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Published on 06/16/1999 All articles from this issue

City's proposed budget for 1999-00 up 9.7 percent

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

The city's new operating budget, which the Los Altos City Council is scheduled to adopt at its meeting next Tuesday, is up 9.7 percent from 1998-99 figures.

Total expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, are $21.9 million, up from $19.9 in 1998-99, according to a staff report by Amy Margolis, interim director of finance.

As a result of council study sessions in May and a public hearing on June 8, the council has added some items new to the budget, which they will be voting on at their meeting next Tuesday.

At the top of the list is $13,000 for stray animal pick-up by Palo Alto Animal Control. Then the question is, "How much to charge people to bail out pooch," said Police Chief Lucy Carlton at a city department head meeting.

Another addition to the budget is $80,649 for an associate planner.

The city planning department has been buried by applications for remodels and additions. The turn-around time for a plan check has stretched out to be as long as two months.

The council has also added $15,000 to buy a second traffic advisory trailer, which lets people know how fast they are driving when the pass by.

Some new capital expenses the council wants to add include $138,000 for civic center pathway lighting; $30,500 for phone registration for the recreation department; $88,000 for adding Internet access for the recreation system; and $150,000 for updating the city's housing element.

The 29-member citizen blue ribbon committee, which has been reviewing budget documents for the past four weeks, was scheduled to forward it comments on the proposed budget Tuesday to the council, Margolis said.

The city council meeting at which they will approve a budget, is scheduled for 7 p.m., next Tuesday, in the city hall chambers, 1 N. San Antonio Road.