LAKE FOREST PARK — The Council’s elimination of a staff position during budget amendments at a Dec. 9 meeting was not merely out of the blue.
Some residents and Council members say it came out of nowhere.
“It shocked me to the core,” said resident Teri Howatt. “I am still trying to untangle what happened at the meeting.”
The position of government community relations coordinator, occupied by Sarah Phillips for five years, was eliminated with a 5-1 vote, with Council member Alan Kiest abstaining.
Adoption of the 2005 city budget was postponed until the Dec. 16 meeting, after The Enterprise’s deadline. Delaying the adoption by one week allows for one last opportunity to reinstate the position. If the council does not vote to retain the position, Phillips’ job will end Dec. 31.
The reasoning behind the majority of members’ decisions is to save a quarter of a million dollars during the next three years. Those who oppose the amendment say the elimination of a staff position was not only sudden, but needs more analysis.
“My fellow Council members who decided to propose this have gone backwards as far as the proper process,” Council member Ed Sterner said. “I feel that if you believe that there is staffing the city doesn’t need, you first need to approach the mayor and the city administrator and go through an analysis.”
Sterner, who learned about the amendment the day before the meeting, said he is concerned that by eliminating the position, other staff members will have to take on additional duties. Sterner said the elimination of the position was by no means a trade-off for the addition of a new position in the budget, an Engineering Technician/ Capital Project Grant Writer.
Although he disapproves of the amendment, Sterner voted in favor of it for the purpose of ensuring that the issue could be further discussed at the Dec. 16 meeting.
Council member Carolyn Armanini, who voted in favor of the amendment, said Phillips’ position originated as a grant-writer, which eventually evolved into the job of community and government relations coordinator. Armanini said the position’s salary is $85,000, including benefits, and over a three-year span a quarter of a million dollars will be saved.
“We are a small city and there are limits to the number of city staff that our finances can support,” Armanini said. “That was the position that was identified for elimination.”
Armanini did not consider the amendment to be proposed at the last-minute.
“The budget comes to the Council at the end of October, so most anything feels like the last-minute,” Armanini said. “In the process of give-and-take and finding ways to keep the city on sound financial footing, there is the appearance of the last minute.”
Armanini also said personal issues were not taken into consideration with the elimination of Phillips’ position.
“This isn’t a popularity contest,” Armanini said. “We are looking at the structure and function and finances of the city in the long-term and it is hard to not consider saving a quarter of a million dollars.”
Council member Nate Herzog said he voted in favor of eliminating the position because the council has the responsibility to ensure that city resources are returning the maximum value to taxpayers.
“Our staffing levels has been a concern to many of us for some time now,” Herzog said. “After not addressing the issue the past few years, the addition of the engineering technician position triggered the discussion.”
Herzog said the new engineering position is not a direct trade-off, but with a small city such as Lake Forest Park, he is concerned with limiting the number of full-time employees.
“This was not about the performance of any one staff person,” Herzog said “It was about whether we could receive more value.”
Herzog said he welcomes city staff coming back to the Council with an alternative proposal at the Dec. 16 meeting, but he feels that although there is some room for compromise, the current job description would need to be altered.
Council member Roger Olstad, who voted against the amendment, said he did not favor eliminating the position because Phillips is doing a competent job, it was a last-minute decision and the position is vital to the city.
“Building a sense of community is extremely important to our future,” Olstad said. “Especially as we are about to approach the sale of the Towne Centre.”
Olstad said he intends to move that the position is reinstated at the Dec. 16 meeting.
Mayor Dave Hutchinson did not approve of the amendment and would similarly like to retain the position. He is meeting with Council members one-on-one, in order to inform them about the function of the position. Hutchinson said a process needs to be developed for future use when considering which staff positions can be eliminated.
“What we need to do as a city is we need to discuss how we can develop a process whereby we don’t get into this bind,” Hutchinson said.
City administrator Karen Haines said the position of government community relations coordinator has a salary of $61,800, plus benefits. Functions of the position, she said, include producing the city’s Towne Crier and working with community groups.
“This is a position that puts a human face to what the city does,” Haines said. “It helps translate what the city does to the citizens.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
