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[City Manager's Budget Workshop on June 9, 2020]
THIS IS DAVE CARMONEY, WEST COVINA CITY MANAGER.WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING VIRTUALLY, UM, WITH THE STAFF AND THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ABLE TO WATCH ONLINE, ET CETERA, TO CONDUCT A COMMUNITY BUDGET WORKSHOP.
I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, AS WE BEGIN FIRST, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK PERSICO TO EXPLAIN HOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TONIGHT'S MEETING.
YES, THIS IS MARK PERSICO ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
AND AS DAVE HAS SAID, THIS IS A VIRTUAL MEETING, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO REAL TIME RESPONSES FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO CALL IN.
THEY CAN CALL AT (626) 206-4254.
AND, UH, THEY, UM, WILL THAT'S THE CITY CLERK'S ASSISTANT CITY CLERK'S, UH, CELL PHONE NUMBER.
UH, YOU CAN CALL AND ASK TO, UH, ADDRESSED, UH, DAVE OR ROBIN LIVE, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN ALSO TEXT YOUR QUESTIONS, DO THAT PHONE NUMBER.
OR IF YOU PREFER EMAIL, YOU CAN EMAIL QUESTIONS TO SEE BUDGET DISCUSSION@WESTCOVINA.ORG.
AGAIN, THAT EMAIL TOM, THE SCREEN IT'S WC BUDGET DISCUSSION@WESTCOVINA.ORG, AND THAT'S HOW, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN PARTICIPATE.
IS A TIGHTLY BALANCED CUT BACK BUDGET WITH CURRENT REVENUES EQUAL TO CURRENT EXPENDITURES.
THE UNCERTAINTY IN THIS BUDGET IS THAT THERE'S SO MANY CHANGES GOING ON WITH RESPECT TO THE ECONOMY IN CALIFORNIA, IN GENERAL, IN WEST COVINA IN PARTICULAR THAT WE, UM, ARE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH TO ALL THOSE CHANGES.
AS PART OF THIS DOCUMENT, THE CITY ORGANIZATION IS CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY FIRST INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS AND PROVIDING SERVICE FOR CITY RESIDENTS.
EXCUSE ME, I GUESS WE'VE ONLY BEEN ONLINE AND NOT ON THE WE'VE ONLY BEEN ON CABLE, BUT NOT ONLINE.
LET ME PAUSE AND SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO AMEND THAT BE RIGHT BACK.
WE ARE TOLD BY OUR IT DIRECTOR THAT THE YOUTUBE LIVE STREAM IS DOWN.
AND SO THE ONLY BROADCAST WE'RE ABLE TO DO TONIGHT IS THROUGH THE CITY'S CABLE TELEVISION.
SO THE AUDIENCE IS GOING TO BE, UM, VERY LIMITED, LIKE TO CONTINUE.
UM, ANYWAY, SEE IF THAT MIGHT BE CORRECTED DURING THE TIME WE'RE HERE.
AND IF IT IS WE'LL HAPPY TO REPEAT, WE WERE CONTINUING WITH A DESCRIPTION OF WHERE THE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION IS, WHICH IS WE'RE FOCUSING ON PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ON, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS ON PROVIDING KEY SERVICES FOR CITY RESIDENTS.
I THINK THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME VERY TOUGH CHOICES ABOUT SUPPLYING CORE SERVICES.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROVIDE FIRE AND EMS SERVICES? UM, THOSE CORE PUBLIC SAFETY PIECES TYPICALLY COMPRISE THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE CITY BUDGET PIE.
AND THUS ARE A VERY, UM, LIKELY TARGET FOR A COST REDUCTION.
UM, IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THOSE SAVINGS CAN NOT COME AT THE COST OF LIFE LOST LIVES.
AND SO, AS WE WORK TO BRING TO THE CITY COUNCIL, SOME OPTIONS, THE PACKAGE OF SAFETY SERVICES IS OF NECESSITY GOING TO NEED TO CHANGE, TO REFLECT AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
THE MORE TRADITIONAL WAYS THE COMMUNITY HAS PROVIDED SERVICES CANNOT BE THE TEMPLATE IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
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AND, UM, REVIEW A CURRENT SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS PRELIMINARY BUDGET.OUR AGENDA IS TO PROVIDE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BUDGET AND AN OVERVIEW OF IT TO LOOK AT THE OPERATING BUDGET, ALL THE FUNDS FOCUS ON THE GENERAL FUND, THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES TO LOOK AT TRENDS TO BRIEFLY REVIEW THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET TO QUESTIONS.
CAUSE I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
OUR GOALS FOR THE COMING YEAR ARE TO RESPOND TO THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
IT, UM, HAS BEEN QUITE A ATTENTION OF THE CITY'S ITS PRIMARY FOCUS.
UM, IT HAS NOT BEEN IN TERMS OF EXPENDITURES, UM, AS LARGE AS YOU MIGHT THINK, WE SPENT MONEY ON PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND NEW MEASURES, BUT WE THINK WE'LL BE REIMBURSED FOR THOSE COSTS TO THE SUM OF ABOUT $77,000, THE LARGER LOSS.
AND WE'RE TRYING NOT TO CONFLATE WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH THE CITY'S STRUCTURAL FISCAL ISSUES, BUT THE MARK'S DIRECT LOSS IS IN THE REALM OF WHAT, WHAT MAJOR REVENUES HAVE FALLEN OFF DURING THIS TIME.
UM, WE ARE HOPING TO ACHIEVE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY AND FINANCIAL STABILITY.
WE WANT TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE WANT TO ENHANCE CITY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCE THE CITY'S IMAGE AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND ENGAGE IN PROACTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'M GOING TO ASK OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, ROBIN BIRD TO WALK US THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
SO, UH, THIS IS ROBIN BIRD FINANCE DIRECTOR.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE MEAT OF THE BUDGET.
I WANTED TO, UM, SHOW THIS SLIDE, WHICH WAS AS OF MARCH 31ST, UM, SHOWING, UM, THAT OUR BUDGETED, UH, EXPENDITURES WERE 67 POINT $4 MILLION.
AND AT THE END OF MARCH, WE HAD SPENT 51.7, WHICH IS ABOUT 76.7% OF OUR BUDGET.
WHERE IS EXACTLY WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR.
WE MAKE SOME REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS IN THIS BUDGET AND, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH THEM BRIEFLY.
WE ASSUME THAT OUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES ARE STABLE.
HOWEVER, UH, WE DID ADJUST OUR SALES TAX DOWNWARD, UH, DUE TO THE COVID-19 AND, UH, AND THE, UH, PROJECTED LOSS OF REVENUE, UM, WITH ALL THE BUSINESSES BEING CLOSED, WE, UH, PROJECTED THAT PROPERTY TAX WOULD INCREASE SLIGHTLY AND THAT'S GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A, UM, SECOND WAVE OF, UM, COVID THAT COULD CAUSE PEOPLE TO LOSE MORE, UM, OF THEIR HOME BUDGETS, WHICH WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND POTENTIALLY, UM, DEFAULT ON THEIR MORTGAGES.
WE LEFT THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, WHICH IS THE HOTEL TAX, OR THEY REFER TO IT SOMETIMES AS THE BED TAX AS BEING FLAT.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED SOMETIME DURING THE FISCAL YEAR WHEN WE GET SOME INDICATION OF WHAT THOSE REVENUES, UM, REALISTICALLY WOULD BE OUR LICENSES AND PERMITS ARE INCREASING TO REFLECT RATE INCREASES THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE IDEA, UM, ASSUMPTIONS WHERE WE BASE THIS BUDGET ON STATUS QUO, AND THAT'S TO SAY, WE DIDN'T TAKE INTO EFFECT ANYTHING.
UM, WITH THE PANDEMIC, WE DID NOT CONSIDER THAT WE HAD A CASHFLOW PROBLEM.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE WERE WELL INTO, UM, PUTTING THIS DOCUMENT TOGETHER WHEN, UM, MARCH HIT AND, UM, THE REVENUES DECREASED.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT AFFECTED IT IN APRIL AND MAY.
SO WE WERE ALMOST COMPLETE WITH THE BUDGET.
AND WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS PRESENT THE BUDGET AS WE HAD PUT IT TOGETHER, WHICH STARTED IN JANUARY AND, UM, ADJUST THE BUDGET, UM, THROUGH THE YEAR BY MONITORING ALL OF THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES AND ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL.
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WE IDENTIFY ANY ISSUES, WE, UM, DECREASE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVER TIME IN THIS BUDGET LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2.1 MILLION AND IT'S ABOUT 780,000 IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.WE ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD NOT LAY OFF ANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND WE INSTITUTED A HIRING FREEZE.
WE'RE PRESENTING A BALANCED BUDGET TONIGHT, WHICH MEANS OUR REVENUES EQUAL OUR EXPENDITURES, BUT I MUST CAUTION EVERYONE THAT THIS IS BALANCED WITH ONE TIME SOLUTIONS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE THE DEBT SERVICE ON THE 2018 BONDS COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THERE WERE SOME MONEY IN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND THAT WE CAN USE TO MAKE THAT PAYMENT.
SO WE REDUCED, UM, THE, THE BURDEN OFF THE JUNK GENERAL FUNDING.
THAT'S A ONE YEAR, UM, SOLUTION.
NEXT YEAR, WE WON'T HAVE THAT EXCESS.
THIS BUDGET INCLUDES 90 SWORN POLICE OFFICERS AND 67, 400 FIREFIGHTERS.
AS I PREVIOUSLY SAID, WE REDUCED THE FIRE OVER TIME AND THERE'S REDUCTIONS IN MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT POSITIONS IN PARTICULAR, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR WHO RECENTLY RETIRED HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED.
AND OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK PERSICO IS FILLING IN, IN THAT ROLE, UM, IN THE FINANCE AREA, BOTH OF MY MANAGERS, ACCOUNTING MANAGER AND PURCHASING MANAGER, UM, THOSE POSITIONS ARE VACANT AND WILL PROBABLY REMAIN SO THROUGH, UM, THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WHEN I LOOK FOR A SECOND AT THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR ALL FUNDS ON THE REVENUE SIDE, UM, WE HAVE, UM, 117,000,003 OH ONE, SEVEN 86.
AND WITH THE GENERAL FUND BEING THE LARGEST PIECE OF THAT PIE IS AT 57% FOLLOWED BY OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUND ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
UM, FOR ALL FUNDS, WE HAVE 110,081,284.
AGAIN, THE GENERAL FUND IS THE LARGEST PIECE OF THAT AT 59%.
AND AGAIN, FOLLOWED BY OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AT 17%.
FOR A MOMENT, WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME FINANCIAL TRENDS ON A CITYWIDE COMPARISON REVENUES VERSUS EXPENDITURES.
THIS IS JUST THE GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THAT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES, WHICH ARE PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX PROPERTY TAX.
OUR SALES TAX IS AT 24, SO IT MAKES UP 65% REVENUES.
AND THEN IT'S COMPARED TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR TWO LARGEST REVENUE SOURCES DO NOT EVEN PAY ENTIRELY FOR THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR A MOMENT.
AND THIS YEAR IS GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ARE 66,000,670 2002 36.
OUR PROPERTY TAX IS 41% AND OUR SALES TAX IS 24%.
AND THE OTHER TECH TAXES MAKE UP THE REMAINDER OF THAT PIE, OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE REVENUES.
UM, THIS JUST SHOWS THAT IT'S A VERY STABLE REVENUE SOURCE AND WE ARE, UM, CONTINUING TO SEE THAT INCREASE NEXT SLIDE.
AND TH THE NEXT LARGEST REVENUE, OUR SALES TAX REVENUES, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S BEEN ALSO A VERY STABLE, SO, UM, SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY, UM, DIPPING DOWN A MILLION THIS YEAR.
UM, WE WILL ADJUST THAT AS NEED BE IF WE SEE THAT, UM, THE ECONOMY'S RECOVERING MORE QUICKLY THAN WE ANTICIPATED, WE WILL, UM, QUICKLY BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL AND AMEND THE BUDGET.
AND THEN THIS SLIDE COMPARES OUR REVENUES VERSUS OUR EXPENDITURES, UM, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAST TWO YEARS, UM, THE BUDGETS HAVE BEEN BALANCED.
OUR 2021, UM, PROJECTED EXPENDITURES ARE 66 POINT $7 MILLION.
OUR POLICE AND OUR FIRE MAKES UP ABOUT 77% OF THAT BUDGET.
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AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT IT BY CATEGORY, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THE WORK OF THE CITY IS VERY LABOR INTENSIVE AND OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS THAT ARE AT 79% WITH OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS BEING AT 21%, THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR FUND BALANCE, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, BACK IN OH SIX OH SEVEN, IT WAS WELL OVER 40 MILLION, ALMOST UP TO 45 MILLION.AND WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, IN 1920, IT'S DOWN TO, UM, A LITTLE OVER 15, I THINK IT WAS 16 MILLION SOMETHING.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS SHOWING OUR CASH FLOWS, UM, WITH OUR REVENUES BEING ON THAT TOP LINE, AND THEN OUR EXPENDITURES THAT WE'RE PROJECTING THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2020, AND THEN ON THE BOTTOM THREE LINES, WE'RE TAKING IT, OUR CURRENT CASH BALANCE.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES, WHICH IS IN RED, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM, UM, ARE, UM, EXPENDITURES HIGHER THAN THE REVENUES COMING IN AND WHAT OUR ESTIMATED CASH BALANCE WILL BE, UM, THROUGH THE MONTH.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN SEPTEMBER, WE'RE EXPECTED, UM, TO RUN OUT OF CASH IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS NEXT PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MARK PERSICO TO PRESENT THAT.
UM, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BREAKS DOWN, UM, LARGE SCALE PROJECTS, CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE, UM, MULTI PROJECTS WHICH HAVE, UM, A MULTIYEAR LIFE SPAN AND TEND TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE, UH, ACQUISITIONS, SUCH AS BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS, PARK IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO SEE WHERE, UH, SIDEWALKS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND THEN PURCHASE OF VEHICLES.
THE CITY IS PROPOSING TO DO, UM, 11.1 MILLION TO COMPLETE, I SHOULD SAY, EXCUSE ME, 11 POINT $1 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, FOR THIS UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR, WHICH STARTS JULY 1ST, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS.
AND IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT WE WILL COMPLETE 43 POINT MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
AGAIN IN EIGHT DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
EACH OF THESE MAJOR CATEGORIES HAS A SERIES OF PROJECTS UNDER IT.
THERE'S ALSO A EQUAL NUMBER OF UNFUNDED PROJECTS.
THE UNFUNDED PROJECTS THAT STAFF HAS IDENTIFIES TOTALS ABOUT $37 MILLION WORTH OF WORK, WHICH NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED, BUT WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED A FUNDING SOURCE FOR, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT MANY OF THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE PAID FOR BY, UM, A GAS TAX MONIES MONIES THAT THE CITY RECEIVES FROM THE METROPOLITAN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, ALSO KNOWN AS METRO, UM, THAT MEASURE OUR MONIES, UH, WHICH WE PAY 'EM EVERY TIME WE PURCHASE SOMETHING IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, AS A, AS A PORTION OF SALES TAX, THIS PIE GRAPH HERE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN BY CATEGORY AS A PERCENTAGE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE DOING OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, THE LARGEST PORTION OF THOSE ARE STRAIGHT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT ABOUT 43%.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PORTION.
NOW, ALTERNATE BACK OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER, DAVE
IT IS, UH, CURRENTLY POSTED ONLINE AND, UH, DAVE WILL GO THROUGH A SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS THAT WE RECEIVED AS OF NINE 20 THIS MORNING.
THIS IS DAVE CARMONEY CITY MANAGER.
I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THIS QUICK SNAPSHOT IN TERMS OF THE RESULTS TO THIS POINT OF THE BUDGET SURVEY, WHICH THE CITY HAS PUT ONLINE AS, UM, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, UM, THIS IS CUTOFF THIS MORNING AS OF NINE O'CLOCK.
SO THIS TALLY REFLECTS THE 282 INDIVIDUALS WHO RESPONDED
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TO THE SURVEY TO THIS POINT.NOT EVERYONE RESPONDED TO ALL THE QUESTIONS, SOME OF THE NUMBERS DON'T QUITE ADD UP JUST TO RUN THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
UM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE RESPONDING WERE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA, 81% IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIZATION OF CITY SERVICES, UM, HIGHEST PRIORITY COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING AND FIRE SERVICES, THEN HOUSING THEN IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE, LOWEST PRIORITY AMONG THE RESPONDENTS TO US POLICE SERVICE AND THIS, UM, SURVEY INSTRUMENT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS, UM, REGARDING CITY REVENUES, THE RESPONDENTS WANTED TO KEEP THE CITY TAXES AND FEES THE SAME, UM, 65% OF OUR RESPONDENTS INDICATED THEY WANTED TO REDUCE THE FUNDING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
UM, AND 53% OF THE RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THE CITY IS FACING IN ITS BUDGET IS ATTRIBUTABLE AS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS AS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY IN TERMS OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE MENTION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, UM, WHAT I WOULD REGARD AS AN EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO WRITE EMAILS.
WE HAVE BEEN QUITE DILIGENT AND RESPONDED.
I BELIEVE THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE, AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED THAT PEOPLE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THEIR CITY AND ITS BUDGET THAT WE'RE GETTING THESE RESPONSES.
IT'S, UM, IT'S, UM, IT'S HEARTENING TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE CARE ENOUGH ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THAT'S VERY UNUSUAL IN MY EXPERIENCE, NEXT STEPS.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR OUR REVENUES AND OUR EXPENDITURES ON A TIMELY BASIS AND MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET.
THIS POINT I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE UNCERTAINTY SEEMS TO BE THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN THIS EQUATION.
WE'RE GOING TO ESPECIALLY MONITOR CASH FLOWS WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
WE ARE GOING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO RESOLVE THE GENERAL FUND STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND TO REPLENISH THE GENERAL FUND RESERVES PER CITY POLICY, WHICH THE POLICY WOULD REQUIRE OF US.
WE INTEND TO SHIFT FROM REACTIVE TO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE PLAN TO EMPLOY ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION METHODS, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THIS MOMENT, INTEREST BASED BARGAINING WITH THE CITIES, UH, LABOR GROUPS, AND WE INTEND TO ADHERE TO ADOPTED CITY BUDGET POLICY.
THE NEXT PORTION OF OUR EVENING.
I NOT SURE IF WE'VE GOT ANY CALLERS OR ANY EMAILERS, BUT I'M GOING TO TURN THIS PORTION OF THE EVENING OVER TO OUR ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, LISA SHERRICK THAT WE CAN, UM, GET THOSE QUESTIONS AND GET THEM ANSWERED AS WE CAN TONIGHT.
YEAH, I WILL, UH, PRESENT THE FIRST QUESTION TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
AND THE FIRST QUESTION WE HAVE IS WILL THE BUDGET SURVEY RESPONSES BE COMPLETED AND MADE PUBLIC? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADJUST BUDGET, KNOWING WHAT THE COMMUNITY GET THE COMMUNITY TO FUND THE PLACE? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
WE MADE PUBLIC TONIGHT, THE SURVEY RESPONSES THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED TO THIS POINT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO WRITE US, TO EMAIL US, TO PHONE IN, TO, UM, CONTACT, UM, CITY STAFF DIRECTLY, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS OF THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS THIS BUDGET IS, UM, CONSIDERED.
UM, THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF MEETINGS THIS MONTH AND, UM, WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THE PRACTICE OF ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO TELL US WHAT THEIR PREFERENCES ARE.
I THINK AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, WE WILL HAVE IN FRONT OF OUR CITY COUNCIL, A BUDGET, WHICH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF BELIEVE REPRESENTS THE, THE GOALS OF THE, OF THE DOCUMENT AND THAT DOCUMENT THAT'S PRESENTED WILL REPRESENT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
GOOD EVENING, MRS. ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, LISA SHERRICK.
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HEAR ME NOW? PERFECT.OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM BRIAN TABLET, TAP BY.
AND HIS QUESTION FOR TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION IS CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THE COURTS HAVE DEEMED HOMELESSNESS AND INSET AN ISSUE, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND THAT MOST PETTY CRIME IN THE CITY IS CONNECTED TO DRUG ADDICTION, WHICH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IS DECRIMINALIZING AND HAS NOW FRAMED AT A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.
WHAT IS THE RATIONALE BEHIND SPENDING NEARLY HALF OF OUR CITY'S BUDGET ON POLICE? AND ARE WE CONSIDERING DIVERTING THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS MENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL TO SOLVE THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, I'D LIKE TO THINK, UM, BRIAN, FOR THE, FOR THE QUESTION I THINK I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS BUDGET AS A BALANCED APPROACH, TO ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, IT INCLUDES FUNDING FOR HOMELESS SERVICES.
THE HOPE TEAM IS CONTINUING TO BE A PIECE OF OUR MUNICIPAL EFFORTS.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH SISTER AGENCIES AS WE TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A BALANCED BUDGET IN THAT.
IT ALSO PROVIDES HER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE NEEDS OF, OF ALL TYPE.
WE HAVE A CALLER WITH A QUESTION.
HER NAME IS PRISCILLA WHO SAID THAT? GO AHEAD.
IS THIS FOR THE QUESTION? OKAY, GREAT.
UM, HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THIS QUESTION.
AND ESSENTIALLY MY QUESTION ARRIVES AROUND THE NATIONWIDE EVENT THAT WE SEEM TO PLAY IN CALIFORNIA IN LOS ANGELES ALSO.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WILL BE DOING IN RESPONSE TO THE CALL FOR REALLOCATING MONEY FROM POLICE BUDGETS TO COMMUNITY NEEDS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES.
UM, FROM WHAT I SAW THE POLICE BUDGET IS 47% OF THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH, UM, IT'S MY CHRISTIAN.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE WEST GREEN I'M GOING TO DO IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS ALSO REACH OTHER COMMUNITY? THANK YOU FOR CALLING YOUR QUESTION WILL BE ANSWERED BY STAFF.
PRISCILLA, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN AM GOING TO TRY AND ANSWER THE REQUEST AND THE QUESTION WITH REGARD TO REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES AWAY FROM POLICE AND TOWARD COMMUNITY SERVICES.
IT'S MY INTENTION TO PRESENT A BUDGET TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION THAT ADDRESSES A MYRIAD OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UM, SENIOR SERVICES THAT OUR SENIOR CENTER, INCLUDING TIME MEAL PROGRAM, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS HOMELESS NEEDS THROUGH PARTICIPATION WITH THE UNION STATION CONTRACT AND WITH THE CITY'S HOPE TEAM.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE YOUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS AND HAS A NEED FOR EMS SERVICE OR A FIRE.
WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO MEET, UM, A MYRIAD OF COMMUNITY NEEDS, NOT ONLY RESPONSE TO CRIME, BUT ALSO CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS. SO I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A BUDGET WHICH WILL EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS, UM, CITYWIDE TO THOSE THE CITYWIDE NEEDS.
AND WE'RE FOCUSED NOW, ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC ON THE CITY, FOCUSING ON THINGS WHICH NO OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY CAN DO.
AND I'VE BEEN QUITE PROUD OF OUR CITY ORGANIZATION DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM A TEXT MESSAGE WE RECEIVED FROM STEVEN MEDINA AND THERE ARE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS I WILL START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
WHAT IS THE FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET?
[00:30:09]
THIS IS ROBIN BIRD FINANCE DIRECTOR.UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, IT BEGINS ON ONE 49 OF THE DOCUMENT AND CONTINUES ON TO PAGE ONE 73.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENT, UM, PLAY FIRST.
YOU SEE A NARRATIVE OF THE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED FOLLOWED BY AN ORGANIZATION CHART AND THE TWO PIE CHARTS.
THERE ARE SUMMARIES OF ALL OF THE EXPENDITURES, AND THEN YOU'LL GO THROUGH, UM, EACH PAGE HAS A DIFFERENT, UM, FUNCTION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT STARTING WITH ADMINISTRATION AND THERE'S JAIL DISPATCH, PATROL, TRAFFIC INVESTIGATIONS, SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT PAIN.
AND SOME OF THESE ARE NOT ALL GENERAL FUND.
UM, YOU ALSO HAVE SOME PATROL THAT ARE, IS IN ONE 53 IN SOME JAIL IS IN FUND ONE 50.
UM, THERE'S SOME GRANTS ON THOSE PAGES.
AND THEN, UM, FINALLY THE WEST COVINA SERVICE GROUP.
I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT THE FULL BUDGET WITH ALL OF THE PAGES THAT MS. BIRD DESCRIBED CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE UNDER THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT PAGE LISTED UNDER THE ANNUAL BUDGET, 2020 DASH 2021 BUDGET.
UM, ROBIN, STEVE HAS A FOLLOWUP TO THAT QUESTION AS TO WHY WE FEEL EACH OF THESE EXPENSES ARE NEEDED.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, MMM.
OR FINANCE DIRECTOR JUST RAN THROUGH EVERY MAJOR EXPENSE CATEGORY WITHIN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
UM, EACH ONE OF THOSE IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF ADDRESSING, UM, COMMUNITY NEEDS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MOST RECENT ONE SHE MENTIONED WAS THE WEST COVINA SERVICE GROUP THROUGH THAT ENTITY.
THE CITY SERVES NOT ONLY THIS COMMUNITY, BUT OTHERS ON A CONTRACT BASIS WITH THE PROVISION OF DIRECTLY RELATED TO BACK OFFICE SUPPORT OF, OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET IS IN RESPONSE TO, UM, WHAT COULD BE DONE TO REACT TO, OR PREVENT CRIME.
I KNOW DURING THE PANDEMIC, OUR STATISTICS IN ALMOST ALL THE CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER WITH THIS SAFER AT HOME MODEL, WITH THE ONE EXCEPTION OF, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH I'M SAD TO SAY HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN UP.
BUT ONE OF THE WAYS TO DESCRIBE WEST COVINA IS THAT IT'S A VERY SAFE PLACE TO LIVE AND TO WORK.
AND THE INTENTION OF THIS BUDGET FUNDING IN ALL THOSE CATEGORIES IS TO KEEP IT.
SO THANK YOU CITY MANAGER IN KEEPING WITH STEVE, DO YOU, UM, STATISTICALLY, WHAT CAN BE PROVEN BY INVESTING SO MUCH IN THE CITY'S BUDGET AND THE POLICE? AND I THINK YOU'VE COVERED THAT, UH, EXPLAINING WHAT THE NEEDS WERE.
ARE THERE CORRELATIONS PROVIDING MORE MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT LEADS TO LESS CRIME? I THINK YOU'VE COVERED THAT PRETTY WELL TOO.
AS THE 17TH FISCALLY CHALLENGED CITY IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, DO YOU FEEL THE POLICE BUDGET COULD BE HELPFUL IF IT INVESTED IN OTHERS, SEVERAL QUESTIONS, I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
I THINK THE RULE OF THUMB IN, IN POLICE SERVICES IS THAT YOU NEED A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THE SAFETY AND CRIME NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST DEMAND RESPONSE, RANDOM PATROL TRULY EQUALS RANDOM RESULTS.
THE WAY YOU GET OUT IN FRONT OF CRIME AND SERIOUS CRIME PART ONE CRIME PART TWO CRIME IS YOU RESPOND TO IT.
UM, IN, IN REAL TIME WHEN IT'S EMERGING, I DON'T IMAGINE THAT THERE'S A, A SUBSTITUTE FOR THAT KIND OF A POLICE FORCE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN TIME OF NEED.
THE RULE OF THUMB IN OUR COUNTRY WOULD BE WE'D WANT TO HAVE
[00:35:01]
AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, ONE SWORN OFFICER FOR EVERY THOUSAND POPULATION.SO IF WE'VE GOT 110,000 PEOPLE LIVING HERE, THAT WOULD BE, WE WOULD BY NATIONAL STANDARD HOPE TO HAVE 110 POLICE OFFICERS.
THIS BUDGET PRESENTS 90 SWORN.
I THINK WE'RE SHORT AND ON CERTAIN SHIFTS AND CERTAIN TIME OF DAY.
UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WOEFULLY SHORT.
SO I, UM, BELIEVE THOSE MONIES ARE TRULY AN INVESTMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND APPROPRIATELY.
SO WITH COVID-19 PLACING MORE FINANCIAL STRAIN ON THE CITY, DO YOU FEEL, DO YOU NOT FEEL IT IS TIME TO INVEST IN PRESERVING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, HOMELESS SERVICES, AND HELPING OUR LOCAL BUSINESS RECOVER? WOULDN'T THE POLICE BUDGET BE A GOOD AID TO SUPPLEMENT OUR LOSSES, A DEPLETED GENERAL FUND AND PREVENT FURTHER FINANCIAL RUIN.
I'M NOT SURE WHO ASKED IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR TAKING THE TIME.
STEVE, I WOULD SAY ALL OF THOSE ARE AREAS WHICH HAVE UNMET AND UNFUNDED NEEDS.
UM, I MENTIONED THE UNFUNDED STAFFING LEVELS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS AS AMONG THOSE.
I THINK THIS BUDGET IS A WAY OF ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY TO GET US THROUGH THE SHORT TERM, AS WE RECOVER FROM THE FISCAL SHORTFALLS, THAT COLGATE HAS WORKED ON US WITH THE LOSS OF SOME OF THE MAJOR REVENUES, ESPECIALLY THE SALES TAX AND WHO KNOWS THE PROPERTY TAX AND CERTAINLY THE HOTEL BED TAX.
BUT I THINK, UM, IT'S A, A BALANCED APPROACH.
UM, ONE ITEM THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS WITH RESPECT TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WE REVIEWED TONIGHT THE CIP PROGRAM OF THE CITY AND HAVE REALLY A GOODLY NUMBER OF EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER.
UM, RIGHT NOW, DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT FINANCIAL TIME.
IN FACT, THIS WEEK WE'VE GOT AN ACTIVE PAGING PAVING PROJECT GOING ON.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY THROUGH ITS CIP TO CONTINUE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AS USUAL AND AS A SIDE BENEFIT OF THE ECONOMY FALTERING A BIT WE'RE, WE'RE EXPECTING TO GET SOME VERY COMPETITIVE BIDS DURING THIS TIME, AS PEOPLE ARE SHARPENING PENCILS TO BID ON CITY JOBS.
SO HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS FROM STEVE, HOW WELL INVESTING SO MUCH FUNDS IN SWORE POLICE AT THIS TIME, RECTIFY OUR ECONOMY.
HOW WILL THEY POLICE OFFICERS SAVE OUR CITIES, TANKING ECONOMY? AGAIN, THIS IS A BUDGET WHICH ADDRESSES COMMUNITY NEEDS ACROSS LINE.
WE'VE TALKED IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION TONIGHT ABOUT ONE OF OUR MAJOR GOALS BEING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE ABOUT TO STAND UP, UM, A BUSINESS RECOVERY PROGRAM USING FEDERAL COMMUNITY LAW AND BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
THE CDBG PROGRAM WAS CREATED MANY YEARS AGO, 1974 AS IT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH HUD TRANSITIONED FROM THE URBAN RENEWAL PROJECTS OF THE SIXTIES AND EARLY SEVENTIES INTO THIS MODEL, WHICH DIRECTLY BENEFITS, UM, LOW AND MODERATE INCOME AND, AND COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS.
SO WE THINK BY CONTINUING TO FIND INITIATIVES AND DEFINED, UM, BETTER WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
I'D LIKE TO CITE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES IN TERMS OF OUR INITIATIVES IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS NOT QUITE CONCLUDED.
NOW, THE CITY MADE A DECISION TO OUTSOURCE AND PRIVATIZED A COUPLE OF ITS CORE SERVICES, ONE BEING, BUILDING, AND SAFETY AND THE OTHER BEING, UM, ENGINEERING CITY ENGINEERING.
I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE OUT TO BID THE SOME PROJECTS AND PROJECT DELIVERY IS DRASTICALLY IMPROVED WITH THIS NEW MODEL.
I ALSO BELIEVE WITH THE OUTSOURCING OF THE BUILDING AND SAFETY, OUR EFFECTIVENESS WITH THE BUILDING COMMUNITY HAS HAS IMPROVED.
AND IF YOU CAN LOOK AT, AT REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN UNDER THIS NEW PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE SHARING IT, UM, BASED ON COSTS, BORN IN THE PROVISION OF THE SERVICE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK OUR REVENUE IN THE LAST MONTH CAME IN AT ABOUT $275,000.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IN THE, IN THE SHORT TERM, THESE, THESE STRATEGIES ARE, ARE WORKING AND WE'RE STARTING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT SOME OF THE LONGER TERM PROBLEMS OF THE MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION.
[00:40:03]
THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, THERE ARE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS FROM STEVE BASED AROUND THIS SAME GENERAL TOPIC.UM, ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS IS CAN SOME OF THE REASONS WE INVEST SO MUCH ON POLICE, DOMESTIC DISTURBANCES, DRUG, OR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS BE SOURCED TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITH STAFF, SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS, UM, DOING THAT MIGHT PROVIDE MORE FOCUS, SUCCESSFUL RESPONSES TO CITIZENS NEEDS AND JOBS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, I BELIEVE THERE'S NOW THE BEGINNING OF A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME OF THESE BIG IDEAS.
UM, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE EVENING NEWS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION IN MINNEAPOLIS, AND THOSE QUESTIONS ARE, ARE COMING TO THE FORE THERE.
I THINK EVERY COMMUNITY HAS TO FIND A PACKAGE OF SERVICES, PARKS, AND RECREATION, FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, POLICE FIRE, CERTAINLY THAT REFLECTS THE TRUE NEEDS OF THAT COMMUNITY AND FIND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO RESPOND.
I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT THAT WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND WITH THIS BUDGET WE'RE PROCEEDING AS WELL AS WE CAN GIVEN THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GARNER DURING THESE TIMES.
UM, BRIAN HAS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
IS THERE RESEARCH TO SUPPORT ONE OFFICER TO 1000 RESIDENTS? CRIME IS AT ITS LOWEST IN DECADES.
WHAT IS DRIVING THE ONE TO 1000? THE, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
I REFERENCED A NATIONAL STANDARD IN TERMS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PER CAPITA.
AND I WOULD THINK ONE PER 1000 POPULATION WOULD BE AN ASPIRATIONAL GOAL FOR WEST COVINA.
AND DURING THIS TIME, I CAN'T IMAGINE WE'D BE ABLE TO GET THERE.
I DO KNOW BECAUSE I GET THE RESIDENT CALLS WHEN THINGS GO BAD PEOPLE, AS THEY SHOULD NOT BE, ARE NOT RETICENT TO CALL THEIR CITY MANAGER AND LET US KNOW.
AND, AND THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY MIGHT WISH THEM TO BE.
BUT THE CALLS I GET ARE FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT MORE SERVICE, PEOPLE WHO THINK RESPONSE TIMES ARE TOO LONG AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PERHAPS SCARED RESULT IN SOME CRIME THAT'S OCCURRED.
SO I THINK ONE PER 1000 IS A VERY GOOD GOAL.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE SHORT OF IT TODAY.
I AM QUEUING UP THE NEXT QUESTION.
THIS IS A CALL THAT WAS REQUESTED.
I JUST WANT HIM TO, UM, ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING RIGHT NOW? UM, IN TERMS OF THE POLICE PENSION AND THE FIRE PENSION, I KIND OF WANT TO ASK WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR INCREASING YOUR SALARIES TO BOTH THOSE DEPARTMENTS? 10% WHEN WE KNEW THEY WERE BANKRUPT AND, UM, OUR GOAL, OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW, IT'S VERY RADICAL, PROGRESSIVE TO DEFUND THE POLICE, BUT WE ARE KIND OF LOOKING TO LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, NINE 11 AIRWAY, AND I'M I'M AS, IS NOT RANDOM IN OUR OPINION.
UM, SO WE WANT TO INVEST IN THE STICKINESS OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND ACTUALLY DRIVE DOWN CRIME, MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS.
AND JUST NOT THIS IDEA THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PEOPLE THAT ARE TRAINED TO BE VIOLENT.
UM, BUT YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ASK, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT? YOU KNOW, WE SEE IN LAPD ERIC, OUR STUDY BRINGING DOWN E UM, EQUALLY VALID PD PROJECT, 250 MILLION MINNEAPOLIS IS JUST EXPANDING THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO W WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND MAKE OUR CITIZENS FEEL SAFE? AND AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF OUR PENSION OBLIGATIONS.
CAUSE WE ARE, WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, I DIDN'T GET THE CALLER'S NAME.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMICHAEL, BUT I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
THE CITY HAS BEEN QUITE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN FIRST QUANTIFYING HIS PROBLEMS, AND THEN COMING UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT MIGHT HELP MITIGATE THEM AND TO SOLVE TO THEM.
UM, THE CALLER SPECIFICALLY ASK ABOUT THE QUOTE UNQUOTE CALPERS PROBLEM.
[00:45:01]
FOR CALIFORNIA MUNICIPALITIES, THE CALPERS PENSION PROBLEM IS REALLY THE OFTEN IN THE ROOM.ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN WORKING ON AND APPROVED US TO PROCEED WITH LAST FEBRUARY IS THAT PENSION OBLIGATION BOND STRATEGY WHEREIN AS SOMETIMES PEOPLE REFINANCE THEIR HOME MORTGAGES THAT A LOWER INTEREST RATE WE'D PROCEED WITH TAXABLE MUNICIPAL BONDS, WHICH WOULD BE SOLD IN THE, IN THE MARKETPLACE, SUCH THAT WE'RE NOW CARRYING A, UM, $205 MILLION UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY.
AND BY REFINANCING IT WITH TAXABLE MUNICIPAL BONDS IN TODAY'S MARKET, WE GET COME IN WITH A BLENDED RATE OF JUST OVER 4%, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL SAVINGS.
SO WE'RE, UM, PROCEEDING WITH THAT WITH ALL DUE HASTE.
UM, WE HAVE A NOTHER QUESTION.
WELL, THERE'LL BE A NEW PROPOSED BUDGET ONCE THE SURVEYS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
AND IF SO, WHEN WILL IT BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN.
AGAIN, THE CALLER'S ASKING IF THERE WILL BE A AMENDED OR REVISED, UH, PRELIMINARY BUDGET BEFORE IT COMES TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO, WE ARE INTENDING TO PRESENT THIS BUDGET, ALTHOUGH WE ARE EXPECTING TO GET RELEVANT AND MEANINGFUL COMMENTS THROUGH THIS MONTH THAT WE'RE IN, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF, UM, PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE'VE HAD IT IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THE COUNSELOR REFERRED TO BUDGET TO THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'RE HAVING A TOWN HALL TYPE CONVERSATION TONIGHT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MIGHT SUGGEST, UM, OTHER BUDGET PRIORITIES.
WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER MEETING OF THE BUDGET, OUR FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OPTIONS FOR FIRE SERVICE.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA AGAIN NEXT TUESDAY IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, FOR A FURTHER, UM, CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AND BUDGET PRIORITIES.
ULTIMATELY IT'S MY INTENTION TO GET THE BUDGET IN FRONT OF THE, IN A FORM WHERE THEY COULD CONSIDER IT AND HOPEFULLY ADOPTED ON JUNE THE 23RD, PROBABLY HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING THAT NIGHT JUST FOCUSED ON THE BUDGET.
OUR FISCAL YEAR STARTS JULY 1ST.
SO WE'RE DOING THAT WITH NOT MUCH TIME TO SPARE.
OUR NEXT QUESTION ALSO DID NOT PROVIDE A NAME.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS BEEN SAYING HOW THE BUDGET WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUES ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT THERE IS NO ANSWER YET TO WHAT I THINK A LOT OF US WANTS TO KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO DECREASE THE POLICE BUDGET? YES OR NO.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
I INTEND TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL, A BALANCED BUDGET, WHICH MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THIS IS THE BUDGET THAT I INTEND TO BRING FORWARD.
I'M OPEN TO COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS IF PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE THEM AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT THIS BUDGET IS IN VERY NEARLY FINAL FORM.
AND IT'S THE BUDGET THAT I INTEND TO PLACE ON THE AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM BRIAN.
ARE WE CONCERNED THAT PRIVATIZATION OF THE CITY SERVICES WILL CHANGE THE INCENTIVES OF THOSE SERVICE OR OF THOSE SERVICES? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, WILL OUTSOURCING AND PRIVATIZATION OF CERTAIN MUNICIPAL SERVICES, UM, CHANGE THE INCENTIVES OF THOSE SERVICES.
I THINK IT'S MAINLY REFLECTIVE OF PHILOSOPHY THAT SAYS, UM, DURING TIMES LIKE THIS IN SERVICE PROVISION, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS AND I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS.
THE PRIVATIZATION OF THOSE SERVICES THAT I MENTIONED ARE, ARE MOVES THAT MANY CITIES MADE 20 AND 30 YEARS AGO.
SO WEST COVINA IS MODEL WAS, UM, NOT AS CURRENT AS SOME OTHERS.
AND I THINK, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE FOR GOOD SERVICE.
WE WANT OUR RESIDENTS TO GET GREAT SERVICES AND WE WANT TO DELIVER, UM, ENGINEERING PROJECTS TIMELY SO FAR.
[00:50:01]
SEEMS TO BE WORKING QUITE WELL, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT AS WE GO.THOSE ARE THE ONLY QUESTION THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, I'D JUST LIKE TO WIND UP BY THANKING ALL THE PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO OFFER SUGGESTIONS, INCLUDING, UM, LITERALLY DOZENS OF PEOPLE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO WRITE.
UM, I INTENDED AND BELIEVE I DID RESPOND TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
AND I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THEIR TIME TO WEIGH IN ON, UM, CITY ISSUES.
LOOKS LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE ONE MORE CALL IF WE COULD TAKE ANOTHER ONE.
WE HAVE A CALL FROM PRISCILLA WHO WE TALKED TO EARLIER THIS EVENING BECAUSE THE CITY JUST SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT CHANGE THIS BUDGET.
HOW CAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS CHANGE THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR? WHAT ARE SOME CONCRETE STEPS WE CAN FOLLOW SO THAT IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN, AGAIN.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING FURTHER QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
AND AS WE GO ALONG, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT HAVE WEIGHED IN ON THE BUDGET.
AS IT'S NEARING THE END OF A BUDGET CALENDAR TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR CITY.
WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
THOSE ARE ALWAYS POSTED ONLINE.
WE RECENTLY ONE FOR HR COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, THE HUMAN RESOURCES COMMISSION OR COMMUNITY SERVICES, UM, PARKS AND REC OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE'S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WE'RE IN THE PEOPLE BUSINESS.
AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT WANT TO AFFECT CHANGE NEED TO NEED TO GET TO THE TABLE AND NEED TO, UM, BE INVOLVED IN, IN ANY CONSTRUCTIVE WAY THAT THEY CAN, UM, EARLY.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD WELCOME PEOPLE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THOSE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY'RE POSTED AND CERTAINLY TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN COUNCIL MEETINGS AS, AS THOSE COME BY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE GENERALLY TO EVERYONE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN TONIGHT THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO THIS IN PERSON.
WE'RE STILL FALTERING ALONG WITH THIS, UM, EXTERNAL, AND I'M A BIG FAN OF HAVING MEETINGS IN PERSON AND PEOPLE COMING TO MEETINGS.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE THAT JUST SAID, I HAVE A QUESTION.
GIVE ME A SECOND TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
CAN YOU IMAGINE WE HAVE A QUESTION COMING IN FROM STEVE BENNETT? OKAY.
I APOLOGIZE FOR LAST QUESTION.
UH, FORTUNATELY PANEL WASN'T UP, UH, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, AND I KNOW I SUBMITTED QUESTIONS.
I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, THAT'S KIND OF THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE AND IT KIND OF PERTAINS TO THAT.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING HOW MANY OTHER QUESTIONS WERE IN WERE ASKED AND OR ANSWERED BEFORE THE START OF THE MEETING.
UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ASK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT POLICE BUDGETS AND THE FIRE BUDGET, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE SENSE OF HAVING THE CITY MANAGER GO BACK AND ASSOCIATE THOSE POLL PERCENT RAISES FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE BUDGETS THAT THEY GOT LAST YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, HE'S ASKING ALL THESE CITY EMPLOYEES TO CONSIDER AS THEY'RE PAID, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE HIM GOING AFTER THE ONES WHO JUST GOT A PRETTY GOOD PAY RAISE.
AND I THINK THAT WILL BE THE FIRST THING TO SAVE TWO OR $3 MILLION A YEAR.
SO AGAIN, IF THAT QUESTION'S ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED, THAT'S FINE.
I ACTUALLY HAVE OTHERS AS WELL.
AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
GOOD EVENING, STEVE, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
WE HAVE BEEN IN ACTIVE CONVERSATION WITH ALL NINE OF THE CITIES, EMPLOYEE UNIONS.
I BELIEVE I'VE MET WITH EACH OF THEM, UM, MINIMUM OF FIVE TIMES OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
AND I THINK THAT BUSINESS IS WHERE IT BELONGS, WHICH IS AT THE TABLE.
[00:55:01]
I I'M WORKING HARD TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT CRISIS WITH, UH, WITH THE EMPLOYEES WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED MOST BY THE KINDS OF REDUCTIONS THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, BUT I'M ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THAT RIGHT NOW AS TO THE OTHER QUESTION, STEVE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE ANSWERED ANY OR ALL OF YOURS, BUT I'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME TONIGHT AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY MORE IF YOU HAVE THEM.THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, WE'RE WAITING FOR ONE OF THE CALLERS TO TEXT IN OR EMAIL IN HIS QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, ONE, ONE FOR HIM, EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
SO WE'LL JUST BE WAITING FOR THAT TO OCCUR AND WE WOULD WELCOME ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT MIGHT, UM, LIKE COME UP TONIGHT.
UH, THE
UM, I JUST MENTIONED TO THE PREVIOUS CALLER, I HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE WITH ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES GROUPS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT NINE UNIONS, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
YEAH, I CAN HEAR ME IN YOUR PHONE.
YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU FINE.
I COULD HEAR HIM IF YOU HANG UP IN MY MIND.
THIS IS, UM, CITY MANAGER, DAVE, CARMONEY LIKE TO BEGIN BY APOLOGIZING Q FOR THIS FORMAT AGAIN TONIGHT.
UM, I REALLY, TRULY MISS HAVING YOU AND EVERYONE BE ABLE TO COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND SPEAK IN PERSON.
AND WE HOPE TO GET BACK TO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THE QUESTION REGARDING, UM, REDUCTIONS.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BE IN DIALOGUE WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AT THE TABLE AS, AS STATE LAW WOULD REQUIRE.
AND WE CERTAINLY ARE DOING THAT.
WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH ALL NINE OF OUR UNIONS MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
I THINK WE'VE MET WITH EACH GROUP AT LEAST FIVE TIMES.
AND I THINK EVERY SINGLE, UM, EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY WILL BE, UM, SHARING.
AND IN SOME OF THAT WE'VE, UM, WE'VE GOT REALLY NOWHERE ELSE TO GO IN TERMS OF OUR FISCAL EMERGENCY.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, STEVE WAS ABLE TO EMAIL ME HIS QUESTIONS.
IF YOU DID SEND AN EMAIL TO THE WEST COVINA BUDGET DISCUSSION EMAIL, AND WE HAVEN'T GOT TO IT, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND ME DIRECTLY@LSHERICKLSHERRICKATWESTCOLINA.ORG.
MR. CITY MANAGER HERE IS STEVE'S FIRST QUESTION.
HOW DOES THE CITY OF WEST COVINA SHOW A REVENUE VERSUS EXPENDITURES AS BEING FLAT OR EQUAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 2021? WHEN THE CITY JUST DECLARED A FISCAL EMERGENCY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THEY DECLARED A FISCAL AND THEY DECLARED THE EMERGENCY.
DO THEY DECLARED THE EMERGENCY WAS DUE TO REDUCE REVENUES
[01:00:01]
FROM LOWER THAN NORMAL SALES TAX, PROPERTY TAX AND TRANSIT ORIENT TAX REVENUE, TRANSIT, OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUES.DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THAT NOW? WE'VE GOT IT.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN.
AND THANK YOU, STEVE, FOR THE QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO ASK OUR, OUR CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK TO THAT IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR BUDGET CALENDAR AND THE PREPARATION OF A BUDGET THAT WAS AT A CERTAIN POINT WHEN THOSE REVENUES FELL OFF DUE TO COVID.
CARMONEY UM, AS YOU SAW IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, AS OF MARCH 31ST, THE CITY WAS ON TRACK, UH, THIS YEAR IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN, UM, OF COURSE, MARCH 16TH HIT, AND WHICH WAS TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE MARCH 31ST REPORT THAT I GAVE.
UM, BUT WE SORT OF FELL OFF A CLIFF THERE.
AND THEN AS WE WENT THROUGH, UM, APRIL, WE, UM, SAW THOSE DECLINES, UM, AS ALL THE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY WERE CLOSED AS COVID, YOU KNOW, THE PANDEMIC HIT ALL COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW HARDER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAD OUR DAILY UPDATES FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THE LA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE, UM, FOLLOWED THEN IN MAY.
UH, WE GOT A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY, UM, REGARDING OUR PROPERTY TAXES THAT WERE DUE TO COME IN IN MAY.
AND WHAT IT SAID WAS DUE TO COVID-19 THE REVENUES AND THE PROPERTY TAXES WERE DELAYED, AND THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE, UM, A DELAY IN POSTING THOSE.
SO WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET OUR PROPERTY TAXES UNTIL JULY.
THAT WAS GENERAL FUND PROPERTY TAXES AT THE VERY SAME MOMENT.
ANOTHER LETTER CAME THROUGH THAT SAID THAT SAME EXACT THING FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY, RPT TF MONEY FROM THEIR CITY MANAGER.
AND I TALKED TO OUR LOBBYIST UP IN SACRAMENTO TO TALK TO DEAL, SEE IF THE COUNTY COULD INDEED WITHHOLD THOSE PROPERTY TAXES.
THOSE PROPERTY TAXES FOR OUR PTF WERE GOING TO BE DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY, 2021.
WE ALSO CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE LETTER TO THE COUNTY, DISCUSSED, UM, OUR SITUATION WITH THEM AND TOLD THEM THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEEDED THAT MONEY TO FUND OUR, UM, PAYROLL AND OUR ONGOING VENDORS, UM, TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
I RECEIVED NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE COUNTY.
I JUST RECEIVED THE PROPERTY TESTS.
SO, UM, MY GUESS IS, IS THAT OTHER CITIES ALSO CALLED ARE THEY GOT A LEGAL OPINION? I, I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST KNOW THAT WE GOT THE MONEY, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T SOLVE OUR PROBLEM.
IT EXTENDS IT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT WE HAVE, UM, A CASHFLOW PROBLEM, OUR REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE COMING YEAR.
UM, THAT'S JUST WHAT WE EXPECT TO GET IN WHAT WE EXPECT TO SPEND.
THE CURRENT PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS WITH OUR CASHFLOW TO MEET OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL NEEDS.
NEXT QUESTION IS ALSO FROM MR. STEVE BENNETT.
THE CITY MANAGER HAS ASKED ALL DEPARTMENTS TO TAKE A PAY CUT ACROSS THE BOARD THAT IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR TO THE SEVEN EMPLOYEE BARGAINING GROUPS THAT DID NOT GET A SIZABLE PAY INCREASE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
THE CITY MANAGERS SHOULD GO BACK TO THE POLICE AND FIRE UNIONS AND ASK THEM TO GIVE UP THEIR 12% PAY INCREASES OF APPROXIMATELY TWO POINT $3 MILLION A YEAR.
AFTER ALL THE CITY MANAGER SAID HE WOULD FIND THE MONEY WHEN HE CONVINCED THE COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THOSE RAISES, WE COULD NOT AFFORD NOT TRUE.
THAT WAS THE QUESTION, BUT AN OPINION.
I THINK THAT THE SEASON WE'RE IN NOW IS TRYING TO FIND A PATHWAY FORWARD FOR THIS CITY.
WE'VE, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY SEEN SOME MAJOR REDUCTIONS IN, IN, IN OUR REVENUES AND, UH, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE EXPENSE CATEGORIES THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF FIND A WAY THROUGH THIS.
I THINK, UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE DO THIS, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO CONTINUE
[01:05:01]
TO KEEP FIRST RATE OUR FIRST RESPONDER SERVICES.UM, AS WE, AS WE STRUGGLE WITH THESE ISSUES, WE HAVE LOOKED AT, UM, SUSPENDING OR PLACING CONTRACTS, NOT CRITICAL TO THE CITY HOLD.
WE RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION IN CITY HALL ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD MOVE FROM A FIVE-YEAR TREE TRIMMING CYCLE TO A SEVEN YEAR, OR WHETHER WE COULD NOT TREAT TRIM TREES THIS YEAR, EXCEPT RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES.
UM, CAN WE FIND A WAY TO REDUCE PERSONNEL COSTS? UM, IF WE LEAVE, UM, SERVICES IN PLACE, CAN WE DO THINGS THERE THAT, UM, ARE, ARE KNOWN IN THE LITERATURE SUCH AS SUSPENDING, UH, LEAVE CASH OUTS OR PLACING PLAN WAGE INCREASES ON HALL OR, UM, AS A LAST RESORT, UM, DOING LAYOFFS OF NONESSENTIAL POSITIONS, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS WITH THIS ORGANIZATION IS THE CITIES GOT A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS, WHICH ARE UNDERSTAFFED.
AND SO THE CUTS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS AND WE'RE DOWN TO A PLACE NOW WHERE IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW THE PACKAGE OF SERVICES COULD BE SUSTAINED, UM, WITH, WITH FEWER EMPLOYEES.
BUT I TAKE THE COMMENT AND THE SUGGESTION AS TO HOW, UM, THE CALLER WOULD LIKE THE LABOR CONTRACTS BEING NEGOTIATED ON WHILE AWARE OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND I APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTION.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, MR. BENNETT HAS ANOTHER QUESTION.
THE FINANCE DIRECTOR STATED AT THE LAST AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING THAT THE CITY WAS LOOKING AT CONTRACTING WITH LA COUNTY FIRE.
I WOULD LIKE TO CAUTION THE CITY IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN STEADFAST FOR YEARS AND ENSURING THAT WE DO NOT SWITCH TO LA COUNTY FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES.
IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT THE CITY HAS LOOKED INTO THIS BEFORE, AND THERE IS NO COST SAVINGS.
THEREFORE WE MUST ASSUME THE CITY IS ONLY TRYING TO APPEASE THE FIRE PERSONNEL BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SWITCH MAKING AT WHERE IT WILL YIELD HIGHER SALARIES.
WHAT IS THE CITY AND CITY MANAGER'S POSITION ON THIS TOPIC? THIS IS MR. BENNETT AGAIN.
THIS IS, UM, CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER THIS EVENING, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS IN SERVICE PROVISION.
I THINK THIS IS CERTAINLY A MOMENT FOR THAT.
WE'VE ASKED OUR FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THREE OPTIONS, THIS COMING THIRSTY AT THEIR MEETING, UM, BUSINESS AS USUAL.
UM, CERTAINLY ONE POSSIBILITY, ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED, I THINK EVERYONE HEARD THE FINANCE DIRECTOR SAY THAT THE OVERTIME HAS BEEN SLASHED AND THE BUDGET FROM SOME $2 MILLION TO THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS OR NUMBERS CLOSE TO THAT.
WHAT THAT MEANS IN EFFECT IS THAT IF SOMEBODY GOES OUT FROM ONE OF OUR STATIONS INJURED ON DUTY OR TAKES A SICK LEAVE OR TAKES A VACATION DAY, THAT WE WOULD BE SHORT STAFFED.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT LEADS US TO, UH, ANOTHER OPTION UNDER CONSIDERATION, WHICH MIGHT BE CONSIDERING, UM, A REGIONAL APPROACH TO FIRE SERVICE, THE LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A MODEL WHICH IS, UM, WELL KNOWN IN THIS COUNTY.
THAT'S THE LA COUNTY FIRE, MY HASTENED DAD, ONE OF THE TWO BEST FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE NATION.
IF YOU FOLLOW THE EVENING NEWS, AND THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, NICHE WHERE I USE OUR TEAM AND WHEREVER JAKARTA, INDONESIA, OR MEXICO, OR, YOU KNOW, NAME ONE, THERE'S TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT SEND THE WORLD'S BEST.
AND ONE OF THEM IS LA COUNTY FIRE.
THERE'S 59 CITIES IN THIS COUNTY THAT HAVE ALREADY FIGURED THAT OUT AND ARE SERVED BY LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS AN OPTION THAT THEN RESOURCES COULD BE DEPLOYED REGIONALLY.
SOMETIMES RESOURCES WITH RESOURCES WOULD GO OUT AND SOMETIMES THEY'D COME IN WITH STANDARD THAT WE'D LIKE TO MEET.
UM, FRANKLIN, I'M NOT SURE THE CITY'S MEETING IT.
NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS THURSDAY NIGHT WITH THE FIRE.
CHIEF IS YOU WANT TO BE ON SCENE WITH A FIRE IN, IN FIVE MINUTES WITH AN EMS PROVIDER.
YOU WANT TO BE THERE WITHIN NINE MINUTES IN BOTH CASES, 90% OF THE TIME.
UM, THE THIRD OPTION WITH RESPECT TO FIRE SERVICE WOULD HAVE A, INSTEAD OF TRANSPORTING PATIENTS WITH CITY PERSONNEL AND CITY FIREFIGHTERS, IT WOULD BE A BLENDED APPROACH WHERE WE'D STAFF A PRIVATE AMBULANCE IN TWO OF OUR STATIONS AND CONSOLIDATE FIRE, UM, OPERATIONS INTO, INTO THREE STATIONS.
THE, UM, SAME STANDARDS WOULD, WOULD APPLY.
[01:10:01]
TO TALK OUT THOSE ISSUES AND SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS THURSDAY NIGHT, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT BUSINESS AS USUAL, PROBABLY ISN'T GOING TO BE AN OPTION FOR THE CITY.AND IN THE SHORT TERM, THANK YOU, SYDNEY MANAGER, WE HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, THEY DID NOT PROVIDE THEIR NAME, HELLO, FELLOW RESIDENTS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT VIEWS THIS.
I HAVE BEEN A WEST COVINA RESIDENT FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND A CITY EMPLOYEE FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
I'M PART OF A DIVERSE SUPPORT STAFF OR A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE SUPPORT STAFF INCLUDES PERSONNEL SUCH AS JAILERS RECORDS, CLERKS, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICERS.
I AND MY FELLOW CIVILIAN COWORKERS ROLES INCLUDE SUPPORTING OUR OFFICERS AND SERVING THE PUBLIC OF NOT ONLY WEST COVINA, BUT ALSO THE CITIES THAT HAVE CONTRACTED OUR SERVICES WHILE OUR DUTIES VARY GREATLY BETWEEN POSITIONS, WHAT UNIFIES US ALL IS OUR ROLE OF ACTING AS LIAISONS AND MEDIATORS BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC.
THROUGHOUT MY TIME AS AN EMPLOYEE, I HAVE HEARD THAT THE CITY HAS NO MONEY, ESPECIALLY DURING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, THE SUPPORT OF WEST COVINA HAS NOT RECEIVED A PAY RAISE.
IN FACT, THE CITY HAS UNILATERALLY IMPOSED, NUMEROUS CUTS AND BENEFITS.
WE HAVE SURVEYED SURROUNDING AGENCIES AND WE CONTINUOUSLY FALL SHORT OF WHAT THEY REPORT PAYING THEIR SUPPORT STAFF.
WE ARE TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THE CITY HAS NO MONEY, BUT SOMEHOW THAT MONEY IS BOUNCED FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN OUR CITY TO RECEIVE PAY RAISES WHILE WE ARE LEFT BEHIND AND PANELIZED, OUR SUPPORT PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN WORKING AT BELOW MINIMUM STAFFING FOR MANY YEARS.
NOW, THIS DRAIN ON STAFFING IS EVEN MORE CONCERNING WHEN ONE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE A LONGER BUSINESS HOURS THAN MOST OTHER AGENCIES IN THE AREA.
OUR LACK OF STAFFING IS LARGELY DUE TO THOSE.
WE HIRE AND TRAIN, LEAVING TO OTHER CITIES AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF OUR LESS THAN COMPETITIVE WAGES.
IT TAKES NUMEROUS MONTHS OF TRAINING TO BUILD THE SKILL SETS REQUIRED TO PERFORM OUR DUTIES.
TRAINING PROVIDED BY SHORT-STAFFED PERSON, SHORT STAFF, SUPPORT PERSONNEL, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CARRYING OUT THEIR REGULAR DUTIES.
ONCE AGAIN, THE BUDGET IS BEING DISCUSSED AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THE CITY HAS NO MONEY AND WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR MARKETS.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT OUR LACK OF PAY RATES AND NUMEROUS CUTS IN BENEFITS FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS HAS NOT MADE AN IOTA OF DIFFERENCE ON BALANCING THE BUDGET.
THEREFORE, MY QUESTION IS WHEN WILL THE SUPPORT STAFF OF WEST COVINA STOPPING STOP BEING LEFT BEHIND AND WHY CAN'T CUT THE MAIDEN DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE SEEN RAISES WHILE OUR WAGES HAVE STAYED STAGNANT.
THIS IS THE CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THE CALLER AND, UM, EXPRESS MY CONCERN THAT, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON NOW IS A, IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
IT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN CALIFORNIA, IT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT WEST COVINA, UM, COME UP WITH A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, LABOR NEGOTIATIONS ARE AT THE HEART OF THIS.
I THINK, UM, THE CLASSIC COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS WHERE EVERYBODY JUMPS INTO A COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATION FRAMEWORK IS MAY NOT BE THE MODEL AT THIS TIME.
IF IT DOESN'T COME TO SOME AGREEMENT WITH ITS EMPLOYEES AND WITH ITS UNIONS.
SO I THINK THIS IS A TIME WHICH ALMOST DEMANDS A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT INTEREST BASED BARGAINING RATHER THAN SELF INTEREST.
AND RATHER THAN POLITICAL BLAME, IT'S GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT THIS CITY NEEDS TO DO TO MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
AND NOBODY BETTER THAN ME, THAT, THAT MY WORKFORCE IS CRITICAL TO THE SERVICES THAT THIS COMMUNITY, UM, NEEDS AND DEPENDS UPON, UM, THE TOWN, THE CITY OFFICIALS, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE SITUATION WE'RE IN IS, IS UNPRECEDENTED.
AND, UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, WE'VE GOT TO FIND SOME WAYS THROUGH THIS AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TRYING OUR BEST TO FIND ALTERNATIVES AND TRY TO NOT BURN THROUGH RESERVES THAT WE, THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, OUR NEXT QUESTION, PETER, WE SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER THIS EVENING
[01:15:48]
AND ALSO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THE, THE WAY WE ARE GOING TO DECREASE THE PENSION PLANS BEFORE PERCENT, UM, DIARRHEAL UPON THE STATE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, PAPER ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS.SO, UM, I THINK WE ALL WANT TO SEE THAT TOO.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, I'LL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER AS MANY OF THOSE AS I CAN, AND I'LL TAKE THE LAST ONE FIRST, CAUSE IT'S FRESH ON MY MIND.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR PENSION OBLIGATION BOND IS ONE INITIATIVE THAT MIGHT HELP THE CITY ADDRESS ITS MAJOR UNFUNDED LIABILITY, WHICH IS THE CALPERS PENSION.
THIS HAS BEEN ON TO THE COUNCIL AGENDA A NUMBER OF TIMES.
AND ONE OF THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS, IT WAS IDENTIFIED GOING.
THIS REPORT WAS GIVEN TO COUNCIL LAST JANUARY, FEBRUARY WAS THAT IN THIS TYPE OF TRANSACTION, WHICH IS QUITE COMPLICATED, THERE'S A VALIDATION ACTION THAT HAS TO OCCUR IN THE COURT.
UM, THEN ONCE YOU COMPLETE THAT STEP, YOU GO FORWARD TO THE RATING AGENCIES, MOODY'S STANDARD AND POOR'S FITCH, AND THEY RATE YOUR BONDS.
IF WEST COVINA WERE ABLE TO GET AN, A RATED BOND, THE BLENDED INTEREST RATE RIGHT NOW ON THAT DEBT WOULD BE IN THE RANGE, RED TAXABLE, MUNICIPAL BOND, SOMEWHERE AROUND 4%.
UM, WE'RE NOW CARRYING THAT DEBT AT CALPERS AT 7%.
AND I THINK THEIR INVESTMENT RETURNS ARE LIKELY TO FALTER.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE HOW POPULAR THOSE BONDS WERE IN THE MARKETPLACE WHEN WE BROUGHT HIM TO THE TRADING DESK.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE RAISES AT THE TIME WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE WITH THE CITY'S FINANCES AND CITIES COUNT ON REVENUES TO COME IN FOR EXPENDITURES TO GO OUT.
UM, WE WERE IN A SEASON OF, WELL, I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT AS VERY POOR LABOR RELATIONS.
UM, IN FACT, WE WERE NOT JUST ARGUING.
WE WERE IN LAWSUITS WITH, UM, ONE OF OUR MAJOR UNIONS IN THE CITY ENDED UP ULTIMATELY SETTLING IT.
UM, WE WERE, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH RESPECT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, FACING A SERIOUS LOSS OF OFFICERS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHICH WERE PAYING MORE COMPETITIVE WAGES, I THINK AT OUR, WHAT HAD ALREADY LOW POINT, THE LOW WATERMARK, WE WERE DOWN TO AS FEW AS LIKE 78 SWORN OFFICERS.
UM, FOR A MOMENT THERE, I THOUGHT EVERYBODY WAS REGARDING THE CITY OF ONTARIO NEAR PRICE, THE PROMISED LAND.
BUT ONCE WE PUT THEM UNDER CONTRACT, THAT SITUATION, UM, TURNED AROUND AND WE WERE ABLE TO ATTRACT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY RETAIN, UM, SOME WORKFORCE THAT COULD, COULD HELP US MEET OUR STAFFING NEEDS AND THE COMMUNITY MEET ITS CRIME NEEDS.
UM, IF I HAD KNOWN THEN THAT COVID WAS COMING WHAT'D I DO IT AGAIN? OH, PROBABLY NOT.
BUT LIKE HERE WE ARE NOW TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION, WHICH IS QUITE REAL AND QUITE UPON US.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHATEVER STRATEGIES WE CAN, UM, RECOMMEND THAT MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE IN THIS MOMENT AND BARGAINING WITH THE LABOR GROUPS, AS I'VE MENTIONED TONIGHT IS CERTAINLY A BIG PART OF THAT, WHERE WE'RE AT THE TABLE, WHICH IS WHERE STATE LAW REQUIRES US TO BE.
AND, UM, WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS ISSUE FROM THAT PROCESS IN FAIRLY SHORT ORDER, BUT, UM, THAT WON'T BECOME PUBLIC UNTIL WE REACH THE END OF THE PROCESS.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS THERE.
WE, WE DON'T KNOW YET, CAUSE IT'S NOT, NOT COMPLETED.
WE HAVE A FEW FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO REVISE THE CURRENT BUDGET TO MEET THE NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN VOCALIZED BY THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THE CURRENT SEDIMENT BUDGET ISSUES
[01:20:01]
AND FEEL THAT THE ECONOMY WILL RECOVER QUICKER THAN EXPECTED FROM COVID? IS IT RESPONSIBLE TO NOT RE-EXAMINE AND ADJUST THE BUDGET? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMEN, AGAIN, UM, I THINK THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO REQUIRE PRETTY CLOSE MONITORING ONCE IT'S PUT IN PLACE, UM, AS DIYERS AND SAY SITUATION IS, AND WE'D ALL LIKE FOR IT TO RETURN, UM, WITH 38 MILLION PEOPLE ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN THIS NATION RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT SURE IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYTIME SOON.AND ONE OF MY FEARS IS THAT IT COULD GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
SO WE NEED TO STAND UP THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND TRY AND GET THOSE REVENUES BACK.
AND WHETHER IT GOES UP OR GOES DOWN, WE NEED TO MONITOR IT QUITE CLOSELY AND BE READY TO DO.
UM, MORE, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BE MORE FLEET FOOTED THAN IN CITIES USUALLY ARE, UM, THROUGHOUT THROUGH A BUDGET CYCLE.
WE NEED TO WATCH IT, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY CLOSELY.
WE HAVE A FOLLOWUP QUESTION FROM MR. BRIAN, WHO WE SPOKE TO EARLIER TODAY THIS EVENING.
ARE WE LOOKING AT RELOCATING SOME OF THE FUNDS FROM POLICE TO THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM MORE FULLY STAFFED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CRIME IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
I AM GOING TO BE RECOMMENDING A POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, WHICH MAY SEE SOME MODIFICATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN IT COMES TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION.
BUT MY EXPECTATION AT THIS POINT IS IT WILL BE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE IT IS TODAY.
WE HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS FROM MR. BENNETT.
UH, WHY DID THE CITY SET UP AN EMAIL ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS AND YET NONE OF THOSE WERE REVIEWED.
UM, MR. BENNETT, UH, WE APOLOGIZE.
WE DIDN'T GET ANY EMAIL QUESTIONS IN THAT EMAIL BOX.
HOPEFULLY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH THEM ALL.
NOW, ANOTHER QUESTION MR. BENNETT HAS, IS, UH, WE SHOULD REDO THIS MEETING AND FIND THOSE EMAILS AND ALLOW THE PUBLIC THAT SUBMITTED THOSE TO BE HEARD, THE RUSH TO PASS A BUDGET SHOULD NOT SIDE STEP THE ABILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE INVOLVED.
SO THE CITY CAN RESEND THE FISCAL EMERGENCY SINCE WE ARE NO LONGER IN THE SAME SITUATION.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, THE FISCAL EMERGENCY CERTAINLY COULD BE CONCLUDED, UM, BY, BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN THE FISCAL EMERGENCY IS OVER.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
SO I'M NOT PREPARED TO RECOMMEND THAT BECAUSE I THINK, UM, WE'RE WATCHING OUR REVENUES PLUMMET AND WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL.
I THINK THE MOST FOCUSED I CAN BE FOR THIS COMMUNITY NOW IS ON THIS QUESTION OF OPTIONS AND SERVICE PROVISION AND LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS.
WE TALKED EARLIER TONIGHT ABOUT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS TO CONSIDER PROVIDING GREAT FIRE AND EMS SERVICE THROUGH A REGIONAL CONTRACT, MAYBE THERE'S OTHER SERVICES THAT COULD ALSO BE REGIONALIZED THOSE EVERY CITY IN THIS PART OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY NEED ITS OWN JAIL.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION I NEED TO EXPLORE.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR EVERY POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS AREA TO HAVE ITS OWN DISPATCH CENTER? I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER MODELS OUT THERE.
CITIES HAVE COME TOGETHER AND CREATED JOINT POWERS AUTHORITIES.
UM, NONE OF THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
UM, CHANGING GOVERNMENT TENDS TO COME PRETTY SLOW, BUT A LOT OF THESE ARE COMING AT US AND IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE THE SPEED OF LIGHT REGARDING BUDGET MEETINGS.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN, UM, THE MONTH FOR THOSE AND WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW, I THINK WE'VE GOT THIS MEETING TONIGHT AND THEN THE COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT AND CLOSE SESSION.
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE LABOR ISSUES.
WE'VE GOT THE AUDIT AND FINANCE ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
UM, I WOULD WELCOME COMMENTS FROM ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED AT ANY TIME AND, AND FRANKLY WE'VE BEEN GETTING THEM BY THE, BY THE DOZEN.
AND I HOPE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I, I APPRECIATE THEIR, THEIR LEVEL OF CONCERN AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT.
WE HAVE A FOLLOWUP QUESTION WITH MR. BENNETT FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THE LA COUNTY FIRE.
THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS FIVE STATIONS WHEN MOVING TO COUNTY FIRE, THEY CONTROL OUR COSTS AND THEY GO UP EVERY YEAR AND LIKELY WILL REDUCE STATIONS.
[01:25:01]
WILL THE CITY ALLOW MONTHS TO MAKE THAT OR ANY DECISION? WELL, THE CITY HOLDS NUMEROUS COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SPEAK THEIR MINDS.UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT OPTIONS FOR FIRE SERVICE, UM, IS A MEETING WHICH WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS WEEK.
UM, THIS THIRSTY IN FRONT OF FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE.
AT THAT TIME, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE COLOR WAS ON THE CONVERSATION OR HEARD IT EARLIER, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, BUSINESS AS USUAL, WHICH IS THE CURRENT MODEL, ALBEIT WITH OVERTIME REDUCED BY TWO THIRDS.
WE'RE NOW I THINK JUST OVER 2 MILLION AND THIS BUDGET HAS IT AT 750,000.
THAT THE IMPLICATION OF THAT IF WE STOP THE OVERTIME, IS THAT IF A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, ET CETERA, UNDER THE CURRENT MODEL IS OUT FOR, FOR ANY REASON, A SICK LEAVE DAY VACATION DAY, I INJURED ON DUTY DAY.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO STAFF PROPERLY.
AND SO THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
ONE WOULD BE THAT WE COULD CONTRACT WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY TO DO PATIENT TRANSPORT.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WOULD BE ALI COUNTY.
WE DID GET, UH, UH, LOOK AT THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT FURTHER THURSDAY NIGHT.
THAT'S INTERESTED IN THAT TOPIC TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN, IN THAT MEANING OF FINANCE AND AUDIT, UH, THURSDAY EVENING ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, IF WE HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, UM, UH, THANK EVERYONE FOR ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.
IF WE HAVE ANY OTHERS, I'M HAPPY TO STAY HERE.
AS LONG AS ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THIS CONVERSATION AT THIS TIME, MR. CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS.
OH, WE JUST GOT ONE IN, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM MR. BENNETT, WOULD THE CITY BE WILLING TO PUT THE CHOICE OF STAYING WITH CITY FIRE OR MOVING TO COUNTY FIRE ON THE BALLOT? SO THE RESIDENTS CAN DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO BE PROTECTED, LIKE TO THANK STEVE FOR THE QUESTION QUESTION, BEING WITH THE CITY, LIKE TO HAVE THIS DONE BY CITIZEN REFERENDUM, UM, AND PLACING IT ON THE BALLOT.
I THINK THE MOST TELLING SLIDE THAT WE LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF THE CITY FINANCES TONIGHT WAS THE ONE ABOUT THE CASHFLOW.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE IN THE GENERAL FUND CASH, AND I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT CONFUSE AND THAT INSTEAD WE RECOGNIZE THAT FUND BALANCES IN THE BUDGET DO NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO AVAILABLE CASH, BUT THE SLIDE THAT SPEAKS TO THE CASH SHOWS THIS CITY GOING NEGATIVE CASH.
UM, 1.9 MILLION, I BELIEVE IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER FUNDS GENERAL FUND.
ISN'T THE ONLY FUND, BUT IT'S THE MOST VERSATILE ONE.
AND SO I THINK GIVEN THE IMMEDIACY OF THE PROBLEM MMM, DOING THIS, BYE BYE VOTE AT A BALLOT BOX THAT THE NEXT ELECTION, WHENEVER THAT MIGHT BE IS PROBABLY TOO FAR HORIZON.
I THINK THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, HAVE TO BE ANSWERED IN REAL TIME.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING A PART OF THIS THIS EVENING.