BREA

The City Council will consider hiring nine new employees when it holds its midterm budget review tonight. The city will look at the two-year budget and the $39 million in general fund spending proposed for 1999-2000 to decide whether to employ more staff members to work in maintenance, communications and marketing, and at the community center.

In 1992-93 the city had 357 full-time employees, but because of hiring freezes enacted during the recession, the city ended up with a decade low of 328 full-time staff in 1996-97.

The meeting will take place at 2 p.m. at 1 Civic Center Circle.