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Council approves consent agenda but splits 4-2 on $20,000 community survey
Summary
The council approved the consent agenda on Aug. 4 and passed most consent items unanimously. Council pulled item 5.13 (a proposed $20,000 community survey) for discussion; after debate the motion to approve the survey passed 4-2 with Fuller and Samuelson dissenting.
At the Aug. 4 meeting the council moved and passed the consent agenda for routine items; no objections were raised for the bulk of items. Item 5.13, a proposal to contract for a community survey (budgeted at about $20,000), was pulled for individual discussion by Alderman Samuelson.
Samuelson said he is generally skeptical of surveys and questioned the usefulness given an existing survey and concerns that property-tax increases referenced in the draft budget would contradict survey results. Alderman Fuller suggested using the city27s public-information office and social media for lower-cost outreach; staff and other council members explained that nonrandom social-media polling is not statistically valid for guiding policy. Alderman Olsen reminded the public that a proposed budget is not an adopted budget and that the final property-tax impact had not been set.
After discussion the council voted 4-2 to approve item 5.13, with Aldermen Fuller and Samuelson voting against the expenditure. The consent motion for the remaining items passed unanimously.
