Budget Study Session Action Items Update

1. How much of the operating budget does the City already spend on infrastructure maintenance (or how much infrastructure maintenance is not debt-financed)?  04/27/06 study session
2. Program improvements

(a) Departments should be challenged to link their program improvement requests to the City Commission Goals 05/18/06 study session

(b) There should be some threshold for what size of projects should be brought to the City Commission by departments.  For example, the merits of a $15,000 program improvement should be judged by City Staff rather than the Commission.  See department budget requests

(c) Projects should add value to the community (one dollar spent should result in more than one dollar of community benefit).  Staff should find a way to articulate and quantify this. 

(d) Look for opportunities to share equipment and machinery among multiple departments. 06/15/06 Study Session

3. Tax comparison information

(a) How does Lawrence compare to other communities in terms of median income, cost of living, etc.? 08/22/06 City Commission meeting   Staff Memo

(b) Are there any tools for comparing increases in residential assessed valuation to other communities?  The analysis would need to separate increased valuation due to new property from increased valuation of existing property.  4/27/06 study session

4. How much local revenue might be lost due to proposed sales tax holiday?  O4/27/06 study session
5. Request for Mark Funkhouser presentation to City Commission on auditing.  05/11/06 study session
6. Would downtown fire sprinkler improvements be eligible for historic preservation tax credits?   06/15/06 Study Session
7. More resources should be dedicated by the City and the Chamber of Commerce to working with our congressional delegation to secure federal support for projects.  Off-season visits with the delegation may be more useful than visits during the National League of Cities conference.  
8. How much time does City Staff currently devote to grant securing activities?   06/15/06 Study Session
9. Analysis is needed of how much expenditures can increase in 2007 without depleting fund balance faster than is desired.  This could be addressed with the financial advisors. 08/08/06 work session with Springsted

10. At least one of the budget study sessions needs to be taken more aggressively into the community – should be held at a location outside City Hall, in the evening when more people can attend, and should be advertised.  07/17/06 study session held at 7:00 p.m. at Fire Station #5

11. How much higher than the 2006 budgeted fund balance did we begin the year? 05/18/06 study session

12. Clarification needed regarding the actions that are required on the streets (identified in the street condition survey) needing significant improvements.  04/27/06 study session

13. Outside agency requests should be handled later (after City operations) in the budget process. Adjusted budget calendar

14. Staff report needed regarding a proposal to designate a portion of the alcohol tax to reserve funds.  See attachment to Budget transmittal letter

15. How much does the City provide in funding to the Arts Center each year, including funds for the operation and maintenance of the building?  06/15/06 Study Session

16. Follow up Items from Budget Meetings with Departments:

(a) Library -Provide a salary schedule and a number of current employees as well as proposed number   06/15/06 Study Session

(b) Administrative Services- Are self-insuring and self-administering best practices in work comp programs of similar organizations?  Is our organization large enough that we need to move away from self-administering?   06/15/06 Study Session

(c) Planning - What would it cost to televise Planning Commission meetings?  Would technical support be needed during Planning Commission meetings if streaming video (Admin Services program improvement) is implemented?  06/15/06 Study Session

(d) Neighborhood Resources - Preventing demolition by neglect: Is there a way to integrate our Habitat for Humanity or other affordable housing programs with blight removal activities? Explore options for using computer aided review in the field.   07/13/06 Study Session

(e) Transit - Are the demographics of ridership changing? How much are school age kids riding the T?   06/15/06 Study Session

(f) Human Relations -Are you documenting informal complaints?  City Commission would like to be able to see trends in the number of these complaints. How many participants in seminars?   06/15/06 Study Session

(g) Finance- How do our call drop rates compare to private industry standards? Western Resources goal is 6%; the Finance Department’s Utility Billing office goal is 10% (this office currently varies from 8% to 20%)

(h) Police- Add federal preemption of municipalities’ ability to regulate consent tow prices to list of legislative issues.

(i) Police - Request for a memo from Chief Olin regarding 2007 vehicle replacement program request vs. 2006 budget.   06/15/06 Study Session

(j) Police - What is our current false alarm ordinance and what are the best practices regarding ordinance language and enforcement?   06/15/06 Study Session

(k) Information Systems - Investigate a 311 type system for a future budget, possibly integrated with a citizen request tracking system, possibly integrated City/County/USD system Work underway

(l) Parks & Recreation -Research possible use of Solid Waste crews to handle cleanup at Parks facilities   06/15/06 Study Session

(m) Utilities- Research opportunities for participating in buying groups   07/13/06 Study Session

17. What makes up the majority of increase in the 2007 mill levy compared to 2006?  07/17/06 Study Session

18. What is the cost of each program improvements included in the recommended budget? 07/17/06 Study Session

19. What would be the impact of reducing street maintenance expenditures in 2007?  07/25/06 City Commission Meeting

20. What is the dollar amount we are ahead of projections in the General Fund for the following revenues: property taxes, sales tax, interest?  What is the dollar amount we are ahead of projections for revenues in the Water and Sewer, Sanitation, and Stormwater Funds?  08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

21. What is the dollar amount and percentage we would be ahead for the fiscal year if we generated the amount of revenue projected (and no more) for the third and fourth quarters of this year? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

22. How does our sales tax rate compare to the sales tax rate in other communities? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

23. How would a sales tax increase impact lower income families? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

24. For the projects listed in the capital budget section could you provide a list of the primary contractors on each project? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

25. What would the cost savings be associated with reducing the number of sergeants added to the Police Department to one (1)? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

26. What would the cost savings be if the auditor position (partially funded by the General Fund) was not funded? 08/08/06 City Commission Meeting

27. Track down needs assessment conducted by the Partnership for Children and Youth. Consultant contacted 08/16 – assessment to be sent week of 8/21

28. Report needed regarding implementation of Police Resource Plan (not necessary for 2007 budget deliberations).  Work underway

29. Copy of Biosciences Authority budget requested, with a report on more detailed plans for expenditures.  08/08/06 City Commission Meeting – received six month report

30. Policy on purchase of new vehicles requested (including strict requirements for justification of purchases of large vehicles such as full-size pickups). Work underway

31. More work on take home vehicle policy needed to address vehicles being taken outside of the City.  Work underway