotter, Brenda Davitt, Devin Massopust, Craig Schlichting, Jennifer Fink, Tony Paetznick Guests in Attendance: 2019 Budget Discussion Lotter explained staff had a presentation on the 2019 budget. He reported a great deal of work went into this document by all departments. He thanked his team for their efforts and discussed how his staff was growing through the budgeting process. Davitt thanked the Council for their time. She stated she looked forward to the in-depth discussion the Council would have regarding the budget. The purposes and objective of the budget were reviewed, along with a summary of the budget. The staff changes proposed for 2019 were discussed. Lotter commented on the City's street replacement plan and the amount of debt the City would have to assume in order to complete this task. He explained the engineering staff had reviewed this plan in order to create a more balanced cycle. He reported the City's goal was to become debt free for street improvements by 2025. Davitt described how the City's levy would level out after 2025. The importance of retaining and investing in City employees was discussed. Further discussion ensued regarding a salary study that was completed for union and non-union employees. Lotter described the changes that would be made to employee benefits for the coming year. He reported a City- wide survey would be completed in 2019. He commented on the great response rate and feedback the City receives through this survey. He discussed how the comparable cities had been adjusted. Davitt reviewed how New Brighton's levy compared to other cities and how the City's residents would be impacted by the proposed levy. She pointed out which comparable cities had a jump in their levy. She provided further comment on the projected levy for the next ten years and it was noted how the increases would become more manageable over time. Massopust commented further on the administrative budget. It was noted the budget had been slightly increased to include additional leadership training opportunities for the City Council. He discussed the amount of time staff was spending on elections and noted staff had set aside funds for an election in 2019. He explained this may change.