City administrator previews early 2026–27 budget process, flags code enforcement activity

City Administrator Max Baker provided a broad operational update at the Feb. 17 meeting, telling the council the 2026–27 budget process has begun earlier than usual and staff are contacting committees and boards for capital project requests. "Parks historically represent the largest spending area for capital projects," Baker said, and staff will bring capital requests forward as part of the budget cycle.

Baker also summarized recent code enforcement work: four final notice letters that carry potential penalties of up to $1,000 per day were mailed, generating responses from two properties; 17 vehicles were tagged, with most owners contacting staff and two vehicles moved. He noted two animal complaints were addressed and that an alarm incident highlighted the need to deactivate an old key lock system and train staff on the new access-control hardware.