City Council - 01/21/2006 - Workshop APPROVED SUMMARY NOTES
CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
Saturday,January 21, 2006 Board Room
8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Bearpath Country Club
CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Councilmembers Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher,
Ron Case, and Philip Young
CITY STAFF: City Manager Scott Neal, Parks & Recreation Director Bob Lambert, Public
Works Director Eugene Dietz, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Police Chief
Dan Carlson, Fire Chief George Esbensen and Recorder Lorene McWaters
Council and staff informal discussion included the following budget topics:
• budget process and timing
• budget considerations and impacts
• philosophy
• policies
• public input
• taskforce vs. consultant
• service levels
• budget process becoming politicized and micromanaged
• cost drivers
• use of budget stabilization funds
• improvements to the process
• options in the budget
• connection between policy and budget
• education on the budget and for staff as to Council values
Staff was asked to follow up on these items:
• Case asked Lambert for a list of five or six programs that are problematic.
• Tyra-Lukens asked if each Director could identify several policies that drive their
budgets. Neal said staff will formulate a list of 10 factors that drive the budget.
• Aho asked if Council could look at some programs that are not as effective to drop to get
another sheet of ice.