The purpose of a construction manager is really to be the city's representative when we get into construction for a project. Specifically, in this situation, it is the police department remodel and expansion project.

I appreciate the work that we did for the construction manager at risk shifting the responsibility of construction away from the city to know uh as an expert in that field what we're doing and putting it on an actual expert in the field. So, I think it's a good move.

One thing I do want to mention with the zoning code amendments, uh, with the piece that was brought to the planning commission, uh, there was an error that had been identified in that. Um, it actually had data centers as a permitted use within the MUCR. And that was that happened by accident when the MUCR district was to take the place of the Spruce Street master plan area, which did allow for data centers in the current code. So, it was just a carryover that got missed. uh we did remove that because that was never the intent to include data centers within the MUCR district.

So, one of those is related to the structure of the zoning districts themselves. Making sure that the zoning districts that you have in the code are supporting what the vision uh of the community is. One of the other changes is just looking at the the structure and organization of the code overall uh and doing some reorganization to make sure that the code is as logical and as easy to use as we can make it.

Most of the effort here was focused on downtown core downtown expansion. So it's not work that's being done for future land use. It's work that um over the course of the next 20 or so years as things naturally shift and adjust. It gives options to residents. It's not forcing them to do anything.

I just have not reached the comfortability with this downtown expansion at all. And here's what I worry about as a council member. You know, I think this is just how I look at it. So, I'm not trying to project what anyone else would how they anybody else would look at it. I really have to take a long-term view of the community and you know what is 2050 2060 you know when my kids are coming to visit me at the cemetery.

Fast food restaurants are permitted as a conditional use in in this expansion area. Correct. So, I can think of a couple and so this is the type of unintended consequence that I worry about.

Every priority and department request that comes forward is taken seriously. At the same time, we recognize that every dollar we spend ultimately comes from taxpayers. whether through traditional property taxes or other sources of revenue. That responsibility is sometimes is something that we do not take lightly.

The amount adopted tonight will appear on the proposed tax statements mailed in November. The key point to emphasize, the final levy adopted in December cannot exceed the preliminary levy. So tonight, we are establishing the maximum levy while still giving us the upcoming months to refine the budget based on updated information.

Do I get excited about 11% tax increase preliminarily? No, I don't. But do I think it is um a justifiable use of taxpayer money for what they are going to be getting the deliverables from the city? I absolutely do.

It's kind of what we need to do at this point. Anything less would be not good moving forward.

As far as the budget goes, um, and preliminary, I'm not uh impressed with the increase. I don't want an increase. Um I 100% fully support public safety, fire, um that type of things. I just think there's other ways that we can try to get the budget to where it needs to be u by like somebody said finetuning that pencil and making it sharper.

You look at the chart of the bullet points you have on there, that is in the kindest way, that is the most boring list I could possibly imagine of things to spend money on in this city, right? Which is exactly how we kind of wanted around here. We are a very lean city.