Citing an approval from the city attorney, the City Council granted Monday a conditional use for a vacant residential lot adjacent to 1015 S. Route 83 as additional parking for CE Rentals.

Although some aldermen were concerned with giving the business “bonus parking,” the majority voted with the assurance of the city attorney that the conditional use was appropriate.

“The collective opinion of the development, planning and zoning committee and commission was that (the petition) did meet our ordinances and criteria for conditional use,” 3rd Ward Alderman Susan Rose said. “One of the things conditional use does is gain flexibility to interpret what is required.”

“The conditions that are required for conditional use were met by the petitioner,” city attorney Donald Storino said.

The flexibility of interpretation for a conditional use left some aldermen questioning whether the additional parking was necessary.

“I’m still not clear that a parking lot he has is an appropriate conditional use,” 1st Ward Alderman Diane Gutenkauf said. “If he meets his required parking and just wants extra, I’m uncomfortable with that.”

“The code strictly states ‘required’ parking, and this is additional parking and I would like to iron that out,” 1st Ward Alderman Paula Pezza added.

Sixth Ward Alderman Steve Morley, chairman of the planning and zoning committee, said the question of required versus additional parking is unrelated because the lot in question is in a residential zone separate from the commercial zone in which CE Rentals is located.

“Many of us claim to be pro-business in this city, and this is a way to prove that you are,” he said. “We asked for a legal opinion, and got a legal opinion.”

“City attorney’s (office) looked at this and said we’re on the right path on this,” Rose added. “This 11th hour of cold feet is of concern to me, and I don’t know what that’s about.”

Ultimately the Council voted 10-4 to approve the conditional use, with Gutenkauf, Pezza, 3rd Ward Alderman Michael Bram and 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner dissenting.

Budget discussions prompt altercation

Tempers flared later in the evening during Mayor Pete DiCianni’s update on the tax levy.

Gutenkauf took offense to City Manager Thomas Borchert providing a staff summary of 5 percent to 10 percent budget cuts to the 2008-09 budget, cuts, DiCianni said, would be pushed further for next year’s budget if a tax levy is not approved.

“With all due respect, I’m pretty aware of what is in this list as a sitting member when we were in discussions last year,” Gutenkauf said to DiCianni. “I don’t believe the way to approach the City Council with what a 10-percent cut looks like is to randomly pick line items and show what they look like ... and it magically comes up to 10 percent.”

DiCianni asked why Gutenkauf would bring up a question at the Committee of the Whole meeting last week requesting a look at service cuts by percentage, if she already knew what last year’s cuts were.

What followed was a spat between the two that ended with Gutenkauf telling DiCianni he was out of order. “We’re done talking. As chair, I’ll tell you if you’re out of order,” he replied.

Throughout the rest of the meeting, the two took slight jabs at each other, including when DiCianni went on the record to say no executive staff took pay raises last year, rebuking Gutenkauf’s earlier claim that executive staff did so in the current fiscal year.

During the “other business” portion of the agenda, Gutenkauf requested DiCianni address guests at the meeting who mentioned sewage problems in their neighborhood on Pine Street during public forum.

After the meeting was adjourned, Gutenkauf approached DiCianni and the two were seen continuing their argument while the rest of the chamber cleared out.