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Special City Council Meetrng August 21, 2001 Page 6 the Community Development Department. City Manager Malone said he had prepared this budget in such a way as to go back to the way the departments were configured some years ago. He told the Council that when Earl Smith came to work for the city there was a Community Development Department headed by Joe McCollum. When Mr. McCollum retired Earl Smith took over the department. He said that one of the things that Mr. Smith was concerned about was the workload and the contact with the public. As it became so onerous, he did not feel like he had the time and resources that he needed to deal with all of the issues. By reestablishing a Community Development Department and placing Tommy Haynes in the position as the director of that department, it will be possible for the City Engineer to give more attention to engineering work. Mr. Haynes would receive an upgrade in pay as a director and would be responsible for code enforcement activities and the airport as well as the responsibilities of planning, zoning, and building regulations. Included in the new Community Development Department personnel is Steve Methven as Building Official, a construction inspector, the three code enforcement officers, and 50% of the administrative assistant. City Manager Malone said they put a budget together for this department, and they have reduced the funding for dilapidated housing demolition from $180,000.00 to $36,000.00, or from a cost of demolition of 60 houses to 12 houses. He said in the current year's budget for code enforcement, the abatement of high weeds and grass and dilapidated houses were funded from the miscellaneous account in the Fire Department's budget, for which $283,000.00 was budgeted. One of the code officers was also paid out of this account. City Manager Malone advised that the city is using prisoners from the Bonham State Jail and they can remove a house in about four to five days at a savings of $3,000.00. City Manager Malone said they had originally budgeted $100,000.00 in the account for lot mowing, but it was now reduced to $60,000.00. The City Manager advised that the Motor Vehicle account had $42,000.00 budgeted for two vehicles for the code enforcement, and that had been cutout completely. After discussion was had regarding this department, no action was taken by the City Council. There being no further business, Mayor Pfiester declared the meeting closed.