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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-02-20 Council Minutes - Work SessionCITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION � FEBRUARY 20 2003 6:00 P.M. KENAI CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAYOR JOHN J. WILLIAMS, PRESIDING Council Present: Williams, Moore, Swarner, Bookey, Jackman, and Porter Staff present: Freas, La Shot, Semmens, Kornelis, Jankowska, Graves, Wannamaker, Cronkhite, Craig, Snow, Frates, Kopp, Walden, Hall. Others: O. Osborne, H. Smalley, E. DeForest, R. Ross, J. Neyman, B. Gilman, D. Sonberg, J. Buzzell, C. Glick, B. Peters. City Manager Snow reported the following: • The city is facing a loss of at least $800,000 in sales tax revenue direct from the closing of Kmart and more like a $1.4 million total deficit. Two things feeding the deficit are the graduated loss of revenue (interest income, state revenue, and Kmart) and the graduated increase in costs of providing public services (personnel, insurances, utilities, etc.) • The good news (reasoning to recommend a calm, rational, fairly optimistic approach to this year's budget) : The healthy, commendable fund balance, which could be used to weather a one-year transitional storm. • The bad news: The fund balance will be finite and will not last forever if prudent, positive and proactive measures are not taken now. • Administration recommends using this next year as a transitional year; at the end of one year, a much clearer picture and more information on which to base actions will be know. - • Administration does not recommend decimating public services, which means massive lay-offs, at this time because of the city's healthy fund balance. • Administration recommends a three -fold, combination approach to get through the next budget year and to position the city carefully for the project years: (1) budget cuts between $100 and $200,000; (2) a 1/2 mill increase to yield another $200,000 to the already projected one mill increase; and (3) using the unrestricted fund balance to cover the balance of the projected deficit. • Throughout this year and by the beginning of next fiscal year, they will have had the opportunity to glean the information needed and upon which to approach the second year. If previous optimism and confidence has or is proving to be unfounded, then they would have recommend drastic reductions in the level of public services. This year there is a choice. The budget policy statement defined during the last pre -budget work sessions was reviewed and noted: • Establish the Unreserved Undesignated General Fund Balance at no less than $4,750,000. WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, THIS WOULD BE DEFICIT SPENDING. • Proj ect a mill rate increase from 3.5 to 4.5. KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FEBRUARY 20, 2003 PAGE 2 • Project no change to the sales tax rate. • No new programs or additional staffing beyond what was authorized in FY03, unless the staff will be offset by savings or have a neutral budget impact, e.g., VISTA. • After consideration of lapsed appropriations, the budget will be balanced, i.e., the Adjusted (Deficit)/ Surplus will be zero or show a surplus. ADMINISTRATION NO LONGER RECOMMENDS. • The budget should include some level of employee contribution towards the payment of health insurance premiums. ADMINISTRATION NO LONGER RECOMMENDS. • The budget should include a COLA for employees. ADMINISTRATION NO LONGER RECOMMENDS. Semmens explained he calculated the sales tax loss as follows: Estimated Kmart sales tax revenue $ (8002000) Estimated of direct sales/stay in Kenai 200,000 Direct revenue loss $ (6002000) Projecting sales tax for FY 03 4,0002000 Non-Kmart Sales Tax revenue 31400,000 Est. residual impact on other sales - 10% (340,10001 Estimated sales tax revenue for FY 04 31060,000 Semmens reminded council these were his estimations and some persons in the community to which he has spoken think he is being optimistic. Semmens then reviewed a Budget Projection for the General Fund which he handed out and noted: • He believed the property tax should be better than projected. • Sales tax is projected to be less ($4,000,000) (this is very early in the budget process, as he usually doesn't finalize his projections at this time of the year and he anticipates the numbers will change) . • He expects state and federal revenues to stay fairly flat. • $1.5 million was projected and $1.6 million is the actual in "other revenues" due to a settlement payment and sales in regard to Inlet Woods. • Because the city is billing ambulance fees, he believes there has been a positive response in collecting revenue. • There is nothing good on the horizon for interest revenue and is bound to go down instead of up. • Charges to "other funds" are up a little, but is normal fluctuation. Semmens commented on the expenditures side of the budget and noted the 2004 column indicated the department submitted budgets (which were basically status quo) and explained: • The budget is up $460,000, including personnel costs of $230,000 (health insurance, PERS and workers' compensation). KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FEBRUARY 20, 2003 PAGE 3 • There is no pay raise included in the budget, though there is $18,000 for salary step increases. (Neither a COLA increase or employee -pay health insurance were figured into the budget at this point.) • It is felt by he and Snow, between $100,000 and $200,000 can be removed from the budget, however above that, it will mean service cuts. • The total deficit is shown as $1, 467,691 (after adding a one mill increase). • The addition of another one-half mill will reduce the deficit number by about $200,000. • The lapse has been reduced to three percent due to budgets being tighter and tighter. • Fund Balance: Designated = $2.6 (includes encumbrances from year ended; $95 1,000 reserved for capital improvements; $200,000 reserved for debt services (now taken care of and removed); $500,000 planned to take from fund balance next year; $100,000 for self-insurance; $400,000 for working capital; $100,000 for Daubenspeck (limited for what it can be spent) . Undesignated = $5,134,000 (available for appropriation) out of $7.7 million. He noted, council has control over most of those designated funds and could decide not to have a reserve for capital improvements, etc. • They are projecting FY2003 will end with a total fund balance of $7.3 million, but with an unreserved undesignated fund balance of $4.3 million (small because planning to deficit spend in FY 04) . • It's critical to recognize the impact of the reserves and designations because FY04 he is projecting fund balance will be $6,122,000. If in FY05 council wants a balanced budget, the designations drop by $1.7 million. Semmens added, council needs to look at the budget and cut items that make sense to cut, i.e. dock hours, multi -purpose facility hours, changing library hours, changing programs at the Recreation Center, etc. ; he didn't feel that when the fund balance is $7.7 million, decimating services would be appropriate; services are prepaid by the public; if the financial picture is not more optimistic next year, he felt drastic cuts should be made to services. Discussion followed and points were noted as: • If continue to draw down on the fund balance and don't cut service in a timely manner, will end up back being in debt with no reserve and a higher mill rate. • If there is not a reasonable return to $4.2 million or more of sales tax, either replace it with property tax or drastically cut services, or a combination. • Make some cuts to services (probably not police and fire) because it's prudent to do so. • Concern the shortfall will be $1.6 million instead of $1.4 million because without Kmart there will be less expenditures for gas, meals, etc. due to less people coming to Kenai. KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FEBRUARY 20, 2003 PAGE 4 Discussion of proposed cuts followed: • Snow explained, they gave council the amounts of cuts, i.e. between $100,000 and $200,000. • Administration has discussed the library, multi -purpose facility, dock, etc. in regard to cuts in hours, closures, privatizing, leasing, etc. There is nothing in the budgets presented to her which are sacred. • Administration needs new guidance/policy from the council as to how much to cut, i.e. how much taxes, how much cutting, and how much fund balance. Discussion followed regarding a mill rate increase and cuts and council determined they should decide the mill rate increase and how much to cut and let administration recommend what to cut. For preparation of the budget, council directed: • No COLA increase. • Employees pay a portion of the health insurance as the recommended by the Health Insurance Employee Committee. • Cut $500,000 out of fund balance. • Increase the mill rate to 1.5. • Maximum deficit spending level is set at $500,000. • Remove #5 from policy statement. A break was taken in order for Semmens to prepare a new budget projection based on the determinations council discussed during the evening. Semmens noted: • With a five mill rate, property taxes would be approximately $2 million. • The deficit numbers are now changed. • He added "undefined cuts/revenue increases" as $52 1,000 -- which will need to be cut and leave a deficit, after consideration of a three percent lapse, of $500)000. • Now the deficit is less and less is designated in this year. His projection for unreserved and undesignated at the end of FY03 is $3.7 million. • FY04 is showing unreserved/undesignated at $3.192 million, but in reality it won't be that because the city will not be deficit spending $1.7 million in FY0 5. Public Comment: Blaine Gilman: Noted as follows: • He hates to see the City be decimated/unraveled. • Thinks the city has been well managed and it took a lot of time to get the city to where it is now. KENAI CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FEBRUARY 20, 2003 r PAGE 5 • Suggested the mill rate be increased two to three because he is concerned the $500,000 in cuts will be very painful, i.e. going backwards, employees losing jobs, etc. • At this time, he believes the city's reserves are low (should be $7- 10 million) . • Doesn't want the city to focus so much on the mill rate and cut services and then have to rebuild. He would rater increase the mill rate than cut services. Williams noted, within the next three months, changes could happen. Porter added, by setting the limits, etc. and discussing cuts to services, it will allow the general public to comment. Rick Ross: Noted the following: • Understood what council is up against. • Thinks administration will have to bring back levels of cuts which the council will find not acceptable and modifications will be made. • Doesn't think council wants to be the generators of bad news, but respond to news and make incremental changes. • Suggested this year make small changes and leave the hard decisions for next year, i.e, prepare for it, plan for it, but take the least reactive action. The work session adjourned at approximately 7:57 p.m. Notes transcribed and prepared by: Carol L. Freas, City Clerk N CNI ARV