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09/02/1997-CC-Minutes-Work SessionMINUTES: City Council Workshop September 2, 1997 ]PRESENT: Mayor John Coker, Councilman Tommy Kincaid, Councilwoman Alice Madden, Councilman Jimmy Frazier, Councilman Jerry Jenkins ABSENT: Councilman Mike James OTHERS PRESENT: City Administrator Larry Keesler, City Secretary Rosalie Chavez 1. Mayor Coker Called the Meeting to Order. 2. Discuss Fiscal Year Budget 1997-1998. City Administrator addressed Council in regards to property tax rate. He discussed different rates and effects on revenue collections. Discussed. Councilman Jenkins indicated he would like the tax rate to stay at .4725 in lieu of raising taxes. Councilman Frazier asked what effect would the .4725 tax rate have on the budget and what kuad of surplus does this allow in the budget. City Administrator indicated that after last week's budget workshop he changed the budget contingency from $$7,000 to $62,000 which would allow a S % increase in salaries to all employees. He cut $2,500 from the Fire Department's budget for radios and added the $1.00 to the commercial sanitation rate. Mr. Keesler indicated he budgeted the water tower at 5 year payout and $15,000 to be expensed in this proposed budget. Councilman Jenkins and Coiaricilinan. Kincaid indicated that in prior years the City did not have any kind of surplus. Councilinan Kincaid indicated this .has had an effect on the ratings the City has received on Bond issuance; however, in the past the decision of Council was to raise utility rates to offset property tax increases. Councilman Kincaid also indicated that a tax rate increase will have to be considered in future due to the fact that if .the. City continues to grow the City will have to prepare for the growth. Discussed. Councilman Frazier indicated that he was glad that Council was addressing the possibility of raising utility deposits. Consensus of Council to leave the tax rate at the .4725. Discussed was that employees in the Electric Department would get the 5 % on top of the 6-mouth probation. Councilman Jenkins indicated the S% should be applied to all departments. Councilman Jenkins indicated that there were certain departments who had requested special increases be "allocated" in the budget for certain employees. He indicated that he does not want to see these increases be sneaked into the budget unless it was agreed to be done so by Council in the budget. Councilman Jenkins referred to the requests made for Julie (Court Clerk) and some of the girl's in Rose's department. CC MINUTES - WORKSHOP PAGE 2 09/02/97 City Secretary advised that she felt the 5 % increase would help her employees not only by increasing morale but by making them feel good about their job. Councilman Jenkins discussed the lack of response City Hall gives in regards to complaints the office receives concerning sanitation service. Mayor Coker advised he has received the same complaints from other customers. City Secretary advised she would speak with her staff and make sure all complaints are handled through the front office. Mayor Coker also inquired as to whether the Police Department makes up work orders when they drive around town and as they see problems which need to be taken care of. Mayor Coker also inquired if the Police Department knows what the Code of Ordinances indicates in regards to ordinance violations. Mayor Coker indicated that maybe the City Administrator and City Secretary needed to get with the Police Department and go over that part of the Code of Ordinances. Another issue addressed was that the Police Officers are patrolling the Interstate again, when they have been instructed in the past not to do so. Council instructed City Administrator to take care of this problem. 3. Adjourned. ATTEST: Chavez, City W. poker III, Mayor