SALINAS CITY
COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
MEETING MINUTES
May 27, 2008
The
City Council meeting convened at 4 p.m. in the Rotunda.
Present:
Mayor Dennis Donohue
Councilmember Gloria De La Rosa
Councilmember Janet Barnes
Councilmember Tony Barrera
Councilmember Jyl Lutes
Councilmember Steve Villegas
Absent:
Councilmember Sergio Sanchez
Also present:
City Manager Dave Mora
City Attorney Vanessa
Vallarta
City Clerk Ann Camel
CONSENT RESOLUTION
Upon motion by Councilmember Barrera and second by
Councilmember De La Rosa, the Council voted unanimously to adopt the Consent
Resolution. Absent: Councilmember Sanchez.
The Consent Resolution
contained the following items:
SALINAS CITY COUNCIL
1.
Approved minutes of
May 20, 2008.
2.
Accepted financial
claims report.
3.
Adopted RESOLUTION
19471 approving appropriation limit for FY 2008-09.
SALINAS REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
1. Approved minutes of May 20, 2008 meeting.
2. Approved
financial claims report.
JOINT CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY PUBLIC HEARING
1. 2008-09 Budget and
Capital Improvement Program.
The City Manager stated that the proposed budget maintains existing
services and is balanced. It is status
quo with the exception of the Measure V funding recommendations. It uses reserves as anticipated last
year. The recommended budget recognizes
the impacts of the recession. Economic
recovery is anticipated within the twenty-four month budget cycle. The budget emphasizes economic development
initiatives, especially planning initiatives, e.g. the Future Growth Area and
the Economic Development Corporation.
Finance Director Tom Kever stated that the total 2008-09 budget
appropriation is
$143,321,150, including 66.1% for general government services, 14.7% for
capital improvements, 5% for Enterprise Operations, 3.4% for internal services,
3.4% for assessment and maintenance districts, 3% for the Redevelopment Agency,
2.5% for the Block Grant & Home funding, 1.5% for debt service, and 1% for
deferred compensation and retirement. The Measure V Committee recommends eliminating the annual
Measure V street rehabilitation allocation, restoring library hours to 186
hours per week, seven days per week, and adding a book mobile driver
position. The total Measure V budget for
all departments is $10,725,000, with 44.1% being allocated to the library. Staff concurs with the Measure V Committee’s
recommendations for the $1.75 million in one-time funding with the following
exceptions. Staff recommends
reallocating a total of $150,000 to contract graffiti abatement and a total of
$200,00 to replace four Police vehicles.
This would eliminate the Committee’s recommendation to allocate an
additional $75,000 for Recreation Park and $75,000 for Library undesignated
capital improvements.
Mr. Kever outlined reductions of $4,518,900 that would be made during
the two-year budget cycle due to the economic downturn. The 2008-09 General Fund and Measure V
Operating budget increased by 5.8% for a total budget of $92,368,300. Reserves totaled $14.5 million during the
beginning of 2007-08. It is anticipated
that they would be reduced to $9,404,641 by 2008-09 and $5,041,041 by 2009-10,
and would be depleted by 2010-2011.
General Fund expenses will exceed revenues in 2009-10 by $5.7 million
and reserves will be exhausted. The
next two years will require monitoring and may require a hiring freeze or other
expenditure savings. The budget gap of
$5.7 million must be resolved no later than 2010-11.
City Manager Mora stated that the City Council would consider additional
adjustments during the mid-year budget review if economic recovery does not
begin in calendar year 2009 as anticipated.
There would be eighteen months within which to address the projected
budget gap. Council has indicated their
concern regarding the City’s inability to provide evening and weekend Code
enforcement. He recommends that one of
the three unfilled park maintenance positions be traded for a Code enforcement
position.
Larry Angel, Library Commission, spoke in support of the Measure V
Committee’s funding recommendations.
The Commission anticipates that the additional $75,000 in one-time
funding could be used for centennial programs or to fund the Cesar Chavez
Library expansion and modernization.
Deanna Carvey, Oldtown Salinas Association, spoke in support of a match
for services for the Parade of Lights event.
Roberto Garcia, Friends of the Salinas Public Library, spoke in support
of capital improvements and funding for public libraries.
Thad Evans spoke in support of funding for libraries and allocating the
$75,000 recommended by Measure V for identified needs.
Marlys Maher stated that the Neighborhood Services work plan was revised
to address volunteer services needs, which could help with graffiti abatement
and Code enforcement.
Brett Landon asked Council not to adopt the budget because he does not
believe it is balanced due to the use of reserves and unknown State and County
impacts. Approximately $4 million to $5
million of the reserves would go for a structural deficit from employees’
salary increases.
Robin Lee recommended that Council support the Measure V Committee’s
budget recommendations of allocating the additional $150,000 for Recreation
Parks and the Library capital needs.
Mary Ann Worden requested funding be allocated for the senior center and
objected to the travel budget.
Albert Murillo stated that Cesar Chavez library requires expansion, and
he supports allocating the $75,000 in one-time funding for the library.
MOTION
Councilmember Barnes moved the staff recommendation. The motion was seconded by Councilmember
Barrera.
Councilmember De La Rosa stated that graffiti abatement should be a
priority but volunteer assistance must be supplemented by dedicated staff.
Councilmember Lutes stated that volunteerism could be substituted
instead of allocating the $50,000 to the graffiti abatement budget. The $50,000 should be allocated to complete
the budget for the Cesar Chavez Library
expansion. She supports allocating
funding for the Police vehicles. She
does not support allocating the $83,000 to the Rodeo Association annually.
Councilmember Villegas agreed with Councilmember Lutes on allocating the
funding to the Cesar Chavez Library. He
would like to eliminate the funding for the Rodeo carnival.
Mayor Donohue stated that he supports the staff recommendation regarding
reallocating the $75,000 for unspecified recreation services. He believes new models for providing
recreation services are emerging. The
City needs to build capacity for code enforcement during evenings and weekends.
Mr. Mora stated that the total cost of the Cesar Chavez library
expansion is unknown. They would use
the available funding, but he does not know what an additional $75,000 would
fund. The funding for the Rodeo is a
lease obligation that would be difficult to renegotiate in the short term.
MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE
Councilmember Lutes made a secondary motion to allocate $50,000 from
graffiti abatement and $25,000 from the Rodeo for the Cesar Chavez library
improvements. The secondary motion was
seconded by Councilmember Villegas and failed.
AYES: Councilmembers Lutes and
Villegas. NOES: Councilmembers Barnes, Barrera, De La Rosa,
and Mayor Donohue. ABSENT: Councilmember Sanchez.
MAIN MOTION
Councilmember Barnes moved to adopt RESOLUTIONS 19472 (N.C.S.) and
864 (SRA) approving the 2008-09 Budget and Capital Improvement Program and
approving the staff recommendation to restore the Measure V contract graffiti
abatement to $150,000 and Police replacement vehicle allocation to $200,000,
and to use the vacant park maintenance position savings to create an additional
code enforcement officer position. The
motion was seconded by Councilmember Barrera and passed unanimously. ABSENT:
Councilmember Sanchez
ADDENDUM TO THE CLOSED SESSION
City Attorney Vanessa Vallarta announced that she
received a call from one of the City’s insurance carriers on Tuesday, May 27,
2008 providing new information relating to the existing litigation in the Heston
v. City Salinas, et al trial.
She requested that a closed session be added to the agenda pursuant to
Government Code Section 54956.9(a), pending litigation, because the information was received after the posting of the agenda.
COUNCIL ACTION
Upon
motion by Councilmember Lutes and second by Councilmember De La Rosa, the
Council voted unanimously that pursuant to Government Code Section
54954.2(b)(2), there is a need to take immediate action on Heston v. City of
Salinas, et al. and the need came to the attention of the City after the
agenda was posted. Absent:
Councilmember Sanchez.
The Salinas City Council recessed to closed session at 6:50 p.m.
pursuant to:
a. Government Code Section 54956.9(a),
pending litigation, Hestonv. City of Salinas, et al., United
States District Court Case No. C05-06358; and
b. Government Code Section 54956.8,
conference with real property negotiators City Manager/Executive Director Dave
Mora, Redevelopment Director Alan Stumpf, and City Attorney/Agency Counsel
Vanessa Vallarta to discuss the price and terms of payment for the sale or
lease of properties located at 106 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002245002); 108 Lincoln
Ave. (APN #002245003); 122 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002245004); 122 Lincoln Ave. (APN
#002245005); 122 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002245006); 122 Lincoln Ave. (APN
#002245007); 122 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002245008); 128 Salinas St. (APN
#002248011); 200 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002246014); 210 Salinas St. (APN
#002244098); 215 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002244002); 100 Howard St. (APN
#002244099); 219 Salinas St. (APN #002242029); 320 Lincoln Ave. (APN #002331010);
65 W. Alisal St. (APN #002345018); 320 Salinas St. (APN #002345019); 345
Salinas St. (APN #002341016); 345 Salinas St. (APN #002341015); 345 Salinas St.
(APN #002341014); 111 Salinas Street, (APN#002185008); and 132 Main Street,
(APN #002185027) with Robert Leidig and
Associates and Widewaters Group.
c. Government Code Section 54957, public
employment (City Manager
position).
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