HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06/01/2004 June l , 2004 VoL 40, Page 69
W~.A L U~
a ' ~ Ci~:of'Petaluma, C'alfo~nia
MEETING OF THE PETALUMA CITY COUNCIL
I85$
City Council Butlget Workshop Minutes
Tuesday, .June 1, 2004 - 6:00 P.M.
Special Meeting.
1 CALL TO ORDER..
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3 A. Roll Call
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5 Present: Glass, Harris, Healy, Moynihan, O'Brien,,Thompson, Torliatt
6 Absent: None
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8 B. Pledge ~of Allegiance
9 C. Moment of Silence
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1 1 PUBiIC COMMENT -There was no public input.
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13 CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS
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15 Council .Member Torliatt commented on having attended the Memorial Day ',Even? at
16 Cypress Hill Cemetery, indicating it was a wonderful day of remembrance.
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18 Council Member Torliatf also commented on the recent Bike to Work Day on May 20 and
19 thanked everyone who participated.
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21 CITY MANAGER COMMENTS
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23 City Manager Bierman commented on .documents he had placed before the City
24 Council, which included variance reports for Community Development and Water
25 Resources; as well as position control reports for employees Citywide.
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27 Vice Mayor Moynihan questioned when the City Council would be discussing
28 compensation issues.
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30 City Manager Bierman responded the Council would have the' opportunity to .discuss
31 various. issues relating to the- overall presentations, at .their wrap-up budget meeting
32 scheduled for :June 14, 2004. He explained the' City Council will be .asked to adopt the
33 City's operating budget' oh Monday, June 21, 2004 and that the PCDC and CiP budgets
34 will'be discussed at a Later date, as those are. not time sensitive.
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36 Vice .Mayor Moynihan indicated the desire to have a compensation policy discussion
37 and re=evaluate the elimination of vacant positions.
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39 It was noted that discussion would be scheduled on the June 14, 2004 Budget Workshop
40 agenda.
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Vol. 40, Page 70 June 1, 2004
1 City Manager Bierman then .noted he had.. reorganized the Community Development
2 Department fo now include Housing Administration and GIS, as well as they 'will be
3 moving into an Enterprise Fund Deparfinent.
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5 NEW .BUSINESS
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7 A. Continuation of Discussions and Overview of. Proposed FY 2004-2005 Budget to
8 include presentations by the following departments:.
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10 1. Community Development
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12 Mike Moore, Department Director, gave an overview of the proposed..
13 budget: Mr. Moore commented on their cost of service study' and fee.
14 structure changes,, which have created a new revenue source: He noted
15 the department `has been operating on a cosh recovery basis for the. last
16 18 months.
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18 Council Member Healy .commented on Code Enforcement" and agreed
19 with the needed emphasis. Mr. Moore noted there is a need to change
20 the nuisance abatement procedure- to be an administrative hearing
21 process.
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23 Mr. Moore indicated by putting this new process'in place; "staff, will be able -
24 ~ to pursue more compliance issues and staff would tdke a look of the cost
25 of fhe~ new process.
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27 Councif~Member O'Brien stressed the need to follow through and to
28 ~ budget~for attorney fees to pursue enforcement issues.
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30 City Council. discussion ensued regarding the change in counter hours for
31 ~ • the. Community Development Department,. with Council Member O'Brien
32 expressing he does not agree with limiting the hours.
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34 . ~ G'ouncil Member O'Brien continued'by questioning how many employees
35 - take. ears home overnight. ` It was noted inspecfbrs take their cars hoi~ne to
. 36 enable. them to do.inspections earlier or later in the evenings. Council
37 Member O'Brien asked for the actual numbers as, it relates fo doing
38 inspections: outside normdl business hours and how many employees take
39 their city cars home overnight.
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41 Council Member Torliatt commented on the on-line permitting. process
42 ~ - and staff noted not all permits are mailable online, and that the revenue
43 for permits is expecfed to be the same.
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45 Council Member Torliatt also commented on the ability to take over
46 mobile home park enforcement and staff responded tha# is not currently
47 ~ in the budget.
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49 Council Member-Torliatt also commented on her desire to user Community
50 Development employees to perform the planner's function and indicated
51 she is not: a fan of~ contract planners.
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June 1, 2004 Vol. 40, Page 71
1 ~ Staff responded that they have utilized contract planners due to very low
2 staffing and they were needed to fill the gap. Applicants have paid for
3 the contract staff: It was noted things .have changed and staff is now
4 working on bigger projects.. The plan is to phase out the use of contract
5 planners.
6
7 Council. Member Torliatt inquired if the Cify has looked at closing City Hall
8 on certain days; i.e., every other Friday. She would like this issue added to
9 the list of issues to be discussed on June 14.
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11 City Manager Bierman noted he is not in favor of closing City Hall on
12 certain days,
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14 Council Member Harris commented on the website efficiencies the
15 Community Development Department has facilitated.
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17 Mayor G16ss cocnmenfed on the move toward making the Community
18 Development, Department an Enterprise Fund.. He also clarified there are
19 very few projects that ~dre-under the old fee schedule. Discussion ensued
- 20 regarding subsidies and it was noted that on smaller applications, often
21 there is much more staff time involved where there is no cost recovery.
22
23 Council Member Torliatt commented on the City's major sidewalk
24 problem and inquired if someone wanted to replace their sidewalk, the
25 money to replace and permit #ees (if there were fees) would be
26 overwhelming. She expressed concern with the overall liability of the City's
27 sidewdlks.
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29 In conclusion; Council. Member Torliaft commented that the Community
30 Development Department has improved "by leaps and bounds" and
31 added the working conditions have really improved. -
32
33 Mr. Moore thanked his staff, George White and Craig Spaulding for their
34 efforts.
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36 Council Member O'Brien ..indicated he had .received some phone calls
37 with .concern that there was not enough staff to respond to questions
38 while staff was on vacation,. He asked how the Department is working to
39 ~ respond to that issue.
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41 Mr. Moore indicated staff is trying to coyer as best they can and are cross-
42 traiming employees. He indicated with the Enterprise Fund perhaps they
43 would be able to add to the depth. of their employee availability:
44
_ 45 Vice Mayor :Moynihan expressed a desire to see their revenue sources
46 broken out in greater detail.
47
48 Bonne 6aebler;. Housing Administrator, presented the Housing
49 Administration Budget overview.
50
51 In response to questions, Mayor Glass explained the history of the housing
52 in-lieu fees.
Vol. 40, Page 72 June 1, 2004.
1
2 Council Member !Healy questioned. if there was a cornrnercial; linkage fee
3 income projection for the first year and staff res"ponded there is none yet.
4
5 Vice. Mayor Moynihan asked'if the commercial linkage fee issue could be
6 revisited, as.Petaluma is the only city in Sonoma Couhty initiating the fee:
7 H'e asked that.this issue be added to-the issues to be discussed' on June
8 14. .
9
10 Council Member Torliatt commented that the linkage fee has not
1 1 negatively affected economic development and .concluded by stating
12 jobs being created create; the need for affordable housing in Petaluma.
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14 2: Water Resources and Conservation
15
16 Mike Ban, Director of Water .Resources and Conservation, gave an
17 overview of the. departmental budget. He commented on challenges
18 facing. fihe department which included proactive maintencinee; storm
19 water Maintenance, Securify; the Petaluma river and the City's water
20 supply.
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22 Council Member Torliatf asked for~and; received: an update .on the flood
23 control project. She also indicated he would like to see the department's
24 conservation programs broken out separately in 'the budget.. She added
25 she is looking. forward to q ~presentgtion on "'Hold th'e Flow" and their
26 overall strategy for conservation prop"rams.
27
28 With respect to water reclamation, Council Member Torliatt indicated,'if .
29 the City were to cap the-acre-foot, it should reduce. the overall costs: She'
30 indicated she would like #o see that issue discussed on June 14.,
31 .
32 Vice Mayor Moynihan, with respect to the rate setting that was done in
33 2002;, indicated .assumptions were made #.oc capital costs that have new
• 34 grown. He asked how that^shcrtfall would be. addressed:.
35
36 Staff responded they will. be addressing -that through a rate study being
37 done--this summer, which would be brought back to the Council in' the
38 late fall;
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40 Vice Mayor Moynihan had various questions regarding transfers in' and out
41 ~ of the departmental enterprise fund.
42
43 Council Member' O?Brien questioned the number of employees taking City
4.4 . vehicles _home at night. Staff'responded'there are currently four individuals.
45 taking City vehicles home.. It was noted these employees would be
46 responding "on call" when°there is an emergency: '
47
48' There .being no further comments on the: Water' Resources and.
49 Conservation, Budget,. the meeting was adjourned.
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June 1, 2004 Vol. 40, Page 73
1 ADJOURN
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3 The Budget Workshop adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
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9 David Glass, Mayor
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11 Aftest:
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16 Gaye Pet sen, City Clerk
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