Budget Process Begins.

The City Council will meet for a budget work session tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in City Hall. The session is scheduled to set the priorities and provide an overview of the upcoming budget process for fiscal year 2000/2001.

"We want to go over some of the goals and objectives," City Administrator Tom Short reported to the Council last week.

A five year capital improvement plan will also be reviewed according to Short.

The City Council Budget/Ways and Means Committee has recommended several guidelines to be used for the budget goals.

Under the guidelines the City Department heads would prepare a "Maintenance" request which maintains the level of services currently provided by the department. Any increase in services would be submitted separately with supporting justification for consideration. Any requests for new staff would also be submitted separately.

The goal to totally wean outside agencies from City subsidies is again listed as one of the goals. The Committee also recommends evaluating all fees for services to determine how they relate to cost.

I hear tell that at least one political sign has been sighted in the community. Only five weeks till the April 4 City elections, so there will prob’ly be a few more ‘fore its over.

The School Board will have a contest, but the City Council has only one contested race in the Fifth Ward. The odd race will be that of the Fourth Ward. No one has signed up to run for the seat to be vacated by Council member Trish Burgi-Brewer. There has been some talk of gettin’ some type of organized write-in campaign goin’, but as of yet I haven’t heard of anyone serious. With no candidate, all write-in votes will have to be counted, so we won’t know until election night who will be considered worthy. If no write-in’s occur, the seat will be appointed.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Workman's Loan

Dear Al & Kelly:

One thing I noticed while caulking one afternoon was that even though the caulking gun seemed to have reached the end of the tube. By adding a small wooden block to the end of the plunger of my caulking gun, I was able to get out the last of the caulk.

I start off normally but once about half of the caulk is gone, I pull the plunger back and insert a wooden block that is about a half-inch thick with a diameter narrower than the caulk tube. The block slips into the bottom of the caulking tube, and then I push the plunger back in. -M.W.

A SUPER HINT- When working on a table saw, you really want your work to glide over the table and along the rip fence. A light sprinkling of cornstarch or talcum power right on the table can help.

Dear Carrells: I took my old fabric tape measure, which I used to use for sewing , and glued it to the front of my workbench. It is as long the workbench, and I use it all the time to measure projects.

I put a few coats of left over lacquer on top of it, to make sure it wouldn’t peel up and to keep the numbers from rubbing off. It sure is handy- K.M.

A SUPER HINT-To keep from slipping off your ladder steps, wrap a scrap of screen wire or hardware cloth around each one. Staple it in place, and it will give you a little extra traction, even with muddy feet.