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Co 584 <br /> October 30,1991 <br /> Even my good friend Seattle Mayor Norm Rice is always asking if <br /> we could share someour o r good fortune as he has had to face <br /> the reality of laying offas many as 100 city employees. <br /> late where we as a city to my experience in the <br /> business world. Often people will work very hard to start a <br /> new business. They will invest a lot of their time and <br /> resources to get the new enterprise up and moving. St is not <br /> uncommon e <br /> for a brand n business to take from three to five <br /> yearsto t0 get areturn an investment. <br /> As a city w somewhat In that position. We have done the <br /> internal work .held the hearings, worked through the public <br /> participationphase <br /> has and are nog in the early construction <br /> p <br /> period f both theNavy Hoeapolt and the Boeing expansion. It <br /> will be three to five years before we will realize the full <br /> economic return of our efforts. <br /> We are t proposing layoffs, but at the same time, are <br /> restricting the hiring of n employees to a bare minimum.e The <br /> major w hires will be inthe public safety area <br /> with eight <br /> w fire fighters (4 FTEa <br /> FTEs)and seven(3.5 FTEgs)n employees <br /> in the Police department. We will hire an equivalent of 4.6 <br /> FTEls to support our newly enlarged main library and 9 <br /> additional employees throughout all the rest of the departments <br /> of the city. <br /> Community input through neighborhood surveys, City Hall at the <br /> Mall and general citizen comments have all recommended that w <br /> continue to expand o services to the young Or pay <br /> of the <br /> community. We agree thait is a"pay mer pay me later <br /> issue" when it comes to serving the youthofor <br /> community. <br /> For years cities mlike ours have dealt with youth problems <br /> primarily through police actions. Through the able guidance of , <br /> epartment of Neighborhoods Director Sarah France, Youth <br /> Coordinator Curt Marsh, Street Gang Prevention Specialist Mike <br /> long, the Youth Commission and the recreation division of the <br /> Parks Department under the direction cof Susan Francisco, we <br /> have been able to establish a solid base of programs for youth <br /> this past summer. <br /> It was extremely rewarding to see our first program for at-risk <br /> teenagers get off to an outstanding success this past sumer. <br /> While o not guarantee the success cosuch a program,the <br /> price of failure to deal in a preventative manner is very <br /> evidentwhen we look tothe street gang problems that have. <br /> plagued other municipalities throughout the country. <br /> The 1992 budget is a status quo document except for two new <br />