Minutes 05/25/1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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TUESDAY, MAY 25. 1999 City took over maintenance of School System vehicles, and that the continued operation of the School Bus Garage on Fayette Street was also inefficient. With regard to overall costs for personnel Mr. Reynolds reminded Council that during the course of any given year the City never had a full compliment of personnel filling all positions, and that vacancies in positions provided significant dollar savings each year. Council Member Roop stated that if the Council was debating whether or not to spend an additional $60,000 on salaries to provide a 3.5% increase for employees they should not even be considering adding new positions that would cost even more to maintain. Mr. Reynolds pointed out that the funds needed to support the conversion of the half-time position to full-time requested by Leisure Services would come from the increase in revenue generated by the department' s activities. Council Member Haskell asked if Council should also discuss increases in School personnel, and Council Member Roop responded that Council had no control over those positions. Council then discussed the budget request of the Public Works Department and heard about the requested Parts Manager/Service Writer position. Council then discussed the budget requests of the Constitutional Officers departments. Vice-Mayor Teague noted that the Commissioner of Revenue had told Council that if the City did not fund the position that the Compensation Board had cut from his department he would be forced to cease the real estate assessment process, and he felt that the Council should ask the Compensation Board to restore this position. Council Member Haskell stated that the best way to get the Compensation board to respond might be to introduce a bill in the legislature requesting this restoration. CounciI next discussed non-departmental budget issues. Regarding the budget request from the E-911 Center, Council Member Roop noted large increases in the costs for personnel and software, and asked how many personnel there were in the operation. Mr. Reynolds replied that he thought there were nineteen personnel at the center. Vice-Ivlayor Teague asked about the line item for Local Emergency Planning and Council Member Roop noted that he had been attending the bi-monthly meetings On this subject. Mr. Reynolds stated that had been funded in the past, but funds had not been requested every year for the purpose. Mayor Crabtree noted that the Virginia Museum of Natural History had requested a $5,000 increase in operational funds. Under the Electric