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[City Manager's Budget Workshop on May 19, 2021.]
IT'S SIX O'CLOCK AND TUESDAY, EXCUSE ME, WEDNESDAY, MAY THE 19TH.WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY ANNUAL OPERATING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET FOR THE CITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2122, AND ALSO HAVE A BRIEF POWERPOINT TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, FEDERAL RECOVERY ACT MONEY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN THREE PARTS.
FIRST, UM, DIRECTOR ROBIN BIRD WILL GIVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND OVERVIEW ABOUT THE BUDGET.
THEN OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WILL PRESENT, UM, A POWERPOINT PERTAINING TO THE FEDERAL RECOVERY ACT MONIES, AND THEN WE'LL BE AVAILABLE ALL OF US FOR, UM, SUGGESTIONS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN PART OF THIS TONIGHT.
UM, MY PLEASURE TONIGHT TO INTRODUCE AND PRESENT TO YOU THE PRELIMINARY 2122, UM, BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF WEST COVINA.
WANNA, UM, OVER FOR A MINUTE, JUST, UH, THE AGENDA.
WE'RE GOING TO DO AN OVERVIEW AND REVIEW THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE USED OR BUILDING THIS BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO START OUT AT MORE OF A MICRO OR MACRO LEVEL AND MOVE DOWN TO A MICRO LEVEL, WHICH WILL BE FOCUSED ON THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE'LL LOOK AT OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
UM, THEN WE'LL BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE CIP AND GO OVER THE NEXT STEPS IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THERE'LL BE TIME AT THE END FOR QUESTIONS, BUDGET FACTS.
AND YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, MARCH 16TH, UH, THE GOVERNOR AND THE COUNTRY, WE DECLARED A NATIONAL PANDEMIC.
UM, THERE WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE A MAJOR LOSS OF SALES TAX REVENUE.
IT DIDN'T END UP BEING AS BAD AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN.
UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE ONLINE SALES AND, UH, PEOPLE, PEOPLE SHOPPING THAT WAY.
SO THAT KIND OF ALL THIS UP, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF LOSS OF CITY BUSINESS, UH, WITH ALL THE CLOSURES OF RESTAURANTS AND, AND THE MALL AND EVERY BUSINESS IN THE CITY.
UM, MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS IN WEST COVINA, AND THEN THERE WAS TALK ABOUT A POTENTIAL SECOND WAVE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO SEE RISING COAT AUSTIN, ALL SERVICES, UM, THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE CITIZENS.
UH, WE USED A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH IN PREPARING THE BUDGET AS WE ALWAYS DO.
AND THIS YEAR THERE'S A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT OF $2.3 MILLION, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN SOME SLIDES LATER ON, WE'RE GOING TO BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE OVERTIME ISSUE THAT WE HAVE FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE.
AND THEN, UM, WEST COVINA SPORTSPLEX AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
AND OUR FEELING IS, IS THAT ONCE WE GET MORE DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, UM, AND WE DEVELOP THOSE BUDGETS, WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT A LATER DATE.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THEY'RE, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO, UM, IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS BUDGET WAS A ROLLOVER BUDGET.
AND WHEN I SAY ROLLOVER BUDGET, MEANING BASICALLY TOOK THE NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR AND ROLLED THEM OVER TO THIS YEAR, UNLESS THERE WERE SITUATIONS THAT WE ACTUALLY KNEW THAT COSTS WERE GOING TO INCREASE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY THOSE COSTS NO MATTER WHAT.
UM, SO WE STARTED OUT JUST MOVING THE NUMBERS OVER AND THEN WHITTLED AWAY, UM, AND WORKED WITH THE DEPARTMENTS ON THAT.
UM, WE CONTINUED TO IDENTIFY, UM, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES THAT COULD BE EIGHT OUT OF SPECIAL FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS AND ELIMINATE, UM, THOSE CLASSES GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND, WHERE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING ONGOING CONTRACTS AND AS THEY COME DUE, UM, EXAMINE THEM, LOOK AT THEM, SEE IF YOU SHOULD GO OUT FOR BID, TRY TO GET LOWER PRICES.
AND, AND THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO TODAY.
AND THEN WE'VE, WE ANTICIPATE SALARY SAVINGS THROUGH ATTRITION IN PARTICULAR, IN THE LEASE DEPARTMENT.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALL FUNDS, UH, REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ON THE REVENUE SIDE FOR ALL THE FUNDS OF THE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE ONE, $145.7 MILLION WITH THE GENERAL FUND BEING 47% OF THAT ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, UM, YOU HAVE A $159.6 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND.
NOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REVENUE
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AND THE EXPENDITURE, YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF WHY SUCH A LARGE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPECIAL FUNDS.A LOT OF TIMES WE ACCUMULATE FUNDS YEAR AFTER YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T GET ENOUGH REVENUE IN ONE YEAR TO COMPLETE A PROJECT.
SO WE ACCUMULATE THOSE FUNDS AND THEN WE'LL SPEND THEM OUT.
SO EXPENDITURES TYPICALLY ARE HIGHER.
UM, AND THE REVENUES ACROSS ALL FUNDS, THIS IS THE SAME 159.6 MILLION.
IT JUST SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND HOW THINGS ARE SPLIT UP.
AND YOU SEE SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ARE BOTH 29% ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES ARE 27% AND OUR DEBT SERVICES 15% MOVE ON TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND ON THIS GRAPH HERE, I PUT REVENUES IN THE BLUE LINE AND EXPENDITURES IN THE LINE.
I TOOK SEVEN YEARS OF DATA AND, UM, TO COMPARE THAT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN A LOT OF THE YEARS, OUR EXPENDITURES WERE QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN OUR REVENUES COMING IN.
SO IN THOSE YEARS WE WERE SPENDING DOWN OUR RESERVES.
I WILL TELL YOU IN A, AND I'LL EXPLAIN IT MORE IN THE NEXT SLIDE IN THE 2122 PROPOSED PILE, UM, THERE'S $2.3 MILLION, UM, THAT WE PUT INTO THE REVENUE.
THAT'LL, THAT'LL COME OUT OF THE RESERVES, UM, BALANCED THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.
THEN WE HAVE, UM, THIS RAF IT'S $67.8 MILLION.
AND YOU CAN SEE PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX, WHICH MAKES UP 65% OF OUR BUDGET.
THERE ARE TWO LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES, AND, UH, WE, UM, AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS GRAPH, YOU CAN SEE FUND BALANCE AT 3%.
THAT'S THE 2.3 MILLION THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, THAT WE'RE USING THIS YEAR TO, UM, FILL THE GAP FOR THE LOSS OF REVENUE THAT WE HAD.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE ONLY USE THAT IF THE REVENUES DON'T COME IN, IF WE OPEN UP JUNE 15TH, IF PEOPLE BEGIN TO TRAVEL AGAIN, OUR TOT IS GOING TO GO UP AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF VOT FOR OF ABOUT 600,000 THAT WE PROJECT.
UM, IF PEOPLE GET OUT THERE AND THEY GET THEIR JOBS BACK, THEY'RE GOING TO BE OUT THERE SPENDING MONEY.
OUR SALES TAX IS GOING TO GO UP.
SO, UM, I'M HOPING THAT A LOT OF THIS, UM, WILL, WILL WASH OUT AND WE WON'T HAVE TO USE THE FULL 2.3 MILLION.
UM, THAT 2.3 MILLION, THE EXPENDITURES THIS YEAR ONLY INCREASED 1.7%.
THAT'S NOT A LOT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE OF IT ON THE REVENUE SIDE, UM, OUR SALES TAX WAS DOWN A MILLION DOLLARS.
OUR PROFIT WAS 300,000 AND OUR FALSE ALARM PROGRAM THAT WE DON'T DO ANY MORE WITH 100,000 IN REVENUE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A CONTRACTOR'S LICENSE FEE THAT WE NO LONGER COLLECT OF 300,000.
THAT ADDS UP TO THE 2.3 MILLION.
SO IF ALL OF OUR REVENUES CAME BACK, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONTRACTOR'S LICENSE, WE WOULD BE BACK, UM, TO EVEN AGAIN, AND THEN I WANTED TO SHOW IN THIS SLIDE, UM, WE HAVE 13 YEARS OF DATA HERE.
IT'S OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM, UM, OH NINE 10 TO 2122.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BEEN A VERY STABLE REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE CITY AND CONTINUES TO GO UP.
IT'S NOT A LOT EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S GOING UP THE LAST YEAR.
IT WENT UP A HUNDRED THOUSAND, 28.1 TO 28.
I GET THE SAME THING WITH SALES TAX AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, AGAIN, IT'S A VERY STABLE REVENUE SOURCE FOR US.
UM, I TOOK THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS AND YOU CAN SEE THE GROWTH, IT CONTINUED TO CLIMB.
AND THE LAST SIX YEARS IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT.
IT GOES, IT FLUCTUATES A LITTLE BIT, GOES UP AND DOWN, BUT, UM, IT'S ALSO BEEN A VERY STABLE REVENUE SOURCE.
THIS SLIDE HERE, UM, I TOOK OUR TWO LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES, PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX, AND I PUT IT ALONGSIDE POLICE AND FIRE EXPENDITURES.
THERE'S UM, YOU CAN SEE IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, OUR EXPENDITURES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR, UM, A LOT HIGHER THAN THOSE TWO REVENUE SOURCES.
AND IN THESE LAST TWO YEARS, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE REVENUES ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER NOW THAN OUR EXPENDITURES.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT WITH CUTTING COSTS AND
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STREAMLINING THINGS MORE WITHOUT SACRIFICING, UM, THE SERVICES THAT WE GET FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, WE HAVE $67.8 MILLION.AND, UM, AGAIN, LEASE AND FIRE MAKEUP.
THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT AT 60%.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW LABOR INTENSIVE, UM, THE SERVICES ARE THAT WE PROVIDE OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS MAKE UP 61% OF THAT.
AND OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS IS 39%.
I DID A SLIDE, UM, OF POLICE AND FIRE OVERTIME, AND I DID IT OR 1920 BECAUSE I HAD THE ACTUAL SCORE THOSE YEARS.
AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THAT, THAT THE OVERTIME IS ABOUT 2.9 MILLION.
IF WE'RE POLICE, UM, IN THE LAST YEAR, 1920 0.6 MILLION FOR THE FIRE.
UM, WE ALSO ATTACHED TO, UM, THE BUDGET, UM, AGENDA ITEM LAST NIGHT, THE REPORT THAT WE HAD DONE ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE SERVICES AND, UM, THAT'S AN ONGOING, UM, SITUATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS, UM, IN THIS COMING YEAR.
SO OUR FUND BALANCE AT JUNE 30, 21, JUST COMING UP HERE OVER A MONTH, WE EXPECT OUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE TO BE $21.4 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE 3.5 MILLION OF THAT IS ON NON SPENDABLE.
AND WHAT THOSE ARE IS THAT LOANS THAT THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY IN PARTICULAR, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST ONE, UM, UP UNTIL THIS LAST YEAR WHERE WE GOT ANOTHER BIG CHUNK PAID DOWN AND THEN THIS'LL BE THE LAST YEAR THAT THAT'LL BE ON THERE, LIKE THAT ENTIRE AMOUNT.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NON SPENDABLE.
SO AS THOSE AMOUNTS GO DOWN THAT 3.5 MILLION GOES DOWN, IT SWITCHES AND GOES INTO THE ON ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OR ON ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS OWN UP THE PROJECT, THE $17.8 MILLION.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT'S A PROJECTION.
I'M STILL, UM, NOW THAT I, I HAVE A FINANCE DEPARTMENT FULLY STAFFED, WE'RE FOCUSING ON A LOT OF CLEANUP THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THESE NUMBERS COULD CHANGE AND THEY COULD GO DOWN.
UM, JUST BECAUSE I, I, I KNOW THERE'S ENTRIES THAT NEED TO BE MADE FROM YEARS BEFORE I WAS HERE.
UM, AND WE WANT TO GET THAT DONE THAT THIS YEAR, IF WE CAN WRITE THESE BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
SO OUR ON ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES IS GONNA BE AROUND 26.80 CENTS.
AGAIN, ON THIS ONE, I TOOK GENERAL FUND BALANCE.
THESE ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE KAFFIRS, UM, AND OR 15 YEARS OF DATA.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THOSE EARLY YEARS, UH, WE WERE SPENDING DOWN RESERVES IN OH SIX OH SEVEN OH SEVEN OH EIGHT AT ABOUT $10 MILLION A YEAR.
AND THEN OUR LOWEST STEP WAS IN 12, 13, 13, 14.
THAT WAS THE DISSOLUTION OF REDEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT MONEY THAT WENT INTO REDEVELOPMENT WOULD COME BACK IN PAYMENTS TO THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE LOANS AND THINGS THAT A LOT OF THAT STUFF WAS DENIED, UM, BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
AND THEN IT WENT UP IN 14, 15.
A LOT OF THAT WAS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS THEY DID THAT DEBT DISSOLUTION, UM, EVERYBODY WAS SORT OF FEELING THEIR WAY THROUGH AND FIGURING OUT HOW WE IMPLEMENT ALL THIS.
SO THEY THEN REALIZED SOME, SOME THINGS TO GO BACK ON THE BOOKS AND IT RAISED IT.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT, IT STARTED TO DIP AGAIN IN, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT'S, UM, STARTING TO GO BACK UP ON THE UPSWING.
SO I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK THERE, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, FOR 2021, WE HAVE $6.6 MILLION IN CAPITAL, UM, THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR.
IT JUMPS TO 38.7 IN 21, 22 IN THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECOND LINE THAT SAYS GENERAL, UM, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION THAT WE'RE GETTING IN RELIEF FUNDS, OH, I PUT IT IN THE CIP.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT'S GOING TO STAY THERE AND IT'S ALL GOING TO BE FOR CAPITAL.
UM, WE'VE YET TO DETERMINE THAT I'M ONE OF THE ELIGIBLE USES FOR IT IS TO REPLENISH FOR LOSS OF REVENUE BECAUSE OF COVID AND BECAUSE OF THE $0.3 MILLION APP, IF THE COUNCIL DIRECTS US TO DO SO, WE WILL PROBABLY FILL THAT GAP WITH THOSE ARE FUNDS,
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THAT RELIEF FUNDS.AND THEN THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF DEPICTING THE, THE, UM, SLIDE THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BIG ORANGE POT OF MONEY THERE.
AND AGAIN, NICK, OR THE NEXT DAY, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED USE FOR ALL OF THOSE MONIES WHEN STEPHANIE, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS WE SWITCH OVER TO HER PRESENTATION, SO OUR NEXT STEPS, UM, WE'RE GONNA BRING THIS BACK TO THE COUNCIL ON JUNE 15TH OR ADOPTION.
UM, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MONITOR THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES TIMELY.
AND SO WE'LL BE BRINGING QUARTERLY REPORTS AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET.
YOU NEED TO SHIFT FROM REACTIVE TO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
UM, THINGS ARE FALLING APART IN THE CITY, AROUND OUR EARS, UM, NEED TO ADHERE TO OUR ADOPTED BUDGET POLICIES.
WE NEED TO PREPARE A PLAN TO RESOLVE THE GENERAL FUND STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND MAINTAIN GENERAL FUND RESERVES FOR THE CITY POLICY.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, I THINK, WITH OUR, UM, NINE DIFFERENT UNIONS, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT INTERSPACE BARGAINING, UM, GOING INTO THE FUTURE LAST NIGHT, WE STOPPED HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU WENT, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO COME TONIGHT.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO PAUSE NOW FOR QUESTIONS.
IF I COULD LEAD WITH ONE, I GOT TODAY FROM A RESIDENT, I THINK THIS IS, MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME FOR HIM.
THE QUESTION IS, UM, IN THE, IN THE OPINION OF THE, OF THE STAFF, WE'VE GOT SOME REAL TALENT HERE WORKING ON THIS BUDGET FOR US.
UM, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD THE RESIDENTS FOCUS ON AS THEY CONSIDER THIS BUDGET? WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE TO BE IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION? THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE CITY RIGHT NOW, IS THAT YOUR MOST RECENT SLIDE? IS THAT THE THINGS THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT, ROBIN, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND YOUR ATTENTION BE DIRECTED TOWARD? UM, I'LL HAVE AN ENDLESS LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, UM, WITH THE ISSUANCE OF THE PENSION OBLIGATION BY INSIGHTS, GIVEN US SOME RELIEF IN THIS YEAR TO GET SOME OF THE PROJECTS DONE THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE'RE FAR FROM, UM, GETTING, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT WHERE I THINK THE STAFF OR THE RESIDENTS WANT US, UM, REFI'S A BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW.
STAFFING LEVELS ARE CUT TO THE BONE AND ONE GUY ON GRAFFITI CANNOT KEEP UP WITH ALL THE CALLS.
UM, I FORGET THE, THE NUMBER THAT YOU GAVE LAST NIGHT, BUT IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN TWO GUYS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
I THINK IT'S JUST BEEN, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN WITH THE LAYOFF.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS BEFORE MY, BUT, UM, OKAY, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER.
UM, I REALLY LIKE THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK MARK TO CALL OUR SPEAKERS.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE A COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL.
I THINK WE HAVE COMMUNICATION CHAOS.
SO MARK, IF YOU WOULD CALL 'EM JD OR JIM OR JERRY IN ORDER, AND WE CAN TAKE THEIR QUESTIONS AND ANSWER.
YOU MAY, BUT YOU MIND WE'RE STREAMING THIS MEETING.
PORK CHOPS, THEY WERE MORE FORMAL THAN A RUGGED THAT'S IT? OKAY.
TONIGHT WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER CART AND THEN THIS FROM MR. JIM GRIFFITH.
AND IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND USING THE MICROPHONE, THIS IS BEING STREAMED.
WE WANTED TO ALLOW AFFORDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE THAT MAYBE CHOSE NOT TO, OR COULDN'T BE HERE TO LISTEN IN.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THEM ARE FAILED, MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAT I HAVE A MEETING WITH FINANCIAL STAFF RATHER THAN, UH, HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, WE, WE WOULD WELCOME THAT AS WELL.
IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU CAUSE THERE'S, UH, LET ME, LET ME JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN WE WERE DOING ALL OF OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.
UH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY, THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, THE ONE WE'RE STILL IN, UH, WOULD RECEIVE AN INFUSION, ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH, UH, BECAUSE, UH, A WE'RE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE A PAYMENT ON THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS, BUT THEY REALIZED, UH, AN EXCESS OF MONEY
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COMING IN.HEY, THEY RECEIVED MORE MONEY COMING IN.
THEN THEY, THEN THEY NEEDED TO PAY PERS AND I, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY WAS ABOUT $10 MILLION.
UH, AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION, UH, I, IT DIDN'T LOOK, THE NUMBERS DIDN'T COME OUT, EVEN, UH, IT LOOKED ON BASED ON THE PRESENTATION THAT THE CITY'S BALANCE ONLY IMPROVED ABOUT 5 MILLION, UH, RATHER THAN 10 MILLION AS A RESULT.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU ARE THERE THERE'S, THERE WAS A DISCONNECT.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS AN ISSUE.
I, I GUESS ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SIMPLIFIED REVENUE EXPENDITURES, EXCLUDING PENSION OBLIGATION, NOT ON A SIDE LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE'RE STILL IN THIS ONE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, REVENUE THIS YEAR EXPENDITURES THIS YEAR, UH, EXCLUDING THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.
UH, I PRESUME THAT THAT, UH, IN THOSE, IN THOSE TERMS, THAT, THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME KIND OF DEFICIT AND THE JANELL DELEGATION MONEY WOULD COME IN TO REPAIR THE DEFICIT AND IT ACTUALLY INFUSED CASH INTO THE CITY.
AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS I'M LOOKING FOR.
SO THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY, AND I HAVE EXACT NUMBERS UPSTAIRS, BUT, UM, 12 OR 13 MILLION, MIGHT'VE BEEN 11.
I'M NOT QUITE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT WE NORMALLY MAKE A PAYMENT, JULY 31 TO CALPERS FOR OUR ANNUAL PAYMENT, FOR THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
AND WE DO THAT BECAUSE WE SAVE SIGNIFICANT MONEY.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT A HALF, A MILLION DOLLARS IF WE PAID IT UPFRONT.
HOWEVER, WE ISSUED PENSION OBLIGATION, BONDS, JULY 30TH OR 29TH, AND MADE THE PAYMENT TO CALPERS.
AND WHEN I SAY WE MADE THE PAYMENT, THAT MONEY NEVER ACTUALLY CAME TO THE CITY, IT WENT, THE BONDS CLOSED, THE MONEY, WENT TO CALPERS RIGHT NOW.
I BET YOU PAID OFF THE WHOLE LIABILITY, NOT JUST THE ONE YEAR OFF, RIGHT.
BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT ANNUAL PAYMENT, WHICH WAS ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
SO THAT 11 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS WAS IN THE BUDGET.
NOW, IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST QUARTER, SECOND QUARTER, ESPECIALLY THE SECOND QUARTER, I DON'T THINK WE DID A FIRST QUARTER.
UM, THE SECOND QUARTER, THERE WAS SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO, UM, THE BUDGET AND TO KEEP IT IN BALANCE, WE LOWERED THAT 11 MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST TAKEN IT FROM ONE POT AND PUTTING IT INTO ANOTHER BASICALLY.
SO AS THINGS CAME UP DURING THE YEAR.
SO AS THINGS CAME UP DURING THE YEAR AND THERE WERE, UM, SO THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS IN, AND I CAN GO BACK OVER THOSE JOURNAL ENTRIES, TOTAL MAY HAVE BEEN 5 MILLION OR SO, CAUSE THAT, THAT THAT'S, THAT WAS THE NUMBER THAT LOOKED, IT LOOKED SHORT, BUT BASICALLY DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE ONE WE'RE IN NOW, THERE WAS ROUGHLY $5 MILLION OF MONEY MOVED FROM THE RESERVES, WHICH THE SOURCE OF THAT MONEY WAS, UH, THE IN EFFECT, THE PROFIT FROM THE BONDS.
UH, AND, UH, UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE NOW IS ONLY ROUGHLY $5 MILLION, EXCEPT WITH THE STATEMENT THAT IT WAS MOVED OUT OF RESERVES.
IT WAS NOT, IT'S JUST A FUNCTION OF THE ACCOUNTING.
IT ALL WENT THROUGH THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE SIDE.
UM, TH THE INCOME STATEMENT, I KNOW I, I HAD QUITE A DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDITOR ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DID THE SAME THING ONCE IN MY CAREER.
AND WE TREATED THE BOND MONEY AS A LIABILITY.
WE DID NOT TREAT IT AS REVENUE, UH, WHEN I WAS DOING IT.
AND I WAS HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME WITH THE DIFFERENCE.
AND, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST FELT THAT THAT'S, I'M NOT HERE TO DISCUSS THAT.
I JUST WANT HER TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE 5 MILLION YOU, YOU ASKED HER TO.
AND A LOT OF IT DEPENDS, JIM, WHETHER IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND OR NOT, AND WE'RE A GOVERNMENTAL FUND.
UM, SO THE ACCOUNTING'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T RECORD, UM, THE BONDS AS LIABILITIES ON OUR BOOKS.
WE HAVE A, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A WHOLE BUNCH OF DETAIL, BUT WE HAVE A SEPARATE ACCOUNT GROUP THAT SHOWS ALL THE DEBT.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS THIS TERMINOLOGY, UH, ON THAT SLIDE THERE, THE ONE I ACTUALLY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, THERE, THE, UH, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE BUDGET IS BALANCED.
AND IN MY FRAME OF REFERENCE, IF YOU'RE USING MONEY OUT OF
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THE RESERVES, IT'S NOT BALANCED.AND, UH, I, I'M JUST USING DIFFERENT, I'M USING TERMINOLOGY THAT, UH, IN EFFECT DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOURS.
I, I BELIEVE THE BUDGET AS IT EXISTS TODAY, UH, IS A DEFICIT BUDGET, NOT A BALANCED BUDGET.
UH, THAT'S THE TERM I WOULD USE.
AND I, UH, UH, I, I DON'T THINK, AND THE REASON WHY I THINK THAT'S SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE I DID WATCH ON YOUTUBE TODAY.
NOT LAST NIGHT, YOUR MEETINGS ARE TOO LATE FOR ME.
UH, I WATCHED THE CITY COUNCILS, UH, COMMENTS AFTER, UH, AFTER YOU MADE YOUR PRESENTATION AND THEY PICKED UP THE PERCEPTION THAT EVERYTHING'S JUST FINE.
I MEAN, I, I HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE TALK, UH, THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, I THINK SAID THAT, AND IT'S NOT TRUE.
IT'S NOT JUST FINE WHEN WE ARE HAVING DEFICITS, SPENDING THINGS.
AND, AND THE ONLY REASON YOU HAVE ADEQUATE RESERVES RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE YOU SOLD BONDS AND THAT'S NOT GOOD, YOU KNOW, BORROWING MONEY TO PAY OPERATING EXPENSES IS NOT A GOOD THING.
UH, SO I THINK THE COUNCIL PICKED UP NOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THIS NEED TO PAINT EVERYTHING ROSY, BUT NOT IF IT LEADS TO BAD DECISIONS, UH, LIKE HIRING PEOPLE THAT WE REALLY CAN'T AFFORD OR MORE PEOPLE THAT REALLY CAN.
I, I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T HIRE ANY PEOPLE, BUT WE SHOULDN'T HIRE MORE PEOPLE THAT REALLY, REALLY CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
THAT THAT'S THE GIST OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
UH, AND, UH, I WAS, I WAS DISTURBED BY THEIR CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS NOW, MAYBE I WAS JUST LISTENING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY WERE TO WHAT YOU SAID, BECAUSE I DIDN'T PICK IT UP AS, AS ROSY AS THEY SEEM TO THINK IT WAS.
BUT, UH, UH, I WAS DISTURBED ABOUT THAT PART.
UH, AND, UH, THE OTHER PART THAT I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WAS AS YOU KNOW, THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHILE IT STILL HAD THE BUDGET AS A DUTY, I DID MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES IN THE, UH, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFFING.
THEY FORMERLY PASSED A MOTION TO DO SO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, YOU DON'T THINK THEY DID THAT.
NO, I RECALL THE FIRST THING THAT YOU SAID WAS I'M NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND ANY LAYOFFS.
UH, BUT I ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE REDUCTIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THIS WAS IN WHAT THEY VOTED ON, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A WRITTEN OUT EMAIL.
SO THERE WASN'T ANY DOUBT ABOUT WHAT WAS SAID, THAT THERE WOULD BE REDUCTIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BASED ON ATTRITION.
UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS SAID IN THE EMAIL.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY VOTED TO APPROVE THAT.
UH, AND, UH, AND I DISCUSSED THAT.
I, I'M NOT SURE IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN LOST.
THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT IT.
UH, AND I I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S TRUE.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAOS AND, UH, ATTRITION.
BUT THE END RESULT WOULD BE THE SAME OVER, OVER TIME.
SO THAT'S, IT W IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT JUST BRIEFLY, I THINK THE CITY HAS COME A LONG WAY IN A YEAR.
AND WHAT WE SAID LAST NIGHT IS STILL TRUE TONIGHT, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE THE CITY HAS TURNED A CORNER, BUT IT'S NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.
SO I THINK THE PRICE OF A BALANCED BUDGET GOING FORWARD IS GOING TO BE SOME, NO DILIGENCE, SOME VIGILANCE ABOUT BUDGETING, WHAT WE MEAN, AND KIND OF MEANING WHAT WE SAY.
THE, ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS TO THE BUDGET REPORT.
THIS CYCLE WAS A FIRE SERVICES STUDY.
AND THAT REPORT, WHICH IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF THIS TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT IDENTIFIES FROM ABOUT 30,000 FEET.
SOME OF THIS OPTIONS THAT THE CITY HAS AS REGARDING THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, THEY CONSUME MOST OF THE CITY'S REVENUE TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
WE'VE BUDGETED THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE $1.6 MILLION FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER TIME.
IF THAT AMOUNT WERE TO DOUBLE AGAIN, THIS PICTURE WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT AND MUCH WORSE.
AND SO I THINK THE CITY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES ABOUT WHETHER IT DOES OR DOES NOT KEEP TO THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
UM, THAT TAKE EFFECT JULY 1ST, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY WATCH IT.
WE HAD THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, OUR FIRE CALLS FOR SERVICE.
OUR OVERTIME WENT THROUGH THE ROOF.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY HAD A LOT OF CHOICE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE SAVING LIVES.
BUT, UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THAT FIRE SERVICES STUDY REPORT.
[00:30:01]
NO, I READ IT.AND, UM, WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
I PERHAPS I DIDN'T COMMUNICATE THIS EFFECTIVELY.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY WAS THAT THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, WE, THIS GROUP DID MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
THIS WAS THE ONLY REAL BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THEY MADE WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE WHOLE SELMA SUBSTANCE OF THE MEETING TO DO SOME CHANGES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS JUST A RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL IT WAS.
AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IN OUR PROCESSES, IN THE CITY, THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER COMMUNICATOR TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, AND THERE WAS SOME LANGUAGE IN THE, UH, STAFF REPORT THAT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POSSIBILITIES IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO IT WASN'T LIKE IT WASN'T THERE AT ALL, BUT IT WASN'T IN THE PRESENTATION THAT SHE MADE AND NOT ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE POWERPOINT, IT WAS IN THE WORDS AND THE BIG BOOK AND YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE READ ALL THOSE WORDS.
UH, AND MY, UH, I DO, UH, I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY GUY IN THE WORLD THAT READS THE BUDGET ANYWAY.
UH, UH, THE, UH, UH, AND I, MY POINT IS, YOU KNOW, DID YOU HAVE CITIZENS THAT SPENT TIME DOING SOMETHING? AND I KNOW THAT WAS A ROUGH MEETING.
I, I'M NOT ARGUING THAT POINT AT ALL.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT, THEY ACTUALLY DID DO SOMETHING AND IT GOT LOST.
SO IT WAS KIND OF A COMPLAINT.
UH, THE, UH, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS KIND OF MAYBE CONSIDERED EQUIVALENT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT ANYWAY.
UH, EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT A PROPERTY IS THAT, UH, PROPERTY VALUES ARE RISING RAPIDLY.
UH, MAINLY DUE TO, UH, TWO FACTORS.
ONE FACTOR IS, UH, UH, THE IMPETUS FOR INFLATION GENERATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRINTING.
WHAT WAS AT $1.7 TRILLION, THAT'S INFLATION.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON FOR PROPERTY VALUES TO RISE RAPIDLY.
AND THE OTHER, UH, REASON IS THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PEN, DEMIC PEOPLE, RE-EVALUATED THEIR LIVING SITUATION AND DECIDED THAT THEY NO LONGER WANTED TO BE IN APARTMENTS.
THEY WANT HER TO BE IN HOMES THAT HAD A LITTLE SPACE, AND AS A RESULT, UH, THE VALUE OF HOUSES HAS BEEN GOING UP RATHER RAPIDLY, UH, LAST, UH, REPORT FROM ZILLOW AND ALL THOSE OTHER P I, I ACTUALLY KEEP TRACK OF THIS STUFF.
MY SON'S INVOLVED IN REAL ESTATE, SO IT'S DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT I KEEP TRACK OF IT THAT THE YEAR, TWO YEARS NOW, OR OVER FOUR TO 5% ON A, ON A PROPERTY VALUE, UH, AND THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GO HIGHER ACCORDING TO THE STUFF I'VE BEEN READING.
SO MY SUGGESTION IS, UH, IN TERMS OF BUDGET, AND THIS IS ONE ITEM, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE, BECAUSE IF YOU CHANGE THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM ESSENTIALLY $100,000 INCREASE TO, UH, A MILLION, WHICH I THINK THAT EASILY WOULD BE, UH, SOLVES A FAIR AMOUNT OF YOUR STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY, UH, UH, IT, IN TERMS OF WHAT I HAD TO SAY, AND WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT THE PROPERTY TAX DURING OUR QUARTERLY REVIEWS.
AND OF COURSE WE DON'T GET IT, UM, PROPERTY TAX IN UNTIL THE BIG ONE IS IN JANUARY.
SO YOU GUYS WON'T EVEN SEE IT UNTIL THE THIRD QUARTER.
UM, AND WE ADJUSTED IT, I BELIEVE WE ADJUSTED IT THIS YEAR AND WE'LL ADJUST IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT I SAID.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA USE THE, ALL OF THAT 2.3 MILLION OUT OF RESERVES, BECAUSE I THINK AS THE ECONOMY COMES BACK, AS PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED MORE, AND WE GET MORE BACK TO NORMAL LIVING THAT THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO PICK UP.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE INFLUX OF CASH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHEN JIM, IF I COULD PROVIDE ONE FURTHER ANSWER FROM MY PERSPECTIVE TO YOUR QUESTION, OR ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT, SHOULD THE CITY CHOOSE TO ADD MORE SERVICES, MORE EXPENDITURES.
I THINK THAT THE CLEAR CHOICE THAT THE CITY FACES IS, WOULD YOU LIKE FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO TAKE THAT OUT OF RESERVES OR OUT OF THE OPERATING SIDE OF THE BUDGET, BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS JUST A ROLLOVER BUDGET, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING TO STAFF UP OR SERVICE LEVEL UP.
UM, YET I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF UNMET NEEDS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT, UM,
[00:35:01]
I THINK IT'S, IT'S CLEAR CHOICES.I DON'T THINK WE'VE BACKED AWAY FROM THE OBVIOUS ASPECTS OF, OF, OF THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EITHER GET SOME DIRECTION TO TAKE IT OUT OF RESERVES OR GET SOME DIRECTION TO TAKE IT OUT OF OPERATING.
WELL, I THINK I'VE ALREADY SAID MY POINT OF VIEW ON, UH, UH, DEFICIT SPENDING.
I THINK I'VE SAID IT A LOT OF TIMES, WHICH IS, I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE DEFICIT SPENDING PERIOD.
AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, THE, A COUPLE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, SAID IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE USE BANKRUPTCY.
AS LONG AS YOU'RE BORROWING MONEY TO PAY FOR OPERATING EXPENSES.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN BANKRUPTCY.
IT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE DEFINITIONS OF BANKRUPTCY, BORROWING MONEY TO PAY FOR OPERATING EXPENSES.
AND, UH, UH, THE, UH, UM, SO I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU, UH, DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, BRING THE BUDGET INTO BALANCE, WHICH MEANS REVENUES EQUAL EXPENDITURES, NOT USING RESERVES.
AND I'VE PROVIDED TWO RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE, I THINK ONE OF THEM WAS JUST TO INCREASE REVENUE BY A MILLION.
I JUST SAID IT IN PROPERTY TAX, THAT COVERS HALF OF YOUR PROBLEM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SAFE.
YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT 99% CONFIDENCE.
UH, THE OTHER IS, UH, UH, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTRITION THING THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
AND, UH, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO NEGOTIATE ABOUT, UH, RUN OUTS THAT I WANTED TO SEE, WANTED TO RECOMMEND.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A PROBLEM, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO NEGOTIATE ABOUT ATTRITION.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CONTRACT THAT PRECLUDES NOT FILLING VACANCIES OR REGULAR REFER REGULAR FIREFIGHTERS.
THERE IS A PROVISION THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT FOR THE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON THE AMBULANCE, BECAUSE IT SPECIFIES THREE AMBULANCES, BUT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CONTRACT THAT SPECIFIES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE FIVE ENGINES, UH, UH, ON, ON DUTY ALL THE TIME.
SO, UH, IT DOES SAY THAT YOU HAVE AN ENGINE, YOU HAVE TO STAFF IT WITH THREE PEOPLE, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY HOW MANY YOU HAVE TO HAVE.
SO I, UH, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M REPEATING SOME STUFF I'VE ALREADY SAID, BUT YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU STATED, HOW DO I THINK THE CITY SHOULD RESPOND TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE? AND I I'M GIVING YOU MY BEST SHOT, UH, TO BASICALLY BEING, BRINGING THE BUDGET IN A TRUE BALANCE.
AND, AND I, I DO NOT AGREE WITH WHAT ROBIN SAID, WAIT, UNTIL WE SEE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WITH PROPERTY TAX, UH, IN JANUARY, I THINK SHE SAID, I, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE DONE WHEN, UH, THE COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET BUDGET SHOULD BE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT ON YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION AT THE TIME OF THE BUDGET ADOPTION.
UH DOESN'T YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR REAL, BECAUSE REAL IS ALWAYS DIFFERENT THAN ACTUAL, UH, BUDGET.
AND I, I, I, THE REAL PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS BUDGET AS IT EXISTS IS IT MAKES THE CITY ADOPT A POLICY OF DEFICIT SPENDING.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS.
UH, AND, UH, UH, AND SO THAT'S THAT I'M TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE WAY YOU FRAMED THE QUESTION AS BEST I CAN.
AND THAT'S, IT'S MORE, IT'S A DEEP POLICY THING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF MY LIFE 15 YEARS ACTUALLY DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T DO WHAT I JUST SAID AND ALL THE TRAUMA THAT CAUSED THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND, UH, UH, I SAW A LOT OF CRIME PEOPLE THAT GOT FIRED BECAUSE OF FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT KNIFE.
I JUST, I HATE IT, UH, WITH A PASSION AND I'D RATHER DEAL WITH IT BEFORE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND THAT YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT.
THE NEXT, UH, YES, THERE'LL BE
IF I COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WELL, LET'S HONOR HER TIME AT THE MICROPHONE AND WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET IN A DIALOGUE WITH YOU AFTER HER TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, AS A RESIDENT, I AM REALLY TIRED AND FRUSTRATED, AND I DIDN'T, MAYBE YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER TIME BUDGET STARTS OFF WITH SO MUCH MONEY AND YOU, I THINK MENTIONED HOW MUCH THEY
[00:40:01]
HAD.ARE WE GOING TO DOWN THE ROAD, SEE ANOTHER REPORT SAYING THEY OVER-DRAFTED THE DEFICIT SPEND, ARE YOU PUTTING CONTROLS IN IT'S A MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP ISSUE WHEN THEY DEFICIT SPENT, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THE PANDEMIC.
THAT WAS SOMETHING, BUT WHEN ONE DEPARTMENT DOES THIS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND THEY SWORE TO US THAT IF THEY WERE FULLY STAFFED, THE OVERTIME DEFICIT WAS STOPPED AND IT DIDN'T CREDIBILITY IS ZILCH ON THIS.
SO ARE YOU DOING MANAGEMENT THINGS TO KEEP THEM WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT THEY'VE STARTED? SECOND PART IS WHEN YOU CAME HERE YOUR FIRST NIGHT, YOU WERE STANDING HERE AND I REALLY LIKED SOMETHING YOU SAID, AND YOU WERE GOING TO BRING IN INTEREST IS INTEREST GETTING OLIN, COVID BRING, UH, INTEREST BASED BARGAINING.
WE DID THAT, WHERE I WORKED AT HAS TO COME HERE.
I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO REALLY START DEALING WITH ISSUES, UM, IT TOOK A FEW YEARS TO GET IT GOING.
WE HAD A UNION THAT WAS AS HARD NOSES, OUR FIREFIGHTERS UNION, BUT IT BRINGS THE GROUPS TOGETHER WITH MANAGEMENT AND THEY STARTED DEALING WITH PROBLEMS AND WE EMPLOYEES BENEFITED.
UM, I KNOW HE WAS INVOLVED WITH IT AT THE START OKAY.
UM, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO PLEASE DO THAT.
WE RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS NICKEL AND DIMING US, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOES A GOOD JOB.
I GET ALL OF THAT, BUT THEY CAN'T GO FOR ANOTHER YEAR WITH EXCUSES, JUST NOT RIGHT.
SO PLEASE BRING IN THE INTERSPACE AND IT'LL TAKE YOU A FEW YEARS TO GET IT OFF THE GROUND.
I KNOW IT WILL, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, IT WILL MAKE A GOOD DIFFERENCE TO WEST COVINA RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEES, WE WOULD GO FIVE YEARS WITHOUT A RACE THREE YEARS WITHOUT A RACE, INTEREST BASED BARGAINING CAME IN, WE STARTED GETTING RAISES.
ISN'T THAT WHAT THE EMPLOYEES WANT.
YOU DON'T WANT THE CONFLICT WITH MANAGEMENT.
YOU WANT TO GET THAT TRUST GOING AND EXPECTING YOU TO DO THAT, SIR.
UH, MR. DREW, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK JD? IF I COULD INTERRUPT, UM, WE'RE STREAMING THIS MEETING UNTIL WE WANTED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ON THE MICROPHONE.
SO CAN WE JUST HAND IT TO YOU? DO YOU MIND? WE CAN JUST MICROPHONE, WE'LL WALK TO YOU IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WALK TO IT, I'M GONNA REPEAT WHAT I JUST SAID.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT.
I'M A COMPLETE LAYMAN TO THIS PROCESS.
I'M HERE MORE TO LEARN AND TO CONTRIBUTE.
UM, BUT AS YOU'VE SAID IN THE PAST, I THINK THIS DEFINITION OF DEFICIT SPENDING IS A DEFINITION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE AT THE END, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE IN THE RESERVES.
UM, YOU SAY THAT IT'S PARTLY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT I DO KNOW THAT PRE PANDEMIC WE WERE DOING DEFICIT SPENDING AND I THINK YOU WERE SORT OF ON BOARD PRE PANDEMIC.
OH, YOU CERTAINLY WEREN'T THE GREATEST PART OF IT INVOLVED IN THE, UH, THE GREATEST PART OF IT.
BUT YOU WERE HERE AND IF THIS IS JUST A ROLL OVER OF, UH, THE BUDGET, AS YOU SAID, THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT, HOW WE'RE MAKING THAT CURRENT.
HOW ARE WE TURNING THAT CORNER IF WE'RE JUST ROLLING OVER PREVIOUS BUDGET NOW, LIKE I SAID, ADMITTEDLY, I'M PROBABLY TALKING IN A FORUM.
THAT'S 10 GRADES BEYOND ME, BUT THESE ARE JUST MY OBSERVATION THAT WE'RE MENTIONING PRIORITIES, BUT WE'RE REALLY NOT IDENTIFYING ANY PRIORITIES.
UM, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT COUNCIL HAS ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH STAFF AND MAY HAVE A LIST.
I KNOW THE RESIDENTS WERE SURVEYED,
[00:45:02]
UH, IN PRIOR BUDGETARY, UM, YEARS AS TO WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES, WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE THE PRIORITIES.AND THAT KIND OF SEEMS WHERE, OR AT LEAST THE, THE, THE MAJORITY OF A PARTICULAR PRIORITY SEEMS TO FALL IN BETWEEN THE CRACKS.
UM, I RECALL POLICE WAS CERTAINLY ONE, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS USE OVER TIME.
UM, MANY OF THE UNFORTUNATE SUFFERING THE CITY IS GOING THROUGH.
SO I CAME HERE TONIGHT HOPING THAT I WOULD NOT JUST WATCH A PRESENTATION, BUT THAT YOU WOULD SHARE HOW YOU PLAN ON SPENDING SOME OF THIS $20 MILLION, UM, IN TERMS OF ITS USE IN THE GENERAL FUND, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE GENERAL FUND AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE UTILIZED IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE OBVIOUS 800 POUND GORILLA, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
RIGHT? SO I KNOW THERE'S, THOSE ARE GREAT GENERALITIES ON MY PART, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I'M NO EXPERT IN BUDGETING, BUT I THINK THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT I AND OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE, UM, THAT IF YOU CAN ADDRESS IN A LAYMAN'S WAY, I APPRECIATE IT.
I'LL INVITE ROBIN TO RESPOND AS WELL, BUT OUR INTENTION TONIGHT WAS TO DO THIS IN PIECES.
FIRST PIECE WAS ROBIN'S PRESENTATION ABOUT THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR REVIEW OF THE BIG PICTURE BUDGET DRILL DOWN TO THE GENERAL FUND.
TALK ABOUT THE OPERATING DEPARTMENTS.
TALK ABOUT WHERE WE END UP FISCAL YEAR END WITH THE RESERVES.
AND THEN THE NEXT PORTION AFTER WE FINISHED WITH THIS PORTION, WE HAVE A NEW ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, INTRODUCE HER TO YOU TONIGHT.
THIS IS STEPHANIE
SO HER PRESENTATION TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE REALLY A FIRST LOOK AT WHAT MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE FEDERAL STIMULUS BILL.
IT'S A BIG BROAD BILL THAT DOES ALL THE USUAL THINGS THAT FEDERAL STIMULUS BILLS DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE, UM, JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE SIGNIFICANTLY THIS TIME, WHICH IS REALLY UNIQUE.
IT PROVIDES MONIES TO INSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE STATES, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME $19 MILLION.
AND SO STEPHANIE IS GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND LOOK AT THAT, WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THAT'S BEEN OUT PUBLICLY.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A, A REAL TIME LOOK.
UM, WE'VE GOT ONE OTHER PARTICIPANT TONIGHT.
MR. BENNETT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GENERAL BUDGET BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT PORTION? ACTUALLY, EXCUSE ME, I'M NOT GOING TO SLIGHT MARSHA WELCOME.
I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO LET A LADY GO FIRST.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF THIS.
I CAME IN KIND OF A FEW MINUTES LATE, SO I APOLOGIZE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING JUST GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
I'M DEFINITELY GOING, GONNA REVIEW SOME OF THIS WHEN I GET TIME, BUT I, I CAN INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I'M OFFERING, IF YOU GUYS WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK, BUT I'M NOT HERE TO WASTE.
I DON'T CONSIDER THIS A WASTE OF OUR TIME.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S UP TO THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, BUT I KNOW I CAME IN LATE.
I WATCHED HER PULL IN AS WELL, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE IF WE, IF, IF EVERYONE WAS STRAIGHT, I DON'T CARE.
I, I JUST, I JUST KNOW FOR ME, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE, THE OTHER STUFF I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW.
MY CONCERNS OVERALL ARE WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY TO DO A HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING IT'S NOT, BUT, UM, THAT'S FAULTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU'RE GIVING 90% OF THE PERMIT FEES TO TRANSTECH, YOU'RE STILL SPENDING MONEY.
UM, YOU'RE STILL LOSING OTHER ANEMIA, OTHER MONIES IN THERE.
SO THAT'S A HUGE, AS SOMEBODY SAID, 800 POUND ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
UH, MY OTHER CONCERN IS SOMEBODY MENTIONED A FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER TIME.
UM, I SUPPORT MY PUBLIC SAFETY, BOTH SIDES, BUT I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT, UM, THEIR CONTINUED DISREGARD FOR A DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET AND DISREGARD FOR OVERTIME IS, IS EXTREMELY TELLING TO RESIDENTS.
AND IT, TO ME IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN THE CITY IS, IS WHO IS ACTUALLY, UM, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY WHO'S STIRRING THE CAR BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE STAFF IS, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE, THE RESIDENTS ARE, AND ACTUALLY IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE COUNCIL IS SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT'S CONTROLLING THEIR OWN FUTURE, AND AS WE'VE SEEN, THEY, THEY DON'T DO A GOOD JOB.
SO THOSE ARE TWO OF THE REALLY BIG TOPICS.
UM, POLICE HAS, SEEMS TO BE MANAGING
[00:50:01]
THEIR BUDGET.UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS I'VE NOTICED.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF STAFF HIRES.
UM, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE CHANGING POSITIONS.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS IN THERE THAT I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE PROBABLY MY BIGGEST QUESTIONS.
AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ANSWERED LATER ON, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, AND HE NEEDED TO GO BACK.
I'LL LET MARSHA KIND OF COMMENT AS WELL, BUT, UM, THAT THOSE ARE BIG THINGS FOR ME AND, AND THE LACK TRANSPARENCY.
UM, I EVEN IN PREVIOUS BUDGET MEETINGS AND I'VE WATCHED THESE ONLINE, AND THIS MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF ATTENDED, BUT EVEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS OF BUDGETS, UM, UNDER YOU AND BEFORE YOU, UH, MR. CM.
SO, UH, THERE'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND THIS COUNCIL HAS PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THAT THERE'S A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY FROM THEM.
SO FORGIVE ME AS A RESIDENT, BUT I HAVE VERY LITTLE TRUST IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, CONTRARY TO YOU.
UM, BUT I HAVE, I HAVE VERY LITTLE TRUST IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
I I'VE WATCHED HER UP HERE COUNTLESS TIMES, GIVE REPORTS ON STUFF.
I WATCHED HER DURING THE MOU FOR THE POLICE AND FIRE TELL US THAT OVERTIME WASN'T CALCULATED AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER STUFF.
SO I HAVE VERY LITTLE TRUST IN THAT SECTOR AS WE SPEAK.
UM, AND, AND SO, LIKE I SAID, THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR ME AND THE FACT THAT OUR IS NOT ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS PUBLICLY.
UM, AND I'M WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE BUDGET IS ALL BEFORE I KEEP RANTING.
I'LL KIND OF STOP FROM THERE BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU'LL HEAR FROM ME AGAIN.
THANKS MS. SOLORIO, IF I MAY, I, I REALLY DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW YOU PIVOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF TOSSED IT OVER TO ROBIN, BUT I DON'T THINK I HEARD ROBIN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.
MAYBE I JUST WASN'T CLEAR ENOUGH.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT WANTING TO ANSWER MY QUESTION, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST WANTED TO STATE THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T THINK I RECEIVED AN ANSWER, BUT MY QUESTION WAS REALLY ALWAYS THIS ROLL OVER BUDGET, ANY DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT PRE-CAL, UH, COVID UH, YEAH, IF IT'S A SPENDING, I WAS THIS ONE GOING TO BE ANY DIFFERENT YOU'RE YOU'RE SELLING THIS NEW BUDGET AS ONE THAT'S TAKING THE CITY'S, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE CURVE, TAKING THE CURVE FOR THE CITY, BUT I DON'T SEE IT.
UM, AND YOU'RE KIND OF SPLITTING IT BY SAYING REDEFINING DEFICIT SPENDING.
SO THAT'S, HOW IS THAT? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? WHAT'S THE CHANGE? UM, BECAUSE THE ASSISTANT PREVIOUS ASSISTANT MANAGER AND YOURSELF MS. ROBIN SOUL HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MR. WU LEE BACK IN FEBRUARY, WHERE MR. WU THOUGHT THE REVENUES WERE DOWN ON THE ASSISTANT MANAGER SHARED THAT NO OTHER REVENUES ACTUALLY, UH, HAD BEEN GONE UP OR THAT THE RESERVES HAD BEEN, WERE GONE UP ON THE REVENUE, WENT DOWN.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE, THE, YOUR POSITION, YOUR CLARIFICATION TO MR. WU.
HE HAD IT, THE REVERSE WHICHEVER WAY IT WENT.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE, WHERE WE STAND TODAY IN TERMS OF DIFFERENCE IN PREVIOUS BUDGETS TO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET YEARS, UM, THE BUDGETS HAVE BEEN BALANCED.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT, YOU CANNOT DISPUTE WHAT I HAVE SAID.
WE WENT FROM 9.8 MILLION TO 12 MILLION THIS YEAR.
YOU CAN'T DISPUTE THOSE NUMBERS WHEN THEY'VE HAD AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PART WAYS PHILOSOPHICALLY, BECAUSE I WILL NEVER BALANCE A BUDGET BY INCREASING THE REVENUES.
IT'S LIKE BUDGETING ONE OH ONE.
AND IF I DON'T BELIEVE, AND IT'S, YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S OUR BEST PICTURE, BUT THAT'S YOUR PICTURE, NOT MINE, JIM, IF I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS EXTRA IN PROPERTY TAX, I'M NOT GOING TO BUDGET FOR IT BECAUSE JIM GURAVICH TELLS ME TO, I'M SORRY, THAT'S MY PHILOSOPHY.
I'VE BEEN DOING BUDGETS FOR 30 YEARS AND IT HASN'T STEERED ME WRONG YET.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE REVENUES COME IN HIGHER THAN I BUDGETED AND REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THOSE RESERVES.
AND WE'VE INCREASED THE RESERVES AGAIN, AS FAR AS THE ROLLOVER BUDGET GOES, I DID REDUCE THE REVENUES BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW FROM THIS YEAR AND PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND SOME OF THESE REVENUE REVENUES ARE NOT GOING TO COME BACK.
UM, THEY'RE ELIMINATED PERMANENTLY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FALSE ALARMS. WE COULD START THAT PROGRAM UP AGAIN.
THE CONTRACTOR'S LICENSE FEES ARE NOT COMING BACK.
WE DON'T COLLECT THOSE ANYMORE.
[00:55:01]
REVENUE.AND THERE'S OTHER EXAMPLES ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, WHEN I SAID IT WAS A ROLLOVER BUDGET, WE ROLLED OVER THE NUMBERS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY THERE.
HOWEVER, WE DID ANALYSIS FOR THINGS LIKE WE KNOW CERTAIN THINGS FOR, UM, OUR MAINTENANCE, OUR, UM, JANITORIAL IS GOING UP F ALL THE COSTS ARE GOING UP.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO JUST ROLL OVER THE BUDGET WITH THE SAME NUMBERS, IF, YOU KNOW, FOR A FACT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND MORE THAN THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UM, NOT A CRIME, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE TRANSPARENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE PRESENTATION, BUT IN THE VERY BEGINNING, I SAID, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOT IN THIS BUDGET DOCUMENT.
WE, THE BIG LEAGUE DREAMS ARE WEST COVINA SPORT.
WE, UNTIL WE GET FURTHER DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL ON HOW THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO GO, AND STAFF DEVELOPS A BUDGET FOR THOSE, UM, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, SAY THAT THOSE ARE POTENTIAL BUDGET AMENDMENTS OR, AND DOWN THE WAYS, BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT THERE OBVIOUSLY A SITTING EXPENSE FOR THE CITY, CERTAINLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SPENT ON, ON, ON THE, UH, LOOKING INTO ESTABLISHING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND CERTAINLY A FIELD OF DREAMS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE WRESTLED WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE A BUDGET.
YOUR, UH, YOUR, YOUR POSITION IS THAT IT'S BALANCED, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY'RE JUST FORECASTING.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE CHANGES TO THIS BUDGET, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN KIND OF THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.
AND THIS IS WHAT'S BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH FINANCIAL CRISIS, EXCEPT FOR THIS YEAR, WHEN EVER I MADE A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO THE GENERAL FUND, THERE WAS A CORRESPONDING OFFSET TO KEEP THAT BUDGET IN BALANCE.
AND IT WAS VERY, YOU KNOW, I, I DID THIS VERY CALCULATING LILLY AND MADE SURE THAT THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO STAY IN BALANCE SO THAT WE DON'T DEFICIT SPACE.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW AND INVITE OUR NEW ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, STEPHANIE
SO THIS WILL BE A BRIEF OVERVIEW, BUT I WILL TOUCH ON WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT SPENDING THAT 20 MILLION AS OF RIGHT NOW.
SO THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT INCLUDED ABOUT 350 BILLION.
THAT'S GOING TO STAY IN LOCAL ENTITIES, BUT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA IS GOING TO GET ABOUT 19.5 MILLION OF THAT.
THE RECOVERY FUNDS ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENSES, ADDRESS NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS, REPLACE PUBLIC SECTOR REVENUE THAT WAS LOST, PROVIDE PREMIUM PAID, OR ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND INVEST IN WATER, SEWER AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURES.
AND THOSE SOUND LIKE BIG BUCKETS RIGHT NOW, BUT THE TREASURY DID SEND OUT 150 PAGE DOCUMENT, WHICH REALLY DETAILS WHAT THEY MEAN WHEN THEY SAY SUPPORT HEALTH EXPENDITURES.
AND SO IN GOING THROUGH THOSE, IT IS NOT AS OPEN AND BROAD AS IT SOUNDS IN TERMS OF RECOVERY.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED INTO THOSE, UM, STAFF, UH, PROPOSED UTILIZING THE FUNDS IN THREE OF THE BUCKETS THAT WE HAVE FOR ELIGIBLE USES, WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST IS WE WILL LOOK AT UTILIZING ABOUT 9 MILLION TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH EXPENSES RELATED TO COVID-19 OR HEALTH EMERGENCIES.
UM, ONE OF THOSE BEING AS SIMPLE AS EKG MONITORS, WHICH ARE NECESSARY IN RESPONSE BY OUR COMMUNICATION AND EQUIPMENT, UM, MAKING REPAIRS TO OUR VACCINE POINT OF DISTRIBUTION AND RESPONSE FACILITIES.
AND THEN THERE IS, UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SERVICES CONTRACT THAT COUNCIL APPROVED THAT WE WOULD INCLUDE IN THAT 9 MILLION OR, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH RELATED.
[01:00:02]
THE NEXT CATEGORY WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING MONEY IN IS A MILLION DOLLARS TO ADDRESS NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS, UM, TO THE PUBLIC.AND THIS WOULD BE USED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DO JOB TRAINING AND CREATION.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SETTING ASIDE A MILLION TO DO THAT REEVAL RE-INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE LAST BUCKET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING A LOT OF THE MONEY IS IN, UM, RECOUPING OUR LOSS REVENUE.
AND WHEN WE RECOUPED LOST REVENUE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS MAKING US IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD USE THOSE ON.
SO WE'RE NOT, IT CAN'T JUST GO BACK INTO FUND BALANCE AND INTO OUR RESERVES.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE STATED INELIGIBLE USES FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE LOSS REVENUE.
AND SO THIS IS A PRELIMINARY LISTING OF WHERE STAFF WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE USING THE FUNDING, STARTING WITH, UM, MICROWAVE SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CITY BUILDINGS, A NEW FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE.
SO WE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND EFFICIENT PARKS, SPORTS, FIELD LIGHTING, AN ADA TRANSITION PLAN, OR PATHWAY LIGHTING REMOVAL OF A COMMUNICATION TOWER, AND THEN PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING TWO FIRETRUCKS, A LADDER TRUCK, AND SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUSES.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING ABOUT 9.5 MILLION OR CAESAR ESTIMATES, BECAUSE THESE ARE ESTIMATES ON THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE LOST.
AND THAT'S BASED ON CALCULATIONS THAT THE TREASURY SPECIFICALLY, UM, DESIGNS FOR US.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE UNTIL THE END OF 2024 TO STATE OUR OBLIGATIONS FOR THESE FUNDS.
SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO LAY OUT THE PLAN AND DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW WE'LL BE USING IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TILL 20, 26 TO SPEND ALL THE FUNDING.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE INTEND TO SPEND THE 19.5 MILLION ON.
WE WOULD WELCOME QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THOSE THAT ARE HERE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
UH, STEPHANIE HAS PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT TRAINING SESSIONS, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, ET CETERA.
AND IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE CITY TO COME UP WITH, WITH A PLAN TO, UM, ADDRESS HOW THESE MONIES WILL BE UTILIZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
SO JERRY, YOU WANT TO GO FIRST, ACTUALLY, IF WE CAN, CAN WE START WITH MS. SOLARIO? I'M SORRY, MARSHA, I MET MARSHA.
I WAS HOPING TO HIDE, BUT I GUESS NOT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, A LITTLE TO EVERYBODY, IT'S MY FIRST TIME HERE IN OVER A YEAR.
IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYONE'S FACES AGAIN.
UM, JUST QUICK QUESTION, ONE OF THE SLIDES, WHAT IS A MICROWAVE SYSTEM WITH A MICROWAVE? SOMETHING, YEAH, WHAT'S THAT SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CITY BUILDINGS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S AN IT INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF THAT PARTICULAR, UM, PROJECT, BUT IT WAS ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH AS THE LISTINGS OF WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS.
YOU'VE GOT, UM, UNLIKE OTHER CITIES VIRTUALLY, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, NO INPUT FROM THE RESIDENTS.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST ACCEPT WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED THAT WAY.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
WHAT PARK PATHWAY LIGHTING IS IT ALL PARKS? IS IT A SPECIFIC PARKS LIKE PALM VIEW PARK? DOESN'T GOING TO GET SOME PATHWAYS LIGHTING OR IS IT THE BIGGER PARKS OR IS IT REPLACING EXISTING LIGHTING IN ALL OF THE PARKS FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY? THIS IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY TO REPLACE THE LIGHTING IN ALL OF THE PARKS TO TRANSITION FROM THE OLD TECHNOLOGY TO THE LEDS.
AND THEN PARKS SPORTS FIELD WHITING.
IS THAT SPORTS FIELDS AND EXISTING PARKS? YES.
OR IS IT THIS A SPORTS PLAYER? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALL OF THE SPORTS FIELDS IN ALL THE EXISTING PARKS AND THEY'LL HAVE TIMERS TO TURN THEM OFF AUTOMATICALLY.
ACTUALLY THE NEW TECHNOLOGY VERY IS PRETTY SOPHISTICATED, USED TO BE THAT THE SPORTS TEAMS HAD TO CHECK OUT A KEY AND THEN THEY DUPLICATED THE KEY.
NEW MUSCO SYSTEMS ARE ACTUALLY ON YOUR IPAD AND THEY ACCOUNT FOR THE TIME OF DAY AND THE SETTING OF THE SUN.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THE NEW MOON AND HAVE TO, UM,
[01:05:01]
ACCOUNT TO THE MINUTE FOR THE, FOR THE ENERGY USE AT THOSE.BUT THESE, THESE NEW SYSTEMS ARE, ARE FAR MORE EFFICIENT THAN THE OLD AND OUR SYSTEMS ARE NOW SO OLD.
IF THAT APPLIES TO EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST THAT I WORKED IN THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC SECTOR DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO KEEP EVERYTHING UP TO SPEED.
SO CONSTANTLY TELLING US THAT IT'S OLD, IT'S OLD, THAT GETS OLD, PLEASE STOP THAT.
I WORKED IN A COLLEGE WITH LEAKY ROOFS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF BUCKETS HERE, BUT JUST THE KEEP TELLING US, WE KNOW THAT IT GETS SO OLD AND EMPLOYEES KEEP TELLING ME THAT.
I MEAN, WE GET IT, BUT GUESS WHAT? I DON'T CHANGE MY CAR EVERY YEAR, EITHER SOME THINGS WE JUST INDIVIDUALLY LOOK AT SOME, I MEAN, CAN I SHARE A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE CAME UP THIS WEEK.
YOU KNOW, WE SOLD THIS PROPERTY TO EMINENT HEALTH AND TOOK OUT SOME LIGHT FIXTURES THERE.
THE CREWS SCAVENGED THE OLD LIGHT FIXTURES BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THEM TO REPLACE LIGHT FIXTURES.
THEY COULDN'T GET AT SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES WHERE THEY BURNED OUT.
I'LL TRY NOT TO USE THE WORD OLD, JERRY.
AND WE USED TO DO THE SAME THING I USED TO GET ON THE IT GUYS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP EVERYTHING OKAY.
BUT WE MIGHT NEED IT DOWN THE ROAD.
THE OTHER THING IS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I'M NOT THE COMMUNICATION TOWER.
WHERE'S THAT AT THE CITY USED TO HAVE AN OPERATING COMMUNICATION TOWER? UM, I THINK IT'S ON VINCENT AND THE CITY.
UM, NO LONGER HAD NEED OF IT, BUT THE CITY CONTINUES TO PAY RENT ON IT.
THIS IS THE COST TO REMOVE IT SO THAT THE RENT PAYMENT CAN GO.
I'VE DEALT WITH THAT IN MY LIFE TOO.
THAT'S A GOOD THING TO TAKE IT OUT.
I WON'T USE THE WORD THAT IT'S OLD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BOUNCE AROUND ON SLIDES A BIT.
SO I APOLOGIZE TO YOU, UH, AND BY THE WAY, WELCOME.
UM, SO CAN WE GO BACK ONE, I'M TRYING TO SEE WHERE MY QUESTIONS WERE.
SO IN HERE, THE PSA FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT SERVICES, THAT'S THE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING TRANS TECH TO DO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OR IS THIS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS? THAT'S THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT.
IT WAS APPROVED WITH TRANS TECH, RIGHT? SO THIS IS THE TRANSTECH CONTRACT BASICALLY.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO GET, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, 90% OF THE PERMITS, THIS IS THE STARTUP COST GOING FORWARD TO ME TO GET STATE APPROVAL FOR A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE, UM, 90% OF THE FEES COLLECTED.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT TRANSTECH GETS CURRENTLY FOR PERMITS FOR BUILDING AND SAFETY WERE, UM, AT 50 50? INTERESTING.
UM, I'M FINE WITH EKG IS I'M ASSUMING THAT'S FOR EQUIPMENT, CORRECT? YES.
TO CARRY ON THE FIRETRUCKS OR PARAMEDICS ONE IN EVERY FIRE STATION.
THE COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT I KIND OF OKAY WITH, UM, IT SAYS VACCINE PODS, UM, IS THAT TO REPLACE EXPENSES THAT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT OR IS THAT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING IT? WELL, RESPONSE FACILITIES IS FIRE STATIONS.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS GET, WON'T USE THE WORD OLD, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND OSHA VIOLATIONS AND GIVE QUARTERS THAT ARE TO STANDARD.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE JUST GOT A, UM, FACILITY CONDITION REPORT FOR FIRE STATION ONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY'S SEEN THAT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING IT IN SO MANY WORDS, IT'S TIME TO TAKE THAT BUILDING DOWN.
SO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO, AS A COMMUNITY ADDRESS, HOW TO THE PEOPLE ASSIGNED TO FIRE STATION ONE, ARE THEY QUARTERED AND WHERE DO WE HOUSE THE EQUIPMENT OR SHOPPING FOR BIDS NOW FOR INTERIM TEMPORARY CREW QUARTERS, YOU KNOW, TRAILERS, AND WE'RE GETTING BIDS FOR DOORS FOR THE OLD SHOP BUILDING BECAUSE THAT BUILDING IS AT THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE AND NEEDS TO COME DOWN.
SO THE 5.3 MILLION OR 5.4, DEPENDING HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, THAT'S BASICALLY THEN MORE OF A REMODEL FIRE STATIONS.
IT'S A PLACEHOLDER NUMBER TO DO REPAIRS THAT WE KNOW NEED TO BE DONE.
IT DOESN'T DEFINE WHICH STATIONS IN WHICH REPAIRS WE'RE UNDERWAY NOW WITH ABOUT $1.6 MILLION WORTH OF CRITICAL REPAIRS THAT A COUPLE OF OUR FIREHOUSES, BUT W THE, THE NEED IS FAR GREATER, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH THE NEED.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DOLLARS.
SO IS THE PLAN THAT AT THIS POINT, AND I KNOW THIS IS PRELIMINARY, BUT IS THE PLAN TO TEAR DOWN STATION ONE AND COMPLETELY REBUILD IT BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS? I THINK WE HAVE
[01:10:01]
TO DO THAT.THE REPORT, THE MOST RECENT REPORT IN EFFECT SAID THAT THE CITY SHOULD HIRE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO CONFIRM, FRANKLY, I DON'T NEED TO HIRE ANOTHER CONSULTANT TO CONFIRM WHAT WE ALL KNOW.
UM, I THINK THE BUILDING IS, IS DONE AND THERE'S ENOUGH, UM, PROBLEMS AND, AND STRUCTURAL MECHANICAL AND EXITING AND, UM, MOLD AND ELECTRICAL, AND, YOU KNOW, NAME ONE THAT IT'D BE, IT'D BE MORE EFFICIENT TO BUILD NEW.
OKAY, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE FOR ME? MA'AM UM, SO THIS HAS JOB TRAINING CREATION PARTNERSHIP FOR A MILLION DOLLARS DELIVERY ASSISTANCE TO WORKERS, UM, 10 FAMILIES AND SUCH AN INSIGHT.
I I'M KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THIS.
I THINK I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY.
UM, JOB TRAINING AND CREATION WOULD BE FOR WHO WOULD IT BE FOR THE BUSINESSES, OR WOULD IT BE FOR ACTUAL RESIDENTS TRAINING? WELL, THIS ISN'T DEFINED, BUT ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AND WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER AND FIGURE IT OUT IS, UM, SOME COMMUNITIES IN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY HAVE HIRED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONSERVATION CORPS KIDS.
THEY GET JOB TRAINING, THEY GET SKILLED DEVELOPMENT AND THE CITY GETS MEDIANS.
THAT WOULD BE A WIN-WIN FOR US.
IF WE COULD COME UP WITH SOMETHING AS HAVE THE OTHER CITIES NEARBY OF UP ONE DAY AND, UH, MONTEBELLO MONTEREY PARK, UH, TEMPLE BOULEVARD IN TEMPLE CITY, THEY'VE USED THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS CONTRACTED WITH THEM FOR, UM, COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROJECTS.
THE KIDS GET JOB TRAINING IN THE CITY GETS A, A PROJECT.
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING MORE THAN HAVE JUST SOME INITIAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
WE THINK THIS SYNCS UP WITH THE FEDERAL GOAL.
SO IT'S KIND OF A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT THE ACTUAL GOAL HERE IS PROBABLY TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY THEN TO TRADE FOR WORK IN THEORY.
IS THAT KIND OF THE IDEA THAT'S, THAT'S A COMMON LAYMAN'S TERM, RIGHT? DO IT TRADE IT FOR WHAT, TRADE IT FOR WORK, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PAY PEOPLE TO, FOR TRAINING, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO IN ESSENCE, GET US, LIKE YOU SAID, MEDIA AND EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY KIND OF A TRADE FORWARD.
MA'AM IF YOU DON'T MIND, THANK YOU BY THE WAY.
UM, SO IN HERE, IF I UNDERSTAND THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT, IT'S KIND OF A FOR COVID EXPENSES.
AND SO I'M NOTICING WE'RE BUYING THREE FIRE TRUCKS, TWO TRUCKS, OR ONE LETTER TRUCK, AND TWO PUMPERS.
UM, I'M HAVING A HARD, I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T NEED THEM.
SO UNDERSTAND THAT I'M COMPLETELY IN AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED THAT STUFF.
SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT DO THESE FALL UNDER COVID REPLACEMENTS, THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY IS ACTUALLY NOT UNDER THE COVID RELATED SECTION.
THIS IS UNDER THE REPLACING OF OUR LOSS REVENUE.
AND SO WHEN WE CALCULATE THE LOSS REVENUE, WE ACTUALLY COME TO A NUMBER THAT MAY BE POTENTIALLY HIGHER THAN THAT 9.5 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS THAT THEY'RE ALLOWING US TO MAKE THAT CALCULATION.
UM, AND WITH THAT, THEY MAKE YOU IDENTIFY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND IT ON.
AND THE DEFINITION OF THAT IS TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICES.
AND THAT CAN INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO MAINTENANCE OR PAY, GO FUNDED BUILDINGS OR INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING ROADS, MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITORIZATION OF CYBERSECURITY, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE PROTECTION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH SERVICES, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICE, FIRE, AND OTHER SAFETY SERVICES.
SO IT GOES INTO ALLOWING YOU TO BASICALLY DO IT FOR ANY GOVERNMENTAL SERVICE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE REIMBURSEMENT OF YOUR REVENUE REPLACES.
SO WHEN WE TALK REVENUE REPLACEMENT, I WOULD ASSUME THAT MEANS THAT BECAUSE OF LOWER PROPERTY TAXES OR LOWER SALES TAXES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH IS BASICALLY CITY REVENUE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BASICALLY GETTING THIS FOR AS A REPLACEMENT, WHICH ALLOWS US TO KIND OF SPEND IT WITHIN THE GUIDELINES THAT WAY.
IS THAT A GOOD ASSESSMENT? CORRECT.
AND IT'S CITYWIDE AND ACCORDING TO THE TREASURY'S DEFINITION.
SO IT'S ALL GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS THAT IT'S BASING THAT CALCULATION ON.
AND THEN THERE'S A SPECIFIC FORMULA THAT THE TREASURY MAKES YOU USE, WHICH ACTUALLY OUT A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT WE ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SPECIFIC REVENUE SOURCES.
IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT, UM, CAN NOT HAVE THAT MUCH FUNDS USED FOR? WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE YOU CANNOT USE IT FOR PENSION PAYMENTS OR FOR FINANCIAL RESERVES? WE CAN'T PUT IT BACK INTO OUR FINANCIAL RESERVES.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A GENERAL FUND REPLENISHMENT IN THEORY, WE STILL HAVE TO BASICALLY SPEND IT ACCORDING TO THE THING.
I BELIEVE THE GOAL IS THAT THEY WANT YOU TO SPEND IT TO BOOST THE ECONOMY.
SO IT'S KIND OF RESTRICTED AS WHAT JIM DOES SAID.
UM, CAN I PAUSE, UM, AND I'D LIKE TO ASK SEAN GRANGER TO EXPLAIN, SOMEBODY ASKS A QUESTION ABOUT THE MICROWAVE SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE AND HE'S HERE.
I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION.
[01:15:01]
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S NOT, UH, NOT TO COOK FOOD.THAT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST QUESTION EVERYONE ASKS.
SO BASICALLY, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE AN ENTERPRISE LIKE A CITY, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF CITIES HAVE FIBER RINGS.
UM, THE CITY THAT I CAME FROM PASADENA, WE BUILT A RING OF, UH, FIBER AROUND THE CITY.
UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN YOUR PAIN, UM, THE COMPANY FOR FIBER.
SO AN ALTERNATIVE IS WHAT WEST COVINA DID, UM, YEARS AGO, WHICH IS CALLED THEIR MICROWAVE.
SO THERE ARE GIANT DISHES AROUND THE CITY AND IT CONNECTS ALL THE FIRE STATIONS, THE POLICE STATION, IT KIND OF RUNS A RING AROUND THE ENTIRE CITY.
ALL, ALL CITY UTILITIES USE IT.
THE NOW, IF WE HAD OUR OWN FIBER RING, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD, BUT IT'S, IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO, TO RUN A RING AROUND THE CITY.
UM, IT'S VERY COSTLY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TRENCH.
SO, BUT IF YOU'RE PAYING MONTHLY, UM, AFTER FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO SPECTRUM THE MICROWAVE SYSTEMS. THE ONE WE HAVE NOW IS ABOUT 17 YEARS OLD.
SO THE REASON WE WANT TO REPLACE IT IS THAT IN THE LIFESPAN, WE WILL SAVE A LOT OF MONEY BY HAVING OUR OWN SYSTEM.
NOW WE'RE NOT PAYING A MONTHLY FEE, UM, BECAUSE EACH FIBER CONNECTION TO EACH SITE TO GET THE TRAFFIC THAT WE NEED IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO REPLACE OUR FIBER.
UM, JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU, I MEAN, OUR MICROWAVE, SORRY.
UM, OUR MICROWAVE JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF KIND OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN.
UM, THE ONE WE BOUGHT HAD A 10 YEAR LIFE CYCLE.
WE'RE, LIKE I SAID, ABOUT 17 YEARS.
UM, THE COMPANY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.
UH, IT GOT BOUGHT THAT COMPANY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND LITERALLY IS NO ONE THAT WE CAN CALL ANY MORE TO FIX IT.
EXCEPT FOR IF SOME OF YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER TOM WHO WAS HERE FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, UM, HE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN CALIFORNIA THAT KNOWS.
AND HE WORKED HERE FOR 30 YEARS.
SO WE CALL HIM, HE'S RETIRED, BUT WE BRING HIM BACK JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NO MORE PARTS THAT WE CAN GET.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE TOM COMING, YOU KNOW, TINKER WITH IT AND SOLDER IT AND MAKE THIS THING WORK.
WELL, TOM'S YOUNG, HE STARTED YOUNG, SO HE'S A GOOD, BUT THAT'S A SITUATION.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT ACTUALLY IT'S YEAH.
IT, IT, IT CONNECTS EVERY THING IN THE CITY AND, UH, IN A LONG RUN FOR US.
IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD, YOU KNOW, A GOOD, HEY SEAN, WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THAT'S BASICALLY INTERCONNECTING THE NETWORKS OF ALL THE DIFFERENT CITY BUILDINGS? YEAH, BASICALLY.
IT'S SO, BUT ALSO THE PHONES, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
IT'S A NETWORK, UH, MICROWAVES OR WHATEVER KIND OF WAVES CARCINOGENIC, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, MICROWAVE'S, YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN FOR AT LEAST THE WORLD.
BUT, BUT THEY, THE WAY THEY WORK IS THEY ARE POINT TO POINT THEY'RE DIRECTLY AT EACH OTHER.
UM, SO IT'S PRETTY, THEY DON'T REALLY GO OUT.
SO, AND THEY'RE VERY HIGH WE'RE, WE'RE UP ON TOWERS.
ONE OF THE OTHER, UM, ISSUES WE HAVE IS THE, THE COMMUNICATION TOWER.
SO WE HAVE A COMMUNICATION TOWER THAT WE PAY MONTHLY FOR.
UM, BUT WE DON'T, IT NO LONGER IS IN USE.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, BUT I WOULD CHARACTERIZE ALL OF THESE AS THINGS THAT THE CITY KNOWS IT NEEDS.
UH WE'VE WE'VE, WE'VE STARED THAT.
NO, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT BECAUSE JERRY TOLD ME NOT TO WE'VE WE'VE, WE'VE STARED IN THE FACE, THIS QUESTION OF, UM, SUBSTANDARD EQUIPMENT COLLAPSE OF GOVERNMENT, CAN'T RUN YOUR NINE ONE, ONE CALLS IN, IN A VEHICLE THAT DOESN'T GET YOU TO THE SCENE.
UH, GO, I, I WANTED TO ASK SPEAKING OF THE NINE ONE, ONE CALLS IS THE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT FOR FIREARM POLICE ON MY FAVORITE SUBJECT, A TEAR RESPONSE
[01:20:01]
SYSTEM, IT'S 3.7 MILLION ON THAT OTHER CHART 0.3, 2.3, TERRY RESPONSE.I, I SAW A VERY SOPHISTICATED VERSION IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.
UH, AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE MIGHT BE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
IT'S UM, IT'S, STATE-OF-THE-ART MOTOROLA RADIOS, UM, AS TO WHETHER THE TIERED RESPONSE IS IN THE CITY'S SHORT-TERM FUTURE, I WOULD BE PLEASED BUT SURPRISED.
BECAUSE IT INVOLVES SOFTWARE AND COMPUTERS AND TO DO IT PROPERLY OR COMPUTERS, TRAINING PERSONNEL.
THAT'S WHY, CAUSE THAT'S ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SO EITHER THAT, OR WE HAVE TO CONTRACT IT WITH SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY HAS IT, BUT IT, AS HE SAID EARLIER, IT'S EASIER IF YOU HAVE IT YOURSELF, UH, THAT WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOREVER ON A CONTRACT.
UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU'RE DOING FIBER, PAYING SOMEBODY ELSE FOR FIBER OR YOU PAY THEM FOREVER, AND IT'S A PROFIT CENTER FOR THE COMPANY THAT YOU'RE PAYING TO BECAUSE THEY IT'S, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS INSTALL.
THEN AFTER THAT, IT'S ALL PROFIT.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE CONTRACTED WITH SOMEBODY ELSE FOR TIERED RESPONSE, WE HAD OUR OWN, WE HAD THE 3 MILLION OR SO THAT IT WOULD COST TO INSTALL IT.
UH, IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE COST EFFECTIVE OVER THE LONG RUN FOR US, UH, THEN, UH, CONTRACTING THAT'S, UH, THAT'S MY QUESTION ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
THE OTHER ITEM WAS THAT I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WAS THE LADDER TRUCK.
I HOPE THAT ISN'T REPLACING THE OLD LADDER TRUCK THAT WAS RETIRED.
I HOPE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT ENORMOUS CONTROVERSY THAT TOOK PLACE.
IT WAS THE FAMOUS ENGINE FOUR.
WELL THERE'S THERE'S PUMPER ENGINES AND THERE'S LADDER TRUCKS.
THE LADDER TRUCK IS THE LONG ONE.
THAT'S THE, THE TOOLBOX THE FIRE DEPARTMENT USES TO GET ANYWHERE THAT HAS THE TILLER TELLERMAN, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY THINKING QUINT, QUINT.
THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS A LADDER TRUCK.
LADDER TRUCK HAS NO PUMPER ENGINE.
SO IF IT WERE LABELED CLINT, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A LOT LESS CONFLICT.
IT'S GETTING BETTER BY THE MINUTE.
THAT WAS ALL I, THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT ON THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THE IT STUFF AS A RESONANT, I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT STUFF UPGRADED AND, UH, TRAINING AND THE STAFFING FOR BOTH THE, UM, DISPATCH, ALL OF THAT, HIS DEPARTMENT, I THINK THE CITY WOULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT AS RESONANCE.
I THINK YOU'D WORK SMARTER AND USING THE CLICHE INSTEAD OF HARDER, THERE'D BE, UM, THAT WOULD BE AN AREA THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF I HAD INPUT INTO WHERE MONEY COULD GO.
IT WOULD BE IN THE COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, IT AREAS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE COULD BUILD OFF IN THE FUTURE.
UM, PHYLLIS QUICKLY, I'M OPPOSED TO THIS FEDERAL ENTITLEMENT, BUT PRAGMATICALLY, I DON'T WANT TO SEND BACK TO THE STIMULUS MONEY.
MY QUESTION WAS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT, STEPHANIE IS IT SEEMS PUBLIC A LITTLE BIT LOPSIDED AND HEAVY ON THE PUBLIC SIDE, RIGHT.
AND I'M WONDERING, CAN THIS MONEY BE USED TO ASSIST THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, IN, IN WAYS THAT, UH, FOR THOSE THAT DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE, THE LOANS OR THE P THE RELIEF, UH, MONIES, UM, ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS TO THAT END? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS MOSTLY REGARDING THE CITY'S NEEDS, NOT THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S NEEDS.
AND WHEN I'M REFERRING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I'M REFERRING TO THE SMALL BUSINESS, WHICH WAS PARTLY THE JUSTIFICATION GIVEN FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAD TO SUFFER.
SO WHY ISN'T THIS RELIEF MONEY BEING TARGETED TO THOSE ENTITIES? RIGHT.
UM, MY OTHER QUESTION IS HOW DID THE CITY ACTUALLY COME UP WITH THIS LIST, THIS IDENTIFIED LIST OF NEEDS? UM, WHEN WAS IT PUT TOGETHER AND WAS THIS
[01:25:01]
ALREADY APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL IS OKAY, SO THIS IS COMING OFF FROM STAFF.IT HASN'T GONE BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
UM, I'M WONDERING IN THE PAST, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE RESIDENTS WERE POLLED FOR PREVIOUS BUDGET PRIORITIES.
THIS SEEMS TO PROBABLY FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
AND I DON'T RECALL US BEING REACHED OUT TO SO J D ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAID AS PART OF THE INTRODUCTION TONIGHT WAS THIS WOULD REALLY BE THE COMMUNITIES.
FIRST, LOOK, THIS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TIME ON OUR HANDS.
NOW, THE MONEY IS GOING TO GET WILD IN ANY DAY NOW, BUT THE CITY IS NOT REQUIRED TO SPEND THIS MONEY IMMEDIATELY.
IF I COULD RESPOND TO ONE OF THE POINTS YOU MADE, UM, IF WE'VE LEARNED A NUMBER OF LESSONS THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, AND ONE OF THEM IS, THIS IS A REALLY GREAT TIME TO BE A FULL SERVICE CITY, BECAUSE THE IDEA THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO COME IN HERE AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR RESIDENTS IS A MYTH, UM, UH, AN ANCIENT MYTH.
AND WE, UM, TRIED TO STAY FOCUSED ON OUR BREAD AND BUTTER ON OUR CORE SERVICES, ON OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES SERVICES THAT WE AS A GOVERNMENT HAVE TO PROVIDE TO OUR RESIDENTS THAT IF WE DON'T PROVIDE NOBODY ELSE WILL NOW THE SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS ARE RESOURCE RICH AND ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND PICK UP WHAT WE CAN DO.
SO THAT'S, WHAT'S BEHIND THIS.
WE'VE GOT UNMET NEEDS HERE THAT ARE MYRIAD, AND, AND THIS IS ONLY A PARTIAL LIST OF THINGS WE THINK IS ESSENTIAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS A GOVERNMENT TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE.
UM, AND WE, THE LIST COULD CERTAINLY BE, BE GROWN.
UM, BUT MY QUESTION STILL REMAINS, AND THAT IS WHY ARE WE NOT CHANNELING SOME OF THESE FUNDS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR? UM, ARE WE RESTRICTED IN DOING SO, UH, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION, UH, JENNIFER, OR EXCUSE ME, STEPHANIE.
UM, SO THERE IS A COMPONENT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC IMPACT, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEY IMPACTED INDUSTRIES SUCH AS TOURISM, HOTELS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED ANY PROGRAMS FOR THAT YET, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE CITY COULDN'T EXPAND ON THAT AND INCLUDE IT IN THE FUTURE.
AFTER WE GET INPUT FROM ALL THE OTHER, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND I'M RAISING THEIR POINTS BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY FOUR OF US HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING, WELL, I'M SORRY, THERE YOU GO.
I'LL TEAR IN THE OUTSKIRTS FIVE, SIX, I'LL GIVE THEM 10.
AND I WOULD STILL SAY THAT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE CITY BY ANY MEANS.
AND CERTAINLY DOESN'T REPRESENT THE BUSINESS PART OF THE CITY, WHICH I KNOW DURING, UH, IN RECENT, UH, COUNCIL MEETINGS, THEY CAME IN WITH SOME LARGE CONCERNS.
I THINK SOME OF THIS MONEY, UH, RIGHTLY SHOULD BE, THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR SOME OF THIS MONEY IN TERMS OF THEIR LOSSES, AND MAYBE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO TAP INTO ANY FEDERAL OR STATE ASSISTANCE.
UM, SO THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS LIST, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
SO THE OTHER CONCERN I HAD WAS WITH THE POLICE, BECAUSE SINCE WE'VE GOT A LIST OF PRIORITIES, FIRE DEPARTMENTS SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN, THERE HAS TO SPLURGE FUN TO ME.
AND BASICALLY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS GONE, UH, WALKING AWAY, LOOKING PRETTY GOOD HERE WITH A LOT OF THE MONEY.
THEY'VE SEEMED TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN FOR THE CITY, UH, NOT ONLY IN ITS EXISTENCE, BUT IN ITS USE OF, OF, UH, BUDGETED MONEY SINCE WE'RE ON A BUDGET MEETING TONIGHT.
SO THE POLICE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE PAYING, PLAYING A BIG ROLE HERE.
AND THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN FOR ME AS A RESONANT BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, AN EVER INCREASING, UH, PROBLEMS IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF CRIME HOMELESSNESS AND, AND A LACK OF POLICE ENFORCEMENT.
SO, IS, ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS FOR SOME OF THIS MONEY TO BE CHANNELED TOWARDS THE POLICE APARTMENT? I WOULD IMAGINE NOT SINCE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN THEIR CUT.
DO YOU GUYS WANT TO RESPOND TO THAT, OR I HEAR YOU ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, I'M YOUR CITY MANAGER? SO I I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR MY DEPARTMENT'S POINT MADE POINT MADE.
I WOULD SAY, AS REGARDS OUR OPERATING DEPARTMENTS,
[01:30:01]
YOU JUST LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITH ROLLING STOCK.LAST YEAR, WE GOT, I THINK, 18 NEW POLICE CARS.
SO WE GOT THE FLEET MORE OR LESS, UM, BETTER.
WOULDN'T SAY IT'S COMPLETELY CURRENT.
YOU STILL HAVE SOME VEHICLES THAT ARE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THAT WORD, JERRY, NOT NEW.
UM, BUT AS REGARDS THE ROLLING STOCK IN THE, IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT'S, UM, IT'S NOT TO STANDARD AND IT'S THIN, AND IT'S NOT A POINT OF PRIDE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
WE HAD, UM, AN AMBULANCE, UH, RESCUE AMBULANCE.
IT WAS T-BONED ENTIRELY THE FAULT OF THE OTHER PARTY.
AND WE WERE SCRAMBLING WONDERING HOW TO PUT AN OLD UNIT SUBSTANDARD UNIT BACK INTO SERVICE UNTIL THAT ONE COULD GET FIXED, OR WE COULD LITIGATE THE INSURANCE CLAIM, ET CETERA.
UM, WE NEED TO DO WAY BETTER TO GET PROPER EQUIPMENT PROPER ROLLING STOCK FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT ON THIS LIST IS POLICE AND FIRE $3.3 MILLION WORTH OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT BENEFITS, BENEFITS, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE PHYSICAL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE CURRENT EXISTING RELATIONSHIP NOW THOUGH, THAT'S NOT THAT THAT'S NOT.
IN TERMS OF THE, THE, THE FACILITIES WE'VE GOT IN THE POLICE STATION, PLENTY OF PLACES THAT NEED ATTENTION WHEN IT RAINS THE JAIL CELL LEAKS.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FACILITY CONDITION REPORT THAT SAYS, TEAR IT DOWN.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO A BIT OF TRIAGE AND FOCUS ON THE WORST FIRST TO GET THINGS CONTEMPORANEOUS, TO GET THINGS CURRENT.
SO THIS IS I GUESS, A BEST JUDGMENT RECOMMENDATION.
I WAS GOING TO POINT OUT THOUGH THAT A LOT OF THE POLICE FUNDS COME FROM ASSET FORFEITURE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T GET ASSET FORFEITURE, SO IT'S NOT, BUT IT'S, THERE'S STILL MONEY THERE.
SO, UM, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT A BIG PROPONENT OF ASSET FORFEITURE TO BEGIN WITH, BUT JUST STATING WHAT CURRENTLY AGAIN, WE'LL GO BACK TO IDEOLOGY VERSUS PRAGMATIC.
UM, W UH, ONE OF THE LAST SLIDES I'M GOING TO FINISH UP, I KNOW JIM HAS A COMMENT.
CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDES OF THE NUMBERS? I THINK I'VE LOST ONE I DIDN'T GET TO, AND I'LL TRY TO FINISH UP.
SO, JIM, IS THAT THE LAST ONE OR ONE MORE? THAT'S THE LAST ONE? OH, WELL MAYBE I DID REACH THE LAST ONE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WHAT'S THE TOTAL OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT THAT WE HAVE QUOTE, UNQUOTE ALLOCATED AT THIS POINT IS NINE POINT 19,566,000.
SO WE HAVE KIND OF ALLOCATIONS BASED ON ALL THOSE SLIDES THAT DIDN'T DO IT QUICK MATH.
SO ALL OF THESE ADD UP TO THAT.
AND FOR FULL DISCLOSURE, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE VACCINE POINT OF DISTRIBUTIONS, AS WE'RE CALLING THEM, UM, THAT 5.3 IS ACTUALLY THE BALANCE OF WHAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC NEEDS FOR, AND THEN THE BALANCE OF THAT, BECAUSE WE COULD SPEND MORE MONEY ON THOSE FACILITIES AND THEMSELVES IS HOW WE GOT TO THE 5.3 MILLION TO UTILIZE ALL OF THE 19 MILLION THAT WE WILL BE GETTING.
AND TO JED'S POINT ON THE, UH, ON THE PUBLIC SECTOR, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS, OR IS THERE ANY LIMIT I SHOULD SAY, BASED ON EITHER A DOLLAR FIGURE OR PERCENTAGE THAT ALLOWS US TO SPEND ON PUBLIC SECTORS, OR THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES ON THAT, AND WHEN YOU SAY PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR, TO LIKE SMALL BUSINESSES, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE CITY THAT MAY HAVE SUFFERED, YOU MENTIONED HOSPITALITY, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE.
IS THERE ANY SET GUIDE OR LIMITATIONS THAT THEY'VE PUT ON THIS THAT YOU CAN ONLY SPEND SO MUCH OR NOT SPEND SO MUCH ON? I DON'T PUT MONETARY, UH, STIPULATIONS IN REGARDS TO YOUR FULL ALLOCATION.
UM, BUT THERE ARE PROGRAMMATIC LIMITATIONS AS HOW YOU CAN IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN TOURISM AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THERE'S NOT A DOLLAR THRESHOLD UP YOU COULD UP TO YOUR 19 MILLION.
WOULD IT BE SAFE TO SAY IT'S PROBABLY MORE PERCENTAGE BASED ON BECAUSE I'M SURE DIFFERENT CITIES GET DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF, WOULD IT, THAT CALCULATION KIND OF BE WHAT THEY DETERMINE A PERCENTAGE OF? NO.
SO THEY DIDN'T LIMIT YOU IN ANY OF THE CATEGORIES.
THE ONLY ONE THAT WE'RE KIND OF LIMITED TO WOULD BE OUR CALCULATION COMPONENT OF OUR REVENUE LOSS.
SO, UM, GOING BACK TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SO WE HAVE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND JUST SHY OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT CREATION, BUT THERE'S NO OTHER MONEY IN HERE RIGHT NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THIS PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS JUST ABOUT THE, THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT, RIGHT.
SO ARE WE GOING TO, IS THERE ANOTHER PART OF THIS AFTER THIS? THERE'S NO PART THREE.
SO THIS, THIS IS GOING TO UP THE WHOLE THING FOR TODAY, OTHER THAN PUBLIC COMMENT DO
[01:35:01]
THIS, BUT WE'RE, I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER ASPECTS OF MUNICIPAL FINANCE THAT YOUR INTEREST.SO REAL QUICK ON THAT, THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS IS BASICALLY OUR FIRST DATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHEN OUR NEXT DATE IS AND, UH, HOW LONG WE'RE GOING TO BE DATING BEFORE WE DECIDE TO GET MARRIED? WE'RE, UM, INTENDING TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AT THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THREE AND A HALF WEEKS ALL THE DAYS BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 15TH WOULD BE AVAILABLE IF THERE'S INTEREST IN ANOTHER MEETING LIKE THIS OR NOT LIKE THIS BETWEEN NOW, AND THEN WE'RE COMPLETELY OPEN TO THAT.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A 100% UNANIMOUS VOTE IN THIS ROOM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ONLY FIVE PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY HEARTENED THAT YOU CAME.
I DID IT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU MISSED ME.
UM, I WOULD'VE CAME LAST NIGHT, BUT I KNEW YOU HAD ALL KINDS OF HOUSE GUESTS AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE LAST ONE TO LEAVE.
SO THE, UM, THE THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE TIMELINE THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH DOES NOT LEAVE MUCH ROOM FOR THINGS THAT WE'VE NORMALLY DONE IN THE CITY.
AND, AND PEOPLE MENTIONED THE SURVEY WHERE WE PUT IT ON AND IT COULD BE ON THE WEBSITE AND LINK TO A SURVEY AND YOU CAN USE SURVEY MONKEY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO USE.
UM, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THIS CITY HAS, AND, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST PULL THE LID OFF THE, OFF THE THING, THIS COUNCIL DOESN'T LISTEN TO ANYBODY.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH I WANT YOU TO DO A SURVEY AND I DO WANT YOU TO, AND I THINK THE RESIDENTS DO I'M UNDER NO PERCEPTION THAT THIS COUNCIL IS ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE THAT SURVEY AND ACT ON IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO US.
NOW, THEY LISTEN TO WHO THEY WANT TO LISTEN TO, WHICH IS KIND OF THE WAY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION.
UM, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR ANYONE ELSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT IN WATCHING THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND WATCHING WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LA COUNTY FIRE SCENARIO AND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR TO TWO YEARS, IT, THERE'S NO PERCEPTION THAT THE COUNCIL IS REALLY OPEN TO PUBLIC INPUT.
AND, AND AGAIN, HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE THE BUDGET MEETING WHILE IT'S BEING MADE TODAY, I GOT THE EMAIL ANNOUNCING THIS MEETING YESTERDAY, AND THERE ARE RESIDENTS THAT NOTICE THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY NOTICEABLE, THAT THERE WASN'T A LOT OF EMAILING OUT OR, OR INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
AND JUDGING THE FACT THAT THERE ARE FIVE RESIDENTS HERE.
UM, AND FOR THE MOST PART, THE FIVE OF US THAT ARE HERE AT GADFLIES, WE COME TO ALL THE MEETINGS OR MANY OF THE MEETINGS AND WE'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED, BUT THE, THE TRUE POPULOUS OF THE CITY, THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER THE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY THAT MATTER, UM, I I'D BE WILLING TO BET 95 TO, WELL, PROBABLY 99.9% OF THEM HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GOING ON.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS FOR AWHILE.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ENOUGH OF AN OUTREACH FOR THIS CITY AS A CITY WHO IS THE NINTH, WORST FINANCIAL CITY IN THE STATE, UM, AND WHO HAS A PROBLEM, NOT DOING DEFICIT SPENDING THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH MASSIVE OVERDRAFTS FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS OVER TIME AND WITH ALL THE THINGS GOING ON AND, AND LACK OF FAITH IN OUR CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IS WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AND I THINK WE PUBLICIZE IT A LOT MORE.
I THINK WE DO A SURVEY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST GIVING YOU PR TECHNIQUES HERE, BECAUSE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO KNOW WE'RE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE, BUT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING TO BE ABLE TO INPUT.
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
JIM GRIFFITH HAS HAD A LOT OF TALENT AND I DO RESPECT HIS ABILITY.
I DON'T THINK HE'S RIGHT ON EVERYTHING.
UM, HE AND I HAVE DISAGREED ON STUFF AND THAT'S FINE.
UM, MARCH'S OBVIOUSLY AN AUDITOR AS WELL, AND SHE'S ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THEM, UM, WHO ARE INVOLVED.
I'M NOT AS MUCH OF A FINANCIAL WIZARD.
I MEAN, I CAN MANAGE MY OWN FINANCES AND I CAN SAY THAT I'M NOT DEFICIT SPENDING AT MY HOUSE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
AND TO BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU, THE CITY'S DONE A TERRIBLE JOB GETTING US INVOLVED OR GETTING THOSE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE GADFLIES THE GUYS LIKE US THAT ARE INVOLVED, WE'RE GOING TO COME TO ALL THIS STUFF, BUT THAT'S MY TAKE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
SO IF THIS IS OUR FIRST DATE, I GET THE FACT THAT WE'RE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST KISS.
I'M WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, BUT IN THE REALITY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU PROPOSE AND BEFORE WE PUT A RING ON IT, UM, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP AT THE WEDDING FOR THE CEREMONY AND TO SIGN THE WITNESS LINE.
ANY, UM, I'LL FIRST START WITH JUST THE VERY MUNDANE THING THAT I WAS ORIGINALLY GONNA SAY, WHICH WAS, UH, UH, ON THAT LIST.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CLINT WAS, IS THE CURRENT CLINTON'S ABOUT EIGHT YEARS OLD.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD NEED
[01:40:01]
TO REPLACE IT.UH, IT WAS PURCHASED JUST BEFORE I STARTED GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE CITY.
THE RULE OF THUMB WITH YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT IS YOU'D WANT TO BE IN FRONTLINE SERVICE FOR 10 AND, AND RESERVE STATUS FOR ANOTHER 10.
THIS IS A THREE OR FOUR YEAR PLAN.
AND I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY THAT THIS CITY WILL BUY ANOTHER QUINT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
TIMING WOULD WORK OUT REALLY WELL.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXPECTING A TEN-YEAR LIFE, LIFE SPAN THEN ON YOUR VEHICLES.
UH, THE OTHER, I, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON, UH, UH, ONE THING THAT, UH, STEVE SAID ABOUT, UH, THE COUNCIL LISTENING, UH, THIS, THIS YOU AND THE CURRENT COUNCIL, UH, ON THE SUBJECT OF, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERTIME, THIS EXISTED BEFORE I EVEN GOT INVOLVED IN THE CITY.
AND THAT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO NOW, AND PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT FOREVER.
THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU AND THE CITY COUNCIL COULD DELIVER TO INDICATE A MODICUM OF RESPONSE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
THIS SOMETHING ACTUALLY BE DONE ABOUT IT.
UH, IT'S NOTHING'S BEEN DONE IN ALL THIS TIME.
UH THAT'S THAT'S BASICALLY MY REQUEST.
UH, WE, I THINK THE CITIZENS WOULD REALLY BE GRATIFIED IF THERE WAS A FEELING THAT THERE WAS A RESPONSE, THE CITIZENS, ESSENTIALLY, THAT THAT IS NO, NO, NO.
WELL, LET'S SAY THE CITIZENS DIDN'T WANT THAT EITHER.
I I'M JUST SAYING IF THERE COULD BE A DELIVERABLE ON THAT SUBJECT, THAT WOULD REALLY GO A LONG WAY.
UM, SO YOU MENTIONED THE BUDGETS GOING UP FOR TWO CITY COUNCIL IN ABOUT A MONTH MARCH.
THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE UP FOR VOTE FOR CITY COUNCIL IN ABOUT A MONTH, RIGHT? JUNE 15TH, JUNE 15TH.
THIS BUDGET WILL NOT BE PART OF THAT MOTION.
AND WILL THIS EVEN BE BROUGHT UP AT THAT MEETING OR IS THIS JUST GOING TO CONTINUE AS A ROLLING? DOES IT REQUIRE ANY KIND OF MOTION FROM CITY COUNCIL? WE DON'T EXPECT THIS WILL BE IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT SAME MEETING, THE BUDGET GETS ADOPTED.
WE'VE WE'VE GOT SOME TIME ON THIS AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, AS TIME, MR. WILL COUNCILMAN ENUMERATED THE MEANS OF COVERING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXPENSES, I BELIEVE YOU SAID 50% WOULD COME FROM GRANTS 15% FROM FEES.
CAN YOU EITHER CONFIRM AND EXPAND ON THE AT LEAST TO COME UP TO THE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THAT? OKAY.
UM, I THINK HE SAID 15, BUT I'M NOT A LOT.
OH, KIND OF GOING FROM RECOLLECTION.
SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT ACCURATE ON THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT HE, HE STAYED AT THE, UH, DIFFERENT MEANS OF, OF COVERING THE COSTS.
I WAS, YOU CAN MAYBE SHARE THAT AGAIN WITH ME, UM, BECAUSE IT KINDA TIES INTO MY FOLLOW-UP.
I CAN GIVE YOU A REACTION TONIGHT.
WE'RE NOT HERE WITH A BUDGET FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TONIGHT.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S 12 REQUIRED COMPONENTS UNDER STATE LAW.
THE ONE THAT SEEMS TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN TERMS OF REVENUES AND COSTS IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS PLAN CHECKS.
AND ALL OF THAT, THAT'S A RELATIONSHIP THAT COULD BE STOOD UP IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER.
AND THE INITIAL TERM, THE IDEA IS THAT 90% OF THE REVENUES WOULD GO TO THE FIRM THAT WOULD DO THE INSPECTIONS, PROVIDE THE QUALIFIED PEOPLE THAT DO THE INSPECTIONS, THE OTHER PIECES, UM, THE INTENTION WOULD BE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STATE AND FEDERAL SUSPENSIONS GRANTS, MONIES THAT ARE ENTITLED TO COME TO HEALTH DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE STATE BUDGET.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU TONIGHT.
SO THERE YOU DON'T HAVE A PERCENTAGE.
BUT GRANTS IS NOT A STATIC GUARANTEED SOURCE
[01:45:01]
OF INCOME FOR, OR REVENUE THAT, THAT DEPENDS ON, ON THE, UH, THE STATE, WHETHER IT HAD CAN'T AFFORD TO PROVIDE THE GRANT OR WILLING TO GIVE, COMMIT TO THOSE GRANTS.THAT'S AT ANY POINT IN TIME, I WOULD THINK SO.
THAT'S NOT A GUARANTEED, UH, MEANS OF SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT.
I WOULD THINK THE FEES AND CERTAINLY NOT LIKE THE FEES.
UM, SOME OF THESE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELATED PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN LONGSTANDING PROGRAMS. UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ASPECT OF A HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT TENDS TO, UM, FAMILY CARE, UM, WOMEN AND INFANT CARE THAT THE FEDERAL WIC PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS, DO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO GO AWAY? NO, I DON'T.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO GO WAY UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SO SOME GRANTS ARE ONE TIME AND TRANSITORY AND FLEETING AND DISAPPEAR, BUT A NUMBER OF THOSE PROGRAMS, UM, ARE RELIABLE AND SECURE AND, AND PRETTY PREDICTABLE.
SO THAT ASIDE, SINCE WE'RE NOT FACTORING IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT EXPENSES OR WHATEVER REVENUE IS GONNA BE NEEDED TO, TO GET THIS OFF THE, OFF THE FLOOR, UM, WHERE DOES IT COME INTO PLAY? BECAUSE IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT A JUNE, JULY EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THIS CONTRACTOR TO TAKE OVER.
AM I, AM I ALL WET HERE? I'M ALL WET.
WELL, I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAID LAST NIGHT GAVE A RECAP OF THE INTRODUCTORY, UM, INITIAL MEETING WITH THE STATE OFFICIALS.
THEY'VE ASSIGNED THREE VERY HIGH RANKING, UM, PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO THE WEST COVINA PROPOSAL.
UM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM SOME TIME TO REACT TO THE CITY'S PLAN PROPOSAL.
UM, THEY MADE THE POINT PRETTY CANDIDLY.
THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE IN MORE THAN 70 YEARS.
SO NOBODY THERE HAS ANY INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY ABOUT HOW ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT WAS FORMED AT ALL.
UM, THE CITY HAS A CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT SERVICES.
A CONTRACT IS A SERIOUS THING THAT CONTRACT AFFORDS THE CITY OPPORTUNITY TO SEGWAY OUT ONCE A YEAR.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE NOTICE BY JUNE 1ST OF INTENTIONALLY BY JULY 1ST, DO I THINK THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO APPROVE THE WEST COVINA HEALTH DEPARTMENT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE MONTH? I DO NOT.
SO DO I INTEND TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE CONCLUDING THAT CONTRACT? I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET STATE APPROVAL AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS.
SO THEN WHY HASN'T THE STAFF DONE DUE DILIGENCE IN FIGURING OUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT FUTURE BUDGETS? UM, BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN THE CONCERN OF RESIDENTS ALL ALONG IS WE DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS TO, TO SAY, YAY, WE, WE CAN SUPPORT IT, OR IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO US RIGHT NOW.
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE COSTS WILL BE, WHAT THE BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, WILL END UP BEING.
UM, SO SINCE YOU REALLY HAVE NO TARGET DATE, THEN ALL WE CAN SAY IS, OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT US IN THE FUTURE.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT WE'RE SPENDING OUR, WE'RE SPINNING OUR WHEELS NOW ON IT TREMENDOUSLY, UH, AND KIND OF WE'VE MADE IT A PRIORITY.
AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF CREATED A SCHISM, UH, AMONG RESIDENTS WHERE, UM, I'M SAYING, FROM WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME, IT'S NOT SUCH A PRIORITY BECAUSE THERE'S A LONG-TERM GOAL.
IT DOESN'T CERTAINLY DOESN'T SEEM TO FALL UNDER THE DEFINITION OF A SHORT OR MEDIUM, RIGHT? TH TH WE'VE TREATED THIS AS A, AS A URGENT MATTER, WE CALLED A SPECIAL MEETING AND WE PROVIDED NO REAL HARDCORE DATA TO SUPPORT ITS VIABILITY.
BUT YET TONIGHT DURING A BUDGET MEETING, YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NOT REALLY, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS BUDGET MAY NOT APPLY TO THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR.
AND I CAN'T REALLY TELL YOU WHEN IT WILL APPLY.
SO IT'S, MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT, IT'S ONLY A 600 POUND GORILLA, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHY HAS IT BEEN GIVEN SO MUCH PRIORITY, I GUESS IS MY REAL QUESTION? OH, THE DIRECTION WE'VE BEEN
[01:50:01]
GIVEN IS THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS A APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY RESPONSE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH FOR WEST COVINA RESIDENTS.UM, THE, THE MECHANICS OF HOW THAT GETS DONE IS GOING TO TAKE SOME EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UM, OF THE 12 REQUIRED COMPONENTS.
UM, NOT EVERY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THIS STATE PROVIDES ALL 12, SOME CONTRACT FOR SOME PIECES.
DO SOME OF THOSE IN-HOUSE DON'T DO SOME OF THEM.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT DEFINED UNTIL WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
BUT YOU DO AGREE THERE'S A NEXUS BETWEEN THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND FUTURE BUDGETS IN A, IN A VERY LARGE WAY.
WELL, THE DEPARTMENT WILL REQUIRE A BUDGET ONCE WE FINISHED WITH THE PROCESS OF, OF STATE REACTION TO THE, TO THE APPROACH.
MS. PORTIS, DO YOU MIND GOING BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SAYS VACCINATIONS? OKAY.
THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A NITPICKY POINT OR NON-IMPORTANT BUDGETS COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT BUDGET PEOPLE, BUDGETS, OR PLANNING DOCUMENTS.
UM, WHAT REALLY I'VE FOUND WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS SLIDE, THE LINE VACCINATION VACCINE POINT OF DISTRIBUTION AND RESPONSE RESPONSE FACILITY, REPAIRS, THAT ISN'T CLEAR ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS AND LISTENING TO IT.
MY S AND WHEN, AS RESIDENTS, WE SEE THAT WE SEE GAME PLAYING.
WE SEE INSINCERITY, WE SEE, UM, PULLING THE RUG OVER OR WHATEVER THAT PHRASE IS.
I WOULD PREFER TO SEE THINGS SUCH AS FIRE STATIONS, MAYBE THEN IN PARENTHESES PUT VACCINATING VACCING POINT, BECAUSE IT WAS WHEN YOU WERE TALKING THAT WE LEARNED IT WAS THE FIRE STATIONS.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FIRE STATIONS.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, STEPHANIE, I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY THE EXPERT MATTER OR THE PERSON WITH THE MOST EXPERT ON THIS IN TALKING ABOUT THE BACK TO SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, BESIDES FIGURING OUT THE, THE CRITERIA, THE DOLLAR VALUE OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WHAT OTHER HAVE THEY PUT ON THE AMERICAN RECOVERY ACT FOR THE USE TOWARD SMALL BUSINESSES THAT YOU CAN LET US KNOW RIGHT NOW, WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU EXACT LIMITATIONS, BUT I CAN PULL QUICKLY KIND OF BROAD BASED OF WHAT IT IS AMY, NOT IN TERMS OF SMALL BUSINESSES TO HELP THEM ADDRESS FINANCIAL CHALLENGES CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC AND TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN COVID-19 PREVENTION AND MITIGATION TACTICS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.
RECIPIENTS MAY EMPLOY THIS FUNDING TO EXECUTE A BROAD ARRAY OF LOAN GRANT AND KIND ASSISTANCE AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS TO ENABLE SMALL BUSINESSES TO REBOUND FROM THE DOWNTURN.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF INITIATIVES THAT A CITY COULD PUT IN PLACE WITH THESE FUNDS.
I COULD GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF SOME THINGS I'VE HEARD.
UM, I KNOW, UM, THERE ARE, ARE MILLIONS, THERE ARE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS PROGRAM AND THE PIECE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ONLY ONE SMALL PART OF THAT COMPARED TO THE WHOLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PART TO THE WHOLE, THE CONTEXT IS THIS IS THE PIECE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER PIECES FOR BUSINESS ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, THIS ISN'T, BUSINESS'S ONLY CHANCE TO ACCESS THESE MONIES.
UM, SOME INSTRUMENTALITIES OF, OF GOVERNMENT, UM, TRIBES HAVE USED, UM, COVID MONEY TOWARD THINGS LIKE AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM, SO THAT THEY COULD ALLOW SAFER, UM, OCCUPANCY WITHIN RESTAURANTS RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, BE OUTSIDE UNDERNEATH CANVAS AND SPACE EATERS.
UM, I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET LOCKED IN ON THE IDEA THAT THIS IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES THROUGH THIS FEDERAL PROGRAM.
THERE, THERE ARE MYRIAD PROGRAMS, UM, IN THIS, IN THIS FEDERAL BILL, IT IS STAGGERING, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT GOES TO EVERYBODY.
[01:55:01]
NO.UM, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S IN $1.9 TRILLION THAT THE PRESIDENT SIGNED INTO LAW.
THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY GOING, A LOT OF PLACES, I GET THAT.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES THAT YOU'RE GOING BACK TO THE PRAGMATIC APPROACH AND IDEOLOGY.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I DON'T AGREE WITH IN IT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK THAT SMALL BUSINESS WAS THE MOST HIT IN THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY DISAGREE ON CERTAIN THINGS, BUT THE ONE THING IS I THINK THAT, THAT WE ALL AGREE AS SMALL BUSINESS GOT HURT THE WORST.
UM, SO I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT ARE WAYS THAT CAN DO IT.
SO THE WAY THAT I TAKE YOUR STATEMENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, MR. CARMONEY IS THAT THERE'S MANY, A WAYS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO GET, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET IT OUT OF THIS MONEY FROM THE CITY.
WOULD THAT BE KIND OF THE WAY YOU'RE INSINUATING THAT I'M TRYING TO CRAFT A PACKAGE THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR WEST COVINA AND ITS GOVERNMENT THAT SERVES ITS RESIDENTS? SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY PRIORITY.
I WANT TO GET THINGS TO STANDARD.
I WANT TO GET REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
I WANT TO HAVE PROPER EQUIPMENT.
UM, AND THIS IS A CITY THAT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SAY ANY OF THOSE CATEGORIES ARE SUFFICIENT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO QUANTIFY PROBLEMS, SOLVE PROBLEMS, MOVE ON, SOLVE THE NEXT.
AND THIS MIGHT BE A WAY WE COULD SOLVE QUITE A FEW OF THEM ALL AT ONCE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD IS TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR MY DEPARTMENT RESPECTFULLY.
I UNDERSTAND AS A MANAGER, A SUPERVISOR, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO ADVOCATE, I ADVOCATE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THEM DESERVE MORE AND SOME OF THEM ARE TREATED BETTER THAN THEY DESERVE IN SOME CASES.
UM, BUT ANYWAYS, THE, UH, THE NEXT QUESTION I HAD KIND OF IN RELATION TO THIS, UM, YOU WERE HAVING AN EXCHANGE WITH A J D A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND, AND SOMETHING KIND OF DIDN'T REALLY SET WELL WITH ME.
AND HE ALLUDED TO IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SPECIAL MEETING.
THE COUNCIL HAD TO VOTE FOR ONE IN ORDER TO PASS AN URGENCY ORDINANCE.
AND THE REASONING GIVEN THAT NIGHT WAS THEY HAD TO DO IT BEFORE MARCH 1ST, SO THAT THEY COULD SEVER TIES WITH THE CONTRACT BY JUNE ONE OR JULY ONE, IF IT WAS WHATEVER DATE IT IS.
AND, AND, AND SO THE, THE COUNCIL ACTED WITH HASTE TO PASS THE SURGENCY ORDINANCE, TO SEND A MEMO TO THE COUNTY, TO MEET THEIR BUDGETARY GUIDELINE DATE OF MARCH 1ST, SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BUDGET ACCORDINGLY, OR HOWEVER THAT'S GOING TO GO.
UM, AND, AND BASICALLY LISTEN TO A MEDICAL DOCTOR, GIVE A PRESENTATION, THE MEETING BEFORE OR TWO MEETINGS BEFORE STILL SAW NO NUMBERS.
BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THAT BASICALLY WE HAD THE BULLET TRAIN TO A HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON FEBRUARY 23RD OR 27TH, WHATEVER DATE THAT WAS.
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT BULLET TRAIN TURNED INTO, UM, THE PONY EXPRESS.
YOU KNOW, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW IT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO, WE DON'T NEED TO DO IT SO FAST.
WELL, THE ISSUE I HAVE IS JUST LAST NIGHT, WE PROCEEDED FORWARD WITH THINGS, RIGHT? WE, WE HAD A WHOLE SLEW OF PEOPLE HERE OPPOSING THIS AND THE MEETING BEFORE THAT WE OUTLINED, UH, POSITIONS.
WE OUTLINED ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND SO WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE ACTIONS OF THE CITY, THE ACTIONS OF THIS COUNCIL, AND MAYBE STAFF AS WELL.
CAUSE I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HELPS SET THE AGENDA.
UM, THE PERCEPTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN THE BULLET TRAIN.
AND, AND TO HEAR NOW THAT IT'S THE, THE PONY EXPRESS MT MODEL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR TIME AND THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE BY A CERTAIN DATE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEN WHY DID WE RACE WITH ALL THE OTHER STUFF WE COULD HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT AN URGENCY ORDINANCE? WE COULD HAVE HAD A VERY DETAILED STAFF REPORT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BUDGET MEETING, BUT THIS IS BUDGETARY RELATED AND, AND HOW WE SPEND THAT MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO THE RACE, UM, OF THIS BULLET TRAIN TO GET IT MOVING.
AND AT THE SPEED THAT IT WAS MOVING AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT, COUNTLESS HOURS OF STAFF TIME, COUNTLESS HOURS OF STAFF REPORTS AND, AND PREPARATION OR LACK THEREOF IN SOME CASES, BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A SINGLE DOLLAR VALUE PRESENTED OF ANY FORM, UM, OTHER THAN JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO MAKE.
BUT IF IT'S REALLY NOT A RACE, IF WE'RE NOT REALLY RACING TO BE UP AND FOR UP AND MOVING FORWARD BY JULY ONE, WHY DID WE LINE EVERYONE UP AT THE STARTING GATE AND FIRE THE STARTING GUN? BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE SCENE LIKE.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CONTRARY TO THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT AND SEE GOVERNMENT, AND NOW IN A BUDGETARY MEETING, WE HEAR, OH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUDGET FOR IT.
[02:00:01]
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW.WELL, YOU KNOW, JUDGING BY THE FACT THAT THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING, BUT A FOUR, ONE VOTE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK WE DO KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING.
AND SO TO HAVE IT NOT IN THE BUDGET TO NOT BE TALKED ABOUT, TO NOT BE HERE TO ME IS, IS, IS A LACK OF FIDUCIARY DUTY OF THIS OF STAFF.
AND I HATE TO BLAME STAFF BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST DOING WHAT THEY'RE TOLD, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T REALLY BLAME THEM IN THAT REGARDS, BUT FROM A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE, WHICH YOU'RE A PART OF MR. CITY MANAGER AND FROM THE COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MIXED MESSAGING BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS.
IT'S COMPLETE MIXED MESSAGING BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST TOLD JD I'M BAFFLED, AND YOU CALLED IT AN 800 POUND GORILLA.
I THINK IT'S MORE OF A 1200 POUND GORILLA NOW.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE ANSWER.
AND, AND AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR AN ANSWER, BUT, UM, I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT I JUST I'M BAFFLED.
AND I REALLY AM CURIOUS, UH, MS.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S VARIOUS WORDS THAT APPLY HERE, BUT IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY GOT PRETTY ANGRY OVER NOTHING.
AND, UH, UH, UM, WHEN I SAY A LOT OF PEOPLE I'M REFERRING TO THE RESIDENTS, I MEAN, THERE'S, I'M SURE YOU'RE KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP THAT'S GONE OUT AND DONE THIS INITIATIVE THING THAT THAT'S A LOT OF WORK.
I MEAN, I, UH, AND, UH, UH, AND I, YOU KNOW, I GOT UP WEEK AFTER WEEK AND MADE LITTLE SPEECHES ABOUT, THERE SHOULD BE A PROJECT PLAN BEFORE YOU PROCEED ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND, AND OTHER PEOPLE GOT UP AND GAVE THEIR OWN VERSIONS OF WHY THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A POOR IDEA, BUT THE POINT ISN'T THAT THE POINT IS, UH, AND ACTUALLY IT GOES BACK TO A LITTLE SPEECH THAT TERRY
IT IS ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IS IT SO, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERACTION WITH THE COMMUNITY OR STUFF, AND IT'S TRUE, THE COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WHAT THE FOLKS WANT, BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE MODICUM OF LISTENING ON BOTH SIDES, NOT JUST THE, UH, UH, NOT JUST THE COUNCIL SIDE, BUT THE COMMUNITY SIDE TOO.
I, I REALLY LIKED THIS MEETING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A MEETING LIKE THIS LONG TIME.
UM, THIS, THIS TOWN IS, IS BLESSED WITH A LOT OF MEETINGS.
AND LAST NIGHT WAS COUNCIL TONIGHT.
WE'RE DOING THIS TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'RE HAVING A JOINT MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING ELEMENT.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A LOT OF MEETINGS IN ONE WEEK, BUT I'M OPEN TO DOING THIS MORE.
I WANT TO HAVE A COUNCIL OR SOMETHING YOU WANT TO HAVE A SPECIAL NIGHT AND TALK ABOUT HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH WASN'T INTENDED TO BE ON THE AGENDA.
LET ME, LET ME BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC.
IF THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN HERE TONIGHT, I THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE A LOT OF HEALING.
UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE AS A CITY MANAGER.
THAT'S NOT, BUT IT, YOU'RE NOT, AS YOU SAID ABOUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A MORE INFORMAL SETTING, NOT TO HAVE THE COUNCIL HERE.
I'VE DONE THIS AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN SEVERAL OTHER CITIES, AND IT'S ALWAYS WORD, WE FELT LIKE THE RESIDENTS COULD SPEAK, UM, MORE FREELY.
IF YOU IN THE FUTURE WANT, UM, A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE ALL FIVE HERE WITHOUT HAVING A FORMAL, MY NAME, UH, THERE ACTUALLY ISN'T A METHODOLOGY, UH, PERHAPS YOU HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN YOUR EXPERIENCE.
UH, BUT I HAVE, UH, THE COUNCIL CAN BE PRESENT, BUT NOT, UH, PARTICIPATE IN TERMS OF, UH, THEY USED TO DO THAT IN HERE.
ROBIN, IF I JUST, IF I CAN SAY,
[02:05:01]
I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY.I THINK THEM BEING HERE TONIGHT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY NOT BEEN SUCH A GREAT IDEA.
I, MY PERCEPTION IS THEY'RE THERE PLAYED, THEY PLAYED DEFENSE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME, SO IT'S KIND OF HARD TO COMMUNICATE.
I UNDERSTAND THEN THAT THE ISSUE IS THERE, THE ML IT'S DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THEY COULD HAVE MADE THE EFFORT TO HAVE CREATED OTHER FORUMS AND BEEN PRESENT WITHOUT PARTICIPATION, PARTICIPATING AND ALLOWED FOR AN OPEN DIALOGUE FROM RESIDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE MET THE OBJECTIVE OF OPENNESS AND MADE PEOPLE MORE RECEPTIVE TO THE POSSIBLE IDEA OF A HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
JIM, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, IT'S FINE.
I, I ACCEPT THE CORRECTION TO WHAT I WAS SAYING.
I WANT TO ADD ONE OTHER THING AND THAT I HEARD YOU SAY, MR. HARMONY, YOU'RE A CITY MANAGER AND TRUE ENOUGH THAT IMPLIES THAT YOU WORK FOR THE CITY AND YOUR PRIORITY ARE CITY EMPLOYEES.
HOWEVER, DON'T FORGET THE CITY PART, THOSE BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE IN PRIVATE AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR ARE ALSO YOUR MORAL OBLIGATION.
AND THAT IN FACT WAS THE REASON THE NIGHT OF THE SPECIAL HEARING THAT MR. WU GAVE FOR THE CREATION OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IN FACT, HE HAD QUITE A FEW OF THEM SHOW UP THAT NIGHT AND ADVOCATE FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS PACKAGED AND SOLD TO THEM ON THE IDEA THAT A HEALTH DEPARTMENT WOULD HERE IN WEST COVINA WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THEM SUFFER AS THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE COUNTY.
AND ACTUALLY, AND IT SHOULD BE FAR MORE ACCURATELY STATED THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BUT IN ANY CASE, THAT WAS THE SELLING POINT FOR THIS.
SO AT THIS POINT, FOR THEM NOT TO BE PART OF THIS MATRIX IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AND CENTS, I THINK WOULD BE, UH, JUST, IT JUST WOULDN'T BE FAIR.
AND THAT'S WHY I VOTE IN FAVOR OF MORE MEETINGS.
SO THAT WORD COULD GET OUT TO THAT, TO THOSE STAKEHOLDERS SO THAT THEY COULD COME IN HERE AND TELL YOU WHAT THEY DID OR DID NOT RECEIVE IN TERMS OF RELIEF AND HOW THEY CAN HOPEFULLY BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THIS, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING.
WELL, LET'S LET ME JUST SAY THIS.
CAUSE POINT'S BEEN MADE A FEW TIMES NOW THE COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT THE BUDGET BE PUBLICLY DISSEMINATED.
UM, YOU MADE THE POINT TONIGHT.
YOU WANT SOME SURVEYS WE CAN DO THAT.
YOU WANT ANOTHER MEETING OR MORE MEETINGS WE CAN DO THAT.
I DIDN'T HEAR THE PART ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BECAUSE I THINK THIS MATRIX HERE LEAVES THEM COMPLETELY OUT OF IT.
CAN I, CAN I OFFER MY POINT OF VIEW AND MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT THIS OUT MORE, BUT JUST FROM WHERE I'M SITTING TONIGHT, THIS GOVERNMENT CAN'T COLLAPSE.
IF SOMEBODY HAS A MEDICAL INCIDENT IN A RESTAURANT CALLS NINE ONE, ONE I'M IN CHARGE OF THE SYSTEM OF CARE THAT FOLLOWS THAT DISPATCH CENTER, THE NEW MARK 43 SYSTEM THAT ENABLES US TO GET, GET, YOU KNOW, UNITS ON SCENE.
SO THE FIREFIGHTERS CAN PUT WET STUFF ON RED STUFF.
SO THE POLICE OFFICERS CAN DEAL WITH WHATEVER CRIME IS GOING ON.
AND SO I CARE A LOT ABOUT THE BUSINESSES, BUT IF I DON'T DO THAT PIECE CORRECTLY, NOBODY ELSE CAN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO RECOMMEND THINGS THAT BENEFIT THE CITY, OREGON.
SO AM I HEARING YOU CORRECTLY THAT WITHOUT THIS RELIEF PACKAGE, WE WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED.
I'M NOT READY TO SAY THAT I'M SAYING THESE ARE DEFICIENCIES WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO IDENTIFY DEFICIENCIES.
WE'VE, WE'VE COME UP WITH A PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND WE'RE DELIVERING CAPITAL PROJECTS TO PAVE STREETS.
THE CITY WENT FEW YEARS THERE WHERE IT DIDN'T DO A SINGLE PAVING JOB.
WE'RE UM, GOT A NEW, A NEW RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN PLACE NOW, UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR ENDING NEXT MONTH, I THINK OUR TOTAL LOSS IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPRESSIVE TO ANYBODY THAT'S GOVERNMENT GEEK ENOUGH TO CARE ABOUT THAT.
AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS ABSENT THIS GOOD RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, THE LOSSES WERE MULTIPLE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
UM, WE'RE WE'RE DOING WELL IN THAT CATEGORY.
WE'RE UM, WE DID THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.
WE HAD SOME COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ABOUT, THEY DIDN'T LIKE SOME OF THE MEANS OR METHODS, BUT WE GOT IT DONE AND IT SAVED THE CITY FROM BOUNCING PAYCHECKS THAT FISCAL YEAR IN SEPTEMBER.
SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE CASH, A COUPLE OF MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND AD, AND WE'D DONE IT.
SO WE'RE MAKING GOOD GAIN IN A LOT OF THESE AREAS.
[02:10:01]
THIS WEEK SIGNED CONTRACTS FOR OUR ENERGY PROJECTS, $7 MILLION WORTH OF SOLAR PANELS AND LIGHT BULBS AND, YOU KNOW, CITYWIDE, OH, THAT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR STEP FOR A CITY AND WE'RE DOING IT OUT OF THE ENERGY SAVINGS THAT WE'VE CREATED THIS A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, BUT LONG-TERM SAVINGS PROJECTED LONG-TERM SAVER.I MEAN, THERE'S, IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT A SOLAR PANEL ON YOUR ROOF YET.
THERE'S NO GUARANTEE IT'S GOING TO PAY ITSELF OFF.
NOTHING'S A GUARANTEE, BUT CHRISTMAS I'M JUST THAT IF WE WERE OPERATING WITHOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND MANY OF THEM REALLY, I WOULDN'T PERSONALLY WOULDN'T IDENTIFY AS ESSENTIAL.
I WOULD SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME OF THEM, WE WOULD HAVE, WE WERE MANDATED TO UPGRADE AND EVENT THAT WE WENT COUNTY WITH FIRE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS HERE THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, I WISH LISTS THAT ARE NOW COMING TO FRUITION FOR THE CITY, BUT AT THE EXPENSE, I BELIEVE OF OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE PAID A HIGHER PRICE.
SO THAT'S AS A RESIDENT, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE.
AND I KNOW I'M KIND OF REPEATING MYSELF HERE, BUT I HONESTLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE, A BALANCED, SHORT OF EFFORT IN TRYING TO MAKE RIGHT WHAT THE PANDEMIC MADE A CITY SUFFERED THROUGH.
AND, AND IN REGARDS TO THAT, UM, FOR, FOR MS. STEPHANIE, STEPHANIE, I DON'T DOUBT BY ANY MEANS THAT YOU'RE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT AT WHAT YOU DO, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A PANDEMIC IN QUITE SOME TIME.
WHAT WAS YOUR LAST PROJECT YOU WORKED ON THAT YOU CAN SAY HOW TO REASSEMBLE IT OR ASSEMBLANCE TO THIS SITUATION? UM, NOT TOO IN PANDEMIC, BUT I CAME FROM TEXAS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY LAST THING I DEALT WITH WAS HURRICANE HARVEY AND WE DID BUSINESS GRANTS TO THOSE.
I WAS ACTUALLY IN A CITY THAT THEY CONSIDERED ONE OF THE GROUND ZEROS FOR.
SO I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENT PROJECTS FOR THAT WITH HARVEY IN PARTICULAR.
I MEAN, WE GOT 10 MILLION JUST WIRED TO US THE DAY AFTER THE STORM HIT.
UM, THAT WENT TO A SPECIFIC RESPONSE, BUT WE ALSO RECEIVED OVER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE INFILTRATED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AS A RESULT.
BUT THOSE WERE BROUGHT IN BY PRIVATE MATTERS AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE CLOSEST THING TO THE FEDERAL.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY.
MY LAST, MY VERY LAST, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT YOUR FOCUS BEING ON THE CITY.
AND I ALSO HEAR A LOT FROM RESIDENTS, THE CONCERN THEY HAVE FOR BUSINESS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT IS ON THE CITY WEBSITE, BUT YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING.
I THINK THERE WAS SOME BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
UM, DOES THAT HAVE, I DON'T REMEMBER REFERENCES TO THE FEDERAL SOURCES THAT COULD PROVIDE BUSINESS ASSISTANCE SO THAT THERE IS A PLACE THAT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES COULD LOOK FOR JUST REFERRAL INFORMATION.
UM, AND IT WAS AT BARSTOOL EVEN GIVES OUT LOANS.
WE HAD THAT RESTAURANT IN WEST COVINA GET ONE.
SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT JUST KIND OF HELP BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU ON PUTTING THE CITY FIRST, BUT, BUT I ALSO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND CARE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS PERSON AND SOMETIMES JUST GETTING, UH, INFORMATION OUT AND HAVING A NUMBER.
THEY COULD EVEN CALL IT THE CITY, YOUR OFFICE, LET'S SAY, YEAH, WE HAVE THIS ON OUR WEBSITE OR STUFF LIKE THAT.
THAT MIGHT HELP ADDRESS THE RESIDENTS' CONCERNS WITH BUSINESS.
UH, I'M GONNA KIND OF FINISH UP.
I THINK MY COMMENTS, HOPEFULLY CAN'T LET SOMEBODY BRING SOMETHING UP THAT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT.
UM, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I KNOW YOU THANKED US AND I KNOW THERE'S ONLY FIVE OF US HERE.
IT'S KIND OF A DISCONCERTING AS A RESIDENT MYSELF, BUT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THAT, THIS WAS INFORMATIVE.
UM, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST ENGAGING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE WITH SOMEWHAT STAFF.
I MEAN, WE, SOME OF US TALK TO STAFF INDIVIDUALLY AT COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OTHER TIMES, AND YOU KNOW, YOU, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS TO, YOU KNOW, MR. CARMONEY.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE DON'T TALK, BUT THE, THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO HOLD ANOTHER MEETING AND, AND PREFERABLY WITH A LOT MORE NOTICE WOULD, WOULD BE, WOULD BE VERY GOOD.
MAYBE WITH A LITTLE MORE, UM, ADVERTISEMENT.
SOMEHOW I UNDERSTAND MONEY IS AN ISSUE, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO GET IT OUT.
I THINK MORE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO HIT SOCIAL MEDIA.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO HAVE TIME TO RESONATE AND PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
[02:15:01]
WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU ARE SINCERE AND, AND I I'D LIKE TO BELIEVE YOU ARE THAT THIS IS A GOOD THING, UM, AND THAT YOU WANT TO DO MORE THAN I SUGGEST WE DON'T DO IT TOMORROW AND GIVE A ONE DAY NOTICE OR A TWO-DAY NOTICE LIKE THIS WAS.UM, SO THAT, THAT'S MY FIRST POINT.
I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY YOU, YOU DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A THANKLESS JOB.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WITH SOME DEGREE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN RESIDENTS, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, THERE'S RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO DISAGREE.
UM, AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT AND, AND AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN IN POLITICS, WHILE MYSELF, I, I GET IT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT RESIDENTS JUST WANT TO BE HEARD.
I THINK RESIDENTS WANT TO FEEL AS THOUGH THAT THEIR INPUT MATTERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ALL THE TIME WAS THEY FELT IGNORED AND PUSHED ASIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T, WHEN I GET IT, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON WHO ONE IS ON THE, ON THE DYESS, I'M NOT, BUT STILL I HEARD THAT A LOT.
AND, AND SO I THINK THAT IF, IF THERE IS TRUTH TO THIS, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS GOOD.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH TOWN HALL.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT SINCE FEBRUARY AT THE SPECIAL MEETING, THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO COME OUT FROM THE CITY.
AND I KIND OF STATED FROM THE BEGINNING AND I'M ON MY SOAP BOX TO SOME DEGREE.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S LACKING IN THE CITY IS COMMUNICATION COMING THIS WAY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE AT A BUDGET MEETING AND, AND IT'S A RELATIVELY TAME PRESENTATION.
I KNOW I MISSED THE FIRST PART.
SO IF THAT FIRST PART ANSWERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, I APOLOGIZE MY TARDINESS, BUT, UM, I WILL REVIEW IT OBVIOUSLY AND GO BACK, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
YOU KNOW, JIM MENTIONED THE INITIATIVE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT MORE COMMUNICATION AND A LOT MORE THOUGHT OUT PROCESS, MAYBE THE PEOPLE WHO DID THAT WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DO IT.
SO, AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO HARP ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH, CAUSE THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING, BUT IT, BUT IT IS INVOLVED.
THERE'S DOLLARS INVOLVED IN TO BE HONEST, NOBODY NOBODY KNOWS.
AND IF THEY DO KNOW THEY'RE NOT SHARING, BUT AT THAT WAY, SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE TOWN HALLS ABOUT THIS BUDGET.
I KNOW YOU'VE SAID YOU'RE GOING TO DO THEM.
UM, I JUST, I WANT TO SEE MORE LEAD TIME AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FISCAL BUDGET IN BY JULY ONE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE IS THE MEETING RIGHT BEFORE THE JULY ONE DEADLINE.
BUT, UM, TO HAVE OUR FIRST TOWN HALL, 30 DAYS OUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, SHOWING US THE FIRST BUDGET, BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD ONE A MONTH AGO WHERE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE BUDGET OR THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED AND GIVE YOU GUYS A DIRECTION KIND OF THAT SURVEY MENTALITY.
SO JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR NEXT YEAR FOR FUTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, 30 DAYS OUT, I MEAN, IT'S MAY 19TH TODAY AND WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY PRESENT IT TO THE COUNCIL ON JUNE 15TH.
SO, UM, JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON THAT.
I, I JUST, I HOPE THE CITY AND I HOPE YOU, UM, IN YOUR SINCERITY, WE'LL DO MORE, UM, ON THAT COMMUNICATION AND THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LACKING THERE.
SO THAT'S, I GUESS I CAN SAY MY FINAL COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU, PRESENTATIONS RESTRICTIONS OF THAT.
DOES THAT MEAN, I HEARD YOU AS FAR AS SALARIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT YOU CAN'T USE IT, BUT WHAT, WHAT IS THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, ITEMIZED LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY JUST CANNOT BE, THE FUNDS CAN'T BE USED FOR, IF IT COULD BE PRESENTED IN ONE OF THE SLIDES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF.
THAT REALLY ARE NOT THAT WELL-INFORMED OKAY.
I CAN DEFINITELY INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT INTO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN? I THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TONIGHT.