2019-11-19 Council Work Session packetCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS CITY
COUNCIL WORK SESSION
AGENDA
November 19, 2019
5:00 pm
Mendota Heights City Hall
1) Call to Order
2) Discussion Items
a) Athletic Field & Facility Use Policy
b) Warming House/Rink Attendant Staffing
c) Budget 2020 Update
d) Police Officer Health and Wellness Proposal
3) Other Business
4) Adjourn
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DATE: November 17, 2019
TO: Mayor and City Council, City Administrator
FROM: Cheryl Jacobson, Assistant City Administrator
SUBJECT: Field and Facility Use Policy Review
INTRODUCTION
The City Council is asked to review and discuss the City’s Field and Facility Use Policy.
BACKGROUND
The City coordinates and issues permits for the use of City fields and facilities. City fields and
facilities are often used in a multi-purpose manner and are requested by a variety of sport providers
and users each year.
The Field Use and Allocation policy has been in place since the early 1990’s, and has evolved as
the City has become more experienced and the sports environment changed. The current Field
and Facility Use policy was approved by the City Council on November 20, 2018. Staff will
provide the City Council with a one year review of the implementation and carryout of the current
policy.
Attachments: Field and Facility Use Policy
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CITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS
FIELD AND FACILITY USE POLICY
CONTACT: Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation
1101 Victoria Curve
Mendota Heights, MN 55118
651‐452‐1850
APPROVED: November, 2018
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City of Mendota Heights
Field and Facility Use Policy
A. Purpose
The City of Mendota Heights, hereinafter referred to as the “City”, coordinates and issues
permits for the use of athletic fields and facilities owned by the City. The purpose of this policy
is to establish guidelines for the allocation and management of City athletic fields and facilities.
For purposes of this policy, fields shall be defined as an athletic area where people participate
in sports and shall include facilities and fields, ice rinks, and tennis and basketball courts.
The objectives to this policy include: allocating the use of the current athletic fields to support
Parks and Recreation programs throughout the City, or for Mendota Heights’ residents,
preserving the facilities offered by minimizing wear and tear, and preventing overuse while
conserving maintenance costs.
B. Field Use Permits
The City will coordinate and allocate the use of city athletic fields and facilities for city and non‐
city organizations, groups, and individuals to play, practice, hold tournaments, and other sport
and non‐sport related events.
Field and facility use permits are issued following the City’s permit process. Permit applicants
must be 18 years of age or older. A permit is issued only after an allocation request is made, all
required documents and information is received, and the City has approved the request, either
in‐part or in its entirety. A request does not constitute an approval.
All reservations require the issuance of a permit. The use of a field or facility begins and ends at
the times stated on the permit including set‐up and clean‐up. Any special requests or
arrangements must be made as part of the permit application process. This includes special
lining requests for fields. Each permit must also include an approximation of users at the facility
for parking and amenity considerations.
The City reserves the right to deny, limit or revoke use permits based upon an applicant’s
performance history including compliance with established rules and policies, field conditions
after use, and unruly behavior of participants and guests.
Permits will be issued twice throughout the year:
Permit requests for usage during the first portion of the season (January through July)
will be due on the first business day in January.
Permit requests for usage during the second portion of the season (August through
December) will be due on the first business day in May.
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Reservations received after the deadline will be handled on a first‐come, first‐serve basis.
Forms are available at City Hall or on the City’s website.
C. Priority Group Classifications
Due to the limited number of fields and facilities and the volume of requests, the City has
established criteria for priority use.
An organization’s priority group classification will be considered during the assignment of the
priority for field and facility allocation. Priority use of fields will be given to traditional primary
season sports and by priority group classification.
Priority use of field will be allocated as follows:
Priority #1: City of Mendota Heights Sponsored or Co‐Sponsored Programming, Events and
Activities
This includes activities that are organized through or in connection with the City of Mendota
Heights Parks and Recreation Department, directly sponsored by the City, or as a cooperative
program with other jurisdictions. Reservations for City sponsored activities, programs, games,
practices, leagues and tournaments may be taken at any time for any date. There are no use
fees charged for City reservations.
Priority #2: Public and Private Schools Located in Mendota Heights
This includes schools that are located within the City of Mendota Heights. An agreement must
be in place that defines the City of Mendota Heights’ reciprocal use of the school’s athletic
facilities. If there is no agreement in place, the priority shall be moved to priority #4 and use
fees will be assessed.
Priority #3: Recognized Youth Athletic Associations
This includes Youth Athletic Associations that are recognized by the City of Mendota Heights.
Recognized youth athletic associations are defined by the following characteristics:
The association has nonprofit status under Section 501c3 or other applicable provision
as defined by Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and is in good standing with the
Minnesota Secretary of State.
The association conducts sports programs that are primarily social and/or recreational
in nature. The association administers and abides by an “everyone plays” philosophy
and has a no cut policy.
The association serves the athletic needs of youth in Mendota Heights, is primarily
Mendota Heights based and has provided significant benefit and service to and for the
City. Upon request, the association is able to provide team rosters to substantiate that
the association (by sport) serves a majority Mendota Heights residents.
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Registration must be open to the public. The association must not discriminate on the
basis of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability,
or ability. Team assignments may be determined by ability, however, the organization
must have a policy for determining teams based on ability.
The association conducts youth sports programming through volunteer coaches and
board of directors selected by the membership.
In addition to the characteristics of an association defined herein, recognized Youth
Athletic Associations must submit the following to the City, upon request:
Documentation from the Internal Revenue Service showing tax exempt status under
Section 501c3 or other applicable provision.
Association bylaws, policies and procedures which govern operations.
A list of the Board of Directors for the association.
The association’s annual budget and annual financial statements summarizing the
previous year’s financial activity.
Proof of coach’s certification training, including areas covered such as injury
prevention, game rules, child abuse prevention, concussion training, and emergency
procedures.
The City will make every effort to accommodate all permit requests. In the event of competing
requests from recognized associations in this category, the City will determine allocation of
fields and facilities based on the following factors:
The percentage of verifiable Mendota Heights residents served in the permit
request. The request which has the majority of Mendota Heights residents
confirmed will receive a higher priority.
Residency percentages will be established using rosters from the most current
season. Rosters must be submitted no later than one week before the first
reservation date. Rosters must be submitted in .xls or .csv format. Information
provided must include: sport type, team name, season of sport/year, name, address
including city and zip code.
Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights.
Date and time of permit request.
Priority #4: Recognized Community Youth Sports Clubs and Leagues
This includes sports organizations which provide athletic leagues or clubs for Mendota Heights’
youth and are separate from the Youth Athletic Associations. The City recognizes that
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recreational play may be available through clubs and leagues and encourages organizations
with recreational offerings to partner with City recognized Youth Athletic Associations for
maximum field and facility accommodation.
Youth sports clubs and leagues are defined by the following characteristics:
The organization may be for‐profit or have nonprofit status under Section 501c3 or
other applicable provision as defined by Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and is in good
standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
The organization conducts sports programs that are primarily competitive in nature.
The curriculum and programming is focused on the maximum development and
exposure of players to the next level of play.
The association conducts youth sports programming through paid coaches, board
members and/or administrative staff.
The association does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, background, sexual
orientation, religion, disability, or ability. Team assignments may be determined by
ability. There must be a policy for determining teams based on ability.
In addition to the characteristics of a Youth Sport Club or League defined herein, recognized
Youth Sport Clubs and Leagues must submit the following to the City, upon request:
The organization’s bylaws, policies and procedures which govern operations.
A list of the Board of Directors for the organization.
The organization’s annual budget and annual financial statements summarizing the
previous year’s financial activity.
Proof of coach’s certification training, including areas covered such as injury
prevention, game rules, child abuse prevention, concussion training, and emergency
procedures.
In an event of competing requests from recognized organizations in the category, the City will
determine allocation based on the following factors:
The percentage of verifiable Mendota Heights residents served in the permit
request. The request which has the majority of Mendota Heights residents
confirmed will receive a higher priority.
Residency percentages will be established using rosters from the most current
season. Rosters must be submitted no later than one week before the first
reservation date. Rosters must be submitted in .xls or .csv format. Information
provided must include: sport type, team name, season of sport/year, name, address
including city and zip code.
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Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights.
Date and time of permit request.
Priority #5: Mendota Heights Residents Use of the Facility for Personal Use
This includes residents of Mendota Heights using fields and facilities for personal use.
In an event of competing requests in the category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
Date and time of permit request
Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
Priority #6: Mendota Heights‐Based Businesses/Commercial Organizations
This includes business and commercial organizations that have a Mendota Heights office as
evidenced by their address to use the facilities.
In an event of competing requests in this category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
Data and time of the permit request
Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
Priority #7: Non‐Mendota Heights Organizations, Businesses, and Individuals
This includes all non‐Mendota Heights residents, organizations, groups, and businesses who
want to use the facilities.
In an event of competing requests in this category, the City will determine allocation based on
the following factors:
Date and time of the permit request
Previous experience with the City of Mendota Heights
D. Sport Season Priority
A sport in its traditional season will be given priority consideration for field and facility use over
an out‐of‐season sport. The following are considered traditional sport seasons:
Spring/Summer: Baseball, Softball, T‐Ball, Lacrosse
Fall: Soccer, Football
Winter: Hockey
Fields and facilities will be used for the intended sport unless otherwise authorized by the City.
The City will attempt to accommodate emerging sports, when feasible.
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E. Fees
The City may charge application and use fees in order to recover public costs to operate,
maintain, repair, improve and administer the use of City fields. For each application submitted,
an application fee shall be assessed. Field use fees shall be approved by the City Council and
included in the City’s Fee Schedule. Use fees are subject to change at the discretion of the City
Council.
All users who receive a permit for exclusive use of a field must pay the appropriate fee per the
City fee schedule. Payments for permits must be received in advance of the start of the
reservation. If a permit has multiple reservations over several dates, the City will bill and
payments may be made on a monthly basis. Payments can be made by cash, check or
credit/debit card.
F. Non‐Use of Fields, Field Exchange, or Sublease
When permits are issued, a specific field is reserved for the user, to the exclusion of others.
Recognizing this exclusivity, groups should only reserve the fields intended for use.
Users may not assign their scheduled time to other groups or sublease fields under any
circumstance. Any such action will result in the loss of rental/allocation privileges. A user may
not “give up or exchange” their allocation or any part of it, without a written agreement
between the impacted parties and City approval. Subleasing of fields without City approval will
result in revocation of all permits for all parties.
Any organization that has been allocated space and subsequently determines that it cannot use
it according to the permit issued shall notify the City so that the field may be reallocated or
otherwise used by another group or the general public. A pattern of continued non‐use of a
rented, permitted field may result in the revocation of the user permit.
G. Field Closure, Permit Cancellation and Refunds
The City attempts to be flexible in accommodating user groups, but ultimately, the health and
safety of the user and the condition and playability of a field takes priority. This may require
the closure of fields or facilities, denial of use of a field or facility, and/or the assignment of
alternate sites for use.
Field closures will be communicated to permit holders by the Recreation Program Coordinator.
The City may cancel use of City fields/facilities for reasons including, but not limited to, any of
the following reasons:
City maintenance work involving the facility or field
When the health or safety of participants is threatened
Inclement weather
Wear and tear of the field including field retirement for regrowth and rehabilitation
Unforeseen events including fire, drought, natural disaster or vandalism
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Non‐adherence to field and facility use policy, City ordinances, or use rules and
regulations
Permits cancelled by the City of Mendota Heights may be rescheduled as availability allows, or
may be refunded in full. Permits cancelled due to non‐adherence with field and facility use
policy, City Ordinances, or use rules and regulations will not be refunded.
Permits cancelled by the user:
More than 30 days in advance will receive a 100% refund (excluding application fee)
15‐30 days in advance will receive a 50% refund
Less than 14 days in advance will not receive a refund
H. Maintenance
The City performs maintenance on a routine basis to ensure fields and facilities are in good
repair. The City will determine the appropriate number of hours each field can be used per
season. Permit users will not be able to use the fields more than the hours allowed. This will be
based on the field’s current condition and estimated intended City use throughout the year.
Infield dragging. Infield dragging is done during the week (Monday – Friday) according to the
schedule as defined by the City. Fields are not dragged or striped on the weekend (Saturday
and Sunday) or on holidays; unless the user has paid a tournament preparation fee.
Lining and striping of fields. Lining and striping of fields shall be done during the week
(Monday –Friday) according to the schedule as defined by the City. Fields are not lined or
stripped on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) or on holidays. Fields will not be lined for
more than one sport per field per season unless the City can accommodate it.
Rink Flooding. Flooding of outdoor rinks will occur on an as needed basis, based on weather
and rink conditions.
Clean up and disposing of waste. Users are expected to dispose of waste in proper trash and
recycling receptacles. The City of Mendota Heights prides itself on being a clean and green
community, and renters are asked to recycle as much of their waste as possible.
I. Insurance
The permit holder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City from any and all claims
resulting from the issuance of a field and facility use permit. Field and facility users must
provide insurance coverage throughout the period of use naming the City of Mendota Heights
as “additionally insured”.
Permit holders will be required to provide proof of general liability insurance coverage at a
minimum amount of $2,000,000 for property damage and bodily injury. Proof of insurance via
a Certificate of Insurance must be provided at least 14 days prior to the first date of play or
special event.
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J. Concession Sales
No organization or person shall sell or offer any product, food or service for sale without the
prior written approval of the City. The sale of beer or other alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
Requests which include the use of food trucks will be considered on a case‐by‐case basis.
Groups wanting to use concession stands or offer food or beverages for sale will need to obtain
the appropriate permits and/or licenses from the County or State and have said permits or
licenses during the entire time of the event. A copy of the approved permit must be
submitted to the City in order to obtain keys to the concessions stand.
K. Athletic Special Events
Athletic special events are activities on City property that include, but are not limited to,
tournaments, clinics, camps, or any other activity other than regular season practices and
games.
Permits. Special events require a separate permit and should be requested outside of regular
season play permits. Permit requests for special events will be accepted from user groups
during the permit application timeframe identified in Section B of this policy.
Tournament Contact and Information. Users must have an appointed tournament
director/event manager on site, who can be contacted by City staff.
Users will supply the Parks and Recreation Department with a schedule of games. Games shall
not start before 8:00 am on any day of a tournament and may not be scheduled to start later
than 6:30pm.
Users must include in the application if spectators will be charged admission. Advertisement
banners or signs may not be placed at any facility without permission from the Recreation
Program Coordinator.
Field Preparation, Maintenance and Clean‐Up. Fields will not be prepped throughout the
tournament day. Maintenance staff will prep the fields before the first scheduled game(s) of
the day, if the user elects to pay the preparation fees. Users may not modify or alter City fields
in any way. The City will not provide equipment for groups to prep fields on their own
throughout the tournament.
All users of City park field and facilities are expected to leave the area(s) in the same or better
condition than which it was found. Users will be responsible for picking up all trash at the end
of each day’s events. Users who fail to clean up may be charged by the City for excessive clean
up. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to make sure areas are cleaned up.
Facility Capacity. Users must provide the number of teams and estimated number of playing
participants. Due to space limitations regarding parking and spectator capacity, the City has
the right to decrease the number of games in order to comply with the facility’s size.
Users are responsible for maintaining control over the conduct of participants and spectators
while using fields and facilities. Tournament hosts will be responsible for traffic and parking
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control and adhere to all City parking regulations. Parking is allowed only in designated areas.
No vehicles are allowed on City fields.
Users are responsible for the coordination and rental of any additional portable restrooms
and/or hand washing stations that are needed in order to accommodate special events.
L.City Contact
All communication with the Recreation Program Coordinator must be made through the
spokesperson of the group. Athletic associations, clubs and leagues must choose one person
who will be the City’s main contact. This eliminates confusion and establishes direct, efficient
communication.
Users should report any facility damage, accidents, dangerous or unsafe conditions to:
City of Mendota Heights Recreation Program Coordinator
Phone: 651‐255‐1354 or 651‐452‐1850 (Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm)
After Hours Phone: 651‐302‐3301
Email: meredithl@mendota‐heights.com
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CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION
Field and Fa
POLICY REVIEW
November 19, 2019
MENDOTA HEIGHTS:
Total Population : 111253
Under 18 years : 20%
Under 10 years : 8%
By the Under 5 years : 3%
65+: 22%
Numbews..,,
Total Households : 41671
Family: 73%
w/children < 18 : 26%
w/people 65 & > : 36%
Background .0
Policy History
■ Resolution 92-79...Resolution 04-10
■ Council Action February, 2018 & May 2018
■ Council Action November, 2018
■ The Policy is comprehensive--written for all users groups not anyone group, specifically
■ Formalizes the permitting process; establishes consistent guidelines, the process for
allocating field and facilities and a cost recovery structure
■ Further establishes and defined priority/user group categories
Human Resources
■ Recreation Program Coordinator
■ Public Works Parks Maintenance
■ 4 full-time workers; seasonal staff
• Common goal . . . MH residents—specifically youth
• High demand continues
• Multiple user groups and multiple sports
• Area (regional ) demand and interest
• Space is limited/competition for preferred fields
• Civic Center, Mendakota, Kensington
• Scheduling events outside of the city's purview
• Blanket permitting continued
• Fields reserved leaving very little " public use time"
• Miscommunication within user groups/members
• Change is hard !
City of Mendota Heights
Field and Facility Use Fees
2019
Priority Level 3:Youth Athletic Associations
Priority Level 4:Youth Sports Clubs and Leagues
Priority Level 5:Mendota Heights Residents(Personal Use)
Priority Level 6:Mendota Heights Businesses/Commercial Organizations
Priority Level 7: Non-Mendota Heights Residents,Organizations,Businesses
APPLICATION FEE
$25.00 per Permit Request due at the time the request is submitted-non-refundable
Current Fees.
Soccer,Baseball,Softball,
User Group Football,Lacrosse
•.� Priority Level 3 $7 per player/season
Priority Level 4 $10 per player/season
Priority Level 5 $10 per hour/per field
Priority Level 6 $15 per hour/per field
fit Priority Level 7 $15 per hour/per field
TOURNAMENTS
All Sports/All Locations
User Group Use Fee Field Prep Fee
Priority Level 3 and 4 $50 per day/per field $35 per field/per day
(required)
Priority Level 5,6 and 7 $50 per day/per field $35 per field/per day
(optional)
User Group Rinks
Priority Level 3 $4 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 4 $6 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 5 $4 per hour/per rink
Priority Level 6 and 7 $8 per hour/per rink
2020 Options & Recommendations
■ Leave policy in place with the following recommended changes—
■ Permits issued three times a year—to work with seasons (i.e. hockey) and area
scheduling meetings
■ Reflect Certification of Coaches Training and Background Screening Compliance
Statement implementation
■ Allow for more public use time by strengthening the blanket permitting prohibition by
requiring the submittal by users of field assignments and use
■ Weather related cancellations -refund of special event (tournament) fees if notified by
the user within 2 business days
■ Fees
■ Leave as is--per Participant
■ Same rate
■ Increase rate
■ Change to a per hour rate
■ Charge nothing
CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION
Warming House Staffing
November 19, 2019
Current Staffing Structure:
• Staff three warming houses
• Wentworth, Friendly Hills, Marie
• Needs: 15 seasonal staff preferred per season
• Opened recruitment September 27
• To date hired four staff
• Have some college returners interested
With 4 staff...
• Open one warming house per day
• Possibly open two warming houses on the weekend
• Not utilize Wentworth warming house; still flood rink
are able to hire more staff...
• With eight staff can open two warming houses
• With 12 staff can attempt to open all 3 warming houses
Options Going Forward
• Open warming houses—but provide no staff (Rink Attendants)
• Consider changing/modifying hours
• Shorter hours during the week—closing warming houses at 8 pm
• Consider a hybrid staffing structure
• Open warming houses, some would be staff/some not
DATE: November 17, 2019
TO: Mayor and City Council, City Administrator
FROM: Meredith Lawrence, Recreation Program Coordinator
SUBJECT: Warming House Staffing
INTRODUCTION
The City Council is asked to review the City’s current warming house staffing structure for the
2019-2020 season.
BACKGROUND
Each year the City seasonally staffs the City’s three warming houses located at Wentworth Park,
Marie Park and Friendly Hills Park. Rink Attendants are responsible for opening and closing
warming houses and for general housekeeping of the skating/rink area and warming house. The
position pays $10.00 to $10.75 per hour.
The warming house/outdoor skating season generally runs from mid-December to the end of
February, depending on the weather. With some exceptions for holidays and non-school days,
rink hours are Monday through Friday: 4:00 to 9:00 pm; Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; and
Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00 pm.
In order to open all of the warming houses daily and have each supervised with a Rink Attendant,
15 seasonal staff are preferred. This amount provides enough coverage for the regular rink hours,
scheduling conflicts and time off requests by seasonal staff.
This year the recruitment for seasonal Rink Attendants began on September 27. The posting
included advertisement on the City’s website, in Friday News, distribution of flyers at local high
schools, announcements at the City Council and Park and Recreation Commission meetings, letters
to previous seasonal staff, social media posts and postings on community college job/posting
boards. Additionally, staff reached out to Sibley Area Youth Hockey Association to promote the
position to their members.
To date, the City has received four applications, which is well short of the preferred staffing level
of 15. Given the shortage of applicants, staff is needing to consider options for providing staffed
warming houses as a winter park amenity and will discuss with Council optional staffing structures
at the work session on November 19.
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DATE: November 19, 2019
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Kristen Schabacker, Finance Director
SUBJECT: Final 2020 Budget Discussion
BACKGROUND
On December 3, 2019 the final 2020 budget will be on the agenda for approval. We have received
a favorable quote for the employee health plan from Public Employees Insurance Program (PEIP).
By switching to this plan, employees will be seeing lower premiums. The preliminary 2020 budget
included a 10% increase in the monthly insurance contribution that the City provides to the
employees. This increase is no longer needed because of the favorable rates received by PEIP.
The 2020 budget will decrease by $111,083 with this change. The general fund will see a $103,966
decrease and the enterprise/city hall funds will see a decrease of $7,117.
In November 2019 our general property/casualty insurance policy renewed. This premium
increased by $45,000. This increase will leave a budget shortfall for the general fund of
approximately $20,000.
With the refunding of the bonds that we did this fall, the levy for the refunding portion increased
by $10,904. The City will still see a savings of interest costs over the remaining life of the bonds,
but the levy amount for this year increased by a small amount.
BUDGET IMPACT
Council has the ability to adjust the 2020 final budgets for these changes that have occurred since
the preliminary budget was prepared. The Council can reduce the insurance contribution numbers
and increase the property/casualty premium amount. In doing this the levy will be reduced by
$73,062. These changes will translate to a levy increase of 6.5% from the 7.28% that was proposed
with the preliminary budget. This will translate to an increase of approximately 4.34% in the city’s
portion of their property taxes. This is down from the 5.17% proposed in September.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council discuss the changes that have taken place since the preliminary
budget and levy was adopted and direct staff to the make the desired changes to 2020 final budget
and levy.
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