HomeMy WebLinkAbout1972 09-27 CCM Special Session Minutes of the Proceedings of the City Council
Of the City of Brooklyn Center In the County of
Hennepin and State of Minnesota
September 27, 1972
The City Council met in special session and was called to order
by Mayor Philip Cohen at 7 :38 P.M.
Roll Call: Mayor Cohen, Councilmen Ausen and Heck. Also present
were: City Manager Donald Poss, Director of Finance Paul Holmlund, Director
of Parks and Recreation Eugene Hagel, and Administrative Assistant Daniel Hartman.
Motion by Councilman Heck and seconded by Councilman Ausen to
reconvene the 1973 budget hearing. Voting in favor were: Mayor Cohen,
Councilmen Ausen and Heck. Voting against: none. Motion carded unanimously.
Mayor Cohen announced that the special meeting of the City Council
had been called to review the Parks and Recreation portion of the 1973 budget.
The City Manager then reviewed the budgeting process used by the City.
He discussed at length the levy limitations placed upon the City by the Omnibus
Tax Law of 1971 and pointed out that services in Brooklyn Center had to be reduced
to comply with the levy limitations.
Councilman Britts arrived at 7 :46 P.M.
The City Manager continued his review of the budgeting process by
describing the priorities used in preparing the 1973 budget. He stated that there
are two basic sources of revenue: property taxes and other non - property tax
sources such as shared taxes, license fees, fines, liquor store earnings, etc.
He next. reviewed the expenditures in proportion to the total budget.
The City Manager then reviewed in detail the. Pw*- axsd.RecreatL0a Acocaunt
and the spec ifii recreation programs recommended for the 1973 budget. He des-
cribed the estimated income from user charges and the estimated level of City
funding support for each of the, adult, teen, children, general and Community
Center programs within the Park and Recreation budget.
The Manager emphasised that service reductions were reflected in many
of the budgeted programs other than the Parks and Recreation function in general
and other than skating rinks specifically.
The Mayor then opened the hearing to questions and comments from
the public.
Those citizens who voiced opinions indicated interest primarily in the
recommended closing of ten of the seventeen rinks in 1973. It was the general
feeling of those present, after lengthy dialogue, that the skating rinks should
be kept open if at all possible.
Suggestions made by citizens included: a fee being charged to those
persons who use the skating rinks; reducing the hours of the warming houses,
thus being able to save on the cost of heating, electricity and labor; and, the
employment of volunteer help to keep the warming house open.
The Mayor then reviewed the revenue sharing bill presently in the
U.S. House and Senate Conference Committee. He stated that it was not a
good practice for a CityID budget in anticipation of revenue sharing at this time.
He commented that at present no municipality was sure how much or at what time
any revenue sharing would be realized.
Motion by Councilman Heck and seconded by Councilman Britts to adjourn
the special meeting of the City Council for consideration of the 1973 proposed
budget. Voting in favor were: Mayor Cohen, Councilmen Ausen, Heck and Britts.
Voting against none. Motion casTi+ed- unanimausly. The meeting adjourned at
11 :14 P.M.
Cl Mayon