[00:00:01]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP, UH, MEETING TO ORDER.AND, UH, BEFORE WE PROCEED, I REQUEST THE INTERPRETER.
TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN THE CITY'S INTERPRETATION SERVICES THAT WILL BE OFFERED FOR THIS EVENING'S CITY COUNCIL, UH, WORKSHOP.
UM, WITH THAT, UM, PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES OR OTHER DEVICES IN THE CHAMBER AND CALL THE MEETING ITSELF.
TO ORDER A LIVE WEBCAST, THE MEETING MAY BE VIEWED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING VIA ZOOM, INTERPRETER INSTRUCTIONS WILL APPEAR IN THE CHAT BOX AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.
FOR THOSE WHO REFER TO, UH, SIT IN THE CHAMBER, HEADSETS ARE AVAILABLE.
TO PROVIDE LIVE SPANISH TRANSLATION, PLEASE SEE THE, UH, CITY CLERK TO CHECK OUT A HEADSET.
UM, THE NOTICE AGENDA AND INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY'S WEBSITE INFORMS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY MAY SUBMIT A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, BUT SINCE THIS IS A, UH, SPECIAL MEETING OR SPECIAL WORKSHOP, IT IS ONLY ONTO A SPECIFIC ITEM IN THIS CASE.
UH, YOU CAN DO THAT IN PERSON WITH ONE OF THE, THE, UH, SALMON COLOR SLIPS AT THE REAR, UH, OR BY ZOOM, PRE-REGISTERING ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, NO LATER THAN TWO HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING, OR EMAILING NO LATER THAN FOUR HOURS.
UH, BEFORE THE MEETING, ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND PUBLISHED ON THE CITY WEBSITE IF RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE.
WITH THAT, WE HAVE ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA PRESENT, VICE MAYOR BUSH HERE.
WE PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE AND, UH, WITH, UH, MEMBER BUSH, PLEASE LEAD US RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC OVER WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
NOT, NOT ON WORKSHOPS, NO, JUST, JUST THE REGULAR MEETING.
UM, WITH THAT, THE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME, SO WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE GET INTO THE ITEM AND IN THAT CASE, WE
[5.1 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Workshop]
GET INTO THE BUDGET WORK SHOP ITSELF.AND ARE YOU GONNA INTRODUCE BRUCE OR BRUCE? YOU GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO IT? UM, YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, KIND OF FORGOT MOST OF 'EM AFTER OUR CLOSE SESSION.
BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE THE BUDGET BINDER, UM, YOU ALSO HAVE A POWERPOINT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE POWERPOINT NEW ONE THAT I HAVE IS THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE THAT, UH, YOU GAVE ME AN HOUR AGO.
AND, UM, THE IDEA HERE IS WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME GENERAL, UM, SLIDES.
HE'S GONNA TAKE IT AWAY HERE IN A SECOND.
UH, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE GONNA DO, UM, A SHORT SPIEL ON THEIR AREA OF WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S NEW.
UM, AT THAT TIME IS A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON THEIR BUDGET, WHICH YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR BINDER, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT DEPARTMENT HEAD.
AND, UM, AT THE END OF THAT, SHOULD PR PRETTY MUCH GO FROM STEVE ALL THE WAY AROUND, UH, BACK TO ME.
AND THEN WE'LL BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN, UH, BRUCE AND I.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, UH, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE ASKING QUESTIONS AS WE GO, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THEIR STAFF RIGHT THERE FOR THE ITEM.
SO IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, I'M GONNA PUNT IT OVER TO BRUCE AND LET 'EM, UH, GET STARTED.
THERE WAS, SHOULD HAVE TWO HANDOUTS.
THERE WAS A THICK HANDOUT, AND THEN THERE ARE A MODIFIED HANDOUT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PARK AND RECS COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO THERE WAS SOME, SOME LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO COMMUN TWO COMMUNITY TWO COMMUNITY SERVICES POWERPOINT.
SO, UM, STARTING OUT, LEMME SEE HERE.
[00:05:01]
WHOOPS, SORRY.OUR INTENT IS COVERS MANY QUESTIONS TONIGHT, UH, AND ANYTHING YOU NEED US TO FOLLOW UP ON.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO COME BACK IN, UH, IN THE MIDDLE, THE SECOND MEET MEETING IN JUNE, AND ADOPT THE BUDGET IF WE CAN.
SO WE ARE SHOOTING FOR THE, UH, IS THAT THE 17TH OR SOMETHING? 17TH.
UH, WE WILL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION TOWARDS THE END OF, AFTER THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE CLEARED THEIR AREAS, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA BRIDGE THE DEFICIT GAP WITH RESERVES AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
SO THE LAST TIME WE HAD A, A BUDGET WORKSHOP, OUR FINANCIAL NUMBERS HAVE NOT REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED.
THERE WAS SOME SLIGHT MOVEMENT AND SOME REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THE SAME DEFICIT THAT WE SHOWED BEFORE.
THIS BUDGET, COMPARING TO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, IS REALLY A STATUS QUO.
THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE IN OUR CALPERS UNFUNDED LIABILITY INCREASING TO 3 MILLION.
THE GENERAL FUND PORTION'S A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT CITYWIDE IS 3 MILLION.
UM, INCREASE IN GENERAL LIABILITY PREMIUMS. I HAVE A SLIDE THAT GOES INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO THAT NUMBER.
UM, A TRANSFER OF $1 MILLION TO OUR NEW CIP FUND.
WE DO, WE DID BUDGET A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EACH DISTRICT, UM, COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UM, THIS BUDGET HAS, UM, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR CANNABIS REVENUE, WHICH IS NEW FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE COLAS THAT WERE OFFERED, UM, ARE PROVIDED IN 2025, UM, ARE REFLECTED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THE GREEN COLUMN REPRESENTS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR IN 2026.
TO THE LEFT OF THAT IS THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET IN COMPARISON.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE TWO PRIOR YEAR FOR OUR PHYSICAL YEAR, 2023 AND 24.
SO THOSE ARE FULL FISCAL YEARS.
SO WE'RE COMPARING FULL 12 MONTHS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE COLUMNS.
AND THEN TO THE RIGHT OF THE GREEN COLUMN AND KIND OF THE BEIGE COLOR, THAT IS THE COMPARISON OF THE PER CURRENT YEAR BUDGET WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, PROPERTY TAXES INCREASING ALMOST A HALF A MILLION, EXCUSE ME, ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS FOR NEXT YEAR.
SALES TAXES INCREASING 1.2 MILLION, ROUGHLY 3%.
THOSE TWO ITEMS ALONE ARE GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UM, PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX MAKES UP MAKES UP ABOUT 79% OF OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
SO UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE COMING IN STRONG WITH, UM, COMING OUT OF COVID.
SALES TAX DID INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY.
UM, HOWEVER, IT'S STARTING TO KIND OF PLATEAU SO EARLIER WE DID NOT EXPECT TO RECEIVE QUITE 3%, BUT IT, IT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SMALL NUMBER, IT ACTUALLY IS GROWING BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
UM, GOING DOWN, LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS ITEMS, THE VARIANCES, THE ONLY REAL SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IS OTHER REVENUES.
I HAVE A SLIDE THAT WILL SHOW YOU WHAT MAKES UP THE TOTAL OF OTHER REVENUES, BUT, UH, THE REASON WE'RE SHOWING A A, A REDUCTION FOR NEXT YEAR IS REALLY TWO PRIMARY ITEMS. ONE, FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, WE BUDGETED 1.4 MILLION FOR INTEREST INCOME.
UM, WE'RE PROJECTING THAT, UM, INTEREST RATES WILL ACTUALLY DECREASE THROUGHOUT NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
ALSO, AS WE ARE FACING A DEFICIT, THAT MEANS WE'LL BE, UM, USING MORE OF OUR, OUR FUNDS.
SO WE'LL HAVE LESS FUNDS AVAILABLE TO EARN INTEREST.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY PROJECTING A LITTLE OVER 200, OR EXCUSE ME, A $200,000 REDUCTION IN INTEREST INCOME FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM THAT'S REALLY DRIVING THAT NUMBER DOWN IS WE WOULD NORMALLY RECEIVE $250,000 FROM THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, EXPENSES.
SO THAT WOULD COME INTO THE CITY AS REVENUE.
UM, THE OVERSIGHT BOARD IN THE PAST HAS SCRUTINIZED THAT WE ARE NOT REALLY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE FULL $250,000.
SO WE'VE BUDGETED LESS THAN THE FULL AMOUNT AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THAT'S REALLY, UM, DRIVING THAT NUMBER DOWN.
THE OTHER ITEM THAT YOU MAY SEE ON THERE IS FRANCHISE FEES.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, 2024, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT 3 MILLION, BUT NOW, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT 23, IT'S TWO POINT ALMOST 5 MILLION.
UM, 2024, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF ANOMALY.
THE WHAT DROVE THE, THAT RATE UP OR THE REVENUE UP WAS FROM SDG E.
[00:10:01]
AS YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BUT SUPPOSEDLY ON OUR ELECTRIC BILLS AND OUR GAS BILLS, THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS.THERE'S A FIXED COST FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN THERE'S THE COMMODITY OF ACTUAL PRICE OF THE GAS AND ELECTRICITY.
DURING 2024, THE, THE PRICE OF GAS AND ELECTRICITY ROSE.
SO THE SDG E CHARGED THEIR CONSUMERS MORE, SO THEY COLLECTED MORE FRANCHISE FEES.
UM, THEY'RE SAYING THAT IN 25 IT ACTUALLY DROPPED, UM, AND IT'S GONNA STAY LOW.
UM, I DON'T SEE THAT ON MY BILL, BUT SUPPOSEDLY THAT'S THE, THE RATIONALE BEHIND, UM, A REDUCTION IN REVENUES FROM FRANCHISE FEES BECAUSE THE COMMODITY PRICES HAVE DECREASED.
UM, OTHER REVENUES, UH, REPRESENT ROUGHLY 6.9 MILLION OF TOTAL JOB FUND REVENUES.
UM, THIS COMPRISED, AGAIN, A TWO POINT, EXCUSE ME, 1.2 BILLION OF INTEREST INCOME.
UM, 900,000 FOR A COMBINATION OF BILLBOARD REVENUE SALE SALE TOWERS, UH, LAND, LAND RENTALS.
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE BUDGETING ROUGHLY 620,000 FOR FIRE REIMBURSEMENT, 1.4 MILLION FOR THE PORT AUTHORITY REIMBURSEMENT.
AND THEN, UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR CANNABIS REVENUE FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY AS WELL AS A FEW OTHER ITEMS ARE LUMPED INTO THAT TOTAL OTHER REVENUE CATEGORY.
LOOKING AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN HERE IN GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, I HAVE THIS BROKEN DOWN BY, UM, OUR, OUR MAJOR TYPES.
AND THIS IS REALLY HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY.
UM, ON THE FAR LEFT COLUMNS, WE HAVE WAGES AND BENEFITS, OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, CAPITAL INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, AND OUR TRANSFERS.
AGAIN, THE GREEN COLUMN REPRESENTS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S WAGES AND BENEFITS HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SHOWING A 4% INCREASE FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE ANOMALIES THAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE IS INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S SHOWING REASON IT'S SHOWING A CREDIT THERE IS THAT WE'VE CHANGED OUR METHODOLOGY ON HOW WE WILL ACCOUNT FOR OUR GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE THAT WILL SHOW A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, IN DETAIL.
IN THE PAST, THE INTERNAL SERVICE, WE HAVE A SEPARATE INTERNAL SERVICE FUND FOR OUR GENERAL LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMP.
OUR WORKERS' COMP IS CALCULATED THROUGH OUR WAGES, WHICH IT'S AN EXPENSE ON THE GENERAL FUND.
THERE'S REVENUE ON THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUND.
AS FOR THAT PARTICULAR FUND, IN THE PAST WE HAD A SEPARATE CALCULATION THAT WE USED, UM, THAT WAS IN THE INTERNAL SERVICE CHARGES FOR THE GENERAL LIABILITY.
UM, THAT WAS BASED ON A DIFFERENT FORMULA.
UH, ONE OF THE FORMULAS THAT WAS IN THAT EQUATION WAS BASED ON HEAD COUNT.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW BIG A DEPARTMENT WAS AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THEY MAY HAVE BEEN CHARGED MORE OR LESS.
THE, OUR INSURANCE COMPANY CHARGES US BASED ON OUR OVERALL LABOR COST AND HOW MUCH WE PAY TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO OUR PREMIUMS FOR OUR GENERAL LIABILITY DOESN'T REALLY APPLIC, IT ISN'T REALLY APPLICABLE TO THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
IT'S APPLICABLE TO THE, THE AMOUNT OF WAGES THAT ARE PAID TO THE EMPLOYEES.
SO GOING FORWARD, THAT CALCULATION OF A TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS OTHER FUNDS TO THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUND FOR THE GENERAL LIABILITY WILL BE BASED ON A PERCENT OF WAGES.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE BASED ON 12 CENTS OF SABLE WAGES PER EMPLOYEE.
SO THAT NUMBER IS NOW SETTLED IN THE LINE ITEM CALLED WAGES AND BENEFITS AND WILL NO LONGER BE IN THE GENERAL, UM, EXCUSE ME, IN THE INTERNAL SERVICE CHARGES.
AND THEN THE OTHER CATEGORY THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER THAN LAST YEAR IS TRANSFER OUT.
AND I HAVE A SLIDE THAT I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL OF THE ALL THOSE TRANSFERS OUT.
BUT AS WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW, OUR REVENUES THAT WERE PROJECTED AGAINST OUR EXPENDITURES FOR NEXT YEAR, WE ARE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT OF 8.2 MILLION FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
HERE'S THE DETAIL BEHIND WHAT'S IN, UM, TRANSFERS OUT, UH, 4.8 MILLION OF TRANSFERS FOR TO THE POB.
THIS PREVIOUSLY WAS A PART OF WAGES AND BENEFITS AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE PULLING THAT OUT OF WAGES AND BENEFITS CATEGORY AND IT'LL BE IN TRANSFERS FROM NOW ON AND IT'LL BE EASIER FOR US TO ISOLATE, ISOLATE THAT AND REALLY, UM, SEE THOSE NUMBERS BETTER AS OPPOSED TO MIXING THEM IN WITH OUR SALARIES AND WAGES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE TRANSFERS TO OUR VARIOUS OTHER FUNDS.
THESE ARE REPRESENT SUBSIDIES TO THE LIBRARY FUND, PART MAINTENANCE FUND, THE, THE NUTRITION FUND.
AND THEN FOR NEW FOR THIS YEAR, WE WE'LL HAVE A $1 MILLION TRANSFER TO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.
[00:15:01]
IN OUR METHODOLOGY GOING FORWARD THAT WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BEING FUNDED DIRECTLY IN THE GENERAL FUND GOING FORWARD.IT'LL BE A TRANSFER WHENEVER THE HOWEVER AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL BE AN IMMEDIATE TRANSFER FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FUND.
AND THAT REPRESENTS ROUGHLY, UM, 9.9 MILLION FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, WE COVERED A LOT RIGHT THERE, BUT MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO BREAK FOR A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT, UM, INTERNAL SERVICE CHARGE, UH, CHANGE.
THERE'S A METHODOLOGY CHANGE THAT ISN'T ACTUALLY A, IT'S, IT'S NOT A SAVINGS.
IT'S SHOWING ON HERE AS IF WE ARE YOU'RE RIGHT.
SPENDING LESS ON THIS, BUT IT'S NOT A SAVINGS.
YOU WERE, YOU WERE ON THAT SLIP.
YEAH, SO I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, I DUNNO IF YOU CAN SEE MINUS 23.
SEE THE MOUSE HERE? SO THIS NUMBER HERE, WE'RE SHOWING A CREDIT, THE CHARGE FOR GENERAL LIABILITY, WHICH I'LL HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE I'LL SHOW YOU, IS NOW GOING TO BE HOUSED IN THE WAGES AND BENEFITS CATEGORY.
SO ROUGHLY THIS SAVINGS HERE IS NOW UP IN, IN THE WAGES CATEGORY.
NOW IT'S NOT ANO ANOTHER ITEM TO MUDDY THE WATER, WHICH MAKES A LITTLE CONFUSING.
THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS, THE CALCULATION WAS TIED TO WAGES THAT WILL NO LONGER BE UP IN WAGES.
THAT IS DOWN IN, IN TRANSFERS OUT.
SO WE'RE MOVING, MOVING SOME METHODOLOGY AROUND, BUT IT'D BE EASIER IN THE FUTURE TO REALLY FOLLOW THIS.
UM, ONLY THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT, IT'S A LITTLE WACKY, BUT REALLY THIS CATEGORY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST COUPLE LINE ITEMS HERE, THIS REALLY, IF YOU ADD THAT ALL TOGETHER REALLY WASHES OUT.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS REALLY THE TOTAL OF THE TRANSFER OUT IS WHAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S REALLY DRIVING UP THE COST FOR NEXT YEAR.
I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE THAT'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL.
WHAT REALLY MAKES UP THIS 8.2 MILLION, UH, SOME PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT REALLY HONES IN ON WHY WE HAVE A DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO ON THE FY 23 AND FY 24, DO WE HAVE WHAT OUR BUDGETED AMOUNT WAS FOR THOSE YEARS SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE WHAT THE ACTUALS TO BUDGET WERE? AND THE REASON WHY I ASK, AND I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JEREMY FOR DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND POINTING THIS OUT TO US, BUT, SO MY CONCERN IS THAT FOR FY 25, WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR, WE BUDGET FOR 3.3 MILLION, BUT THE ACTUALS LIKE END UP BEING A LOT LESS THAN WHAT WE BUDGET FOR IN EXPENDITURES.
SO WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THIS FY 25 PROJECTION OF 3.3 MILLION THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
ARE WE REALLY GONNA MAKE THAT TARGET BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME VACANCIES.
WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, ARE THEY BEING REFLECTED IN THE, IN THE PROJECTION FOR THIS? LIKE WHEN WAS THAT PROJECTION FOR OUR FY 25 BUDGET LAST UPDATED THE, FOR FY 25, THE LAST TIME THAT BUDGET WAS UPDATED WAS AT MIDYEAR, WHICH WAS WHEN? THAT WAS LIKE IN MARCH.
SO DOES IT HAVE, DOES THIS 3.3 REFLECT VACANCIES? AND IS THIS A, A CURRENT REALISTIC PROJECTION OF WHAT WE, OF WHAT WE EXPECT TO, TO SPEND? BECAUSE WHEN I'M, I'M, I'M JUST QUESTIONING THE TREND HAS BEEN THAT WE HAVE THIS CONSERVATIVE BUDGET, BUT WHEN THE ACTUALS COME IN, THEN IT ENDS UP WE, OUR EXPENDITURES DON'T MATCH.
SO I AM LIKE, WE NEED TO BE CONSERVATIVE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO BEING REALISTIC ABOUT THE FY 25 AND THE FY 26 PROJECTIONS.
SO IN THE PAST WE DID BUDGET FOR CIP PROJECTS IN THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE OF THE TIMING AND BECAUSE CIP PROJECTS TAKE TIME OVER SEVERAL PERIODS, SEVERAL PHYSICAL YEARS, UM, WE MAY BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE CIP IN YEAR ONE, HOWEVER, WE MAY NOT SPEND ALL THAT FUNDS IN THAT FIRST YEAR.
SO THAT IS WHAT HAS IN THE PAST CAUSED A SURPLUS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE BUDGET FOR A CIP PROJECT OF $5 MILLION IN YEAR ONE, UM, WE MAY NOT SPEND THE FULL $5 MILLION IN YEAR ONE BECAUSE OF THE STARTUP COST AND TIMING.
[00:20:01]
THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT OVER SEVERAL YEARS.BUT IN YEAR ONE, WE'RE WE'RE SHOWING THAT THE FULL AMOUNT WOULD BE SPENT IN, IN THE FIRST YEAR, NOT THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR.
SO IS THAT FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET, THE 3.3 MILLION? THE CIP? NO.
UM, IN FY 25, IF YOU RECALL, DURING MIDYEAR WE REBOOT REDUCED CIP PROJECTS BY $2 MILLION.
ORIGINALLY THEY BUDGETED 3 MILLION.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE TOOK OUT 2 MILLION TO REFLECT ON WHAT WE REALLY NEEDED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT DID THAT DO TO OUR FY 25 NUMBERS? OR IS DID THAT? WELL, WE WERE SHOWING I THINK CLOSER TO A 6 MILLION, $7 MILLION DEFICIT.
AND SO NOW WE'VE FACTORED THAT IN.
SO OUR PROJECTED DEFICIT DECREASED.
UH, AND THEN OTHER QUESTION, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UH, THE OTHER REVENUES, THE, UH, SLIDE BEFORE THAT MARK THIS WAY, WHETHER AGAIN THERE, CAN I ANSWER PART OF THAT OTHER QUESTION YOU HAD? SO THIS YEAR, AND BRUCE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE PLANNING ON OUR POSITIONS BEING FULL.
THEY'RE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET.
WE DO HAVE SOME VACANCIES THERE.
WE WERE LOOKING NOT REALLY AN ANOMALY, BUT IN POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE WE HAD SO MANY VACANCIES AT THE PATROL LEVEL.
NOW WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT ON BOARD.
UM, BUT AM I CORRECT IN SEEING BRUCE? THOSE ARE ALL FULL POSITIONS.
WE KNOW WE HAVE SOME OPEN OPENINGS RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SAVINGS IN SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE FREEZE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST THE, THE RAW TIMEFRAME FOR RECRUITING.
UM, BUT THAT IS BY NO MEANS GONNA BRIDGE A $8 MILLION DEFICIT GAP.
SO THAT'S MORE, MORE OF A MINOR, UH, WELL, I WON'T SAY MINOR, BUT IT IS A SAVINGS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE POSITIONS FULL, SO, OKAY.
UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT'S HELPFUL.
UH, SO ON THE OTHER REVENUES, UH, UH, PIECE OF THAT, THE SLIDE BEFORE ON YEAH.
UM, THE 762,978 FOR INDIRECT COST RECOVERY THAT WE DID DISCUSS YESTERDAY, IS THIS THE FEE USER FEE UPDATE THAT WE DID? SO THIS IS NOT RELATED TO THE ACTUAL USER FEE.
PART OF THE, UH, THE PROCESS LAST NIGHT WAS OUR COST ALLOCATION PLAN.
SO WE ARE, WE WILL THEN CAME UP THE COST ALLOCATION PERCENTAGE THAT WE WOULD CHARGE FOR THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER FUNDS.
FOR AN EXAMPLE, UM, ONE, ONE OF OUR ITEMS IS THAT THE SEWER FUND, SO ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ARE ABSORBED IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WE ARE CHARGING THE SEWER FUND FOR THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
AND THAT PART OF THAT IS WITHIN THAT $762,000.
SO THAT WASN'T RELATED TO OUR USER FEE UPDATE THEN USER, IT WAS USER FEE WITH PART OF IT AND THEN A COST ALLOCATION PLAN AS WELL.
SO THE COST ALLOCATION PLAN THAT WE ADOPTED, THAT THE 762,000, UH, FIGURE I I SO IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THAT THE, THE INDIRECT COST RECOVERY IT IS REFLECTED YES, IT IS.
SO FROM THE DECISION WE MADE LA LAST NIGHT, THAT IS PART OF THAT IS THE 762,000? YES.
SO THERE, THERE WAS A COST ALLOCATION, THEN THERE WAS THE USER FEES.
SO THIS IS NOT PART OF THE USER FEES ITSELF.
WELL, I SEE MR. NIETO BACK THERE 'CAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THE COST RECOVERY AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FIGURE, I DON'T THINK WE HAD A SAVINGS FIGURE WHEN WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT.
SO THIS SEEMS TO BE PART OF THAT FIGURE.
NO QUESTIONS THROUGH THE CHAIR.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR DIRECTOR HAS BEEN VERY KIND OF CONSERVATIVE IN THE OTHER REVENUES, BUT I'M UNDERSTANDING ALSO THAT BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REVISITING RIGHT NOW, THIS WILL MOVE US WELL IN THE MONTHS TO COME.
UM, HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, GENERAL LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMP FUND.
SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ONE FUND COMBINED.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PREMIUMS FOR OUR GENERAL LIABILITY COMPARING TO THE 2025 TO 2026 IS GOING UP A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE CULMINATION OF THE WORKERS' COMP PREMIUM AND GENERAL LIABILITY PREMIUM AS WELL AS THE CLAIMS. AND THERE IS ONE EMPLOYEE FTE THAT'S CHARGED IN THAT FUND.
UM, TOTAL IS INCREASING 1.2 MILLION FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR, OUR OTHER COST TO THE GENERAL FUND
[00:25:03]
INTERNAL SERVICE FUND.HERE'S THE, THE VARIOUS INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR IN 25 COMPARED TO 26, IT'S INCREASING, UM, A TOTAL OF 840,000.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT GENERAL LIABILITY THAT IS A DIRECT IMPACT OF THE OTHER FUNDS INCREASING, THE PREMIUMS INCREASING.
SO THIS IS THE GENERAL FUND'S PROPORTION.
SO WE
BECAUSE OF THESE PREMIUMS HAVE INCREASED, THAT GETS PASSED ON TO OTHER FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE PAYMENTS.
SO THE GENERAL FUND FLOWS MONEY OVER TO THE GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE INTERNAL SERVICE FUND TO PAY THOSE PREMIUMS BECAUSE THE GENERAL FUND, NORMAN CONTRIBUTES ABOUT 80, 80% OF THOSE COSTS ANYTIME THE COST WITHIN THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS INCREASE, THAT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IF WE COMPARE, UM, TRANSFERS FROM 2025 TO 2026, OUR TOTAL TRANSFERS, UM, THESE ARE REALLY SUBSIDIES THROUGH OTHER FUNDS.
OUR ELABORATE FUND PART MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS NUTRITION AND, UM, THE RETIREMENT FUND THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY SAY A RETIREMENT HEALTH FUND.
AND THAT IS INCREASING 1.4 MILLION, WHICH ALL THESE ARE ALL HAVE A, A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE JOB FUND.
SO THE QUESTION IS, IS WHY DO WE HAVE SUCH A BIG DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR? AND THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A 30,000 FOOT LEVEL VIEW OF WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING.
AND, UM, IS THERE A WAY TO GO BACK TO THE FIRST SCREEN? YEAH.
OH NO, FIRST YEAH, IT WENT DOWN.
ONE THING THAT'S, THAT WE ARE HAVING, SO THIS IN GENERAL FUND REVENUES TRANSFERS IN, IN 2023, 2 MILLION OF THAT WAS COVID TRANSFER COVID MONEY ARPA IN 2024.
AGAIN, ANOTHER $2 MILLION OF ARPA TRANSFER IN 2025.
IN 2024, WE COLLECTED 75.3 MILLION IN 25, 71 0.1 MILLION.
WE HAVEN'T RECOVERED THAT REVENUE IN 2026, NO ARPA, WE STILL HAVE NOT RECOVERED THE SAME AMOUNT.
SO THAT IS WHY YOU'RE SEEING A DEFICIT.
WE HAVE NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE, THAT REVENUE THAT WAY WE WERE RECEIVING IN 2024 AND WE'RE STILL SPENDING AS IF WE'RE IN 2024.
SO WE'RE SPENDING AT A HIGHER RATE AND WE'RE JUST NOT COLLECTING ENOUGH TO COVER THOSE EXPENDITURES.
SO IT REALLY STARTS AS I SHOWED, UM, IN 2025, WE ARE NOT GETTING THE ARPA MONEY.
AND IN 2024 WE DID HAVE ARPA MONEY.
IN 2024, WE DID NOT HAVE A UAL PAYMENT, BUT IN 25 WE STARTED HAVING A UAL PAYMENT OF 1.2 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY HAVING A DEFICIT FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THAT CONTINUES INTO THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
PROPOSED FOR 2026, WE HAVE A UAL PAYMENT OF ROUGHLY FOR THE GENERAL FUNDS PORTION OF IT IS 2.5 MILLION.
WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN THOSE SUBSIDIES TO OTHER FUNDS, 1.4 MILLION.
WE HAVE AN INCREASE INTO OUR INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS OF 804 $40,000.
AND THEN AS YOU RECALL, WE OFFER COLA TO OUR EMPLOYEES STARTING JANUARY.
SO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THAT WAS FOR THREE BARGAINING UNITS.
NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 2026, A FULL 12 MONTHS.
IT'S NOW DOUBLED FOR NEXT YEAR FOR THE FULL 12 MONTHS.
IN 2025 WHEN THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED, THERE WAS, UM, A PROMISE THAT THERE COULD BE A SAVINGS REDUCTION, UM, OF ROUGHLY 1.2 MILLION.
IN 2026, AS YOU RECALL, THERE WAS THESE ADD-ON ENHANCEMENTS
[00:30:01]
AND THEN CAME BACK AND SAID, WELL, WE WILL, WE'LL MAKE CUTS OTHER PLACES IN OUR BUDGET FOR 2025.WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE CUTS OF REDUCTIONS IN 2026, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE.
SAME, SAME SPENDING HABITS IN 2025 ARE CARRYING IT OVER TO 2026.
THAT DEFICIT WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER.
BUT FORTUNATELY, OUR IN REVENUES FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR ARE INCREASING 1.7 MILLION, WHICH BRINGS IT DOWN TO 2.8 TOTAL.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, THE 30,000 FOOT LEVEL, THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY DRIVING UP THE COST OF OUR, UM, OUR DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THE UAL PAYMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WE, THERE'S NO WAY TO GET AROUND THAT.
AS FAR AS SOME OF THESE OTHER ITEMS AS WELL, OUR SUBSIDIES TO OUR OTHER FUNDS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME METHODOLOGY WE COULD POSSIBLY REDUCE THOSE IN THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED.
WHEN I PRESENTED THE BUDGET, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, UH, THESE POSITIONS WERE NOT PART OF THE BUDGET AND THEY STILL ARE NOT IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.
SO THESE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL ASKS AT THIS TIME, WE ARE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ARE ASKING FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, LOOKING FOR, UM, FOUR CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL.
THESE, THESE POSITIONS ARE PAID FOR OUT OF FACILITY MAINTENANCE, UM, FUND, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL SERVICE FUND.
AS THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS THOSE COST INCREASED, IT WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY 80% OF THE GENERAL FUND.
SO ANYTIME WE INCREASE ANY OF THE COST IN THE INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS, IT HAS AN INDIRECT IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND OF ROUGHLY ABOUT 80%.
WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER POSITIONS HERE, UH, MAINTENANCE WORKERS FOR THE SEWER DEPARTMENT.
THAT WOULD BE A DIRECT IMPACT TO THE SEWER SEWER FUND.
NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN WE HAD VARIOUS OTHER, UM, PART-TIME POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO FULL-TIME, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT AS WELL AS PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UM, AND SOME OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN C COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AS WE CONTINUE OUR PRESENTATION ON LATER ON TONIGHT, EACH DEPARTMENT WILL, WILL SPEAK BRIEFLY ON THESE POSITIONS AND GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL BEHIND THE RATIONALE FOR THESE POSITIONS.
UH, HERE IS THE, UM, INFORMATION.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WOULD COST TO THE IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND, ROUGHLY $470,000 IMPACT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE VARIOUS POSITIONS.
SOME ARE MARGINALLY INCREASING BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING, UM, GOING FROM PART-TIME UP TO FULL-TIME.
HOWEVER, SOME OF THE POSITIONS ARE BRAND NEW POSITIONS THAT WOULD IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND.
I'VE SHOWN THIS BEFORE, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A REMINDER OF OUR UUAL PAYMENT COMING UP.
IN A FUTURE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR CITYWIDE, WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY ROUGHLY $3 MILLION.
AND THEN GOING FORWARD IN 2027, WE WILL HAVE A PAYMENT OF ROUGHLY 4.4 MILLION, AND THEN IN 2028 ON 5.6 MILLION AND SO FORTH.
SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND GOING FORWARD IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
OUR RESERVE BALANCES, THESE ARE OUR BALANCES.
WHERE WE STAND IS, UM, RIGHT NOW THE BLUE COLUMN REPRESENTS OUR CURRENT BALANCE IN EACH ONE OF THESE RESERVES.
OUR TARGET IS LOCATED HERE IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THEN OUR, UM, OUR SHORTFALL, OR IN THIS CASE OUR UNASSIGNED IS ACTUALLY A, A SURPLUS AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, IF WE WERE TO FUND ANY OF THESE ITEMS RIGHT NOW FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, IT WOULD COME FROM OUR UNFUNDED SIGNED BALANCE.
UM, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IF WE WERE TO, UM, STRATEGIZE FOR FUTURE PERIODS, UM, IT'D BE PRUDENT TO PUT MONEY ASIDE IN OUR PENSION RETIREMENT FUND.
AS WE KNOW FROM THE PREVIOUS SCREEN, WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND RIGHT NOW, IF WE WERE TO FOLLOW OUR POLICY, IT WOULD STATE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A TWO YEAR RESERVE WITHIN THAT FUND.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UM, SEVEN, 7.5 MILLION IN THAT RESERVE.
UM, THIS POLICY STATES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, AGAIN, TWO YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD AT THE NEXT TWO YEARS, FISCAL YEAR 27 AND 28, AND THAT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 10 MILLION.
SO AT, TO MAINTAIN OUR POLICY OR REQUEST A ONE POINT, EXCUSE ME, A 2.5 MILLION TRANSFER FROM OUR UNASSIGNED TO OUR GENERAL FUND, OR EXCUSE ME, TO THE PENSION FUND.
AND SO HOW WOULD THAT PLAY OUT FROM OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF 2023? UM, WE HAD ROUGHLY 23 MILLION AND OUR UNASSIGNED
[00:35:01]
AND OUR 2024 UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'LL INCREASE OUR UNASSIGNED ROUGHLY 1.5 MILLION UP TO BRING A TOTAL TO 24.5 MILLION.
OUR PROJECTED DEFICIT FOR 2025, ROUGHLY 3.4 MILLION.
AND THEN OUR PROJECTED DEFICIT FOR 2026 IS 8.2.
THAT WOULD BRING OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE BY THE END OF 2026 DOWN TO 12.9 MILLION.
IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY SET ASIDE THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE PENSION TRUST FUND, UM, THAT WOULD BE A TRANSFER FROM THE UNASSIGNED TO THE PENSION TRUST FUND OF ROUGHLY 2.5 MILLION.
BRING OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE BY THE END OF 2026 DOWN TO 10 MILLION.
AND OUR REQUIREMENT IS TO MAINTAIN 10 MILLION, EXCUSE ME, 10% OF OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
SO OUR EXPENDITURES FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 RIGHT NOW IS ROUGHLY EIGHT 81 MILLION.
SO OUR REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE WOULD BE 8 MILLION, UM, IN THAT FUND.
AND SO WE WOULD STILL BE, UM, WITHIN OUR POLICY.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M GLAD TO ENTERTAIN YOUR QUESTIONS NOW.
IF NOT, WE CAN GO INTO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT BUDGETS.
BRUCE, CAN YOU DO ME A FAVOR AND BOUNCE BACK TO SLIDES TO, UM, THE RESERVE BALANCES? I JUST WANT TO MAKE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE AREA THAT YOUR POLICY SAYS OF WHAT TO FUND.
UM, AND I THINK I WANT, I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M SAYING THIS RIGHT.
THE GREEN COLUMN WOULD BE INDICATING IF WE WERE TO FULLY, UM, FUND WHAT WE WERE, WHAT THE POLICY SAID.
IS THAT A, AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND SO IF WE FULLY FUND WHAT A RESERVE POLICY SAYS, YOU WOULD HAVE ALL THOSE FUNDED AND YOU WOULD END UP WITH 9.5 MILLION.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY FUNDED THAT WAY.
WE EXPLAINED HOW THEY'RE SHORT, BUT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO A WAY TO LOOK AT, UH, THERE'S TWO THINGS.
IT'S A WAY TO LOOK AT THIS AND WHERE, WHERE YOUR POLICY MEETS THAT STANDARD IF WE WERE TO GET THAT DIRECTION FROM YOU.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION I THINK IS, UM, ALWAYS OUT THERE IS, OKAY, WELL WHEN DO YOU PULL THE TRIGGER TO USE THOSE RESERVES? AND I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THERE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND UM, CLEARLY IN THE UAL WE HAVE A REASON, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO PROJECTING A MUCH MORE SERIOUS SITUATION GOING OUT.
SO I THINK THAT'S JUST, THAT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION THAT YOU GUYS COULD HAVE.
AND, AND, UH, WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO, UH, CHAIR YES, CAN YOU PLEASE GO BACK TO THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING REQUEST PAGE, PLEASE? I THINK THAT'S PAGE SIX ON MY PAPERWORK.
JUST FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH, UH, FROM THE, UH, LAST YEAR'S DIRECTION, I STILL DON'T SEE THOSE POSITIONS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AND SEE NEW POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING FULFILLED.
SO WHAT HAPPENED? UM, I STILL DON'T SEE THE MISSING POLICE OFFICERS.
I STILL DON'T SEE THE TWO SUPERVISORS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND I DON'T SEE THE PUBLIC WORK STAFF THAT WE SAID WE NEED UP WITH THAT.
SO, UM, WAS IT I SEE TRANSFER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST TO CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS NOT SUFFICIENT.
UM, OKAY, SO LET ME TRY TO TAKE A STAB AT THAT.
BUT I'M ALSO GONNA NEED TO, UH, PUSH THAT OUT TO A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE.
SO IN SOME CASES, THOSE POSITIONS COULD BE IN THE BUDGET, SO THAT'S WHY THEY MAY NOT BE SHOWING UP HERE.
UH, BUT THEY ARE NOT FILLED EITHER BECAUSE OF A FREEZE OR FOR SOME OTHER REASON.
BUT AS I'M SITTING HERE, I NEED TO HAVE THAT CONFIRMED.
AND IF WE CAN'T CONFIRM THAT TONIGHT, UH, BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WAS FOCUSED ON THE SUPERVISORS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS I, I THOUGHT THE SUPERVISORS THAT I'M LOOKING TOWARDS, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES, THERE YOU GO.
AND I'M BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH.
UM, IF YOU GUYS FUNDED THE POSITIONS, OKAY.
WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN SAYING YOU WANT THE POSITIONS AND YOU ACTUALLY FUNDED THOSE POSITIONS, THEY SHOULD BE SITTING IN THE BUDGETS
[00:40:01]
FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS.NOW, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, WE FILLED THOSE POSITIONS IS A, IS ANOTHER ISSUE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN GET THAT ANSWER BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT.
I THINK IT'S NOT A MATTER OF WANT, IT'S A MATTER OF NEEDS.
SO IF, AS I'M UNDERSTANDING THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS THAT THOSE WERE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED YET.
AND THEN THESE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL STAFFING ON TOP OF THAT? YEAH.
THE THESE ARE, UM, TO SOME EXTENT, AND SOME OF THESE ARE PROMOTIONS, SO PEOPLE ARE IN THE BUDGET, BUT THEY'RE, THEIR PROMOTION ISN'T, UM, SPECIFIC TO WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH THESE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT'S, UH, DESCRIPTIONS.
BUT BASICALLY THERE'S $704,000 ADDITIONAL WOULD BE IN A THAT WE'D BE, WE, IF WE WAS TO APPROVE ALL OF THIS WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE DID LAST YEAR THAT WE HAVEN'T FILLED YET.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT IN WRITING.
WELL, THE 700 FOURS RIGHT THERE, RIGHT'S IN WRITING, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GET YOU THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION WITH THE POSITIONS THAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA FILL FIRST.
SO CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT? YES.
BECAUSE I, I THINK PART OF THE CONFUSION HERE, UM, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER YAMADI, BUT PART OF MY CONFUSION IS WE HAD APPROVED, LET'S SAY, THESE TWO SUPERVISOR POSITIONS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND THEN SOMETIME DOWN THE LINE, WE ENDED UP FINDING OUT, OH, IN FACT THEY WEREN'T BUDGETED.
SO THEN I THINK MAYBE THAT IS WHERE THE QUESTION IS DIRECTED, IS WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THOSE TWO SUPERVISOR POSITIONS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES? THE POSITIONS THEMSELVES WERE APPROVED, THEN WE HEARD THEY'RE NOT BUDGETED.
ARE THEY IN FACT BUDGETED OR ARE THEY ON THIS LIST, OR WHERE ARE THEY? SO, UM, MY RECOLLECTION FROM ASKING THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT THE ACTION, AND WE CAN PULL THAT UP AND HAVE IT FOR YOU TONIGHT.
I'LL HAVE SOMEONE GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
UH, BUT MY RECOLLECTION, AND IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER ONE, YOU CAN LET ME KNOW ON STAFF, IS THAT THAT CAME WITH AN ASSESSMENT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO CLARIFY THOSE TWO POSITIONS NEED.
AND, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ASSESSMENT CAME BACK TO COUNCIL.
AND, UM, FRANKLY, I THINK WE'RE STILL ASSESSING THAT AS WELL AS THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE HAVE A PROGRAM, UH, WITHOUT A DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE TWO, YOU KNOW, INTERIM DIRECTORS.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES IN THAT IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON, UH, SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR WHEN THEY GIVE THEIR BUDGET PRESENTATION.
BUT, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU DIDN'T UNILATERALLY GIVE APPROVAL FOR THOSE THAT FUND THOSE POSITIONS.
WHAT YOU DID IS YOU GAVE YOUR APPROVAL WITH THE DIRECTION TO DO AN ASSESSMENT AND THEN COME BACK.
MY UNDERSTANDING TO COME BACK TO YOU.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT ANYBODY'S COME BACK TO YOU OR NOT.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S BEEN COMMUNICATED TO ME, THAT THAT'S FAIR.
BUT WHAT I THINK WHAT I'M, WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GETTING AT IS IN FACT THEY'RE STILL NOT BUDGETED AS I'M SITTING HERE.
I, I I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER, MA'AM.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET FOR YOU THROUGH THE CHAIR.
JUST MA'AM, WE JUST, MA'AM, WE JUST WANTED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK MAYBE YOU GET THOSE CLARIFICATIONS, ICM BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU WERE NOT HERE WHEN THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN POSITIONS THAT WERE FILLED IN THE MANAGEMENT POSITIONS THAT WERE NOT IN THOSE DIRECTIONS, THAT WAS, THAT HAPPENED.
SO BEFORE WE SPEAK MORE HERE, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CHECK ON THAT FIRST.
I, I ALSO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND THERE IS DEEP SEATED FRUSTRATION BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THE COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED DIRECTION AND THEN, AND THEN FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, IT JUST HASN'T OCCURRED.
UM, IF YOU GIVE US DIRECTION, WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT IT.
AND, UM, MOST SPECIALIST, IT CAME FROM THIS SIZE.
AND, AND, AND SPECIFIC TO THE TWO SUPERVISOR POSITIONS, AND I THINK THE REASON, THE REASON IT'S SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WE HAD A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THE FIGURE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 250,000 FOR THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMERTIME, HAVE PROGRAMMING TO STAY BUSY, TO STAY ACTIVE.
WE DID, UH, OUR DUE DILIGENCE IN REOPENING CAMACHO GYM.
[00:45:01]
INTENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFER SERVICES.AND IT FEELS LIKE THE CURRENT STAFF HAS ASSUMED BECAUSE THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN, UM, UH, TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMMING.
SO THEY'VE ASSUMED MORE PROGRAMMING WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF ADDITIONAL STAFF.
AND I THINK THAT DOES A DISSERVICE FOR OUR OWN STAFF AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO, SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE SEATED FRUSTRATION IS AT AND, UM, WELCOME.
BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT AT LEAST ON MY PART, I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS ISSUE IN PARTICULAR TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE THE SUMMER'S HERE AND, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING THAT HAS TO BE MANAGED BY THE CITY.
UM, AND, AND IT'S A GOOD THING, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE POSITIONS ARE FILLED IMMEDIATELY.
UM, I DO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, QUESTION, BY THE WAY, CAN WE GO TO THE RESERVE BALANCES REALLY QUICK? UH, PAGE 14, I BELIEVE.
AND JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS.
PAGE SEVEN, UH, OH SEVEN 14 ON THE SLIDE.
SO WHEN DO WE DISCUSS TO, UM, REFILL THE POSITIONS TO THE TARGETED AMOUNT? I DON'T REMEMBER HAVING THAT DISCUSSION OVER THE LAST YEAR IN CHANGE.
DO YOU NEED COUNCIL AUTHORITY OR DIRECTION TO DO THAT, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AUTOMATICALLY? THE POLICIES STATES BASICALLY THAT WHEN THERE'S EVER SURPLUS FUNDS IN THE UNASSIGNED, SO ABOVE THE, THE 10% THEN AT THAT TIME WOULD TRIGGER FILLING UP ANY DEFICITS IN THE OTHER FUNDS.
BUT IT HAD TO BE A DIRECTION OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND WHEN DOES THAT HAPPEN? IDEALLY, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE SOMETIME AROUND THE BUDGET TIME.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE DONE ANYTIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE AN OPTIMAL TIME TO, TO REALLY ANALYZE THAT AND DECIDE IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE THOSE FUNDS INTO, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
IN OTHER WORDS, TAKE MONEY FROM UNASSIGNED AND MOVE IT UP TO ONE OF THE RESERVES.
BUT, BUT IT'S BY THEIR DIRECT, IT'S BY YOUR DIRECTION.
PROBABLY NEED THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO DO THAT, BUT YOU ALL NEED TO PRESENT IT TO US.
SO TONIGHT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO GIVE US SOME DIRECTION IN THAT AREA.
UM, DO ANY OF THOSE RESERVE FUNDS? ARE, ARE WE, UM, IS THERE A STATE MANDATE OR, OR A CITY MANDATE TO FOLLOW THESE SPECIFIC TARGETED AMOUNTS? THESE ARE POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY ITSELF.
UM, SO THE OP E TRUST RESERVE, AS WELL AS THE PENSION TRUST RESERVE, THOSE ARE SET ASIDE IN, IN A TRUST FUND.
AND SO THEY CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER ITEM EXCEPT FOR THOSE SPECIFIC EXPENDITURES.
HOWEVER, THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE RESERVE AS WELL AS THE ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE IDEALLY DESIGNED FOR A CONTINGENCY OF EMERGENCY WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, BUT THOSE BALANCES COULD BE, UM, ADJUSTED UPWARD OR DOWNWARD.
LET ME, LET ME ADD TO THAT BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT INTO THE BOND MARKET AND TRY TO GET FINANCING, SO THESE ARE BEST, I WOULD SAY, YOU'RE KIND OF ON THE MIDDLE ON THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
UH, IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT TRYING TO GET FINANCING AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE THESE KIND OF RESERVES SET UP, THEN YOUR RISK ASSESSMENT IS GONNA BE A LOT HIGHER AND YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET FINANCING.
AND SO THIS, UH, BRUCE IS TOTALLY RIGHT ON SPOT, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU WERE LOOKING TO DO THAT AND WE COULD BE LOOKING TO DO THAT, UM, I THINK THAT'S A A POINT, A POINT THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
HAVING GOOD HEALTHY RESERVES IN THESE KIND OF CATEGORIES HERE, UM, IS GONNA HELP US.
AND INEVITABLY, UNLESS YOU'RE GONNA USE YOUR MONEY DIRECTLY TO PURCHASE PROPERTY, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN WE NEED TO BE THINKING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE LOOKING FINANCIALLY GOOD IN OUR RESERVES.
AND, AND JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY ON THE FINANCING, HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THAT? WELL, BRUCE AND I
THE PRIOR BOND ISSUE, I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE AROUND 2017.
UM, THAT WAS, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO PURCHASE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, UM, UH, GATEWAY, UH, OR THE BAY ROAD PROJECT, WHAT WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT FINANCING THAT POTENTIALLY AND SPREADING THAT RISK OUT.
SO THAT IS ONE THAT'S CURRENT THAT WE'RE EVALUATING, MAKES, MAKES, UH, TOTAL SENSE.
[00:50:01]
MORE RESERVES WE HAVE, THE MORE AND, AND THE BETTER RATES WE CAN GET AS WE ABSOLUTELY, UH, BOND OUT FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.UM, I, I, I GUESS, I GUESS THE FRUSTRATION I HAVE WITH THIS PARTICULAR, UM, BALANCE SHEET IS THAT, UM, IT IS THE SAME, I'VE HEARD THE SAME ARGUMENT NOW FOR 10 YEARS IN THE CITY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY AND WE ANTICIPATE A BUDGET DEFICIT OF 3, 4, 5, $8 MILLION.
MEANWHILE, FOLKS LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL, THERE'S A RESERVE BALANCE OF $51 MILLION, TARGETED AMOUNT OF 41 MILLION, AND THE SHORTFALL IS STILL OVER 9 MILLION.
AND THESE ARE PRETTY HEALTHY LEVELS OF RESERVES.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO BE FISCALLY PRUDENT, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS SERVICES, AND IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE THEM THE BENEFITS THAT ARE NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE GOOD SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S JUST A OBSERVATION AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST READ ABOUT, UH, CARLSBAD PASSING THEIR YEARLY BUDGET AND THEY WENT FROM 55% RESERVES TO 61%, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR, UH, LAST WEEK.
BUT WHAT IS OUR TOTAL RESERVE BALANCE LOOKING AT THAT IN COMPARISON TO OUR GENERAL FUND COMPARED TO OUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND? YEAH, WELL, OUR, OUR TARGET THERE IS ROUGHLY 42 MILLION, AND OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE 81 MILLION.
SO, SO I, I, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT WE MUST BE FISCALLY PRUDENT, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT TO PUSH AND TO STRESS THE NEED TO HAVE THE SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY DESPERATELY NEEDS, AND THAT MEANS SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES, IT MEANS INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE, IT MEANS MAKING SURE THAT FUTURE PROJECTS GET THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED, UM, IN ORDER TO INVEST INTO, BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
BUT, BUT I, I, I JUST, I'M EXCEEDINGLY FRUSTRATED AT THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION AROUND JUST, UM, UH, CUTTING, CUTTING BECAUSE WE ARE PROJECTED TO BE OVER, AND I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF MANY WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AND LOOK AT THE RESERVE BALANCES THAT ARE, THAT ARE A BIT HEALTHY.
UM, SO JUST SOME OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENTS MM-HMM
UH, BUT I DO GOTTA SAY, I, I WAS VERY REFRESHED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, OR ABOUT A MONTH AGO DURING THE LAST PRESENTATION WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO DISCUSS HOW TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE, HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE NEW PROGRAMS. SO IT'S CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR HEALTHY BALANCES AND AT THE SAME TIME SUPPORT OUR WORKERS TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND THIS.
SO THAT WE'RE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THIS DIAGRAM, AND SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE A SHORTFALL IN THOSE RESERVES OF FIVE AND A HALF OR NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS? NO, NO, NOT REALLY.
SO THE, THE GREEN COLUMN HERE AT THE TOP, SO THE O OPED IS SHORT, UM, 177,000, THE PENSION LIABILITY IS SHORT, UM, 2.5 MILLION, AND THEN THE CONTINGENCY WOULD BE 3.4 MILLION.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, 24 ROUGHLY, WE'RE ESTIMATING 24 MILLION IN UNASSIGNED.
SO IF WE HAVE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF 8.1 MILLION, THAT MEANS WE'D HAVE 16 AVAILABLE THAT COULD BE USED TO FUND THESE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SO, AND IF WE DO THAT, OKAY, SO WE HAVE 16 MILLION TO FUND THE OTHER, TO BRING THEM ALL UP TO WHERE THEY, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS OUR, JUST OUR TARGET.
AND THAT WOULD LEAD YOU WITH THAT.
SO IF WE DO THAT AND, AND WE ARE SHORT IN THOSE AREAS, 6.9 MILLION, SO SAVE $7 MILLION, THAT TAKES US DOWN TO ABOUT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FROM THAT 16 MM-HMM
AND HOW MUCH OUT OF THAT UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE WILL WE, UH, DO WE HAVE SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW TO USE IN THIS BUDGET? AND THAT'S BEFORE ANY LABOR NEGOTIATIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WHICH STILL HAS TO BE FACTORED, FACTORED ON TOP OF THIS.
RIGHT? SO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IS PROPOSED TO BE A DEFICIT OF 8.2 MILLION.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE WAS TO DO THAT WITHOUT ANY OTHER INCREASES IN EXPENDITURES FOR THIS NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE NOW TAKEN OUR UNAC SIDE FUND BALANCE DOWN TO THE TARGET IF WE WAS TO USE THOSE FUNDS TO BRING OUR UP TO TARGET.
SO WE WOULD JUST BE AT TARGET AT THAT POINT.
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS, AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MONEY TO DO THESE SERVICES, BUT SERVICES ARE ONGOING EXPENSE.
THIS IS ONE TIME MONEY, THIS MONEY DOES NOT, WE DON'T GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY YEAR IN, IN THE, IN THE RESERVES.
WE DON'T GET ADDITIONAL, WE DON'T GET THAT MONEY AGAIN.
[00:55:01]
SO IT IS THERE AS RESERVES.SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AS WE'RE USING ONE TIME MONEY.
THIS IS WHEN THE ARPA PROBLEM COMES IN AND THINGS ALONG THIS SLIDE.
YOU GET ONE TIME MONEY AND YOU START THINKING THAT THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT FOR PROGRAMMING AND, AND THEREFORE YOU GET AN EXPENSE WITHOUT A REVENUE SOURCE.
THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH LOOKING AT THE RESERVES OVERLOOKING AT THEM BECAUSE WE COULD, THIS YEAR ALONE, WE COULD TAKE IT RIGHT DOWN TO OUR TARGET LEVEL ONLY.
AND AFTER THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START EATING INTO OUR TARGETS JUST TO HAVE OPERATING MONEY.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT ONE TIME MONEY IS MADE, IS NOT MADE FOR OPERATING EXPENSE.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONCERN I HAVE THROUGH THE CHAIR.
I THINK YOU, IMAN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT MAYBE WE DON'T KNOW YET, RIGHT? UM, THROUGH THE 12 MONTHS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO INCREASE THE REVENUE, UM, GENERATING PROCESSES, SERVICES, YOU SAID SERVICES CONTINUE.
THE ONLY ONE TIME THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE IS THE ARPA FUNDS, BUT THE REVENUE GENERATED IN THE CITY IS CONTINUOUS TOO, BECAUSE WE CANNOT SERVICE WITHOUT THE CONTINUOUS REVENUE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING.
SO WE GOTTA THINK, WE GOTTA WORK HERE WITH LIKE WHAT THE DIRECTION OR, OR THE GUIDANCE FROM OUR CITY MANAGER TO THINK WITH THE, WITH THE DIRECTORS TO THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, AND GOING AFTER THOSE REVENUE GENERATING, UM, THAT WILL SERVICE, THAT WILL, THAT WILL, UM, YOU AND PAY FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GONNA DIP INTO THAT RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE WE'RE VERY, VERY NEW IN OUR BUDGET CYCLE.
I'M LOOKING AT OUR FINANCE DIRECTORS AND YES, WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND SO, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THIS IS WHAT WE DO COLLECTIVELY AS LEADERS OF THIS, OF THIS, UM, MUNICIPAL OF, OF THE CITY THAT YES, WE HAVE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO PAY, SO LET'S CONTINUE TO GENERATE THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER FOR US TO DELIVER THOSE SERVICES.
THEY ARE NOT ONE-TIME MONEY, MR. MAYOR, THE ONLY ONE TIME MONEY THERE IS THAT GRANT ARPA FUND, IT'S 2 MILLION.
WELL, NO, OUR RESERVES ARE ONE TIME MONEY.
IN OTHER WORDS, SIR, CONTINUES TO REPLENISH MR. MAYOR ONLY IF YOU'RE PUTTING NEW MONEY IN.
BUT IF YOU ARE TAKING OUT SOMEWHERE TO EIGHT TO $10 MILLION A YEAR OUT OF THEM AND YOU ARE NOT CREATING EIGHT TO $10 MILLION OF NEW REVENUE SURE.
AND THERE'S NO EIGHT TO $10 MILLION OF REVENUE IN ANY OF OUR IDEAS THAT WE HAVE, THEN THAT'S A CHALLENGE TO YOU, RIGHT, MR. MAYOR? UH, WELL, NO, I, I DON'T, YES, YOU GOTTA TAKE IT.
THIS A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US HERE.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S PETER PAN AND YOU KNOW, JUST SAYING LET LET IT, YOU KNOW, WE, THE TINKERBELL CAN FLY TYPE OF THING.
WELL, I MEAN, IF I CAN, ALRIGHT.
OH, SORRY, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT? 'CAUSE I'M GONNA SWITCH TOPICS.
OH, WELL I, I WASN'T GONNA ADD TO THAT, BUT, UM, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT IN YOUR WORKBOOKS, AND I THINK IT'S ON PAGE ONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR FISCAL ANALYSIS SHEET.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, UM, OUR FUND BALANCE PROJECTED AT THE END OF THE YEAR IS 168 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY $142 MILLION MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.
YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? THOSE RESERVES ARE ONLY GEARED TOWARDS THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING ON, SOME OF WHICH HAVE THEIR BUILT-IN RESERVES LIKE WASTEWATER, BUT YOU HAVE OTHER, YOU HAVE FUNDS THAT DON'T HAVE A BUILT-IN RESERVE.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT THE GENERAL FUND, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE YOU HAVE $60 MILLION OF OTHER COMMITMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THESE OTHER FUNDS.
ONLY A FEW OF WHICH HAVE RESERVES.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE REVENUE COMING IN IS 134 MILLION.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT 142 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT'S GOING OUT THE DOOR.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE PART WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, YES, WE CAME UP WITH A LOT OF REVENUE IDEAS.
UM, MANY OF THOSE REVENUE IDEAS ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH.
UM, THE BIGGER REVENUE IDEAS REALLY COME DOWN TO, AGAIN, REVENUE IDEAS, UH, COME DOWN TO WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE AREAS OF SOME OF THOSE BIGGER ITEMS THAT ARE CONSIDERED TAXES.
UM, THE DEEL, YEAH, THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THIS IS, UM, A PROCESS THAT'S GONNA TAKE SEVERAL YEARS, AND THAT'S ASSUMING THAT YOU CAN ATTRACT DEVELOPMENT
[01:00:01]
TO DO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO DO.SO WE'RE, WE'RE WAVING THE FLAG AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S HEARING IT.
AND, UM, THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, UM, IN THIS SITUATION ARE GONNA PLAY OUT HOW THINGS ARE GONNA BE IN YEAR THREE AND FOUR.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE CAN DO SOME AGGRESSIVE CREATIVE THINGS.
BUT THIS IS A, THIS IS NOT, THIS PAGE IS NOT THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO GAUGE WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY, BUT IT IS OUR IT RESERVE AND YOU'RE ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
UH, I BELIEVE I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WE, THERE'S 78 PAGES ON THIS, UH, DECK AND WE ARE ON PAGE 14, I GUESS.
SO JUST FYI, UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, PAGE 13, THE OTHER PAGES
UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, AND I, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GET DEEP INTO THIS, FIRST OF ALL, 'CAUSE I, IT, YOU KNOW, COULD EASILY BE DOOM AND GLOOM TRYING TO PROJECT THE FUTURE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE CRAZINESS THAT WE HEAR RIGHT NOW REGARDING MARKET PROJECTIONS AND THE EFFECT THAT TARIFFS WILL HAVE AND THIS AND THAT.
NOBODY KNOWS THE ANSWERS TO THOSE YET.
WHAT A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION I WANNA UNDERSTAND IS ON PAGE 13, WHICH IS THE CALPERS UAL PROJECTIONS, THESE PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON THE MARKET, RIGHT? THE, THE MONEY THAT WE SEND TO CALPERS THEN GETS INVESTED AND IF THE MARKET TANKS, THEN OUR UAL PROJECTIONS ARE AFFECTED.
SO WHAT I WANNA UNDERSTAND IS WE'RE PROJECTING HERE THROUGH 2031, BASED ON WHAT METHODOLOGY, DOES ANY OF THIS INCLUDE SOME OF THE ECONOMIC, UH, INSTABILITY THAT'S HAPPENING NATIONWIDE? NO, THE, THESE NUMBERS COME FROM CALPERS.
THEIR ACTUARY EVALUATIONS ARE ACTUALLY A TWO YEAR DELAY.
SO WE WILL GET NEW UPDATED NUMBERS BY, BY END OF AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, SO THAT THOSE NUMBERS COULD, UM, BE ADJUSTED DOWNWARD.
BUT THEN GOING FORWARD THE NEXT YEAR, IT COULD BE ADJUSTED UPWARD.
SO IT'S, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON, WE NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THE ECONOMY THE LAST TWO YEARS AND SEE WHAT, HOW THE ECONOMY HAS PERFORMED.
UM, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE THAT I HAD READ SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHERE CALPERS HAD LOST $10 MILLION IN ONE DAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL AFFECT US IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD FROM NOW, OUR UAL COULD BE, UM, COULD BE DOUBLED.
IT, IT'S HARD TO SAY IT COULD BE DOUBLED.
WHAT, FROM WHAT THE NUMBER THAT'S ON HERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING A FINANCIAL PERSON MYSELF, UM, IT'S EASY TO SORT OF THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, RIGHT NOW IMMEDIATELY IS GOING TO BE FELT, UM, NOT IMMEDIATELY, BUT DOWN THE LINE.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DETAILED HERE.
OUR UAL PAYMENT DID BALLOON IT, IT DOUBLED FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO FISCAL YEAR 26.
UM, I THINK IT, IT'LL BE WISE TO AT LEAST KEEP IT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT THAT SCENARIO COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, BASED JUST ON WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY.
UM, THESE PAYMENTS THAT ARE LISTED HERE COULD ACTUALLY, IN FACT, BALLOON AGAIN WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, MUCH ANTICIPATION.
OR THEY COULD SHRINK OR AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, IT, THEY TEND TO SHRINK.
SO, OR THEY COULD SHRINK THEY COULD DO THAT TOO, I'M JUST SAYING.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS YOU, BUT NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL, SO WE DON'T KNOW.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU FOLLOW IS THE CURRENT REPORT OUT.
AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE THEIR CURRENT REPORT OUTS OF HOW THEY'RE DOING IN THE MARKET.
SO IF WE CONSTANTLY HEAR BAD NEWS COMING OUT OF PERS PERFORMANCE, THEN YOU CAN GUESS THAT THIS PICTURE IS NOT GONNA LOOK BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
AND AGAIN, THAT SOME OF THAT IS DELAYED, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW YOU MONITOR IT.
THEY GIVE YOU PROJECTIONS, YOU LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEY'RE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE OF THE LOSSES THEY HAD IN EARLY 2000, UH, WHERE THEY WERE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND PEOPLE SAID, OKAY, BE MORE CONSERVATIVE.
AND THEN THEY TAINT EVEN MORE DURING THE RECESSION BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO CONSERVATIVE AND THEY DIDN'T GET THE BOUNCE BACK.
SO IT'S, IT'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
YOU WANT THEM TO THEIR INVESTMENTS TO GROW, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE IT.
YOU KNOW? I GUESS THE POINT HERE IS THIS IS COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
TOTALLY OUT OF OUR, THAT PART IS, YEAH.
OH, BUT REAL QUICK, CAN I JUMP ON THE UA PAYMENTS? BUT WE DO HAVE A RESERVE.
SO OUR RESERVE DOES COVER THAT FOR E EMERGENCIES, RIGHT? SO IF WE DO GET THE, THAT'S WHAT THE, WHICH, WHICH OF THE RESERVES COVERS THE ULA PAYMENTS? IS IT THE PENSION TRUST RESERVE? YES.
[01:05:01]
I WOULD COMMENT BEFORE, UH, BACK TO BACK TO LEWIS, IS THAT I'M FINE FOR ME FUNDING ALL OF THOSE RESERVES UP TO LEVEL EXCEPT FOR THE ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE.SO I LIKE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGING THAT FOR ME, THE 20%, UM, TO DOWN TO 10%, BECAUSE IT'S NEVER, UM, BEEN DEFINED.
AS I RECALL, THIS WAS EVEN APPROVED BEFORE ME AND JOSE GOT ON.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE MAYOR REMEMBERS OR CAN SPEAK TO WHAT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
BUT IF WE'RE COMING TO AN ECONOMIC KIND OF UNCERTAINTY, TO ME THAT'S APPROPRIATE TO USE THAT FOR SOMETHING THAT IN MY MIND WILL GENERATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR SALES, TAX REVENUE AND OTHER FEES OR WHATEVER OTHER REVENUE.
SO, TO, IN MY MIND, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD THINK IT'S FOR.
BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO WHAT THAT FUND IS FOR AND WHY THE 20% IS SO HIGH.
AT THE TIME IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING SOME, UH, TEMPORARY RECESSIONS THAT WE KNEW WE WERE, WE WERE DIPPING.
SO THIS WAS TO BA BASICALLY TO FILL IN TO BE A LEVELER.
AND, BUT WE HAVE THESE TEMPORARY, UH, UH, TEMPORARY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SPIKES AND VALLEYS, AND SO IT WAS TRY TO BE A LEVELER EFFECT.
SO FOR SITUATIONS LIKE COMING UP, YOU THINK THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE UNCERTAIN THAN THAT? 'CAUSE I'D SAY I, THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF UNPRECEDENTED, UNPRECEDENTED, UH, TIMES AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO I NOT QUITE AS PREDICTABLE, MR. MAYOR? YES.
UH, JUST THE ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE, BECAUSE I WAS HERE ON COUNCIL AND WE PUSHED IT WITH THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER BECAUSE WE WERE GOING THROUGH COVID AND IT WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND SO WE PUSHED THE RESERVE FROM EITHER 10 TO 20 OR 15 TO 20.
IT WAS 15 TO 25 BREAK, 15 TO 20.
SO, BUT THE DISCUSSION WAS BECAUSE WE WERE UNCERTAIN, RIGHT.
IF THE FEDS WERE GONNA COME IN AND ASSIST US WHEN WE WERE HAVING DWINDLING SALES TAXES IN THE CITY.
AND, UH, SO THAT WAS THE REASON TO PUSH FOR, AND WE KNEW THAT WAS A FINITE TIME.
IT WAS GOING TO END, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT.
NOT WE THOUGHT, BUT I'M REALLY GLAD AND HAPPY THAT, YOU KNOW, ARPA AND OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN AND SUPPORTED US TO TREMENDOUSLY.
UM, BUT, BUT I, I, I, I DO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE.
I DO BELIEVE THAT 20% IS A BIT HIGH FOR THE ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE, BUT I WOULD EVEN BE OPEN TO BACK TO THE 15, UM, UTILIZE SOME OF THE RESERVE TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE AGAIN.
SO FIND WAYS TO, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT JUST SITTING THERE, AND I MEAN, I GUESS IT IS EARNING INTEREST, WHICH IS GOOD, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT WE COULD UTILIZE IT IN ORDER TO INVEST BACK INTO OUR CITY, WHETHER IT'S PURCHASING LAND IN ORDER TO HELP DEVELOP SPUR DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MORE KIND OF PROACTIVE, UM, APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY THAT'S GOING TO HELP US BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING THE MONEY PARKED AND EARNING INTEREST.
BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, I THINK, IN THIS APPROACH.
AND I THINK IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, YOU'RE NOT SAYING SERVICES FOR THAT OR LIKE THIS, THIS WOULD BE ONE TIME ALMOST INVESTMENT EXPENSES.
SO NOT, LIKE, IF I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OPERATING EXPENSES.
I MEAN, IF WE, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE UTILIZE SOME OF THIS FUNDING IN ORDER TO AGGRESSIVELY PURCHASE LAND TO LOOK, TO DEVELOP INTO WHATEVER, THEN, THEN I THINK THAT'S A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT FOR THE LONG RUN FOR THE CITY.
JUST LIKE WE ARE PLANNING ON DOING OVER ON 24TH STREET, BUT SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN PLACES THAT SEEM, UM, UH, VIABLE FOR US TO MAKE OUR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT.
I, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT ONE.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE PLACE TO DO IT.
UH, THE 24TH STREET THING I THINK WAS, WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE THOUGHT FOR THAT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING BACK ECONOMIC, UH, REVENUE THAT IS GONNA BE ONGOING.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR LIKE A HOUSING OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE, WHICH ACTUALLY ENDS UP COSTING US MORE MONEY.
BUT, BUT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YEAH.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I THINK WE WENT VERY, VERY FAR AWAY.
BOOP,
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, UH, BECAUSE I READ ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE PENSION TRUST RESERVE, THAT FLUCTUATES COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, IT IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SHORTFALL THERE BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A SHORTFALL THERE, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
I MEAN, THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
BUT, BUT WOULD YOU SUPPORT, ARE YOU SAYING YOU WANT TO, YOU WOULD WANT TO FUND, FUND IT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? PENSION TRUST FUND RESERVE? NO, NO.
I WON'T, I WON'T, I WON'T TOUCH THAT BECAUSE IT FLUCTUATES.
I WOULD BASED ON MAYBE AFTER ALL THIS REQUEST.
NO, BUT THE TARGET, I'M SAYING,
[01:10:01]
BUT THE TARGET, WE HAVE A SHORTFALL OF 2.5 MILLION STILL.SO SHOULD I, I'M SAYING SHOULD WE USE OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AND TRANSFER IT OVER? NO.
'CAUSE THAT'S JUST A TARGET THAT YOU GUYS BEFORE ME PUT IN POLICY.
RIGHT? SO LET US, LET US SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY ARE REQUESTING SOME MORE.
LIKE, COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA SAID THERE'S 1000 MORE PAGES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, GO THROUGH.
SO LET'S GO THROUGH THAT FIRST.
SO WE'LL START INTO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTAL, UM, BUDGET PRESENTATIONS.
UM, STEVE MANGANELLI, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, SINCE I'M KIND OF KICKING OFF FOR THE DEPARTMENTS, I, I FIRST JUST WANT TO THANK OUR, OUR CITY MANAGER AND FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR GIVING THE DEPARTMENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT VERY BRIEFLY ON OUR OPERATIONS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ALSO THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHERE, WHAT AREAS ARE WE DOING WELL AND WHAT, WHAT AREAS ARE WE COMING UP SHORT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT, WHEN YOU SEE REQUESTS FOR STAFF, UM, OR ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR M AND O BUDGETS, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.
WE'VE BEEN TASKED WITH THAT, UH, BY OUR CITY MANAGER, OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW REVENUES.
BUT KEEP IN MIND, WHEN WE ASK FOR THINGS AND PRESENT, IT'S BECAUSE THESE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED BY STAFF TO ENHANCE SERVICES OR AREAS THAT WE'RE COMING UP SHORT AND WE NEED TO CORRECT.
SO I JUST PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT.
UM, THE LAST POINT I'LL MAKE BEFORE I I DIVE INTO THE, TO, TO OUR PRESENTATION IS, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY IN, IN LOOKING AT THE CITY AND OUR DEPARTMENT, WHEN I SEE AN 8 MILLION THAT WE'RE, OUR, OUR, OUR EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND ARE PROJECTED TO BE $8 MILLION MORE THAN THE REVENUES WE'RE BRINGING IN, I GET VERY, VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE WHILE THAT RESERVE PICTURE LOOKED VERY HEALTHY, IF THAT TREND CONTINUES, THERE IS NO MORE RESERVES IN, IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND I WOULD REMIND THE COUNCIL, AT THE LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE CUT $2 MILLION OUT OF OUR CIP FROM OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO WHEN BRUCE SHOWED YOU A TRANSFER FROM, UH, GENERAL FUND TO THE CIP FUND OF A MILLION, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 3 MILLION.
SO THAT MEANS OUR DEFICIT PROJECTED WOULD BE 10 MILLION.
WE ALSO PRESENTED ON THE CIP, AND WE SHOWED THAT WHAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING ANNUALLY ON OUR CIP AND MAJOR MAINTENANCE IS ROUGHLY $20 MILLION A YEAR.
THE GENERAL FUND NEXT YEAR WILL BE CONTRIBUTING $1 MILLION.
WE HAVE OUR SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES FULL, FULL COST RECOVERY FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE SEWER.
BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR ROADS? THE GAS TAX WE GET FROM THE STATE ONLY COVERS ABOUT 25% OF OUR NEEDS.
OUR TRANSNET DOLLARS HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN.
SO I WANT THE COUNCIL TO KEEP ALL THIS IN PERSPECTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SCOTT SAID AT BEST, WE, WE NEED TO GET CREATIVE ON IDENTIFYING NEW REVENUE SOURCES.
AND HE TASKED US AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL TO LOOK AT, AT HOW WE CAN DO THAT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT IN OUR FUNCTIONAL AREAS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE CONTEXT FOR WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TONIGHT FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD ONE-LINERS.
MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT HERE, SCOTT, TO BREAK THE ICE.
UM, SO BRIEFLY, THIS IS JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE FIVE DIVISIONS, ENGINEERING CAPITAL PROJECTS, OUR FLEET AND EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS OUR BUILDINGS, STREETS AND WASTEWATER MAINTENANCE AND PARKS MAINTENANCE.
OUR, OUR CORE, UH, SERVICE AREAS ARE MANAGING AND IMPLEMENTING OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, MAINTENANCE OF THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE, PARKS, FACILITIES, AND FLEET.
UM, SUPPORTING OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IN REGARDS TO ENGINEERING PERMITS, UH, PLANT CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS.
[01:15:01]
A VERY COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE PROGRAM, WHICH INVOLVES WASTEWATER, STORM WATER, REFUSE AND RECYCLING, AND ALSO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, AND ALSO PUBLIC SAFETY.SO LOOKING AT POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS MEASURES.
UM, THIS, THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WORKING WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE CONSULTANT TEAM, WE DID A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF OUR, OF HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR DEVELOPER USER FEES.
AND WE MOVE TOWARDS A FULL COST RECOVERY MODEL.
THAT MEANS THAT MORE OF OUR, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE OF A TRUE, UM, COST, COST RECOVERY FOR THE TIME OUR STAFF SPENDS IN DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE, WE'VE HAD ONGOING COORDINATION WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT INVOLVING OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND THE ABILITY, UM, TO WORK WITH THE VENDOR TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECT ACCOUNTING AND PAYROLL MODULES AND HAVE THEM SYNCHRONIZED, WHICH ALLOWS US TO IMPROVE COST RECOVERY, REDUCE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE RE ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES, UH, BURDEN, AND ALSO ALLOW US THE ABILITY TO USE GRANT FUNDS TO REIMBURSE THE GENERAL FUND.
RIGHT NOW, WHEN OUR STAFF ARE, UH, WORKING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING TO MANUALLY ENTER IN THE PERMIT NUMBER AND OUR TIME INTO TIME SHEETS.
OUR ADMIN STAFF THEN NEEDS TO PULL THOSE EVERY TWO WEEKS, SUBMIT 'EM TO PAYROLL TO MAKE SURE THAT DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT IS REIMBURSING OUR STAFF TIME.
IT IS A HUGE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.
HAVING AN AUTOMATED SYNCHRONIZED SYSTEM IS KEY, NOT JUST FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS OUR CITY MANAGER TASKED US WITH WAS EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO ESTABLISH NEW ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
RIGHT NOW, OUR SEWER SERVICE FUND, YOU, YOU'VE SEEN SOME PRESENTATIONS AT RECENT COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, IT'S A SELF-SUFFICIENT FUND.
UH, IT ALLOWS THE END USER TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THE SERVICE.
SO OUR SEWER CREWS ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED BY THIS ENTERPRISE FUND.
OUR VEHICLES, OUR EQUIPMENT RELATED TO SEWER AND OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE INTEND TO FULLY EXPLORE A, A SIMILAR TYPE OF FEE, NOT A TAX.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAX AND A FEE IS A FEE IS IT'S THE USER REIMBURSING FOR THE COST OF THE SERVICE.
WE WANT TO EXPLORE THAT FOR STORMWATER.
UM, JUST THE REGULATIONS ALONE AND FROM THE STATE AND, AND AND REGIONALLY HERE AT THE REGIONAL BOARD, THEY GO UP EVERY YEAR.
WE, THEY'RE UNFUNDED MANDATES.
WE DON'T HAVE A, A GOOD SOURCE OF REVENUE TO PAY FOR IN COMPLIANCE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.
WE HAD DEVASTATING FUND, UH, FLOODING A YEAR AND A, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
WE HAVE TO PAY TO, TO UPGRADE OUR SYSTEMS, UM, AND MITIGATE FOR FUTURE FLOODING.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON.
UM, WE LOOKED AT ENGINEERING AND THEN ALSO THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISIONS ON THE ENGINEERING DIVISION.
AND THIS GOES TO SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER.
UM, THIS COUNCIL APPROVED FULL FUNDING FOR A CITY ENGINEER.
OUT OF THOSE FIVE DIVISIONS, IT'S THE ONE DIVISION.
SO WHAT IT DOES IS IT, IT PUTS AN INTENSE AMOUNT OF STRESS ON, UH, ON OUR STAFF.
AND THEN IT'S TIME AWAY FROM BOTH MYSELF AND OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO HAVE TO MANAGE ALL THAT.
UM, WE DID NOT FUND THAT POSITION AS A COST SAVING MEASURE THIS YEAR, WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS, UM, WE NEED TO FUND A MANAGER FOR ENGINEERING CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST CIP AND THAT POSITION WOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVING, UM, OUR, OUR COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND EXPEDITING PERMITS AND IMPROVING MAKING FOR A MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS TO ACTUALLY UNDERFILL THAT POSITION WITH THE PRINCIPAL ENGINEERS, A COST SAVINGS MEASURE.
IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE OF OUR EXISTING ENGINEERS.
THE OTHER PIECE TO THIS IS FOR THE LAST THREE BUDGET CYCLES, WE'VE HAD A KEY ASSISTANT CIVIL ENGINEER POSITION THAT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THAT POSITION IS TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, HAS BEEN FROZEN WITH NO FUNDING.
WE'RE ASKING THAT AS PART OF THIS BUDGET.
WE FINALLY FUND THAT POSITION AND THEN USE OUR NEW MODEL OF COST RECOVERY THROUGH OUR USER FEES TO PAY FOR MOST OF THAT POSITION.
UH, SO THAT'S OUR, OUR PLAN THERE.
UM, THE OTHER BENEFIT OF, OF FILLING THESE
[01:20:01]
POSITIONS IS IT WILL GREATLY REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON CONSULTANTS.WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY WITH CONSULTANTS.
A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS REIMBURSED THROUGH GRANTS, UM, AND, AND DEVELOPER FEES.
HOWEVER, THERE'S STILL GENERAL FUND THAT'S GOING OUT IN THE FORM OF CONTRACT SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN DO THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
IF WE CAN BRING THAT BACK IN HOUSE.
AN AREA THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE SAVE IS, IS NOT FILLING THE SECOND TREE TRIMMING CREW.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS APPROVED A FEW YEARS AGO.
THE, THE, THE SECOND TRUCK NEVER GOT PURCHASED.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'VE, THE MODEL WE'VE GONE WITH THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IS A COMBINATION OF IN-HOUSE FORCES AND SPECIALIZED CONTRACTORS.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT MODEL HAS ENABLED US TO, TO MEET OUR TREE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULED DEMANDS AND, UM, AND BE AN EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENT.
IF WE DO THAT, WE WILL SEE A SAVINGS BY NOT HAVING TO INVEST IN THAT VEHICLE, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE VEHICLE EQUIPMENT AND, AND ALL OF THE ONGOING COSTS WITH, WITH TWO NEW EMPLOYEES.
SO AGAIN, JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATING EXISTING STAFF.
THIS WAS A SECOND CREW THAT WAS, THAT WAS RECOMMENDED.
LASTLY, I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS.
BRUCE PRESENTED THIS IN ONE OF HIS SLIDES.
UM, FIRST WITH OUR WASTEWATER CREW, UM, WE ARE NOT A, UH, KEEPING UP WITH ALL OF OUR MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND IT'S, IT'S DUE TO RESOURCING.
WE HAD A AUDIT FROM THE REGULATORY AGENCIES THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, THAT AUDIT SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE FACT THAT WE CAN BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S, UM, INSPECTING OUR, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, EXPANDING OUR CIP AND DOING A BETTER JOB WITH, WITH MAINTENANCE OF, OF FLUSHING LINES AND ET CETERA.
SO WE ARE REQUESTING A NEW OPERATOR AND A NEW MAINTENANCE WORKER, UM, FUNDED THROUGH THE SEWER SERVICE FUND WITH NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A, A CHALLENGE SINCE I WAS HERE LAST TIME.
WE ARE COMPLETELY UNDERFUNDED WITH CUSTODIANS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF FACILITIES AND THE SERVICES WE NEED TO PROVIDE.
UM, THIS AREA CONCERNS ME BECAUSE OUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE A, A CLEAN, HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT AS THE DOES THE PUBLIC.
AND WHEN I GET CALLS THAT WE HAVEN'T DEEP CLEANED A RESTROOM IN A NUMBER OF MONTHS, OR, YOU KNOW, THE FLOORS IN THE LIBRARY ARE FILTHY, THOSE ARE THE AREAS WE'RE NOT GETTING TO.
WE'RE BARELY DOING THE BASICS OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES.
SAME WITH OUR PARK RESTROOMS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT CAN BE DONE.
UM, AND THE, AND THE OTHER THING IT DOES IS IT PUTS A LOT OF STRESS ON OUR CURRENT CUSTODIAL STAFF.
THEY'RE TAKING ON SO MUCH RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WE'RE, WE'RE RIGHT AROUND ABOUT A HALF A CUSTODIAN PER FACILITY.
IT'S JUST WE'RE, WE'RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOUR ADDITIONAL CUSTODIAN.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FACILITIES THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THIS, IT'S OUR MORE OF OUR PUBLIC FACING FACILITIES, OUR LIBRARY, OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, OUR NUTRITION CENTER, OUR REC CENTERS, OUR PARK RESTROOMS. IN ADDITION, OUR CUSTODIANS GET PULLED OFF TO DO SETUPS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
THAT'S PART OF THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
SO A LOT OF THIS NEEDS TO BE MANAGED, AND THIS WOULD WOULD BE A HUGE HELP TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, I KNOW THAT WAS A BIT LONG, BUT I DID WANT TO SET THE STAGE FOR CARLOS AND OTHERS.
OH, I GUESS THOUGH, I THINK WE WANTED TO STOP AND YEAH.
GIVE THE COUNCIL OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THEIR BUDGET THAT'S BEFORE YOU OR ANY, UH, FEEDBACK FOR, UH, STEVE? OKAY.
SO, UH, THANK YOU, UM, MR. MANGANELLO FOR YOUR REPORT.
UM, IT'S, IT, I THINK EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, DID THE SAME THING.
BUT LET'S GO WITH YOUR REPORT FIRST.
YOU SAID YOUR ASK SAYS YOU NEED THAT CITY ENGINEER AND ASSISTANT CIVIL ENGINEER THAT'S NOT UNDER GENERAL FUND.
SO TO CLARIFY, UM, THE, THE CITY ENGINEER IS FULLY BUDGETED
[01:25:01]
CURRENTLY.AND IT'S FULLY, IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK? IT'S FULLY FUNDED FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AS A COST SAVING MEASURES, WE ARE LOOKING TO UNDERFILL THAT WITH A PRINCIPAL ENGINEER.
WHICH IS STILL A MANAGER, BUT IT WOULD BE A COST SAVINGS TO THE GENERAL FUND IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT BY A HUNDRED K.
I DON'T KNOW, WITH MY OTHER, AND THEN FREEZE SECONDARY TRIMMING, THAT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
WE, WE, I REMEMBER THIS BECAUSE OF THOSE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THOSE TREES THAT WERE, UH, FIRE HAZARD.
SO THAT ONE, AND THEN YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE, UM, EQUIP, UM, WASTE WASTEWATER CREW AND, UM, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR THAT IS NOT, THAT THERE'S NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO THOSE ARE TWO POSITIONS, SIR, THAT WOULD BE TWO NEW POSITIONS.
AND THEN THE FOUR PARENT, THE FOUR ADDITIONAL CUSTODIANS, WHICH WILL REALLY SERVICE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OUR PUBLIC AREAS ARE THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND I THINK BRUCE SHOWED, UH, IN HIS ESTIMATE, IT'S IN THE, IT, IT'S IN HIS SLIDE.
UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 260 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUAL IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THOSE ARE THE, UH, THE REQUEST.
UM, GO AHEAD FIRST, I, I'M SORRY, MR. MAYOR.
JOSE, GO YOUR NEXT, UH, THANK YOU, SIR.
UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR THE COST SAVING MEASURES, UH, SLIDE, THE CURRENT COST FOR A TREE TRIMMING CREW.
CAN YOU REMIND ME, UM, HOW MUCH WAS THE YEARLY ALLOCATED AMOUNT FOR THIS PARTICULAR CREW? IS IT 150 OR TWO 50? I DON'T REMEMBER THOSE EQUIPMENT.
THE CONTRACT SERVICES, NOT, NOT A NEW CREW, BUT THE CONTRACTED SERVICES, WHICH
BUT, BUT WE HAD PASSED A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF, SO IT, REMEMBER IT WAS, IT WAS 300,000 OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
THAT'S, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S A SERVICE THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ALL THE TIME.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I SEND A LOT OF REQUESTS, UH, THAT COMMUNITY SENDS OUR WAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF THAT.
AND ALSO, I, I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE CUSTODIAN.
I MEAN, I, AT TIMES, I COME EARLY IN THE MORNING AND, UM, OUR CURRENT CUSTODIAN FOR THE BUILDING IS CLEANING UP FECES AND, UM, CLEANING UP, UM, URINE IN FRONT OF OUR BUILDING.
IT'S COMPLETELY UNSIGHTLY AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST, UM, IT'S GROSS.
AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT ANYWHERE IN OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES.
AND SO I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE NEED TO HAVE MORE CUSTODIANS AROUND THE CITY.
SO I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL.
SO MR. CHAIR, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, ONE PRINCIPAL MANAGER, RIGHT? WELL, THAT, THAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED.
OKAY, THEN WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM THEN.
SO THE REQUEST WOULD BE ONE UNFREEZING AND FUNDING THE ASSISTANT CIVIL ENGINEER.
THAT'S, UH, MORE OR LESS A BUT THERE'S NO IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A PROB PROBLEM AND FREEZE ALREADY, RIGHT? YES.
SO, SO THAT ONE, THE GOOD NEWS WITH THAT POSITION, AND I'LL, I'LL CLARIFY SINCE YOU'RE ASKING THE QUESTION.
UM, ROUGHLY 70% OF THAT POSITION WOULD BE FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WITH SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, SERVICE FUNDS TO COVER THE 30%.
HOWEVER, THAT POSITION WOULD BE PRIMARILY DEDICATED TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO WE CAN USE THE FEES WE CHARGE DEVELOPERS TO REIMBURSE THO THOSE PERSONNEL EXPENSES.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? ANYONE? YEAH.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? SO ONE OF THE CONCEPTS THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND IT'S IN UNISON WITH THE FEE SCHEDULE THAT YOU SAW LAST NIGHT, WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AN ENTERPRISE PLAN MM-HMM
THAT IT'S PAYING FREIGHT, THAT IT'S, UH, REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH DEVELOPMENT OR OTHER ATTRIBUTES OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THIS, YOU'RE KIND OF IN THE FIRST STAGES OF THAT.
UM, YOU DO WANT TO RIGHT SIZE AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY IF DEVELOPMENT STARTS INCREASING, UM, WE WANT TO KEEP AN AGGRESSIVE, UM, CUSTOMER SERVICE,
[01:30:03]
UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE, CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, UH, DEPARTMENT OUTTA THAT.AND, AND TO FREE IT UP AS A ENTERPRISE DEPARTMENT ALLOWS IT THAT CONTINUITY AND FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT.
SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE FULL PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT, BUT THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE BOTH PLANNING, BUILDING, AND ENGINEERING, IS TO BE IN THAT MODE.
AND THAT'S GONNA MAKE US MORE RESPONSIVE AND TO HAVE THEM STAND ON THEIR OWN.
SO IT'S REALLY, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE FUNDED RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT TO WORK ALMOST LIKE THE WASTEWATER FUND DOES, BUT OUT OF DEVELOPMENT FEES.
AND SO THEY PAY FOR THEIR FAIR SHARE.
UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD FOR IT REALLY WAS GEARED TOWARDS STEVE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THE PRINCIPAL POSITION IS ALREADY FUNDED MM-HMM
THAT THIS IS GONNA BE, THIS IS GONNA BE A LESSER AMOUNT THAN WHAT IS FUNDED.
SO THERE'S SOME SAVINGS THERE, AND THEN THE ENGINEERING ONE IS FUNDED, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S IT'S FROZEN.
IT, IT'S, IF IT'S, YEAH, IF IT'S FROZEN, THAT MEANS COUNSEL NEEDS TO ACT TO, TO FUND IT, TO UNFREEZE IT, WHICH WOULD, WHEN YOU UNFREEZE, THEN IT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THEIR COMMITMENT TO FUND THE POSITION.
IT'S IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW, OR NO? UM, I BELIEVE IT, IT IS IN THE BUDGET.
THAT POSITION IS, IS, I'VE SEEN TWO.
THAT POSITION IS CURRENTLY AS PART OF THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, THE CIVIL ENGINEER POSITION IS SHOWING AS FUNDED.
SO IF THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH THAT, IT WOULD BE INCLUDED.
SO THAT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL ACTION THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE.
AND THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE FREEZE THAT I'M, THAT I DID.
OURS WAS JUST TO GET US TO THE BUDGET PROCESS, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT STUFF, BUT, OKAY.
CARLOS
UM, OH, WAIT, I HAD, I HAD, SORRY, I HAD QUESTION.
SO STEVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR WORK.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'VE BEEN BACK FOR A, A WHILE, FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK ON THE WORK.
I, I APPRECIATE THE DILIGENCE, LIKE YOUR CANDOR ABOUT JUST BEING REAL WITH US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING AND THEN JUST THESE OTHER FUNDS.
SO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT REALNESS.
AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JUST BE REAL WITH US AND GIVE US, UM, LIKE WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS.
AND EVEN IF WE DISAGREE, THAT IS OKAY, BUT WE NEED ALL THE INFORMATION AND ALL YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO PLEASE, THE CANDOR, I REALLY APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU CITY MANAGER FOR ALLOWING THAT AND INVITING THAT.
SO I AGREE WITH, UH, ALL OF THESE, I KNOW TREE TRIMMING, WE WANTED TO LIKE REALLY EN ENHANCE THAT, BUT JUST GIVEN THE BUDGET SITUATION, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, ON THE COST SAVING MEASURES AND COORDINATING WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO SYNCHRONIZE PROJECT ACCOUNTING WITH PAYROLL AND TO REDUCE, TO IMPROVE COST RECOVERY AND TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AI TYPE PROGRAMMING TO ASSIST WITH THAT AND HELP OUT WITH THAT AT ALL? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE.
I MEAN, I, I THINK AS FAR AS OPERATIONS GO, AI IS, IS I THINK HAS A ROLE IN ALL OF OUR RESPECTIVE FIELDS.
THIS IS MORE OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE.
IT'S JUST WORKING TO GET 'EM IMPLEMENTED, STAFF TRAINED, AND THEN UTILIZE, FULLY UTILIZE THE SYSTEM YOU PURSUED.
OUR, UM, MUNI ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE DOES OFFER THOSE FUNCTIONALITIES.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FULL PRODUCT.
AND SO ONCE THAT BECOMES FULLY FUNCTIONAL, UM, WHICH I WILL DISCUSS LATER IN MY PRESENTATION, THEN, THEN WE CAN START IMPLEMENTING THAT JOB COSTING.
AND THEN FOR, UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE THERE, SO YOU DID, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CUTS AND THE COST SAVINGS YOU MADE, STEVE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS TOUGH DECISIONS AND I APPRECIATE THE ENHANCEMENTS.
SO I SUPPORT THE ENHANCEMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR, OUR PARKS AND, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH THE CUSTODIANS.
UM, SO FOR THIS, UH, SO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ESTABLISH A NEW ENTERPRISE FUND SO THAT, SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEW REVENUE GENERATION.
AND I ALWAYS CAUTION CALLING IT, UM, IT IS A NEW REVENUE STREAM, BUT IT'S REALLY JUST TO BETTER, UH, PAY FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, OH, UNDERSTOOD.
OH, I UNDERSTAND THE SAME HERE.
BUT IT, IT, IT KIND OF GOES HAND IN HAND.
WHAT, DID YOU HAVE AN, IS THERE A BALLPARK FIGURE? IS IT 500,000 IS A MILLION, IS IT 20? LIKE WHAT DO WE WE HAVE, WE HAVEN'T STARTED, UH, WE HAVE SET ASIDE SOME BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
IF OUR CURRENT BUDGET GETS APPROVED TO BRING ON A SPECIALIST TO
[01:35:01]
DO DO THAT ANALYSIS, IT WOULD BE A FULL, UM, A FULL STUDY, UM, TO DETERMINE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE IMPACT OF, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF IS, UM, ON VER ON ON ALL THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES IN THE CITY.UM, AND THEN WE GO THROUGH, UH, THE METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS TO ESTABLISH WHAT WOULD THOSE FEES LOOK LIKE, AND THEN WHAT IS THE PROCESS WE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH? LIKE, WHO PAYS THOSE FEES, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A GEOGRAPHIC AREA, IT, IT, IT, IT WOULD BE TIED TO THE TYPE OF PROPERTY LIKE YOU, SIMILAR DC YOUR SEWER FEES STRUCTURE, YOU CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL VERSUS COMMERCIAL.
IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ANALYSIS, BUT IT, THE PRINCIPLES ARE, ARE THE SAME.
IT'S ABOUT ESTABLISHING FEES TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT THE COMMUNITY IS BENEFITING FROM.
SO COULD YOU DO THAT EVEN GEOGRAPHICALLY, FOR EXAMPLE? SO I DON'T KNOW, FOR STORMWATER, IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOODPLAIN OR IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS IN A FLOODPLAIN, LIKE THEY, I, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, BUT, BUT THOSE NEEDS, IF THERE'S A BIGGER, THE NEEDS TO, THE NEEDS TO UPGRADE OUR SYSTEM AND THE CAPITAL SIDE OF IT, AND THEN YOUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATING EXPENSES, AND THEN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE REGULATORY PROGRAMS FOR THE PERMIT COMPLIANCE, ALL THOSE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE, UM, EXPENSES THAT WE COULD RECEIVE, UH, POTENTIALLY FEES TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS.
UM, AND THEN FINAL QUESTION IS ON THE, UH, SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS.
AND IT IS JUST, IT'S MENTIONED, UH, CLEANLINESS FOR, UH, FACIL CITY FACILITIES, PARKS, AND RESTROOMS, UM, AND, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS.
SO WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, UH, RENTING OUR FACILITIES MORE AS POTENTIAL REVENUE GENERATING.
SO IS THAT FALLING UNDER YOU AND YOUR BUDGET? YEAH, SO I MEAN, I'LL JUST, I'LL GIVE A A QUICK EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN PROGRAMMING AT THE MLK COMMUNITY, UH, CENTER, BECAUSE WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE LTO N REC CENTER THAT REQUIRES A MUCH HEAVIER AMOUNT OF, UH, CUSTODIAL, UH, PREP FOR THE RESTROOMS AND KEEPING THAT ROOM CLEAN BECAUSE IT'S GETTING HIGHER USE.
AND YES, IF YOU'RE GONNA RENT OUT FACILITIES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, IT WOULD BE OUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE STAFF, UM, PRIMARILY OUR CUSTODIANS THAT WOULD, WOULD SUPPORT, UH, TABLES, CHAIRS, SETUPS, TEAR DOWNS FOR THOSE EVENTS.
SO AGAIN, THAT WOULD CREATE MORE CAPACITY FOR US TO TAKE ON THESE ENHANCED SERVICES.
SO THEN WOULD THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, IF, IN ORDER TO DO, AND THIS IS MORE LATER DOWN IN OUR DISCUSSION, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES AND BRINGING EVENTS, UH, JOSE MENTIONED QUINCEANERA IS LIKE, LIKE PARTIES AND RENTING OUR FACILITIES FOR COMMUNITY, WOULD, WOULD THAT, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR MAKING MONEY AND FOR, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE RULES AND RESTRICTIONS.
IS THAT FALLING UNDER YOU? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PROPOSING THAT? YEAH, ACTUALLY.
SO THE USER FEES THAT YOU GUYS ADOPTED LAST NIGHT, AND IN THAT WHOLE SCHEDULE, UM, IF YOU'RE GONNA CREATE, UH, LOOK TO CREATE NEW FEES THROUGH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UH, THE INPUT COMES DIRECTLY FROM THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE STAFF THAT ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES.
AND THEN, AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING YOUR FULL COST RECOVERY FEE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, THE COUNCIL HAS THE, THE DECISION ON DO WE WANNA SUBSIDIZE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE MORE, UM, COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT BASED OR SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, SO YES, WE WOULD BE INVOLVED IN, IN ANYTHING THAT WOULD RELATE TO CUSTODIAL SERVICES, UM, OR SETUPS FOR AND TEAR DOWNS FOR EVENTS.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE YOU GET GOING WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RELEASE THE, UH, UM, INTERPRETER.
I'M GONNA RELEASE THE INTERPRETER.
CARLOS RE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY.
UH, THANK YOU, STEVE, UH, FOR YOUR CANDOR AND KIND OF INTRODUCING THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, THINKING OF OUR BUDGET AS AN ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK ALL OF US AT THE DIRECTOR LEVEL HAVE MADE, UH, CONCERTED EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE, UH, THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVE TO CREATE AN ENTERPRISE ECOSYSTEM.
I'VE SEEN IT FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT, FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES TO POLICE, TO, UH, TO EVERYONE JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN GET MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK.
AND, UM, SOME OF OUR REQUESTS, UH, SEEM DIFFERENT OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF CONTEXT, BUT THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THEY'RE WELL THOUGHT OUT AND IN AN APPROACH TO REALLY KIND OF LOOK AT, AT A LONGER TERM PLAN OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE CITY AND FOR
[01:40:01]
OPPORTUNITY AND FOR ITS ABSOLUTE NEEDS.UM, I CAN JUST POINT TO THE FACT THAT, UH, IN THE PICTURE THAT YOU HAVE, UH, BEFORE YOU ON THE SLIDE IS, UH, A PROPERTY THAT WE JUST PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY HOUSING WORKS TO DEVELOP, UH, 145 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH HAS A SENIOR CENTER AT THE GROUND FLOOR.
UH, AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, THE CITY IS NOT PAYING RENT ON THAT FACILITY.
WE ONLY ARE, UH, TO TAKE CARE OF THE INSIDE TENANT IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO USE THE STEVE RESOURCES TO PAINT THE OUTSIDE OR DEAL WITH THE OUT EXTERNAL, INCLUDING, UM, LANDSCAPING, ET CETERA.
SO WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT PARTNERSHIPS AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THE SAME IN OTHER AREAS WITH, WITH, UH, FACILITIES AND WITH PROGRAMS AND, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES.
EVERYTHING, UH, IS AN ECONOMIC ECOSYSTEM.
SO WHEN WE ASK FOR, UH, EXPANSION OF A POSITION TO DO, UH, PARKING ENFORCEMENT, IT'S NOT ONLY, UH, THE REVENUE THAT IS BEING GENERATED, UH, BY THAT PERSON, BUT IT'S ALSO THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO FREE UP A PARKING SPACE THAT ONE OF OUR BUSINESSES NEEDS THAT IS CREATING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BUSINESSES.
WHEN, UH, WE DEAL WITH THE PROPERTY SUCH AS THE ONE WE JUST CLOSED FOR, UH, THE, UH, CARMAX PROJECT, UH, THAT WAS SEVEN TO EIGHT ACRES THAT WE HAD TO MANAGE BOTH FROM, UH, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT TO POLICE, TO, UH, TO CLEAN UP ANYWHERE FROM A HUNDRED TO $150,000 A YEAR OF ATTENTION TO THE PROPERTY.
NOW THAT HAS BECOME A, A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND WILL INFUSE UPON DEVELOPMENT 1 MILLION TO $1.2 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE.
SO ALL OF THESE PIECES ARE KIND OF INEXTRICABLY LINKED.
AND SO AS, AS WE MAY NOT COVER EVERYTHING THAT THIS PROVIDES, BUT, UH, THE CONCEPT IS THAT THE CONCEPT IS REALLY HOW, HOW THESE ACTIVITIES WE DO NOT ONLY PROVIDE GRADE SERVICES, BUT ALSO PAY OFF IN THE FUTURE AND RELIEVE US OF THE BURDEN AND LIABILITY, ONGOING BURDEN AND LIABILITY.
UM, GOING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CONSISTING OF THE BUILDING DIVISION, WHICH IS, UH, BUILDING, UH, PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS, HOUSING AUTHORITY SECTION EIGHT HOUSING PROGRAMS, REAL ESTATE, AND A MISCELLANEOUS SORT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, FOR THE CITY UNDER THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, WHICH IS PROPERTY BASED.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIVISION, WHICH IS PARKING ENFORCEMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND HANDLES, UH, TEMPORARY USE PERMITS, AND OF COURSE, OUR PLANNING DIVISION DOING PLANNING, ADVANCED PLANNING, AND, UH, OUR, UH, CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, UH, REALLY THE GIST.
UM, AND THROUGH THE, THE SENSE OF FULL COST RECOVERY, WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT OUR BUDGETS TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHERE TO, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE TO TRIM, WHERE WE CAN, BUT WITHOUT HURTING OUR ABILITY TO PERFORM.
SO, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, WE'VE KIND OF FIGURED OUT OUR, UH, WE WENT OUT TO OUR FP WITH OUR, UM, OUR PLAN REVIEW CONTRACTS.
IT'S BENEFITED NOT ONLY BUILDING BUT FIRE BECAUSE WE COORDINATED THAT EFFORT.
UH, AND IN SO DOING, WE'RE SAVING ABOUT 200,000.
SO WE HAVE A $200,000 REDUCTION IN THAT BUDGET.
WE'RE TRYING TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY AND USE STAFF RESOURCES AS EFFECTIVELY AS WE CAN.
UH, WE'VE GOT A, A, A NEW SYSTEM, AN INSPECTION TRACKING SYSTEM THAT'S WORKED OUT GREAT.
IT SAVES US ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND THE, AND THE DESK TIME FOR INSPECTORS.
UH, WE'VE ASKED, UM, AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE LIST YOU, YOU RECEIVED, WE'VE ASKED FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING PAID THROUGH A CONTRACT THAT'S, UH, GONNA BE AN ONGOING, UH, SAVINGS ABOUT 35 TO 40% FOR THE CITY AND, UH, LABOR COSTS OR CONTRACT COSTS.
UH, AND WE CONTINUE TO STREAMLINE, UH, THE WAY WE RETAIN AND, AND PRODUCE PLANS LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES AND ELECTRONIC DELIVERY, ET CETERA.
UH, THE TEAM REALLY IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED HARD TO CREATE A VERY, UH, A GREAT SENSE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND BEING THERE FOR EVERY PROJECT.
UH, WE'RE NOW EXPLORING, UM, OPTIONS TO PROVIDE, UM, EXPEDITED SERVICES, UH, AND HOW WE COORDINATE, UH, AND, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT REALLY, UH, WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY, UM, FOR DEVELOPERS, TIME IS MONEY AND, UH, THE MORE WE, UH, WE HOLD ON TO THEIR PLAN SETS, THE, THE, THE LESS COMMUNICATE EFF EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION WE HAVE THE, UM, THE LESS OF A CHANCES FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR PROJECT INEFFICIENT.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY SENSITIVE
[01:45:01]
ABOUT THE TYPE OF RISK THEY'RE TAKING AND COMING INTO, UM, TO DEVELOPMENT.SO, UM, THAT COVERS BOTH BUILDING AND PLANNING.
UM, ON THE, ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES SIDE, AGAIN, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, UH, MAKE SURE WE, UH, LEVERAGE OUR EMPLOYEES FOR ALL THE PROGRAMS, UH, THAT THEY'RE NOW, UH, IN CHARGE OF WITH THE CITY COUNCIL IS, UH, HAS DIRECTED US TO, UH, DEVELOP A TOBACCO RE RETAIL LICENSE PROGRAM.
WE NEED SOME CAPACITY ON THE GROUND FLOOR FOR THAT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT TAKING A PART-TIME POSITION AND MAKING A FULL-TIME, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, OUT OF THAT.
UH, WITH REGARDS TO PARKING ENFORCEMENT, WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN UPCOMING PARKING DISTRICTS, AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CAPACITY, UH, TO PROVIDE MORE PARKING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, AND THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
SO IT, IT, IT, IT ALL, IT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
IT PAYS, UH, FOR ITSELF, UH, THROUGH REVENUE, THROUGH THE PARKING, UH, REVENUE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH GRANTS.
UM, THE, THE GENERAL FUND, UH, HAS NOT PAID ANY SIGNIFICANT PLANNING PROCESS.
WE'VE GONE OUT TO, UM, TO, UH, GRANTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UH, GENERAL FUND, THE, UH, GENERAL PLAN UPDATE THAT WE DID IN RECENT YEARS.
THAT WAS OVER 2.2 MILLION OF OUTSIDE MONIES THAT PAID FOR THAT ENTIRE PROCESS THIS YEAR.
THE HOUSING TEAM, UH, UH, WENT AFTER, UH, HOUSING GRANT THROUGH SANDAG, WHICH PAID FOR SETTING UP THE OWN NATIONAL CITY PROGRAM.
AND WE'VE LEARNED AN ABUNDANCE ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF OUR PROPERTIES AND HOW TO LEVERAGE THAT INTO THE UPCOMING RFP RESPONSE.
UM, WE, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, IS DOING WELL IN TERMS OF THE PROJECTS AND THE REVENUE THAT'S BUILT IN TO COME BACK TO IT.
SO MUCH SO THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE RELIEVING THIS.
THE GENERAL FUND OF OUR TWO, UM, UH, HOME TEAM OFFICERS, WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THERE'S FUNDING ON THE WAY TO PAY FOR THAT SIX TO 8 MILLION.
WE'RE DOING A WHOLE BUNCH OF PROGRAMMING AND BRINGING IN ALL KINDS OF MONEY TO THE CITY.
AND, UH, WE, THE, THE APPROPRIATE CAPACITY NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE.
I'M, I'M, I'M FORFEITING AN EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AS A CDS TWO, ALL OF THIS IS NOT FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND AND HAS PAID DIVIDENDS IN THE RECENT PAST.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UH, WE ALSO URGE, AND, UH, SCOTT WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF CREATING A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT, UH, ENTERPRISE FUND.
UH, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SPEND SOME DOLLARS TO, TO BE SMART ABOUT HOW WE MOVE, UH, CITY PROPERTIES FORWARD, THOSE THAT HAVE, UH, A LOT OF COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE IN HAND AND HOW THAT COULD BE LEVERAGED IN THE FUTURE.
I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
HOW ABOUT DON'T YOU DESCRIBE MORE ABOUT THIS STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT, SINCE YOU'RE ON A ROLL.
SO, UH, THE CITY HAS, UH, A, A NUMBER OF, OF, UH, COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, UH, UM, UH, EITHER THROUGH THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY, UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY BAY MARINA, BUT ALSO, UH, ALONG THE MILE OF CARS CORRIDOR, UH, WE CALL IT THE RCP BRICK SITE.
UH, THESE, THESE PROPERTIES, UH, COULD GENERATE, UH, SIGNIFICANT REVENUES TO THE CITY IF APPROPRIATELY DEVELOPED.
UH, WE'RE SITTING ON, ON A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CAMPUS HERE AT, UM, UH, AT CITY HALL WHERE WE MAY NEED TO CONSIDER KIND OF HOW TO REFRAME THIS.
IT'S DEFINITELY LIVED, UH, OUTLIVED ITS USEFUL LIFE, AND IT'S GETTING COSTLIER AND COSTLIER TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE IT.
AND SO IF WE'RE TO LOOK AT A, A FIVE YEAR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT A WAY TO CAPITALIZE IN THE SAME WAY THAT, UH, WE'VE DONE WITH, UH, HOUSING PROJECTS.
WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE, UH, AT CITY FACILITIES TO DO, UH, MORE THAN JUST, UM, OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ABOUT OTHER PROPERTIES WHERE, UM, WE COULD COLLABORATE AND POTENTIALLY CREATE FIRE FACILITIES, HOUSING AND OTHER OFFICE RETAIL SPACE, HOUSING, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT, UH, THE MIX COULD BE.
AND, AND KIND OF JOINTLY LOOK AT, UH, FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT, UH, WE NOT ONLY CREATE PRIVATE, UH, PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS, BUT WE ARE, UH, UH, RECEIVING RESIDUAL REVENUES FROM GROUND LEASES.
FOR INSTANCE, ON THE, UM, UH, ON THE, OUR PRO ON OUR PROPERTY, UH, WHERE WE DEVELOPED THE, UH, KIMBALL HIGHLAND PROJECT, THE KIMBALL HIGHLAND WEST PROJECT, IT'S NOT ONLY GONNA
[01:50:01]
PAY BACK THE LOAN THAT WE, UH, THAT WE PROVIDED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, APPROXIMATELY $11 MILLION, BUT THERE IS ALSO A GROUND LEASE OF $3 MILLION THAT'LL BE GIVEN RESIDUAL RECEIPTS TO, UH, THE CITY AND HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, OVER TIME.UH, SO WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN STRUCTURE, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PROPERTIES TO, TO MAXIMIZE THE USE.
AND WE, AND WE DON'T WANNA MISS OPPORTUNITIES BY ASSUMING THAT A CERTAIN TYPE OF LIMITED PRODUCT IS, UH, ABLE TO BE BUILT.
WE'VE GOTTA BE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT WHAT KIND OF COMBINATION OF USES AND FINANCING WE CAN USE, UH, ON, ON SITE, SUCH AS BAY MARINA, SO THAT, UH, THE CITY IS ABLE TO CAPITALIZE OVER TIME.
DOES THAT EXPLAIN IT, SCOTT? SO, SO IN, IN THIS AREA, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THIS EXPERTISE EMBEDDED IN STAFF.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME, BUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND IT JUST POPPED UP IN THIS SLIDE, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A SLIDE IN, IN MY AREA THAT ENUMERATED WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
BUT, UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A, UM, A SMALL AGREEMENT, WHICH WE'RE GONNA COME BACK LATER IF, IF WE HEAR CONSENSUS ON COUNCILS, UH, PART.
BUT WE, UM, WE HAVE HIRED, UM, LIGHTS, I THINK IT'S CALLED LIGHTHOUSE.
IT'S BASICALLY, UH, SEAN, UH, SUMNER, WHO IS THE PORTS REAL ESTATE, UM, VICE PRESIDENT, AND HE'S WORKING WITH US ON, UH, PORT PROPERTY ITEMS AS WELL AS CITY PROPERTY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING AN ASSET, UM, MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ALL CITY PROPERTIES AND TAKING IT FROM KIND OF THE CONVENTIONAL GOVERNMENT THOUGHT PROCESS TO MORE OF A, UH, BUSINESS MINDED PROCESS OF HOW TO, UH, UTILIZE OUR PROPERTIES.
WE'RE THE BIGGEST PROPERTY OWNER IN THE CITY.
UM, OUR PROPERTY IS SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERUTILIZED, BUT I DON'T MEAN TO SAY IT NEEDS TO BE OVERUTILIZED EITHER.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIND IS TO BRING FORWARD, UH, SOME MODELS AND CONCEPTS OF WHAT, UH, WOULD GENERATE REVENUE FOR US.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY TO KIND OF HELP US FRAME, OKAY, WHAT'S THE RIGHT FIT FOR NATIONAL CITY.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THIS IS SEED MONEY HERE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST WITH SEAN.
UH, WE USE COSMAL TO DEAL WITH THE PORT.
THEY ARE ALSO A FIRM THAT, UH, CAN DO A LOT OF, UM, INVESTMENT PROPERTY, UH, REFURBISHMENT PROPERTY, UH, TURNOVER, AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE NEED AS TOOLS TO EVALUATE OUR OWN PROPERTY.
AND SOME OF THAT WILL ALSO HELP US TO EVALUATE SOME OF OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS TO SEE WHAT THE RIGHT FIT IS, UH, IN TODAY'S ECONOMY TO GENERATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SOME WORK AND WE HAVE SOME DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE THE BEST DEVELOPMENT IN SAN DIEGO WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE IT DOWN PER CAPITA BETTER THAN ANY CITY I KNOW OF.
AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TAKE THAT SAME EXPERTISE, BUILD ON IT, AND START DOING IT FOR OUR OWN PROPERTY AND START DOING IT FOR MARKET RATE HOUSING AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE IDEA OF TRYING TO BUILD OUR WAY INTO, UH, REVITALIZING OUR COMMUNITY AND GENERATING REVENUE AND HOPEFULLY ENHANCING PROGRAMS OUT OF THAT.
SO, UM, AND THAT TAKES SOME WORK.
SO THIS IS THE WHAT, WHAT BOTH, UH, CARLOS AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WELL, WHAT'S THE SEED MONEY THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT TO GET IT ROLLING, TO BE ABLE TO BRING THE CONCEPTS TO YOU, UM, AND MAYBE EVEN A, A PROJECT OR TWO THAT, UH, WE CAN MODEL AND THIS IS THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR US ON THAT OR HIS BUDGET AREA, UH, WE'RE FREE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, CARLOS, FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, WE GO WITH YOUR FIRST, UM, UM, SLIDE, UM, UNDER BUILDING AND PLANNING GO.
SO, UM, I, I, I AM PLEASED TO SEE THOSE, UM, THE RESTRUCTURING THAT YOU ARE PLANNING TO, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
UM, I THINK TWO MEETINGS AGO, AND I, I SEE THIS BECAUSE, UM, IN THE PAST, UM,
[01:55:01]
REVENUE GENERATING PER DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU'RE ONE THAT GENERATES SOME MONEY, IF NOT A LOT, RIGHT? IN THE, IN THE REPORT IT SAYS YOU ARE GONNA GENERATE FOR THIS YEAR, 1.2, BUT REMEMBER, YOU CAME TO US AND APPROVED THREE CONTRACTORS, THREE CONSULTANTS.SO WE'RE UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND ALREADY.
OH, THAT'S JUST A NOT TO EXCEED.
UH, WE'RE, UH, SAVING SOME MONEY WITH THIS ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION, WHICH IS PAID FOR BY THAT 600,000 MM-HMM
SO IF WE'RE THINKING BIG, IF WE'RE GONNA GO AND DEVELOP A MARINA, IF WE'RE GONNA GO DEVELOP ALL THESE OTHER PROPERTIES, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME RECOURSE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE NEED TO PREPARE, SO WE NEED THE CONTRACTUAL CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THOSE BIGGER PROJECTS.
UM, WHEN YOU SAY IMPROVED SYSTEM TO HANDLE INSPECTION REQUESTS, IS THE, ARE THESE THE, UH, BUILDING INSPECTIONS THAT WE DO? UH, THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THEN, UH, FOR THE RE STREAMLINE RETENTION PROCESS FOR PLANS, THE QUICK TURNAROUND, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THIS STREAMLINE? YEAH, SO, UH, PART OF IT, UH, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TAKING AN IN-DEPTH APPROACH AS TO HOW PLANS COME THROUGH.
UH, NOT ONLY OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT HOW WE COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IT, BUT, UH, IT'S BASICALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN FAST TRACK THINGS AND HOW WE CAN, UH, MANAGE THE PROCESS SO WE DON'T LOSE COMMUNICATION, NOT ONLY BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO WITH, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT ENTITY.
'CAUSE A LOT OF STUFF, UH, MAY FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS, UH, CRACKS JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE WE'RE NOT ON BALL WITH, WITH THE PROJECT.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A SYSTEM, NOT ONLY AN EXPEDITE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS SO THAT, UM, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY AWARE OF, OF OUR, OUR, OF OUR PROJECT PIPELINE AND UNDERSTANDING THE TIMELINES FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
BECAUSE IT TRADITIONALLY, AND THIS IS NOT JUST PART OF WHAT WE DO, BUT WHAT DEFINITELY WHAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN MOST SITUATIONS IS THAT IT'S DEVELOPER DRIVEN.
SO IT'S WHENEVER THEY COME AND ASK QUESTIONS OR, OR, OR, OR, UM, OR, OR, OR COME TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THEIR PERMITS.
AND SO IF, IF THERE IS A WAY OR SYSTEMIC, UM, UH, APPROACH THAT WE CAN TAKE TO BE MORE PROACTIVE, TO STAY ON THE BALL, WHERE WHEN WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, YOU AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PROJECTS, AND ONCE WE ADDRESS THE ISSUE, IT JUST, IT KIND OF RELEASES A PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTA BE MORE AWARE OF WHERE PROJECTS ARE, WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE, AND BE ABLE TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME, UH, SYSTEMIC, UM, REVISIONS WE CAN MAKE AND SOME INTER DEPARTMENTAL CAPACITIES WE CAN BUILD SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE STREAMLINE THE PROJECTS APPROPRIATELY.
TWO YEARS AGO DURING THE STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING THAT WE HAD OVER AT THE LIBRARY, YEP.
UH, THE PERMIT, PERMIT PROCESS WAS ONE OF YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
AND SO, UM, IN THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD, UM, THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, I WOULD SAY DOWNSTAIRS TWO YEARS AGO, UM, WITH NO JAB IN ANYBODY, UH, THE FIRE AREA WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PLAN MOVER, UH, BUILDING AND PLANNING WAS UNDERSTAFFED, HAD A BUNCH OF ISSUES GOING ON IN ENGINEERING, AND STEVE'S PRESENTED TO YOU SOME IDEAS ABOUT, UH, HOW TO STEP UP A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ENGINEERING.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE AT A GOOD, WHAT I WOULD SAY, AVERAGE CITY PACE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THOUGH, IS GO BEYOND THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANNA DEVELOP HERE, OUR OWN, OUR OWN RESIDENTS SEE A QUICKER TURNAROUND TIME.
AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS IF WE DO GET MORE DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
UH, BIGGER DEVELOPMENT IS WAY MORE COMPLEX IF WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM IN PLACE.
AND SO STEVE'S TALKED ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM, SO WE CAN TRACK OUR TIME.
WE ALSO NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS ELECTRONICALLY TAKING ON PLANS.
UH, THE MARKET, UH, THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPS THEIR PLANS IN CAD,
[02:00:01]
IT'S ELECTRONIC DIGITAL FORMAT.UM, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT SOME OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN DOING FOR QUITE A WHILE IS TAKE THAT ON ELECTRONICALLY.
SO THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, UH, ADVANCE THE PROCESS AND MAKE IT QUICKER.
UM, IT WILL ALLOW US TO STORE INFORMATION MORE EFFECTIVELY.
RIGHT NOW, UH, WE TAKE IN PAPER PLANS, THEN WE HAVE TO GO AND GET 'EM DIGITIZED.
AND SO WE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD THE STAFF UP TO MEET CURRENT DEMAND AND BE HIGHLY EFFICIENT.
THEN SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE, UH, ENHANCE OUR, UM, DIGITAL PROCESS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.
AND, UM, BRUCE INDICATED, UH, PART OF THAT IS, IS HIS DEPARTMENT BRINGING ON THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE MUNI SYSTEM AND THE PLATFORMS THAT ALLOW US TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
UM, WHEN THOSE COME ON BOARD, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FREE UP TIME WHEN, UH, THINGS LIKE WHAT STEVE SAYS, IF WE'RE DOING IT IN PAPER, AND THEN IT'S GOTTA GO TO ANOTHER PERSON IN PAPER AND THEN IT GETS PUT IN THE SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I DID BACK IN THE NINETIES, YOU KNOW, SO WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THAT AND GET INTO THE MODERN DAY.
WE WANT TO TRY TO PUT AS MUCH OF OUR ACTIVITY OUT WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE USING IT, WHICH IS OUT ON THE INTERNET'S IN THE CLOUD, SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO IN THAT AREA THAT'S GONNA MAKE THINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY.
UH, WE'RE ALREADY IN THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE NEED TO GO FURTHER.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S JUST MY BUILDING ON WHAT YOU HEARD THERE.
I HEARD SOCIAL MEDIA
UM, DIRECTOR, YOU SAID HERE IN YOUR REPORT, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION, YOU'RE REQUESTING FOR A ONE 50, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW IT'S COSTING YOU MORE, YOU SAID BY HAVING A CONTRACT THROUGH THE CONTRACT.
SO DID YOU HAVE, UH, DID YOU HAVE A, UH, LIKE A COST ANALYSIS ON WHAT WILL BE ONE FDE AND WHAT, HOW MUCH WILL THAT IMPACT OUR CALPERS TOO? OKAY.
SO THAT, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S GOOD.
AND THEN I'M GONNA GO BACK TO DOWN TO YOUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES HOUSING.
YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO DO A FULL-TIME FOR ONE PART-TIME.
UM, YOU MEAN TOBACCO DISPOSITION, RIGHT? AND THAT WILL COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND, CORRECT, SIR? THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE OFFSET BY THE, UH, LICENSE REGISTRATION COSTS FROM THE TOBACCO RETAIL LICENSE PROGRAM.
SO IT'S GONNA BE COST NEUTRAL, BUDGET NEUTRAL? CORRECT.
UH, ONE PARKING ENFORCEMENT THAT WILL ALSO BE, UH, SUBSIDIZED BY YOUR, UH, PARKING NO SUBSIDY.
UH, THE, THE POSITION BEING CONSIDERED IS VERY EFFECTIVE.
IN FACT, IT, UH, IS PAYING, UH, FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS WHAT IT COST US TO RUN.
UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S REALLY ABOUT FOCUSING IN COMMERCIAL AREAS WHERE WE NEED THE PARKING MOST.
UH, WHICH IS THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND AROUND HIGHLAND, ET CETERA, WHERE BUSINESSES WILL BENEFIT FROM FREE, FROM FREE UP PARKING.
SO IS IT BUDGETED ALREADY, SIR? OR THIS IS NOT YET? NO, THIS IS WHY WE'RE ASKING TO, OKAY.
SO NOT YET, IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET YET.
WE, WE'VE GOT SOME UNDER THE PART-TIME BUDGET, BUT WE WANNA MAKE IT A FULL-TIME POSITION.
OH, THIS PARKING ENFORCEMENT, YOU HAVE A 0.5 ALREADY THAT'S BUDGETED, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO WE JUST NEED 0.5 HERE? CORRECT.
YEAH, I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW, SIR.
SO IT, THIS IS GOING TO, WILL THIS, WILL THIS POSITION BE SUBSIDIZED BY THE HOME TEAM BUDGET? UH, NO.
SO IT, THE POSITION I, UH, WE ARE, UH, WE, WE ARE PUTTING IT UNDER THE, UM, WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE HOUSING ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH IS 5 0 1 INSTEAD OF THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THIS YEAR WE'RE PUTTING THOSE TWO POSITIONS WITH, THEY'VE BEEN, OUR HOME TEAM HAS BEEN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE ON THE STREETS.
THIS YEAR WE'VE REDUCED HOMELESSNESS BY 20%.
I'M SURE YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE.
AND WE'RE NOT LIKE OTHER CITIES AT THE POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME ISSUES ON THE CALTRANS RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THAT'S BEYOND US.
BUT IN, IN, IN, IN, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A 20% REDUCTION.
[02:05:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RETAIN OUR TALENT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S WORKING OUT IN THAT WAY FOR US.SO THIS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ONE TO TWO, AND THE CDS TWO TO THREE WILL BE UNDER THIS STRATEGIC WILL GO, WILL, WILL GO INTO THAT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A HOME TEAM ANYMORE? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE UNDER THAT.
IT'LL STILL BE MANAGED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIVISION, UHHUH
BUT WE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL BE FUNDING THOSE POSITIONS.
AND THEN YOU'RE ASKING FOR SEED MONEY TWO 50 K FOR THIS? THAT IS CORRECT.
UH, YOU SAID THE, THE HOME TEAM? NO, YOU SAID, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS GOING TO BE FUNDING THAT POSITION, UM, CURRENTLY FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND, YEAH.
I WAS CONFUSING IT WITH APPLYING FOR THE SIX TO $8 MILLION ENCAMPMENT, RESOLUTE.
THAT'S THE RIGHT, SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THERE, THERE'S ADDITIONAL LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
WE'RE PROACTIVELY GOING AFTER FUNDING.
WE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THE FIRST ROUND, AND THIS MAY EVEN BRING ADMINISTRATIVE DOLLARS TO THE CITY WITH REGARDS TO, TO, UH, OPERATING THAT AS WELL AS, UH, BENEFITS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO, UH, WE, WE, WE, WE ARE MAKING THE COMMITMENT TO COVER IT, UH, THE HOME TEAM THIS YEAR AND RELIEVE THE GENERAL FUND, UH, ABOUT $250,000 OF, OF STAFF COST.
BUT WE WE'RE, WE'RE WELL AWARE WE'VE GOT ANOTHER OPIOID CONTRACT AND JUST A PLETHORA OF OTHER DIFFERENT HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES THAT ARE COMING UP THAT WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE ON.
UH, BUT THERE, WE WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE CAN, WE CAN OFFSET THE COST INTO THE FUTURE.
SO, SO THANK YOU, UH, CARLOS, AWESOME JOB.
AND, UM, ON THE CUTTING MEASURES, AND THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING ABOUT THE CONSULTANT BUDGET.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A LOT A LONG TIME, SO THANK YOU FOR RESPONSIVENESS THERE.
UM, ON THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FROM ONE TO TWO, I, I, I REALLY LIKE YOU BRINGING IT INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FUND.
WHAT, SO WHAT I'M JUST NOT, THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY NET IMPACT ON OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
SO, UM, YEAH, I IS THROUGH THIS BUDGET, IS THERE ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT ACTUALLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF HOME, UH, THE, THE HOME TEAM? BECAUSE I, I DO THINK THEY'VE BEEN REALLY EFFECTIVE.
UH, I'VE HEARD FROM A, A COUPLE OF CONSTITUENTS, SOME IDEAS ON MAYBE SOME EFFICIENCIES AND SOME IMPROVED COMMUNICATION AND ALL OF THAT I THINK IS SOME OPERATIONAL ISSUES THAT COULD BE WORKED OUT.
BUT OVERALL, I'VE HEARD THEY'VE DONE REALLY WELL.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OUR, THEY WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR POLICE, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, UH, UH, CHIEF FERNANDEZ, IF, IF YOU HAD, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE HOME TEAM OR THOUGHTS, BUT, UH, I, I WOULD THINK THAT ACTUALLY HELPS YOUR POLICE AND YOUR OFFICERS FOR SOME OF THE OVERTIME AND THE RESPONSES.
SO I, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, I KNOW WE HAVE TO BE BUDGET CONSCIOUS, BUT I WOULD ALSO BE OPEN TO EVEN, UM, ENHANCING THAT BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO THE HOME TEAM AND THEY'RE, I MEAN, THEY KIND OF, WITH THEIR, WITH THEIR TWO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE CASE LIKE SOCIAL WORKERS IN, IN CASEWORK.
AND I KNOW, LIKE, BECAUSE I HAVE THE SHELTER IN MY DISTRICT RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME.
SO THEY, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY ON TOP OF IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CARLOS OR YOU ALEX HAVE LIKE, UH, THOUGHTS ON THE HOME TEAM.
I THE CHIEF COMMON FIRST, AND THEN I'LL HAVE A FOLLOW UP COMMENT FOR THAT.
THE, UH, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE SOMETIMES HAVE WITH THEM IS IF THEY'RE GONNA GO INTO AN AREA WHERE IT, IT'S NOT A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE DO HAVE TO COMMIT POLICE OFFICERS TO, BUT YOU DO THAT PRETTY OFTEN, RIGHT? CORRECT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE, UH, CARLOS WAS GOING AFTER A REALLY, UH, REALLY COOL GRANT, AND HE COULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE ALSO WERE USING THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM TO DO THAT, ESPECIALLY IN CLEANUPS OR WHEN THEY WANTED TO TALK TO PEOPLE.
SO, UH, THEY OPEN UP AND THEY MAKE OUR OFFICERS MORE AVAILABLE TO HANDLE OTHER CALLS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE CASES.
SO IT DOES ALLOW OUR OFFICERS TO RESPOND TO OTHER CALLS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, WHAT WHAT WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER TIME IS WE'RE LEARNING TO STAY AWAY FROM THE DEEPER CASE MANAGEMENT.
THEY DO KIND OF, THEY, THEY DO SERVE A PURPOSE IN TERMS OF COORDINATING SERVICES COMING TO SITE.
BUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER TIME IS THAT WE'VE CREATED VERY STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN ACTUALLY DO THE DEEPER CASE MANAGEMENT.
NAMI HAS, UH, A GRANT, FOR INSTANCE, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE WORK WITH HAS A GRANT TO, THEY HAVE A MOBILE, UH, A MOBILE, UM, A STATION, A VAN FOR WHICH THEY CAN COORDINATE OUTREACH FOR,
[02:10:01]
AND THEY'VE GOT RESOURCES TO BEDS, ET CETERA.AND SO WE'RE LEARNING, UH, TO CAPITALIZE ON PARTNERSHIPS IN THE HOMELESS ARENA SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THE DIRECT WORK OF ACTUALLY CASE MANAGING AND DOING MORE OF THE COORDINATION BETWEEN PD OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND, AND LEVERAGING THEMSELVES TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
SO I, I, I THINK IT'S AN EVOLUTION AND WE'RE GETTING THERE.
AND THEN THE 250,000 FOR DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, THAT WAS GENERAL FUND, UH, THAT WOULD BE GENERAL FUND.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRACK OF THAT FUNDING.
WE EXPECT IT, UH, OVER TIME TO MAKE MONEY.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GONNA GET LOST IN A BLACK HOLE.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ACT ADEQUATE TRACK WHEN WE COMMIT MONIES AND WE'LL COME BACK TO REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND AS TO HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED AND WE'LL BE LEVERAGED AND WHAT THE, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, RETURN IS AND THE RISKS ARE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF COURSE.
SO, UH, OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME, ONE OR TWO YEARS, THIS 250,000, THIS COULD BE ONGOING AND DEPENDING ON HOW IT'S INVESTED, COULD BE REPLENISHED OR GROWN, ET CETERA.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SEED FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY START REALISTICALLY LOOKING AT, UH, PROJECTS ON OUR SITES.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR US TO HAVE, UH, THESE RE OR THE LAND RESOURCE AVAILABLE IF WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING AT A, A FULL SCOPE OF PROGRAM FOR EACH SITE.
WELL, I IS THE REASON I, I THINK THAT'S UP FRONT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE, WE NEED TO INVEST TO DO A BUNCH OF, UM, LIKE I SAID, THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THERE'S THINGS WE HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER, SOME OF WHICH WE'LL TRY TO DO AS MUCH IN-HOUSE, BUT TO GET THE EXPERTS TO WORK ON IT QUICK, EVERYTHING WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO EXPEDITE THIS BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN.
AND, AND I KNOW WE WANNA BE CAREFUL WITH CONSULTANTS.
I'M OPEN FOR CONSULTANTS ON MORE OF THIS KIND BECAUSE IT'S MORE ONE TIME.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TOO, 'CAUSE I'M SEEING SOME NODDING HEADS OF SUPPORT THAT, UM, AGAIN, WE HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER ABOUT ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE AND I WONDER IF THIS WOULD BE, OH, OKAY.
SO THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE USE ONE TIME FOR THIS NEXT YEAR AS A PILOT, UM, IN THE ECONOMIC, UM, FROM THE ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE INSTEAD OF THE GENERAL.
AND, AND A KEY POINT IS, WHETHER IT'S IN CLOSED SESSION OR OPEN SESSION IN TERMS OF REAL ESTATE NEGOTIATIONS, IS TO BRING YOU BACK THE DATA SO THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE INVESTMENT AND WE'RE NOT WASTING OPPORTUNITIES.
OKAY, MR. CHAIR, JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, DIRECTOR, CAN YOU MONETIZE THE ONE, UM, FTE FOR ADMIN ASSISTANT WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THIS ONE? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE COST NEUTRAL AS WELL FOR, OH NO, THE 0.5% FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
'CAUSE THE OTHER ONE IS COST NEUTRAL.
I, I ACTUALLY ECHO THE SAME SENTIMENTS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN ENTERPRISE FUND FOR PRE-DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT AMOUNT SHOULD BE HIGHER.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL PROVE THAT.
TWO 51ST AND THEN REPLENISH IT UPON SEEING RESULTS.
I CAN, CAN FEEL RON GRUMBLE AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
THE REASON I REASON I SAY THAT WE'RE MONEY TO SPEND EVERYWHERE WE HAVE IT MAYOR SAY, IS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE PRIVATE MARKET IS NOT, IT'S NOT INVESTING IN OUR CITY.
BUT, UM, ONE LONG-TERM INVESTMENT THAT SEEMS TO WORK OUT IN THIS COUNTRY IS REAL ESTATE AND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO IF WE, AND WE HAVE AN AGENCY RIGHT NEXT TO US CALLED THE PORT THAT SEEMS TO BE DOING EXCEEDINGLY WELL BY LEASING LAND.
UM, WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING.
SO I, I, I WOULD EVEN BE SUPPORTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER WAS MENTIONING TO ME, UTILIZING SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC CONTINGENCY RESERVE IN ORDER TO INVEST IN THIS MORE SO, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE INVESTING IN LAND THAT WILL BE, UH, DEVELOPING TO BRING IN REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
LET'S GO ON TO, UH, WE'RE INTO PAGE 26.
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I DIDN'T HAVE THE TUTORIAL FOR THE CLICKER.
I'M, I'M AN OLDER MODEL, SO JUST BEAR WITH ME.
WELL, WE'LL JUST, UH, UH, LESLIE IN PROGRESS.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I'D LIKE TO START OFF IF I COULD, I'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY FOR 13 MONTHS NOW.
I'M ONE OF YOUR INTERIM, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR.
THE OTHER ONE, TRACY LAMB, IS ON THE EAST COAST RIGHT NOW.
AND I, I'M GONNA SEND HIM A THANK YOU CARD FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ONE MORE TIME IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
SO, UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT
[02:15:01]
HEADS AND TO SCOTT FOR THE TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE.THESE FOLKS ARE FOCUSED, PASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND REALLY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO TRY TO HELP EACH ONE OF US BE SUCCESSFUL.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'VE REALLY NEEDED HELP WITH.
'CAUSE I'M THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK AND EVERYBODY'S PUT THEIR HAND UP WHEN I'VE ASKED FOR IT.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, WE'VE, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LISTENING TO THE TEAM 'CAUSE COMMUNICATION'S THE KEY.
AND SO OUR FRONTLINE FOLKS, AGAIN, I USE THE WORD PASSIONATE, BUT IT, IT IS, IT'S EVERYBODY I'VE INTERACTED WITH HAS, HAS REALLY FOCUSED ON TRYING TO DO THE BEST JOB THEY CAN TO PROVIDE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS MADE UP THE, OF THE RECREATIONAL SIDE, WHICH IS BASICALLY YOUTH PROGRAMMING, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS, SPECIAL INTEREST CLASSES, SENIOR SERVICES, UH, IS, WE'VE GOT A DYNAMO WHO'S REALLY RIPPING THE COVER OFF IT.
AND SHE'S BEEN VERY VERSATILE IN WHAT SHE'S HAD TO DO TO MAKE THINGS WORK FOR THE SENIORS.
THE NUTRITION CENTER, THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING ENTITY IN ITSELF.
AND WE'RE GOT SOME INFORMATION, SOME FUTURE SLIDES FOR YOU.
AND THEN FACILITY RENTALS, IT WAS MENTIONED BY STEVE EARLIER THAT WE ARE REALLY WANTING TO LOOK AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS AS FAR AS WHAT OUR FLEXIBILITY IS GOING FORWARD AND BEING ABLE TO OFFER, UM, RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE OF A DIVERSE CROWD AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE JUST, UH, PUBLIC EVENTS, BUT PRIVATE EVENTS.
ALSO, I THINK WE'RE LEAVING A LOT OF REVENUE ON THE TABLE THAT WE COULD USE TO HELP, UM, MAXIMIZE OUR, OUR RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING.
UH, SO THE, THE THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE, I'M LISTENING TO OUR FRONTLINE FOLKS AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY DRILLING DOWN AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE OFFERING AND, AND THE FEES THAT WE'RE CHARGING.
I KNOW YOU JUST APPROVED THE FEE SCHEDULE FOR THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, BECAUSE COMMUNITY SERVICES IS VERY FRIENDLY, UH, AS WHEN IT COMES TO FEES.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN FRIENDLY IN THE FACT THAT WE REALLY DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING.
AND OF COURSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S LOOKING FOR.
AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT THROUGH THE SURVEYS THAT WE TAKE AND ACCESSING SOCIAL MEDIA MORE, UH, AND JUST TRYING TO BE BETTER PARTNERS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LOOK AT GENERATING, AGAIN, MORE FUNDS TO ENHANCE THE TYPES OF, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT WE'RE SERVING.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS SUPER IMPORTANT IS, IS THE INCREASING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I, I THINK THAT WE'VE, I THINK THAT WE AREN'T EXPANDING ENOUGH.
I THINK WE'VE SILOED UP A LITTLE BIT AND WE NEED TO REALLY START TO BRIDGE THAT GAP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, NATIONAL CITY SWEETWATER, WITH OUR SERVICE GROUPS, OUR ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WHETHER IT'S A SERVICE ORGANIZATION LIKE THE LIONS CLUB AND, UH, KIWANIS OR ROTARY AND ALSO OUR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE DUPLICATING THAT I THINK THAT IF WE WORK COLLECTIVELY, THERE'S PLENTY OF PIE TO GO OUT THERE TO TRY TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE REALLY SUPER EXCITING THING THAT I THINK IS, UH, RIGHT HERE BEFORE YOU HEAR COMING IN JULY IS THE OPENING OF THE NEW SENIOR CENTER.
SO, JULY BEING A DARK MONTH FOR YOU, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT THIS OPENING AND CELEBRATE US GOING FORWARD IN THIS NEW FACILITY AND OFFERING, UH, SENIOR SERVICE PROGRAMMING.
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE THROES OF IT AS FAR AS THE HIRING AND RETENTION OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE, THE, THE TEAM IS REALLY SCRAMBLING.
WE, WE WE'RE HAVING A CHALLENGING TIME 'CAUSE WE'RE BASICALLY WORKING IN A MARKET RIGHT NOW WHERE TACO BELL'S PLAYING $22 AN HOUR FOR A FRONTLINE AND SERVICE WORKER.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK LYDIA AND HER TEAM ALSO.
THEY'VE BEEN SUPER IN TRYING TO HELP EXPEDITE THE HIRING PROCESS FOR US, WHICH THE SOONER WE CAN GET PEOPLE HIRED AND ONBOARD, UH, THE SOONER WE CAN START EXPANDING AND GETTING READY FOR THE, THE SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
SO I, I MENTIONED RE REDUCING THE, UM, DUPLICATION OF SERVICES, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
UH, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING AND SEEING WHAT THEY DO THERE, THEY BASICALLY OFFER FREE SUMMER PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS FIVE TO 12.
UH, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE MISSING THE MARK THERE.
I THINK THERE'S SOME, WE SHOULD BE EXPANDING AND LOOKING AT, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE ASPECT OF AGE.
AND THAT IS THE 12 TO 18 YEARS OF AGE
[02:20:01]
AND ENGAGING THOSE FOLKS IN, IN MORE SUMMER CAMPS OR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THINGS WITH RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING.WE'RE ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT, WHEN WE OPEN OUR FACILITIES FOR OUR SPECIAL INTEREST CLASSES IN THE MORNINGS.
'CAUSE PRELIMINARILY DURING THE SCHOOL, DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE, WE DON'T OPEN THE FACILITIES TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE DO HAVE SPECIAL INTEREST CLASSES GOING ON, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE SPECIAL INTERESTS.
SO WE'RE EXPANDING THE CAPACITY OF, AND THE ABILITY TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE'RE CONTINUING TO, UM, APPLY FOR GRANTS, UH, TO TRY TO OFFSET SOME OF OUR EXPENSES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT ENHANCING OUR OTHER PROGRAMMING TOO.
AND, AND THERE ARE SO MANY TOOLS OUT THERE THAT I'VE HAD SOME POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WITH.
AND IT'S ALSO ON THE, UM, ON THE HEALTH SERVICE SIDE, KAISER PERMANENTE SCRIPTS SHARP, THOSE FOLKS HAVE THESE GRANT POTENTIAL PRO, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE CAN ACCESS.
AGAIN, IT DOES TAKE SOMEBODY TO WRITE THESE GRANTS.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT THERE'S, UH, SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, UH, UTILIZING SOME OF THE, UH, STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE WITH, UH, COLLABORATION WITH SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND ALSO, UM, LIKE THE, UH, SAN DIEGO COUNTY COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT, I THINK, UH, I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD SHOT AT OF, WE WEREN'T AWARDED THE LAST PAST TWO YEARS.
I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SHOT OF IT THIS YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHO, UH, FILLS THAT SEAT.
AND THEN, UH, IT WAS TALKED ABOUT, AND I MENTIONED IT AT THE BEGINNING OF MY PRESENTATION, WE ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THE WORDING AND THE AVAILABILITY OF POLICIES 8 0 1 AND 8 0 3 TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PRIVATE EVENTS AT OUR RECREATION FACILITIES.
AND THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY IT, IT INCLUDES EVERY FACILITY THAT WE HAVE CAPACITY TO NOW THAT ARE OPEN.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE CONCESSION AGREEMENTS, AND I KNOW YOU APPROVED A FEE FOR THAT LAST NIGHT, BUT, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER ACTUALLY MENTIONED THIS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE CREATING AN EVENT, A WEEKEND EVENT THAT HAPPENS RIGHT HERE AT THE CIVIC CENTER WHERE ALL THAT PARKING IS.
AND MAYBE WE HAVE A A, A FARMER'S MARKET AND THEN WE HAVE VENT FOOD VENDORS THERE.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, CREATING COLLABORATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND TRY TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO DEVELOP INTEREST IN THAT.
AND AGAIN, GENERATING MORE REVENUE.
AND THEN AGAIN, UH, THE SPECIAL INTEREST CLASSES THAT, UH, I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS ALSO MENTIONED.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE A, A PROGRAM THAT'S BEING OFFERED BY SOMEBODY THAT SPECIALIZES IN DOING THAT.
THEY PAY US A FEE AND THEY'RE JUST UTILIZING SQUARE FOOTAGE OF OUR FACILITY.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S PRETTY FINANCIALLY USER FRIENDLY.
SO CURRENTLY THIS JUST KEEPS GROWING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER IT'S GONNA BE TO BE SUSTAINABLE GIVEN THE CURRENT I I'M SORRY, BUCK, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE MIC? SURE.
UM, TRAIN OF THOUGHT, SENIOR MOMENT.
SO
AND WE'RE SERVING ABOUT 80 ON AVERAGE DAILY HOME DELIVERY MEALS.
UM, THE COST PER MEAL IS 12 TO $15, WHICH IS REIMBURSABLE BY THE COUNTY FOR $7.
UM, AND THEN THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE HOME DELIVERY MEAL 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST DOING THAT NOW OUT OF MONIES FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND THE, UH, KIMBALL MORGAN TOWERS FEES.
SO WE, THE, THESE, THIS IS THE DEMOGRAPHIC OR THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE GEOGRAPHIC NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SERVING CURRENTLY.
AND UH, ALSO INCLUDES THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
53.7% AS NATIONAL CITY RESIDENTS.
SAN DIEGO, CHULA VISTA, SAN STO, AND SPRING VALLEY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU WHY THAT IS, IS BECAUSE STAFF DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB.
IT'S A GREAT MEAL AND PEOPLE, UH, COME HERE BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD.
UH, AND IT'S BASICALLY, WE ASK FOR A DONATION.
IF YOU'RE 60 OR OLDER, WE ASK FOR A DONATION OF THREE 50.
[02:25:01]
7% OF THAT THREE 50, AND THE NONS SENIORS ARE PAYING $6.SO WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE'RE, WE'RE EVALUATING AND TRYING, GOING TO BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ON WHAT WE THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD TO SERVE THE CITIZENS HERE, THE NATIONAL CITY CUSTOMERS, CITIZENS, AND, AND, AND BE CONSISTENT IN WHAT WE'RE OFFERING AS FAR AS THE PRODUCT THAT WE, UH, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY OFFERING.
SO, AND WITH THAT, YEAH, IF I CAN ADD SOME TO THAT.
SO LOOKING AT THE, THE RECREATIONAL, UH, COMPONENT, AND I THINK BUCK MENTIONED THIS, I RECENTLY WENT ON A TOUR WITH, UH, WITH OUR GREAT SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT STAFF.
AND I, I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE ALL THE FACILITIES, BUT I, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SUPERVISORY POSITIONS AND WE LOOK AT GROWTH AND WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, WE NEED, WE NEED TO COLLABORATE MORE, UM, WITH THE SCHOOL AND TRYING TO UTILIZE OTHER FACILITIES THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO US.
AND THERE, THERE IS GONNA BE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF DUPLICATION BECAUSE THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME KIDS THAT DON'T FIT IN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. AND, UM, BUT WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO EVALUATE THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
I KNOW THE STAFF THAT'S WORKED THERE FOR YEARS KNOWS THEY KNOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM REALLY WELL.
AND, AND I TRUST IN THE FEEDBACK THAT I, I GOT FROM 'EM.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS WHERE ARE WE GOING, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT WE DO TODAY, I THINK WE DO WELL, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO MORE? AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, TO PUSH, UM, MAYBE THE BOUNDARY AND, UH, IN THE RECREATIONAL AREA.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO COLLABORATE MORE WITH OUR OTHER PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I, I LOOK AT THE CITY AS BEING THE CONDUIT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT ALL RECREATION, WHETHER OR NOT WE PROVIDE IT.
UM, BUT WE SHOULD BE THE CONDUIT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO NOT JUST PARTICIPATE IN OUR AREAS, BUT IN SOME OF THE OTHER ONES AND BENEFIT FROM, UM, AND THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
AND THE SCHOOL PRE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE.
UM, I THINK THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE OTHER SUPERVISORY RESOURCES, WE HAVE A OPEN DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION.
UM, PART OF THIS IS HAVING CONSISTENT MANAGEMENT.
AND IN ORDER FOR A PROGRAM TO HAVE THE FULL BENEFIT OF WHAT WE CAN DO, IT'S PUTTING CONSISTENT MANAGEMENT OVER THAT DEPARTMENT WHO HAS A RECREATIONAL BACKGROUND.
UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I NOTICED TWO YEARS AGO, AND IT'S, IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE.
THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF RE REVOLVING DOORS AND NO, NO OFFENSE TO BUCK AND TRACY.
UM, BUT WE'RE IN THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO TRY TO GET A DEPARTMENT HEAD IN HERE, GO THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS, AND THEN REALLY HAVE THEM WORK, UH, WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN HERE.
UM, LIKE I SAID ON THE TOUR, HEARD A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS FROM THE OTHER TEAM MEMBERS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN HERE.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE FACILITIES THAT ARE, TO WHAT STEVE WAS SAYING, WE HAVE SOME FACILITIES THAT NEED SOME LOVE AND CARE AND, UM, SO THEY'RE WORKING IN CONDITIONS THAT AREN'T OPTIMUM.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS IN THOSE CONDITIONS.
AND SO THERE'S AN EFFORT THAT WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, AND PART OF THAT'S GOTTA BE THE VISION THAT WE BRING BACK TO YOU.
HERE'S HOW THESE RESOURCES THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, UH, ARE GONNA HELP SUPPORT THAT.
AND IF WE NEED OTHERS, UH, HOW TO GO ABOUT IT.
UM, WE DON'T CHARGE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT RECOUPING OUR COSTS IN THIS AREA.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD, BUT IT IS AN AREA WHERE IT WOULD BE NICER TO BE ABLE TO FREE UP SOME OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO EVERYONE IN THE TOUR, UH, WAS HANDS DOWN.
WE CAN OPTIMIZE OUR FACILITIES BETTER.
UH, THE RENTAL ID CAME FROM THEM.
UH, THEY'RE TRYING TO USE MLK AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, BUT WE HAVE THESE TWO POLICIES THAT ARE LISTED IN YOUR, UH, OUTLINE THAT, UH, REALLY RESTRAIN OUR ABILITY, UH, TO USE THE FACILITY.
NOW, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU GO TO DOING MORE PRIVATE RENTALS, THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT THE CONDITION WEAR AND TEAR ON
[02:30:01]
THE FACILITIES.AND I THINK OUR, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS TO THAT IS THAT WE GEAR THE FEES AROUND THE PROTECTION OF THE FACILITY, UH, THE CLEANING OF IT, THE RESTORATION, IF IT'S NEEDED, WE CHARGE A DEPOSIT.
AND THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHER, UH, CITIES DO WHEN THEY HAVE, UH, RENTAL FACILITIES.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE THE POLICY RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT WE'RE ASKING YOU, UM, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, WE'LL BRING IT BACK, REVISIT THE POLICY AND HAVE SOME DIALOGUE ON THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CITY MANAGER.
AND THANK YOU BUCK, UH, REGARDING THAT LAST COMMENT YOU JUST MADE, UH, REGARDING THE POLICY ONE, OH, UH, 8 0 1 AND 8 0 3.
UM, I AM INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT COME BACK.
UH, I AM IN FAVOR OF, UM, RELAXING MAYBE SOME OF THE PROVISIONS IN THESE POLICIES THAT AREN'T ALLOWING US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN FOR, UM, UPDATING FACILITY RENTALS.
UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU THINK THAT THAT MIGHT, UH, GET IMPLEMENTED? HOW QUICKLY CAN WE BRING IT BACK TO YOU? OH, I CAN BRING IT BACK NEXT MEETING, UPDATE THE POLICY, AND THEN, UH, START ADVERTISING THAT WE CAN RENT OUT THESE FACILITIES.
I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE THE RESOURCES ON THE STAFF, AND THEN AGAIN, WE NEED TO BRING ON THESE OTHER POSITIONS YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT I THINK, UM, MY SENSE IS THAT THEY WOULD BE RUNNING AT THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, BE DOING IT AS AS SOON AS WE CAN.
UM, THE FAC THE FACILITY OR THE, THE USER FEES THAT WE APPROVED LAST NIGHT ARE THE, ARE THE, THE FACILITIES THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT HERE, I'M SORRY, THE FEES WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT HERE IN THAT LIST THAT WE JUST APPROVED LAST NIGHT.
UM, THERE, MY UNDERSTANDING THERE WAS SOME OF THOSE IN THERE, BUT I THINK WE WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER REVISIT OF THAT AT THAT.
UM, BUT THERE DEFINITELY WAS AN INCREASE IN RENTAL FACILITIES IN THERE.
SO I, I DID SEE THAT MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS DID NOT SEE A CHANGE IN THE FEE, BUT THE RENTAL FACILITIES WERE LISTED IN THERE.
UM, I JUST DON'T, AS I'M SITTING HERE, I WASN'T A PART OF THAT.
BUT I KNOW, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE OUR STAFF WAS FULLY ENGAGED IN THAT AND UNDERSTANDING THE FULL, UH, COST RECOVERY AND INCLUDING STEVE AND HIS STAFF.
YEAH, JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS IS THAT, UH, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENTING FACILITIES, UM, AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENTING 'EM AND THE, THE CONCEPT OF HAVING HAVE, HAVE A FEE, WHICH IS PAYING FOR THE SERVICES.
AND SO IF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HAVING OVERTIME FOR JANITORS AND EVERYTHING, AND WE'RE COVERING THAT COST, WE'RE NOT REALLY MAKING, THERE, THERE'S NOT ANY MONEY BEING MADE INTO THE BUDGET BECAUSE YOU'RE COSTING YOU EXTRA MONEY THAT YOU WEREN'T SPENDING BEFORE, AND YOU'RE JUST RECOUPING THAT COST.
SO IT, IT CAN BE REVENUE NEUTRAL IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT.
AND THE OTHER THING BEING, IF YOU'VE ALSO THEN REALIZING A LOT OF THE, THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US BEFORE AND ASKING TO RENT FACILITIES ARE, WELL, WE'VE GOT A FUNDRAISER FOR A YOUTH PROGRAM, AND IF YOU CHARGE US, THEN WE WON'T HAVE MONEY FOR THE KIDS.
SO THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DON'T CHARGE 'EM FOR THE, FOR THE RENTAL.
WELL THEN ONCE AGAIN, IT'S JUST THE COST AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ADDITIONAL COST.
AND THEN IT'S, IT'S NOT NO LONGER A REVENUE GENERATOR.
AND, UM, SO I, I THINK WE HAVE TO RIGHT, LIKE THE FIREWORKS, HUH? YEAH.
LIKE THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS.
AND THEN ALSO THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE HAD ALSO DEALS ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, SO AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I CAN JUST SAY THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL, UH, BUT SO AND SO, UH, UH, PASSED AWAY.
UH, MY, YOU KNOW, MY, MY FATHER, MY GRANDFATHER, WHATEVER, HE WAS A GREAT PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEREFORE, WE NEED TO HAVE THE FUNERAL SERVICES THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T PAY FOR IT, YOU KNOW? AND SO, ONCE AGAIN, SO WE START DROPPING ALL COSTS.
AND SO THERE CAN BE, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS CAN COME UP.
AND SO REALIZING IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENTAL, THEN WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT RENTAL AS A BUSINESS AND, UH, UH, TO LOOK AT IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
JUST TO DEAL ALSO ON THE, I WOULD JUST SAY MAYOR TO THAT.
AND, AND THERE'S INSTANCES WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A PUBLIC GOOD, LIKE, SO IF IT'S ATTRACTING A, A LOT OF PEOPLE, SO THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS FOR EXAMPLE, THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT THAT'S AN INVESTMENT BECAUSE IT ATTRACTS PEOPLE AND PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MONEY IN THE CITY.
SO I THINK THAT VERSUS LIKE, YEAH, SOMETHING, A FUNERAL IS LIKE MORE OF A PRIVATE EVENT AND THERE'S FUNERAL HOMES.
SO THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T, BUT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALREADY DOING WITH THE FIREWORKS.
SO, UH, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING BEING, TALKING ABOUT WITH THE, UH, NUTRITION CENTER, YEAH, IT, I MEAN, IS IS A GREAT DEAL.
AND I SEE YOU SEE YOUR NUMBERS UP THERE.
AND, UH, I KNOW I TALKED WITH A GENTLEMAN OVER THERE, UH, RECENTLY AND, UH, AND HE WAS JUST THANKING US.
'CAUSE HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, FIVE DAYS A
[02:35:01]
WEEK I COME HERE FROM MY HOME IN POINT LOMA, UH, BECAUSE THE FOOD IS REALLY GOOD HERE.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO HE TRAVELS ALL THE WAY FROM POINT LOMA.
HE SPENDS MORE ON GAS THAN, THAN HE PAYS FOR THE MEAL, THAT'S FOR SURE.
BUT, UH, UH, I HAD, UH, ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT I SAW HIM GETTING OUT OF THEIR CAR, AND WHEN THEY GOT OUTTA THE CAR, THEY OPENED THEIR BACK SEAT AND TOOK THEIR GOLF CLUBS OUTTA THE BACKSEAT AND PUT IN THE TRUNK.
SO I WOULDN'T JUST START TALKING WITH HIM, HEY, WHERE DO YOU GOLF ACT LIKE I WAS A GOLFER AND I DON'T GOLF.
BUT, UH, HE WAS SAYING, YEAH, HE MAKES IT, HE TRIES TO MAKE IT AT LEAST THREE OUT, UH, THREE DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK AT, AT THE, UH, CORONADO GOLF COURSE AND BEFORE HE COMES OVER HERE.
SO, I MEAN, SO PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER AND, UH, AND IT'S NOT, SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE OF NEED AND OTHER TIMES IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A PREFERENCE BECAUSE WE DO A GREAT JOB THERE.
UM, I THINK VICE IS SOME MORE, OKAY, YOU'RE DONE.
VICE, WERE YOU DONE OR THOSE? OH, JUST ON THE NUTRITION.
SO YEAH, IT, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
UM, I THINK WE CAN EVEN MAYBE EXPLORE SOME PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITH OUR LOCAL NONPROFITS LIKE, UM, ALL OF GARDENS, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME POTENTIAL MUTUAL BENEFIT THERE.
UM, BUT I'LL I'LL SAY TOO PART, UH, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE ABOUT DISCUSSING PERSONNEL ISSUES, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PERSONNEL ISSUES AND OPERATIONAL INEFFICIENCIES, I'LL SAY.
AND THAT BLEEDS INTO THE BUDGET.
THAT BLEEDS INTO A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES THAT END UP, LIKE, END UP BEING A COST.
SO, UH, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY WITHOUT, YOU DON'T NEED TO NECESSARILY RESPOND.
STAFF DOESN'T NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT.
I GUESS IT'S MORE OF A CITY MANAGER THING.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, SO THAT, THAT I THINK IS AN AREA THAT I THINK IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO, UH, IMPROVING.
BUT I THINK THAT CAUSES SOME IN INEFFICIENCIES TOO, UM, IS JUST SOME, SOME KIND OF MANAGEMENT, UH, CHALLENGES THERE.
OTHER, OTHERWISE IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
I, I THINK MAYBE THERE'S POTENTIAL TO INCREASE THESE, THESE DONATIONS OR THESE, UH, REQUESTED DONATIONS.
I MAYBE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THE SENIORS AND LET THEM KNOW, HEY, THIS IS A BUDGET LOSS FOR US.
WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU GUYS MIND DONATING YOUR TIME OR, UH, UH, RESOURCES TO HELP US RAISE MONEY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I, I, I JUST TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE OF, OF THE BOX.
'CAUSE IT IS A GOOD, I, IT'S, IT IS REALLY POPULAR, A GOOD SERVICE, AND IT, AND IT HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN NEED.
THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE FOLKS THAT TAKE IT ADVANTAGE.
SO IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UH, HOLD, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE OR PUT SOME PARAMETERS THERE, I, I DON'T HONESTLY KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY THOUGHTS WITH THAT.
SCOTT, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT? WELL, UM, I, I AM, UM, THIS IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE FOR ME PERSONALLY.
UM, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT IT'S, IT IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
IT'S A GREAT THING TO BE ABLE TO FEED, FEED PEOPLE.
UM, I THINK OUR FOCUS OUGHT TO BE ON THE PEOPLE IN NATIONAL CITY.
UM, I THINK THE COUNTY, UH, BY TAKING THE COUNTY'S MONEY, WE'RE STRAPPED WITH A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS THAT, UH, MAKE IT PROBLEMATIC FOR US.
UH, IT, IT, AGAIN, IT'S A GREAT THING TO SERVE THOSE OTHER 46.3%, UH, OF THE MEALS TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OUR COMMUNITY, UH, MANY OF WHICH ARE COMING FROM COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A LOT MORE RESOURCES THAN WE DO.
UM, SO IT'D BE NICE TO GET FUNDING, UH, TO HELP SUPPORT THAT.
UM, CANDIDLY, I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO FEED THE PEOPLE IN NATIONAL CITY, AND, UH, I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE FOCUSED ON THAT, DO THAT PROGRAM REALLY GOOD.
UH, BECAUSE ONE OF THE OPTIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, AND IT, IT'S LIKE WHERE DO WE, WHERE DO WE CUT TO SAVE MM-HMM
AND THE, THE MEALS, OUR MEALS ON WHEELS GO TO OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, AND IT COMPETES, WE HAVE A BETTER PRODUCT, A BETTER FOOD, THAT THAT'S WHY, UH, MEALS ON WHEELS DOESN'T GET THE SERVICE AS OURS DOES 'CAUSE OUR FOOD'S BETTER.
UM, BUT THE STILL, THE 46%, UM, IT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT MONEY FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
OTHERWISE, I, I WOULD TELL YOU, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SERVING ONLY OUR COMMUNITY AND REDUCING IT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A TOUGH THING 'CAUSE UH, I'M SURE THERE'S PEOPLE IN NEED, THEY'RE COMING TO US, UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO IN A VERY STRAPPED FINANCIAL SITUATION.
SO LONG TERM, THIS REALLY ISN'T SUSTAINABLE UNLESS WE GET MORE RESOURCES IN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ONE IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE, UH, FOCUS OUR PROGRAM AROUND NATIONAL CITY AND SAY GOODBYE TO THE 300 AND, UH, 80, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS? UH, FRANKLY, IF YOU REDUCE THE TOTAL COST BY 46%,
[02:40:01]
WE CAN FUND THAT BETWEEN THE COMMITMENT FROM OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW AND THE TOWERS.SO SOME OF THAT'S LIKE, DO WE REALLY WANNA DO THAT? SO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW IS EXPLORING THESE OPTIONS.
TONIGHT WAS ABOUT LETTING YOU KNOW WHO'S USING IT, HOW IT'S WORKING, AND, UM, AND THEN GETTING WHATEVER GOOD FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE FOR US SO WE CAN CONTINUE.
AND SCOTT, I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT WE MISSED OUT ON SOME POTENTIAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PAST, WHICH ALSO SPEAKS TO THE POTENTIAL MANAGEMENT OR COMMUNICATION ISSUES.
SO AGAIN, NOT POINTING THE FINGER THERE, BUT I, I, I THINK WE ALSO HAVE BEEN LACKING IN DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE ON THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE COUNTY AND RECUPERATING THAT MONEY.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT PAGE, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE ON THAT TOPIC, IT'S ON THE SEPARATE, IT'S ON THE BIG ONE.
UM, SO, UH, I AGREE WITH, WITH THE SENTIMENT OR THE COMMENT THAT, UH, FOR OF THAT 46%, BUT LET'S REVISIT THAT GRANT, HOW RESTRICTIVE IT IS IF WE HAVE TO FEED EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHER.
UM, OR WE CAN JUST HAVE OUR, UM, NATIONAL CITY.
SO I'LL GO FIRST TO WHAT IS CONFUSING TO ME, BECAUSE THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM VICE MAYOR EARLIER WHO TAKES CARE OF THE FACILITY WHEN IT'S BEING RENTED PUBLIC WORK SAID THEY ARE, BUT THEN I SEE IT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO LAST YEAR WE HAD, TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I CAME ON IN 23, THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PREPARES AND, AND THEN THEY CAN HANDLE THOSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY I CAME BACK HERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S REDUNDANT IF, IF THEY'RE TRYING TO REPAIR, MANAGE AND, UM, STRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, THEY SHOULD HANDLE THAT FACILITY SERVICES OR FACILITY RENTALS, JUST LIKE HOW IT WAS ANSWERED EARLIER THROUGH THE VICE MAYOR'S QUESTION.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT YOU, THAT YOU'LL HAVE TO REVISIT MR. CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN I'LL GO TO THE CURRENT PRIORITIES AND MAJOR INITIATIVES.
I THINK WE DID THAT THROUGH THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM EACH DEPARTMENT.
UM, UH, THE, UH, HIGHER END RETENTION OF PART-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET, THE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MONETIZED, PLEASE, MR. CITY MANAGER.
UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE RETURN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RETURN TO THE, THE, UM, THE, THE SUMMARY OF ALL WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, UM, REDUCED APPLICATION OF SERVICES, I THINK THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
THE RENTAL FACILITY SHOULD GO TO PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, ANALYZE PEAK USAGE AND DATA STAFFING COSTS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW BASED ON THE DATA THAT I SEE HERE.
THE GRANT APPLICATION NEEDS TO BE REVISITED BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW RESTRICTIVE THEY ARE BASED ON WHO AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO SERVICE, YOU KNOW, OR HOW WE ARE GOING TO, UM, DELIVER THE, THE DELIVERABLES THROUGH THAT GRANT.
UM, OTHER FACILITIES, UH, PROGRAMS, LIKE I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A 22,000 SQUARE FEET FACILITY THAT WE HAVE FOR A DOLLAR A YEAR THAT SAYS THERE SHOULD BE A AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THAT COMES WITH IT.
WHERE IS IT? WHY IS IT NOT HERE? SO WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT.
WE JUST CHANGED THE ROOF OF THAT FACILITY THAT COST US 150,000 GRAND.
SO WE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LOOK MORE CLOSELY TO COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THERE'S, WE'RE LOOKING AT, HEY, LET'S LOOK AT LEADERSHIP.
SO LET'S UTILIZE THOSE LEADERSHIP THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE RIGHT NOW, PLUS THE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE, UM, WHO ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN DELIVERING THE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, CONCESSIONS AGREEMENTS, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF CONCESSION, UM, THAT IS.
IS IT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS? IF IT'S SPECIAL EVENTS? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT IS IT? INTEREST, UH, INTEREST CLASSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THOSE ARE THE CLASSES THAT COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, PROVIDES.
UM, THESE ARE THE RECREATION, UM, SENIOR SERVICES.
UH, YOU KNOW, MEAN LET'S NOT REINVENT THE WHEEL, RIGHT? THIS IS PROVIDING, UM, COMMUNITY EVENTS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
[02:45:01]
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LOOKING AT THE GRANTS THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN, UM, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND SEE, UM, IF WE, IF WE CAN GET MORE OR HOW RESTRICTIVE THEY ARE.AND THEN RETURN HIRING AND RETENTION.
I THINK THOSE TWO SUPERVISORS IN COMMUNITY SERVICES.
UM, I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON A, ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, DEFINITELY UPDATING THE FACILITY RENTAL POLICY I THINK IS CRUCIAL.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I THINK WE FORGET, UM, EVERYTHING AROUND US, EVERYTHING PUBLIC IS LITERALLY THE PUBLIC'S ALL OF OURS.
SO MAKING IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UTILIZE, I THINK SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THE INTENT SHOULD BE TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF TAXPAYERS THAT ALREADY PAY TAXES FOR A PROPERTY THAT'S ALREADY THEIRS, OURS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO OPEN UP OUR DOORS MORE.
OUR PUBLIC SPACES ARE PUBLIC AND IT'S, THEY'RE PAID BY TAXPAYERS.
AND SO I WOULD CERTAINLY BE OPEN TO, AND I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN UPDATING THOSE, UH, POLICIES.
UM, WE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, AND MY COLLEAGUE ALLUDED TO THIS, THE REC CENTER SUPERVISOR POSITIONS ARE CRITICAL.
THE SUMMER IS COMING, BUT PAST THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFER PROGRAMMING AGAIN FOR OUR PUBLIC THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS IT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, NATIONAL CITY, THE, UM, AVERAGE NATIONAL CITY FAMILY IN THEIR MID TO LATE THIRTIES WITH TWO OR THREE KIDS, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNGER FAMILIES IN THE CITY, UH, THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
AND THE NEED TO HAVE PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN IS CRITICAL.
AND OFTENTIMES SCHOOLS DO THEIR BEST, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO A GOOD JOB OF HELPING COORDINATE WITH THEM.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT IF WE DON'T FILL THESE POSITIONS.
AND WE ALLOW OUR, OUR REC, UH, TEAM TO DEVELOP GOOD PROGRAMMING THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO I WOULD STRESS THAT AS WELL.
AND THE SENIOR CENTER, I KNOW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS LAST TIME.
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE SLIDE.
UH, THE ONE BEFORE THIS ONE, THE NUTRITION SER SERVICES, IT SAYS IT COSTS PER MEAL, UM, VARIES FROM 12 TO $15 PER MEAL.
UM, AND THAT $7 IS REIMBURSABLE THROUGH THE COUNTY GRANT.
UM, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? LOOKING AT THE FUNDING SOURCES NUMBERS? SO IF WE ADD ALL THOSE NUMBERS, THAT'S ABOUT ONE POINT, UH, 4 MILLION, 1.4 IN CHANGE, HOW, HOW IS ALMOST HALF REIMBURSABLE THROUGH THE COUNTY? WHAT ARE WE NOT, WHAT AM I NOT UNDERSTANDING THERE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO ENDING ALL, ADDING ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES, 341,000, 500,003 85 EQUALS, UM, SOMEBODY HELP ME DO THE MATH.
ONE FOUR PLUS 1.4 AND CHANGE IT.
BUT ON TOP IT SAYS THAT $7 ABOUT HALF IS RE REIMBURSABLE THROUGH THE COUNTY.
HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE? IS THERE SOMETHING WE'RE NOT COUNTING IN THERE? I DIDN'T DO THAT MATH, BUT, UH,
UH, MATH I'M LOOKING AT IS WHAT WE GET FROM 'EM, WHICH IS THE 341.
UM, I I DON'T KNOW BUCK IF YOU KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
UM, WE DO THE FIGURE 12 BETWEEN 12 AND 15 IS WHAT WE GOT FROM, UH, THE STAFF THAT WORKS THERE ON AVERAGE TRYING TO AVERAGE THOSE THINGS OUT.
THE REAL NUMBER IS THE COUNTY'S GIVEN US LESS THAN 46%.
THEY'RE GIVING US THE, UH, 34.
I COULD SEE IT BETTER, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, I CAN DO THE MATH REALLY QUICK AND TELL YOU WHAT PERCENT OF THE COST OF THAT IS, BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT 46.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WAS OUR POINT, IS TRYING TO LOOK AT EITHER GET MORE MONEY, WE GOTTA CONTAIN THE PROGRAM TOO.
THE, THE PROGRAM IS OVERWHELMING IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE, SO, YOU KNOW.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE TO HAVE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'D LOVE TO HAVE THE MONEY TO SUPPORT IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE PART THROUGH THE CHAIR I READ, SORRY, I READ THIS, THIS, UH, GRANT FROM, UH, THE COUNTY AND THAT 3 41 ONLY GOES TO FOOD, NO ADMINISTRATION, ONLY FOOD THING.
WELL, AND YOU CAN'T DO A LOT OF THINGS TOO.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, WE CAN'T TURN PEOPLE AWAY.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A SUBSIDY OF, OF 500 FOR THE ADMINISTRATION PART OF IT.
BECAUSE THAT GRANT IS ONLY FOR FOOD.
[02:50:01]
IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO ASK FOR MORE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY, UH, SEEN AS WE ARE OFFERING SERVICES FOR A LOT OF COUNTY RESIDENTS.WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RE REACHING OUT TO 'EM RIGHT NOW.
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE GONNA HELP US BRIDGE THIS GAP INSTEAD OF IT BEING ON OUR END.
HELP ME UNDERSTAND THESE FIGURES AS WELL, BECAUSE I ENDED UP ALL THESE PERCENTAGES AND IT'S ABOUT 90%.
WHERE DO THE REST, 10% COME FROM? JUST ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY.
NOT MY, NOT MY NUMBERS, BUT I'LL LOOK TOWARDS BUCK.
AND I THINK HE GOT THOSE NUMBERS FROM SOME, AND, AND, AND THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE MANY TIMES AND I'VE VOLUNTEERED MANY TIMES.
THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKEN TO LIVE HERE SOMEWHERE HERE AND, AND SPECIFICALLY AT THE TOWERS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAME UP WITH THESE FIGURES AND THEY DON'T ADD UP.
WELL, THAT'S THEIR, THE REGISTRATION CARD THAT THEY FILL OUT, THAT'S WHERE WE GOT THESE FIGURES FROM.
SO WHERE THEY PLACE THEMSELVES IS, IS WHERE THAT'S AT.
SO WE, YEAH, WE DIDN'T MAKE THOSE UP.
THAT'S, BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE REGISTERED, DOES THAT MEAN YOU GO THERE AND EAT? OR YOU'RE JUST REGISTERED TO GO EAT AT SOME POINT? SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO TO GET YOUR MEAL, YOU HAVE TO PRODUCE YOUR CARD THAT YOU HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR THROUGH THE FUNDING PROGRAM.
AND THEN IT'S SCANNED AND THAT'S, AND THEN THE ZIP CODE IS RECORDED IN, IN THAT, UM, IN THAT SCAN.
SO THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE AN ACCOUNTING OF, AND I'M NOT SURE THE MATH HERE, I MAY, I MAY HAVE SCREWED THIS UP 'CAUSE THE BUCK STOPS HERE, BUT
SO, UM, I, I'LL HAVE TO CLARIFY THOSE NUMBERS TO, TO ADD UP TO A HUNDRED, BUT I, I'M NOT, THESE ARE WHAT I WAS GIVEN BY STAFF TODAY.
AND SO THE CITY MANAGER SAID, I'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING.
AND SO THE COUNCIL CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THESE FOLKS ARE COMING FROM.
SO I, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER WITH, MAKE SURE THE THE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT.
MOST LIKELY THOSE ARE ONLY NUMBERS THAT ARE 1% OR MORE.
SO THERE'S PROBABLY LESS THAN 1% COMING FROM IMPERIAL BEACH, FROM CORONADO AND ALL THE OTHER CITIES.
AND THEN BY THAT TIME YOU GET CLOSER TO THE, I THINK 10% THOUGH.
SO, SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FI LIKE FINDING OUT THOSE NUMBERS AND IF IT'S JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE REGISTERED OR PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY COME HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
'CAUSE AS I MENTIONED, MOST OF THE PEOPLE I'VE SPOKEN TO ACTUALLY LIVE HERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PEOPLE REGISTERED OR PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY USE A SERVICE ON A REGULAR CONSISTENT BASIS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'M INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT.
AND LASTLY, UM, I DO WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE GREAT FOOD.
UH, IF YOU ALL HAVE HAD A MEAL THERE, UH, YOU REALIZE FOOD IS EXCELLENT AND, UM, REALLY PROPS TO THE ENTIRE STAFF.
UH, BUT THE HEAD CHEF IN PARTICULAR, HILDA, WHICH DOES EXCEPTIONAL WORK, AND UM, SO WELL SYDNEY NEEDS SALT.
BUT IT'S, IT'S INTENTIONAL IN ORDER FOR US TO BE HEALTHY,
UM, BUT TO THE BROADER POINT, LOOK, WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, UH, DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCING FUNDING FOR ON, ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, FOR MEDICARE, FOR MEDICAID, FOR UM, UH, POSSIBLY HUD.
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT GO HERE ARE NOT INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN LA JOLLA AND ARE, AND ARE, YOU KNOW, OVERSEEING THEIR BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY OFF A CLIFF.
SO THE INSINUATION OF THAT IS ALMOST INSULTING AND INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.
THE PEOPLE THAT GO HERE ARE PEOPLE THAT NEED FOOD.
AND I THINK WE AS A SOCIETY MUST PROVIDE FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE THE RESERVE, THE HEALTHY RESERVE AMOUNT THAN WE DO.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO THINK OF HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE PROGRAM, FIND MORE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, ASK UH, FOR, GET MORE GRANTS, TALK TO THE COUNTY, MAKE SURE THAT WE EXPAND THE PROGRAM NEEDED AT A TIME WHERE OUR SENIORS ARE DESPERATELY HURTING AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HURTING EVEN MORE IN THE YEARS TO COME BECAUSE OF THIS PRESIDENCY.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, DO YOU, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, ANY MORE THERE, BECK? UH, YES.
UM, I'M, JOANNE MUST BE WATCHING BECAUSE SHE SAYS THE PERCENTAGE NOT TO INCLUDE PERCENTAGES NOT INCLUDED TO EQUAL A HUNDRED ARE THE NONS SENIORS.
SO WE DO FEED NONS, SENIORS DO PAY, SO THAT'S OKAY.
BUT GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE QUESTION WAS, I'M A SENIOR.
SO, UM, GEOGRAPHICALLY, I, I, I,
[02:55:01]
I NEED TO FIND THAT OUT.SO WE'LL, WE'LL DRILL DOWN AND FIGURE THAT OUT.
NOW WE ARE TO THE EXPERT ON BREVITY.
BUT BEFORE I START, BEFORE I START, I LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, HEY BRUCE, WHEN I CAME HERE IN HERE THREE AND A HALF HOURS AGO, YOU TOLD ME YOU HAD THREE MINUTES.
HE SAID YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND LAST, I'VE SAT HERE OVER THE PAST THREE AND A HALF HOURS, MY THREE MINUTE PLAN, IT'S NOW A 30 MINUTE PLAN.
AND, UH, BUT SMILE, A SMILE DOES NOT HURT.
AND ALL OF YOU CANNOT SEE MY DESK.
BUT I STOLE SHELLY'S POST-IT NOTES AND I'VE BEEN TAKING A LOT OF NOTES, SO I MIGHT GO OFF SCRIPT.
UM, ANYHOW, UH, TO ECHO STEVE'S, UH, MESSAGE AND, AND THE, AND MY FELLOW DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I ACTUALLY WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS AND I AM EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU REALLY THE VISION THAT I HAVE THAT WE HAVE OF, UH, YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
URA FIRE CHIEF OF YOUR 130 7-YEAR-OLD NATIONAL CITY CLASS ONE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I SAY THAT WITH PRIDE AND, AND WE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT, UH, THAT TOP ONE PERCENTILE IN THE NATION WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND, UH, AND, AND YOUR TRUST IN US.
AND REALLY, UM, IT BEGINS WITH, UH, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO THEN CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONED A, A STUDY OF YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CPSM STUDY.
AND, UH, WITHIN THAT THERE WAS 12 RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND US COMMITTING TO TO, TO FOLLOWING THAT REPORT WITH YOUR SUPPORT HAVE ALLOWED US TO ACHIEVE THAT REALLY, UH, ELITE STATUS.
YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE 45,000 FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THIS NATION, LESS THAN 1% HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT, WHAT YOUR NATIONAL CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL SAY ONE LAST THING TO ALEX.
'CAUSE HE WENT AND GOT FOOD RIGHT BEFORE MY TURN, AND NOW ALL I HEAR HIM IS CRUNCHING ON CHIPS OVER THERE.
UM, AGAIN, I WAS TOLD I HAD THREE MINUTES, SO I ONLY HAVE FOUR SLIDES,
UM, SO YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT, BRUCE, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND LOCK OUR LINE OF WORK GOOD ENOUGH IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
OUR, OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC, OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, OUR RESIDENTS, AND, AND OF EACH OTHER.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY.
UH, AND OUR LINE OF WORK, AS I SAID, GOOD ENOUGH, IT'S, IT IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
UM, AND WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT PEOPLE.
SO MY FIRST, UH, OUR APPROACH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'VE HEARD.
I SEE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT NOT AS A FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, BUT IT WON'T WANNA SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, UH, SCOTT DID, UH, CHALLENGE US WITH LOOKING FOR WAYS OF COST RECOVERY.
I DO NOT REFER TO THAT, UH, AS REVENUE.
IT'S, IT'S RECOVERY OF, OF THE COST FOR OUR SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO, SO YOU'LL SEE, UH, WE HAVE FOUR BUDGET INITIATIVES.
NUMBER ONE, DEVELOP, HIRE, AND TRAIN PERSONNEL.
I I'VE HEARD A COUPLE COMMENTS TONIGHT FROM YOU, UH, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THAT CERTAINLY HAS TO BE MY PRIORITY AS YOUR FIRE CHIEF.
UH, TOPIC NUMBER TWO WILL BE TO EVALUATE OUR EMERGENCY SERVICE DELIVERY.
AND I'VE HEARD A COUPLE COMMENTS TONIGHT REGARDING THAT WE NEED TO INVEST, INVEST TO GENERATE REVENUE, AND, AND THAT, THAT, THAT'S A BIG ONE FOR US.
I'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN DETAIL HERE SHORTLY.
THREE, ENHANCED COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAMS. AGAIN, OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO DO BETTER.
UH, AND, AND LASTLY, PURSUE ADDITIONAL GRANT AND REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO DIVING AT NUMBER ONE, DEVELOP, HIRE, AND TRAIN ALL PERSONNEL.
IN THAT CPS STEM STUDY THAT I SPOKE ABOUT, ONE OF THE TOPICS COVERED IN THERE WAS SUCCESSION PLANNING.
I THINK YOU'RE ALL AWARE THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURES AT THE COMMAND LEVEL OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
BEGINNING WITH CHIEF HERNANDEZ HERE.
TO MY, TO MY RIGHT, UH, SUCCESSION PLANNING IS CRITICAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO, TO FOSTER AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IMPROVE ON THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE.
[03:00:05]
OUR COMMAND STAFF IS THE NECESSITY AND, AND A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF, OF WHAT WE DO WITHIN THAT SUCCESSION PLAN.UH, IN SLIDE NUMBER 11 OR 12, I BELIEVE YOU SAW THE, THE, UH, ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT I AM ASKING FOR A DIVISION CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, THAT, THAT IN ESSENCE IS, IS A, AN EFFORT AND, AND DESIGNED TO IMPLEMENT A SUCCESSION PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE AND OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON THAT, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO SLIDE 11 OR 12 BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY, MANY TO GO.
BUT WITHIN THAT, IT, THE STATEMENT ON SLIDE NUMBER 11 SHOWED THAT IT'S THE POSITION OF A DIVISION CHIEF IS 100% DEPENDENT ON THE GENERAL FUND.
AND, AND, AND THAT IS AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.
HOWEVER, MY PLAN IN, IN REGARDS TO FILLING THAT POSITION WITH THE DIVISION CHIEF, THAT IS BASED ON THE SAVINGS CREATED BY THE NOT, UH, NOT STAFFING TWO FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS.
SO IN MY OPINION, THAT THAT IS A BUDGET NEUTRAL ASK OF YOU.
UH, THE DIVISION CHIEF WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE SAVINGS CREATED BY THE UNFILLING OF THE TWO FIREFIGHTER POSITION.
IN ACTUALITY, IT'D BE A, A SLIGHT, UH, SAVINGS IN MY PERSONNEL SERVICES.
AND I'LL TOUCH ON THAT, UH, A LITTLE DEEPER.
UH, AND AS WE, AS WE PROCEED, UH, COMMUNITY RISK PRODUCTION, CURRENTLY WE HAVE ONE VACANCY, UH, UH, ONE VACANCY.
IN COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION, OUR INSPECTORS EQUALS TO ABOUT A 25% EFFICIENCY.
UH, CURRENTLY, IF WE WERE TO INSPECT ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS HERE IN, IN THE CITY, WE GENERATE ROUGHLY $400,000 ANNUALLY.
SO ONE INSPECTOR GENERATED ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UH, THAT POSITION IS BUDGETED.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL POSITION.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOW AS WE HAD A SEPARATION FROM ONE OF OUR NEWEST EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN O OBVIOUSLY CONTINUE WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS.
TWO YEARS AGO, AS SCOTT MENTIONED, WE HAD A, UH, COUNCIL PRIORITIES COUNCIL, UH, MEETING OVER AT THE LIBRARY.
OR ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES WAS TO, TO HIRE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE DONE THAT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE TWO LOCAL, UH, YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE NOW PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, ONE OF THEM IS GONNA BE GONNA PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
SO INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE IS CRITICAL TO WHAT WE DO.
UM, NUMBER TWO, EVALUATE EMERGENCY SERVICE DELIVERY.
AND, AND REALLY HERE, IT, IT IS A BRIGHT OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE LOOKED AT THAT MIGHT APPEAR SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL IN YOUR EYES IS A, WHAT IS TERMED AS THE FIRST RESPONDER FEE.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT, THAT I BROUGHT UP THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
AND, AND THE FIRST RESPONDER FEE REALLY CAPTURES THE, THE TASK OF, OF, OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVING ON SCENE, ASSEMBLY'S HOME, AND PROVIDING PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE FROM THE MOMENT WE ARRIVE TO WHERE THE MOMENT THEY'RE TRANSPORTED, RIGHT? AND THAT FEE WOULD NOT BE BORN BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
THAT'D BE A FEE THAT WOULD BE BORN TO THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
SO I WANNA BE CLEAR IN THAT THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, AGAIN, TO, TO LOOK AT, AT ADDITIONAL COST RECOVERY METHODS.
AND ONE THAT WE ARE EXPLORING, UH, CURRENTLY.
ADDITIONALLY, ONE THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED, UH, OVER THE PAST 18 TO 24 MONTHS IS OUR GROUND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT.
UH, WE'VE BRIEFED ON, ON, ON THAT TOPIC IN THE PAST.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE A, UH, CONSULTANT LOOKING AT WHAT THE BEST OPTIONS FOR THE CITY, UH, TO PROVIDE A BETTER LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, WHILE ENABLING US TO CAPTURE A LARGER SOURCE OF OUR COST.
UM, WE WILL HAVE THAT REPORT AT SOME POINT HERE IN THE NEAR, I, I'D SAY MID-AUGUST, AND GIVE US AN IDEA OF, OF REALLY WHAT THOSE, WHAT THAT OPPORTUNITY LOOKS LIKE.
BUT AS, UH, COUNCILMAN RODRIGUEZ MENTIONED, IT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO INVEST, TO GENERATE OR RECOVER COST.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ALTHOUGH IT WILL, UH, NEED A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY UP FRONT, UH, BASED ON THE ROUGH ESTIMATES THAT WE HAVE DONE, BASED ON, UH, ANALYSIS, OUR, OUR VOLUME AND OUR PAYER MIX IS SOMETHING THAT WE, WE CAN LOOK AT WITH A, WITH A, A HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE AND BE ABLE TO RECOVER A SIGNIFICANT COST TO WHAT OUR EXPENSES ARE.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HERE IN THE NEAR, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
NUMBER THREE, ENHANCED COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAMS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME OVER THE PAST YEAR.
UH, WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW ORDINANCE AND A NEW, A NEW SELF-INSPECTION PROGRAM.
I THINK, UH, SEVERAL MEETINGS AGO,
[03:05:01]
IT WAS BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WE HAD LOST ABOUT $300,000 IN, IN, IN LOST REVENUE AS A RESULT OF, UH, THE SUSPENSION OF, OF CHARGING THOSE FEES.AS WE DEVELOP THIS, THIS NEW ORDINANCE, WE HAVE DONE THAT, AND BASED ON THE, ON, UH, PROJECTIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY RISK RUSSIAN STAFF HAS DONE, IF WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, THROUGH THIS NEW ORDINANCE, HAVE NOT ONLY THE AUTHORITY TO DO THIS AND ARE ABLE TO BE, WHILE IT IS A SOURCE OF COST RECOVERY FOR, FOR US, WE ALSO LIKE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND REALLY WHAT IS SAFE.
UH, CERTAINLY THE, THE, THE FOCUS OF COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION IS, IS, IS PREVENTION OF, OF ANY KIND OF INCIDENT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO.
WE HAVE A, WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM FULLY AND HOW WE'RE GONNA CAPTURE THAT REVENUE OR THE COST RECOVERY, BUT ANOTHER BRIGHT SPOT FOR US MOVING FORWARD.
I DID MENTION AS WE STARTED THAT YOU WILL NOT SEE THE WORD, YOU KNOW, COST CUTTING, COST SAVING MEASURES.
OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON, ON REALLY HOW TO, HOW TO RECOVER COSTS, COSTS, UM, SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT AS A FALSE ALARM COORDINATED POSITION.
I THINK SOMETHING WE SPOKE THAT ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST, BASED ON, ON, ON ROUGH ESTIMATES, WE, WE ESTIMATE ABOUT A HUNDRED TO $120,000, UH, COST RECOVERY IN JUST THAT CONCEPT.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE FOCUSING ON, ON A WASTE BY WHICH TO INCREASE OUR AND CAPTURE COSTS.
AND THEN LASTLY, PURSUE ADDITIONAL GRANT AND REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHAT WALTER RAM, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGER, HAS BEEN VERY, VERY AGGRESSIVE IN, IN THE PURSUIT OF GRANTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
HE HAS BROUGHT, UH, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO OUR, INTO THE CITY THROUGH HIS PURSUIT OF GRANTS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE SEE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE AND REALLY FOCUS OUR EFFORTS CURRENTLY.
UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE GRANTS THAT, THAT ARE EITHER IN PROGRESS OR THAT WE ARE, UH, OR THAT WALTER IS LOOKING AT.
WE HAVE ABOUT $500,000 CURRENTLY IN, IN GRANT, UH, REQUEST, NOT COUNTING, UH, THE ONE THAT YOU'LL SEE TOWARDS THE MIDDLE THERE, THE ASSISTANCE OF FIREFIGHTER GRANT AND THE SAFER GRANT.
WE HAVE JUST, UH, ASKED FOR THE FUNDING FOR THREE FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS, AGAIN, TO OFFSET THE COSTS OF THE CITY IN REGARDS TO, TO STAFFING YOUR APPARATUS.
UH, AGAIN, JUST A SMALL, A SAMPLE OF OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, REALLY THESE NEXT SLIDES ARE, ARE KIND OF OUT OF ORDER.
THESE NUMBERS AREN'T QUITE ACCURATE AS WE WERE KIND OF PRESSED FOR TIME.
BUT, UH, I, I MENTIONED THE OPERATIONS DIVISION CHIEF.
AGAIN, BUDGET NEUTRAL IN, IN OUR APPROACH.
WE WILL FUND THAT POSITION WITH THE SAVINGS CREATED BY THE TWO UNFILLED FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS, UH, THE THREE FIREFIGHTERS THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE.
WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN MUCH ABOUT OUR UNI MUNICIPAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE PORT.
THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO, TO SHARE A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA RESPONDS TO THE PORT WITH FOUR FIREFIGHTERS.
THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO RESPOND TO THEIR PORT FOR FOUR FIREFIGHTERS.
OUR PORT DISTRICT IS MUCH MORE INDUSTRIAL.
THERE ARE MANY MORE HAZARDS PRESENT TO OUR PORTLANDS.
SO PERHAPS WE CAN PURSUE, I CAN PURSUE THAT.
WE CAN PURSUE THAT AS A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE AND HAVE THEM GIVE US THOSE THREE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE'RE IN NEED OF.
AND OBVIOUSLY CURRENTLY WE ARE APPLYING FOR THE SAFER GRANT, AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE, THE CITY'S EXPENDITURES.
UM, THE FIRE INSPECTORS WE TALKED ABOUT, EACH FIRE INSPECTOR GENERATES ABOUT A HUNDRED TO $120,000 IN COST RECOVERY FOR THE CITY.
UH, WALTER IS CURRENTLY PURSUING A GRANT WHERE WE WOULD MATCH THE, MATCH THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT WHERE WE WOULD GET TWO FIRE INSPECTORS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE, HAVE THE ABILITY TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL COST RECOVERY FOR THE CITY.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THE OPERATIONS DIVISION CHIEF IS ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.
UM, AS WE FINISH OUR, MY PRESENTATION, UM, AND I, I TOUCHED ON THIS RIGHT, EVALUATE EMERGENCY SERVICE DELIVERY, THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
IT'S CALLED GROUND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORT.
THE ONE THAT YOU DO NOT SEE UP THERE IS THE FIRST RESPONDER FEE.
AGAIN, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO GENERATE, UH, REVENUE OR, OR, OR COST RECOVERY FOR THE CITY.
ANOTHER, UH, AREA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS TO INCREASE THE CAPABILITY OF OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
IF YOU RECALL, ABOUT TWO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE HAD THE STORMS, UH, AND IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT OUR FACILITIES ARE EXTREMELY OUTTA DATE.
AND WALTER IS CURRENTLY PURSUING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
AND REALLY, UM, I I JUST TOUCHED ON THE CONTRACT FIRE INSPECTOR COMPONENT OF THAT, AGAIN, WAYS BY WHICH TO OFFSET THE CITY'S, UH, EXPENDITURES REGARDING THESE
[03:10:01]
PROGRAMS. UM, AND WITH THAT, I THINK I WENT A LITTLE OVER MY THREE MINUTES, BUT I AM OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.UH, THANK YOU CHIEF MORA, THE, UH, SAFER GRANT WHO FUNDS THAT.
THAT IS A FEDERAL GRANT, THAT'S A FEDERAL GRANT.
IT OPENED UP TWO DAYS AGO, AND WE'VE APPLIED FOR THREE POSITIONS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $490,000.
AND THIS IS A GRANT WE'VE RECEIVED IN THE PAST.
WE'VE APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE, UH, APPLIED FOR THE SAFER GRANT, UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WALTER, IS THAT CORRECT? ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND, AND, AND THEY FUNDED FIVE POSITIONS.
UH, ONE OF MY CONCERNS AS THE FIRE CHIEF IS THESE GRANTS OUR TIME LIMITED, RIGHT? SO WHEN, WHEN WE'RE APPLYING FOR THESE GRANTS, I HAVE TO LOOK AT FUTURE SEPARATIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT WE HIRE TODAY ARE NOT OUT OF A JOB IN THREE YEARS.
SO WE LOOK AT THAT COMPONENT PRIOR TO APPLYING TO THESE GRANTS, BECAUSE CERTAINLY, AGAIN, INVESTING IN OUR EMPLOYEES HAS TO BE MY PRIORITY AND, UH, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A STEADY AND, AND, AND, UH, INVESTED WORKFORCE.
AND OUTSIDE OF THE, UM, THE POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING, IT WAS SLIDE 33.
ARE YOU FULLY STAFFED? NO, CURRENTLY I HAVE, UH, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT JUST THE FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS.
I AM, I AM BUDGETED FOR 20 FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS.
CURRENTLY, THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE ONLY HAD 18 FIREFIGHTERS.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD A SAVINGS IN MY PERSONNEL SERVICE SERVICES OF, OF TWO FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS, ROUGHLY ABOUT 209, 200 $90,000 OR SO.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO WITH, WITH THAT IS CREATE THE DIVISION CHIEF OF OPERATIONS, WHICH WILL DO SEVERAL THINGS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S IN OUR OPINION, BUDGET NEUTRAL.
IT IS ASKING FOR A NEW POSITION, BUT IT IS WHOLLY FUNDED BY MY CURRENT BUDGET.
AND REALLY THE INTENT OF THIS POSITION, AGAIN, IS TO ENHANCE THE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES OF THE OPERATIONS DIVISION.
I DO NOT HAVE AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, BUT MY PREDECESSORS HERE, BUT IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO, I DUNNO IF ALEX HAS ONE FROM PD, BUT, UH, THE DIVISION CHIEF OF OPERATIONS WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE OPERATIONS DIVISION AND, AND MAKE THAT DIVISION MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ALLOWING ME TO BRING THAT PERSON ONTO THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE AND, AND BEGIN REALLY THE SUCCESSION PLAN FOR MY POSITION AS I'LL BE LEAVING SOMETIME THIS, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND REALLY, UH, THAT'S OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO HAVE THAT CONTINUITY IN, IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
RIGHT? I SPOKE OF OUR CPSM STUDY AND THERE WAS 12 RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THAT IN AN EVALUATION OF HOW WE CAN DO BETTER AS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SUCCESSION PLANNING WAS ONE OF THOSE.
I BELIEVE OUT OF THOSE 12, WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED FOUR, ONE OF THEM, YOU KNOW, GETTING US TO THAT REALLY, UH, UNIQUE PLACE OF A CLASS ONE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO YES, IT'S A BUDGET NEUTRAL POSITION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, CERTAINLY IN THE SUCCESSION PLAN, TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT PERSON ON BOARD AND, AND REALLY MENTOR AND SHOW WHAT IT TAKES TO RUN A, A FIRE DEPARTMENT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
CURRENTLY, THAT PERSON, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS CHIEF REPS BEHIND ME.
HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT IS QUALIFIED AND INTERESTED TO STEP INTO MY ROLE.
AND WE HAVE BEGAN THAT PROCESS UNOFFICIALLY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW.
UM, I BELIEVE I HAVE YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE ONE POINT THAT I WANNA MAKE WITH YOU, THAT IS, ALTHOUGH IT WAS SHOWN AS AN ADDITIONAL POSITION, IT IS AN ADDITIONAL POSITION THAT WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE.
BUT THE BUDGETARY IMPACT IS NEUTRAL.
AS I WILL FILL THAT POSITION WITH THE SAVINGS OF THE TWO FIREFIGHTERS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE VACANT FOR FY 26.
AND, AND LASTLY, ANOTHER POINT IS WHEN I, UH, MOVE ON TO GREENER PASTURES, AND, AND IF OUR PLAN, UH, IS SUPPORTED BY THE THEN NEW CITY MANAGER, WE CAN EVALUATE THE NEED FOR THAT POSITION AT THAT TIME AND EITHER FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON STAFFING OR ENGINE COMPANIES IF WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN PURSUING GRANTS, AND DECIDE AT THAT POINT IF THAT OPERATIONS POSITION WILL REMAIN OR NOT.
BUT CURRENTLY, UH, CERTAINLY A FOCUS OF THAT IS TO BEGIN THE SUCCESSION PLAN, UH, TO READY THE PERSON TO BE ABLE TO STEP INTO MY POSITION AND CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE.
UH, I I, I TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER FOR US, YOU KNOW, BUT GOOD ENOUGH IS NOT, ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH.
THE FIRST DAY YOU AREN'T GETTING BETTER IS THE FIRST YOU START GETTING WORSE.
[03:15:01]
THERE IS NO STATUS QUO FOR US, AND WE NEED TO START THAT TODAY.I THINK WE'VE SEEN IT RECENTLY THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A STRONG NUMBER TWO IS CRITICAL TO CONTINUE OUR, UH, SEAMLESS OPERATIONS.
AND THAT IS A, A BIG COMPONENT OF, OF THAT ASK.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE ATTENTION TO THE SUCCESSION PLANNING.
UH, IT IS GOING TO, I MEAN, WE WILL MISS YOU TERRIBLY, BUT IT WILL LEAVE US JUST A STRONG OR STRONGER.
I AGREE VERY MUCH WITH YOUR LAST STATEMENT, JUST, BUT, BUT FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT.
SO IF YOU MOVE THAT PERSON UP, THAT MEANS THERE'S GOTTA BE A BUMPING UP, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
AND, AND SO THAT'S GONNA LEAVE ANOTHER SPOT DOWN BELOW, AND THEN YOU'RE LEAVING THESE OTHER TWO SPOTS UN UNFULFILLED.
WHAT IS THAT, WHAT IS THAT DOING WITH YOUR OVERTIME COSTS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, SIR.
UH, WE WOULD MOVE UP CHIEF CRAFTS INTO THE DIVISION CHIEF OF OPERATIONS.
THEY WOULD CREATE AN OPENING AT THE BATTALION CHIEF LEVEL, RIGHT? WE CURRENTLY HAVE TWO ESTABLISHED LISTS.
MY INTENT WOULD BE TO PROMOTE INTO THAT POSITION AND THE POSITION OF COMPANY OFFICER.
NOW YOU HAVE A VACANCY AT THE FIREFIGHTER POSITION, WHICH IS, IS THE MOST ECONOMIC PLACE TO HAVE AN OPENING.
AND THAT POSITION IS ALSO FUNDED IN THE FY 26 BUDGET.
THAT IS THAT 18TH FIREFIGHTER, FIREFIGHTER 19, FIREFIGHTER 20 REMAIN VACANT.
FIREFIGHTER 18 IS FILLED WITH OVERTIME.
BUT WELL, HOWEVER, AN OVERTIME IS A 1.5 A TIME AND A HALF, OR IS A FULLY BURDEN EMPLOYEE IS AT ABOUT A 1.6.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A SLICE SAVINGS INTO MY PERSONNEL SERVICES.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WE'RE COVERING ALL BASES.
UH, I THINK WHEN WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION YEARS AGO, WHEN WE BROUGHT THE FOURTH FIREFIGHTER ON, ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I MADE TO YOU WAS BY BRINGING THIS PERSON UP, IT WOULD NOT REALLY HAVE A, A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OVERTIME.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE DONE THE STUDY OVER THE PAST YEAR AND, UH, JUST OVER THE LAST 12 MONTH PERIOD, WE'VE REDUCED OUR OVERTIMES COST BY 20.1%, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT A $800,000 SAVINGS.
SO I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT CAN BE A PERCEPTION.
UH, THAT 18TH FIREFIGHTER IS FULLY BUDGETED, UH, THAT'S ABOUT 1.6 OVERTIME, COMPONENT ABOUT 1.5.
AGAIN, A SMALL SAVINGS TO MY PERSONNEL SERVICES IN THAT POSITION, AS WELL AS THE FILLING OF THE DIVISION CHIEF INTO MY, INTO THOSE TWO VACANT POSITIONS.
SO AGAIN, OUR OPINION, OUR APPROACH IS BUDGET NEUTRAL, CREATING A SMALL SAVINGS, AND, AND, AND THE BENEFITS OF IT, NOT ONLY IN THE SUCCESSION PLAN, BUT IN THE OPERATIONS ON THE DIVISION SIDE, UH, ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO REALLY PUT GREATER EMPHASIS ON SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I HAVE TOUCHED IN ORDER TO, TO, TO RECOVER CUS AND MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT, THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
BECAUSE AS I HEARD, I THINK, I BELIEVE LAST, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.
AND, UH, I DO NOT TAKE, WE DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO SHARE WITH MY STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE MOST OF US ARE HOMEOWNERS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO REMODEL MY HOUSE ALL AT ONCE.
IT'D BE CHEAPER, LESS IMPACTFUL, BUT THAT'S NOT THE REALITY.
SO WE DO ONE ROOM AT A TIME, AND THAT'S MY APPROACH WITH YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
CLASS ONE IS, IS, IS, IS THE GOAL.
AND THAT'S THAT, THAT IS OUR MISSION.
YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE PORT AND KIND OF THE IMBALANCE BETWEEN US AND THE OTHER CITIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE DIFFERENT SERVICE LEVELS THAT ARE DONE BY FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE MUCH MORE INDUSTRIAL, UH, WE HAVE, I SEE A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF TANKS DOWN THERE THAT HAVE NICE LITTLE, LITTLE TRIANGLES ON 'EM.
WHICH TELLS ME THERE MAY BE THE PLACARDS.
THERE MAY BE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT WE DON'T WANT OUT OF THOSE TANKS.
UH, AND, UH, UH, THINGS ALONG THAT LINE.
AND OF COURSE NOW THEY'RE PUT ON SOMETHING WHICH COULD BE PROBABLY THE MAJOR, MAJOR, UH, FIRE, UH, OBSTACLE, I'M GONNA SAY FIREFIGHTING OBSTACLE IN ENTIRE COUNTY WITH THIS, UM, UH, ELECTRIFICATION STATION THAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THEIR 18 WHEELERS.
SO, AND SO THAT'S EVEN ON TOP.
THAT'S NOT EVEN IN ON THE, ON THE, NOT EVEN IN THE FIGURES YET.
AND, AND, AND THE REASON THAT I, I BRING THE STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE, FOR CHULA VISTA IN SAN DIEGO, BECAUSE BASED ON THAT CPSM STUDY THAT I BROUGHT UP EARLIER, UH, CURRENTLY I HAVE FOUR FIREFIGHTERS ON ENGINE 34, THAT, WHICH IS THE FIRST RESPONDER TO THE PORT.
AND THE ONLY REASON WE HAVE FOUR, FOUR FIREFIGHTERS AT 34 RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A NEW WORKFORCE THAT I, WE HAVE
[03:20:01]
TO TRAIN THEM IN TWO DISCIPLINES, ENGINE WORK AND TRUCK WORK, THE LADDER TRUCK AND THE ENGINE.VERY DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO WHAT WE DO.
ONCE THAT TRAINING IS COMPLETE PER THE CPSM STUDY, THAT FOURTH FIREFIGHTER NEEDS TO BE AT ENGINE 31 BASED ON CALL VOLUME.
AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SOMEWHAT ALONE IN A SENSE.
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BRING ENGINE 34, THE PORT'S FIRST RESPONDER DOWN TO A THREE PERSONNEL.
SO THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PORT IN REGARDS TO THOSE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON, THAT IS ONE OF THEM.
BUT REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR APPROACH TO THE PORT IS THAT ENTERPRISE APPROACH, RIGHT? THEY COVER WHATEVER PERCENTILE OF OUR LANDMASS THAT WE DECIDE, AND AS SUCH, WE FEEL THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THAT PART OF OUR, OF OUR BUDGET.
AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AGAIN, TO, TO RECOVER COSTS.
UM, I DO GOTTA SAY, WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL STAFF.
UH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE EXCEPTIONAL STAFF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, I KNOW, UM, WE CHALLENGED OUR CREW TO SAY, FIND WAYS TO BRING IN REVENUE.
AND, UH, THEY WORKED WITH THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA.
UM, THEY REALIZED HOW WE CAN MAYBE BRING IN SERVICES IN HOUSE TO PROVIDE, UH, MEDICAL RESPONSE.
AND THAT PROCESS IS FINALLY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, IT'S WORKING OUT WELL FOR OTHER CITIES.
SO WE HOPE THAT IT WORKS OUT WELL FOR US AS WELL.
BUT AS MANY OF US HAVE MENTIONED, IT REQUIRES INVESTMENT RIGHT FROM THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE COST RECOVERY, WE RUN IT, THERE'S A PIPELINE FOR NEW INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO WORK HERE, TO START AS, AS A, YOU KNOW, UH, AS AN EMT AND WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH IF THEY WANT TO BECOME FIREFIGHTERS AND BATTALION CHIEFS AND FIRE CHIEFS, RIGHT? SO I THINK ALL THAT IS IMPORTANT, AND HAVING THAT GREATER VISION FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS IS CRITICAL.
SO I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND THE EFFORTS AND HOPEFULLY BRING THESE SERVICES FULLY IN-HOUSE SO WE CAN ACTUALLY RECOVER THESE COSTS, UH, THAT RIGHT NOW ARE BEING, UH, TAKEN UP BY A THIRD PARTY COMPANY, RIGHT? BUT I THINK TAXPAYERS WOULD HAVE A MUCH BETTER DEAL IF WE DO THE SERVICES IN-HOUSE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK IN, IN GETTING IT HERE, AND WE DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD FOR THIS COMING TO FRUITION.
UM, ALSO SOME OF THE POINTS, UH, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SAYS NATIONAL CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET INITIATIVES.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S SLIDE NUMBER 31, PAGE 16.
IS THAT IT? I CAN'T SEE THE INITIATIVES.
KIND OF ONE FORWARD TWO, FORWARD TWO, THREE FORWARD, FOUR FORWARD
UM, IT'S ALEX'S FAULT FOR EATING
UM, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO OUR, UH, UH, STAFF AND HOW HAVING FOUR PERSON, UH, CREWS IS, IS MAKING THE JOB SO MUCH EASIER, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE RESPOND BETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED.
AND ON OUR WAY TO ADOPT, WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY TO ADOPT AS WELL.
BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSTANTLY WORK ON IS THAT THIRD STATION IN NORTH OF THE CITY BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW OUR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND I SHARE, UH, THAT PARTICULAR AREA AND COUNCIL MEMBERS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB TO TRY TO GET SOME SEED MONEY SO WE CAN DEVELOP THAT INTO A MULTI-USE, UM, YOU KNOW, FACILITY FOR A STATION, A THIRD STATION IN THE CITY, AND ALSO A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT WE DO NOT UTILIZE AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD AT THE MOMENT.
SO WE, WE DESPERATELY NEED TO WORK ON THAT BECAUSE FOLKS IN NORTH OF THE CITY DESERVE TO HAVE JUST AS GOOD SERVICE AS EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
AND OUR CITY IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND PURSUE GRANTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE CITY.
AND ALSO IN ALONG THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT, UM, I DO THINK THIS OPERATION DIVISION, DIVISION CHIEF POSITION IS IMPORTANT.
HAVING A PIPELINE FOR LEADERSHIP IS CRITICAL, WHICH IS WHY I'M INTERESTED IN BRINGING THE SERVICES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN-HOUSE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A ADDITIONAL PIPELINE, UM, SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN START HERE TO SEE IF THEY WANT THIS CAREER HERE, AND THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROGRESS.
SO I WOULD DEFINITELY BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
AND I JUST WANT TO WANT TO THANK ALL THE EFFORT, UH, AND HARD WORK TO MAKE THE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHAT IT IS.
AND YOU'VE RECEIVED WONDERFUL AWARDS RECENTLY.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK.
[03:25:01]
CHIEF FOR THAT, UM, THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATION.UM, I, UH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR YOUR REQUEST, IT'S BUDGET NEUTRAL.
UM, I SEE THAT THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HESITATION FROM THE GUYS.
UM, LET'S LOOK AT THE THREE FIREFIGHTERS, UM, THAT WERE LOOKING AT.
UM, LA PORT, MSA, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WITH, UM, OUR MAYOR HUGH AND THE CHIEF AND THE CITY MANAGER AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBER WORKING VERY, VERY DILIGENTLY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET THIS THREE, UH, FOR THE FIRE INSPECTORS, I WOULD LIKE A DATA THAT WOULD SHOW THAT IT, THAT WE WOULD RECOVER 400 TO FUND THIS 300.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S FOR TWO FIRE, SORRY, TWO FIRE INSPECTOR.
CURRENTLY I HAVE ONE, ONE VACANCY.
UM, OH, SO THERE, THERE'S ONE THERE.
I HAVE ONE, I I HAVE A THIRD ONE THAT I'M BUDGETED FOR, CURRENTLY NOT FAILED AS A RESULT OF, UH, THEY, THEY WENT BACK TO CHULA VISTA UHHUH, AND, AND THAT, THAT TRANSLATES TO ABOUT A 25% REDUCTION ERROR IN CAPABILITY TO GET OUT THERE AND, AND TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE BUILDINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE DEEMED TO BE A NECESSITY DURING, WITH OUR NEW ORDINANCE.
SO, UH, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, CHIEF, YOU HAVE ONE FIRE INSPECTOR THAT IS BUDGETED RIGHT NOW? NO, I HAVE TWO FIRE INSPECTOR TWOS.
THE FIRE INSPECTOR ONE IS BUDGETED, BUT VACANT AS A RESULT OF, UH, THEM MOVING ONTO A, A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT IN, I BELIEVE, MARCH OR APRIL OF THE YEAR.
AND IN YOUR NOTES HERE, THAT, UH, THE REVENUES COMING FROM THE 400,000 REVENUE FOR INSPECTION FEES, IS THAT CORRECT? IF WE ARE ABLE TO, TO INSPECT 100% OF THE, OF THE BUSINESSES AND BUILDINGS IN THE CITY THAT ARE WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE, THAT EQUALS TO AROUND 400,000 IN REVENUE.
OH, COST RECOVERY, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO, YES, I'M TRYING TO TRAIN MYSELF AND JUST NOT USING THE WORD REVENUE, BUT COST RECOVERY.
AND, AND SO ONE, IF, IF I WERE TO HAVE FOUR, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MEET THAT QUOTA.
CURRENTLY I ONLY HAVE TWO DUE TO THE ONE VACANCY.
THREE IS 304 WILL GIVE US AROUND 400, UH, BASED ON THE NEW ORDINANCE AND HOW WE MANAGE THAT.
AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT HARD FIGURES, BUT CERTAINLY WE HAVE WORKED HARD AT ESTIMATING, UH, WHAT WE FEEL IS AN ACCURATE NUMBER TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, DEPENDING ON OUR WORKLOAD AND WHEN WE CAN, IF WE CAN BRING SOMEBODY IN AND THEN PURSUE THE GRANTS, UH, TO DO THE MATCHING FOR AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTOR, WE COULD TECHNICALLY REACH THAT LEVEL.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, CHIEF, YOU'RE ASKING FOR TWO THAT IS ALREADY FUNDED, CORRECT? 1, 1, 1 FIRE INSPECTOR ALREADY IN, IN THE BUDGET.
SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND, AND, AND THE, IN THE PROPOSED FY 26 BUDGET.
AND THEN FOR THE FIRE ALARM COORDINATOR, THAT'S ALSO, THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE, IT, IT IS IN CONCEPT.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING SOME STUDIES REALLY, OR LOOKING AT DATA.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, AGAIN, LAST NIGHT, WE SPOKE OF THE NEW FEE FEE SCHEDULE THAT IS INCLUDED IN THAT FEE SCHEDULE BASED ON SOME OF THE PRE PRELIMINARY STUDIES THAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR CALL VOLUME AND FALSE ALARMS. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOVE.
I, ME, CHIEF, I'D LIKE TO YES, PLEASE.
ROBERT IS THE CHIEF HERNANDEZ IS THE EXPERT ON THIS ONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP, ROBERT.
STAFFS, CITY RESIDENTS, ROBERT HERNANDEZ, N CITY FIRE.
UH, THIS, I WANNA START OFF BY SAYING THIS IS COST NEUTRAL.
THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1998, UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS ONE SPECIFIC REASON, RIGHT? FIRE AND POLICE WERE GOING ON THESE CALLS, MULTIPLE CALLS, TONS OF CALLS, UM, AND AS A RESULT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, THE RESIDENTS WEREN'T, WEREN'T BEING PROVIDED THE SERVICES THAT THEY, THAT THEY WELL DESERVED.
AND, AND SO, UH, SOMETHING NEEDED TO HAPPEN.
AND SO I CAN BRING IT BACK TO CURRENT, UH, UH, UH, TIME NOW.
SO A, A SNAPSHOT FOR ALL OF YOU.
FROM MARCH OF LAST YEAR TO MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 297 FALSE ALARM CALLS.
OUT OF THOSE TWO HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN, A HUNDRED ELEVEN OF 'EM COULD BE, COULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED.
THEY WEREN'T, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT WOULD'VE EQUATED TO APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF REVENUE BROUGHT BACK TO THE CITY.
THE INTERESTING PART OF THIS, AND THE MOST, THE MOST INTERESTING PART TO ME IS TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, IT'S COST NEUTRAL DOESN'T COST ANYTHING, RIGHT? IF THE PROGRAM, IT'S SELF-SUFFICIENT, UM, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S, THAT'S MANAGING THIS AND, AND IS PART OF THAT ALARM COORDINATOR POSITION IS PAID AS A RESULT OF, OF THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN.
[03:30:01]
SO THE APPROXIMATE COST OF THIS IS, IS ABOUT 50,000 FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.SO JUST, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE WOULD, WE WOULD PAY FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL AND THEY'D BRING 50,000 BACK, UH, TO GENERAL FUND.
AND IF WE'RE NOT BRINGING IN THAT REVENUE, THEN THAT POSITION GOES AWAY.
OKAY? SO IT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLE, VERY EASY.
AND, AND THEN THE LAST PIECE OF COURSE, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT, IS WE'RE NOT SENDING VEHICLES 297 DIFFERENT TIMES TO DIFFERENT HOMES OR BUSINESSES THAT ARE, THAT ARE HAVING THESE FALSE ALARMS AND, AND TAKING AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY, TAKING AWAY FROM OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO THAT IS THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR ME.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, CHIEF.
YOU GOT ME BY HELLO? YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.
YEAH, I'M GONNA MISS ROBERT FOR ALL OF THEM.
ALRIGHT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, JJ JUST ONE, UH, LA LAST, UH, COMMENT.
UH, UH, ALL THE DETAIL AND ALL THE WORK.
UH, JUST ON THE REVENUE SIDE OF IT, MY ONLY KIND OF CRITIQUE IS I FEEL LIKE IT WAS LACKING A LITTLE BIT OF THE NUMBERS ON POTENTIAL REVENUE GENERATING, I MEAN, FOR THE GRANTS AND STUFF, BUT I, I THINK THAT'LL, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL COME IN IN THE NEXT, UH, WEEK OR TWO.
AND I THINK I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU GUYS ON, UH, BEING SO, UM, ENGAGED AND INVESTED ON THE, UM, THE TRUCK, THE, WITH THE PORT, THE PROPOSED ELECTRIC TRUCK FACILITY, AND YOU GUYS BEING THERE AT THAT WORKSHOP, BECAUSE I THINK THE PORT STAFF, THEY, THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT, AND THEY'VE BEEN MOVING AS IF WE DON'T MATTER, LIKE IN A WAY ON, ON THIS IN TERMS OF THE, OF THE INPUT.
AND, AND SO HAVING YOU GUYS THERE THAT, THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU GUYS, UH, ALSO, UH, DO THAT SIMILAR WITH THE, WITH THE MSA.
AND I KNOW, UM, SCOTT IS KIND OF RENEWING THE, THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT AT SOME POINT I FEEL LIKE WE, OUR FIRE AND AND POLICE, WHICH WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, ARE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY PUSH THE PORT AND THE NEW LEADERSHIP AT THE PORT, WHICH WE'RE WORKING BETTER WITH ON, ON THE MSA BECAUSE THAT REALLY IMPACTS OUR BUDGET THE MOST.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER CITIES, WE'RE GETTING SCREWED OVER THE MOST.
AND I WOULD ASK, UH, SCOTT TOO, TO, AGAIN, TO LOOK AT, UM, UH, WHICH, WHICH I NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
SO THIS IS SOME ON ME, NOT YOU, BUT, UM, UH, ON LKO IS DOING A MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW FULL, LIKE, FULLY ON, ON THE PORT.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET IN, UH, UH, ON THAT.
AND THAT'S COMING, I THINK FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I MISSED THE LAST COUPLE OF LKO MEETINGS, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIMING IS ON THIS PORT MUNICIPAL SERVICE REVIEW, BUT I THINK IT TIES DIRECTLY INTO, UH, THESE EFFORTS.
AND SO I, I WOULD REALLY PUSH THE PORT ON, ON, ON PARTICULARLY THE FIRE AND THE POLICE PART FOR THE SA AND I WOULD REALLY ASK YOUR, YOUR GUY, YOUR GUYS' HELP ON THAT.
AND EVEN IF IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE MONTHS OF NEGOTIATING, EVEN THE CHIEF, EVEN IF YOU ARE RETIRED, THEN THAT'S THE MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR YOU TO COME IN AND SPEAK YOUR MIND AND, YOU KNOW, TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW WE AS A CITY HAVE GOTTEN NOT OUR FAIR SHARE IN TERMS OF OUR POLICE AND FIRE REIMBURSEMENT COMPARED TO THE OTHER CITIES.
IF I MAY ADD TO THAT, I THINK WE STAND BEHIND OUR ORIGINAL APPROACH IN REGARDS TO THE ENTERPRISE APPROACH THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE PORT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'VE ASKED OF US IN, IN PAST TALKS IS THE FACT THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE PORT THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU DO IN, IN THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY? AND REALLY THE ANSWER, IN MY OPINION IS THAT WHAT IS UNIQUE TO PORT TIDELANDS IS THAT WE ARE THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ADDRESS THE ALL HAZARDS CAPABILITY THAT YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS, THAT WE HAVE IN NATIONAL CITY.
WE ARE THEIR FIRST RESPONDERS, WE ARE THEIR FIREFIGHTERS.
AND THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE ASSETS.
UH, BUT IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM CHULA VISTA OR IB THOUGH? OR IB, YES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SHERIFF, BUT BUT IS THAT DIFFERENT FOR LIKE CHULA VISTA OR SAN DIEGO? SO ARE ISN'T, DON'T THEY ALSO, THOSE CITIES LIKE TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE? DON'T THOSE CITIES ALSO SIMILAR TO NATIONAL CITY? THEY COVER THE PORT? I, I WOULD SAY YES, BUT THEY HAVEN'T HAD THAT APPROACH.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT, LIKE, HONESTLY, I'M PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE CHALLENGE YOU ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A DESTRUCT ARGUMENT.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT'S THERE ON THE CHULA VISTA PORT PROPERTY TO BURN MOST OF IT'S PARKLAND.
WELL, THE NEW HOTEL, I DUNNO, SCOTT, I THINK SCOTT A, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA TELL ALEX THAT S TOOK YOUR TIME AND YOU GOT ONE NAME.
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A LOT TO SAY.
NO, THESE ARE BIG, BUT LIKE, I KNOW IT'S NINE O'CLOCK.
I REALLY, THESE ARE THE THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE FOR YEARS NEEDING TO HAVE.
AND SO MAYBE WE SHOULD BREAK IT OUT MORE INTO CHUNKS OR SOMETHING.
SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME, BUT, BUT, UH, JUST AGAIN, ON THE, ON THE MSA, I THINK THAT'S LIKE OUR, OUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY.
THERE'S SOME REFINEMENTS MAYBE THAT WE NEED TO DO.
[03:35:01]
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL ON, ON FIRE IF YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THE OTHER AGENCIES TOO, AND, UM, AND CHULA VISTA IN SAN DIEGO, BECAUSE ALL OF THIS ENDS UP BEING POLITICAL, BUT WE ALWAYS END UP GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE, THE STICK AND, AND IT'S, UM, IT'S LAYERED BECAUSE IT'S THE, IT'S, IT'S THE, THE PORT COMMISSION, BUT THEY'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.AND THEN, SO THERE'S SOME LAYERS HERE, BUT IF YOU GUYS CAN, YOU KNOW, LOBBY THE, YOUR, YOUR FELLOW, UH, FIREFIGHTERS IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND TO TELL THEM OUR UNIQUE SITUATION, LIKE, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND I FEEL LIKE NOW IS STARTING TO GET APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY.
THEY'RE NOT JUST GONNA GIVE US THIS MONEY.
WE HAVE TO KIND OF PUSH FOR IT.
SO I, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO PLEASE HELP US IN THE CITY AND, AND GET THOSE AND GET THOSE FUNDS.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA MAKE THE BEST I CAN TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT
SO I, I REALLY WANNA START WITH TWO THINGS HERE.
ONE IS, UH, SCOTT TASKED US WITH, UH, GETTING CREATIVE AND LOOKING AT WHAT, WHAT WE DO WELL, WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON, AND WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO DIFFERENT.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SCOTT ACTUALLY SAID TO START THIS ENTIRE THING, HE SAID, AND I'M QUOTING YOU, CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO DEVELOP, WORK AND LIVE.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE.
YOU HAVE A CLASS ONE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I SAY YOU HAVE A CLASS ONE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER THE ANNUAL CRIME OVERVIEW.
I, I, I'D LOVE TO SIT WITH YOU AND INDIVIDUALLY AND TALK ABOUT IT.
SO I REALLY WANT TO BE BRIEF, 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE WAITING HERE.
WHAT I DO WANNA SHOW ON THIS SLIDE IS I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON THE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
THIS IS WHAT YOUR OFFICERS ARE DOING DAY IN, DAY OUT.
SO IN 2024, THEY HANDLED 67,402 CALLS, AND THERE'S YOUR BREAKDOWN ON THE FOUR BEATS.
FOCUS ON THE SMALL PRINT TO THE LEFT, MY LEFT, I DON'T, IT'S PROBABLY YOUR LEFT AS WELL.
PRIORITY ONE CALLS TWO MINUTES AND 54 SECONDS.
TRY TO BEAT THAT IN ANY OTHER CITY.
UH, WHEN THE IN AND OUT AT PLAZA BOULEVARD OPENED UP, I TALKED TO THE SECURITY DIRECTOR AND I SHARED THIS WITH HIM.
HE ALMOST FELL OFF HIS CHAIR WHEN WE WERE SHARING AN A DOUBLE, DOUBLE.
WHY? WHAT WAS HIS TIME? THE TIME THAT HE PROVIDED ME.
AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT TIME WAS, BUT HE TALKED ABOUT THEIR ENTIRE PORTFOLIO FOR IN AND OUT.
AND THERE WAS ONE THAT HAD TO CLOSE IN OAKLAND BECAUSE IT WAS A CRIME IN PROGRESS.
THEY'RE SEEING THEM ON THE CAMERAS AND THEY'RE JACKING UP A SAFE
THE OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED FOUR HOURS LATER,
I GO, YOU ARE NOT GONNA GET THAT.
AND THEN HE ASKED, WHAT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR RESPONSE TIME IS? AND I TOLD HIM, UNDER THREE MINUTES, WE'LL GET HERE.
SO THAT GOES TOWARD THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE THEIR COMMITMENT TO THIS ORGANIZATION AND THIS CITY.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SCOTT ASKED FOR.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT PRIORITIES? FOR US, IT'S RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
CURRENTLY, WE'RE SHORT EIGHT OFFICERS AND SIX DISPATCHERS.
JUST THIS WEEK WE HIRED FOUR OFFICERS THAT WERE SENDING TO THE POLICE ACADEMY.
WE HIRED TWO LATERAL OFFICERS THAT JUST GRADUATED MAY 31ST FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN ACADEMY.
WE'RE HIRING ONE CSO AND ONE DISPATCHER.
REMEMBER, THE CSO IS A COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER.
YOU GUYS ARE ALL WELCOME TO JOIN US ON TUESDAY THE 10TH, WHERE WE'RE GONNA SWEAR ALL THESE INDIVIDUALS IN, UM, MAINTAIN, UH, MAINTAINING EMPLOYEE MORALE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE VERY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, THE STAFFING CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE, HAVE MADE IT WHERE THE TWO CAPTAINS HAVE PULLED TOGETHER AND SAID, WELL, HEY, WE NEED A SHORT FIX RIGHT NOW.
[03:40:01]
TO BE IMPACTED.SO WE'RE PULLING RESOURCES INTO PATROL.
SO THE SHORT TERM FIX HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM, OUR SROS, HELPING OUT IN PATROL.
THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS BECAUSE I THINK THOSE POSITIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT A CRISIS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE STAFFING AND DETECTIVES IN TRAFFIC.
BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE HAVING ALL THESE SUPPORT ROLES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT RUNS SMOOTHLY.
UM, WE ARE VERY EMPLOYEE CENTERED WHEN WE DO DIFFERENT EVENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO EVERY SINGLE YEAR AROUND OCTOBER, IT'S CALLED FAMILY DAY.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE GET TOGETHER.
WE INVITE THE FAMILIES TO COME OUT HERE.
THE LIBRARY IS VERY GENEROUS, AND THEY BRING OUT STAFF AND THEY HELP US OUT WITH THE LITTLE KIDDOS.
AND THEN THREE TIMES A YEAR FOR MORALE, UH, WE WILL ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND PUT AN APRON ON AND START COOKING FOR OUR OFFICERS TECHNOLOGY WISE.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I THINK HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE DURING MY CAREER.
UM, YOU GUYS ALL KNOW WE HAVE THE FLOCK SYSTEM.
UM, ACTUALLY OUR FLOCK COORDINATOR IS BEHIND ME.
RON WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS GRANT.
FOR US, IT'S A $1 MILLION, CLOSE TO $1 MILLION FOR THREE YEARS.
EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING YOUR WATCH COMMANDER LOGS, YOU'RE SEEING STOLEN CARS THAT ARE RECOVERED.
WANTED PEOPLE THAT ARE RECOVERED BECAUSE WE HAVE 91 CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE CITY.
AND I WOULD SHOW YOU WHERE THEY'RE AT, AND THEY'RE BEING ACTIVATED ALL THE TIME.
AND OUR OFFICERS ARE RESPONDING AND APPREHENDING SUSPECTS AND KEEPING OUR CITY SAFE.
THE MOST RECENT THING THAT WE HAVE NOW IS THE AXON FLEET.
SO THE AXON FLEET SYSTEM IS BASICALLY A CAMERA ON THE, UH, WINDSHIELD AND ONE ON THE BACK SEAT TO CAPTURE.
A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE ALL, ALL OUR OFFICERS CARRY THE, THE BODY, BODY-WORN CAMERA.
NOW, THE CAR LITERALLY HAS A BODY-WORN CAMERA.
AND THE BACKSEAT ONE IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE START ALLEGING THAT OUR OFFICERS DO SOMETHING WRONG OR SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THEM, AND WE CAPTURE THE ENTIRE FOOTAGE.
UH, THE MOST RECENT THING THAT WE HAVE IS A TETHERED DRONE.
AND I'VE SHARED THIS WITH SGIO.
UH, WE'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM.
SO IF WE HAVE A MAJOR CRITICAL INCIDENT, THIS IS A DRONE THAT HAS ENERGY THAT COULD GO UP, UM, 150 FEET AND WE CAN LEAVE IT UP THERE FOR 30 DAYS IF WE NEED TO CAPTURING, UH, AN EVENT.
SO IF WE EVER HAVE A, A FIRE OR WHATEVER, WE, WE COULD ALLOW THEM TO BORROW THE SYSTEM SO IT COULD, THEY COULD PULL THEIR RESOURCES WHERE THEY NEED TO.
CONTINUING WITH TECHNOLOGY, UH, WE'RE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE LIVE 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
SO WHAT THAT DOES, IT'S GONNA ALLOW OUR OFFICERS OUT IN THE FIELD TO HAVE THE EARS TO HEAR A CALLER CALLING IN AN EMERGENCY.
THE OFFICER, AS THEY'RE RESPONDING TO THE CALL, THEY CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THE PLAY BY PLAY, WHICH IS GONNA MAKE IT MUCH EASIER WHEN THEY ARRIVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, NOT SNIPPETS OF WHAT THE DISPATCHERS ARE TELLING THEM.
UH, FOR GRANTS, DEADLINES AND SOME PROJECTS, UH, ONE THING THAT THE STATE PROVIDED US, THEY PROVIDED US $58,000 FOR OFFICER WELLNESS.
UH, WE HAVE TO USE IT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE BUYING EQUIPMENT THAT OUR OFFICERS WANT, PRIMARILY A GYM EQUIPMENT AND SOME WELLNESS EQUIPMENT.
AND THIS IS A STATE FUNDED, UH, GRANT THAT WE HAVE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, I PUT HERE PROJECTS, I CALL IT OUR BUILDING.
OUR BUILDING IS FALLING APART.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO WALK PEOPLE AROUND BECAUSE THEY'LL START POINTING TO DIFFERENT THINGS, SAYING, WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? WHY IS THAT FALLING APART? AND I UNDERSTAND IT, IT IT'S CHALLENGING FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO PULL THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO OUR BUILDING WHEN THEY'RE SO SHORTHANDED AS FAR AS REVENUE.
AND ONE THING I'VE BEEN HEARING OVER AND OVER IS ABOUT FALSE ALARMS. SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, A PS ALARM PROGRAM SYSTEMS. AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TAKE CARE OF ALL THE FALSE ALARM BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
[03:45:01]
THEY TYPICALLY CHARGE US 18, ABOUT 18%.THEY CHARGE US 18% FOR THE PROCESSING.
AND THE SYSTEM'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BASEBALL THING.
YOU GET THREE FREEBIES AFTER THAT, THEY START CHARGING YOU AND IT INCREMENTALLY GETS STRINGENT.
IT STARTS WITH MAYBE $50, IT GOES UP TO A HUNDRED AND, AND IT GOES ON AND ON.
SO THEY'RE DOING ALL THE WORK.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THAT, WITHOUT LIFTING A HAND, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT $7,000 THAT'S GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, ON TOP OF THAT, RON IS ALWAYS SEEKING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE STATE, WHICH IS VERY BENEFICIAL FOR US.
I THINK THAT OUR DEPARTMENT WORKS.
UH, WE HAVE VERY LOYAL AND DEDICATED EMPLOYEES THAT WORK HARD AND I'M VERY EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO HERE.
JUST LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE DID A-C-P-S-M REPORT AND IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
THE COUNCIL GOT A COPY OF THAT AND WE COULD PROVIDE YOU ANOTHER COPY IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.
BUT IT TALKS ABOUT THE NEED FOR US TO INCREASE OUR STAFFING.
SO THE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES THAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS FACE AS I STARTED WITH STAFFING, MORALE, AND KEEPING OUR TECHNOLOGY UPDATED.
SO SOMETHING THAT NEEDS MAYBE RENEWED ATTENTION IS WE USED TO DO OPERATIONS STONE GARDEN.
NOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DOING, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING A, A NEW BUDGET GOING INTO THE, THEIR FISCAL YEAR FOR OCTOBER 1ST.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROGRAM IS STILL AVAILABLE, BUT WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT AND OVERTIME FOR OUR OFFICERS TO PATROL DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR CITY THAT THEY DEEMED AS A RISK TO, UH, HOMELAND SECURITY.
WE ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THAT BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT VIOLATE THE SB 54, PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT GIVING, UH, PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION.
OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING IT AND THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REVISIT AND SEE IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THAT.
UH, I COULD TELL YOU THAT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE RECEIVED ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, POLICE CARS, BOATS, AND THAT'S DUE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK THAT WE, WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF WORKING CLOSELY WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
I'VE PERSONALLY MADE IT A POINT TO MEET WITH OTHER DIRECTORS AND HAVE A SIT DOWN AND SEE WHAT WE AS A POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD DO TO ENHANCE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH DIFFERENT, UM, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS.
ONE OF WHICH WAS THE, UH, AND DANNY'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY OF HAVING A POLICE OFFICER WORKING AT THE LIBRARY.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE AT THE TABLE WHEN THE CITY DECIDES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND HAVE A SEP TED PROGRAM LOOKED AT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO BUILD A NEW SKATE PARK WITHOUT MAYBE CONSULTING A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SAYING, DO YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO DO THIS? OR ALLOW US TO HAVE THE INPUT? WE HAVE TRAINED PEOPLE THAT CAN LOOK AT THAT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE IDEAL.
UM, WHEN I TALK ABOUT RECRUITING, WHEN I TALK ABOUT HIRING, I, I GOTTA TIP MY HAT TO LYDIA AND HER TEAM, YOU KNOW, WITH HER INCREASE LEVELS IN HR.
SHE'S BEEN A LIFESAVER AND SHE'S BEEN HELPING US OUT A LOT.
WITHOUT HER, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE IN A REALLY, REALLY BAD PLACE.
SO I WANT TO THANK THE HR DEPARTMENT, PLUS SHE FED ME A LITTLE BIT AGO
UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT SOME ADDITIONS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I, I LIKE TO, UH, TO PROPOSE TO OUR COUNCIL HERE.
WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR REPAIRS AROUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND SINCE WE'RE A 365 DAY 7 24 OPERATION, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEBODY AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ALWAYS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A, A BUILDING TRADE SPECIALIST.
THIS IS A, A PERSON THAT CAN GO IN AND FIX THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED.
REPAIR LIGHTS, LAY SOME FLOORING, WHATEVER IT IS.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE BROKEN URINALS.
THESE THINGS NEED CONSTANT, CONSTANT REPAIRS.
THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THEM.
SOMETIMES THEY CALL 'EM QUARTER MASTERS, THEY CALL DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOMEBODY ASSIGNED TO THEM.
VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, THE CUSTODIAN THAT WE HAVE ASSIGNED TO US.
[03:50:01]
AND THE SECOND THING IS TWO COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.BUT THESE ARE NOT POLICE OFFICERS.
THESE ARE NON-SWORN PEOPLE THAT WE USE, LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE AROUND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE USE 'EM AT THE FRONT DESK PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE DISPATCH.
THEY COULD RESPOND TO NON-SERIOUS CRIMES.
THEY COULD RESPOND TO FENDER BEERS AND THE COMMUNITY WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO? THAT'S GONNA ALLOW OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO HANDLE THE MAJOR CALLS, THE PRIORITY CALLS IN THE COMMUNITY? SO HAVING THESE TWO OTHER INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR US.
AND HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN OF THE COST ANALYSIS.
SO FOR TWO CSOS AT THE LOW END, WE'RE LOOKING AT 106 AT THE HIGH END, 1 29.
AND THE FACILITIES BUILDING TRADE SPECIALISTS STARTS AT 60 AND WORKS ITS WAY UP TO 73 WITH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL, THE ORIGINAL REQUEST AND ASK WAS TO ADD TWO OFFICERS.
I UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE AT THIS YEAR, MAYBE AT THE MIDYEAR OR MAYBE NEXT YEAR WE CAN EXPLORE THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, HOW DID I DO? IT TOOK LONGER THAN YOU.
UH, I THINK ONLY SERGIO BELIEVES THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, THE, UH, YOU, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE BUILDING.
I THINK TO KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE, IF I AM, THINK MY FIGURE'S RIGHT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS STATIONED IN WHAT IS NOW OUR BASEMENT FOR LESS THAN 40 YEARS.
YOU'VE BEEN OVER THERE NOW FOR OVER 30.
YOU KNOW, AND, UH, 'CAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN YOU MOVED FROM DOWN BELOW, IT WAS IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE TO SAY THE LEAST.
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK TOO PRETTY ANYMORE EITHER, BUT IT WAS REALLY BAD THEN.
AND, UH, BUT YEAH, YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN IN THAT BUILDING OVER THERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND, UH, UH, A LOT OF USE.
UH, CHIEF HERNANDEZ FOR, UH, THE IN INFORMATION.
UM, I SEE THAT YOU ARE, UM, REQUESTING TWO COMMUNITY OFFICERS BE ADDED TO THE BUDGET AS WELL AS A BUILDING TRADES SPECIALIST.
AND, UM, AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE EVENING, I DON'T SEE THOSE POSITIONS.
UM, IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF OUR SLIDE DECK, PAGE 12, THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING REQUESTS, I DON'T SEE THOSE REQUESTS ON THIS LIST.
AM I MISSING IT? MAYBE BECAUSE THEY'RE POSSIBLE THE BUILDING TRADE SPECIALISTS NOT, BUT MAYBE BECAUSE THESE ARE KIND OF CUTS HOW IT'S, BECAUSE IF IT WAS TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND HE'S REDUCING IT TO C SSO, THAT WOULD COUNT AS A PET.
NOT ENHANCEMENT, BUT I THINK OH, THEY'RE NEUTRAL, THEY'RE BUDGET NEUTRAL.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S BUDGET NEUTRAL BECAUSE WE'RE ADDING TO OUR STAFFING.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUDGET NEUTRAL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COST SAVINGS, I COULD TELL YOU THAT BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN UNDERSTAFFED, IF WE LOOK AT, DO, DO WE CALL IT THE LOADED RATE OR WHAT DO WE CALL IT, RON? THE FULLY LOADED RATE.
THE FULLY LOADED RATE, WE'VE SAVED OVER $5 MILLION THIS FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY STAFFED.
AND WHEN ASKED, WHY AREN'T YOU FULLY STAFFED? IS IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO HIRE OFFICERS.
THE PROCESS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
TODAY, I WENT TO THE CHIEF'S MEETING AND DIFFERENT AGENCIES ARE GETTING CREATIVE TO TRY TO ENTICE PEOPLE TO GO OVER TO THEIR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, GIVING 'EM STIPENDS.
UH, THE SHERIFFS ARE CONSIDERING GOING INTO THE DROP PROGRAM, OOH, TO, TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO GO OVER THERE AND STAY OVER THERE.
THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S ALREADY DOING THAT.
AND THEY'RE CHANGING THE FORMULA FOR THEIR RETIREMENT.
SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE PULLING PEOPLE AWAY FROM US, US ALL DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
SO IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THE FOUR PEOPLE, IF YOU GUYS JOIN US ON, ON TUESDAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE PEOPLE, THE REALITY IS I'M NOT GONNA SEE THEM OUT IN THE FIELD FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR UNLESS WE HAVE A TURNKEY PERSON THAT COMES HERE THAT'S A LATERAL, THAT'S EXPERIENCE.
EVEN THEN WE'RE TALKING TWO, THREE MONTHS TO TRAIN THEM TO UNDERSTAND OUR GEOGRAPHY, TO UNDERSTAND OUR POLICIES.
SO IT IS, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, OUR
[03:55:01]
OFFICERS, HEY, HELP IS COMING, BUT IT'S IN A SLOW CRUISE LINER COMING FROM HAWAII.IT, IT'LL GET HERE, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE.
IT, IT'S A POLICING IS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT POSITION.
AND, AND I, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER POSITIONS WHERE PEOPLE COULD COME IN, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
THE, THE TWO CEOS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WHO'S DOING THAT WORK NOW? CSSO? THE, THE CSOS? YEAH.
SO WE, WE HAVE TWO OFFICER HERE.
WE HAD TWO OFFICERS THAT WENT THROUGH TRAINING.
THEY COME OUTTA THE ACADEMY, THEY GO THROUGH TRAINING.
THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT, THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT.
BUT WE HAD EXCELLENT, THEY WERE EXCELLENT PEOPLE AND WE GOT CREATIVE.
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THEM TALKING TO LYDIA? SHE GOES, WELL, IF YOU HAVE THIS POSITION OF A CSO OPEN, YOU COULD PUT 'EM IN THERE.
OUR HOPE IS THEY, THEY STILL WANT TO BE POLICE OFFICERS.
OUR HOPE IS THAT THEY COULD GET GOOD ENOUGH AND THEN TAKE ANOTHER SHOT AT IT, AND THEN START THE TRAINING PROGRAM AGAIN.
BUT THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE VERY OPEN.
THEY'RE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WE NEED THEM TO DO.
ONE OF 'EM IS HELPING OUR DISPATCH, SINCE WE HAVE SIX VACANCIES HELPING UP THERE.
UH, CARL, IF YOU EVER GO TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, HE'S OUR FRONT DESK OFFICER DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
OTHERWISE YOU'D HAVE TO USE OFFICERS TO BE DOING THAT.
UH, UM, WASTE OF, UH, WASTE OF TALENT.
NOT, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT START TERRIBLE WASTE, BUT I MEAN, AFTER ALL THAT TRAINING AND A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT, BUT QUESTION ON THAT FOR CLARIFICATION, CHIEF, IS THAT BECAUSE, IS THAT A STATE REQUIREMENT? IS THAT OUR REQ REQUIREMENTS ON IN TERMS OF LIKE HOW THAT THEY DIDN'T MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICER? SO THE, THE STATE REQUIREMENT GOES TOWARD THE POLICE ACADEMY AND THEN THE TRAINING THAT THEY GO THROUGH, THAT'S, THAT'S REGULATED THROUGH POSTS, POLICE OFFICERS STANDARDS AND TRAINING.
THEY HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA.
WE WANT THEM TO BE SHOWING IMPROVEMENT ONCE THEY START REGRESSING.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATION.
SAY, HERE'S WHERE YOU'RE COMING UP SHORT, WE'RE NOT SEEING IMPROVEMENT, AND THEN WE NEED TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION.
DO WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROAD OR DO WE CUT TIES? AND IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
THERE'S A HUGE INVESTMENT AND WE WANNA SEE THEM SUCCEED, ALL OF THEM.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE REALISTIC AND SAY, AND IT'S MY DECISION, WE HAVE TO CUT TIES AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE DO WHAT WE DO.
SO THEY DIDN'T MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POST TRAINING? NO, THE, UH, THE, UH, FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM WHERE THEY GO OUT WITH A POLICE OFFICER, TRAINED POLICE OFFICER THAT'S CERTIFIED TO TRAIN ANOTHER OFFICER.
THEY WEREN'T MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WERE REQUIRED.
SO THAT WAS LOCALLY AND THAT WAS CORRECT US RIGHT HERE, HERE IN ASHEVILLE CITY.
SO, SO JUST, I, I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD A LOT IS THAT IT'S A CHALLENGE TO RECRUIT BECAUSE OF TRAINING AND REQUIREMENTS.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT.
SO MAYBE AT SOME POINT, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S LIKE OUT OF YOUR GUYS' HANDS IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT IN THE MEDIUM AND LONG TERM, MAYBE THERE'S LEGISLATION OR THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS, UH, LOBBYING OR FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT CAN DO TO HELP IF IT, UM, ADJUST THOSE, THOSE TRAINING STANDARDS.
BECAUSE I QUESTION, I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO WADE ABOUT THIS, SO MAYBE THE OUR OUR STANDARDS ARE TOO BURDENSOME.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, I KNOW WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE A DIFFICULT JOB TO DO.
THERE'S A LOT OF LIABILITY INVOLVED, BUT MAYBE IT'S JUST LOOKING AT THINGS IN A, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF LIKE THAT'S THE ISSUE OR IF IT'S, UH, US, UH, LOCALLY.
SO I'M NOT SAYING LOWER OUR STANDARDS.
I'M SAYING MAYBE THERE'S DIFFERENT, UH, TYPES OF SKILLS THAT, UM, MAYBE HAVEN'T BEEN HISTORIC TRADITIONAL POLICING, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE BETTER FITS FOR WHAT YOU AND LIKE FOR WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY THAT LOOKS LIKE.
I, I JUST, I THINK THAT'S A, MAYBE A DEEPER CONVERSATION THAN WE CAN GO INTO TO SEE WHAT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
BECAUSE I, I, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A, IT'S A BIG IN INVESTMENT.
AND SO FOR, WE'RE LOSING RECRUITS AND THAT, THAT'S TOUGH.
SO I, I JUST WANT THAT, I HAD OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA COMMENT ON THAT.
I THINK THAT TYPE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, UM, THE SIX OFFICERS, I SEE THAT BUDGETED ALREADY, CORRECT?
[04:00:03]
YES.WE BUDGETED FOR ALL THE OFFICERS.
AND THEN WE HAVE BUDGETED THE SIX DISPATCHERS AS WELL.
NOW WE HAVE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES.
UM, CHIEF STAFFING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE TRY TO HELP THAT, UM, THAT, UM, THAT ITEM MORALE STARTS FROM USER, UM, UPDATING TECHNOLOGY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S RIGHT HERE ALSO THAT YOU'RE STUDYING IT.
UM, AND THEN YOU ASK FOR, UH, BUILDING TRADE SPECIALIST.
I WOULD LOOK AT OUR PUBLIC WORKS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THIS A DUPLICATION OF, OF WORK, UM, WITH OUR, UH, PUBLIC WORKS MOST ESPECIALLY THAT WHAT HE WAS ASKING EARLIER WOULD, WOULD ENHANCE THE, THE SERVICES THAT, THAT, UM, WILL BE, UH, DELIVERED, UH, WITH THE TWO CSO.
UM, I, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS TRANSLATING TO ABOUT 68 A PIECE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 130 K FOR THOSE TWO CSOS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THE INVESTMENT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE PUT INTO THOSE TWO OFFICERS.
AND I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM MORE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT ALSO, IT ALSO HELPS YOU AND DETER ANY YOU AND CONFIDENCE FROM OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR BUSINESSES.
SO, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
UM, CHIEF I UNDERSTAND, AND, AND THANK YOU CHIEF FOR EVEN IF YOU'RE SHORTHANDED, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE CAN FEEL THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHO WOULD COME TO LIVE HERE IF WE ARE NOT, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY, WHO WOULD COME TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN OUR CITY IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY? SO I, I, I REALLY SUPPORT Y AND YOUR, YOUR REQUIREMENTS HERE.
I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES WILL LOOK AT, AT THIS, UM, AT THIS, UM, YIN, UH, PRESENTATION THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED AND HOW, UM, YOU HAD, UM, UM, Y AND, UH, PRESENTED IT TO US WITH, WITH SETS Y AND LIKE, WE NEED IT, RIGHT? WE NEED OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, WE NEED OUR, WE NEED OUR STAFFING, WE NEED OUR MORALE, YOU KNOW? YES.
IF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS ARE ALREADY VERY, VERY TIRED BECAUSE THEY'RE MISSING OFFICERS AND THEY'RE COVERING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MORE HOURS, IT'S, WE'RE NOT EFFECTIVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE SAFETY OF OUR OFFICERS AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE YIN TO SEE IMPROVE.
AND FOR ME, PUBLIC SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, CHIEF FOR THE DUE DILIGENCE AND, UH, THOROUGH DISCUSSION ON THIS.
UM, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFICULT JOB IN THE CITY, BUT RPD SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT? THE SITUATIONS THAT YOU'RE CALLED TO ARE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT.
THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAVE TO FACE ON THE FIELD ARE VERY REAL.
AND, UH, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF, UM, UH, DOING A RIDE ALONG NUMEROUS, AND, UH, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT JOB.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT SAID, I DO, I DO THINK WE ALWAYS PRIORITIZE OUR OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY SAFETY.
UM, SO I, I DO SUPPORT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CSO POSITIONS AND THE FACILITY SPECIALISTS.
UM, BUT I JUST AS A CLARIFICATION, THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO TRADE BLOWS WITH, UH, STEVE OVER THERE, BUT THE WAY THAT I WAS ENVISIONING IT WAS SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED TO TAKING CARE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, STEVE, IF, IF I CALL STEVE, YOU KNOW, HE, HE WILL, HE WILL TRY TO PRIORITIZE, BUT HE'S GOT A LOT ON HIS PLATE, AND IT'S NOT FAIR FOR ME TO GO, STEVE, PUT, PUT YOUR STAFF TO THE SIDE, TAKE CARE OF THIS.
AND MAYBE STEVE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT, BUT THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
UH, NO, THAT, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU'RE LIKE A POLICE CHIEF WITH POLICE AND THE KNOW SKILL SETS OF SOMEBODY THAT IS A HANDY PERSON AROUND FIXING A BUNCH OF THINGS, I THINK IS DIFFERENT.
BUT HAVING ACCESS TO A, A ALREADY A EXISTING DEPARTMENT THAT, UM,
[04:05:01]
HAS ALL THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO DO THAT, I THINK IS ALSO GOOD.SO, SO, UH, I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT BEING UNDER THE DEPARTMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY SPECIFICALLY THERE, AND THAT IS THE ULTIMATE KIND OF GOAL AT THE END.
BUT I THINK UNDER THE DEPARTMENT WHERE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AROUND THE CITY, RIGHT? SO IF, IF, UH, MY COLLEAGUES ARE OPEN TO THAT, I, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, UH, ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAD SPOKEN ABOUT WAS, UH, UH, THE, UH, LAPTOPS, UM, GREAT EDITION.
WHAT, YESTERDAY? YESTERDAY, MAN,
NO, I, I, UM, I'M, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE ITEM.
UH, ALTHOUGH IT'S, IT'S AN INVESTMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND IT'S AN INVESTMENT FOR OUR OFFICERS TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE DOING THE, UH, THEIR REPORTS.
AND IF, UH, WE ALSO DISCUSS BEING VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, IN THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT MY COLLEAGUE HERE, SHARING A PARK AT ION, NOW THAT WE'RE REDOING THE PARK, SAFETY'S ALWAYS BEEN A PRIORITY, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE POLICE PRESENCE AT THE PARK IS CRITICAL.
SO I DEFINITELY LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, UH, MATERIALIZING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STRONGER PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT, UH, OVERALL, JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK THE EFFORTS OF YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, WONDERFUL WORK ALL AROUND, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK.
I'LL, I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK 'CAUSE I'M, I'M LOSING MENTAL STEAM.
UH, SO ALEX, GREAT, GREAT JOB.
I, I LIKE ONE THING HERE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT, 'CAUSE I, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, JUST THE, THE BUDGET ITSELF.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE PERSONNEL AND JUST THE ISSUES THERE.
AND I'VE RAISED THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO YOU WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, MORALE AND, AND, AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THERE.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE MORE INTO THIS, BUT THI BUT THIS IS GREAT.
I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, ADDRESSING THAT, UM, THAT, THAT PART OF, UH, THE ISSUE IS MORALE BECAUSE THAT, THAT MATTERS AND THAT IMPROVES EFFICIENCY AND, AND, AND HEARING FROM OUR OFFICERS WHAT, WHAT WE COULD DO TO, TO HELP SUPPORT THEM.
SO I WANT TO HEAR YEAH, I, I, I LIKE THAT YOU, UH, DID THAT, THAT THE TWO CSOS.
I, SO I, I SUPPORT THAT TO THE CSOS AND, AND YEAH, I, I THINK I DO AGREE WITH JOSE THAT, ON, ON THAT, MAYBE THAT SHOULD STILL BE IN PUBLIC WORKS, BUT IT'S DEDICATED TO YOU.
SO I'M, I'M OPEN TO THAT, LIKE THE, ON WHAT YOUR MAINTENANCE NEEDS AND HOW THAT'S, THAT'S STRUCTURED.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M HOPING STEVE HEARD THAT
WELL, FROM A PRACTICAL, YEAH, I'M OPEN TO WHAT THE, SO I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CAUSE A SH SO HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT PRACTICALLY OR FROM ME, FROM YOU GUYS, LIKE, YEAH.
UH, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, UM, IN FACT THAT, THAT BUILDING IN FROM CURBSIDE APPEAL, IT, IT DOES LOOK NICE, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY APPROACHING 40 YEARS OLD, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HOPEFULLY.
AND, AND, UM, I KNOW THIS LAST YEAR, OUR TRADE SPECIALISTS SPENT THE MOST OF THEIR TIME AT PD AND IT'S STILL BARELY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE.
SO WHAT, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I HAD INITIALLY MENTIONED TO BRUCE, UH, THAT THERE WOULD BE, UH, A LOT OF VALUE IN ADDING A, A BUILDING TRADE SPECIALIST.
HAVING THAT EXTRA CAPACITY WILL DEFINITELY PROVIDE A LOT, A LOT OF ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE IT DOES HAVE SERIOUS NEEDS RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT WILL ALSO IF, UH, IT SHOULD BE MANAGED UNDER PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE, UM, DIVISION, SO THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO PRIORITIZE NEEDS AS THEY COME UP.
UH, THAT'S HOW WE HANDLE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT'S HOW WE HANDLE FACILITY MAINTENANCE.
SO JUST GETTING THAT EXTRA TRADE SPECIALIST WILL NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE COUPLED WITH THE EXTRA CUSTODIANS.
ANOTHER HUGE BUILDING IS PD THAT COULD BENEFIT FOR WAY MORE CUSTODIAL SUPPORT AND DEEP CLEANS.
UM, I THINK THOSE, THOSE TWO, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS COMBINE WILL, WILL HELP PD, BUT ALSO HELP ALL OF OUR OTHER FACILITIES, UM, IN NATIONAL CITY.
SO I, I, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORTIVE, UM, OF THE REQUEST TO ADD AN EXTRA BUILDING TRADE SPECIALIST.
I WOULD AGREE, THOUGH, IT SHOULD BE UNDER OUR DEPARTMENT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THERE'S MORE, BUT THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW.
WE'LL GO NEXT TO, UH, LIBRARY.
[04:10:01]
ALL RIGHT.I WILL MAKE MY PRESENTATION BRIEF.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE ALL BEEN, THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE ALL BEEN SAYING.
UH, UH, I AM HERE TO, UH, DISCUSS OUR, UM, AS THE CHIEF CALLS IT, THE MOST HAPPENING PLACE IN TOWN, THE LIBRARY.
UM, SO OUR LIBRARY PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY'S DIVERSE NEEDS.
WE DO THIS THROUGH RESOURCES, PROGRAMMING, OP, AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, WE PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, THE LIBRARY HELPS, UM, INFORM, EDUCATE, AND CONNECT BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, INVESTING IN OUR LIBRARY OPERATIONS.
AND SO WE MAINTAIN A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT THAT CELEBRATES OUR CITY'S RICH TRADITIONS AND PROMOTES A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND BELONGING TO OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE, UH, OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS WE HAVE.
UH, LAST YEAR WE WELCOMED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND VISITORS TO THE LIBRARY.
WE CHECKED OUT OVER 160,000 ITEMS, UH, AND WE HOSTED OVER 960 PROGRAMS. UH, AND 95% OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, OR THE FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UM, SO WE DO MOST OF OUR PROGRAM THROUGH GRANTS, AND WE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, THAT COME, UM, THAT BECOME AVAILABLE TO US THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, OF COURSE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, LIMITED FUNDING SOURCES.
SO THE MAJORITY OF OUR OPERATIONAL CORE, UM, SERVICES ARE FUNDED BY THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN THE MAJORITY OF OUR OTHER FUNDING, IT COMES FROM GRANTS AND DONATIONS, WHICH ARE OFTEN UNPREDICTABLE, UM, AND COME WITH, UH, SIGNIFICANT VARIATIONS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
UM, AND SOMETIMES THAT FUNDING IS REDUCED OR WITHDRAWN, AND THAT AFFECTS OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND OUR PROGRAM.
UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A SHIFT IN HOW THE COMMUNITY UTILIZES THE LIBRARY, WHILE THEY STILL CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THE LIBRARY'S PHYSICAL COLLECTION AND VISIT OUR BUILDING.
UM, A GROWING NUMBER OF THEM RELY ON OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES, UH, AND INFORMATION SERVICES FROM HOME.
UH, AND THESE DIGITAL SERVICES, UM, CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND COST MORE, UM, AND NOW CONSTITUTE A
MOST PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED IN-HOUSE, WHICH KEEPS COSTS DOWN.
AND OUR, OUR LIBRARY IS INNOVATIVE AND RESOURCEFUL WITH A DEDICATED TEAM THAT CONSISTENTLY DEVELOPS NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
HOWEVER, RISING COSTS OF LIVING AND OTHER ECONOMIC FAST FACTORS LEAD TO ADDITIONAL LABOR COSTS AS REFLECTED IN OUR PART-TIME SALARIES.
SO OUR SERVANTS ENHANCEMENT REQUESTS.
UM, WE HAVE STARTED OUR PILOT PROGRAM THIS YEAR WITH OUR NATIONAL CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT IS THE VERY FIRST PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
UM, IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, BOTH PATRONS AND STAFF ARE VERY HAPPY WITH IT.
UM, I'VE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THIS WITH OTHER DIRECTORS OF OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS, WHICH WE'RE ALL INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT IN OUR LIBRARY SERVING US.
UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE COULD PROBABLY SET THE NEW STANDARD FOR THE WAY LIBRARIES SYSTEMS PARTNER WITH POLICE, UH, DEPARTMENTS GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND SO TO MAINTAIN A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AND MAINTAIN THE SAFETY OF THE STAFF AND OUR PUBLIC, UM, WE ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO FUND AN ENTIRE YEAR OF SERVICES, UM, WHICH SHOULD ROUGHLY BE ABOUT, UH, 15 TO $20,000 ADDITIONAL TO THE FUNDING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ALLOCATED TO US.
UM, AND THEN OUR OTHER ASK, UH, IS OUR INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AND THAT IS WHAT RUNS THE LIBRARY, ESSENTIALLY.
THAT'S HOW WE CATALOG ALL OF OUR BOOKS.
THAT'S HOW WE INTERACT WITH OUR PATRONS, UM, ON OUR, UH, CATALOG SYSTEMS. THAT'S HOW WE LOOK UP BOOKS.
THAT'S HOW WE, UH, CREATE BORROWERS.
IT'S BASICALLY HOW WE FUND EVERYTHING.
OUR SYSTEM, UH, EXISTED PRIOR TO THE LIBRARY BUILDING THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO WHEN WE WERE PREVIOUSLY AT THE ART BUILDING, SO IT'S OVER 20 PLUS YEARS OLD.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE TO A WEB-BASED SYSTEM, WHICH WILL BE A LOT EASIER TO MAINTAIN.
IT'LL BE MUCH MORE IN LINE WITH THE CURRENT OFFERINGS OF OTHER LIBRARY SYSTEMS AS LIKE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY OR SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
UM, IT ALSO HAS A LOT OF CROSS TRAINING BECAUSE WE DO HAVE STAFF FROM OTHER SYSTEMS WHO WORK WITH US.
SO IT'S ALREADY TRAINED INTO THEM.
UM, AND THEN THE SYSTEM WILL BE EASY TO MAINTAIN GOING FORWARD, AND IT WILL BE JUST AN ADDITIONAL ONE-TIME COST, WHICH WILL, UH, WE CAN DO OVER A, A COURSE OF TWO YEARS.
UM, AND THEN WE DON'T IMPLEMENT ANY OF THE COSTS UNTIL THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY START, OR THE NEW SYSTEM IS UP AND RUNNING.
[04:15:01]
IT.UM, I WAS GONNA CALL YOU LYDIA
UM, THE, YOU SAID THE COST ADDITIONAL FOR THE PD SERVICES.
YOU SAID THAT WAS A 20 K, UH, ADDITIONAL $20,000 ON TOP OF THE, UM, THE FUNDING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, BUDGETED FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE COST OF A NEW ILS? UH, IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT $50,000.
UM, THAT'S NOT A, A DEFINITIVE COST, THAT'S JUST SORT OF A BALLPARK.
AND THEY DID ASSURE ME THAT, OF COURSE, WE CAN EXPEND IT OVER TWO YEARS.
THE SYSTEM WILL TAKE ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 MONTHS TO ACTUALLY BRING ON BOARD.
AND SO WE DON'T MAKE ANY ADD ACTUAL PAYMENTS UNTIL THOSE ITEMS START TO BE IMPLEMENTED INTO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM ITSELF.
UH, SO ARE, ARE YOU DONE WITH THE PRESENTATION OR WE IS THE NEXT QUESTION.
WHO, WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT? OKAY.
UM, THANK YOU, DANNY, FOR OUR LIBRARIAN.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, MONETIZING THAT 50,000 DIVIDED BY 24 MONTHS.
I THINK THAT'S BETTER TO BE, TO, TO MONETIZE IT THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE, UH, ALLOCATION OF THE NATIONAL CITY POLICE SERVICES WITH THE TWO CSOS, I THINK YOU'RE COVERED.
AS IN THE CSOS B YOU'RE SAYING THE CSOS ARE GOING TO THE LIBRARY? NO, NO.
HE'S ASKING FOR TWO CSOS, RIGHT.
FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IF WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE THAT, IF WE PROVIDE THAT, THEN WE HAVE THAT COVERED.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT BUDGETARY WISE MONETIZING, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, WELL, WHAT'S THE CONNECTION TO THE LIBRARY? I'M JUST CONFUSED WHAT THE CONNECTION LIBRARY WAS.
WELL, PDD PD IS THE ONE THAT'S, THEY DON'T HAVE THE SECURITY PEOPLE ANYMORE.
IT'S THE PD NOW THAT IS, YOU KNOW, HANDLING.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S A BUDGET OF A 70 K BEFORE SHE'S ASKING FOR ANOTHER 20 K TO ADD TO MORE HOURS MAYBE OF THE PD TO, TO GO TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, TO POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT, IT'S TO FUND AN ADDITIONAL YEAR.
SO THIS WAS A, A, A PARTIAL YEAR BECAUSE WE STARTED IN FEBRUARY MM-HMM
AND WE ALREADY HAD FUNDING AVAILABLE FROM OUR SECURITY BUDGET.
BUT THIS WILL BE, UM, AND RON'S ALREADY LEFT OF COURSE, BUT, UM, ACCORDING TO RON, A FULL YEAR OF HAVING PD WOULD COST ABOUT $90,000 TO HAVE THEM THERE FOR A FULL YEAR.
AND OUR CURRENT BUDGET IS $75,000 FOR SECURITY.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE ASKING FOR ANOTHER 20.
AND THEN JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, BUDGET WISE THOUGH, SO THEY'D BE ASSIGNED TO THE LIBRARY, BUT IS, SO IS THIS SHOWING UP FOR LIBRARY EXPENSE OR IS IT POLICE EXPENSE? IT WOULD BE A LIBRARY EXPENSE.
IT WOULD BE OUR SECURITY, OUR SECURITY BUDGET.
AND THEN, UM, WE WOULD PAY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WE, WE PAY THEM THEIR OVERTIME OF 20 HOURS A WEEK, UM, FROM OUR BUDGET.
IT'S COME FROM THE SAME GENERAL FUND, BUT IT WOULD BE ALLOCATED.
UH, JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE EFFORTS OF THE LIBRARY, THE ENTIRE TEAM, ALL THE PROGRAMMING, UM, ALL THE HELP THAT YOU PROVIDE FOR SENIORS AND FAMILIES AND KIDS.
WE'LL GO ON TO, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES RISK MANAGEMENT.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, LYDIA HERNANDEZ, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE CITY'S HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
TODAY I WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING KEY OPERATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS, SHARE ONGOING CHALLENGES, AND PRESENT A RECOMMENDATION TO HA ENHANCE HR SERVICES.
WHILE THE HR DEPARTMENT TECHNICALLY DOES NOT GENERATE REVENUE, WE DO SUPPORT THE CITY.
THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES ACROSS, UH, SEVERAL CORE FUNCTIONAL AREAS, WHICH INCLUDE, I'M SORRY, WHAT? SORRY.
AND THEN FINALLY, RISK MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION.
SINCE JULY ONE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT
[04:20:01]
PROGRESS IN IMPROVING INTERNAL OPERATIONS AND WORKFORCE SUPPORT.I'LL GET THIS ONE OF THESE DAYS, I THINK I'M JUST TIRED.
UM, WE HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF RECRUITMENTS AND SAW A RISE IN APPLICANTS PER OPENING.
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS WAS REVAMPED FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY AND CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT.
WE SUCCESSFULLY HIRED 40 NEW FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND 30 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UH, 10 NEW JOB CLASSIFICATIONS WERE CREATED TO MEET THE VOLUME OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE CITY.
15 JOB CLASSIFICATIONS WERE REVISED FOR ACCURACY AND COMPLIANCE.
THE DEPARTMENT EXPANDED ITS VISIBILITY BY PARTICIPATING IN MULTIPLE JOB FAIRS ACROSS THE COUNTY, STRENGTHENING OUR EMPLOYEE EMPLOYER BRAND.
UM, WITH THE HELP OF THE NEW INSURANCE BROKER, WE REDUCED INSURANCE RENEWAL RATES FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
UM, THE NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING WORKERS' COMPENSATIONS CASES HAVE DECREASED, AND WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO NEED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING CARE.
UM, AND RECENTLY YOU HAVE SEEN THAT MANDATORY HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK IN HOUSE, ALLOWING FOR COST EFFECTIVE CUSTOMIZED DELIVERY.
SO AS THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING ALL AREAS OF THE HR DEPARTMENT.
I'M ACTING AS THE LIAISON TO BARGAINING UNIT, SUPERVISING HR STAFF, AND SERVING AS A STRATEGIC ADVISOR TO C CITY LEADERSHIP ON WORKFORCE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
A KEY CHALLENGE IS THE NEED TO FILL A VACANT HUMAN RESOURCES, I'M SORRY, THE VACANT HUMAN RESOURCES EMPLOYEE RELATIONS MANAGER.
UM, THIS POSITION IS VERY CRITICAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
THE HR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS MANAGER WOULD INVESTIGATE EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS, GRIEVANCES, AND MISCONDUCT.
THEY WOULD ENSURE THE COMPLIANCE WITH LABOR LAWS AND INTERNAL POLICY.
THEY WOULD ADVISE MANAGERS ON PERFORMANCE AND DISCIPLINE RELATED MATTERS.
THEY WOULD FOSTER A FAIR, RESPECTFUL, AND INCLUSIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTING POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
THIS POSITION HAS BEEN VACANT FOR A YEAR.
IT IS FULLY FUNDED BY THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.
SO WHAT I'M SEEKING TRULY IS THE AUTHORIZATION TO FILL THIS HUMAN RESOURCES EMPLOYEE RELATIONS MANAGER POSITION.
UM, THE CONTINUED, I DON'T WANNA CALL THEM PROBLEMS, BUT I WOULD SAY THE
THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH THAT I CAN DO.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN DOING MY BEST AT GETTING THESE THINGS COMPLETED BY ALSO ASSISTING THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO GET THEIR POSITIONS FILLED IN A TIMELY MANNER, UM, TO ASSIST ALL EMPLOYEES, LIKE I STATED, WITH REGARDS TO OPENING THE RFP FOR THE NEW INSURANCE BROKER, AND BRINGING, UM, OUR RENEWAL RATE DOWN ON OUR KAISER TO 0.5%.
SO HALF A POINT, HALF A PERCENTAGE.
UM, SO THESE ARE CRITICAL THINGS AND WITH NEGOTIATIONS, I JUST REALLY DON'T HAVE TIMES TO HANDLE ALL OF THE ITEMS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M REQUESTING THAT.
IS IT AN ENHANCEMENT? POSSIBLY I SAVED APPROXIMATELY $148,000 WITH THAT ONE POSITION BEING VACANT FOR THE YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FILL THAT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE ON THIS UPWARD TRAJECTORY THAT WE CURRENTLY ARE DOING WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT POSITION, IS IT CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET OR IS THAT OUTTA THE BUDGET? WOULD THIS BE ADDITION OR? IT IS IN THE BUDGET AND IT'S FULLY FUNDED.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE, UH, REPORTS AND ALL THE, UH, THE CLEANING UP THAT, UM, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, DONE IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN MORE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT WE ARE GOING TO FACE, UM, IN THE FUTURE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, BUT, UM, IT'S THE LEADERSHIP OF EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WILL ALSO HELP US LEAD, UM, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT DOESN'T SHOW HOW MANY, HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW? UM, CURRENTLY
[04:25:01]
I HAVE A SUPERVISING HR ANALYST.I HAVE A VACANCY OF AN ADDITIONAL HR ANALYST.
AND RECENTLY I HIRED A FULL-TIME, UM, HR TECHNICIAN.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.
AND THEN THE FINAL PERSON IS OUR RISK MANAGEMENT, UH, ASSISTANT WHO IS IN OUR OFFICE.
BUT SHE, MAJORITY OF HER JOB IS WITH WORKERS' COMP AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
SORRY, BUT RISK MANAGEMENT GOES UNDER THE LEGAL, CORRECT? WE, UH, IN HANDLING CLAIMS, YES.
IT'S UNDER, IT'S UNDER OUR RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT.
RISK MANAGEMENT IS FOR LABOR, UM, CONCERNS.
IT, THEY, IT'S RISK MANAGEMENT AND WORKERS' COMP.
SO THE WORKERS' COMP PORTION, SHE IS UNDER HR.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE SEVEN IN THAT DEPARTMENT I CAN HAVE FOR YOU, CORRECT? WELL, YES.
SEVEN DEPARTMENTS WITH THE VAC.
HOW MANY MANAGERS DO YOU HAVE? NONE.
DON'T YOU HAVE, LIKE, DIDN'T YOU JUST, YOU, UH, MADE PEOPLE MANAGEMENT POSITION? I HAVE A SUPERVISOR, BUT I DO NOT HAVE A MANAGER.
SO THE MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS ARE NOT MANAGEMENT, THEY ARE PART OF THE MANAGEMENT GROUP, BUT THEY DO NOT MANAGE ANYONE.
SO, SO WHAT LEVEL OF OF POSITION IS THAT IN THE PAY GRADE? IF I LOOK AT THE, THE, UM, SALARY, UH, 'CAUSE WE APPROVE SALARY, SO I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO, UH, WHAT LEVEL PAY IS THAT IN? SUPERVISOR OR MANAGEMENT? ANALYST OR MANAGERS? SO, SO THE, THE HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT? YES.
SO THEY ARE PART OF THE MANAGEMENT GROUP.
SO, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE COST FOR EACH, UM, ANALYST IS APPROXIMATELY $120,000.
SO WHEN I FIRST STARTED, ONCE AGAIN, UM, WE ONLY HAD ONE FULL-TIME ANALYST.
UM, THE OTHER THREE WERE PART-TIME.
AND LAST YEAR YOU AUTHORIZED FOR THOSE POSITIONS TO BECOME FULL-TIME IN AN EFFORT TO ASSIST WITH THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE WITHIN THIS ORGANIZATION.
SO IF WE MONETIZE THIS POSITION, WHAT WOULD IT BE, MA'AM? UM, I THINK IT'S APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 150 TO $180,000 AT THE TOP LEVEL.
THAT'S YOUR SALARY? THAT IS IN SALARY AND BENEFITS, CORRECT.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I STATED THAT IT IS FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY ALSO FUNDED.
SO THERE WAS A SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY $140,000 BECAUSE OF YOUR VACANT POSITION.
WE KEPT IT VACANT BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST LAST YEAR.
BUT ALSO, MAY I STATE THAT BY BRINGING IN AN HR MANAGER, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LOWER SOME OF THE COSTS THAT WE'VE HAD TO INCUR BY ASKING FOR OUTSIDE INVESTIGATORS TO DO THESE INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED RECENTLY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THOSE CLARIFICATIONS.
YEAH, SO, SO THANKS LYDIAN, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND, AND WAITING FOR ALL THIS.
AND, AND I THINK OUR RECRUITMENTS HAVE REALLY IMPROVED, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ALEX TALKED TO ME LAST YEAR AND
SO THANK YOU FOR I, I I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN GOOD.
I THINK WHAT HAS, UM, WHAT WHAT HAS BEEN, UH, A LACKING, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH YOU DID BRING UP HERE IS THE CHALLENGE IS THE, IS THE INVESTIGATIONS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT BLEEDS THAT STARTS TO BECOME, NOW IT'S, WE'RE IN LIKE LIABILITY, UH, TERRITORY WITH SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO THAT'S REALLY IN, IN BARRY'S WHEELHOUSE NOW.
SO, UM, I I, I'M JUST, I'M NOT, I I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S LAID.
SO I, I THINK YOU NEED TO TALK MORE ABOUT, UM, EFFICIENCIES AND WHAT, WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE MY, MY KIND OF THOUGHT WAS WHEN WE AUTHORIZE SOME OF THESE POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOMEONE IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS DOING THE MORE THE INVESTIGATIONS AND KIND OF THE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS, UH, PART OF IT.
SO IF THAT'S STILL MISSING, I STILL WANNA SEE LIKE, KIND OF THE EFFICIENCY, OKAY, WELL WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE DOING? YOU KNOW, KIND OF, KIND OF THING.
AND SO I, AND I THINK YOU HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR THAT.
I, I JUST LIKE, DON'T WANNA HOLD UP EVERY EVERYONE'S TIME HERE.
SO I, I THINK I, I, I JUST WANT,
[04:30:01]
I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS IMP I'M OPEN TO IT, BUT I JUST HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.AND IT, IT MIGHT BE JUST A LACK OF MY UNDERSTANDING.
PART OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD, IT WAS ALSO, UH, REGARDING THE RECENT MUNI IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UM, HAVE TAKEN AWAY FROM SOME OF OUR OTHER DUTIES.
UM, AND THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE BY MY CURRENT STAFF, UM, FOR DOING INVESTIGATIONS.
THEY ARE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO, WHICH INCLUDES WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND RECRUITMENT, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE THEIR CORE VALUES, UH, OF WHAT THEIR KNOWLEDGE BASE IS.
SO THAT IS, AS I STATED, THAT IS ONE THING THAT I ADMIT MY DEPARTMENT IS MISSING.
UM, AND THAT WAS WHY THAT REQUEST OCCURRED.
LOOKS WE GOOD? AND YOU SAID ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES WAS UNI DID, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY? YES.
BECAUSE OF THE HAVING TO BUILD OUT ALL OF THE VARIOUS ITEMS FOR THE MUNIS SYSTEM, THAT'S A PERFECT LEAD IN TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S A GOOD LOOKING CALCULATOR.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S MISSING IS THE COFFEE STAIN.
SO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE UP 15 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
WE ACCOUNT FOR ACCOUNTING, BUDGETING, UM, PAYROLL AND PURCHASING.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, ISSUED 11,000 INVOICES OR PROCESSED 11,000 INVOICES.
UM, WE PAY OUR EMPLOYEES 26 TIMES A YEAR.
THAT'S ROUGHLY FIVE, OVER 550 EMPLOYEES PER PAY PERIOD, ROUGHLY 14,000 A YEAR OR, OR PAYMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE ISSUED AND HELPED TO ASSIST WITH THE RENEWALS, UM, 6,000 BUSINESS LICENSE AND PET LICENSE AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS BECOME MORE AUTOMATED AND MORE PAPERLESS.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT, UM, PROVIDE FUNDING TO US, ESPECIALLY LIKE GRANT FUNDING TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE THAT TO US ELECTRONICALLY VERSUS CHECK.
IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE.
WE GET THE MONEY FASTER AND WE CAN PUT IT IN OUR BANK OR AN INTEREST VERSUS HAVING IT POSSIBLY GET LOST IN THE MAIL.
THE, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF MUNI, THERE ARE SOME DISADVANTAGES, WHICH I'LL COVER IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT ONE OF THE KEY ADVANTAGES IS WE'RE ABLE TO STORE ELECTRONIC DATA WITHIN THE SYSTEM AS FAR AS, UM, INVOICES, PURCHASE ORDERS, CONTRACTS CAN EASILY BE RETRIEVED OFF THE OLD EDEN SYSTEM.
IT DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF STORING THAT DATA, SO IT HAD TO BE STORED IN ANOTHER LOCATION.
ORIGINALLY EVERYTHING WAS PAPER, SO YOU HAD TO GO TO A FILE AND PULL OUT AN OLD INVOICE IF YOU NEEDED TO DO RESEARCH.
AND THEN WE GOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE STARTED SCANNING THOSE AND KEEP 'EM AS A PDF.
NOW EVERYTHING'S STORED AS A PDF WITHIN MUNIS.
AND THEN, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO ACTUALLY PAY ALL OF OUR VENDORS THROUGH ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS AS WELL, WHICH MAKES IT MORE FAST, FASTER AND EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR US, OUR OPERATIONS.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES HAS CERTAINLY BEEN THE MUNIS IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, WE WENT LIVE WITH MUNI BACK IN APRIL OF 2024.
IT WAS THE LAST QUARTER OF LAST PHYSICAL YEAR.
BEING THAT CLOSE TO YEAR IN, I WOULD'VE P PREFERRED THAT THEY ACTUALLY STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW PHYSICAL YEAR WITH UNI BECAUSE THIS CAUSED SOME CHALLENGES WITH OUR AUDITORS, UM, AUDITING.
SO THEY'RE AUDITING NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE OLD SYSTEM, THREE MONTHS OUTTA THE NEW SYSTEM.
AND, AND THE NUMBERS AREN'T MATCHING UP EASILY.
SO THAT'S CAUSED A CHALLENGE ALSO.
UM, JUST LEARNING THE NEW SYSTEM, WE, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE 'CAUSE EDEN WAS GOING TO STOP BEING SUPPORTED IN 2026, SO WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE'VE REALLY GONE FROM A STUDEBAKER TO A 2028 TESLA AND AS FAR AS TECHNOLOGY, AND SO MUNIS FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE'LL LOOK BACK AND SAY, WOW, HOW DO WE EVER LIVE WITHOUT IT? BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE LEARNING CURVES AND, AND IT IS CHALLENGES.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW IS CONVERTING, UM, INTO OUR NEW PAYROLL SYSTEM.
WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PAYROLL EVER SINCE JANUARY.
[04:35:01]
SO ONE WEEK WE'RE WORKING ON IN TRAINING STAFF, TRYING TO GET ALL THE DATA INTO MUNIS FROM, FROM EDEN.AND IT'S NOT SIMPLE, SIMPLE AS COPY AND PASTE, IT'S REBUILDING A WHOLE BRAND NEW SYSTEM FROM, FROM THE GROUND UP.
SO ONE WEEK WE'RE PROCESSING PAYROLL.
THE NEXT WEEK WE'RE ACTUALLY IN MUNIS TRAINING.
SO MY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY AND GET THE MUNIS PAYROLL MODULE UP AND RUNNING.
ONCE WE DO HAVE THAT FULLY OPERATIONAL, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WE CAN ACTUALLY DO JOB COSTING AND CHARGE, UM, PROJECTS TOWARDS THAT.
UM, SO AN EMPLOYEE COULD ENTER THEIR TIME THAT THEY WORKED ON PROJECT X, YZ THAT WOULD BE CHARGED TOWARDS THAT GRANT OR THAT, UM, CIP PROJECT.
UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE'RE SEEING THAT, YOU KNOW, AND NATURALLY IT HAPPENS THAT ALL CITIES POLICIES GET OUTDATED.
SO THERE'S CERTAIN POLICIES THAT WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO LOOK AT AND UPDATE AND BECOME MORE CURRENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, CREDIT CARD POLICY, TRAVEL POLICY ARE JUST A FEW THAT THAT COULD BE, UM, EASILY UPDATED.
UH, IT JUST RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO FIND THE TIME TO DO THAT.
UM, LIKE ALL DEPARTMENTS WE'RE INUNDATED WITH PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS.
IT, IT EATS UP A LOT OF OUR TIME.
AND, UM, IT'S JUST FOR US, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT FOR US TRYING TO CLOSE THE BOOKS, DO THE BUDGET LEARN MUNI IS JUST ANOTHER OBSTACLE THAT MERELY MAKES US VERY INEFFICIENT.
AND ONE OF THE AREAS THAT REALLY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF FOCUS ON IS SELF-AUDITING.
LOOKING AT, UM, REVIEWING OUR GRANTS.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SUBMITTED FOR REIMBURSEMENT, BUT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A GOOD, UM, SOMEONE IN OUR DEPARTMENT WHO IS REALLY MORE GRANTS FOCUSED TO REALLY AUDIT THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER SET OF EYES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT MISSING ANYTHING.
AND SO WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF AUDIT FINDINGS FOR MISS RECORDING SOMETHING.
AND THEN SOME OF OUR FU FUTURE GOALS IS REALLY FULLY COMPLETING THE MUNI IMPLEMENTATION.
THE ONLY COMPONENTS WE HAVE LEFT IS THE HR AND PAYROLL MODULE.
WE WERE HOPING THAT WE COULD GO LIVE JULY 1ST.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE A LITTLE BIT MISGUIDED BY MUNI LAST FALL.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL PROJECT MANAGERS AND ONE OF OUR PROJECT MANAGERS THAT WAS ASSIGNED TO US REGARDING THE HR MODULE IN DECEMBER SAID THAT WE WERE 80% READY.
UM, THAT PERSON LEFT, UM, BASICALLY MUNI THE PARENT COMPANY.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE ASKED TO LEAVE OR THEY LEFT ON THEIR OWN.
WE GOT ASSIGNED A NEW PROJECT MANAGER AND JUST RECENTLY AFTER BEING ONE, ONE WEEK ON, ONE WEEK OFF OF TRAINING SINCE JANUARY, SINCE JANUARY, THEY'RE SAYING WE THINK YOU'RE ABOUT 30% COMPLETE.
AND, UM, IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE, UM, HAD TO FO FOCUS A LOT OF OUR TIME ON IMMUNE VERSUS DOING A REGULAR JOB.
SO IT HAS TURNED INTO REALLY A SECOND JOB.
OUR, OUR REGULAR 40 HOURS A WEEK DOING OUR REGULAR WORK AND ANOTHER REALLY 40 HOURS OF, OF DOING MUNI UPDATES AND TRAINING.
UM, ONCE WE GET THE PAYROLL MODULE UP AND RUNNING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE, UM, PROJECT ACCOUNTING MODULE AND THAT WILL HELP US TO RECAPTURE SOME OF OUR, UM, COST.
UM, I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME TO A QUICK RESOLUTION WITH OUR 2024 AUDIT.
I JUST RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION THE OTHER DAY, UM, FROM THE AUDITORS THAT GAVE US A DRAFT, A KIND OF A MILD DRAFT OF WHERE THEY STAND.
THEY'RE HAVING SOME ISSUES, AS I MENTIONED, OF TRYING TO TIE OUT THINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. SO WE'RE ASSISTING THEM WITH TRYING TO RESOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. BUT ONCE THAT'S BEHIND US, WHICH I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN BE ABLE TO COME TO COUNCIL BY AUGUST WITH A PRESENTATION, WE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY STARTING AT THE 2025 AND HOPEFULLY GET BACK ON TARGET WHERE WE COMPLETE THE AUDIT BY THE END OF JANUARY.
AND THEN, UM, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS HELP TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IS REALLY HAVE ALL OF OUR VENDORS, OR AT LEAST 95% OF THEM BE PAID TO ELECTRONIC PAYMENT, MAKES 'EM MUCH MORE FASTER AND EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR THEM AS WELL AS US.
AND THEN UPDATE OUR CITY, CITY POLICIES.
UH, UH, THANK YOU, UH, UH, UH, BRUCE FOR THE REPORT AND UM, THE UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE MUNIS SOFTWARE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A, A CHALLENGE AND, UM, SOME OF THE ISSUES IN FINANCE WHERE BEFORE YOU, SO I, I DO THINK IN YOUR, UH, FAIRLY BRIEF TIME, FOUR, FOUR MONTHS, FIVE MONTHS YOU'VE BEEN WITH US.
UM, YEAH, ALMOST, ALMOST NINE.
OH, SO NO, IT'S JUST THE TIME HAS FLOWN.
[04:40:01]
UM, NO, I REALLY THINK YOU'VE HELPED TURN THINGS AROUND.UM, BUT I, SO MY STILL MY CONCERN, THIS IS THE SECOND, UH, FISCAL YEAR IN A ROW.
SO CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? 'CAUSE I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THAT IMPACTS EVERYTHING.
AND I, AND I STILL, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S GETTING LATE, SO I DON'T, I, WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION MORE OFFLINE, BUT SIMILAR TO HR, LIKE I REALLY NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT THERE AND SOME OF OUR OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES WITH, UM, NOT, LIKE, I, I TOLD SCOTT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT PER PERFORMANCE OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES.
I'M JUST UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES AND, UM, AND JUST HOW, HOW THIS HAPPENS LIKE THAT.
WE'RE TWO, TWO YEARS LATE ON AN AUDIT.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT AND HOW WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT? SURE.
THE 2024 AUDIT, WE WOULD'VE NORMALLY HAVE PRESENTED THE, THE ACT FOR TO CITY COUNCIL IN ROUGHLY JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
UM, IT TAKES THE, THE CITY PRESENTS THE ER TO CITY COUNCIL AROUND FEBRUARY.
MOST ORGANIZATIONS WHERE I WORKED, WE PRESENT IT IN JANUARY AND WE'RE FINALIZING IT AND PRESENTING OUR ER TO GFOA FOR THEIR, UM, AWARD BY DECEMBER.
IT TRULY HAS BEEN THE MUNI IMPLEMENTATION.
AND WE WOULD'VE ALREADY COMPLETED THE 2024 AUDIT HAD WE JUST WAITED ANOTHER QUARTER TO IMPLEMENT IT JANUARY, JULY 1ST, 2025, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S HOLDING THEM UP.
UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE, THE MAIN KEY THAT IT'S, IT'S JUST STRICTLY BEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION.
I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I HAVE JUST CONCERNS ABOUT EFFICIENCY AND INEFFICIENCIES WITH THIS DEPARTMENT.
IT'S NOT BRUCE, IT'S JUST, I THINK THEIR PERSONNEL AND JUST OPERATIONAL ISSUES, UM, THAT I, I'VE JUST LIKE, I, I KEEP HEARING THAT MUNI MUNIS AND LIKE, I HAVE QUESTIONS.
BUT DO WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THIS? IT JUST, IT, IT, I UNDERSTAND IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING, BUT IT JUST, SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM TO BE LIKE QUITE CLICKING AND, AND IT JUST SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF INEFFICIENCY PURPOSE THAT IS NOW IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS IMPACTING OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET.
SO I, I JUST, UH, YEAH, I, I WANT, I WANNA TALK MORE OFFLINE, TO BE FAIR, BECAUSE AGAIN, SIMILAR TO WHAT I SAID TO, UH, HR TO, TO LYDIA MIGHT BE MY MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S ROLES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THIS REALLY GOES FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TOO.
LIKE WE, I I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WE AT CITY COUNCIL DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT FOLKS INDIVIDUALS ROLES ARE.
SO WHEN WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE PROPOSED SOME NEW PROGRAMS AND ROLLOUTS, UM, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK JOSE BROUGHT THIS UP EARLIER, THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYONE ASSIGNED.
SO PART OF THE PROBLEM IS WHEN WE, I FEEL LIKE WE ASSIGN ROLES, UM, OR WE, WE, WE BRING ON THESE POSITIONS OR THESE PROGRAMS, BUT THEN THERE'S NOT LIKE THE FOLLOW OF THE PROPER FOLLOW UP.
AND I'M NOT CLEAR IF PERSON, IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT'S TAKING LEAD IN, IN DOING THIS.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE.
AGAIN, NOT POINTING THE BLAME ON YOU, IT IS JUST SOME OF THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND MAYBE IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING OF MY PART.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, A LOT OF CITIES HAVE ACTUALLY HIRED A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO HELP BE THE MINI MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE BASICALLY MUNI AND THE CITY.
AND THEY WOULD HELP GUIDE THE CITY INTO IMPLEMENTING THE SOFTWARE.
IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 200, $300,000, BUT IT WOULD HELPED AND IT WOULD'VE ALLEVIATED A LOT OF THE STAFF TIME DOING THAT WORK.
'CAUSE THE CONSULTANT WOULD'VE DONE IT ON OUR BEHALF, BUT WE CHOSE TO DO IT OURSELVES AND IT'S WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL STAFF HELP AT THAT TIME.
ONE OF THE ISSUES WAS, UM, ACTUALLY WHEN THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS WERE SET UP, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS LESS AN EFFICIENT METHOD THE WAY IT WAS SET UP.
AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVOLVED.
I KNOW CERTAINLY THE PRIOR, MY PREDECESSOR WAS NOT REALLY COMMUNICATING WITH MY STAFF ON THE DETAILS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION WAS HOARDING A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION AND THAT THAT HAD CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST AND DIRECT ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE, YOU, I THINK YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
UH, I WAS GONNA ASK, WERE YOU HERE WHEN THE INITIATION OF MUNI BEGAN? I THINK I JUST HEARD YOU SAY NO.
UM, THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FACT THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION ON ALL OF THIS IS DRAGGING, I HEARD YOU SAY PROBABLY IS ALSO DUE TO SOME MISMANAGEMENT PERHAPS FROM MUNIS.
I MEAN THE, THE PROJECT MANAGER THAT LEFT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE HIGH AND DRY LEFT US HIGH AND DRY.
[04:45:01]
THIS NEW PROJECT MANAGER NOW IS COMMUNICATING DIFFERENT INFORMATION FROM WHAT THE OTHER ONE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, SET US UP AS FAR AS EXPECTATIONS.SO, UH, SO I, I WANNA BE FAIR, YOU KNOW, I WANNA BE FAIR THAT YES, UH, AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH MULTIPLE, UM, ERP SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATIONS THROUGH, THROUGH MY CAREER.
I KNOW WHAT A NIGHTMARE THEY ARE.
I KNOW THE GROWING PAINS INVOLVED AND THE LENGTH OF TIME, UM, THAT IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ONES I WENT THROUGH, UM, WAS PROBABLY TOOK NINE MONTHS AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, 400 EMPLOYEES HAD TO GET TRAINED ENTIRELY ON A NEW ERP SYSTEM.
AND, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS NOT EASY, UM, BUT I LIKE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU CITED.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING FROM SOMETHING VERY ANTIQUATED TO SOMETHING TOP OF, YOU KNOW, UM, STATE OF THE ART.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO, TO A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES THERE.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT YES, I AM ALSO SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING, OH, IT'S MUNIS.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY USING, OH, THE PANDEMIC OR OH, CO IS AT FAULT.
UH, I ACTUALLY AM INTERESTED IN MORE DETAIL AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE TAKING THE TIME TO EDUCATE US RIGHT NOW BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME I HAVE BEEN WONDERING LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT, WHY, WHY, WHY IS MUNI SO CHALLENGING? WHAT IS, UM, ACTUALLY HAPPENING? SO TO HEAR SOME OF THE DETAILS YOU SAID TONIGHT IS ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL.
AND, AND THE LAST COMMENT I WANNA MAKE, EXCUSE ME, IS, UM, SOMETHING MARCUS, IT TRIGGERED BECAUSE YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE END UP, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OVERLY ZEALOUS.
I KNOW WE ARE ALL FIVE OF US UP HERE, AND WE END UP CREATING THINGS THAT WE WANT.
AND BOOM, WE WANT YOU TO GET WORKING ON THEM.
SO CITY MANAGER, UH, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PERHAPS CHANGE THE CULTURE A LITTLE BIT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS GOES TO EVERYBODY WHO'S LISTENING RIGHT NOW IS, UM, GIVE US A TRUE TIMELINE OF WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO SATISFY THE CRAZY NOTIONS WE THROW AT YOU, RIGHT? UM, I, I WANT THE, THE, THE TRUE ASPECT OF THINGS, RIGHT? IF WE'RE SAYING TIME CERTAIN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN AUTOMATICALLY THE VERY NEXT, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEETING, RIGHT? YOU ARE AT LIBERTY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR IMPACT ON YOUR STAFF AND TRULY, TRULY SAY, ACTUALLY NO, THAT'S GONNA TAKE TWO MONTHS.
'CAUSE I'VE GOT ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT I'M WORKING ON.
AND IN FACT, I THINK THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP CALL SOME OF OUR EXPECTATIONS.
UH, RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO THROW WORK AT YOU, YOU'RE TELLING US NO, IN FACT, WE CAN'T TAKE ON ANY MORE WORK, YOU KNOW, OR WAIT FOR TWO, THREE MONTHS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
I THINK THAT REALITY CHECK IS WHAT WE NEED.
AND HEARING WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT MUNIS REALLY HAS CLARIFIED A LOT OF THINGS FOR ME.
JUST REAL QUICK, I HAD TO RESPOND TO THAT.
I I, AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S LIKE A LOT, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER TO DETERMINE STAFF WORKLOADS.
UM, AND, AND I EXPECT YOU THROUGH TO EVERYONE THAT TO CHECK, OKAY, WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING WITH THEIR TIME? LIKE, SO SOME PRIORITIES ARE LIKE, LET'S BE HONEST, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IN HERE KNOWS OF AN INEFFICIENT EMPLOYEE.
AND THAT IS NOT THE EMPLOYEE'S ISSUE.
THAT IS A MISMANAGEMENT ISSUE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN ON SO MANY DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WITH SO MANY DEPARTMENTS AND, AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT, WHAT I KNOW THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE CITY MANAGER TO ADDRESS.
BUT THEN WHEN THERE'S INEFFICIENCIES, THEN THEY, THEY BECOME BUDGET ISSUES AND THEY BECOME CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE TO, AT LEAST WE GET INVOLVED IN THE EXTENT THAT WHERE WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE THEM.
AND WE GET A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM OUR LEADERSHIP FROM BOTH BARRY AND, UH, AND SCOTT, YOU'RE GETTING INVOLVED, YOU COUNSELOR, GETTING INVOLVED WITH PERSONALITY.
WELL, YEAH, IT'S NOT OUR ROLE.
IT'S A CITY MANAGER'S ROLE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO US, WHEN THERE'S INEFFICIENCIES, WE, WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS IT AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT AND ASK AND ASK QUESTIONS.
AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S A TRUST, BUT, BUT VERIFY THING FOR, FOR EACH OF YOU.
LIKE WE, WE TRUST YOU, BUT WE JUST WANNA, WE, WE JUST WANNA VERIFY.
AND TO LU'S POINT, WE DO NEED TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE ON THIS DIET AND BE REALISTIC WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WHAT, AND WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE.
AND I THINK FOR ME TO LIKE AMIR'S POINT WHAT HE IS BEEN SAYING EARLIER, YES, LET'S BE BUDGET CONSCIOUS AND LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE REIGNING IN OUR, OUR SPENDING.
AND I, AND I THINK, I THINK WE CAN DO ALL THOSE THINGS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY.
ALRIGHT, WE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING IF THAT'S TO THE APPETITE TONIGHT.
WELL 'CAUSE A WORKSHOP, NOT A COUNCIL MEETING, BUT, WELL, LET'S DO IT ANYWAY JUST TO, JUST TO BE CLEAR.
WELL, BUT I MEAN, ARE WE SERIOUSLY GONNA CONTINUE THIS OR CAN WE COME BACK TOMORROW?
I KNOW WE'RE GETTING CLOSE, RIGHT? WE'RE GETTING CLOSE.
I, WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE FEELING THIS? I'M 10 30.
I MEAN, THERE'S A GOOD DISCUSSION.
[04:50:01]
A HAND.WE SHOULD PROBABLY STRUCTURE THEM BETTER LIKE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, YEAH, WE HAVE THE CITY OF CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY, AND CITY MANAGER.
MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND TO 11.
AND THEN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DIDN'T EVEN, OKAY.
GUYS, LET'S KEEP OUR COMMENTS A LOT SHORTER 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST A LOT OF US REPEATING AND, AND, AND I, LET ME JUST SAY THIS TO ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
THANK SO THEREFORE WE DON'T HAVE TO SIT AND THAT'S FAIR.
EVERY, EVERY TIME WE, WE GOTTA GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
ARE WE DOING THE MOTION? I HAVE COMMENT.
WE NEED TO, OH, WE TO COMPLETE THAT MOTION.
CAN WE DO THE VOTE SECOND? SO I MADE A MOTION TO EXTEND TO 11.
DO WE HAVE, CAN WE JUST GET A VOICE VOTE? AYE.
THANK YOU BRUCE FOR, UH, YOUR, UM, REPORT AND THANK YOU FOR THE LAST 10 MONTHS PUTTING STABILITY IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND LISTENING TO US.
AND SOME OF THE, UH, JUST LIKE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID CRAZINESS, THAT SOMETIMES WE ASK FROM YOU.
UM, I HAVE, UM, READ YOUR, YOUR REPORT AND YOU HAVE PUT IN HERE, YOU HAVE 15 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY PART-TIMES YOU HAVE AND HOW MANY MORE ANNUITANTS DO YOU HAVE? AND I LIKE THAT MONETIZED WHEN YOU MAKE THE
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR YOU TO, TO SEE, UM, WHAT ARE THE, UM, THE, UM, UM, PROS AND CONS OF CONTINUING THE HDL CONTRACT BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE THAT YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED HERE ARE DONE BY HDL.
UM, YOU HAVE, UM, YOUR LEADERSHIP ADDS TO THOSE, UM, STRENGTH AND, AND SUCCESSES.
THE CHALLENGES, UM, IMPLEMENTATION.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR THAT FROM MY MAYOR.
AND, UH, WHEN THE MAYOR SAYS THIS UNI, THERE IS A PROBLEM.
UM, SO MUNI REPORTS, UH, OUTDATED CITY POLICIES.
I THINK THOSE, SOME OF THE POLICIES ARE OLDER THAN OUR CITY.
YOU'RE RIGHT, WE HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN UPDATE THEM, OVERLOAD, UH, PRAS, WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY ABOUT THAT? SELF-AUDITING.
UM, YOU, I MEAN, THANK YOU FOR THAT REFLECTION, UM, FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
UM, FUTURE GOALS, UM, UH, THESE ARE ALL, UH, GREAT, UH, GOALS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
UM, OUR, OUR AUDIT REPORT, UH, I'M SURE THAT, UM, YOU ARE WORKING ON THAT AS WE SPEAK.
UM, BUT UM, OTHERWISE, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE, UH, THE REPORT FOR THE NEXT ONE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
I THINK EMILY, I'LL BE GOING TO COSTCO TOMORROW TO REPLACE ALL THE SNACKS.
NO, NO, ACTUALLY THAT'S BARRY BARRY'S HOARDING OVER HERE.
UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL VICE, UH, CITY STAFF AND GUESTS.
UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE SERVES AN IMPARTIAL AS THE IMPARTIAL LIAISON BETWEEN THE CITY AND, UM, THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND ENSURING ACCESS TO PUBLIC RECORDS.
WE PROMOTE, UH, WITH ALL CITY DEPAR, EXCUSE ME, WE COLLABORATE WITH ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO PREPARE CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS, MAINTAIN OFFICIAL RECORDS AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE PUBLIC NOTICE AND REQUIREMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE SERVES AS THE ELECTIONS OFFICER, GIVEN THE HIGH WORKLOAD, UH, MANAGED BY OUR DEDICATED STAFF OF THREE.
WE ARE CONTINUALLY SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.
WE, UH, PRIORITIZE IMPLEMENTING SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS THAT ENHANCE PUBLIC ACCESS TO RECORDS AND SUPPORT OUR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY AND EFFICIENCY.
WE WOULD, WE WEAR MANY HATS, AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE HATS THAT WE WEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE NEW, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE IS, UH, WE OPENED OUR PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE FACILITY ON JULY 10TH OF LAST YEAR.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THAT HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
UM, WE INITIALLY OPENED BECAUSE THERE WAS A NEED, UH, FOR A LOCAL PASSPORT SERVICES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, SPECIFICALLY
[04:55:01]
WHO HAD TO TRAVEL TO CITIES LIKE CHULA VISTA AND SAN DIEGO TO APPLY.UM, THOSE CITIES OR THOSE, THOSE RESIDENTS IN OUR SURROUNDING CENTERS.
CITIES ARE NOW ALSO COMING TO US.
SO IT'S NOT JUST BENEFITING OUR, OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, OUR SERVICE IS OFFERED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
AND WHEN WE BEGAN IN JULY, WE WERE ONLY OFFERING IT FOUR HOURS A DAY, FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
UH, WE HAVE EXTENDED THAT PROGRAM SINCE IT'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL TO EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
AND WE HAVE, UH, WE STARTED WITH A PART-TIME, ONE PART-TIME AGENT.
WE NOW HAVE TWO PART-TIME AGENTS.
THE PROGRAM SU SUPPORTS THE WAGES, SO IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF MY BUDGET.
UM, FROM JULY TO CURRENTLY, WE'VE PROCESSED 1,350 APPLICATIONS FOR PASSPORTS.
UM, WE'VE ADDED $46,795 TO THE GENERAL FUND IN REVENUE.
UM, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT, UM, FOR PASSPORT PHOTOS AND SOME DOCUMENT COPIES.
THAT'S ANOTHER 17,000 THAT WE'VE ADDED WITH A PROJECTED REVENUE FOR 2025.
SINCE WE ONLY HAVE A MONTH LEFT OF 50,000 NEXT YEAR, WE EXPECT THAT TO BE DOUBLED EASILY.
SO WE ARE, UM, BOOKED ALL THE WAY OUT THROUGH JULY FOR APPOINTMENTS.
SO WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WILL, UH, WILL LEAD A COLLABORATIVE CITYWIDE EFFORT TO STREAMLINE OUR RECORDS MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, UH, STARTED WITH THE TRANSITION OF, UH, REPLACING OUR OUTDATED QUEST AND, UM, GOING TO THE LASER FISH PLATFORM.
WE ARE REVIEWING AND DIGITIZING RECORDS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS TO HELP GET THAT DONE.
UM, WE ARE WORKING ON A COMPREHENSIVE RETENTION SCHEDULE TO SUPPORT A MODERNIZED RE RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES HELPING STEVE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THEIR ELECTRONIC PLANS AND THE RETENTION OF THOSE.
AND LET ME GO TO THIS ONE FIRST.
UM, IN OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, SUCCESS, A SUCCESSION PLAN.
SO IN WITH THE SU WITH THE SUCCESS OF MEASURE M IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, UH, THE APPOINTMENT OF MYSELF TO BECOME THE CITY'S FIRST APPOINTED CITY CLERK STARTED THE PLAN.
AND SINCE THEN I'VE PROMOTED TANYA, WHO WAS OUR EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO THE DEPUTY CITY CLERK POSITION TO REPLACE MINE.
AND THEN, UM, WE, WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE LAST YEAR, WE RECLASSIFIED HER EXECUTIVE SECRETARY POSITION TO A RECORD INFORMATION SPECIALIST.
SO WE HAVEN'T ADDED ANY STAFF, WE'VE JUST REORGANIZED.
UM, THE NEW RECORDS INFORMATION SPECIALIST, HIS ROLE, HIS NAME IS KEVIN, YOU ALL MET HIM.
HIS ROLE IS, UH, TO ASSIST IN RESPONDING TO THE PRAS AND SCANNING AND UPLOADING DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THOSE PRAS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE STAFF, UM, JUST WORKING ON OUR NORMAL THINGS, WE'VE ALL TRAINED TO BE, UH, PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENTS.
SO ALL FIVE OF US ARE PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE AGENTS, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.
SO, UH, THIS IS OUR BIG CHALLENGE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE VOLUME OF THE PRA REQUESTS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
2021, WE HAD 306 FOR THE YEAR.
UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH AND WE ARE AT 398.
AND IF TRENDS CONTINUE, WE WILL SURPASS THE HIGHEST THAT WE HAVE, WHICH WAS 2023 AND WE HAD 813 THAT YEAR.
SO, UH, THE CHALLENGES IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S STAFF IMPACTS.
UH, EACH PRA REQUIRES LOADING RECORDS, SCANNING, REVIEWING, REDACTING.
UH, SOME OF THE RESPONSES HAVE INCLUDED OVER 700 DOCUMENTS AND THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST OUR OFFICE THAT REVIEWS THEM, THEN THEY HAVE TO GO TO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND GET A REVIEW IF IT'S, AND, AND IT IS TOUCHES THEM TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY, UH, IF THEY, IF THEY ARE UPLOADING LIKE EMAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT YES.
IF THERE'S A REQUEST FOR THOSE.
SO THE, UM, TOTAL DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE RELEASED ON OUR NEXT REQUEST SYSTEM, WHICH WE'VE ONLY HAD FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH,
[05:00:01]
37,561 DOCUMENTS, THAT'S NOT PAGES, THAT'S DOCUMENTS, THAT'S A LOT.UH, OUR PROPOSED SOLUTION FOR THIS IS TO MAKE MORE CITY DOCUMENTS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON LINE, UM, ON OUR CITY WEBSITE THROUGH THE LASER FISH PROGRAM.
THE BARRIER IS THE, THE LACK OF TIME, UM, PROVIDED TO THE STAFF BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON PRAS
SO IT'S REALLY, UM, BECOME A BIG WORK PILL.
THE PRAS HAVE, UH, THERE'S THREE OF US THAT ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON THEM.
AND, UM, DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, I CAN'T OUTSOURCE, UM, THE SCANNING, WHICH WOULD HELP GET US FORWARD A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY IN MY BUDGET FOR THAT, SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WILL COME BACK AND ASK FOR AT A LATER TIME.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRO PRESENTATION.
ANYTHING, WHAT THE QUESTION? UH, SO, UH, I THINK YOU, SHELLY, ON YOUR, YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, BUDGET REQUESTS, WHICH I, WHICH I APPRECIATE YOU BEING PRUDENT, SO THANK YOU WOULD, AND REALLY THIS IS, UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS.
I KIND OF WANTED TO ASK AND, AND PUSH THIS BY FOR GUIDE, UM, TO SAVE MONEY IS IN TURN OR A KIND OF, UM, LIKE THAT'S LIKE SCANNING DOCUMENTS SEEMS, UM, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING THAT MAYBE ENTRY LEVEL OR, OR LIKE MM-HMM
SO IS THAT THAT, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER? SURE.
I'D BE OPEN TO LIKE, AS A, AS A, UH, COST SAVING FOR EFFICIENCY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THESE, UM, PEER, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT.
SO IT'S, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN CLOSED SESSION, BUT, SO I, I DO THINK IN TERMS OF BUDGET AND EFFICIENCY, OF COURSE WE WANT TO BE, WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THE PRA PROCESSES BEING ABUSED IN RECENTLY I'VE SEEN IT ABUSED AND IT'S BEING ABUSED BY ONE PARTICULAR GROUP.
AND IN MY OPINION, IT'S ONE PARTICULAR GROUP THAT'S ABUSING THE PROCESS FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL BUSINESS FINANCIAL PROFIT.
AND WE'LL, THAT, ALL THOSE DETAILS WILL COME OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM EARLIER, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND WANT STAFF TO RECOGNIZE, AND STAFF KNOWS A LOT OF STAFF WHO'S TOUCHED THIS KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, THAT THE PRA PROCESS IS BEING WEAPONIZED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES AND FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN.
AND, AND IT'S COMING AT A EXPENSE FOR YOU GUYS, OUR STAFF.
SO THIS IS HURTING OUR ORGANIZATION AND ANNOYING THE HELL OUTTA ME.
AND, AND I KNOW IT'S ANNOYING HELL OUT OF A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM TOO.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE DO NEED TO, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, UM, ADDRESSING.
AND IT'S BALANCING THE TRANSPARENCY AND, AND ACCOUNTABILITY, UM, WITH, UM, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT ARE YOU REALLY ASKING FOR? WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR INTENT? BECAUSE THAT, THAT HAPPENS.
PEOPLE ABUSE OUR GOVERNMENT PROCESSES FOR THEIR PRO PROFIT AND THEIR PERSONAL GAIN.
SO IT'S SOMETHING, IT'S TOUGH CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S ONE THAT, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
BUT I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, UH, ON THE, ON THE PRAS AND, AND HOLDING US A ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL.
SO YOU, YOU'VE DONE THAT WHEN I'VE ASKED A QUESTION, SO I REALLY THANK YOU GUYS, I APPRECIATE IT.
UH, LISA, YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THANK YOU MS. SHELLEY FOR, UH, THIS REPORT, UM, GOING THROUGH THIS, UM, PROCESS.
YOUR LASER FISH IS JUST 2023, RIGHT? THAT'S WHEN YOU RECEIVED THAT BUDGET TO PURCHASE IT? YES.
WE'VE ONLY HAD IT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE LIFESPAN OF THAT FIVE YEARS? OH NO, IT CAN, IT CAN GO ON.
I STARTED WORKING WITH LASER FISH SOFTWARE IN 20, IN 2001.
SO IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S GONNA STAY NO, I MEAN THE LIFE OF WHAT YOU, WE HAVE, SO IT, IT CAN, CAN IT HAVE MORE YEARS TO BE OH, YES, DEFINITELY.
SO, UM, YOU SAID HERE THAT TOTAL PROJECTED FY 25 REVENUE, IS THAT NEGATIVE 50? NO, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S OVER 50.
UM, SO CAN WE MONETIZE THESE TWO PART-TIME AGENTS, PASSPORT AGENTS? CAN WE, I WANTED TO SEE A REPORT ON WHAT'S COMING IN AND WHAT ARE WE PAYING FOR THIS, JUST SO WE SEE IF IT'S, UH, BUDGET NEUTRAL.
SO THE TWO PASSPORT AGENTS, UH, THE, IT'S $40,000.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BENEFITS AND THEY'RE LIMITED ON THEIR HOURS.
THEY'RE ANNUITANTS, UHHUH,
SO, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BUDGET NEUTRAL AS FAR AS, IT'S NOT COMING OUTTA MY BUDGET YET.
[05:05:01]
UM, AND THEN THE PASSPORT THING, YOU SAID IT HAS ALSO DOUBLED? YES, SINCE JANUARY, SINCE WE ADDED THE ADDITIONAL, UH, AGENT, OUR SERVICE HAS DOUBLED AND WE EXPECT THAT TO CONTINUE TO GO.THAT'S JUST SERVICE RIGHT? TO THE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
NO REVENUE BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
IT'S, IT'S REVENUE AS WELL, BECAUSE EACH PASSPORT APPLICATION, UH, WE, UM, ARE PAID $35 AND THAT FEE IS SET BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US.
THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY'RE ALLOWING US TO CAPTURE FOR DOING THE SERVICE.
AND THEN FOR EACH PASSPORT PICTURE WE TAKE, WHICH IS JUST A SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED, UM, AS A COURTESY, AND IT'S $16.
AND THAT'S, SO THOSE ARE DONE BY THOSE TWO INANCE? YEAH.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR OFFICE.
UH, DO GREAT WORK AND HAVE ONLY THREE STAFF.
I DO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF MY, UH, COLLEAGUE THAT, UM, UH, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PRA REQUESTS.
UM, BUT I, BUT I DISAGREE THAT IT ONLY COMES FROM ONE PLACE.
I, MYSELF HAVE HAD, UM, ABOUT A DOZEN PRA REQUESTS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
AND, UH, ONE IN PARTICULAR, I HAD OVER 60 SCREENSHOTS.
UM, SO I, I DO THINK, UH, THERE IS A LINE BETWEEN BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND, UM, AND ALSO HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY.
UH, SO, SO I DO THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO SIMPLY SAY THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL OR ONE GROUP ARE SENDING THIS.
I THINK MANY OF US ARE GETTING THIS, AND I, I STILL HAVE TWO OR THREE OPEN THAT I'M WORKING ON, BUT, UM, YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING TAKING UP A LOT OF OUR TIME.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 78 OPEN RIGHT NOW, AND WE USED TO JUST HAVE 20 A WEEK
I, I WILL SAY, FOR THE RECORD, IT IS A FACT THAT A LOT OF THERE OUT OF THERE IS ONE GROUP, ONE SOURCE THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF THEM.
SO PERHAPS IT'S NOT THE MAJORITY.
WE, WE DO GET A LOT, SO I AGREE.
AND WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH RECORDS A LOT, BUT IT'S ONE GROUP THAT'S CAUSING A LOT OF THEM, AND IT'S, AND WE ALL KNOW WHO IT IS, AND IT'S, ITS, IT FEELS VERY POLITICAL.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
ALRIGHT, NEXT WE GO TO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING INTO LEGAL MATTERS, THE CLICKER, YOU HAVE A CLICKER TOO.
I ONLY HAVE ONE SLIDE, BUT, BUT BEFORE WE START, JOKE.
BEFORE WE START, YOU JUST DID IT
I KNOW MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, AND DON'T REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD BOOKS, BUT WE HAVE BOOKS.
BUT WHAT ARE YOU USING THEM FOR THAT WE DON'T, THEY JUST LOOK REALLY COOL IN THE OFFICE.
RICHARD IN MY OFFICE COMES IN MY OFFICE AND STEALS ALL MY BOOKS AND MAKES ME WORK THROUGH THE COMPUTER.
SO, UM, FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS, UM, UH, MY DEPARTMENT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND, AND BY THAT I MEAN, WE PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE CITY, THE CITY AS AN ENTITY.
SO OUR OFFICE IS WORKING FOR THE CITY AS AN ENTITY.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS MY CLIENTS IS THE CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE, THAT'S WHO WE SERVE.
SO WHEN I SIT HERE, I'M A LITTLE BIT JEALOUS WHEN I HEAR YOU GUYS GIVE YOUR REPORTS, BECAUSE YOU GET TO ACTUALLY SERVE THE PUBLIC AND YOU ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING TO SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
UM, MY JOB IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BE CAREFUL BECAUSE I'M AN ATTORNEY, I HAVE A CLIENT, AND I'M WORKING FOR AN ENTITY THAT ACTUALLY SERVES THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WHEN I CAME HERE, OR LET ME SAY THIS, AS AN ATTORNEY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S HARD FOR OUR CLIENTS TO WORK WITH US.
WE DON'T HAVE GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.
SO SOMETIMES CITY MANAGERS WILL TELL DEPARTMENTS, DON'T CALL THE CITY ATTORNEY UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED THEM.
AND BY THE TIME IT GETS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, IT'S ALL SCREWED UP.
SO WHEN I CAME HERE, THERE WAS A SENSE OF THAT OKAY.
[05:10:01]
WASN'T A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT BY MY OFFICE, AND I WANTED TO CHANGE THAT.UM, AND I HOPE THAT WE HAVE, UM, I THINK WE'VE DEVELOPED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, I THINK THAT THE WAY I'VE ORGANIZED MY OFFICE, RICHARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, HR, I THINK, UH, FINANCE, UM, AND ASHLAND IS WORKING WITH, WITH FIRE, I THINK COMMUNITY SERVICES.
IT'S, UH,
AND I THINK WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THAT ENVIRONMENT AND, AND TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS.
SO, BARRY, BARRY, YOU DIDN'T INCLUDE THE COUNCIL THERE,
NO, I, I'M TALKING FOR MY, MY STAFF.
MY JOB REALLY IS PRIMARILY WITH THE COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, AND THEN, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING OKAY.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT ONLY HAS FOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
IT'S MYSELF, TWO ATTORNEYS, AND, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOR BUDGET PURPOSES.
THE THING I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS REALLY JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE IS WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING NEW.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO.
I DON'T THINK THAT I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING BIGGER OR BETTER, LIKE SOME OF YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT, ALTHOUGH I HAVE AN IDEA.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TWO AREAS WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, AND THAT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND IN CODE ENFORCEMENT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, WITH PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND WE ARE STILL FOCUSING ON OBTAINING VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
THAT'S STILL OUR PHILOSOPHY, BUT I THINK WE ARE AT THE POINT OF SAYING TO THOSE WHO AREN'T GOING TO VOLUNTARILY COMPLY THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING MORE.
AND WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE ALL THE LEGAL RESOURCES WE HAVE TO BRING PEOPLE INTO COMPLIANCE IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT VOLUNTARILY.
UM, BUT THAT WILL COME AT A COST.
I AM ANTICIPATING THIS YEAR THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF BIG CODE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS THAT ARE GONNA COST SOMEBODY, UM, MY PREVIOUS BUDGETS OR OUR PREVIOUS BUDGET, THAT MONEY FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS IN NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UM, OVER THIS LAST YEAR WAS TRANSFERRED TO MY OFFICE.
UM, SO ON ONE OF MY LINE ITEMS, YOU'LL SEE $150,000 FOR LEGAL SERVICES.
AND THOSE ARE SERVICES RELATED PRIMARILY TO CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WHEN WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE THOSE CODE ENFORCEMENT CASES TO OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO GO TO COURT, AND TO BRING COMPLIANCE THROUGH ABATEMENT OR WHATEVER, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE DO GET REIMBURSED FOR THOSE COSTS.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF THE STARDUST HOTEL, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF FIRES.
THERE WAS A LOT OF EFFORT BY ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS TO GET THAT BUILDING SECURED.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AND WE WERE ALSO REIMBURSED BY ALMOST $300,000 FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THE OTHER AREA THAT'S BEEN, UH, A BIG ONE IS GUN VIOLENCE RESTRAINING ORDERS.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE POLICE ON THIS.
UM, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S REALLY COME INTO EFFECT OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, AND IT ALLOWS US TO GET COURT ORDERS TO REMOVE GUNS FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A PUBLIC SAFETY OR AN INDIVIDUAL RISK.
AND SO FAR, WE HAVE DONE PROB, WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT FOUR, FOUR A MONTH.
UM, AND THAT MAY INCREASE AS THE POLICE GETS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THAT, UH, PARTICULAR PROCEDURE.
UM, THE OTHER THING MY DEPARTMENT DOES IS WE OVERSEE RISK MANAGEMENT.
UM, OVER THE PAST YEARS, WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING PROBABLY AROUND BETWEEN 40 AND 60 CLAIMS THAT ARE PROCESSED THROUGH RISK MANAGEMENT.
UM, IN THIS PAST YEAR THAT WENT UP TO ABOUT 150, PRIMARILY DUE TO FLOOD LITIGATION CLAIMS. UM, ON THE LITIGATION SIDE, WE HAVE PROBABLY 15 CURRENT ACTIVE CASES.
UM, FOUR, NO, FIVE OF THOSE ARE, ARE FLOOD RELATED.
UM, AND, AND SO WE OVERSEE OUTSIDE COUNSEL ON THOSE THINGS.
NOW, FINALLY, SO SCOTT'S BEEN SAYING, I WANT YOU TO BE ENTREPRENEURIAL, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO I BECOME ENTREPRENEURIAL.
[05:15:01]
LAST NIGHT IT CAME TO ME, YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT FEES, RIGHT? AND I WAS FLIPPING THROUGH THE REPORT AND IT SAID, CITY ATTORNEY $275 AN HOUR.AND I SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T I START CHARGING EVERYBODY FOR MY OPEN DOOR POLICY? RIGHT? SO I GUESS MY SUGGESTION TO YOU GUYS IS YOU NEED TO DO A NEW LITTLE LINE ITEM ON YOUR BUDGET CITY ATTORNEY.
IS THAT IN, DO, IS THAT OH, OH, BY THE WAY.
IS THAT IN DOLLARS OR PESOS? WELL, WELL, I, BUT, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS THOUGHT, I WAS JUST TALKING TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT I THINK EACH OF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BUDGET.
AND SO CARVE OUT A LITTLE BIT OUT THERE.
WE, I'M WAITING FOR QUESTIONS.
NO QUESTIONS FOR BARRY OR THE OH, NO, WE'RE, WE'RE SA WE'RE SAVING 'EM ALL FOR YOU.
HAVE OH, OH, SO ON, ON, ON QUESTIONS.
UM, SO, SO, SO THANK THANK YOU, BARRY, FOR THIS AND FOR THE REDUCTIONS.
SO DOES THE, UM, THE FLOOD LITIGATION AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHER LITIGATION, WAS THAT, SO IS THAT, UH, FALLING UNDER YOUR BUDGET OR IS IT, UM, LIKE UNDER RISK MANAGEMENT RESERVES, THAT WAS WAY EARLIER.
AND WAS IT REFLECTED LIKE OUR PENDING POTENTIAL LITIGATION COSTS? UM, WE HAVE A LIABILITY FUND, UM, UNDER RISK MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE
AND THEN, UM, SO THERE'S, UH, A LEGAL LIABILITY FUND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF RISK MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE, UM, THE LEGAL FEES ARE GENERALLY THROUGH, UH, OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO FOR EACH CASE, THERE'S A SELF-INSURED RETENTION.
SO ANYTIME WE GO OVER 250,000, THAT'S COVERED BY, BY INSURANCE.
SO THEN ARE WE PROJECTING, OR HAVE WE PROJECTED WHAT OUR POTENTIAL, UH, PREMIUMS MIGHT BE WITH THE FLOOD LITIGATION AND OTHER, UH, LITIGATION? IS THAT REFLECTED IN THE, IN THE CURRENT BUDGET? NO, I BELIEVE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT, OR THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET THAT WAS SUBMITTED, WE, WE GET A ESTIMATE FROM PRISM AS TO WHAT OUR PREMIUMS WILL BE.
UM, I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WHERE IT WENT UP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY WAS, UM, GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE, PROBABLY UP ABOUT A MILLION.
AND OUR LIABILITY CLAIM COST IS UP ABOUT, UH, 500,000.
SO THAT'S FOR THE FLOOD LITIGATION WELL'S, JUST THE POTENTIAL ASHLEY CUMMINGS CASE RULING AND OTHERS, IT'S, SO WE'RE PART OF A, WE'RE PART OF A JOINT FUND.
AND SO ANY PARTICULAR HIT THAT WE TAKE DOESN'T HAVE, IT'S, IT'S SPREAD OUT.
BUT THAT IS, BUT THAT WAS TAKEN TO AC LIKE THAT POTENTIALLY.
WAS THAT FED INTO THE MODEL OR C*M OR? NO, CUMMINS, THE CUMMINS WAS NOT.
UM, THAT, THAT'S, THAT HAPPENED AFTER, I THINK THEIR ESTIMATE GOT, THAT'LL PROBABLY SHOW UP MORE NEXT YEAR THAN WELL, SO I OKAY.
WELL, AND IT'S NOT FINAL TRUE, BUT IT'S STILL ANOTHER POTENTIAL LIKE LOOMING, UH, CLOUD THAT WOULD JUST, UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SEE, MY QUESTION WAS IF IT WAS REFLECTED.
SO IT'S NOT, UM, BUT IT'S, BUT AT LEAST, BUT THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
ALRIGHT, MAYOR, ONE LAST THING.
SO, UM, COUNSEL, YOU SAID THAT YOU, YOUR ASK OR YOUR BUDGET IMPACT WOULD BE CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, THAT'S UNDER COMMUNITY, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OR, UH, WHAT, WHAT DEPARTMENT IS THAT AGAIN? CODE COMPLIANCE? NO, SO UNDER COMMUNITY, MY BUDGET, THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR LEGAL SERVICES.
THAT USED TO BE UNDER NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, BUT, BUT THEY TRANSFERRED IT TO US.
AND THEN THE G VROS, THAT'S WITHIN THAT, THAT AMOUNT, THAT'S ALSO UNDER YOUR BUDGET? YES.
AND THEN THE ANTICIPATED INSURANCE PREMIUMS, WE DON'T KNOW YET.
IT'S BUDGETED UNDER RISK MANAGEMENT.
CITY MANAGER'S DEPARTMENT, THE, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT IS REALLY BROKEN UP INTO, WELL, SHOWS
[05:20:01]
THREE AREAS, BUT IT REALLY FUNCTIONS AS TWO.SO, UM, WE HAVE THE IT AREA AND, UH, OKAY, I SEE RON HERE.
HE HASN'T FALLEN ASLEEP YET BECAUSE I AM, BUT, UH, WE COVER THE IT DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE OUR, WHAT WE'RE CALLING OPERATIONS, WHICH IS THE CONVENTIONAL DEPARTMENT WITH, UH, THE FOUR OF US RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE, WHAT THIS IS SHOWING IN RED IS US BRINGING PEDRO BACK INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, HE WAS, HE WAS THERE WHEN I WAS HERE LAST, UM, HE'S HALF SPLIT DOWN IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND AT, UM, LU'S BUDGET.
AND SO, UM, NOT REALLY HAVING A FULL DISCUSSION WITH LU ABOUT HOW TO CORRECT THAT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING HIM BACK INTO OUR DEPARTMENT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, UH, 1ST OF JULY.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING IT IN RED.
WE JUST, WE'RE JUST GONNA TRANSFER IT FROM, UM, FROM CARLOS'S DEPARTMENT BACK UP TO OURS.
AND THE OTHER HALF WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WITH LOOSE AND OR, UM, POSITION OPENINGS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE MANAGEMENT, UM, ANALYST THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OPERATIONS, THAT'S BEEN A OPEN POSITION FOR A WHILE.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BUDGET IMPACT OF STILL KEEPING SOME CAPACITY IN THAT POSITION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT FULL, UM, OR FILLED, BUT ESSENTIALLY FUNDING HIM BACK INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, UH, PRIORITIES, UH, BASICALLY O OVERALL AS THE CEO AND THE DEPARTMENT THAT MANAGES THE CITY BY AND LARGE, UM, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE WITH BRUCE TO DO BUDGET MANAGEMENT.
UM, LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT THE ONE AT THE TABLE, UH, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM AND A LOT OF THOSE COSTS END UP IN OUR BUDGET.
SO I HAVE A, I'VE KIND OF A DUMPING GROUND OF COST IN MY BUDGET THAT, UM, DEALS WITH LABOR, IT DEALS WITH THE PORT.
UM, IT'S KIND OF A MISCELLANEOUS CATCHALL THAT ENDS UP IN THE CITY MANAGER'S, UH, AREA COUNCIL INITIATIVES.
IN ESSENCE, WHAT YOU DIRECT, UH, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS REVENUE GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, EXPENDITURE MANAGEMENT, UH, WHICH IS, UH, SOME OF WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, THAT'S MANAGING OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF THEIR EXPENDITURES TO, TO, UM, AND THEN, UH, WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT AND EMPLOYEE INVESTMENT, EMPLOYEE MORALE.
UH, WE, THOSE ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR US.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK DOWN 'CAUSE I CAN'T SEE THAT FAR OVER THERE AND I CAN'T SEE THAT REALLY AT ALL.
UM, THE, UH, MAJOR, UM, ORGANIZATIONAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN OUR DEPARTMENT IS WE HAVE THE PORTS BALANCE PLAN, WHICH STILL HAS NOT, UH, GONE TO, UH, UH, THE COASTAL COMMISSION AND IT'S SLATED IS LAST, I HEARD IT WAS SLATED TO GO IN JULY.
I'M HOPING THAT'S STILL THE WORD.
AND THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED WITH THAT.
SO IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT JUST OUR INFLUENCE OVER GETTING PEPPER PARK EXPANDED, BUT IT'S GETTING THE MONEY FROM THE PORT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND SO THE BIG TRIGGER POINT FOR THAT WAS GET THROUGH COASTAL, AND THEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, START GETTING MONEY FROM THAT IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF PIER 32 AND WHICH IS ALL PART OF THAT.
UM, WE HAVE THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE AGREEMENT.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEEING A TREND.
THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY OUT OF OUR OFFICE DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE PORT.
UM, SO THAT'S A, A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR US.
THE, UH, BAY MARINA PARCEL DEVELOPMENT, THE SEVEN PARCELS, THE TRAIN STATION MAJOR, UH, ITEM FOR US AS WELL AS, UH, WITH CARLOS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, AS A, AS A MAJOR PROJECT AS WE'RE TRYING TO OPTIMIZE, AND CARLOS TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, OPTIMIZE THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AGAIN, TRYING TO TURN IT INTO ENTERPRISE FUND, KIND OF A BUSINESS MODEL FOR THAT.
UH, WHERE THE COST INVOLVED WITH PROCESSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE ASSOCIATED THINGS THAT GO WITH DEVELOPMENT.
SO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, THE, UH, FIRE INSPECTION PARTS AND ALSO CODE ENFORCEMENT PARTS.
UH, NOT NECESSARILY THE WHOLE PROGRAM WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY A CORRELATION ON HOW THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER UNDER THE AREA OF BUILDING AND BUILDING DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN TRYING TO FAST TRACK EVEN BETTER THAN WHAT WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT TRYING TO SPEED
[05:25:01]
UP THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.BETTER TRAINING, RIGHT SIZE, STAFFING, UH, AGAIN, IF YOU'RE AN ENTERPRISE FUND, THE, THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO RIGHT STAFF IT, FUND IT WITH THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT USE IT AND DELIVER THE BEST SERVICE YOU CAN.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, TO DO.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE IT ON HERE, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OBVIOUS, UM, IT JUST DIDN'T END UP HERE.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CITYWIDE IS A BIG PRIORITY OUT OF OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT.
UM, HAVE A FEW ITEMS I'D LIKE TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON, UM, AS, AS MAYBE SMALL AS THESE CAN BE COMPARED TO THOSE OTHER BIGGER ITEMS. UM, I'M, I'M FINDING, UH, THIS IS A CLASSIC, UH, GIVE IT TO THE CITY MANAGER, 4TH OF JULY, CARNIVAL.
I ATTENDED THAT LAST YEAR, NOT LAST YEAR, YEAR BEFORE WHEN I WAS HERE.
UM, AND TRYING TO FIND CLEARER DIRECTION ON WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR AN EVENT THAT WE'RE A CO-SPONSOR OF.
AND SO I KNOW, UH, FROM MY COWORKERS, KIND OF WHAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF COST, BUT IN ESSENCE, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE, IS THAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING HALF OF THE, UM, FIREWORKS AND, UH, LIKE $1,200 PER DAY FOR THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WOULD GO AGAINST THE TUP.
UH, THE TUP CARRIES A LOT OF COSTS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.
UH, FRANKLY, IT'S THE LABOR THAT'S THE BIG ISSUE FOR US.
UM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, MEET THE DEPARTMENT'S DEMANDS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME CREATIVE THINGS WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, ALEX HASN'T QUITE HEARD 'EM YET, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA LET HIM KNOW THOSE TOMORROW.
UH, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH RECRUITMENT, ACTUALLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE HAVE A BOOTH THERE, GET SOME PRESENCE THERE.
WE HAVE A CITY BOOTH ALREADY, I'M TOLD.
BUT, UH, MAYBE TO FOCUS ON HOW TO DO SOME RECRUIT RECRUITMENT, NOT JUST FOR HIS AREA, BUT FOR OTHER CITY JOBS THAT WE THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE WALKING AROUND.
MAYBE WE CAN WORK THAT INTO A, ANOTHER CITY PURPOSE THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE CHARGING THE LINES CLUB DIRECTLY FOR.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK FROM THAT'S GOOD.
UH, THE IDEA OF TRYING TO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO CONNECT MORE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BRING THE COMMUNITY INTO OUR PROGRAMS MORE.
UM, I, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, HAPPENS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
FARMERS' MARKETS CAN BE REALLY GOOD.
OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE SPONSOR MAYBE WITH THE CHAMBER.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO, UM, ENCOURAGE MORE OF THAT IN THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE COMMU OR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, SO I'M LOOKING TO GET WHAT YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES ARE ON US SPENDING ANY TIME ON THAT, OR IS IT A WAIT? UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, I CAN'T SEE THAT FAR FOR THE LAST ONE.
YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY ALREADY COVERED THIS.
UH, I WANTED TO BRING IT UP, BUT IT WAS ALREADY DONE IN RECREATION.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE? UH, MAJOR INITIATIVE.
SO I JUST WANT TO PLANT SEEDS.
UM, I'M KIND OF A MARKETING PERSON, UH, IN, IN MY PAST LIFE BEFORE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, AND IT ALWAYS HELPED TO HAVE SOME MARKETING THOUGHT PROCESSES TO STEER AN, AN INITIATIVE.
SO, UM, I'M THROWING THESE OUT HERE.
I THINK CLEAN NATIONAL CITY, AND YOU CAN DEFINE WHAT YOU THINK THAT IS.
I THINK THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT IF WE CAN GET OUR DISTRICTS BEHIND, YOU ALREADY DO SOME GOOD BULKY TRASH CLEANING.
UH, BUT IT'S TRYING TO GET MORE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THAT, UH, MAKE IT MAYBE MORE ON A FREQUENT BASIS.
WE RESPOND A LOT TO ISSUES ABOUT, UH, CLEANLINESS AND PROPERTIES, GRAFFITI.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, WHAT WOULD BE NICE IS TRYING TO GROUP MORE OF THE CITY, MAYBE SOME OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL GROUPS AND, UM, TRY TO GET OUT THERE AND DO MORE IN THIS AREA.
REVITALIZING NATIONAL CITY IS THAT CONCEPT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT ISN'T A GOOD WORD FOR MOST PEOPLE.
REVITALIZING YOUR COMMUNITY, HAVING YOU GUYS IDENTIFY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND US TO IMPLEMENT IT.
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER THAN JUST HEARING DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN THE LAST IS, UM, CONNECTING.
THIS IS KIND OF WHERE THE FARMER'S MARKET, THE EXPANDED, UH, RECREATION PROGRAMS ARE,
[05:30:01]
IS HOW DO WE, UH, DO COMMUNITY PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS TO CONNECT CLOSER TO OUR COMMUNITY.SO I JUST THROW THOSE OUT THERE.
YOU COULD THROW SOME OTHER ITEMS ON THE BOARD, BUT, UM, I'M LOOKING FOR SOME KEY THINGS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON AND THEN RUN WITH, UM, AND GET 'EM DONE.
AND I KNOW THESE ARE LARGE WITHIN THESE, THERE'S PROJECTS THAT WE CAN DO, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN BUY INTO, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO DOES NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A CLEANER COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, AND WHO'S AGAINST REVITALIZING STUFF THAT NEEDS TO GET REVITALIZED.
IT'S BEEN THE SAME WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEN, UH, BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
I, I DON'T SEE ANY DOWNSIDE TO THOSE, BUT I'M THROWING THEM OUT THERE TO TRY TO GET SOME, UH, TRACTION AND SEE WHERE WE CAN RUN.
UM, JUST KIND OF REAL QUICKLY GOING DOWN THROUGH SOME OF THAT STUFF YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE 4TH OF JULY, UH, WE DO HAVE OUR POLICY ON CO-SPONSORED THAT WE DO, UH, $1,200 MM-HMM
AND ALL OF OUR OTHER EVENTS ARE ALL ONE DAY EVENTS.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WE GO, THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT GET THAT LARGER AMOUNT.
SO THEY GET 6,000, $6,000 OF CITY SERVICES.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY ALWAYS DONE HALF OF THE FIREWORKS LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE TRYING TO GET OFF OF COVID AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE SEED MONEY.
SO FOR, THEY SAID FOR ONE YEAR ONLY.
OF COURSE, NOW THIS YEAR, THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, NOW LET'S MAKE IT A TWO YEARS ONLY.
THEY SAID, LET'S, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD PAY FOR THE FIREWORKS.
SO WE DID THAT LAST YEAR, BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ONE YEAR ONLY.
'CAUSE WE HAD A 20, LIKE A $23,000 BILL AND IT DIDN'T JIVE WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT POLICY THAT YOU'RE TELLING ME.
SO THAT WAS A ONE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ONE YEAR ONLY.
AND, UH, SO IT'S, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I, I KNOW I'VE HEARD THE ARGUMENT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN WE HAVE LESS MONEY TO GIVE OUT TO KIDS PROGRAMS. WELL, THEN WE PAY THE OVERTIME AND WE TAKE OUT FROM KIDS PROGRAMS OUT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YEAH.
THE LABOR IS THE, THE LABOR'S THE PART YOU CAN'T REALLY GET AWAY FROM.
UM, I, I WOULD TEND TO NOT CHARGE 'EM FOR MM-HMM
UH, BUT THE LABOR IS, I MEAN, THAT'S DIRECT OUT OF THE OVERTIME.
MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE TO USE THAT, UH, THAT TETHER DRONE TOO.
UH, HAVE A EYE IN THE SKY, UH, SITTING UP THERE FOR, FOR FIVE DAYS.
UH, I'LL FORWARD YOU THE OPERATIONAL PLAN, BUT TYPICALLY, UH, I GOTTA TELL YOU ABOUT 75% OF THE, UH, MAN HOURS OUT THERE ARE ON BARREL DAYS, AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE OVERLY ACCOMMODATING.
OR WE'LL TRY TO FIND, UH, SOME KIND OF FUNDING LIKE AB 1 0 9 FUNDING TO DO, UH, PROBATION SWEEPS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.
SO IT, IT, IT'S MINIMAL, BUT IT IS A COST.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW EACH YEAR WE GIVE THEM A BILL UP AT THE FRONT, BUT THEN WE TRY TO, AS WE GO THROUGH, TRY TO FIND WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, UH, KEEP THAT DOWN MM-HMM
BUT WE DON'T WANNA GIVE 'EM A LOW BILL AND THEN END UP HIGH BALLING 'EM AT THE END.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF WORKED OUT THAT WAY, SO MM-HMM
UH, FARMER'S MARKET, WE'VE HAD FARMER'S MARKETS BEFORE AND ARMY PROBLEM WAS, WAS WITH THEIR RIGIDITY.
UH, THEY WERE OVER ON A STREET THERE IN FRONT OF NITA FRANK'S, AND IT WAS NOT GOING WELL AT ALL.
THE, IT JUST, UH, DIDN'T WORK THERE.
WELL, WE OFFERED THEM, WE OFFERED THEM KIMBALL PARK, AND WE OFFERED THEM A NUMBER THAT WE OFFERED THE TRAIN STATION A NUMBER OF PLACES TO DO IT, AND THEY SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THEY WERE GONNA STAY OVER THERE FOREVER.
ONE WEEK LATER THEY CLOSED DOWN.
SO, I MEAN, THEY WERE JUST, THEY, THEY WERE, THAT GROUP WAS HARD TO WORK WITH.
BUT, BUT I THINK, UH, KIMMEL PARK WOULD BE A GREAT LOCATION FOR DOING SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE.
UM, AND, UH, BUT EVEN SO, THAT SHOULD BE, FOR THE MOST PART, PRETTY WELL SELF-SUFFICIENT.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY WORK ON THEIR OWN, UH, BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT DOWNTOWN, I THINK IS A DEFINITE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS BE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAND IN HAND WITH THAT, AND I KNOW, UH, STEVE IS OVERWORKED ALREADY, BUT THAT WHOLE PARKING DISTRICT DOWN THERE IS, IS, YOU KNOW, A BID IS NOT GONNA WORK DOWN THERE WITHOUT A PARKING DISTRICT WITH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SO THEY GOTTA GO HAND IN HAND.
UM, UM, AND SO I, I THINK THEY NEED TO SEE THAT KIND OF IN ADVANCE, THAT WE'RE ALREADY COMMITTING TO THAT BEFORE THEY'RE GONNA WANT TO FORK OUT, FORK OUT MONEY.
UM, AND THEN FACILITY RENTALS, ONCE AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON IF WE'RE RENTING 'EM OR IF THEY ARE PEOPLE'S BUILDINGS.
SO I SAY, YOU KNOW, SO IT DEPENDS ON WHICH, WHICH WAY WE, WHAT, WHAT OUR PHILOSOPHY IS ON THAT.
UM, BUT ON YOUR OTHER, OTHER STUFF, ON YOUR INITIATIVES, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS.
[05:35:01]
UH, THERE'S NO DETAILS THERE, SO IT'S KIND OF RIGHT.THEY'RE BIG UMBRELLA IDEAS STARTING REALLY HIGH.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO DOWN TO THE END AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK.
UH, I JUST VERY QUICKLY WANT TO, UM, UH, COMMENT ON, UH, EMAIL I SENT YOU EARLIER TODAY, SCOTT, ABOUT THE WEST SIDE BUSINESS COMPLIANCE PROGRAM.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT PEDRO DID HELP DEVELOP ALONGSIDE CARLOS.
AND THIS, I THINK, FITS BOTH INTO THE CATEGORY HERE FOR CLEAN NATIONAL CITY AND REVITALIZED NATIONAL CITY.
AND WHAT THIS IS, IS A PROGRAM THAT HASN'T YET KICKED OFF.
UM, IT WASN'T GETTING A LOT OF TRACTION WITH THE PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM VERY INTERESTED IN.
THIS IS SORT OF LIKE THE AMORTIZATION, UH, PLAN RETHOUGHT OUT, UH, WHERE IT'LL BE MORE OF, LIKE YOU SAID, UM, I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY BARRY WHO SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, ENTICING BUSINESSES ON THE WEST SIDE THAT ARE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, DIRTY BUSINESSES OR, OR, YOU KNOW, POLLUTING BUSINESSES MAYBE, UH, IN, BUT IN INCENTIVIZING THEM TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, A MIXED USE, THERE'S RESIDENTS RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
SO THAT'S ONE THING I NEED TO TALK TO YOU IN DETAIL ABOUT SCOTT.
UM, I KNOW I BRIEFLY INTRODUCED IT VIA EMAIL EARLIER TODAY, BUT I KNOW CARLOS IS VERY WELL AWARE OF THAT.
AND NOW WITH PEDRO, UH, JOINING YOUR OFFICE AND HE BEING SORT OF, WELL, SOON
AND IT FITS BOTH CLEAN NATIONAL CITY AND REVITALIZED NATIONAL CITY FOR DISTRICT ONE.
SO IF I CAN RESPOND TO THAT, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR EFFORTS BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
UM, AND, AND IT ISN'T, UM, IT'S MORE OF A CLEANUP PHILOSOPHY.
IT'S LIKE MAKING SURE THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE CLEANUP AND, UM, AND MOVE THROUGH.
UM, AND I THINK THAT PART OF OUR SWAPPING OF PEOPLE AROUND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAS ALSO TRYING TO LINE IT UP.
SO WE HAD EVERYBODY IN THE RIGHT SPOT TO, TO DEAL WITH IT.
LOVE THE INITIATIVES AND CLEAN NATIONAL CITY.
I WAS JUST, UH, ADJUST THE NAME A BIT TO, I LOVE A CLEAN NATIONAL CITY.
JUST A SUGGESTION THERE FOR ME ON, IN THE REVITALIZED NATIONAL CITY.
I THINK IT'S GOOD A COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING ENHANCEMENT.
I'M SURE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, CHANGE THE, THE NAMES OR WHATNOT.
UM, I, I, UH, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED EAR EARLIER, UM, IN, IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO BIG PICTURE AND THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ATTRACT, UM, LIKE EVENTS AND ENHANCE OUR, LIKE, CAPITALIZE ON SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ASSETS, LIKE OUR CULTURE, OUR ART, YOU KNOW, MUSIC TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO, DO THAT AND WITH OUR LOW RIDER COMMUNITY AND WITH HIGHLAND AVENUE GEOGRAPHICALLY.
SO WE DID THAT, UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN WE OPENED UP, WHEN WE HAD THE, UM, UH, THE BIG, UH, CRUISING EVENT, WHICH WAS A BIG EVENT, UM, AND DID HAVE SOME ISSUES.
BUT OVERALL, UM, IT, THE ECONOMIC STUDIES, WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE WITH ME, BUT I, BUT PEDRO WORKED ON THAT, AND WE FOUND THAT THAT, UM, THAT BIG CRUISE, THAT THAT ACTUALLY HELPED, UH, BRING IN A LOT OF REVENUE TO, TO BUSINESSES.
SO I DO WANT TO TALK, UM, MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
UH, WE ALREADY HAVE SOME EXISTING, LIKE THE AUTO AUTOMOTIVE HERITAGE.
THERE'S SOME ALREADY EXISTING EVENTS THAT, THAT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
BEFORE WE USED TO HAVE, I, I, UM, THE TASTE OF NATIONAL CITY, AND THEN I THINK, UM, THE CHAMBER DROPPED IT.
SO I THINK RON CHA CHAMBERS WORKING, THEY, THEY, WE WERE IN THE MEETING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING THIS MORNING, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT BOTH THOSE ISSUES, BOTH AUTOMOBILE HERITAGE DAY AND, AND, UH, TASTE OF NATIONAL CITY.
SO I, I SEE YOU'RE SITTING BACK THERE.
WELL, MAYBE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH STILL NEEDS TO BE LIKE HANDS LONG AS 16.
MAYBE YOU CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT SO, SO THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK WE CAN ENHANCE AND, AND, AND, AND WORK MORE.
UM, JOSE'S BROUGHT UP, UH, LIKE HE'S DOING THE RESTAURANT WEEK PROMOTION, AITA IS, UH, HAS, UH, BROUGHT UP A LOT OF HER, UM, FILIPINO CULTURAL EVENTS.
SO I, SO I JUST THINK I, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, THE CULTURE STUFF I THINK WE CAN, THAT THAT'S UNIQUE TO NATIONAL CITY, WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON AND, AND BRING EVENTS.
SO I, I, I THINK YOU'RE ON, ON, ON THE RIGHT, UH, ON THE RIGHT TRACK THERE.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, SCOTT, UM, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, A FEW, UM, THOUGHTS, IF WE CAN GO TO THE PAGE, I THINK IT'S AFTER THIS ONE, THE PENDING COUNCIL DIRECTION.
UM, I ACTUALLY, UH, I THINK IT'S FORWARD ONE MORE.
[05:40:01]
WE'VE MADE THIS, WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE.THE 4TH OF JULY FESTIVAL IS A STAPLE IN OUR CITY, AND IT, THERE REALLY IS ONLY A FEW EVENTS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE STAPLES.
AND, UM, UH, I UNDERSTAND FOR A LONG TIME WE'VE HAD SOMETIMES A DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOST LIONS CLUB.
UM, BUT IT'S A REMINDER, THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE PUTTING THIS EVENT TOGETHER, ULTIMATELY TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE, THEY DON'T EVEN SEE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS IS BEING PUT TOGETHER BY THE CITY AND THE HOST LIONS CLUB.
THAT'S HOW TIGHT THE RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN AND THE PERCEPTION THAT EXISTS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD BE MUCH MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED TO THE HOST LIONS CLUB, UH, AS WE DID LAST YEAR, TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT AS WELL.
AND, UM, THERE IS REALLY A TRICKLE EFFECT, AND THAT IF, IF YOU HAVE KIDS AND YOU BUY A BRACELET AND THIS PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION HAS TO PAY, UH, 15 TO $20,000 MORE, UH, IN CHARGES FROM THE CITY, INEVITABLY THE PRICES FOR EVERYTHING ELSE WILL INCREASE.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE ONES THAT PAY THAT PRICE ARE OUR RESIDENTS THAT GO THERE AND, UH, PARENTS THAT HAVE TO PAY FOR, UH, HIGHER FEES FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO UTILIZE THE PARK, RIGHT.
OR, OR THE RIDES, AND TO BUY THE FOOD.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE AS WE WERE LAST YEAR.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THE FLEA MARKET, UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A FLEA MARKET THAT, UH, OCCURS ONCE A MONTH, UM, OVER ON EIGHTH STREET.
IT'S, UH, WELL, YOU'RE FARMERS.
UM, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE CITY IN A LONG TIME.
AND, AND, UM, SO THEY HAVE, I THINK, A VERY GOOD, UM, FRAMEWORK TO EXPAND ON.
UH, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA REACH OUT TO STAFF TO SEE IF THEY CAN HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, BUT IT'S ON THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE PLAZA ON EIGHTH STREET.
UM, IT'S BEING PUT TOGETHER BY NC FLEA MARKET AND SD COLLECTIVE.
SO IT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION BY VOLUNTEERS, RUN BY VOLUNTEERS, ENCOURAGING COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND ENJOY ALL THE VENDORS THAT COME OUT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO CONNECT YOU ALL TO THEM.
AND, AND LASTLY, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, UM, IS THERE A REASON YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSITION TO BE PUT UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY MANAGER? UM, WELL, I, I WAS JUST USED TO THAT THE, WHEN I WAS HERE LAST, SO WE WERE MANAGING THAT ACTIVITY OUT OF THAT DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM.
HE'S WORKING THERE RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT THAT'S ONLY BEEN FOR A WEEK.
BUT, UM, HE KNOWS THE LAY OF THE LAND OF THAT.
AND IT JUST, TO ME, UH, IT COULD BE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, I GUESS IT COULD BE, UM, BUT I THINK IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
BUT MAYBE THAT'S MORE OF A FUNCTION OF ME, UH, BEING THERE AND KNOWING, UH, KNOWING HIM AND, AND WORKING WELL WITH HIM.
I MEAN, THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE, UM, UH, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND REMOVING THE PERSON FROM IT, IT'S THE POSITION, RIGHT? SO IF, IF THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT IS INDEED OVERSEEING BUILDING HOUSING AUTHORITY, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, PLANNING, UM, AND THEY ARE DOING THE BULK OF THE WORK WHEN IT COMES TO ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY, IT JUST KIND OF MAKES SENSE TO HAVE A POSITION THERE.
SO, I, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THE ROLE OF THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IS TO HELP OVERSEE EVERYBODY ELSE'S ROLE, BUT I THINK THE BULK OF THE WORK REALLY OCCURS WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS.
SO JUST AN OBSERVATION, YOU KNOW, ON MY END.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, UH, WE NEED HELP TO GET ALL THE WORK DONE, RIGHT? AND I'M JUST THINKING STRATEGICALLY WHERE THAT POSITION FITS BEST.
AND I THINK WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ORG CHART THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER, THAT'S WHY WE MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT OPERATIONS BECAUSE, UM, RIGHT NOW, WELL, RIGHT NOW IS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION.
WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT ARE WORKING, YOU KNOW, DAY IN, IN AND DAY OUT.
AND SO, UM, THAT POSITION, IF YOU THINK IN TERMS OF HALF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKING WITH CANNABIS, UH, BUSINESS RELATED STUFF, THE OTHER HALF IS HELPING US WITH PORT BIRD DOGGING A LOT OF ANALYTICAL STUFF.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING, NOT EVERYTHING, BUT A LOT OF WHAT YOU LOOKED AT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE FEE, UH, STUFF, THE SALES TAX, UM, THAT OPERATIONAL POSITION, UH, HALF OF THAT WAS
[05:45:01]
WORKING ON ALL THAT STUFF.SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE CONTACTING, GETTING THE RESOURCES TO DO THE REPORTS FOR YOU GUYS ON THE REVENUE GENERATING STUFF.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S A NEED THAT'S INHERENT IN THE MANAGER'S DEPARTMENT.
MOST MANAGER DEPARTMENTS I'VE EITHER WORKED IN OR BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HAVE A VERY STRONG ANALYTICAL PRESENCE BY A POSITION IN THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING, UH, THE OTHER THING, WE DON'T REALLY EVEN DO THIS, UH, I SAY AT THE SAME LEVEL IS THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT STATE LEGISLATION.
I MEAN, WE GET SOME OF THAT THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENTS, BUT THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF ANALYSIS OF THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CITY THAT DON'T NECESSARILY FIT IN ANY ONE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE SO BROAD.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN OTHER PLACES, BUT I'M JUST, I'M, I'M USED TO THAT SET UP IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
AND, UH, IN, IN OUR JURISDICTION, UH, YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.
YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE ANALYTICAL SUPPORT IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TRYING TO GROW THAT, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY THERE.
AND, UH, WHICH MEANS IF IT'S NOT THERE, UH, YOU'RE PROBABLY DOING IT YOURSELF.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE THAT'S THE BEST USE OF YOUR, UH, MANAGER'S STUFF, BUT IS THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POSITION OR IS THERE A NEED FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO ASSIST YOU? THE QUESTION, UM, WELL, I WAS SEEING IT AS HALF AND HALF.
I SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT SAME PERSON IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THOSE ISSUES, CAN ALSO DEAL WITH THE BUSINESS RELATED, THE CANNABIS ITEM, THE, YOU KNOW, UH, CHAMBER.
UM, IT, IT GIVES YOU THAT FLEXIBILITY.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT TIED TO THAT.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M TIED TO THAT, BUT I'M DEFINITELY TIED TO MAKING, UH, A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING EFFICIENT.
AND, UH, I HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF EFFICIENCY WORKING OUT OF THAT SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I, I PRETTY MUCH JUST TOOK THAT 'CAUSE IT WAS OUT OF NECESSITY.
SO I HEAR, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, JUST, JUST TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, REVISIT THOSE, UM, 4TH OF JULY, UM, UH, WE HAVE A SMALL FLEA MARKET ALSO, UH, ON DISTRICT THREE, SECOND AND FOURTH, UM, SATURDAYS.
IT'S VERY, UM, QUICK FROM, UH, 12 TO THREE, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND THEN, UM, JUST WANTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M IN BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL CITY IS SOMETHING THAT I, I AM, UM, WE'RE ALL AFTER WE, WE ALL WANT TO HAVE A, UH, SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL CITY, UH, NATIONAL CITY.
UM, I LIKE TO, UM, ASK IF, UH, THAT, THAT POSITION THAT I HEAR, UH, USED TO BE SENIOR ADMIN WAS THAT RECLASS TO EXECUTIVE TWO.
AND THEN WHEN WE DID, UH, THIS, UH, REORGANIZATION, WE SPECIFICALLY MOVED THAT POSITION OF, UH, OF, UH, PEDRO THAT YOU SAID, UH, WILL HAVE THAT POSITION UNDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT HE'S DOING.
UM, THEN, UH, AND UM, PLUS WITH THE PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW, THE WEST SIDE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, I, I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE WE CAN REVISIT THAT TOO, AND THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT AND PRE-DEVELOPMENT, MAYBE THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE, THE, THE REALLY, THE PLACE FOR HIM, I WOULD, UM, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR, FOR CITY MANAGER THEN AND CITY ATTORNEY TO PUT, UH, THIS INDIVIDUAL UNDER COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA.
SO I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE THAT THAT PERSON IS WORKING AT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
IF I, I CAN AND, AND THEN CONTINUE THE, THE FREEZE, UH, THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST PIO, BECAUSE WE DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
THE, UM, SO LET ME, UM, ADDRESS KIND OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH.
WE WERE LOOKING AT A SITUATION WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS WHAT, UH, LU WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE AMORTIZATION PROGRAM THROUGH A COUPLE OF OTHER POSITIONS THAT WERE IN, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES.
AND, UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, PEDRO'S CONNECTION WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT IN THIS POSITION.
LET'S NOT LOOK AT PEDRO, LET'S SAY, WHAT'S THE POSITION.
UM, PART OF THAT IS WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO SHARE
[05:50:01]
A POSITION WITH ANY COUNCIL MEMBER.THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT OUR GOAL, RIGHT? WE'RE KIND OF LIKE, WE'RE TRYING TO PULL AN EMPLOYEE BACK WHO WE SEE.
UM, OR MAYBE IT'S THE FUNDING OF THIS POSITION, UH, BACK TO OUR SIDE.
WE, WE ARE NOT, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN, NO OFFENSE, DEFINITELY NO OFFENSE TO LUCY EITHER.
UM, BUT THAT ARRANGEMENT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME TO SHARE AN EMPLOYEE WITH, UH, WITH YOU GUYS, AND LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO SET UP YOUR NEXT CITY MANAGER FOR SUCCESS, UH, I'M TELLING YOU, UH, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA AND I'M WORKING, UM, YOU KNOW, 55 TO 58 HOURS A WEEK SOLID, UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ADEQUATE SUPPORT IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO'S VERY CAPABLE AND EXPERIENCED.
BUT, UM, THAT THE SETUP OF THE DEPARTMENT IN THE OPERATIONAL AREA, NOW WE, WE CAN GO OUT AND FILL THAT MANAGEMENT POSITION, UM, FOR THE, UH, UH, ANALYST, AND THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER.
UM, AND SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO YOU RIGHT NOW IS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES IN THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES IN THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THE LAST MANAGER.
AND THAT WAS, AND I WAS HERE BEFORE HIM, SO I KNEW IT WASN'T, IT WAS UNDER RESOURCED EVEN WHEN BRAD WAS HERE.
IT'S TOTALLY NOT MEETING, UH, THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE STUFF THAT YOU'RE GIVING US.
AND I'M GOOD WITH ADJUSTING YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
IF YOU ADJUST YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL OF US, WE CAN BE IN A MUCH DIFFERENT SITUATION.
BUT I THINK THE REALITY IS YOU'RE FEELING THE PRESSURE TO GET STUFF DONE.
WE'RE FEELING IT FROM OUR CUSTOMERS FROM THE OTHER WAY.
AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO STEP IT UP.
SO YOU HURT 'EM, ASK YOU FOR, FOR SUPPORT.
AND IT'S THAT SUPPORT THAT WE'RE GETTING THE PRESSURE FROM BOTH SIDES.
YOU'RE GETTING IT FROM ONE SIDE, WE'RE GETTING IT FROM THE SAME CUSTOMERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE, AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE JOB DONE.
IF WE WANTED TO BACK UP, UM, IF YOU WANTED TO DO ONE COUNCIL MEMBER OR ONE COUNCIL MEETING A MONTH, UH, THAT WOULD TAKE A HUGE WORKLOAD OFF OF US.
BUT THAT ONE MEETING'S GONNA BE A MARATHON LIKE TONIGHT.
UM, SO THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE JUST, I'M, I'M JUST TELLING YOU FROM EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, FOR WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE AND FOR WHAT MY TEAMMATES NEEDS ARE, UH, THIS DEPARTMENT'S UNDER STAFF.
AND ALSO I'M TRYING TO DO IS PUT IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, REALLY.
UM, AND IT WAS UNDERSTAFFED BACK THEN.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'M COMING FROM THROUGH THE CHAIR.
UM, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WILL MOVE THE POSITION UNDER CMO WHEN THE POSITION IS UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ALREADY.
SO THIS POSITION ORIGINALLY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THOUGH, THAT WAS, UH, SO THAT WAS STARTED UNDER, UH, BRAD BRINGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THAT WAS AL THAT WAS ALWAYS THE PLAN.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PLAN.
EVEN WITH ARMANDO, IT WAS UNDER BEN AND BEN CHANGED IT.
I, FOR THE RECORD, I DIDN'T AGREE WITH THE CHANGE AND I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY HE MADE THAT CHANGE FOR ME.
I THINK THIS RESTORES WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND WHAT I DON'T REALLY CARE FOR, IT'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST THREE.
AND THAT WAS ALWAYS WHAT IT WAS ALWAYS PITCHED TO AS I UNDER UNDERSTOOD, WAS THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.
AND WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE THAT BRAD DID IS HE WAS JUST, OH, WELL JUST MAKE IT A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST THREE, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T, DIDN'T WANNA GO THROUGH THE HR, LIKE THE FULL CIVIL SERVERS PROCESS.
SO THAT EVEN, EVEN THAT IS JUST LIKE THIS HOLDOVER POSITION.
BUT WE, I, IN MY OPINION AS AN ORGANIZATION, AVOIDED ACTUALLY PROPERLY RECLASSIFYING THAT.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT WAS BEFORE YOU.
AND THEN, SO I SUPPORT, FOR ME, I SUPPORT THIS BEING UNDER THE CITY MANAGER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS MAKES SENSE BECAUSE SO MUCH OF WHAT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DOES DEAL WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT, UH, UH, DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND OUR, AND OUR PROJECTS.
UH, AND THEN FOR THE MANAGEMENT ANALYST, THREE PIO, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK MANAGEMENT ANALYST THREE IS REALLY THE PROPER CLASSIFICATION.
IT SHOULD JUST BE A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.
I THINK WE REALLY ARE LACKING IN OUR CITY'S, UM, STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND OUR PROMOTION.
SO I ABSOLUTELY THINK WE NEED THAT.
I'M OPEN TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS POSITION LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH COUNSEL AND HOW, BECAUSE WE ALL DO COMMUNICATION.
SO HOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ALL FIGURE THAT OUT SO THAT, THAT POSITION IS IMPORTANT,
[05:55:01]
BUT THAT HAS BEEN ON HOLD FOREVER.SO THOSE TWO POSITIONS I THINK ARE, ARE, ARE CRITICAL.
BUT THIS POSITION WAS UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
SO WHY, AND THEN THAT WILL, THAT WILL ALSO LOOK YOU, I MEAN, UH, CONFLICT WISE WITH THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA, WITH THIS PERSON, IF THIS IS THE PERSON THAT YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA MOVE, THEN YOU, I MEAN THAT THERE WAS A DIFFICULT SITUATION WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET HIM TO, TO THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA, AND THEN NOW YOU'RE PUTTING HIM BACK THERE.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE ARE CHANGING THE ORGANIZATIONAL WHEN YOU ARE INTERIM, BUT, BUT IF I CAN SAY WHETHER HE'S THE FULL CITY MANAGER, INTERIM, HE'S STILL IN THE POSITION OF CITY MANAGER AND IS STILL OVER PERSONNEL.
I UNDERSTAND, MAYOR, BUT WHY? I'M GLAD YOU DO.
BUT, BUT, BUT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, IN THE CITY MANAGER POSITION, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MAKE THE DETERMINATION ON THE PERSONNEL THAT ARE UNDERNEATH THEM.
THAT ONES THAT WE DEAL WITH AS A CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY.
AND SO, AND WE START GETTING INTO PERSONNEL ISSUES THAT, THAT WE GET INTO TROUBLE.
NO, THERE IS A CONFLICT THAT WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I LIKE TO REVISIT WITH COUNCIL, WITH OUR CITY ATTORNEY, THE, THE, UH, HOW THEY WORKED THIS PROCESS BETWEEN THAT, THAT PERSON, THAT INDIVIDUAL WORKING FOR A COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT PEDRO WILL NO LONGER WORK WITHIN THE DISTRICT ONE OFFICE IN, UH, AS OF JULY ONE, I THINK IS WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY.
HE WON'T BE HANGING ON TO THAT ANY TASK THERE.
I'M, I HAVE TO GO AND FIND ANOTHER PERSON THAT IS GONNA HELP ME IN MY COUNCIL OFFICE, BECAUSE PEDRO WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPORTING THAT ROLE.
HE WILL MOVE FULL TIME UNDER CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WHICH BY THE WAY, WAS ORIGINALLY WHAT HE WAS HIRED TO DO.
I, FOR THE RECORD, DID NOT AGREE WITH HOW BEN CHANGED THAT.
SO, BUT HE, BUT HE CHANGED THAT.
SO THAT'S, SO I, I THINK THAT MAKE, MAKES SENSE.
AND THEN THE PIOI THINK THE PIO O IS A POSITION WE SHOULD THANK YOU COUNSEL, COLLEAGUES FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
I WAS NOT UNDER THAT IMPRESSION EITHER, BUT, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND ALSO LIKE THE, WE DID GO THROUGH A LOT TO MODIFY A POSITION INTO A COUNCIL MEMBER AND A OFFICE WITHIN THE CITY.
SO IT, IT WAS COMPLICATED FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION THAT, UH, THE POSITION WILL BE UNDER THE, OR THE INDIVIDUAL WOULD BE UNDER THE MANAGER'S OFFICE RIGHT? POSITION.
I DIDN'T, MAYBE I DIDN'T ARTICULATE THAT.
WELL, IT IS 1135 AT NIGHT, SO IT IS, YOU KNOW,
THAT WAS CLARIFIED BECAUSE YOU SAID, I THINK I GOT MY WAKE UP ALARM GOING OFF PREFER WITH THE CITY, WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT LU IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, AMORTIZATION PROGRAM, BECAUSE REALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS FIND A PERSON THAT COULD WORK FOR HER AND HELP WITH AMORTIZATION PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S IN HER DISTRICT AND THAT, AND THAT WAS NOT THIS POSITION.
SO, OKAY, NOW LET, LET, LET ME SEE IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING HERE.
AND THEN WE STILL GOT TWO PE TWO SPEAKERS THAT HAVE PATIENTLY BEEN SITTING OUT THERE.
AND, UH, SO WE, WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE, UH, UH, INN OUT BURGER AWARD FOR THE NIGHT OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UM, UH, OKAY, SO TONIGHT WE'VE WENT THROUGH AND WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ASK.
UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED NOW IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT ALL THOSE ASK, WHAT THEY ADD UP TO AND COME BACK BECAUSE I SAY THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN MENTALLY THAT TONIGHT YEAH.
THAT WAS A GREAT SUMMER AT, UH, YOU KNOW, 1140.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND THEN GO THROUGH THAT TO SEE WHAT, WHAT WE WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH OR WHAT WE DON'T, OR WHAT OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT HADN'T EVEN BEEN BROUGHT UP, WE WANNA CUT OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE DONE YET.
AND SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS THING DOWN TO, TO SOME FINAL FORM.
BUT, UH, BUT AS I SAY, UH, 1140 IS NOT THE TIME TO BE DOING IT.
AND, UH, SAM, MAYOR, IF I MAY, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE HANDLE THE COM, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN MAYBE WE GO THROUGH ONE FINAL ROUND OF COMMENT AND MAYBE IF WE DO ONE MORE WORKSHOP, I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UH, MAYBE WE, WE STRUCTURE IT, SO, SO MAYBE WE DO THIS AGAIN, BUT MAYBE THE, IT'S COMING BACK WITH
[06:00:01]
MORE REFINED, LIKE IN TERMS OF THE, THE BUDGET BOOK.AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE DO IT NOT HERE ON THIS DAIS, BUT WORKSHOP SETTING.
AND SO WHETHER IT'S IN THE COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM AT A ROUND TABLE OR AT THE LIBRARY IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM, UM, BE, UH, AND, AND WE, WE KIND OF WORKSHOP, UH, ROUND TABLE, WE COULD STILL INVITE THE PUBLIC, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE THE ROUND TABLES LIKE ARE, ARE JUST A GOOD FOR WORKSHOP.
THE ONLY THING, JUST FROM A LOGISTICS STANDS, I DUNNO.
ABOUT THE LIBRARY, ABOUT THE, UH, RECORDING AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
WE'LL, WE WILL LET STAFF DEAL WITH THAT ONE, SHOW YOU.
[4. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment will be Restricted to Agenda Items Only)]
OKAY.I'M GONNA CALL UP OUR TWO SPEAKERS THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL NIGHT WITH THEIR LONG SPEECHES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT ANYWAY, INSTEAD OF JEREMY DAY, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL STAFF.
UM, I HAD LONGER COMMENTS, BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR DIRECTORS AND THE TEAM WE HAVE HERE.
UH, IN MY POSITION AS A PRESIDENT, I COME IN CONTACT WITH ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM THROUGH COMMUNITY EVENTS OR JUST BEING IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THEM.
AND YOU HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM HERE AS YOU'VE SEEN TONIGHT.
UM, STEVE ACTUALLY POPS INTO MY HEAD ALWAYS PASSING CONVERSATION AT THE END OF IT.
HE SAID, JEREMY, IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
AND HE JUST, HE'S IN MY LIFE SO MUCH.
I HAD TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THE OTHER DAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT LYDIA.
SHE HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO US IN THE HR DEPARTMENT.
I FEEL SHE IS HERE FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND WE ARE GOING TO MISS HER.
THIS IS MY CHANCE TO HIGHLIGHT
BRUCE GET GIVEN A VERY DIFFICULT WORK PILL WITH HOW THIS CITY HAS BEEN SET UP FINANCIALLY, AND HE'S HAVING TO UNRAVEL AND BUILD IT INTO SOMETHING THAT IS EASIER TO WORK WITH ON TOP OF MU MUNI.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE HIS CANDOR AND HOW HE LAYS THINGS OUT.
WE MAY DISAGREE IN SOME AREAS, BUT THOSE ARE JUST DISAGREEMENTS ON FINANCES.
UM, THIS SLIDE THAT WAS JUST UP THERE, UH, THE RESERVE BALANCES, I JUST WANTED TO REVISIT THAT.
YOUR CURRENT RESERVE BALANCES ARE AT 63%.
AND THERE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSION ON WHAT YOU WOULD END UP AT.
YOU WOULD STILL HAVE, IF YOU TRANSFERRED ALL OF THE FUNDS TO BALANCE OUT THE RESERVE FUNDS, YOU WOULD STILL BE $9 MILLION OVER YOUR TARGET ON YOUR 10%.
SO YOU'RE STILL IN A GREAT POSITION, RIGHT? BUT THOSE WOULD BE DEDICATED TOWARD THIS YEAR.
AND THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT, A BUDGET, AND WE HAVE ALL YEAR TO WORK THROUGH BALANCING IT OUT.
AND AS YOU HEARD FROM EVERY ONE OF YOUR DIRECTORS, WE ARE ALL WATCHING THE NUMBERS.
NONE OF US WANT TO DO LAYOFFS, STOP SERVICES, SEND PEOPLE HOME.
WE ARE ALL WATCHING THE BUDGET.
WE'RE ALL SEARCHING FOR REVENUES, TRYING TO KEEP EXPENSES LOW.
NOW TO, TO BRING IN THE NEW DAY, ED NETTA.
MY APOLOGIES FOR GETTING RIGHT TO IT.
COULD YOU GO TO, UH, SLIDE NUMBER 14 PLEASE? 14.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAD THE BUDGET.
THE, JUST REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, HIS HAIR WAS DARK
THERE, IT'S NO THAT, THAT'S IT.
I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND THE SENATE UNASSIGNED FINAL BALANCE IS $24,000.
TO ME, YOU'RE GONNA WHITTLE THAT DOWN TO $13 MILLION ONCE YOU REALLY REALIZE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE NEXT, NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THAT'S $13 MILLION OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S THE SKIN OF A, OF YOUR TEETH, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU'RE LIVING BY, TO ME THAT'S, THAT'S ONLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, THAT'S, THAT'S NOTHING TO ME.
WHAT, WHAT I'M GOING TO GET OUT TO IS THAT YOU MISS A, A LOT OF SOMEBODY MENTIONED YOU MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CORRECT THESE SITUATIONS YEARS AGO.
AND NOW YOU'RE PAYING THE PRICE OF HAVING TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS.
SO YOU GOTTA FACE YOURSELVES AGAIN AND NOT GO FOR THE EASY SOLUTION, MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS NOW, OTHERWISE YOU'RE GONNA PAY 10 TIMES FOLD.
[06:05:01]
TO RELIEVE THE FUN BALANCE, I THINK IS JUST, YOU KNOW, KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD HERE.YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'VE, UM, YOU'VE, UM, HAVE TO LOOK MY NOTES.
YOU, YOU GOTTA OWN UP TO THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST SHIFTING THE, SHIFTING THE, THE USING THIS, THIS RESERVIST IS NOT TAKING CARE OF THE, UH, THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE THAT YOU NEED TO CORRECT.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THAT.
YOU HAVEN'T HAD THOSE HARD DISCUSSIONS YET.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT PART OF THE ISSUES HERE IS THAT I'VE JUST, UH, WE'VE HAD 'EM LITERALLY SEVEN HOURS, BUT OKAY.
I'VE BEEN HERE SIX HOURS, I'VE BEEN HERE WITH YOU, AND I'M UNPAID, AND I'M JUST CONCERNED AS A CITIZEN, YOU KNOW? SO I DON'T THINK YOU'RE FACING THE HARD DECISIONS.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, I NOTICED FOR INSTANCE, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT YOUR, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
WHEN ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT? WHICH, THAT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE, THE SLIDES HERE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS IS ORGANIZED.
YOU HAD THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, I MEAN, THE SHERIFF POLICE DEPARTMENT WORKS, BUT WHERE WAS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE? WHERE WAS THE, THE LINE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICE? THE COUNCIL'S OFFICE.
WHERE WAS THE COUNCIL'S OFFICE? WHERE WAS THE COUNCIL OFFICE? IT WASN'T HERE.
I MEAN, I HOPE YOU APPROACH THE SAME SCRUTINY THAT YOU USE FOR ALL THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR YOURSELVES.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE HERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I APPRECIATE THE FORTHCOMING OF ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE.
I MEAN, UH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY TRUTHFUL.
UH, BRUCE, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB, STEVE.
UM, FROM THE CITIZEN STANDPOINT, I FEEL THIS, UM, BREADTH OF, OF, OF, OF OPENNESS.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR, YOUR BUDGET CONCERNS.
AND I FELT THAT THAT WASN'T IN PLACE BEFORE.
AND I HOPE, UH, WITH A NEW CITY MANAGER HERE, I LIKE, ALRIGHT.
OH, KAREN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING OF THE, SO I KNOW IT'S, IT'S LATE IN THE NIGHT.
SO COME, COME ON UP WITH YOUR FARMER'S MARKETS, YOUR AUTOMOBILE HERE TODAY, DELISH ALL.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT EASY ON YOU.
I'M GONNA MAKE IT VERY EASY ON YOU.
KAREN AKAR MCMANUS, NATIONAL CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CHAIRWOMAN INTERIM, UH, CEO.
I'M ALSO HAVE IN COMMON WITH YOU, I AM A RETIRED PERSON AND I'M ALSO WORKING LATE, RIGHT? OKAY.
SO I'M HERE JUST TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GAVE THE CHAMBER LAST YEAR.
UM, IT DID, WE DID WITH THE, THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF NASHVILLE CITY.
WE MADE OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY BETTER.
WE HAVE PROVIDED SO MANY PROGRAMS, AND I WAS GONNA GO THROUGH EVERYTHING WITH YOU, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME TO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
BUT WHAT I, WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY IS THAT NATIONAL CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS COMING BACK.
WE ARE DEDICATED, WE ARE SO ON FIRE.
LOOK AT, I'M ALL GETTING ALL EXCITED AGAIN.
UH, WE HAVE SO MANY PROGRAMS. WE ARE, UM, UH, GIVING ASSISTANCE TO OUR BUSINESSES.
WE ARE CREATING A RESTAURANT ENTREPRENEUR, UH, ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM.
WE, UM, WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE CITY HAS GIVEN US.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS SUPPORTED US.
SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER, CONSIDER US IF THERE'S ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL MONIES AVAILABLE TO US, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PLANS AND WE'RE GONNA DO GOOD BY EVERYONE.
UM, SO, SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT EVENTS AND MM-HMM
UM, AND SO THE MAYOR MENTIONED THAT HE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT AUTOMOBILE.
SO, BECAUSE I, I THINK, UM, WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS LIKE USING, UM, SO ALMOST LOOKING AS INVESTMENT FOR US WITH THE CHAMBER, BUT THE RETURN BEING SALES TAX, UH, MORE PATRONAGE AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND I DON'T KNOW THE METRICS, BUT WE'RE ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOU.
WE'VE ALREADY MET WITH THE MILE OF CARS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A AUTOMOBILE FESTIVAL AT PEPPER PARK.
AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA BRING IN OUR MILE OF CARS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THE NEW CARS WE'RE GONNA BRING IN THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE GONNA BRING IN MOTORCYCLES.
WE'RE GONNA BRING IN EVERYBODY AT THE PEPPER PARK.
AND SO THIS IS GONNA BRING IN SOME REVENUE AS WELL.
THE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS BRINGING THE COMMUNITY
[06:10:01]
TOGETHER.UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS WE'RE GONNA DO A 5K RUN.
IT'LL BE GOING, I THINK CHIEF, YOU'RE GONNA SIGN UP FOR THAT, RIGHT? SO, UM,
SO THERE'S SO MANY PLANS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE WANT TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK YOU SHARE THE SAME VIEW THAT I HAVE.
I'M VERY PROUD TO BE FROM NASHVILLE CITY.
I'M A PRODUCT OF NASHVILLE CITY, AND AS THE CHAIR OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING THAT I CAN TO HIGHLIGHT OUR KAREN.
LET, LET, LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM SO MANY BUSINESSES THAT GOT AWAY FROM THE CHAMBER THAT ARE NOW SAYING THE CHAMBER IS BACK TO BEING ABOUT BUSINESS.
AND SO REALLY DO APPRECIATE, AND BUSINESSES ARE NOTICING THAT I LIKE WE CAN SOMETIMES.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I FOUND MY NEW SISTER.
SO, UNLESS THERE'S LAST MINUTE COMMENTS, I'M GONNA HAVE THE, YOU OKAY.
I'M ANNOYING EVERYONE TONIGHT.
HUH? CAN I, NO, WE, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE HIM REPORT OUT OUR CLOSED SESSION.
TALKING ABOUT CAN I, CAN I JUST HAVE, JUST, OKAY, ONE QUICK KIND OF, UH, COMMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 17TH.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANOTHER, UH, WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FROM NOW TILL THEN.
I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS SCHEDULED YEAH.
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN DOING SO, BUT IS THERE, SO, SO WE WERE, UH, WE WERE THINKING THAT WE WERE GONNA COME OUT OF THE BACK END OF THIS OPTIMISTICALLY.
AND, UH, JUST, UH, GO FOR THE MEETING ON THE 17TH.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IF WE'RE JUST DEALING WITH THE CHANGES THAT YOU HEARD OKAY.
AND THE COMMENTS, WE CAN TABLE THOSE.
TRY TO, UH, PUT NUMBERS ON 'EM, COME BACK SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.
THAT COULD BE A SHORT MEETING.
WELL, COMPARED TO TONIGHT, THAT WILL BE A SHORT MEETING.
YEAH, IT WILL BE A SHORT MEETING.
UM, WE JUST NEED TO GET YOUR, YOUR, UH, SCHEDULES.
UM, BUT WE CAN TRY TO PLACE THAT NEXT WEEK.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S CLOSED SESSION UNLESS SOMETHING'S REPORTABLE, BUT, SO WE CAN START, IF IT WORKS BETTER, WE CAN START AT FIVE AND INSTEAD OF, WHAT DID WE START AT 6 5 30? NO, WE START AT SUPPOSEDLY AT FIVE, BUT IT END UP BEING FIVE 30.
WE START CLOSE SESSION AT FOUR.
I MEAN, WE CAN START WHEN IT, FOR US, IT'S EASIER TO START EARLIER.
SO IT'S REALLY HAVING TO DO WITH YOUR GUYS' SCHEDULE.
I'M OKAY TO, WE'LL REACH OUT TOMORROW.
I'M OKAY TO START THESE EARLIER.
SO WE'LL REACH OUT TOMORROW AND START HEARING YOUR SCHEDULES AND LINE IT UP FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO, SO THE ONLY THING, SO WHAT, SO I THINK THIS IS GOOD, THOROUGH, VERY CRITICAL DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT MAYBE WE COULD STRUCTURE THEM BETTER AND, AND BREAK THEM UP OR BREAK 'EM UP OVER A COUPLE DAYS.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO HAVE AS IN DEPTH, UH, UH, CONVERSATION.
BUT, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE LIKE, THESE THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS ON, ON, ON THE BUDGET.
SO I'M, I'M OPEN TO DOING IT ON THE, UH, 17TH.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR IF NEEDED, A, A SPECIAL MEETING JUST TO, YOU KNOW, UH, CLARIFY SOME ITEMS. SO I'M, I'M OPEN TO THAT.
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP REALLY, REALLY QUICK FOR THE RECORD THERE, FORGOT TO BRING IT UP.
UH, I FORGOT WHAT GRAFFITI, UH, COMES UNDER, BUT I, I, I DID WANT TO SEE SOME ENHANCEMENTS, UM, FOR GRAFFITI.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE CO UH, COST.
I, I THINK IT WOULD BE COST SAVINGS OR GRAFFITI MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
I EMAILED YOU, SCOTT ABOUT IT AND SOME OF THE PILOT WE'RE DOING ON, ON 24TH STREET AND HAVING THAT, THAT SPREAD AND HAVING A, MAYBE A GRAFFITI, UH, A MANAGER UNDER, UNDER RONNIE, I THINK.
UM, SO ANYWAY, I I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON, ON, ON THE RECORD.
UH, IF I CAN OFFER A COMMENT ABOUT MEETING AGAIN, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD MEET NEXT WEEK AND THEN ALSO COME TOGETHER ON THE 17TH TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
I THINK BEFORE WE MEET ON THE 17TH TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET, I WOULD PROPOSE WE DO MEET TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, NEXT WEEK.
WE, WE HAVE, BUT LEGALLY BY STATE LAW, WE HAVE TO HAVE A
[06:15:01]
BALANCE.UH, BUDGET VOTED ON BEFORE JULY 1ST, RIGHT? THAT'S IT.
I CONCUR WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA.
I THINK I LIKE TO SEE IN PAPER THE SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
WELL THE MAIN THING IS I THINK, PUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT NUMBERS TOGETHER THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED BY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T COME TO ANY AGREEMENT ON ANY OF THOSE THINGS YET.
AND THEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT ALL THAT THAT MEANS.
WOULD, WOULD TUESDAY, JUST A TUESDAY AT FOUR OR THREE O'CLOCK? THIS, THIS COMING TUESDAY? WOULD THAT BE REALISTIC OR NO? I DON'T, NO.
UH, I'M GONE UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
SO I, I COULD GO IN THURSDAY, FRIDAY.
YOU, YOU WANNA DO FRIDAY 13TH.
WHY CAN'T WE DO FRIDAY? I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, WE, WE, WE, WE, WE, WE CAN YIN AND YANG IT.
WHAT KIND OF STAFF SUPPORTER YOU? HE'S NOT WRONG.
I, THAT'S MY RESPONSE ON FRIDAYS.
WHAT KIND OF STAFF REPORT, STAFF SUPPORTER ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? EXACTLY.
I, I COULD BE HERE ON FRIDAY, BUT I'M OPEN.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MY COWORKERS.
MAYBE WE CAN COME BACK AND FINALIZE THIS IN THE NEXT.
OKAY, WELL LET'S, LET'S LET'S EVERYONE PUT THEIR SCHEDULES TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND OR, YOU KNOW, UH, AND FIND OUT WHAT TIMES EVEN ON FOR THE, FOR THE DIFFERENT DAYS ARE AVAILABLE.
SO IT DOESN'T EVEN NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE AT FIVE O'CLOCK IF WE HAVE TO.
[Additional Item]
RIGHT.WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO, UH, TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY TO, UH, REPORT OUT A CLOSED SESSION.
UH, I HAD A NUMBER OF ITEMS ON CLOSED SESSION, UH, INVOLVING LITIGATION.
ONE WAS POLANCO VERSUS, UH, NATIONAL CITY.
UH, KELLY MOTA AND BCD VERSUS NATIONAL CITY COUNCIL GAVE UH, US DIRECTION FOR AN UPCOMING MEDIATION AND LABOR NEGOTIATIONS, NO REPORTABLE ACTIONS.
ALRIGHT, FOLKS WITH THAT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE GET ADJOURNED BEFORE THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.