Said City Administrator Steve Sarvi, "The Fire Department is a top down organization rather than a bottom up
organization.  The department will typi-cally be centered on the additional $200 rather than affordable housing for new and young firefighters.  If it's something bottom up, it may have to be mandated by the council."
Said the mayor, "There is a balance between top down and bottom up, if you want to retain the wisdom and expertise of the senior firefighters and yet attract new people."
Mayor Mary directed Steve Sarvi to come up with a balance of initiatives that benefit both groups in the Fire Depart-ment.  Steve will study the situation and bring recommendations to council, per-haps some time in February.
Councilmembers also addressed the Fire Department's request for a hook and ladder truck which is used for fires in tall or very large buildings.  If the city owned such a vehicle, the insurance on such buildings would go down for the owners of those buildings.
Said Councilmember Richard Tieden, "I don't see why we have to subsidize some businesses."
Stated the mayor, "Maybe this body is not interested in a hook and ladder, but a future body may be interested when there are more buildings that may need it.  We can't have something we can't afford.  It's like a family budget.  We are respon-sible for the safety and welfare of the community, but we also have to balance everything."
For the past six or seven years, city councilmembers have given the Fire Department $75,000 on an annual basis to help firefighters pay and plan for their capital expenditures.  This is in addition to their annual operating budget of $200,000.  City staff was directed to study and review the capital improvement wish list of the Victoria Fire Department.
Councilmembers unanimously ap-proved a motion to fund $2,000 to the fire relief association to help with the deficit at this time.

Public Works/Parks & Rec
Regarding the Public Works Depart-ment, Mayor Mary said, "For me, streets are a top priority.  They should be filled and repaired by June and not in August.  No more studies on the streets, but imple-mentation!"
The mayor demanded the overlapping and sharing of responsibilities between the Public Works Department and the Parks and Rec Department, including tasks asso-ciated with the new field house as it's proposed to get built in 2002.  She threat-ened that "things will happen at the top" if these departments cannot get along better.
One of items on the wish list was a new park shelter.  Councilmember Dave Lindgren suggested that the city work with the Victoria Lions on the proposal for a new shelter, since such projects have been a big part of the Lions' contributions to the city.
Dave also questioned the wisdom of paving the city's parking lots and the amount of hard surface they create.  "The water has to run somewhere," he said.  "Why pave it?"  Council agreed.
Council also talked about the $1,500 park fee that is part of each building per-mit pulled in Victoria.  Councilmember Richard Tieden pointed out that property values have increased and maybe the city should consider raising that fee to help with the increasing park expenses as the city is called to provide increasing park services.  That park fee is paid by those who develop in the city.
Said Mayor Mary Meuwissen, "I want to clarify that this park fee is not a tax.  It's part of the cost of development.  It has to be a fair proportion of what's happening in parks.  It has to be in propor-tion and it has to have community partici-pation.  Has the cost of park development gone up in the last five years?  Otherwise it could be interpreted as an impact fee."
Agreed Richard, "It's not just the new community affecting our parks, but the whole community."

The Field House
Last item to consider on Santa's Wish List was a $5 million Field House that in-cludes an ice arena, walking track, lock-ers, showers, seating for 600, large meet-ing rooms for public and private func-tions, public toilets, elevator, and other things often associated with a community center.  It does not, however, include a full blown gymnasium at this time, be-cause of costs.  Instead, the ice area can become a part-time gym for six months of the year, and a gymnasium can be consid-ered at a later date.
As reported in the feature story of this edition of the Gazette, Mayor Mary asked, "Is the field house a priority?" 
Said Jerry Bohn, "That's a lot of money for meeting space."
Said Richard Tieden, "It's more than that.  If we wait, we won't have those 7-year contracts [with the hockey people] and someone else could upstage us."
He continued, "I originally wanted the gymnasium as part of the project.  I'd say let's do the gym.  I believe the com-munity wants that.  I think we could do that.  But I had to back off that, to just the field house.  The field house will give us a tremendous amount without the gym."
About the large cost, Richard said, "If we do end up with a shortfall and do have to levy for $100,000, I think the commu-nity would support that, and I'll go on re-cord with that.  We have the responsibility to provide services for the community."
The vote to approve the building of a field house at Diethelm Park passed 3-2.  Details are reported on the front page, in the feature story, "Fielding the Victoria Field House."

OTHER DECEMBER NEWS
CITY GIVES $30,000 TO CABIN FEVER
·Councilmembers authorized the expenditure of $29,989 from the EDA Fund for payment to Stieger Lake Stores per the 1998 Economic Development Assistance Agreement.  The agreement obligates the EDA to provide financial assistance in property tax years 2000 through 2002.  The amount of assistance due Stieger Lake Stores for 2001 is the lesser of $29,989 or the actual property tax paid on the property.  For 2001 the property value of the building is $726,100 and total property taxes due, $33,340.78.

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