Report of the Montpelier City Council's Citizen Budget Review ...

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We agree. If the general public was aware of the benefit of the costs ofmaintenance as compared to waiting for things to fall into disrepair thenperhaps our Capital Improvement Plan would become a publicly supportedhigh priority, fully funded and executed.D. Create a Public Works CommitteeIn Middlebury, they have a committee comprised of department heads, the townmanager, several select board members and some residents to decide on capitalexpenditure priorities. This committee allows the other department heads in the cityto see what is truly needed and move their resources around based on those needs.It also alleviates the insularity that often exists between departments. Instead oflobbying for the biggest share possible for their departments, managers get to seethe broader needs of the community and might be willing to give and take their sharefrom year to year depending on the circumstances to benefit the community at large.This type of committee also empowers a broader spectrum of the community bydecentralizing the decision making, which can create more open and less closelyheld control of the decisions regarding how money is spent on Public Works.Perhaps if something similar was established in Montpelier, resources could bemoved thoughtfully to where the City’s urgent needs truly lie while fostering a sharedcommunity spirit of sacrifice and unity.Health Benefits Subcommittee RecommendationsConclusions:Currently, health care costs make up approximately 9% of the municipal budget. 1With average annual premium increases of 8.5%, the city is facing an escalatingfiscal burden. Health benefits are negotiated as part of the overall union contract,usually in conjunction with wages and other benefits, such as retirement, and assuch are part of a broader discussion. Short of reducing staff, the only major toolstowns (and other employers alike) have in addressing their exposure to rising healthcare costs are to reduce the benefit package and increase cost-sharing.Recommendations:That being said, it will be important for those in city governance to continue to findways of offsetting foreseeable yearly increases in health care costs. At some futurepoint Green Mountain Care may offer more affordable solutions, however, that isunlikely to happen before 2017.Matrix Report Subcommittee Recommendations1: Refer to the Appendix Matrix 1 to read the City’s Status Update onRecommendations to review which recommendations have been accomplished andwhich are outstanding.1This number is derived by comparing the city’s share of employee medical costs (approximately $1 million) withthe city’s total general fund expenditure of $10,862,379 (for 2012).Page 10 of 88
2: View City and staff responses to the Matrix report by going to Montpelier-vt.org.Click “View City Meetings” in left hand menu. Then, go to upper right hand box andclick “City Council.” When the list of meetings appears, click on August 10, 2011 tosee the agenda. Click on “Matrix Recommendations” to hear responses from City.Planning Subcommittee Recommendations1. The City Manager, Planning Director and City Council should complete theMatrix recommendation to hold a work session to review Planning Departmentservices and then establish priorities prior to allocating necessary resources.(Matrix Report 10.2 (3)) City Council should consider the Matrix finding that theheavy emphasis on special projects diverts attention from core planningfunctions.“The project team would recommend, prior to making any increases in staffing levels, that the CityManager and Planning Director undertake a Planning work session with the City Council to discussthe level of effort and time resources allocated to these special projects. The Council should beresponsible for establishing the commitment of the City to conduct these special projects/efforts,establishing the relative priority of these activities, and setting parameters for staff time and resourcesto be dedicated to them. From this effort, the City Planning Director should develop an annual workplan setting forth the core services to be provided and the identification of special projects (andassociated resources – staff or external) that will be supported by the Planning Department.”(Matrix Report, pg. 87)This Matrix recommendation remains incomplete and that is of concern to thesubcommittee. It states in the Matrix Status Update 10.2 (3) that the PlanningDepartment’s annual work plan for FY13 was completed without this review. (SeeAppendix Matrix 1) It is noted as high priority.2. Following a work session with the City Manager and the Planning Director,City Council should establish the commitment of the City to conduct specialprojects, establish a process and procedure (including the Council’s approvalof individual Project Charters) for formalizing the city’s commitment ofresources as well as their relative priority, including establishing parametersfor staff time and resources to be dedicated to them. (Matrix Report, 10.2 (3))While commending the Planning Department for certain aspects of their work, Matrixalso noted:“However, in this Department, more than any other in the City, there have been many “specialprojects” and efforts assigned to (or assumed by) staff that fall outside what would typically be foundin a municipal Planning Department for a community the size of Montpelier. This special project (sic)all have value and importance to the community, but the project team has noted that they divertsignificant resources and focus away from the core services provided – with a noticeable impact onboth staff and the attention given to these services. The long-term focus of the department cannotcontinue, if the City wishes to provide a high level of services on “core planning functions” withouteither a reduction in the number and time spent on special projects or an increase in staff.” (MatrixReport, p.87)This recommendation highlights the Matrix focus on decision-making at the CityCouncil level, with staff input. Coming out of the Matrix concern that time spent onspecial projects diminishes the effectiveness of efforts on core planning functions, isPage 11 of 88
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsTRANSMITTAL LETTER
Page 4: 1. EXECUTIVE S UMMARYa. Charge from
Page 7 and 8: f. Summary of RecommendationsThe BR
Page 9: available through VLCT. This will s
Page 13 and 14: Building Inspector, half the depart
Page 15 and 16: should undertake this analysis prio
Page 17 and 18: Equipment, Streets, and Wastewater
Page 19 and 20: 2. INTRODUCTIONa. History and Backg
Page 21 and 22: Administration and Finance Subcommi
Page 23 and 24: • Barre: City Clerk/Treasurer als
Page 25 and 26: Key Questions:• What is the FTE s
Page 27 and 28: Population 2010Total Admin/Fin Budg
Page 29 and 30: Budget Process Subcommittee ReportD
Page 31 and 32: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS:The p
Page 33 and 34: Attachment 1Budget Process Subcommi
Page 35 and 36: Attachment 3NOTE: The following cha
Page 37 and 38: committee under a short deadline. T
Page 39 and 40: Total Long Term Debt per Capita:Lat
Page 41 and 42: Five City/Town Comparative Chart- D
Page 43 and 44: Department of Public Works over a p
Page 45 and 46: Health Benefits Subcommittee Report
Page 47 and 48: The following graph looks at change
Page 49 and 50: Matrix Subcommittee ReportJean Olso
Page 51 and 52: Planning Subcommittee ReportJane Ka
Page 53 and 54: Notes from Each Community:Much of t
Page 55 and 56: • Barre City: The Planning Depart
Page 57 and 58: Planning Departments by Town Exhibi
Page 59 and 60: and the City Manager should identif
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Public Safety Subcommittee ReportBo
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Recommendations:1. Time did not all
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nights, the shift coverage is only
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Significant Fall Hazards (SigHAZ):
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Further rationale for the above sug
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3. Roughly what is the percentage o
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Recommendations for DPW1. If Montpe
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[END PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE REPO
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According to the 2009 National Citi
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Table of Montpelier Recreation Depa
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during the school year. The Public
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Montpelier Barre Brattleboro Middle
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RECOMMENDATIONS• Other cities and
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Tax ComparisonsAppendix AMunicipal
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City/TownMedianMunicipalTax BillMun
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available for circuit breaker reduc
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2). PROPERTY TAX TARGET: Do you hav
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considering the adoption of a Capit
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, · 1deductible, combined with a H
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Appendix Budget - 41/1DATE:TO:FROM:
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Other Employee-related increasesHea
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City of Montpelier 2012-13 Goals an
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Date Subcommittee Montpelier Growth
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Data Subcommittee Nine (9) City Fin
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Data Subcommittee - Montpelier Five
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Montpelier 20.1 2/ Annual Report /
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Montpelier 2012 / Annual Report / 2
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DireCt Debt Service Ratios - Debt P
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• In order to make the assessment
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The Center Director conducts betwee
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The Department has initiated the co
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SECTIONRECOMMENDATIONENTITY /INDIVI
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SECTIONRECOMMENDATION8.1 (5) The Fi
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City of Montpelier - Department of
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City of MontpelierUSER: TPROVENCHER
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Asset Value & DepreciationAsset 10P
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REGULARLaboratory Preventative Payr
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City of MontpelierUSER: TPROVENCHER
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Work Order SummaryLabor Part Other
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Work Order SummaryWO#W/SMAINT24902
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Work Order SummaryWO#MHS24899 [COOL
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SCOPE OF WORK PERFORMEDDuring JUNE
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October 2012 Work, StreetsCulvert r
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RIDGE STREET RECONSTRUCTIONMONTPELI
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(0 C4.March 8, 2012I acknowledge th
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APPENDIX Rec 1FEBRUARY 2012 CITY CO
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those together.Mayor Hooper said th
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Council Member Timpone said they ha
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on, so they can perform their fiduc
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in terms of understanding the impli
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