While city leaders have sought budget input from members of the community through a task force, ward budget meetings and a resident survey, they already have made many changes to policies and procedures in an effort to save money.

When Albert Lea city staff found out in December that Gov. Tim Pawlenty reduced the city’s state aid by more than $400,000 with only a few days left in the fiscal year, the city immediately began implementing new budget-saving procedures.

In a Jan. 12 memo to all city employees, Albert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen outlined those changes.

“As we stare straight into the eyes of some of the largest cuts known in the history of local government aid, we must do so with a realistic, well-thought-out approach,” Simonsen wrote. “For many months, the department heads and I have been looking at cost-saving strategies, ways to increase revenue and ways to streamline service delivery … These actions are absolutely necessary to cut costs. Without implementation, the alternative is eliminating personnel, which only adds to the economic downturn.”

The changes to procedures come as the city anticipates an expected cut of more than $500,000 in 2009 and more than $1 million in 2010.

She asked for the support of the employees as the following items were put into action:

A hiring stall of four months for positions that become vacant (exceptions only with city manager approval).

Every vacated position must be requested to be filled, with justification and approval from the city manager for replacement.

The open position in the police department will not be filled at this time.

 Managers are expected to adjust work schedules to best meet the needs of the department and the community.

All departments are expected to work cooperatively in providing personnel where needed, especially during vacancies.

A PDF copy of the city manager’s full memo.

Overtime will not be scheduled and should be kept to an absolute minimum.

Non-union, exempt employees will not receive step increases in 2009.

City vehicles will not be taken home except for public safety personnel, as approved.

Work breaks are expected to be taken on-site whenever possible and within union approved time limits.

 Vehicles shall not idle when parked, except for emergency vehicles.

Vehicle replacement will not occur without the written consent of the city manager.

Major purchases (over $1,000) need to have prior city manager approval.

Out-of-state (national) travel and conferences will be eliminated in 2009.

Mowing of green space should be adjusted to allow slightly more growth.

Simonsen said in addition to these measures, the staff is expected to follow the energy-saving guidelines recommended by the city’s green committee.

Staff are to work to eliminate waste, reduce costs associated with energy usage, ensure the comfort for the staff and public, promote recycling efforts and be responsible stewards of the environment, to name a few of the objectives.

Every person is expected to be an “energy saver” as well as an “energy consumer,” Simonsen said. The city manager is responsible for the total energy usage citywide, with the green committee performing routine audits of all facilities.

Staff should make sure that lights are turned off when they leave an empty room, and they should utilize natural lighting when possible, she continued.

Exhaust fans should be turned off every day and during unoccupied hours, computers should be turned off nightly and city doors should remain closed when the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system is operating, Simonsen said. Regarding air conditioning, occupied temperature settings should not be below 74 degrees, and the air conditioning should be shut off where possible during unoccupied times, she said.

Regarding heating, occupied temperature settings should not be set above 68 degrees, and the unoccupied temperature setting should be set at 55 degrees.

Staff will recycle all materials, office supplies, cans and bottles as possible, and double-sized copying should become a standard practice, she wrote.

“These measures are only the tip of the iceberg,” Simonsen said.