Council Offsite Results
December 2009

Council members present:  Hieftje, Smith, Briere, Derezinski, Rapundalo, Taylor, Kunselman, Teall, Hohnke, Anglin

Council member absent:  Higgins

In the small groups Council members asked staff a number of questions, but Council discussions primarily occurred in the afternoon surrounding the last slide of the City Administrator’s presentation titled “Re-thinking Services Could Include…”.

Things Not Interested In Pursuing
1.	don't contract for outside legal services
2.	don't contract with County for police services
3.	don't eliminate DDA, but look at DDA structure

Things Inclined to Support
$185k for Argo Study (1 timer)

Things Requiring Additional Information
Parks and Recreation
Land acquisition millage - repurpose millage to support parks system
Public/private partnership for Huron Hills Golf Course (HHGC)
Understand cost to support HHGC if it wasn't golf course
How close are LPGC/HHGC to being self supporting 
Explore ways to stop General Fund support to golf – let this play out over next couple of months
Discontinue maintaining some parks.  Which ones would be recommended?
Change/rescind parks millage administration resolution
Sell some parks.  Which ones would be recommended?
Citizens doing more in parks (clean up, pick up trash, etc) - volunteers
Contract/collaborate/consolidate with AAPS and/or County P&R - reopen discussions
Explore ways to eliminate General Fund support for parks system
Reduce or defer parks capital projects - what would impact be
What is likelihood of AAPS closing 5 pools	
Look at what is funded in General Fund for park maintenance
What recreation facilities would staff recommend closing? (exclude community centers, per Teall)

Human Services Funding
Have Funders meeting.  Funders recommend which non-profits should stay, which ones should consolidate, which ones should go away (City, County, AAACF, United Way need to have this conversation)
Can we suspend $100,000 General Fund contribution for Affordable Housing Trust Fund for 2 years
Can the General Fund support for human services be reduced?  What do other cities/counties in MI provide for human services funding?  Do other agencies in cities/counties provide funding rather than government?  If they dis-continued funding, what were the effects?  If Ann Arbor reduced funding, what would the impacts be?
Press the issue of non-profit consolidation or integration - only fund agencies who have collaborated or consolidated with another agency

Planning and Development	
Consider outsourcing inspections, plan review and planning
Improve phone system
What do we do with Building Official responsibilities?

Field Services
Proceed with analysis of bagging leaves
Develop scenarios for 'privatizing' or franchising solid waste collection services (priority to explore reducing millage)
Establish an on-going Council/Staff workgroup on improving services related to Field Operations (snow removal, sidewalks, etc.)
Prepare Snow Removal Protocol/Policies packet for Council and circulate (ASAP)

Street Lighting
Develop options for street lighting:
100% SAD for all street lighting costs
SAD for 'over lighting'
SAD for purchase and/or conversion of DTE streetlights to LED
Share map of DTE/ City owned Streetlights ( ASAP) 

Capital Improvements
Prepare list of uncommitted Capital Improvements and identify how funds could be re-purposed
Bring forward (ASAP) impact of Stadium Bridges Reconstruction and impact on street repair programs

Fire Services
Information / Data – Total number of Fire calls – Separate total into 2 categories  
Fire Suppression
Non Fire Suppression
Restructuring Plan for Fire Department after the lay-off of personnel – wait till new chief
Response time for second unit to scene, after the lay-off of personnel
Emergency Management
Functionality of allowing the Sheriff’s Department to handle – any savings? Control factors? What happens to grants?  Total costs?

Finance / IT
Provide the amount of uncommitted funds left in the Economic Development Fund.
Can IT be outsourced?  Can more revenue be obtained from existing investments in IT?
Understand revenue options

Misc.
Identify and bring forward for consideration the discontinuation of fees paid to SEMCOG
Identify and reconsider reservation of  Act 51 funds for ALT Transportation 
Identify/ Create Opportunities for Council inclusion in MDOT discussions with staff on critical community issues (YMCA, N. Main sidewalks, etc.)
Prepare an Annual  summary of UM Contributions to the City (Cross Organization effort & needs better definition)