NEW MELLE BOARD OF ALDERMEN WORK SESSION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008

MINUTES

CALL TO ORDER – MAYOR JAN MUSKOPF CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:15 P.M.

ROLL CALL – ALDERMEN PRESENT:  DARLA GREEN, KENNETH GILBERT AND DOUG BICE.  ALSO PRESENT CITY ATTORNEY STEPHANIE KARR, FINANCIAL DIRECTOR RONNA ALANIZ, POLICE CHIEF AARON BURKEMPER AND A FEW VISITORS.

DISCUSSION ITEMS- 

MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW –

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR RONNA ALANIZ DISCUSSED THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

WILL CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS A PREPAYMENT PENALTY IF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN DECIDES TO PAY OFF THE GO BOND AND MISSOURI DEVELOPMENT FINANCE LOAN BEFORE THE FINAL DUE DATE.  

EXPLAINED THE INCREASES IN REVENUE AND ADJUSTMENT FOR VARIOUS COURT COSTS WHICH ARE PAID TO THE STATE.

STATED THAT REVENUES EXCEEDED EXPENSES IN 2007, THEREFORE $11,000.00 IS BEING BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE 2008 BUDGET.  REVIEWED ADJUSTMENTS WITH BUILDING PERMIT INCOME & EXPENSES.

SAID A MAJOR EXPENSE INCREASE IS BEING SEEN WITH REGARD TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION.

THE MAYOR ASKED IF FURTHER PAYMENTS WOULD BE MADE TO SULLIVAN PUBLICATIONS, FINANCIAL DIRECTOR ALANIZ STATED THAT THE FINAL PAYMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE. THE BOARD AGREED TO SUBMIT THE CHANGES THEY MADE TO THE CODE TO SULLIVAN PUBLICATIONS, THEN SUBMIT THE CHANGES FROM THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION WHEN THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR REVIEW.

SHE STATED THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED WITH REGARD TO GRANT MONEY FOR THE POLICE BUDGET.

ALDERMAN GREEN ASKED ABOUT FUEL COSTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.  POLICE CHIEF AARON BURKEMPER STATED THAT THEY WERE DOING BETTER THAN OTHER CITIES BUT STILL ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN COSTS.  THE BOARD AGREED THEY WOULD NEED TO MONITOR THE FUEL COSTS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CLOSELY.

MERIT RAISES – THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED:

                        THE AMOUNT THE BOARD HAS TO WORK WITH IS $12,500 FOR MERIT RAISES FOR EMPLOYEES.

                        THE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS WILL NOT HAVE ANY INCREASE IN PAY.

THE BOARD WILL DECIDE ON A RAISE FOR THE POLICE CHIEF AND THEN PROVIDE AN AMOUNT LEFT-OVER TO THE POLICE CHIEF TO RECOMMEND HOW THAT AMOUNT SHOULD BE DIVIDED AMONG OFFICERS/EMPLOYEES.

POLICE CHIEF BURKEMPER STATED THAT HE HAS EVALUATION METHOD AND FORMS FOR OFFICERS AND WILL COMPLETE EVALUATIONS AND MEET WITH THE OFFICERS ABOUT THOSE EVALUATIONS. HE WILL THEN BRING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD BASED ON THE EVALUATIONS.  THE BOARD’S REVIEW AND FINAL DECISION WILL INSULATE THE POLICE CHIEF TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE FROM CLAIMS OF BIAS AND FAVORITISM.

THE BOARD CONSIDERED WHETHER TO DO A REVERSE EVALUATION BY ASKING OFFICERS TO EVALUATE LEADERSHIP & SUPERVISORY SKILLS OF THE POLICE CHIEF.  THIS WOULD BE ONE ELEMENT IN CONSIDERATION FOR EVALUATION FOR THE POLICE CHIEF.

THE CITY ATTORNEY WILL PROVIDE GENERAL FORMS FOR REVERSE EVALUTAIONS AND EVALUATION OF POLICE CHIEF.

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR ALANIZ CALCULATED THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR MERIT RAISES – AND STATED THERE WAS $16,200 AVAILABLE WHICH ARE EXCESS REVENUES. HOWEVER, THE $16,200 MUST ALSO BE APPLIED TO ADDITIONAL PURCHASES AND PAYMENT ON THE BOND AND LOAN, IF IT IS DECIDED TO PAY OFF THE BOND & LOAN EARLY.

ADDITIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT PURCHASES-

                POLICE CHIEF BURKEMPER DISCUSSED THE FOLLOWING:

REPORTED ON THE COSTS RELATED TASERS, RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, PISTOL LOCK BOX AND FULL-TIME POSITION. HE STATED AS FAR AS PRIORITIES, TWO TASERS WOULD BE IMPORTANT. TRAINING FOR USE OF THE TASERS WOULD BE ABOUT $2,000. 00 AND WOULD BE PAID OUT OF THE TRAINING BUDGET.

DISCUSSED THE PROS & CONS OF THE TWO TYPES OF RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. SAID THE MOST APPROPRIATE OPTION WOULD BE ABOUT $500.00 A MONTH FOR A TOTAL OF $6,000.00 PER YEAR.

THE BOARD STATED THEY WOULD LIKE TO BUDGET MORE FOR FUEL COSTS. THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD IS TO BUDGET FOR THE TASERS, RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND FUEL COSTS, WHICH WILL LEAVE ABOUT $7,000.00 TO CONSIDER FOR OTHER ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE MERIT RAISES. THE BREAKDOWN OF THE COSTS WERE: TASERS - $1,900.00

RECORD SYSTEM- $6,000.00

FUEL - $1,000.00

THE BOARD DISCUSSED PAYMENT OF RETIREMENTS BENEFITS TO A THIRD FULL-TIME OFFICER AND MOVING THE FUNDS APPROPRIATED FROM PART-TIME POLICE BUDGET TO FULL-TIME BUDGET LINE ITEM.

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR ALANIZ WILL MADE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET AND THE BOARD WILL TAKE FORMAL ACTION AT THE NEXT REGULAR BOARD MEETING

PAYMENT OF BILLS – BILLS WERE REVIEWED AND CHECKS SIGNED.

CLOSED SESSION – PERSONNEL – HIRING, FIRING, DISCIPLINING OR PROMOTING EMPLOYEES (Sec 610.021(3), RSMo)

                ALDERMAN BICE MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN GREEN TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO (Sec 610.021 (3) RSMo) TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL. ON A ROLL CALL VOTE THE MOTION WAS APPROVED 3-0 AS FOLLOWS:  AYES - ALDERMEN DOUG BICE, DARLA GREEN AND KENNETH GILBERT.  NAYS – 0.

OPEN SESSION – ALDERMAN BICE MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN GREEN TO MOVE INTO OPEN SESSION.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION PASSED 3-0.

ADJOURNMENT – ALDERMAN GREEN MADE A MOTION, SECOND BY ALDERMAN BICE TO ADJOURN.  ON A CALL BY THE MAYOR FOR THE AYES AND NAYS, THE MOTION WAS APPROVED 3-0.  THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 9:30 P.M.        

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED                                       ACCEPTED

JUDITH A ANDERSON, CLERK                                       JAN MUSKOPF, MAYOR