Tuesday, December 4, 2007

The council approved hiring a specialized attorney for police code enforcement and drug house cases in a 5-2 vote, with Mayor McLaughlin and Tom Butt voting no. The 7-month contract runs from December 2007 through June 2008.

The council voted to end the city's use of plastic water bottles in offices and at events to reduce environmental waste. The measure passed 6-1 with Nat Bates voting no and staff directed to draft an ordinance.

A $208,000 budget increase for the YouthWORKS Division was approved unanimously using a city advance from the general fund. The money will cover job training program shortfalls, with future development fees expected to repay the advance.

The council approved 8 routine items on consent, including a $435,146 traffic signal project completion and contracts for $80,448 in speed bump installation and $50,000 for budget document writing. Other approved measures included designating the Santa Fe Trainmaster's Office as a historic resource and raising trash collection rates by 3.29% to match inflation.