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HomeMy WebLinkAboutcc min 1997/06/02MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING/WORKSESSION OF TIlE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA Monday, June 2, 1997 6:01 p.m. Council Conti~rence Room Administration Building CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL: PRESENT: ABSENT: ALSO PRESENT: Councilmembers: Moot. Padilia, Rindone (arrived at 6:08 p.m.), Salas, and Mayor Horton. Cotmcilmembers: None City Manager, John D. Goss; City Attorney, John M. Kahcny; and City Clerk. Beverly A. Authelet BUSINESS 2. REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS: Building & Housing; City Council; Community Development; Redevelopment Agency: Library; Nature Center; and Parks. Recreation and Open Space. Library: David Palmer, Library Director, stated it looked very positive in obtaining some additional State money. The State and the Assembly had added $10 million augmentation to the Public Library Fund which would give us about $40,000 additional funds. Then the Supreme Court decision on the PERS payback is going to affect the "998" side of the budget. He stated that the issue of the quarter of a cent sales tax. that did not pass, is again being moved forward. It does appear that there is a good chance that it will be placed back on the ballot again with reconstituting the Library Authority that the Mayor represented Chula Vista on for a June primary in 1998. Councilmember Salas asked if there had been an analysis made on the Library Bond which passed in Chula Vista. Mr. Palmer responded that there was a meeting to begin working on that with a consultant from the mid-west to talk to people about how to best analyze the infi3rmation to determine its probability and its ability to target voters. It was a County-wide initiative. It did pass in some communities. In Chnla Vista, with a very low level campaign, it still got 59.5% which means the miniority of people in Chula Vista were willing to tax themselves for better libraries. Mr. Goss stated that the "wish list" inclnded putting more money in the materials budget, recognizing that the expansion of hours, especially at the South Chula Vista Library, would be the popular way to go. Councilmember Rindone stated that tile addition of four hours at the South Chula Vista Library was a critical issue, not only because it was an expansion of services hut right now 2/3 of all the library services are still done at the main branch. He limit that increasing access there would tend to help alleviate tile demand on the main library. He wanted this emphasized, because it was very high on his list. MSUC (Rindmle/Horton) tn tentatively approve the Library budget wilh the additional hours at the South Chula Vista Library. Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 2 Parks and Recreation: Jerry Foncerrada, Deputy Director of Parks, stated that the Administrative Secretary position was a high priority item fur the Director. He t~lt he needed this in order to get better organized. Mayor Horton asked about the increase cost of outside printing and if the printing cost more going outside than doing it inhouse. Mr. Goss replied that for the Parks and Recreation budget there was an increase, bnt overall it does not. There was a savings in the Finance Department because we no longer have the Print Shop; overall we are saving money. Sunny Shy, Depoty Director of Recreation, stated that they were one of the most impacted departments by the closing of the Print Shop. So, they have recommended an increase to their budget to accommodate tier that because the increase is about three times the amonnt that they spent for inhouse printing. When they printed inhouse, basically all they paid fur was paper. The cost of the person who ran the Print Shop and the repairs was not fully costed back. Now, when they went outside to print, they pay fi~r the fnll cost including pickup and delivery of the orders. Councilmember Salas asked if we are saving money overall, how do you nmke it equitable to the departments that are impacted like Parks and Recreation. Mr. Goss replied this was a matter that city-wide we took a tntal of what the departments' costs were plus what Finance was paying tier the Print Shop: then we have taken the totals of what lhe departments are now paying tbr printing on the outside which is less than it was bet'ore. So, city-wide we are saving tnoney. Money is being added to this department's printing bndget to accommodate tier the increase. Councilmember Padilla asked if the Administrative Secretary was going from the "wish list" or was this in the preliminary spending plan. If so, how can we get it in the preliminary spending plan. He wanted some options because he wanted to see it done. Mr. Goss stated that it was on the "wish list." The cost is about $30,000. It is a combination of two things: a cost of an administrative secretary less some hourly, clerical money that was put there when the position was deleted. It is up to Council as to the process to use to reinstate this. Councilmember Rindone asked if there was a secretary at that level in the City who could be transferred laterally so there would be no new costs; nr perhaps a lower level who has been funded and upgraded. He also asked if there was any other Director who did not have an Administrative Secretary. If not, then why would we treat this department difli~rently. Mr. Goss stated that we have pretty well cut back throughout the organization. You are talking about an Administrative Secretary and usually there is only one of those per department. There are already two lower level clerical positions in that department. Since this department was the only one without an Administrative Secretary, they would like to be treated the same and have the position added back. Councilmember Padilia asked if the acquisition of vehicles tk~r the Depoty Directors was going to be deleted. Mr. Goss stated we would like to come back with a recomnnendation. The Directors currently have mileage. This was a take-home policy that the City Coonoil had adopted in order to minimize the nnmber of city vehicles that were taken home. Councilmember Padilia asked if we were going to be amending or deleting some of the estimates on the Norman Park Center in lieu of some external fees. Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 3 Mr. Goss stated that if we can get permission to modi/~ the policy to deal with serving of alcohol at Norman Park Center, there would be another $8,500 in revenues. Mayor Horton asked what the total revenue was that we received from the Youth Sports Council. Ms. Shy stated that it was $5,000 estimated revenue. Because it was the end of' that season, this will be the first season that they are actually going to be charged the fee. This will include ages 6 to 18 years. Councilmember Moot asked what was the current need fi~r the gardener pusitions. Mr. Foncerrada replied that in the past 2 1/2 years, we have reduced the fifil-time park staff by two full-time people and 2.5 seasonal gardeners. During the same tilne, they have increased the overall acreage of parks by approximately 30 acres. This coming July 1, they will be accepting a new park, Explorer Park, plus they have taken on additional median landscaping throughout the City. The number of acreage per staff has growll to the point that it does impact the quality of service. Councihnember Moot asked if there had been any particnlar parks that have suffered. Mr. Foncerrada stated that if you look at all the parks, you ,,viII see decreased maintenance levels. The areas which they try to maintain at a high level condition are areas which are highly visible in the community. In the outlying areas, they have reduced watering to cut down on mowing. It shows in the older parks where the irrigation systems are old. Councilmember Padilia stated that he has had a number of constituents ask about the therapeutics program, specifically in regard to the developmentally disabled. He was wondering what was the current status of the program that was projected lbr the next fiscal year; and what was the probability of potential support from CDBG. Partial funding is good, but will it get us back to a fidl operational status. Mr. Goss responded that we have gone from $35,000 to $15,000. In the block grant, they requested the thll amount of $35,440, but staff was recommending $25,000 ti~r that program. The $25,000 plus what we are able to do with fees, will get us back to mostly where we were heft>re. Mayor Horton opened the meeting ~r public inpnt. The ~ll~wing individuals requested to speak: · Bill Winters, 1945 Duke Street, representing the Chula Vista Youth Sports Council, stated that last year Council adopted a $10 a team 1i:~ liar all youth sports. The Sports Cuuncil was not aware of this until after it happened. He commented that the $10 team fee was not unreasonable, but they felt the issue was broader than that. They did a survey and found out annually they had over 3,000 volunteers who contributed over 400,000 hours to serve over 9,600 children, and they spent over $9,000 of their own fiends to maintain fields and buildings on the fields. They were being increased costs also, but they were also faced with more and more families who can't pay the fees. They requested Cotmoil to rescind that ti~e tier the upcoming year. Councihnember Moot stated that the Parkway Little League has spent thousands of dollars to put in new infields. It was the parents who paid that cost. He t~lt this was an issue in which he agreed with the Youth Sports Council. Mr. Goss stated that the if you look at the School District, the same thing can be said. He had been involved in the AYSO. There was a lot of volunteer efti~rt and they also had to pay rental to the school district tbr the use of the field. Sometimes improvements are made to a lhcility which basically can only be used by the Little League. Ms. Shy pointed out that the basketball league, which there is a t~e f~.~r to participate, is run strictly with volunteer coaches. They are volunteering their services and payin.~ a llge to the City to participate in Youth Basketball League in excess of $50. This lee was initiated about three years ago. Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 4 · Teresita Simons, 159 Second Avenue, Chola Vista, representing her brother and other developmentally disabled people. Because of the importance of the therapeutics program tu her brother, she was willing to pay the fees out of his small social security check so he could go to the programs. She urged Council to look into using the block grant funds so we don't have to take away the therapeutic program. · Patty Hargis, 604 Date Avenue, Chula Vista, stated that her daughter has participated in the therapeutic program fi~r many years. They pay the t~es out of their daughter's social secnrity, but there are some who cannot aftk~rd it. She asked that the Council use the block grant program to keep the program guing. · Karen Janney, 238 Guava Avenue, Chula Vista, Principal at Chula Vista Junior High School, stated that there was a great need tOr a Drop-in Center flit middle age students. The Sweetwater District would like to buy into this with the City. She had talked with her area superintendent, and he was hopeful that the superintendent would look at the possibility of matching funds to start a pilot program at Chula Vista Junior High School with the Parks and Recreation Department. They would fund two recreation leaders to supervise a Drop-in Center for middle age students. This pilot program wonld cost approximately $14,000 to run through Chula Vista Junior High School. She was requesting her District to put in half that amount and reqnested the City Conncil to consider funding the other half to implement this pilot program tbr Chula Vista Junior High School starting this summer. Councilmember Rindone stated he had talked with Ms. Janney on this. This was an item which has come before Council several times. Of all of the issnes the last few years that has come befi~re the Youth Summit, this has been one of the top ones which hasn't been funded. This was another opportnnity tier partnership. He suggested that this go on the agenda flit the Joint School Board/City Connell meeting. He l~lt that this shoold be pnt on the "wish list." He requested that staff look at initiating the Drop-in Center Program at two of the other Junior High Schools for two days a week. He also wanted this listed on the "wish list." Mayor Horton stated she would like to try fi/r all ti~ur middle schools if possible. She f~lt the need was tremendous. We have been talking about it tier a couple of years. MSC (Horton/Rindone) to tentatively ,'tpprove the Parks and Recreation budget. Approved 4-0-1 (Padilia out of the room). Nature Interpretative Center Stephen Neudecker, Director of the NIC, stated that this was a zero based budget. This year they will end up borrowing less money than was appropriated in this year's fiscal budget because their sea water system netted them about $50,000 which will reduce the amonnt of money borrowed. MSC (Horton/Moot to tentatively approve the NIC budget. Approved 4-0-1 (Padilia out of the room). Building and Housinll Mayor Horton asked abont the hiring of ontside consultants in trying to keep up with the demands of the increase in construction activity. She stated when she was first on the Council, this was analyzed and it would cost more tu go that route than to have someone on staff. Kenneth Larsen, Director, stated that the plan check consultant worked on the average of 60 to 65 percent of the plan check dollars that they take in. Finding inspectors on a per job basis because of insurance reasons was not easy; particularly in the building inspection arena. There were retired inspectors who were willing to come in to do some of the smaller pr{~iects, but in serving the larger production tract developments, our consultant arrangements are typically that they will do the plan check and they will also do the inspection of the project lOr a percentage of the t~e of the building permit fee. Councilmember Rindone asked if there was Code Enforcement on Saturdays. Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 5 Mr. Larsen responded that we have upon occasion on a quarterly basis performed code enforcement activities on Saturdays. If we do a Saturday, it has been performed as an overtime or comp time. Saturday enforcement has proven to be etlective to get some of the garage and yard sales and the illegal businesses which occur. What the department is proposing is that new employees, particularly the code enforcement employees, work on a Tuesday through Saturday workweek. They believe that the extra Saturday entbrcement is worthwhile. The downside is that there would not be a supervisor available. Councihnember Rindone stated that ahnost half of the complaints he has received, have been related to activities on Saturdays. He requested that serious consideration be given to look at enhancing Saturday code enforcement. He asked if all of the violations dealing with cars and boats, etc. being parked in middle of yards if that came under Building and Housing. Mr. Larsen stated that automobile enforcement, abandoned automobiles, or illegally parked automobiles does lhll under their department. They have cut back on their abandoned automobile program. Councilmember Rindone suggested that as employees in various departments see these violations, to report them, so our neighborhoods won't deteriorate, especially in the western side of Chula Vista which tends to have more impact of people parking campers and trailers in their front yards. Mr. Larsen stated this was the reason why they brought liarward in last year's budget a request tbr a fee tbr "non- occupied dwelling units". The majority of complaints that we are now responding to are through items which are non-owner occupied structures. On the census tracts which they pulled tip within regions of a mile square, some of the neighborhoods are as high as 85 to 90 percent rental properties. Consequently, you have a non-owner occupied structure and a tenant who may or not be as civically responsible until they are reminded. There is a cost that the general fund has been absorbing in responding to those kind of complaints which is why they had advocated an housing inspection t~e just fi~r that purpose. Councilmember Rindone stated he would like to see this fee come fi>rward to look at. Mr. Goss stated that this was one of the areas of concern that the Board of Realtors had because they f~lt this was a City effort to make more money. He felt there was an important adjunct to this program which was the cleanup/fix up prograin. If done with the cooperation of Laidlaw, it would not cost as much. MS (Rindone/Padilla) tu tentatively approve the Building and Housing budget and also request staff to cume back with the item re~arding non-owner occupied dwelling fees. Mr. Larsen stated that the report would address several issues: First, wonld he on the existing community census stock for residential non-owner versus owner occupied dwellings; secondly, the relationship with the amount of complaints and services to those structures; thirdly. the fee tier service on a cost comparison basis by analyzing existing prograins by other cities; and fimrthly, coining tbrth with an amendment to the master tee schedule and an ordinance amendment to modify ~r the collection of fees ti~r one unit and above. VOTE ON MOTION: Appruved 5-0. Councilmember Rindone also requested that staff coine back on how we could enhance Saturday code enforcement. Community Development Chris Salomone, Director, stated that their budget pmiections wer~ conservative. They have not included the sale of the balance of the Port properties. There are two which he did not put in hecanse they are potentially eminent, but he did not want to count on them: the One Park Apartments which is ~xpected to close escrow shortly alter the beginning of the fiscal year. If this happens, we will get about $1.2 million payoff. The other is Jimmy Shinohara who borrowed $1.5 million t~'om us to help clean up his site. That loan comes due in August. Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 6 Councilmember Rindone, in looking over the list of properties, noticed that the amount we will receive from what we paid was about one half. He would be interested in knowing how the RDA did on the other lbur in relationship to what we paid and what we sold. He also stated that he was pleased to see the change in direction in RDA with the selling off of unproductive assets. He was pleased tu see staff addressing this. He has been very critical, but he wanted to express appreciation that we are moving in the right direction. MSUC (Hortun/Padilla) to tentatively appruve the Community Develupment budget. City Council Armando Buellna, Council Assistant, stated that staff wanted to bring to Council's attention that the cost of dinners at the Country Club has been increasing. Last year it was $21.00 per plate, this year it will be $23 and next year it is estimated to be $28 per plate. They were suggesting that Council consider changing the timnat of the Boards and Commission Banquet to that of a picnic. We estimate the cost of a picnic would be $14 per plate. Another significant change would be the travel, coniCfences, and meetings budget. In the past, it has been fimded at the $8,000 level. Last year we cut out some trips based on the lhct they were trying to reduce the budget to achieve a 10 percent reduction. This year they were restoring that level to approximately the previous year's funding level. Councilmember Rindone asked why were we raising the travel budget and yet trying to reduce the budget. Mr. Buellna responded that the overall el'li~rt was to hold the line. The larger of the two increases was for the banquet. It was a judgement call of what to restore. It seemed that the travel, which was reduced last fiscal year, we should restore it back to the previous level which wuuld restore the U.S. Mayors annual conference, the National League of Cities Annual Congress of Cities Conference. and the Mayor and Council Legislative Conference. Councihnember Rindone asked where did the money come froin when coznnnunity groups come fi~r help. Mr. Buellna stated that was a Council contingency fund which was under Non-Departmental, so it doesn't come out of the Council travel budget. Councilmember Rindone t~lt the conferences were important and if you are going to have good leadership, then the Mayor should attend. What is difficult is to add to the travel budget when we are cutting in other areas. As hr as the picnic is concerned, he felt that was an excellent way of trying. He asked about the awards banquet and if that would remain the same. Mr. Buellna clarified that what he meant was changing from a Boards and Co~mnission Banquet to a picnic; we would not be changing the Awards Banquet. Councilmember Rindone stated that he did not ti:el both the Councilmetnber and their guest should be paid lbr at the tax payers expense. He recommended deletion of this. MSUC (Padilla/Hortnn) tu tentatively approve the Council budget and tu amend the budget thut spouses and significant others should not be paid fur at both the picnic and the awards banquet. ORAL CONINIUNICATIONS · Wendell Prude, representing SEIU Local 2028 and CVEA, stated he understood there was a Supplemental Budget on the issue of a .job reclassification request that was made by several people who work for the City. He wanted to know what was the status of that. Mr. Goss stated that this was in the process of being prepared, but it has not been completed and forwarded to Council yet. Mr. Prude continued that there has been a committee in place tier several months that actually takes in requests from employees that have an interest in having their job studied to find out if they have been properly compensated lbr the duties they pertbrm. That committee has met several times and has come to the conclusion on some of these requests which is in that Supplemental Report. Less than a year ago, there was one presented to Cotmcil which was Minutes June 2, 1997 Page 7 approved. However, there were other employees and the question is what happened to all of the classification requests that came in. He had a list of the people who put in a request, and he would like to compare against the list that was presented to Mr. Goss. They would like to identit~y why some were approved and some not. There was a position called Crime Prevention Specialist that is listed on the "wish list" for the other half of the position funding. It was his understanding when it came forward tinder the Police budget that there was some question about it being a personnel issue and that was why that position was not fully funded. He expressed that they had some real concerns as to how the item was being presented to Council, and he t~lt the Council was using the budget to discipline an individual. Mr. Goss stated that it was on the "wish list". Basically the position was half time funded this year and during the course of the year, we will look lbr funding to make it remain full time. He stated that the personnel issue and the budget issues are totally separate. What the Council is looking at is a position, not the person. ® Mike Proudy, CVEA President, stated he wanted to address several budget issues: 1. Parks -- most employees are talking abont the Council giving money to others such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and South Bay Community Services when Council should be thinking about fixing up the aquatics and staffing the gymnasium more lbr the citizens of the community. 2. Recreation -- there are places that are not watered, safety issues in that equipment is being used is not tip to safety standards: e.g. we have chemical sprayers that leak and edgers that don't have guards on thein. They only have three machines to do all of Rohr Park. 3. Libraries -- patrons are lipset because of the hours. He urged Council to spend more money back into the City. , OTHER BUSINESS CITY MANAGER'S REPORT(S) - none. 4. MAYOR'S REPORT(S} - none. 5. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilnlember Rindone stated that there were some safety issues alleged to by the last speaker. He requested that staff check specifically on those that were alleged. The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Respectfully suhmitted, Beverly A( Aothelet, CMC/AAE City Clerk