Cloquet City Council members and city staff held their third working session on the city's five-year Capital Improvement Plan and proposed 2011 budget on Tuesday, and it appears the city's 2011 proposed levy will increase by 3.92 percent, rather than the previously suggested 4.12 percent increase.
Since the last meeting Aug. 3, city staff had worked to "scrub" portions of the Capital Improvement Plan. One of the most dramatic changes includes a large reduction in estimated costs for city permit tracking software, from $100,000 to $12,000.
Many of the cost changes, including the permit tracking software, came as the result of better research of costs. Some estimated costs increased, including a $20,000 increase for a dump truck in 2011, a $5,000 increase for a snow blower in 2012 and a $15,000 increase in costs for a second dump truck in 2012. Costs for a sweeper in 2011 were decreased by $169,000, however, as the result of a decision to repair rather than replace the sweeper.
The city's proposed levy, at $2,650,000, is well within the limit set by the state at $3,665,000, City Administrator Brian Fritsinger told the council.
Council members took no action on the proposed 2011 budget or the Capital Improvement Plan at Tuesday's working session, but the preliminary budget will be up for approval at the Sept. 7 Cloquet City Council meeting.
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During the 7 p.m. regular city council meeting, council members reversed a previous decision, voting to allow music to continue until 1 a.m. at a Cloquet Eagles Club outdoor dance Sept. 4 at the Cheers Sports Bar with one condition - that the volume of the live music is lower than it was July 4, when Cloquet police got one complaint.
"If you allow us to extend the music, we won't take it lightly," Cheers owner Jason Johnson promised the council.
