08/06/1990 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e F. Date and Agenda for Financial Planning Mr. Whitlow said that staff is asking the council to set a date and agenda for its Financial Planning Workshop. Mr. Holmer emphasized the importance of having the City consider its future plans for budgeting personnel costs and asked staff to prepare a report on this for the council. Mr. Whitlow said that this issue will be incorporated into the overall report that staff is preparing for the Budget Committee. Mr. Boles requested that staff prepare an environmental scan analysis to determined the on going and major expenses which the City is expecting to incur in the future. As a part of this, he suggested that staff provide the council with several options to meet expenses in the areas of new revenues, cuts in services, and user fees. The goal of this meeting should be to determine what expenditures the council is willing to make and, in turn, the resources it will commit. Ms. Bascom pointed out that it is difficult to plan for financial resources in the long term. Mr. Nicholson asked whether the City has considered having formal performance evaluations of various City departments to determine their effectiveness. He suggested using such evaluations to determine where budgeting cuts might take place. In response, Mr. Whitlow explained that the council has allocated funds in the General Fund Contingency within this year's budget which could e be used for performance audits; council direction is required before these funds are expended. Mr. Holmer reiterated the importance of reexamining the City's current budgeting of personnel services. The council raised the possibility of reviewing past budgets to find out how closely the actual budgets matched predictions. Mr. Whitlow said that he does not feel that such a review would be meaningful. He explained that the forecasted year's budget assumes no change in the level of services; however, in order to balance the budget, the City must take corrective action. Staff agreed to provide the council with an outline of both the forecast and actual revenues for the budget from past years. 1. Role of the Budget Committee in Financial Planning Ms. Schue said that the lay members of the Budget Committee are dissatisfied with their present level of involvement in the City's financial planning. They have expressed concern that the council does not listen to their advice. Ms. Ehrman suggested that the Budget Committee be invited to attend and participate in the City's financial planning workshop, being clear that the council, as a policy-making body, will be responsible for the final decision. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 6, 1990 Page 5 Quarterly Process Session