deathby1000cuts

Lincoln’s ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’

“Lincoln is suffering ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts.’ While no one wound is fatal, the accumulated bleeding is sapping the vitality of our great city.” – City Councilman Doug Emery

Purpose of This Posting

Lincoln Neighborhood Alliance wants city residents to know what municipal services have been eliminated, reduced or made more expensive over the past three years of budget emergency.

Some of the following information has never been publicized before, some has. This is an incomplete catalogue, limited by the time of LNA volunteers to research city records.

LNA welcomes additional facts to add to this posting. Please email to LNA chair Russell Miller neb31340@windstream.net

LNA’s Position on Taxes

LNA recognizes that many of the vital functions of a healthy city are best performed by municipal government. Taxes are the necessary means for financing government services. LNA is not opposed to taxes that are used to pay for needed services.

Lincoln city taxes are not high compared to other cities in Nebraska or the United States. Property taxes shock people because they are usually paid with two large checks. Yet the city collects more revenue from sales taxes and no one even notices.

About two-thirds of property taxes go to schools. The county, city and some smaller government entities divide the remaining third. The city’s share of property taxes is less than one-sixth or about 14%.

LNA believes the last three years’ budget emergencies could have been averted through very modest increases in property taxes rather than cutting city employees and reducing services. (QualityVersusDiscount )

How This Posting Is Organized

The following information is organized by departments of city government in descending order of how many employees they have lost over the last three years.

This current fiscal year (2008-2009) the city cut 64 employees, which brought the total employee reduction to 134 for the past three years. (City Personnel Cuts )

1. Parks and Recreation Department

Employee reductions for 3 year 61.09 09-10 proposed reduction 6.87

The Great Plains Trail Network organization has prepared an indepth study (68 pages of many charts) of Lincoln's Parks deliemma of increasing population and decreasing money. (LNA webpage editor note : Great Plains Trail Network website no longer lists this document and I do not have the skills to install the PDF file on this page. Therefore the readers that desire to review this interesting document please e-mail neb31340@windstream.net with your request and I will e-mail the 2.3 mb PDF file to you.)

The before / after school program had approximately 1,400 in 1007-08 and 600 in 08-09 for a decline of 800. Most of that decline is related to the higher fees charged by the non-city entities that assume management of the program.

Two park restrooms have been shuttered permanently. The rest are open about a month less in the season and restocked less often. (LJS 16 Jul 08)

Park trash barrels have been reduced about 50% (LJS 16 Jul 08)

At the August 07 budget hearing many persons petitioned the Council not to cut the Parks & Rec Youth Sports Director position starting with the budget year 07-08. The position was cut; 18 sports recreation have been dropped and 3 were retained. (listing of dropped programs)

Easterday recreation center ( close to Lincoln Northeast High School) The building is now mainly used for the very important program called ‘Day Solutions’ for individuals with special needs. In previous years it was also used for after school rec and drop-in rec programs. The budget experts thought the Northeast YMCA could assume those programs. See LJS’s Report titled “public school connection” at media.journalstar.com/comments/?mid=M4a15d0633ac13 for compelling information on home values, crime, school test scores and demographics to determine why that expectation is unrealistic and financially impossible for many families of that area.

Deferred maintenance : on 8 Jan. 08 there was about $1.6 million deferred or pending maintenance needs consisting of pools, rec centers, playgrounds and trails. (deferred) Today the deferred maintenance is approximately $3 million.

Trees provide cool shade of benefit to all and also extend the life of asphalt streets. The life expectancy of many urban tree species is about 60 years. Research has shown that a seven-year pruning cycle achieves the maximum cost-benefit ratio by eliminating deadwood, promotes public safety from falling branches and improves resistance to storm damage. Lincoln is now formally on a 14-year pruning cycle but in reality trees are being maintained on a crisis basis.

2. Public Works and Utilities Department

Employee reductions for 3 year 20.0 09-10 proposed reduction 6.0

Lincolnites are accumulating a huge deferred maintenance bill because of this minimum budget attitude. Car owners are aware that you can deferred oil changes only so long until there is a catastrophic beak down. Lincoln is moving on that path. (LJS 6 Jul 08)

Streets All streets wear out and at a accelerated rate if they are not maintained. Arterial streets have not been resurfaced since 2004. This year Lincoln received $9.3 million in one-time federal stimulus money which will be used on arterial streets. We should be spending $13 million annually to maintain all streets. (LJS 19 Feb. 09)

Water a small portion of Lincoln water mains are over 100 years old and a much larger portion is over 80 years. (maps of 100 year old & 80 year old mains)
The current budget situation is limiting Lincoln to replacement when the line has developed multiple breaks instead of a scheduled replacement. This is despite the fact that water rates have increase over 31% in the last 7 years. (water & sewer rates) Most of the additional income went to extending water lines to Lincoln’s fringes and not maintaining or improving the Lincoln’s interior system.

Sewer the age of sewer lines is the same as fresh water. Sewer rates have increased over 40% in the last 7 years and, again, most addition money has been spent on extending lines to new development on the fringes. These expansions have resulted Lincoln’s bond indebtedness increasing by 133.46 million since 2003. ( bonds )

Storm water Another item that has many hidden benefits if the work is performed before it is needed. Please read National Public Radio’s article about Cedar Rapids, IA, one year after their 12 June 2008 flood. (CEDAR RAPIDS ) Lincoln needs to invest approximately $2.5 million a year to maintain and / or improve the urban storm water system. Lincoln had been approving a stormwater control bond issue every 2 years (2005 & 2007) but there will be none this year with the consequences to be learned in the future.

3. Mayor’s Office

Employee reductions for 3 year 15.42 09-10 proposed reduction 0.18

The fastest growing segment of Lincoln is the elder population. The largest and most worrisome expense for elders is medical. Many studies have demonstrated that the most efficient medical care is preventive medicine and not the emergency room. The 07-08 budget eliminated Calvert and First Methodist senior centers. One nurse and the PEAK program has been cut. (LJS Deena Winter 7Aug07, LJS Editorial 7Aug07)

4. City Libraries

Employees reduced by 12.66 FTE over three years. 09-10 proposed reduction 4.0

Services at city libraries have been reduced gradually. Fewer new books are purchased, books take longer to be reshelved, fewer librarians are available to conduct extra programs.

Overdue book fines were increased in 2008.

In 2009, city libraries cut 24 hours or 5 percent of time open to the public. Both Bennet Martin and South lost 10 hours; Arnold Heights lost 4 hours. ( LJS 9 JUL 08 )

5. Health Department

Staff cuts totaled 9.45 FTE during three years. 09-10 proposed reduction 0.75

Animal control staff works reduced hours (pit bull attack LJS 25 JUL 09)

6. Building and Safety Department

Employees reduced by 5 FTE in three years. 09-10 proposed reduction 3.38

7. Police Department

Staff cut 3.54 FTE over three years.     09-10 proposed reduction      3.75

There has not been any street police reduction BUT there have been no increase either. City’s population has increase to 248,744 and the patrol area has increase to 89 square miles. The street police are stretched so thin that next fiscal year’s budget is suggesting that police do not appear for non-injury traffic accidents which free up 2.3 officers. (survey) Last year it is reported the understaffed police do not respond to neighbors’ reporting of hundreds of suspected drug dealings. (LJS 6 Jul 08)

8. Finance Department

Trimmed by 3.15 FTE in three years.      09-10 proposed increase  0.48

9. City Attorney’s Office

Reduced by 1.5 FTE over three years.   09-10 proposed reduction   0.0

10. Personnel Department

Lost 1.19 FTE in three years of budget cuts.   09-10 proposed reduction 0.0

11. City Council

Cut by one employee for three years.         09-10 proposed reduction 0.0

12. Urban Development Department

Lost 0.30 FE over three years that were City funded. Lost 5 positions that were federally funded.   09-10 proposed reduction 2.0

13. Planning Department

No changes to staffing in past three years.     09-10 proposed reduction 0.5

14. Fire Department

This is the only city department to have gained staff over the last three years, but the budgeted gain was just 0.4 FE.     09-10 proposed increase 1.75

LNA volunteers lacked the time and expertise to acquire information on some departments, but would welcome additional information. Email to LNA chair Russell Miller <neb31340@windstream.net>

==============================================================
CITY OF LINCOLN 2008-09 OPERATING BUDGET

The Operating Budget is that portion of city spending supported by taxes. In the 2008-09 budget adopted by the City Council on Aug. 25, 2008, tax revenue for the fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, 2008, was projected at $134,894,287. The principal sources were sales tax, $56,964,834 or 42.2%, and property tax, $41,287,794 or 30.6%.

Here is a list organized in descending cost of how the City Council budgeted for 2008-09 (note that department budgets may be higher because of other funding sources):

Police Department                                $30,609,615                    22.7%
Fire Department                                   $20,267,049                    15.0%
General Expense                                  $18,485,180                    13.7%
Parks and Recreation                            $10,960,153                      8.1%
City Libraries                                       $7,348,984                         5.4%
Bond Interest and Redemption              $6,655,624                        4.9%
StarTran                                               $5,894,587                         4.4%
Street Lights                                         $5,398,608                         4.0%
Health Department                               $3,935,267                          2.9%
Public Works and Utilities                    $3,720,209                          2.8%
Police and Fire Pension                         $3,145,507                         2.3%
Agency on Aging                                  $2,395,035                         1.8%
Finance Department                               $2,206,663                        1.6%
911 Center                                             $2,163,999                         1.6%
Social Security                                      $2,162,486                          1.6%
Law Department                                   $2,094,810                          1.6%
Planning Department                            $1,703,208                          1.3%
Mayor’s Office                                      $1,066,800                          0.8%
Personnel Department                            $924,671                            0.7%
Building and Safety                               $845,675                             0.6%
Urban Development                              $761,070                             0.6%
Pershing Auditorium                             $575,000                             0.4%
Animal Control                                     $447,594                             0.3%
Contingency                                          $300,729                             0.2%
City Council                                          $260,447                             0.2%
Etc.

Personnel costs                                 $81,631,625                              60.5%
Other services, charges, transfers      $40,656,903                              30.1%
Debt service                                      $8,584,724                                  6.4%
Supplies                                            $2,595,839                                  1.9%
Capital outlay – equipment               $1,026,467                                   0.8%
Etc.

YOUTH SPORTS
for the petition use (it starts on page 120) : http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/council/agenda/2007/080607/d080607.pdf

1. NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition
The Official Skills Competition of the National Football League
Ages: Boys & Girls ages 8-15 years (as of December 31, 2006)
Registration: Thru September 16, 2006
Date: Saturday, September 16, 2006
Site: Lewis Sports Complex, 233 So 23 rd Street
No longer offered by Parks & Rec

2. Wrestling
Ages: K-3 grades
Registration: Thru October 14, 2006
Season: Six weeks, Tuesdays & Thursdays, November 7-December 21
Location: Belmont Community Center (1234 Judson)
Meet location: Easterday Rec Center (6130 Adams)
Fee: $40.00 first, $35.00 each additional child (same family)
No longer offered by Parks & Rec

3. Jr. NBA Boys Basketball
The Official Youth Basketball league of the National Basketball Association
Grade Divisions: Grades 2-3 (instructional league)
Grades 3-5, 5-6, 7-9 (classic leagues)
Registration: Thru November 2, 2006
Season: Seven Weeks, Saturdays, Dec 2, 2006-Jan 27, 2007
Locations: Belmont Community Center (1234 Judson)
Calvert Community Center (4500 Stockwell)
A third site may be added if registrations warrant.
(Effort is made for participants to play close to home.)
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
289 participants in 2006 329 in 07, 350 in 08; Parks & Rec continues to offer this program.

4. Holiday Hoops Basketball Festival
Grade Divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; separate boys & girls divisions
Registration: Thru December 26, 2006
Event location: Air Park West Recreation Center (3720 NW 46th Street)
Fee: $10.00 per child
no longer offered by Parks & Rec

5. Holiday Shots Indoor Soccer Festival
Grade Divisions: Grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Registration: Thru December 15, 2006 (One Day Festival)
Event Location: Air Park West Recreation Center (3720 NW 46th Street)
Fee: $10.00 per child
no longer offered by Parks & Rec

6. Coed Lacrosse
In cooperation with UN-L Women’s Lacrosse Team. Five-on-five play on 70-yard
fields. Games played Monday evenings under the lights of the Lewis Sports Complex. Teams will be assigned to a coach and a practice time of one hour per week will be
selected by the coach.
Age Divisions: 8-11, 12-13, 14-16 years
Registration: Thru March 9, 2007
Season: Six weeks, Mondays, April 9-May 14
Event Location: Lewis Sports Complex (233 So. 23rd Street)
Fee: $40.00 per child, $35.00 each additional child (same family)
no longer offered by Parks & Rec

7. Coed Volleyball
Games played on Saturday mornings between 8 am and 1 pm. Teams will be assigned to a coach and a practice time of one hour per week will be selected by the coach. The safety of your child is our #1 concern. For muscle strain and injury reasons, overhand serves are not allowed until 5th grade and above. Small-sided 4-on-4 matches through 4th grade. More touches per child means greater skill development.

Our instructional program is designed to introduce your 1st through 3rd grade player to volleyball in a pressure-free environment. This program consists of one-hour weekly Saturday sessions, which include basic instruction as well as scrimmage games. Clinicians will direct training to teach the entry level basics of volleyball and teamwork. Participants will be put into groups which will participate in clinic and scrimmage time together.

Age divisions: Grades 1-3 (Instructional league); 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (Classic leagues)
Registration: Thru January 17, 2007
Season: Seven weeks, Saturdays, February 17-March 31
Event Location: Belmont Recreation Center (1234 Judson)
Calvert Community Center (4500 Stockwell). A third site may be
added if registrations warrant. Effort is made for participants
to play close to home.
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

8. Coed Roller Hockey
We play with skates and GOALIES. Games played Thursday evenings under the lights at Irvingdale Park. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time of one hour per week will be selected by the coach.
Age Divisions: Ages 8-11, 12-13, 14-16
Registration: Thru March 12, 2007
Season: Six weeks, Thursdays, April 12-May 17
Event Location: Irvingdale Park (20th and Van Dorn)
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

9. Pepsi Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit and Run Competition
Participate in a fun baseball skills competition. Showcase pitching, hitting and running abilities and advance through four levels of competition. Presented in competition with the Lincoln Jaycees.
Age Divisions: Boys and Girls, ages 7-14
Date: Saturday, April 14, 2007
Event Location: F Street Community Center (1225 “F” Street)
Fee: FREE!!
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

10. Jr. Olympic Skills Competition
Showcase athletic skills in four sports: basketball shooting, soccer shooting, tennis ball hitting, and track and field. Athletes can advance through three levels of competition, local, regional and National Finals at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.
Age Divisions: Boys and girls, ages 8-13
Date: Saturday, April 14, 2007
Event Location: F Street Community Center (1225 “F” Street)
Fee; FREE!!
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

11. Hershey’s Youth Track and Field Meet
Age Divisions: Boys and girls, ages 9-14
Registration: Thru April 25, 2007
Date: Saturday, April 28, 2007
Events: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 Meter Runs; Softball Throw;
Standing Long Jump
Fee: FREE!!
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

12. Indoor Soccer League
A unique 5-a-side international indoor game played on basketball courts. All games played Tuesday evenings on the basketball courts at a recreation center to be determined. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time of one hour per week. The Parks and Rec department will assign players to team, by friend request, then school attendance area.
Age Divisions: Grades 2-4,5-6
Registration: By June 1
Season: June 19- July 31, six weeks
Event Location: To be determined
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
; no longer offered by Parks and Recreation

13. Basketball Camp for Boys and Girls
Learn essential skills for new players or work on improving the fundamentals. Camp includes a day of quality instruction, camp t-shirt, lunch, swimming break, and special activities.
Ages: Grades 3-8
Registration: By June 15
Date: Saturday, June 23
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Event Location: Belmont Recreation Center (1234 Judson)
Fee: $35.00
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

14. Bret Clark Flag Football Camp
Learn unique 5-on-5 official youth flag game of the National Football League. Campers receive a day of quality instruction, camp t-shirt, swimming break, lunch and other special activities.
Ages: 6-14 years
Registration: By July 20
Date: Saturday July 28 or Saturday August 11
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Event Location: Lewis Sports Complex (233 South 23rd Street)
Fee: $35.00
; no longer offered by Parks and Rec

15. 3 on 3 Volleyball
Small-sided games played on small courts. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time of one hour per week.
Age Divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Registration: By July 209
Season: Five weeks, August 11-September 15
Location: Belmont Recreation Center (1234 Judson)
Fee: $35.00 first child; $30 each additional child (same family)
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

16. NFL Flag Football
Official 5-on-5 flag program of the National Football League. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time will be set by the coach.
Age Divisions: Ages 5-6, 7-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17
Registration: By August 13
Season: Six weeks, September 10-October 18
Location: Lewis Sports Complex, 233 South 23rd Street
Fee: $45.00 first child; $40.00 each additional child (same family)
413 participants in 2006, 477 in 07, 760 in 08; Parks and Rec continues to offer this program.

17. Coed Lacrosse
Presented in cooperation with Play It Again Sports and UN-L Lacrosse. All games
played Thursday evenings. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time will be set by the coach.
Age Divisions: Ages 8-10, 11-13, 14-16
Registration: By August 13
Season: Six weeks, September 13-October 18
Location: Lewis Sports Complex, 233 South 23rd Street
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
no longer offered by Parks and Rec

18. Jr. WNBA Girls Basketball
Official program of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Teams will be assigned a coach and practice time of one hour per week. Instructional program for Grades 1-2 introduces girls to basketball in a pressure-free environment.
Age Divisions: Grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 1-2 (instructional Program)
Registration: By August 29
Season: Seven weeks, September 29-Novemer 10
Location: Belmont Recreation Center, 1234 Judson Street. Other sites
to be determined.
Fee: $40.00 first child; $35.00 each additional child (same family)
241 participants in 2006, 164 in 07, 175 in 08; Parks and Rec continues to offer this program.

19. University of Nebraska Lacrosse Camp
Instruction by UN men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. Tune-up or learn the game for fall youth lacrosse leagues.
Ages: 8-16 years
Registration: By July 27
Date: Saturday, July 4
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Event Location: Lewis Sports Complex, 233 South 23rd Street
Fee: $35.00
Parks and Rec no longer offers this program.
=============================================================

from : www.gptn.org/Protect_Lincolns_Parks_and_Recreation_Part_One.pdf
starting at pdf page 8
Please read Great Plains Trail Network report, pages 8 - 10 for the complete listing

Emergency Needs
The following is a listing of priority repair and replacement projects that need to be addressed within the next few years in order to keep facilities open to the public. These projects will need to be addressed within the next one to five years. The total cost is estimated to be about $1,630,000 to $1,720,000.

POOLS
Woods Pool Basin Stabilization $125,000
Star City Shores Water Play Structure replacement $70,000
Star City Shores water slide replacement $200,000

RECREATION CENTERS
“F” Street Community Center southeast corner building stabilization study in progress
Irving Recreation Center HVAC / school project $800,000 2012-13 CIP
Air Park Elementary School gym with school project $85,000-$150,000

PLAYGROUNDS
Dinsmore Park playground surface rehabilitation $60,000
Oak Lake playground surface rehabilitation $10,000

TRAILS
Rock Island Trail / So. 27 bridge painting $220,000
MoPac Trail / ‘O’ St. bridge approach stabilization $15,000
Boosalis Trail / 40th st. underpass repair $20,000 2008-09 CIP
Rock Island Trail / ‘J’ st. to Randolph relocation $25,000 2008-09 CIP

BY DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
Sunday, Jul 06, 2008 - 12:32:42 am CDT
A few minutes after returning to his office one day, Karl Fredrickson’s coworkers asked if he’d noticed the ruckus outside. He looked out a window and saw a street light pole lying across the street at 13th and L.

Wind had toppled the steel pole into the street during rush-hour, right next to a crosswalk.

The city’s former public works director knew why it fell: Street light poles are rusting from the inside out, and so while a new paint job made it look like perfectly sturdy, the truth came crashing down that day.

For Fredrickson, it was a stark reminder of what it’s like to live in a city with a tight budget.

“The infrastructure’s aging — all of it,” he said. “And maintenance budgets haven’t gone up.”

Aging infrastructure doesn’t mean much to most people — unless they’re in the path of a falling light pole or crossing a bridge that collapses.

This year marks the fifth the city has wrestled with multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls. The booming 1990s — when the city enjoyed double-digit increases in sales tax revenue and city officials happily dropped the city property tax levy — are over.

While the overall city economy seems to be in reasonably good health, with plenty of “help wanted” signs, the amount of revenue coming into city coffers has not kept up with costs.

Mayor Chris Beutler says that’s because the budget is structurally out of whack. He says the city is running out of gimmicks — one-time tricks to plug budget holes — and it’s time to pay the piper after enjoying 45 percent drop in the city property tax rate since 1993.

Now that sales tax growth has slowed to a trickle, he says, it’s time to raise property taxes. In the proposed budget he released last week, he suggests a one-cent hike.

Even though the average Lincoln homeowner pays more for basic cable TV than for the city’s share of property taxes, elected city officials will generally do just about anything to avoid increasing the unpopular property tax.

And with four City Council members indicating they aren’t inclined to raise taxes again, this summer promises another round of budget cuts or one-time fixes.

The city is not broke; it’s just having a hard time making ends meet. Lincoln has an excellent triple A bond rating, and unlike many cities, its debt load is modest, its police and fire pension fund are more than adequately funded, and it doesn’t have huge looming retirement and health care obligations.

But as the city struggles to meet its budget needs, bond rating agencies will take a closer look.

“All people need to do is drive down the streets and see the condition of the street to see that things are not being kept up anymore,” City Budget Officer Steve Hubka said.

The cops might not get to a call right away, because they’re understaffed and run from call to call.

Firefighters might not respond as quickly, because the city can’t afford to build new fire stations to serve new areas.

And those rusting streetlight poles? The city is lucky if it can afford to replace one per year.

Lincoln has $56 million worth of street improvement projects waiting to be done within the city limits, from street widening to extensions that would reduce traffic congestion and bottlenecks.

Beyond the city limits, officials estimate they need to build $150 million worth of new streets in the next six years to accommodate growth.

But aside from nine blocks of South Street, the city hasn’t resurfaced an arterial street since 2004. It spends between $2 million and $5 million annually to resurface streets, compared with the $13 million to $15 million city officials say it would take to keep streets in reasonable condition. Some streets that could have been saved with a mill and overlay treatment have deteriorated to the point they need more costly repairs. Sort of like a car whose owner neglected to change the oil, and is now looking at an engine overhaul.

If it seems like the trees could use a prune and parks are shaggier than normal, that’s not just because of the wet summer.

Trees in the right-of-way and parks are now only pruned every 16 years rather than 10, due to budget cuts in recent years. Jerry Shorney, assistant director of park operations, said they really should be pruned every seven years.

Until about three years ago, the city mowed 2,300 acres of parkland; now, about 210 of those acres are mowed once or twice a year. The remaining acres are mowed about every 14 working days, and trimming is done about every third mow, as opposed to every mow in past years.

Some people like the wildflowers and native grasses that attract wildlife and songbirds in these manmade prairies. Others, not so much.

“There is a mindset that we should mow all our properties to look like a golf course,” Shorney said. “But when we’re dealing with 2,100 acres of property… obviously we don’t have that kind of budget to do that.”

There are also about half as many trash barrels in parks as there used to be, and two park restrooms were shuttered to save money. The remaining restrooms are open about a month less than in past years and when they are open, they’re cleaned and stocked less often.

* For every three street trees removed by the city due to disease or damage, only one is replaced after the city’s tree program was cut from $50,000 to $10,000.

* Kuklin Pool closed this year (partly due to expansion of nearby Antelope Creek for the Antelope Valley public works project), and the mayor is proposing to end city funding of the Meadow Heights Pool. Three of the city’s 10 pools are pretty modern, but most of the others date to the 1960s and need updating and repairs.

* What was once a fishing pond and skating rink at 14th and Lake streets sits unused, in part because it’s no longer worth it to the city to spend $1,000 to fill it and risk a winter too mild to freeze the water.

* Few of the city’s 76 tennis courts are well-surfaced, aside from the Woods Tennis Center. Plans to upgrade them have been shelved.

Lincoln would have to hire 131 police officers to have as many, per capita, as Omaha.

The department spends more tax dollars than any other, but its force of 317 police officers for a city of 242,000 is small compared with similar-sized cities.

Police Chief Tom Casady would have to hire 46 officers today to get to his goal of having 1.5 officers for every 1,000 residents. He’d like to add four officers per year to get to a more typical staffing level, but he hasn’t been able to do that since 2000.

That leaves less time for preventive police work and follow-up work. And it means police don’t respond to hundreds of people every year who suspect their neighbors are dealing drugs. The city’s 15 narcotics officers focus on the big cases.

Police used to help people who locked their keys in their cars, broke their ankles playing softball, or totaled their cars in private parking lots. Not anymore.

They no longer respond to gas drive-offs unless the store gets a license plate number.

The forensics lab and records unit have such backlogs the city has stopped processing evidence in many misdemeanor cases.

And police officers get less training. Funding for it was cut in half about a decade ago, and has been frozen for much of the past decade. The city spends less than $75 per employee for training, which is enough to pay for only the most vital training needed for certification.

That means Lincoln officers aren’t staying up-to-date on crime fighting and technology.

He can’t afford to put video cameras on all cruisers, buy digital cameras and Tasers for all officers, or replace the 1930s police garage or canine facility.

And as for the 30-year-old police uniform, the city doesn’t have $350,000 to replace them.

At its current pace of $1 million a year, it would take the city 60 years to make all the repairs necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Lincoln has struggled to keep up with sidewalk repairs since voters forced the city to take over sidewalk maintenance in the mid-1990s.

The city is down to bare bones in the 911 center, employing as few 911 dispatchers as possible.

In staff meetings last spring, dispatchers were in tears, saying they never know if they’re going to get to go home when their shift ends, or whether they’ll have to work another four to eight hours.

The city has four aging ladder firetrucks, which are instrumental in rescuing people, but can’t afford to buy two more the fire chief says he needs. Not at nearly $850,000 each.

The chief also would like to build new fire stations to better serve new areas of the city and improve response times.

Now, he can’t even afford to replace the roof and siding at Fire Station 12 at 2201 S. 84th St., where one side of the building is sinking and the garage bay is so narrow side doors on firetrucks can’t be fully opened to check equipment.

The city budget officer likens Lincoln’s financial situation to people having a hard time paying their monthly expenses and dipping into savings to make the payments — while living in a paid-off house and not having much credit card debt. What do they do?

City Councilwoman Robin Eschliman says while it gets harder to balance the budget every year, she’s not sure there’s no more fat in the budget, given the fact that performance audits have not been done for years. This year, an audit board will change that.

“Until you get that cranked up and going, how do you know?” she asked. “Until we go in and do some auditing, I don’t know to what extent our backs are against the wall.”

From a distance, things don’t look so bad. You might not even notice the potholes in streets, the cracks in sidewalks, the rust inside streetlight poles.

But many of those poles are about 30 years old — about the same age as many of the city’s traffic signal poles. And although officials would like to replace about 15 traffic signal poles per year, it doesn’t have the money to replace more than about one a year.

“Paint can cover up a lot,” City Engineer Roger Figard said. “When things rot from the inside out, you don’t know until it’s time for it to go down.”

===================================
Table 7. The Police Department writes accident reports even in situations where no one is injured. The City does this mainly as a convenience for drivers who make claims on their insurance. Last year, Police Officers issued about 7,100 non-injury accident reports. The amount of time spent was equal to 2.3 Officers and $160,034 in property tax dollars, about 13 cents per month in for the average household.
page 21 “Taking Charge Survey”or http://ppc.nebraska.edu/userfiles/file/Documents/mayorsproject/TakingChargeFINALREPORTJune2009.pdf

FRESH WATER AND SEWER RATES INCREASES
FRESH water
                             rate                                 billing rate
fiscal yr.           increase %                           for 1-16 unit
2001-02                  0
02-03                      7                                      0.86
03-04                      3                                      0.88
04-05                      5                                      0.93
05-06                      7
06-07                      6                                      1.05
07-08                      7                                      1.13
08-09                      3                                      1.16

09-10 5 1.22

For fresh water and the years 2003 to 2008 the cumulative INCREASE is 31 %

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASTE water
fiscal yr.                           rate increase %                     billing rate
2001-02                                   0
02-03                                       0
03-04                                       7                                          1.12
04-05                                       7                                          1.205
05-06                                       9
06-07                                       8                                          1.44
07-08                                       9                                          1.575
08-09                                       4                                          1.62
09-10                                       4                                          1.685
For waste water and the years 2004 to 2008 the cumulative INCREASE is 40 %

=========================================================
City of Lincoln
Accounting Division
Bond Issues: Official Statements
www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/finance/account/bond.htm

2007 Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds 20.46 million
2005 Sanitary Sewer Revenue Bonds 18 million
2004 Water Revenue Bonds 40 million
2003 Sanitary Sewer Revenue And Refunding Bonds 55 million
==========================================================
NPR 12 June 09 Morning Edition, June 12, 2009

· On June 13, 2008, the Cedar River crested almost 20 feet above flood level. That was more than 11 feet higher than the previous record flood. Heavy winter snows and an exceptionally wet spring, capped by torrential thunderstorms, swelled the river as wide as the Mississippi. Ten square miles of Cedar Rapids was under water — including about 1,000 businesses and more than 5,000 homes.
"We had 8 foot of water in the building," said flower shop owner Al Pierson. He's 6-foot-3 and stretches up to show how high the water rose in his shop in the northwest section of the city. It is a mostly working-class neighborhood across the river from downtown. It's full of older houses, many of which are boarded up or hollowed out.
That community, and the adjacent Czech Village neighborhood to the south, were the hardest hit by the floodwaters.
"We lost everything," Pierson said. "Everything in here looked like a bomb went off."
Pierson says that includes the adjacent house his grandparents built, and the one next door that he grew up in. His grandparents started the shop 80 years ago. It suffered $1 million in damages. Pierson didn't have insurance.
"What went through my mind: "I'm done. I'm finished. I'm out of business," Pierson said.
He eventually decided to clean up, repair and try to reopen. He became frustrated trying to obtain government assistance, but with a loan from the local credit union, the flower shop was able to reopen last November.
What Pierson lacks is many of his neighbors and customers. Few displaced residents have been able to repair or rebuild their homes.
There is some home rebuilding under way. Sometimes it's just one or two homes on a block, and much of the work is being done by volunteers. The few residents who can afford it are renovating their homes themselves.
The majority of the homes damaged or destroyed were small. They were valued at $50,000 to $80,000 and were occupied by lower income homeowners or renters. Few had flood insurance.
"For one flood survivor who is trying to rebuild their house, they have to go through nine steps with the federal government in order to get payment," said Lu Barron, chairwoman of the Linn County Board of Supervisors. "That is very cumbersome, it's very discouraging, and it makes recovery so slow."
Those who don't want to rebuild — or can't — are waiting for possible government buyouts. Many residents have run out of emergency government aid. Hundreds remain in FEMA trailers, while others struggle to pay for both rental housing and the mortgage on a flood-damaged home.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shawn Donovan, who was in Cedar Rapids this week, promised that the Obama administration would work to streamline the bureaucratic process.
He also announced $500 million in new federal flood recovery funds for Iowa. Some of that money will go toward the long-awaited buyouts.
But local officials say much more federal funding is needed, and it may take 10 years or more for Cedar Rapids to fully recover.

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Mayor wants to use stimulus to repair, not build, streets
82 comment(s)

By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 07:56:36 pm CST
Mayor Chris Beutler wants to use the anticipated $9.3 million in federal street stimulus money primarily to repair Lincoln streets.

While some City Council members have expressed interest in new street construction, the $9.3 million would be better put to use rehabilitating arterial streets, Beutler said Thursday.

“In every corner of the city, we have arterial streets that are in desperate need of repair,” Beutler said. “I am committed to street projects that create jobs quickly, provide the most bang for the buck and impact the streets we drive every day.”
The city is also likely to receive stimulus money in other forms, such as Community Development Block Grants, but the amounts are not yet known.

A big string attached to the federal money is a requirement that projects be “shovel ready,” or ready to go out to bid soon. That makes street repair projects better candidates than new streets because there’s less advance work required — such as buying the land, doing environmental studies and getting state and federal approval, Beutler said.

Aside from nine blocks of South Street, the city hasn’t been able to afford to resurface an arterial street since 2004. Lincoln spends between $2 million and $5 million annually to resurface streets, compared with the $13 million to $15 million city officials say is needed.

If the city spent the money on new streets, the money would disappear much faster: The city can repair five miles of existing streets for every one mile of two-lane streets it can build. It costs roughly $600,000 per mile to rehabilitate streets, so the $9.3 million would buy about 15 miles of street repairs.

Beutler said the city can stretch its stimulus money farther by focusing on repairs, rather than new streets.

“We need to focus on what we can do, not what we would like to do, and what we can do is fix the roads we already have,” Beutler said.

Beutler said he will be meeting with public works officials this week to work on the street stimulus plan. He has sent a preliminary list of potential street projects to City Council members. Although he doesn’t believe the council will have to authorize the spending of stimulus dollars, he said he wants the council to be happy with the city’s decisions.

Assistant City Engineer Randy Hoskins said the stimulus money may also be used to replace aging traffic signals. A preliminary list of possible street projects includes $690,000 in new traffic signals and street repairs, on Sheridan Boulevard from 27th Street to 40th Street, for example.

Police Chief Tom Casady said the legislation likely contains grants to hire police officers, but he said he already has grant money from the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) he can’t use because the city doesn’t have the matching money required. Asked whether he would like to use stimulus money to hire more police officers, Beutler said he wants to use the money in the “most effective way possible.”

Councilwoman Robin Eschliman said she agrees most of the money should go toward repairing streets, but she would also like to set aside some for new street projects that might help land a new employer, for example.

Mayor Chris Beutler has identified a preliminary list of street projects the city may do with its federal stimulus money. The total for these projects -- $13.5 million -- is higher than the $9.3 million the city expects to get.
This list of projects and cost estimates does not reflect any method of prioritization.

projects
* A Street, 63rd to 70th and 70th to Imperial; Van Dorn, Normal to 70th -- $704,000
* Y Street, 18th to 27th; P Street, 17th to 27th; Northwest First Street, Highland to West Fletcher -- $1.2 million
* Sheridan Boulevard, South Street to 27th, 27th to 33rd, 33rd to 40th, and 40th to Calvert -- $1.7 million
* Holdrege Street, 19th to 25th; Cornhusker Highway, Russell to 70th; 70th Street, Adams to Aylesworth; Vine Street, 70th to Sierra; Adams Street, I-180 to 14th Street -- $1.7 million
* O Street, 15th to 25th, 29th to 44th and Wedgewood to 84th -- $1.6 million

Traffic signal replacement
* 13th and A, 10th and A, Ninth and A, Ninth and D --$690,000

Bridge rehabilitation
* Superior Street bridge over Salt Creek, west of 40th Street -- $240,000
* Antelope Valley -- Q to Y streets (P to Vine portion) --$5 million

--Note: Federal stimulus dollars would be used to replace previously allocated but not obligated federal funding. The city would then use the previously allocated federal funds for other local street projects.

=======================================================
Lincoln Journal Star editorial

Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007 - 12:06:45 am CDT
There’s no doubt the city must cut programs. That message was delivered clearly by voters in the last city election.

Mayor Chris Beutler was merely following through on his campaign promises when he announced program cuts earlier this year. No one should fault him for that.

But elimination of the Lifetime Health program means a reduction in quality of life for an elderly segment of Lincoln’s population. And the $297,00 cut could end up costing taxpayers more in the long run.

The Lifetime Health program is designed to catch health problems early and to help seniors get the exercise and treatment they need to bring those health problems under control before they become more serious — and more expensive.

Such preventive programs don’t get the respect they deserve. Plenty of government aid is available when seniors are at death’s door and when they are too sick and weak to care for themselves.

Bob Changstrom, 80, told the Journal Star last month that Lifetime Health turned his life around. Diagnosed with cancer five years ago, Changstrom and his wife turned to the program. They began exercising regularly, following a regimen designed for their personal abilities. He credits the program with keeping his diabetes and blood pressure under control. “The turnaround was pretty dramatic,” he said.

The Lifetime program also offers screenings for various ailments and consultations with a nurse. Staffers provide health education programs to help seniors understand how to better take care of themselves. One program, for example, focuses on fall prevention. Other programs offer advice on coping with depression. The program also partners with the University of Nebraska Medical Center to provide services.

The end result is that seniors are able to live independently longer than they would if services such as those available through Lifetime Health were eliminated. Otherwise, they will go to nursing homes or medical facilities where the tax-supported costs are much higher.

City officials, naturally enough, argue that those services should be funded by the state and federal governments — not the city. They may have a point, but shifting those costs would be unlikely to happen quickly, if at all.

City officials are exploring the possibility that some of the services offered through Lifetime Health might be taken over by nonprofit agencies in the community. That option would be preferable to total elimination but not as satisfactory as retaining the existing program.

We urge the City Council to try to find a way to keep the Lifetime Health program alive. The program might not be one of the core responsibilities of city government, but the benefits to the community are great.

========================================================
Seniors lobby Council to restore aging program

BY DEENA WINTER/Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007 - 09:21:15 am CDT
Claire Royal was born and raised near Lincoln’s Malone Center, where she worked with senior citizens through the “Happytime Club” in the late 1970s. She still calls it the Happytime Club, even though that’s no longer the name of the program offered at the ActivAge Center.

Her husband has long since died and her children grown, and even though arthritis has put her in a wheelchair, she’s raising two grandsons, and she values the Maxey ActivAge senior programs she attends at the Malone Center when the kids are in school.

She told the Lincoln City Council on Monday that other than going to the doctor, grocery store and church, the only activity she does is attend the senior citizens program.

“I need that outing,” she said. It would be expensive for her to drive her gas-guzzling van to another center, she said. “(If) you take it away, a lot of us are just going to dry up in our homes.”

She was one in a long line of elderly Lincoln residents who turned out in force to lobby the Lincoln City Council not to cut programs offered by the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging, which provides meals, health services and social events for elderly people. The City Council held a public hearing on the municipal budget Monday in anticipation of a final vote on the budget Wednesday.

The aging department takes a big hit in Mayor Chris budget proposal: Beutler ordered the agency to cut about 22 percent, or $753,000, of its current $2.9 million in city funding.

To make the cut, the city plans to close the Calvert, Belmont and Maxey ActivAge Centers; end the Lifetime Health senior fitness and health program; cut staffing and end some activities for seniors.

Seniors who use the Maxey and Belmont centers would be rerouted to one of four other centers that would remain open.

While Beutler aide Rick Hoppe announced at the beginning of the hearing that the mayor was open to exploring whether nonprofit groups could take over some of the Lifetime Health services that would be cut, that didn’t appease most people who testified.

Many told the council how the senior program has helped them recover from illness and stay in their homes.

Lloyd Hitchcock said before he began attending an exercise class at the Calvert center, he was having trouble breathing and using an oxygen tank. But since he began walking regularly, he no longer needs the tank. He said it would be a hardship to be bused to other centers, which he fears will become overcrowded.

Alice Stillahn credited the nutritious meals, fellowship and rehabilitation she gets at the Belmont center with helping her recover from an illness that put her in a coma for a week. She wore a green neon sign saying “Senior centers care. Why don’t you? Save Belmont.”

Reba Schafer -- who worked for the city for 27 years, serving as director of the aging department for the last seven -- said services for the elderly consistently lose out to programs for children and families.

“We could stand on our heads, we could dance jigs, we could offer money, but older adults lost out time after time, because children and families won out every time,” Schafer said.

At various points in the hearing, council members indicated they’re exploring alternatives to cutting the whole Lifetime Health program, such as by reducing the number of days the program is offered or charging fees.

Councilwoman Robin Eschliman asked several people whether they’d rather pay higher taxes or fees or attend the program at another center. After some people mentioned one of the services provided at the center -- cutting toenails for elderly people -- Eschliman said, “Does the government owe it to the citizens to raise property taxes to cut toenails?”

Joyce Perry said toenail clipping is important: she spoke of an elderly woman whose toenails were an inch long and who had three broken toes taped with electrical tape. She had developed a life-threatening infection and didn’t know it, but she didn’t think she needed help because she thought homeless children needed it more, Perry said.

Citizens also lobbied the council to continue funding the Lincoln-Lancaster Womens Commission; not build a third sewage plant in southwest Lincoln; invest in its police department and not cut the library, parks and fire department budgets.

Several wives of police officers also gave the council a glimpse into the life of Lincoln’s overworked, understaffed police officers. And several others lobbied the council not to go through with cuts to youth sports programs.

Only the chamber of commerce and Lincoln Independent Business Assocation applauded the mayor’s balanced budget, while acknowledging its tough choices. LIBA also asked the council to eliminate funding of the women’s commission, restructure the fire department and cut $1 million from the StarTran budget.

But some council members questioned the wisdom of making such a big cut so late in the budget-writing process. Whether the council is willing to make what some called “an 11th hour cut” like that will be evident Wednesday, when the council makes final changes to Beutler’s budget.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
================================================================
Budget would shorten library hours
45 comment(s)

By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008 - 06:21:39 pm CDT
The mayor’s proposed budget would shorten and alter hours at many of Lincoln’s libraries.

In general, most libraries would close earlier most weeknights, but be open longer on Sundays.

City Library Director Carol Connor says libraries aren’t as heavily used in evenings but are well-used on Sundays, and she proposed the change to better use resources.

Altogether, city libraries would be open 24 fewer hours a week next year, if Mayor Chris Beutler’s budget proposal is adopted by the City Council.

Under the mayor’s budget, for example, Bennett Martin and the South and Bethany branches would all close at 6 p.m. rather than 9 p.m.

But most libraries would open at noon and close at 6 or 8 p.m. on Sundays, rather than opening at 1:30 p.m. and closing at 5:30 p.m. as they do now.

Connor said she proposed the changes to cater more to how people use the libraries. Between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., library traffic dwindles “drastically,” Assistant Library Director Gregory Mickells said.

“I’m not pretending that what we’re changing is not going to hurt individuals,” Connor said. “There’ll be some individuals who’ll probably be not satisfied with this change.”

City Councilman Jonathan Cook is already concerned, because Bennett Martin and South would lose 10 hours of service. He said the South branch, for example, serves the densely populated Near South.

Mickells said the hours would be cut, but the staff might be able to offer more programming by shortening from a 10-hour day to an eight-hour day.

City Councilman Dan Marvin also expressed worry over the library system’s shrinking budget and employees.

Connor said the system is at “the tipping point,” although it has a lot of “overachievers” who make things work.

Connor said the changes could be re-evaluated in six months, and could always be reversed if they didn’t work.

“If it’s disastrous ... I won’t be here,” she said. She’s retiring in September.

Americans as consumers gain familiarity with the terms quality and discount. Consumers inherently understand that some brands are worth the higher cost. Experienced end users have learned that some cheaper or discounted products actually cost more in the long run due to inferior quality, leading to dissatisfaction and the need to buy again.

The same principle applies to local government. There is a difference between a quality city and a discount city. While the Lincoln Neighborhood Alliance (LNA) believes that government should provide services at the lowest possible cost, currently the City of Lincoln is flirting with “going-out-of business” prices.

Citizens and visitors notice potholes, neighborhood parks and swimming pools, libraries, empty storefronts, dilapidated buildings, unmowed grass and untrimmed trees. LNA would like to boast of a well maintained, vibrant city, but recognizes that these items require tax dollars.

LNA supports a quality Lincoln. Now is the time to reverse the downward spiral of city revenues. If the cuts are continued, basic neighborhood services will be eliminated, which include pools, senior centers and recreation centers.

For several years, LNA has encouraged elected officials to stop cutting funds for city services, operations, and maintenance. LNA recognizes that taxes are a necessary responsibility of citizens who wish to maintain a quality city. Lincoln’s property tax rate is among the lowest in Nebraska. For example, Lincoln’s 28 mills is much less thatn Omaha’s 47. LNA recognizes that the city share is less than 15% of total property taxes.

On a $150,000.00 assessed home, the city portion of property taxes is approximately $425.00 per year. This comes to $1.16 per day for city services such as police, fire, libraries, parks, trails, pools and roads. To make up the projected $6 million shortfall in the 2008-09 city budget, taxes on the typical $150,000.00 Lincoln home would need an increase of $60.00 per year or $5.00 a month.

Therefore, LNA supports a reasonable rate of taxes to maintain our city services. LNA encourages the city to look at a minimal increase of property taxes to maintain the city at the present level of function and prevent further cuts to much needed services for the 2008-09 budget year. For a longterm solution to the budget crisis, LNA suggests pursuing the ability to levy a city income tax from the state legislature. The choice is ours, as citizens of Lincoln--quality or discount.

Dog attacks pet led by elderly man on scooter
• Story
• Discussion
By ZACH PLUHACEK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, July 25, 2009 9:30 pm | (2) Comments

Jodie Arsiaga was aghast when a 911 dispatcher said nobody could respond after she told him a pit bull grabbed and shook a Pekingese as it was led by an elderly neighbor on a scooter.
Arsiaga was one of two people in the area of 56th Street and Pioneers Boulevard who dialed 911 Saturday afternoon after seeing the dog attack pets.
The Pekingese and its owner were uninjured, and the dispatcher told them police can respond only when a person is bit.
Arsiaga said her children were afraid to go outside Saturday night because the unleashed dog remained on the loose.
She had screamed when the dog attacked the Pekingese, knowing its 87-year-old owner could do little to protect the tiny dog, Arsiaga said.
"The pit bull picked it up and was shaking it by the neck," Arsiaga said.
Arsiaga's husband ran outside to rescue the Pekingese, named Cee Cee, she said. "My husband had to beat this dog ... literally punching it in the head."
Cee Cee and her owner, Gail West, "probably would have been dead in the frontyard," Arsiaga said.

So she called 911.
A neighbor, whose dog was attacked earlier in the day, also called, Arsiaga said. Both were surprised by the lack of a response from police or animal control.
City code bans pet owners from letting their dogs run without a leash. Dogs running at large can be impounded, and their owners ticketed.

But unless an animal attacks a person, the city doesn't respond to calls about stray pets when there is no animal control officer on duty, said Steve Phillips, a dispatcher with the Lincoln/Lancaster County 911 Center.

By 6 p.m. Saturday, when Arsiaga called 911, the animal control officer had left for the day.
There used to be someone on duty until shortly before midnight, Phillips said, but those hours were cut because of budget changes.

Gail West's wife, Nuna, said she had thanked Arsiaga and her husband, but she worried her husband might be too afraid to take the dog on walks in the future.
"The unfortunate thing is this is the thing he looks forward to every day."
Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7234 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.