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Home My WebLink About11/06/2007 Adjourned Meeting 55 -4 :. ADJOURNED MEETING NOVEMBER 6, 2007 — 8:30 A.M. — 12:00 NOON COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL BUDGET REVIEW 1. Roll Call Present: Council: Mayor Dave Edler, presiding, Council Members Ron Bonlender, Micah Cawley, Bill Lover, Neil McClure, and Susan Whitman Absent: Council Member Johnson (excused) Staff: City Manager Zais, Finance & Budget Director DeBord, and City Clerk Moore Mayor Edler opened the session with instructions on how the meeting would proceed. 2. Community and Economic Development (See 2008 Preliminary Budget department section) • Tourist Promotion — Connie Upton & John Cooper John Cooper, President /CEO Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau, spoke about Yakima's $307 million tourist industry highlighting statistics for 2007 to date. Lodging taxes are up 12 %, future bookings are up 15 %, and web site visits have increased 41 %. He noted that the Convention Center has capital facility needs necessary to stay competitive. He described the Convention Center campus proposal. Next year the Public Facilities District will fund a feasibility study to evaluate marketing conditions and determine if there is demand for a bigger facility. Mr. Cooper lightly addressed each of the policy issues submitted. He spoke in detail about the Valley -Wide Branding initiative. They are very optimistic that 2008 will be a very strong year for tourism. • Capitol Theatre — Steve Caffery Steve Caffery, Director of the Capitol Theatre, gave a status report on the theatre expansion for which planning has been underway since 1998. It has evolved into a 3 -phase process: planning, construction of a production center on the back of the theatre with a community center at 3 Street and Yakima Avenue, and, finally, the creation of a plaza on S. 3rd Street. Their budget seeks funds to begin the design of phase 2. During the course of 2008, they will continue to explore the possibility of creating a plaza on 3rd Street. Discussion covered public safety issues with the potential street closure and the historical aspects of the Wilson building and whether or not it is salvageable. Rita DeBord, Finance and Budget Director, explained legislative funding for the project. 55 -5 NOVEMBER 6, 2007 — BUDGET REVIEW • Planning • Codes / City Hall • Engineering — Brett Sheffield • Central Business District (CBD) Capital • Economic Development / Other — Bill Cook • Office of Neighborhood Development Services (ONDS) — Bill Cobabe Bill Cook, Director of Community and Economic Development, gave an overview of the Divisions within his Department. He displayed a chart depicting the tremendous development growth in 2007. He compared expenditures out of the general fund versus using "other people's money ". Even with this tremendous growth, since 2002 the general fund contribution has stayed below $5 million. He also noted staffing has not increased. The number of FTEs has stayed at 50 to 55 during that time period. Planned activities for 2008 consist of: Assist approximately 20 families purchase their first home through ONDS. Attract and manage up to 15,000 hours of volunteer labor. Permit and inspect over $100 million of new construction. Install onboard computers in building inspector vehicles for efficiency Partner with Wastewater to assist 50 families connect to sewer. Add a new building inspector utilizing revenue from the Occidental annexation and growth in permits. Respond to 1,400 code enforcement cases Council questioned the justification for the request of the additional code inspector; justifications included the major growth spike, construction delays, the ripple effect on subcontractors, and the construction industry's need for predictability. The next item discussed was the implementation of fees for fire inspections. City Manager Zais explained that the policy issue was developed in concert with the budget review assessment because the general fund is subsidizing some of the costs. Discussion covered the size of the fee, having it connected to CPI, and why the function is with the Codes Division and not the Fire Department. Council Member Lover questioned whether the extension of the Southeast Community Center Contract could be limited to one year rather than two. That decision would be at the preference of the Council when they vote on the budget. Mr. Cook pointed out there was a footnote missing in the budget detail with regard to staffing for Environmental Planning. One of the Assistant Planner positions will be upgraded to an Associate Planner during the year. It is already budgeted but was under filled as a result of a retirement. Council Member Lover questioned the rate increases for Wastewater and utility billing and how a portion of that was to support ONDS requirements. He felt it should be a policy issue within ONDS. It was explained that the request had been made to both Wastewater and Refuse to pay for costs that cannot be paid out of Block Grant funds. Those utilities opted to include the needed amounts with their other requests for rate hikes. It will be discussed when those divisions present their budgets. 2 55 -6 NOVEMBER 6, 2007 7 BUDGET REVIEW • A request was made to identify the actual Engineering street projects covered in the budget. It will make it easier for Council to understand what the requested dollars are for when reviewing the budget. Michael Morales explained the policy issue for the Nob Hill overpass repair. Two studies have been done that show the bridge has some areas needing repair and that it is continuing to deteriorate. Because of the horrendous incident with the bridge collapse in Minnesota earlier this year, there are state funds available for the replacement/repair of bridges. They plan to pursue those funds and also funds from a Public Works Trust Fund loan in the event we are not successful in obtaining state funding. He emphasized that the bridge is not in imminent danger of collapsing nor is it currently in an unsafe condition, but the longer we wait to address it, the higher the risk. Another project discussed was REET 1 dollars to be used for grind and overlay of the inside lanes (both east and west) of Nob Hill Boulevard. City Manager Zais spoke about Stormwater. The public hearing on it is to be held during this evening's business meeting. The budget was based on an earlier assumption about potential fees and rates that would be charged. The options maintain the staffing components recommended, but they change the choices with respect to repayment of loans from the Wastewater budget or commencing with capital projects. Council Member Lover raised the issue of rapidly increasing fuel costs and how all economic indicators say that will continue. He suggested the City Manager review and update the City's fuel reduction plan and bring it to Council for possible implementation. 3. Adjournment McCLURE MOVED AND CAWLEY SECONDED TO ADJOURN TO 6:00 P.M. FOR THE REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote; Johnson absent. The meeting adjourned at 10:17 a.m. i p5S READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY ■■•1,�', COUNCIL MEMBER DATE .V Atc.4 1. amioi 0‘ COUNCIL MEMBER DATE ATTEST: i.A-df 40 CITY CLERK DAVID 7 R, MAYO Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. A CD and DVD of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 3