HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.A Late Document 1 06/20/2011or
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City Clerk �
City Of Petaluma �L
11 English Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
To: All City Council Members
Richard E. K. Brawn
141 Grevillia Drive
Petaluma, CA 94952
June 17, 2011
SUBJECT: City Agenda Item 4A: Appropriations.
Please add my comments to the information provided to the City Council Members and as public record
that is reverenced as agenda item NEW BUSINESS paragraph 4A Appropriations.
I am not going to characterize this agenda item. The following are issues remaining unresolved.
1. This proposal is a vote to hand over $50 million with no strings attached, and $20 million to
PCDC with no comeback, no supervision, and no legal recourse. Is this 'just fine' with you?
2. 1 am being disenfranchised of my right to know what is being spent before it is committed and
spent. The only way to be disenfranchised is if the City seizes what it does not possess. This
action is illegal under the City Charter and illegally denies the right of the citizens to participate
in governance.
3. Where is the leadership... the City Manager? Is it satisfactory for you to leave the Interim
Finance Director to be the foil and target?
4. This proposal states that you have reduced the budget to simply tracking money and severed
Council decisions regarding how money must be spent, before it is spent. This new process
completely cuts out the public and is contrary to your oath of office.
5. Does the - public need to revolt against the current incumbents that routinely continuing the
financial commitments to policies made by prior City Councils. This process makes elections just
a nuisance.
6. What is exactly is your position with regard to the proposal to allow offices that fall under City
Council supervision to 'conduct business as usual' given the current fiscal situation?
7. The current situation is directly attributable to the City Council failure to get ahead of declining
revenues and thereby assert itself. The public employees union is running the city. It sets your
agenda, and determines what you can spend on. Where is the backbone needed to actually run
a city of $7 billion of investments by the citizens?
8. Please explain to the public paragraph 2 page 3. Is the City Council so bereft of influence? It
reads:
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"In order to continue normal operations of the City and PCDC, resolutions providing
temporary finding are required for each. These funding allocations are consistent with
the previously quoted section of the Charter, and are based on FY 2010 -11
appropriations as revised by year -end budget adjustments approved by Council on June
6,2011.
9. Where is the accounting for total burdens on the city finances?
10. Where are the figures to back up the resolution that state: 'WHEREAS, the City Manager and
the Finance Director have determined that $50,000,000 is sufficient to cover the necessary
expenses...' and WHEREAS, the Executive Director and Finance Director have Determined that
$20 million is sufficient to cover the necessary expenses and maintain operations of the
PCDC...'?
11. Since the City Attorney has advised that PCDC and the City Council are separate entities, does
anyone see a problem of following that up that'legal opinion' with a single item for both PCDC
and the City? It pretty much validates to any court that the resolution which committed PCDC
funds to the City projects (in order to ward off the State grab for funds) was a charade.
Sincerely,
Richard E. K. Brawn
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