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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009/03/17 Item 11 MEMO ~\f? ~ ~ CITY OF (HULA VISTA Office of Council member Pamela Bensoussan DATE: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Council () ..~ .~ !~~~ FROM: Councilmember Pamela Bensoussan . CC: City Manager Jim Sandoval SUBJECT: Proposed Outline for Establishment of an Independent Advisory Board aka: Prop A Advisory Committee or (P AA..C) Note: This topic will be discussed at a Public lvleeting hosted by Pamela Bensoussan in Council Chambers on Thursday, 4 pm, March 12, 2009 Background After declaring the city in a state of fiscal emergency, Chula Vista's City Council decided to conduct a special mail election on May 5, 2009, for voters to decide whether to enact a 1 % ten-year sales ta,< increase. A cmique aspect of the City Council's ballot measure was to install an independent oversight/advisory board to guarantee that monies resulting from the tax increase would be spent as promised and to issue reports and recommendations to CounciL Several years ago, when the City Council approved the Redevelopment Corporation (CYRC), it took almost a year to decide on the process for establishing a citizen's review board or "Redevelopment. Advisory Committee" (RAe). This proposal addresses the purpose and logistics of setting up an Independent Advisory Board, in order to have a vehicle in place to facilitate and expedite its creation, in the event that voters approve the sales tax measure. An open meeting will be hosted by Councilwoman Pamela Bensoussan to converse with the public on this outline and to receive comments and suggestions. Purpose . The Prop A Advisory Committee (P A.A..C) will be tasked with overseeing allocation of funds received from the sales tax increase (Prop A) assuring that these funds are spent according to the stated intent of the May 5 ballot measure and to make recommendations and regular reports to City Council. Additionally, the Committee will report annually on the overall effectiveness of Prop Ain addressing the following goals in stages throughout the 1 a-year period of the assessment: " Maintaining important public services that would othenvise be at risk (such as public safety, libraries, after school programs, park & recreation services, etc. as stated in the ballot measure - stage .1 ) " Slowly rebuilding the city's budget reserves (stage 2). " Meeting infrastructure maintenance needs in Western Chula Vista fuld other areas where deferred maintenance has created serious problems (stage 3). //-/ 276 Fou:th .':~'.YeI1ue! Chula Vista, CA 91910 VV....,NW. chu IJ.vLstaca.gov (619) 691-5044 I Fax(619) 691-5379 Termination of Tax Measure At any time, in the event of sufficient economic recovery, whereby the Committee determines that these Prop A funds are no longer critical to the organization, the Committee ""ill recommend to Council that the Proposition A I % sales tax be terminated. \\!hen Proposition A is ended the Committee will be dissol ved. Committee Makeup/Appointments In order for the P MC to be truly independent and broadly represent the interests of the people of Chula Vista, the appointment process should be largely "bottom up" as opposed to the political (mayoral/council) "top down" appointment process. Wide representation from interest groups and geographical areas is desired, as well as some skill sets such as familiarity with city planning, infrastructure, financing and the budget process. To accomplish this goal it is recommended that delegates to the P MC be nominated from various interests groups, with the addition of several "at large" members who would be self-nominated. The "interest group" delegates could be drawn from such categories as local business, community, educational, professional, and worker organizations to widely reflect the stakeholder interests in the City. A list of "member organizations" would be determined by publicizing the intent to form the Committee and requesting submittal of applications of interest. Upon determination of a balanced list of member organizations, each would then appoint their delegate to become a "member" or "alternate member" to the P MC. Additionally, one delegate each could be appointed from the following volunteer citizen commissions: GMOC, Planning Commission, and Resource Conservation Commission. Members of these commissions would already have familiarity with the city's planning, budget, and infrastructure needs. Finally, members representing the four major geographical areas of Chula Vista (Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast) would be invited to apply. These "at large" applications would be reviewed and applicant interviews conducted in public by the City Council. As with the case of other Chula Vista commissions, all members would be required to. be registered voters in Chula Vista. Such matters as terms, meeting venues, and frequency would need to. be determined. . Thus, the Committee could be formed of: Cl three members from each broad categary of interest groups selected (one delegate per group) II one delegate appointed by each of the three commissians mentioned above .. faur "at large" members from the city's major geographical areas Committee Meetings and Format All meetings would be noticed, held in public, and subject to the Brawn Act requirements. Meetings should take place often enough (monthly, quarterly?) in order for the Committee to be able to operate pro-actively and effectively. The committee would work with the office of the City Manager and the Department of Finance to . develop an effective method of monitoring. The developed procedure should allow for pro-active participation by the committee in the allocation of Prop A funds. '6 Fourth Avenue, Chub Vista, CA 91910 I/-~ ,,"Ww.chulavistaca.gov I (619) 691-5044 I fax (619) 691-5379 DRAFT (-!em II A- City of Chula Vista City Council Community Meeting - Prop A Advisory Committee (P AAC) March 12,2009 4:00 P.M. Background of Proposal: CONCERN: Members of the community want some guarantees of oversight of Prop j\ monies. \)(Ih<:n they go to vote, they would W.;:e to lmow what the oversight would look like. Question: Can the advisory committee go beyond the scope of the intent listed 111 the ballot measure to include infrastructure needs & building reserves? (A-Miesfield) Yes - The language in the ballot measure is loose. The funds will go into the General Fund, not specific areas. The comJl"littee is an adVISOry. Therefore there should be no problem with tlus scope of pmpose. Creation of Committee: CONCERN: The make-up of conULuttee membershIp is VERY important, as much as or mOIe than the function of the committee. The goal is for a "bottom up" comrnittee represent111g many categories of interest groups and Chula Vista citizens. PB The committee should be large like tlle Bayfront CAC or the General Plan Update Comnuttee - so there will be many voices heard and not excessive competition for member seats. Question: \)(Ihat would the duration of service be? Terms linuts? Recommendations from attendees: 2yr/3yr staggered terms with 2 term service. Question: When would the committee start? If Prop A passes, the new tax money wouldn't arrive until Nov. In 2010, the city would be only treadlllg water and the funds really wouldn't come full play until 2011. (Tulloch) The City J'vlanager would consider borrowing against projection and start using the funds imJllediatcly, so he recommends that the Oversight Committee be in place immediately. ' Question: The committee will need to oversee the total General Fund budget working with the City Manager and Finance Dept they would make comment on expected standards of service and the City should set an expected standard of service. The P AAC would be asking the City: How arc your doing generally? i\re important services being cut? f\re reserves adecluate? Staff Answer: Separations of funds (General Fund vs Prop A) would be difficult and the best benchmarks would be whether or not the city is functioning as citizens want it to function. CONCERN: People do not trust tbe CIty if Prop r\ funds just go into tbe General Fund. There is a general lack of confidence in the City. If the P AA C has "teetll", it would build community confidence. PB This is the reason for adopting principals now to give the Pi\r\C as many "teeth" as an oversigbt committee can legally have. Enerqy Subcommittee Meetinq (DRAFT) February 18, 2009 Paqe 2 of 2 CONCERNS: The City doesn't need a Prop A oversight committee - because the funds aren't separated and, but we do need a Budget-General Fund oversight Committee. Reinforced that it would be very difficult to separate the sale's tax monies from the Budget & General fund. There is precedent for budget oversight committees in many cities throughout the US This conunittee must have: a. A Broad charge b. Meet "in time" before the budgets are f111alized and be part of the budgeting process, 111 sync with the budgetary development cycles. (proactive not reactive) c. Report to the City Manager d. Be able to preview the General Fund e. Be "bottom-up" and app0111ted by the community f. Meeting should be scheduled around the budget cycle g. There should be a web site for community interaction and information h. Re-vote on tax in 5 years CONCERt'\!: The PAAC should work widl the City. Manager and Finance but should report independendy to Council. The report to Council 'would be a Public platforrn with the Council accountable, which places power in the hands of the people. Additional Concerns: Recommends that members of dle PMC have a financial background It's Important that the P AAC have a roll in the budget cycle. Members should be from the business community and should be residents, not just have a business or work in Cv. It will be important to hear from not only the areas of the community who will be the "source" of the tax money, but from those affected by the Budget in its entirety. Citizens applauded d1e initiative of developing the P MC EARLY. Comments received by em ail: Recommendation that GMOC be the Oversight Committee The organizational members of committee must have been active and in existence for at least 5 years The group must have a minimum of 300 active, dues paying members The group must have a tax ID number and file returns or present a financial statement The group must publish and/or make available a membership roster The group must have regular meetings that are publicized and open to the general public. The Advisory group should PREVlEW the spending planned for the funds NOT REVIEW. Item UA Committee Makeup/Appointments In order for the P AAC to be truly l11dependent and broadly represent the interests of the people of Chula Vista, tlle appointment pm cess should be largely "bottom up" as opposed to the political (mayoral/council) "top down" appointment process. \Vide representation from interest groups and geographical areas is desrred, as well as some skill sets such as farniliarity with city planning, infrastructure, financing and tlle budget process. To accomplish tlus goal it rs recommended that delegates to the P AAC be nominated from various interests groups, with the additIOn of several "at large" members who would be self-nominated. The "interest group" delegates could be drawn hom such categories as local business, community, educational, professional, and worker orgaluzations to widely reflect the stakeholder Interests in the CilY, A list of "member organizations" would be determined by publiClzing the intent to form the Committee and requesting subnuttal of applications of interest. Upon deternlination of a balanced list of member organizations, each would tllen appoint their delegate to become a "member" or "alternate member" to the PAAC. Additionally, one delegate each could be appointed from tlle folJowing volunteer citizen commissions: GMOC, Planning CommisslOn, and Resource Conservation Commission. Members of these COllliTlissions would already have familiarity with the city's planning, budget, and infrastructure needs. FinaIJy, mernbers representing the four major geographical areas of Chula Vista (Northwest, Soutllwest, Soutlleast, and Northeast) would be invited to apply. These "at large" applications would be reviewed and applicant interviews conducted in public by the City Council. As willi the case of other Chula Vista conU11issions, members would be required to be residents of Chula Vista. Such matters as terms, meeting venues, and frequency would need to be deternllned. Thus, the C01llimttee could be formed of: o tl1tee member:s from each broad category of l11terest groups selected (one delegate per group) . one delegate appointed by each of the three commissions, R.C.C., Planning and G.M.O.C. . four "at large" ITlembers from the city's major geographical areas The goal is to assemble a well diverse group, representing broad interests. Committee Meetings and Format All meetings would be noticed, held in public, and subject to the Brown Act requirements. Meetings should take place often enough (monthly, quarterly?) in order for the Comnuttee to be able to operate pro-actively and effectively. The COllli1uttee would work with the office of the City Manager and the Department of Finance to develop an effective method of monitoring (preview and review). The de\Teloped procedure should allow for pro- active participation by the committee in the allocation of Prop A funds. The comlmttee would present quarterly / annual reports to Council sunlmaJ:izing expendItures and whetl1er or not the goals are bel11g met. Five Year Study Five years into the tax increase period, the committee shall deliver a comprehenSIve report to Council. The specific purpose of this mid-term report is to examine whether: or not the tax increase period should continue, be shortened, be ended or remain without adjustl11ent. 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910 www.chulavistaca.gov (619) 691-5044 I Fax (619) 691-5379 . \ MEMO ~~~ ~ ~.---- -.......---. """""'-.................. CITY OF CHUIA VISTA Office of Couneilmember Pamela Bensoussan DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2009 EVENT: Public Meeting to Discuss Prop A Oversight LOCATION: City ofChuIa Vista Council Chambers SUBJECT: Proposed Outline for Establishment of an Independent Advisory Board aka: Prop A AdvisOl-Y Committee or (1' AAC) Note: This topic will be on the agenda at a City Council meeting on Tuesday, 6 pm, iv/arch 17, 2009 Background A fter declaring the city in a state of fiscal emergency, Chula Vista's City Council decided to conduct a special mail election on May 5, 2009, for voters to decide whether to enact a 1 % ten-year sales tax increase. A unique aspect of the City Council's ballot measure was to install an independent oversight/ advisory board to guarantee that monies resulting from the tax increase would be spent as promised and to issue reports and recom.rnendations to Council. Several years ago, when the City Council approved the Redevelopment Corporation (CVRC), it took almost a year to decide on the process for establishing a citizen's review board or "Redevelopment Advisory Comnuttee" (RAC). This proposal addresses the purpose and logistics of setting up an Independent Advisory Board, in order to have a vehicle in place to facilitate and expedite its creation, in the event that voters approve the sales tax measure. An open meeting will bc hosted by Councilwoman Pamela 13cnsoussan to converse with the public on tlus outline and to receive comments and suggestions. Purpose The Prop At\dvisory Committee (P AAC) will be tasked with overseeing allocation of funds received from the sales tax increase (prop A) assuring that these funds are spent according to tlle stated intent of the May 5 ballot mcasure and to make recomm.endations and regular reports to City Council. Additionally, tllC Committee will report annually on thc overall effectiveness of Prop A in addressing me following goals in stages mroughout the 10-year pcriod of the assessment: . Maintaining important public services that would otherwisc be at risk (such as public safety, libraries, after school programs, park & recreation services, etc. as stated in me ballot measure) . 't'iIeeting infrastructure maintenance needs in Western Chula Vista and ou-ler areas where deferred maintenance has created senous problems. . Slowly rebuilding the city's budget t:eserves. Termination of Tax Measure t\ t any timc, 111 the cvent of sufficient econornlC recovery, whereby ule Connnittee determines ulat these Prop A funds are no longer critical to the organization, dlC Comnuttee will recommend to Council that the l)roposition A 1 % sales tax be tern1.inated. \'7hen Proposition A is ended the COllliluttee '."ill be dissolved. 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910 www.chulavistaca.gov (619) 691-5044 I Fax (619) 691-5379 IMPLEMENT FEE REFORM · Fees Should Be Reduced To Reflect The Fact That Land, Labor And Material Costs Have Fallen By 25% Or More. · Implement A Minimum Three-Year Moratorium On Fee Increases. · Do Not Create Or Adopt New Fee Programs. · Ease Rules Governing Inclusionary Housing Requirements. IMPLEMENT REGULATORY REFORM · Delay Moving Forward With A Mandatory Requirement To Exceed The New Title 24 Code By 15%. · Extend Approved Building Permits For A Minimum Of Two Years. · Automatically Extend Tentative Maps And Land Use Entitlements For A Minimum Of Five Years. · Automatically Toll The Life Of Land Use Entitlements For Projects That Are Subject To Appeals Or Legal Challenges. · Implementation Permit Process Reform Measures That Reduce Permit Approval Times By 30% Or More. · Expedite All Projects In The System (If Typical Approval Time Is 6 Months To A Year, Reduce That By 30% Or More). · Limit Plan Checks To A Maximum Of Three Reviews. IMPLEMENT CEOA REFORM · Create A Master EIR With The General Plan Update That Individual Projects Can Tier Off Of. · Streamline The CEQA Review Process With The Goal Of Reducing Environmental Review And Processing Times By 50% Or More. FACILITATE INFILL AND SMART GROWTH DEVELOPMENT · Implement Parking Standard Of 1.0 Space Per Unit For Areas Planned For Infill And Smart Growth Development And Waive Parking Requirements For Onsite Affordable Housing Units. · Allow By-Right Private Tandem Garage Parking With All New Multi-Family Residential Units And Reduce Guest/Visitor Parking Requirements For Mixed- Use And Transit-Oriented Development Projects. · Pursue Community-Wide Parking Reform Measures In Parking-Impacted Communities Including The Creation Of Parking Districts, Shared Parking And Offsite Public Parking Alternatives. EXPAND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUBSIDIES AND INCENTIVES · Support The Establishment Of A Permanent Statewide Funding Source For Affordable And Workforce Housing. · Provide City-Owned Land For Affordable Housing Sites. SUPPORT STIMULUS FUNDING FOR THE SAN DIEGO REGION Support Local, State, And Federal Level Initiatives To Assist The Revitalization Of The Housing Industry And The Creation Of Jobs In The San Diego Region. This Must Include The Necessary Efforts To Ensure That Chula Vista Receives Its Fair Share Of Stimulus Funding For Housing And Infrastructure.