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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-10 Council Minutes - Part 1 CITY OF CORCORAN COUNCIL WORKSHOP OCTOBER 10, 2002 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2002 - Need to PDF\10.10.02 Budget Workshop.doc Mayor Guenthner opened the workshop at 6:04 p.m., on October 10, 2002. The purpose of the workshop was to address the City’s 2003 preliminary budget. Present were Councilors Bucher, Gmach, and Guenthner. Also present were Administrator Vergin, Clerk/Treasurer Tillmann, and Police Chief Schutte. Councilors Gageby and Thomas were excused absent. MOTION by Bucher, seconded by Gmach, and carried unanimously to approve the agenda with the addition of discussion on the police officer union contract negotiations. Administrator Vergin provided some background about the preliminary Police Department budget for 2003. Discussion centered around the 2003 Capital Improvement Plan. Council was reminded that the Police Chief’s vehicle was purchased in 2002, and weight scales will be purchased by the end of 2002. A new squad car will be purchased in 2003 for Officer Hamilton to use and his squad will either be traded in or used as a Reserve vehicle. The new snowmobiles have been removed from the 2003 CIP, as we will be keeping the snowmobiles from Polaris another year due to little use last year. The department will also be purchasing new firearms, digital cameras to outfit all the squads. Currently the department has one camera that is shared by the three officers and the Code Enforcement Official. Other items in the CIP were also discussed. Councilor Thomas was present at 6:28 p.m. Discussion was held regarding the request to add an additional full-time officer in 2003. Chief Schutte explained that another Officer is necessary because of increased demands for service and to cover time off of other officers due to their longevity with the department. Another officer would increase productivity and patrol time, which would in turn generate increased revenue through fines and fees. The City would be receiving a $75,000 grant to be spread out over three years, which would bring the City’s cost for the first year to approximately $22,707. The grant would most likely be lost if the City does not take advantage of it. Councilor Bucher questioned the need to add another officer at this time. Does not feel that the events handled by Corcoran are enough to warrant adding another person. Feels that current staff can handle the call load, as it has been relatively stable for the past two years. Mayor Guenthner added that we need to look at what is happening at the state level, as budget cuts and decreased revenue could have an adverse effect on the city. Officer expense could turn into a liability if the grant program were to be cut by the state. Discussion was held regarding Union negotiations with the police officer union. Councilor Gmach provided a salary comparison of wages for officers in similar communities. Opened Roll Call Accept Agenda Review of 2003 Police Department Preliminary Budget CITY OF CORCORAN COUNCIL WORKSHOP OCTOBER 10, 2002 H:\City Hall Information\CITY GOVERNMENT\Council, Commissions & Committees\Council Information\Council Minutes\Previous Years\2002 - Need to PDF\10.10.02 Budget Workshop.doc The next Budget Workshop will be scheduled for October 24, 2002 at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Guenthner recessed the workshop at 7:00 p.m. ____________________________ Kary Tillmann, City Clerk Code Enforcement Position Workshop Recessed