The city's Board of Estimates met at the Madison Municipal Building Monday to vote on the city's budget and discuss its implications.
Agenda items included the appropriation of funds for Freakfest 2009, approval of the firefighter union's contract for next year and discussing the use of federal stimulus funds.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was not in attendance.
The majority of items on the agenda were passed without much objection, though city alders raised concerns about some concerns.
Representatives of the Madison Police Department were present to request funds for establishing a program that would allow police officers to acquire individually fitted rifles for their use.
Although the MPD sought to implement this program several years ago, they were unsuccessful and had to use one size of rifles for all police officers due to budget constraints.
Many alders raised concerns about public safety and whether the program was a necessity.
MPD officials argued that allowing police officers to use rifles that are specifically fitted for their body frames would result in a more effective use of firearms.
The MPD also assured the Board that all new rifles would be safely stored in district stations.
The Board voted to approve the program.
The alders were also updated on the city's use of stimulus funds. Madison Metro has received $150,000 in federal grants, which is being used for lighting upgrades in public transportation, among other improvements.
The city hopes to receive an additional $765,000 in federal stimulus funds to prepare for a possible outbreak of the H1N1 virus. Alders plan to use the funds to combat H1N1 and immunize children in Dane County.
The Board of Estimates also discussed portions of the city's capital budget, with large portions of it dealing with improvements to the city's roads and infrastructure.
Officials from Monona Terrace requested funds for upgrading its computer network, replacing broken windows and commissioning a study on the safety of the bike path.
Although some alders raised concerns about the viability of the budget projection, the items on the agenda were not met with much opposition.
