- CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 973 MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Special Meeting September 03, 1974 3:30 Ρ.Μ. Electric Auditorium 301 West Avenue The meeting was called to order with Mayor Butler presiding. Roll Call: Present: Councilmen Binder, Dryden, Friedman, Lebermann, Mayor Butler, Mayor Pro Tem Love Absent: Councilman Handcox The Mayor announced that this was a Special Called Meeting for the purpose of a work session with Staff and Department heads for the study of the proposed 1974-75 operating budget. The City Manager listed a number of reports which had been prepared at the Council's request and had been distributed to the Council: 1. Analysis of the Budget report prepared by former Councilman Jay Johnson. The City Manager stated that instead of the 66 cent tax decrease actually would be 23.14 cents by eliminating the positions reflected by Mr. Johnson's definition in the Budget. 2. Budget Review. 3. Analysis of Parking Meters. 4. Berkley Vacuum Aspirator VC-2. Mayor Pro Tem Love announced that Mr. Johnson and the citizens group which he represented had scheduled a night meeting for 7:00p.m., September 11, 1974, to discuss the budget. Mayor Pro Tem Love asked the City Manager to compile a total figure for merit increases and to specify the amount allocated to the six-month probationary period of employment. He wanted to honor the raises guaranteed after completion of the probationary period, but wanted to hold off on other merit increases in the 1974-75 budget. CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS September 3, 1974 974 The Council discussed the budgets of the following departments: Mayor and Council Councilman Binder asked what contractual services were. Mr. Joe Liro, Budget Director, stated that contractual services included such items as $350repairs and maintenance to equipment: $1,700 - memberships and subscriptions ($1,500 proposed membership in National League of Cities); $300 - transportation; $4,500 communications; $3,640 - professional fees and services (Council stipend). Councilman Friedman asked if the telephone charges referred to the mobile telephone system and was told by Mayor Butler and Mr. Liro that the charges referred to office telephone expenses and that the mobile system was bought with revenue sharing funds. City Manager No change in personnel (six people). Mayor Pro Tem Love inquired about stability pay and asked what the total figure would be. Mrs. Andrea Beatty, Personnel Director, stated that after five years of employment, an employee received a lump sum check in December each year. The employee would continue to receive the check each December for the length of City employment. The pay was an incentive to remain with the City. Mr. Liro stated that he would get the total figure for Mayor Pro Tem Love. Municipal Court Councilman Binder again asked about contractual services. Mr. Richard Hill, Municipal Court Clerk, stated that the primary costs involved the installation of a computer. The original printer was too slow, so another one was proposed for $7,000. Other increases covered such items as jury fees and postage. Due to an increase of hours for three clerks, the equivalent of one-half of a new employee was being added. Construction Management (formerly Construction Engineering) Councilman Binder asked about the 20 per cent personnel increase. Mr. Al Eldridge, Director of Construction Management, stated that he wished to retain on a regular basis three architects and a draftsman who were working on the new Council Chambers and the Municipal Annex, temporarily. There were certain small jobs which those personnel could do more economically and efficiently than by contracting with local architects. The jobs were so small that architects would not make money on them, and Mr. Eldridge stated that local architects understood that the proposed staff architects would not be competing with the Austin architectural community. Office of Environmental Research Management Mayor Butler pointed out that Mr. Dick Cory (Chairperson, Citizens Board of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality) had requested that another September 3, 1974 975 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS environmental specialist be added to the Department which was not included in the budget. Mayor Pro Tem Love stated that he was opposed to adding the individual. Research and Budget Responding to Councilman Lebermann's question, Mr. Joe Liro, Administrator of Management and Budget, stated that there was a proposed net increase of three personnel: conversion of two half-time employees to full-time, a Capital Improvements Program project coordinator and an account clerk (C.I.P.). Mr. Bill Snyder, C.I.P. Administrator, felt that substantial efficiencies could be achieved by hiring the additional personnel and that efforts would be concentrated on management, rather than technical problems in the C.I.P. Councilman Binder inquired about the 39% increase in contractual services. Mr. Liro stated that $12,500 of the increase was for proposed membership in Public Technology, Inc., which was sponsored and organized by the Council of State Governments, International City Management Association, National Association of Counties, National Governors Conference, National League of Cities and the U. S. Conference of Mayors. PTI provides management consultant services on an ad hoc basis and develops hardware specifically designed to solve municipal problems, such as the Hot Spot Locator which detects the seat of a fire. Mayor Pro Tem Love stated that he was opposed to expanding the Department. Tax Department Mr. Jack Klitgaard, Tax Assessor and Collector, in responding to Councilman Binder's question about contractual services, stated that the greatest portion of the proposed increased involved data processing. Other increases involved pay for the Board of Equalization, postage, transportation and printing and reproduction. About one-half of the increased cost for new tax forms for City and school buildings would be recovered from the school district. City Attorney City Clerk's Office The City Clerk asked the Council to correct the salary figure shown in the Budget for that position. The Budget indicated a salary of $12,747, but the correct figure should have been $13,965. Personnel Councilman Binder asked why it was that the departments generally had substantial increases in operating costs which were intended to save money. The City Manager stated that in regard to the Personnel Department, in the past Austin really had not had a personnel department. Most of the increases requested for the Personnel Department were there so that each department could be offered adequate personnel services. He enumerated several areas where personnel services had been inadequate in the past. _ CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS September 3, 1974 976 Mrs. Andrea Beatty, Director of Personnel, pointed out that there was an increase of only one person for her Department, There was some discussion about the expected increase in workload within the Department in the area of safety, EEOC requirements and new wage and hour control legislation. Planning The Department was currently two people over budget, and three new employees were requested for 1974-75: historic planner, secretary to the historic planner and a receptionist. Mr. Dick Lillie, Director of Planning, stated that the secretary was necessary due tothe workload for that Commission. There had been an overall decrease in zoning cases due to more Planned Unit Developments, special permits and fewer subdivisions; but the workload remained high. There was just a shift in emphasis, Community Development Administration Showed a decreaseddue to some interdepartmental transfers. Human Relations The increase in one secretary resulted from an upcoming location of an office in the Rosewood-Zaragosa Center in January, 1975. The Human Relations Assistant would be located in another office. Public Information There was some discussion with regard to the employee magazine. Mayor Pro Tem Love proposed that the magazine be published quarterly instead of monthly and that Councilman Binder's suggestion that advertising be sold be implemented, so that the magazine would be self-supporting. Special Services Data Systems Responding to Councilman Binder's question, Mr. Joe Liro stated that the Expense Refund item ($1,337,000) was that portion of data processing costs which were distributed to certain departments other than Data Systems. Mr. Hugh Standifer, Data Systems Administrator, stated that the request for 15 new employees resulted from the desire to expand services to other departments. The Data Systems Department was converting from a disc system to a virtual system to utilize the computer fully. Presently the computer could run five jobs simultaneously; under the new system, 15 could be run simultaneously. A GO base file for all parcels of land was also being undertaken, which could be used by all departments. Finance =CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS September 3, 1974 977 Auditing Property Management Mr. Joseph Morahan, Property Manager, stated that the increase of $35,000 in contractual services was for repair and maintenance of houses owned by the City, including the Caswell House. Purchases and Stores Mr. Solon Bennett, Director of Purchases and Stores, responding to Councilman Binder's question, stated that the increase in contractual services was in the office services division. Suppliers were shying away from annual contracts and were going to bulk purchases delivered to one location (Office Supply) instead of delivering to the various departments. The increase in personnel was for the Municipal Annex (maintenance and storage personnel) which was almost three times the size of City Hall. Police Police Chief R. A. Miles stated that the primary increase in contractual services was for fuel to operate 185 vehicles and that fuel costs had risen astronomically. Mayor Pro Tem Love asked the City Manager to explain the overlap or difference between probation, promotion and longevity increase in the Police Department contrasted with merit increases and stability pay in other departments. The City Manager stated that the Department was governed by Civil Service statutes. Chief Miles stated that when a cadet qualifies, he is hired as a condition employee pending successful completion of training. After completing that stage, he is sworn in as a probationary patrolman. After six months, he receives a salary increase and after one year receives an additional $3.50 per month per year for longevity. After two years, he has an opportunity to be promoted to Senior Patrolman with another pay increase. The requested increase of 19 individuals included five police and 14 civilian employees. The increase in civilians was an attempt to get more policemen out on the streets. Responding to Councilman Friedman's question, Chief Miles stated that most of the capital outlay expenditure would go for radios and complete furnishing of the second and third floors of the Police building. There was some discussion regarding which size of police vehicle should be used, considering environmental and cost factors; it was generally agreed that an intermediate size vehicle could be used by the Austin Police Department. The Council agreed to meet Tuesday, September 10, 1974, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. to discuss the Budget further. C _ CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS September 3, 1974 978 The Council agreed to set the final adoption of the Budget for the Regular Meeting of Thursday, September 19, 1974. ADJOURNMENT The Council adjourned at 5:45 p.m. ATTEST: Grace Monroe City Clerk APPROVED Mayor