Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutcc min 1998/06/18MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING/WORKSESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA Thursday, June 18, 1998 5:35 p.m. Council Conference Room Administration Building CALL TO ORDER 1. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Councilmembers: Moot (arrived at 5:40 p.m.), Padilla, Rindone, Salas, and Mayor Horton ABSENT: Councilmembers: None ALSO PRESENT: City Manager, David D. Rowlands; City Attorney, John M. Kaheny; and City Clerk, Beverly A. Authelet BUSINESS/BUDGET HEARINGS 2. CULTURAL AND LEISURE SERVICES - Parkway Pool Hours; Parks, Recreation and Open Space Restructuring; Elementary Afterschool Programs; Ruth Chapman Performing Arts Center; and Otay Recreation Center Staffing. Recreation and Open Space Restructuring: David Palmer, Library and Recreation Director, stated that it was about eight weeks ago that the Parks and Recreation Director resigned. The new City Manager came to him and asked him to look at leading a team of City staff to look at reorganizing the Department. In responding to the question as to why restructure at all, he stated that after the Director resigned, it gave us an opportunity to look more creatively at things such as staff utilization. By doing this, we have looked carefully at the workload to see where we needed additional help and how that could be funded in a way that it didn't impact the general fund. The goal of this project was to try to link like things together and to give better integration of services and by utilizing staff better to integrate those services. They have decided to take the Principal Librarian and the Cultural Arts Coordinator, one person from the library and one person from recreation, and create a new Office of Cultural Services. They will be grouping like functions together which will improve the implementation of the programs. The functions will be redistributed as follows: Recreation functions will merge with the Library; Parks, Maintenance and Open Space will merge with Public Works/Operations; and Park Landscape Architecture and Design will merge with Planning. Councilmember Rindone wanted to know the reason there was no Charter change required. Was it because there was no elimination of the Commission, and had there been an elimination of a Commission, then it would require a Charter change?. John Kaheny, City Attorney, stated that was correct. Councilmember Rindone felt that a lot of what was being proposed may work. A lot of the of the various components may have some similarities to foster some benefits. This is not a typical pattern and probably would not be very successful in most cities. To him it appeared to be the personnel involved that could make it work. He would be very adamant in opposing the consolidation if we had a change in personnel, because it takes a very unusual person. He felt the Library Director brought those unique qualities so he was encouraged by that. Since he has served on both the Library Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission, he felt there were more dissimilarities than similarities. He has reservations because of the size of the Department. Its sheer weight alone even with a very talented leader, is a very arduous task. He felt that in a year from now this should be relooked at. MSUC (Horton/Salas) to give conceptual approval. Parkway Pool: David Palmer stated that this budget includes $17,481 to restore the winter lapse swimming for Seniors at Parkway. Although there is $17,000 general fund impact, there is $11,000 of revenue that will offset the cost. It does include a fee increase for public agencies that rent the pool for $15.75 per hour from $10.50 per hour. Next year we have already worked with the School Districts to increase that fee to $20 per hour. Minutes June 18, 1998 Page 2 Councilmember Moot asked if that $20 was plus staff costs? Sunny Shy, Recreation Director, stated that is plus staff. Staff is usually $9.75 per hour for life guard services. Depending on the size Of the group, we may need more than one life guard. This is actually for half the pool. We charge $40 per hour for the entire pool. Councilmember Rindone asked if there were any school hours on Sunday? Ms. Shy, replied yes; as long as we have open swim on those hours and we have revenues, then we will open it up. Councilmember Rindone asked what were the Sunday hours. Ms. Shy replied from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. for one hour for adult swim. Councilmember Rindone felt we may want to relook at the Sunday one hour. He felt it should be at least two hours. MSUC (Morton/Rindone) to give conceptual approval. Elementary Afterschool Programs: David Palmer stated that there are 26 sites in the elementary school district with dual staffing consisting of a recreation leader and a recreation aide. Currently that costs the City $287,000 which is 100% general fund supported. The Middle School is 50% funded by the Sweetwater District. This budget does not propose funding for the 27th school which will open in this fiscal year. Staff is proposing to work collaboratively with the school district to reevaluate this program for quality and structure. The school district has given us a verbal commitment for matching funds dollar-for-dollar to this program. We are going to take that money and combine it with the City money and completely revamp the program. We are not going to eliminate the recreational services provided, but we are going to look at afterschool tutoring, literacy programs, and cultural arts programing to see how much can be done in conjunction with other community groups. There is a lot of grant money on top of the $570,000 that can be used for this program. Staff will be returning with further recommendations because all of this is just conceptual at this point. He did not know how many schools we were talking about, whether it could be at all schools or just a few. Those are details which have to be worked out. Councilmember Salas hoped to see in that program as much as possible a heavy emphasis on music and art because that is the first thing that is cut out of the school curriculum. This adds to the whole education of the whole child. When we were considering this before and considering funding the afterschool programs, she wanted to see an identification of where there was a real need for the program rather than spread out a program very thinly to all the schools where it would not be effective, but concentrate on creating a quality program at several schools rather than at all of them. Councilmember Moot stated he has prepared in draft form and will be bringing back to Council with a resolution to actually formalize an inter governmental agency task force between the school districts and the City. One of the reasons for doing this is to create a structure where we can formally work on issues like this where we have common concerns and can address budget issues and combining monies together. There are many other ways including afterschool programs, but maintenance and other issues where the city and school district can collaboratively work together to get more bang for their buck. What he has actually proposed is that the task force include the elementary school districts and the Sweetwater Union High School District. He felt that the middle schools needed to begin to create the kind of partnership that we have with the elementary school district. MSUC (Morton/Moot) to approve conceptually. Ruth Chapman Performing Arts Center: David Palmer stated that this budget does not include $50,000 for a Center Coordinator. There is a joint use agreement with Sweetwater District for partial use of the Chapman Center, but there has been limited availability. There was an original request from the District for $50,000 to match the facility manager for the operations of the Center. This budget does not recommend funding for that position at this time. Minutes June 18, 1998 Page 3 Mr. Rowlands stated there are two correspondence in the file going back to the mid-90s between the former city manager and the school district stating that we buy into the concept, but we didn't have the money to pay for it. His intent was that the funds being generated from the tickets would pay the performing arts portion of the amphitheater. It was never to be from the general fund. Mayor Horton stated she was the one who negotiated the performing arts funds. There was no discussion about the money being spent on this Manager. It was specified for the performing arts, and we could use this toward the Manager if that was the Council's desire. Mr. Rowlands stated that at the high school facility, the City built that park as a community park. It is used by the high school as their athletic facility. We have had groups come almost to blows from the community trying to have access for community purposes. There is a real tension point concerning access for the public on a city-built park being used by the high school as their athletic complex. That is an example of the dialog that we have with the school. There are some operational concerns with that District in other areas of joint use facilities. Councilmember Moot stated it actually came to a head when people in EastLake created a whole new Little League and there wasn't a field for anyone to play on. A real dialog needs to be had about how to make better joint use for both the school fields and parks and how we should coordinate that better to really accommodate more people. Sunny Shy, Recreation Director, stated that the intent of the joint use was for the City to use the classrooms and the multipurpose rooms after the school day. The School District would use the fields during the school day, and we would have access to their facilities in the afternoon and evening. But as the high school grew larger in attendance, their activities went afterschool hours, so we weren't able to avail any of those spaces. MSC (Salas/Horton) to not approve the request. Motion passed 4-1 with Rindone voting no. Otav Recreation Center Staffing: David Palmer stated that this item has a $71,000 overall cost. Construction is going to start in October 1998. We hope to hire the Center Director by December 1998, and open in March 1999. Programs developed with community input; we have a license agreement for parking. CDGB is going to help fund this for the first year for $64,563 leaving a general fund balance of $6,650. MSUC (Horton/Moot) to approve conceptually. 3. CLEAN UP ISSUES Issues which impact the General Fund: $ 32,407 City Attorney staff and salary adjustments $156,000 Contractual attorney for development processing. Funds to be reimbursed by the developers $ 12,390 Maintenance contract for CAD/Mobile Data Computers $ 42,004 Finance position that will be supported by development processing ($44,925) Police grants adjustments (no net impact on the general fund $ 8,643 Public Works position corrections Minutes June 18, 1998 Page 4 General Fund: Public Works concrete continuation Fire overtime for confine space rescue training (reimbursement from the sewer fund) Deletion of position in Parks Library/Recreation merger costs (two assistant director adjustments and landscape planner position) Special salary adjustments approved last year that had a two- tier increase. This is the second tier increase. Other Funds: Parking Lot Resurfacing at the Bayfront Trolley Station (being paid by Transit) Storm Drain Inspection Services Purchase of Storm Drain Equipment Grants that are being carried forward: Food For All Grants Critical Hours Grants Open Space Assessment District adjustments Equipment Replacement Fund (vehicle for Code Enforcement Manager) Public Facilities DIF $ 40,000 $ 7,200 ($73,674) $ 73,068 $ 5,748 $ 35,000 $ 85,000 $120,000 $ 18,290 $ 6,306 $265,842 $ 16,100 $ 5,931 MSUC (Padilia/Moot) to approve conceptually. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. Beverly A. Authelet, CMC/AAE City Clerk