HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Min 1999-06-07
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spoke favorably of having an ad hoc committee to review them.
As to the attendance of his wife at this meeting, he
apologized for her having to do that, and noted that he is
much more accepting of the public interest if given calm
arguments and logic behind a position rather than irate
behavior, by virtue of his profession he has found that the
most successful people in dealing with life saving situations
are those who think calmly rather than doing something
quickly, rather, think about what can be done to make change
and that is likely to be more successful. Councilman Boyd
noted that there were press releases today with regard to the
east beach grand reopening on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., this
after the replenishment of the beach, at that time some of
the City's representatives will be thanked for their
assistance in making the project happen.
CLOSED SESSION
The City Attorney announced that the Council would meet in
Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957 to
discuss the item identified on the agenda relating to
personnel matters. The Council adjourned to Closed Session
at 9:31 p.m. and reconvened at 9:59 p.m. The City Attorney
reported the Council had discussed the item previously
identified, no action was taken.
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ADJOURNMENT
By unanimous consent, the Council adjourned the meeting until
Monday, June 7th at 7:30 p.m. for a budget workshop. It was
the order of the Chair, with consent of the Council, to
adjourn the meeting at 10:01 p.m.
Approved:
Jr
Mayor
Attest:
Seal Beach, California
June 7, 1999
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The City Council of the City of Seal Beach met in regular
adjourned session at 7:30 p.m. with Mayor Yost calling the
meeting to order with the Salute to the Flag.
ROLL CALL
Present:
Mayor Yost
Councilmembers Boyd, Campbell, Snow
Absent:
Councilman Doane
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It was announced that Councilman Doane was unable to attend
the meeting due to a physical problem. Boyd moved, second by
Campbell, to excuse the absence of Councilman Doane from this
meeting.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Boyd, Campbell, Snow, Yost
None
Doane
Motion carried
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Also present:
Mr. Till, City Manager
Mr. Whittenberg, Director of Development
Services
Mr. Badum, Director of Public Works/City
Engineer
Chief Sellers, Police Department
Captain Maiten, Police Department
Ms. Stoddard, Director of Administrative
Services
Ms. Beard, Director of Recreation and Parks
Ms. Yeo, City Clerk
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Boyd moved, second by Campbell, to approve the order of the
agenda as presented.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Boyd, Campbell, Snow, Yost
None
Doane
Motion carried
It was noted that at the prior workshop the Council reviewed
the revenue projections however the Capital Improvement
program budget was not. At this session the consensus was to
commence review of proposed expenditures department by
department.
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*
City Council - the City does not belong to SCAG,
the Southern California Association of Governments,
therefore why is there an appropriation for dues;
response was that it is believed this gives the
City lobbying power even though the City does not
regularly attend meetings, the dues are $1600 and
it is felt membership may be beneficial when
something like the Housing Element issue comes up;
question - if the Housing Element is revised what
does SCAG have to do with that, what legislative
benefit is there by being a member, is the City not
as effective by not belonging; this is not so much
a lobbying activity as it is technical, reports
from the organization are reviewed, in the past
they have provided the housing needs assessment
however next year that will be done by the County
COG; noted that second largest city in Orange
County does not belong, membership in the League is
probably equally important because of the COG;
question was posed if the City could join if the
need arose; response was that is likely;
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* Question raised as to why the Council travel
appropriation was increased to $10,000 as compared
to years past ranging from $1,800 to $6,500;
response was that it is believed that was a request
by a number of Councilmembers last year, it is
primarily in support of lobbying efforts, the City
may realize a million plus dollars as a result of a
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recent trip that cost a little more than $500, this
is going to be an active legislative year, funds
should be available for travel when felt necessary
to bring home tax dollars; it was noted that the
1999 League Conference will be in San Jose, last
year was Long Beach, thus additional costs will be
incurred; mentioned that round trip travel and
lodging to Washington, D.C. for three persons will
run about $2,000; suggested that the amount remain
in the budget, possibly all will not be spent;
suggestion too that the amount be reduced to $7,500
to which there appeared to be agreement;
Promotional - mentioned that thank you cards were
imprinted last year for personal Councilmember use,
paid from campaign funds, the budget reflects $500
for similar purchase, about $100 per member however
two hundred fifty cards run about $140, therefore
suggestion was made that the appropriation be
increased to $1,000;
*
Pointed out that the budget reflects $500 for town
hall meetings, about $100 per member of the Council
depending on the type of facility, refreshments,
etc., should possibly be doubled if the desire is
to hold more than one; this was countered with
comments that use of City facilities involve no
costs; suggested then that the allocation of $500
remain;
*
City Manager - how many full time employees, answer
was four; noted $8,200 proposed for office
supplies, question if that could be reduced
somewhat; each department has budgeted between
$6,000 to $10,000 for office supplies, including
the non-departmental budget with $28,000; the idea
is that Council should be directing staff to spend
less on administrative items where those monies
could be funneled into capital improvements or
reserves; response was that staff tries to be as
reasonable as possible with such expenditures,
sometimes expenditures are lower as is likely the
case this year; the line items of the budget were
reviewed and if there was an increase in excess of
about one and a half percent the department was
requested to complete a form explaining the
expenditure amount; the attempt is always to come
in under budget;
*
Reference made to accounts 43400, Training/
Meetings/Mileage, and 44600, Automobile Allowance,
question as to whether there was any duplication;
the response was that the first includes mileage
reimbursement as well as training and meeting
expenses for persons within a department, the
second is a flat monthly amount to certain
employees according to employee agreements;
* It was confirmed that the cost for fingerprinting
and background checks for new employees is about
$3,000 per year;
* City Clerk - it was said there has been need for a
deputy clerk for a number of years, in the absence
of the clerk there is no one to accept subpoenas,
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certify documents, etc. and there needs to be; in
the past there has been a deputy, that person
retired, the time frame of that coincided with the
period when the State was taking away substantial
monies from cities, other departments were required
to reduce their budgets by several percentages, in
the case of the Clerk's office that position was
left vacant as a cost reduction means, it has
remained vacant to date; there are and have been
two part time employees that basically answer
telephones, do copying, research, etc., this has
meant a considerable savings on the part of the
City over the years; the workload is such that one
person can not do it; as to hiring a deputy city
clerk part time it is not felt possible to get the
quality or caliber of person that is needed on a
part time basis, confirmed that it is desirable to
have someone to train in the position, that can not
be accomplished in a month or two; the Council was
provided a survey of compensation for deputy city
clerk positions in other cities; it was noted that
there is no knowledge of a city that does not have
a deputy or assistant city clerk; concern was
expressed with the lack of a deputy or assistant
should the Clerk become ill or otherwise unable to
be at work, also succession planning; it was
pointed out as well that the Charter provides that
the Clerk shall reside in the community; it was
suggested that the budget review continue, if
savings can be realized then consider again the
hiring of a deputy city clerk; suggestion also that
if some savings are found such hiring could be
deferred for a period of possibly six months, too,
concern was expressed that a well qualified person
may presently be employed in a full time position
and not give consideration to part time; there are
a number of backlogged projects in the Clerk's
office, there is and has been no opportunity to
deal with them, some held for a number of years, of
greatest concern is bringing things up to date;
mention was made that the budget of the City Clerk
is quite lean as compared to others;
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* With regard to City emblem pins, it was reported
that a small quantity is being purchased through
the current year budgeted funds;
* In reference to the Election Account - indicated
that the appropriation of $60,000 should be
adequate at this point in time, the actual cost can
not be estimated until there is more precise
information as to the number of candidates,
measures, citywide or by district, etc.;
*
City Attorney - noted a substantial drop in legal
expenses from $365,893 in 1997/98 to $298,200 in
1998/99; a drop in general prosecution from $60,000
to $20,000, the reason, in part, was due to Code
violations that went as far as the courts; noted
that if a fine for Code violations is initiated the
prosecution burden will likely be lessened further;
with regard to litigation costs relating to the
Bixby project, it was explained those costs will be
the responsibility of the land owner;
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*
Finance Department - question with regard to
account 49500, machinery/equipment 1 response was
business license software, a reimbursable cost
under SB 901 noted that the proposed 1999/2000
budget is basically the same as the current fiscal
year, the audit cost increased pursuant to
provisions of a four year contract, audit proposed
of the utility users tax to assure all is being
captured, explained that account 43900, special
departmental, reflects only the outside payroll and
armored car services 1
Non-departmental - the increased budget by about
$50,000 was questioned, office supplies by $3,000,
training/meetings/mileage by about $2,500,
equipment and materials up by $7,500, special
departmental by $11,000, contract professional
services by about $40,0001 concern was expressed
with appropriation of monies in a general or non-
departmental budget 1 employee costs reflect the
group medical for retirees 1 office supplies are
reflected as $28,000 with an explanation of office
supplies citywide yet there are office supply costs
reflected in the departments as welll explanation
was that the office expense figure reflects all
envelopes, paper, copier paper, framed resolutions,
proclamations, toner, budget, business card
masters, file folders, etc.l it may be possible to
reduce the 431 account to $25,000 because some
things have been included in the Council budget
however the current year budget of $28,000 has
already been exceeded 1 there is now a better
understanding of the function of the 431 account 1
* As to account 43400, training/ meetings/mileage,
was explained as another source for unscheduled
trips if necessary 1 consensus was that 43400 be
reduced from $10,000 to $7,5001
*
*
In reference to account 43900, special
departmental, the $10,800 for leased office space
was questioned 1 the response was that that relates
to cramped and noisy quarters on the second floor
of City Hall in the Public Work/Engineering
section 1 there have been complaints about the noise
from the copier 1 there are offices vacant on the
second floor of the historic city hall building, it
is felt that a fair lease could be negotiated for
that space, probably for less than it would cost to
lease mini-storage 1 the thought is to move the
copier to the old building as well as utilize some
room for storagel this possibly a one time
opportunity 1 question was posed as to what is
planned for the existing copier area in City Halll
the response was to make it into office space with
a quieter work environment 1 it was mentioned that
this is about the only city that does not have
offices for councilmembersl the space in the old
building would be a secured area to the City Hall
side of the cable studio 1 there was counter to the
comments stating that the existing copy area is not
that noisYl the use was again questioned in that
two part time employees are no longer with the
CitYl opinion was expressed that the expenditure of
$10,800 could not be supported when the intent is
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to find a means to cut the utility tax, the intent
of this review is to increase revenues, decrease
expenditures, increase reserves, and fix what is
broken; it might be nice to have less cramped space
but that is Seal Beach; what is in the storage room
is questionable, does it need to be kept or does it
simply need to be cleaned out; concern was
expressed with spending this money as proposed; to
question if a noise study has been done the
response was no yet there have been complaints from
employees; question too as to why not put someone
in the office space at the Public Works Yard; the
response was that it is not efficient to put the
engineers and support staff at a remote location;
this office is being proposed for the Assistant
City Engineer who also serves as the Street
Supervisor thus it would be good if that person
were located where those employees are, that is the
Public Works Yard; the recommendation was to delete
the expansion, that additional office space not be
leased; question was raised again as to a noise
study, to that it was mentioned that there is a
dividing wall, double paned glass, one window
backed with plywood to provide more privacy;
mentioned that each time consideration is given to
additional office space there is an additional
burden on the budget; it was offered that this item
could either be scaled back or a better price could
be negotiated, maybe for $8,500, this was looked at
as an opportunity while the space is available;
Question as to what is the $10,000 expenditure in
account 43700, equipment materials/supplies/
services; response was to set up a disaster
preparedness account, there is nothing in the way
of emergency preparedness supplies, stocking of the
Emergency operations Center; it was stated that
there is no similar item in the police budget;
account 439 questioned with regard to awards and
recognitions, is this a duplication of the Council
budget item, explanation was this would be over and
above regular recognitions; account 44200,
rental/lease equipment, $25,000; it was noted that
the GTE phone system needs to be added to that
account; question of account 45100, contract
professional services for $20,000, what are the
consulting contracts; response was that amount is
in the event services are needed during the year,
confirmed that the contract of Del Smith for
lobbyist services is included under this account,
MSI is Management Information Systems, management
of the computer system, the $54,000 figure is for
half time services between the police Department,
Public Works, City Hall, and Lifeguards, this is on
a month to month basis based upon the proposal of
the provider; there is a plan to evaluate the
possibility of a program to share this position
with WestComm communications at the Police
Department, possibly the same service but for less,
at this point in time with the current
computerization and link of the departments there
is need for a system administrator; it was
indicated that account 43900, the leased office
space will be considered at a later time;
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* Police Field Services - noted that the request is
for about $500,000 less; explanation was that that
is due to reorganization and the split of some
services with Police Support; the Department was
commended for the reduction of overtime;
*
Police Support - this budget amount increased as a
result of the reorganization, services shifted;
question of the increase of account 48200,
Intergovernmental, by about $50,000; explained that
that is due to the increase of the contract with
the West Covina Police Department, the City
presently contracts with them for the computer
aided dispatch and records management system, they
are in the process of upgrading their system and
Seal Beach has incurred a considerable increase of
the annual contract, there is nothing new it is
just the cost, the system is also going to mobil
data terminals, most of that will be covered by a
grant yet the City needs to pick up some of the
differential, thus a cost increase for the existing
contract and a new contract for the mobil data
terminals; it was noted that the City is looking at
alternatives to that as well;
*
Beach Parking - inquiry with regard to accounts
46801 and 46802, principal and interest expense,
Beach/Pier Improvements; response was that is a
portion of the financing of the 800 MHz where
additional monies were realized for part of the
Main Street improvements;
*
Fire Services - a conservative estimated increase
of $150,000 this year, next year could be $450,000,
that due to increased utilization, 1999/2000 budget
is $2.6 million; confirmed that that does include
911 calls for paramedic services; question, if the
number of 911 requests impacts the cost; response
was basically yes, the contract cost is based upon
assessed valuation and utilization, as utilization
rises so does the contract cost; alternatives are
being looked at, one could be getting into the
emergency transportation business with the Fire
Authority, that would require a budget outlay to
purchase a vehicle, some cities have done that
which in turn has reduced their contract costs; the
equity issue is primary at this time, as of a month
ago it appeared that the City would be responsible
for about another half million per year, the
revised figure as of today is about $150,000 for
next year however the costs could continue to rise
in subsequent years, that is one reason for the
necessity to find new revenue and save existing
revenue; question if any avenues are foreseen to
reduce that cost; response was possibly the
emergency transport services, that might return
$150,000 per year, if the City were to go that
direction, which can only be done through the Fire
Authority, a subscription plan could be implemented
to offset costs to the residents;
* Noted that there have been some benefits to the
City through the Fire contract also, the City does
not pay for equipment replacement or facilities, so
the Authority is proposing the additional cost of
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$150,000 next year, the concern is with the cost in
the years after 2000~ to offset some of those costs
will require some major policy considerations~
*
Animal Control - the reduction of personnel from
two to one and a half was noted~ a saving of about
$45,000~ question if there is consideration of two
part time persons, this is a reduction of staffing
level to what it was in years past~ it is not
thought possible to replace one full time with two
part time~ it was noted the City may be eligible
for reimbursement under 5B 1785 which mandates some
of the things the City does in terms of animal
control, collection services, maintenance and
operation of the shelter, cities of this size
realize about $8,000 to $10,000 per year, this will
be on the next Council agenda requesting a letter
to the City's legislators to pursue reimbursement
under SB 90 for mandated services~
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Planning Services - the decreased budget of about
$20,000 was noted~ question with regard to account
43100, office supplies, in the amount of $9,000,
historically the amount has been about $8,500, yet
the amount seems to be considerable for a
department of two people~ noted that things such as
professional and technical publications, drafting
supplies, map reproduction, etc. tend to be
expensive items, also, the amounts have not
increased much, are in line with past years~
explanation was that the primary cost in account
43100 is postage, there are mailed notices for
public hearings in connection with applications, an
example would be Hellman and Bixby where seven to
eight hundred notices are sent at thirty-three
cents each, also, the general office expenses
include files, etc. that are set up for each
application~ as to account 43700, that is for
maintenance agreements for the computer systems,
labeling machine, microfiche machine~ question, if
there are computer costs in each department then
what is the contract for with MI5~ explanation, in
the Planning/Building there are software programs
that have service agreements as opposed to
equipment installation/maintenance~
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Building and Safety - office ,supplies, account
43100, recommended reduction by $2,500, no action
taken~ question, account 45100, plan check, $44,000
per year, suggestion was to have been to contract
this service, informed that this is by contract, is
a hundred percent refundable through the building
permits, the hope had been an on-site plan check
for quick turn around rather than a period of
thirty days~ response was that the first turn
around on a plan check is seven days~
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With reference to data in both the Fire Authority
and the Sanitation District monthly reports, it
would be nice to have statistics on the number of
plans submitted, first phase and subsequent
completions, permits issued, turn around time,
etc.~ response was that that information could be
provided Council on a monthly basis~ noted that
that information would assist Council in responding
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to residents who have plans in the processl also,
the amount of time to process plans is actually a
measurement of customer service to the citizensl
*
Public Works/Engineering - reference to account
45100, $15,000, inquiry as to why plan check review
contained in this budget as welll the figure shown
in the budget is actually recovered from the
applicants, it is the actual cost plus some
overhead 1 question too relating to the traffic
engineer and the streets, storm drain retainersl
response was that this is a monetary set aside,
there are a number of requests relating to drainage
problems as an example which requires an engineer
to do a field check, survey of elevations, etc. to
determine if the problem can be resolved outside,
typically that is contracted out because it
involves specialized expertisel to the traffic
engineer there are times when a citizen or group or
neighborhood that requests a speed surveyor
analysis of a situation of concernl account 45100
covers those costs, if no requests the money is not
usedl
*
Explained that the question was asked because the
City has more engineers now than it has ever had,
thus it seems redundant to contract for another
engineering service, for years there was a contract
part time engineer and no public works directorl in
support it was stated that their workload is seen
daily as well as the number of directions they are
being pulled, the demands and time lines are
intense, this is in-lieu of more full time staffl
mention was made of the number of projects that
this Council has requested in the past yearl
counter response was in those cases someone from
outside has been hired at a cost of hundreds of
thousands of dollarsl there are two staff and one
contract engineer, is their time being used most
efficientlYl it was mentioned that some of the
problems being realized now stems from the time
when there was a contract part time engineer1
pointed out also the time required to meet with
other agencies for the purpose of coordination,
funding sources, etc.1 mention too that the issue
of liability needs to be kept in mindl staff stated
that the amounts are consistent with past budgets,
even before the newer projects, there are things
that come up that need attention in a timely
manner, the City is also getting involved in
pursuing more funding sources and regional issues,
not only projects but the workload has increased in
the other areas as welll with the notation of the
office supply budget of $3,700, it was pointed out
that a great deal of their expenditures come from
capital projects, with that supply costs are
reduced 1
* Storm Drains - no questions1
* Street Maintenance/Cleaning - account 45100,
$24,000 relating to trash collection on Main Street
and City parks1 question, how is that done
currently 1 in the past there was overtime budgeted
in the Public Works account that was no where near
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$24,000, and the number of employees is not being
reduced I response was that the Strategic Financial
Plan references a time management type study that
was done for Public Works/Engineering where it was
found that city crews were spending incredible
amounts of time on trash collection, which
translates to cost; the intent was to contract out
for that with Briggeman who has the equipment and
knowledge of how to do that; rather than lay people
off they would be reassigned to other areas or do
backlogged projects, beach cleaning, sidewalk
repairs, etc.; the cost to contract versus in-house
was a big difference I question, how is this going
to affect the service level, do the current
personnel do a good job, can Briggeman do it
better, will the trash cans actually get emptied
and cleaned, is it going to be as cost effective to
have Briggeman pick up the trash I the overtime
costs last year were $5,900, that is a $19,000 cost
difference; cleaning Main Street on weekends is a
concern; if a cost allocation study is done to look
at all aspects, salary, benefits, equipment,
maintenance, etc., the number of man hours, compare
that with the cost of the private sector, if it is
less it makes sense; compromise was to support the
private service as a one year only pilot program,
to also include collection on weekends;
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Question of account 46800, lease payments;
explanation was 1997/98 was the last payment on the
sweeper, it is now the bucket truck and skiploader;
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By means of telephone, Councilman Doane made
reference to Landscape Maintenance, account 43900,
$56,000 seems to be a significant amount, it does
not seem that the trees need to be trimmed to that
extent every year, would suggest that that amount
be reduced; response was that the current tree
trimming contract is $50,000, this a $6,000
increase, this is for street trees only, not park
trees; evidence of the aggressive street tree
trimming program can be seen by the fact that there
were no damages at a result of trees during the two
major storms this past season, one of the few
cities in Orange County that had no trees go down;
this is a two to three year trim cycle, this is
about the level of service that should be provided
for the safety of the residents;
*
A complaint received a couple of years ago was with
the type of trimming of the Main Street trees, with
that schedule the only way to make the trimming
last for two years was to trim more severely, by
this program the trimming is less severe while
keeping them under control;
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* Current contract obligation is for $50,000 worth of
tree trimming per yearl request had been for a
reduction of possibly $6,000; suggestion however
that possibly an option could be to do some of the
park trees internally that could reduce the costl
the large palm trees in Old Town are trimmed yearly
as is Main Street; this contract provides some
leeway for trees where there are problems with
limbs, etc., also trees in Gum Grove that appear to
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be dangerous, there is a current project by Beverly
Manor where it will cost about $4,000 to have them
trimmed which is not in the normal contract, the
extra $6,000 will cover that1 noted that the budget
for 1998/99 was $59,000, it is currently $56,5001
Councilman Doane made reference to over trimming of
trees in Leisure World, however understood the
justification1
*
Question was posed as to the schedule of trimming
the trees in the Lampson Avenue median, the
eucalyptus that traditionally drop branches if not
pruned properlY1 response was that that schedule
was uncertain 1
*
Reference made to employee services, 1996/97 about
$14,000 for part time, $22,600 for 1997/98,
estimated and requested is $20,000, with the mowing
contract it is thought that a large percentage of
time of those employees was dedicated to mowing,
question, with that contract can the part time
services be reduced 1 response was much like tree
trimming, that adds up to about five hundred fifty
hours which means there is not that much extra
service 1 further response was that the crew is now
down to three plus the field supervisor, that
through attrition and the contracting of mowing
services, with that number of personnel the only
way they can accomplish the jobs is through part
time help1 over time there may be more contracts or
requests for more full time personnel1 with
reference to the personnel recap, there is a
Supervisor, then why is there a Leadperson who
likely also performs supervisory tasks, and then
three people, the span of control seeming to be top
heavy 1 the Leadperson is a working crew person not
a supervisory position1 it needs to be kept in mind
that the Supervisor is also supervising a tree
contract of about $50,000, a janitorial contract of
about $50,000, as well as the upcoming mowing and
edging contract of about $100,000, thus there is a
multitude of contract employees being supervised
that are new to staff1 it was noted that the intent
had been to reduce the part time from $20,000 to
$15,000, the thought had been to reduce some of the
part time with the mowing contract, where about
two-thirds of the time of those employees is now
spent 1 comment was made that this is directly
proportionate to the service that the community
seeS1
*
Fleet Maintenance - question of account 43900,
special departmental, up $15,0001 response was that
the price of gas went from $.98 to about $1.50, now
about $1.351 mentioned that the Fire Authority
budget went up also due to the cost of fuel1 there
was inquiry if there is a saving with the electric
vehicles, the response was affirmative.
*
It was noted that some years back the City was
ready to dispose of its 1929 LaFrance Fire Engine,
the Volunteers acquired it from the City for
virtually nothing, the Volunteers spent about
$15,000 restoring it, putting about $3,000 to
$4,000 into it each year1 the City has participated
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with some limited preventative maintenance due to
the lack of funds and personnel time; the
Volunteers just replaced some parts for about
$2,000, 1929 parts mostly need to be custom made;
the request is for City participation in additional
maintenance in an amount of about $1,500, at this
point the vehicle is ready to stop running, needs
additional work; justification is that it is a
piece of living history for the City, is used in
the parades and other community activities, this is
the first fire engine purchased by the City, as an
example the City and Fire Association in Orange
spend $30,000 annually to maintain their vintage
engine; the Volunteers hold an annual fund raising
event and continue to spend $3,000 to $4,000
annually for its upkeep, at this point it needs two
new wheels which will likely be $2,000; there was
an indicated consensus to fund maintenance of the
LaFrance in an amount of $1,000; offer of personal
contributions was also made;
I
*
Building Maintenance - account 43500, building
materials/supplies, $31,000; explanation was
building cleaning services, unanticipated building
repair, the air conditioning as an example;
question, has the Building Department inspected the
building for unanticipated problems; response was
termite treatment, repair of the stairways, leaking
roof, etc.; recommendation was to reduce to
$25,000; noted that as part of the janitorial
contract the City is to provide the paper products
and supplies; some agreement indicated to cap 43500
at $25,000 and if more is needed that would be a
future consideration;
I
* With regard to account 45100, contracts for
heating, air conditioning, and elevator services,
$23,000, maintenance thereof; miscellaneous
services of $13,000 is for uniform cleaning, etc.;
* Signal Maintenance - question, is not a contract
being considered for signal maintenance; response
was yes however not anticipated to be done this
year; explained that there is a plan, there are
some Measure M monies to redo a substantial number
of signals, once that is complete and the equipment
is up to date, that would be the time to contract;
the current system is much different from others;
the new system is anticipated to start this fiscal
year; there have been discussions of contracting
out with adjacent cities such as Huntington Beach,
they would not be interested until there is an
upgraded system;
*
Transfers Out - no comments;
I
* Street Lighting Fund - there is an assessment
district for street lighting; within that program
there is a contract for professional services,
attorney and consultant fees of $9,750, what is
that and why; response was that the contract is
with Willdan Associates, administration of the
assessment district, they prepare the reports and
maps, work with the County on behalf of the City;
question, does it change that much each year that
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requires that amount of expenditure, it is thought
it would be consistent; explained that the way it
is set up by the County it must be done annually;
*
Question - under the same laws would this allow
assessments for curbs, gutters, tree trimming,
etc.; response was street lighting is the most
common, this is a pass through cost for
electricity; the costs for tree trimming on the
water bill does not come close to covering the
actual costs where the street lighting does; Seal
Beach is minimal in terms of assessments; with the
utility tax it would be thought that there would be
zero taxes on other items; mentioned also that the
charge for tree trimming covers the trees
throughout the City from which all persons benefit,
not just a tree in front of a residence as some
people think;
*
Public Liability Insurance - noted that account
number 45201 provides for payment on certain
overdue legal expenses; those bills are being paid
down; to question regarding account number 45200,
explained that that is the total liability
insurance premium not just the wave runners and
hull insurance; with regard to being self-insured,
explained that an appropriation is made based upon
an estimate of claims for the year, the City pays
into the OCCRMA pool; noted increased total
appropriation for public liability, question, are
ways being looked at to reduce that fund;
*
Workers Compensation Insurance - no comments;
*
Solid Waste Management - it was noted that the City
will be asked to pay $24,000 for Briggeman to
dispose of trash from Main Street and in the parks,
the question is going to be posed why the business
owners are not assessed for that service; can that
be done; the response was supposedly it could
however that is part of the public service for the
Main Street pedestrian walkway; in reference to
account 45100, contract/professional services, the
items add to $873,800, the question, where is the
balance of $21,200; response was belief that the
description was not updated to present day, should
be Briggeman Franchise Agreement only; the contract
is a pass-through, question of that was why, why
not have them collect and the City merely audit, it
takes time of staff; response was that a fee is
collected from Briggeman to cover administrative
costs, it is believed collection was set up in that
manner to create an accountability; collection for
commercial is now being done by Briggeman, there is
some savings; question was raised if the fee paid
by Briggeman completely offsets the City cost, the
response was yes; comment was made that this is a
service that the citizens look to the City to
provide and be responsible for, if collection were
changed that could pose a problem; the response was
yes to an inquiry as to whether this takes into
consideration the fact that one-third of the
population pays for their own refuse collection;
* Supplemental Law Enforcement - no comments;
6-7-99
* Detention Facilities - question was why the
increase of expenses; it was noted that this
represents a fee for service, there is an actual
$120,000 per year profit;
*
Air Quality Improvement - explained that this sets
forth the funds for the Leisure World bus service
to the Rossmoor Center, the budget proposes
investigation of service to Main Street under the
same funding;
I
*
Environmental Reserve - question of account 43900,
what is the Assessor information database being
transferred for; explanation was that as part of
the City's GIS layers of information the Assessor
information will be downloaded for each parcel in
the City, providing parcel number, ownership
information, size and age of the dwelling, numbers
of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc., first of all it
allows the preparation of notification lists
quickly, then that process will not be done by an
individual when an application is submitted, it
will be done by the City rather than spending staff
time to verify that it has been done correctly;
mentioned that staff has waited for this type of
system for a long time; with regard to account
45100 for participation in off-shore oil ban
consortium, concern was expressed with possibly
sponsoring a ban on offshore oil drilling with
taxpayer money; explanation was that last year the
City participated with other coastal communities in
Orange County to lobby in Washington, D. C. to
effectuate that type of legislation; one objection
was made to such an expenditure with taxpayer
dollars, there are others fighting that issue, this
amount of money would make no difference, the City
could take a stand but no monetary contribution;
there were opposing opinions expressed;
I
* Recreation Services/Sports/Aquatics Funds - no
comments;
*
Park Improvement - account 45100, noted that the
$30,000 for the relocation of the Luraschi house
was generated from the Park In-Lieu program, was
the result of subdivision of lots some three or
four years ago, the funds are restricted for
recreation type facilities, the proposal had been
to relocate the house as part of the Hellman
project, the monies are rolled over each year,
there is a historical interest by some residents;
argument was made that when it is seen that monies
are needed for improvements to the community
centers, etc., yet this would take general fund
monies from the capital improvement program that
could otherwise be used for greater needs, the
expenditure of $30,000 to move an old house that
will in turn probably require another $100,000 to
$150,000 to repair is not in reason; the owner is
ready to dispose of this house; it was again
mentioned that there are a number of persons in the
community wishing to preserve this house; there was
suggestion that there may be other sources of
funds, alternatives, to save this dwelling without
City funds; this may be better funded privately;
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6-7-99
*
Tideland Beach - account 45100, Y2K compliance, the
$3,000 covers programming, software, etc.,
question, account 44000, gas, electric, and
telephone expense, $15,000, that amount seems high,
would suggest that a utility audit be done of all
facilities; an audit has been done of this
building, no report received as yet;
*
Beach Maintenance - noted that an upcoming request
to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors for
additional funding is not included in the budget,
will be included if approved; account 45100,
engineering services, question, what is that for;
response was as part of the environmental
clearances for putting sand on the beach the City
is required to do sand profiling and monitoring,
also look at Surfside and if there is erosion
Moffat and Nichol are contacted, this was a
requirement of the Coastal Commission, a good
practice as well, as to part time employees, the
salaries have remained fairly consistent, one of
their duties during the summer months is
maintenance of the pier restrooms, question, it was
understood that would be contracted out; response
was that the idea was to defer more of that
manpower back into beach cleaning,
* Pier Maintenance - no comments;
*
TRAN Repayment - account 45100 - to question,
response was that is the shared cost for
underwriter and bond counsel services;
* Parking Impact - account 43700, question as to the
source of revenue for the Main Street signage;
response was parking impact fees, previously known
as in-lieu parking.
By unanimous consent, a brief recess was called.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mayor Yost invited public comments from the audience. Mr.
Cliff Meyer, Leisure World, commended the Council for their
budget review, and he was not present to say that the City
does not need more money. Mr. Meyer said he was present
primarily with regard to the utility users tax, the people
need a reduction of that tax, some are on fixed incomes, some
have even turned off their circuit breaker. He made
reference to a news article that reported an increase of
sales tax to the point of making a noticeable difference, he
would like to see the Council support Seal Beach as a place
to live, the small town atmosphere is desirable, yet there
should be a way to maintain that atmosphere and still have
income to the City, as an example, the Department of Water
and Power property would be a good hotel site that could
produce more room tax. He asked if the staff has estimated
the reduction of real estate taxes for persons of sixty-two
years and older, it is likely an impact, and asked if the
College Park tennis facility will require an unbudgeted
expense from the General Fund, the response was that Bixby is
giving $1 million with the turn over of the property for the
maintenance of that facility, those monies to be placed in a
special fund. Mr. Meyer referred to 1993/94 sales tax of
$1.267 million, 1998 is $1.45, a small increase in five
years, and 1999 is estimated at $1.585; utility users tax has
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dropped, most likely blamed on the deregulation of the
electric utility, yet there are cell phones, computer lines,
etc. that have come in and would have some impact on
additional income of the utility tax; noted an increase of
public liability to $550,000, presuming considerable
litigation the cause. To that the Mayor explained that is
somewhat due to back payments for litigation services that I
are being addressed. Mr. Meyer mentioned his understanding
that filming activities are lucrative to a community; the
response was that the referenced $550 is a permit only, there
are additional fees and a requirement for payment of all
costs for services. Mr. Meyer said it appears that license
fees are dropping, suggesting that there will probably be a
lot of new contractors coming in with the Bixby and Hellman
projects that will need a license. Councilman Snow mentioned
that reduction of the utility users tax is at the top of
Councilman Doane's list, to that Mr. Meyer said he was aware,
but there needs to be something to replace that money.
Councilman Snow pointed out that not only the Towne Center
but the hotel, senior care facility and the two restaurants
will generate additional income, as will Mr. K's when opened.
Mr. Meyer said anything that may be coming will be
encouraging. Councilmember Campbell mentioned that the Seal
Beach eleven percent utility users tax applies to electric,
gas, and telephone only, not like other cities that apply it
to water and cable as well, thus the eleven percent is not a
true reflection, pointed out also that this City has
recovered quite well since the time when the State took away
one-sixth of the budget, about four million dollars, then
there was the County bankruptcy. Councilman Boyd said that
the Council is concerned with the utility users tax, about a I
year ago his position had been that he would not cut it at
that time because of not having knowledge of what the
financial situation was or the ability to cut it. With
regard to revenue sources sales tax was mentioned, to that
Councilman Boyd noted that Seal Beach is behind the power
curve in attracting retail trade, the trade area, that is the
few miles around the City is inundated with big box stores
with many shopping and retail opportunities that the City did
not attract some years back, the trade area is narrow, and
pursuant to the information distributed by Mr. Meyer, the
median household income is shown as $40,200, this makes it
difficult for the City to solicit retailers that will bolster
the tax base. He mentioned too his understanding of a
utility tax waiver for persons exceeding a certain age. The
response was that a senior citizen exemption can be applied
for by those persons sixty-five years and over having an
annual income of $13,500 or less. It was noted that a one
percent reduction of the utility users tax would be
approximately $360,000.
* Miscellaneous Grant Programs - no comments;
*
Assessment District 94-1 Debt service/Engineering
Administration - no comments;
I
*
Water Operations - there was question as to why the
City still owns its water utility, has
consideration ever been given to selling it;
response was that that was looked at a couple of
years ago, there was not a great benefit
financially; suggestion was made that the Council
consider this at some future time;
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Wastewater Operations - mentioned that transfers in
relate to a request to the Orange County Sanitation
District for a cooperative project; it was
explained that the Sanitation District looked at
their options to reduce or upgrade their capacity,
one way is to reduce the inflow, working with
cities and offering fifty percent funding to do
those types of projects; application has been made
for several projects, $25,000 for the sewer master
plan, $16,000 for a GIS system, and about $130,000
for Old Town sewer main repairs, all in an effort
to reduce the inflow into the sewer system which in
turn improves the capacity; it was noted that all
requests were approved; question, were the total
funds budgeted or just the matching funds; response
was that since this is a cooperative project, the
new funds coming from the Sanitation District are
shown and matched with capital project monies in
the sewer fund; the sewer master plan is basically
a reimbursement, becoming money that can go to
other projects;
· Community Redevelopment/Riverfront Project - no
comments;
.
· RDA Debt Service - no comments;
.
RDA Tax Increment - account 46800, lease payments
for the Los Alamitos School District, for what;
response was the preschools and the ball field;
.
Appropriations Limit - no comments;
· Capital Improvement Projects Detail - what is
detailed is the 1999/2000 projects, shows the
beginning CIP, how much is in reserves, how much is
new, the amounts to be spent, and amounts to be
held in reserve for future projects; the basis was
the initial CIP where projects were identified to
be addressed over that period of time; all of the
projects for this year were not done, and when
projecting for five years it is not known what the
income will be for the period of time;
.
First item of discussion was under the heading of
Public Works, Fuel Tanks Replacement at the City
Yard, $150,000; at present the City is operating
under a system where fuel is purchased at a
discount through a local vendor; statement was that
replacement of the fuel tanks and dispensing system
are not necessary; reasons are, a large portion of
the motor fleet is being replaced with compressed
natural gas, there are new electric vehicles and
more will be coming, it is likely there will be
more dependency on compressed natural gas, and the
purchasing of fuel with a card system tends to be
working well, the Highway Patrol, the State, the
Fire Department are doing it that waYl
· Mentioned that the old tanks had been removed,
replacement funds had been removed from the current
year budget; recollection was that the
determination was based on the fact that the bids
were high;
6-7-99
*
Explained that this was a previous year project,
there was a mandate that the old ones had to come
out, then question was raised if it made sense to
spend that kind of money where fuel could be bought
from local stations, there is no discount, it is
not a major inconvenience except for some small
equipment and machinery where it would be easier to
have fuel tanks, probably save some time; one
factor was the jump in prices at the retail level,
also the broker that is located in town provides
this kind of service, sales tax is generated at the
point of sale, in other words the City pays sales
tax and seventy percent is rebated back, that could
be a significant savings, in the past the City has
never used a broker to get the best price
available; staff is still not prepared to say this
is something that the City should do right now,
there are still questions that need to be answered,
no matter the answers there will be some additional
costs to the City because on the basis of disaster
preparedness there has to be a fuel supply for
emergency response, having its own supply with
backup generators is important, there may not be
natural gas available at the time, an issue that
has been discussed at the emergency planning
meetings; it is a big ticket item but does have a
return on investment over a period of time based
upon the savings of fuel costs and rebate of sales
tax, cost savings can be achieved on a per gallon
basis this way; in any case it is known that the
City would have to spend a good portion of this on
above-ground tanks to serve as the backup supply in
a disaster and the generators to go with them, that
is something that is known must be done; of great
concern also is the Public Works site remediation,
some monies have been set aside, $10,000 last year,
an additional $50,000 this year, that could end up
being a small portion of the actual cost, at this
point the County is allowing an incremental
approach to the cleanup of the contaminated soil
that is possibly there and if at any point they no
longer go along with this approach then there could
be some substantial costs; it is known that there
is going to be additional costs, that may be for a
new fuel tank if it pencils out and the Council
agrees that is a good approach, if it does not go
that way there will be additional costs anyway for
a couple of above-ground tanks and generators and
site remediation; this was the basis for rolling
this appropriation over again; if this does not
pencil and there is not satisfaction with the
analysis that will be forthcoming then the tanks
will not be bought;
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*
Question was where are above-ground tanks going to
be put; question too, why, when every other fuel
dispenser in the City has tanks below ground; the
City can do the same as all of the other State
emergency services organizations and the County
which is to purchase manual crank pumps to tap
commercial tanks, the cost is about $600; in the
case of a major emergency what is needed is taken
and an emergency purchase order is issued to be
dealt with later; the City should not think that it
is going to be so totally self-sufficient it will
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not have to tap the commercial resources locally~
there needs to be a policy that requires all City
vehicles to be kept three-quarters full at all
times and there is a mobile type trailerable tank
to equal about fifteen hundred gallons, which is
considerably less expensive, that would be more
inclined for support~ there is adamant opposition
to putting in an above ground stationery tank at
the City Yard~ again the City fleet, in the next
five years, will be nearly all compressed natural
gas, there will also be the natural gas fueling
station in the City~
*
It was noted that backup options were discussed a
year ago, also alternatives to underground tanks~
question to that was what has been done in this
past year other than purchase fuel on the card
system~ the point is, most major fleets today do
not have their own fuel systems, they are card
system participants~
*
Concern expressed with regard to above ground
tanks~ it was pointed out that a seven hundred
fifty gallon tank is no larger than about six by
three feet~
*
preliminary numbers show a substantial savings by
going with wholesale fuel purchases, about twenty
percent or $17,000 per year~ taking the cost of the
tanks with a life of about thirty years at four
percent inflation, it is about the same per year~
if the cost is roughly equivalent the question is
then what system is the City more comfortable with
in regards to emergency response, convenience,
etc.~ it is felt this should be looked at a little
more in depthl there is agreement that it would be
prudent to have this option remain available so
that such decision can be made~ it was confirmed
that there is no firm plan with the County for the
clean up effort, thus there may be need for
adjustment, this money could be used for that
purpose~
* If the interest is retaining some money for a
reserve contingency, $100,000 would be suggested
should it be determined that the City needs its own
fuel tanks, the other $50,000 for another priority
project or the deputy clerk position~ it is felt
the remediation will be the big problem, the fuel
tank money will need to be used for that~
*
It was recalled that fuel was a big problem after
the Loma Priata earthquake, generators were used as
an energy source~ of great importance will be the
use of the emergency response vehicles~ the service
stations are depleted rather quickly, especially if
there is damage to the roads~ preference would be
to have a better assessment of this issue~ noted
that this was dealt with a year ago, question, when
will there be a report or some action taken, there
needs to be a final disposition on items such as
the fuel tanks~
6-7-99
* There was a reminder that there is only so much
money, it needs to be decided how it is going to be
dispersed;
*
Delaying a project in some cases may actually save
money, especially now when construction costs are
very high, sometimes up to thirty percent more;
suggestion again to reserve $100,000 for now 1
response was that the latest estimate remains at
$150,0001
I
*
Tidelands Fund - Beach, undergrounding of overhead
wiring at the beach lots, tie that into the 8th
Street beach lot resurfacing and parking lot
improvements, those two projects amount to $65,0001
agreed that the beach lots are in bad shape yet
they do not serve a single resident that the
Council represents; it will not cost any more if
delayed for a year, what is needed is a complete
overlay or resurfacingl it would be nice to get
this done but not at this timel the residents would
be better served by fixing an alley, a street on
the Hill, CPE cul-de-sacsl of the $65,000,
suggestion that $30,000 be used for another
priority project, hold the remaining $35,000 in
reserve for the yearl it is assumed that the beach
lot resurfacing and improvements would coincide
with the undergrounding of wiring, $10,000, making
the total $75,000, hold over the undergrounding as
well, use that $10,000 elsewhere 1
I
*
First Street Restroom Repair, this at the Rivers
End Cafe, $10,0001 suggestion was that the amount
be reduced to $5,000 or $7,500 and seek some of the
funding from the tenantl given the design of the
roof at the Cafe, the birds like to roost there
which creates a problem with droppings, it is
believed the tenant has been addressing that with
his own time and own moneYl the Cafe is open only
certain hours of the day, by the agreement the City
receives a percentage of the business done, in
turn, the restrooms are open much longer than the
business 1
* It was proposed that the construction of office
space in City Hall be deleted completely, $6,000,
this coincides with the lease of space in the Old
City Hall; the total cost deletion would be
$16,8001
*
Noted that College Park East Improvements/Lampson
Avenue, Parks and Recreation account 49697, this is
just Bluebell Park not Lampson, the total should be
$33,500 rather than $23,500; the Neighborhood
Association as well is designating money in their
park fund for Bluebell Park play equipmentl
I
* For the past two years there were monies being
rolled over for Lampson Avenue, $20,000 and
$20,000, $20,000 this year and next towards the
ultimate project cost of $80,0001 the request,
those monies be put back into the budget however
for street improvements within the tract because
money should be forthcoming from Bixby for Lampsonl
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6-7-99
*
Question,_what is planned for Lampson; explained
that Bixby is to provide $30,000 to remove the
block wall by the Navy golf course and provide some
landscaping; the median was being looked at for
improvements given the number of accidents on the
curve, an engineering study was done, it became
clear that if anything is ever going to be done
with the Lampson curve it will be if they ever
decide to take Lampson into St. Cloud, which would
be years away, if regraded then the water flows
towards the houses;
* Question, how much money is needed, how much is
budgeted; response was $40,000 rolled over from the
past two years, $20,000 this year, should be
$60,000 at this point with another $20,000 next
year; none is in the budget now, it was taken out;
explanation was that the entire $33,500 was
anticipated as being for the Lampson median, could
be used for whatever; this is a budget balancing
effort;
*
Question, do the Council Chamber seats really need
to be reupholstered, the estimated amount is
$15,000;
*
The City now has a Pavement Management Plan, the
streets identified by traffic volume and rate of
deterioration, comment was, should not deviate from
that order; at present Harvard Lane is the street
closest to failure, it must be done; there are just
enough funds this year to do Harvard and the slurry
program;
* The bids for Harvard are to be opened the latter
part of June, the Council award anticipated for
June 28th, but there is a rather large window as to
when construction can commence, that because it is
hoped the water table will recede somewhat, which
is towards the end of summer, the material used
will be rubberized asphalt, this also to realize
the best possible price;
* Confirmed that the cul-de-sacs, parking lots, and
streets throughout the City are in need of repair;
the projects should be done in an orderly manner;
*
There is $33,500, the desire is to spend it on the
cul-de-sacs; there also should be an additional
$60,000 that was taken out of the budget; Banyon,
Columbine, and Camelia are the worst; as to
priority and cost, response was that it is not
certain where they fall within the Master Plan, and
the cost was not readily available;
*
Comment was made that the CIP budget is for Council
to review for their respective districts, do a
project, defer a project, delete a project, spend
the monies on something else; if the desire is that
the $33,500 be spent on cul-de-sacs then that
should be the prerogative;
*
It was suggested that the three cul-de-sacs
mentioned be looked at again for priority status as
they are failing quickly;
6-7-99
As a policy question, it appears the Council is
suggesting that general fund dollars be used for a
street project, which has not been done in the
past, general fund is never used for street
improvements; it seems that it is being said that
since this money would be coming from the general
fund project it would be okay to put this before a
higher priority project on the Pavement Management
Plan; if taken to an extreme then any of the
general fund projects could be opened up, the
Pavement Plan then would only apply to those
projects funded by gas tax or Measure M;
* Again, the CIP is a plan that staff submits to the
Council, in turn the Council agrees or does not
agree and determines their specific priorities; in
this case support was indicated for the request for
CPE; that countered with the statement that the
Council has however taken a position to follow the
Pavement Management Plan; that comment then
countered that the Council merely accepted the
Plan; to that the response was that projects have
been classified as to need, if projects are pulled
out of order and not dealt with in an objective
way, that could pose problems and uncertainties;
*
I
*
Mentioned again that the streets need to be
reviewed periodically, those mentioned are failing
fast; the response was that the plan was gone about
scientifically and logically from an engineering
and economic perspective, if the Council chooses to
set that aside for another process that is fine,
however it makes sense to try to progress in an
orderly and logical manner with some engineering
support; there are many bad streets in the
community, 2nd Street an example, there comes a
point where a street will fail and become very
expensive to repair, those with higher traffic
volumes will fail rather quickly, Harvard Lane a
good example, if let go for another year it will
require rebuilding the entire street at a cost five
to six times more; the problem with the cul-de-sacs
is understood, but the reality is that traffic
volumes are not high on those streets and the
condition of those streets today will likely be the
same condition next year; Columbine and Banyon and
Camelia are thought to be fairly high on the
priority;
I
*
Request was that a time table be given to repair
those streets as priority listed; response was that
it can be looked at yet it depends on how much
money is available; an infusion of money is
anticipated from the Bixby project which may give
opportunity to put more general fund dollars
towards a paving program, accelerate the time table
for doing the projects; this year the budget takes
advantage of matching monies for arterials, which
are very expensive to repair, by doing so that will
deter big problems on the arterial system down
line, which may allow more money to be put towards
residential streets;
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*
There is more work than there is money;
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* It was anticipated that the $60,000 for Lampson
would have been in the budget, the request again
that it be put back, the $33,500 could be used too,
put both into the cul-de-sacsl request was made for
costs, that information has not been receivedl how
far will that amount gOl
*
Reference was made to a prior statement that this
would be taking the general fund dollars in the CIP
and reprioritizing them as a policy decisionl to
that a statement was made that the policy decision
was in fact made by taking the monies from last
year out of the budget without Council decision or
direction:
*
Comment, if there is no interest in doing something
with the Lampson median, then it would make sense,
if the desire were to redirect those general fund
dollars to residential streets, to look at which
streets come out highest on the Pavement Management
system list for College Park East: comment too that
if the Council strays from an organized way of
doing things it becomes chaos, instead of doing
things in an efficient, cost effective way: yet
there could be some logic to look at the priority
list for CPE only: there was disagreement,
suggesting that sometimes there needs to be some
flexibility, particularly when things need to be
fixed: this request was likened to the improvements
to the intersection at 4th/Central where the
residents of 5th Street then became upset because
of the potential impact on them: the CPE repair
request is high on the Pavement priority list:
there is $33,500 in the budget that can be used:
* In search for additional funds, reference to the
Street Tree Program, account 49695, there has been
zero dollars for years, now it is $25,000:
suggestion to cut to $15,000, hold the other
$10,000 for something else: mentioned that a local
resident funded the planting of fifty-five trees on
Ocean Avenue for $4,000: $250,000 of ReLeaf Program
money is anticipated:
*
Suggested that the Engineering Department develop a
cost estimate first: to that there appeared to be
agreement: suggested then that the monies saved
from the street tree program then be held: response
was that it is believed there was $10,000 for trees
in the current budget: Public Works and the
Recreation Department have been working closely to
repair sidewalks and replace trees, when monies are
taken away there is just less work done: comment
was that trees are a benefit to the City and
quality of life: response was that the $250,000
grant will be for the Boulevard median and planting
of parkway and median trees, the entire project is
$600,000: there appeared to be consensus to not
reduce the tree program monies:
*
City Hall office construction and lease of Old City
Hall space: no action at this point:
*
Undergrounding of Overhead Telephone wires - Edison
Park, $8,000: mentioned that the funding for that
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*
commenced with the adoption of the Main Street
Specific Plan~ the Main Street program commenced
with the pier bathrooms, then the off-Main Street
parking lot and Main Street trees~
The next priority was to improve the beach parking
lots~ it is understood that the lots are near
failure~ there was question of an earlier statement
that the beach lots could wait another year, their
condition was not immediate concern~ yet said the
beach is the City's signature, there are a lot of
visitors, if that is a part of the upgrading of
Main Street it needs to be kept functioning~ in
response, if the beach lots are to be part of the
Main Street improvements then the in-lieu fees
collected should be used rather than general fund
dollars~ acknowledged that the beach lots are bad,
in fact have probably failed already, in need of a
major overhaul, yet can probably go another season~
this year retain $35,000 for next year, use the
other $30,000 for something else~
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*
From a liability standpoint, mention was made of a
lack of support for cobblestone crosswalks on Main
Street~ there are already liabilities in the form
of broken curbs, sidewalks, and lack of trees~
response was that there is money in the budget~
statement made too that there is no money set aside
to fix the drainage problem at St. Anne's~ response
was that there was originally $75,000 for a local
drainage program, also money to fix the heating and
air conditioning at Marina Center~ there were a
number of things initially~ it is not known where
another $60,000 to $80,000 can be found~
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* with regard to an $8,000 item for Main Street and
Park trash receptacles, inquiry was if that hadn't
already been spent~ response was that there were
not enough receptacles to cover all of Main Street
and the Park~
* There are only a couple of new projects in the CIP
this year, there are some that have been deferred
in the interest of balancing the budget~ staffing
was deferred as well, there are a number of
divisions that are very short from a personnel
standpoint~ the intent is to hold tight until there
is more sales tax revenue~
*
Every year staff is going to want more money, that
is what is expected because of the desire to offer
more services and do more things, that is
desirable, however the Council must have enough
restraint and be frugal enough to say no and
prioritize~
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* $20,000 for a digital aerial photo for the GIS
system~ stated that those are restricted use
monies, surcharges on building permits~ can not be
touched~
* The CADD/GIS Program - question, is the $8,750
restricted funds~ this a program that the City is
committed to if it is desired to computerize GIS,
the equipment needs to be purchased, the initial
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steps have been taken;
* Expected that the Pacific Coast Highway Bikeway
monies of $110,000 will come from elsewhere, thus
freeing that amount;
*
Council Chamber carpet and seating; possibly that
can be done in increments rather than all in one
year;
* Prioritize some of the things that need to be done;
some of the public facilities are in need; the
8th/Central Fire Station needs repair;
* 405 Eastbound Ramp Entrance Improvements - question
if that is not CalTrans, what is to be done;
response, those are carryover monies to upgrade the
freeway entrances, this is not yet designed, it is
the westerly corner on Beverly Manor;
* Suggested that the CIP be gone through project by
project, give them a yes or no, if no then that
money is placed in a reserve to be used at the time
of public hearing should a priority need to be
funded;
*
City Manager analysis of the discussions was that
the Old City Hall lease of space could likely be
done for $2,200 less, to $8,500; office supplies
have been reduced to $7,500; $5,000 may be adequate
for the 1st Street restrooms, the intent is to deal
with the birds, the floor, and fixtures; it is
believed that the tenant would do this at cost;
reduced building maintenance, account 43500, from
$31,000 to $25,000; attempt to seek outside funding
for the yellow house; postponed the decision on
Public Works Yard fuel tanks;
* The list of Councilmember Boyd included $15,000 for
Council Chamber refurbishment, deferred; $16,800
for office buildout and lease, deleted; $5,000
reduced from Building Maintenance, Fund 52; $5,000
from First Street restrooms; $1,600 deleted for
SCAG dues; $1,000 added for LaFrance maintenance;
$5,000 for beach parking lot improvements, that
assuming that the beach lot resurfacing is left in,
again requesting that it be deferred to another
year, take $30,000 for something else with $35,000
reserved;
*
Question, if beach lot delayed for another year,
how much more critical will it be; response was
that it may already be too late, the amount shown
was for an overlay, that may work but additional
prep work may be needed; if the lot fails
completely it could be as much as $150,000; to
questions, responses were the project would likely
start in the fall, if wait for a year it would
depend on the amount of rainfall, possibly
significant failure; the recommendation was again
to hold $35,000 in reserve, use $30,000 for
something else; St. Anne's needs to be funded too;
* Storm Drain Master Plan - that was started last
year with $100,000, the recommendation is another
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$100,000; the Council could program that money for
actual work;
*
Noted that most items are one time expenses, a full
time employee is an on-going cost; it is agreed
that the deputy position would be the optimal
situation, yet the desire is to hang on until it is
known there will be on-going income to support that
and funding of reserves; the only staffing
increases has been in the Police Department, that
to either decrease overtime costs or positions that
pay for themselves; part-time is half the cost;
additional part-time is included; desire was
indicated to include at least a part-time deputy
City Clerk; response was that the preference would
be to be without rather than expect a part-time
person to be able to step into that job; there are
forty-four part time hours in the four day work
week; mention was made that semi-automated phone
system is in place, the Clerk's office answers the
phone where the phone could technically not be
answered, someone answering the telephone is
preferred, it is believed there would be a number
of service complaints if it were fully automated;
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*
It was mentioned that the remainder of the budget
is basically set, those are funds that can not be
touched, enterprise funds, cooperative funding
projects; it is felt the budget should now go to
the Council, policy decisions may be made at that
time with regard to priority projects, the Pavement
Management priorities, 8th Street beach parking
lot, deputy clerk position, utility users tax;
question was posed if the part-time personnel in
the Clerk's office could staff the office from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. rather than 7:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. in the interest of cost savings; .the response
was that the telephones are very busy commencing at
7:00 a.m.; mentioned that AB 60 has passed all
stages thus far, will mandate that any hours over
eight hours per day will be paid oyertime,. thus a
mandatory 8:00 to 5:00 workday with no exemptions.
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PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mayor Yost declared the Public Comment segment to be open.
Mr. Joe Ribal, Seal Way, inquired about the absence of any
reserve for possible future beach replenishment. He noted
that the budget did not provide information relating to funds
spent this past year relating to the replenishment, and
requested that there be a final accounting of what that
project did actually cost, the City and other participating
agencies. Mr. Ribal expressed concern relating to moving
ahead with undergrounding of utilities in the parking lots,
explaining that about a year ago the Seal Way residents made I
contact with Southern California Edison who in turn made a
proposal for undergrounding the Seal Way utilities, the
estimate was about $360,000 for the sixty-five lots, at that
time the desirability of undergrounding the utilities in the
parking lots was also indicated. He mentioned that if the
intent is to improve the quality and atmosphere of Seal Beach
other areas of the community should be involved in that type
of improvement. Mr. Ribal noted that Seal Way is the
narrowest alley in the City, transformers buzz, there is a
high level of corrosion, and advised that on Seal Way there
is some interest in that type of improvement, similar to that
6-7-99 I 6-14-99
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in Surfside, yet if the under grounding project of the beach
lots is to be included, the suggestion of the Edison Company
should possibly be kept in mind in terms of hold off for now.
Mr. Ribal mentioned that there is always considerable
discussion in District One with regarding to whose alley has
been done, whose street is worse, and it may be worthwhile to
create some community interest to have the utilities
undergrounded so that the alleys are not concreted and then
dug up to place cables, etc., possibly have a community study
to work up a priority system. He again urged a final
accounting of the sand replenishment project, consideration
for future reserves, as there may be problems still
forthcoming. Mr. Ribal said he believes that the community
has a great deal of respect for the energy, time, expertise,
and good nature of the Council, noting that the last time he
attended a budget workshop was about eight to ten years ago
where each district was doing battle for what was thought to
be what their residents needed. Councilman Snow read a
memorandum from the City Manager to the Mayor, Council, and
Department Heads offering congratulations to Elizabeth
Stoddard, Finance Officer, and her Department, upon receiving
an award for outstanding financial reporting for the second
year. There being no further input, Mayor Yost declared
Public Comments closed.
ADJOURNMENT
By unanimous consent, the meeting was adjourned at 11:50 p.m.
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Approved:
Attest:
Seal Beach, California
June 14, 1999
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The City Council of the City of Seal Beach met in regular
session at 7:00 p.m. with Mayor Yost calling the meeting to
order.
The Girl Scout recipients of the Gold and Silver Awards were
present and led the Salute to the Flag.
ROLL CALL
Present:
Mayor Yost
Councilmembers Boyd, Campbell, Doane, Snow
Absent:
None