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HomeMy WebLinkAboutminutes.council.19710921Special Meeting Aspen City Counci! Septemb0r 2!)- !~7! i Meeting was called to order~by Mayor Eve Homeyer at 5:00 P. M. with Councilmen Scott Nystrom, Ross Griffin, Ramona Mark&lunas, Jack'Walls,'Francis Whitaker, City Manager Leon Wurl and Finance Director Dennis Veeder. Letter was submitted to Council from the Ladies of the Rugby Club requesting permission Rugby Club to install a temporary scoreboard in Wagner Park for October 2nd and 3rd. Scoreboard Councilman Nystrom moved to approve this request. Seconded by Councilman Walls. Ail in favor, motion carried, PUD~and CPN - Mr. Herb Bartel, City/County Planner, request guidance from Council in pre- PUD and CPN paring the ordinance and the addition of the following words to be inserted into the ordinance, "that application cannot be made in areas that have been designated as stable residential areas." Council agreed to have the Planner and City Attorney proceed with the drafting of the ordinance along the basis as outlined above. Fire District - City Manager Wurl reported he would be meeting with the Fire Department Fire Department on Thursday as to their previous request to add to the present structure. Fire Department is willing to guarantee to the City that when another area is available to more the Fire Department to, they will be willing to make that move. Also agree to continue with a year to year lease. The addition is necessary to house the equipment which is now re- quired. Council agreed they would go along on this basis. Budgets - City Manager Wurl reported the budgets submitted have been revised and cut. Budgets Deficit still exists of $210,000 in the general fund. Budgets not cut at this time are Legal, Central Services and Non-departmental. City Council - Budget reduced by $250.00. City Clerk - Budget reduced by $1,550.00. Municipal Court - Budget reduced by $918.44. City Manager - Budget reduced by $1,470.00. Boards and Commissions - Budget reduced by $450.00. Finance - Reduced by $2,010.00~ Councilman Comcowich arrived. Data Processing - Reduced by $1600.00. Police - Reduced by $13;968.37. ' Building Inspector - Reduced by $2,774.00. Streets - Reduced by $10,349.00. Engineering - Reduced by $13,515.45. ~uilding Operations and Maintenance - Reduced by $3,799.00. The following budgets were reviewed for the first time by Council: Non-departmental - Total budget $187,623.00. Water Department ~ Total budget $333,658.00. Electric Department - Total budget $605,700.00. Manager Wurl reported the estimates on revenues are conservative and have cut back on those igems which are not on par this year such as building permits, special assessments, etc. Manager Wurl stated additional cuts could be made in the area of the Happy Hearth if it is sold in the amount of $50,000 and also the amount budgeted of $22,500 on Opera House. Manager Wurl request guidance from Council as to where they felt additional cuts should be made or increase revenues and also a' clarification on the RSA picture. councilman Comcowich stated the sales tax revenues of the RSA are within 1% of the estimated, the split of the "slop over" is the same so do not feel the split of the "slop over" should be increased. RSA is living within its means. Manager Wurl pointed out when RSA began the total budget was $295,000, the budget pro- posed for 1972 is up to ~02,000 whiehLhag~eo~,;~bout by~the~addition:of~new functions under the RSA. Councilman Griffin stated he was against funding the hospital out of RSA and against $10,000 to Roaring Fork TV. Councilman Whitaker stated he felt additional funds should be split under the 2/3rds 1/3rd. 1207 Special Meeting Aspen City Council September 21,1971 Budget Manager Wurl pointed out the problem exists in:RSA budgets., in that the C~ity does not have the opportunity to cut back those budgets as was done today on general fund budgets. If all functions of the City were back under the City and reduced, feel there would be a great deal of money saved there. Manager Wurl further pointed out there are areas that Council is committed to solving the problems such as finance $18,000 and building operat- ions and maintenance of about $40,000. Finance Director Veeder pointed out the actual increase of the 1972 budget over the 1971 budget is $57,600~The revenues are out $210,000 of which a large portion is the $100,000 of electric transfer. Manager Wurl reported to make the Water Department self sustaining would require an in- crease of 20% to 30% in water rates. william~Dunaway of the Aspen Times questioned how much the annual increases in salary amounts to. Finance Director Veeder stated the total increase in personal services is $96,000 which includes overtime, temporary employees and professionaI and consultant services. Only new employees in the proposed budget are: 1 in finance, 1 in police depart- ment and 1 in engineering, Councilman Comcowich suggest the mew employee in finance remain and eliminate the other two new employees. Also stated perhaps the salaries should not be increasedf Manager Wurl reported the actual salary increases would amount to about $25,000 to $30,000. Councilman Comcowich questioned how the City would stand if the RSA got a divorce. Manager Wurl reported as the budgets stand today, the City would be down $40,000. Mr. Wurl further stated he felt the divorce would be a good thing not only for fiscal reasons'but then Council could determine their goals and priorities and deal with them. Feel money could be made by making cuts in RSA budgets that Council:'m~y feel they~do:not want. Mr. Wurl stated he used to be a staunch supporter of the RSA, now~there are alot~of things in which the City is losing ground. It was:felt in the beginning that.there-would be co-operation and understanding but that has not come about. Do not ~eel the County has any more understanding or sympathetic~of the City's problems than at the beginning. The City gets alot of heat about things that we are not doing or what is wrong, whereas, we do not know about the projects'such as the airport. The information tbmt the County has obtained from the.City is all above board~contracts are-let by,the RSA, etc. The County let around $200,000 ~bond issue and the City was never informed that it was going to happen on the airport. Councilman Whitake= stated that the Original theory was good, but is this is to the dis- advantage of the City, and it has not been recognized as a legal entity ye~, that perhaps the Council should take a real serious look and reconsider the RSA. Councilman Whitaker stated he was not in favor of the hospital, TV or the Chamber under the RSA. The City has other more important items. Going through the RSA takes longer to get anything done. Such itmes as animal warden, planner should be worked out with the County, do not feel the air- port should be under RSA. When the 2% tax went to the voters it was based on a budget of about $300,000, i~'is now up to $500,000 and feel there is reason to question this. Councilman Markalunas stated she was not in favor of supporting the hospital from sales tax monies, should be ad valorem, feel the Chamber should have something and the TV should be cut somewhat. Councilmmn Griffin reiterated he was for cutting out the Hospital,. TV and Chamber. Councilman ~ystrom stated he was in favor or supporting the Chamber; Hospital should be financed by ad valorem and have mixed emotions on the TV. Councilman.Comcowich stated he felt that the Hospital does relate to the tourists and do not feel it is wrong to use sales tax funds for the hospital; in fact fee! it should be 20%. Feel the TV could be cut but feel it is a function of gover~ment that cannot be pro- vided by private enterprise and feel there is a real need for this in the County. Feel the leadership in the Chamber has changed and Aspen is in the tourist business so feel the Chamber should be recognized. Councilman Walls stated he felt the Hospital should be financed by ad valorem and feel the City was pressured into approving or disapproving this project. Feel'the Chamber should be s~lf sustaining and cannot see at this time funding the Chamber. The TV could affect a certain amount of revenue to the City (franchise tax from Canyon Cable.) Councilman Nystrom reported the Chamber will be presenting to the RSA tomorrow their list of goals and proposed budget. The Chamber is getting between 90 and 100 letters a day to be answered and feel some funds should go to the Chamber. 120'8 Special Meeting Aspen City COuncil September 21~ 1971 Councilman Comcowich suggest the following: Increase water rates. Not hire new employees except in critical areas. Question salary increases. No increases in any budgets except critical areas. Look at poorly run departments and shape them up. Councilman Walls stated he felt when the City did have a 2% sales tax,~feel the City made a big error in cutting the ad valorem so low. This community is.not a stand still community, additional sources of revenue will have to be found to solve the problems we have. Entire Council stated they were in favor of repairs to the Opera House in the 1972 budget feel it would cost more in the long run is this ~ put pff. Feel this is critical. Council agreed as a first priority, water rates should be increased as soon as possible after the freeze is lifted. CoUncil agreed no new employees be included in the budget unless critical. Some members of Council felt the new employee in finance was critical and some stated they felt the new employee in engineering was critical. Mayor Homeyer Stated everything has gone up, look at postage rates, and there is no way the City can supply services without increases and still lOok towards the future. Would agree with increasing the mill levy 5 or 6 mills. It was stated salary raises should be the last priority before raising taxes. It was pointed out the Happy Hearth is another priority. City Manager Wurl pointed out the carry over of the RSA is not reflected in the revenue picture which could be a substantial amount. "Puppy'! Smith - Mayor Homeyer informed Council at the party given by the employees for "Puppy" Smith on his 20th Anniversary with the City she had agreed to reimburse Mr. Smith for the first two days he worked for the City in 1951 due ~o at that time the City could not afford to pay Mr. Smith for the first two days and also gave permission for Mr. Smith to attend the golf tournament in Vail. Request a motion to this effect at the next reg- ular meeting. Councilman G~iffin moved to adjourn ~his meeting to Thursday at 5:00 P. M., seconded by Councilman Nystrom. Ail in favor, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:45 P. M. ~orrazne Graves, City Clerk Adjourned.~pecial Meeting Aspen City Council September. 23.~.. 1971 Meeting was called to order by Mayor Eve Homeyer at 5:15 P. M. in the City Clerk's Office with Councilmen Scott Nystrom, Ross Griffin, Ramona Markalunas, Jack Walls, C~y Manager Leon Wurl and Finance Director D~nnis Veeder. Budget~- Manager Wurl submitted a breakdo~m of additional revenues and appropriations Budget covering all but $28,334.50 of the deficit. Council informed Manager Wurl the $7,000 for the structural study on the Opera House was already taken out. Deficit now remmins at $21,334.50. Salaries - Manager Wurl submitted complete breakdown of the personnel services ~ the Salaries proposed 1972 budget. Councilman Francis Whitak~r arrived. Manager Wurl outlined the additional cuts made in the proposed budget as follows: $ 8,400.00 Police, New Emplpyee 10,000.00 Personnel Services 175.00 Data Processing 2 000.00 Building Operations and Maintenance 1.700.00 Lease of Police Vehicle 1500.00 Police Capital Outlay 2.000.00 Streets Capital Outlay 1 000.00 Streets - Plant and Garage Equipment 7 000.00 Streets - Hospital Bridge 680.00 Engineering Capital Outlay 2,000.00 Engineering Professional Services 15,000.00 Electric Fund 2,000.00 Electric Fund, Underground Transformers 3,000.00 Electric Fund, Underground Supplies 31,355.00 Street Improvement Districts RSA RSA - Mayor Homeyer and Councilman Walls, City Representative~ to the RSA, outlined what they felt the problems were with the RSA: Priorities not the same as the County,s. Information from the County not received on the Airport prior to its being done. Timing in getting things accomplished. Abuse to the City from the County. City.being pulled backwards instead of going ahead. County Commissioners do not abstain when they have a conflict. Councilman Whitaker stated he felt the City had enough problems without having to w6rk with the uncooperative, insensitive people on the RSA. Councilman Walls stated, at the time4the sales tax was passed, the go~f course down the valley was not mentioned, because it was a controversial item, To finance the hospital, the Council would be' looking at another large project. Cpunty Commissiongrs have said they want to use up all the 2% salem tax monies for projects under the RSA. Councilman Whitaker pointed out that was not the intent when ~he tax was passed. Mayor Homeyer informed ~he Council that the City maybe looking at a breakup of the RSA because of the hospital. Councilman Whitaker stated you do not fund construction with sales ~ax monies. .... Councilman Griffin stated there was no guarantee made that the RSA would work and if the organization needs over-hauling then it should be done.. Manager Wurl submitted an outline of the City's position if the RSA were to split. Mr. Wurl state~ the major problem of the RSA is the trying to attempt to adopt priorities in two leve~s of government, which is almost virtually impossibl9 to do. The City is less able to deal with fiscal problems because of the RSA in having to go throug~ advisory boards, back to RSA, back to Council and then back again to RSA. Another serious problem is the lack of gain for the time involved. Councilman Griffin states as relates to the fairgrounds committee, the City never approved this. ..... Mayor Homeyer stated she would like to go back to the RSA Board and inform the Board that the City is not for funding the~hospital, TV, the. $21,000.be included in the Parks and Recreation budget and the County accept the golf course under the RSA. It was pointed out the straw vote taken by the Council on the funding of the hospital was not to tell the City Representatives how to vote but to give the representatives a clear picture, on.how the Council felt.~. Council members present tentatively agreed with Mayor Homeyer's stand on the RSA as out- lined above, Salaries -Council agreed to hold the salary increases in a contingency fund untili~,such time as sufficient revenues are received to compensate for the increases. Discussed sources of revenue to cover the $21,000 remaining deficit. Manager Wurl reported an additional 2~cents on cigarettes would bring ~n an additional $16,500~iof revenue. Entire Council stated they would try and attend the RSA meeting on Tuesday at 8:00 P. M. Councilman Nystrom moved to adjourn at 6:50 P.M., seconded by Councilman Whitaker, Ail in favor, meeting adjourned. Lorra~ne~Graves, City Clerk