Unalaska, AK – Last night, the City of Unalaska established their goals for the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.

As in previous years, the city's top priority is making sure that the general fund does not run at a deficit. But there are two big differences to the city budget this year.

"There were only two changes to the goals from last year, and actually the last several years," says Mayor Shirley Marquardt. "The first one involves the possibility of one full-time equivalent new employee for the operations systems department. The second involves a 3% increase in the operating budget that was non-personnel - just for the nuts and bolts of the operating budget."

But while the operating budget will be expanding, the community support program is expected to shrink because of an overall drop in city revenue over the past five years. Since the budgeting formula for non-profit funding is a set percentage of revenue, community support program money will fall to just $792,000.

A resolution that lists these priorities was approved unanimously.

Council also took up three other resolutions and one ordinance during the new business portion of the meeting. An ordinance that would amend the city code to reduce the total number of taxicab permits to 19 was moved to second reading with a unanimous vote. There are 19 taxicab permits currently in use, and the ordinance would not shrink the taxi fleet further.

Council also unanimously approved a resolution that would support federal funding for seafood produced in the United States. That funding is expected to go into the marketing of Alaska-caught seafood to domestic consumers. Both the governor's office and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute have signed onto this policy.

Next, city council discussed the spring lobbying trip to Juneau. The city will send Mayor Marquardt along with council members Katherine McGlashan, Dick Peck, and Dennis Robinson to the state capital from March 27 to April 1.

Council then wrapped up in executive session to discuss the mediated settlement with the Department of Defense over the PCB contamination at the powerhouse site and the subsequent clean-up that occurred. Council closed the meeting with a resolution that unanimously accepted a settlement of $1.96 million.

During the meeting, council also had an awards ceremony recognizing four city employees for their years of continued service to the community. Frank Kelty, A.B. Rankin, Dan Masoni, and Bryan Stafford all received plaques and hearty thanks for their work over the years.

All council members were present for the meeting.