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July 21, 1999
City. of Petaluma, California
Minutes of a Regular
City Council Meeting
Vol. 33; `Page 223'
Wednesday, July 21, 199.9
Council Chambers
The City Council of the City of Petaluma met on this date in the Council Chambers at
7:00 p.m.
.ROLL. CALL
Present: Caller-Thompson, Hamilton, Healy., Keller, Maguire;: Thompson, Torliatt.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Thompson requested Katherine Thompson lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
MOMENT OF.SILENCE
Mayor Thompson requested a Moment. of Sifence.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Geoff Cartwright, 56 Rocca Drive, spoke in opposition of the Rainier Cross-Town
Connector and Interchange project.
COUNCIL C-OIVIMEfVTS
Council Member Torliatt reported she had received a call from a neighbor on North
1Nebster regarding a drainage ditch. on school property of which. Council had
addressed during. discussion. about. Bantam Terrace Subdivision The neighbor
reported there was a lot of debris in the ditch. She asked that City Management
send a note. about this to the School District. She noted. that the: Schooi District had
completed ;some safety enhancements to the sidewalk along North Webster near
Petaluma High School and expressed her appreciation.
Council Member Keller referred to and read a statement from the Planning
Commission minutes,. relative to the Chevron gas station expansion, "Council. had
considered and rejected a .moratorium." He explained that this statement was
incorrect, as the Council had not had a discussion on a moratorium. He stated he
would bring a proposal back. for consideration to place a temporary moratorium on
construction in the floodplain from Lakeville upstream where floodplain depths; as
Vol. 33, Page 224
July 21, 1.999
1 mapped by FEMA (Federal Emergency Map Act) were .one; (1) foot: oc more... He
2 was in favor of a moratorium until. a urface ~wate,r management plan,. engineering,
3 and fechni'cal manual was in place. He thought that would take two to three years..
4 It would provide Council some time without; being inundated with deuelepment
5 proposals: on an. ad hoc basi"s during the interim, He wanted it clarified to :the
s Planning Commission that the discussion had not happened. yet. Hehoped it would
z be scheduled, on the agenda with the RMI presentation in August',. or shortly
s thereafter.
9
1 o Council .Member .Healy reminded Council .Member Keller that. there had been a
11 discussion by the Council and that two Council _Mernbers atated they were not in
12 favor- of a moratorium..: He noted that to pass a moratorium more than a ~sirnple
13 majority vote was necessary. He was not opposed.. 'to having, the discussion
4 broughf back .to the Council.
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17 UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Discussion and' Review of Budget for Fiscal Year 1`999-2000
Finance Directer David. Spilman presented a revised list. ofi Service .Level
Enhanc-.ements (SLE), ,prioritized by department, directors, a revised Revenue
section; including fhe Capitol Improvernent Plans (CRP's) and '.Revenue Sources,.,and
a Special l'rolects section. H:e reviewed some ofi the revenue sou_rees:. He pointed
out that ,enterp,rise funds couldn't be eo-mingled. He tated that the. Council should
consider that the water utility and water pollution, control, revenue projections were
essentially. "flat" as: they were governed. by rates and growth in population. The
Council, may need. to :.consider rate increases in late. fall. He stated that he had
incorporated into fhe budget docu-went, ttie Community ~'evelopment Commission
Budget as requested. by the Council
B referred to fhe building permit. fees on page two :of the General Fund.' Revenue.
Section. and asked if the City planned a'-ten percent increase in fees.
Mr. Spilman .explained that, the ten~_pereent increase `was based on the fact that the
value ~of building, permits had' been changed in January 1999'.
Council. Merriber Healy asked about the increase. in sales and use tax: Hesaid he
would like to see a list of businesses showing trends in different categories.
Mr. Spilman stated he would 'provide that information.
_.
Council: Member Keller commented that.. property taxes only brought in three million,
seventy-five, thousand :dollars to the City, whi'eh he felt was ~a small amount of
revenue.
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July 21, 1999
VoL 33,, Page,;225
1 Council; nllernber Maguire referred to "Revenue Estimates" under' the "Percentage"
2 column a'nd asked~what if'meant.
,;
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4 Mr. Spilman responded that it was a software formula error that could be read as
5 either a zero or one hundred percent (0 or 100%).
6
7 Council Member Torliatt asked about the status. of legisaation for reimbursement of
s bookings fees.
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1o Mr. Spilman respondetl that legislation had` been adopted and the amount was
11 included (on page 18)~ of the Preliminary Budgef; Report' under "Aid to Local
12 Agencies."
13
14 Council Member Keller stated that this year's "Motor Vehicle fn-Lieu" fees were one
15 million, four hundred thousand dollars ($1,400.;000) and asked Mr. Spilman if that
16 would be reduced' over the next four or five years.
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18 Mr. Spilman. explained that one million, four hundred thousand dollars ($1,400,000)
19 was the base 19,98/99; amount: The other two numbers, five hundred sixty-one
20 thousand dollars ($561,000) and two hundred twenty-four thousand dollars
21 ($224,000,), are the estimated reductions noted i:n the Governor's budget to reduce
22 DMV fees paid by the public. He stated that the. State had "back=filled" those
23 reductions to fund cities by a combined total of seven hundred eighty-five thousand
24 dollars ~($Z85;000) for this fiscal year. He added. that future back-fills would be
25 subject,to annual State budget action.
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27 Council" Member Magui'r_e pointed. out the increase in the "1'997/98 Property Tax
2s Actual"ywas approximately seven point five percent `(7.5%), yet was now projected
29 as a three point :four percent (3.4%) increase year to year. He asked for an
30 :explanation. - ~ -
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33. ~Mr. Spilman explained that~theproperty tax increases had come from Corona-Ely
34 over the last seven years. This area was now virtually built-out. He stated that the
35' Hwy:101 corridor °was .within the redevelopment area and was not allocated to the
36 City: T.he City would start to see property taxes flatten out: He exp" lamed that the
37sale of houses added .as much: to annual .increases as assessed valuation did. He
3s pointed out- that the `section- on the "Property Transfer Tax" showed increased
3s activity in the real estate market:
40
41 Councih'Member Torliatt: requested an update about: "Ambulance Services" relative
42 to the: twenty=one thousand dollar ($21;000) decrease in revenues.
43 -
44 Mr. Spilman_.:explained that revenue generation from "Ambulance Services" was
45 very complex _and plagued with the same problems as health care providers.
46 ' ..
Vol. 33, Page 226
July 21, 1999
1 General.,Government/City Council Section ~ - .
2
3 Mayor Thompson stated. the expenditure `for the City Council had ~°jumped one
;:
4 hundred. and' thirty-one percent, (131 %) and asked why.
5 .
6 Mr. Spilman explained that level of~serviees and. applies to the City Council on
7 page:-six.. He pointed out that an additional fifteen Thousand do Lars, ($-15,,000) was
8 identified for "Goal Setting" and had not been in previous years' :budgets... H'e
9 referred to page seven, which howed thirty-one thousand dollars. ($31,000) fore
to meetings. and conferences, an increase ;over prior years'' estimated acfuais;. On
. ~ ;.
11 page eighf, a new line item. of ~ forty-seven thousand tw.o hundred dollars
i 2 ($47;200.00) reflected °the cost of Council. meetings. Lr~ previous budgets,; those.
13 costs were :consolidafed 'info non-departmental or other d'epartrnent: budgets. This
14 budget reflected. costs more accurately, which was in line wifh..performance
1.5 budgeting.;
16
17 General Gover:nment/City..Cler.k Section
18 -
19 Council. Mernber_ Heal,ystated he would like the new City Clerk to review and make
20 recommendations on goals. and priorities.
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22 General `Go~ernrnent/Gity Attorney :Section ~ ; ~, . ~ ~:.. ~ -
23
24 Council Member Keller~stated he would.a.ike th,e Council to.:considerbri.ngirig. .
25 legal services in-house during the next year. ~ , . Y, .-
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27 Council. Member- Caller=Thompson agreed with Council ~ Mem. ber Keller on
2s supporting an in-house position, ~ ~ .
29 ~ ~... , ~..
3o Mr. Sfouder stated he would return to Council with :a report of the process t
0
31 establish in-house legal counsel.
32 ~ - ~ "
33 C.ouneil Member Keller commented. ,that re organization... issues. had budget,
34 implications-. ~~ - . .. ~ , .
35 +
36 GeneraL,Government/City Manager Section. ~'
37 ~ .~.
3s Council. Member Healy pointed out that the. "Performance Meas_ arcs" were. outdated
39 and incomplete. -, ~ - - -
40 .
41 Mr. Stouder stated that: he had, not revised it yet. and felt ,t:~would be: best fo
42 complete the budget first. "..Performance. Measures" could be discusse.d.~during his
43 annual evaluation.
44
45 Mayor Thompson, asked for clarification. on the fourteen thousand, four :hundred
46, dollars ($14;400) for General Services. ~ ~ ~ -.
47 ~ _ . .
226
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July 21, 1999
-vol. 33, .Page; 227
1 Mr. Spilman explained that the fourteen thousand four hundred ($14,400) reflected
'2 Copying Costs, which :will be on each. department's budget and includes the internal
3 mail services.
- 4
5 ~ Fluman Resources/Personnel
6
~ Council Member Healy asked to have the first Performance Measure under "Risk
s Management" (page 58) expanded upon.
9
1o Director of Human. Resources and Risk Management Mike Acorne explained that
11 he had formalized a "Sidewalk Inspection Program" to reduce "trip and fall" claims.
12 He pointed out that the program. would impact the Capital Improvement budget. He
13 wanted the program to begin in the downtown area, and the entire City inspected
14 within fiffeeri .years. He stated the .need for afull=time Risk Manager in the future,
15 and that he would come to Councif with a request.
16
1 ~ Council Member Caller-Thompson asked if residents shared responsibility for
1s sidewalk repairs..
19
20 Mr. Acorne referred to an Ordinance that stated the sidewalks were the
21 responsibility of the property owner.. In cases where the sidewalk was displaced by
22 the roots of a tree planted by the City,. that is in the median between the curb. and
23 sidewalk, the City was ~to assume fifty percent.. (50%) of the cost of repairs, if the
24 property owner agreed. Trees on the property owners' side of the sidewalk were the
25 owners' responsibility.
26
27 Council Member Maguire asked if the ordinance pertained to commercial property.
2s
29 Mr. Acorne explained that it pertained to all property in the City.
30
31 Council Member Healy asked if the ..program was designed as a program the City
32 could use as a legal .defense in slip and fall cases.
33
34 IVIr.. Acorne stated it had been designed. to provide an added defense and could
35 result ~in cost; savings.
36
37 Council Member Healy stated he was open to accelerating the program as a cost
3s saving measure.
39
4o Mr. Acorne added that it was an expensive project.
41
42 Council Member Caller-Thompson. agreed that she wanted the program expedited..
43
44 Mr. Acorne explained that although the resident was responsible, he or she might
4'5 not necessarily repair the sidewalk. He estimated that eighty to 100 (80 to 100)
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Vol. 33, Page 228
July 21, 1999
hours were needed to inspect the 'downtown, district and cornpiete the paper work.
He revewed'the amount ofi money necessary to begin the program.
Council. Member ;Keller."suggested` that up' to' five, thousand dollars ($5',000) ~be used
to begin -the program. He #elt the first; phase (the downtown district) should b.e a -,:
high priority:'The results should be reviewed before the fallowing year's budget and
the next step .determined.
Mr. Aeorne stated he 'would try to have the downtown district. finished by 'February _.
200Q and present a report at mid-year.. He reiterated" that the CLP (Capital ",
Improvement Program) budget would include'sidewalk repairs.
Council Member `Torliatt felt it should come. out, of~ the Fisk Management 'budget.
She stated that Council had not seen the. Cl'P :budget and would like to see "it soon
in order to address sidewalk issues. She asked' whether the Councils Chambers
improvements would come out of 'th'e Council budget or out of Community Facilities
budget:, She asked h, ow the public "input would be addressed on: the budget
process. -
Mayor Thompson stated he would ask for public input at each budget meeting at
8:45 p.m.
General Goeer.nment/Fi'nance and::Non-Departmental Section
No questions.
General GovernmentLSpecial Projects Section
Council; Member Torliatt asked that .Lafferty"be moved fo the Parks and Recreation
Section.
Council consensus was to defer questions on "Special Projects" to the next meeting.
in order to-give Council adequate time fo review the material since. they had just.
received it.
City Debt'Servi'ce Section
To be reviewed at the next Budget Meeting.
City Trust and Agency Funds Section,
Councih Member Maguire asked :that the Thomas. Lee C,har.ity be rolled into. Housing
budget for-next year's budget along with Block Grants..
July 21, 1999
Vol. 33, Page;229
1 Police Chiefi Pat Parks explained that the Thomas .Lee. Charity was adminisfered by
2 the Police Department ;because people who were in need come. into the Police
3 Department. He had. no. problem with the Housing Department assuming
4 responsibility, adding that the Police Department, would assist them.
5
s Police Section,
7 ,
s Council Member Maguire. commented that a lot of the "Performance Measures"
9 were quantified by the number of tickets and arrests, rather than by a reduction in
1o incidence of bad behavior.
11 '
12 Chief Parks explained that since drug dealers were the main perpetrators of
13 property crime, the arrest and conviction of drug dealers (as well as street gang
14 members) would directly impact the incidence of crime.,,..
15 ,
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16 Council Member Maguire expressed concerned about possible "hysteria problems"
17 in connection with the proposed "Sex Offender Notification Program" noted on page
1 a 145 in the .Investigations .Section.
19
20 Chief Parks explained ;that they currently did not :have .high'-risk offenders `in the
21 area, but if that changed, he would contact the City Manager's Office. ~ '~
22
23 Council .Member Maguire commented .about:.the Drug Awareness, and Resistance
24 Education (DARE) ,program and asked whether the prog"ram''s~ effectiveness had
25 been measured. He asked that 'improvements in d'rug' and .alcohol education be
26 explored for the year. _ , .. .
27 ~ ~~ ~ ~.
,..
2s Chief Parks responded .that an evaluation of the program's effectiveness was in
29 progress, as were discussions about. possible improvements and enhancerrmen_ts.
30 ..
31 Council Member Hamilton stated. wanted City .Management to explore drug
32 education for junior high school students during the next year. ~" `
33
34 City Manager Stouder asked for clarification on whefh'er Councif'was interested in a
35 survey on DARE or other alternatives.
36 ,`,
37 Council Member Keller stated that .prior to doing a survey, he wanted a sense 'of
3s what the objectives were, and what the intended results were.
39 .
4o Mr. Stouder stated he would bring back a report on cost and time frame for a
41 survey and what other programs could achieve the same objectives as DARE.
42
43 Council Member Healy supported Council Member Maguire's earlier comments
44 about the "Performance Objectives." He was concerned .about possible ..implications.
45 that officers were expected to meet "production quotas." He explained that
46 Objectives One and Three on page 162 were problematic, but the remainder was
Vol. 33, Page 230 July 21, 1.999
"wonderful." He thought Qbjeetive Two was a good example of the type of .objective
Council preferred:
4 Council Member Maguire referred to the fnvestigations 'Section, and asked if sorne_
5 Child Abuse duties should be shifted fo Domestic Violence.
s
~ Chief Patrick Parks explained that 'the Police Department .had considered a. Family
s Violence Unit that=would work hand in hand with Domestic`Violence to include family
s violence and child abuse.
io
~ 1 Fire Section
12
13 Council. Member Maguire referred fo page 1,92, and .questioned the write-off of two
14 hundred thousand',~dollars ($20Q;000) under Ambulance.
15 ~ . ..
1s Mr.. Spilman explained that,the~"Ambulance Revenue" was a complex subject: Of the
~ ~ one million two' hundred thousand .dollars. ($',1,200,000;) that was billed, between one
is hundred fifty and two hundred fifty thousand, dollars ($1,50,000.and $200.;000:) pe,r
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19 year was, typically, written off as bad d'e:bts. He described the size of the debt as
20 typical,_for health.~provders.. S.tatisti,cally; seventy-five to eighty-.percent (75% to.'85%)
21 of billings had been collected..All uri'collectibles were referred to a collection agency.
23 Council,Member' Keller ;referred toPerformance Measure Two on page 191; which
~_
24 referred. °to, the maintenance ~ of .one (1;)ambulance in the district at, all times, and
25 stated that there were many times when,-there were no ambulances in the area.
26 - ,
27 Fire Chief Terry Krout: stated... that: one of the pepartment's goals this year'was fo
2s have the records management;'system up and.. running so that numbers could be
29 quantified:: ~He explained that on two. hundred seventy (270) occasions last year, 'for'
3o an average :of twenty (20) minutes, the City was without' an ambulance: 'This could
31 increase: response time. H'e °stated the strategy to implementing Objective: Two (2)
32 would include reallocation of'labor aril increasing the number of paramedics. He
33 explained..he~ was looking at .it' as a. mid=year adjustment. All options .and program
34 costs would be developed within the ,next four (4) mo.nths,, and then presented to the
35 Council. He reviewed all the options available.
36 ,
37 Council Member Keller questioned. staff's availability, sirnultareously, ,with
38 ambulance service; the new ladder truck, and other equipment.
39
4o Councif Member Caller=Thompson stated;, that the Citizen Committee`s top priority
41 was fo have an ambulance service at all times.
42
43 Council 'Member Torliaft asked who on the Committee was fo make
44 recommendations.
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230
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July 21, 1999 Vol. 33; rage 231
1 Chief Krout explained that .the Committee was comprised of Fire Department staff
2 that. would discuss recommendations from a citizens advisory committee. He
3 explained that the staf# committee had n'ot yet been form. ell but it would be
~! 4 comprised of~between nine (9) and twelve (1'2) staff members from. all divisions of
5 the- department.
6
~ Council Member Caller-Thompson questioned the targeted. response time of four
s (4) minutes compared to the average response Time of two (2) minutes and asked
9 where the two (2) ambulances-were located.
10
~ 11 Chief' I<rout stated the average time was two and a half (2 ?h) minutes. One (1)
12 ambulance was located at the Main Fire Station at the drawbridge, and theother at ~.
13 Station Three at 831 South McDowell Boulevard.
14
15 Council Member Healy refer"red to "Tofal Operating Expenses" for the Fire
16 Department on page 1`92 and asked why the figure for Ambulances was one
i 17 million., one hundred ninety thousand dollars ($'1,192,0000) on that page, while the
1.s "Ambulance .Service Fund" figure on page 12 of the Revenue Account 'is one
i 19 million, four hundred seventy thousand dollars ($1,470,000) almost three hundred
20
~; thousand dollars ($30.0,000) more. He wondered if the Ambulance Service Fund
,
21 _
was being used to support other-services, or was self-supporting.
22
23 Chief Krout explained that Ambulance Services. was currently in the black and
24 building up reserves even with the bad debt wrife:-off. F-1e explained that their
25 operating system. was •set up. in 1981 as an Enterprise .Fund and the only debt
2s loaded into it was para_ medics.
27
28 City Manager Stouder, felt this should- be reevaluated over multiple years and
2s include capital costs, as there are some longer-range- investments and fees thaf
~ 30 ,need. to be dealt with,. He felt the program would not be self-supporting if a bigger
;; 31 look was taken. -
32
33 Council Member Torliatf stated thaf the Fire Ch'ief's time and other administration
34 were probably not added into the fund.
35
3s; Council Member Keller rioted that the. Council needed to determine what was
3~ meant by "response time." Did this referto the time the. call was placed to the time
3s emergency personnel arrived on. the scene of the emergency, or from when they
39 leff the Fire Station to their arrival on the scene?
40
41 Council Member Caller,.-Thompson asked if the Advanced Life .Support (ALS) was
42 going to be implemented in the interim before the City would have another -
43 ambulance. ~.
'~ 44
Vol. 33, Page 232
July21, 1999
1 Chief Krout explained that they should be able to.,ma_ke some of those decisions ;by
;2 the beginning of the year.. He: assured that, they were not, going. to take a "do-
„ 3 nothing stance" while exploring the possibilities.
4
5 Council 'Member, Torlatt ceferre.d. to Performance ~lleasure One, Providing
s Emergency Assistance in the Most. Direct. ;Manner, and asked how it would be
~ quantified.
s Mr. Stouder° explained that it was not;. a; clear ;goal and' they were still working to
1 o clarify all the goals.
11
12 PUBLIC COMMENT
13
14 Bryant .Moynihan spoke in favor of the budget. structure that included PCDC. He
r5 felt that the `"place holders'' discussed that week ware, not incorporated.; He did ;not
16 think~the Service Level Enhancements should be part of. tfie budget as they were a
17 "wish ,list;" ,and not budgeted .expenditures..: He stressed that the CLP budget was
1s necessary to tie.the PC;D~C and the General Fund together.
19
20 He stated the Special ,Revenue Expendifures were blank and 'the Reue.nues were
_21 inconsistent:. He noted that the budget is stilt missing the Gompreherisve Summary.
'22 He submitted and reviewed'.a Comprehensive
23
24 Summary; that he prepared, il,lustrati:ng City frends and a deficit of ten.'milliori .dollars.
25 He pointed out that the special Revenue, Funds Audited Financial Statements, how
2s eight million:; nine. hundred. thousand .dollars ($8;900,000) revenue'.; the budget
27 shows eleven million,,.. two hundred #ifty fhoasand dollars ($1`1;250,000). He would
2s like a compfete> breakdown,. during the budget process of the Storm Drainage
29 Funds....
30 ,
31 He stated (fiat the audit. of 1:996 made some: observations on revenues and he did
32 ~ . riot feel they had 'be.en dealt with relative to~ transfers from other funds. 'He pointed
33 ~ out that the :estimated revenues 'and appropriations: of the. City were :not recorded
. 34 "accurately in' the `Gen'eral Ledger and resulted in .inaccurate budget "reports used
35 during the fiscal year for internal ;purposes. H.e, felt it' would be good to go back to
-3s last year's. Compliance: Section. He pointed .out, increases in the General
3~ - Government section..
38
39 Mr. Stouder clarified, the Community Enhancements section was not a "wish list,"'
40 but a disclosure of what'it would take~to provide the services.
41
42 Council Member Torliatt stated s_he agreed with Mr. -.Moynihan regarding ._the
43 compliance section. .
44
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45 PUBLIC COMMENT .CLOSE®
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,232'
July 21, 1999
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11 The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.
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1 ~ ATTEST:
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n 2.0~.
`~'~' Beverly J. Kline, City le
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. Vol. 33, Rage 233
COUNCIL AIVD STAFF REPORTS
CITY.MAfVAGfR REPORTS
ADJOURN
E. Clark Thompson, Mayor
25 ******