I just knew I could count on Councilmember Kevin Straub to liven up last night's meeting.
Let's set the scene. It's the end of the meeting when council members can bring up items that are not on the agenda. So, Straub decides he has an item which needs immediate attention.
He pontificates that with a budget crunch going on that the council itself needs to curtail its spending. He cites a budgeted amount of $45,000 for trips. He indicates that council members need to cut their trips from 3/year to one a year. The only way he visualizes a councilperson going on a 2d or 3d trip would be with preapproval from the council as a whole.
The trips he was referring to are like the recent National League of Cities trip to Washingto DC.
Now these trips do provide certain benefits. Education for our elected officials via classes and seminars. Various opportunities to meet and greet individuals that can provide positive input for business and economic growth for the city, etc.
Naturally, as in the past with other issues, Straub wanted a vote right now. No studies, no nothing. Most of the other council members indicated that with current budget presentations being scheduled that it would make more sense to analyze this item when it comes up at the appropriate budget meeting. Gee, now that makes sense. Naturally Straub got what he wanted, in that he can say he asked for a vote to cut council travel and got shot down.
One of the council members even accused Straub of grandstanding. Well, that observation is probably correct. I have obtained the figures for the council's trip to DC for the NLC conference.
Guess which city council person had the highest dollar expenditures? That's right, Kevin Straub, at $2,675.35 incurred the largest expenditure for this conference of all the members attending. The next highest was $2,328.42 and the lowest was $1,572.44
The average expenditure was $2,017.84 for the 8 individuals (Mr Goode did not attend).
Mr Straub recorded the highest dollar amount spent on lodging at $1,282.40. The next highest was $1,117.52 and the lowest was $512.96. If anyone is interested, the average lodging costs for the 8 individuals was $877.32.
Grandstanding? This man is in the left field bleachers. Maybe that is why there was a $55.95 internet charge to his expense report. The only individual that had one of those.
