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Councilors clash, restore library utility payment Brainerd City Council Senior Reporter Acknowledging tough budget decisions in the days ahead that could reduce personnel or staff hours, the Brainerd City Council looked at one of its earlier cuts and voted to put the money back.
The vote, which split the council, came during a special 2010 budget meeting Monday night at city hall. The discussion had Council President Kevin Goedker at one point suggesting a break after an exchange between council members Bob Olson and Mary Koep.
In the end, the council voted 4-3 to restore an estimated $23,200 utility payment to the Brainerd Public Library. Council member Anne Nelson Fisher proposed paying the utilities. Koep said the library board approved its budget in September without difficulty and is in good shape financially, without the $23,200 for utilities.
"The money is not needed," Koep said, adding it is "purely a political ploy to give them money they don't need when" the city is looking at cutbacks in so many areas.
Olson disagreed, saying he took offense at the comment about it being a political ploy, which he said wasn't a fair comment for anyone who supported the motion. It's important to support the library, Olson said.
Council members Kelly Bevans and Goedker both said they agreed with comments made by Olson and Koep, which made the matter more difficult. Bevans questioned giving the library money its board said it didn't need at a time when the city was looking at cutting personnel and services.
Koep reported that the city is required to pay $131,000 in levy dollars to support the library and actually levied $11,000 more. The library paid its utilities from its own levy dollars until four or five years ago, Koep said.
The city has been extremely supportive of the library, she said, adding that, with all considered, the city supports the library by $166,000 - or $35,000 more than required by law.
Fisher said that sometimes doing more than the law requires is what the people want. In the end, council members Fisher, Lucy Nesheim, Olson and Bonnie Cumberland voted in favor. Council members Bevans, Koep and Goedker opposed.
In two other motions during the session, the council voted 5-2 to reduce the council's professional development fund from $3,500 to $2,000. Olson and Bevans opposed. Olson suggested reducing the entire amount.
Koep suggested putting all professional development funds for staff and the council in one fund. She added that the fund should pay for costs associated from council member memos requesting information if there were more than six memos in any month. Olson laughed. Koep said Olson considers the memos important to do his job and others believe being educated by attending seminars on such topics as law changes is part of making better decisions.
Olson said anybody listening would think he was being attacked.
"I do write a lot of memos," Olson said. "I save the city one pile of big dollars."
He said Koep was a top spender in the professional development fund.
"Let's not be throwing stones, Mrs. Koep," he said.
When the two continued back and forth, Goedker said he was considering having a recess until everyone could get along. Koep withdrew her motion on the six-memo limit when Fisher asked for more time to consider it.
The council also voted to re-examine the city's fee schedule. Fisher said roofing permits are $35 and require several visits by building inspectors. She wondered if the amount was commensurate to the work required. Koep questioned why a building inspector would need to make that many visits for a single project.
Koep opposed the motion, saying charging more for fees was akin to another tax on a struggling public. Olson supported the motion but suggested that the city needed to look at cutting expenditures.
The council discussed options for $250,000 leftover from bond proceeds for about five projects, which included the downtown reconstruction project and South Eighth Street, among other work. The city estimated the costs, and with the economy, the bids came in below those costs. The city may use the money to reduce the debt for future levies or for 2010 or leave it in the construction fund for a future project. Council members did not make a decision Monday night.
Council members suggested other ways to reduce the budget, such as reducing staff hours and cutting supplies, but agreed to wait to discuss those options until they know more about the state's budget decisions in November.
Olson presented ideas for numerous cuts, including cutting $65,000 from the police department and an overall reduction in staff hours by two hours a week, as well as having elected officials and administrative staff pay 20 percent of insurance premiums as staff members do.
The council previously approved a preliminary tax levy of $4,262,308, a 7.57 percent or $300,000 increase from the 2009 levy. The preliminary levy may be lowered, but not raised before the Dec. 14 final adoption of a levy and budget.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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