The city’s Board of Estimates continued negotiations with city attorneys Monday regarding increased payments to their health care benefits in order to meet city budget shortfalls.

The discussion took place in a special closed session after the regular meeting.

Although he was not able to provide any specific details about the negotiation, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the board discussed alternatives to creating additional furlough days.

“Instead of unilaterally imposing 15 furlough days on the Assistant City Attorney Association, we have been negotiating with them to see if there’s other ways to still save the city the same amount of money, but instead have them pay more for the health benefits or pensions,” he said. “The negotiations have been ongoing.”

He said no decision or agreement had been made during the closed session, but the group was simply given an update on the situation.

Before going into the closed session, the board also voted to allow Porchlight Inc., a local homeless shelter, to use a city-owned building at 754 E. Washington Ave. for additional resources.

The shelter will be able to use the building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will staff the premises with various workers during that time.

The location is nearly across the street from the Occupy Madison movement, which is taking place on the 800 block of East Washington Avenue.

The board also took preliminary steps to address excess levels of phosphorus in Madison. It approved a resolution that created a memorandum of understanding between Mayor Paul Soglin, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Dane County to begin testing ways of reducing phosphorus levels.

William Phelps, who works with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said he was strongly interested in pursuing a process known as adaptive management in this situation.

Soglin emphasized the need for urgency in dealing with this problem.

“I think this is the most significant [issue] facing us,” he said.

The board unanimously approved this measure.