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Holding
The Line On Spending:
On August 14, 2007 I moved to table the hiring of two
additional staff members for the City. One position was for the Clerk/Treasurer
office. This position would have been paid for through sewer tax revenue. The
second position was for the formation of a human resource department. The human
resource department is needed in the City but at this time the City can not
afford the position. Also the way this part-time position was being proposed
with an educational expense, I felt it was not appropriate for the City to enter
into such an agreement. The Council agreed with my beliefs and voted 5-1 to
table both positions until next budget session in February 2008. We have to
remind ourselves that by July 1, 2008 we have to have a Building Code Department
in place. Other then the comments made by our City Administrator that we could
be adding 6-8 employees and the need to take over the Council Chambers for the
Code Department, the Council has not received any concrete dollar estimates for
this department. It is not appropriate to start randomly adding employees. The
Council needs to see the entire plan and its related costs before additional
employees are added.
Read Mark's August 14, 2007 presentation
to the City Council below.
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In discussion before roll call,
Councilmember Vulich advised the Council that during the process of hiring a new
City Administrator, the now City Administrator Gary Boden had informed the
Council that the General Fund was in bad shape and the City's bond rating was in
jeopardy. He stated that during the budget workshops in February, 2007, the
Council was told by City Administrator Boden that $350,000 from docks, $43,000
from Hotel-Motel tax, and $281,000 from Riverboat Excursion money needed to be
moved into the General Fund. He continued in stating that an emergency tax levy
of $200,000 per year is also going into the General Fund. He further stated
that over $874,000 per year is being placed in the General Fund; therefore, the
City's bond rating is not jeopardized and the reserves would not drop below an
acceptable level. He proceeded to state that in Fiscal Year 07-08 the City also
added $250,000 of the ADM park sale money into the General Fund which brings the
total to over $1 million.
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Councilmember Vulich stated
that the $33,360 salary for the Accounting/Administrative Assistant position
would be funded by the Water Pollution Control budget. He continued in stating
that citizens are concerned with the poor road conditions in the City as well as
high taxes and sewer bills. He further stated that he did not think that this
is the proper time to take money out of the budget to add another position. He
proceeded to state that he has the same issues with the resolution to establish
a Human Resource Division and add a Human Resource Coordinator.
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M/S, Vulich-Mallicoat moved to table the
resolution approving the creation of an Accounting/Administrative Assistant
position for the Finance Department until February, 2008. On roll call,
Mallicoat, Oakley, Smith, Kearney, Vulich, Yes; Soesbe, No. Motion carried.
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M/S, Vulich-Mallicoat moved to
table the resolution establishing the Human Resource Division in the City
Administration Department until February, 2008. On roll call, Mallicoat,
Oakley, Smith, Kearney, Vulich, Yes; Soesbe, No. Motion carried.
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M/S, Vulich-Mallicoat moved to
table the resolution approving the employment agreement with Sarah Kagemann as
Part-Time Human Resource Coordinator within the newly created Human Resources
Division until February, 2008. On roll call, Mallicoat, Oakley, Smith, Kearney,
Vulich, Yes; Soesbe, No. Motion carried.
Click here to read Clinton Herald Article
Click
here to read Quad City Times Article
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