This is the 1st of two topics for the Town Hall. If you want to review the City Council 2013 Preliminary Action Plan and prioritize which items should be a focus for the Council in 2013 go to: http://www.peakdemocracy.com/1153. The below question is the place for general comments, input on City spending, services and level of services.
Update - Feedback was provided to the City Council on Feburary 12 and 21. Due to citizen requests, the question has been left open. The Council will meet with the Budget Committee on March 14 to review comments and identify key issues for the upcoming budget.
The City of Lake Oswego provides hundreds of programs to create a City of quality with a unique character. Some programs are mandated or core services such as roads, building permits, police, fire, public records, clean water, sewer and Council meetings. Other services may not be mandated, yet they support a core or mandated service or otherwise greatly contribute to the quality and character of Lake Oswego. For an overview of services please review the 2013 Program and Services Inventory. This information was developed to aid the Town Hall discussion.
Through citizen comments, the City Council wants to learn more about what services, beyond those core or mandated services, residents see as being important to Lake Oswego. Also, information is desired on appropriate levels or standard of service provided.
In developing next year’s budget, the Council will review ways to lessen the financial impact on residents while addressing increased costs and also the need for road improvements, infrastructure, and capital expenditures such as vehicles, a new Police/911 Center, Maintenance Facility and South Shore Fire station (as example). The Council seeks your input on the budget and, in particular, the services that are the most important, deserve continued investment or those where we should no longer provide or provide investment at a lower level.
Through these discussions and the budget development process, the Council hopes to manage costs and reduce services over time. The Council and City Manager will need to make some difficult choices between expenses, available revenue, infrastructure needs, service levels and reductions. Your input will help guide the development of the budget.
For more information:
•To review the Council’s budget direction and preliminary 2013 Action Plan, click here.
•Meeting notice and Council Packet for the Town Hall (available February 7 or 8), including information on the City Services with detail and by level of requirement (Core, Mandated, Basic/Discretionary) available by clicking here. As handouts are finalized, they will also be posted on this page.
NOTE - People may desire to wait and comment after the Council Packet with greater information is available for review. Review of the detail on City services will be helpful in providing input.
This online Town Hall question is in conjunction with a Town Hall meeting on Feburary 12. If you would like to meet with the City Council in person, here are details on the meeting:
Town Hall details:
•February 12 at 7 p.m.
•City Hall Council Chambers, 380 A Avenue.
•Speakers will be asked to observe a three minute time limit (depending on the number of speakers, a shorter time limit may be employed).
•“Dot Exercise” where people put dots on basic/discretionary services within City service areas that are of most importance.
•Speakers will be taken based on the order of the testimony slips turned in to City staff.
The Council will be given the online Town Hall comments prior to February 12 and also upon the close of this question in mid February. For more information on the Town Hall, click here.
