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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/27/2009 Study Session loo YAKIMA CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION OCTOBER 27, 2009 – 8:00 – 10:00 A.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS – YAKIMA CITY HALL 1. Roll Call Present: Council: Mayor Dave Edler, presiding, Assistant Mayor Micah Cawley, Council Members Maureen Adkison, Kathy Coffey, Rick Ensey, Bill Lover, and Sonia Rodriguez Staff: City Manager Zais, Finance and Budget Director DeBord, and City Clerk Kloster 2. Review of 2010 General Government Budget Expenditure Reduction Proposals per the Priorities of Government model as follows: City Manager Zais updated. Council on the material distributed last week. The budget forecast has been updated for capital, enterprise and utility funds as well as revenue projections and expenditure reductions. The impact for 2010 is nearly $200,000 lower in revenue projections. As a consequence, there are further reductions proposed. Rita DeBord, Finance and Budget Director, reviewed the budget schedule. It was the consensus of Council to move the second business meeting in December from the 15 to the 8th Is • Public Health and Safety (continuation) —Legal prosecution and indigent defense City Attorney Jeff Cutter explained the effects on the Legal Department of the proposed budget reductions to lose two key attorney positions and the reduction in outside counsel assistance. There will be delays in responses, priorities will have to be set with Council's input, and they will have to decide how to eliminate some of the overflow. Cynthia Martinez, Senior Assistant City Attorney (prosecution), described how the loss has affected their caseloads. In 2008, they handled 6,000 cases and 2,800 probation violations equaling a case Toad of 1,734 per prosecutor. With the loss of a prosecutor this summer, that load increases to 2,312 cases each plus increased court calendars. That allows about fifteen minutes per case. In reality, it takes fifteen minutes just to order evidence and a conversation with a victim takes about fifteen minutes as well. Over the summer months, they have had the help of a temporary part -time attorney and Rule 9 assistance (law students). They now have been creatively looking at the caseload to determine what they can decline to prosecute and have the least impact on public safety. She pointed out that as they are trying to identify cases to reduce, the felony threshold for property crimes went from $250 to $750 tremendously increasing the number of 101 OCTOBER 27, 2009 — STUDY SESSION BUDGET REDUCTION PROPOSALS misdemeanor cases. Their load also increases each time police officers are added. Helen Harvey, Senior Assistant City Attorney (civil) explained the impact of eliminating the vacancy that was created when Jeff Cutter was promoted to City Attorney. With the 20% cut in attorney personnel, there is no corresponding cut in the workload. The workload has continued to climb over the years, especially in the area of public records requests. Council Member Cawley commented that he feels there are other positions within the City that could be cut to leave the position in the prosecution area. Assistant City Manager Zabell addressed indigent defense and explained the nearly $100,000 increase: 1) The rules of professional conduct changed and our contract was not valid the way it was written, and 2) the three -year contract with Dixon and Lee for public defender services was expanded to include public defense at arraignment. There are offsetting factors; a grant from the State Office of Public Defense and reduced jail time due to having public defense at . arraignment thereby not requiring the defendant to wait in jail. He also addressed the costs for Police Department recruiting. The impacts of bringing that function in house were reviewed. Council Member Rodriguez requested the prosecuting attorney position be added to the request- for - reinstatement list. Council Discussion Mayor Edler commented that the state initiative process is the result of citizens asking to reform government. Between that and the down economy, we have moved into the crisis mode. How do we take advantage of this crisis to reform government? He believes public safety is the highest priority. He said we should be looking at a parks district and fire districts to allow us to fund the things we absolutely must provide. Council Member Ensey said that personnel costs are the biggest expense and are strangling the City. His reason for moving to the Priorities of Government method was to force departments to determine what they would cut to increase other areas, such as salaries. In his opinion that is how to reform government. Council Member Cawley said that, with regard to parks and fire districts, the other parties aren't willing to "come to the table." He then compared the private sector salary issues to government saying we don't have the tools needed to direct pay cuts. Mayor Edler would like to find a way to increase the number of police officers and fire fighters which led to a discussion with Council Member Coffey on how to change the percentages in the various priorities. Council Member Lover said it was inappropriate to review the policy issues during budget sessions and that we would review policy issues throughout the year. He felt those issues should go through the Budget Committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission, etc. Although he would like to have a conversation of how to cut services and still 2 102 OCTOBER 27, 2009 — STUDY SESSION BUDGET REDUCTION PROPOSALS keep public safety at the level we would prefer, he said it is not a conversation that should be at this budget session. He said that staff has brought a balanced 2010 budget for review. He agreed that there needs to be significant cuts made throughout the year, but they shouldn't be made at these sessions. Mayor Edler did not agree. He said Council is being asked to look at the detail and as policy makers they should use the budget process to make the most significant policy decisions for the year. Mayor Edler referred to the County getting out of the parks business and suggested the City should follow suit. He also noted that 80% of the County's budget is for public safety and that we too are being pushed in that direction. Council Member Ensey said he feels that City government should basically be responsible for fire, police, streets and a few miscellaneous functions. He would privatize everything else. City Manager Zais referred to the supplemental information provided on Animal Control in response to questions at the last meeting. A review to increase animal control fees to the 2007 level is being added to the policy list. • Resource Management Finance and Budget Director DeBord reviewed proposed reductions in the Finance and Information Systems areas. Financial and Information Systems are critical functions for the City with many requirements and mandates. Finance currently has two critical positions vacant; an accountant and the treasury services officer position. She explained they had reorganized to continually try to get the most for the least. Currently, there are four accountants to cover the huge workload of the entire City. Because of the workload, when they proposed eliminating the accountant position they had requested a lower level part-time position to help support the remaining accountants. Due to the need for further reductions, they have eliminated that request. She is not comfortable with the workload /staffing ratio. There are areas where a lower level of service will be provided. She stressed the need to fill the treasury services officer position as soon as possible emphasizing that they are at significant risk for being without both of those positions. With regard to the Information Systems Division, she said if there could be recommendations for increases, it should be in the technology area because of the support they provide throughout the City to give us the tools to do more with less. Information Systems Manger, Rick Pettyjohn, described all the areas the division supports with hardware and software. There is hardly a function left in City that doesn't require a computer. He pointed out that the reduced amount budgeted in capital replacement would suggest a fifteen -year life for our personal computers, and twenty -five years for other equipment. That is not possible. The proposed reductions include the elimination of support and maintenance on software and hardware. With the reduced budget, there is no way to maintain the services they are currently providing let alone increase services. Council Member Cawley said he would be willing to eliminate positions to support technology. Council 3 103 OCTOBER 27, 2009 — STUDY SESSION BUDGET REDUCTION PROPOSALS • Member Lover asked if technology has helped reduce costs across the City. Mr. Pettyjohn, referring to technology in the Police Department, responded that it • probably does not equate to a reduction in cost, but it does make them much more effective. Council Member Lover suggested some technology items be reviewed for necessity versus convenience, e.g. the number of blackberries and personal computers. Mr. Pettyjohn said the last strategic plan identifying needs was done in 1991. At that time, a higher budget and more people were proposed but we couldn't afford to implement the suggestions. He recommended doing another plan with the commitment of actually implementing it. Council Member Coffey directed Mrs. DeBord to review the Finance budget for further cuts. The next item brought up for discussion was outside agencies. Mrs. DeBord advised that the Council Budget Committee had suggested reducing all discretionary outside agency funding by 50 %. Council Member Ensey added that later he will move to reduce that funding to zero across the board. • Resource Management (continued) • Economic Development • Quality of Life • Customer Service and Communications • Strategic Partnerships • Deferred to the next study session. 3. Audience Comments There was no opportunity for audience comments. 4. Adjournment CAWLEY MOVED AND ENSEY SECONDED TO ADJOURN TO NOVEMBER 3, 2009 AT 6:00 P.M. FOR THE NEXT BUSINESS MEETING. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 9:53 a.m. DA READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE B' rti _ sJ �!I�i.._ I CO N. L M:M'' 1 iI DATE FR d3-a2 - to — OUNCIL MEMBER DATE ATTEST: / CITY CLERK DAVID EDLER, MAYOR Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. A CD and DVD of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 4