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<br />BUDGET:
<br />Library
<br />Mayor Beltran stated that he had requested an update from Staff regarding pros and cons on going in with the County
<br />for Library Services and this will be forthcoming.
<br />Moved by Councilman Gonzales, seconded by Councilwoman Cisneros, to approve the Library Budget.
<br />BUDGET:
<br />City Council
<br />City Manager Huffaker distributed to the City Council a memorandum from the Acting Finance Director to himself,
<br />regarding the costs of a Secretary to the City Council and the City Attorney, the upgrading of a Secretary II to
<br />Administrative Secretary, and a vehicle assigned to the City Council or a pool car.
<br />Mr. Huffaker then went on to explain the individual costs, saying the first cost was that of the Secretary II to
<br />the Council and City Attorney for a full year would be $11,823, however, this would be minus 1/4 of the cost of the
<br />current Administrative Secretary; due to the fact the Administrative Secretary would be assigned solely to the City
<br />Manager, so the net cost would be $10,338. The second cost shown is that for office furniture for the secretary,
<br />total of $1,690. Mr. Huffaker stated the $2,000 reflected under the City Council's cost is for a telephone to be
<br />installed in the new car and should have been shown under the Civic Center costs on Page 2 of the memo.
<br />Mr. Huffaker stated Council should bear in mind the housing of the Secretary to the Council and City Attorney.
<br />Where would she be housed?
<br />Mr. Huffaker said if Council approves the costs, it might want to wait on the secretarial position until the addition
<br />to the building has been completed.
<br />Councilman Rehrer asked for clarification on the secretary, he asked if this was in fact, the hiring of a new
<br />employee.
<br />Mayor Beltran replied that it means making a CETA employee a permanent employee.
<br />Councilman Rehrer interjected that a CETA employee cannot be automatically placed on a permanent basis, the secretary
<br />position would have to be opened to everyone.
<br />Mayor Beltran said that was correct, whatever method was required would be followed, and as he understands the
<br />current Administrative Secretary would be working for the City Manager and the Assistant to the City Manager; the
<br />proposed Secretary II would be working for the City Council and the City Attorney; and the proposed reclassified
<br />Secretary II to Administrative Secretary would be working for the Finance Director and the Mayor.
<br />Councilman Rehrer felt the proposals would add further expenditures to the budget and were totally unnecessary.
<br />Councilman Rehrer went on to question the $7,500 cost for the purchase of an automobile saying, what kind of car do
<br />you have in mind.
<br />City Manager replied with the possibilities of an LTD, Montego, etc. Mr. Huffaker said the Mayor had suggested a
<br />smaller car, such as, the Granada, however, Council had also suggested getting together and traveling in one car to
<br />the various meetings and that is why a larger car is proposed. In addition, Mr. Huffaker reported a 1965 vehicle
<br />would be traded in and the monies would be taken out of the vehicle replacement with corresponding transfer from
<br />revenue sharing. The total cost with depreciation, operating expense, purchase, and telephone would be $13,200.
<br />Councilman Rehrer stated that rather than purchase a car, he would rather see a mileage expense for the Council.
<br />Councilman Rehrer felt this would create a bad image for the City Council with the public, if the citizens knew the
<br />City had purchased a $7,500 car for the Council members and the majority of the time it was just sitting in the
<br />parking lot.
<br />Mayor Beltran stated he does not feel that the car would be "just sitting in the parking lot". The car would also
<br />be used as a pool car, to be used by the City Manager, Department Heads, etc., to attend meetings and conferences,
<br />or whatever is necessary, as well as to be used by the Council members, therefore, it will be well utilized.
<br />Councilman Gonzales asked if it would be possible to transfer the CETA employee in Personnel to the City Council
<br />and not actually obtain a permanent employee until January.
<br />Mr. Huffaker replied that the only difficulty that exists is the unsureness of the CETA Program and the fact that
<br />two CETA employees must be cut somewhere. Another problem Mr. Huffaker pointed out is that after January 1st, the
<br />Personnel Division might very well need an additional employee due to the Fair Labor Standards Act, Affirmative
<br />Action, etc.
<br />Mr. Huffaker stated that it would be his hopes that Council would wait until January lst to do something with the
<br />secretarial position, due to the housing problem. Mr. Huffaker said there is no place to put this person and
<br />perhaps by January the new addition would be complete.
<br />Councilman Gonzales reiterrated that he felt the CETA employee should be transferred over to act as the Council's
<br />Secretary and that the permanent position only be funded for half a year and not be filled until January.
<br />Mr. Huffaker stated that the CETA employee in question is not classified as a Secretary II, however, we are sure
<br />that she no doubt has stenographic qualifications and is competent.
<br />City Attorney Edwards stated that the work she has done for him has been excellent and he would consider this
<br />person to be a very competent employee.
<br />Mayor Beltran made comments to the Council Members and Staff present with regard to the 10.8 million dollar budget
<br />they have all been working on, and stated that before anything is finalized or approved, he would like to indicate
<br />to the public exactly what the Council has been doing, how the budget has been broken down item by item, what has
<br />been presented, considered, deleted, approved, etc., so that our citizens will have a clear picture of what has
<br />been going on and what the Council has acted on.
<br />Councilman Gonzales stated his suggestion would be that the CETA employee in Personnel be designated as the City
<br />Council's secretary and then in January, for half of the year, pick up the salary and make it a permanent position,
<br />and the office equipment for the secretary would also be included.
<br />Councilman Gonzales then questioned the notation of "less 25/ Administrative Secretary - Salary and Fringe Benefits".
<br />City Manager Huffaker stated that presently the Administrative Secretary's salary and fringe benefits are divided,
<br />whereby 25% is charged to the City Council budget and 75% is charged to the City Manager's budget. The 25% would
<br />then be deducted from the City Council budget and added to the City Manager's budget, and that position would then
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