HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/10/1992 Meeting
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M I NUT E S
Eugene City Council
McNutt Room--City Hall
February 10, 1992
5:30 p.m.
COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman,
Randy MacDonald, Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robinette, Roger
Rutan.
The regular meeting of February 10, 1992, of the Eugene City Council was
called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller.
Mayor Miller acknowledged the presence of several members of the League of
Women Voters of Lane County. ~,
I. WORK SESSION: FY93 GENERAL FUND OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS
Mr. Wong, Administrative Services, recalled that staff recommended the devel-
opment of a place-holder budget, given the Eugene Decisions process. Coun-
cil's directives were: 1) a place-holder budget, moving the current services
forward into FY93 without any major changes, 2) target total working capital
at $8-9 million, and 3) fund general capital projects at $1.5-2 million.
Mr. Wong reviewed the meeting packet material, including the following:
Major changes in revenue estimates--a dropoff from earlier forecasts, prima-
rily reflective of the economy (e.g., low interest earnings) and other fac-
tors, such as a reduction in EWEB revenue due to the mild winter;
Assumptions related to FY93 General Fund Budget--included is a $2 million
Ballot Measure 5 transition reserve to assist in implementing the adopted
Eugene Decisions strategy;
FY93 General Fund Budget status--results in a projected deficit of approxi-
mately $3 million (State law restricts the submission of a deficit budget);
and
Deficit strategy (to balance the budget)--includes both revenue and expendi-
ture adjustments;
Mr. Wong explained that the strategy is to start with a lower contingency
amount, which can be adjusted up with the carryover from the current fiscal
year. Mr. Boles noted that the ending balance in previous years has been
MINUTES--Eugene City Council
February 10, 1992
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$0.3-0.7 million. The current contingency balance is $700,000 but there are
two projects that will encumber about $200,000.
Responding to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Wong said the one-time FY93
resource refers to interest earnings from Bancroft bonds. He also said that
staff will recommend the issuance of limited-tax, general obligation bonds
that do not have an unlimited general obligation backing; but if there are
insufficient payments from property owners, the City would have to back them
with this account. Mr. Wong noted that the 1986 Tax Reform Act complicated
the issue by requiring jurisdictions to return any excess interest on bonds
to the U.S. Treasury.
Responding to a question from Mr. Rutan, City Manager Mike Gleason said the
Ballot Measure 5 transition fund would cover expenses incurred to implement
the Eugene Decisions strategy. For example, to lido things differently" might
entail an intergovernmental process lasting anywhere from three to eight
months, and involve such things as conducting studies.
Responding to an inquiry from Mr. MacDonald, Chris Anderson, Public Works
Director, explained the $1.5-2 million Capital Budget. Mr. Boles expressed a
desire for dropping "priority changes and additions" in favor of using that
fund for such things as Ballot Measure 5 transition, or wherever else council
designated. He said that facilities that cannot be maintained should not be
built.
Responding to Mr. Rutan, Mr. Wong said that the goal is to present a budget
document to the Budget Committee in June, so that a legal appropriation act
can be implemented on July 1, 1992.
Mr. Gleason suggested that the council consider the place-holder budget as a
planning instrument.
Mr. Boles reiterated his position that the City should focus on preservation
of existing assets.
Mayor Miller said he sensed consensus with Mr. Boles' position.
II. WORK SESSION: EUGENE DECISIONS
Before participating in strategy development, Tony Mounts, Finance Division,
asked the council to adopt the recommended contingency review process out-
lined in the memorandum from the Council Committee on Eugene Decisions dated
February 7, 1992. There was consensual adoption of the process.
Mr. Mounts served as meeting facilitator. He reminded the committee of the
ground rules for the process. Each councilor offering a strategy would indi-
cate the answers to the following questions:
1. What do we want to do? (Desired service level)
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February 10, 1992
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2. Why do we want to do it? (Policy rationale)
3. How should the desired service level be achieved? (Reduction,
elimination, do differently, user fees, consolidation, volunteers,
privatization, etc.)
Councilors offered strategies for each identified service area. Staff cap-
tured the council's strategies that were fixed to the wall of the McNutt Room
under the appropriate service categories (detailed text attached).
The council meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
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Micheal Gleason .
City Manager
(Recorded by Yolanda Paule)
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February 10, 1992
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WHAT
MISCELLANEOUS
Boards and Commissions
1. Reduce level of service to
BCC (JM)
True Costs
1. If council decides on an
action, full/tree cost is estimated
(JM)
2. Life cycle costing, Council
prepared to fund for program's
. (SB)
3. Audit internal functions (JM)
Attorney Services
1. Examine cost effectiveness of
an in-house attorney service/buy
from another unit of government
(BG)
Print Shoo
1. Maintain quality service (JM)
Personnel
1. Reduce personnel costs (DE)
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Other
BRAINSTORMING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
WHY
1. Achieve equal results more
cheaply (JM)
3. Increase credibility (JM)
1. Efficiency (BG)
1 . Save $ (JM)
1. Economic conditions (DE)
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HOW
1 a. Examine other ways to get
citizen input without present
expense; Target: reduction of
$lM (JM)
b. No food at meetings of
boards and commissions (DE)
1. Absorb with # in current
structure (JM)
3. Hire performance auditor/qual-
ity control who report to coun-
cilors - City employee - funded
through new funding source.
(JM)
1. Direction to staff to do
analysis (BG)
1. Contract out (JM)
1. Salary increase freeze for
exempt employees (and negotiate
with unions for this for a fixed
time period) (DE)
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WHAT
1. Reduce energy expenses (PN)
2. Examine purchasing policies
on: a) proximity points (buy
local) b) no purchase that extern-
alizes costs to environment (58)
3. Reduce assets and associated
maintenance costs (JM)
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BRAINSTORMING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
WHY
1. Save operating costs (PN)
2. Model purchasing practices
(58)
3. Use funds to maintain/build
other assets (JM)
MINUTES - Eugene City Council
HOW
1. EWE8 rebates for energy -
saving, e.g., light fixtures -
general alJdit (PN)
2. Life-cycle costing and extern-
alization (58)
3a. Sell overpark, parcade, con-
ference center, and vacant land
owned by City (JM)
b. The use of proceeds from 3a
may be restricted (8G)
c. Consider additional
land/holdings for sale (PN)
February la, 1992
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