Caledonia Argus

Swimming lessons to be fully staffed

Posted: 5/6/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The Caledonia City Council learned Monday evening that enough WSI-certified instructors will be returning to the pool to offer as many sessions of swimming lessons as in the past, including special sessions for Brownsville and Eitzen.

The council had been informed at a previous meeting that there may need to be reductions in the sessions because of a lack of qualified instructors.

While there won't be reductions in swimming lessons, there will be reductions in other areas of the city due to an anticipated loss of local government aid. The city stands to lose $75,000 for the current budget year and $147,000 next year in the general fund.

The councilís meeting Monday was a continuation of the previous Mondayís meeting, with budget cuts the major topic of discussion.

The councilís session was mainly to share ideas on where budget cuts may be possible. No decisions or even recommendations have been made at this point. Some of the ideas that were mentioned included:

ï Reducing the use of part-time help by the Caledonia Police Department by putting officers on eight hour shifts rather than 10 and not overlapping shifts;

ï contracting for ambulance service rather than operating a city ambulance service;

ï reducing snow removal hours and changing guidelines that state when snow removal should occur;

ï increasing fees for the tree disposal site, which cost the city $3,000 last year;

ï bill residents for curbside pick up of yard waste; add a fee for fire hydrants and street lights ;

ï charge some of the wages that are now taken out of the general fund to the electrical fund;

ï reduce maintenance of streets on items such as crack filling;

ï offer employees unpaid time off, up to 40 hours a year, to reduce payroll expenses.

The city plans to continue its discussion at its next meeting on May 12.

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