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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/25/1996 Adjourned Meeting 208. CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON NOVEMBER 25, 1996 ADJOURNED MEETING - BUDGET REVIEW The City Council met in session on this date at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 129 North Second Street, Yakima, Washington. Council members present were Mayor Lynn Buchanan, presiding, Clarence Barnett, Ernie Berger, John Klingele, and John Puccinelli (present after 9:10 a.m.). Council Member Henry Beauchamp and Bernard Sims absent and excused. Assistant City Manager Rice, Director of Finance & Budget Hanson, Accounting Manager Wheeler, Accountant Tim Jensen, Accountant Cindy Epperson, Accountant Edna Pettyjohn, and City Clerk Roberts were also present. Mayor Buchanan called the meeting to order and directed attention to the Preliminary Budget /Policy .Issues for 1997. It was the consensus of the Council to continue discussion from the November 12, 1996 Budget Review concerning the request for an additional budget policy issue for the Convention Center. It was noted that today's meeting had been previously scheduled for December 19, 1996; however, due to a severe snow storm the meeting was canceled and reschedule for today. Yakima Center Skip Semon, Chair of the Yakima Center Advisory Commission, reiterated his November 12, 1996 request to the Council to consider a policy issue to add $50,000 for promotional funding for the Convention Center for the coming year. He explained more promotion is needed because of the new expansion and the competition from other convention centers throughout the Northwest. He explained the funding would pay for brochures and other promotions to educate the public about what is available at the Yakima Convention Center. The investment would bring more tourism dollars into the Yakima economy. Kathy Coffey, ; Visitors & Convention Bureau Manager, answered questions from the Council concerning the existing $80,000 budget and the previously requested increase of $10,000 in addition to this promotional funding request. There was discussion about the Hotel /Motel Tax paying for maintenance of the Convention Center, and that the City's General Revenue has never been used for that purpose. Staff was directed to provide a breakout of receipts from the Hotel /Motel Tax and the anticipated allocation for 1997 before the Budget Wrap -Up session. COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Glenn Valenzuela, Director of Community and Economic Development, introduced staff from his Department, including Don Skone, Planning Manager; Leonard Hall, Code Administration Manager; Fred French, I/ City Engineer; Randy Beehler, Cable Communications Manager; and Dixie Kracht, Neighborhood Development Manager. Concerning the addition of One Permanent Full -Time Neighborhood Enhancement Officer (Code Compliance Officer) -- Unbudgeted (page 25), Council Member Barnett asked that the record reflect his receipt of a letter from Joe Walsh, Governmental Affairs Committee 2 ®`9 NOVEMBER 25, 199,6.,; BUDGET REVIEW Chairman of the Central Washington Home Builders Association, which outlined that organization'`s ideas `on +the proposed position of Neighborhood Enhancement Officer. Concerning the Grants Writer /Compliance Officer Policy Issue (page 23), Council Members Barnett and Puccinelli explained they were very supportive of hiring the extra Code Enforcement person, but they would like to see some funding alternatives instead of the proposed funding source from increased permit fees or from the General Fund. John Hanson explained there will be some funding options presented in the "Wrap -Up" document. Concerning the Policy Issue on page 26, there was discussion about "Miscellaneous Accounts" and the decrease in Code Administration budget revenues due to major school projects which inflated the revenue picture. Other issues discussed included the leaking water coil in the City Hall boilers (page 278), the status of the Economic Development Fund and UDAG funds (page 280). In the Neighborhood Development budget (page 282), there was discussion about the very few defaults which have occurred in the Homeownership Program. The new Grants Writer position (page 23) was discussed and the need for this position to be dedicated to pursue Federal funding. The HOPE 3 Grant (page 282) used in conjunction with CDBG funds to provide single family residential housing was also discussed. The Council also discussed the purchase of computers during the last two years needed to access information from HUD. Cable Communications Division (page 292) There was discussion about the type of programming broadcast by the City's cable communications channel. Staff was directed to provide information concerning two proposed policy issues. The first policy issue is to . set standards . for'• audio and video quality for the Cable channel. The second policy issue is to discuss the possibility of a C -SPAN or governmental affairs format only and to eliminate the community access format. Randy Beehler explained work has begun on technical standards and a proposed set of standards will be presented shortly to the Cable Advisory Committee. There was also discussion about the three -year periodic review of the TCI Franchise which is to include the Legal Department in discussion of proposed policy issues during that review process. There was discussion about public access and the amount charged for the use of cameras and equipment. Also discussed was the Cable Communications capital outlay requests concerning the new location for the Cable Division and how the two proposed policy issues would change the capital outlay needs for the Cable Division. 1/ Concerning Metropolitan Yakima Comprehensive Plan - 140 (page 298), there was a brief discussion about the Public Hearing •scheduled on the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan adoption. Staff was directed to determine what actions may be pending concerning the increase in requirements of, the .Growth Management Act and.. the date of implementation. 2 2 1 0 NOVEMBER 25, 1996 - BUDGET REVIEW Trolley Fund - 162 (page 303) Staff was directed to change the term Trolley to Electric Railway. Capitol Theatre - 171 (page 313) Steve Caffery, Manager, briefly outlined the needs for ongoing maintenance at the Capitol Theatre. Council Member Barnett questioned the increase in the communications account to each department in the City. It was noted that this issue will be addressed in the Budget Wrap -Up document. Fund 342 -- Public Works Trust Fund (page 332) In response to a comment from Council Member Barnett on the cost levied against water utility customers, Fred French briefly summarized the Fruitvale Canal covering project as it relates to Fund 342 - Public Works Trust Fund. Staff was directed to present a policy issue for Council consideration for $30,000 usually set aside for the Airport who then use $30,000 for the FTZ. PUBLIC WORKS Jerry Copeland introduced Nancy Gaudette, Refuse & Recycling Manager, and Dave Hussell, Streets & Traffic Operations Manager. Nancy Gaudette answered Council Member Barnett's questions concerning Refuse Rate Increase -- Budgeted Policy Issue (page 44), specifically the deficit projected at $100,000 due to the initial startup for costs of new containers when the program was not fully underway. There was discussion about the preparation of the Refuse budget and the deficit amount. Council Member Barnett expressed concern that charges for refuse will not cover expenditures in the Refuse budget. He questioned $5,000 budgeted to cover bad debt expense for the Refuse Division. John Hanson explained how a change in the system will now equalize the burden of bad debts among all the utilities involved, rather than just have Water carry the bad debt. Tim Jensen explained the loss of revenue as it relates to a change in the allocation in the system to recoup the cost for new containers. After a discussion about the accumulation of bad debts, there was discussion about whether the time had come to consider privatization of Refuse collection because the costs are accelerating at a higher pace than private industry. It was noted, however, that the issue had come up several times before and had been voted down by the people and rejected as an alternative to City Refuse operations. Transit I/ In response to questions from the Council concerning the Transit Division Funding Contingencies -- Cost Reduction Plan /Revenue Enhancements -- Unbudgeted Policy Issue, Bill Schultz, Transit Manager, feels further cost reductions won't be necessary in 1997, but it will depend on Dial -A -Ride with ADA requirements. There was 3 211 NOVEMBER 25, 1996,;- BUDGET REVIEW discussion about whether the implementation of Transit route changes helped the revenue` 'is tuation'' and provided better service and whether the new routes were better accepted. Streets and Traffic Engineering /Operations Preliminary Budget Requests (page 394) In response to questions from the Council concerning the Traffic Calming Program (page 51), Dave Hussell reported that neighborhood residents are satisfied with the Traffic Calming Program, but the population that travels the neighborhood streets are dissatisfied with the speed humps. There was discussion about additional methods of traffic calming measures utilized in other cities which staff is investigating. A report on traffic calming will be available soon. After Council reviews staff's findings, then a public hearing will be scheduled to receive citizens' testimony; this is expected to be done next year. There was discussion about the crowded traffic conditions complaints received. There was discussion of the Traffic Associate position and the deletion of a Traffic Technician II position (page 52). There was also discussion about the Traffic Sign Specialist position (page 53) and the number of man -hours devoted to taking care of signs in the CBD parking lots, the rates charged for parking in the City lots, and possibly, the need to increase parking rates. There was discussion about the revenue from monthly parking rates which go to the Parks Division to fund maintenance of flowers in the downtown, sweeping of the parking lots, some striping and that kind of activity. The issue of parking lot maintenance being paid through user fees should be looked at in next year's budget. Parks and Recreation Discussion moved forward from parking lot maintenance to the Policy issue proposed by the Parks and Recreation Division (page 54). There are two new categories proposed for fee charges beginning January 1997. The first is a special event fee and the second is a concessionaire permit fee. 'Denise Nichols, Acting Parks and Recreation Manager, supported the proposed policy issues, and Council Member Barnett noted his receipt of a memorandum regarding Cemetery rates. Funding for the Yakima Gang Prevention and Intervention Coalition (Budgeted Policy Issue) and the Substance Abuse Coalition (Supplemental Budget Request) Ester Huey, Executive Director of the Yakima County Substance Abuse Coalition, provided a brief outline of the program, explained' how the funding is spent, reported that incidents of juvenile criminal activity have been reduced due to this program, and requested funding for 1997. There was discussion about the funding for this agency and how it is allocated to the various services within it. 560 Public Works Administration In response to a question from Council Member Barnett concerning a Public Works Preliminary Budget Request (page 385), Jerry Copeland explained why increases have been requested for the Miscellaneous Revenues accounts (due to depleted reserves) and in the Parks 4 2.1 2 NOVEMBER 25, 1996 - BUDGET REVIEW Administrative Costs (due to new method of charging where expenses are billed at actual use instead of based on budget size). Since Parks uses the largest share of administrative services, the costs will be incrementally billed at $50,000 per year until the allocation is correct. Streets and Traffic Enaineerina /Operations (Page 394) In response to questions from the Council concerning the Preliminary Budget Requests for this Division (page 396),, Dave Hussell directed attention to a typographical error (page 396) in the Performance Statistics table, Maintenance Miles Traveled - Sweepers, 1997 Projected Budget column which should be 26,000. There is also an error in the last sentence of the Explanatory Narrative on page 398 which references a non - existent Streets Operation policy issue. Mr. Hussell also explained the projected loss of a one -time Gas Tax payment. City Manager Zais spoke to issues of manpower, equipment, staffing and supplemental assistance from outside contractors during the snow removal effort. He provided an informational handout to the Council. Mr. Hussell directed attention to the record breaking snowfall and its significant impact on government resources. He reported that private contractors and available staff from the Water /Irrigation, Wastewater, City Shops, Traffic Operations, and Parks & Recreation have been utilized for snow removal, sanding, downed tree and limb removal, flagging, and clearing sidewalks. There was discussion about the amount of time to get trucks ready to roll, the plowing procedure, and the issue of snow and ice covered sidewalks near schools leaving the school kids no choice but to walk in the street. There was discussion about the cost of snow removal services and the problems that exist in the snow removal procedures. The Residential Street Light Program budgeted under Service Unit 116 on page 409 of the Budget and the upgrading requirements for street signs were discussed by the Council and staff. Council Member Barnett referred to page 413 of the budget concerning annexation costs; he expressed concern for the cost of service requirements and he felt a moratorium to slow down annexations would be a good idea to allow services to catch up. A method needs to be developed to deal with unimproved streets that are brought into the City limits as a result of annexations. Transit There were comments and questions concerning the Transit Capital Reserve -- Fund 364 Preliminary Budget Request (page 429), specifically the HVAC /Roof Project at the Public Works Facility and the design costs of $46,060; this amount does not include construction, but provides complete design specifications for the entire HVAC /Roof Project at the Public Works facility and the proper bid specifications. It was noted that the amounts listed for expenditure in Service Unit 518 do not total the $720,000 listed. 5 2.13 NOVEMBER 25, 1996_- BUDGET REVIEW Equipment Rental and Revolving Fund (page 443) Mr. Copeland commended the Equipment Rental (Garage) staff for their hard work during the snowfall emergency to keep equipment running. Don Toney, Fleet Manager, described some of the duties of staff to keep the equipment operating including putting chains on all City vehicles (including Transit) and maintaining the steel blades on snow plows and road graders worn down by ice. The topic - shifted to the AIMMS System on Page 444 of the Budget. Mr. Toney feels this system is an excellent warehousing, purchasing, storage control system; however, he felt it is not a good fleet maintenance management system. Council Member Barnett called for a careful re- evaluation of the AIMMS system. There was a considerable amount of discussion about data entry and the proposal to utilize a Department Assistant II to help with that task. There was also discussion about the proposed purchase of a snow blower for the Cemetery and the specific capacity of the machine as to whether it is large enough to blow snow from a traffic lane. Parks and Recreation -- Service Unit 424 -- Aquatics (page 468) Denise Nichols reported that Franklin Pool has been budgeted to be sandblasted in 1997 which will make the paint adhere much better to the pool. Ms. Nichols responded to questions about the significant decrease in revenues projected for the Senior Center which she attributed to the tour program where revenues and expenditures fluctuate. Environmental Fund Preliminary Budget Request (page 452) City Manager Zais directed attention to the issues of environmental safety and actions to safeguard City facilities, manage hazardous waste, and other environmentally sensitive issues is one has taken a great deal of staff time and attention. He reported studies have been done in the Wastewater Division and there is a study pending in the Water Division, and a report beginning this year in audit compliance in the Public Works Department. This cost will escalate in the future because of policy issues involving the environmental side of compliance with regard to the City's future responsibilities and mandated obligations under the law for safety and compliance with these requirements. Council Member Barnett asked staff ' to determine if when the cap was put on the tax related to debt service for sewer, was it put on Water and Refuse. He 6 2..1.4 NOVEMBER 25, 1996 - BUDGET REVIEW would like a policy issue presented to use the same language and the same criteria on the In- Lieu -of Tax on debt service for Public Works Trust Fund Loans for Water and Refuse. He does not think the City In- Lieu -of Tax should be applied to debt service. The meeting adjourned at 11:48 a.m. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: Z �� �/� / OUNCIL MEMBER DATE C UNCIL MEMBER DATE ATTEST: Afr CITY CLERK / / YNN : ' ANAN, MAYOR MINUTES PREPARED BY DEPUTY CITY CLERK SKOVALD. An audio and video tape of this meeting is available in the City Clerk's Office. • 1 7