A. 1991 budget I CITYOF
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690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937-1900 • FAX (612) 937-5739
I/ MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
IFROM: Don Ashworth, City Manager
DATE: November 19, 1990
1 SUBJ: Worksession - 1991 Budget
IITom Chaffee's reconstructive surgery could not have come at a worse
time. As he continues to remind me, he really did not have a
choice. In any case, the budgetary process has been going slower
II than desired. I did spend Wednesday and Wednesday evening at Tom's
home. We will be in a position on Monday evening to distribute the
entire general fund budget including all commentaries, expenditures
IIand revenue. Summary revenues and expenditures will also be
available. I wanted to have the first cuts prepared Monday. That
I will not occur. The bottom line is that $550,000 needs to be cut
II from the budget to be presented to the Council. The Council will
have a majority of the recommended cuts (hopefully in advance) for
the special meeting of November 26, 1990. That timing should
provide the Council with approximately two weeks to compare the
1 original requests to recommended cuts - all in preparation of the
December 10th meeting. If adoption is not possible on the 10th, a
secondary meeting has been set for December 18, 1990 (established
Iby the City Council approximately one month ago) .
You have each heard my speech regarding the city being responsible
for running 150 companies, not just .one. That statement is
II especially true during the budgetary period. When the City Council
initially looks at grant projects such as North Lotus Lake Park
improvements, South Lotus Lake boat access, Lake Susan Park
1 improvements, etc. , you also establish the budget/schedule of
improvements for each of those projects. From that point on, staff
is responsible to ensure that the projects get built as approved
1 (sometimes a 2-3 year period of time) . As special capital
projects, they are not a part of the operating budget. However, if
any errors were made in either the projected revenues or
expenditure levels, the only adjustment period open to the city is
II during the budgetary process. Each of those projects (businesses)
may require 2-4 hours of staff time ensuring current funding is
adequate. In most cases, the Council is unaware that the work was
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Mayor and City Council
November 19, 1990
Page 2
even completed or what was done. This same statement is true of '
the public improvement group of funds (businesses) , debt funds,
etc. The point of this dissertation is that even though the City
Council may not be seeing things accomplished as a part of the
budget process, they really are.
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