Tuesday, May 10, 2011

3rd and final City Council budget workshop, Wednesday, May 11th, 6pm


The workshop is at City Council Chambers (Beach Boulevard), but if you prefer to watch this on television you may.  And, if you have a split screen computer or television near your computer, you can view both the city council interaction, and follow the budget at the same time. 


1. Turn on  Channel 26 (Pacifica Community Television  http://www.pct26.com/ , and 


2. City of Pacifica website/Departments/ Finance, scroll all the way down to the Budget Study Session - May 11, 2011.  http://www.cityofpacifica.org/depts/finance/default.asp          


Posted by Kathy Meeh 

21 comments:

Kathy Meeh said...

Some notes. 19.7% job positions impacted. Layoffs possibly as low as 4.5, but some positions dependent upon transferring outside the city to other agencies (example police dispatch to SSF or County).

Employees may be subject to 24 furlough days. City council discontinuing the cafeteria cash; employee cash is dropping to 75%, eventually 50%. City revenue increase is 1.7%, about break-even without consideration of the non-departmental expenses (charities, libraries, Chamber etc.) page 22.

I don't quite understand what is planned to happen with the city attorney's office, do you?

There was an over-estimate of liability insurance premium, $75,000 was added to revenue.

General Fund Non-departmental, some City Council direction.
1. Fund HEART.
2. Fund Resource Center.
3. Fund Farmers market, $2000 this year, $2000 next year.
4. Fund Visitor's center.
5. Chambers plan, don't know probably not.
6. Cut TV PB&R.
7. Fund Animal control, because its required.
8. Fund clean up goes to Sewer Fund, its required.
9. General Fund, discussed, but I don't remember a consensus.
10. Fund Library 14 extra hours.

Mayor Mary Ann Nihart said the deficit will be another $2 million in cuts next year.

DeJarnatt was not feeling well and is going home. City council is taking break, other City funds will also be discussed.

Anonymous said...

Very clear that this year is just a warm-up for the really ugly stuff that has to happen next year to cut 2 million from budget. Don't dare look beyond that.

Thomas Clifford said...

Kathy I believe that the Farmers Market was cut from $4,000.00 to $2,000 this year with the final $2,000 to be cut next year, and the General fund was budget was not cut.

Tom Clifford said...

Correction: The General Plan budget was not cut.
I need to read before I post my BAD.

Kathy Meeh said...

And here's the rest of the meeting abbreviated for you City budget junkies....

The above discussion included General Fund expenditures from the budget (referenced above) pages 2-34. However monies which are not General Fund must be kept as separate Funds, and were to a lesser extent discussed briefly (or not). These separate Funds follow in the City budget pages 35-64. See the 5/11/11 city budget workshop link above, scroll down.

Fund 18, WWTP operations: $15,826,641.
Fund 34, WWTP construction: $4,580,953. (Sewer spill lawsuit requirements (including additional payroll, money set-aside for future new plant). $400,000 increase.
Fund 9, street construction projects. Street paving $790,000 missing from page 39.
Fund 10, Gas Tax Fund. Palmetto street lights undergrounding next year.
Fund 12 highway 1 improvement, and San Pedro Bridge.
Fund 14, Manor Drive improvement (widening/signals nand Milagra on ramp).
Fund 16, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), (small fee from property tax bill). Trash capture pollutants for city drains.
Fund 19, Local drainage/runoff improvement, includes storm drains and Calera Creek.
Fund 22, Capital Improvement Fund. $2 million reserved, $1,500,000 Palmetto, $200,000 to selling the old WWTP (Beach/Palmetto).
Fund 26, PB&R capital improvements (from development fees). Example, for Sanchez Dog Park.
Fund 27, PB&R R. Davies Trust Fund (use of interest only, not principal). Parks or community maintenance or construction projects.

Internal Services Funds: (page 56-62).
1) Fund 40 CITY DEBT SERVICE: $3,792,378
2) Fund 65, City dental plan (self-funded) $326,883.
3) Fund 66, Workers Compensation (partially self-funded): $2,381,686.
4) Fund 67, General Liability (self-funded): $490,820.
5) Fund 71 Motor pool operations, $216,211.
6) Fund 72 Motor pool replacement, $1,574,279.

Redevelopment: (pages 63-64).
Fund 90 Redevelopment agency, $219,926.
Fund 92 Redevelopment. Low cost housing, $130,433.

June 13th City Council meeting will include adoption of the City 7/1/11-6/30/12 fiscal year budget.

Adjourned. Was Councilmember DeJarnatt still there at the end of the budget meeting? I wasn't paying much attention, but I think he was. That's it, someone else gets to take notes next year.

Thomas Clifford said...

Thank you Kathy a job well done.

Steve Sinai said...

Aw, city employees don't need all their teeth.

todd bray said...

Thank you, Kathy.

Anonymous said...

The city council should have cut MORE from the GF Non-departmental last night like cutting some library hours. (This is not because I like these cuts being made, but because the city has little choice but to make these cuts this year and next.) Since the council could not muster the gumption to cut enough last night, we are looking at a "blood bath" next year.

todd bray said...

Scaled compensation reductions would overt that blood bath. Easily 1,4 million dollars of tax payer money can be saved while still providing plenty of money to our employes salaries, wages and pensions.

Thomas Clifford said...

Two million more in cuts next year. No way to pretty that up, it is going to be the hardest thing Council has ever done.

Kathy Meeh said...

Some notes. 19.7% job positions impacted. Layoffs possibly as low as 4.5, but some positions dependent upon transferring outside the city to other agencies (example police dispatch to SSF or County).

Employees may be subject to 24 furlough days. City council discontinuing the cafeteria cash; employee cash is dropping to 75%, eventually 50%. City revenue increase is 1.7%, about break-even without consideration of the non-departmental expenses (charities, libraries, Chamber etc.) page 22.

I don't quite understand what is planned to happen with the city attorney's office, do you?

There was an over-estimate of liability insurance premium, $75,000 was added to revenue.

General Fund Non-departmental, some City Council direction.
1. Fund HEART.
2. Fund Resource Center.
3. Fund Farmers market, $2000 this year, $2000 next year.
4. Fund Visitor's center.
5. Chambers plan, don't know probably not.
6. Cut TV PB&R.
7. Fund Animal control, because its required.
8. Fund clean up goes to Sewer Fund, its required.
9. General Fund, discussed, but I don't remember a consensus.
10. Fund Library 14 extra hours.

Mayor Mary Ann Nihart said the deficit will be another $2 million in cuts next year.

DeJarnatt was not feeling well and is going home. City council is taking break, other City funds will also be discussed.

Kathy Meeh said...

And here's the rest of the meeting abbreviated for you City budget junkies....

The above discussion included General Fund expenditures from the budget (referenced above) pages 2-34. However monies which are not General Fund must be kept as separate Funds, and were to a lesser extent discussed briefly (or not). These separate Funds follow in the City budget pages 35-64. See the 5/11/11 city budget workshop link above, scroll down.

Fund 18, WWTP operations: $15,826,641.
Fund 34, WWTP construction: $4,580,953. (Sewer spill lawsuit requirements (including additional payroll, money set-aside for future new plant). $400,000 increase.
Fund 9, street construction projects. Street paving $790,000 missing from page 39.
Fund 10, Gas Tax Fund. Palmetto street lights undergrounding next year.
Fund 12 highway 1 improvement, and San Pedro Bridge.
Fund 14, Manor Drive improvement (widening/signals nand Milagra on ramp).
Fund 16, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), (small fee from property tax bill). Trash capture pollutants for city drains.
Fund 19, Local drainage/runoff improvement, includes storm drains and Calera Creek.
Fund 22, Capital Improvement Fund. $2 million reserved, $1,500,000 Palmetto, $200,000 to selling the old WWTP (Beach/Palmetto).
Fund 26, PB&R capital improvements (from development fees). Example, for Sanchez Dog Park.
Fund 27, PB&R R. Davies Trust Fund (use of interest only, not principal). Parks or community maintenance or construction projects.

Internal Services Funds: (page 56-62).
1) Fund 40 CITY DEBT SERVICE: $3,792,378
2) Fund 65, City dental plan (self-funded) $326,883.
3) Fund 66, Workers Compensation (partially self-funded): $2,381,686.
4) Fund 67, General Liability (self-funded): $490,820.
5) Fund 71 Motor pool operations, $216,211.
6) Fund 72 Motor pool replacement, $1,574,279.

Redevelopment: (pages 63-64).
Fund 90 Redevelopment agency, $219,926.
Fund 92 Redevelopment. Low cost housing, $130,433.

June 13th City Council meeting will include adoption of the City 7/1/11-6/30/12 fiscal year budget.

Adjourned. Was Councilmember DeJarnatt still there at the end of the budget meeting? I wasn't paying much attention, but I think he was. That's it, someone else gets to take notes next year.

These are restored notes during and following the 5/11/11 budget meeting. For some reason I copied these.

Kathy Meeh said...

And here's a follow-up comment in response to Tom Clifford's comment (5/12, 11:32am) and others that were lost...

Tom, some of the cost reductions mentioned by Todd, Steve and Anon will happen next year, but City Manager Steve Rhodes did mention business is picking-up (and you may have noticed that as well). The city annual debt service is $3.8 million and that may be problematic, along with the ongoing financial shortfall and hazard potential.

I was pleased to learn that financial reserves are included in several city funds, including Fund 34(WWTP), Fund 12 (Highway 1) and others. Also noteworthy, WWTP will get sold next year, and Palmetto area utility undergrounding will happen.

Although the TOT visitor's tax was increased 2%, Mayor Pro Tem Pete DeJarnatt was vocal about not funding the Chamber of Commerce effort to advertise this city, and he begrudgingly agreed to partially fund the City Visitor's Center ($10,000). Further he advanced a conditioned threat to the Chamber of Commerce for not supporting regressive city taxes. So, what do you think about that?

From my view, DeJarnatt's threat was an expressed quid pro quo, and another symptom of what's wrong with this city ("you scratch my "no growth" back, I scratch your "measured survival").

The Chamber has been working to improve tourist business in this city with their hands tied financially. City council took credit for the Chamber joining the San Mateo County/Silicone Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau. This long over-due tourist advertising improvement was done at Chamber cost. This expense, similar to the Visitor's Center, advantages the City (both businesses and city revenue).

A smart business move would have been for the city to advance the additional 2% TOT tax (11/10) to the Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism. But Pete? What did he say, "we only get 1% from sales tax revenue". You might want to check-out the SMCSVB website, pretty neat.

Thomas Clifford said...

Cathy Farmers Market $2,000.00 this year $0 Next year. General Plan uncut. I check with Steve

Kathy Meeh said...

Tom, 2:41pm, yes that's right. 10:55am, Item 3. "Fund Farmers market, $2000 this year, $2000 next year". Last year the funding was $4,000, could have been $0 this year (Farmers Market didn't really expect funding beyond last year), but city council decided to fund half, for the next 2 years, then $0.

Other comments. Viewing the budget, annual debt service of $3.8 million indicates the city is carrying a far chuck of debt.

I was pleased to learn that financial reserves are included in several city funds, including Fund 34(WWTP), Fund 12 (Highway 1) and others. Also noteworthy, WWTP will get sold next year, and Palmetto area utility undergrounding will happen.

Although the TOT visitor's tax was increased 2%, Mayor Pro Tem Pete DeJarnatt was vocal about not funding the Chamber of Commerce effort to advertise this city, and he begrudgingly agreed to partially fund the City Visitor's Center ($10,000). Further he advanced a conditioned threat to the Chamber of Commerce for not supporting regressive city taxes. So, what do you think about that?

From my view, DeJarnatt's threat was an expressed quid pro quo, and another symptom of what's wrong with this city ("you scratch my "no growth" back, I scratch your "measured survival"). The Chamber has been working to improve tourist business in this city with their hands tied financially. City council took credit for the Chamber joining the San Mateo County/Silicone Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau. This long over-due tourist advertising improvement was done at Chamber cost. This expense, similar to the Visitor's Center, advantages the City (both businesses and city revenue). A smart business move would have been for the city to advance the additional 2% TOT tax (11/10) to the Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism. But Pete? What did he say, "we only get 1% from sales tax revenue".

Kathy Meeh said...

Tom, "my bad", I still didn't get it. Farmers Market $2,000 this year, $0 next year. Okay I didn't hear for some reason. Thanks for the correction Tom.

Thomas Clifford said...

Cathy, Thank You for all the hard work on this.

Thomas Clifford said...

Steve, do you think you could re-post the link to the garbage protest letter?

Steve Sinai said...

Tom, the previous link was to the sewer protest letter.

Lionel just sent me something regarding the garbage protest letter. I'll try to have that up tonight or tomorrow morning for those who want it.

Tom Clifford said...

Thanks Steve