THE BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL HAS TABLED…FOR THE FOURTH TIME…A VOTE ON HIRING AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR TO MANAGE THE AUDITORIUM AND THE PORT.
CITY MANAGER JIM FERNEAU SAYS THE FORMAL DECISION TO LET VENU-WORKS RUN THE FACILITIES IS BEING DELAYED BY TALKS BETWEEN THE AMES COMPANY AND BURLINGTON STEAMBOAT DAYS…AND THE MATTER COULD BE SETTLED ON THE 14TH OR THE 21ST. ONE COUNCILMAN…SHANE MCCAMPBELL…QUESTIONS WHY THE CITY WOULD GIVE VENU-WORKS A 5-YEAR COMMITMENT WITH A 3-YEAR “OUT”…RATHER THAN THREE YEARS AND ONE.
FERNEAU ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET…A LIST OF POTENTIAL CUTS AND PROPERTY-TAX HIKES NEEDED TO GET SOME STREET WORK DONE IN A FEW YEARS AND TO GET TO A 10 PERCENT RESERVE FUND…AND HOW IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER 225-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CUTS PER YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS, TO GET TO A 15 PERCENT RESERVE FUND…THE AMOUNT THE CITY’S BOND-RATING SERVICE RECOMMENDS. AFTER HEARING THE ALTERNATIVES, COUNCILMAN BOB FLEMING SAID IT’S CRYSTAL CLEAR IN HIS MIND THAT THE CITY NEEDS MORE REVENUE.
FERNEAU SAYS A 45-CENT INCREASE WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE DEFEAT OF THE FRANCHISE FEE…AND 15 ADDITIONAL CENTS COULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO DO STREET WORK…REPAIR THE MT. PLEASANT STREET OVERPASS…AND BUY A PUMPER TRUCK FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IN FISCAL YEARS 2015 THRU 19. COUNCILMAN MCCAMPBELL MADE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT LAST(MON) NITE — FERNEAU HAS BEEN NAMED “CITY MANAGER OF THE YEAR,” BY THE IOWA CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
