The University Place City Council made a point of highlighting that it planned to spend less on council training and travel when it adopted the city’s 2011-2012 budget last year.
Now the same council has increased that amount for the second half of the two-year budget by more than eight-fold, including setting aside up to $9,500 for a two-day retreat outside Pierce County.
Council members say the investment in training is needed. When the new term starts in January, six of the seven council members will have spent two years or less in office.
The council hasn’t scheduled an off-site retreat in three years, and tight budgets during that time meant fewer learning opportunities for its members, veteran Councilman Ken Grassi said.
“There’s a lot on the table right now, and getting people up to speed is critical,” said Grassi, who will be the only remaining member of the original council that took office prior to the city’s incorporation in September 1995.
Still, lodging and dining on the taxpayers’ dime is a sensitive issue for public officials. And UP leaders have done more than some in other communities. The News Tribune reported in May that council members and city staff spent more than $134,000 in travel-related expenses, including stays at upscale hotels in Las Vegas and Manhattan, in support of its Town Center mixed-used development between 2006 and 2010.
For the current budget, the city previously budgeted $1,467 for conference registrations, lodging, meal and travel by council members this year and $2,350 for 2012. The city budgeted no money for that purpose in 2010.
After considering budget adjustments last month, the council increased its travel and training budget for next year to $20,030.
So far this year, the city has outspent its budget by about $300 to send several council members to several Association of Washington Cities events and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber annual meeting.
For 2012, the city budgets to spend about half of the $20,030 council training and travel budget on the upcoming retreat, though costs could come in for less.
The city received a quote of $2,276.60 for stay at the Alderbrook Resort and Spa, a favorite among local elected leaders for such sessions, on Jan. 20 and 21, according to records requested by The News Tribune. The price includes lodging for seven council members and three city staff, meals and meeting space. The city also set aside $5,000 for a professional facilitator.
“The budget is there, but we’re still in the planning stages and we’ll let the council decide on the retreat,” Sugg said.
The council is in a stage of transition. Mayor Debbie Klosowski and Councilman Gerald Gehring announced they wouldn’t seek re-election earlier this year, and voters elected Kent Keel and Chris Nye to succeed them starting next month.
Council members Eric Choiniere, Javier Figueroa and Denise McCluskey began their terms in January 2010. Councilwoman Caroline Belleci was appointed to the office the following month; voters elected her to a full four-year term last month.
Several current and incoming council members interviewed said they supported the off-site retreat. They said it was a chance to get to know one another and focus on setting goals and priorities away from the distractions of work and home.
“Sometimes that’s difficult when you’re close to home,” Belleci said. “I think staff is being very conservative in allotting monies and time for doing this. I don’t have an issue with it.”
Having a neutral party as a facilitator can help open communication among council members and keep the discussion on track, they said.
Figueroa had supported an off-site retreat but raised concerns about the expense given that the city expects to receive less tax revenue next year. He opposed hiring a facilitator, saying city staff members have the experience to lead the discussion.
“We all need to rethink it and save these dollars,” he said.
The rest of the training and travel budget for the council will pay for attendance at several conferences organized by AWC. The budget calls for all seven council members to attend two conferences for no more than $8,800. The spending plan budgets $450 for three council members to attend legislative training in Olympia and another $950 for two council members to attend budget and finance training. The newly seated council will determine which members to send to which conferences.
City officials also made an additional $10,000 available for city staff training in 2012, subject to city manager approval.
Grassi said city staff approached City Manager Steve Sugg with concerns that they were missing important conferences because of a reduced training budget.
While recognizing the need to rein in spending, Nye said conferences have proved beneficial in his business and military careers by increasing knowledge, meeting people and sharing ideas.
“We got to make sure we’re getting the best bang for our dollar,” he said. “The individual that is going has got to take the initiative, too, to learn the topics.”
Christian Hill: 253-274-7390
christian.hill@thenewstribune.com
Twitter: @TNTchill
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