The Eden Prairie Budget Advisory Commission played a major role in budget decisions in the city last year, although the group’s recommendations were never formally approved by the City Council.

“The recommendations had generally positive impacts on our budget product this year,” said City Manager Scott Neal. “They didn’t find a lot wrong with what we were doing, but they did have recommendations on things they thought we could do differently or do better.”

In the end, on Dec. 18, the city OK’d a 2008 budget totaling $40,851,327, an increase of 4 percent over the 2007 budget. The tax levy amounted to a 2.5 percent increase over last year’s tax levy. The estimated city portion of property taxes on the median single family home valued at $374,800 went from $1,073 in 2007 to $1,072 in 2008, according to a news release from the city.

“For us, this was a learning experience this year,” Neal said. “We’re going to make some recommendations to the council about how we can more effectively use this group because they put an enormous effort into this process and they produced tangible benefits for their fellow citizens. We’re very appreciative of their time and their efforts.”

Commission Chair Katherine Kardell said that the commission’s work could be improved in two main ways for the future.

First, she said, the commission needs better direction from the City Council.

Kardell also suggested starting the process earlier. “There was such a crunch for time,” she said, for commission members to receive information, review it and follow up.

“Those are the two things that I think would be really helpful for the next go-round with the Budget Advisory Commission,” she said.

No date has been set for the group to meet this year, according to Neal.

“This past year was a very intense time commitment and process for the BAC to learn about our whole municipal budgeting system and learn about our operations,” Neal said. He said he received comments from the group regarding the time crunch. “It would have been better for them to not have their time be so compressed.”

Which items recommended by the new group received council OK?

Of the recommendations approved by the commission, Neal said, “Our plan is to present this to the council again this spring and get their direction on it.”

The City Council did take action on some time-sensitive items.

However, “Many of them were general recommendations that the council still has some time to give some thought to,” Neal said. “Our hope was, when we have our discussion with the council about this report again, we can also make some recommendations to the council about how we can use the Budget Advisory Commission in the future.”

The following are some of the group’s recommendations, dated Aug. 9, 2007, and Neal’s explanation of what happened with each recommendation:

The group proposed:

1) A comprehensive review of all fees (like water and sewer charges and meeting room rentals). Neal said the city is moving forward with that review this year.

2) Increasing wages and benefits by a smaller percentage than the original budget proposal. Neal said the approved budget number is closer to his proposal than to the BAC recommendation.

3) Discuss converting to a personal time off policy, instead of having sick leave. The city is investigating that proposal this year.

4) Close Senior Center and transfer those programs to the Community Center, subject to a feasibility study. “That was one of the items within this report that the council took a proactive preemptive position on,” Neal said. “That was that they did not favor combining those two centers and they gave staff direction to that effect.”

5) Keep Community Center costs on a single budget and establish a time frame for EPCC to become self-sufficient. “Those are both plans that we are in the process of implementing right now,” Neal said.

6) Review trails and parks and the cost of planned growth. Neal said the Parks and Recreation Department is examining that.

7) Plan for recreation programs to become self-sufficient. The Parks and Recreation Department is looking into that too.

8) Review services provided by the office of Housing and Community Services to make sure they are essential and don’t duplicate those available from other organizations. “That’s an example of a recommendation that had very specific ’08-’09 budget impact. I would say that we did that,” Neal said. The city looked at funding provided for local nonprofits as well, which remained in the budget. Of services provided by city employees, “The council took the action to reduce the scope of those services.” The city’s immigrant liaison position was cut to half-time for 2008.

9) No further historic sites should be acquired at this time. Ownership of historical properties should be reviewed, to determine if title could be transferred to a business or historical society. “We haven’t acquired any additional sites and we don’t have any plans to do that and there aren’t any that are under consideration at this time,” Neal said. Of the second part of the recommendation, he said staff is carrying out that review.

10) Costs of streetscape wayfinding should be borne primarily by the developers and businesses that benefit. Neal said that recommendation is unresolved.

11) Eliminate a position of police captain and instead use consulting assistance. The city decided not to follow that recommendation and to go forward with the appointment of a captain in the Police Department, Neal said. Capt. Jim DeMann started his new job on Jan. 1.

12) Life in the Prairie newsletter should be the primary way the city communicates information to residents. Streaming video and a major redesign of the Web site should not be pursued. Neal said the city is following that recommendation and no major redesign of the Web site is planned this year.

13) Study alternatives to LOGIS before upgrading the city’s connection. The city has not made a final decision yet on the proposal, Neal said.

14) Analyze mobile computing and telephone use of staff and select a single provider. Neal said the proposal is in the staff 2008 work plan.

15) Pursue e-billing. That is also on the staff work plan for 2008.

16) Temporarily eliminate the Capital Improvement Fund levy and combine the Economic Development Fund into the Capital Improvement Fund. “The end result was certainly a compromise between the BAC’s recommendation and my recommendation,” Neal said. The capital improvement fund levy was decreased but not eliminated. The two funds were not combined.

17) Modify capital improvement plan budget so all projects include a “return on investment calculation.” Neal said, “We think it’s a good idea, although it’s difficult to do on some of our projects.” Neal said BAC proposals to make the format of the plan more readily understandable will also be pursued.

18) The BAC listed specific questions about capital improvement plan expenditures. The questions were answered and no changes were made to the plan.

19) Energy conservation proposals must be evaluated for return on investment. Neal said he concurs with that recommendation and return on investment calculations will be done to make sure energy conservation projects make economic sense.

20) Study reprogramming traffic lights in Eden Prairie to alleviate traffic congestion. The  work is expensive, but Neal said the city will be studying the recommendation.