HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-06-23 (6)City Council/Redevelopment Agency
City of Huntington Beach
Adjourned Regular Meeting
Monday, June 23, 2003
1:00 P.M. — Council Chambers
Two Public Comments Sessions
Civic Center, 2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach, California 92648
A videotape of this meeting
is on file in the Office of the City Clerk.
Call to Order
Mayor Connie Boardman called the adjourned regular meetings of the City Council and the
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach to order at 1:00 p.m. in the Council
Chambers.
City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting Roll Call:
Present: Sullivan, Coerper, Green, Boardman, Cook, Hardy (Houchen arrived 1:05 p.m.)
Absent: None
City Clerk Announced Late Communications
Pursuant to the Brown (Open Meetings) Act, City Clerk Connie Brockway announced the
following Late Communications regarding the Council Budget Meeting. These
communications were received in her office following distribution of the agenda packet:
Communication dated June 20, 2003 submitted by Sharon Griffin, Buyer, Administrative
Services, in opposition to the elimination of filled permanent positions and recommending
alternative solutions to solve the budget deficit.
PowerPoint presentation submitted to the City Clerk's Office on June 23, 2003 by Administration
and Administrative Services titled Proposed Change to Fiscal Year 200212003 Budget.
City Clerk Announced Additional Late Communications
City Clerk Brockway announced receipt of the following additional Late Communications
distributed immediately prior to the Council meeting:
Communication submitted to the City Administrator from the public provided to the City Clerk's
Office on June 23, 2003 regarding proposed budget cuts to various city departments.
Two matrices received from Administration titled Administration Department — City of Huntington
Beach Table of Organization and Comparison of Orange County Cities.
Three communications from Administrative Services responding to previous questions from
Council titled FY 200212003 Revisions to the General Fund; Classification of Eliminated
Positions and Status of Rehired Retirees.
(2) June 23, 2003 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 2
Public Comments (Session 1 of 2)
The following individuals spoke in opposition to the proposed closure of the Banning Avenue
and/or Main Street Library Branches: Joey Racano, Dale Keith, Robert Buaas, Ruth
Siegrist, Erna Rathmann, Joan E. Singleton, Gertride De Hethe, Michael Craddock, Ron
Bell, and Michael Conway.
The following individuals spoke in opposition to the proposed cuts in services at the Lake and
Murdy Fire Stations for safety reasons including the effects on response time: Michael Perry,
Henry Kransz, Darelyn Maas, Sid Spinak, and Quinn Stahl.
Nancy Wiese Blacksher spoke in opposition to proposed elimination of two Code Enforcement
Officers in the Planning Department. Ms. Blacksher informed Council that she had left Upland
due to that city's cutbacks.
Norm Westwell presented several recommendations to manage the budget, including
maintaining the prevailing wage and reducing Police helicopter services. Mr. Westwell also
spoke in favor of an armed citizenry and allowing alcohol on the beach.
(City Council/Redevelopment Agency) Presentation Made by the City Administrator of
Proposed Revisions to the Adopted Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Budget — Directed Various City
Departments to Return at the June 30, 2003 Council Budget Meeting with Responses to
Council Inquiries (310.20)
City Administrator Ray Silver presented the proposed revisions to the adopted Fiscal Year
2002/2003 budget totaling $11.5 million.
City Administrator Silver reported on the State budget and the city's budget meeting
timelines. He presented the PowerPoint slide show, which had been announced earlier by
City Clerk Connie Brockway as a Late Communication.
Discussion was held relative to the organizational charts submitted by Administration as a
Late Communication, as announced earlier by City Clerk Brockway.
Each of the 14 departments reported on their items. Council requested responses at the
June 30, 2003 Council budget meeting from the following departments:
Administrative Services:
1. Sources besides the General Fund from which actual cuts in positions are coming;
2. Number of unfilled, but funded positions;
3. Estimated number of temporary, part-time positions eliminated; and
4. Breakout of benefit amounts for safety versus non -safety employees.
(3) June 23, 2003 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 3
Administration:
Potential savings (including overtime) if televised coverage of City Council and Planning
Commission meetings were eliminated.
Planning:
1. Consideration of Code Enforcement Unit automatically issuing immediate citations instead
of warnings for egregious violations;
2. Statistics for the last 10 years on number of Code Enforcement Officers; and
3. Effect of response time as a result of proposed elimination of 2 Officers.
Fire:
1. Percentages of each member cities' participation in the Central Net JPA (Joint Powers
Authority) since 1993; and
2. Effects of cutbacks in service of Lake and Murdy Fire Stations.
Police:
1. Costs of running Citizens Police Academy Program;
2. Special Investigative Unit reduction as opposed to General and clarification of
organizational chart relative to the latter unit;
3. Percentage of Vice Officer's time to be devoted to duties of eliminated Police Services
Specialist;
4. Oral report regarding services rendered and statistics for helicopter program,
5. Written report on number of crime arrests made by helicopter patrol;
6. Cost -savings due to elimination of Police Department open house; and
7. Projected Drug enforcement revenue.
Library:
1. Proposal to consider reduction in hours for Central Library and branches versus entire
closure of two branches, including study of Central Library closure during one -least used
full day versus portions of three -least used days;
2. Total number of pages working for the libraries;
3. Total number of positions categorized according to which positions supervise them
Community Services:
Difference in cost of having one Marine Safety Officer's boat patrol rather than two per
day, versus total elimination of boat program.
Public Works:
1. Total number of engineers and funding sources;
2. Cost -savings for hiring in-house engineers versus outside contractors; and
3. Revisit prevailing wage rate paid to outside contractors.
(4) June 23, 2003 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 4
(City Council) Announcement of Future Council Memo from Councilmember Coerper
Addressing the Higher -Level Position Ratio in the Information Services Department
(Approved at the June 16, 2003 Council Meeting) (720.10)
Councilmember Coerper announced his intent to prepare Council ("H" Memo) as a future
agenda item, addressing what he finds to be a ratio, which is "top heavy" in the number of
higher -level positions in the Information Services Department reorganization approved at the
June 16, 2003 Council Meeting.
Public Comments (Session 2 of 2)
Bill Todd expressed his opinion regarding what he considers to be "runaway expenses," stating
that one of the city's problems is the upkeep of three Police helicopters.
Paul Studier presented a suggestion that rather than seeking city services, the community
ought to rely upon outside organizations, such as major state programs, which he stated are
self -funded for their operation.
Norm Westwell spoke relative to a number of Fire Department services, which he believes can
be performed by Public Works Department employees, such as water services. He also
reiterated his earlier comments at the first Public Comments session regarding the prevailing
wage. Mr. Westwell also stated that the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Services
should be discontinued as a failed program.
Adjournment — City Council/Redevelopment Agency
Mayor Boardman adjourned the adjourned regular meetings of the City Council and the 3-0
Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach at 6:00 p.m. to Monday, June 'Ql , 2003,
at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Civic Center, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach,
California. The 5:00 p.m. portion of the meeting will be recessed by the City Clerk to 6:00 p.m.
due to an anticipated lack of quorum.
ATTEST:
City Clerl<-Clerk` = A.
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City Clerk and ex-officio Clerk of the City
Council of the City of Huntington Beach
and Clerk of the Redevelopment Agency
of the City of Huntington Beach, California
Mayor -Chairman