By PETER HUSSMANN
The Newton City Council will take final action on reducing the number of city employees as part of its 8 percent budget cut for the coming fiscal year when it meets on Monday.
The council will be asked to approve resolutions that will cut one equipment operator from the Public Works's street division, one parking enforcement attendant and two hour a week furloughs for four full-time, nonexempt employees in the park department beginning July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
In the staff report to the council, it was noted the street division equipment operator could request a transfer to an open equipment operator position at the Newton Landfill, thus saving the employee a job with the city.
During initial budget discussions, it was proposed that both parking enforcement attendant positions be eliminated. However, council members suggested that other cost saving measures be sought in an attempt to save those positions. To that end, the elimination of a police lieutenant position, instead of a police officer, along with savings in the public works department, resulted in enough savings to continue to fund one of the parking attendant positions in the coming fiscal year. If the resolution is approved, one parking attendant would serve her last day June 30.
In addition to the work hour reductions proposed for approval Monday within the parks department, budget reductions have already been undertaken within the department. The parks department has eliminated one seasonal employee this year, cut the hours of two others, reduced supply expenses and reduced salary expense at the Maytag Park swimming pool.
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