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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Min 2004-06-08 6-7-04 / 6-8-04 p.m. to continue the budget workshop. By unanimous consent the meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. >t. '4 rJJ*~/ c{{i~rK an ex-officio clerk of the City of Seal Beach I Attest: wtt;:: JiYM41k*~ ' Uf City Cl rk -, Approved: Seal Beach, California June 8, 2004 The City Council of the City of Seal Beach met in regular adjourned session at 6:03 p.m. with Mayor Yost calling the meeting to order with the Salute to the Flag. ROLL CALL Present: Mayor Yost Councilmembers Antos, Larson, Ybaben None One I Absent: Vacancy: Also present: Mr. Bahorski, City Manager Mr. Barrow, City Attorney Mr. Whittenberg, Director of Development Services Mr. Dancs, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Ms. Arends-King, Director of Administrative Services Ms. Yostuya, Assistant City Manager Chief Sellers, Police Department Captain Pounds, Life Guard Ms. Gonzalez, Accounting Manager Mr. Cummins, Associate Planner Mrs. Devine, City Clerk BUDGET WORKSHOP I The City Manager and the Director of Public Works responded to some of the issues brought up at the Budget Workshop Session on June 7ili: . Ruby's Restaurant update plans are being looked at by the Coastal Commission . Zoeter.Place full staff report regarding the third amendment transfer will be presented at the June 28th Council meeting 6-8-04 I . Solid waste selection franchise full report will be presented at a later Council meeting, trash rates are low in comparison with other Orange County cities . Negotiation with police employees would need to meet to confer to make any change in their proposed agreement . Street sweeping out sourcing saves the City approximately $200,000 . Prop 40 grant funds can be used for landscape equipment but the funds were used for playground rehab and equipment, as a result of the playground audit . Use of curbs and gutters are recommended for cities for better water runoff . Beach cleaning is done on a regular basis and requested to have more trash receptacles placed along the beach . Tree grates on Main Street is an on going problem with the destruction of the trees . Trash collection on Main Street costs the City approximately $30,000 a year, containers emptied seven days a week, Monday through Saturday by Consolidated and another company is contracted out for Sundays and holidays, and added five more receptacles along Main Street . Unfunded projects are being prioritized using the Master Plan and the City will try to obtain funding from other sources . Water and sewer fees do not fall under Prop 13 or Prop 218 and funds are not commingled with any other funds I Mayor Yost explained that the Council will discuss the proposed budget, by consensus make adjustments, and the public will have a chance to add additional comments. I Council Comments . Recommend using proposed modified street paving asphalt overlay and not replacing curbs, gutters, trees, or sidewalks will save the City money. This process will not work for all streets but will help to repair more streets in the City. . Budget documents are informative and the budget will work if the City continues to do business as usual, the Council needs to have a mechanism to direct staff as to what their goals and long-term visions are for the City. . The Council should do their strategy session first and then give the City Manager direction as to where the funds need to be spent. . City Charter dictates when and how the Council needs to operate. . Lobbyist for Washington DC is flat fee and psychological testing is for potential new hire of police officers . Separate attorney for Police Department is needed to represent the department during Civil Service Board hearings and any other legal issues . Attorney fee saving at Planning Commission meetings by having them on an as needed basis and having only one meeting a month . Attorney costs this year dealt with a lot of projects news racks, codify municipal code, zone text amendments, legal non-conforming residence, charter updates, zoning code, ordinances, etc. . Director of Development Services explained the variety of issues that go before the Commission for review and routine and only appeals go before the Council and the Council can make permanent changes to the zoning code . Detailing of the police cars is for the inside de- odorizing and cleaning 6-8-04 . possible use of senior volunteers to issue parking tickets and better parking control enforcement especially during street sweeping and weekends . Professional membership and dues and training and meetings allows departments to also receive discounts on publications and documents . Each Department head reviews their budget line by line to determine what is needed, there is no set formula to allocate the fund I The Mayor called a ten-minute break. Council Comments continued . Public Works engineering architects contract services for drawing for buildings and parks, the majority of other projects are done in-house . Need to look at a new philosophy to better evaluate the staffing and workload for all departments . Need input from Planning Commission before cutting the attendance of an attorney during their meetings The Mayor stated that the Council would hear from the public at this time, this is not a formal Council meeting. Public Comments . Mr. Jim Caviola, Seal Beach, stated the City should close the Redevelopment Agency and pay down the debt, need to hire a high powered appraiser to get the maximum from the sale of Zoeter School, cut costs on curbs. and gutters and use of modified street paving, planting more trees, Council and Planning Commission should meet only once a month, take time in zoning decisions, should not have a local Coastal Plan but defer decisions to Coastal Commission, and time to make change in hiring a part time City Attorney. . Mr. Ron Deaton, Seal Beach, expressed three policy issues, streets long-term liability, three percent - fifty-year retirement pension of Police Department and should reduce benefit for new employees, and Utility User Tax problematic in reducing and need to out-line the consequences of the reduction. He stated other concerns are parking control and enforcement, a lot of contracting out and need more detail on cost effectiveness, and finally there is need for an attorney at the Planning Commission meetings . Dr. Robert Goldberg, Seal Beach, presented a document to the Council with alternatives to the Unfunded Capital Projects, suggested that Capital Improvement Funds be divided equally among Council districts, storm drains improvement issue, should have full information before any decisions are made, and would like to see a summary budget page for the whole City . Mr. Edmund Loritz, Seal Beach, questioned why Leisure World could not be counted in the City'S Redevelopment Agency low and moderate housing count . Ms. Reva Olson, Seal Beach, stated her concerns regarding the reduction of the Utility User Tax and in- lieu parking trust fund . Ms. Joyce Parque, Seal Beach, said that the Utility User Tax should be reduce by two percent and cut each department spending by two percent, the City is on a collision course with all the salaries and pension funds, do a better job cleaning the beach sand, City Hall should operate eight hours a day five days a week, can not afford Police Department using fifty two percent I I . ....:1;".-,. i'"":t'\>>:,".: ~. 6-8-04 I . of the budget, other concerns are the trailer park, Zoeter place, Ruby's Restaurant, sewer, trash, and street sweeping . Mr. Bruce Bennett, Seal Beach, made comments regarding the retirement plan, training costs, business license revenue, in-lieu parking fees need to be audited, no curbs on Fourth Street, need to follow the original plan for the Redevelopment Agency and then get rid of it, and in tough time you have to unpopular and cut budget two to five percent across the board . Ms. Ellery Deaton, Seal Beach, said she would like to see a City summary page for the whole budget, perception is government not responsive to the street issues, Planning Commission buffer between residence and Council, need to reduce attorney fee cost and hire an attorney at a flat salary, contract out for attorney with expertise for large projects, safety net amount in reserves, get rid of Redevelopment Agency, no over site as to what employees are doing, and parking issue in Old Town I Council Comments . Master Plan of Storm Drains document has a priority list and is available in City Hall . Streets need repair first before improving the storm drains . This a forward looking budget it maintains reserve and street improvements the City needs to give beach back to State and swimming pool to the school district, need to get out of things that cost the City money . Deferred maintenance is a challenge, need to decrease cost of doing business, departments need to cut costs, and do a performance study on City Hall . Set Master Plan and goals for City Manager and Council take responsible for their decisions . Council does a City Manager annual performance evaluation and the City Manager evaluates the City staff . Need to get information as to what is the State going to do to help cities . Had a hiring freeze to help reduce the costs in the City . Council needs to make specific recommendations as to what they want cut and not just generality . City Manager should be able to reduce expenditures by 1.25% of the budget . Have not seen the Police study and it will affect the budget most of the money will go to people and the possibility of contracting with City of Long Beach for animal control . will need to take a hard look at the City having its own Police Department need to explore a different retirement system for new hire because in the near future we will have our own Police Department but will not be able to afford anything else like Public Works Department or Planning Department, etc. I The Mayor announced there would be a public hearing on June 28th for the adoption of the proposed budget. The Mayor also stated that after the interview and selection of District Five Councilman is made there will be a team building session and each Councilmember should list their three top priorities. The budget will then reflect the goals of the entire Council. There was discussion to look at different ways to increase revenues and once there is a surplus then the City can look at ways to return money to the residents one way is by reducing the Utility User Tax. 6-8-04 / 6-14-04 ADJOURNMENT It was the order of the Chair, with consent of the Council, to adjourn the meeting until June 14th, 2004 at 6:30p.m. to meet in Closed Session if deemed necessary. By unanimous consent the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. ~ JJf~"'1 City Clerk and ex-officio clerk of the City of Seal Beach I Approved: W 1f.y:, drn'4 IL)l{/;1 CJ.ty Clerk Attest: Seal Beach, California June 14, 2004 The City Council of the City of Seal Beach met in regular adjourned session at 6:30 p.m. with Mayor ProTem Antos calling the meeting to order. I ROLL CALL Present: Mayor ProTem Antos Councilmembers Larson, Ybaben Mayor Yost One Absent: vacancy: Also present: Mr. Bahorski, City Manager Mr. Barrow, City Attorney Mrs. Devine, City Clerk CLOSED SESSION The City Attorney announced that the City Council would meet in Closed Session pursuant to Government Code 54956.9 (b) and (c) to confer with the City's Real Property Negotiators and to confer with Legal Counsel with.regard to anticipated litigation. The Council adjourned to Closed Session at 6:32 p.m. and reconvened at 6:50 p.m. with Mayor ProTem Antos calling the meeting to order. I The City Attorney reported that the City Council had discussed Item A on the agenda, the Southeasterly portion of the property commonly known as the DWP site, the Council gave direction to the negotiators, no other reportable action was taken. ADJOURNMENT It was the order of the Chair, with consent of the Council, to adjourn the meeting at 6:55 p.m.