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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 07-25 Budget Meridian City Council Meetina - Budaet Workshop Julv 25.2005. The special meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 8:05 A.M., Tuesday, July 25,2005, by Mayor Tammy de Weerd. Members Present: Mayor Tammy de Weerd, Keith Bird, Shaun Wardle, Charlie Rountree, and Christine Donnell. Item 1: Roll-call Attendance: Roll call. X Shaun Wardle X Christine Donnell X Charlie Rountree X Keith Bird 1- Mayor Tammy de Weerd De Weerd: I will go ahead and call the meeting to order. And, Mr. Berg, please, call roll. Item 2: Adoption of the Agenda: De Weerd: Thank you. It is City Council's workshop agenda and it's Monday, July 25th, at five after 8:00. We have Item No.2, adoption of the agenda. Bird: Madam Mayor? De Weerd: Mr. Bird. Bird: I move we adopt the agenda as published, except I hope we can move up the times. Wardle: Second that enthusiastically. De Weerd: Thank you Council. Did I have a second? Oh, yeah, I did have a second. Enthusiastically. All those in favor say aye. All ayes. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Item 3: . Presentations and Discussion of the City Proposed Budget: 8:00 am Additional Information De Weerd: Okay. Item 3. You all have your budgets in front of you. I do want to kind of give you an overview of some of the things that did go on during this budget process. As usual our Finance Department worked with each of our departments and really carefully went over each line item to see what are actually expenditures and what they need for next year to kind of get rid of those -- some leeway or flexibility in some of our Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25. 2005 Page 2 ofl63 line items. So, we tried to take the historical look at it and I think that they, hopefully, have gotten it down to where we don't really have a lot of extra there, it's planned out. And you should see that reflected in this next budget year. Also we are working towards fixing certain line items. For example, we will be fixing line items so certain line items cannot go over the budgeted amount. In the past we have had it so that they -- we only looked at the bottom line. And if that was okay they could go over, but we do have fixed line items in the 52-013, which is the first one, copy, medical supplies, and paper goods. The office 51-300, clothing 52-300, computers 54-120, furniture 54-130, travel and meetings 57-101, seminars 57-200, dues, etc., at 60-101, miscellaneous 69- 900. And, then, or 84,000 and 84,100. So, those will be fixed line items and they will have to talk with their Council liaisons if they go over in those areas. Also we took a look at the copy, medical supplies, and paper goods line item and found a better formula a per full-time employee cost. So, it balanced it and brought it in line. So, those are some of the things that we have done to tighten up each of our line items and you should have seen that reflected if you went through it on a line by line review. Stacy, do you have any introductory remarks that you or Reta will -- would like to make at this point? Kilchenmann: I don't think so, no. 8: 15 am Parks Department De Weerd: Okay. The Parks Department is here, so we will go ahead and just get into parks. Strong: Thank you, Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, and good morning. Appreciate the opportunity to go first this morning. I know that this is probably the brightest time of the day for everybody, so -- Bird: You might not. De Weerd: Remember our Parks Department are early risers. Strong: Yeah. We come to work early and stay late. Donnell: Yeah. Right. Strong: To start with this morning I wanted to start with just kind of a review of what our department mission vision statements are. To start with, our department mission statement is to enhance the community's quality of life by providing well-designed and properly maintained parks and recreational opportunities for all the citizens. I start with these statements because it -- it's what we use to set up our budget and where we want to go in the year, along with capital improvement programs, initiatives, and things like that. So, it gives us an orientation for our budget preparation. Our department vision is to insure the best possible use of resources as public demand grows, to build facilities and offer new programs through private-public partnerships, by utilizing grant funds and Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25. 2005 Page 3ofl63 promoting collaboration with service agencies to provide exceptional parks and recreational programs for the community. And, then, our operating philosophy is that we are a caring, creative, and hard working professional team dedicated to providing meaningful park and recreation services to our community. We have based how we oriented our enhancements on the newly adopted city focus areas, rather than the former 13 challenge areas that were used and just as a review, the planning for community growth, providing services with available resources, organizational excellence and stewardship of the public trust. So, we looked at each of these elements and each of these enhancement to see that we met at least one of these focus areas in any enhancement that we created. So, our General Fund enhancements we start with the request for a recreation coordinator position and we felt that this -- what we are looking for in this position addresses all four focus areas that the long-term goals identified in the 2002 department strategic plan included increased recreation program revenue, increase overall program participation, and increase number of collaborative relationships in the community, and to increase the number of community partnerships. In looking at where we have come and last year we brought forward a full-time position in recreation, you asked us to look at the numbers and that's when we went back and looked at revenue forecast and growth and as you can see back in 2001 our recreation revenue was up about I think it was about 67,000. We are projecting that our revenue growth in this -- this year will reach nearly that same number. So, our recreation program participation is on an up swing again. And in a focus on building programs, both in adult athletics and our adult sports and our other programs offered through partnerships with -- with community service providers. So, we are anticipating continued growth and, actually, our projections are a little bit higher, probably, than what was projected in the revenue manual proposed earlier, which I think leveled out about 60,000 in annual revenue. So, we are looking at a little bit more optimistically probably than the Revenue Manual shows as far as numbers. The Recreation Coordinator responsibilities would include that supervision of the adult sports program, which are -- currently is managed by a part-time position in the department. To coordinate use of department facilities with community organizations, this is ball fields and any department facilities that we have, including park shelters, any facility that would be used for recreational purposes. Coordinate outside tournaments with various organizations and that's scheduling of fields and scheduling league play and practice times and such with outside organizations. Assist in planning the operations of special events. As indicated last year we hoped to increase the number of special events planned in the community and an example of that is just the increased participation with the Chamber and some of their events in just this last year. Coordinate the volunteer program to facilitate the needs of the entire department. And this would be the volunteer program for our department, so that we get more participation from both volunteer organizations and volunteers that want to work within the department. We are also asking for a park maintenance foreman position. And as we looked at our needs for positions in park maintenance, we were looking earlier when we were putting together our enhancements with the probability of bringing on 75 acres -- 75 acres of developed parkland in this year. And we knew that we needed additional staff to do that and through our department discussions we felt that we had reached a point in our maintenance crew where we need a -- we need a hands-on foreman, a working Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 4 of163 foreman, that can be responsible for the daily scheduling and direct supervision of the maintenance crew. So, in looking at that, we felt that we met these focus areas in taking this viewpoint on adding a park maintenance foreman to our staff. The duties of the foreman would be crew scheduling, the daily crew scheduling for a maintenance crew, direct on-site supervision, oversee and participate in maintenance and repair of park irrigation systems and equipment. So, this person would have to have a very thorough understanding of irrigation systems, since that's a big responsibility during the summer months or the hotter months of the year. Oversee and participate in maintenance of park landscape areas. And will maintain their own small neighborhood park or facility and, then, fill in where needed when -- with other employees. This is a hands-on position, meaning that it's not an administrative position that would be office based, it's a hands-on position out working in the parks, but working directly with the crew as well as some of their own individual responsibilities. Just to create some understanding, to separate out some of what our Parks Superintendent Elroy is currently doing, and since Elroy is also our city arborist, there is some of the arborist duties that we have been falling behind on that we felt that we could balance better with somebody that was -- that would take some of the daily responsibilities for crew scheduling and direct supervision. So, these are some of the duties that are still left for Elroy in the separation of those duties. And you can see that there is a lot there with just maintaining our city tree inventory and urban forestry program. As in previous years, you have asked us to consider contracting some of the park maintenance services that we have currently done with staff, so we are proposing this year that we would enter into a park maintenance -- or a landscape maintenance contract. And this is based on just departmental growth and growth in park acreage in the city. As I indicated, by the end of this year we are anticipating 75 acres of new developed green space that will be added to the city inventory. And these are larger park areas, six, seven acres and larger, and to keep our -- providing city services within the resources that we have that we felt that by contracting the maintenance of -- we are looking at about 17 small green space areas in the city that we can achieve greater efficiency and realize scheduling in the department staff while maintaining current staffing levels. So, it means that we are not adding as many full-time staff to keep up with the number of people per acres by contracting out the maintenance of these smaller green space areas. It also means that park staff can concentrate their efforts and resources on larger park areas where activity levels are the highest and provide a better customer service in these areas. We have an existing pathway that's been in the city inventory for a number of years that has reached a state of decline. That's the Fothergill pathway. So, we are proposing renovating this pathway. As you can see by this slide that tree roots are starting to cause a lot of damage and increase safety concerns along this section of pathway. You will also notice since it's one of our earliest pathways that it doesn't meet the ten foot wide width and there is good reason for that as it goes down through this area there isn't ten feet for the pathway to follow. But even with that not being at a current standard, we wanted to make sure that the pathway is as safe as any of the newer pathways that we have in the city. So, we are proposing renovation of that short pathway. The downtown replacement program, since we are responsible for maintaining downtown trees, the city expects -- citizens of the community expect that they be maintained in way that shows community pride and continues to promote the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 5of163 city as a premier place to live work and raise a family. So, our downtown replacement program that to date -- we started replacing trees a couple years ago -- we have six trees that have been replaced using the new tree box design and grate, which is the slide on the right. Twelve will need to be replaced and to be completed in the downtown core this year. And those projects will be underway within the next month. And, then, an additional 12 trees will need to be repaired in 2006. So, you can see the difference in the type of grate that we are using for replacement in the slide on the right and the picture on the left, if you can see it, is one of the trees right in front of City Hall where the sidewalk is starting to be lifted up. Besides these -- this number of trees that is indicated here, all the tree grates around the new Farmers and Merchants Bank use the same design. So, it's going to be the same tree grate design throughout the downtown core. Now, our request for park impact fee enhancements include the land purchase account, which we started last year and what we are trying to achieve here is to keep pace with land acquisition that will keep our goal of four acres per thousand residents established in our Comprehensive Plan. So, we are trying to develop. land -- or trying to balance land acquisition with our development efforts in the city. The land purchase account in this year's request will be for 350,000 dollars additional to go into that account. This, with the 200,000 that will be a carry forward from last year, will bring that -- the total in that account to 550,000 dollars. If you want to put that in terms of what will _ that buy, we took a very conservative look at per acre costs of if we were able to find land for 40,000 dollars an acre, that would buy just about 14 acres of park land. So, I put that there just to show that we are still probably behind the curve in being able to buy any significant acreage say on the size of Bear Creek or Tully Park acreage. We still need more money in that account in the next year or so. And I think 40,000 an acre probably is way conservative from what I'm hearing from everybody at 60,000 and up an acre. So, we are going to have to find acreage that somebody is willing to donate a portion of the acreage to even get close to that 40,000 an acre. The Heroes Park development, the first phase of development is slated to be completed in the spring of 2006. And we talked separately about these next enhancements in Council meeting a couple weeks ago, but this is what we are looking at for 2006 and with our agreement with PAL we have scheduled to build a picnic shelter with amenities and landscaping in the second phase of this project. So, this is what the 2006 enhancement is looking for, for this particular project. The request fund for construction of a picnic shelter, picnic tables, provide trash can receptacles, drinking fountains and about 125 new trees for the park. Bird: Can we interrupt? Madam Mayor? Doug, go back to Heroes Park. How much -- how much has PAL put into this? Strong: At this point it's about 160,000. Bird: They have put into this park 160,000? Strong: To date. Bird: No. The city has put that in as -- what has PAL put in? 160? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 6of163 Strong: That's what we have been told by PAL is about 160,000. Bird: Well, you got -- you should know. Don't you have the money? Strong: No. It's ~- PAL is holding the money for the third contribution to the park. Bird: And we are fronting it? Strong: No. Bird: I'd like to -- the clerk's got their agreement; right? Strong: Yes. Bird: Okay. Why are we putting city money out if there with 160,000 of their money sitting there? Strong: They have paid for all the engineering documents to date. They will be -- Bird: And on 30 acres that was 160,000? Strong: It's about 60,000 as I recall for that portion of the job and, then, their excavating for the -- the irrigation lake and they will be putting in the grass in all turf areas and irrigation. That's a part of the agreement. Bird: Okay. I thought we was going to make these agreements like what Boise had done with the Optimist Boise or the Noon Optimist handing the ground and saying develop it, here is the specifications. Instead, we are putting a lot of money up front. De Weerd: Mr. Bird -- or, Keith. Let's be informal. This is a typical workshop. Council discussed this last time we need the green space. And they are fund raising. They were not as far along as our other funding partners, Adventure Island and Meridian Youth Baseball, so we do need to put this park land in service and -- Bird: Nobody agrees more, Tammy, than -- with that than I do. But in the same token, if they think they are going to get exclusive rights, then, they are going to do it. Don't even bring Adventure Island up. There is a lady out there that has worked her rear end off and she's not asking for anything exclusive. She's doing something for this whole community herself and not asking for exclusive rights. De Weerd: No. I'm fine. Bird: This is being asked for exclusive rights on that Hero's Park. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 7 of163 De Weerd: And, Keith, I was just talking about our other funding partners not to compare them. I would agree with you, although as we entered into this discussion a number of years ago on the partnership, the organizations over in Meridian, they are new, they don't have the history that Optimist Football has, and so they don't have the alumni and the funding power. Now, I'm not saying that they -- Meridian Youth Baseball has done a phenomenal job in raising what they have already raised to date. And so it can be done, but do we want to sit on this land until PAL can do that and that's what it's come down to. Bird: Well, I think that we are putting the money out. I have no problem with us putting the money out and greening it up, but I want it known publicly that PAL is not going to have exclusive rights if they don't put -- if it's not done. We give a boilerplate agreement of the Boise Parks with the Optimist which has been used throughout the northwest. And that's exactly -- they give us, you know, time limit to have it ready. If not, they would do it and, then, we would have non-exclusive rights. I just don't want to come down -- and I could be happy to have PAL have exclusive rights of that. But in the same token, for the taxpayers, it's not fair if they don't put the money up. And I realize it's tough raising money out there, I mean we are out there trying to raise 1.2 million right now for the new Optimists fields and it's tough. Youth Baseball had a tough time raising what they have got raised, but it's the same token is whatever the agreement says and I don't know what the agreement says. I voted on it and everything else and seen it one time, but it's like everything else, I can't remember word for word and you guy had a discussion on it. I apologize for bringing this up. But I just want it -- I just don't want PAL to come in expecting not to put any money up and have exclusive rights, because I don't think that's fair to the taxpayers. Strong: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, and I would certainly agree with that. When we discussed some of the changes and how we are going to phase these projects, one of the suggestions was that we would need to alter the agreement that we currently have in place, we need to amend sections of that agreement that with our participation and city funds fronts the project. And, then, what would PAL's commitment be down the road once we get the park greened up. Our goal for this year was to get that park, as well as the 23 acres on the west side of Meridian Settlers Park, and some of the other neighborhood parks greened up, so that they are available for the community to use. The addition of restroom buildings and concession buildings and other amenities in the park would come down the road somewhere once you have playable green space and parking areas for people to get off the street. The other issue that seems to be commonplace in the department are calls from developing neighborhoods around these parks where they have been told that there will be a park there and they don't see very much progress with the park. So, there is some ~- some pressure, I guess, to get them at least green and usable by the neighborhood as well. Bird: And I agree with that, Doug. And Lochsa Falls and Paramount and those people out there see their tax dollars and their impact fees used on that and, then, they walk over there to use it and PAL has got it, got exclusive rights on it, and they are not going to be happy. You and Christine can field the calls. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 8 of163 Donnell: Okay. Shaun. Wardle: Thanks, Tammy. One of the things that I'd like to say about parks development and all of our partnerships, is that the city enters into these agreements and so does the organization with the intention that all will go well and fund raising will be there and community will support what their dollars -- and, then, we run into situations where we are at today, where we have a park that's been in planning for several years, the fund raising is not there from the private organization, and, then, we as a city, in my opinion, need to look towards that organization not just as an organization, but the reason that we need that park land and that they have the need to put that green space into use is because of our growing city and the number of the growing youth that need to be out there playing soccer, playing baseball, playing those activities and that and that's what I think we need to look for from a speed point of view and when do we need to bring these parks on line. And, Keith, I understand your point of view and agree with it, but we are a growing community and we have these parks and we just heard that land's not inexpensive today. Bird: And, Shaun, I wouldn't disagree one bit on that. But these -- so, we got to look back -- as Doug said, we got to look back at the agreements, because you can't do that. But in the same token I would -- I would venture to say how many -- how many city youth within the City of Meridian tax paying youth are in that program? How many are from Nampa? And how many are from Caldwell? And we got the same thing in the Boise Optimist deal. We run about 2,000 or we run about 1,500 kids out of Meridian area school district area in the Optimist Football, but in the same token we have had an association stand up and help put money into that park within Meridian where the money was raised within Meridian. I just -- I just don't want to have a surprise for the taxpayers nor the organization and I know we need green ground. Nobody goes around the parks more than I do, now that I'm retired at least once a week I drive to the parks. Around the parks. They are not as used as much as I would like them to, but I think a lot of it is activities. That's my say. Go ahead. Strong: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, just back on the issue with our agreement with PAL, just to put their time in some perspective as to what we have discussed at this point as far as their use of that park would be. Four weeks in the spring, four weeks in the fall, and it would be primarily Saturdays that would be the heavy use of it. I think with a Thursday night practice time or something like that. So, the rest of those times the park's available for us to schedule other groups to use the facility and certainly available for the surrounding area to use as well. So, there will be certainly some impact, especially on Saturdays, but only for eight weeks of the year. I don't know if that helps any or not. Bird: Thanks. But no, no, no problem. I just -- I think the agreement has to reflect the new stuff and I know that the agreement didn't. And I don't want -- like I said, I don't want a surprise for the group that thinks they got it or for the taxpayers. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page g of163 Strong: I don't think there is any question that building parks in partnership is a challenge. It takes longer, there is more involved than if we just simply had the money and contracted the work to be done. And on the weekends I also go around and look at the parks and use it as an opportunity for a weekend motorcycle ride. And I went by Hero's Park yesterday and noticed that the person that's excavating for the irrigation lake had a bull dozer and a small backhoe there doing the work where with some of the larger equipment available in the valley they could get it done probably in a day where they are working extra hard to get a hole in the ground there with the equipment that they had, so -- Bird: At least they were doing work. I was by there, too, yesterday. Strong: Yeah. They are working on it and it is showing progress. Adventure Island Playground is in phase two of the project. And the partnerships that we have there was one that's certainly received a great deal of positive comment and reception from the community. So, we certainly would like to get it completed in this next year, so that we have a fully operational universally accessible playground. And this request includes money for finishing out that second phase that would put gazebos there that would kind of be out of the sun places for people to sit, swings, and climbing rocks, benches, bike racks, garbage cans, the concrete work and landscaping that just finish off that area. De Weerd: And, Doug, I just -- I know all of you know, received one of the City Achievement Awards through Association of Idaho Cities. It was also recognized and I copied you on that, to the National League of Cities. And I think it's time that we bring Angela in and present her an award for her leadership and her and Darlin -- yeah. Darlin's leadership -- Daren. I'm sorry. Being on vacation. My names escape me. But we need to do that and I would like to do it at a Council meeting, so Council can be a party to that. Bird: We can make the bronze and put it-- De Weerd: Yeah. And make it something that we can, then, transfer out to the park and have that publicly displayed as well. So, maybe a smaller piece to her and a larger piece for the park. I don't expect to see that in the paper. Let's make it a surprise. Bird: Surprise. Strong: We could schedule that certainly within the next couple of weeks. I know that both Angela and Daren are on vacation in Minnesota right now. Also for our September Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting, we are planning a park tour of these new facilities that we are trying to develop and we could do something at Council and we could also do something maybe at the park if we ended the tour at Settlers Park that night. De Weerd: You know, Doug, we may even want to invite Council to that. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 10 of163 Strong: We plan to invite the Council and the department directors that are interested, as well, to see park development also certainly affects other departments. And I know on my way to work this morning I saw a state patrol officer on a motorcycle pull out of Tully Park and I was wondering what was going on there, but I didn't see anything. So, I know that other parks are certainly affected by -- we didn't see anything burning up or falling down, so ~- De Weerd: If we can do that sometime this month, but think about the appropriate something that would be -- yeah. Next month -- something that would be appropriate to display in the park and we can do a miniature of that for them as well. Strong: Okay. Bird: I have got a suggestion. I don't know what cost it is while we are here -- this is off record, right? I'd like to see -- I'd like to see a nice stone with her name there at the -- at the entrance of that park and a nice stone with Angela's name on it. And dedication. If the Parks Department will search around and find out how much one of those is, I can probably -- if it's not too bad I can probably get the funds raised from private -- well, see if you can't get some. Maybe, Will, you worked on these rocks before and/or stones I should say. I'm behind the time calling them rocks. But, anyway, find out what the cost is and we will see what we can do to get one, I think that this is an example of truly fund raising and one person having a dream and going getting it done. You know, thank God she had a Parks Department here that worked with her. Tammy come forward with it when she was on the Council. And she had help. But that young lady went out there and busted her you know what to do that. And it's not for -- it's not for one organization, it's for every kid whether they are handicapped or a hundred percent physically bound or I don't know what you want to call it. It is just -- I mean it's fantastic. And this woman went out and made her dreams come true with Doug and Elroy's help and everything. It's the greatest investment this community every had as far as I'm concerned. Strong: I agree. And I think it would be certainly utility in promoting that partnership to give example to the community and, hopefully, encourage the community to continue to step forward and even though you were off the record with your -- your at least perceived support, Elroy wrote it down, so -- Bird: Yeah. Find out what we can -- De Weerd: Don't put it in quotes. Bird: Find out what it's for and get back to Tammy,and we will get it taken care of. Strong: We will certainly do that. We are proposing the addition of a maintenance building at Meridian Settlers Park in this next year and what we are experiencing there that if -- once we develop that 23 acres on the west side for Meridian Youth Baseball, that that will go along with other acreage that we are developing and increase our park acreage dramatically throughout the city and we will need a park maintenance building Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 11 of163 in this location, so that staff can operate with greater efficiency and provide a maintenance facility to serve parks in close proximity to Meridian Settlers Park, since it's kind of centrally located in our park system. I think the result is that we would be reducing travel to and from the park and hopefully enhance customer service as a result of that. Kiwanis Neighborhood Park restroom is slated for completion in the last phase of that park. So, we have a budget request in for completion of the restroom in this next phase. We continue to work a Kiwanis on the partnership development of that park. They -- we have actually met with club members just this last week that continue to go out and look for funds. And one of the possibilities would be some assistance in funding the restroom, but we do not know at this point whether that's going to happen or not. But we just -- so that we are aware, they continue to look for resources to provide funding for the park. Fire Station Number Four, the reason for some discussion here as you may recall two weeks ago we discussed when our enhancement was put together that the dollar amount that was projected by the architect for our participation in the acreage on the south side of this park was less than the low bid. So, the enhancement that you have before you is -- that shows that lesser amount and, then, you approved the additional funds two weeks ago in Council for the difference. So, we -- assuming everything goes well, we will put those two sources of funds together to build that park when that portion of the fire station development -- when it's completed. Autumn Faire Neighborhood Park restroom and shelter. First of all, I will indicate that this is not the official name of this neighborhood park. This is what we are calling it for budget purposes. It still needs to be officially named. And we will have a naming proposal that we will bring forward to the Council in a not too distant future whenever we get on the Council agenda. I believe next week is there is a -- tomorrow night. Very soon we will have -- it's tomorrow night. So, we will have a name proposed for this park. This is the phase two portion of the development of this park. And the first phase was, essentially, the green up. The second phase would be to put the structures, the building structures on the park ground. Champion Neighborhood Park picnic shelter. The majority of the development of this park should be completely completed this year, but probably by December. With the funds that we have we are anticipating that we will probably be able to do everything except add a 20-by-20 picnic shelter to the park. All these picnic shelters, when we add them to these neighborhood parks, will become a part of our reservation system and will be available to reserve and be an additional revenue source for the department. De Weerd: Hey, Doug? On these neighborhood parks -- and I know we kind of talked about it recently during another application, but, you know, I like the Champion Neighborhood Park, that it really needs to be stressed that it's not a subdivision park, it's a city park. So, you know, maybe it has to be the City of Meridian's Champion Neighborhood Park or whatever, but we want to make sure that it's recognizable as a city park. That these neighborhoods do not think it's just their neighbor park. Strong: We certainly agree with that. And any naming suggestion -- we make sure that with all the neighborhood parks that the term neighborhoods is in the name, so that it implies it's a City of Meridian Neighborhood Park whether we need to add City of Meridian somewhere in that name we would certainly be willing to do that. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 12 ofl63 De Weerd: Well, just -- you know, like the first line and, then, all of our parks City of Meridian and, then, the park name. Strong: If we add City of Meridian to all the parks signs, so certainly -- so, that it's very visible that it is in the city park, it's not a neighborhood or a homeowners park, I guess would be the other way to name it. De Weerd: Or even if it's Champion Public Neighborhood Park or I don't know how you wanted to put it, but just make sure that they know it's open to the public. Strong: This particular park when you drive into that neighborhood is one of the first -- it's very accessible from Ustick. It's one of the first chunks of land per se that you come to, rather than hidden back in the neighborhood. So, it is more accessible than some of the other neighborhood parks that have been recently discussed. So, it should be pretty -- I hope obvious that it's a City of Meridian neighborhood park. We also have a budget enhancement of funds for consultant update park impact fee ordinance. And we have been collecting funds to do this type of work and with other updates to our Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Plan we are proposing hiring a consultant in this next year to update our Capital Improvement Plan. So, in summary, I think, again, this year that we are proposing a very conservative budget to maintain a current level of service, while continuing to address growing community population and park -- and demand on Park and Recreation Services. We have attempted to address our current Capital Improvement Plan and goals that are identified in the city Comprehensive Plan. Our partnership agreements are being addressed and as we have already discussed some will have to be amended. But we continue to stretch community dollars as far as they can go. Our staffing level needs to grow to meet the growing community demand. Just population growth and park acreage growth we do have some staffing needs that we need to continue to look at and to grow as the community and the department grows and, then, we still have the ongoing challenge of balancing park land development with the need to acquire land as we talked about earlier. The cost of land has gone up so dramatically the last year that we certainly feel like we are falling behind the curve in land acquisition each month and certainly each year. So, those are some of the challenges we have as we put together a budget. It seems like when we wrote our enhancements a couple of months ago that just in that -- in the time since that there has been much change that we could go back and rewrite them again. And seems to be kind of a constantly moving target, but this is -- this is really what we have today to put before you, so that as we know it today. So, with that I think it's time for questions. De Weerd: Thank you, Doug. Council, do you have any questions? Bird: Go ahead, Shaun. You have -- Wardle: Madam Mayor? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 13 of163 Bird: Go first and, then, I -- Wardle: Doug, I have two questions and they relate to the recreation supervisor. First, you mentioned that you currently have someone that's part time taking some of those duties and responsibilities. Will that part-time position be eliminated? Strong: Yes. That position will be a part of a full-time position. Wardle: Okay. And, then, secondly, you broke out the park maintenance foreman's duties versus the park superintendent duties. Do you have a break out for the recreation supervisor versus the recreation superintendent? Strong: I don't have one prepared. I could certainly provide that, though. Go back to that. Wardle: Can you give me a brief idea of what kind of overlap it's going to have and would that -- will there be a duplication of duties on the service things? Strong: The recreation coordinator position, their duties will be focused on -- primarily on the adult sports aspect of the program and, then, working with community partners and, then -- here we go. It says there will be coordination of a department wide volunteer program for -- we have a number of volunteer groups that participate throughout the year in park maintenance functions, as well as putting together special and focus on that. The parks superintendent position will continue their administrative functions within the department. Work on agreement with partner organizations like the school district and such and use of facilities and so forth, so -- De Weerd: And, Shaun, it was retitled. In the books it's called the supervisor. It is a coordinator position. They have reevaluated it after the first submittal and reduced the salary request and recategorized the position. Bird: Speak up so we can hear you, Stacy. Kilchenmann: This enhancement that they turned in does not reflect reducing the part- time person, so if that is your plan, when we get to the summary we could reduce the salary. Bird: Thank you. And I got a question to ask in follow up if Shaun's done. De Weerd: Uh-huh. Go ahead. Wardle: I just had just another quick follow up. What percentage would you say that this position would be doing, what -- (End of side one, tape one.) Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 14 of163 Wardle: -- such as the Scare Crow Festival and events such as that. What percentage would you say? Strong: Well, actually, the Community Special Event Activities are growing I suppose they are community parties, but -- De Weerd: These are event planning. Wardle: Event planning. De Weerd: Event planning. Thank you. Strong: I think in what we see happening in other surrounding communities where there is -- there are some kind of well known annual events the community puts on, that that portion of this person's responsibility could grow somewhere to 20 percent of their time spent on coordinating community events as a conservative look at what would bring people to Meridian. As well as if you include tournament play and other activities like that that they would be coordinating with partner organizations, that could be even greater. Donnell: In fact, Shaun, if we will get Settlers Park done we will bring in a great big horseshoe tournament; right. Won't we? Strong: We are planning on horseshoe tournaments and tennis tournaments, because there is -- Donnell: That's right. Strong: There is as much as an eight court tennis complex being planned. Bird: Where is your tennis courts at? Strong: Well, they are in the concept plan right now on the west side of the water tank. Bird: We need to get them in. I've had more phone calls on tennis courts. De Weerd: Oh, yeah. It's just been from the Bird family, though. Bird: No, it hasn't been from the Bird family. I can name you some others. I have got a question on that rec supervisor, too. Doug, this is basically for adult sports programs. I get a notification that we don't have any place to play our basketball or volleyball this year. Do you realize that your fees are going to have to go up 75 and -- increase in fee income 75 to 80 thousand to pay for that kind of a salary? And do you think -- do you think you can justify that on adult sports? Is your program growing that much? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 15 of163 Strong: Well, we -- they have taken a jump. This year we are anticipating at least a 20,000-dollar gain in revenue in just this year in adult sports. We continue to see increased request and teams added to the adult sports calendar. So, it's -- it's certainly something that we are anticipating happening Bird: But a lot of your increase in your fee for adult sports was just the increase in the entry fees. Strong: Yeah. We didn't see much of an increase in the actual entry fees. We did see a -- Bird: I sponsor a couple. I write out the checks. There was an increase. Strong: But we do have an increase in the number of teams that are participating as well. So, this position -- just to go back to how we are approaching it, when we reclassified it we did it so that we would have an entry level position in the recreation side of the agency of the department. So, that we can, as part of our planning for the future as well, so that we bring on entry level staff and develop them to move on through more responsible positions in the department, so -- Bird: Okay. Thanks, Doug. And I do want to say that you guys are doing a great job. appreciate it. Strong: Thank you. Donnell: And I just might mention to Council that I truly support this coordinator position, as well as the park maintenance position. It's amazing to me that with only 12.5 FTE that they manage to do what they do. I mean that's the request, of course, to increase it by two FTE, but I think they need all the help they can get. I think Elroy would like to have some family time? Would you? De Weerd: No. Anything else, Council? Bird: I have nothing. De Weerd: Okay. Thank you, Doug. Strong: Thank you. De Weerd: Could they also get copies of your PowerPoint? Strong: Yes. De Weerd: Myself, too, please. Baird: For the record. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 16 of163 De Weerd: Oh, yeah. And for the record that would be good. Okay. Thank you, Doug. We are done a little early if you want to take five minutes. I do see Walter is here, so -- (Recess. ) 9:15 am Historic Preservation Commission De Weerd: Thanks, Walter, for joining us to talk about the Historical Preservation Committee. Lindgren: Madam Mayor and members of the City Council, I appreciate this opportunity to address where the Preservation Commission has been and what we are seeking in terms of funds for the fiscal year of 2006. Just a brief overview of where we have been, as you may recall we have received in funding 7,000 dollars from the City Council last year. Much to our surprise in addition to that we have received 3,000 dollars in matching funds from the State Historic Preservation Office. With that we have 10,000 dollars to spend. Keeping in mind that the year prior -- I'm not even sure we spent a couple hundred dollars. So, I'm -- it's been a -- it's been a challenging year and a good year for us. A lot of responsibility, too. Just to date where we have been, we have got - _ I believe we will be either close -- near or very close to using the funds that have been allotted to us. We have -- De Weerd: I just wanted to -- well, I think Keith has got -- Donnell: Got it. Too bad, Shaun. He can look over my shoulder. Lindgren: Fair enough. Fair enough. Bird: He don't have them? De Weerd: No. We tried to keep the Council in the dark. Wardle: Got it now. Thank you. Lindgren: For fear of a black bawling I'm sure. We last -- this past year we expended 4,200 dollars in terms of working with consultants to get two nominations for the National Registry. Those are well under way. In fact, they are due to the State Historic Preservation Office towards the -- I believe the end of August or mid August. In addition, the same consultant is doing additional -- actually starting in and continuing site survey work, which was one of our hot topics from last year in terms of identifying suitable structures for the Historic Preservation Register, as well as starting a data base that would be correlated with the cities data base in terms of historic documentation. So, in terms of where we have been, we have done our best to utilize successfully the funds that have been allotted to us and I think we will get there. In terms of our upcoming fiscal year, we are looking for much of the same. Our proposed amount for Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 17 of163 the city funds is 11,700 dollars. What this includes is 6,000 dollars to continue the survey work with this particular consultant. We feel like we have got a good relationship with this consultant. She seems to be very responsive and has been doing a very good job for us. So, that would be plus or minus, take care of the balance of that activity that we are looking at. Also 1,500 dollars for -- I had written one HPC member to attend, but really what this group is facing is challenges that, to be frank with you, none of us have really -- I don't feel really a hundred percent understand some of the intricacies or even some of the challenges that we face and feel that it would be, I guess, valuable to attend some of these seminars, whether they be within this region or where ever the most important ones are. So, I put down a line item of 1,500 dollars for travel and what have you for either one or two HPC members to attend. And that really is educational seminars and that's really critical, in my mind, in terms of educating us to understand what is our directive and how to overcome those challenges. Also 200 dollars to continue membership with the certain organizations that we are currently members of receiving periodicals and valuable information on historic preservation, as well as 4,000 dollars to create public awareness. Again, this is -- we feel that 2006 is going to be a good year for preservation, because we will have .. really, we have been operating somewhat under the radar and what we are really trying to do is get above the radar at this point. And what that entails is, for one, we are going to have two homes being registered, the public out reach, and the publicity of that I think is important to really get into the front line that preservation is a big issue in our town. Also possibly starting walking tours again and we haven't really identified all these specifics of what this piece would take. But, really, our focus for this year is to stop operating under the radar and become a little bit more -- more out front and I think, like you said, the two registered homes should add to that. So, I'd just like to keep that short and sweet and I will just open it up to the questions that you might have. De Weerd: Council, any questions? Bird: I have none. Donnell: So, just for my understanding, Walt -- Lindgren: Sure. Donnell: You're requesting eleven seven. The city gave you last year 7,000? Lindgren: That's correct. Donnell: So, this is an increase of three seven? Lindgren: Four seven. Donnell: Or -- yeah. Can I subtract? Four seven. So, you're still expecting the same 7,000, that's just the increase percentage, then, that you want from the city? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 18 of163 Lindgren: Yeah. Correct. Eleven seven is including, I guess, the seven that we have experienced in previous years, so -- Donnell: And do you expect to get matching funds from the State Historical Preservation? Lindgren: We do. Well, we do. We are losing 4,000 dollars this year, so last year we received 3,000. Donnell: Right. Bird: But there is no guarantee. Lindgren: There is never a guarantee on that. That is correct, sir. Donnell: And this consultant is someone who just works part time when you request that she does some things or-- Lindgren: That's correct. Her name is Emily Peaso. She is a qualified -- I'm not sure I understand the exact qualification, but sanctioned, so to speak, from the State Historic Preservation Office. She's done work with the State Historic Preservation Office, so she has been a valuable asset to our team. I think the struggles we run into is she can only be in one place at one time, so that's our challenge to see how we manage that better. Donnell: What is that percentage of increase to that? I was trying to figure earlier, but I left my calculator at home. Bird: Ten percent? Donnell: Yeah. What percent of increase is that? It works pretty good, if it works. Lindgren: I think it's about 70, plus or minus. Donnell: Forty percent. Bird: Forty percent increase. De Weerd: And I would like to note just for our bookkeeping process this line item was combined last year with the Historical Society. Is this separate, Stacy? Yeah. The Historical Society has 2,000, that has historically been set aside for them. And the Historical Preservation Commission is a different group altogether. So, the 2,000 needs to continue with the Historical Society and this is a separate item. Donnell: That's all the questions I have. Lindgren: Thank you. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 19 of163 De Weerd: Okay. Any other questions? Council? You know, I have just been really excited to see the work that the commission is doing and they have really established some goals and some strategies to get there. It's exciting to see them making progress and appreciate your new energy. It's really exciting to see that. Lindgren: And we do publicity -- I think that is important in getting that information to the individual citizen that really probably doesn't even understand that we do have a preservation commission in fact and I think that's what we will see this next year, especially those two nominations. De Weerd: And it's also important as our downtown redevelops that we keep this front and center, so that some of this doesn't get lost. Lindgren: Agreed. De Weerd: Okay. Thank you, Walt. Lindgren: Thank you very much. Appreciate your time. Bird: Nice job on the Senior Center, too. Lindgren: Oh, thank you. We are getting close. Bird: Yeah. You are. Thank you. 12:15 pm Finance Department Kilchenmann: I'm going to go ahead and do mine, because I won't take very long. Donnell: Okay. I love it. Move them up. Bird: You're getting to be a regular politician. Donnell: Which part of this big booklet do I go to? Kilchenmann: Finance. Donnell: Okay. By the way, this book is really -- the format, the budget, I'm very impressed. Kilchenmann: Oh, thank you. De Weerd: And, believe me, every time we change one thing it's amazing how many-- 65 pages. Meridian City Coundl -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 20 of163 Donnell: This is just great. De Weerd: This is a labor of love. Not only do they get paid to do this, but it is a labor of love. Donnell: You guys put in lots of hours. Kilchenmann: Okay. I just have one request. And that's through the City Purchasing Agent. And this -- my finances split with the Enterprise Fund. And, then, we also took-- well, I guess I have that in the back, so I will get to that. So, the main -- this is my flag show that I'm doing on the Powerpoint thing for speed purposes. But this -- the main purpose is to assist the city departments with contracting and purchasing, of course, promote good relationships with vendors. Research and implement cost effective solutions for city product and service needs, And assure compliance with city and state laws and policies. So, it's kind of a broad overview of what the job position would be defined as. And, then, the reasons that we are requesting this position, one is for cost effectiveness, because there is things that we can contract for city wide, like vehicles or janitorial supplies or different things that everybody uses that aren't necessarily department specific. Computers. Monitor and track contracts, that's something we really don't have currently and something that legal would like. They're interested in this, too. And they don't really have time to do it. So, we would set up some kind of system that we could have a central database for all our contracts. Clearing house for vendors interested in doing business with the city. Now, that we have grown, we get -- I get all kinds of questions and requests from vendors how do we do business with the city and so forth. And right now we just have to say, well, you have got to call every separate department. So, this would be kind of a way for them -- or it would be a way for them to call one person and get information and so forth. Reduce legal exposure. That's just kind of as you grow and if vendors are interested in doing business with you, they really start to question your bidding process and make sure it's open and fair and so forth. It would provide a service in time saving for department employees, so that different departments wouldn't have to spend their time doing a function that's not their major function. And they could let this person take over some of that bidding and so forth. And the department still will determine product and service specifications. I think that's one thing everybody worries about, this person will not tell people what to buy. Departments will still do their own RP and RFQ and will do their product specifications and so forth. The cost -- the total cost is about 67,000. And, then, we took some of the money from the payroll position after we contracted it out, we still had some savings left over of about 24,000. So, that reduced the salary to about 43,000 that will be split with - - you know, like our whole department, but with Enterprise Fund. And we have ongoing operating of about 1,125 dollars just for some training and so forth. And, then, the one time purchase of a desk. I'm not sure where we will put -- oh, we can put the person where the payroll person was. Computer. You know, initial supplies. For a total of 47,000 and impact to the General Fund is 23,723 dollars. Are there any questions? Bird: Yeah. Tammy. Stacy, first place, purchasing agents should have an office of their own. You don't need to put them in there with another person. A purchasing agent Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 21 ofl63 is going to be one of your busiest people. And explain to me what they are going to do with the contracts. They are going to help -- they are -- are you going to have somebody with a construction background to help? Kilchenmann: No. All we are going to do is just, you know, like every contract, whether it's for, you know, a service, a consultant, we just don't -- when we go back to some of these that go back to sign a contract, we don't have an easy way to do that. So, all they will do is maybe we will set up a numbering system so every contract has a number and, then, we will just have it all available so that they-- Bird: So, they are not -- they are going to be more than a purchasing agent, they are going to be a contract person, too? Kilchenmann: Well, they are not going to -- no, they are not going to go back and say did you do this according to contract. We just need a way to find them, I guess. Access them, you know. Donnell: They still monitor them, though? They are going to monitor contracts. De Weerd: They are going to monitor them and make sure that-- Kilchenmann: Yeah, Because our payroll person kind of does that now. She gets the payment on a contract and she goes back and she tries to find the contract to make sure we do have a contract with this person and so forth. Bird: Well, I thought -- you mean our architects or our engineers don't hand in a sheet that gives this information and approve it? On our contracts? I mean some of our little ones probably not, but your bigger ones that you're talking about like your sewer and your bigger contracts. I don't know. De Weerd: There is two different levels, Keith. There is like the janitorial. There is the copier. Bird: Well, you're talking about that's a year -- that's a year contract. I'm talking about for project contract. Kilchenmann: They do monitor -- they do monitor them. But in our office here we don't necessarily have a way to go find the copy of the contract. So, when they sign off that the work is okay, we know that, but we don't necessarily know do we really have a contract? Does the City Council approve it? Is it on file for the auditor to have easy access for it? Is it on file for attorneys to have easy access for it? Donnell: Okay. Another question. Stacy, when you say that this person wouldn't be telling someone what to purchase, would you not, though, anticipate that this person would work with different department heads or, you know, different city employs to write those? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 22 of163 Kilchenmann: Definitely. Donnell: And so they would be involved in making sure the -- Kilchenmann: The format was correct and everything was covered. Donnell: They are just not going say what it is that you -- Kilchenmann: You will buy, yes. Donnell: When it comes right down to writing specifications in a way you can write specifications to determine exactly what it is that you will get. Kilchenmann: Yeah. And I think you have to kind of balance between writing it. So, you really know that you're just directing toward and being fair and following the open bidding laws. I think that it definitely is an art. Donnell: The other question I have just -- the other question I have is even though you're able to utilize the 24,000 from the payroll clerk position, really, the 66,000 and, of course, then, half of that, 33,000, is an ongoing expense to the city. Kilchenmann: Correct. Donnell: From the General Fund. Kilchenmann: Everything except for that 3,700. Yes. The salary is an ongoing. Donnell: So, it will be ongoing. So, actually, the cost to the city is -- Kilchenmann: 67,000. Donnell: Exactly. Yeah. Even though -- Kilchenmann: Well, 42,000, plus the one thousand. Donnell: To get it started, but-- De Weerd: The 42,000. Kilchenmann: Yeah. De Weerd: And it's not a new FTE. It's a replacement. K.ilchenmann: Yeah. Or increasing, I guess. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 23 of163 De Weerd: Shaun. Wardle: Stacy, we contracted out the payroll position; correct? Kilchenmann: Correct. Wardle: Okay. So, did we add -- we subtracted the cost of that clerk do we add back in the contract for the payroll administration? Kilchenmann: We took out -- I can't remember what the position was. I think 47,000 something. So, we took out what we needed to contract and kept that and, then, this 24,000 is what is remaining that we don't need for the contract. Wardle: Okay. Kilchenmann: Does that make sense? Bird: What do we pay a month for the contract? Kilchenmann: Oh, I'm not sure of that. Donnell: It depends upon the number. De Weerd: 20,000 a year. Bird: How much? De Weerd: 20,000 a year. Bird: 20,000? Donnell: Does it also not depend upon the number of employees? So, if we increase -- Kilchenmann: If we increase -- Donnell: It will increase the amount. Kilchenmann: And what we will probably start doing is when we add a new employee, part of the cost of the new employee will add the cost of doing that payroll, probably. Wardle: Stacy, I have got two more questions. One, who is doing the purchasing currently? Kilchenmann: Everybody. De Weerd: Every department does their own. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 24 of163 Wardle: So, then, if this position is -- so, this position is what I would terminologize someone who is taking a core competency and, then, removing some of those things from the departments that are not their core. Would you expect to see, I guess in your opinion, from just a managerial perspective, if we were to bring this position in-house, remove some of these extraneous things that the other departments aren't doing or aren't focused on doing, would you expect to see a greater increase in productivity from those departments? Is that what we are thinking as well? Kilchenmann: That's a very good way to put it. I would think so. De Weerd: I think that, Shaun, also some better economies to scale on purchasing on a larger scale some of the items that are used by all of the departments and get -- get the bulk discount instead of each department out there paying a premium price. Kilchenmann: It will be a big job. Bird: Something we have needed for at least the last couple of years. 9:30 am Valley Transit De Weerd: Okay. Any other questions? Thank you. Okay. Kelli, your advocate just left. But it will be easy, because we have heard a lot of this. Just didn't know quite the number, how they tied in with everything else. This is also under your miscellaneous section as well. Wardle: I have that. De Weerd: Okay. Fairless: Do you want me to do a presentation? Or do you just have questions? Because I can go either way. I like to accommodate what you -- De Weerd: If you will just talk about your dues and how they are figured and what the increase might help our city with -- Fairless: All right. Well, the dues this year, we had to do a different way of approaching not just the dues, but the intercounty service. So, let me talk about the dues first, because that's probably the easiest thing to explain. About three years ago the board adopted a policy to assess per capita dues based on the current year's population projections and we use Compass's approved population projections. The dues have been 60 cents per capita each year until this year. And we are -- we, the board, adopted a 64, almost 65 cents per capita, which was about a five percent -- five cent increase per capita for this year. And that was to cover our expenses, some increases in our expenses. One of the things that happened this year is we are doing a lot less planning. Our planning is winding go down and now we are working toward Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 25 of163 implementation. So, there is -- when we do planning, we can match our planning dollars 80 percent federal, 20 percent local. Our -- when we do our -- do all of our implementation, that's either a hundred percent local funding or it's 50 percent local funding. So, in order for us to accommodate that shift away from more planning to more implementation, we needed to request an increase. So, that's, basically, how the dues are calculated. What does Meridian get from those dues? What we have been able to do over the last several years is as I have talked about, build this foundation for the Regional Public Transportation System. Next year the dues will cover local match for a marketing program that I think Meridian will directly benefit from, because of the services that are provided in your -- in your community. We are also looking at improving our public information to people with disabilities to make them more bilingual, make the system more accessible to the public. And we are going to be working on implementing our regional plan, which, hopefully, by next year we will be able to talk about some other services we'd like to add to the City of Meridian. De Weerd: Kelli, will Meridian's name be on the brochure sure next time? Fairless: I brought some that -- of the old ones and I told Sena that I hate to give these out, because I know that the Mayor's going bring up Meridian's name. But Meridian is in our brochure next year and starting October 1 st will be at the center of the universe. So, we are actually combining the Ada County and the Canyon County onto one map. So, when you open it up Meridian will be right in the center we have our naming, the routes in the brochure, the Nampa express via Meridian, so people will know that it stops in Meridian and are doing -- we are going to do a much better job at identifying those Meridian -- the Meridian contribution to the system. De Weerd: Well, I -- yeah. That was a great answer. You're getting quite political. And my only thing was when I picked up that brochure, if I would have looked at it as a Meridian resident, I would have thought it was for me, I wouldn't have even known Meridian was part of that route. But it just said Nampa-Caldwell and, then, I would have been looking for the next brochure that says Boise-Meridian or something like that, so -- Fairless: Yeah. Yeah. And we will -- I also made a note or asked Steven to make a make note. He's right now helping to develOp that new information tool. So, we will make sure that that gets included. It's something I think I mentioned at least once every two weeks to the marketing person. So, I'm making sure that that gets done. On the inter-county routes, Meridian has two routes that really serve your community. One is the route number 40, which is a commuter, it's a limited stop express route that begins in Nampa and goes to downtown Boise and has a stop at the Gold's Gym here in Meridian. And, then, it gets people to BSU as well. So, it's downtown and BSU. We have -- this is, actually -- the service has been very popular and have been running out of capacity. It's running at high enough capacity that we are adding an afternoon route in October to be able to -- because we have got a very -- a lot of people standing on the busses coming back. In hindsight, I wish we would have had the opportunity to purchase larger vehicles for these routes, because they have been, again, at capacity and there is not a lot of room for them to grow. And we are going to be working through Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 26 of163 the year to maybe identify some opportunities to get larger vehicles on those routes. The number 42 service is what we call our limited stop. And it's kind of meant to be a hybrid between a commuter express service and a local route. And so we worked very closely with Steve Siddoway here at City of Meridian. Mayor de Weerd participated in a couple of meetings where we looked at that route to identify how it could serve Meridian better. And it has five stops in Meridian. And exits the freeway at Meridian Road. Provides service to Winco and the business park. It also hits Franklin Road and Eagle, St. Luke's in Meridian and the business park at Eagle Road and Overland. The ridership on that route has only been operating since March. We haven't seen huge amounts of ridership. We are adding another mid day trip going from Nampa through Meridian to Boise. We hope that we will be able to market this to seniors and to people who are more -- who have maybe retired or students, people who might want to travel in the middle of the day to the mall, because it hits both the Karcher Mall and the Town Square Mall. So, we are really going to be working on marketing that service in the next few months. What we did in terms of the cost allocation, this was an area that our auditors requested that we identify a plan for how we are going to allocate costs for the different services and I had a really tough time, I will be honest with you, with the inter- county services and how to do that cost allocation. Because if you do just straight miles or hours, Meridian's cost would go up pretty significantly because from the time the bus enters the Meridian jurisdiction until it leaves it travels quite a few miles. But it's all spread out and the stops are spread out. So, what I did is I added up the number of stops and did comparisons of how many spots are in each of the jurisdictions. Since it is a limited stop express. I had the same dilemma with hours, you know, what minute it hit Meridian versus was in Nampa or in Boise. So, what we did -- it did result in an increase to Meridian doing the cost allocation. But I guess I would argue that that increase is relative to the amount of stops now that are serving Meridian locations. Which, again, are the five stops that specifically serve Meridian locations on that all day route. The increase in what we call your express route from last year is only a thousand dollars. The larger increase was really in the limited stop more local service that you're receiving. So, compared to last year your budget -- our budget request for your services was 44,609. And this year our request is 52,186. And most of that increase was in the ~- in that local service that you're now receiving. And I have some ridership numbers, too, I will give you. Bird: What's your request for budget, Kelli? Fairless: Total request, if you add the dues and the services, the total request is 88,404. Bird: Then you just said 52. Fairless: That was for the -- just the operation -- operating the services. The other -- Bird: Okay. De Weerd: Was the dues. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 27 of163 Fairless: The 36,218 is dues. Bird: We are almost doubling from last year. Fairless: If you count all of it together your increase is not doubled. Bird: Oh. Okay. Fairless: Yeah. I'm going to hand out this ridership -- these ridership figures. De Weerd: The increase is 16,000, but most of that was due -- because of our population. Donnell: I tried to tell when we were looking at this budget, since I'm on the management team for Valley Ride, I tried to tell them that our population for their commuting purposes was only about 20,000, but they did not believe me. Bird: That was 2000. De Weerd: You're going to arm wrestle Jerome. Donnell: That's right. I was going to. I tried. Bird: I think Jerome is at 208,000. I think Jerome ought to arm wrestle them. Donnell: For sure. Bird: Because I'm sure Boise is a little bigger than 208. That's a good budget. And, Kelli, you guys are doing such a better job. Every year this thing gets better and better. I get nothing but compliments on it. Fairless: Thank you. Bird: The way it goes. Fairless: And I did also bring Steven along, because he is -- he worked very closely with the Meridian folks on the routes. And he, actually, has some personal ownership in these routes. And would -- if you have any questions specifically about how they are operating, you know, I know he tracked that very carefully. I handed out our ridership figures, which I feel for a new service we are doing really well, especially with all the bad publicity that we have had going into it. We expected a much stronger dip in ridership. And if you track along, we did see that in March the first month, it was 11 percent less than the year before. April bumped back up. We were doing a half fare promotion in April. And, then, in May, we were doing May In Motion. So, this tells me that when we are actively marketing services we are seeing improvements in ridership. June typically Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 28 of163 is a difficult month just because of the school and vacations and things changing. But we will be monitoring that as well. So, I have great hopes for this route. Next year we are going to very aggressively market the services and try to increase the ridership. If the ridership on the inter-county local route doesn't improve in the next year, then, we probably will talk about whether or not that's the best investment for Meridian. But at this point I think it's too early to tell. We need about a year for a route to operate before you can really tell what it's going to do. And it's -- the more tweaking and changing we do, the better the opportunity for us to fail at it being a good route. So, we just like to kind of hold it the way it is and market what we have out there and see how it goes. De Weerd: I think you have had enough on your plate that the marketing can know that the routes are where they are at, now you can start marketing it to those employers and businesses in that area. Donnell: And just for Council's information as well, the negotiations with the union have been somewhat frustrating. And I think that's resolved now. I thought I was getting away from all that negotiations and, then, you put me on this task. And so we are back into it again. But we held -- actually went into meditation and I think that we had a good resolution, don't you think? Fairless: Yeah. I was very pleased with the outcome of that. And the really good news is we now have a contractor in Boise who is going to be responsible for doing all of that, which means I will have more time to stay focused on the funding initiatives and things like that, so -- De Weerd: Big picture stuff. Fairless: Big picture stuff. Yeah. Yes. I'm very excited. De Weerd: They are getting bogged down in the -- Fairless: Yeah. De Weerd: Well, thank you. Fairless: You're welcome. De Weerd: And, thank you, Steven. Welcome to Meridian. Fairless: All right. Well, thank you very much. And you know where to find me if you have any other questions, so - 9:45 am Legal Department, Human Resources Department De Weerd: We do. Thank you. Before I get into our next section, I did want -- you probably noticed in your organizational chart -- or if you haven't, we have moved IT into Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 29 of163 the HR Legal. We are trying to kind of make sure all the financial management -- and I think Stacy was working on how to best categorize her in financial management and what she came up with. And, then, Administrative Services. And so trying to make it a little bit more logical where things are placed and so now IT is in the HR and Legal in our administrative services side. So, Michelle. Well, Councilman Bird's suggestion was to have Michelle do the presentation, because she's not an attorney. Bird: And we only got a half hour. De Weerd: And she might be more concise. Donnell: You have to talk fast, Mr. Nary. Bird: It's in your court. And you don't want the judge to hear things. Nary: I will try to be as concise as possible. Mayor, Council, I appreciate the opportunity. I will try to be as quick as I can for Councilmember Bird. We are the fastest growing department in the city. We have a large staff. You recall a year ago the HR department only had two people at the time. Now, the HR Legal and the IT Department we have actually seven people plus intern positions. De Weerd: Well, you actually have three. Nary: Well, there was only two people here at last year's budget. De Weerd: Well, that's true. But you have three. Nary: There was only two people here last year and now there is quite a bit more. But that's a good thing. Bird: At budget time there was two people. Right? Nary: Yeah. But that's a good thing. As you can see, our department, we do have one position currently we are attempting to cover, IT network specialist. But we are very happy with the group that we have. We think we have a very good team trying to provide a variety of different services out of our team to the various departments. But we think in the time period that we have been here we have created some better process, some more efficiencies for the city. Setter connection between the departments and the Mayor's office and the Council and also I think it's been very successful transition and we are still evolving. A couple things I wanted to talk about that are sort of preliminary matters before we talk about enhancements. The first is the salary ranges. Over the time period since I have been here in evaluating the salary and discussing both the Mayor and our Council liaison Councilmember Bird, we have a very complicated salary structure. And it's not the easiest to explain to people as to how positions are not only classified, but how they are put in different ranges. How those ranges were met and how one position differs from another. And, basically, when I Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 30 of163 asked the question to a number of different departments we had 21 different pay categories in between professional administrative and Public Works for non-exempt -- or if you're a non-exempt employees. And when I asked the departments how do we decide what's the difference between an A-3 and a P-2 or an A-6 and a P-7, most people really couldn't tell. Other than functions, there really wasn't any sense of that. Just a portion of the pay professional administrative. The next slide show more of the positions as well. When you go to the third slide again more of the positions as well. And the different salary ranges wasn't a lot of differentiation as you can see between the salary grades for all of those. And, then, when we compared them side by side, other than the Public Works functions being different, again, you had ten different ranges in the Public Works field -- (End of tape one.) Nary: -- so a total of 31 different pay grades for all of the different positions in the city. And I guess from my perspective and although I think it's very complicated and, then, on the supervisor manager department head level we also had eight different -- eight different categories for all of the various positions for essentially supervisory types of personnel. So, we took on the task of trying to figure out how to make that work a little bit better for everybody. And what we did is we came up with a banding of salary ranges and it looks more like this. We didn't change the positions. We didn't change the pay grade. What we did is we took the low points of one. We grouped them by functions, so that we would be connected again. There wasn't much significant difference in the work that was being performed, other than the technical things and these different ones. So, we tried to group them more by function. We took the existing pay grade. So, we did not do anything with the existing pay grades, other than our recommended increases of increasing grades themselves -- not the individual positions, but the pay grades and, then, grouped them from -- and, basically, the except -- or the exempt -- or, excuse me, the non-exempt employees. This is group one. This is group two. Here is group three. This is group four. This is group five. And group six. So, that we took 31 positions. We were able to, then, capture them into six different positions. The pay grade, again, were all pretty similar across the board. So, we didn't change that. We have recommended as part of the budget -- and it's in the base budget to increase all of the pay grades three percent. They were not increased last year and the problem with it is if you don't keep up with the market, even on that base level, we will fall behind and we will have to readjust position by position as we hire or recruit or retain. And it doesn't really make much sense. So, it makes more sense to keep up with the market across the board annually. And the three percent is consistent with the budget increase that we are allowed to do anyway. So, that is already figured into your base budget. The next level for supervisor managers and department heads, we took on two things. First, we wanted to group them again from the eight different categories. This is group one. Group two. Group three. And group four. And the fourth group of eight is all of the records. What had happened previously -- and I'm not again sure why, but the directors were all at various positions depending on where they fell in the pay grade, instead of being all grouped together. And so what we decided -- part of the task was to group all of the records in the same pay grade category, because you get most Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 31 of163 of the records, even depending on their pay, maybe commensurate with their expertise or professional experience or qualification, but the pay grade -- but the grouping of them together is because, again, what you were always looking for is people that are leadership team material, people that are going to lead to various departments. They are going to have the similar types of traits that you're looking for. Again, we increase the raise three percent, that's 92,000 under the city clerical, although I'm sure Mr. Berg would like that, it's, actually, I think that fell off that the other day I think that -- Bird: Boy, you got a raise. Nary: There were a couple of directors that were below that minimum, so there were a couple of adjustments to that, but other than that, we took -- so, we took 31 and made them into six. And we took eight and made them into four. I think it's simpler. When I ran this by all the directors, I think they all agreed was a much simpler process to be able to figure out. In the future what we anticipate doing is not expanding the ranges by more groups, because that's what had been done previously is why we had so many. But really looking at the functions of the job. If a job is in a group two and really if we look at it and what I intend to do is we have in our policy the ability to have a compensation committee to make those evaluations of where the jobs are categorized, if they are categorized properly we can adjust the job within the pay grades of the different groups, but we don't have to just add more groups. That's, essentially, the way it's been done in the past. And if we keep up with the three percent, then, we will at least keep the ranges in a hirable recruitment level that would be able to keep us competitive in the marketplace. And, again, if we find there is some individual adjustments we can address those individually. But, again, we are hoping by this grouping it would make more sense. The next slide is regarding our medical benefits. It's just one slide. It's just to tell you we had a -- from our Blue Cross our increase we had originally looked at a potential of a 20 percent increase, because that's what we had last year. This year we have an 8.92 percent increase. So, we are very encouraged by that. We are still working with our consultants to look at alternatives for the future. You know, I still have the direction to them that we cannot always absorb increases annually, but we may need to look at alternatives programs and things for the future for employees to, again, meet their needs. I have also asked them to begin a process of looking at some potential retirement or post-employment health plan for retirees, so that, again, we can provide a benefit that is cost effective for the city, but beneficial to the employees. Just as one little aside on our benefits, if you recall last year -- I don't have the exact number, but if you recall last year we had a discussion about our flexible spending programs and absorbing the cost of the monthly for each employee. And if that would help the increase -- and, then, lifting the cap that prohibited new employees from accessing that program. We lifted that cap and we absorbed the cost of that. And we have had a nearly 100 percent sign-up rate for new employees. We have a larger increase in the number of employees that are in it that are existing employees. We don't have all the final numbers for that. When we do our later benefit presentations we should be able to tell you what kind of money we saved, but we find it to be successful off the bat. Our enhancements, next, I will talk about for the HR and Legal parts of our services. The first one we have asked for is a part-time office assistant. When I came Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 32 of163 on board in October one of the things we did is we divided up the work internally between the two -- the two HR people that we had, one person primarily handles all of our new hires, orientation, benefits, some compensation and our drug programs. So, essentially, once we have hired the folks one of our staff people handles all of the necessary incoming work that's needed to put them on staff. The other HR person handles all of the recruitment, all of the advertising, all of the interview process, all the narrowing down of the applications, combing through all of those things. What has not been -- what is kept up on, but is not very efficiently kept on because of the volume of work, as you can probably tell, we hire a lot of people, we have a lot of activity in HR, it's just keeping up with the day-to-day support functions of HR. There is a lot of material that needs to be filed. There is a lot of letters that need to be followed up. There is a lot of responses back to applicants to make sure they understand they have received their application. What the process is. We are trying through our IT Division, we are also working to put online an online application that can actually be prepared and sent online and e-mailedbacktous.So. currently they have a down loadable application. You have to down load it, print it, prepare it by hand, or type it and, then, mail it to us. But we are trying to get that function so it could all be done electronically and we don't have volumes and volumes of paper to have to deal with from applicants. But all of those things we have asked for an office assistant to help us in getting all of the paper process done more efficiently and, then, the folks that are really concentrating their efforts on getting the recruitment and, then, the new employees on board and all of the work that's done with that can focus more of their attention on those functions. The next item is the Wellness Handbook. In our discussion with our benefits committee and with our benefits consultant, one of the things that they suggested strongly is that we have a benefits or a Wellness Committee to work internally within the city employees in developing programs to basically provide a better workplace for folks in a variety of different areas. Health predominately. And the reason for that is the hope is that by giving people better choices and better information on health decisions that we will keep you from simply going to the doctor every single time they have an illness or something that might be able to be treated another way, there might be some other things. One of the ways to be able to show that to folks is through the Wellness Handbook. Some of you are probably familiar in the past we have purchased these as well. And what we are looking at is as an enhancement that would basically allow us to purchase enough of the Health Wise Handbooks for every employee and a smaller number of the Health Wise for Life. That's for employees that are 55 or older. We would like to give them to every single employee, so that they have that. Health Wise will actually come out and do training and explain to you how the books are used and what the benefits can be. And, then, any of the employees that are over 55 or have an over 55 member of their family that -- a spouse or dependant, then, they could certainly ask for one of those books and we could provide that to them. Again, the hope is to provide better education and information to the employees. The next item, of course, goes hand in hand with that, Wellness and Motivation Team. What we did in this enhancement, we requested is -- we had our consultant do some checking with local companies as to what type of funds that they have set aside for those committees to be able to actually put on programs. Now, many of them are free. Some of the local health agencies will provide some educational types of information or brown bag lunches, talks and things, for free. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 33 ofJ 63 Smoking cessations and those kinds of things, but not all of them are free and trying to put on some types of different events or activities or putting out newsletters for employees to find ways, whether it's weight loss, whether it's smoking, whether it's different types of health care, massages, chiropractor, whatever, again, costs some money. Looking at the range of the different companies and the municipalities here to have something like this, the range ended up being somewhere in the area of $7.50 per employee per month. What they funded to as low as $3.35 for others. Now, the $3.35 cost was for a company and it escapes me at the moment which company it was, but it was one that had actually implemented a program and this is the fifth or sixth year of the program. So, they had eventually been able to bring the cost of maintaining the program down. We had requested five dollars per employee per month. That's the number that you have in your books is based upon, again, to provide some information, to provide some access for different health things, maybe, you know, you got flue shots. Again access for maybe breast exams. Things like that that maybe again we have to pay for some of these things that come on site to the city to be able to provide those for employees. Next item we have, we are requesting a legal intern for next summer. De Weerd: Hey, Bill? Nary: Yes. De Weerd: Just before you move on, to Legal, where Bill has really been focused on improving our experience rating for insurance. And a lot of the Wellness is, again, educational, but -- and raising the awareness, but also in looking at how we can encourage and maintain a healthier work force. And so I appreciate this is a proactive side of trying to better manage our health service and the cost associated with that. Nary: The cost of one very expensive potentially treatable type of illness that maybe early detection might be able to do -- some companies, for example, have experienced in dealing with some types of -- offering you blood tests and those types of things for maybe cholesterol check and those types. But, again, cost of money for lab work and all that. But they can find employees that are potential risks for heart attacks or strokes. They have early warning symptoms of those types of things. They are able to, then, refer them to a doctor for what they need specifically. And, again, the cost of one employee, if you're looking at just from a benefits side, not just the loss of the employee, but the cost to the city for one serious medical condition, a heart attack, for example, can be tremendous. If we through early detection can determine the employees at risk for that and put them on a better program, that might give them better choices and better information to make better choices with and avoid that expense not only to benefit the employee, it benefits the city as well. Donnell: Just a comment. Bill, the Health South books, are really -- I mean they are a great resource to have in your home, And the district did this as well because we are concerned about that quick rush to the doctor when you know it was something that perhaps they could handle themselves at home. And what I would suggest as you purchase these and you provide the in-service for the employees, is that those meetings Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 34 of163 be considered mandatory. And that they come to the meeting, they give the information orally before they receive the handbook. Otherwise, they won't come. They won't listen. And they won't utilize it. So, that's just a suggestion. We found it to be very beneficial. It's something that also is hard to measure on whether it has the expected result. And we really felt like it did. It was hard to -- again, hard to measure. Nary: I would agree. It's difficult to quantify the avoided cost that you have when you educate folks. But I think for the cost of the books I mean we are talking a couple thousand dollars for all employees, it's, I think, a pretty good investment for what our return is. And, again, it's the same idea, and, Councilmember Donnell, you're exactly right, if you have one employee who reads the book, who doesn't run to the emergency room because they find treatment for the illness in a different manner, you have probably saved the entire cost of the buying the books for everybody. Donnell: But they really do need to hear about it, rather than just be handed the book. Nary: I agree. Yes. The book by itself is not enough of a tool. You really need the information that can be gained from it. And how to locate it. And how to use it. Our next request is for a legal intern. As you can imagine Mr. Baird and I are pretty busy with the legal needs of the city. One of the ways to, I think, enhance both the city's position in the legal community, as well as assist our office in longer-term projects and things, is by having a legal intern. Now, we have interns in other departments of the city. The only differences is legal interns are second year law students. Generally, we are now competing in a different marketplace than we are for college students or high school students and so that's why the request is a little higher than what you normally see for an intern at, like I said, the college or high school level. But we are looking for folks that have the potential to, basically, be lawyers in a year or two. And we are trying to basically -- we do it for a couple of things. Again, in the legal community it's nice to have your face out there and be a participant and in trying to have potential lawyers work for and you gain a sense of what kind of person this could be as we look in the future that we may need to expand our legal services, that gives us a little foot in the door in dealing with some of the folks that maybe we will have some better understanding whether they would be a good fit for our city. Secondarily, again, some long-term projects -- as you can well imagine we spend a great deal of our time trying to resolve the issues for today and the issues for tomorrow and sometimes the issues for next week we have to wait a little longer to get to. Some of those long-term projects are not time sensitive or critical, but there is some things that there is some code adjustments that need to be done. And right now, as you have seen, we do a lot of those code adjustment as they come up in the circumstance. It would be nice to have a more comprehensive overview, maybe not to the level that that development code is going to, but something in that regard to be able to have a law student be able to assist in drafting that and look through our codes and find those types of things and help us fix those would be of benefit. Donnell: Just a question that I didn't see here is what is the hour expectation for this intern? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 35 of163 Nary: Most of the interns in the past that I have worked with we have, obviously, tried to be pretty flexible, but we have usually worked them 40 hours a week. Donnell: For 6,000 dollars? Nary: Uh-huh. Donnell: For how many weeks? Nary: About ten. Donnell: Okay. Nary: Is about what you get, because between the time most of the law schools finish, which is somewhere between the middle to the end of May until they start again by the middle of August, you usually get about June and July for sure and maybe a week at the end of May and a week at the beginning of August. Donnell: Okay. Nary: Our next enhancement is ongoing management and leadership training. This is our Aspire-On contract. I think a portion of that enhancement you will see in your books is a portion of it is General Fund dollars; a portion of it is from the Enterprise Fund, because, per se, they capture a number of employees as well. This is an ongoing relationship that we have had now for three years and we would like to continue that ongoing relationship. We find it has been very beneficial to the city. We have had four phases with some very comprehensive leadership and management training for our different personnel and really all different levels of the city. We would like to continue with that. They have also been our consultants and providers and partners in developing a new performance evaluation program that was both on the front end of a sort of evaluation expectations program, as well as an evaluation tool on the other end, We have had lots of discussion in front of you regarding our current evaluation tool. That is not adequate. It's very much disliked by all of the partners, both employees and managers. It's too long. It's too complicated. It's too difficult to use. Some departments don't like to use it, so they delay using it. I have tried to stress to them how important it is to be timely on doing those. But it is a very cumbersome, unusable form. We have now eliminated that form. And we have taken an interim step to using something in the interim, but what we are doing -- working with us to develop a format and a form to both, like I said, tie in with all the training, which is fairly unique, it sounds -- as odd as it sounds, it's unique, sometimes, in talking to other organizations to find that all of the training we do relates to actually what we evaluate people on. It isn't in every circumstance. And that also all of the values and behaviors and the like that you folks have already approved and looked at, customer service, accountability, respect, are incorporated into the evaluation tool. So, we would like that enhancement of a one- year cost. Again, it has been for the last two years and as we each year evaluate what Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 36 of163 we can do and what we need, the intent of that was as a retainer with Aspire-On, rather than paying piece meal as we go. It would allow an easier working relationship with the departments, you wouldn't have to, essentially, every time look at what we are doing, it would be managed by our department, by myself, to make sure we are getting the services that were needed and that the departments have the ability to have contact, have some connection, have meetings and discuss it with the Aspire-On folks Donnell: You actually answered half of the questions that I was going to ask right there about Aspire-On and that is at what point will that -- you know, their services no longer be needed? And my expectation would be that in the leadership training that your department heads begin to be the people that provide that kind of leadership and that kind of training and that they no longer will need to be contacted to do that, except for your department heads. Nary: Well -- and there may be some -- and I would agree that that's probably part of it. I mean we always have that supervisory personnel that come on and we are going to have some changeover and management over time. So, there probably will be some. I would agree with you, though, annually I mean that evaluation needs to be made as to what are we getting, what do we want to do, what is that going to cost us, so -- Donnell: I think that that's a huge amount to provide to a company. They are making some good money off the city, all the taxpayers of Meridian, 66,000 dollars for -- to provide training that I think our own supervisors and department heads, that's who we ought to be hiring to do that. Nary: And just so you know, too, as well, that 66,000 dollars is actually consistent with what we have been paying. So, it hasn't -- it didn't increase. Donnell: I understand that. Nary: And the intent of the -- this agreement with them, if we were to go on this retainer agreement, is actually -- they give us a discount and so the money would actually end up being less than what we have been paying in the past. Donnell: Yeah. I just think we ought to get rid of them. Bird: Christine, that -- Donnell: Not quite that harsh, but -- Bird: I agree with you. This is a lot of money. Donnell: It is a lot of money. Bird: And over the last three years this company has -- and I don't know how much more training you can give everybody. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 37 of163 Donnell: Yeah. Bird: I mean I know the city in the main areas doesn't have a turnover to speak of. I mean I haven't seen any department heads walk in and/or their assistants or anybody else walk in and quit every two or three months. It's not a turnover. But I'm with you, this year -- Donnell: Fine. Bird: And what are we getting for this is what I want to know. I have not seen the agreement and before I approve it I want to see the agreement of what we are getting. Donnell: Me, too. Nary: I'm like you, Christine, if they are giving us 200 hours, it's a pretty expensive 200 hours. Donnell: And I'm glad that we agree on something, Keith and -- because we probably won't down the road. But I think that's why we hire good people. If we hire good people and we maintain good people, then, they provide this kind of leadership, so -- enough said. Nary: Our next one -- De Weerd: Excuse me. Nary: Oh, sorry. Berg: Madam Mayor, if I could just address -- there has been some training -- I guess segments of the program that we have participated as the teachers or trainers in those areas. So, we have gradually taken over some of those training aspects -- Donnell: Good. Berg: -- that Aspire-On has had that program, but we have done the teaching or training or interactions with those groups when we divided up, so -- myself, I participated in some of those. Donnell: Okay. De Weerd: And I guess I would just add, too, that we are evolving and the training is not the same in this proposal, it's -- again, we are in our position accountability part of it. We are changing our strategic planning to tie everything together into the evaluation process and to go through our daily mentoring and engagement. So, there is a lot going Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 38 of163 on. This is part of that evolution of this process. And so, yeah, next year I would anticipate that you're not going to see that same number that -- 12:00 pm Information Technology Nary: This is a very hands-on group that we work with. And unlike what you may see in other organizations that really just hire folks for training, because there is additional training that goes on in various parts for various things. I mean Aspire-On has done customer service training and done this leadership training, those things, but there are other areas of training that are done by different providers as well. But this is a very hands-on type of a service they provide to the individual departments. Department directors, the managers, and the various departments in working with employees and coaching and those types of things, So, it is more than probably what's common in some of the other organizations you may be familiar with. Our next area of enhancements I'm actually going to let Terry Paternoster, our house IT manager, explain a little bit for you, as the Mayor indicated, the IT Division has been moved into-- under our administrative support with legal and HR, but I'm going to let Terry talk a little bit about the enhancement that he was requesting. Paternoster: I'm just going to talk from over here if that's okay. Unless you want me to stand up front. The first enhancement is for -~ is to expand our internship program. Over the past two years the city has been using interns in the IT Department specifically. And we have got these interns from the local charter school here in Meridian. What we have found is that we can really expanded on the services that we provide to the city and just really maintain. In the past what we typically have done is we have only budgeted about 250 hours per student per year to provide services. And the reason we chose that .- those hours initially was that it's charter school, each student is required to put in an internship of 280 hours of time in order to meet their requirement to graduate. What we have found is that as a city we have received quite a bit of benefit from these students. And so what we are looking to do, instead of just maintain them for the 280 hours we have had in the past, we are looking to maintain them part time throughout the entire year. So, 20 hours per student for the 52 weeks of the year. And that's what that request is about. Any questions about that one? Next one. The next one is for-- De Weerd: Terry. Just a second. Wardle: Sorry, Terry. I was doing some math here. Did you say 20 hours a week per student for 52 weeks? Paternoster: Twenty hours per student. So, there is two -- we have two interns and it would be for the 52 weeks. And right now we already have money budgeted for about 280 hours and so the additional 750 hours will add up to about 1,040 hours for the year. Wardle: Okay. And you're able to find interns from the local charter school that can work 20 hours per week? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 39 of163 Paternoster: Well, we are actually pretty fortunate is the way that it's works is that during the school year they really probably can't put in more than they could put in, 20 hours. They get released from school from the charter school at 12:50 in the afternoon. And so they can show up here anytime from about 1 :00 to a quarter after 1 :00. During the school year they have to maintain less than 19 hours a week working, because if they exceed that, then, they hit into our PERCI. However, what that does is that allows the flexibility during the summer that we can recoup those hours, because there is a certain amount of time during the year that they can go over that 20 hours without actually putting the city in a position where we have to provide retirement benefits. Donnell: Besides, Shaun, those kids don't sleep. Paternoster: Yeah. Donnell: They stay up all night. Paternoster: That's true. Wardle: And it's a wonderful program and I know that we have got the most talented people coming out of -- especially the charter high school in Meridian. I think it's a wonderful program. I just was trying to figure out how they would work that and they don't sleep, they can work a computers all night. Paternoster: And we are fortunate because one of our students, instead of going to another college, he is actually going to go to BSU next year. And so he's agreed to stay on and he's our programming intern, which is pretty key, because it's really difficult to learn all of our key systems and understand everything and, then, to start over fresh with a new intern each year. And so he's agreed to stay during the next year, So, it's going to be awesome for the city. The next one is for the web development. And this is a request that I discussed with the Mayor and the purpose of this is to try to automate some of the functionality provided by utility billing, the Building Department and Public Works and turn those into on line services. For instance, we are trying to -- our goal is to make it so people can pay their utility bills online. They can submit applications for the Building Department and Public Works online, instead of having to bring them in. And so we are hoping to save some staff time and really just increase the efficiency of the city through this request. The next request is for a file server and I will try not to get too technical on this, but right now we are in process of getting all of the departments so that we are on a single citywide network. What the goal of the server is, is to allow us to have one housing location for the majority of the files that are stored in the city. Right now those files are spread across multiple different servers throughout the city. But we really want to have one core server that meets the demands of future growth and data retention, so that we have one core location that we know that as long as we get this particular spot backed up we are getting the majority of the key data for the city backed up. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 40 of163 Wardle: Terry, just a quick question. Are you running any reciprocity on this or are we just going to back up. Are you going to have just one server and, then, back it up? Paternoster: Well, the city already owns about 15 servers and if it's a really core application servers will still remain out at the location. But what our goal is to really use this kind of as a storage area and network device. Wardle: Okay. Paternoster: So, that we can back it up, and, then we back this server up. Wardle: Okay. Paternoster: Does that make sense? Bird: Yeah. Paternoster: Okay. And, then, I think this is the last request. The next one is the purchase of a Sysco switch and, really, for the city we have kind of been going through an evolution process as we have grown and what I mean by that is typically in the past because of the autonomy that each location had in being independent from each other, we were able to purchase more small office, small business type devices to run the locations. Instead of having enterprise level equipment, we were able to save some dollars by buying cheaper, less expensive, but adequate equipment for those locations. As the city continues to grow, one of our goals for our vision is to make sure that we are providing using enterprise class solutions and the reason being is that you have better through put, you get better reliability, and as we continue to grow and want to get into like let's say voice over IP phones, so that our phone system runs across the same data networks, you have to be able to able to maintain quality of service on those network structures. And this is really just the first piece in this for our long-term goal is purchasing the switch to allow us to -- here at the City Hall make sure that we are maximizing our data throughput with our LAN. Is there one more? Oh Spam. Junk e- mail filtering. Don't want to forget that one. De Weerd: Oh, you have to get that one. Paternoster: And, basically, the reason for this request is that in the past the city has been using Fiber Pipe to be our primary e-mail providing. Fiber Pipe. does provide some limited spam filtering functionality, but it is very little. What the city purchased is we have actually, in the process of bringing all of our internal e-mail inside, so that we handle not only the external e~mail for the city, but also the internal e-mail, and along with that means that we are going to have to have a means of trying to stop and filter spam, so that we can reduce the amount of wasted time by employees and staff with having to deal with, you know, junk e-mails, you know scams and everything else that comes along, pornographic e-mails and -- Meridian City Council -Budget WOrkshop July 25, 2005 Page 41 of163 De Weerd: Lottery winners. Paternoster: And just the whole laundry list of items. And so I guess that's the last enhancement. Let's makes sure, That's it. Any questions? Bird: I have none. Nary: Thank you, Terry. I had one last thing. Mayor and Council, one of the things I want to talk about and at your direction and you recall in our policy changes that we have done recently we eliminated cost of living increases. That was something that the Council directed that we did not want to be tied into a cost of living increase annually. We don't know what our budgets are annually. All of our policies now are geared towards merit increases for employees. That was again part of that connection that Aspiron is working with us on is creating better tools for measurement, better expectations on the front end, better ways to measure that on the other end. What we are requesting and what I think is in your base budget in front of you, we requested a three percent merit pool for employees and what the intention was is we would create basically two different -- we still have two different categories, but the way it was currently done ~- and we have done it a variety of different ways. I'm sure all of you remember we have given across the board and we have given Cola and we have done a couple different things. The intention was still to have at this juncture two different categories of evaluation. Basically, one that would be a satisfactory competency level and one would be an outstanding or excels level. Within those two levels, though, to allow the directors to have a range in which to be able to give merit increases from, because all outstanding aren't necessarily the same and competent are not necessarily the same. And to give them the ability within their budget to be able to reward and recognize employees for their performance, because there is no cost-of-living increase, there is no base of zero, there is some increase that employees would be allowed as long as they weren't on their initial six months of introductory level or period of employment. They weren't on a performance plan, they are -- they aren't on a suspension or any of those types of things that if they were at the minimum competent to satisfactory or on other outstanding level they would be entitled to some merit increases. We requested a three percent pool for that, which would allow ranges between one to two and a half percent for the low end or one to two percent, I'm sorry, for the competent satisfactory level and, then, a three percent or three and a half percent to four and a half percent for the upper end. The reason for that is we tried to put a larger gap between competence to outstanding. Currently, it's one percent difference. One percent, in my opinion, and a number of people's opinion, is not much to make you want to strive to do better. If the only raise you're going get is a one percent increase for being outstanding, that's not always the greatest of incentives. So, we tried to create a larger gap. This morning finance indicated to me you have the funding able to make a larger merit pool, if you wish, based on all of the numbers and some of the. changes that have come through since we have put in this initial request would actually have the ability to create a pool as large as five percent, which would allow, again, a large -- larger increases on the upper end of probably six percent increases, potentially, for employees and even on the lower end probably a three Meridian City Council-Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 42 of163 percent increase on the other. So, it would allow you to allow the directors to have that flexibility. The funding is there that would also allow the same increase to allow the continued increases in our step program with Police. The Chief and I have discussed on looking on other methods for compensation for police officers in the future to again maintain our marketability with the local agencies that is a retention area that we have had some concern with in the past, would also allow us to be competitive in our Fire Department as well. So, you do have the funding to be able to create a five percent pool if you wish. I would certainly urge that if you feel comfortable with that, based on all the other data that you get, if that money is available that I think you would find the ability to recruit or retain employees to be approved when you do that. Any other questions? Bird: Mayor, I have got a question. De Weerd: Yes, Keith. Bird: First a question and, then, a statement. The five percent deal, have we got the evaluation form yet? Before I give anybody a merit raise I want to see the form. Those were the biggest jokes that I have ever seen. And I don't -- and I'm like every manager, you included, I wouldn't have filled that thing out on an employee. I helped the Mayor on a couple and I thought it was -- her and I both thought it was jokes. It's not fair, but, anyway, you have got a new one? Nary: Councilmember Bird, we actually have. We have an interim form that we are currently using. Bird: Okay. Nary: Because, yeah, we no longer use the ten-page form. It's done. I finally just said it's not working. It's not worth it. We are not going to use it any longer. So, we don't. We have an interim form. What we did is we took -- they used to use as the six month evaluation -- I'm sorry, we still use at the end of employee's introductory period of employment, we have a form that the supervisor fills out to, basically, assure us that they are meeting all their expectations and doing what is necessary for a new employee. We took that form and made it into the annual form until we get the final one, which is as I was saying based upon the behaviors and values that we have already established. We have the drafted form completed by myself, Brad Watson and Chief, we sat down with Aspire-On, we worked through some of the language and the intention was to bring that to the directors at the next meeting. So, we intend to have that in place before October 1. And the target is to have that in place and all of the training that goes with it because, again, we can't simply just hand it out -- Bird: Yeah. Nary: -- to the departments, we have to train it before the end of December. So, we really wanted to have it all completed. I don't want to come here next year and tell you Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 43 of163 we need to still work on this form. I want to be done with it. We have talked about it for three or four years and we'd like to be done with that. So, that's the target. Bird: Bill -- and I agree and I want to you know right now for various reasons, I -- the five percent I don't -- we will see what we can give and we do on that. My statement is, you know, we changed over our legal department and we put it in with HR, you and Ted and Michelle have done a wonderful job. And I certainly think I had some apprehension and everybody knows there was only two that I was going to vote for Bill and Bill. But, anyway, I appreciate what you guys have done. Nary: Thank you. Bird: And I think it has been a positive move for the city. And I really appreciate it. Thank you very much. Nary: I have nothing else. I appreciate your time and if you have any other questions? De Weerd: Any other questions, Council? Nary: Thank you. De Weerd: Thank you. Fire, if you don't mind, we are going to take five minutes. 10:15 am Break (Recess.) 10:30 am Fire Department De Weerd: Okay. Thank you. We are back from break. And right now we have the Fire Department. I will make a notation that Chief Anderson had this scheduled vacation since he was hired. So, he would have been here otherwise. But in his stead we have Joe and Kenny and Bill. So, we appreciate the three of you being here. Which they put the budget together anyway. So, who do we turn to on this? Bill? Okay. Johnson: Good morning, Madam Mayor and Members of the Council. On behalf of the Fire Department I'm pleased to present our enhancement budget for this year. The first one you will see on the line is our EMS equipment. This is, actually, our new advanced life support equipment for our paramedics. The heart monitors are advanced airway management equipment and, then, the added medications that we are going to need to allow these guys to do their job once we get them on board. The hiring process is moving forward with these folks as well. This is also one of the things that we will need to have to be able to get our licenses and all of our equipment in place. The next one you will see is an EMS coordinator. Contract labor. We had originally put in for a full deputy chief on this and, then, in discussions that Chief Anderson had with the Mayor, we cut that back to a contract labor for about 19,500. This person will be used to help Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 44 of163 develop our protocols for our paramedics to work, as well as our EMT basics, that we are currently updating their protocols to allow them to fit better into the system. Also develop the quality assurance and quality improvement programs. In contracting this position out, it will be less expensive than hiring another full-time staff person. This person will also help us do some training of our paramedics and EMT's. Helping us in our training area. Every year we are required to do refresher trainings and so many hours of CEo This person can bring them in and do classes for the current staff that we have. And, then, by this being a contract, this person has allows us to manage the use of labor based on our needs and the demands of the system. The next one is our new engine for fire station number four. This engine is in the master plan for this budget cycle. Currently, the engine that we will be using when we open station four is 12 years old. It's our number one reserve right now. As with all vehicles, as they get older maintenance cost tend to go up leading to more time -~ down time for repairs. Once we place this in service as engine three or four on station four, that's going to leave us one reserve engine that is currently 20 years old. And the bigger the fleet gets the more chances of having multiple rigs down with problems. So, it could leave us in a tight situation if we don't get this new engine. The next item we are looking at is upgrading our fire house software. This is our records management system for all of our training fire and EMS reports. This new upgrade we are actually kind of following along with what IT was talking about going from the single source location to network type servers and enterprise additions. That's what this is doing is upgrading us to an enterprise, so that we can have better information from our outlying stations on a more timely basis. To one server real time it will allow us to access the reports, QA our reports in a more timely fashion. And also we could have one person imputing into the update tables or the look-up tables. These look-up tables have all the streets and everything in it and as fast as the city is growing our guys are actually responding to streets that aren't in the system yet. And the look-up tables they start adding them and it gets kind of confusing at times and, then, we got to go spend a lot of man hours to clean that back up. So, this will help us. Plus in this enhancement it will give us some more technical support from fire house to allow us to develop our program that much better. This system should carry us on as we open up new stations on down the road as well. The Opticon Traffic Control System. Again, firsthand, I want to note here this request has been moved to the Special Services Fund. This, again, also came out of the discussion I believe Chief Anderson had with the Mayor to move this. But these devices again we are looking at three intersections and the ones being at Under and Chateau. Cherry and Lauder Hill and Chinden and Under. These devices actually provide not only safety for the fire fighters, but also for the general public. If we don't have to have that perceived that we are going through a red light where we actually have the light green and all the other directions are red, that adds a safety margin for the citizens driving down the street. So, that if you have got a guy that's got their car windows rolled up, stereo on, ai conditioning on, and they don't hear the siren, so by us taking control of the lights it does provide safety not only for the fire fighters, but the citizens, plus it enhances our response times a little bit. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 45 of163 Bird: Chief, if we can stop just a second on that Opticon. Now, we are -- as new lights go in we are putting Opticon on them automatically, aren't we? So, we don't have to come back and retro fit everything? Johnson: That I believe we are and I believe also in our department comments under new subdivisions if it requires lights, the developers are being required to put the Opticons in. Bird: Thank you. Johnson: These ones that we are trying to do right now are three catch-up intersections we kind of missed. De Weerd: Well -- and, Keith, in addition, the point where ACHD has some money that is freed up, they have been improving intersections and doing this at that time. They-- in talking with them, because it is a budget impact, they have said that if they do put an intersection in and they will put in the Opticons, we can pay them back in the next budget year. So, they do have some flexibility there as well. Bird: Well, I think just -- it's very important that we have Opticon on every light that we are going to be running through. I think Chief Johnson just stated that it's not only safe for our fire fighters, who -- I don't worry about them as much in those big trucks, as I do for the public. In some of these smaller cars I think it's very important that we have these in our stuff and I -- (End of side one, tape two.) Wardle: Madam Mayor? De Weerd: Yes, Shaun. Wardle: One of the questions I have about the Opticon system is -- and certainly I agree that it's very very important -- how is that synced in response to Ada County's timing of the lights? Both myself and a number of citizens have asked questions about how that affects -- and you can see how it affects the traffic. Is there a partnership that we can be involved in to help time those a little better? Bird: You can't. Wardle: I'm just wondering if there is any kind of a solution. De Weerd: Nice try, Councilman Wardle. Johnson: Well, there is certainly things that can happen there, Councilmember Wardle, and that is -- basically, the way they sync them now is once we take control of the intersection it just runs a full cycle from where it left off. So, at worse case you're sitting Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 46 ofl63 through one full light cycle and, yeah, it is kind of a nuisance, I have been caught there several times myself. But from my standpoint I wished it was where we could make it better, but it isn't. I just think it's safer for our citizens out there. And also one thing that has improved is other agencies that do use Opticon aren't using it when they are just driving around the city anymore. They have gotten a handle on that. Bird: Yeah. Wardle: And that's more what I wanted to hear and I appreciate while the fire truck coming through with the lights on is -- certainly we need to have that for safety, but my only comment -- some of the citizens comments is after the fire truck, then, the next ambulance and the next fire truck, it's a number cycles and -- Johnson: In certain intersections it could be a number of cycles. And, you know, remember, it will only be the vehicles that are responding to the emergency, though. Wardle: Sure. Donnell: So, if they were going to your house you wouldn't care? Bird: They are supposed to be -- anymore, they are supposed to be running code before they can use the Opticon. It wasn't done there was one service that used Opticon when they were going to coffee or breakfast or -- when they used the Opticon. Johnson: And the new computer stuff we can track stuff like that as well. So, if you notice a problem, contact us, we can contact ACHD and do some research on that intersection. But each Opticon is serial numbered and coded into the system, so they see who tripped it when and so-- Wardle: I didn't know that. Johnson: Thank you. The next enhancement that we are asking for is some more mobile data terminals, laptop computers, that we keep in all of the emergency vehicles. Some of our older units are becoming unreliable and expensive to repair. Basically, we are looking about a three-year life span of these computers sitting in a fire engine bouncing down the road. After about three years process a lot more to get it fixed than it does to actually replace them and keep them in warranty. If up until that three year period -- and we are trying to get about four years out of ours right now -- putting them into reserve status, but if we got to send one in to get it repaired, some of the repair bills have been eight, nine hundred dollars to get a new screen so it syncs up with the rest of the computer. So, we are also looking at some -- to do some more functions -- one of the partnerships that we are looking at is with the school district, actually. They contacted us by grant, they are working on some pre-emergency planning, and everything will be computer based. Our MTD, the new ones, will have the necessary hard drive and memory to run that for -- if we go to incident at the school, whether it be a medical call, a gun situation, a fire, we could pull up some pictures of the school and Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 47 of163 do pre-planning. Not only will we have the access to it, but law enforcement will as well. So, we can all be on the same page and one of the other things when this program comes in to fruition, which if the school district gets the grant, is we will have designated plans. If there is a fire we will spell out exactly what the fire is going to do. If there is a hostage situation or a gun situation we will have all the staging areas all set up. And it will all be in the computer, so we are all working on the same page, so -- and, then, the last thing that we are doing with the mobile data terminals and through the Ada County dispatch is they finally went to automatic vehicle locator systems, which GIS, closest fire engine, closest ambulance, is going to get dispatched to the emergency. But along with that, one of the things that they are putting in our computers is updated maps. So, that if a new street you're being dispatched to -- and aren't sure where it's at at 3:00 in the morning, it will actually pop up that area of the street, highlight the address that you're going to, and the guys can see where the hydrants are at and any other situations that they may encounter in route. So, that's along the lines of the three mobile data terminals we are looking at. De Weerd: Hey, Bill, how does -- I know in Public Works we are doing a great deal of GIS work with the hydrants and will these -- Nary: (unintelligible). Johnson: -- fires. The first thing we will do is they assist in searching for victims in a variety of situations and environments. Most of the time when we go into a structure fire it allows us to search very quickly. We -- with this it takes us 35 or 40 seconds to search those rooms. We can also use it to locate hot areas in a building to keep us having the rekindles. Nothing is more embarrassing to the fire department than to be out there on a fire and, then, get called back two or three days -- two or three hours later even, 12 hours later, and find out that you missed a hot spot and, you know, how fully involved structure it gets. Also it allows our crews to conduct more timely investigations on fire alarms. This one will get called out to any type of, you know, a smoke odor in a house or smoke odor in a school where it doesn't necessarily trip the automatic fire alarm system, but someone smells something, we go around and check for hot items. Maybe it's just a ballast burning out. Sometimes we find it's actually motors going out that are going to cause a fire and we actually prevent it by being able to use this to find that. And, then, one other thing, I don't have it up here on the slide, is we have used our thermal imagers for -- at times the Police Department has called one of our crews to come out and help them find people that have attempted to allude them. This will, actually, take the heat difference and we can scan across the field and we can show the foot prints at night where they ran and, actually, show where they are laying down out in a field. Send their dogs in. And all the criteria with a thermal imaging camera and we have done that several times. De Weerd: Now, can they do that -- in one case we have had someone up in the insulation above the ceiling and it was really hard to get the dogs through there. Would they be able to tell in that situation? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 48 ofl63 Johnson: They may be able to. One problem with insulation is it does that, it just insulates it and you can't find that heat difference all the time. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. Again, it's a -- basically a computerized device and it does give us some false positives from time to time. And, then, the last item we have for you today is replacing the fire prevention officer's vehicle. Right now this old vehicle that we would be replacing would be available for other city departments to use for travel. Sending staff to pay for the gas and instead of paying at the current mileage rate. Also used by our public education person for transportation as she goes to different presentations and meetings. The current vehicle we are using was bought as a used lease return and had several thousand miles on it when we purchased it. And just, again, mileage and wear and tear and age leads to more maintenance if it's being used day for the mileage. And with that I think that if there is no questions, I thank you, the Mayor and Council, for your time. Donnell: Questions? Johnson: Okay. Donnell: On the vehicle that you're talking about why would it only be a one-time expenditure for insurance? Why would that not be ongoing? On the one you were just talking about. Johnson: On the one we were just talking about? Donnell: Uh-huh. Johnson: That is a good question. It would actually be an ongoing expense. I think that might have been a typo that got by somebody. Donnell: Okay, It just needs to be moved over? Johnson: Needs to be moved over to year to year. Donnell: Year to year. Okay. (unintelligible ). Johnson: -- vehicle, but it was grouped with all the rest of our vehicles. So, it would be hard to track if it was a 10 or 15 dollar a month item, but it is incurred into the lump sum of that policy. Donnell: That 500 dollars would be a little high for one more vehicle in a pool. Johnson: I would think so. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 49 of163 Donnell: Yeah. Okay. You couldn't kind of look at that. And, then, the other question I had -- and this is probably more for the Mayor or for Stacy. I notice that under the fire enhancement request, most of them are capital outlay requests, which are separate from personnel or whatever. And they are huge big dollar items, because (unintelligible). So, my question is the system in place a maximum that each department is limited to, if there is a way that you prioritize that fund, just how is that handled. I imagine we will see some of the same requests from the police department as well. Kilchenmann: (unintelligible) personnel and operating, but that is what we are trying to do now at the Capital Improvement Plan, but that I passed out to you. So, my goal is that studying -- once we get through this budget, starting this fall we would actually do the same kind of thing, do a workshop and go through those capital items and prioritize them and, then, have that done when we come back next summer to do the budget. Donnell: Okay. Thank you. De Weerd: Christine, you have received the Capital Improvement Plan (unintelligible). Donnell: So, we reserve money each -- Bird: Beg your pardon? Kilchenmann: It's 409,000 and right now. Bird: Okay. Donnell: Good. Bird: So, we have been -- we have to -- we do that because there is such a large purchase. Donnell: Thank you. Great. Johnson: Thank you for your time this morning. Bird: Thank you. Good budgets. Donnell: Stayed within that 45 minutes, too. Bird: Good budget. De Weerd: And, Council, I think Deputy Chief Johnson has been very good at pursuing grants that are grant eligible. He did go after a grant for the EMS equipment, but because it's a new program it wasn't grant eligible. So, we will continue to look at every grant opportunity to help leverage our tax dollars on this. Rich, do you have anything Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 50 of163 you would like to add from the Rural Commission? Okay. Well, we appreciate your partnership. And this was presented to your commission to your public hearing -- have you already had your public hearing? Okay. You have. August 8th. Okay. Okay. Well, thank you. Donnell: Oh, by the way, you firemen, that was quite an interesting wreck, that fire truck. Was that in the paper or did I see it on the -- where it went through an intersection and plowed into a car. Didn't it kill someone? Where was that? Okay. At least it wasn't here. De Weerd: (unintelligible). Bird: Not that it's a guarantee of a hundred percent savings, but it sure helps. We should have -- we shouldn't have a light without it. Donnell: People are just unconscious. I mean people just don't hear. I mean they are - - it's an amazing thing. Johnson: Well these young people got their radio cranked so loud they couldn't hear a siren if it was right behind them. Donnell: I know. And I mean there is some people that just don't pay attention to the speed limits and stop signs and that kind of stuff. Bird: You know, Christina, and it's that you often call cheap, it's a cheap investment as far as I'm concerned. Christine, I want you to notice my department only asked for an eight percent increase from in budget you're asking for 23 percent. Donnell: I know it. My park. De Weerd: Excuse me, but your-- (Various comments between Councilmembers not transcribed.) 11 :15 am Planning & Zoning Department City Clerk's Office De Weerd: Shall we go ahead and forward with Planning and Zoning, since Anna is just ready and raring to go there? Good morning, Anna. It's a tough crowd. Donnell: It is. De Weerd: We should put you first. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 51 of163 Canning: After Fire, that's a hard follow up. And I have no fancy Powerpoint presentation. It always amazes me as much as I talk to you all, I get -- this is the only time I'm ever nervous talking to you -- to stand up here, so -- Donnell: Because it's involving money. Canning: Yes. Probably. And-- Donnell: Dollars. Canning: You can ask Stacy who had to sit through my -- my flow charts or my spreadsheets, that I'm not perhaps the best money person in the world. But I will do my best today. My budget request or enhancement requests are fairly simple this year. I did ask for a number of studies and there is a great conundrum. I have asked for all these studies and my greatest fear is that you will fund them all, because it's just -- it is going to be quite a time commitment to meet all of those studies. So, I wanted to go over them just a little bit. The first one was a pathway plan and I think -- you know, we have struggled to connect these little bits of pathway. We are trying to get them piece meal by piece meal and trying to connect them into a system. So, the first study request was to look at an overall master pathway plan for the city. Have a better idea of exactly which side of the natural feature -- when they follow a natural feature which side they are going to be on. How wide they need to be. What -- exactly what kind of paving we need on each of them. So, there is quite a bit of work that still needs to be done. All though we have identified them on the Comprehensive Plan, I think we have found that some of these may be a bit much that were on there. There might be a bit too many and that we need to have a better idea of exactly how they will connect from one to the other. De Weerd: And, I'm sorry, Anna, to interrupt you, but at this point with some of the road improvements that are being done where the only way we can connect the pathways are through an ACHD sidewalk, the width of those sidewalks need to be doubled, and so now is our opportunity to really make sense of a pathway plan and make sure it is part of even their capital portion. Canning: Yeah. And that becomes very important where it needs to cross an arterial road. We just generally do need to follow ACHD for a little while, so we can get them crossing safely at lights unless we want to -- unless we want to (unintelligible) which we (unintelligible ). Wardle: And, Anna, for the Council's knowledge, this will incorporate not only our master pathway plan, but also the multi modal information that comes out of the Communities in Motion Plan; is that correct? Canning: And this it is important because this isn't just a recreational plan. We do see these pathways as being a form of transportation. So, yes, it's for walking and for biking. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 52 of163 De Weerd: So, it will even connect to the Green Belt? Canning: That is the ultimate hope. But we would work with the other cities and all of you have -- are familiar with these studies. These are all studies we have heard from you that are a priority. And we just are having a hard time figuring out which are the highest priorities. So, we figure if you fund it that indicates that it's a higher priority, so it's just which one of these you want to work on. Ten Mile Corridor I think it's pretty obvious why this is important. The GARVEE bonds passing and, then, just the time lines that we are seeing now for the opening of that Ten Mile interchange and just the swarming of developers to buy up that property I think is very important that we have a consistent plan, especially to set up the major roadway, so we know how these properties are all going to connect and relate to one another and how we are going to provide services to those areas. Bird: I got a question that you think we are a little premature for the simple fact is if I read the paper this morning, the Ten Mile interchange and the GARVEE bonds isn't even planned. And I have seen too many studies done in like 2004 and be outdated in 2006. Canning: I think that kind of study we are talking about is more to layout consistent to work with those property owners to figure out how those properties will relate to one another. So, I don't think we are not going to the local street level or the type of layout of buildings or anything like that. It's just to figure out how that aerial will feed to that interchange. So, the timing does, you know -- it's definitely a political issue. And it hops up and down. But I think that there is a lot of interest in the development community to get it done right now also. And I think that, you know, they are eager to see some of these issues resolved as well. I think-- Bird: The only thing I was thinking -- and I don't -- I agree that it's very important if we got a time line on when the interchange is going to be done, which one of -- none of us have. But I can see planning a commercial or something out there and, then, winding up being houses or something like that, too, which affects your deal. You know, we have all seen that happen. Canning: Yeah. De Weerd: And, Keith, I guess on the Ten Mile we have been told by ITD it is in a funded year. It's just not on the tip or sufficient and the updates are done in August, so -- and most of the (unintelligible) and the right of way purchase, they are all on there for public comment. It's just that construction year. But it is in their documents right now. It just has to go through the public commenting process. Bird: Yeah. I think I heard that two years ago. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 53 of163 Canning: The third plan is the South Meridian Area plan. And there has been some discussion about whether we want to -- or whether you all want to do budget amendments for this year and have it released this year just so we can get kind of a head start and hit the ground running come the fiscal year the October 1 st beginning and end date, but I do have a draft RSP for you or -- and that RSP is structured around we have the referral area that -- I think we talked about those the other day, so you all are familiar with those and to do some public participation studies and also some maybe nonresidential market analysis for the referral areas and, then, the rest of the Mason Creek drainage to get an idea of what we need to be looking at in those referral areas to fold them into our Comprehensive Plan and maybe even do some specific planning for that area. So, that's the way the RFP is structured. It's just for those two things, basically, from mapping to support to some of the -- to support what would go into a future land use plan, the market study -- the market study would probably actually include everything south of 1-84. So, they tend to be -- they have to look at a much broader area than we are probably concerned with, but it would give us a good idea of how much commercial, how much office, how much residential, to work into those plans. As you know, the Kuna sewer issues are pushing the -- Bird: Anna, I -- if we can possibly get it in a budget adjustment for this to get started, I think this is something we need to start immediately. Take a look at having some idea of a plan. This is something we can't wait. That's my personal opinion. De Weerd: And we appreciate that. I think though even if it went out, the major cost would be in -- Bird: For next year. De Weerd: -- next budget year. Bird: I would leave it in here. But I think we need to get started on the RFP get it out and you're at least 30 days before you get a bid and you're probably another 30 days before you set it to go. So, you're basically at October 1 st, but at least you're ready to go October 1 st, it's not January 1 st. De Weerd: And we would need Council's authorization to do that. And we have talked to Kuna, they are interested in being purchase a full purchase. Canning: Yeah. And as far as my staff, we are stretched a little thin right now, but we think that if we -- if we just had to get the RFP out that gives us time to finish up the downtown management and get those two on line, hopefully, before this gears up, because we are -- we are pulled pretty tight right now, there is no doubt about it. Donnell: As a matter of fact, Madam Mayor, I was thinking -- and you haven't completed, you know, your -- all of the studies that you have included here, but it seems to me that you would be cautious in regard to trying to start all of them at once, because Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 54 of163 some of them certainly could fall into next year. I mean if -- and I imagine that you will priorities them anyway, so-- Canning: And I would hope to have some guidance from Council on that. There are two of them in particular -- well, there is the growth fiscal -- let me keep ongoing down the line. Donnell: Okay. I thought I was probably a little-- Canning: The industrial zone zoning study, that will be a pretty simple one. That's one where we just have to hire somebody to tell us what we need to do. It's really not going to be a very complicated one. I'm not sure we even really need to do an RFP, RSQ. We just need get to get with a good realtor who can do as assessment of the industrial land in our area. Give us an idea of how much more or how much less we need and where, in general, it should go. I do anticipate that to be a fairly easy one to do. And I wanted to put Craig Hood on it. Trying to give Craig a little more responsibility. Great worker, get fantastic staff reports, and is able to manage his time. So, this would be the only one he probably would be involved with. So, I'm not worried about starting this one concurrent with the others. The last study is gross physical impacts and I think that this issue is huge. But I wonder about the timing of having it on this fiscal year. Blueprint for Good Growth is moving a little slow. We may not know whether or not it's going to give us what we need. But the idea was to have the funding there if Blueprint was finished -- finished fairly early or dies sometimes, I wonder about that, too, that money would be there and available to do that. I'm hoping that I don't need to do this study, in all honesty. I really am hoping we can -- that Blueprint for Good Growth will bring that forward to us. So, that would be kind of my least priority, I suppose, in that I'm hoping I don't need to do it. The tough one is where to put the pathway master plan, whether that's up with the Ten Mile, whether it's below South Meridian. That really seems to me to be the top one. Do I start with the tough ones? Do I start with that one later or start it earlier? But that's the one I have struggled with the most, knowing where to put it. So-- my other enhancements were fairly simple. Some replacement computers and some R- 2 license upgrades, those are just when we -- when we moved across the hall there is a limitation on how quickly information can get from our office over to the server based on the wiring needs. So, this is a more effective way of using that server, is how I understand it. And I have probably misspoken, but there is no IT guys in the room, so I'm okay, so -- and, then, a car. Counting a possible clerk, which we will discuss next with Will, we do have ten folks out there. We have one car right now. Steve Siddoway ends up doing a lot of out-of-office meetings going to ACHD and Compass and ITO and all over the place. We are hoping to give him the Taurus. Quite honestly, it needs someone that has kind of constant contact with it, because it needs a little more love and attention than it's getting right now. And, then, we -- the rest of us would pretty much share the new vehicle for site visits and trips like that. It was -- a car was funded for our office in fiscal year '04, but we decided not to buy one at that time. So, we think it's more appropriate right now. Bird: Why do we need a hybrid? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 55 of163 Canning: Well, I put the hybrid in there, because it was mentioned in the transition team report as a desired thing for the city to do, and I figured it -- quite honestly, if the planning department didn't ask for it, who would. But with gas prices going up it did seem like something to consider. Bird: Yeah. It's lot more expensive. We paid 14,000 for that nice little car of the Mayor's out there and for 10,000 I can by a lot of gas, and the car isn't going to get that many miles, I wouldn't think. Canning: No, it probably won't. It would be available for going out of town, although -- Bird: Well, that would be fine. Canning: -- about only the only place we would go and drive, rather than fly, would probably be Salt Lake and we don't do that very often. Bird: So, you know, I just -- I think -- and don't get me wrong, I like the hybrid, the idea of hybrids, but I don't think with taxpayer dollars that you run out and spend more money, no matter what the transition team says. Canning: That's fine, if that's the Council's desire. Bird: I think that we get a little -- a nice little Ford like we got for the Mayor and save the rest for gas. Wardle: And, Keith, just to follow up on that conversation, when we had our budget discussion, Anna mentioned that she was going to bring the hybrid car forward and we wanted to have that exact discussion and it's -- she wanted to bring it up for the Council to be able to submit a policy, cost versus some perceived environmental savings, possibly. De Weerd: It's for you all to chew on. Bird: I don't see anybody running out there saying raise my taxes. I certainly am not. De Weerd: Well, it's fortunate that this doesn't come out of their taxes. Bird: Yeah. This don't, this comes out of service, but overall it comes out of the taxpayer. Donnell: Sure. Bird: I don't care if you're -- if the builder has to pay for it, you pay for it in the long run. Donnell: True. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 56 of163 Canning: I wanted to ask for a Segway, but I figure that would never fly. Bird: Go buy a Little Ford or Chevy on the state contract and -- De Weerd: And I never (unintelligible). Bird: Well, I know where she's from, but I like her, because she has got her own opinion and not afraid to voice it. . De Weerd: Well, capitalist -- Bird: She don't like us capitalist, but she is not afraid to voice it and I like that. Canning: I never said that. I never said that. Donnell: Me either. Canning: And that's alii had to talk about. Donnell: Okay. What is the Gateway Art Project. Phase two? De Weerd: Oh. That's under-- Donnell: Okay. I can wait. Wardle: Anna, just a little -- as far as timing -- and we talked just a moment about timing for these plans. I know that with your pathway master plan that you have a volunteer committee within the Parks Department, as well as about 300 pages of backup documents. I know that Dave McKinnon has volunteered, too, if you remember our discussion one evening at the City Council level, he sort of volunteered. And we really accepted to help start that off. You might look at getting together that committee to help you front end that study. And so if they can do some background research and, then, go out for an RFQ or an RFP, it would probably help them get some buy in. I know that you were looking for kind of timing and phasing, if you got that volunteer group, which I think is an enthusiastic group and started to put together those materials, then, went out, I think it would be more effective for you. De Weerd: And from what I hear with that statement, it seems like your enhancement number three is the first priority, number one is your second, number three -- or two is your third. And since the number four can run concurrent with any of them, you know, that -- you can get going on that whenever Craig can do that. Canning: So, does -- so, south Meridian is the first priority and you all would put the pathway master plan before Ten Mile, is that what I am hearing? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 57 of163 Donnell: I wouldn't. Bird: I wouldn't either. De Weerd: I thought that is what you said. Donnell: He did. Bird: If you think we are going get the thing within the time, I'm for it. Donnell: And we need to do it. I guess maybe the thing to do would be to really find out if the timing works out to do that. But I -- yeah, I would put the Ten Mile one as number two as well. And, then, the pathway as three. De Weerd: That is what I was trying to figure out where you were. Bird: Well, Tammy -- no, I think I just was cautioning -- let's don't get too -- let's don't get into something that we were out dated in, you know, before it starts. But that pathway -- I mean that pathway is in our master parks program thing and I don't know if you have you got a master parks deal. If you don't, I will bring you one. Canning: Yes. I have a copy. Bird: Okay. And stuff like that. So, that I think that's something that don't have to be the number one priority. Wardle: Well -- and while I don't disagree, necessarily, with that, the plan -- the pathway plan that is on our master plan, our Comprehensive Plan, and the parks plan, is not the plan that we want to build, I can tell you that right now. Bird: Oh, I agree there a hundred percent. Canning: Okay. It's got a good foundation. Bird: But it's got a foundation. Canning: And it's called out for further study. Bird: And I think that industrial zoning, it's a small one. I think you should throw that and get going on it, too. I think that is a very important one, too. Canning: Yeah. I would agree. And the car, I think you just ought to be for state contract. De Weerd: They are all important. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 58 of163 Canning: Yeah. Bird: They are well important, but, see, if they don't come out in taxpayers dollars -- Canning: And the last priority, again, would be the gross fiscal impact study and I would only do that if we need to -- De Weerd: Depending on Blueprint. Donnell: And hope that you don't have to. Canning: Yeah. De Weerd: You know -- and Keith really just said something under his breath that I wanted to remind you, that this isn't your taxpayer dollars. This is new growth paying for these studies that need to be done. Bird: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I agree they don't come out of -- out of taxpayer dollars and it's probably not going to come out of my pocket, because I'm not going to buy a new home, but I will guarantee you that those developers and builders out there don't fund this out of their pocket. De Weerd: It's coming from the new growth. Bird: It's coming from a taxpayer. De Weerd: It's coming from new growth. Bird: The purchaser. And it does come from growth, I have no -- I have no argument, but don't tell me taxpayers don't fund it. Canning: The one thing I might ask -- and I don't know the price of them, but -- Bird: I mean Capitalists fund it. Canning: If we don't go with an alternative fuel car, I would almost be tempted to ask for enough money to get -- and I really don't know how much they are likely little something that could go off road, because currently we need of them so you're able to get on -- Bird: Ron just paid 22,000 for a little -- on the state deal for a little four-wheel drive. Canning: Okay. De Weerd: see, I needed something that went off road, too, the other day. Bird: You're just lucky we got you one. I will give you a bike. Meridian City CounCil -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 59 of163 Canning: If you would all prefer to fund the little off road one, rather than that alternative one, then maybe -- I don't know. Bird: Anna? Wardle: Why do you need an off-road vehicle? Canning: Just to do site inspections. Sometimes the roads aren't in and sometimes you have got to get interior to the project. Bird: You go out on a new project, you're not going take your car out there. Canning: We could get a little car that will tow an ATV and, then, we take the ATV out there. De Weerd: Well,you might be advised to at least do enough research that you can give us a better number than the 23. Canning: Okay. I'm sorry. Bird: And a hybrid isn't going to go off road either. Canning: No. I understand that. And it was kind of a -- it was kind of an either/or and I didn't -- Bird: The hybrids I have seen, you're not going to get -- you're not going to get two people like me in the same car. Wardle: So, now, Anna, am I just -- is your request -- so I understand it, moving from a hybrid alternative fuel car to an SUV now? Canning: I will go talk to -- I'll talk to staff and try and get back to you with what they need, but I think-- Wardle: Just double-checking. De Weerd: It's going to be used. Donnell: This is an aside, but there certainly are issues of abuse with the vehicles that are purchased and I certainly hope that our department heads make sure that employees are very careful about the use of city purchased vehicles. I know that in the educational field there have been superintendents who have been provided cars that have been really -- it's really caused some issues in the community. So, I sure don't want that to happen in Meridian. That's just -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 60 of163 Bird: Christina, I agree with you, Christine. We have problems in the private sector, too, with -- you know, it's not my vehicle, so -- and wind up in places you wouldn't believe. But I don't think -- I don't think I have ever seen abuse of a vehicle in Meridian City. Except Anna. Canning: I never drive the things. Donnell: The potential for-- Bird: We get an old vehicle, so they can't abuse them too bad. Donnell: Yeah. Good. Canning: I will -- do you need that information by later today or -- okay. I will go back and talk to them and I will send an e-mail to Stacy. How is that? Donnell: Okay. Good. Very nice. De Weerd: Okay. Bird: Thank you Anna. De Weerd: Will. Kilchenmann: We are going to do the city clerk's office. De Weerd: Oh, want them available to look you in the eye? Bird: City Clerk. Canning: Right. When I stand up here I have to lean on the podium because, otherwise, I will fall over. It drives me crazy. Donnell: I just think I want a car. Can the city provide Council members a car? Is that on the record? I'm joking. I'm joking. De Weerd: Did you say something? Donnell: No. Canning: One of the items that's in the clerk's request of the Special Services Fund is for another deputy city clerk. Now, that deputy city clerk would be at City Hall, but what we were thinking of is trying to get one at the department specialists up to the Planning and Zoning Office. The idea there is mostly to improve customer service. It was mentioned in the transition team report, as well as the Process Improvement Group actually wrote it into the Unified Development Code. That the interaction between the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 61 of163 applicants for hearings would be just with the Planning and Zoning Offices, so that there is not this question of, okay, is this part of the application, do I go to the clerk or do I go to Planning and Zoning and where am I driving to. So, the idea is to move a department specialist up there and to have them there and keep the official files there while application is in process. But, then, those files would be -- would move back down to City Hall once completed. This -- I did some rough numbers. You will get -- or you have already gotten your fee memo, hopefully. I was a little late on that on Friday. Hopefully, they got it to you with regard to the new fees for the Unified Development Code. And I did do come research with the clerk staff on basically how much time it to took to process applications. So, using that information, I took an average of 12 hearing applications a month, plus six meeting applications per month, which is pretty normal for final plats and miscellaneous and stuff like that, and if you count it all out, there is about 63 hours of prep time that the clerk office does just on our items and, then, another probably at least another 20 in hearing hours. So, that that's 83 hours of clerk time just for a month. So, that's getting pretty close to a full time equivalent and, then, that's probably on the low end. We tried -- on the fee estimates we tried to take an average one, but when they are not averaged, they are way off the chart. So, it's probably a low number so it's easy to see that it justifies the time of at least one clerk member full time. I do have space available. They have an office until Council authorizes a new person for me in fiscal year '07. We will see if I need somebody, but there is an office space available and if there is no office space that's set up, I always thought there that might be one up there. So, there is plenty of room in that -- in the filing area for additional people as well. And this would just be temporary until the new City Hall is built and, then, they would be back with the City Clerk's, although I think we will have strengthened that relationship and that customer service aspect. So, that a lot of that will still been there, but it will be a lot easier whether it's in one building, So, I really see it as a potential for me to learn a little bit more about what Will has to do to get us through the process and a little bit vice versa as well. Bird: You will need it for one year, fiscal year '06. Berg: Just to add a few things from what Anna mentioned, when we first talked about it, we talked about the different relationships we have. I don't think she realized what we have with the citizens, because they don't get citizens coming to review an application at -- (End of tape two.) De Weerd: So welcome. Berg: We could cut this short. We do have lunch ready. So, I think -- I think this next year's going to be a learning process between Anna and myself anyway, because there is a few other things that I have to do dealing with some grants that we are dealing with currently. But this was to try to maybe stir some concerns that some of the citizens or at least some of the special interests groups have. I'm not really that willing to take away a department specialist out of my department, because we have a lot of work to do. And Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 62 of163 that's just one aspect, even though the planning and development is a big part of our department, it's not the only thing that we do. So, I know that some of your documentation says one thing. What the whole concept between Anna and myself was to move an experienced department specialist over to her department to help the processing of applications. And I would like to hire a deputy city clerk in a position that we need to have cross-training and this records management is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, so that that would help those loads. What I have a concern and a problem with is having people come to night meetings and the Planning and Zoning, when they last until 1 :00 in the morning, it doesn't help my staff at all and, especially, if somebody is on vacation and somebody doesn't come in at noon -- it's a pretty band-aid department. But we answer the phone and we direct customers. So, that is our main goal. So, I'm not real eager to lose a person, that's why my enhancement is to add another person in my department, which General Fund and Special Services it impacts it, but in another way. As far as my General Fund budget, that doesn't impact it as much. It's more of an impact to Anna's budget. So, is there any questions concerning that? Wardle: Mr. Berg, you currently have a staff of how many people? Berg: Five, including myself. Wardle: Okay. And would you say that at least one of those individuals is working on department applications at least their entire full-time employment per week? Berg: At least one. Wardle: Okay. Berg: At least one. Bird: At least one. Yeah. Wardle: And I'm just -- to follow this down, I know that I have had this conversation with Anna and with Will, from a justification standpoint certainly it seems that General Fund dollars in Will's department are going out spent on specific development applications and I think that -- another follow-up question, Will, you would -- regardless of whether this position is funded through Special Services or not, you would still need an additional staff member this year; correct? Berg: Councilman Wardle, that's my request. I have requested a new person for the last three or four years. But, yes, it's becoming a needful event, especially when my department is doing more and more things. And I'm trying to direct myself away from day-to-day operations. Wardle: Thanks. As a comment and aside, I think it's a creative effort between the two departments to work together. And from someone who sits here and reviews those Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 63 of163 applications, I think this will also help us get completed applications in a timely manner so that we are able to review them ahead of hearings and that the file is complete for us and the public to review, so -- Bird: I think it's a very good -- Berg: I'm hoping that you have that information currently. We are just trying to make it a little bit better. If not, let me know, because that's what we strive to do is to meet your needs, as well as what the public wants. And as far as records and things, those are stuff that I think Anna and I are still discussing how we are going to formulate that process and with the new state statute and who is in charge of records, it doesn't give you too many hiding places. So, we need to make sure we keep a hands-on for that information. The other thing we talked about is supervision and who is under whose care and, obviously, it's pretty tough to supervise a person that's not at your workplace, even though we first talked about that person that we sent over would be under my supervision. And it may be a combination of both. But, obviously, I don't think I could justify going over once in awhile and seeing if that person is doing their job. We will tell by the information that we get sent to us. And, obviously, that's a communication my department has with that person and with Anna's department. In the same token, we are looking at if people are on vacation, the cross-training that we can help send a person back and forth. So, it's not just totally voided, because, unfortunately, the work doesn't stop just because you're on vacation or you're sick or you have to go to a school function or whatever other reasons we have. Canning: And there are a lot of other details we haven't figured out yet. But if this is the direction that Council would like to go, we will certainly get those figured out before October 1 st. Bird: I'm like Mr. Wardle, I think this is -- and I think Christine agrees, too, I think this is one fantastic idea until we can all get back into one building. I think this really solves one heck of a lot of problems. De Weerd: Next -- or, actually, this week Will has someone coming in evaluating our records management system. And so they will be working with them as this person will also be talking about the other departments to see what their records are about as well. Berg: Madam Mayor, more of an organizational thing, too, it not just necessarily the records itself, but the organization of just even tasks and duties, to see how it all fits in. De Weerd: Will has been tasked with setting up a system that will be city wide, so-- Berg: Yes. And, Madam Mayor, it's not going to be something that's going to happen overnight, especially when the state -- De Weerd: It's not? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 64 of163 Berg: -- clerk's association is trying to put a guideline manual out by the end of this year for all cities to use, because that's what we were charged with by the passing of that legislation. So, things will be uniform citywide. But we will have specific things that we are going to do, especially how long we keep a record and where we are going to store it. Some people think just because you only have to keep it for a permanent ten-year thing, doesn't mean that you get rid of it in ten years. It may be a record that you keep forever. But, then, there is some records that you just don't need anymore. And it can be destroyed in a way that meets the state statute. Or passed onto the state archives. Bird: Very good. Berg: I don't know if I had any other real issues in my budget, unless you had some questions. Bird: I have a question. As I understand, Will, you're only asking for this person to replace this person that's going over -- you're going to send an experienced one over to Anna? And you're just asking for a deputy clerk here? Berg: Yes. Bird: Not another receptionist or anything like that, just the one -- Berg: No. Even though we are all receptionists in my department. Bird: Yeah. Berg: Yes. That's the concept. Physically, I'm losing a person and I want to replace that person. Bird: Okay. Berg: And you my say, well, that person is going to do all the planning stuff. Bird: No. Berg: Well, no one person does all the planning. Donnell: Yeah. Bird: Nobody can. Berg: We all do it and we have to follow the process through. So, it's kind of -- we even talked about the process of going through the Planning and Zoning Commission maybe to the point where things are transferred -- we are still working on that. When it gets to the City Council, then, it's in my department. But we are still talking about transition -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 65 of163 Bird: But you're just replacing the one person that's going over there? Berg: Yes. Bird: Okay. That's what I thought. Berg: For right now that's the way-- Bird: Okay. Berg: And even though it said something else on there, that's what we want to do. Bird: I think it's great. Canning: And I just wanted to remind Council that, hopefully, we will have fewer hearing items for you all -- particularly for you all in the future, because a lot more administrative processes in the Unified Development Code and you won't see CU's. So, in conjunction with that, we think that this will be a good workable solution. But, yeah, I only -- I only -- well, yeah. I only agreed to this if I got an experienced person, because I didn't want to try and have to learn Will's job to know how to train this person. So, we -- there is a lot of details that we have to -- even like who does the copying at this point was probably -'- because we got to figure out -- our little machine probably won't be able to handle a P&Z meeting, so there is just a lot of little things. Bird: You bet. Canning: But we will get it figured out. Berg: And that's not saying that we can't bring the information and copy it here. I mean we are just trying to make things accommodating and user friendly to the applicant. Bird: But it is a step forward. It is a step forward for the overall process. Berg: I think it will all change, too, once we get a new City Hall and we are in one building, because we will just kind of look at it differently and see how our departments may be connected as far as physically in the building and it may be easier for them to come to one place. And they have terminals maybe that they can look it up electronically and we won't have -- as far as a person having to wait on them -- Bird: January '07 we will be moving in. Berg: I thought it was '07. But maybe it was '97. Bird: Don't hold your breath you will turn blue as Charlie's -- Berg: Any other questions as far as -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 66 of163 Canning: On the South Meridian Area plan, did you all want to provide comments on that RFP or you had asked to see a -- I didn't know -- Donnell: I'd like an opportunity to read it. Canning: Okay. I will put it on an agenda maybe not for next Tuesday, but-- Donnell: Nor tomorrow. Canning: Yeah. De Weerd: Next Tuesday we are not meeting. Donnell: Okay. De Weerd: If you have any comment, if you can make -- Bird: I'd like to see it on tomorrow. De Weerd: Can read it by tomorrow night. Canning: Sorry. I shouldn't roll my eyes. Bird: Can't we have a department report? Isn't she on the department report already on the agenda? Donnell: But rather than do that why don't we just have -- Bird: Or read it and, then, tell her to go. Yeah. Canning: And I will get with staff on the car and get you -- De Weerd: Well, thank you, Anna. Kilchenmann: We are going to move Terry and have -- I didn't do a count -- a computer replacement. Bird: I thought he had already been here? De Weerd: He was just going to talk about the computer replacement program. Donnell: That's in the IT section, then? Kilchenmann: Yeah. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 67 ofl63 De Weerd: Well, it's just that it's throughout your whole budget. Donnell: Okay. All that computer stuff. Okay. De Weerd: Replacement. Donnell: Okeydoke. De Weerd: We can't put it anyone place, it's just broadly spread out through all departments. Kilchenmann: It is under IT. Paternoster: There is an insert under the IT section that talks about -- specifically about computer replacement. What's that? All right. Looks like the computer guy. I think that it's my understanding the reason I was invited to come at this time was to discuss why the city has chosen the five-year replacement plan for computers. I think that, you know, since I have been working with the city as an employee I think that that feels like it's been somewhat of a controversial issue for some, maybe not so controversial for others. And I just wanted to kind of address it from our perspective on why we do what we do. And, then, maybe just open it up for any question that addresses this topic. So, it starts off and I just -- computer replacement, why five years. And for me one of the first reasons that I came up with is standardization. When I was contracting with the city I didn't really have a lot of input over what computers were purchased, how long those computers were kept, you know, different departments would each kind of handle it individually on how they thought it fit for their department. But it seemed like that there was this vast diversity amongst the different computer manufactures, the memory processes, the applications that were purchased, and just everything. And for me one of the main reasons was it seems like the IT Department for us to serve everybody better we needed to have standardization within the city. We needed to have one common machine purchased for everybody and, then, scale it up for those who need more increased computing power, like those that Public Works use, GIS type applications. And I felt like we have done this and we have developed a relationship with MPC Computers to do this. And they have been very flexible in helping us try to make sure we have good computer systems. So, my next thought after standardization was what's a reasonable time period. And, typically, I went to what's private versus government, what's a private company's motivation versus the government. And from private typically they have shareholder accountability. And their goal is to maximize profits. And so the average life of their computers is typically three years. And so, then, the next question was, well, do they buy them or do they lease them and for them their acquisition method typically is leasing. And the reason they lease is because from year to year that allows them to expense that computer each year and, therefore, increase profitability. But for government we have taxpayer accountability and, typically, from most taxpayers what do they want from their government? They want us to minimize expenses. And so for us I came up with saying that you know what, five years is probably a good balance for a city organization or a government organization to use and Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 68 of163 for us clearly our acquisition method is to buy it. We don't typically lease computers, because we don't have a profit mode, we would rather incur the debt each year and expense it. Well, incur it one time. So, what are some of the cost factors that are involved with computers? Well, one of the main factors with replacement time is Microsoft Office version and licenses. You know, Microsoft Office typically comes out with different versions of their software every couple of years. Another factor is computing requirements how much memory and CPU processes require to make a computer run the programs that are needed for us to do our day-to-day operations. How much memory is needed for us to run a GIS application versus an accounting program versus you know maybe a user who their whole job is to get on e-mail and submit their time card. Another issue is what's the compatibility between different versions of software? How well does one version work to another version? You know, if I'm running Office 2000, how well does that work with somebody who is running Office 2003. Another factor is new Microsoft Windows versions. Now, Microsoft doesn't typically come out with Windows operating systems as often as they come out with their Office software products, but this still is probably in the neighborhood of, you know, three years. If we were to average it over the last ten years, they probably come out with a new Office version every three years. And another factor is server software. And the reason I put this in is the city's went to a Microsoft exchange server environment that's going to serve our e-mail function throughout the city. Along with that we have a standardization that took place where people are going to be using Outlook 2003, which is included with our license of our exchange server. Well, one of the problems that a lot of users have is that they are running an older version of Office, they are no longer able to use the editing functionality or the spell check that's in their older version because Microsoft says, well, unless you have the version of Outlook that's compatible with the version of Office you're running, we won't let you use Word spell check, we won't let you use Word's formatting, so this creates some issues. Some of the other factors are replacement costs. You know, a desktop unit does cost about 900 dollars, excluding a monitor. But along with this we do get a manufacture warranty, which is typically three years and affects the users computing efficiency and memory utilization. And what I mean by memory utilization is anybody who has worked on an older machine oftentimes what you will see is they get running a program and you're thinking why is this thing going so slow, I'm typing the letters and I see the letter show up after I have already typed them and you really want real time computing and that has to do with how much physical memory is in the machine. And so here is some of the -- the possible reasons to keep a computer beyond five years and, basically, the main reason I could come up with is really cost. What's the dollars -- you know, it's to reduce the dollars spent on capital outlay. And so I said, well, for our city we have a 180 computers in the city and if we have a replacement period of four, five, six or seven years, how many computers does that mean that we are going to replace each year. Well, in four years we would replace -- if we replaced a computer every four years we would have, basically, replaced 45 computers per year. At five years we are at 36, at six years we are down to 30, and at seven years we are at 26 dollars. So, then, the next question comes out to how exactly -- what? Oh, 26 computers. Sorry. Bird: I was going to say 26 dollars, would you buy me several computers. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 69 of163 Paternoster: So, here is the actual hardware cost that it would cost to replace 45 computers and if we had a four-year replacement, it would cost 40,500 dollars. At five years we estimate about 32,000 dollars. At 30 years it's 27 -- I mean 30 computers, it's 27,000 dollars. And, then, at seven years we are down to 23. And so that gives you an incremental cost of 8,000 dollars to go from five to four years, 5,000 dollars to go from six years to five years, and only three and a half thousand dollars to go from seven to six years. And, like I stated before, this is the cost without a monitor. Typically, it's been our policy that we don't replace monitors unless, A, the departments request that they be replaced or else it's for a new position. Here is some of the cost of not replacing a computer at five years. Over five years you would expect that the keyboard and mouse is going to go bad. So, that's going to be 50 dollars. You're going to have to do a memory upgrade, which is going to be about 150 dollars. Now, people will say, well, you know, when I got my computer out of my box it seemed like it was running really fast, you know, what happened? I mean we haven't done anything different, have we? Well, the truth of it is is that, you know, is Microsoft releases the service packs that slows down the overall efficiency of that computer. Instead of having the streamlined fast computer that you got out of the box, it's now running slower, because Microsoft has inserted additional code into it's system and, therefore, it just runs slower. Anybody who has ran Windows XP Service Pack Two, you know, versus the original Windows XP, can attest that, man, my computer is a lot slower just running standard applications and booting up. In addition, all us have -- you know, have independent jobs that we do. You know, the Finance Department has MIT, Utility Department has Casell, Public Works has, you know, PT Win, they also have GIS applications. But the Fire Department has software. And all these software vendors are constantly doing upgrades, you know, every year another upgrade comes out. Sometimes multiple times per year and these upgrades require additional computing requirements. In addition, operating system upgrades. If you keep a computer past five years, you can expect that you're going to have to upgrade the operating system at least once, maybe more. And an operating system upgrade for the city cost 130 dollars. And, then, not to mention that machines typically kept past the five years -- in fact, a lot of the machines that go past four years we have a lot more user down time where something hardware wise breaks with that computer and that increases the amount of IT staff time to replace it, to troubleshoot it, to work on it. And one last additional benefit that we see in having a five-year replacement plan versus longer is that really increases employee morale. For us, you know, when a user works on a computer that has perpetual issues, it's very frustrating to them, you know, because they have this down time, they figure, well, I barely could get my job done if I had all the time to work, now my computer is down, now I can't really function. It's frustrating when you have incompatible software versions. I'm running an older version of Microsoft Office and somebody sends me a document and I can't open something with it. They said, well, can't you see that and I say, well, no, I can't see that, it's not in my version. They said, well, what version are you running? Oh, I'm running two versions prior to what the person who created the document is running. And another factor is just slow inefficient processing. Older computers don't run as quickly as newer computers. And, therefore, you're not able to get as much work done, you're not as quick at giving answers, and, really, we see that Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 70 of163 new computers allow employees to better support our customers, which are really the citizens of Meridian. And so for us it's really come down to a balance between balancing, you know, the cost of replacing computers to, you know, just the time whether or not -- I mean because at some point we are going to replace these computers, it doesn't matter if it's going to be three years, five years, or ten years, at some point you have to get rid of the computer, you can't keep it forever. Wardle: Question. Donnell: I have a car that I'd like you to sell. Bird: I have got-- De Weerd: He'd probably like to have it. Bird: I got a couple of questions. De Weerd: Yes. Bird: On the 1,400, Terry, is that -- does that include monitor and everything? Paternoster: When we give the cost to the departments, we actually include it with monitor and there is also a star that basically says that if ~hey don't need the monitor, that this is the cost they actually need. So, what we have done when we have included the cost, that cost is about the amount of a CRT, if they actually -- which do people know what I mean by CRT? Donnell: Yes, we do. Bird: Yeah. . Paternoster: Okay. Standard. A monitor like that goes for about 130 dollars. ' Right now flat panels go for about -- we can buy them for about 200, 250 for a 17-inch flat panel. And so we tried to go with the CRT price and if they purchased -- if they don't purchase a monitor with one unit, they can actually take that money and purchase one LCD for every two computers they purchase. Bird: I got a couple more questions, kid. Out of the 180 computers, how many of them are used five hours a day? Paternoster: I would say from my understanding the majority of them. I mean I don't know too many computers that aren't used at least five hours a day. Bird: Okay. And a computer for me -- I'm computer dumb. A computer is the hard drive; right? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 71 of163 Paternoster: Well, no, a computer-- Bird: It's the program. It isn't the monitor; right? Paternoster: This is what I would call a computer. This piece right here. Bird: Is that the -- that isn't a monitor? Paternoster: And inside the computer you have a video card, a sound card, the CPU, memory, a motherboard, CD rom drive, floppy, hard drives. Bird: That's what mine -- mine is one of those things that stand up in there where it covers everything. According to my -- and by waiting, 130 dollars is pretty cheap to work on it. I never got it that cheap. Unless I got Will's kid, but -- you say all of them are used five hours -- all our computers in the city are used at least five hours? Paternoster: I didn't say all. I said I think the majority of them are used five hours. Bird: The majority of them are used five hours. Paternoster: I mean there are -- we do have numerous machines in the city that are used 24 hours a day. For instance, at the police department they have six different rooms where the offices can come in and create their reports, do their accidents, and check their e-mail and those are used 24 hours a day. But, then, you do have machines like out at the wastewater plant where they have a machine out in the break room that is used for all of the operators who work out in the plant to, basically, do there time cards and I would say, you know, that machine probably gets used -- I would be surprise if it gets used more than a couple hours a day, because, really, the core function is really just to e-mail time cards. Basic communication. Bird: Okay. Donnell: Okay. Question. Can I ask a question? De Weerd: Uh-huh. Donnell: So, Terry, I mean I actually agree that I think five -- a five-year replacement cycle is a good one. I do. And you have made a good point for that. When you replace these computers, what do you do with the old ones? Paternoster: I have about 40 of them downstairs right now. Well, typically, in the past prior to this year we had given them -- gave them to the Girls and Boys Club. We donated them. And the reason being is that from our perspective -- I mean there is a couple reasons why I chose to do that, is that we felt like they had nominal value to the computers. Typically, with our computers what we do is we do a hard drive wipe on them and so any software or anything that was installed on it we, basically, zero out the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 72 of163 hard drive and the reason being is we don't want some vendor coming through it and if you send it to auction you will have vendors will see what they can recover and we don't want our information salvaged. Donnell: Right. Where I was going with this question is that some computers, like you suggest, the one out at the wastewater treatment plant, that may be used two hours a day, really, still have value to the organization. And so my question is as you get into a five year cycle, there may be some computers that can be moved from one place to the other as long as, in fact, they can be usable in another department or someplace. And so my question is -- I'm assuming that you're taking that into consideration. Paternoster: We do keep the downstairs computers around. I mean the replaced computers and we steal parts out of them for other broken computers. Donnell: You cannibalize them. Uh-huh. Paternoster: We do. We absolutely cannibalize them. In addition, oftentimes, you know, if somebody will say I have this new person starting and we didn't budget for a computer and we will grab those computers, you know, we do have some monitors, because some departments have chosen to upgrade to LCD monitors and we have used a lot of those monitors to replace monitors in other locations, like JC's monitor went bad, we had a monitor in the IT room go bad, and so we cannibalized a lot of the parts. Anything that we can keep, we keep. Like I cannibalized the memory. We don't give the memory to the Girls and Boys Club, with -- you know, with 256 megs of memory, we strip them down and leave them with 60. Donnell: Now, the follow-up question that I have is do you have a plan where you do this department by department? And so, you know, you have a cycle of not just five years, but that one department may be on that cycle to have a computer replacement and the following year another department and the following year another department. So, that you don't have the cost of a five year change out of all computers. Or do you? Or did you understand what I said? Paternoster: Well, I understand what you're saying. I guess I don't understand exactly. I mean I don't understand how doing one department versus another department each year in rotation would -- Donnell: Okay. Let me give you an example. Paternoster: Okay. Donnell: I put in all my experience kind of stuff. When you have (unintelligible). And you know that you're going to have a five-year trade out on computer lab, you don't do all 26 schools at once. You do -- you know, you determine how many schools you can afford to do, you change out the computers in all the computer labs, and, then, the next Meridian City Gaunal -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 73 of163 year you do another two or three or four schools, depending on what the cost is. So, my question also is you're not suggesting that you would out all city computers every five years? Paternoster: No. Donnell: Okay. Paternoster: Oh. Yeah. We track computers individually. Does that make sense? Donnell: Yes. I guess I'm not being very clear. What I'm saying is that you don't -- your plan is not to -- Paternoster: Let me say what I have done. Donnell: All right. Paternoster: This year is we went through the inventory list of all the computers in the city we basically spec'd out a certain CPU speed in order to identify, because CPU speed, basically, comes out and there is a sheet in there that -- basically, that I listed out. Donnell: Got it. Paternoster: The next five years of which computers would tentatively be replaced. Donnell: So, you do it not by department, but by computer. Paternoster: We do. Absolutely. But along with that, for instance, this year my goal previously had been to replace all computers that had a one gig processor or less. Donnell: Uh-huh. Paternoster: But what I did is I got started looking at computers and I said, wow, we are going to replace like 45 this year, we are going to do like 20 next year. Well, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me to do 45 this year and 20 next year. So, what I did is I said, well, instead of doing one gig, let's just doing everything 900 meg or less. Donnell: Got it. Paternoster: And, then, what that did is that deferred ten computers to next year, even though they should have been replaced on the five year, this year there was some -- I mean we looked at it reasonably and said, well, let's replace 35 this year and 30 next year, versus 45 this year and 20 next year. So, that way we can somewhat budget it out. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 74 of163 Donnell: If I just pay attention to what you have provided for me, then, I wouldn't ask those dumb questions. Paternoster: That's okay. I would rather you ask the question. Donnell: Thank you. Wardle: Terry, just a quick comment and a question. I think the five-year plan you have come up with is excellent. It gives us a benchmark to look for. I would -- while being very frugal, I'm also realistic and I would -- and I would look at that year to year. You have got in here, then, 2010, you know, we will still be using the pentium four with three gigs and I'm not necessarily as optimistic as you are that those programs to run that will still be around. But excellent job there. And, then, also one of the things that I would like to look at is you mentioned what we do with our old computers, and using them for parts and things like that. At some point in time we are going to need to look at how -- a policy of who we can give those to. In the business industry I know that you can depreciate a computer so far that it's actually costing you money to keep an old computer around and even some of the disposal costs are a cost. And so to justify that in a taxpayer perspective, it's not unreasonable for us to donate to charitable organizations or some of the programs that are in place that are excellent as long as we take our information out. Nary: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, I can probably answer that a little bit. We took that off the agenda a few weeks ago that we had had this prior program in place. The problem was it didn't match the state law in giving things to charitable organizations. State law doesn't really have any specific language authorizing us to do that. It does allow the city to give items to other municipalities or governmental agencies, but nobody else wants this material either, unless we can actually determine there is no value at all or, actually, a negative value to the city, like the disposal cost. So, that's what we are working on between IT and Legal, to make sure that we can comply with the state law. I think in the past it was determined that, really, nobody is going to object when you give it to the Boys and Girls Club and I would agree with that. But we do want to make sure we are compliant with the state requirements. So, we are trying to fashion a policy and a program that would be better. And Terry is very anxious, because we are running out of room to keep all of these things. So, we are going to try to get them out. But that's the reason that we have had a hold on them. Wardle: I can show you many accounting table with computers as costing more for storage space than they are worth, so -- De Weerd: Well -- and even when you part them out, I think what we have found, we have donated to both our Senior Center and the Boys and Girls Club, that the Boys and Girls Club can take some of those computers that have been parted out, because they do computer repair, they have a rebuilding program over there, that they take those so that they not only give the kids experience in rebuilding these computers, but also they have a program where they want to get computers in the hands of these kids. These Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 75 of163 are the kind of computers that Councilman Wardle had brought up, they are so out of date no one really wants them, so -- and they are a disposal issue, where the Boys and Girls Clubs can rebuild them and make them usable to a kid who wouldn't normally have them. It's been a great program. So, right now our legal team is trying to see how we can do what we can do and what the boundaries are of that. Okay. Thank you, Terry. If there is nothing further, we'll take a quick break and, then, come back and start in on more. 11:55 am Lunch (Recess,) De Weerd: Okay. Council, we will go ahead and continue while you eat, if you don't mind. With us today also is BVEP, Boise Valley Economic Partnership, and we do have a budget request in your packets for the marketing campaign they are beginning. And here with us today is Nancy Vanhorsdale and -- are you or Morgan going to be presenting? Okay. So, I will going ahead and just invite you up to do that. Bird: Where is this at? Under what budget? De Weerd: Thank you. Morgan: Well, thank you. I don't want to go into a real lengthy description of the program. I have brought copies of that for you. And I've had a chance -- this is the part of the process that's been going on for about a year and a half. That was started with a survey and some studies doing with consultants to find cluster groups of companies that are most appropriate to the Boise Valley. My company, National Community Development Services, got involved earlier this year and we came around and did one- on-one interviews, 72 of them, with business leaders, community leaders, government leaders. And, you know, here we talked to Tammy and we talked to DBSI and United Heritage. And Blue Cross and Meridian Ford and companies like that. And really asked them is this the right thing for the valley to be doing? Is the best a strong enough organization to get it done. Was five million dollars a realistic number to try to raise? And the answers to all those things came back yes and yes and yes. So, what we are out doing is now raising that budget for the economic partnership. And I think one of the unique things about the interview process when we talked to 72 people, overwhelmingly they showed support for the concept, but 65 of those 72 said, yes, we will write a check for this. And the commitment level is very strong, both in the private and public sector for doing this. And, in fact, the private sector has stepped up and said we want to do more than we have up to this point. They have been providing less than 60 percent of the support for economic development here. Over 40 percent of it has come from the municipalities and the counties. And the private sector says we will shoulder 80 percent of this program. So, the five million dollars -- they are going to come up with four million dollars of it, maybe a little more. That does leave 20 percent or a million dollars that we are looking to from the counties and city's to make sure that these job programs can Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 76 of163 occur. And what we are asking the City of Meridian to consider is to invest 50,000 dollars a year for the next five years in the Valley Initiative for Prosperity. De Weerd: Morgan, didn't you -- and, I'm sorry, I was looking through your package and you might have already said that. They are looking for right now the funding is 75- 25, that -- the business community with 75 percent. Morgan: Actually, about 60-40 business. De Weerd: 60-40. Morgan: Historically. De Weerd: And now they are trying to get an 80-20, that this program is funded 20 percent by public and 80 percent by private, and the 50,000 investment is part of that 20 percent among all of the public entities in the valley. Morgan: And it wasn't divided evenly across seven entities or ten entities, you know, we are asking a lot more from some of the bigger counties and cities. And we are asking considerably less from some of the smaller cities. And Meridian kind of falls right in the middle of the distribution. De Weerd: Thank you. Are there any questions from Council? Donnell: So, tell us again what the five million dollars is going to pay for. Morgan: Okay. In the page for support or there you got the budget in front of you. Donnell: Yeah. Morgan: Almost half of it is going to marketing to trade shows, websites, all the different tools that the economic development people and the Chambers of Commerce haven't had here. So, we will be able to go to the site selection shows, we will be able to do one-on-one meetings, bring people in with that money. The next biggest piece of it is a team of three high end professionals, one an expert, someone with a big rolodex out of the site selection community, he knows those people and can represent us credibly right from the start. A second one is an economist and financial analyst, who can prepare cost benefit analysis for prospects and for people who are here on visits and fund it. A third person who will be working with established businesses here to help them find the ways to expand in the jobs in the marketplace and those are people who -- will be available to the people and are already on the ground, it doesn't really replace what we are doing now, it's new resources for them. Donnell: And down the road -- at five years down the road we have extended -- if I read this right. You help me. We will have expended five million dollars in five years based Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 77 of163 on these estimates. But what is the percent of your salaries and benefits as a base as a whole of this budget, just salaries and benefits per year? Morgan: For incremental staff on the project, is that -- do I understand your question correctly? Donnell: Okay. I didn't ask that very well. So, under strategy one and external marketing and recruitment at 615,000 dollars the first year and 420,000 for the World Class Team. Morgan: Yes. Donnell: So, have you broken out what is the percent of the salaries for the World Class Team as part of the overall total? Just for that first year is okay. Morgan: For that first year, looking quickly, of that 420, it's all salaries and benefits, other than 80,000. So, that would be 340,000 out of the first year or about 20 percent. Donnell: See, it looks -- I'm not very good at math, but it looks to me that it's a little under 50 percent. If you take out just the material descriptions and research, because it's almost -- it's almost a half a million dollars; right? Morgan: 420 for that. Donnell: About 30 percent, then. Okay. I think I answered my question. Morgan: Okay. Donnell: With your help. Thank you. Morgan: You're quite welcome. Any other questions? De Weerd: Any other questions, Council? Bird: I have none. Wardle: Morgan, maybe you can talk just a little bit about the expected impact on the valley and what your projections show this initiative will produce. Morgan: Okay. And just by way of background, our company has done over 300 of these kinds of projects across the country over the last almost 30 years and we have raised about a billion and a half dollars for these purposes. We are looking at 5,000 targeted jobs in the identified industry clubs and an additional 6,000 jobs on top of that. When those jobs are in place, they will be 300 million dollars a year in new payroll to the region. Of that 300 million, about 166 million ends up in circulation in purchases throughout the valley. So, some of that goes to transportation, some of it goes to Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 78 of163 housing, a piece of that goes to food and beverage and so on. So, that -- the five million dollars returns an annuity of 156 million dollars to the economy, essentially. De Weerd: I guess also these jobs you're targeting have a better multiplier in the jobs -- the secondary jobs and what they bring along with them, than maybe what we are currently getting, Morgan: I think that's fair. I mean each cluster has a little different multiplier. I think the big thing is, is the total average wages of those jobs, which are targeting the same tier of jobs that the governor targeted in his incentives for companies to move here. And that is jobs starting at about 35 five a year and up. And I think that's where the real impact for families is. Wardle: Morgan, another question. Do you have -- do you know of any regions similar in size to ours that may have recently completed initiatives such as this and what kinds of success they had? Morgan: I have included three sample case studies in the packet. Some from Virginia and one from Utah. And it really varies a lot on what they want for their region. In Utah they are talking about protection of vistas and enhanced publiC safety and protection of agriculture land as part of their objectives and they were less focused on jobs. Although they did bring in 5,500 dollars that they were targets -- that they set out to get, they found them in the 40,000 dollar and up range. Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia, two other studies that are in there, they were actually able to bring in thousands of jobs and I think one of the real test of the value of these project is they don't create an annuity of bureaucracy that goes on and on and keeps getting funded. At the end of five years the money is used up and the project is over, unless people like it and go back and want to raise the money again. And-- (End of side one, tape three.) Morgan: -- markets where they are on their third, fourth, and even fifth five year campaigns. Because it's been so successful for them. We did this in Cheyenne, Wyoming, about five years ago when they went back and wanted to raise 20 percent more money the second time. And they ended up raising 200 percent, just because people said things had been so great for our area where do I sign up. Wardle: And, then, in your opinion, each of these successful campaigns included a -- a piece from the public sector, as well as a funding piece? Morgan: And that ranges anywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent, depending on the dynamics of the region. De Weerd: Thank you. Any further questions? Rountree: Madam Mayor? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 79 of163 De Weerd: Uh-huh. Charlie. Morgan: Thanks so much for your time. De Weerd: Hold on, Morgan. Charlie has something. Morgan: Oh, I'm sorry. Rountree: You talked about a five-year program. Are we locked in? Is it a lock in or -- Morgan: There is no lock in. We asked the private sector for five-year pledges. There are not contracts. They tend to honor them. We see less than two percent fall off from those numbers. In the public sector it's different. Usually you're not allowed to make five year commitments and what we ask you to do is to sort of the indicate your intention to renew if you're pleased. And with the caveat that you can stop at anytime. And that usually works for most counties and cities in terms of their -- what they are able to door not able to do. Rountree: And do you work for the region primarily? Or do you take guidance from participants and partners? In other words, the City of Meridian economic venue that they needed help, can come to this group to do it? Morgan: Oh, yeah. Rountree: Okay. Morgan: No. This is a resource for people to use not a push down, it's ground up. Rountree: All right. De Weerd: Okay. Any other questions? Christine. Donnell: I probably have a lot, but I'd like an opportunity to be able to read this. Morgan: Okay. De Weerd: Okay. Morgan: My contact information is in there. There is a lot of stuff. Feel free to call me, any of you, with additional questions. Or Nancy or, you know, any of the business leaders who have been involved in this as well. And Deborah Johnson down here would be happy to answer questions about it. So, would a number of people. De Weerd: Yeah we. Know where to find Nancy. Okay. Anything else, Council? Thank you for joining us. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 200S Page 80 ofl63 Morgan: No problem. I do have a formal request letter that I will leave with you guys. De Weerd: Okay. Morgan: Addressed it to Shaun as the president of the City Council. I didn't know if that was exactly the right way to do it or not. De Weerd: If you will give it to our clerk. Morgan: And I have also the draft of the response that Charlie referred to that says we will do this as long as we want to do it, but we hope to be able to from the committee. De Weerd: Okay. Okay. Thank you. You didn't want say anything, Nancy? Vanhorsdale: Well, just that we have enjoyed a growing and strengthening partnership with our partners up and down the valley and we so far have met with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about this particular effort. And I think what's important is that we have in this effort use a lot of your input. And so I think it's as much your plan as it is the business community's plan. And that's the strength of it. So, we appreciate you taking this consideration. De Weerd: Council, you have been getting the drafts as we have been updating them. So, I don't think you will see too many more changes in there, only better refinement. It's been an interesting process. And it is really exciting. So, we appreciate your time. Morgan: Thank you for your consideration. 1 :00 pm Public Works Department De Weerd: Thank you. We will go ahead and -- where is my -- do you want to go ahead and to go Public Works, since Will is here and -- is everyone here? Okay. Why don't we go ahead and do that. You can listen to me afterward. I know you're just waiting on baited breath. Bird: More stuff, Bradley. Watson: It's trimmed down. De Weerd: And, Council, while they are doing this, I will say the 5,000 dollars for Boise Valley Economic Partnership -- Bird: 50,000 or five? De Weerd: 50,000. Okay. Hold on. Keith, I keep telling you about interrupting me. Five thousand is in the membership. And that won't change. So, then, that leaves Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 81 ofl63 45,000. I put 20,000 in Special Services -- under that Special Services projects that we did not have in the budget in front of you (unintelligible). Watson: One of the things that happened Friday afternoon -- I thought we were done with this presentation. I went to grab a quick bite for lunch at a Chinese restaurant and my fortune cookie said the wise thing to do is to prepare for the unexpected. (unintelligible). First, I want to thank Mayor and Council for the support over the years, especially the last year. It's been -- it's been quite challenging. We have had Gary's retirement. Had a reorganization. We have had implementation of some new programs, like the GIS, the cross-connection or the back flow inspection program. We have taken over the fire review and inspection for commercial projects. All this in light of record building activity and the biggest projects -- Meridian's biggest Public Works projects Meridian has seen since the '70s. Hopefully, it's seemed somewhat seamless to you. I'm not sure that it always is. But no news is good news, usually, when it comes to Public Works. And, hopefully, you haven't had a whole lot of news this year. One of the things that -- to point out is that we couldn't have addressed all these challenges without a lot of commitment and initiative from our leadership team and some of them are here today. Len Grady, who is now our civil engineer. Bruce Freckleton, who stepped up to the plate and took over development services, including the building department. Karie Glenn in our office. We don't see her very often. But she has taken on a lot of new responsibilities over the last year. And, of course, our Wastewater Superintendent John Shawcroft. And our Water Superintendent Rick Clinton. I will talk about him here in a minute. Like I said, each in their own way has stepped up to the plate and helped not only the city, but helped me get through this year. We also -- I was going to say Stacy and Reta. They really do typify that good internal customer service. The one thing to note that I handed out -- this presentation is paired way back from what it has been in years past. Just so we can try to get through all this in an hour. Councilmember Donnell, I guess you were the only one that wasn't here last year. Normally, we have 25, 30 pages of accomplishments and why we are so good and everything that we have done. Hopefully, we can get to that another time. De Weerd: We know why you're here. Watson: Yeah. Bird: We know you're the best. Watson: All three enhancements really boil down to addressing three things. Staying ahead of growth. Efficiently operating the expanding system that we have. And, third, increasing our customers, our repairs, access to our services. We will get to those enhancements here. I just want to tell you I told the previous Mayor and Councilmember -- I think it was only Mayor de Weerd and Councilman Bird, I think it was two years ago, the other three of you weren't here at the time, but usually really enjoy -- (unintelligible). I'm not sure this crew (unintelligible). But they are here and they -- Meridian City CounCil -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 82 of163 De Weerd: I think one of them I know for certain. Watson: So, I assured them you don't have one of those stage hooks or a gong back there to drive them off stage. I don't think. Hopefully. And as I noted about Rick and Chip Hudson the assistant water superintendent as well, they scheduled vacation this week, because, normally, we have these presentations in the third week of July, they made plans with their families and I told them don't show up. We will take care of it. So, our Chief Water Operator Don Case has graciously volunteered. De Weerd: Volunteered. Yeah. Right. Did you, Don? Rountree: At least he's honest. Watson: He is honest. Yes, he is. But he volunteered -- or came anyway (unintelligible) and I will fill in and do the rest. The one thing you will notice during the presentation is we are going to switch off quite frequently. Hopefully, that's not a distraction. But I thought it best that whoever is most familiar with the enhancement to talk about it and be there to answer any questions you may have. We will try to flip through it fairly quickly. This is really the only slide that I guess you could call fluff. We have been working and it's not fluff, it's the initiatives that the crew has been working on (unintelligible) at least one and mostly more than one of these initiatives. I can talk about those a little bit more if you like, but at this point I will just hand it over to Bruce Freckleton, our development services manager. He's going to go over the building enhancement, singular, and we will start going through them. Thank you. Freckleton: You all awake? Thanks, Brad. As Brad said, we definitely appreciate all of your support this year. It's been -- it's been quite a transition for all of us. The one and only enhancement that we are asking for, for the Building Department, kind of addresses the middle two of those last -- the last slides as far as public out reach and information. What this slide is kind of representing as our projected growth for '05 and I don't think that that's probably any surprise to anybody how steep we have been growing. The one thing that -- the enhancement that we are asking for is for 10,000 dollars to investigate the options available to provide a phone or web based permit inspection tracking system that would allow our customers to either dial in or log via the internet. (Unintelligible) of and also be able to schedule inspections and be more informed. We hope that this will certainly make it easier for people, but it will also reduce the time that our staff spends on the phone answering questions, too. So, we did an informal survey beginning the first of July to try and find out which system our customers would rather have and we got a pretty over whelming (unintelligible) web based system. So, that's kind of what we will be looking at (unintelligible) certainly. Donnell: So, does the 10,000 dollars to investigate available options or is it to put in place a phone or web based permit tracking system? Freckleton: My hope is we could put it in place for that. Meridian City CounCil -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 83 of163 Donnell: Okay. Bird: Excuse me, Bruce. Do you feel comfortable with 10,000 putting it in place? Freckleton: We had Karie Glenn had done some investigation of different types of systems that were available and she felt that ten would be a good number. Bird: Okay. Because I'm with you, I think it's something that really needs to be done and not just looked into. I'm like Christine, is that -- you know, is that going to cover putting it in place. Freckleton: Right. Right. That's my hope. Get it up and running. Bird: Okay. Freckleton: We have had our volunteer, Bob Field, put together an access data base that I have been using, which has helped tremendously to be able to tell people the status of their permits and that sort of thing. So, this is just going to ratchet that up and take it one step further and make that available to the public and to the Mayor. So, that when those questions roll into her office she can jump right on the information. Bird: Let me ask you and I want (unintelligible) just idea and it will go? Freckleton: Yes. Bird: Okay. It isn't a website of its own? Freckleton: I don't believe so, no. Hopefully, it's going to be integrated right into our website. Bird: Okay. De Weerd: Mr. Wardle. Wardle: Bruce, how fast can you have this up? Freckleton: How fast can we get the money? Bird: October. Wardle: Is that the same question? Freckleton: October 1 st. Bird: There you go. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 200S Page 84 of163 Freckleton: We will be looking at the information before the budget year is up. De Weerd: Oh, October 15th. Rountree: Given the number there is one out there that you have looked at? Freckleton: Our current inspection permitting software has a module that we can add. Rountree: Okay. Freckleton: So, yeah. Bird: Is it a proven module is what Charlie is getting, Bruce? Is it something that's proven, you know, we have got a MUBs water supposedly fool proof system that wasn't fool proof. Freckleton: Right. Bird: Is this one something that has been used? Freckleton: It's one that has been used. Bird: Successfully? Freckleton: Throughout the country. Yeah. Bird: Okay. Freckleton: Yeah. So -- and it's one that we are going to look at. I'm not going to say that's the one we are going to jump on, but we are going to investigate that one. And that's probably the direction that we will head, because that's -- it integrates directly with our system. Bird: Okay. De Weerd: Any other questions? Bird: Just keep going. Freckleton: Okay. Thank you. De Weerd: When is that coordinator hired? Watson: No. Madam Mayor. That person is not. De Weerd: I'm sorry. Yes. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 85 of163 Watson: We will jump over to the engineering enhancements. (Unintelligible) people that are usually at our front desk or doing assessments, that sort of thing. The only thing to note out as it says in this slide, one of these positions is an interim or short-term position that will be housed at the Wastewater Plant during the Wastewater Plant expansion. We talked about this at length. What we are trying to do and you will see as we go a little farther down is reduce the cost that Corello will charge for being on site during that 15 to 20 million dollar project over the next three years. The volume of paperwork is as many of -- you know, during one of these construction projects is immense. And I would rather be paying somebody department specialist wages to handle that paperwork than a staff engineer. But the other department specialist is _ actually, we are dropping a part-time position that we have and adding a full-time position. The situation we have run into over at our building is that we have our two existing department specialists working away doing assessments streetlight layouts, street addressing, PO, that sort of thing and we only had somebody in the front counter half the day. And it really bothers me a lot to have somebody walk in and have to ring a bell and have them come up to the front desk or wait for something to come up. So, in that those are -- you know, there is two positions there, it's a one and a half increase. Enhancement number two is for an engineering technician. This type of person would manage some smaller projects, answer sewer and water availability to the walk-in customers or on the phone. There would be some coordination of field data with the GIS position, as brought forward or brought back by the field inspectors. The one thing that we anticipate is that the indications are there that our special projects coordinator will be looking at retirement in the fairly near future. We don't anticipate renewing that position. The engineering technician would fill not only those roles that I listed, but become our main liaison with ACHD and ITD for those roadway projects. Please jump in if you have any questions. I'm just going to keep rolling through these. De Weerd: We will. Watson: Okay. The third personnel enhancement for engineering is for another staff engineer. As I mentioned earlier, we are trying to keep the costs down during our wastewater plant expansion and we anticipate having a staff engineer on site nearly full time during the heaviest part of the construction. There are going to be two phases to the construction. One will bid this fall. The other one will bid next spring. The total length on that construction project is probably two and a half, three years, something like that. We did -- Len and I did a very quick analysis earlier this spring and it looked like by doing this we could save around 200 to 250 thousand dollars a year by providing our own staff for construction management and inspection versus Corella. I guess this is on the record, but they know it and we know it. Corello is a very good firm, but they are very expensive as well. Especially, when other comes to construction management. I'm sorry. I didn't introduce the rest of the staff that's here and I should have. I think you have met Clint DOlsby, he's our staff engineer, our wastewater guy, who will likely be out there. I don't know if any of you have met John Mills, he is our newest engineer that we brought on, and it pains me to say this, from BSU. Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 200S Page 86 of163 Bird: All right. Go Big Blue. Watson: Yeah. He hears about it. Did I mention the rest of you? So, those are the personnel enhancements that we have. Donnell: Question, Brad. Watson: Yes. Donnell: Under your explanation of the department specialist you said -- as soon as I find it here. That's what I get for putting it away. One full-time department specialist to work in the front office area. The position would be providing full-time front desk coverage, phones, filing, and receptionist. And. then, it says clerical support would also be required. It sounds as if that is what that person's responsibilities may be. Are you -- does that mean that you would require additional clerical support or are you saying they will provide that clerical support? Watson: They will provide it. Donnell: No, not required, but will be -- Watson: That person will -- Donnell: I got you. Watson: -- provide that required support in our building. I think what may have happened is that and I don't have it in front of me, but that may be talking about the project and that just wasn't the -- Donnell: Actually, it's just talking about clerical support, but -- so, clerical support to the rest of your departments they would provide. Watson: Right. And, then, the other department specialist at the wastewater plant would provide that clerical support for the engineer and the -- Donnell: Okay. Watson: -- project site rep. At this point in time I'll go ahead and turn it over to Len Grady. He going to talk about things that he knows about better than I do, which are enhancements four through seven. Grady: I'm another one of those that's really thrilled to be up here, so -- De Weerd: We will be behind you. Grady: Okay. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 87 of163 Donnell: Maybe. Bird: Yeah. I was just going to say maybe. De Weerd: Okay. I can't be responsible for them. Grady: Enhancement number four consists of three software packages, construction management software, spatial analysis software, and statistical analysis software. The construction management software is basically going to be used extensively to track all of the paperwork out on phase one of the wastewater treatment plant project. So, that will be really useful to get up and running. The spatial analysis software is basically we will be using it to model three-dimensional data and expand our GIS system. And, then, finally, the statistical analysis software will help us evaluate multi-variant data. That's something we have been looking in engineering for a while. Enhancement number five consulting, 15,000 dollars, 10,000 dollars of that will be used for GIS consulting and, basically, that's a set of funds that are available to expand our up and growing GIS system. Some of you have seen the results of that. So, it's growing and growing fast. But sometimes we run against a roadblock and need some outside help. So, that money is set-aside for that. And, then, 5,000 dollars would be used for Aspire-On training. Enhancement number six could better be described as remodeling expense. It's not a moving expense. With all of the people -- with the additional people we are hiring, we need a little bit more office space. And this will be used to remodel the old Planning and Zoning area to give us an additional one or two offices. And, then, finally enhancement number seven will be additional GPS units. Currently, we are taking GPS units, sending them out with our inspectors. They are picking up valves, manholes, fire hydrants, and streetlights, all of that type of stuff. And I think we are probably on the cutting edge at least in the valley on doing that. And, consequently, we need two additional GPS units to make sure that the inspectors have access to that technology. Those units are sub meters units, so they are fairly accurate. Inspectors can grab that data out in the field, bring it into our GIS person, and, basically, we have real time information back in the office. 2,000 dollars is set-aside for a digital projector. We are finding that with more and more meetings and modeling type seminars we could use a digital projector in the office. And, then, finally 1,400 dollars is set-aside for upgraded computer monitors. We currently have four technicians that are viewing auto cad drawings on a daily basis and this will just give them a little better view of that. They are extensively viewing those drawings, so just basically to upgrade their machines. And that's it. Any questions? Bird: Len, on the capital, you said 2,000. Did you mean 12,000? Or did I misunderstand you? Freckleton: On the enhancement number seven? Bird: Seven. On the equipment. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 88 of163 Freckleton: 2,000. For the projector. Bird: Well, what's the other 10,000 for? Freckleton: Two GPS units. Bird: That's what I -- okay. Those are for those two and, then, two for the digital. Freckleton: That's correct. Bird: Thank you. Freckleton: Fairly expensive. But, again, they are a sub meter. Bird: You bet. No problem with that at all. Freckleton: We need that precision. De Weerd: Any other questions? Bird: No, that's -- Freckleton: You guys were easy. Thanks. Watson: We will move onto the water. Water division. Scroll through our summary there. The first couple of these are personnel related. I have Mr. Case come up and tell you what he -- why he needs two operators. Case: Enhancement number one would be an operator two, which is a level two certified operator. And the purpose and need for this would be continued growth in the city. To maintain the level of service that we are currently providing. The duties would include installing and replacing meters, radio read units, water quality problems solving. Coronation and residual testing -- turbidity testing exercising valves, fire hydrant maintenance, excavation, and leak repair. Customer service. Well, and pump operations maintenance. Fire flows and much much more. And our goal is to hire within, promote within, so that gives an operator one a chance to move up to a -- this position. And, then, our enhancement number two would be an operator number one. Currently we have work persons. I believe there is two of them, they will anticipate they will pass their operator one testing, they will be promoted within as our goal. And the duties for that position would be all the same kind of stuff and much much more. Donnell: So, help me understand this, then. Case: Okay. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 89 of163 Donnell: You want your first request is for operator two and the second requests is for operator one? Case: Yes. Donnell: So, you want operator two before you want operator one; is that right? Case: I assume so, yes. Donnell: Do I just not understand that? Operator one, operator two, what do they mean? Case: We currently have an operator -- several operator number ones and -- Donnell: Oh, it's the classification of operator, not necessarily one. Got you. Okay. Grady: We don't put a serial number on their forehead. Donnell: Oh. Okay. Good. See, what a learning experience this is for me. You think you're nervous. Case: And they have to pass a certification test in order to become certified as an operator one and two and so forth. Donnell: Thank you. That is good information. Case: That's all I have. Any questions? Donnell: Great. Huh-uh. Bird: Is he going through the rest of the enhancements? Watson: No. I let him off. Bird: I got a question before you go anymore, then. Watson: Okay. Bird: In your report replacements, they are asking to replace two '96 Ford pickups. Watson: Yes. Bird: A Ranger and an F150. Do you know how many miles they got on it? Watson: It's not written down there. I don't know. Don? Don says 60 to 70 thousand. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 90 of163 Bird: Okay. And also you're asking to replace the Case backhoe? Watson: Yeah. And I was going to get to that at the very end -- Bird: Okay. Thank you. I'll wait. Watson: -- of this discussion. I thought we would go through the easier stuff first. Donnell: There you go. De Weerd: We have crafted that one. On your form, Keith, it has -- Bird: I know what it has. De Weerd: It has the mileage on it. If you go to towards the right before the purple. See Ford pickup, it's got 73,000 miles on it. The Ranger has got 52,000. The Case has got 1,700 hours. Watson: Right. We have -- I thought under the recommendation of Finance Department -- please correct me if I'm wrong -- that every ten years we rotated pickups out. If there is a different deal, than I think we should -- I guess we better know, because that's what we have been doing year to year. Once they hit that ten-year mark, then -- Rountree: Institutional practice. Watson: Not being a Ford fan, usually find that after ten years the Fords are ready to go anyway. That's just me. Bird: I would agree with you on that. Watson: Most of the newer ones are Chevys. De Weerd: Ford versus the Chevy man. Watson: Yeah. De Weerd: So, like Broncos and the Vandals. Bird: The Bronco you have 30 years. A Vandal you get five. Wardle: Then you would get a turnaround. Watson: Sorry. I opened that one up. Donnell: Okay. Yeah. We are getting rummy. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 91 of163 Watson: All right. I will move onto enhancement number three for the water department. It's additional funds for water department building or office. Last year we budgeted 1.2 million. Quite honestly, that was based on a per square foot figure that the architect gave us. At the time they hadn't completed the space study. They completed that this winter and we brought that to you for presentation, came back later this spring and you had some more questions of us. BRS is working on that right now. Those include demolition costs, a cost to make it ADA compliant with the existing building and to update the HVAC system. That contract was approved by Council just a week or two ago. And it should have that information back to us mid August. Once we get that we will bring it back to you and tell you what our recommendation is to move forward on that. Nonetheless, there is another 375,000 dollars proposed for next year. We did get a more solid estimate from BRS on the building itself, which was 1.03 million. The site was approximately 180,000. We threw in about 20,000 for phone and technology type stuff, cabling, all that technological stuff that we need these days. We estimated the architectural engineering fees at ten percent of the building cost, which was 120,000 and lift a contingency in there to come up with 1.575 million total for the project. As you recall, there is ~- there is some siting considerations out there that we are really struggling through, especially with BSU occupying a lot of the yard and the building. Really, that, you know, if we had a brand new site that was clean this probably would have been off the ground awhile ago. But we are being careful and diligent, so ~~ questions? Donnell: Not at this time. Not at this time. De Weerd: I like it when he says questions and ducks. Donnell: Yeah. And breaks out in a cold sweat. Uh-huh. Watson: All right. Moving onto enhancement number four, which is a lot -- all of it is really consulting, except 25,000 dollars in there for water rights consulting. That's to our hydro geologist and our water rights attorney that's on retainer. You will see tomorrow night on the Council agenda five separate contracts from hydrologic, one of which is unrelated to water rights issues. Ten thousand of that is for a water conservation program. We have struggled with this this year just because of workload. But what we want to do is get much more active in the water conservation area and getting that information out to the public. We have done a few things. We started setting people up at Dairy Days or some of these grand openings where they have booths and they can hand out little flyers. You know, it's great that we made that step, but I think we can do a lot more. And, then, the remaining 2,000 of that is just for our safety program retainer. It's 12,000 dollars a year. For some reason we only had 10,000 in this years current budget. Just the way it was. So, we need to make that right. Enhancement number five is for well rehabilitation. This was something that was recommended to us by -- well, by the water department and our hydro geologist. We are hoping that we can rehab two wells a year. These are the older ones that were built in the late '80s, early '90s. Some of the problems that come up with wells down in the hole -- this isn't the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 92 of163 mechanical stuff necessarily, this is the screen in the casing. We have certain water types that were very aggressive and they will encrust the screen. We can't draw as much water through it. Occasionally, we get a well that will start pumping sand, something that has been due to the filter pack that's out -- that's outside the screen and it will start sucking sand through and we have to rehab that. There are other minor things that can happen down in the hole. And as you can imagine, anytime you pull the roof off, put a crane up and start pulling stuff out and going down that hole, it's rather expensive. So, that's all in an effort to not have to go secure more water rights, but to get the maximum water right that each hole would have. Enhancement number six is something that we -- that we have talked about internally quite a bit. We have -- the only fill station in the city right now is at the water department inside their yard and trucks can come out there and they fill up, they are charged. The other thing they can do is rent these hydrant meters and I think most of the reputable firms do that, but every once in awhile you catch somebody with a hydro wrench just out there filling up their truck or whatever they may be doing. This is just an initial step in a long-term goal of ours to get something located on the south side of the interstate that has an actual fill station where a contractor has like a credit card or something that they can go and buy their water there. That's the initial step. What we would like to do and we will bring it back for discussion in the future, future budget years, is have maybe a satellite spot where we can store some valves, some pipes and meters, so that we don't have guys running across the interstate. Four or five years ago that probably only took 10, 15 minutes, now it's taking -- well, we all know. It's taking some time. So, right now all we are trying to do is find a spot and investigate this fill station. But not the remote office or anything like that or a yard, but we will come back to that if you decide to. No questions? Rountree: Did we ever sell that usable lot on the south side? Watson: In Thousand Springs? Rountree: Yeah. Watson: Yeah. It's really small. It was really only built for a -- I believe an underground booster pump, booster station. What we would like to do is not locate within a residential sub anyway and not have those trucks running through there. My way of thinking, which doesn't always match with other people's way of thinking, is the Bear Creek Park where our well house is, would be great for that. But, then, we have some other problems with vandalism, just aesthetics I'm sure with the park. But something like that that has good access off an arterial or a main collector, not located in on a residential sub would be good. Bird: It's got to be pretty open access for the trucks coming through to fill up, don't it, Brad? Watson: It would have to be. It-- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 93 oft 63 Bird: You wouldn't want it in the middle of some sub or middle of some park. Watson: No. The only thing that was attractive to Bear Creek or about Bear Creek Park is we have Stoddard Road there and it's a pretty major road and we could just pull off and by the well and get back out on the road. But I admit it has some shortcomings as well. Enhancement number seven for the water department is a hundred thousand dollars for some radio read equipment, first of all, and, second, capital for existing wells. The radio read equipment is really just to buy 350 radio read units to go into existing meter kits. As you recall, we bought a starter kit last year. As of January 1 st all new meters are radio read equipped and those fees are being time charged at time of building permit. These 350 will go to fill in some of the gaps in the residential subdivisions that are currently under construction and so that we don't have a block where we have one radio read and, then, a hand read and we will try to get these a little bit more homogenous. At least neighborhood by neighborhood. I think they have done a fairly good job of getting almost all of the commercial retrofitted in the last year. (End of tape three.) Watson: Over a 20 year analysis period on labor savings. Enhancement number eight is 70,000 dollars for water line extensions. That's probably the lowest request for water line extensions we have had in years and years. The reason for that is we will be carrying forward -- let me see here. It looks like 650,000 dollars from '04 and '05 to '06 to complete some of those. Donnell: How much, Brad? Watson: About 650,000 from past budget years. We think. Bird: Is that an accumulation over years? Watson: I think it for the last two years. Donnell: And it just hasn't been able to be extended, because you haven't been able to complete the work fast enough or why? Watson: Some of these projects are associated with the sewer projects, for instance, Black Cat Road, and that was budgeted, but we have to wait for he sewer project to come along. We have budgeted ahead at times too early on ACHD projects. Some of them designated for theirs. Just as an example, we have Locust Grove that's going on right now. We have Ustick in two different places that -- one is under construction, one will be shortly. So, that will eat into that. We have actually completed quite a few water line projects this year, including the Franklin Road, Black Cat stuff. Victory Road over by Bear Creek. A whole lot of Franklin over here by Locust Grove. Eagle Road. And, really, we do put some money in there every year for unknown projects. That was kind of a saving grace several years ago when Silverstone and Citi Corp came to town and, Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 94 ofl63 fortunately, we had the funds in there to allow them to get developed, Okay. Back to the original question. On -- back up. Bird: Do we have any idea, Brad, what year we purchased that in? I can tell you we had it in '92, because it come down to my neighbor Bruce Stewart. Watson: Don said that he came in '88 and it was here then. So, between '79 and '88. Bird: Okay. And what I'm saying is we got 1,769 hours on it. Say we have had it 20 years; right? That's 90 hours a year. That's not very much use; right? Why do we need a backhoe? Why can't we rent one? I know the argument on that, but why -- if we -- if we have had it right -- I'm sure it's right at least 20 years old, we have had it at least 20 years. Rountree: It was used, then, I believe, wasn't it? Bird: It was probably used, then. Yeah. And so I'm saying -- I'm saying that we need to. take a hard look before we go out -- not that if we need it and put on a lot of hours every year, yeah. But if we are not using anymore hours than that, then, I think we need to look at what it would cost us to rent each time. And also is it feasible to have a contractor come out and do what we are -- what are we using it for? I see us hauling it around once in awhile, but that's about it. Watson: No. I'm not sure that's the water department that's getting hauled around. They don't -- Bird: Well, how many backhoes have we got between -- in Public Works? Watson: Wastewater has one out there that they are using and that they are using much more frequently. The availability is a little bit less. We do use private contractors all the time and discussion several years ago that we shouldn't be taking away business from them and we are not. What they have been experiencing lately in this building boom, I guess, is that the availability of -- is not as good as it once was and they are feeling like the costs are maybe -- we are paying for pulling somebody off the job. I can't tell you exactly how many hours they are using it per year. Obviously, less than about 90. The feeling was that if we are an underground utility, you know, we should be able to address our own problems after hours if we have to. We do -- we have been fortunate with the contractors we do have out there, they have been willing to come by and help us to date, but, like I said, there may be a lot of projects going on, too. Bird: My question, too, is you want to -- you know, you want to get rid of it and get a new one for 60,000, but you're going to donate it to the Parks Department. If it's that bad why would we want to donate it within our system? Watson: We put that on everything. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 95 of163 Bird: I know that. We are going to talk about the pickups, too. I just -- I don't know, Brad, just this has been an ongoing discussion all the time on backhoes and equipment like that. I don't know if we want to become a Hood Construction or a Brown Construction or something like that on the deal and these aren't -- these aren't cheap items, they are not cheap items to upkeep or anything else, and stuff on that. If you really feel we need one, I'm with that, but I mean it's hard to -- it's hard when you're using it less than 90 hours a year to justify the expense. That's my personal opinion. But if you feel we need one, I have no -- I have no problem with it, because you're the expert at it. Watson: Well, Jill and I just got this Friday. A little bit. Rountree: You should be really prepared for that question Watson: Yeah. I know and I thought about it. De Weerd: I know. And we didn't put an enhancement because, technically, it was a replacement, but we were going to discuss this. I mean I wasn't trying to hide anything or anything. Bird: No. No. And, Brad, we would never accuse you of that. Watson: I -- to me -- and I told Charlie this, it's a fine line between making sure that we are not taking business away from private industry versus being responsible for equipment and making sure that we have the capability. You know, Monday through Friday, 8:00 to probably 7:00 we can find somebody to take care of these things. It's the nighttime, sometimes the weekend, where it was the Water Department's opinion that we should have that capability. If we don't, we are probably not going to burn down the town, quite honestly. We can round somebody up. It was just a matter of being timely and having a crew that's able to take care of its own facilities or repair its own facilities if it needs it. Bird: Let me ask you a question, Brad. And I'm sure John, knowing the manager, is probably telling how many hours they put a year on their backhoe, how many hours do you do on your backhoe: Watson: Somewhere between two and four hundred. Bird: Two to four hundred out there and we are only putting 90? Isn't that backhoe capable of putting another 90 on it? Watson: It's a 1988. We bought it used. It's got over 4,000 hours, but it's a very good machine. Bird: But if the Water Department needs it after hours and stuff, do you use it after hours, John? I don't know what you use it for. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 200S Page 96 of163 Watson: On occasion we do. Not regularly. Usually it's ~- typically, it's there. The big problem I think is if they put it on a trailer and take our dump truck, they got -- to my knowledge the Water Department and (unintelligible) got a price for everybody else. Bird: You're telling me they are driving it south of the freeway? If they have to on emergency? Watson: If they were to come get ours? Bird: No. No. Theirs. Watson: Theirs? Bird: They have no way of towing theirs. Watson: Correct. Bird: They don't have a trailer and a truck to haul it with. Watson: We do. And they can come and get it at anytime, but they are not licensed to d rive it. Bird: They got to have a -- Shawcroft: CDL. Bird: CDL to drive it. Okay. I just think that we would be smart to look at getting one backhoe between two -- both departments and having a way of doing it. It's a lot -- it don't cost 60,000 to go get CDL's for your Water Department drivers. And I don't -- I'm sure most of them could pass. I just -- for 90 -- less than 90 hours of use, I have a hard time putting out that money. If it was being used four or five hundred hours, like the wastewater, then, I could understand it. Donnell: Well, Brad, let me ask this question. Of those 90, because we have already talked about 60,000 dollars, the fact that if we need to we can rent -- we could rent one, but that's during normal operating hours of that 90 hours, what percentage would you say are emergency after hour situations? Watson: I have no idea. What I have been told -- and if I could ask Don some of those questions, then, I'm sure we could come up -- what I'm being told right now is they don't take it out unless they absolutely have to, because of its reliability. So, they are scrambling to try and find people to come and take care of these problems, because they kept trying to baby this thing along and save it for that time when they absolutely can't get ahold of anybody. I wouldn't even say -- I wouldn't swear to you that they are using it 90 hours a year right now. Those could have been hours in the mid '80s when it Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 97 of163 was in better operating condition. I don't know. I think it's over 20 hours a year right now? Probably not. Rountree: Brad, as we discussed earlier, to me it's about risk and water is critical to our citizens. But to understand the cost versus the risk, a little more information might be helpful. I mean I don't know how many emergency situations we have on an annualized basis. I don't know if there is a trend. It seems to me if the trend was rising, it -- probably we ought to be reducing with the newer infrastructure that we have in place. I mean once it's in and operating and it isn't leaking, we probably ought -- it probably ought to last for a long time. If it does get ruptured or penetrated, it's probably because the contractor on site there is doing it anyway. So, we can get it taken care of by turning the valve off and having them remedy the problem. But I think if our citizens are at risk not having this, then, it's a legitimate expenditure. If the risk is minimal, then, 60,000 dollar front end expense with the significant expense on an annual basis for maintenance and upkeep to keep the thing from becoming what the one is now, is something that people don't want to use. I guess that's the point I would make that if that risk is there, I'm all for it. Watson: Well, I think that's in line and I don't have the data or benchmark to say that, so I guess my recommendation was maybe over the coming year we take another look at it. We gather some of that data and if we think it's warranted, we will bring it back. Rountree: I guess the other comment I would make is that if the piece of equipment we have now is that bad, then, as long as it's still operating and has some value maybe we ought to dispose of it while it still has some value. Bird: Give it to the Parks and let them spend their money on it. Watson: Yeah. Okay. Well, like I said, they baby it along for that time when they absolutely can't find somebody. I would hate to get to that point where we are not -- we are an underground utility and we really don't have any means to get to our own utility -- Rountree: Yeah. Watson: But, anyway, I guess that's what I will offer is we will look at it over this year and do come research and tracking and -- Bird: Brad, can I offer a suggestion? Watson: Yes. Bird: You know, in the construction world and that most companies will have an emergency number that if you need equipment out or something -- I would almost make you a bet there are four or five underground contractors that would be glad to give you emergency -- not that you won't pay, but I'm like -- if that equipment is that bad that Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 98 of163 you're babying it, I really don't know if I want it out there being used by one of our operators if it's a liability. Watson: Well, I think we do have those emergency contact numbers and it usually boils down to a -- where they are -- geographically where they are located. Bird: Yeah. De Weerd: Thank you. Watson: Okay. I think we are done. I think we are done, aren't we? John Shawcroft will do the entirety of the wastewater. Thank you. Shawcroft: As the slide says, we exist, basically, to protect downstream health, you know, the public health, downstream water users and the environment. That's our -- I guess that's what we do. So, enhancementwise, 13,500 for phase one wastewater treatment plant Upgrade. Thirteen million -- excuse me. Not used to working -- Bird: If you get it for 13,000, get the contract. Christine will make a motion to approve. Donnell: I will. Shawcroft: We have been budgeting for this last year. I know some of it has been shunted off to different pipeline projects for sewer work. We have typically been working to get to the hundred percent completion. It's been a -- the project is so massive that I know that Corello was just -- they are inundated with work and so we split it up one to liquid phase and the other the solid phase and liquid phase is getting ready to go. Solid will be following the treatment -- this will get the treatment plant up to capability of nine million gallons a day when we are finished. Right now we are at five million gallons capability. And we are running about -- it will vary from 4.6 to 4.8 million gallons a day. So, we are just right on the edge and on some weekends, like Super Bowl, we exceed that by quite a bit. Fortunately, I have got excellent operators and we have been able to hold the line. Okay. Enhancement two, lift station, 100,000 dollars. That's to repair Mallard Landing and Bear Creek. Start with Bear Creek, because that's the one fondest to my mind. Bear Creek -- the problem we have with it is it's got pumps in it that are 240 volt single phase and we are getting a lot of debris and trash from the park, so we want to go to three phrase pumps and upgrade it to something that will pass what we are getting in to take care of that. Mallard Landing is just an old lift station, it's been here since before I was here. Donnell: Where is Mallard Landing? Shawcroft: Mallard Landing is just south of the intersection of Linder and Franklin on the southeast corner. Bird: Are we going to a three phrase in all the new lift stations now? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 2S, 200S Page 99 of163 Shawcroft: Well, we have gone to three phase every chance we get. It's just that in some areas it's not available. Bird: Oh, it isn't available. Shawcroft: It isn't like Gregory Lift Station, which is in the old part of town, we have single phase, and it's just -- to get three phase in there is just not -- Bird: But where we can we are going with three -- Shawcroft: Yeah. Every chance we get we put three phase in. Bird: Good. Shawcroft: Now, what's interesting with Bear Creek is they do have three phase on the water well that we -- and I think there was a choice there. I don't know who was the engineer, but -- Bird: We will blame it on Idaho. It had to be an Idaho graduate. Shawcroft: Enhancement three is consulting. Sewer modeling. It's not my bag, but I know it needs done. Have the water rights protection for the treatment plant is something that -- with water rejuvenation is that right coming along, it could be a bargaining chip or we may actually end up using it as water reuse. So, got to take care of that. Seminars. Training. It's Aspire-On. It's a continuation of the work they have done so far. I think that one is definitely well worth with the funding that we have given it so far to date. De Weerd: John, can I ask you on the reuse. Have we looked any further into that? Is Meridian looking at that direction at some point? Shawcroft: I think we are going to have to. Right now we have got Tim Burr just doing a little study to see the feasibility before we proceed farther. So, I know that's ongoing. Bird: And that's putting a plan like Boise water did? Shawcrott: Basically, no, what they -- you do is you claim water to what's called Title Two cleanliness. There is certain criteria that -- like your fecal count has to be below 2.2 per thousand or -- but it's actually not quite potable water use standards, but you can use it to wash your car, use it to water your lawn, golf courses, parks, that kind of thing. So, it's publiC contact safe, it's just not drinking water. Bird: And the one they -- the new one they did is potable water, isn't it? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25. 2005 Page 100 of163 Shawcroft: It's drinking water, yes. And the cost to get drinking water is up significantly. You know, it has jumped. Basically, what we do is we take our treatment plant effluent and we polish it and get to the point that it meets the requirement and put it in a separate pipe line and use it in other areas. We could water Spur Wing. Bird: Could we -- could we put on a pressurized system and water old Meridian -- Old Town? Shawcroft: With the pipe line expenditure, yes, we can do that. If DEO relaxes the guidelines -- the guidelines are right now that you have to have a certain buffer zone a hundred feet from a residence to where you can use it, which is why we don't water Cherry Lane. Bird: I see. Shawcroft: Five hundred feet from a water well, those kinds of things, but they are looking at relaxing those. If they go to a drip irrigation system, which is under the ground and, then, a lot of it goes away, so -- but if you're going to be areosoling it, putting it up like a sprinkler, then, those apply, but I know that it is being looked at by DEO. Bird: Boy, that would be nice to do. Shawcroft: Okay. Four. Yes. Kilchenmann: On the Aspire-On training that you have, the extra 15,000, is that something that would be covered by that new amount that Bill is proposing or -- Shawcroft: I know the answer to that one. I'm sorry. I talked to -- oh, he left. Mr. Nary, right before we came in here, I noticed that yesterday afternoon, too, that they had some in there. I asked him if I was in effect double dipping. He said he didn't think so, that that was more for overall city type training. That if we wanted to do anything separate we should keep it in there, but it would still be managed through his office. Kilchenmann: Okay. Watson: There was some in the engineering budget as well for this. Kilchenmann: Because half of that amount, that's in the general fund, will get transferred to you. So, you will have -- like you will have 32,000, plus 15,000 for engineering. Watson: Right. And this particular enhancement, the whole 15 is not just Aspire-On; I think only five of that was supposed to be Aspire-On, unless I'm wrong. Bird: And, then, the water at five, didn't they -- Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 101 of163 Donnell: Yes. Uh-huh. Shawcroft: I hope that answers that. Bird: Thank you, John. Shawcroft: Enhancement four is 150,000 to do something with Five Mile Creek flow structure. It's in our permit that we monitor and record how much flow is in the creek, because that's our primary discharge, and we have to prove that we are meeting the criteria under the permit based on the dilution. Having constructed the outfall in there and some other things, that structure has settled a little bit and we have been unable to calibrate it accurately with any kind of degree of certainty as to what it is. So, what we are hoping to do is not have to replace that structure, but maybe alter it a little bit and get it to where we can get a good number. Bird: Is that structure out at the plant? Shawcroft: It's the one that's actually in Five Mile Creek where have our outfall. Yeah. Bird: Okay. That's-- Shawcroft: The outfall is just right downstream of it. Okay. Enhancement number five, 80,000 dollars for sludge truck repair. We -- right now we dewater our bio-solids and we put it on a slinger truck and we take it out and what it is -- it's like a big manure spreader and it flings it out on the farm ground and the farmers use it as a soil conditioner and a fertilizer. Donnell: Oh, my word. Shawcroft: We have had this truck originally since 1977 and we have done the maintenance, done the repair work, but it's just old and worn out. But with the solids portion of the phase one construction, when we get a dryer we won't use that truck much. So, having looked at it -- replacement for -- on a new one is 200,000, but it doesn't seem to make much sense to purchase it, park it, and quit using it, except intermittently. So, we just want to make the old one road worthy, kind of like an old fire truck. Donnell: 80,000 dollars to redo it? Shawcroft: Enhancement six. It's 200,000 dollars for odor control at the wastewater treatment plant. I know the odor and noise assessment that was done estimated at five million dollars to do the whole treatment plant and, fortunately, we don't have a lot of close neighbors yet, but it will be coming and so we do need to have the need to start for the liquid phase. The solids, of course, will have some built in. But that is just a start. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 102 of163 Donnell: So, am I to understand that we haven't had any kind of odor and noise control? Shawcroft: Basically that's the truth. Yes. We have not to date. It used to be out in the middle of the farm ground and the nearest subdivision was a mile and a half away and it really was not much of an issue. But it is beginning to be so. Donnell: Is that the one that's out on Ten Mile? Is that the one you're talking about? Shawcroft: Yes. Donnell: They should have -- the neighbors should have let the buses park there. They wouldn't have cared about -- Shawcroft: Yeah. I actually thought they would have been a great neighbor. I was sorry to see them not get that. Donnell: Yes. Shawcroft: Enhancement seven is 1.2 million dollars for land purchase around the treatment plant. It's to provide additional buffers for the noise and the odors and to perhaps, if need be, use it for plant expansion in the future. Bird: How many acres do you think that-- Shawcroft: Brad, do you know? Bird: What is that, Brad, we were talking about? Watson: I think 20. Bird: How much? Watson: Twenty. Bird: Yeah. It's on the north side, isn't it? Watson: We are not totally sure, but -- Bird: Oh. Okay. Watson: We haven't actually been able to even negotiate. Bird: Oh. Okay. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 103 of163 Shawcroft: It's just been kind of a casual conversation to date. Bird: Smart move. Smart move. Shawcroft: Okay. Enhancement number eight. Five million dollars to do the north Black Cat Trunk and lift station. Bring it into the wastewater. Bird: Is that Chinden down to Quenzer? Shawcroft: Beg your pardon? Bird: Chinden to Quenzer? Shawcroft: I believe that's the one. Bird: Is that it? All right. And you plan on -- is this just engineering or is this the -- Watson: Construction lift station. Trunk line. Pressure drain. Bird: How about -- this don't include the lift station at Quenzer or does that include the lift station? Oh, great. Donnell: Good. Shawcroft: Okay. Enhancement number nine, 50,000 dollars for plant repairs. Okay. Boise River out fall pump station. The original pump station built in 1978 has got 1978 pneumatic valves and controls in that system and we cannot find parts for it, so we need to replace those valves and the control system. The pumps themselves are pretty good, so -- Bird: You can actually do that with the pumps. You can actually replace them with newer models? I mean add newer models to it? Shawcroft: The values? Bird: The values and stuff. Shawcroft: Yeah. Yeah. You actually can break the connection, because they are actually in line. Bird: Oh. Okay. Shawcroft: And so the pneumatic is up here and you just pull them out, put a new one in, and -- but it's got to be a different style. Bird: You don't have to replace the whole works. Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 104 of163 Shawcroft: Well, the interesting thing about the Boise River out fall is that its by permit when we reach certain conditions we are required to pump in the Boise River, but it's only a 14 inch pipe line. So, in the old days we could pump the whole plant that way, but now it only takes a portion of -- I think it's been estimated about 18 million dollars to upgrade that pump station and the pipe line. Bird: All the way to the Boise River? Shawcroft: Yeah. Get it all the way down there. And, basically, right now we are just using this. We can do a portion. We can do about four and a half million gallons or not even that much. I think it's three or two or something. Not a lot. But with permits we do it. Enhancement ten, eight thousand dollars just to replace some laboratory equipment and an imagining -- thermal imaging camera. The laboratory incubator was one that had been purchased before the new lab went in and we just got the last of the use out of it. It just got old. The thermal imaging camera right now we have a contractor that comes out from Pocatello once a year, does all the water department equipment, all the wastewater department equipment, and what they do is they go and they open all the electrical panels and they do take a picture of it and it shows where all the hot spots are. But, you know, what you got to fix before it actually goes down. We are finding that once a year is a really good thing, but it doesn't tell you anything in between. So, if you're going to go out and you want to know why this pump is doing what it's doing, it's just one more tool to help us. So, enhancement eleven is 8,000 dollars for a mule and we have two on hand right now. They are very useful. They carry two people and an 800 pound payload. You get about 60 miles to the gallon. It's really good for in-plant use. Instead of taking a pickup to do a job, they take these mules, so -- Bird: This isn't a replacement one, is it? Shawcroft: No. This is an additional. Bird: Okay. Shawcroft: Like I say, we have two now and they are still going strong. And we were going to buy another pickup or asked to buy another pickup and decided this is probably more cost effective. Donnell: Sounds like a four-wheeler to me. Shawcroft: It's close. Only it's got a steering wheel. Bird: They are nice. Shawcroft: They are nice. Bird: If you had one to give away, give it to the park, because I knew where to get it to. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 105 of163 Donnell: Anna -- oh, we are going to give it to Anna? Okay. Get her a mule? Shawcroft: And that's all the enhancements that I had. It's a little comment I know we, too, are asking to replace the pickup, but it's got a hundred thousand plus miles on it. Bird: How many miles? Shawcroft: Hundred thousand plus. When I actually -- Bird: You're donating it to the parks? Shawcroft: Yeah. They seem to be able to coax so much more from a little bit-- Watson: After they put more into it than a new one costs. Shawcroft: Yeah. But-- Donnell: Well, I think that was quite enough. You're spending a lot of money. Shawcroft: We are spending a lot of money. Bird: Brad, before we get off the wastewater, what did you say when this phase is going to be done, 2007 or -- Watson: Yeah. It will be several different time periods. The liquid portion is -- which is the one that we will bid soonest, is estimated to be done in '07, and the solid for it says mid '08 here, but, hopefully, we can move that up to the winter of 07-08. Bird: Okay. And, then, on your Black Cat Trunk, what's the estimate on that to be? A year, year and a half, two years? Watson: We just got a new schedule from JUB this morning. They estimated August '07. Bird: And that would include the lift station and -- Watson: Yeah. It would, but the thing that was pointed out to me is that there are four or five months involved in easement negotiations there. If the local developer in that area can secure those easements quickly, like next week, then, we can shave some time off of that project. The main thing that I want to emphasize -- and I think I put it on the slide -- is we can't turn that thing on until the plant is upgraded. It's going to be a little bit of a rodeo next summer getting that plant through and John knows it. We have discussed it. We have talked about temporary measures that will get us through that summer, but that's when our peak flows are, August, September. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 106 of163 Bird: Is it going to affect our DEQ test or anything like that? Is there a chance that we could lose some of our beyond the point of getting in trouble with our licensing and stuff with this .. as we are doing this? Watson: These guys are always good enough that they take measures to get through. We think this summer is going to be -- we are all set for it. We are looking at the tankage in the plant and I think there is some things we can do, like some additions of some chemicals to get us through. So, we will be chemically treating instead of biologically like the one we do. But with any luck at all we should get through. Yeah. But if we don't, we have very good rapport with EPA and DEQ, and they understand that we are under construction. The likelihood is that, yes, we will be out of permit, but we will report it and tell them actions we are taking. And in the past that's proven to be enough. And the other side of that, I guess, is we are operating on a permit that is expired in November of 2004. We have a letter from EPA saying go ahead and operate on that existing permit until we get back to you. And we don't know when that might happen. So, it's all kind of guesswork. Watson: Could they change the standards on us to license, John, do you think? Shawcroft: They are going to change the standards. I know that TMD is also coming down there on some other issues out there and heavy metals and stuff and I'm sure we are going to see some changes, yes. Bird: Knowing you guys, I know you're prepared for it, so. Shawcroft: We sure hope we are. Bird: And I appreciate that. No. No. I know -- I know you are prepared for it and it's something that I'm glad you guys are on top of it. Shawcroft: Thank you. Bird: Thank you very much. Watson: And just a clarification for the unfamiliar with wastewater chemical treatment is not a long-term solution. It's very expensive and it has side-effects, but it's enough to get us through certain permit periods. So, that's why it's not what we are going to do permanently. Just going to touch on one question on the water reuse without going into a whole lot of detail. This water use is tied to our water right strategy long term and maybe at some future meeting we can go over a little more detail in how that's going to work. But we are going forward with that wastewater reuse. Anyway, I think that's all I have. I appreciate the time as usual and I'm sorry we went over. I should have not picked up the backhoe, I guess. But I appreciate your comments. De Weerd: You can't control that one. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 107 of163 Watson: No. Appreciate your comments. Those are very good questions. And I - especially for right after lunch, so -- thank you. Bird: Thank you, Brad. De Weerd: Thank you all for coming. Steve, we are going to take a five-minute break. (Recess.) 2:00 pm Police Department De Weerd: Okay. We will go ahead and introduce Chief and let him begin his presentation. Musser: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, thank you for allowing us to-- De Weerd: And we are informal. Musser: Oh. We are being informal today. Okay. De Weerd: However, you look really nice. Musser: But we have a budget presentation for you today. This is for our FY 2006 budget. And we will move forward on it. Our budget again is -- in the past is focused towards meeting the confines of our department mission statement and also moving forward and towards -- in terms of the city's new mission statement and our core values and we have some old strategic planning items that we have geared around, but they also fall into our current focus areas that we are working on as well this year. So, with that in mind we will go ahead and move forward towards our first total of enhancements that we submitted, in total 11. The meeting with the Mayor on this, we are able to whittle this down to where would we end up presenting you with a total of eight enhancements. So, we dropped from our initial request of over a million down to 825,927 dollars. Out of that we also were able to get some savings by looking at our number one priority, which is patrol officers, a total of nine. And we separated those out, asking for six in October and developing some savings by asking for the remaining three on that enhancement in July. That cost savings goes -- the total on that section was 127,135 dollars, which I understand from the accounting, helped them get us to where we needed to be in a little bit better position in presenting the budget today. So, that we were in the black, if I remember correctly, on that. Is that right; Stacy? Kilchenmann: Yeah. Musser: Okay. So, overall, we were able to whittle ours down by 293,000 and looking again at eight. And, again, our largest component overall for our budget is in terms of personnel, which is a significant amount. Go to the next slide, would you? Okay. The Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 108 of163 adjustments that we had -- we had a second detective. We pulled that. We are going to be taking a look at doing some workload surveys within the next year, so we can see where we are at and justify bringing an additional detective in. I'm pretty sure I will probably be standing here before you again, but, hopefully, I will be much better armed at that time when I come in with some definite data to support bringing on the other detective. We also pulled two records clerks. That's the third bullet down. We feel that the records -- the records workload will be going up with the addition of nine officers in this year, coupled with just the general growth in the city overall. The other thing that we are looking at with those two records clerks that we will be pursuing in the next fiscal year, but not in this request year, is also opening up our records function, so that it continues through to about 2:00 in the morning. So, I don't have supervisors coming in having to make the NCIC entries that they are doing now on the computers and that type of personnel staffing in the office should help us out a little bit in the future here. Overall, as the second bullet states, we stretched out the hiring of those nine officers, so that we could post a savings to the Council and be able to help bring our budget in line a little bit better. Next slide, please. This one here is kind of a nice black and white representation of our city limits, and the reason why I have this up here is attempting to make our goal in pushing forth for those nine officers that we need, the City of Meridian is, basically, stretched out over 34 square miles. That doesn't mean we have all of those areas covered in there, but that means we have a patrol response in general now covering 34 square miles of city. And we really are a police department keeping our fingers crossed at this point that we won't be picking up a whole lot more out south or to the southwest real soon as we meet the goals on this enhancement. I know that's coming, though. But what this will do is it drops us from where we are at right now with our coverage. Currently, it's one officer of the nine patrol officers through this next fiscal year, should it be approved, will put us in a position where we will have one officer for every 4.5 square miles, which leaves us a half of a square mile off of the original goal, which was to get to four or less. So, we are excited on that, on being able move forward in that direction. This allows us to move forward with increasing our patrol strength in general in the community. It will help keep our response times down. May well improve them as well, because we are pushing the five minute envelope right now. We haven't gone significantly over four minutes, but, you know, I feel that we are still pushing that envelope. So, that this will help us out, because we will have officers more on a centralized basis in those sectors. It also increases the number of officers we have responding to the lesser calls for service. Right now there are times, because of the demand that we have out there, where people do have to wait for an officer to respond to them to take a report. We are also looking to do some other improvements, such as some web-based reporting as well to also help out with that function. And I think we are finally making some progress, as long as IT isn't too swamped here as of late. Okay. The main key here is that we are looking to improve our customer service, build our organizational excellence, and provide better access to accountability through problem solving by having officers assigned more on a neighborhood basis and being responsible for things going on in their specific neighborhoods. And you see that that's the major portion of our budget in terms of it being almost six hundred thousand dollars on this request. Priority number two was a school resource officer. And what we are looking here is in partnership with the Meridian School District, who has come back and Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 109 of163 decided that they do need our services after all, and have completed a contract that was retro back to January of this year for the current services that they have, we are going to expand it out so we have another officer covering the two middle schools that aren't currently receiving a lot of coverage at this time. In doing that, in meeting with the school district, we noticed that we are also getting a lot more for our services in terms of what we were able to sit down and negotiate. As you will notice there, our last contract from 2003 to 2004 was 142,000 and that covered seven SRO's. We are talking about four SRO's now and we are looking at a 152,000 dollars in terms of what the school district is committing out to us. And they have our already committed to us and I do have the contract signed by the assistant director and one of the board members at this time, which is basically contingent upon having this enhancement approved by the Council. So, that we can bring forth that contract in and have action on it for the Mayor's signature as well. So, that takes us up to a total of ten people right now in terms of where we are looking to staff the -- (End of side one, tape four.) Musser: -- and as we move to priority number three, we get into some of the lesser ones. One issue that we had in terms of transition study that the Mayor had as she came into office and as a result of further survey with the department members as well, was improving the access to community through cell phone usage. What we have done at this point, because of command staff being able to get messages readily, if we are in the office or out of the office we are looking at the Blackberry telephone, which is a combination PDA. It's an e-mail receiver and a telephone, plus it has a radio page feature on it and it allows us to do a multitude of things as command staff, including being in contact with folks and should I be out of town or one of the other lieutenants or the captain be out of town, we still have some good communication that way. One of the things that we have noticed as we have been testing two of them this year is that we do need a Blackberry server. This server comprises a good portion of our cost on this request here if I remember correctly, approximately, what, 4,000 dollars on that one, John? Approximately 4,000 on that alone. It is another computer -- piece of computer equipment. There are 20 licenses that also come with this, so we would have room to also allow for expansion out to the Fire Department through this format should they choose to move that direction or any other city department, if they felt they had a need on this. And, then, on the overall majority of it is moving into the next telephone component going away from our T ~Mobile phone component that we are on right now and making Nextels available to all of our supervisors out in the field, so that they all have a consistent phone and it will have the radio page feature on it and the other thing that makes it consistent here for us is it's also consistent with what Boise City is currently operating with and the Ada County Sheriff's Department, as well as a number of the Garden City members as well. So, this way we get a little better communication. Nextel has also had a blocked out emergency number account, which does save us money by going onto this emergency account, emergency number account, and it did safe us some money there on it as well. And, then, it also includes a stipend for officers' personal phones at 25 dollars a month for the patrol officers. They were currently out in the field as we felt overall this was probably a better approach and a better use of the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 110 of163 city money from the taxpayers in terms of being able to outfit the vehicles with the phones, because almost -- I want to say probably 95 percent of our officers at this point already carry personal cell phones on them and my recent trip back to Los Angeles last October one, of the items that attended was a study review on cell phones in patrol cars and they had three options at that time. Either we buy them outright and give them to the officers to use, try to track that. We out fit them in the car so that there is one in each one of the cars. Or we look at a stipend to provide them for those personal phones that they already carry. Overwhelmingly, the stipend was the most favorable program and for a number of reasons. They found that the cars that were -- or the phones that were issued out to cars in particular were often down, because nobody took any ownership for them, and if something happened to them, there was a failure to report, so those phones spent more time being down than they did being up and running and useful for the officers in the field. The ones where they were issuing phones out to the officers, they found that most of the time they wouldn't answer their official phone, because they also had a private phone with them and they would be answering private phones. But they wouldn't answer the business phone. So, this way they have got their private phone, which they are going to answer anyway, and they found by giving them a stipend, then, it accommodates having to use it for business purposes as well. So, I thought that was a rather interesting study and gave a good perspective on the cell phone issue. Donnell: May I interrupt you, Chief? Musser: Yes. Donnell: Why go the Blackberry route? Tell me again -- did I miss something there on why you would get three of the Blackberries, which, then, requires the server and the monthly service? Musser: Well, currently we are already using two of the Blackberries. I have one, as does Captain Overton, and what I have found on the Blackberries is if I'm out of town or say if I'm at home or in the vicinity of the Treasure Valley in particular, I have been on meeting runs this week, this allows me to stay in instant contact bye-mail with the department and with the server. I can open up attachments that I'm not able to now. I can also return e-mails back to people and have that type of communication, too. Donnell: Would you consider that a luxury? Musser: At this point I don't really consider it a luxury, because normally I pack my laptop with me if I go out of town and if I'm out for an extended period and what I have been finding there is on an average it usually costs me almost 20 dollars to plug in to access through any motel in order to be able to do it and, then, I'm not always successful on being able to get routed in. So, I can pickup and get that type of information. It's a luxury, yes, in that I can stay in constant contact with the department, but I also find that a necessity, too, with the way we are growing, with the amount of stuff and change and the potential for emergency situations to occur here, to be caught Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 111 of163 up in real time, so to speak. And I think that's in an important function there. It also allows us the cross-communication with Ada County and Boise City, who are also currently employing the same type of technology. Bird: Chief? Musser: Yes. Bird: Is this 328 -- is this a one-time enhancement? I know there is a yearly cost of the stipends and stuff, but the 328 is a one time -- once you get the server and everything you're pretty well set up? Musser: Actually, it's a combination of costs on there, Councilman Bird. Let me grab my sheet here real quick and I can give you a breakdown on it. On the cost that we have associated with this one time expenditure are what we are looking at is -- roughly 19,000 dollars of this is a one time expenditure and we have a year-to-year expenditure of at least 14,300 dollars is going to continue forward. So, it's not quit half in terms of where we are at. It's a little over the half mark for a one-time purchase here on it. And as I said, too, with the licensing issues and that type of thing, if the fire department feels a need to also look at this type of technology, there would be some access there or any other city department, Public Works or the Clerk Office, anybody like that, or even the Council. It just depends on the investments that you want to go look at it. We feel it's a smart move for the money at this point, but we do realize that it is a little bit more costly than what we have been doing. Bird: And these go to all sworn officers right? Musser: No. The Blackberries go to all command staff. So, from the rank of lieutenant and above is where we are looking at the Blackberries going. Bird: Oh. Musser: The Nextel phones. The Nextel phones themselves will go out to all of the supervisors, rank of sergeant or say our records supervisor, would have access to a regular Nextel phone, but they could also use as a radio page feature, too. Our detectives are currently using the Nextels, but this expands it out into our patrol supervisor ranks as well. Bird: What about the regular patrol? Musser: Regular patrol we are looking at the stipend for them. The 25 dollars a month on their personal cell phones they will use those for business purposes and they are looking at the 25 dollars a month for those phones that they use when they are on duty. Bird: They don't have to be Nextel. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 112 ofl63 Musser: They don't have to be a Nextel. We had a number of them that just bought Nextel, because they opened up a special purchase for law enforcement or government personnel and we had -- that was, what, two weeks ago, the Nextel presentation, two or three weeks ago -- two to three weeks ago over at the police department we had a number of employees that did purchase Nextel phones at that time we have some that already had Nextel and, of course, others have a different type of phone. Donnell: So, your expectation is that your supervisor won't ignore any of the phone calls with the department purchased phones, just -- Musser: They better not. Otherwise, we will be paging them, finding out why they have done that with the supervisor. Donnell: Will they have a pager, too? Musser: They have a pager, because right now we have to be on the county page bridge in order to push through on our Blackberries. That's another thing that we can move away from is that county page bridge, because they are still carrying a pager as well. Bird: Thank you. Musser: And, then, priority number four is CID digital cameras and Leads Online. I will cover Leads Online first. This is a new computerized format that Boise city in particular is using for tracking pawned property and helps them determine whether or not they have got stolen property in and that type of stuff. And it is a system that's come on that they are looking at where it digitizes all of their pawned tickets in. And in order for us to stay in communication, we need to follow pretty much the same type of format and look at our local pawnshops also entering into this program where they enter their pawn property into the computer. And if we can get them to move that direction, then, it makes it paperless for all of us and we have a better ease to be able to track this in terms of stolen property and find out who has been pawning what around the valley. Because we have a number of people that will go over to Boise and pawn over there at certain pawn shops, as opposed to pawning here, and by the same token, Boise experiences every once in awhile we have a few folks that come here to pawn items. And this just allows us to better track it and with the AS 400 Server that's currently on line with the records management system, it -- the Ada County Sheriff's Office, most everything that we do with pawn tickets in tracking of them now has to be done by hand. The old format, they still put it in by hand into the AS 400, but it doesn't give us a real good data base for what we are looking at, which is, obviously, why Boise City moved away from it and sometimes we are stuck to, you know, following Boise with what they do when they improve on things, just so we can stay in the communication loop with them. So, then, the digital cameras we also have one good working digital camera in CID at this time. And what they are looking at is expanding that out, because we are finding ourselves at times being out at multiple locations on multiple incidents. So, it's nice to have more than just one good camera and when I talk about a good camera, we Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 113 of163 are talking about one with interchangeable lens, that's capable of taking real good detailed photos or macro photography of fingerprints or small evidence, that type of stuff. And priority number five is our partnership with the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the SWAT Team; currently have two members there. We are looking to allow access for another two members to join that force and this enhancement basically covers the equivalent to be necessary through the next year as we get them trained and ready to go. Our first two members are now able to respond out with Ada County. It's been approximately a year that we have been working with them on this program. And those original two members are now starting to be able to respond out and participate with the team, having gone through most of the training this year, and gotten used to the operations and all. So, that 9,700 dollars that we have there, basically, is all equipment related for them and the majority of that cost would be in terms of the specialized vests that we issue out to SWAT officers. And, then, moving onto priority number six, a patrol smart board. This is a rear projection computer and kind of a monitor board all rolled into one. What we are looking at on this is in terms of moving forward with our crime mapping and putting up our crime statistics for patrol, this gives us a better realtime look at what's been going on from one shift to another and it also allows us to be able to do some interactive training and in the briefing setting as the officers are attending their daily patrol briefing. It's more technology. And I guess hit the question right here up front, it may be another luxury in terms, but it also gives our officers a little bit better and faster idea of what's been going on in the city as they develop their responses as they go out on their patrol for the evening. Because each one of the squads comes in, goes through a briefing at the start of their shift, they can look at what they are doing and they can start doing some tactical planning, looking at problem solving, and what areas need to be worked on in town. And that's part of the reason why we are moving towards this board. Another issue that comes in on this is as we move forward in our emergency management planning for the city, this type of technology will become something that we want to have throughout the city, so it helps us plan or be able to direct resources in times of an emergency event should that ever happen. Knock on wood that it won't, so Wardle: Chief, if I can interrupt just for just a second. When the chief and I discussed this enhancement, I had the same question as whether that was a luxury. It was explained to me that the capabilities of this board will allow for a number of things. One, which I thought was important from a law enforcement aspect, and that is the ability to save what is on the screen and add that into the evidence, add it into staff training, add it into all of the things that the police department needs to do to keep records of what they have been discussing and what is on the board. So, I thought that was important. Musser: Thank you for bringing that up, Councilman Wardle. Okay. And building number seven is related to our building security down at the department again. And I know a number you have seen this one a number of other times before. I think this is our third time on the request. What we are looking at on this is being able to outfit the perimeter cameras of the police department and, then, having an upgraded recorded system that will record activities in and around the police department, in particular after hours. And we did have a specific request and I believe that was from Councilman Bird, Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 114 of163 if I remember correctly on it, to specifically look at homeland security grants. We have not been able to find anything that would cover our infrastructure. However, in looking for some of those grants, though, I think we did pretty well, because we were able to help get the water department pointed towards a security gate -- or not the water department, but wastewater treatment pointed towards a security gate as part of our search for monies available here. But what they were looking for was relatively unprotected and key areas, such as water, wastewater treatment, any type of generating formats within cities, as opposed to just police departments. So, we did hunt for them, but we didn't see it. So, we brought it back again this year on it, so -- and we appreciate your patience. And, then, priority number eight is our 11th person in total for what we are looking at in the department. This is a criminal Investigation investigator. This will add one more investigator to our detective division right now. Allows us to maintain our current level of service as this community grows. And as our cases become more sophisticated, we have a number of them that tie up a couple of our key detectives at this point for long periods of time. We do currently still have one homicide that is pulling a lot of time from one of our major case investigators. He is still working on that, it is still an active case. We also participate with the county wide critical incident task force and it seems like every time that Meridian is up to be the one to take the lead on these things we get some of the hairier cases that are out there, if you will pardon the expression. So, it does keep us busy for a number of months at a time and in the meantime we don't want our level of service to be impacted by also, you know, fulfilling our other obligations out there. And as the city has grown, so has our need for another investigator. We are looking at being able to ease into this position, though, so to speak, by looking at bringing this position on in July of this upcoming fiscal year. Part of the reason to do that was to help a cost savings overall and also because of the request for the officers that are coming on for patrol. Before I can promote anybody, I got to get some of those new ones trained, and this allows us the ability to run a number of new officers through field training before we look at an experienced officer moving up into a criminal investigation position and my lieutenant begrudgingly agreed to that and he knows he can work it out in the meantime until he gets there and he also knows that we weren't totally forgetting this year. Bird: Chief, in other words, this guy -- I was going to ask you and you answered the promotion from within. But also the nine replacements you're asking for is -- takes care of this one replacement that's going to be advanced, the officer that's going. Musser: No. Actually, this is for a whole new body that will -- Bird: You're going to put on another new patrol officer to replace this officer that's moved up. Musser: Essentially, that's what's going to happen on it, Councilman. Bird: So, in other words, instead of getting nine, you're asking for ten officers. Musser: Actually, asking for a total of 11, because -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 115 of163 Bird: Well, I know that-- Musser: Because the SRO was the same position. We have to bring in an experienced officer up and, of course, replace that one with a new body. So, everything that we have looked at we have tried to bring it down to the bottom line, rather than promoting it up. We need the bodies to replace, because patrol is still a priority for the coverages that we need out in the city. Bird: Thank you. Musser: And, then, the final slide that we should have on this should deal with our capital replacement. Threw this down at the end, rather than put it at the beginning, like we did last year. We have three marked patrol units that are due for replacement. We are estimating the vehicle replacement cost on those with the change of equipment and all at 36,000 dollars each. And, then, we have an unmarked detective car at 18,500, that we are going to be looking at there. And, initially, we had two other unmarked units, but we opted to keep those on for another year and just roll out one of our units at this time. And I think that -- if I remember correctly, parks are jumping up and down for a chance to get ahold one of our unmarked, so that's probably where our unmarked replacement will be going. De Weerd: Parks is just a recipient. Musser: Now, just on an offhand site, too, I had a couple of folks that asked me if I could ask for a backhoe in this, too, but I told them I didn't know how I could justify that. Donnell: Yeah. Bird: You might as well. You'd probably put as many hours on it as -- Musser: No. I don't have any backhoes. And as far as our enhancements that you received, that completes our presentation in that regard. However, I do have one other item. See -- did you get those copied? Okay. The other item I wanted to let you be aware of, as we have been working, this K9 building in a partnership with Hubble Homes and a number of other construction folks here in town, we were able to get a cost breakdown in general on where we are at. Now, I'm not real happy with the format that we got from Bob Ross over at Ross and Falash Construction, but they have been basically helping us manage this construction project. At this point, though, between the first half of the second page, we do have total commitment from Hubble and a number of other folks, Masco and Idaho Concrete, I believe, was the other one. And a couple of other folks as well. And where Hubble is in there it doesn't mean that they are doing all the work, necessarily. Hubble has decided to go ahead and commit over 60,000 dollars worth of cash to this project, too. So, they fronted some money on that when it's talking about Hubble Homes in there. We have enough at this point to lay down the foundation, get the infrastructure, plumbing, and the basics to the building, put Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 116 ofl63 up the walls, and put a roof over it. What we have to look at is the finish work from there and that's when we are running into a little bit of a sticky problem in getting the donations up, because the first question that's been asked of Bob as he moves forward and makes contact with these folks, after he and Gary Scheihing have a meeting with them is that, well, how much is the city willing to put forth on this. And at this point, after having a meeting with them here two weeks ago, what we are looking at was whether or not the city would be willing to commit 60,000 dollars as an up-front cost that would be available there in terms of having something that's sitting out in front of folks that are willing to donate. So, we could move forward with the project and know that we could get it finished on the interior. I had a brief discussion with Stacy and Reta on this, so I could make sure that I wasn't thoroughly confused, like I was to begin with, where we might have some of that money. Stacy advised that there probably wouldn't be monies available for that amount out of the Capital Improvement Fund at this point and that 60 wouldn't be bad and she felt it would be proper to look at bringing it forth and ask Council about it in terms of lining this up for -- for the 2006 fiscal year. So, that's my little surprise, I brought forth for you this year on it. It doesn't hit a General Fund item per se, but it would be 60,000 moving towards this building. If you look at the back page at the very back, what they have done is on the back page, the second to the back page, I guess. No. It's unmarked with the page numbers. Page three of four. They have an estimate on this building as ranging about 297,791 dollars and they feel at this, point moving to the very back section on it, that we have commitments that we are relatively sure of, which doesn't mean that are guaranteed, but we are relatively sure of it to move us to the 259,934 mark. Now, Hubble has admitted that they have a little bit more wiggle room on where they are at on it. But I also believe where this is benefiting the City of Meridian, that maybe we should have a little bit of a part on it, too, in terms of the 60,000, but I present that for Council, because it's ultimately your decision in terms - - because we haven't broken ground or done anything else yet at this point and my goal was to do as much as -- in terms of the contributions through people that were interested in doing it as possible without impacting the city. Bird: Madam Mayor? De Weerd: Uh-huh. Bird: Or Tammy. Chief, I -- you know, you have got a lot of donations here like in the concrete stuff, that concrete is a daily rise in cost, and when do they get to the limit they are not going to donate. And that's what scares me. I'm not too sure that -- that we don't need to get that figure out, how we can get that 60,000 going right now, so we can get this, because costs are -- in the construction field are just going wild. Musser: When we met two weeks ago, Councilman Bird, that was one of the issues we discussed, is where we are going with the concrete. Apparently, the concrete is available and Hubble does have access to concrete contractors that they have already talked to and they have made a commitment to move through and if we can do this, knowing where we are going to be going into this next fiscal year, they are ready to go out and start foundation work on it now. We are just trying to finalize this in, because Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 117 of163 one of our concerns is if we pour it and start the walls and get it a roof on this thing, is we want to be able to ultimately finish the building and not just have a shell standing there. Bird: You got to be dried in before November. Musser: Right. And they have a time table where they feel that they can get that done before that November time limit on it. Bird: But if we have to pay for concrete with -- you know, if they are doing the labor, the pour to put the foundation and stuff in, if we have to pay for it, I mean the longer we wait, the more it's going to cost. Musser: Yes, it will. We do have a -- Bird: It looks like we got a donation of it. Musser: Yeah. Bird: It's not only concrete, it's everything that's going in construction that's going up, from what the contractors are telling me. I don't know. De Weerd: Council, I guess I would mention, too, when we were looking at the revenue, there was no money put in from the school district, so the amount of -- the chief brought to you today has not been figured in. Bird: From the school are they putting in some revenue? De Weerd: 152,000. Musser: SRO. Bird: Oh, from the SRO. Oh. Oh. I see what you're doing -- talking about, Tammy, now. I did not -- De Weerd: Sorry. Bird: I thought we was talking about this. De Weerd: Oh, no. Musser: I didn't have any revenue on this. Bird: I was going to say, man, if they are giving 152, Chief, just get out there and get going. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 118 of163 Musser: That would complete my presentation. I would stand for any questions, if any members have any. De Weerd: Council, any other questions? Bird: I do not have any. Donnell: I do. Musser: Yes, ma'am. De Weerd: Christine. Donnell: Chief Musser, if you were to have to prioritize, which I know you did in terms of your submission and it came down to Blackberries and Smart Boards or a K9 building, where would you go? And they are really two different pots of money, I guess. Is Capital Improvements separate from equipment? Yeah. Okay. So, knowing that it's two separate funds, I still would like to know -- for the K9 unit or for -- yeah, capital improvement money. Musser: In terms of where we are at with that question, I guess what I will kind of look at is Blackberries versus Smart Boards, because that's more or less what I'm hearing at this point on. We have two of the Blackberries up and running, but our goal was to be able to do more and expand that program out. If we have to wait we can do that. We still have to make a decision where we are going to go with our phone service anyway for the supervisors out in the field, because the T-Mobile contract is done. And I have asked that we don't jump into anything else, so that we could look at that. So, in terms of where we are at, it wouldn't be a total wash on that 19,000 that we had for the one time expenditure. There still would be some one time costs in there with it. Along with the year-to-year costs. I would point us in that direction for the supervisors, because they need it out in the field, and if it means giving you the smart board at this time, then, I can bring back the smart board at another time. Donnell: Okay. So, now let me ask that again. The Blackberries and smart board together -- I mean even though, again, they are funds, but that's 32,700 dollars, the two of them together, and, then, you're asking for an additional 60,000 dollars? Musser: Actually, it's more for both the smart board and the -- Donnell: Did I make it less? Musser: Because we had on the -- we had 32,800 just on the Nextel one alone and, then, a smart board itself is another 14,084 dollars. Donnell: Okeydoky. Thank you. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 119 of163 Musser: And I guess at this point, since I am committed with working this partnership through and looking down the road at what this potentially can do for Meridian in terms of being able to train and have a housing facility for the K9s and, then, also having an additional bay available for parking of our vehicles in, I would say, if I would have to make it a decision, I would -- I would weigh towards the building and that 60,000, as opposed to the other two, if it came down to it. Donnell: And the building security with that prioritizing that's down the list. Musser: I have done it for three years. I can bring it back for a fourth. I'm persistent. Donnell: I know how this works. Uh-huh. Okay. Thank you. Musser: You're welcome. De Weerd: Yes. Charlie. Rountree: This is for Stacy. Kilchenmann: Yes. Rountree: Doesn't the entire estimated cost of the dog training facility need to be included in the budget? Kilchenmann: Yes. Rountree: And the revenue stream as well projected? Kilchenmann: Yes. Rountree: Okay. The entire thing, not just -- Kilchenmann: The entire thing. Rountree: Okay. Kilchenmann: And, then, we will offset it with donated revenue. Rountree: Okay. Musser: So, Councilman Rountree, would you like me to get a better spreadsheet that covers that for you and the Council and for Finance, so it's a little bit better? Rountree: I don't know that you would get any better than this. This is down to the nails, but -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 120 of163 Donnell: It is. Musser: Okay. Rountree: It just needs to be -- it needs to be incorporated in the budget. Musser: Well, then, that's why I said, I apologize for the surprise tonight. Rountree: Not a problem. Musser: I'm bringing it forth to you, but I figured it was time we better start talking about it, because we are down to the wire on it. Wardle: Chief, in your building security narrative in your budget you speak to a number of concerns, but one of those being that there are a number of judges in Ada and Canyon county that have designated the police department as a transitional site for child custody situations. Did I read that correctly? Musser: Yes. We did get assigned as the meeting place on the parking lot where they are supposed to exchange their children. Wardle: And Councilmember Donnell and I have had that discussion about that. However, one of the things that was mentioned is you had some potential issues -- domestic violence issues. However, we have no way to record that or provide evidence. Musser: No. We do not at this time. The only time that any camera would be activated, if they went into the front foyer and activated the emergency button in the front foyer, which would activate the camera and open up a direct line at that time with the Ada County communications center. So, we would have an audio going at that time with communications and we would have a camera activated and we do have a recorder capable of handling that when it's been set up in our audio visual equipment room in the station. Wardle: Has that happened? Musser: No, that has not happened to date. De Weerd: And, Councilman Wardle, I appreciate you pointing that out. You know, I guess if someone says something is fluff, I don't think that the smart board or the cell phones -- maybe the Blackberries. I think the Blackberries are probably the only one I would say might not be totally needed, but the building security, the smart boards, we have to be strategic in looking at what is going on in our city. It's certainly better to be proactive and on top of things, rather than hope you got it right that morning. And I do believe that we have to have forms of communication for our officers out in the field. So, I appreciate that Chiefs conservative answers, but I don't think there is a whole lot Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 121 of163 of fluff in here and what he felt wasn't absolutely necessary he did pull out of here. And you saw the three deletions on that as well. Donnell: And, Mayor, I didn't call it fluff. De Weerd: Okay. Extravagances. Donnell: I said luxury. De Weerd: Luxury. I don't call that the same thing. Donnell: And I posed it as a question. Rountree: Yes, she did. De Weerd: I'm just responding, because the Chief was being a little bit more generous than his answers to me. Musser: Well, the question was posed to me, Madam Mayor, and it was an either/or and I didn't think she wanted me to beat around the bush, so -- De Weerd: No. I don't think she did either. Musser: So, then, if I might, on Councilman Wardle's point that he made reference to, the outside area, the security camera is set up also encompasses our holding area where we have the intox machine, where we bring in DUls and that type of thing. Currently, that area is not recorded either and that can be a liability area if somebody should engage into a fight with an officer or that type of thing. And I'm sure some of you have seen those on television where they show up where the videos come through. But it is a way of being able to have best evidence available in a situation like that, especially if somebody should take a fall or, you know, have a fight in there and getting injured, so that that was another thing that we are looking at. Besides the perimeter, we were also looking at the interior of the building as well. De Weerd: Chief, I appreciate all of Gary's effort on this facility. I think what he has pulled together has just been outstanding and I hope you will relay that information. Musser: I will do so, Madam Mayor. De Weerd: Anything else, Council? Musser: Well, thank you. Appreciate your time. De Weerd: Thank you. Wardle: Great presentation. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 122 of163 De Weerd: Now, that I have made Councilman Donnell mad, I will-- Donnell: You didn't make me mad. You're going to have to go a lot further than that to make me mad. De Weerd: Oh, good. And I did want to remind you, again, that to add into the cover sheet on where we are at, we are in the black right now, but if you add 152,000 into that as well, that would be in addition to that. Bird: On the revenue. 12:30 pm Mayor's Office De Weerd: Yeah. On the revenue side. I did want to kind of back up and put in front of you, again, in just a second. Well, you're all familiar with what's on the screen. It's our mission, vision, and our values. We have been trying to move into a different way of working with our strategic plan in keeping them in front of us and making them filling in bench marks and measurements and also putting them into daily activities and expectations. These are the areas that you have seen on the strategic focus area and initiatives. Now, we have taken those initiatives and put them into positioning initiatives. These are the initiatives coming out of the Mayor's Office. In the past the Mayor's office hasn't had the strategic planning, a section just for Mayor's office, and now we will -- I will be also have the position initiatives and those are mine, you will be seeing these in greater detail a little bit later. I did want to put them in front of you. City Attorney, HR, and IT has theirs up there. And I can read them bullet by bullet or you can just always copy these. But if you would also take a look at your department that you're liaison to, they have spent a lot of time -- this just shows the initiatives. It doesn't go into the detail. They have gone into mapping them out. And so in the strategic mapping of them so we will get that to you, it's still in rough form, I would like to meet with each of the departments before we take it to you. So, these -- just give you the bullets on what each of those initiatives are and we will get those out to you. So, we wanted to get that in front of you today, so to let you know that we are moving forward and building those into not just the budgets that you saw in front of you today, but also their performances. Donnell: Great. De Weerd: Okay. So, thank you. I appreciate that. So, in my enhancements I first will go to the one that I already saw in special services and that was the gateway art. I am going to withdraw that. I have met -- you saw the presentation from the committee. They are going to start with a position up there by KFC and they have gained that. I met with two developers last week to look at the Eagle corridor. We are kind of targeting, as you get off of 1-84 off onto Eagle Road right there in front of St. Luke's as one position. ITD is not doing that work this next year, as I thought they were -- and they are doing it in 2007. That's where my budget was for. It was for that location. The second location on Eagle Road was down at our most north point by the Lowe's and Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 123 of163 down by the Nazarene church and the two developments that are going in on either side of that they will be putting that in and paying for it. And so, again, that's the reason I'm withdrawing that until the ITD work goes in. I don't need to budget for that, so you will be seeing that next year. Donnell: So, Mayor, is phase one in this year's budget? De Weerd: Yes, it is. Donnell: So, that remains and that will the KFC one? De Weerd: Yes. Donnell: Okay. De Weerd: So -- I'm sorry. I just hadn't met with the developers up in that area and didn't really know for sure when the Eagle work would begin. And we don't even know when the portion in front of those two developments will begin either. I think that's being discussed at the staff level at this point. Also, Special Services, you had the 20,000, which I had noted earlier. That was earmarked for the BVEP marketing plan and that is you have got more detail on that request. Okay. Number one in mine is the Communications Coordinator. This position is not just going to be a PR position or the media contact. This position is envisioned to help with communication, both internally among our departments and the staff initiatives, but also externally. It's also one that will be a coordinator, an overseer of some of our volunteer programs. Meridian Promise. Some of our youth activities. Reaching out to the homeowner's associations. And maybe a long-term goal is helping establish a neighborhood association, one north and one south that -- that was discussed in the transition team and I think that as Council members Bill Nary, Keith, and I have been talking about it for several years and getting an educated sounding board of involved neighborhoods that are interested in how their city is developing out, that would be also a function of this position. It would be split between General Fund and also the different special funds. The second request is a projection podium system. As we get out and be more proactive in getting out the information what our city is doing, it will necessitate more public speaking and public presentations. This would support not only myself and the community coordinator position, but also would be available to have any of our other department directors that also are asked to go and speak at various activities. The third one is two years ago when we established the intern program and I can tell you, it's -- the interns that I have this summer are just a phenomenon. If you haven't met Chris or Max, they have just been such an asset to our office, it's incredible, they have been doing some outstanding things and pulling together information on our faith community, on the homeowners associations and, actually, updating those from the Secretary of State's list, which is never quite updated. They have been working on our website with Economic Development. They have been a great support to Cheryl on what she is doing and just coordinating a lot of that. You will see some of the end products before too long and you will see what I'm talking about. But this Americorp position will replace Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 124 of163 our two summer positions and to a year around Americorp position it also will focus primarily on Meridian's Promise, the relationship that we have with our youth and our community and it will nurture and -- (End of tape four.) De Weerd: -- achieve what -- what I think they all desire to achieve. So, that has been accepted and so has been improved thing. What also I have on there is 2,000 dollars for a high school scholarship and those would be two scholarships from the City of Meridian, 1,000 dollars for each of the two high schools we have in the city. Again, it's trying to reach out and show the youth are our priority. Would like to center that scholarship around those that have served their community, in helping them to go onto college. So, that -- those are may enhancements -- enhancements requests and I would certainly be available for questions. Bird: Tammy? De Weerd: Yes, Keith. Bird: On your Communication Coordinator? De Weerd: Uh-huh. Bird: I got a couple of questions and some focal points. What I read in what you have them to do is -- is we are paying -- it looks to me -- now I could be wrong, a hundred percent wrong, but it looks like there is a lot of inner stuff that we are doing with 86,000 dollars worth of Aspire-On within this. And speaking for having a community communications coordinator -- and I don't know, you know, what it all entails, other than what you have got down here, but is it feasible, instead of having an employee, is to have a contract with a firm or something that does this. I know at the speedway, when we hired promoters, it was much better to hire a firm to promote than it was to hire an individual to be an employee to promote and that's basically what we are -- part of this guy's job -- or this person's job, as I read. I guess. Am I right, wrong, or indifferent? De Weerd: I don't know where you're saying it's anywhere related to Aspire-On. There is no -- no training or strategic training as a part of this position. This position would be basically looking at how we can better communication both internally and externally, first to encourage communication at all levels within staff on policies or benefits that might affect in writing the quarterly city wide newsletter to keep employees informed as to what's going on externally. It would be in working with each of our departments to really capture the pro-active things that they are doing in their department. You know, I'm continually amazed at what our departments are doing over and above what other cities and municipalities -- in fact, when we were at the Association of Idaho Cities, I listened to some of the city achievement awards and they just sounded like such no brainers. I mean we have been doing them. I didn't realize that they were extraordinary. And our departments are doing a lot of extraordinary things and I think it's our job to let the Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 125 of163 public know and to work with each of those departments, to let our citizens know what's going on on their behalf. Also, Keith, this position would be working with our citizens. There are a lot of calls that we get of people wanting to get involved in the city and to volunteer their time and their expertise and we just don't have time to figure out where to plug them in and how to get them involved and engaged and there are a lot of very talented folks out there who would love to contribute to their community in some way. This would be working with that. Additionally, I know Will's office gets a little overwhelmed and frustrated with some of our committees and their -- I don't know, maybe forgetfulness of protocol in terms of agendas and minutes and following certain protocols. He will be keeping in touch with some of those citizen committees and making sure that they stay on track, that they are aware of the ethic law and what the public -- open public meeting laws are and maybe we will even see some annual reports from each of our boards. I think it's necessary to start finding out what everyone's doing and start tying those all together. So, those are more the strategies of this position and in form of mostly communication and tying it all together. Donnell: Mayor, at first I was going to say this is a position that's long overdue, but, frankly, it's not long overdue, because we have grown so rapidly that I'm not sure what we would have done with it if it had been a long time ago. But speaking from experience in terms of someone who coordinates not just your community issues and volunteerism and all of those other things, but, frankly, you are in a position that I firmly believe requires someone that you can work closely with in terms of getting the message out that you want to get out. You know, you really have no one to do that. You have Peggy, who is your assistant, but she serves very much like a secretary and receptionist and that, of course, you have to just pretty much, but just having Cheryl come up here and -- when Peggy's gone and having to ask the questions about coordinating your activities, I know you're not asking for a personal assistant, but, again, speaking from experience, that communication person works very closely with the top, you know, whatever that position is. So, I think that this is really an important one. I think that what -- how and what we want the city to be portrayed as and -- will be the responsibility of this person as well. They can do a lot of the things that you're having to do when you need to be doing other things. Just my opinion. De Weerd: Thank you. Keith, did I answer your question? Bird: Yeah. I think you did. I still think there is some overlap between what Aspire-On is doing and what you have got this communicator doing and I could be wrong. Donnell: Maybe we can cut down on Aspire-On as we go further with this. Bird: Well, yeah, we've all of a sudden come from 66 to 86 thousand -- Donnell: That's right. We have. Bird: -- a year with Aspire-On. I have no problem with having something like this. I just -- if you get -- it's going to take a special person in place to do it. You just don't -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 126 of163 De Weerd: This position will be a special, you know, position and, you know, I have talked to Councilman Wardle about it and, you know, there is certainly different people that could fill this type of a position, so -- Wardle: And just to touch on that, one of the things that I had talked to the Mayor about when she brought this forward and that was to look at what a range you put this person into and that really will dictate, as well as the experience and qualification, will dictate what you need. And my assumption, as I see -- given the qualification, that this person is someone who can grow with the city and grow with the position itself. That they have the qualifications that are necessary to come forward, but can become part of the entire team. I understand what -- and we talked about the same thing, Keith, about bringing in a PR firm, such as Parren and Associates, and that would give you a much higher level of public relations, but I wasn't sure that Meridian is in the place where we need -- where we had a message that was so important that we had to hire it out. Donnell: Right. Right. Bird: And, you know, I agree -- I agree with what you have said a hundred percent, but I don't -- I don't want to see us keep top heavy like I see entities within -- within my tax base are already. I -- we have a eight very good directors to handle their deals. I don't want to be like some other ones that take the power away from the people that are supposed to be running the place and have to have assistants all along the step. And I don't think this does it, don't get me wrong. I just think that this has to be a very very qualified person. I don't think -- and for what we are giving we are not getting get a Hightower or a Dix or somebody like that that are very capable. De Weerd: Well, Keith -- and I really did look at the contractual type of thing first, but as I started working with Bill and my job description and that sort of thing, it was certainly outside of what he could hire it out and I think what you would lose in that is exactly what we lost in contracting out our city attorney, is the intimate knowledge of what our community is, what our city is, and all of the intricate things that are going on, because I mean there is a lot going on. It's hard to keep up with. I don't think you could contract with someone that would have the same-- Bird: And I'm not downing that at all, Tam. I think that -- I think that sometimes the contractual is the best way and sometimes it don't work. This one sounds like it's going to be a full-time application. So, you might be. I just -- sometimes contracts, if it don't work out you get rid of it. An employee is harder to get rid of, you know. Or at least it is for me. So, that's all I was thinking. And I'm not saying we don't need it, don't get me wrong there. I'm not saying we don't need it. De Weerd: I understand that. I appreciate your question, because that is the thought process that I had to go through as well. Meridian City Council -Budget WorkShop July 25, 2005 Page 127 of163 Bird: And while we are were on that, I don't see nothing in here for the senior center. Is there a reason? De Weerd: The senior center is in there. Bird: Under who? De Weerd: It's already in the base. Under other government. Bird: Oh. Okay. I missed it. I'm sorry. Kilchenmann: There is 30,000. Bird: Thirty? Okay. Thank you. De Weerd: I do have one other thing that finance brought to our attention. In Cheryl's economic development activities she has been getting donations from some of our stakeholders to build a marketing program for just Meridian and that's more in creating a strategic plan on identifying the types of businesses and in developing a website and web tools that will -- once they get here -- or even bring them in, in looking at Meridian seriously. Also in taking the Built For Business Designed For Living message and fine tuning it, so that when we are asked to send our packages out to the types of employers that we would like to see come here, that we have everything lined up for that. She has raised 31,000 this year and I do have the printout for that. It's probably in a line item that you do not see. And I haven't been able -- Cheryl is on vacation and, then, I was on vacation -- to sit down -- that 31,000 dollars, the task force that we put together has come up with an advertising suggestion and article that would fall into that budget year and so we would be asking for the 31,000 to be transferred or carried forward into next budget year, in addition to whatever other monies that she would raise. So, she is trying to pull together a -- or she did pull together a budget, but I haven't sat down and . talked to her. so I'd rather not talk about that until I can talk with Cheryl about what some of this stuff means. Bird: That's not really our money. De Weerd: Well, it is and it isn't. It's kind of like the kennel money. If we -- if we receive it, we have to account for it. Bird: Well, yeah, we have to account for it. De Weerd: And so we will try and pull together a budget that will anticipate what she has been committed for next year and what the task force to date as dedicated or targeted that money towards doing. Okay. And I will try and get that to you tomorrow night, because I think this money all has to be in there; right? Okay. Bird: Reta, tell us how much we got to scrub out or add to. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 128 of163 Wardle: That's part of the Mayor's budget. Bird: What's that? Kilchenmann: Would you want a little break or do you want to just go? Bird: Oh, I know what you -- she forgot to mention that. That isn't in her pocket book. De Weerd: What? Bird: We will let the Council President do that. 3:00 pm Further Discussions Wardle: Ready? We will do this, take a break, then, we will get back and start scrubbing some numbers. Okay. In your -- in your presentation you will notice that there is included an enhancement for City Council wages. Let me start out with this. I wanted to bring this forward to have a discussion, didn't necessarily pick the number and it doesn't matter to me what the number ends up at, but, in my opinion, the discussion is important. In addition to that, I wanted to have a discussion about some of the money that we hold back for projects and studies that we may like to see. However, typically, we end up allowing the Mayor to use those for special things that come forward and so I wanted to talk about any additional funds that if any of the other Council people have projects coming forward or talk about the program we have already had, the Boise Valley Economic Partnership. So, as a way of background I'm going to pass out a compensation of benefits survey. Bird: Is that the same one we got a week or so ago? Wardle: Yeah. I believe you already have it. I have asked for it to bring it forward. As you will notice, one of the clarifications for Meridian is that in the current spreadsheet right now it says NA for medical. That is incorrect, as we all know. Our medical is provided for, as well as if we'd like to add our family members on it at an additional price. De Weerd: So, that's no cost self and then -- Wardle: No cost self and I believe the current budget year, additional family member -- Nary: About 120 dollars a month. Wardle: Okay. Hundred and twenty a month for additional family members. De Weerd: Mr. President? Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 129 of163 Wardle: Madam Mayor. De Weerd: I realize that you're in the discussion mode, but what I heard at the Association of Idaho Cities and also before that from Nampa, they had -- and I kind of mentioned this before the Council meeting. They had had a group that came together and evaluated it to really take it into a neutral -- I guess when I talked to Mayor Dale, he had a committee of citizen representatives, neighborhoods, businesses that evaluated some of this -- probably some of this information here and made a recommendation to their Council on what they as the taxpayers would suggest. So, I certainly asked Mr. Nary to kind of look into that and he certainly can put that together before the Public Hearing, so that you have that kind of information. But I just put that on the table for your consideration. Wardle: And we have discussed that a little bit. Let me just clarify even further here. In my short time on the Council -- it's only been a year and a half -- I have heard that certainly the City Council has had these conversations about where their compensation should be. This discussion -- in my opinion, the way good government works is to -- if we are talking about budgeting amendments, we are talking about dollars, then, put it on the table, have a discuss -- again, I mentioned this doesn't mean that we have to change anything for this year, we couldn't take out the information, I just wanted to see the discussion happen in the proper place and I think that is at the budget hearing. Kilchenmann: Just a point of clarification. We have to have this final by August 9th. Bird: Yeah. Kilchenmann: So, we can't really put things off too much. Bird: Until the Public Hearing. Kilchenmann: Because you have to approve it August 9th, which is before the Public Hearing. Wardle: We have a number of options. We could make no change to the current compensation package. Go back to base budget. We could approve an additional enhancement for -- Kilchenmann: And, then, you change -- you could always go down. De Weerd: You can always go down. Bird: You can always go down, you can't go up. Wardle: Bill: Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 130 of163 Nary: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, but as a little bit of background on this particular issue. I think if you're wanting to do that, we can certainly organize a citizens group fairly quickly. My suggestion would be a couple of things. As Council President Wardle just said, if you want to consider it, then, the opportunity right now is to consider that, to path in that place in your preliminary budget. You can always amend it later and bring it down. I also would recommend that you have your citizens group evaluate both -- I think you have the tables there of both your Council salaries and the Mayors' salaries. Under the state law only every two years prior to your next election can you consider any increases. So, if you don't want to consider an increase this year, then, you're locked in for another two years for both Council salaries and the Mayor's salary. I think Council President Wardle said it correctly, that having that discussion and having that input from your public is probably a good way to do -- to make that consideration, but I would at least suggest that you consider doing that for both the Council positions and the Mayor's position and getting that response back and we can certainly -- I would, hopefully, anticipate being able to organize a group like that and getting feedback to you before the Public Hearing, which is at the end of August, isn't it? So, within a month. Bird: But we can't raise the Mayor's without -- before the election in two years, isn't it? We can't do it at the Council, just only the Council election. That's the way I read into that deal and I was told that, Bill, and I don't know Bird: Councilmember Bird, you know, that's the way I have always read that statute. Is that -- I think the intention of what the state law was was it was supposed to be related to the election that was upcoming. But it's not written that way. It just says before each general election you may consider the pay of the Councilor the Mayor. Bird: Mayor. Yeah. Nary: And it doesn't say it has to be the Mayor's election to do that. Other cities, including this city, have done them in the intervening year. So, they haven't always done them based on that. And there hasn't certainly been a challenge to that. So, I think as long as an election is going to occur 30 days prior is the deadline under the state law to set what that salary is going to be. So, you have the time to do that. Obviously, your budget time is further back than that, but there is no requirement that it only be the Council elections that are upcoming, it can be either the Mayor or the Council. Bird: Well, I definitely think the Mayor deserves a pay raise more than -- Kilchenmann: But if we do that, we have to put it in now. Bird: What? Rountree: It has to be in now. Donnell: It has to go in now. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 131 of163 Nary: Right. It has to go in now for you to be able to consider it and I think that's the reason it's in front of you today, is that if you would like to consider, but to also provide you with the appropriate input, we can do that in the interim, if you would like us to do that. And, then, have that information before your Public Hearing and if you don't find it to be compelling, you, obviously, have the opportunity to change it at that juncture, but if you don't do it now you can't change it in a month. Donnell: Right. Right. So, let's talk about it. Bird: Let's talk. I will talk about the Mayor's. I firmly believe that -- that we could -- I would have no problem selling a 5,000 dollar raise, taking the Mayor up to 60,000. Donnell: On this chart that you provided for us, Shaun? Wardle: Yes. Donnell: Are the mayor's salary for Lewiston and Twin Falls and Coeur d'Alene, are those half-time positions? Bird: They are part time. Yeah. De Weerd: They all three have city managers. Donnell: So, they have the mayor and a city manager? Berg: Coeur d'Alene doesn't. De Weerd: They have a city administrator. Donnell: Something like that, then. Bird: Right. Donnell: So, they have someone that does that management. Bird: Yeah. They are not full time like ours. Donnell: Because our Mayor -- and I would assume the rest of these are considered both mayor and city manager. Bird: And Coeur d'Alene is only a part-time mayor. Nary: Right. And the mayor of Twin Falls is, actually, like a member of -- Bird: The Council. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 132 of163 Nary: -- A five member Council. One person serves as the mayor. Berg: Mayor, if I could? They are a mayor, city manager form of government. The Twin Falls and Lewiston. They have a City Council person that's elected amongst themselves to be the mayor for that term and they have a city manager position. Donnell: Who does the management of the departments. Berg: Operations. Donnell: Sure. Berg: The city of Coeur d'Alene has a city administrator, but they still have an elected mayor form of government. Donnell: Well, it's hard for me to believe, looking at this chart, how our Mayor makes less than Caldwell, based on population and the kinds of things that are happening in this community. That's just incredible to me. Idaho Falls as well. Now, maybe Idaho Falls has a few more challenges, considering that they are losing enrollment, instead of gaining, but -- and that's always more difficult. But Pocatello, even, at that population -- I just think we definitely ought to include an increase in the salary for our Mayor. De Weerd: Well, your Mayor didn't include that in her request. Donnell: I know she didn't. Bird: I have no problem doing it, though. I'm with you, Christine. I think you make it sensible, though, this time around you don't jump it too high. I would say -- and I don't think -- I don't think Tammy would want to trade Gary. Donnell: Probably not. This is a pretty nice community to be a Mayor in, I suppose, but, you know, having said that, I know I'm going to be disagreeing with Councilman Bird on this, but I also think that the Council stipends should be looked at and increased and I'll just give this little schpiel and if was a revelation to me how much time, gas, wear and tear on my car, long hours, time preparing for meetings on my computer, talking to constituents, I was amazed at the amount of all of that. I don't even know how better to say it. That occurred. And Charlie tried to warn me when I was talking to him about this position and -- but I mean I was just blown away. I mean I truly was. I think the compensation -- it's kind of incredible to me that the compensation for the Boise Council -- and we shouldn't be making comparisons -- is as much as it is, but there is seven of them. But, then, it's quite a bit bigger city. So, when I look at the other Council's amounts, when I look at Idaho Falls and Twin Falls and Pocatello and compare it with what we are doing when we met every Tuesday and until 12:00 and start at 5:00 and start at 5:30 and I mean this is taking time from my family from, you know, the things Meridian City Council -Budget workshop July 25, 2005 Page 133 ofl63 that I want to do and it may be a labor of love that we are giving to the city that we love, but I certainly think that it warrants an increase in the compensation. Bird: How much? Donnell: Well, probably not as much as I had noticed was included, That seems like that -- Bird: What the paper said? Donnell: Yeah. I didn't read it in the paper. Did it say ~- what did it say? What was the Bird: It was 4,000. Donnell: Yeah. I think I did some figures on it and the -- it was -- it would go from 500 a month to 895 a month and I think that's too much. But I don't think it's -- I mean I absolutely believe that we should be recommending and including it in our budget an increase for City Council members and, then, hand it over to a city committee -- a citizen committee and have them really review the same kinds of things. I don't want to be giving myself a raise, but since we are the ones that have to approve the budget and the expenditures, we are ultimately the ones that do that. But let's let them come back to a recommendation for us and if they believe that -- you know, that we don't deserve anything more than what we are getting, then, so be it. Bird: You know, Christine, you're not going to get a disagreement with me. I didn't say Donnell: I can't believe it, Keith. Bird: I didn't say I wasn't for a raise. Donnell: Oh, good. Bird: I just didn't think that it was fair for us to go out and give ourselves a -- Donnell: Yeah. Me, too. Bird: -- 200 percent raise. Donnell: Yeah. I agree. Bird: And I would tell you -- you know, I would have no problem being with Nampa for 7,500 hundred a year. I would have no problem being at 8,000 a year. Two thousand a year raise. I have no problem with that. And I don't think that -- that anybody would say Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 134 of163 a word about it. But I definitely -- before I would give myself 4,000, I would give the Mayor a heck of a lot more, so -- Donnell: Oh, me, too. Rountree: Madam Mayor, I think in this particular situation it is kind of an odd place to be. You know, we are here trying to compensate our employees and we are trying to balance the city budget and yet we are trying to be fair with our time and I agree with Christine that when we talked that there are a lot of times you're taken away from things you might rather do, but it is a labor of love. I agree with that compensation of the Mayor and that's changed in the last six years. But I would -- I would suggest that we increase the amount for the Mayor to 62,500 and put that in the budget for budget considerations. I very much like the idea of establishing a community review group that, in fact, does look at this recommendation. It is not a raise, it's a recommendation for budget purposes. It could very well remain the same. I would recommend the same kind of a thing for the City Council. In my particular case, it just means I pay more taxes. Donnell: True. True. Rountree: I mean what I take home doesn't pay for my gas and I don't mind that or I wouldn't been here. But I would suggest that we look at moving the current 6,000 dollars a year that's budgeted for City Council to 8,000 for budget purposes and consideration and have another group evaluate it for us, an impartial group, and come back and make a recommendation that, hopefully, it's not more than that and if it's stay the course, that's fine with me as well. But at least we give the public an opportunity to tell us what they think. And I, for one, would -- if it needs a motion, make that part of the motion, that whatever that group recommends, up tot he amount that may be earmarked for this, be what the Council considers in their final decision making. Donnell: And I would second that. Bird: I would buy into that a hundred percent. Only I would -- if we are going to take the Mayor up, let's take it to 65. Rountree: I don't have a problem with that. Bird: Let's go 65. Donnell: The second would certainly agree. So, did the finance folks get that recommendation? Cunningham: I put in 8,000 Council, 65,000 for the Mayor, and, then, net change ends up being 2,369 dollars for the enhancement for 18,000 (unintelligible). Donnell: Say that again to me, Reta. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 135 of163 Cunningham: The original enhancement was 18,952. Donnell: For the Council. That was only for the Council. Wardle: So we are going to drop that back. Cunningham: And include the Mayor's is going to be another 2,359. Donnell: Oh, let's see if I can -- okay. Cunningham: For a total increase of 21 ,321. Does that sound good? Bird: Yeah. I want to make sure she makes enough to take me to lunch. Donnell: Again, though, you know, we are telling her she has to take us, too. De Weerd: I don't think that was part of the -- Donnell: It wasn't. Cunningham: So, now we have a budget balance of -- in excess of 21 ,000. De Weerd: Okay. Now, did you add in the school resource contribution? Wardle: Let's take five minutes. Donnell: Under revenue. De Weerd: Okay. We will take a five minute break and we can get the adjustments and tell you where we are at. (Recess. ) Donnell: What's our process now? Bird: They are going to tell us what -- how bad off we are. Cunningham: We are on? Wardle: Yep. You're on. Berg: Am Ion? Cunningham: Actually, yeah, Will has something he wants to discuss. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 136 of163 Donnell: Okay. Berg: Yes. In your books you notice the item or the position transferred to P&Z was called a deputy city clerk, even though we explained to you that person was not going to go over there, but we thought budgetarily that amount of money would be easily transferred -- even, actually, probably more so. But the other situation I have is that that position is budgeted at a mid point from the current salary ranges that we have and I might run into a situation where if I hire a deputy city clerk it might be more than the mid point, if I have to do something from -- yes, somebody with experience. So, there is a thing there that you can budget that and I will just have to try to live within that means -- or help me out a little bit more and I will work within that budget. Does that make sense? Donnell: Uh-huh. So how much? Wardle: Yeah. Berg: Well, I think they are looking at it -- I think if I got a dollar an hour more I think it would put it to that point that I was looking at. Bird: Two thousand work? Berg: But, then, I mean when I said a dollar an hour more, that means you also have to put in all those other things based on -- and I think if you looked at my track record on my bottom line, I have always given back money that went into the Capital Fund, in all the departments that I was in charge of. Donnell: Makes sense to me, Will. Makes sense. Wardle: So, how much, Will? Donnell: A couple thousand more? Wardle: 2,500? We need a motion to do that? De Weerd: No. Bird: No. She's just going to add it up. Kilchenmann: Okay. In the General Fund and right now your, what, 281,000 to the good. Bird: What? Wardle: Two hundred eighty-one to the good. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 137 of163 Bird: To the good? Put that in miscellaneous for the Council. No. I'm being very serious. I'm being serious. For rainy days. Berg: Put that in miscellaneous? Bird: If we are lucky people and, hopefully, we are, this fiscal year, we will start our City Hall. Kilchenmann: We already have 4.5 million for the City Hall. Bird: But we can always use extra when you start a building and I'm telling you, there is always something. I will guarantee you that Tammy will come in with some demands. Kilchenmann: Well, if you guys wanted to (unintelligible) like you usually do? Donnell: Well, I just think that we need to make some -- or have some discussion. Each one of these different departments? Okay. I think we need to do that, if we can do it quickly. Cunningham: Okay. We start with purchasing agent. Leave it? Donnell: Leave it. Cunningham: And, then, interns for IT? Bird: Leave it. Cunningham: And, then, we have the file server and a switch. And, then, HR has a part-time assistant. The Wellness book. The Wellness motivation. Legal fees and interns. Aspire-On training. Donnell: Well, that one's a question. Well-- Bird: What? Donnell: Aspire-On. Bird: Yes. Donnell: Again, I just think that's something that needs to be discussed and looked at. don't -- in terms of it's long-term value to the city. That's just one to highlight. Bird: And I'm like Christine and I also want to know if the 5,000 the water department put in and the 15,000 is on addition to that 66,000. That makes 86,000. Donnell: Yeah. Exactly. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 138 of163 Bird: And I don't know if Bill knows that or whether he can answer it or not. Nary: Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, yeah, in fact, Brad Watson asked me that right before he came out. What we were contemplating and what I think Councilmember Bird, when you and I met with Aspire-On was putting them on a retainer agreement to basically help us through the next phases of the implementation of the strategic plan, the different programs that we are having in regards to employee evaluation, the position accountability things, and employee expectation, they also do other training. We also do other training with other people besides Aspire-On. I guess the only -- that's what part of that money in the Public Works budget is for. A portion of it is split Public Works and General Fund for the total cost. That's why a lot of the same items you see in General Fund, as well as the Enterprise, because it's for one item, but it's because we split the cost between the two funds. Some of the other things they do - - for example, they recently did a customer service training. So, specific things for just Public Works employees and for the utility building. That's separate from what we were anticipating as part of this agreement. We haven't brought the agreement yet, because you haven't decided if you're going to have it, but that's -- the agreement will have -- just like any other retainer agreement would be, is you will have some things within bounds of that and some things outside of that. If it's outside of the agreement, then, the decision from the city would be is this something we would continue to use Aspire-On, hire them to do this particular training, or we look for some other vendor to do something else. The main purpose of trying to make sure we stayed on task with the leadership management training, is because from the director's standpoint it was felt -- and the Mayor and I discussed this at length -- we need to continue with that. I mean it does make sense. We have invested a tremendous amount of money with Aspire-On to change the work culture and the way we do business. To simply dismiss them and look for another vendor would really be -- you know, it would be a -- very much of a concern to me, because we would feel like we have started over. The one direction that we felt was the most important was to stay the course that we felt has been of benefit to the city and the information that's been brought to you by this training city wide has been very positive. So, that was the reason for it. But, yeah, they will provide other training and some will be within their agreement, some won't, and that's what the other money is for, we have other vendors, of course, that we do training with. We send employees -- of course, external training and separate. But, yeah, this is just -- the part that I was requesting was just dealing with this continuing and getting all of these courses and strategic initiatives implemented, so that we continue on that path to. What we are really afraid of is simply letting it lay, putting it back on the shelve, in a year from now saying what are we all about and starting over. We don't want to do that. Bird: Yeah. I just -- Bill -- and we agree. And I think Christine is the same way, we didn't -- we weren't expecting you to go to somebody else besides Aspire-On. I just got a question as when does this training stop? I mean, you know, it's like I think Christine said, we are training our managers. When are they going to start taking or over? Donnell: Yeah. They should -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 139 of163 Bird: And doing it, you know, and it's a lot of -- it's a lot of expense and -- Nary: To answer part of your question, I don't think training in that regard, of the type that we are talking about for our employees, will ever stop. It may not be with them as the primary vendor or trainer to do it, because I agree with Councilmember Donnell, that we have very talented managers that can do that training. They may need some assistance, because of time and issues and having to support, just like you would hire a consultant to give you some assistance, but it may be to face of our own folks. So, yeah, as the Mayor said this morning, I think this is -- that's why it's an annual expense, rather than an ongoing one, is so that we make that analysis annually. What do we need? Why do we need that? How much time is this? What's the investment we are trying to make here? Where are we trying to get to? Do we have staff to do it? Should we hire out? What's the level of their involvement when you hire out? De Weerd: Well -- and I guess I would just add what Will has talked about, is if we start getting into different facets and building in the accountability and the benchmarking and all of that, Aspire-On has really been encouraging and taking this step back, saying, okay, we will be there, but you guys do it and we will just help, you know, fill in a void if you have it or steer you and, then, so they are kind of training the trainers. Bird: And that's what Bill said. Nary: And this roll that they -- this amount that they are requesting, like I said, is discounted from what -- from the amount they have been paid in the last year and is less than they were two years ago. So, I mean it is -- it doesn't seem like it, maybe, because the amount's fairly large, but it actually is a gradual decrease and that is -- that has been our discussion, even with Councilman Bird was there of where do we go. Are we never going to have Aspire-On? You know, I don't know. I wouldn't think so. But their role may be significantly different a year from now or two years from now or three years from now, they may be, you know, not used quite to the degree that they have been in a year or two. Donnell: Sure. Rountree: Bill? Nary: Yes. Rountree: I wasn't here for that discussion, so that's the intent that I'd advise in the HR, it is Aspire-On, it is continuing of the management training. Nary: Yes. Rountree: And you mentioned as part of that is to accomplish goals that are (unintelligible). Have those been identified -- have measures been identified, so as one Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 140 of163 would get this training we can measure to see that we have got the results that we wanted, so, in fact, we can answer that question when Aspire-On is ready to do training (unintelligible) in some other form of training or in-house or-- Nary: Yes. The agreement that you will get back in front of you -- what I was waiting -- is I have some money left in my consultant line item currently. So, if you -- if you decide this is a fundable project from October 1, I have enough funding to probably carry it from August 1 forward. But I needed some assurance that you wanted to do that. Otherwise, it was kind of a waste of funds to do it that way. But you will see in the agreement what the -- what is included and -- what is included in this agreement, what is included in this retainer amount, what hours are intended to be put towards the different facets of this. It is to implement the position -- what they call position accountability description, so that each position in the city will have, basically, on the front end of their evaluation period an expectation log that would tell them what their expectations are in relation to the city's goals. One of the things uniquely that I think I think Aspire-On has come up with in our strategic planning is being able to take down to every employee to every level, how their relation -- what they do relates to the city's strategic mission. That is not common in most organizations. So, it is how that relates, as well as implementing the new employee evaluation tool, so that we can actually put one in place. We have talked about it for a long time, getting that on board. So, yeah, all of those things would be included. Rountree: Okay. Thank you. Cunningham: Okay. Do we want to leave that as is? Donnell: Uh-huh. Cunningham: Okay. Then, we go to the Communication Coordinator. And the projection podium. Americorp. Historical Society, which is actually the preservation. Historical Preservation. Berg: We need to probably change that to say Historic Preservation. (End of side one, tape six.) Berg: -- there is a difference and it should probably say Historic Preservation Commission. Cunningham: Is it okay if I combine them in one line as far as the budget goes? Donnell: I think it would be better to keep it separate, so that we know. Bird: I would, too. De Weerd: We know you hate to add in lines, but-- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop JUly 25, 2005 Page 141 of163 Bird: They are different groups. Cunningham: Okay. And, then, we have the scholarships. And, then, your wages. Then we go to police. Bird: Increasing Council wages. That is Council and Mayor's: Cunningham: Yes, it is. Bird: Not just Council. Cunningham: Okay. And, then, we go to police. Nine officers. A school resource officer. The phones. Bird: We have -- Wardle: Let me go -- let me make a comment about the phones and the system and I will -- in my discussion with the chief, one of the things that I think that our police chief does is an excellent job of looking to the future and I'm not a law enforcement officer and I'm not sophisticated enough in that environment to think that I know better how to tell him to communicate with his people and he's offered a -- if we feel that that's too much for this year, he's offered a compromise to be able to pair that down to implement some of them to supervisors and the potential for next year, but he feels strongly enough now that they have got two of these systems and if they wants to take it forward, I think that we should support it. If not in this budget year, in the future. Donnell: Okay. That was well said. Rountree: Your turn. Donnell: My turn. The whole phone conversation bothered me a little bit. First of all, I couldn't really believe that he said that if his officers out there got a call on their business phone, that they would just not answer it. Now that is incredible to me. That is what he said. Wardle: He said that there was a study done. Donnell: No. No. No. That he -- oh, that's right. Wardle: It was not our -- it was not our officers. Donnell: That's right. He did say that, but -- Bird: It wasn't our officers. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 142 of163 Donnell: But they are believing their study, I guess, that their -- that police officers wouldn't answer their phones, but they will answer their personal phones and I mean we all know, we have personal phones that we use for both business and personal and we can see who's calling us and we can just as easily not answer our business calls on our -- on our personal phones as we can on others. So, to give someone a stipend because -- because they want to carry their personal phone, I think you provide the telephones, if they don't want to use them, fine. If they want to use their personal phone, that's their business as well. I don't know, that's just -- that's my own personal feeling about it. The Blackberries I guess -- I mean I think they are a great convenience. I suppose it's a lot better at taking, you know, a little hand held device than it is to pack your laptop around with you, but I how many times are they actually in a position where they don't have either access to retrieve their e-mail or can't get that or that it costs them a lot of money. How many times does the chief actually to go a conference where he needs to be in contact with the officers and do his e-mail, but it's going to cost the city a ton for that. That's my question. Does it all weigh out, so the cost of the Blackberry and the server and the software, does that -- you know, is that efficient, is that effective. I guess is it worth it is what I'm trying to say. I will go along with the rest of the Council, if you all think that it's a good expenditure. I'm not sure that I do. Wardle: Well, those are fair questions and I understand those questions. Like I said, if in the chief's brief presentation he presented the budget, if we'd like more information, if you want to fund a portion of it and, then, some in the next year, I think he has a plan to increase the level of communication and we need to buy in at some level. If it's not the entire level, then, let him bring forward another plan next year. Donnell: Okay. I don't mean to be the one doing all the talking and Charlie and Keith, you shut me up if you need to, but this -- this chart that the Mayor provided for us -- and you take a look at even all the pie charts, when it looks at the costs of the police versus administration versus fire versus parks and how well I understand that we all want to be safe in our community and that they provide a great service and, boy, I think our police department really does. But take a look at where they are. Yes, they have come down in terms of their overall department, but since I'm the park liaison that's incredible to me where parks is in terms of their percent of the overall budget, so -- and you didn't see parks coming forward with a request for Blackberries or cell phones or any of that, so -- okay. I will shut up. Bird: Go ahead, Charlie. Rountree: Having a Blackberry on my hip all the time, it's more a convenience, it really and truly is. A powerful communication tool. And I can understand that the chief wanting to go that direction. I do have an issue with the idea of providing a stipend for personal phones and also the opportunity to be provide a phone. It's one or the other. And I don't think we have multiple choices. So, whatever we want to do, let's do it, and say, okay, if you're going to be a police officer, you provide your own phone and we will Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 143 of163 give you 25 dollars a month or we will provide you with a phone and it will be used for business. De Weerd: Charlie, one of the reasons for that is that he knew that the price of equipment of his officers with cell phones and he wanted to find a compromise and the compromise was those that don't have their own personal one, they would be willing to provide the cell phone, but those that don't, you can find a savings, then, by allowing them the stipend. And that's, you know, the cheapest up way to look at it from a budgetary standpoint, instead of equipping all of his officers. Rountree: I understand that, but it just drivers the auditors crazy. Bird: I think -- I think that it is -- the 25 dollars is cheaper than what -- if I recall, all the ones I'm checking, the ones we hustling out there and having on our own is about $35.16. I'm like -- I agree with Charlie, though, I think those Blackberry is -- who is he's going to equip it with is just necessary. But I agree with Christine, I can't believe that these people will answer their -- these officers would answer their private one and not their business one. But that was a study. So, I have no problem. The building security, he has brought forward, I think -- I think that that is something that should be looked at real hard. I think it's a necessity myself. Donnell: And I did think that I should have asked him about how they monitor those cameras. I mean if you have building security on the outside of your building, does that require somebody that an monitors it or you just review the tapes or you just go back when you have a situation? I mean how -- who takes care of the ongoing operation of a system like that? Bird: Christine, I don't know for sure. And maybe Shaun knows. But I think from what he said, when you hit -- when you are in there and you hit that buzzer -- see, we are already set up with -- you can go in in the foyer there and it locks up. When you hit that panic button, I think those cameras come on and I think 911 has the camera. I'm not sure. Are you, Shaun? Do you understand? I don't know. Wardle: As I ~- as I understand it, the security system is the entire security system for the building. It's separate of the 911 call. In my discussions -- and I'm looking for some notes, but I don't see it, I believe included in that price is the storage -- it's a digital recorder and I believe that it stores it digitally. I'm not so sure that IT wouldn't need another -- to take a look at it. But let me -- if I can back up just for two seconds on the phone issue and I got clarification here. As I understood the conversation as I see here in the chiefs notes, it's not a question of whether you get a Nextel phone or you get a stipend. If you are a supervisor, as I read in here, you are provided a Nextel phone and have no choice. If you were not a supervisor, then, you as a patrol officer or an officer will be provided 25 dollars as a stipend. So, as I read this it's not an either/or. Rountree: Okay. And that's fine with me. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 144 of163 Donnell: And that's his plan. And, then, the lieutenants up do Blackberries. Bird: Uh-huh. Wardle: Well, we will get some more clarification on that. Bird: And the sergeants up get the Nextel; right? Yeah. Wardle: It says supervisors, Keith. So-- Bird: Okay. Wardle: I believe so. Kilchenmann: On the building security, he's got it written in here exactly what it says. It says that camera system will record events that take place in the main parking lot on the north side of the building. So, I would think it would just record it and, then, you would have to go back and watch it. Donnell: And probably only if there is some kind of incident, I suppose. Kilchenmann: And, then, he has an interview upgrade. A processing intox room. Cameras in the sally port. And, then, the camera to review the tape or the player to review the tape. Wardle: Are we down to criminal investigator now? Donnell: Uh-huh. That was withdrawn. Cunningham: You guys are done with the phones? Bird: Yeah. Cunningham: And the (unintelligible). Smart board. Bird: Christine, do you have a question on that? Donnell: No. It's just always interesting to me -- you know, you learn as department heads to play the game. I mean I have done it. You learn how you submit your requests to get what you want and I didn't see here throughout this whole thing if there was a restriction on how many things you could request. I asked the question early on about was there a maximum amount that you could request your capital outlay, but there was -- so, some came with four and five enhancements and some came with 11 and 12 enhancements. And so since I'm just new to the way the city budgets and how they present their budgets, that was just a question I had, because I know how we, as department heads, get what we want and I know the Mayor must speak with them at Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 145 of163 length and they, obviously, were told to withdraw some items, so I won't -- I won't take on this smart board, if that's something that they really feel like they can use. Cunningham: Okay. Building security. The criminal investigator. Donnell: I'm sorry, what? Cunningham: The criminal investigator. And, then, we can move to-- De Weerd: Council, before you move out of-- Rountree: K1 has got to be added. De Weerd: Yeah. Cunningham: What? De Weerd: The kennel or the kennel building or -- Kilchenmann: That would be in special services. Donnell: Have you got it in special services, then, that request? Cunningham: If you want it to come out of the Capital Improvement Fund, we will discuss it when it comes in. Donnell: Okay. De Weerd: Oh. Okay. Rountree: Okay. Donnell: Okay. Got it. Cunningham: And, then, we go to fire. And we have ALS limit and the deputy chief rejection is revised. The fire engine. The fire software. The data terminals. The thermal imager. The chief business vehicle. That's it. Any questions? Then we go to parks. And the first item is a recreation supervisor. Donnell: Coordinator. Yeah. We do need to change that to coordinator. Kilchenmann: Maybe we should put in there a used vehicle lot for them, too. Donnell: There you go. Rountree: Mechanic. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 146 of163 Kilchenmann: Yeah. Wardle: Let me just have a -- De Weerd: All those used cars they are getting. Bird: A salesman. Wardle: I have got a -- Donnell: Okay. Wardle: I have got a quick discussion on recreation coordinator and I didn't support this last year and, in addition, I don't think that we saw the increase in the adult sports numbers that we have needed to. If this -- and Christine's looked at the overall department and if she's comfortable that they need this position, I'm going to say that the only way that I'm going to even consider funding thing is that if we see an increase in the focus and the enrollment in our adult sports in the City of Meridian. Bird: And I will second that. Donnell: And if we don't -- is that a veiled threat, Councilman Wardle? Rountree: Nothing veiled about it. Bird: Nothing at all. Wardle: Veil and gloves are off. Donnell: We appreciate your support, Councilman Wardle. De Weerd: She said ditto on the officer. Donnell: Then we don't want you to approve it until we need them. Wardle: And I will say that I think that it's an excellent move to solve that situation and I look forward to seeing success next year. Donnell: That is so positive. And I'm glad that our director, Mr. Strong, is here to hear that and I know he accepts that as a challenge and we will show you. Wardle: I know you will. Cunningham: Okay. So, leave that one out. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 147 of163 Donnell: It's in. Cunningham: Okay. The maintenance foreman. The landscape contract. And the Fothergill pathway renovation. The downtown tree boxes. Park land purchases was 100,000 from General Fund. And, then, 250,000 from impact fees. And, then, we have Lochsa Falls or Hero's Park. Adventure Playground. Settler's maintenance building. Kiwanis restrooms. And, then, we need to discuss the fire station number four park. We understand there is going to be an increase to this. Wardle: One of the things that I think that we -- when we get to the end of the budget discussion that I would like to talk about is since we do have, at this current portion in time, what seems to be a projected surplus, Director Strong did come forward with some recommendations of some projects that -- that the city has been working on and have been in partnership with and I think that we should at least at that point in time consider some of those. I know that fire station number four, if I remember correctly, we are only talking a -- Donnell: I thought it was 6,000. Rountree: It wasn't very much. Cunningham: It was like 6,883. Bird: Yeah. I was going to say it wasn't very much. Cunningham: And the rest from impact fees. Wardle: And these impact fees. I think that we should consider it on this line item, funding that fully to what we have for construction costs. Kilchenmann: Yeah. We should probably-- Rountree: We already approved that. Wardle: But it's not in -- Rountree: It doesn't reflect here. Cunningham: Okay. Increase it 7,000. And, then, Autumn Faire. The restrooms. Champion Park picnic shelter. And we actually did put in to update the CMT on impact dollars for park fees, to actually hire a consultant. Kilchenmann: Oh. And maybe I will just briefly explain what that recycle is. What we decided to do, because the recycle committee, what they would like to do, instead of trying to decide now who they are going to give their projects to, they just kind of have -- they have people coming in throughout the year with projects and they have to meet Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 148 of163 certain criteria and so forth. And so we are just going to appropriate the amount of their revenue and, then, it's available for them to spend throughout the year, instead of them having to decide right now what they are going to spend it on. So, that's what that 40,000 is. We just stuck it in parks, because it's -- they are kind of parking like expenditures. Donnell: Why isn't that under wastewater? Kilchenmann: Well, it's not liquid recycle. De Weerd: But each purchase would have to come to Council first? Cunningham: Yes. De Weerd: Okay. Thank you. I guess if this is the area that you wanted to consider completing those first phases while parks has an opportunity to include those in the bidding documents right now and look at budget amendments to complete those, the projects that he brought to you, Kiwanis Park, Adventure Island, Settlers -- or the Meridian Youth Baseball and the PAL fields, and I -- were you supposed to bring total numbers back, Doug, today? I mean is that why you're here? Strong: No. I was listening to -- De Weerd: Oh. I thought you nodded as my question to you. Donnell: And Adventure Playground, too? It would be nice to go forward with that. De Weerd: When did we want to bring that back? Was it tomorrow night? Donnell: I don't know. Strong: I did -- I e-mailed replies to everybody today. Rountree: Today? Strong: Today. Donnell: And -- well, we kind of haven't been home to look at it. Rountree: I haven't got one. Donnell: Open up your Blackberry. Strong: (Unintelligible) or not. I talked to the Mayor and at a Council meeting or some other time. Whenever you -- I don't have them with me. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 149 of163 De Weerd: When will you be bidding some of those projects out, Doug? Strong: Well, as soon as I can get approval to go ahead with the project. Bird: That won't be available until October 1 st. Rountree: Yeah. Donnell: Can't they do it in arrears? Can't you charge it? Rountree: We will give them a credit card. Yeah. Donnell: Do you have a credit card? Let's charge it. Kilchenmann: That will come out of '05. Bird: What? Donnell: It would come out of '05? Kilchenmann: Uh-huh. But we need to know what -- next week, because we have to increase the carry forward by that amount. De Weerd: So, they would have to discuss it tomorrow night. Donnell: Okay. Kilchenmann: Or next Tuesday. De Weerd: We are not meeting then. Rountree: Not meeting next Tuesday. Kilchenmann: Tomorrow night. And, then, we will just put that as an amendment and, then, we can carry it forward until -- Donnell: Okay. So, we need to read our e-mail. Rountree: So, that's based on the '05 impact fees; right? Kilchenmann: Right. Rountree: Okay. De Weerd: Okay. So, we will put it under department reports. Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 150 of163 Strong: You already have two other reports, though. De Weerd: Okay. Rountree: So, we will add another one. De Weerd: Okay. Donnell: Okay. Moving right along. Rountree: I think we are done. Bird: I thought you wanted to go home, Christine. Donnell: I do want to go home. Kilchenmann: Okay. Now, it's Bill's turn. Cunningham: Well, right now we have an extra 281,000 in General Fund. So, do you guys want to discuss merit? We have it plugged it at three percent. Donnell: Oh, I have that as a note to talk about that, too. Do you want me to talk about that? Rountree: Sure. Donnell: I don't know if any of read your paper this morning to see that the -- the guest opinion about the state balancing the budget on the backs of teachers and state workers and I know city workers aren't necessarily clumped into that category, but, you know, I certainly don't believe that if -- that we should be balancing the budget at all on -- in terms of looking at salaries and that if there is the possibility of being able to pay our people based on merit, based on their performance, and increasing that pool, because that's really the only way you can do good performance pay is if you have an amount in there that is enough to work on and I -- I mean so I would absolutely support a five percent merit pool, instead of three. Here I'm fighting over Blackberries and talking about -- doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it. Don't quote me, Katie. De Weerd: You just had to add that. Donnell: I did. I did. Rountree: How do you spell that name? Donnell: I think it's spelled J-A something. Wardle: So, Bill, what was the difference between the -- Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 151 of163 Donnell: What was the amount? Wardle: -- three and the five. Donnell: Yeah. Nary: The amount, Councilmembers, Mayor, the difference between the three percent pool is -- Cunningham: It's like 178,000. Nary: Right. 267,313 is the number here, including the base, for a three percent. Five percent is 445,221. Donnell: 445,221? Nary: Right. Cunningham: Just change the budget balance from 281 to 103. Kilchenmann: Which it doesn't mean everybody gets a five percent. Donnell: Absolutely it doesn't. That's exactly right. Nary: And I didn't know if Councilmember Rountree -- because I know you weren't able to be here this morning when we had this discussion. I don't know if you need any other information. Rountree: I will listen to the tape. Nary: Okay. Donnell: If you snooze you lose. Still in the black. Wardle: Now, let me make just a quick clarification. The five percent for across the board on all departments, potential for merit increases; is that correct? Nary: It's a pool. It's a pool for merit. And one of the things to remember is in the past we have done a variety of different things. A couple years ago we gave two and a half percent twice during the course of the budget year. We gave a two and a half percent in October and, then, another one in April across the board. We have given four percent or three percent for merit, but we also gave a one and a half percent for Cola. We no longer have the Cola. So, this is the only increase employees will receive in the next budget year. We do have some increases and one of the things that the Council has wrestled with over the years is trying to at least help the employees through some Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 152 of163 of those increases. This year the medical benefits as you saw was an 8.92 percent increase. So, fairly small. But for an employee who wouldn't get any increase otherwise, even -- now they are paying 118 dollars a month and change for their family on their medical, even a eight or nine percent -- approximately nine percent increase on top of that, puts it over about 125 dollars a month, 130. I mean it starts to get pretty expensive. So, some of those increases are really help to stave that off. We haven't always been able to do that at a hundred percent. But the intent of the pool is to create a pool and to split the evaluation criteria into two distinct categories and to create a larger gap between them than what we currently have. Right now there is only a one percent difference and as I said this morning, it's not much incentive -- I guess if it was me -- and I recognize, obviously, that many people -- what they get paid is not what motivates them, their work ethic is their own. But if the difference between you working as hard as you can and doing everything you can to do the best job in the world and the difference between you and the person who is adequate and competent and shows up and does their job is a one percent difference, it's not much of a motivational tool. So, the intent we try to come up with is by having a pool, but splitting them into two, is to create two distinct categories of evaluation criteria and, then, giving a range within those criteria. So, with a five percent pool we can have an upper end that could get employees between a five and say a six percent raise. So, they could get a five, five and a half, or six percent on the other end. That means some of their employees are going to get the other end of the spectrum. But, in reality, that's how it tends to spread out. If you have the other half at say three, three and a half, and four, okay, on the other end. Or maybe two and a half to three and a half on the other end. Have to figure out how the numbers work out. The larger departments can absorb that. They have a large enough pool to do that. If you looked in your base budget there also was a one percent increase in some of the base of the smaller department, because, for example, in my department with seven people, in theory, if we didn't increase the budget slightly for the small departments, even if I had six other outstanding employees, I couldn't give them high enough -- I couldn't give them all high increases, because someone would have to get the lower one to make it balance and that doesn't make sense either. So, that's why there was a small increase to those small departments to compensate for that. But, again, it was to create two separate -- two separate evaluation criteria, which is what we currently have now, and to give a range to each of them, because, as I said before, outstanding isn't necessarily the same for everybody, but they may be all outstanding, but some may be a little bit higher, some may be a little bit lower, but they all fit in that range, giving those department directors that flexibility to provide that. And, again, without -- I guess part of the justification, in my mind, in presenting that to you is that in the past we have had Cola to make up the difference. We haven't given very large on merit, because we always had Cola, now we don't. This is the only increase available. Therefore, it might be a little bit larger, but, in reality, it's not significantly more than what we have done previously. Bird: What's the difference now? What's the black? Rountree: 103. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 153 on 63 Cunningham: 103. Bird: 103? Cunningham: Still in the black. Donnell: Do we had need to -- I can't believe -- I'm asking this question. Do we need to talk about the (unintelligible). Bird: About the what? Donnell: BVEP. I think I heard you, Mayor, say that you had only budgeted 25,000 for that and they have come forward asking for 50,000 or not quite that much? De Weerd: That's correct. And all's I had mentioned is that in your Council line item you have a consulting amount that -- of 25,000, if you chose to use that, or you could use of the -- Wardle: And, Council, we can save that discussion, if you would like to have even more information or have the discussion later, we can -- Donnell: Yes. And give us a chance to read this stuff. Wardle: Yeah. Bird: I would prefer to read and see what the deal is. Rountree: See what we are getting. Bird: I'd like to see what we are getting for dollar, because I think they have been a -- it's a benefit to Boise, Idaho. Wardle: I think at this point, just from what I have seen as far as the discussion phase, a 25,000-dollar commitment in this budget year gets us -- I think it -- well, not -- I think. But gets us a seat at the table and we can consider as a Council whether we'd like to look at that increase or whether we would like to fund it next year. I'm comfortable going forward from this point getting anymore information that you may need or any of that stuff. Bird: I'm with you, Shaun. I'd like to -- I'd like to -- if we don't have anything specific, we can certainly put that 100,000 in a rainy day fund and I will bet you there will be some emergencies come up that we will need it. Wardle: Where does that 103,000 dollars -- Kilchenmann: It just goes back to the fund balance. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 154 of163 Bird: It just goes back in the fund. Rountree: Fund balance and that's fine. Bird: That's great. Just let it go back in. At the Council's discretion it can be spent. Kilchenmann: Yeah. You can re-appropriate it. Wardle: Okay. Donnell: Okay. Moving right along. Bird: Nothing wrong with being a little - having a little rainy day fund. Cunningham: Okay. Now we move to the Special Service Fund. De Weerd: Well, I appreciate your attitude and your conservative attitude with that, because as we grow and we look at revenues and base budgets, we don't want to get our base budget up so much that we will be hurting if the revenues do not -- Rountree: Do not match. De Weerd: Uh-huh. So, you know, we don't know always have to balance, as long as we do have the black it's good. Bird: Because if we don't tag it in five years, we won't have to worry about it. We will be worrying about red. De Weerd: Okay. Special Services. Cunningham: Okay. Up in P&Z we have a pathway master plan. The Ten Mile plan. South Meridian assessment. Industrial zoning study. The growth fiscal impact study. The vehicle. And the license. Donnell: I think we will have a change on that vehicle; right? Bird: Yeah. Take that hybrid thing out of there. Take the hybrid out of there and put SUV. Donnell: No. Rountree: An Excursion? De Weerd: Yeah, right. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 155 ofl63 Wardle: She asked for a four by four. Bird: I don't blame her. You get out on some of those-- Donnell: And, then, once again, I think Anna really did get the message in regard to not going forward with all studies, you know, right off the bat, because I think it would really tax their department. Bird: Boy, I agree with you. Donnell: And I think she's more aware of that than anybody, so -- okay. Bird: I don't think they could handle it. Cunningham: Okay. Now, we have the transit contribution increase. Donnell: Don't have any choice on that one. Cunningham: Another 15,000. And, then, we have the Deputy City Clerk. And the other half of the communication coordinator. I did away with the gateway art project. Bird: Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Communication Coordinator? Cunningham: Yes. Bird: That's how much there? 26 and 50 -- how much do we have at the Mayor's? De Weerd: Well, some should go out of Enterprise as well. Donnell: Right. Right. I thought that was divided. It's more than that, isn't it? Wasn't it 36,000? Thirty-seven? Cunningham: We have a split between General Fund and the Special Service Fund. Donnell: That's right. Cunningham: And that was per your request, Mayor. De Weerd: I know. But I thought split between that and the other two funds, so -- Cunningham: So split three ways? De Weerd: Yeah. I would do still half out of General Fund and, then, the other half split between Special Services and Enterprise. Because they will be working plenty with the Enterprise departments. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 156 of163 Bird: Well, what's your total cost on this guy per person? De Weerd: Why do you say it's a guy? Bird: I said person. 60,000? De Weerd: It's personal benefits and, then, there is one time only with the-- Bird: I know. 60,000 is what you got down here. De Weerd: I can't remember. Bird: So -- and, then, we are adding 33,000 from Special Services? Donnell: No. De Weerd: No. Rountree: No. That's in total. Bird: Well, then, we got to take it out of the General Fund. De Weerd: Or you can do the third, third, third. Wardle: It's split two ways right now. De Weerd: It is. Bird: Three ways. Wardle: It should be split three. Rountree: She's just about got it done here. Cunningham: I just split it three ways. De Weerd: Okay. Wardle: Okay. Bird: So, that gives our black a lot better. Berg: That raises everything; right? Rountree: Uh-huh. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 157 of163 Cunningham: I did. I did. So, yeah, it went 112. Bird: That's okay. Shaun and Christine and Charlie and I can find something with that. Rountree: Put it in the bank. Bird: Put it in the bank. Cunningham: And, then, we have 20,000 for the Special Service request, which is the BVEP? Rountree: Okay. Cunningham: And this is half of the web development for IT. And, then, half of the attorney enhancement for the intern. And, then, we have City Hall construction. And that's half coming out of the Capital Improvement Fund. Rountree: Going back up to the half for the attorneys, is that half or a third? Because the legal interns was something like 72, I thought. Cunningham: Let's see. Mayor. The legal intern is actually 6,484. And, then, half of it Rountree: Okay. Okay. Cunningham: -- transfers over to -- Rountree: Okay. All right. I got you. Bird: Then there is another 3,000 up to our-- Rountree: No. They were right. I was thinking it was higher than that. Bird: I see what you mean. Cunningham: Okay. And, then, on the City Hall construction, four and a half million. Okay. Now, the K9 building. So, it would be 60,000 that would come from the Capital Improvement Fund. Is that okay with you guys? Bird: Yeah. Donnell: Well, let's put it in. Bird: Put her in there. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 158 ofl63 Cunningham: Okay. And, then, we Special Service in the building department and, then, 18,000 for Opticons. Donnell: Uh-huh. Cunningham: Okay. So, all said and done, they are still going to have an excess of 1,081,000. Donnell: Then, in terms of revenue versus expenditure? Then, we need -- then I would recommend that it be placed in that city hall construction. Bird: I would, too. De Weerd: And it only takes 3.5 out of the account. Donnell: And the same thing back on the General Fund. We really need to just zero that out and put it in one of these line items. It should just be a balanced budget, revenue versus expenditure, is my thinking. Rountree: Did you put the donations for the Kg building in revenue? Bird: In revenue? Kilchenmann: No, because he said that, actually, they are just going to provide the materials. So, what we will do is when it's completed we will add it as -- Rountree: The assessed value. Kilchenmann: -- contributed capital. Yeah. Rountree: Okay. De Weerd: Is your microphone on? Kilchenmann: I don't -- yeah. It's pushed forward. Donnell: Just need to get it closer to you, probably. Kilchenmann: There. Donnell: There we go. De Weerd: I just wanted to make sure we were recording what you were saying. Kilchenmann: And something about the city hall, we actually didn't -- we need to add it in our Enterprise Fund. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 159 ofl63 Donnell: Okay. Kilchenmann: Because we meant to put it in there. When we get to them we will add it -- their portion of it in. Donnell: It needs to be put somewhere. Kilchenmann: Yeah. We need their half of it in there. Donnell: Yeah. Because by the time we get around to building that it's probably going to cost us twice that much. Kilchenmann: Uh-huh. Bird: You're probably right. Donnell: So, that needs to be moved over. Okay. We are doing Enterprise Fund. Oh, you mean the whole expenditure to the Enterprise Fund? Kilchenmann: No. They were going to pay half. Rountree: They pay half. Donnell: No. No. I'm talking about City Hall. Wardle: Yes. Bird: Yes. They are going to pay half. Kilchenmann: General Fund is going to pay half. Donnell: Oh, I see what you mean. Bird: They are going to pay half and we are going to pay half. Donnell: Yeah. Got you. Bird: I don't know how you guys feel, but I agree with Charlie, I -- let's don't fund that backhoe and let them tell us how much they really need it. Donnell: I agree. Rountree: There is not a passion for it at this point. Donnell: Nope. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 160 ofl63 Cunningham: Okay. So, take out their -- Donnell: Yeah. Cunningham: Okay. Okay. Backhoe's gone. And, then, we go to Public Works. The Department Specialist. Engineering Tech. Staff engineer. The software. Consulting. The remodeling expense. Equipment. Communication coordinator, which is that one- third. And, then, there is the city hall expense. Okay. Then, down below here is actually the half that comes from the General Fund. Except for on the legal intern -- and that should not be in there. Okay. So, we have half the purchasing and half of the intern for technology. Half of the web development. The switch. And that's just half of the operating. And half of the spam filter. The HR Office Assistant. The Wellness Handbook. The Wellness Motivation and Aspire-On. And, then, we go to Water. Operator Two. Operator One. Donnell: Okay. You guys all laugh. Cunningham: The additional fund for the water office. And we have the water right. The well rehab. The remote fill station. The radio read equipment. And the water line extension. Okay. Then, we to go wastewater. We have the phase one upgrade. The lift stations. Consulting. The Five Mile flow structure. The sludge truck repair. The odor control. The land purchase. The North Black Cat trunk. We have plant repairs. Equipment. And the mule. De Weerd: And a partridge in a pear tree. Bird: That's an expensive mule, but they work. That's cheap. Cunningham: And so they actually still -- in their operating cash end up still with 792,000 dollars excess revenue. And, then, in their assessment money they went into their fund balance 14,500. Donnell: That's what it's there for. Bird: Yep. Rountree: That's why we have it. Bird: That's why we have it. Thank God. Donnell: Okay. Okay. So, let's go back to the General Fund. Okay? Cunningham: Okay. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 161 of163 Donnell: And when it shows down at the bottom there the 103,000, that needs to be included somewhere here, wherever that would be. Bird: You mean 112,000. Donnell: Now, it's 112. Kilchenmann: We can transfer it to Capital Improvements. Donnell: Okay. It really should be there. Bird: Where are you going to put it to? Kilchenmann: Capital Improvement Fund. Bird: Good. Donnell: And, then, it just helps us when we have those unexpected expenses come. But it should show zero. Bird: At Council's discretion. Donnell: Yeah. Yeah. It just needs to show zero. Okay. Good job, Finance Department. Kilchenmann: Thank you. Donnell: Are we through now? Rountree: Yeah. Donnell: Are we through now, Mayor? De Weerd: Yeah. Bird: Did you get these all printed out for us? For tomorrow? Rountree: Now, there isn't a glitch somewhere in that spreadsheet that you're going to come back tomorrow and tell us we are out of whack? Bird: Yeah. That's happened. Cunningham: That happens. Donnell: It does. Meridian City Council -Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 162 ofl63 Berg: Madam Mayor, just in clarification for the Council, now we have it on the agenda for August 8th to approve a tentative budget, so we can public this for our Public Hearing on the 30th of August? De Weerd: August 9th you mean? Berg: I'm sorry. 9th. Bird: And, then, we have got a Public Hearing the 30th. Berg: August 30th Public Hearing for the budget. So, did that all make sense? Rountree: Okay by me. Donnell: Yep. It does. Berg: And once we public we cannot exceed changing or modifying the budget. Donnell: Unless we amend it. Berg: Another year. Rountree: Another year. De Weerd: She needs to go home. Berg: If you approve a tentative budget, that doesn't mean you're locked into that budget, you can modify or decrease those expenditures, but you can't increase them. Bird: You know what, every year this budget process gets better, Stacy, and congratulate you and thank you for it. Donnell: Even if it was a long day. Bird: You should have been at '98 and '97's, right, Charlie? Rountree: Oh, yeah. That would have been fun. De Weerd: Well, Council, I appreciate you spending time with the departments and reviewing their enhancement requests and so it does make it to be a smoother process. Bird: And, Tammy, I think everybody, including yourself, needs to be congratulated for being sensible with your requests, not coming up with some wild-eyed thing that we don't need like we used to get. De Weerd: Well-- and as you could see, there were some items withdrawn and -- Meridian City Council ~Budget Workshop July 25, 2005 Page 163 of163 Bird: Well, yeah, and that's just being -- that's just being nice and sensible and that's what we need -- that's what we need to keep doing. De Weerd: I had to beat them up to get it out of them. Bird: I know better than that. Donnell: So, now can I make a motion to adjourn? De Weerd: You can. Donnell: So moved. Wardle: Second. De Weerd: All those in favor say aye. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 5:02 P.M. (TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS) 0/ / (.$-1 iPS- DATE APPROVED