1975 12 022293
City Council Meeting -Special Session -Continued December 2,1975
Council Room -City Hall 8:00 P.M.
Members Present:Councilman Robt.Hill,Bill Moe,Norm Johnson,Mike Boyle,Gordon Ebbert
and Don Swanson.Councilman Otto Skaug was not present.
;.i PUBLIC HEARING -1976 PRELIMINARY BUDGET (Continued Hearing from December 1,1975)/O/O
Mayor Ebbert called the continued meeting to order.The City Council reviewed the 1976 Budget previously
with each Department at Study Sessions except Public Works.Council decided to review that
portion with Jerry Fay, Public Works Director,before proceeding with the continued Public Hearing
regarding the 1976 Preliminary Budget.
Jerry Fay stated the Public Works Department is responsible for the coordination and direction of all
Public Works Divisional activities for water,sewer and street system,public building maintenance,
equipment management, engineering services and management of the Moses Lake Municipal Airport.
Jerry Fay briefly reviewed each section of responsibility noting areas of emphasis and/or proposed
1976 projects with a four-year object expenditure by department through 1976.
Upon conclusion of the review,Mayor Ebbert opened the continued public hearing of the preliminary
budget for 1976.He called for questions or comments from those in the audience.There were none,
therefore,he turned the hearing over to the Council for questions or comments.
Bill Moe expressed concern about newspaper reports that indicated Congress was.considering dis
continuing Revenue Sharing.How will that affect the City's budget?
City Manager Chet Waggener added that if Revenue Sharing is discontinued after 1976 we will have
some real problems.For 1976 $20G,000 is being proposed to balance the budget.Although we did
not get into utilization of it for M &O funds until-two years ago.
Bob Hill referred to earlier discussion of cutting back on travel of city employees.How and.to what
extent is the cutback being made and how is it governed ?
City Manager Waggener stated each department's travel allowance was reviewed by looking at'
specific items and considered in terms whether it was necessary that more than one person needed
to go.Generally it was cut back about 50%.We asked each department to submit a rather detailed
list of anticipated trips,what the function was and how many people anticipated going,the money
allowed for each trip.Jerry Fay gave examples of travel cuts in the Public Works Department,stating
the Engineering section had about $2400 for travel in 1975 and decreased that to $1700.Public Works/Street
allowance has been cut in half from $300 to $150.Chet Waggener added that some of them were difficult
to cut,for instance in the Police Department for training and various kinds of investigations,:it is very
difficult to make cuts on those.
Bob Hill replied that he would like to see a line-item report on operation-office supplies and other
services over and beyond this what Mr.Fay related to.Speaking of travel,I saw where two or more
city employees have gone to some meeting some place,and I think the Council should take a look at
that.So I would like to see a line-item report on that one.To me this new budget that we have been
using for about three years is so darn broad.You look at a figure for any department,and unless a
department mentions it,you don't really know what is involved in the budget.
Chet Waggener added that can be done.We can give a complete line-item detail and then also will
provide summarization of that,which will make it easier to review.Rick and I were discussing the
other day that perhaps we should consider fa next year to put line-item detail in the budget for study
session documents.Past experience on line-items has been that people dwell on small details and
not really look at the program,so we did try to accent the program, and perhaps we cut out too much
of the detail.Although this can be furnished the Council at the next meeting.
Don Swanson asked as to what percentage was the Equipment Rental raised?Mac stated between 50%to
60%on police cars and about 15%on the other cars.
Mayor Ebbert inquired when will the council get into discussion regarding wages? Chet Waggener
stated we are still in negotiations with Fire Personnel and need to go into Executive Session with theCouncilonthat as we are nearly winding up on that,and give us some guidance in getting near completing
a contract.The Council concurred to hold an Executive Session after this meeting is adjourned.
Mike Boyle asked Jerry Fay whether he thought if K-Mart,etc.,developed in the area of Valley
Road would there be a better chance for obtaining funding for Valley Road,since there would beincreasedtraffic?Jerry thought the increased traffic would bea plus, also operating speed and
increased accidents would have a bearing on it.
Bob Hill stated he would like to invite the School Administrator or maybe the School Board forajointmeeting.There are a number of questions I would like toask regarding the Community Schools-City deal.Some are in conflict with something said last night at.our meeting and what was in the paperthisevening.I would like a little more input from the School people,somebody in authority before we
go too far on the budget too.There are a number of questions regarding the action the school board
?onnn *i ^u *responsibility might be, and I would like to hearanswers before weact on the$8,000 that they seem to went from the City.So I think someone in Mr.Heath's capacity and maybe
the chairman of the school board can attend.
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City Council Meeting - Special Session Continued from 12-1-75: 2 December 2,1975
Mayor Ebbert asked now the rest of the Council felt about that?Would they like to meet with the
School Board regarding the funding related to Community Schools Program.?
Don Swanson commented that if this is what you want,we could dig into each individual item on
our budget.If we are going to,- - do we tear down the $27,000 for the tennis courts?We could
literally tear apart everything we have here in the budget.But I feel that we approved the concept
and the community seems to be behind it.I talked to people from Ephrata and Othello and I think
with an item like this having to draw in Mr.Heath who was here before,and don't think he can ex
plain to us any more. We have the figure here,and I can't see where the $8,000 is an issue that
we have to bring in anyone to make a decision.
Norm Johnson contended the people that talked to us last evening were school people,hitting us
the City for the same tax for this project.Why didn't they talk to the school system.We don't
want them to come down here to tell us how to run the city and we don't want to go out and tellthemhowtorunthe schools.Once they get their foot in the door for $8,000,where do we go
from there.These are some things we need to know.
Mike Boyle commented that our responsibility as City Ccuncilmen goes beyond making up the budget
in dollars and cents,but our responsibility is also to assure them to provide them with the best services
for the least amount of money.The main thing/was concerned with when I questioned the $8,000 the
other night is that the city of Moses Lake is going to have a voice in budget-making process for the
coordinator . I really don't feel that the $8,000 expenditure on the part of the City of Moses Lake
is real out of the line for the benefits the citizens themselves are goingto receive. That is includingourselvestoo. I concur with Don that we have had enough facts laid before us that we can proceed
from there without any outside help.
Norm Johnson and Bob Hill could not agree on that,felt they should have more answers to questions
they wished to ask.Especially regarding federal grants,stated Bob Hill,that the School District
alluded to applying for. If we give them $8,000 and they apply for federal grants,where do we sit?
Chet Waggener replied that this had been discussed,that if federal grants are forthcoming,that
would automatically decrease the costs and the remaining costs would be shared,and the decreased
costs would benefit the City of Moses Lake as it would the schools.
Bill Moe stated,as far as the tentative commitment regarding the Community Schools in the amount
of $8,000,:I think there are adequate safe-guards built into at this point,operating on a year to year
basis,I don't hesitate to support the system,and don't think we need to talk further to the Administrator
or the School Board.
Mayor Ebbert suggested voting on the matter.
Motion by Hill to meet with the School Board to further discuss the Community School Project.
Second by Johnson.The motion failed.Hill and Johnson voted in favor of the motion.Moe,
Boyle,Ebbert and Swanson opposed the motion.
Motion by Hill to continue the public hearing to Tuesday,December 9th,a regularly scheduled
Council meeting.Second by Boyle.Motion carried unanimously.
Meeting recessed at 9:55 P.M.
City Council met in Executive Session with the City Manager.
MAYOR,Gordon M.Ebbert
ATTEST:
City Clerk,R. R.^gnier