Minutes 2015-03-16 SP ACTION MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 215 EAST BRANCH STREET
ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Mayor Hill called the Special City Council Meeting to order at 6:02 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL:
Council Members Barbara Harmon, Jim Guthrie, Mayor Pro Tern Kristen Barneich, and Mayor
Jim Hill were present. Council Member Tim Brown was absent.
Staff members present were Interim City Manager Bob McFall, Director of Legislative and
Information Services/City Clerk Kelly Wetmore, Director of Public Works Geoff English,
Community Development Director Teresa McClish, Director of Administrative Services Debbie
Malicoat, Chief of Police Steven Annibali, Five Cities Fire Authority Fire Chief Steve Lieberman
and Director of Recreation Services John Rogers.
3. FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Hill led the flag salute.
4. BUSINESS ITEMS:
4.a. Presentation on Status of Fiscal Year 2014-15 Budget and Trends in Preparation of
the Fiscal Year 2015-16/2016-17 Biennial Budget.
Recommendation: Receive a general overview of the Fiscal Year 2014-15 Budget,
updates on future revenue and operational trends, and discussion on Council goals and
priorities. No formal action will be taken.
Interim City Manager McFall provided introductory comments and reviewed the objectives and
outcomes for the meeting.
Director of Administrative Services Malicoat presented the staff report which included an
overview of where Citywide revenues come from; a breakdown of General Fund revenue
sources in FY 2014-15; trends in General Fund Tax revenue through the recession; a
breakdown of Citywide expenses by category; sustainability in the future; review of the 10 year
General Fund forecast and related revenue versus expense gap; a review of how the City
compares on a per capita basis to surrounding cities in the areas of sales tax, property tax, and
transient occupancy tax; total revenues per capita and total expenses per capita; a comparison
of revenues per capita currently versus 10 years ago and of expenses per capita currently
versus 10 years ago. She then reviewed and provided updates on the Critical Needs Action
Plan, Citywide goals, and the current Capital Improvement Program.
Department Directors Malicoat, Rogers, Annibali, Lieberman, English, McClish, and Wetmore
provided presentations which included an overview of their current department statuses, trends
and challenges. City Manager McFall provided a presentation on City Manager/City Council
activity and then provided a recap of citywide challenges and a revenue strategy outline.
Minutes of City Council Special Meeting
March 16, 2015
Page 2
Mayor Hill called for a break at 8:37 p.m. The Council reconvened at 8:50 p.m.
Council comments and feedback ensued regarding the Local Sales Tax Fund 10 year Plan; the
City's allocation of funding for the Five Cities Fire Authority JPA; funding allocated from the
Local Sales Fund for the Council Chambers remodel; future plans in Recreation if there is
another recession; staffing a volunteer coordinator position; special interest recreation classes
and youth sports programs; status of childcare programs; fundraisers that have occurred to
increase revenue and maximize volunteerism; reviewing part-time versus full-time positions; and
formation of a 501 c3 non-profit organization for the Dog Park.
Recreation Services Director Rogers responded to questions from Council regarding
opportunities for increasing revenue at the Soto Sports Complex; the use of volunteers;
increase in revenues from additional recreational classes that have been added to the program;
and increases in childcare program revenue as a result of both fee increases and attendance.
Public Works Director English responded to questions from Council regarding sidewalk repairs;
tree related issues; trash; water audits; inter-agency relations for training, water planning, sewer
issues, and equipment rentals; street maintenance; technology upgrades in the SCADA system;
personnel retention; and ongoing funding from the Local Sales Tax Fund for capital projects.
Community Development Director McClish responded to questions from Council regarding
building inspector services; shift of staffing for economic development efforts; tracking systems
for planning, building and neighborhood services activity; update of the General Plan;
streamlining procedures and processes for residential and commercial development; and
promoting success of businesses.
FCFA Fire Chief Lieberman responded to questions from Council regarding EMS statistics as it
compares to other jurisdictions; mutual aid to support another jurisdiction and as it relates to
opportunities for revenue generation; automatic aid; staffing for seeking grant funding; SBCA
equipment lifecycles and opportunities for grant funding to replace equipment; seeking funding
sources for replacement equipment and rolling stock; percentage of calls for auto aid from Cal-
Fire; previous Safer Grant which provided 6 additional personnel for a 2 year period; EMS
response; evaluation of dispatch consolidation opportunities; and emergency responses to the
Dunes.
Police Chief Annibali responded to questions from Council regarding grants that have been
used for technology; police personnel leaving for other agencies; if potential consolidation with
Grover Beach had been considered due to their Chief retiring and whether that could be viable
in the future; sharing costs with Lucia Mar Unified School District for the School Resource
Officer (SRO); career development opportunities; IT support for equipment and services;
consolidation of police programs; salary differentiations among jurisdictions; and maintaining
quality of life and employees.
Legislative and Information Services Director Wetmore responded to questions from Council
regarding the City's website as it relates to social media, and cost recovery for public records
requests.
Administrative Services Director Malicoat responded to questions regarding total per capita
costs and new financial software.
Minutes of City Council Special Meeting
March 16, 2015
Page 3
Mayor Hill invited public comment. No public comments were received.
Council comments and suggestions ensued regarding recreation programs; public works
contracting; packaging deferred maintenance; reviewing and reprioritizing the Local Sales Tax
10 Year Plan; outsourcing tree inspections and water audits; fire dispatch coordination;
increasing funding for other capital projects as funding in the pavement management program
decreases; spending funds to improve the development process versus on an economic
development position; measuring efficiencies for businesses; acknowledgment of escalating
costs for personnel and PERS retirement; support for additional information technology staffing
support; seeking new revenue sources; contracting arborist services; the need for more
firefighter positions at the three stations; that consolidating police services should be raised
again; that more revenue will be realized with more classes; support for a volunteer program;
increasing number of tournaments to enhance Soto Sports Complex revenue; pursuing hotels
should be explored, which could increase transient occupancy tax revenue; streamlining the
development review process further; reallocating funding for the Council Chambers remodel to
the Elm Street Center; partnering with the Five Cities Community Foundation future Recreation
Center for potential lease opportunities; water conservation programs; ensuring that water
resources are available to meet demand for new projects; creation of a volunteer program;
developing set aside funds in this next budget cycle for various replacement equipment;
acknowledgment of unfunded State mandates that will increase costs or impact the ability to
generate revenue; deferred maintenance is a concern that must be addressed; support for
continuing programs already in place; accounting for revenue maximization; ensuring that fees
for services are adequately assessed; making business regulation as user-friendly as possible;
encouraging in-fill development and tenancy along East Grand Avenue; acknowledgement of
the decrease in full-time positions since 2006; acknowledgement that the need for additional
information technology support is a recurring theme in all City departments and this must be
provided for in the next budget; support for facilitating a 501c3 for Recreation Services, as well
as for other Departments to provide for donations; and the need to provide for career
development opportunities in the Police Department.
At this time, Interim City Manager McFall noted that pursuant to Council policy, the Council must
vote unanimously to continue the meeting past 11:00 p.m.
Action: Council Member Guthrie moved to continue the meeting until 11:30 p.m. Council
Member Harmon seconded, and the motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
Interim City Manager McFall expressed his appreciation to Council and staff and stated that the
City would be moving forward with the budget process and will bring back to the Council a
proposed budget for consideration.
Administrative Services Director Malicoat reviewed the schedule of upcoming City Council
meeting dates as follows: April 28, 2015 - Presentation to Council on personnel issues; May 26,
2015 - Council consideration of preliminary budget; and June 9, 2015 - Budget Adoption.
Mayor Hill thanked the Interim City Manager and Department Directors.
No formal action was taken.
5. ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor Hill adjourned the meeting at 11:07 p.m.
Minutes of City Council Special Meeting
March 16, 2015
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Page 4
1 i Hill, Mayor
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Kelly W-tm/ire, City Clerk
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(Approved at CC Mtg 3-21'2°15)