[Finance & Audit Committee on April 7, 2021. ]
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NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
AND THEN WE GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AGAIN, THE 6:00 PM UM, COUNCIL, WOMAN, ROSARIA, WHICH YOU'D LIKE TO LEAD US WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN WOMAN WAS SORRY.
UM, CAN WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL UP PLEASE? VALERIE DAVID LYNN, MARSHA SOLARIO PRESENT.
DARRIO CASTIANO DONNA CHIA, ROSARIO DIAZ.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY ORAL COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? NO, I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY EMAIL.
OKAY, SO LET'S MOVE RIGHT ON TO THE AGENDA ITEM.
NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 24TH MEETING MINUTES.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE HERE? WELL, AS I PUT OUT ON EMAIL, UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MOVE TO, UH, AMEND THE, UH, FEBRUARY 28TH MEETING.
UM, I PRESUME YOU'VE ALL READ IT, BUT IF, UH, UH, ANYWAY, UH, I, THIS IS THE SUBSTANCE OF MY MEMO TO ADD TO THE MINUTES, UH, UH, MARSHA SOLORIO AND JIM GURVICH EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT AND ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION FROM THE AUDITORS, UH, FOR THE GORING CONCERN COMMENT CONTAINED WITHIN NOTE 22, SCOTT MANNO, A PARTNER OF RAMS RESPONDED THAT WHILE RAMS DID NOT ISSUE A FORMAL GOING CONCERN LETTER, IT WAS NECESSARY TO RAISE THE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY STATED AUDITOR HAS DECLARED THAT WEST COVINA IS A HOT IS HIGH RISK PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF PENSION LIABILITIES.
MR. MANN ALSO STATED THAT WHILE THE CITY IS NOT IN TRUE GOING CONCERN STATUS, IT IS CURRENTLY IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE.
UH, JIM GURVICH, MARSHALL FLORIO AND DAVID LINN EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE LISTING OF SEVERAL MATERIAL WEAKNESSES DUE TO FAILURE TO PREPARE REQUIRED REPORTS.
THIS WAS A SPECIAL ONGOING CONCERN BECAUSE THE SAME MATERIAL WEAKNESSES OCCURRED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S AUDIT.
IN BOTH CASES, THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT STAFFING.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS RECOMMENDED THAT CITY TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE STEP TO SECURE STAFFING TO ENSURE THAT THE REQUIRED REPORTS ARE COMPLETED.
WELL, THE SECOND I'LL SECOND, IT SAYS VICE CHAIR, SOLORIO.
UH, CAN WE TAKE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? LARRY YOU'RE APPROVING THE AMENDED MINUTES, CORRECT? CORRECT.
BELLOWY WOULD YOU MIND TO TAKE A ROLL CALL FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTE FULL FEBRUARY? YES.
I DIAGNOSE PIANOS DONNA CHIA, ROSARIO DIAZ.
NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 24TH FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MINUTES.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE? I HAVE A QUESTION AND A COMMENT CALLING ROSATI CITY TREASURER.
JIM, ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADD DOCUMENTATION OR VERBIAGE AND SEND IT TO US WHEN THINGS ARE NOT NOTED? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE MINUTES.
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NECESSARILY.I GUESS THAT'S THE DIRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
DEPENDS ON HOW SIGNIFICANT THE OMISSION IS.
WELL, NUMBER THREE, ITEM WORK SET IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE AUDITOR'S HAD SET ASIDE LAND SALE REVENUE TO COMPENSATE FOR ANY SHORTFALLS IN REVENUE THAT THE CITY EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON CITY'S FISCAL 2021 BUDGET.
UM, WHILE THERE IT SHOWS THAT THERE'S A MOTION BY YOU AND LYNN, ET CETERA.
UM, I FEEL THAT I MADE A VERY POIGNANT POINT BY THEM STATING THAT LAND SALE REVENUE TO COMPENSATE FOR ANY SHORTFALLS, UM, SHOULD BE SET ASIDE.
AND I MENTIONED THAT POSSIBLY, IF THERE IS A LAND SALE COMING UP, THAT THOSE FUNDS BE SET ASIDE IN SOME OTHER ACCOUNT THAN THE GENERAL FUND.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT MONIES ASIDE FOR SHORTFALLS THAT MAY COME UP AND ESPECIALLY IF IT'S REVENUE FROM LAND SALES DIRECTED WITH WHAT THE AUDITORS HAD STATED.
ALL RIGHT, I'M JUST A QUESTION.
ARE YOU, YOU'RE MAKING THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION TO AMEND.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION TO AMEND THE MINUTES SO THAT WE ADHERE TO WHAT THEY'RE STAYING HERE, SET ASIDE LAND SALE REVENUE, AND THE SPECIFIC MECHANISM THAT YOU WANTED TO SET ASIDE WAS HE WANTED IT TO BE PLACED IN A SEPARATE FUND BESIDES THE GENERAL FUND, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
UM, AND OF COURSE HAVING IT INTEREST BEARING YES.
AND MAXIMIZING OUR POTENTIAL, KEEPING IT SAFE LIQUID AT ALL TIMES, AND WITH THE HIGHEST YIELD THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY EARN.
AND OF COURSE WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER YET BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SOLD ANYTHING, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT NOTED.
I'M MAKING A MOTION THAT WE DO SET ASIDE FUNDS THAT COME FROM LAND SALE BASED ON WHAT THE AUDIT HAD SAID, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE, I'VE SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE, MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS, AND I'VE SHARED THEM IN WRITING.
I'D LIKE TO REPEAT FOR EMPHASIS THAT WE ARE FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD OPERATING AS DO ALL THE OTHER CITY COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES, PLANNING, COMMISSION, AND CITY COUNCIL OPERATING WITH ACTION MINUTES.
SO I WANT TO SPEND A MINUTE, CAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN.
AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT, IT'S, IT'S, I'M GOING TO READ FROM THE, FROM THE MEMO THAT I SENT.
I THINK YOU ALL GOT IT, BUT I'M GOING TO EMPHASIZE THIS.
IT'S NATURAL FOR REPRESENTATIVES TO APPOINTED PUBLIC BODIES, TO SAVOR AND ENJOY READING A RECORD OF WHAT THEY SAID AT MEETINGS.
AND I CITE THE EXAMPLE OF THE EMAIL THREAD ABOUT THE MINUTES WE WERE AMENDING AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
WE HAVE BEEN FALLING BEHIND ON REQUIRED TASKS.
WE HAVE TOO MUCH WORK TO DO TO KEEP REVISING AND REVISING AND REVISING MINUTES.
SO I THINK THE SOLUTION TO THIS GOING FORWARD IS FOR THE MAKER OF A MOTION TO INCLUDE IN THE MOTION, THE THOUGHTS, AND THEN IN THE MOTION WE'LL CAPTURE IT, BUT WE ARE NOT PRIVILEGED.
WE'RE NOT IN A PLACE WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE VERBATIM MINUTES.
SO ONLY DECISIONS MADE ARE RECORDED, BUT NONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT GO INTO MAKING THEM A RECORD IT, WE WERE ONLY CAPTURING THE CONCLUSION OF THE DISCUSSIONS.
AS FAR AS WE ARE ABLE HONEST FOR ME TO SIT HERE IN SILENCE AND TELL YOU WE CAN DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, I UNDERSTAND DAVE, AND THAT'S WHY I OPENED THE CONVERSATION WITH, TO MR. GRIFFITH.
HE SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO SOME MORE ELABORATE MINUTE TAKING AND SEND IT TO US.
AND MY OPENING QUESTION WAS, ARE YOU PLANNING ON STILL DOING THAT? THAT WAS THE QUESTION.
AND IF SO, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT IN ANY UPDATED MINUTES OR ADDITIONAL MINUTES THAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO ADD TO THIS DOCUMENT, BUT HE SAID HE WASN'T SURE.
SO THAT'S WHY I MOVED FORWARD.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, DAVE, JUST TO COMMENT, I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN BE ANY CLEARER.
WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF VERBATIM MINUTES.
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IF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN A MOTION, PLEASE DO, BUT THIS OTHER ISN'T WORKABLE.I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE STAFFING CONSTRAINTS IN THIS DEPARTMENT AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT WOULD BE DISHONEST FOR ME TO TELL YOU THAT WE CAN DO THIS REPEATEDLY.
UM, MR.
HE HAD SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THAT, UH, HE WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE MEETINGS, MEND THE FORMAT, UH, INTO A ACTION ONLY MEETING IN THE FORMAT.
UH, I DID ASK THE COMMITTEE TWICE LAST TIME.
NOBODY SEEMS TO HAVE ALL POST TO IT.
SO I'M OKAY WITH, YOU KNOW, MOVING ON WITH THE SUGGESTED FORMAT GOING FORWARD, UNLESS ANYONE HAS, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY MY, MY COMMENT WAS, UH, THE, UH, I, I AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT MR. CARMEN, HE SAID, UH, MY INTENTION WITH RESPECT TO THE ONE MOTION I MADE TONIGHT ABOUT FEBRUARY WAS THAT WAS A ONE-TIME ONLY, UH, SITUATION WOULDN'T CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WHEN, UH, COLEEN, WHEN YOU ASKED ME ABOUT WHETHER I'D EVER DO SUCH A THING IN THE FUTURE, UH, MY COMMENT WAS SIGNIFICANT.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMETHING WAS OMITTED FROM THE MINUTES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE MINUTES, BASICALLY THE GROUP DID SOMETHING, UH, WHAT COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS AN ACTION.
I WOULD DO ANOTHER MOTION TO RESTORE THAT ACTION, BUT THAT, THAT WAS AN ESSENCE, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I ARTICULATED IT CORRECTLY OR NOT, BUT I'M TRYING TO ARTICULATE IT NOW.
ROBIN, I ALSO BOUGHT, UM, MULTIPLE, UM,
YEAH, NO ONE VOTED ON IT, RESERVE THE RIGHT TO WHEN THAT BECAME THE LAND.
SO TO PAY OFF THOSE GOLF COURSE, BONDS THAT WERE TAKEN OUT SOME YEARS AGO, UM, AND THAT'S ABOUT $9 MILLION.
AND SO TO JUST THE AUDITORS, I DON'T THINK CAN OVERRULE WHAT HIS PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL DID.
SO WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND GET THEIR APPROVAL TO NOT USE THAT MONEY, TO PAY OFF THOSE FUNDS.
AND THEN THE REST OF IT COULD BE PUT AWAY.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE CREATE SOME TYPE OF RAINY DAY FUND.
I KNOW, JUST DO LIKE TO GO FORWARD WITH YOUR PROPOSED TO THE MOTION.
WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S CAUSING CHAOS AND MAYHEM AT CITY HALL, BUT AGAIN, JUST, I'M NOT TRYING TO BEAT THIS TO A DEAD HORSE.
THIS IS JUST A HOT TOPIC FOR ME BECAUSE OF THE POSITION I HAVE.
AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RAINY DAY FUND, WHICH WE HAVE VERY LITTLE OF, AND I BROUGHT THAT FORWARD AND I JUST, IF IT WAS MY FAULT TO NOT HAVE MADE THAT IN EMOTION, I APOLOGIZE.
I UNDERSTAND WE DON'T NEED TO REITERATE YOUR ACTION MINUTES.
I'M JUST BRINGING THIS FORWARD BECAUSE OFTEN, SOMETIMES THINGS DON'T GET DOCUMENTED AND WHEN YOU GO BACK TO REFERENCE THEM, THEY'RE NOT THERE.
SO AGAIN, UM, I WANT TO MAKE AN EMOTION IF SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO SECOND IT, THAT THAT IS INCLUDED THAT WE PUT SOME OF THIS MONEY ASIDE IN AN INTEREST BEARING, KEEPING IT SAFE AND LIQUID BASED ON WHAT THE AUDITORS HAD STATED.
I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT IF THE COMMITTEE DOESN'T FEEL THAT IT'S NECESSARY, THEN SO BE IT.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
REMEMBER ASKING YOU THAT QUESTION AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, DO YOU HAVE A ROUGH NUMBER IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE? HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH ARE WE POTENTIALLY LOSING OUT BY NOT ALLOCATING THOSE RING RING, THESE FUNDS IN A SEPARATE GR AT A HIGHER INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO FIND OUT, HOPEFULLY, UM, DEPENDING UPON OF COURSE, WHAT LAND SALE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS KIND OF UP IN THE AIR, RIGHT? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BKK, WHICH SEEMED TO BE WHAT THEY WERE LEANING TOWARDS, ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T NOTED, I WOULD THINK OF IT'S POSSIBLE TO PUT 25% IF POSSIBLE, IN A RAINY DAY FUND.
AND IF THE BONDS ARE 9 MILLION, WELL, WHAT WAS THE SALE AMOUNT? WAS IT SUPPOSED TO BE 13 MILLION? I'M NOT EVEN SURE.
AND IF, AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, ROBIN, THAT THEY WANT TO GO AHEAD AND
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PAY OFF, UM, THOSE BONDS, WHICH I UNDERSTAND 20% WOULD BE, SORRY, I DIDN'T PLAN ON DOING THIS.UH, 2 MILLION OUT OF THE 13, 20% IS 2.6 MILLION.
IN YOUR OPINION, ROBIN, IS THAT SOMETHING FEASIBLE TO PUT ASIDE AND AN INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT? OH, MR. OH, SORRY.
I DIDN'T SEE YOUR HAND UP BY THIS MOTION.
ARE YOU PROPOSING? WE AMEND THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN, WHICH SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE.
AND ARE YOU PROPOSING BY THIS MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY, WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL? I'M VERY CONFUSED.
WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS WHAT HAS BEEN STATED BY THE AUDITORS THAT WE PUT ASIDE, FUNDS REVENUE TO COMPENSATE FOR CITY SHORTFALLS IN REFERENCE TO LAND SALE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS TO SET ASIDE SOME MONIES FOR A RAINY DAY.
SO IF YOU HAVE 13 MILLION, IF THAT'S STILL IS ON THE TABLE AND YOU'RE TAKING AWAY NINE TO PAY OFF THOSE BONDS, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE JUST HEARD, YOU'VE GOT 4 MILLION LEFT APPROX MALAY.
SO IF YOU TOOK 20% OF THE 13, THAT WOULD BE 2.6 MILLION THAT YOU COULD PUT ASIDE, AND THEN YOU'D STILL HAVE THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE 4 MILLION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT SOME MONEY ASIDE BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LITTLE, AND THAT'S WHY WE GET OURSELVES IN THIS MESS.
SO AS FAR AS THE CITY ORDINANCE, THE JOB OF THE CITY TREASURER, I KNOW WE'RE CROSSING LINES HERE, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO DO THAT BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT IS TO BE INVOLVED WITH INVESTMENT ISSUES.
SO I'M JUST TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT KNOWN I'M CONCERNED.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE WHEN POSSIBLE MONEY SET ASIDE, IF THE SALE DOES HAPPEN AND SOME TYPE OF INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT FOR A RAINY DAY OR SHORTFALLS AS THEY'VE TURNED IT, DOES THAT MAKE MORE SENSE, DAVE OR NO, STILL NOT, NOT SO CLEAR.
THE FIRST ONE WAS ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS IN THAT, IN THE CITY'S FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN, WHICH I COULD SEND YOU ALL AGAIN, THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND IT, SO IF I MAY JUST READ THE PERTINENT LINE SAYS IN THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN, WHICH WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THIS COMMITTEE, SET ASIDE LAND SALE REVENUE TO COMPENSATE FOR ANY SHORTFALLS IN REVENUE THAT THE CITY EXPERIENCES AS A RESULT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR, 2021 BUDGET, THAT'S THE STATE AUDITOR FINDING.
AND THEN THERE ARE ACTION STEPS AND TIMELINES AND STAFF THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT? WE AMEND THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN QUESTION ONE.
SECONDLY, THE CITY INVEST ITS FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COUNCIL APPROVED INVESTMENT POLICY.
SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU WANT TO SEEK HIGHER YIELDING INVESTMENTS, THAT IMPLIES HIGHER RISK, ARE YOU PROPOSING BY THIS MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY? I THINK THE ANSWER TO BOTH QUESTIONS IS NO.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR WHY THEY DON'T, I DON'T GET IT.
IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR TO ME, BUT TO A MEN, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT SAFETY, LIQUIDITY AND THE HIGHEST YIELD AND THE INVESTMENT POLICY.
SO NO, WE'RE NOT AMENDING THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING WE NEED TO DO.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHY THERE'S AN OBJECTION OR A LITTLE PUSHBACK AS TO PUTTING SOME MONIES ASIDE FOR A RAINY DAY FUND.
I DON'T THINK, LET ME, LET ME CHIME IN.
I, I MISSED PART OF IT BECAUSE OF THE DISCUSSION I WAS HAVING BAD RECEPTION, BUT I THINK THAT ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, IF I'M THINK I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS, IT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE COUNCIL TO CHANGE A POLICY LIKE THAT.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE, AT LEAST LOOKED AT, BUT, UH, COLEEN, IF YOU AND I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS LATER, I KNOW FROM OUR LAST MEETING, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET AND TALK ABOUT THIS SORT OF STUFF, BUT LET'S SCHEDULE THAT.
SO WE COULD, UM, CATCH ME UP ON THE, ON THE CONVERSATION THAT I MISSED HERE AND SEE WHERE WE CAN TAKE IT.
FOR CHI-MING IN THIS ALL STEMMED FROM ME, JUST HAVING IT NOTED IN THE MINUTES AND IT'S, IT'S ESCALATED.
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I, I MENTIONED IT LAST TIME BASED ON WHAT THE AUDITOR SAID TO PUT MONIES ASIDE INTO AN INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT, SEPARATE THAN THE GENERAL FUND WHEN THE LAND SALE COMES ABOUT, IF IT DOES.AND THEY HAVE SAID TO S SET ASIDE.
SO TO ME, SETTING ASIDE DOESN'T MEAN CO-MINGLING WITH GENERAL FUND MONEY.
IT MEANS SETTING ASIDE NOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN PROPOSED OR TALKED ABOUT, OR WHATEVER THAT 9 MILLION OF THAT MONEY'S OF THAT LAND SALE.
IF IT DOES COME AROUND IS GOING TO GO TO PAY OFF THOSE BONDS.
SO IF IT'S 13 MILLION THAT THE LAND SALE, AND WE GET THAT 9 MILLION FOR BONDS THAT LEAVES 4 MILLION, I WANT IT DOCUMENTED SOMEWHERE THAT THE CONVERSATION WAS HAD TO SECURE SOME FORM OF REVENUE FROM THIS LAND SALE IN A SHORTFALL ACCOUNT.
THAT'S INTEREST BEARING OTHER THAN THE GENERAL ACCOUNT.
BUT I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE MIXING UP THE FINDING THAT THE AUDITORS HAD BECAUSE THEIR CONCERN WAS LOSS OF REVENUE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TOTAL OTHER THING I'M TALKING IT'S ABOUT CREATING A RAINY DAY FUND.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THIS FINDING THE WAY I'M READING IT TO ME SET ASIDE ME.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEND HOURS ON THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO ME SET ASIDE MEANS SET ASIDE, PUT IT ASIDE TO COMPENSATE FOR SHORTFALLS IN REVENUE THAT THE CITY EXPERIENCED AS A RESULT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
WELL, WE MIGHT FIND OUT TWO YEARS FROM NOW A SHORTFALL DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
ALL I'M SAYING IS ORIGINALLY WHEN I STARTED THIS CONVERSATION IS TO HAVE IT NOTED THAT AND MY FAULT FOR NOT MAKING IT A MOTION.
I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT AND SAYING, WE NEED TO PUT IT IN SOME TYPE OF INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT, ASIDE FROM GENERAL, FROM THE GENERAL ACCOUNT TO HAVE A RAINY DAY FUND IN THE EVENT, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE PAID DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAS GOT TO SHAKE OUT.
WE'RE STILL FINDING, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU GUYS THAT THAT WAS ALL MEAN, UH, WOULD YOU BE AMENABLE TO TABLE THIS MOTION ITEM FOR OUR NEXT MEETING SO THAT OUR ORIEL CAN, CAN DO SOME COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN YOU AND THE CITY STAFF IN THE MEANTIME? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE GOT A FULL AGENDA AND DARIA.
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU WHENEVER YOU'RE AVAILABLE.
WELL MAYBE THE NEXT 10 DAYS OR TWO AND OR MAYBE THIS WEEKEND WHERE YOU AND I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
YOU'RE BUYING THE OMELETS BY THE WAY.
WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENTS FOR THE MARCH 24TH MINUTES.
IF NOT, UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE IT? THIS IS VICE CHAIR SOLARIA.
MOST OF THEM FROM MARSHA AND SECOND BY JIM, VERY, WHICH WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A ROLL CALL FOR HIM.
HI, PAULINE ROSATI, JUST REALLY QUICK.
SO BY APPROVING THIS IT'LL STAND OUT AS IS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK.
WE'RE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK AROUND WITH THIS.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD? YEAH, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD DISCUSS AS A SEPARATE ITEM IN THE FUTURE MEETING.
LET'S MOVE RIGHT ON TO THE THIRD ITEM, WHICH IS THE OLD WORLD OF THE AUDITS OF THE CONTRACT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? ARE WE, THIS IS VICE-CHAIR SOLARIA.
WE RECEIVING ANY PRESENTATION.
THIS I CAN GIVE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, A BRIEF REPORT OF WHAT TRANSPIRED DURING THIS.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA REMEMBER ALL THE DATES OFF THE TOP OF MY
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HEAD WITHOUT REVIEWING THIS REPORT IN ITS ENTIRETY, BUT, UM, WE ISSUED AN RFP.UM, WE HAD SEVEN FIRMS, UH, THAT RESPONDED TO THE RFPS, UM, ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT FOR TWO I HAVE WORKED WITH BEFORE.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, LAST TIME, IT'S VERY HARD WHEN YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS TO NOT KNOW THE FIRMS THAT DO GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING, SOME OF THOSE FIRMS, I AWARDED CONTRACTS, OTHERS.
I CAME INTO CITIES, THEY WERE ALREADY IN PLACE.
I DIDN'T AWARD THE CONTRACTS, BUT I STILL KNOW THE PEOPLE, UM, THAT WE INTERVIEWED IN, IN THIS CASE IN A COUPLE OF CASES.
UM, SO THERE WERE THREE FIRMS THAT WE DECIDED TO INTERVIEW AND WE, BECAUSE AFTER REVIEWING THE FIRMS, WE FELT THAT ALL OF FIRMS HAD EQUAL EXPERIENCE COULD PERFORM THE AUDIT WITHOUT, UM, ANY HICCUPS.
THEY'VE DONE NUMEROUS GOVERNMENTAL AUDITS, SPECIAL DISTRICT AUDITS.
UM, WE DECIDED TO DO THE THREE LOWEST FARES.
WE HAD THE CITY MANAGER, OUR ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR AND MYSELF ON THE PANEL, AS WELL AS THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND WE INTERVIEWED ALL THREE OF THOSE FIRMS AND AFTER DISCUSSION, UM, THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN AND WITH THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE BUDGET, BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, IT'S MOVED TO 2.7 MILLION AS OF TODAY DEFICIT.
UM, IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO, UM, AWARD TO THE LOWEST BETTER, AND THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE.
I APPRECIATE THE, UH, SYNOPSIS, UH, THE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE.
DID WE GET A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION? I'M SORRY, DAVE.
SO ROBIN SAID SEVEN FIRMS, ALL EXCEPT FOR SHE HAD WORKED WITH, IS THIS ONE OF THE ONES THAT SHE WORKED WITH? THAT'S THE QUESTION? YES.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND TO MY CHAIR? SOLARIA? I'LL SECOND.
CAN WE HAVE A WASHCLOTH PLEASE? YES.
SO THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE DISCUSSION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 21, THREE 22 BUDGET.
UM, SO JUST TO GIVE THE BIGGER GROUP A QUICK UPDATE PRIOR TO THE MEETING, UH, I HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE COMMITTEE THAT, UM, UH, WE SHOULD CONSIDER BREAKING UP ALL THE SPREADSHEET FILES WHERE EACH COMMITTEE MEMBER WILL BE REVIEWING ONE OR TWO, UH, WITHIN A WEEK.
UM, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY WE GOT THE EMAIL FROM THE CITY MANAGER THAT, UH, THEY DO INTEND TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION FROM THIS COMING IN, INSTEAD OF WHICH YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, WALK US THROUGH HOW WE INTEND TO BIAS THE BUDGET OR WHICH YOU'D LIKE US TO TALK ABOUT EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE COMMITTEE CONTINUE ITS INTENTION.
I KNOW YOU DIVIDED UP BY COMMITTEE MEMBER, THE DIFFERENT PART, MENTAL BUDGETS, AND, UM, I'VE HEARD FROM ONE OR TWO MEMBERS, SOME VERY THOUGHTFUL SUGGESTIONS.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM EVERY COMMITTEE MEMBER AS TO THEIR PIECE AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR WAYS TO DO THIS.
I DID EMAIL A COUPLE OF YOU, AND I THINK I COPIED ALL OF YOU.
UH, SO YOU COULD BE A PART OF THOSE
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EMAIL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING TONIGHT IS THAT WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, YOUR, YOUR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WAYS TO GET THIS GENERAL FUND BALANCE, PLEASE.I I'D RECOMMEND THAT, THAT WE HAVE HEAR YOUR VOICES.
UH, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOUR GUT FEELING IS THAT, UH, THE, THE SAFETY DEPARTMENTS WILL PROBABLY BE SOMEWHERE THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT.
SO WHY DON'T WE START WITH EITHER FIRE OR POLICE, WHOEVER LIKE TO GO FIRST? WELL, I WILL, I GUESS I'LL GO FIRST SINCE I ALREADY SENT OUT AN EMAIL ON THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT BECAUSE I JUST DID IT TODAY.
UH, THAT'D BE ONE BETWEEN WHEN THIS STARTED IN TODAY.
UH, THE, UH, I, AS I'VE, I'VE, I'VE SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, STUDYING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN, UH, DAVID ASSIGNED THAT TO ME, UH, IF IT WAS COMFORTABLE, UH, FOR ME TO DO IT, UH, THE, UH, UH, I SPENT THAT TIME ACTUALLY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THIS, THIS IS NOT FOR ME A NEW ISSUE.
UH, THE, UH, UH, FIRST I WANT TO MAKE A LITTLE COMMENT THAT I, THE CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO ME WAS QUITE SMALL AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY REASONABLE WAY TO REDUCE THEIR BUDGET.
UH, BUT IN TERMS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE, THUS DO THIS KIND OF RESPONSE, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT ARENAS IN MY MIND THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
UH, UH, MY OVERALL PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUBJECT IS THAT SINCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED, IN FACT, SINCE ALL FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED, THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN THE MISSION OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND A HUGE CHANGE IN THE WORKLOAD OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
ORIGINALLY FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE ESTABLISHED TO FIRE FIGHT FIRES SIMPLY, UH, AND AS THINGS HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, IT APPEARS THAT THE ACTUAL MISSION OF THE DEPARTMENT IS REALLY MORE OF A MEDICAL MISSION.
UH, 85% OR 80% OF THE ACTUAL WORK IS MEDICAL AND ONLY A RELATIVELY SMALL PERCENTAGE IS FIRE.
UH, YEAH, OUR DEPARTMENT ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHERS IS STILL STAFF.
LIKE THE PRIMARY MISSION IS, IS, UM, FIRE.
SO WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS AN, UH, NOT A DRAMATIC SHIFT ALL AT ONCE, BUT AN EVOLUTION OVER TIME WHERE THE RESOURCES ARE SHIFTED FROM FIREFIGHTING TO MEDICAL CARE.
UH, IN ESSENCE, WHAT THAT MEANS IS REDUCTION OF, UH, FIRE ENGINES AND THE ASSOCIATED STAFF IN AN INCREASE IN MEDICAL PROVIDERS, UH, ESSENTIALLY PARAMEDICS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.
UH, UH, MY SHORT-TERM METHOD FOR TRYING TO RESPOND TO THIS, UH, AS THE BEGINNING OF AN EVOLUTION IS TO HAVE A HIRING FREEZE IN THE FIREFIGHTER TYPE AND, UH, CAPTAIN AND ENGINEER POSITIONS UNTIL WE HAVE A VACANCY, UH, IN ONE CAPTAIN, ONE ENGINEER, AND ONE FIREFIGHTER, WHEN WE HAVE VACANCY IN EACH OF THOSE POSITIONS, WE WILL ELIMINATE ONE SHIFT AT ONE FIRE STATION.
THERE'S THREE SHIFTS AT EACH FIRE STATION.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ONE-THIRD, I AM NOT RECOMMENDING LAYOFFS.
I DO NOT THINK THAT IS PERSONALLY I'VE BEEN THROUGH LAYOFFS.
I DO NOT THINK THAT IS A GOOD APPROACH WHEN YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE SITUATIONS OF COURSE, WHEN YOU HAVE TO, BUT I DON'T THINK THE CITY IS IN THAT POSITION TODAY.
UH, THE, UH, UH, UH, AND, UH, THE IDEA THERE IS THAT WE WILL GRADUALLY REDUCE, UH, STAFFING.
NOW, THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT WHERE WOULD THAT REDUCTION TAKE PLACE? UH, I AM I'M DISTURBED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS STOPPED REPORTING INFORMATION ON WORKLOAD BY A STATION THEY USED TO, UH, IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS THEY STOPPED.
UH, IN FACT, THEY BARELY REPORT ANY WORKLOAD INFORMATION AT ALL NOW, BUT I WAS TOLD INFORMALLY, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD THAT INFORMATION WAS BY A CITY EMPLOYEE AT ONE OF THE STATIONS HAS VERY LITTLE FIRE, FIRE, ACTUAL FIRE WORKLOAD, UM, THE STATION, HONESTLY.
[00:35:01]
THAT THEY ONLY HAD FIVE FIRES IN AN ENTIRE YEAR.JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UH, OF A COMPARISON, UH, UH, CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
YOU CAN LOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEIR STATIONS, AVERAGE, A HUNDRED FIRES A YEAR, UH, AT THIS STRUCTURAL FIRES, REAL FIRES.
UH, SO THAT'S QUITE A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE IN ANY EVENT.
UH, THE, UH, UH, THE, UH, THE, SO THE IDEA IS THAT THAT STATION WOULD BE, UH, UH, THE ONE THAT WOULD BE REDUCED BECAUSE IN EFFECT, THERE WAS NO WORK THAT REQUIRES THAT THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER FACTOR IN THE EQUATION THAT THERE ARE TWO OTHER FIRE STATIONS WITHIN A SIX MINUTE, UH, DRIVING DISTANCE OF THAT, THE STATION THAT I'M SUGGESTING WE REDUCED, UH, AND THE, THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR RESPONSE TO FIRE IS THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND WITHIN EIGHT MINUTES, UH, UH, DRIVING TIME.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE TWO REASONS, THAT'S ONE I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE SOLELY REDUCE OUR, I HAVE TO SAY THAT MY PURPOSE IN THIS IS TO DEVOTE MORE RESOURCES TOWARDS MEDICAL, WHICH I THINK IS NEEDED.
UH, UH, THE REDUCED REDUCTION OF THE ONE SHIFT OF ONE FIRE STATION WOULD, WOULD SAVE ROUGHLY $750,000.
UH, UH, UH, THE AVERAGE COST PER PER MAN IS ABOUT 250,000.
UH, THE, UH, UH, THE OTHER, UH, PART OF THIS, UH, UH, THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, BUT I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE CITY'S POLICY OF AUTOMATICALLY REDUCING, UH, AUTOMATICALLY FILLING EVERY ABSENCE WITH OVERTIME.
IT WAS A SITUATION THAT WAS OVERDONE THAT I, I DON'T THINK IT'S WARRANTED, UH, THAT, UH, JUDICIOUS, UH, MANAGEMENT OF OVERTIME COULD REDUCE COSTS CONSIDERABLY.
AND WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING PRECISELY IS THAT AT A E EACH STATION, EACH SHIFT, UH, THE CAPTAIN, THE ENGINEER AND FIREFIGHTER THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO A PARTICULAR SHIFT WOULD ALL TAKE ONE WEEK OF VACATION AT THE SAME TIME EACH YEAR, JUST ONE WEEK, NOT THE REST OF THEIR VACATION, JUST THAT ONE WEEK, UH, AND THAT PARTICULAR WEEK WOULD NOT BE RESTAFFED BY OVERTIME.
UH, IT WOULD BE PLANTED IN AN ADVANCE AND NOT RESTAFFED.
UH, I, I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID IS PRETTY GOOD IDEAS, BUT I WANT TO DAVID ON THIS, DAVID, I DON'T KNOW WE COULD SPEAK ABOUT THIS, BUT THAT LAST PART THAT JIM JUST SAID THAT WOULD, WOULD THAT BREAK OUR MOU WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS? UM, IT WOULD CHANGE, UH, UH, BUSINESS PRACTICE OF THE CITY AND WOULD REQUIRE US TO MEET AND CONFER.
UM, SOME OF, SOME OF THESE SUGGESTIONS WOULD REQUIRE US TO GO THROUGH LABOR CONTRACT NEGOTIATION.
UH, YEAH, THERE'S AT LEAST IN MY HISTORY AND, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
UH, THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, WHAT'S CALLED, UH, PRACTICES AND, UH, WHICH IS WHAT THIS VACATION THING IS.
IT'S A PRACTICE, UH, AND, UH, WHAT'S FORMALLY IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT.
UH, ONE WAS A MEET AND CONFER PRACTICE.
THE OTHER IS A FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS ANYWAY, UH, MOVING, UH, THESE ARE JUST IDEAS I'M THROWING OUT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING IS NOT MY ISSUE HERE.
WHOLE NOTHER THEY'RE GOOD IDEAS.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT PLEASE, PLEASE CONTINUE.
ANYWAY, THAT, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY IT, IN TERMS OF THE SAVINGS, THE OVERTIME SAVINGS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED WITH THIS ONE WEEK OF VACATION, BY THE WAY.
THERE'S ANOTHER THING ABOUT VACATION THAT HAS ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS BIZARRE WITH FIREMAN.
UM, I ENCOUNTERED THIS WHEN I WORKED, ACTUALLY WORKED FOR THE CITY OF EL MONTE AND MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UH, FIREMEN DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE VACATION IT'S IN THEIR CONTRACT THAT THEY HAVE VACATION, BUT THEY DON'T TAKE IT BECAUSE THEY WORK OVERTIME TO REPLACE THE VACATION.
SO IN EFFECT, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY VACATION.
AND I, I SAID, THAT'S THE BIZARRE WHEN YOU SAY I HAVE VACATION, BUT I WORK OVER TIME TO COVER SOMEBODY ELSE'S VACATION.
AND IN FACT, I DON'T HAVE VACATION, UH, BUT THAT'S JUST A FREE, THAT'S AN EDITORIAL COMMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SPEECH SHOT.
ANYWAY, THE LAST PART, AND I SINCERELY BELIEVE THIS TOO.
UH, THIS HAS TO DO WITH, UM, UM, MEDICAL PROVIDER.
[00:40:01]
WHAT I THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS NOT JUST TO REDUCTION AND SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE IS OVERSTAFFED, WHICH IS FIREFIGHTING, BUT SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE IS UNDERSTAFFED, WHICH IS MEDICAL CARE.UH, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS WE REDUCE ONE OF OUR, UM, UH, AMBULANCES THAT IS NOW STAFFED WITH PARAMEDICS AND REPLACE IT WITH TWO AMBULANCES THAT ARE STAFFED WITH EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS, THEREFORE INCREASING OUR MEDICAL COVERAGE, UH, BY, IN EFFECT 33% OF, FOR FOUR AMBULANCES INSTEAD OF THREE.
NOW I REALIZE, AND DAVID POINTED IT OUT TO ME THAT THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT DEMANDS THAT THERE BE THREE PARAMEDIC AMBULANCES.
AND OBVIOUSLY WHAT I JUST SAID WOULD NEED TO BE NEGOTIATED.
UH, UH, I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION WHERE THE CITY WANTS TO DEVOTE ITS RESOURCES.
OBVIOUSLY THE MEANS TO THE END, UH, INVOLVES MORE THAN WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.
UH, AND, UH, UH, I, I DO SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT THE CITY NEEDS MORE MEDICAL SERVICES AND ARE BY HAVING THE STAFFING SET UP THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE'RE CONSTRAINING THE SERVICES AND NOT OFFERING WHAT WE SHOULD.
THIS LAST RECOMMENDATION I'M MAKING, I BELIEVE WOULD BE SOMEWHAT COST NEUTRAL.
HOWEVER, SINCE I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL WORKLOAD OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION, WHICH IS KIND OF NECESSARY TO DO THIS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS CORRECTLY, I NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY.
I WOULD NEED TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY MEDICAL CALLS THERE ARE, HOW LONG THEY TAKE, UH, WHAT, UH, HO YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INVOLVED WITH THE ADVANCED MEDICAL CARE VERSUS THE BASIC MEDICAL CARE, ALL THOSE ISSUES.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES DO THAT DATA AND TO HAVE IT ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEY HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN, UH, UH, INTER STATION BY STATION CALL BY CALL.
YOU CAN LOOK UP ALL THOSE DETAILS AND OUR CITY APPARENTLY HAS NONE OF IT, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF BAD REALLY TO NOT HAVE THAT WORKLOAD INFORMATION.
AND, UH, UH, BUT I, TO, TO, TO ACTUALLY DO WHAT I JUST SUGGESTED ABOUT THE AMBULANCES, I THINK IT NEEDS A BETTER ANALYSIS, A DETAILED ANALYSIS.
SO WORKLOAD, CAUSE I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COST NEUTRAL UNTIL IT, THAT DETAILED ANALYSIS IS DONE.
UH, UH, BUT IT MIGHT, I THINK IT MIGHT BE THERE'S I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, MY, MY EDUCATED GUESS THERE PROBABLY IT WOULD BE COST NEUTRAL, BUT THAT'S ALL IT IS.
IT'S A GUESS, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, ANYWAY, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT IN TERMS OF MY, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALL HAVE OUR ECO SUGGESTIONS.
SO I QUESTION FOR MR. COMEDY WOULD, SHOULD LIKE CIM TO, UM, TO OFFER, UH, TO OFFICIALLY PRESENT THESE SUGGESTIONS AS AN EMOTION OR VERY BOK TO DOCUMENT THESE SUGGESTIONS IN THE, IN THE MEETING MINUTE, I WOULD THINK FOLLOWING OUR ACTION MINUTE FORMAT THAT MR GRIBBETS WOULD MAKE A MOTION.
AND THEN THE COMMITTEE, AS A WHOLE WOULD DECIDE WHETHER THIS WOULD BECOME A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMITTEE, TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK HE DID TO THINK THROUGH THESE ISSUES.
UM, HE AND I CORRESPONDED ABOUT IT TODAY AND I COPIED YOU UP, BUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE, UM, MY SUGGESTION IS THAT HE MAKE A MOTION.
AND I JUST MAKE A COMMENT IT'S IT NEEDS TO BE NOTED THAT THESE THINGS WILL NOT GET DONE FOR THIS BUDGET YEAR.
THESE ARE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS, AND I THINK THEY ARE GOOD IDEAS, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP US THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEIR CONTRACTS NOT EVEN UP TILL A YEAR FROM JUNE 30TH.
SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO COME BACK TO THE TABLE.
UH, I, UH, ROBIN, I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE AMBULANCE, FOR SURE.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE WITH RESPECT TO THE VACATION SUGGESTION THAT I MADE.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR FORMAL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
I THINK A MEET AND CONFER COULD TAKE PLACE ON ANY CHANGE IN PRACTICES AT ANY TIME.
UH, I, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD BE DIFFICULT ACCOMPLISH THAT BEFORE THE BUDGET'S ADOPTED, BUT IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S OUTSIDE THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY.
UH, THE, UH, THE WAY THAT THE MOU IS ARE WRITTEN IS IT WILL BE FILLED WITH OVER 10.
PEOPLE CAN HAVE ANY DAY 10 PEOPLE CAN BE OFF AND IT'S IN THE MOU 10 PEOPLE, AND THAT GETS FILLED WITH OVERTIME.
AND I DIDN'T CREATE THESE THINGS NOR DID THEY, THESE HAVE BEEN PRACTICED FOR A LONG
[00:45:01]
TIME.I JUST DON'T SEE US ACCOMPLISHING THIS IN THE NEXT, BECAUSE WE'RE IN APRIL, I GOT TO GET A BUDGET PUT TOGETHER IN MAY, ROBIN.
I'M NOT TRYING, I'M NOT TRYING TO ARGUE WITH YOU THAT WASN'T MY UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND I AGREE, JIM, I THINK THEY'RE GOOD IDEAS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE RANK MAKE MOTIONS TO SOMETHING THAT I CAN ACCOMPLISH.
I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I'LL, I'LL TRY TO, UH, I WILL TRY TO ADD A SENTENCE TO WHAT I JUST READ TO COVER WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE WE GO TO RECOMMENDATIONS? OKAY, GOOD.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF JUMP ON YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OVERTIME, BECAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'VE HAD OBVIOUSLY TO PREPARE A BUDGET, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR PAST.
AND ONE OF THE AREAS THAT ALWAYS COMES UP AS CONCERN FROM THE COUNCIL, FROM THIS COMMITTEE FROM THE RESIDENTS IS OBVIOUSLY THE OVERTIME AND OVER A YEAR NOW WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION, SOME MORE TRANSPARENCY FROM THE DEPARTMENT, HEAD ON WHY THE OVERTIME IS SO HIGH.
SO IN REVIEWING THE FINANCIALS, WE HAVE UP TO DATE AS OF JANUARY, THAT OVERTIME NUMBERS ALREADY ABOUT THREE TIMES THEIR BUDGET.
SO IF THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY BY THE DEPARTMENT TO KEEP THAT OVERTIME IN LINE.
SO I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF THIS CONVERSATION IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, FOR NOTHING.
IF NO, ONE'S GOING TO PUSH THAT, THIS IS YOUR NUMBER.
SO IF WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, GIVE ME ONE SECOND.
WE REVIEW OVERTIME UTILIZATION AND THEN HAVE SOMEONE BE ACCOUNTABLE, PERHAPS MAYBE BRING BACK THE MONTHLY BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL REPORT.
THE ONLY THING I WANT TO COMMENT ON IS OVERTIME HAS NEVER BEEN THAT NUMBER THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR.
THE REASON THAT THAT NUMBER WAS PUT IN THE BUDGET WAS BECAUSE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE WERE GOING FORWARD WITH AT THAT TIME TO GO TO COUNTY.
SO THE THOUGHT WAS THAT IT SHOULD BE MUCH LESS THAN IT HAS BEEN IN OTHER YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK BACK THROUGH THE HISTORY, JUST FOR THE, THE 10 PEOPLE OFF OF DAY AND VACATIONS IT TO 1.6 MILLION, WHICH IS WHAT I PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
SO, AND THEN THAT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR INJURED ON DUTY AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BUT, UM, TO TRY TO HOLD THEM TO 600,000, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK FOR, I AGREE WITH THAT.
UH, WHILE I AGREE WITH WHAT MARCIA JUST SAID TOO, UM, THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE, THE NUMBER OF THIS CURRENTLY IN YOUR BUDGET, I THINK YOU JUST SAID IT WAS 1.7 MILLION.
IF HISTORY IS ANY CLUE THAT WILL BE GROSSLY INADEQUATE ALSO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I AGREE WITH WHAT MARCIA JUST SAID, THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU BUDGET, THEY SEEM TO ALWAYS GO AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS OVER.
UH, SO I GUESS THERE'S MORE TO MY MOTION THAN WHAT I READ TO YOU ALL EARLIER.
UH, NOW MAYBE MARSHY WANT TO MAKE A SEPARATE MOTION THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
I, UH, I, SO, CAUSE IT'S SKIDDING, IT'S GETTING BIGGER.
UH, THE, UM, UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW, UH, BUT AT, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF MY MOTION, I MOVE WHAT I JUST READ, WHICH I SENT ON EMAIL.
SO VALERIE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, UH, UH, WORRY ABOUT THE EXACT WORDS I USED WHEN I WAS TALKING.
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A SENTENCE, UH, BASED ON WHAT ROBIN SAID, WHICH IS, UH, THAT THE, UH, CITY WILL, UH, UH, WORK IN THE DIRECTION OF IMPLEMENTING, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION AS IS SWIFTLY AS IS REASONABLE.
UH, AND, UH, MARSHA, DO YOU WANT TO ADD MORE TO THIS? UH, YOU STARTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I CONSIDERED KIND OF AN AMENDMENT, BUT I'LL TAKE IT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
IF YOU WANT TO PUT THE WORDS, WORDS IN IT.
UM, IT'S C REVIEW OVER TIME UTILIZATION POSSIBLY TO KEEP IT SHORTER.
SO THAT'S AN, A KIND OF A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MINE.
SO THE MOTION IS EVERYTHING YOU TYPED IN THE EMAIL, AND THEN THE CITY WILL LOOK IN THE DIRECTION OF IMPLEMENTING AS SWIFTLY
[00:50:01]
AS, AS IS REASONABLE AND THEN REVIEW OVERTIME UTILIZATION.THE NEXT CLAIRE, CAN I MAKE AN ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION ON WHO WAS REVIEWING THE OVERTIME? IS THAT CITY STAFF, IS IT CITY COUNCIL? IS IT THIS COMMITTEE? I WOULD SAY CITY STAFF.
CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVID LINN, MARSHA SOLARIO.
DONNA CHIA, RIGHT? ROSARIO DIAZ.
HEY, SO WE JUST COVERED THE FIRE AND THE CITY CLERK.
UH, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO ELSE, WHO I ASSIGNED AT THE POLICE TO GIVE ME ONE SECOND.
LET ME CHECK REAL QUICK CALL LANE CHAIR.
LYNN, CAN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? YEAH, SURE.
SO AGAIN, IN REVIEWING THE FINANCIALS, I JUST HAD A QUESTION CAUSE I THINK IT HELPS WITH THE BUDGET, UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SIX ONE, ONE ZERO AND 620 OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH AT A HUNDRED PERCENT SPENT AS OF JANUARY AND FOR 2022, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, BUDGET'S ABOUT 10% OF WHAT THE PROJECTED ACTUAL FOR THIS YEAR IS.
SO I KIND OF WANTED TO GET A LITTLE BACKGROUND FROM ROBIN OF WHAT THESE EXPENSES ARE TO SEE IF THOSE NUMBERS ARE REASONABLE.
SO ARE YOU LOOKING AT W WHICH REPORTS ARE YOU LOOKING AT? THE ONES THAT I SEND OUT TO YOU FROM OUR FINANCE SOFTWARE? YES.
BACK FROM JANUARY, DECEMBER, AND JANUARY.
SO I'LL GO TO JANUARY OR IT'LL GIVE ME EVERYTHING.
IT'LL TAKE ME A MINUTE TO PULL IT UP.
IT'S 32 DASH 32 10, WHICH IS FIRE.
AND THEN ACCOUNT SIX ONE, ONE ZERO.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO TO THEIR BUDGET BECAUSE IT TELLS ME WHAT'S IN THOSE.
SO IN PART OF THE THING IS THE WAY THAT OUR SYSTEM WORKS, MARCIA AND FOR THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE ALSO IS ONCE A PO IS ISSUED IT ENCUMBERS THOSE FUNDS.
SO SAY YOU HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN A PARTICULAR LINE ITEM AND YOU DID APPEAL FOR A HUNDRED.
IT'S GOING TO SHOW THAT YOU DID THAT IN JULY, BUT IT'S, THE MONEY GETS SPENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO SHOW IN JULY THAT IT SPENT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THAT MIGHT BE PART OF THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
AND WE'RE JUST PACKING FIRE RIGHT NOW, CORRECT? YES.
SO THIS YEAR IN THAT, UM, FUND, IT WAS QUITE A BIT MORE, I BELIEVE BECAUSE WE DID A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR, UM, THEIR TURNOUTS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
I BELIEVE NOW THAT MATT ACCOUNT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WAS SHOWING HER THAT I I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
THERE WAS PROBABLY, UM, SOMETHING THAT
[00:55:01]
WAS PURCHASED THIS YEAR THAT WAS REQUIRED.UM, CAUSE I, I SEE LIKE IN OUR PROJECTED ACTUAL COLUMN, IT'S SHOWING SIX, 11, EIGHT 50.
THINGS LIKE AN AWFUL BIG NUMBER.
WAS THERE ANOTHER ACCOUNT THAT YOU WANTED IN THE FIRE? NO, I'M GOOD.
UH, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO THE POLICE BUDGET, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS REVIEWED BY COLLEEN? OOPS.
I LIKE A DITCHER NO, I WAS TURNING ON A LIGHT BECAUSE IT STARTED TO GET DARK IN HERE.
I HAVE TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO MY ANALYSIS.
UH, AND AS A COMMITTEE, I THOUGHT WE WERE LOOKING TO WAYS TO, TO CUT COSTS FROM THE CURRENT BUDGET TO, IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE JUNE 21, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE ESTIMATED SHORTFALLS I FOUND, UM, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT IT COULD BE A SHORT FALL OF 2.8 MILLION.
SO WHAT I'VE KIND OF LOOKED AT KIND OF WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE CHOSEN TO TAKE AN, A DIFFERENT APPROACH BY LOOKING AT INCREASING REVENUE, BY REVIEWING SOME OF THE ALREADY IN PLACE SERVICES PROVIDED BY CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND IN MY OPINION, THEY'RE NOT BEING FULLY UTILIZED.
THEY'RE CAPITALIZED UPON MANY OF MY SUGGESTIONS I'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS AND UNFORTUNATELY MAY HAVE FALLEN OFF ON DEAF EARS OR IGNORED.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS TO LET'S WORK ON KEEPING THE PROJECTION DID REVENUE ON BUDGET BEFORE MAKING CUTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, AND LOOKING AT, YEAH, THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH WAS PRETTY HEFTY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FROM JAIL TO DISPATCH.
IT'S A LITTLE, LITTLE BUT DAUNTING.
I THOUGHT, LET ME TAKE A SEGMENT OF THIS AND LOOK AT POLICE ADMINISTRATION AND SEE WHERE I CAN POSSIBLY MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS IN REVENUE.
THE BUDGET FOR POLICE AD MAN FOR YEAR 20, 19 2020 WAS 1,488,009 63.
THE BUDGET FOR 2021 IS 1,000,400, 6,003 50 PROJECTED ACTUAL BASED ON THE DOCUMENT THAT I GOT EMAILED TO ME IN A PDF FILE FOR 2021 IS $741,600 INDICATING A SHORTFALL OF 664,750.
SO I TOOK THE APPROACH TO GO LINE BY LINE ON THE DOCUMENT THAT SAYS POLICE ADMINISTRATION.
SO FIRST OFF VEHICLE CODE FINES IS BUDGETED 200,000 AND AN ACTUAL, SO THUS FAR OF A HUNDRED WITH A SHORTFALL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO I LOOKED INTO VEHICLE CODE FINDS, ARE THERE MOVING VIOLATION, TRAFFIC TICKETS, UH, AND IN THINKING ABOUT THIS KLINE MAY BE DUE TO, AND I DON'T WANT TO BLAME EVERYTHING ON THE PANDEMIC BY ANY MEANS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION OR MY LITTLE ANALYSIS.
UH, I THINK WHEN BUDGETED, IT WAS SPOKEN BEFORE CORONAVIRUS, OF COURSE.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN TICKETS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE DECREASED IN THEIR DRIVING.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS, BUT THE COURTS TAKE A LARGE PORTION OF THESE FINES, WHICH SOMETIMES LESS THAN THE REVENUE TO THE CITY.
IF THERE'S AN INCREASE IN PATROL OFFICERS, AS AN EXAMPLE THAT CAN WRITE MORE TICKETS, UH, POSSIBLE MORE REVENUE CAN BE GENERATED.
THESE ARE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GENERATE OKAY.
DON'T DON'T WRITE MORE TICKETS.
ANY HOPE, UH, PARKING CODE FINE BUDGETED 250,000 ACTUAL IS 200 A SHORTFALL OF 50,000 IN THE 20 1920 BUDGET.
IT WAS ACTUAL BUDGETED 300,000 AND THE ACTUAL WAS 356,000, WHICH MEANT THAT THERE WAS 56,000 MORE BUDGETED AND REVENUE.
SO THIS MAY BE AN AREA THAT WE COULD FOCUS ON GIVEN PAST BUDGET PERFORMANCE.
UM, I KNOW THAT CADETS OFTEN WROTE PARKING TICKETS, PARKING FINES, ET CETERA.
[01:00:01]
AGAIN, CITATIONS HAVE TO DECREASE.SO IF WE GET SOME CADETS AS A SUGGESTION, MAYBE START WRITING MORE VIOLATIONS IN.
UM, SO NEXT ALSO IS STREET SWEEPING.
THIS HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT'S GONE ON FOR YEARS ABOUT TICKETING OR POSTING STREET SWEEPING DAYS, NO PARKING THAT COULD ALSO GENERATE SOME REVENUE.
PARKING HAS ALSO BEEN A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AND THAT COULD EASILY GENERATE MAYBE AS MUCH AS 600,000 IN REVENUE, UM, INCLUDING STREET SWEEPING TICKETING AND PARKING OVERNIGHT PARKING POSSIBLY COULD GENERATE.
AND THIS IS SPECULATIVE, MAYBE CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE, ADMIN CITATION, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT IS BUDGETED 3000.
WE SEE NO ACTUAL INCOME COMING IN FOR THAT.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHY $3,000 SHORT, REALLY NOT A BIG DEAL.
IF I CAN CALL HIM THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE IT GOT MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PLACE.
SINCE WE HAVE OUR OWN CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT.
NOW IT GOT MOVED OUT OF PD INTO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, FORECLOSURE PENALTIES BUDGETED 5,000 ACTUAL ZERO.
SO THERE'S A SHORTFALL THERE OF 5,000.
UH, NOTED IS BANKS THAT OWN FORECLOSURE PROPERTIES AND FORECLOSE ON THEM ON THE PROPERTY AND NOT KEEPING THEM UP.
THEY ARE THEN PENALIZED OR FINED.
LUCKILY FOR WEST COVINA, WE SEEM TO HAVE A MINIMAL OF FORECLOSURES FROM WHAT I'VE RESEARCHED, WHICH IS GOOD THING.
SO THE FINES AND THE PENALTIES FOR FORECLOSURES ARE MINIMAL THIS YEAR.
ACTUALLY THERE'S NOTHING POSTED.
THE NEXT ONE IS CROSSING GUARDS BUDGETED 64,000 ACTUAL ZERO WITH A SHORTFALL OF 64,000 PROPOSED BUDGET, 21, 22, 64,000 IN INCOME.
I'M ASSUMING FROM WEST COVINA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND OF COURSE, DUE TO THE FORECLOSURE IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS, WEST COVINA, EDGEWOOD, AND SOUTH HILLS DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THESE OFFICERS WERE NOT NEEDED.
AND I'M ASSUMING THERE WAS A CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEY SAID, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE MONEY IS BECAUSE OUR OFFICERS ARE NOT ON THEIR PROPERTIES OR THE SCHOOL SITES SINCE THERE'S THREE SCHOOLS.
UM, I LOOKED AT 64,000 DIVIDED BY THREE EQUALS ONLY 21,000.
BUT WHAT I WAS RECENTLY TOLD IS THAT TWO THINGS THAT MAY BE COVINA VALLEY UNIFIED IS NOT PAYING THEIR SHARE OF THE CROSSING GUARD COMPONENT.
AND THAT NEEDS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
SOONER THAN LATER, THERE ALSO WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION.
UM, 2014, THAT WEST COMMUNITY UNIFIED WAS NOT PAYING ANYTHING.
SO WE TALKED TO THEM AND NOW THEY ARE PAYING SOMETHING.
AND MAYBE THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED BECAUSE SALARIES HAVE GONE UP, THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO PAY A LITTLE MORE, JUST A SUGGESTION, UM, EXPENSES ON THIS LINE, ITEM 61, 20 LABELED OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES IS THE BULK OF THE CROSSING GUARDS PAY, WHICH IS 308,250 OF THIS AMOUNT IS CROSSING GUARD.
A CONCERN ON THIS LIGHT ITEM IS THAT IT HASN'T INCREASED SINCE 2019 AND WITH WAGES AND THE MINIMUM WAGE GOING UP, MAYBE THOSE SALARIES HAVE INCREASED.
SO WE MAY WANT TO ADJUST THAT LINE ITEM.
AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT IN A LARGER SHARE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN A STATE MANDATED RID OF REVENUE BUDGETED 5,000 ACTUAL 2,500, A SHORTFALL OF 2,500 STATE LAWS THAT AFFECT OUR OFFICERS.
UM, IF THEY DO A SERVICE, MY UNDERSTANDING HIS THAT IS NOT WITHIN THEIR NORMAL ACTIVITY, BUT IT'S STATE MANDATED.
WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME MONIES PAID BY THE STATE.
[01:05:02]
WE'RE NOT TOO FAR OFF, UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK INTO MAKE SHARING THAT MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING PAID FOR ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE RENTED RENDERED BASED ON THE STATE MANDATING REIMBURSABLE TRAINING BUDGET WAS 30,000 ACTUAL 25,000 SHORTFALL OF FIVE TEMPORARILY PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE CORONA VIRUS LIMITED TRAVEL.SO IN MY OPINION, GIVEN THE FACT THAT TRAINING WAS KIND OF HAD COME TO A SCREECHING HALT TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND OUT OF THE 30,000 BASED ON THE REPORT, I DON'T THINK IS TOO BAD.
SO HERE IS THE RSL REIMBURSEMENT BUDGET.
RSO STANDS FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AND WITHIN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE HAVE THREE HIGH SCHOOLS, WEST COVINA, SOUTH HILLS AND EDGEWOOD SOUTH HILLS IS THAT COVINA VALLEY.
AND THE OTHER TWO ARE WEST COMINA.
AGAIN, THIS IS A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH THE CROSSING GUARD AND AS OF MARCH 13TH, 2020, UNTIL NOW THESE SERVICES REALLY HAVEN'T BEEN NEEDED.
SO I ASSUME GIVEN THAT FACT IT'S REFLECTING THE ZERO ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT WAS SHOWN BOTH DISTRICTS.
I'M SURE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY AGAIN, SAYING WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY THIS MONEY BECAUSE IT'S A SERVICE CURRENTLY UNNEEDED.
AND AT SOME POINT, DAVE, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I'M ASSUMING YOU HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, UM, HIGH SCHOOLS ARE COMING BACK.
WHAT'S CONVENIENT IS GOING TO BE HAVING, AND I BELIEVE YOU WOULD AS WELL.
THEY'RE SENIORS ON CAMPUS ON WEDNESDAYS FOR SOME ACTIVITIES SO THAT THESE KIDDOS GET TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME SENIOR LIFE.
IF YOU WILL, THEY'VE EARNED THE RIGHT OF PASSAGE.
AND SOUTH HILLS IS OPENING AND I BELIEVE THEY MAY BE ASKING FOR THEIR SRO TO BECOME PRESENT ON CAMPUS.
SO THERE'S A POSSIBLE GENERATION OF ABOUT 20,000.
I'M JUST SPECULATING IN REVENUE THAT MIGHT BE OBTAINED BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE JUNE AND POSSIBLY MAYBE EVEN SUMMER SCHOOL.
UM, SEARCH FEES BUDGETED A THOUSAND ACTUAL 2000.
SO THIS IS WE'RE OVER BUDGET ON THERE BY A THOUSAND.
HOWEVER, IT HAS BEEN AS MUCH AS 4,000 BUDGET FORECLOSURE FEES.
SIMILAR TO WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, GOOD NEWS IS WEST COVINA HAS LESS FOR KOSHERS MAKING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HEALTHY.
THIS IS A CATCH 22 WHILE WE NEED THE REVENUE.
IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A HEALTHY REAL ESTATE MARKET HERE IN OUR CITY INCOME THAT WAS GENERATED THAT I THINK WE HAVE MISSED THE BOAT ON IS FALSE ALARMS. IT WAS BUDGETED A HUNDRED THOUSAND, ACTUALLY ZERO WITH A SHORTFALL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND ON THIS BUDGET.
THIS PROGRAM, IN MY OPINION, NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK WITH A DIFFERENT ADMIN.
THE 1920 BUDGET WAS 30,000 AND IT ACTUALLY HAD REVENUE OF 170,000, 142,000 MORE THAN WHAT WAS PROJECTED.
UH, UH, I HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE COME TO ME AND TELL ME ABOUT THAT THESE FALSE ALARMS AND THE FEES THAT WERE INVOLVED.
MOST OF MY FRIENDS, FRIENDS LIVE UP IN SOUTH HILLS AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM TO HAVE THIS SERVICE.
AND IT WASN'T THAT THEY WERE NECESSARILY OBJECTING TO THE COST, THEIR PROBLEM.
IT WAS WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS THAT WERE HANDLING THIS.
THEY FOUND THEM UNRESPONSIVE UNCOOPERATIVE, PRETTY UNPROFESSIONAL.
SO A SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT THIS PROFILE FROM, AGAIN, THE FALSE ALARM, SEND OUT RFPS TO D AND GET A DIFFERENT ADMIN.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM ALONE COULD GENERATE 350,000 IN REVENUE.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET IT GOING BEFORE THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND IF NOT, DEFINITELY HAVE IT READY TO GO.
IN MY OPINION FOR THE NEXT YEAR, PLEASE REIMBURSEMENT BUDGETED 75,000 ACTUAL 50 SHORTFALL OF 25 NOTE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THIS TYPE OF THING, UM, IS USED FOR FIRING RANGE.
AND WE HAVE OTHER ENTITIES COME TO OUR FIRING RANGE AND USE IT, THE SHERIFF, THE HIGHWAY PATROL, ET CETERA, UH, ONCE THINGS OPEN UP, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL SEE ADDITIONAL FUNDS COMING IN ON THAT.
SO I THINK HAVING 50,000 OUT OF THE 75 BUDGET IS, IS NOT TOO BAD.
UH, THE GRAFFITI RESTORATION BUDGET AT 25 ACTUAL 5,000, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD THING OR NOT INCREASED IN THE PROJECTS BY 2,500.
[01:10:01]
UH, THIS IS A UP AND DOWN SITUATION, DEPENDING UPON IF THEY CATCH THE PERSON AND THEY FOLLOW UP WITH COURT AND THERE'S FINES, ET CETERA.SO KEY AREAS AS, AND MAYBE I WILL MAKE THIS EMOTION.
NOW, IF THIS IS APPROPRIATE, KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE ARE THE VEHICLE CODE FINES MOVING FORWARD, PARKING CODE FINES CREATE THE PERMITS FOR STREET SWEEPING OR LACK OF, UM, CARS BEING MOVED WHEN STREETS, CAUSE THAT'S JUST AN EYESORE FOR THE CITY.
THERE'S, IT'S RIDICULOUS TO HAVE OUR STREETS CLEANED WITH CARS PARKED THERE, AND ONCE THEY DO MOVE, THEN YOU'VE GOT ALL THE TRASH.
SO LOOK INTO THAT ALONG WITH OVERNIGHT PARKING PERMITS, AND THAT COULD POSSIBLY GENERATE BETWEEN THE TWO, YOU KNOW, 500 TO MAYBE A MILLION DOLLARS.
THIS IS SPECULATIVE, OF COURSE, CROSSING GUARD CONTRIBUTION, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH COVINA VALLEY UNIFIED AND THEY'RE POSITIONED TO COVER THE COST OF THOSE FOLKS.
UM, AND POSSIBLY IT, IT USED TO BE 110,000.
IT'S DOWN TO 64,000, WHICH TELLS ME THAT SOMEBODY IS NOT PAYING THEIR PORTION OF 46,000 SOMEWHERE.
SO I STRESSED THAT HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SOONER THAN LATER, THE RSO FOLLOW UP AGAIN WITH COVINA VALLEY UNIFIED TO SEE IF THEY WILL BE USING THEIR SRO OFFICER ON CAMPUS STARTING QUICKLY.
I THINK THE KIDS MAY BE COMING BACK AFTER SPRING BREAK AND THAT MAY GENERATE $20,000 IN REVENUE, FALSE ALARM FEES NEED TO BE BROUGHT BACK THIS PROGRAM AT LOOK AT RFPS, HAVE A DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATOR AND POSSIBLY GENERATE 150 BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WHILE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WE'RE SHORT, AS I MENTIONED, ABOUT 664,000, I'M JUST DOING THE NUMBERS REALLY QUICKLY.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GENERATE 400,000 JUST BY IMPLEMENTING A FEW OF THESE SERVICES AND, OR BEING PROACTIVE WITH TICKET WRITING, UH, EXPENDITURES.
I TOOK A QUICK LOOK AT THAT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE ARE MOU IN PLACE, THIS COMMITTEE CANNOT TOUCH SALARY BENEFITS.
THEY'RE TIED TO MOU NEGOTIATION WITH THE UNION AND CITY STAFF OVERTIME FOR POLICE WAS BUDGETED FOR 47,000.
BASED ON THE DOCUMENT, I LOOKED AT 47,631.
SO THEREFORE IT'S OVER BUDGET BY 176,593.
UM, IN LOOKING AT PAST BUDGETS, THIS, WE SEEM TO UNDER BUDGET OVER TIME AND HOW FOR MANY YEARS, WHICH CAUSES A SHORTFALL EVERY YEAR.
HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THE LINE ITEM FIVE ONE, ONE THREE OVER TIME IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, IS UNDER BUDGET BY 88,936, OR THEY ARE AT 94% OF THEIR BUDGET.
SO AT THIS POINT THEY HAVEN'T GONE OVER BUDGET BASED ON THE DOCUMENT, I LOOKED AT SICK LEAVE BUYBACK.
UM, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT UNIFORM ALIGNMENT, UNIFORM ALLOWANCE, BUDGETED.
THERE WAS NOTHING BUDGETED FOR THAT.
SO WE'RE OVER BUDGET BY THAT AMOUNT IN THE MOU.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE MOU ISSUES, IT IS THAT IT STATES THAT OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR UNIFORMS DESIGNATED TO WEST COVINA POLICE, THEREFORE WRITTEN INTO THE MOU.
A UNIFORM ALLOWANCE IS IN PLACE BY NOT HAVING THIS BUDGETED AS A LINE ITEM.
IT DOESN'T REFLECT THE FULL PICTURE OF THE EXPENSES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED OR CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE WAS NO UNIFORM ALLOWANCE BUDGETED WHEN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IS PART OF THE MOU FRINGE BENEFITS FOR THAT.
COLLEEN, AS LONG AS WE'RE RIGHT THERE ON THAT SIDE, IT'S JUST THAT ADDED INTO THE FRINGE BENEFITS LINE.
AND I HAD A NOTE IN THAT CELL ON THE SPREADSHEET, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE DOING BUDGET LAST YEAR.
I THINK, UH, STEVEN PARKER WAS DOING IT.
THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, MICHELLE MANN SOUR HAD LEFT.
SO, UM, THROWING THE BUDGET TOGETHER, IT GOT INTO THE WRONG LINE ITEM, BUT IT IS BUDGETED.
SO, SO NEXT IS FRINGE BENEFIT AND BUDGETED AS $419,011.
SO THIS, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, WE'RE UNDER BUDGET BY 6,260
[01:15:02]
AND FRINGE BENEFITS FROM WHAT I RESEARCHED ARE THE MEDICAL, THE DENTAL, THE LIFE INSURANCE, THE VISION, ANY MOU RELATED MATTERS.AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE UNIFORMS IS UNDER THAT AND ANY SPECIAL PATROL RELATED ITEMS, THE PURSE, THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY PAYMENT.
I NOTICED THAT WE CAME UP WITH 88,000 AS A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND I WASN'T SURE HOW WE CAME UP WITH THAT FIGURE THAT I HAD A QUESTION ON IT'S BASED ON THE ACTUARIAL REPORTS FROM LPARS.
AND WE GOT REVISED ESTIMATES BECAUSE ALL I HAVE TO PAY THEM TO BUY 31ST THIS YEAR IS 1 MILLION.
HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO BE PAYING OUT $10 MILLION TO THEIR PENSION BONDS.
SO IT JUST MOVED FROM ONE BUCKET TO THE OTHER.
AND THAT IS, I'M ASSUMING THAT REMAINING BALANCE THAT'S THERE BECAUSE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT PENSION OBLIGATION DEBT THAT WE HAD WAS ABOUT 244 MILLION AND WE PULLED OUT 204 MILLION LEAVING 40 MILLION.
IS THAT WHAT THIS IS FOR ROBIN THE ADA? I DON'T RECALL THAT 244,000 OR A MILLION NUMBER.
THAT'S WHAT WE ACTUALLY PAID OFF WITH THE ONE EIGHT, BUT WE DIDN'T PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE PENSION OBLIGATIONS BACK TO PULL THOSE ACTUARIAL REPORTS OUT FOR BOTH MISCELLANEOUS AND SAFETY TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT DOLLARS THAT ARE LEFT.
I, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT ON ROBIN.
THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT WAS IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, 244 MILLION, WE PULLED 204 MILLION TO PUT IN TO PULL OUT AND THEN INVESTED THAT HUNDRED AND 92 OR WHATEVER.
SO THERE'S ABOUT 16 MILLION PLUS, UM, THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS UP ON THE INVESTMENT REPORT SET.
WHAT SHOWS UP ON THE INVESTMENT, REPAIRING WHAT SHOWS UP ON THE INVESTMENT REPORT IS THE RESERVE FUND ON THOSE BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED.
WE ISSUED $204 MILLION IN BONDS, 16 OR 17 MILLION WENT INTO THAT RESERVE, WHICH IS THERE IN CASE WE DEFAULT ON THE BONDS OR IN THE EVENT WHEN WE FINALLY GET TO THE END OF THE LIFE, UH, WE USE IT TO MAKE THAT LAST DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
AND SO I'M THINKING THAT MAYBE, YEAH, I MEAN, IN EFFECT, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT WAS INVESTED, BUT THAT MONEY NEVER CAME TO THE CITY.
IT WENT DIRECTLY TO CALPERS, RIGHT? SO TRUE.
AND THEN UNIFORMS BUDGETED 37,000 ACTUAL IS 37,000.
THESE ARE UNIFORMS NEEDED FOR OFFICERS TO DO THEIR JOB.
UM, ANOTHER COMMENT OR CONCERN THAT I HAD WAS MEETING IN CONFERENCES, BUDGETED ZERO ACTUAL 40,000, UM, WITH A SHORTFALL OF 40,000.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS FOR TRAINING CONFERENCES AND THIS LINE ITEM CAN NOT BE OVERLOOKED AND NOT BUDGETED.
IT HAS TO BE BUDGETED PREVIOUS TO THE 20 1920, THE CITY BUDGETED 75,000 WITH AN ACTUAL OF 96,800 EVERY YEAR.
THIS HAS BEEN BUDGETED FOR DECADES.
SO I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED OR CONFUSED AS TO WHY IT HADN'T BEEN BUDGETED FOR THE 20, 21, LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WE CUT MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ACROSS THE BOARD.
NOW, IF THEY WANT TO EAT IT UP AND USE THAT AND REDUCE SOME OTHER LINE ITEMS FINE THEN, BUT THIS YEAR THAT MONEY'S PUT BACK IN AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW IS 21, 22.
UM, AND THEN LEAVE LUMP SUM BUDGETED ZERO ACTUAL 237,352.
SO QUESTION WAS, WHY ARE WE NOT BUDGETING FOR RETIREMENT PAYOUT, WHICH I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT THIS IS QUITE OFTEN.
EMPLOYEES LET THEIR EMPLOYERS KNOW AHEAD OF TIME THAT THEY MAY BE LEAVING, BUT TO HAVE A ZERO BUDGET WILL ALWAYS SHOW A SHORTFALL.
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN LOOKING BACK AT PREVIOUS BUDGETS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR LEAVE LUMP SUM.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHY DIDN'T WE DO IT FOR 2021? AND I DID NOTICE THAT YOU ARE PROPOSING A 21,400
[01:20:01]
FOR THE 2122 BUDGET.SO THIS IS A VERY HARD NUMBER TO BUDGET FOR GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO GO AROUND WITHOUT THOSE IN THERE WITH JUST A MINIMAL AMOUNT IN THERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK BACK AT 1920, IT WASN'T BUDGETED EITHER.
THESE AMOUNTS ARE FOR COMPENSABLE LEAVES WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE.
SO I COULD TAKE ALL THE LEAVE BALANCES AND PUT THEM IN THERE AND ASSUME THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO LEAVE OR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE IS GOING TO LEAVE.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO TIE UP MONEY.
AND BY DOING SO THE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE HELD TO THE BOTTOM LINE, THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT MONEY.
UM, BUT THEN IT SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE SHORTFALLS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF BY THE LINE ITEM THEY'RE HELD TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THEIR DEPARTMENT.
WELL, MY CONCERN WAS NOT BUDGETING.
AND THEN HAVING THE SHORTFALLS, WHICH SHOWS THAT THEY'RE NOT IN, IN LINE WITH KEEPING IN BUDGET WHEN STUFF ISN'T EVEN IN BUDGET WHEN IT'S NOT EVEN BEING BUDGETED.
SO IN MY OPINION, I GUESS I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
SOME OF THESE LINE ITEMS WERE NOT PROPERLY BUDGETED, PREVIOUS HISTORY.
I, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROPERTY PROPERLY ARE, AND MAYBE THAT WILL ASSIST IN THE BOTTOM LINE AND THE SHORTFALLS.
AND THEN WHO SHOULD I, WHAT SERVICES DOES THIS COMMITTEE WANT TO CUT? BECAUSE THAT'S FURTHER GONNA INCREASE THE DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE.
SO WHAT SERVICES SHOULD WE CUT TO MAKE A BALANCED BUDGET THIS YEAR? THAT'S MY QUESTION TO THE COMMITTEE.
YOU CAN BUDGET THIS STUFF ALL DAY LONG.
AND IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT, IF THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO SPEND OUR MONEY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO CUT SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE A, A PIE THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WE CAN'T SPEND 150, SO BY NOT BUDGETING IT.
SO BECAUSE THEY'RE HELD TO THE BOTTOM LINE AND THEY WILL, IF THERE'S NO BUDGET THERE, THEY TAKE IT OUT OF SOME OTHER POT.
UM, FOR THE MEETING AND CONFERENCE, I NOTICED IN THE CELL, IT SAID 40,000, BUT IT SAID IT HAD A NOTE THAT SAID MIGHT BE ZERO.
SO ARE WE GOING TO KEEP IT AT 40,000 BUDGET? THANK YOU.
THAT WAS JUST THE NOTE THAT I HAD IN THERE FROM LAST YEAR.
WELL, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE NOT BUDGETED WHERE THE UNIFORM ALLOWANCE, WHERE THE FRINGE BENEFITS, THE MEETING CONFERENCE AND THE TRAINING AND THE UNIFORMS WERE BUDGETED.
WELL, NOW I KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I'M JUST COMMENTING ON MY NOTES AND SOME OF THEM COULD POSSIBLY, AND, UM, GO OVER THAT 419,000, THAT WAS BUDGETED IN THE FRINGE BENEFIT.
IF YOU ADD THE 11,992 IN THE 412, THEY'RE OVER BUDGET IN THAT LINE.
OH, ARE SOME OF THESE POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS TO THE MOU, RIGHT? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT ARE YOU REFERRING TO? I DON'T THINK SO.
NO, THEY'RE NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE MOU.
THEY GOT THEIR UNIFORM ALLOWANCE.
AND THEN THE FRINGE BENEFITS, THE MEETING AND CONFERENCES, THE TRAINING IS, IS THERE, UM, CERTAIN VERBIAGE IN THE MOU THAT SAYS THAT THEY WILL GET TRAINING, ET CETERA.
AND BY LET ME GO BACK AND BY NOT HAVING A BUDGET FOR THAT, ARE WE INFRINGING ON THE MOU BY NOT CHAIRMAN HE LEFT? I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE WENT.
THAT THE NUMBER WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE TOO FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS $1.5 MILLION.
AND I'M ASKING NOW A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION, COLEEN, THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
DID YOU TALLY THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES YOU'RE SUGGESTING BE ADDED? IN OTHER WORDS, DOES THE $1.5 MILLION NUMBER NOW, IN YOUR OPINION LOOK WORSE THAN IT DID WHEN WE STARTED THIS MEETING? ARE YOU NOW AT 1.7, BY THE TIME YOU ADD IN THESE DIFFERENT EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS? OKAY.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, DID YOU TALLY UP THE AMOUNT OF THAT PROJECTED REVENUES THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM,
[01:25:01]
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THROUGH COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ADDITIONAL PARKING REVENUES THAT COULD BE, UM, GARNERED OR THE FALSE ALARM ORDINANCES? DID YOU TALLY THOSE? AND AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO WORK FROM OUR NUMBER, WHICH IS 1.5 MILLION.DID IT GET BETTER BY THOSE SUGGESTED REVENUES THAT WOULD WORK AGAINST THAT NUMBER? WELL, NOT KNOWING WHAT TICKETS RUN AS AN EXAMPLE, OR I KIND OF ESTIMATED CONSERVATIVELY IF WE WERE DILIGENT WITH PARKING VIOLATIONS AND TICKETING AND THAT KIND OF THING, MAYBE A POSSIBLE INCREASE OF 200,000 IN REVENUE.
BUT AGAIN, THIS WAS A VERY LARGE DEPARTMENT THAT I, UM, DUE TO SOME FAMILY EMERGENCY I HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND MORE TIME DISSECTING IT, BUT 200.
AND THEN THE CROSSING GUARD ISSUE, IF WE'RE SHORT BETWEEN, UH, COVINA VALLEY PAYING UP, THAT COULD BE ANOTHER 46,000.
AND I'M JUST TAKING THESE NUMBERS FROM THE DOCUMENTS THAT I HAVE.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWUP WITH THE SRO, IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE HIM ON CAMPUS, ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE HIM FOR THE THREE MONTHS? MAYBE THEY MIGHT HAVE THEM THERE.
YOU FOUND A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL COULD ENACT AND COVERED.
IS THERE NOW A RECOMMENDATION OF YOUR WORK AND THIS COMMITTEE FOR A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF CUTS IN ADDITION TO THAT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF REVENUES? NO.
I BELIEVE SHE SAID AT THE BEGINNING THAT SHE WASN'T RECOMMENDED IN THE CUTS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I TOOK A DIFFERENT STAND AND MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN GOT INTO THE DARK SIDE OF THE EXPENDITURES, BUT I TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO LOOK TO SEE, ARE WE MAXIMIZING THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE? ARE WE GENERATING THE REVENUE THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN? AND THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH AND REPEATING, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE TO LOOK AT THESE LINE ITEMS TRULY DO, BUT I HAVE TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PROBLEM THIS AFTERNOON.
AND I'M TRYING TO HEAR THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WAYS TO SOLVE TO THAT NUMBER.
SO I'M TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY LOOKING AT REVENUE VERSUS CUTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND AGAIN, IF I HAD MORE TIME, I SCRUTINIZE ALL THESE LITTLE DEPARTMENTS, BUT RIGHT NOW I JUST TOOK THE POLICE ADMIN.
SO I THINK I DID SAY BACK EARLY ON KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WROTE IT DOWN OR YOU GUYS GOT IT.
IF NOT, I HAVE IT WRITTEN DOWN.
SO I GUESS THE NEXT QUESTION I WOULD HAVE AGAIN, I WAS WORKING THROUGH THE VICE CHAIR, BUT I SEE OUR CHAIRMAN HAS RETURNED, UM, OF THIS MILLION DOLLARS.
WE DIDN'T FIND IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WOULD THE COMMITTEE BE SUGGESTING I TAKE IT OUT OF RESERVES OR OUT OF OPERATING? WELL, IT WASN'T OUR TASK TO INDIVIDUALLY DEAL WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND COLEEN IS SAYING SHE'S NOT RECOMMENDING ANY REDUCTIONS.
AND I GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S INVOLVED, IT WAS, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOME REDUCTIONS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I, BUT I, I'M NOT PREPARED TO OFFER ANY AT THIS MOMENT.
I'M JUST SAYING, GIVEN THE LOGIC IN THE SITUATION, I THINK, THANKS, JIM.
I THINK SOME OF THE PROBLEMS LIE IN THE FACT THAT THINGS WEREN'T BUDGETED AND NOW YOU HAVE AN ACTUAL AMOUNT.
SO MY CONCERN IS WHY WEREN'T THINGS BUDGETED PROPERLY BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE SHORTFALLS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO BUDGET GIVEN.
I THINK THAT'S AN UNFAIR STATEMENT.
I THINK THE RESOURCES WERE ALLOCATED THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
WE HAD SEVERAL OPEN MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC.
WE DID THE BEST WE COULD WITH WHAT WE HAD, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE SOME SHORTFALLS.
[01:30:01]
IN THE FIRE.THE SAME THING HAPPENS IN PUBLIC SERVICES.
THIS CITY HAS A CHAMPAGNE TASTE ON A BEER BUDGET.
WE CANNOT AFFORD ALL THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED.
SO NOW IN THE CAN HAS BEEN KICKED DOWN THE ROAD OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND NOW THERE'S NOWHERE LEFT TO GO.
I MEAN, THIS ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFICULTY WHEN IT COMES TO CUTS.
I MEAN, YOU COULD, YOU COULD, YOU COULD MAKE A FORECAST, YOU CAN MAKE A BUDGET, THAT'S EASY, BUT HAVING THE MONEY TO DO SO IS THE HARD PART.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO SO, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS? IT'S GOTTA BE CUT FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND I THINK ROBIN GAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION EARLIER ABOUT LIKE WHY SHE PUT THE FORECASTING WITHIN DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS, BUT IT'S IS, UH, THIS IS, I THINK WE COULD ALL AGREE.
THIS IS THE DIFFICULTY OF DECIDING WHAT WE DO WITH OUR MONEY.
I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF EASY AT THE PODIUM AT A COUNCIL MEETING TO SAY, WE'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH, BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, LET'S ALL LOOK AT IT.
IS ARE THERE OUR EMPLOYEES LIVES WE'RE DEALING WITH? AND W WE'RE I THINK, UM, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND WE'RE WE'RE DOING THIS BALANCING ACT OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT KIND OF LIKE COLLEEN SAID, SCRUTINIZE EVERYTHING, RIGHT? LIKE LOOK AT EVERY DEPARTMENT AND HOW WE DO IT.
I THINK EVERY ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW WILL SAY THAT THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST AND TRYING THEIR BEST.
I MEAN, I KNOW SOME, SOME OF OUR COMMENTATORS THAT COUNCIL MEETINGS WILL SAY THE PANDEMIC DIDN'T AFFECT, PUT IT CLEARLY DAVID AFFECTED EVERYBODY.
I MEAN, WE GOT TO, I THINK THIS ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TASK AT HAND.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T WANT TO COMMENT TOO MUCH MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE, UH, COUNCIL AND THE DIAZ, AND I WILL ULTIMATELY HAVE TO REHASH THIS AND MAKE THIS TOUGH DECISION ABOUT THIS.
SO, UM, YEAH, I MEAN THE RE THE, IF WE WANT THIS FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE TO REALLY HAVE, UM, I GUESS, UH, AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR CITY, FINANCES, I MEAN, HERE, HERE IT IS.
AND AS YOU GUYS CAN ALL SEE, THIS IS TOUGH.
IT'S TOUGH ON ALL OF US AND YES, REVENUES GROWING REVENUES, OF COURSE, THAT'S LIKE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO BRING DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE CAN.
AND THEN THE OTHER METHOD WE COULD BRING IN REVENUES, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALSO SLOW AND IT'S NOT THAT EASY.
ANYWAY, DARIO, IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE SUGGESTIONS, LIKE THE FALSE ALARM PROGRAM THEY SRO? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
IT IS SOMETHING I WAS TALKING TO THE CHIEF ABOUT.
WE, WE, WE DEBATED IT FOR A LONG TIME.
WE HAD OUTSOURCED IT TO A COMPANY OUT OF STATE AND WE WANTED TO BRING IT BACK.
WE ALSO WERE DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO A LOT OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS.
SO, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD BRING BACK UP FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, AND, UH, JUSTICE ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PARKING EITHER OVERNIGHT PARKING PERMITS AND OR THE STREET SWEEPING, NO PARKING.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT SHOULD BE ON ALL OF OUR MINDS.
WHAT I KNOW AND REMEMBER FROM HEARING CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST ABOUT THIS IS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FORWARD AND UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S GOOD.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CITIES AROUND US AND THE OVERFLOW FROM THE CITIES AROUND US, INTO OUR CITY, WHERE THEY KNOW THAT THEY WON'T GET A FINE FOR PARKING IN OUR STREETS.
UH, THERE'S ALSO, UH, A BIG BACKLASH.
SO I THINK WE, WE GOT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS ABOUT THAT, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A VIABLE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT.
I THINK IF WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, WE COULD, I THINK WE CAN GET CONSENSUS, BUT WE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD FIND A WAY TO START DISSEMINATING THAT MESSAGE
[01:35:02]
BARRIO DARRIO.I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WAS DEBATED AT LENGTH, UH, ROUGHLY, UH, AND, UH, IT, I, IF YOU REMEMBER THEN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DOWN BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT WERE OPPOSED TO IT.
AND THE REASON WHY WAS BECAUSE THERE'S HUGE NUMBERS OF HOMES NOW THAT ARE OCCUPIED BY MULTIPLE FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY HAVE NO PLACE TO PARK, BUT ON THE STREET.
UH, AND, UM, I D I, IF WE WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT HISTORY, I JUST REPEATED IT.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY PART, PART OF THE CHALLENGE, BUT THANK YOU FOR BRINGING EVERYONE UP TO SPEED.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE A MORE CLEVER APPROACH AND, AND LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, EVERY STREET AND SEEING WHERE WE COULD AND SHOULD, OR SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
I KNOW SOME STREETS IN MY DISTRICT AND OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE IT WOULD BE, UH, NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE NO STREET PARKING.
WE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO DO PARKING BY PERMIT ON THOSE STREETS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY DENSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION IS COMING UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS AND DOESN'T MAKE PARKING IMPOSSIBLE AND DENSE PARTS OF THE CITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO REITERATE AGAIN, I TOOK THE APPROACH ON HOW TO COME UP WITH REVENUE VERSUS TAKING CUTS.
AND I THINK I'M NOT GOING TO BEAT THIS TO A DEAD HORSE, BUT I THINK WE'RE MISSING OUT ON MONIES IN SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES.
AND IT IS A POSSIBLE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY QUICK FIX, BUT IT'S FIXABLE AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION BECAUSE THINGS ARE FALLING.
EVERY, EVERY CASHFLOW STREAM COUNTS.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT.
UM, ALONG THE LINES OF PROPOSING TO INCREASE THE REVENUE AS OPPOSED TO CUTS, I'M JUST ONE OF THE WRITTEN OF THE CITY, TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, ANY POTENTIAL FEDERAL OR STATE PROGRAM THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
UH, DAVID AND PAULINA AND ROBIN HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON THAT.
PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE THAT HE'D BEEN GIVING CREDIT TO, BUT YES, WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH GRACE, NEPAL, TOM, HIS OFFICE VERY CLOSELY, AND WE'RE FRIENDS AND STATE OFFICIALS TOO.
AND WE'RE ASKING THEM CONSTANTLY AND DOING OUR OWN RESEARCH AS WELL ABOUT WHAT LOOKING UNDER EVERY ROCK.
AND CERTAINLY IF YOU GUYS HEAR OF ANYTHING IN THE MEDIA AT A PAPER OR ANY OTHER CITIES OR ANYWHERE YOU GUYS THINK IT MAY BE WORTH SHARING, PLEASE DO BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING UNDER EVERY ROCK, I THINK WITH ALL REAL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK COURTESY CHECK IS SEVEN 38 RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO COLLEEN, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE MOTION THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE? AGAIN, IT'S A TWO FOR THE CITY OF STUFF TO LOOK INTO THE POSSIBLE WAYS TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE.
AND I THINK I, BASED ON JUST POLICE ADMIN, THAT WAS REALLY THE DEPARTMENT I LOOKED CLOSELY AT.
I NAMED OFF THE THINGS TO LOOK INTO.
DO YOU WANT ME TO REITERATE THEM OR YOU WANT ME TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY MORE TIME.
I WOULD LIKE YOU SHARE WITH ME.
UM, A MOTION MOVING FORWARD TO LOOK AT VEHICLE CODE FINES, PARKING CODE FINES, CROSSING GUARD, ISSUE, SRO ISSUE, FALSE ALARM FEES.
I THINK THOSE WERE THE MAIN ONES.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE MOTION? SECOND, CAN WE GO UP A ROLL CLAP PLEASE? MARSHA SOLARIO.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO RESEARCH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAUSE I WASN'T ASKED TO DO IT, BUT I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCTION OF COSTS.
NOT NECESSARILY REDUCTION IN SERVICES BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I AT LEAST IT'S MY BELIEF.
AND THIS IS JUST AN OVERALL PERCEPTION THAT SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE NOT OFFERED BY SWORN POLICE OFFICERS, UH, COULD BE OFFERED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SWORN AT CONSIDERABLY LESS EXPENSE.
[01:40:01]
I, UH, I'M NOT PREPARED TO OFFER A DETAILED TEMPLATE ON THAT SUBJECT RIGHT NOW.CAUSE I, I, AS I SAID, I DIDN'T RESEARCH IT LIKE I DID THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT AT LEAST THAT ISSUE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AND MOVE.
UM, SO LET'S SEE NOW THE POLICE AND FIRE COVER, UH, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT MARSHA, JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, I MADE A MOTION.
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SECOND JIM'S MOTION? I'LL SECOND.
WHAT'S THE MOTION TO LOOK INTO NONSENSE WARN FOLKS TO PICK UP SOME OF THE SLACK.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT WAS SORRY.
AS FOREIGN PEOPLE TO PERFORM SOME OF THE DUTIES THAT ARE NOT PERFORMED BY SWORN.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEARD IT CORRECTLY.
UH, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO THE PUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS REVIEW THE PROMOTION? YES.
SO, UM, I DID LOOK AT THE EXPENSES LINE BY LINE, UM, AND I DIDN'T REALLY FIND ANY AREA TO KIND OF REDUCE OR IMPROVE ON EXCEPT ONE, WHICH WAS THE ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES.
AND I'VE ALREADY EXPRESSED MY CONCERN TO CITY STAFF.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REVENUE VERSUS EXPENDITURES, UM, IT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF BALANCE.
AND SO AS EVEN LAST YEAR WE DISCUSSED THIS ACCOUNT OR THIS CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S COSTING US QUITE A BIT OF MONEY, BUT THEY'RE NOT BRINGING ANY MONEY IN.
AND FOR THE PROJECTED FOR THE BUDGET BEING PROPOSED, THERE'S A $700,000 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENSES THAT ARE EXPECTED.
SO MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT THIS CONTRACT.
UM, DO WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL SERVICE PROVIDER OR WHAT CAN WE DO TO WORK WITH THIS CONTRACTOR TO MAXIMIZE THE REVENUE LOWER THE EXPENSE? OKAY.
ACTUALLY, UM, THIS ITEM HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO COUNCIL.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE AND WE WILL BE GOING BACK TO COUNTY SERVICES HAVE MADE THAT ADJUSTMENT ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
UM, AND ACTUALLY ANIMAL SERVICES IS NOW GOING TO BE MOVED UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK FORWARD IN THE BUDGET, IT WON'T BE IN PUBLIC SERVICES ANYMORE.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE ADMINISTERING THAT BUDGET.
UM, THE REASON THAT THE REVENUE IS NOT THAT HIGH AS, BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT TO COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY DID A PRESENTATION, THEY SAID THAT CURRENTLY THEY WILL NOT BE CANVASSING.
THEY'LL ONLY BE DOING CANVASSING.
I DON'T THINK IS GOING TO RESULT IN AS MUCH REVENUE.
I WAS HESITANT TO RAISE IT UP TO WHAT IT WAS PREVIOUS LEE WHEN WE WERE AT THE COUNTY BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, THEM NOT CANVASSING.
SO THEY'RE MAINLY GOING TO FOCUS LIKE ON RENEWALS, ET CETERA.
AND THERE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY GET BACK, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME KIND OF, UH, OUTREACH TO PEOPLE TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW.
AND, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE, APPARENTLY IT WAS SAID THAT THE COUNTY DIDN'T GIVE GOOD INFORMATION TO THE VALLEY VALLEY, PROVIDES THE INFORMATION TO THE COUNTY.
UH, I WILL MAKE COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT I INCREASE IT TO 605,000, WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WAS IN THE STAFF REPORT.
BUT WHAT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NUMBER IS A NET NUMBER, MEANING, CAUSE THE COUNTY TYPICALLY DOES THAT.
THEY'LL SAY IT'LL COST YOU 605.
THEY NET THE REVENUE WITH THE EXPENDITURE.
IN WHICH CASE I WOULD HAVE TO ADD A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE ONTO THAT NUMBER.
SO I I'M FINDING THAT OUT FROM STAFF RIGHT
[01:45:01]
NOW AND I'LL MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT.AND I GUESS I HAVE NO FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS SINCE IT'S ALREADY BEING ADDRESSED.
UH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION, UH, WHEN YOU SAY IT'S ALREADY BEING ADDRESSED AS THE CITY CONSIDERED ANY OTHER OPTIONS BESIDES THE COUNTY, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PROVIDERS OUT THERE.
THE, WHAT WENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, WAS APPROVAL FOR, UH, TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY.
NO, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT HAPPENED HISTORICALLY.
I'M, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT MARSHA ORIGINALLY SAID THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE MUCH REVENUE WITH THE COUNTY DOING IT THE WAY THEY'RE DOING IT.
ACTUALLY IT HAD QUITE A BIT OF REVENUE WHEN THE COUNTY WAS DOING IT.
OH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID THEY WEREN'T GOING TO CANVAS.
THEY'RE NOT, BUT UM, I'M NOT SURE ANYBODY ELSE'S EITHER.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M, I'M JUST REPORTING THAT IT WENT TO COUNCIL ALREADY AND COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE CONTRACT.
I, MY, MY ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS I FELT THAT WHEN IT DID GO TO COUNCIL THAT ONLY TWO VENDORS WERE CONSIDERED AND ONE WAS REJECTED.
AND SO THEREFORE THERE WAS ONLY ONE, REALLY A SOLE SOURCE.
AND IF THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE OUT THERE, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD AT LEAST ASK THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL.
THAT'S ALL I WAS SAYING BECAUSE WITHOUT COMPETITION, THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH QUALITY OF RESULTS.
UH, AND I, AND APPARENTLY LAST TIME THAT WASN'T EVEN CONSIDERED.
SO NEXT CONTRACT, THAT'S THE ONLY, THAT'S ONLY A FEW MONTHS OFF.
UM, JIM, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE ANIMAL CONTROL CONTRACT RIGHT NOW IS JUST AWARDED.
BUT AT THE TIME WE DID, THERE WERE A COUPLE OTHER POSSIBILITIES IN THIS REGION.
UM, NEITHER OF THEM WERE INTERESTED IN WEST COVINA AT THAT MOMENT.
THERE WAS A LITTLE HUMANE SOCIETY DOWN IN ICN DIETS OR ROLLING HEIGHTS.
AND THERE WAS THE PASADENA HUMANE SOCIETY.
NEITHER OF THOSE, UM, WERE, WERE INTERESTED IN THIS CONTRACT.
SO, SO YOU DID LOOK FOR OTHER STUFF.
AND I'M HAPPY TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES AND SERVICE PROVISION, UM, COUNTY IN THE VALLEY NAME ANOTHER ONE.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I, UH, THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE OTHER THAN MYSELF THAT ARE ACTUALLY QUITE INTERESTED IN THIS SUBJECT, I'M GOING TO ASK THEM WHAT THEY CAN FIND FOR THE NEXT PROPERTY ON TOP FOR THE NEXT CONTRACT.
AS, AS DAVID SAID, PLEASE DO LOOK AROUND, ASK AROUND.
UM, BUT BRINGING IT BACK TO LA COUNTY, I THINK WAS A GOOD MOVE.
THE WAY THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL, UM, I THINK WAS WRONG AND UNETHICAL.
UH, IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER OCCURRED.
OUR PREVIOUS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, FATHER WAS THE CEO AND THAT WAS NEVER DISCLOSED.
I THINK, UH, THE WAY THAT ALL WENT DOWN WAS REALLY BAD.
SO, BUT IN TERMS OF ANYTHING OUTSIDE OTHER OPTIONS OR BETTER METHODS OF SERVICE DEPLOYMENT, PLEASE RECOMMEND THEM TO US.
IF YOU KNOW ANYONE OUT THERE, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY, I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
BUT I JUST WANTED YOU GUYS TO KNOW LIKE HOW WE GOT THERE AND, AND, UH, BUT ANY, ANY BETTER RECOMMENDATIONS WE'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO AND ANYWHERE WE CAN HAVE BETTER SERVICE FOR LOWER COSTS, I'LL JUST I'LL REPORT WHAT I, WHAT THE FOLKS FIND OUT.
I'VE PERSONALLY REVIEWED THE BUDGET FILES FOR THE CITY MANAGER OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE HUMAN RESOURCES.
UH, THE HUMAN RESOURCES WAS A RELATIVELY SMALL BUDGETS, SO I DIDN'T IDENTIFY ANY OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CUTS IN THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET.
SO I'VE NO PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION FOR HUMAN RESOURCES FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, I DO HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WOULD CALL IT CUTS OR MAYBE ADJUST THAT EXPECTATION FOR EXPENSE EXPENDITURE, WHICH I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH WITH, UM, UH, WITH ROBIN HERE.
UH, I'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND TO PULL UP THAT FILE IF IT IS NOT ALREADY IN FRONT OF YOU, I HAVE THE HARD COPIES IN FRONT OF ME.
SO I AM SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT TAP
[01:50:01]
ONE 10 DASH 1120.UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE LINE ITEM WHERE IT SAYS OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
SO JUST BY LOOKING AT THE, UM, EXPECTED THE EXPENDITURE OF 2,500, WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE PREVIOUS ACTUAL, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A HIGH ESTIMATE BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT WE HAVE NOTHING INCUR FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS ON THIS PARTICULAR LINE ITEM.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE ADJUSTED DOWN ACCORDINGLY, POSSIBLY.
AND AGAIN, JUST LIKE DISCLAIMER, FOR, FOR THE AUDIENCE HERE, UH, SINCE THE BUDGET IS RELATIVELY, RELATIVELY SMALLER FOR THIS PARTICULAR GL, UM, I MEAN THE NUMBERS ARE NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
THAT BUDGET IS FOR STAFFING FOR VACATION COVERAGE BECAUSE, UM, HAD RECENT, UM, TURNOVER IN RETIREMENT IN THOSE POSITIONS, UM, ELENA LEFT AND THEN NOW SANDY'S GONE.
SO CURRENTLY THAT CITY MANAGER HAS LEFT WITH NO SUPPORT STAFF.
AND, UM, IF WE ONLY FILL ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS AND DURING VACATION AND WHATNOT, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOMEBODY TO, AND IT'S A CRITICAL, UH, SUPPORT STAFF OR MANAGERS, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO 2,500 REALLY WASN'T, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT MUCH, BUT UNDERSTOOD.
I, I RESPECT THAT AND I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT THE ITEM THAT I FOUND, UH, KIND OF DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
UH, SO THAT, UH, YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT.
BUT IF YOU FEEL THAT THAT IS NECESSARY, I'M MORE, UM, I'M OKAY WITH YOU BRINGING UP ASSETS.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT 2,500.
UM, THE NEXT ONE THAT I AM LOOKING AT WOULD BE, UM, THE GRL FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS, I'VE HEARD THE $4,000 MAY BE A LITTLE BIT ON THE HIGH SIDE.
THAT AGAIN, I MISSED THAT OFFICE SUPPLIES FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IS BUDGETED AT 4,000.
WE'RE PROJECTING THIS YEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE 2000, A LOT OF THAT.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT MORE CLOSELY, BUT WITH COVID BEING THIS LAST YEAR, A LOT OF THESE, UM, EXPENDITURES ARE GOING TO BE DOWN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO A LOT OF FUNCTION.
SO, UM, IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT PRETTY CLOSELY BECAUSE IF WE'RE ASSUMING THAT IN THIS NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN EVERYTHING UP AND WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OUR EVENTS AND STUFF.
UM, I, I DON'T WANT TO SHORT CHANGE THEM.
LET ME KNOW, GIVE HIM THE PEN.
THEN I CAN SEE HOW THE OBVIOUS SUPPLIES COULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED A LITTLE BIT IN THE PAST YEAR.
UM, ANYWAYS, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE 64, 24, WHICH IS THE CAPITALIZED LEASE PAYMENTS.
UH, SO THIS IS MORE A QUESTION FOR, FOR YOUR DAVID.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE SUPPORT FOR THE 64 24 ITEM.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHY THE, THE LEASING OF COPIERS WOULD BE SO EXPENSIVE.
LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE, $3,200 PER YEAR FOR JUST THE COPIERS WITHIN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I DID COMPARE THE SAME LINE ITEM WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO LET'S TAKE HUMAN RESOURCES AS AN EXAMPLE.
I BELIEVE THEY ARE JUST EXPECTING $300 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR FOR HUMAN RESOURCES.
YET WE ARE BUDGETING 3000, 200 FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND I DIDN'T NEGOTIATE THOSE LEASES, BUT, UM, IT COULD BE DIFFERENCES IN TYPES OF PAF YEARS.
SOME OF THE COPIERS IN CITY HALL ARE SMALLER AND DO LESS THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE UTILIZED LESS, WHICH I WOULD THINK HR WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT, UM, I HAVEN'T GONE OVER THERE TO LOOK AT THE PROPERTY OR ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THE SAME MODELS.
I THINK CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE BECAUSE OF THE RESOLUTIONS AND STUFF THAT THEY DO, THE PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY GIVE AT CITY COUNCIL, THEY NEED A HEAVIER DUTY CUT COPIER.
SO THAT'S MY BEST GUESS, BUT I DON'T, I AND TAKE THAT, UM, WE'RE AT A POINT IN OUR BUDGET CALENDAR WHERE WE'RE OUT ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THE COPIER LEASE, LEASE PURCHASE
[01:55:01]
ARRANGEMENTS.I DO KNOW ON AGENDA DAY AROUND HERE EVERY TWO WEEKS WE'RE WE'RE PRODUCING PACKETS, EVERY ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT PRODUCES THE COPIES, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU MEASURE THEM BY THE POUND.
AND I KNOW WHEN THOSE GET TO THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE FOR THEIR LEASE, WE FOLLOW THE CITY'S PURCHASING.
I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT ONE FOR YOU.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD LOOK AT THE, I MET WITH TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, LET'S SEE, GIVE ME ONE SECOND YEAR.
UH, I'M LOOKING, I'M NOW MOVING TO THE TAB.
UH, I'M JUST WONDERING, WHY DID OUR EXPENSES FOR CITY A 20 RETAINER FEE GO UP SO MUCH AS COMPARED TO A 2019 AND 2020? UM, SO FOR 1920, THE RETAINER COST WAS SO 160 2004, THIS COMING UP YEAR, UH, WE ARE EXPECTING THREE 60,000 FOR THE RETAINER FEE.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY, UH, THE COST HAS GONE UP SO MUCH.
THE AMOUNT BUDGETED IN 1920 WAS 162,000, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL, IT WAS 311, AND SO IT WAS UNDERFUNDED.
AND, UM, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME NEGOTIATIONS, UM, FOR CITY ATTORNEY FEES.
THE RULE OF THUMB OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND IS YOU'D WANT TO SPEND ABOUT ONE TO 2% OF YOUR GENERAL FUND ON YOUR LEGAL.
SO THE COUNCIL NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT TO PUT MOST OF THOSE EXPENDITURES INTO A RETAINER AGAINST WHICH WE BILL, UNLESS IT'S A SPECIAL PROJECT OF 30,000 A MONTH.
SO IF OUR GENERAL FUND IS $66 MILLION, 1% WOULD BE 660 AT $30,000 A MONTH.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP TO THAT, WE'RE AT THE VERY LOW END OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER NORMAL AND AVERAGE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY, A FUNCTION OF RISK MANAGEMENT.
AND ONE OF THE FEATURES OF OUR NEW CONTRACT WITH THE CALIFORNIA JOINT POWERS INSURANCE AUTHORITY IS THAT THEY ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR HANDLING ALL CLAIMS MANAGEMENT AND LITIGATION.
I CAN TELL YOU AND, AND SORRY, ROLE VOUCHER.
WE REVIEW MONTHLY TO PENDING LITIGATION CASES.
IT'S PRETTY EASY TO HAVE CASES THAT RUN ON AND ON AND ON AND ON COULD BE A SIMPLE FENDER BENDER INVOLVING A POLICE OFFICER OUTSIDE OF, YOU KNOW, IN AND OUT.
THE OTHER PARTY ALWAYS ENDS UP HAVING UNIMAGINABLE DIFFICULTIES IN THEIR JUNK CAR TURNS INTO A ROLLS ROYCE.
I'M TELLING YOU, WE'RE MANAGING THIS MUCH BETTER NOW AT THIS PRICE POINT.
AND SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THIS AS HIGH.
AND THE, THE OVERALL EXPENSES FOR, FOR, FOR LOSS IS ONE YEAR'S WORTH OF EXPERIENCE ON THE CALIFORNIA.
JIA IS QUITE, QUITE REASONABLE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO JUDGE THIS UNTIL WE'VE GOT IN PROGRAM EXPERIENCE OF, YOU KNOW, THREE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, BUT COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE SOME CASES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SETTLED GOT AWAY FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UM, I THINK OUR, OUR ATTORNEY FEES NOW ARE HEADING DEFINITELY DOWN IN, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE DOWN TO THE LAST ONE HERE, SO I, I DON'T THINK I SHOULD GO ON AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE NEGLIGIBLE EXPENSES THAT I HAVE DOCUMENTED WITHIN MY FILE.
I CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND SEND IT TO DAVID AND ROBIN FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK.
ANY CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED.
HOWEVER, I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT.
UM, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO ME TO GET NOW THAN A MONTH FROM NOW.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT IDEAS, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE SEND THEM.
IT WOULD REALLY, REALLY BE HELPFUL.
I WILL DEFINITELY SEND OVER MY, UH, SUGGESTIONS.
WE CAN GO TIL ABOUT EIGHT 30 AND THAT'S IT.
ARE WE ALL OKAY TO GO TILL ABOUT EIGHT 30 THEN IT'LL CUT US OFF.
UH, SO I GUESS MY MOTION WOULD BE, UH, FOR THE CITY STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURE ITEMS THAT I HAVE INDICATED THAT IN MY SPREADSHEET FILE, WHICH I WAS SENT OVER SUBSEQUENT TO THE MEETING, UH, WE GOT A SECOND YEAR.
CAN WE HAVE A LOCAL PIECE? SO SECOND, JIM.
[02:00:02]
DAVID LYNN.HI, DONNA CHIA BY ROSARIO DIAZ.
SO LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I THINK WE'RE DOWN TO THE LAST TWO FIRES, WHICH IS THE FINANCE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BY IS HERE.
SO I WILL HAND IT OVER TO DONNA.
UM, SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE, UM, UH, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING, UM, FOR THESE TWO AREAS TO CUT 2 MILLION, BUT I DID HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS AS WELL.
UM, FOR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I DO SEE THE EXTENDED, UH, EXPENSE WHAT'S BUDGETED FOR 248, 100.
UM, HOWEVER, THE PROJECTED, UH, REVENUE IS 50,000, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT'S SUCH A HUGE GAP.
OH, IT'S ALL CODE ENFORCEMENT PROACTIVELY TRYING TO GO OUT THERE TO LOOK FOR VIOLATIONS OR DO THEY JUST WAIT FOR, UM, CITIZEN COMPLAINTS RIGHT THROUGH THE CHAIR? IF I MAY ANSWER, UM, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT IS A ONE FULL-TIME AND AN ARMY OF PART-TIMERS.
WE FILL OUT THIS SCHEDULE WITH PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY ARE EACH ASSIGNED A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED THROUGH THE GO REQUEST IN TRADITIONAL WAYS.
AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO SERVING YOUR AREAS CONSTANTLY.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE OFFSET TO THEIR EFFORTS THROUGH THE FINES AND THE FORFEITURES AND THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN ASPECT OF CITY OPERATIONS FINDING AND CORRECTING VIOLATIONS AND PAYING ITS WAY AS IT DOES.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE REVENUE WAS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN $50,000 THIS YEAR? IS THAT WHAT I THINK I HEARD? YEAH.
WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME TO SHARE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT, UM, UM, BASED ON NOT CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT MANAGER, I THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE GONNA BE BETTER.
CAUSE I, I KNOW THEIR PROCEDURE AND I AGREE WITH THIS PROCEDURE IS THEY DON'T FIND PEOPLE WHEN THEY FIRST, UH, UH, INTERACT.
THEY ASK THEM TO FIX IT AND IT FALLS FIXED.
SO WE'RE IN THE ENFORCEMENT BUSINESS, BUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE WE TRY FOR VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AND USUALLY WE GET THAT.
BUT IN THE CASE OF THE TRULY RECALCITRANT CASES WHERE THEY, UM, ARE ABSENTEE OWNERS, UH, TODAY'S GOOD, BAD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS A HOOTER'S RESTAURANT.
OH MY GOSH, THE SOBER OFF COMPANY, STEVE SOBER OFF THAT OWNS THAT THING AND HE KNOWS BETTER.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO FIND HIM, BUT UNTIL THE TIME HE WALKS IN THE DOOR FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS FOR HIS ADAPTIVE REUSE PLAN, UM, AND, AND HE DESERVES WHAT HE'S ABOUT TO GET FROM THE CITY.
SO VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FIRST.
AND THEN WE FIND, UM, SUBSEQUENTLY, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BACK IT UP OR YOU'LL NEVER GET COMPLIANCE, UM, ULTIMATELY FROM, FROM THESE RECALCITRANT POINTS.
I, I, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE WERE GOING IN.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT FULL BUILDING SERVICES.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT, UH, WITH WILTON FOR 940,000.
UM, HOWEVER, IT'S STILL SHOWING VEHICLE MAINTENANCE OF 6,100, AND THEN IT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF SPECIAL DRAFTING.
I'M WONDERING IF WE HAVE THE CONTRACT WITH THEM, SHOULD THEY BE COVERING EVERYTHING ROBIN? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT QUESTION? UM, WELL WE NO LONGER HAVE A CONTRACT WITH, WELL, DAN, WE TRANCE, UM, FOR THE OVER THAT TOO, UH, UM, THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND THE FUEL CHARGES MAY BE FOR A POOL CAR OR THE SUPPORT STAFF THAT IS STILL EMPLOYED BY THE SETTING AND THOSE, THOSE COSTS.
UM, WHEN THEY DO HAVE TO GO OUT, I'LL HAVE TO CHECK INTO IT TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, BUT, UM, BASED ON OUR COST ALLOCATION PLAN AND THEY STILL MAY HAVE COOL CARS THAT THEY'RE USING FOR CERTAIN SERVICES, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GETTING CHARGED BACK.
[02:05:02]
AND, UM, THE NEXT FEW THINGS ARE PROBABLY JUST MORE, UM, SUGGESTIONS ON TO ACTUALLY REDUCE THE CALL OR MAY THEY MAY ACTUALLY HELP AS WELL.UM, AS LONG AS WE PUT OUR CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEE AT 30,000, IS THERE A WAY TO REDUCE THAT MAYBE WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES OR HAVE A MINIMUM FOR CREDIT CARD USE WITH THAT? WHERE ARE YOU, WHICH PAGE ARE YOU ON NOW THOUGH? I'M JUST LOOKING AT UNDER, UM, FINANCE ADMINISTRATION WITH, UM, THE CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEE.
SO UP UNTIL THE PANDEMIC YET WE DID NOT DO A LOT OF CREDIT CARDS ONLINE.
THE RECREATION OR COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT DID.
WE VERY QUICKLY SET UP ACCEPTANCE OF CREDIT CARDS, ESPECIALLY FOR PLANT PLANS.
AND, UH, A LOT OF THOSE ARE, ARE BASED ON, UH, PERCENTAGES.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S A CONTRACT THAT WE STOOD UP RIGHT AFTER COVID YET.
UM, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN GET A BETTER PRICE SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE INCREASED ACTIVITY IN THOSE CREDIT CARD FEES, BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY WE DID NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS FOR, UM, PLANS AND TOUCH.
NOW WE DO IT ONLINE BECAUSE OF COVID.
UM, WHAT ABOUT, UM, POSTAGE CON? WELL, UM, IT SAYS PAPERLESS, I'M SORRY.
IS THERE, CAN WE MAKE THOSE LIKE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS OR PEOPLE ARE TO REDUCE THE COST ON POSTAGE? A LOT OF THE POSTAGE HAS TO DO WITH MAILING OUT TO OUR VENDORS, UM, CHECKS, UM, SOMETIMES, UM, EMPLOYEES GET MAILED CHECKS, BUT IT'S MOSTLY THROUGH OUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE.
AND WITH THIS OLD SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF DOING A LOT OF THIS ELECTRONIC STUFF THAT MAYBE BUSINESSES ARE DOING.
HOPEFULLY WHEN WE GET INTO NEW SYSTEM, WE CAN AUTOMATE A LOT OF THE STUFF WE'RE DOING.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY, UM, WE'RE NOT PAPERLESS IN ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION AND STEPHANIE SMILING.
UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I PERSONALLY AN IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING FROM PAPER TO PAPERLESS.
AND, UM, I, I LEFT 15 YEARS AGO AND I DOUBT IF THEY'VE AMORTIZED THE COST OF THE IMPLEMENTATION YET OVER THE SAVINGS.
MY POINT IS THAT THE CONVERTING SYSTEMS IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
UH, AND, UH, THE SAVINGS THAT YOU GET FROM USING PAPERLESS ISN'T REALLY THAT MUCH.
UH, AND, UH, I, UM, IT'S TRUE THAT I, PAYROLL CHECKS ARE MOSTLY PAPERLESS NOW, BUT STILL THE COST IN MY CASE WAS $13 MILLION TO DO IT.
THAT'S HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT TAKES A HELL OF A LOT OF CHECKS.
AND, UM, I, I'M SORRY TO BE PESSIMISTIC ON THE SUBJECT, BUT SINCE I LIVED AT, I THOUGHT I SHOULD MENTION THAT.
I JUST THOUGHT SINCE THAT'S THE DIRECTION MOST COMPANIES ARE GOING, MAYBE THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY THERE, BUT, UM, GUYS AND, UM, JUST IN GENERAL SUGGESTIONS AS WELL WITH, UH, UM, VACATION BUY BACK.
I KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WE DO DO THAT.
I'M WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO JUST, UM, ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO TAKE VACATION TIME INSTEAD OF BUYING THEM BACK.
UM, UM, WHICH, I MEAN, WE HAVE, IT'S NOT A VERY HIGH NUMBER IN OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT SOME PEOPLE DO TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, AS LONG AS IT'S IN THE MOU, WE CAN'T DENY IT, BUT I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE VACATION.
UM, I THINK VACATIONS IN HIS CITY ARE PRETTY LUXURIOUS BETWEEN, BETWEEN THE VACATION, THE ADMIN LEAVE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S AN AREA THAT THAT'S ALL MOU DRIVEN AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON AS WE GO BACK TO THE TABLE, UM, IS TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS BACK.
[02:10:01]
OKAY.I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER.
YOU'RE NOW BUDGETING AGAIN, UNFUNDED LIABILITY TO PURSE AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, IS THAT LEFTOVER FROM THE PREVIOUS, UH, UNFUNDED LIABILITY OR IS THAT A NEW UNFUNDED LIABILITY THAT WASN'T IN EXISTENCE BEFORE NOW? THAT'S BASED ON THE ACTUARIAL THAT WAS DONE FROM TWO YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, CALPERS IS ALWAYS TWO YEARS BEHIND WHEN THEY DO THEIR ACTUARIAL.
SO, UM, THAT NUMBER, ONCE WE SEND IN THAT 170, 80 MILLION, THEY GAVE US REVISED NUMBERS BECAUSE, UM, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE ACTUARIALS, UM, CAUSE THEY HAD ALREADY STARTED, UM, WE HAD TO GET REVISED.
OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN, IN EFFECT PAYING DOUBLE.
WE BECAME FOR THE BONDS PLUS PAYING ON THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
THEY GAVE US, UM, AND IT'S 1.2 MILLION SPREAD OVER ALL THE FUNDS THAT HAVE SALARIES IN THEM THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PUT PENSIONS IN THERE.
THERE'S SOME GRANTS AND SPECIAL FUNDS THAT, UM, WE CAN'T ALLOCATE THOSE ACROSS.
SO THE EXPECTATION IS THEN THAT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET, THERE WILL BE ZERO BUDGETED FOR UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
UM, THERE'S STILL THAT LEFTOVER PORTION.
THAT'S BEING AMORTIZED AND THERE'S ALWAYS THE CHANCE THAT IF HERS DOESN'T MAKE THEIR 7%, THOSE NUMBERS CAN GO UP AGAIN.
AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON THOSE ACTUARIALS THAT WE RECEIVE EVERY YEAR.
I THINK THEY SEND THEM TO US QUICKER NOW, LIKE IN AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER.
SO THAT, THAT $1.2 MILLION THAT YOU REFERRED TO EARLIER IS JUST AN AMORTIZATION NUMBER, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING HER FOR 26 YEARS.
NOT NECESSARILY THERE'S DIFFERENT.
UM, M EVERY YEAR WHEN IT EITHER GOES UP OR DOWN THAT IF IT, IF IT, WE OWE THEM MORE THAN WAS PROJECTED, THEY AMORTIZE IT.
SO YOU HAD ALL THESE DIFFERENT FROM EVERY YEAR.
YOU HAD ALL THESE AMORTIZATION BASIS THAT HAVE ALL DIFFERENT YEARS.
WE PAID OFF THE ONES THAT MADE MOST THE MOST SENSE, UM, THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE MOST SAVINGS TO THE CITY.
BUT, UM, THEY'RE ON ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS IN, AND THERE'S A SPREADSHEET SOMEWHERE, UM, THAT WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL THAT SHOWED WHAT ALL THE ONES WERE THAT WERE LEFT.
THAT I CAN PROBABLY DIG UP IF YOU WANT IT TO.
WELL, I DOUBT IF ANYBODY ELSE IS INTERESTED, BUT I ACTUALLY AM.
UH, I ONCE DID A SPREADSHEET OF MY OWN ON THE SUBJECT, BUT THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOURS LOOKS LIKE.
UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO, UM, SCHEDULING ON MEETING? UH, I, YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE A COMMENT.
UH, I KNOW, UH, MR.
AND I DON'T THINK HE GOT IT IS, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY MANAGER IS INTERESTED IN ANY ADDITIONAL WORK ON THIS SUBJECT.
I MEAN, AS I SAID EARLIER, I ONLY DID ONE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY INTEREST AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ASPECT TO THIS.
SO I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION COMPLETELY.
UH, I WOULD FEEL AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, IF I WERE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOK AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THERE WOULD BE A NEED TO TALK TO THE POLICE CHIEF, UH, UH, BECAUSE I I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH HIM WHERE I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT KIND OF THING OR NOT, BUT I, I THOUGHT I SHOULD SAY SOMETHING, UH, BEFORE WE LEAVE THE SUBJECT, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE SHORT, IT'S NICE TO SEE A LAWYER, A SECOND, THOSE SENTIMENTS.
I WAS GOING TO ASK IF WE COULD HAVE LIKE A SECONDARY DEADLINE TO PROVIDE, UM, MAYBE SOME MORE THOROUGH SUGGESTIONS, MAYBE IT'S TIME WHERE EVERYONE COULD LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
AND NOW THAT WE SEE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ISSUE AND SORRY, I JUST CUT SOMEONE OFF.
[02:15:01]
THAT'S OKAY.UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I'M OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO KEEP MOVING ALONG WITH THE BUDGET AND START TO HOLD OUR MEETINGS BECAUSE OTHERWISE I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET AT JUNE 30TH.
AND SO, I MEAN, WE CAN KEEP INCORPORATING, THIS IS KIND OF THE PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH ANYWAYS.
CAUSE AS, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN I GAVE YOU THIS INFORMATION, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UM, ALMOST 2.1 MILLION.
AND I'M AS OF TODAY SITTING AT 2.7 MILLION BASED ON CHANGES THAT I KNOW, UM, HAPPENED.
SO, BUT WE'VE GOT TO AT LEAST START PRESENTING, PRINTING THE DOCUMENT, PUTTING IT UP IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY AND, AND KEEP ON MOVING AND LET PEOPLE KNOW.
UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WOULD BE THERE NEED TO BE CUT SOMEWHERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO JIM'S QUESTION IF I, IF I COULD, UM, I THINK THAT THE COMMENTS WOULD BE WELCOMED AND THEY'D BE MORE WELCOMED.
THE MORE TIMELY THEY ARE, THE BETTER WE, UM, WE'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM TO SOLVE TOO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, UM, ULTIMATELY WHEN THIS GETS PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING A BALANCED BUDGET.
UM, I GUESS WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UM, ROBIN AND I ARE GOING TO BE THE LEAST POPULAR PEOPLE IN THE CITY BECAUSE YOU HAVE CACOPHONY OF DON'T CUT MINE, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT A DUTY TO, UM, PURSUE THESE REVENUE IDEAS, PURSUE THESE CUT IDEAS.
PEOPLE HAVE OTHER, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS THAT THE BIG IDEAS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO US NOW.
UM, SO BY ALL MEANS FEEL FREE TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE THOSE.
UM, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY NOW IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS.
I UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE IS SHORT.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD HOPE THAT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COULD BE FORTHCOMING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NONE.
I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY MORE.
SO I THINK WE'VE COVERED EVERYTHING.
DID WE PICK A FORTHCOMING DATE? WE NEED A DATE WHEN NEXT MEETING DATE SUGGESTIONS, UH, DAVID AND ROBIN DAVID AND ROBIN, WHEN THEY THINK THE BIRD, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONAL AND BUDGET PURPOSES, LET'S NOT DO IT AFTER OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN? ROBIN, SAY THAT AGAIN.
LET'S NOT DO IT AFTER THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
SO WE WON'T DO IT ON KEPT US UP LATE LAST NIGHT, SO MAYBE I'M NOT SURE.
UM, I THINK WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF, UM, A SERIES OF MEETINGS.
IT MIGHT BE EFFICIENT NOW FOR, UM, ANY MEMBERS THAT HAVE TIME AND INTEREST TO, UM, WORK, WORK DIRECTLY AND TO WORK WITH EMAILS AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF IDEAS, UM, THROUGH ROBIN AND I, UH, WE ARE AT THIS MOMENT, SEEMINGLY INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS IN THIS PROCESS.
SO, UH, JIM YOU'RE OFFERED TO PURSUE SOME POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSUES IS, IS WELCOME.
WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE RATES INTO THAT AND OFFER TO ANY OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBER, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN AVAILABLE TO ENGAGE A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT'D BE VERY USEFUL.
I BELIEVE MARSHA VOLUNTEERED ALSO.
LET'S SEE HERE, ROBIN, WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE FOR, FOR OUR BUDGET? USUALLY, UM, WE HAVE A SERIES OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WHICH I HAVEN'T SCHEDULED YET.
UM, SO I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA START LOOKING AT A CALENDAR FOR THAT AND HAVE MAYBE A COUPLE IN MAY, THEN USUALLY PRESENT AT THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING IN JUNE AND THEN ON THE LAST MEETING IN JUNE, WE'LL ADOPT.
SO HOW ABOUT MAYBE, UM, COUNTER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9TH IS OUR NEXT MEETING, WOULD, WOULD THAT FIT IN WELL WITH OUR SCHEDULE? SO IF THE GOAL IS ON JUNE 9TH TO DISCUSS BUDGET MORE, I WOULD SAY NO.
[02:20:01]
I THINK, I THINK WE'LL TAKE DAVE'S SUGGESTION TO DISCUSS BUDGET MORE VIA EMAIL AND WE'LL YEAH, WE'LL SET THIS AS OUR MEETING, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS ON THE TABLE FOR OUR AGENDA AT THAT POINT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THE PRESSING ISSUES BY EMAIL.I THINK THAT BE MORE EFFICIENT ANYWAY, A SUGGESTED AGENDA FOR JUNE 9TH WOULD BE, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S FINANCIALS.
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE A THIRD QUARTER REPORT BY THAT DATE OR THIS YEAR'S FINANCIALS.
SO WE COULD LOOK AT LIKE THE MARCH 30TH, UH, UH, PR UH, REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES AND PROJECTIONS TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING ON TAKING THAT TO THE COUNCIL IN MAY.
OH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID, I THOUGHT THAT WAS JOAN, THAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO THE COUNCIL I'M MISUNDERSTAND FOR THE BUDGET, BUT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER, THE PLAN WAS TO TAKE THAT IN MAY, OTHERWISE.
I MEAN, I CAN HOLD IT OFF WITH THAT COMMITTEE.
I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO DO, UH, ONE OF THE, WE, WE DIDN'T, WE'RE TALKING WHEN WE WERE TALKING TODAY ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, THE PART THAT WAS MISSING ABOUT THE DISCUSSION IS WHAT'S GOING ON THIS YEAR, UH, AND, UH, AND CAUSE THAT'S MATERIAL TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND AT SOME POINT I THINK THIS GROUP NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IF IT'S JUNE 9TH OR SOME OTHER DATE, I, I, I ONLY PICKED TWO NIGHTS BECAUSE DARRIO SUGGESTED THAT UH THAT'S UH, BUT I, I DO THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS YEAR AT SOME POINT.
I DIDN'T, THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT MAYBE WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE FOR TAKING IT TO COUNCIL FOR THE INFORMATION IS RELEVANT.
AND WHEN THEY GET PRESENTED THE BUDGET, THEY HAVE A BETTER LOOK AT WHERE THIS YEAR IS GOING.
WELL, I GUESS THEN WHAT I AM TRYING TO ADVOCATE IS THAT WE MEET IN A TIME THAT IS RELEVANT.
SO I GUESS IT'S MAY BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID, I DON'T KNOW YOUR EX HAD AN ADARIO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID, BUT I'M TRYING TO, CAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE ROLES OF THIS COMMITTEE IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT BUDGET VERSUS ACTUALS AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND HAPPENING.
AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN DOING MUCH OF THAT THIS YEAR.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GIVE OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT ALL DONE TOO.
I DON'T WANT TO OVERWHELM THEM.
UM, I MEAN, SHOULD WE LEAVE IT FOR A DATE AND CERTAIN RIGHT NOW, OR, UM, I MEAN, AS FAR AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE UP FORTHCOMING BUDGET, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS I'LL COLLABORATE BY EMAIL IN THE NEXT WEEK, AT LEAST TO PUT SOME IDEAS TOGETHER AND THEN MAYBE WE COULD TAKE IT FROM THERE AND SET A NEXT MEETING DATE LATER, ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND? I I'M JUST TRYING TO WORK SOMETHING OUT HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ABOUT, YEAH, WE COULD, WE COULD, WE COULD BRAINSTORM A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER BY EMAIL.
HOW DOES THAT WE GET CLOSER TO HAVING THIS COMPLETE, UM, FOR THE THIRD QUARTER AND THEN, UM,
LET'S TALK BY EMAIL AND THAT WAY WE COULD COLLABORATE A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND GIVE ROBIN TIME TO PLAN, THEN MAKE SURE WE GET THE MOST OUT OF OUR MEETINGS.
W WHAT WAS THAT ROBIN? SO WE'RE GOING TO SCRATCH.
LET'S LEAVE IT FOR A DATE UNCERTAIN.
THEN ONCE WE KEEP IN TOUCH BY EMAIL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL PLAN ON WHAT OUR, WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE.
UM, AND I'LL LET YOU TAKE A DAVID AGAIN.
UH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING THEN.