Residents Ask About Trash, Parking Fees at Public Budget Session

"We (University City) deferred a lot of decisions and now we're having to make them," said City Manager Lehman Walker at a budget session for citizen input on Monday evening.

Walker, who has been city manager for seven months,  said in the past several months he has curtailed U City expenditures by consolidating some city departments and reducing staff levels. He said his actions have led to a projected budget surplus for Fiscal Year 2012 of $1,262,162. He presented the City Council last month with a balanced budget proposal for FY 2012. The previous leadership had projected a budget deficit of $900,000.

Longtime Councilmember Arthur Sharpe Jr. (Third Ward), who attended Monday night's public budget session told University City Patch that the concept of a balanced budget is good, but he said he wasn't very  happy that some people were let go. However, he added that if the City is "top heavy" with supervisors it is something that needs to be addressed.

At Monday night's meeting, Walker also said that "previous decision makers didn't make some of the decisions that should have been made."

Councilmember Sharpe responded that he's "not exactly sure" what Walker was talking about.

Walker also said that "If we (University City)  had been trimming year after year, or we had not been adding year by year we wouldn't be in the situation that we're in, but we're here." Councilmember Sharpe again said he's "not positive," about what Walker is referring to. 

One resident asked if the City has a certain amount in mind as it continues "trimming." Walker said there's not a specific number in mind. He said the City's goal is to have a balanced budget, good management of the city and responsive elected officials. However, he added "I think we will continue to look for opportunities to be a more efficient organization."

When asked why it's necessary to move forward with his budget initiatives including charging for evening parking in the Loop, since the City now has a surplus,  Walker said it's about efficient management.

"Right now you have private businesses that are benefiting from  a public facility, from the public parking lots, so it's not a simple matter of us raising revenue, it's a matter of doing what is equitable." 

Walker said one option to keep the lots free would be for the Loop Special Business District to make a financial contribution to U City to assist in maintaining the lots.

For example, Walker said to resurface and fix the potholes in the parking lot behind Club Fitness and Cicero's would cost $391,000. "The notion of $1.00 (evening parking fee) being excessive, I don't think is correct."

Walker said the City would likely use automated parking stations, which can accept a credit card or cash. Walker estimates the parking fee would generate at least $210,000 in annual revenue.

The City is also looking at outsourcing its solid waste services to a private hauler. Walker said no final decision has been made.

"One of the things we've never done as a City is compare ourselves to the private sector. So we never had a good answer in terms of are we providing a good level of service at a good price because we had never asked the question." Walker said it looks like the service U City provides is comparable based upon the information the city has available.

Several attendees voiced their disapproval of outsourcing trash pickup, with one saying "if we can keep people working we should."

Walker said the City will also look to add to areas it has cut back on, like forestry. He said the City needs to do more about tree trimming and sidewalk maintenance.

Councilmember Sharpe said he wished more residents had turned out for the budget session, but he felt the people in attendance asked relevant questions.