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City manager outlines modest personnel changes and $1.9 million shift to economic development; parking pilot planned
Summary
City Manager Clegg told the council the general government budget reflects modest personnel increases despite a 5% reduction directive, with about $1.9 million moved to cover economic development contract work. He also described a pilot to formalize a downtown parking enterprise to manage lots, garage and street parking.
City Manager Clegg said the city’s general government budget shows only a modest increase in personnel costs despite a council-directed 5% reduction across the general fund. He told the council that the personnel line rose slightly because of cost-of-living adjustments and higher insurance costs, while operations increased largely because the city moved the operating costs for economic development into the general fund.
"That $1,900,000 is representative of those economic development operating dollars that we principally use for contracting for the tools and resources and incentives to do economic development," Clegg said, explaining the change was chiefly a shift to contracted services rather than adding a large team of city employees.
Clegg said the administration has shifted one position previously housed in risk into the city manager’s office and moved three positions from economic and community development into the city manager’s office; he added other personnel reductions elsewhere helped limit the net personnel increase.
On parking, Clegg described plans to pilot a parking enterprise that separates parking revenues and costs from the general fund. The pilot will begin in the 18th and I garage and adjacent street-level parking; the city will do outreach with downtown businesses before any broader changes. "Right now, it's actually, we do collect revenues into the general fund, but we actually pay more in operating costs out of the general fund than revenues that we bring in," he said, adding the intent is to make parking easier to use and to recover more of the actual costs through rates and technology.
Clegg said the city will return to council with a summary of capital and general-fund numbers at the May 18 workshop and will present the complete budget and public hearing items in June. The manager emphasized that many departmental templates were the same as prior years and that the May 18 meeting will include a full summary of numbers for council review prior to formal budget votes.
The presentation prompted council questions about the mechanics of the reorganization and community outreach for parking, which Clegg said the city will conduct before implementing any rate changes or expanded enforcement.
Next steps: council will review capital funding options and priorities at the May 18 workshop, where staff will list recommended and optional projects and request direction.
