And here we go again with the drama of trying to cut enough services to pay the city bills. What's the progress on doing what's needed to get the quarry property developed.
Joint meeting with the Financing City Services Task force, 2/7/13; City Council Study Session tonight, 2/13/13, then 2/20/13, and 3/6/13.
Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff writer, 2/12/13.. "City Council studies budget-cutting, revenue generating options."
"City
Council directed city staff to research a few financial planning
options -- sales tax increase, police outsourcing and cutting city
services -- to financially plan for the future during its meeting with
the Financing City Services Task Force last Thursday (2/7/13).
| City economic solution, we're waiting.... |
The City Council will meet frequently in the near future --tonight (2/13/13), Feb. 20 and March 6 at 6 p.m. -- to make tough decisions that are expected to leave the city in better financial shape.
City Manager Steve Rhodes said he would bring to tonight's meeting information about possibilities -- how much a potential one-half-cent sales tax increase would benefit the city, the amount the city is expected to save if police services were outsourced to the San Mateo County Sheriff and a plan to potentially make cuts across the board in city departments.
A group comprised of outspoken individuals, the task force members told the council members last Thursday just how unhappy they were when council ignored their recommendation last year to put a sales tax increase on the ballot last year." Read article.
Reference - City Calendar. City Council Study Session tonight (2/13/13), 6 PM to 8:00 PM, location: City Council Chambers, Beach Boulevard. Update - Agenda found on Pacifica Index, its an easy read. The PCT TV calendar says this will be televised live. Photograph by Bob Pilgram, from the No on L, campaign against quarry development, 2006.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
45 comments:
The agenda has been posted and is available at Pacifica Index.
This city council will never ever get another sales tax passed.
Bet on it.
Thanks Chris!
The Let's Hike Taxes gang from financing city services committee has never run a campaign or raised money to finance a campaign. They were flapping their gums about council not putting a sales tax on the Nov 2012 ballot. But not one of them volunteered to run the campaign or walk door to door.
All these fin city services folks did was talk for nearly 2 years while the wheels fell off and the full details of the police out-source report was kept secret..
Pacifica could have had a balanced budget and a reasonable reserve 8 months ago if these folks would have stopped talking and actually made some decisions that did not involve picking my pocket.
@129 Never say never. This council can scare up lots of support for some type of tax measure by cutting some of those sacred cows we all care about like the resource center or library hours or mewling about outsourcing the cops. They've become adept at diverting attention from bloated salaries and benefits and wowie can they spin fables about economic development! People want to hear those good things are right around the corner. Council gets that basic need and they'll pander to it. While they are beyond awful at running this city, they do know how to manipulate the voters and form those critical alliances to increase support. Furthermore, it's not an election year so they are unlikely to neglect their duty quite as shamefully as they did last year.
No doubt there's a core group of voters who will not support more taxes no matter what is cut--in fact who support draconian cuts, but that's a hardcore minority on election day.
Would Pacifica voters support more taxes? Never say never in Pathetica.
Pete Shoemaker is on this committee.
The guy who bankrupted the city with his Vallemar Noobees.
Agenda from Pacifica Index posted to the article. Its an easy read. Thanks Anonymous 1:02 PM (I think). Check it out.
Wow that was fast. 336PM. FCSTF is just disbanded and already they're the scapegoat. Too bad the city can't act that fast on anything else. Human shields--that's all the task force was. Serious, good-intentioned people being used and manipulated by council and staff for years. You got bad news? Get some partners to share the blame. Politicians love their task forces--up to a point. By the end FCSTF was a hard to control, very frustrated group.
The facts? Their unpopular recommendations were ignored during an election year, and council called the shots on the police outsourcing report. All the shots. Again, during an election year. Gee,what an outrage-- no one on FCSTF volunteered to run the campaign for a tax measure, or walk door-to-door? Before you campaign for something you'd need council to grow a pair and vote to put such a measure on the ballot. And council needs to be the face of that campaign. Council knows all about campaigning. It's what they do best--about the only thing they're good at.
Another fact, there is no magic wand to save this derelict town. This disaster has been on the horizon for many years. FCSTF didn't find an easy solution because there isn't one. Council's failure to act is nothing new. Scary choices. It's either deep cuts or more taxes--actually it's pretty certain to take both to survive.
Thanks FCSTF. You acted with diligence and integrity while council played political games. You'll be the scapegoat, but you were never the problem.
Make the cuts. We may not be able to cut ourselves into prosperity but we can stay afloat. There is no white knight on the way to save us. No single tax measure could sustain our current expenses. Economic development would take years and it is not yet underway. Nothing is on the way except real cuts and more taxes. Start by cutting out councils' generous salaries and benefits and pensions. They're in charge of a sinking ship. How about being leaders for change instead of part of the problem? You need to be paid to lead your dying town? Then move on. Cut 10% across the board on everyone else or cut jobs and city office hours. Make the choice! Outsource the cops asap and move all city offices into that barn of a police station so the other real estate can be sold, and then sell it without ridiculous restrictions attached. Cut library hours. Leave seniors, kids, and the needy at current funding levels. We're not animals.
@421 it was a big committee. shoemaker was a little fish.
@336 just curious. what is your solution for pacifica? anything you can be specific about? big credibility points for not using the following words: noobees,nobies,nobees, hippies, the actual name of any person (living or dead), enviro, vallemar, bankruptcy. go for it!
save us!
Well that was quick. Ninety minute meeting, 3 or 4 members of the public spoke. All agreed things look grim. Nihart s/b commended for her statement that more than one item from the list of revenue sources would be required, ie, sales tax, parcel tax, staff and program cuts, outsourcing the PD. Not so commendable is her mention of the revenue that will come from developing the OWWTP. Years away, if ever. Please don't channel Vreeland anymore. Don't spin it. That hypothetical revenue stuff belongs in a different discussion. Stone agreed that things were so far gone more than one fix would be needed. He also made his token appeal for planning for economic development in the form of dedicated dollars/staff but pretty much a non-starter. O'Neill was firmly shot down by Nihart and Rhodes when he began to get into the outsourcing issue and process. WTF is the big deal? It might be a bargaining issue for the cops but it's a survival issue for the city. What is really under that rock? God bless Bernie Sifry for pointing out that council could set a better example through a little personal financial sacrifice. Digre called for more public forums and participation. Ervin asked some good questions and then one about how often could we expect natural disasters and lawsuits. Several wisely noted that all these proposed solutions merely carry us forward for perhaps 5 years at which time we are again in this untenable position. Can't wait til they tackle that problem. Next time.
Where is the police outsourcing report, and why aren't these councilmembers ordering the contract city attorney, who should be fired for her bogus legal theory regarding this report, to disclose it?
Anonymous said...
Where is the police outsourcing report, and why aren't these councilmembers ordering the contract city attorney, who should be fired for her bogus legal theory regarding this report, to disclose it?
Please see Pacifica Index for yesterday's development regarding this report.
Fair and transparant council is one of the many goals.
Hiding behind the city attorney on the police outsourcing report?
Hmmm
ANON814PM Yes! Hypothetical revenue is not revenue.
How many times have we been down that road with council?
Just the facts, council, stick to the facts.
Since we've been able to follow the yearly climb in salaries for senior staff, department heads, fire and police I don't see how we the public should be expected to pay more taxes. I'm sure our public sector would love that, and being a federal employee herself Mary Ann no doubts feels raising taxes is the only option too.
Thankfully(?) we can see there has been no real reduction in city pay thanks to the State Comptrollers website and can safely say our public employees have no shame at all and are quite happy and at home throwing fellow employees and us, the public, under the bus to maintain their rather lavish lifestyles. No shame at all.
Make some real cuts to those payroll and benefit number by any legal method. If the SMC sheriffs can save us money, go for it. We'll be just as safe--and really that's more about what we don't have than what we do, ie, no Bart station, no train station, not much night life. I'm not voting to give this city one more dime until I see real cuts and cost saving measures taken. More than one and long term. Until then, they can twirl.
haha yes Todd no reduction in pay, no reduction in overall payroll costs and, surprise, looks like no reduction by council in their compensation including all that cafeteria cash which they said in open session in 2010 that they would give up. Didn't look for all of them but saw several still up at near $20,000. Stone seems to still be serving without pay. How can council preach and expect real sacrifice from employees and spare themselves? They can't. Clearly, they can't.
It would seem they would feel honor-bound to give up the thousands they take in cash-in-lieu of benefits and also roll back their monthly stipend from the current $700 to the $400 listed in the state's municipal codes for cities of our size. Is Len Stone the only one who understands this?
For those who say we can't cut ourselves into fiscal health. True. We need the development side, but that's a slow process that hasn't even begun. It really hasn't. And we're no longer talking about fiscal health, we're talking about survival.
There is a certain element in any city government that believes raising additional revenue via increased fees and taxes is the fix-all; it is not. Saving money through careful planning, budgeting, spending, and , accountability is a difficult, but a more prudent path to follow.
Government service whether local. State. or Federal was never meant to bring wealth to its employees. Alas, that mindset appears to have become a lost art as politicians, union workers, and their ilk line up to feed at the trough.
Wealth is relative, but Pacifica is broke. We can't afford this payroll. It starts with you, City Council, and then you can start that bargaining process anew in good conscience and good faith..step away from the trough.
Step away from the trough.
Since last night's budget meeting, some Pacificans went into a complete depression and were hauled away.
Just kidding, but the options to keep the city solvent seem only to be taxes and more taxes (deja vu). For multiple years, city council has played nice with eco-NIMBY goals, while failing to do the job of protecting all the citizens of this city through balanced economic development planning. Last night's excuse to not seek-out economic developers was again "no money". Yet, isn't it the case that this city knows how to take money off the top of an existing bond when refinancing? How about doing that, give-up what's needed in negotiation or financing, and figure-out how to get the quarry developed.
When completed (earliest 2018-19), Beach Boulevard has a projected stream-of-revenue of about $500,000. $500,000 is less than 1/2 of the money needed today to pay bills in an already too lean city. Outstanding smaller developments may or may not be built. Land turned into permanent Open space is gone.
There is no real city cash reserves, about 2 weeks city payroll, yikes! Cash reserves talk has been a public relations myth since the 2002 NIMBY city council was elected. About 5 years ago, there was a cash return on a housing development lawsuit (the city fought the developer to an ultimate 7 year "win"). That money lasted a few years.
Farming-out the police department will probably happen, but its a mixed issue. As is, the Police Chief said out of 17,000 cities Pacifica ranks in the top 100 for low crime. This is hardly an endorsement for farming out the police department. Yet, here we are.
jeez Kathy, I was dealing with it all but after your recap I am ready to be hauled away.
Refi the police station again but this time don't spend $300K of the money on another plan for the OWWTP. Instead, invest more-probably a million- to set up a real economic development dept with a director and some staff for 3 years with an option to renew. Get some professionals. Let's see what happens. We're already broke. Might as well roll the dice in the only game that counts.
There is no real city cash reserves, about 2 weeks city payroll, yikes! Cash reserves talk has been a public relations myth since the 2002 NIMBY city council was elected. About 5 years ago, there was a cash return on a housing development lawsuit (the city fought the developer to an ultimate 7 year "win"). That money lasted a few years.
The noobes should be proud they bankrupted the city!
Pete Shoemaker got before council on Monday and said . . . he was on financing task force for 4-5 years. Peebles was a crook. We dodged a bullet. He (shoeman) knows the quarry. It is not good for residential development. Not good for commercial development.
Tod S said it best . . . if pete (and the nobies) knew what they were doing, the city would be flush with money by now.
That is why bray is back to attacking worker salaries, to dsitract once more.
Refresh my memory...which ones are the nobees?
Public employee salaries and benefits are not a distraction. They are out of control, particularly pensions, and threaten to bankrupt more than just Pacifica's economy. It is true we also suffer grievously from a lack of economic development and a crippling lack of land available for development, but we cannot dismiss the payroll problem as a mere distraction. To do so is no doubt very comfortable but too simplistic.
we would not even be talking about public employee salary and benefits of the quarry had been developed like it was intended to be.
@705 Nonsense. These are two separate and serious problems and two separate and vital discussions. Development of the quarry would have provided no immunity from the recession, none. And I'm not a nobee. Not even close. I support big commercial development in the quarry, big box and chain so we can benefit from the jobs and sales tax--particularly the sales tax increases that come with the up-cycles of any economy. Small business just can't do that for us. Also, either Pac or HMB will develop as the retail hub. HMB has a head start.
Cancelation of study session.
I guess city council thought it was more important to stay home and watch American Idol.
The 2/20 City Council Budget Study Session has been cancelled.
uh oh, now what happened?
I hear they are disbanding the Financing Committee.
About time we get rid of them before one of their taxes take hold.
This town could have been a shining star, a model for all town our size if it wasn't for the Sun alley LMAO's!
Like Johnny T tried to say.
The only beach town on the west coast that doesn't take advantage of being a beach town.
Jimmy, Julie, and "Sneaky" Pete all jumped off the burning ship just in time.
Gee, the plovers are real happy.
this town needs an enema - The Joker
Anon@3:36 pm: couldn't agree more about your "beach town" comment.
That Pacific Beach Hotel sits in a prime location just adjacent to the Linda Mar Beach. It could have been a real asset with proper PR and management; i.e., sponsoring surf contests, sand castle contests, car shows in the parking lot, etc. They should've been turning away customers at the door. Instead, what do we have, just a run down looking building that appears ready to be torn down.
Yeah, I know, the new owners are in the process of fixing it up. That's been going since about the day it opened. That hillside looked a lot better when it was still covered with the 110 cypress trees that had to be cut down to make way for the construction.
underground the uglu utility pole right in front of it and improve the looks 100%.
Come on Pacifica, show some class for a change.
It's the City Council's fault.
Yeah, I know, the new owners are in the process of fixing it up. That's been going since about the day it opened. That hillside looked a lot better when it was still covered with the 110 cypress trees that had to be cut down to make way for the construction.
Yes the beach surfer house with all the stoned surfers hanging around was much better.
eyeroll
It needs some serious work which takes some serious money, but it could be a real draw. You can forget about those contests on that end of the beach. That's Ploverville right across the highway. Do Not Disturb! And those plover docents are not a tourist welcoming committee.
After watching that hotel disaster unfold for so many years, I think I'd go with that old pink surfer house and the trees. It was a funky landmark for a funky beach town. This hotel is just sad and decayed and clueless--too much a symbol of the real Pacifica.
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