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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/04/1988 Study Session 475 • : OCTOBER'4, 1988 . - .; ,...; _ STUDY' SESSION : • - 1. ROLL CALL ' The City Council met in session .on this date- at. 2:00 P.M.'-in the Goincil -Chambers of City Hall, Yakima, -Washington. Mayor Pat ' Berndt, presiding, Council- members Henry Beauchamp,i'Lynn.Buchanan, Jerry .Foy and - , 'Bernard Sims present -. "on. roll:- •call.. Council . member Lynn Carmichael present after 2:15 p.m.'- Council member Clarence Barnett ' absent 'and excused. City'.--Manager- 'Zais, City - Attorney-Vanek,,and City Clerk Roberts' also present. • 2. INVOCATION -1. 'The Invocatioh-was given by member Foy.. 3. - OPEN GOOD -OF THE ORDER 4.' 'AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION • . Tyler Kimbro, representative from the Seattle Guardian.- Angels, reported the local Guardian ''Angels have:- 'established its headquarters at the Spruce Street Apartments, :214 :S. Naches, ' Apt. 11: -He reported the Chapter'started-about three weeks ago, however, no patrolling has been'done since -they are -still in the 'training' - phase. He'-'reported there are 'suspicious: activities occurring at several residences' - in the Naches Avenue /4th= Street" area, that drugs -are present : - He statedJtheir :members found about 40 -50 ) syringes between yesterday and . =today : at 210 and 212' -5. Naches.Avenue; last•name of owner =is Putney. He 'said there'tis suspicious alley. activity withz traffic -=back and forth at 203 S: Naches; last ,name : property owner is Flores: -' He> stated the drug problem _ seems to."thave spread i• to Spruces and - 3rd ' St. and Spruce and 4th St; -They also :talked to some people in the 500 block -of , S : • Naches - . there is a lot-of . out : :traffic all night - at: 505 I /2; S.' . Naches.' 'stated :''there'_ are ' and prostitute problems in 'that area. `Mayor . Berndt .asked -if this information has been given to .the Police Department. Mr. Kimbro stated' they are 'sharing - this information • with ''the.: Police 'Department. 5. - PRESENTATION-OF 1989 : - BUDGET FORECAST`: '-Referring to the'1988 Budget document ,:City :Manager Zaisicannounced this is the second year in -a' row the City has received the Distinguished' Budget: Presentation award from - both - the Washington 'Municipal'Finance Officers Association' -and the Government Finance Officers Association- (GFOA-). He acknowledged the assistance provided by'=City management`, -'as well-as the Finance -.- Department `staff, John Hanson; Director Bob Wheeler Chuck Greenough, Heidi Wright, Judy Leavitt, Marsha�Graaf,• and Teresa- .Far-ren and askel • those' employees in the audience to stand and be recognized. He circulated the award - received from•the State. Association and said the award from the GFOA would be received 'in: the next-month-or so. • City Manager Zais reported ` that -an addition this year to the 1989 Forecast'Lis the- summary-'of policy issues. -He stated he thought it would' be -- helpful: to' - Council.. to see! =the: • breadth' of - policy: issues ' brought- to- management's attention. -He- .- stated -that not all these • request's •have : been • funded` in% the . 1989. - budget,- and may not get funded. He commented :.• that - - the overall message , he • tried , toy project in the 1989 ' Forecast- is .that the 1989 budget .balanced) and the • ' C -ity is in a position to maintain .'critical - services .next-Tear. He . said-there are some disturbing trends, the revenue.base is - leveling- off. The' only General Revenue :Fund. responsive to • ' inflation is sales tax and the other sources are declining or 'holding steady. The City has fixed costs for _labor, utilities, A/AD /1 • 476 OCTOBER 4, 1988 fuel, medical costs, etc. He commented that the Parks budget has been increased to reflect priorities already established and the Street budget is down about. 1 /2%. (Council member Carmichael present after 2 :15 p.m.) City Manager Zais stated negotiations with the bargaining groups have not been completed, with the exception of the Fire Union. City Manager:,Zais reviewed the _Forecast, stating,,the first..section covers an overview of.the general government condition for 1988. He referred, to the second section, trends for 1989, and commented the..property tax ,rate. lid was further impacted, - by,,,the devaluation of ' the property tax, which cost the City ,about , $125, 000,., He said if the City had not reached the tax lid in 1987 and property tax had been,-allowed, to increase 6% each year, revenues_ from that source would have been over $800,000 greater in 1989. The utility taxes are showing no change or some reduction because of_the State mandated requirement to reduce the utility tax (ramp down that continues to 1992; limited to 6%)..He reported_a.slight reduction this year in gambling tax . receipts; however, other intergovernmental revenues are not changing appreciably. He stated the chart on page 13 shows what has transpired in the General Government Fund revenue base. He reported there were several one- time revenue sources in 1988, such as the CMSI settlement. He said the-cash balance that is carried over into 1989 budget , is, down 29%. Mr. Zais stated pages 17 & 18 really shows why the 1989 budget is . going.up. He said pages 21 -22 reflect the general government group and how it's to be balanced 1989, while page 23 reflects the comparison to .prior years. He stated other operating and enterprise budgets are summarized for 1988 and 1989. He. commented ...staff tried to highlight those that have. policy.,issue proposals. Referring to utility rates, he stated there will. be on rate increases for refuse service__or water; however, sewer rates are proposed to _increase. as budgeted in the. Comprehensive ; Financial Sewer Plan. Referring -to the Lcapital _improvement listed on page 28, he- stated the. list is ..incomplete because some expenditures are.not ,included;,some have not been budgeted, and- . , additional projects have-been added to the list within the last two weeks.. Referring to ,the Employee Benefits -. Reserves .Fund on pages 30 -31, City Manager, Zais stated this fund has suffered some _ financial reverses within the last couple of years. He stated some cost savings have been negotiated with the Fire Union. in the current contract. He said it is. still management' s. goal to, reserve a, one .million dollar fund. _He commented the City Hall water . project .needs to be_ completed,,this year; we can't risk_ equipment and records for another year. He said pages 33., and ; 34 ._outlines the plans for presenting a balanced budget. He spoke about the Parks Fund in relationship to the 2% In Lieu Tax granted by Council last year; commenting it is anticipated this tax would increase by about_ $22,000 from 1988, ,primarily due , to the lifting of the $159,000 limit set for. the. .year 1988. Council member Foy , interjected it was, his understanding. Council made,a commitment with the Chamber of, Commerce with. regards _ to the limit on_ -that tax. .City Manager Zais replied it is his recollection that the Chamber of Commerce requested the .revenues from that tax be held at $159,000; to be reviewed each._ succeeding,__ year. He stated it is proposed because we need continuing funding for on -going Parks . programs; cemetery funding which, used to be funded through, FRS, and to , offset reductions.in property tax. He said the Sewer Fund reflects, the increase of the proposed 16$ rate, -adjustment. He commented the question was asked if that increase adds to the City's In Lieu.Tax, and the answer is yes; it's $80,000 and we need it. He. said Council has the final decision. He further commented staff has prepared a series of alternative, cost reduction scenarios that might be applied to .the _General Government budget, if needed. He said some of changes have been implemented; some are being considered; and some. are being researched_ further. He said this budget does.not have any lay offs, but that has happened in the past. He commented we need to look at new rtax, resources,_ too; and there maybe State funding available after. the Legislative session. With that in mind we . have enhanced_ the„ . Police's level of operations to,.meet labor and capital needs., He pointed, out the addition the policy issues on page 40. He spoke briefly about A/AD /2 411 OCTOBER 4, 1988 the requests for additional personnel in the Personnel and Purchasing Divisions. • Council member Foy complimented the City Manager and his team on this Budget Forecast. He commented in the next budget draft, he would like to see the Transit Operating budget include the cut -outs • for buses, rather than have it in the Street Fund. Referring to the beginning cash balance estimated for 1989 on page 23, and considering declining property taxes, Council Member Foy commented it is easy to see why we can't hire more Police Officers. Council member Carmichael concurred with Council member Foy that the City Manager and staff have done an outstanding job in preparing this Forecast. She commented' she doesn't want to see annexations thought. of as a panacea to our problems; we have on -going obligations.,to those areas to bring them up to the standards of the rest of the City. She said the same amount of tax money the County received for these properties does not ,come.to the City; it is re- divided. Council member Foy inquired about the schedule for reviewing the budget. John Hanson, Director of Finance and Budget, stated he will try to have the calendar available for Council next week. City Manager .Zais reported the preliminary budget is .scheduled for distribution to Council for the November. .4th packet. • 6. OTHER BUSINESS Information Items: Items of information supplied to Council were: Letter to the Yakima Herald-Republic. from Assistant City Manager regarding 'September 25, 1988 guest editorial, "Basin Enhancement Plan Needs Some Leadership." 9/29/88; Memo from Director of Public Works regarding Removal of Mid -Block Crosswalks on Yakima Avenue. 9/29/88;. Agenda.. for the September 27, 1988 Yakima Center Advisory Commission meeting and minutes of its June 22, 1988, meeting; and Agenda. of.: the September. 28, 1988 Yakima District Board of Health meeting and 'minutes of its August 24, 1988 meeting. . 7. _EXECUTIVE. SESSION REGARDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING It was MOVED by Foy, seconded by Sims, to move into Executive Session for approximately 15 minutes-for-the purpose of discussing collective bargaining and prospective .litigation, to be followed by immediate adjournment. Unanimously carried by :voice vote. Barnett . absent. . It was the general consensus of the Council to consider an off - 'agenda item.prionto moving into Executive Session.. A. APPROVAL OF OUT-OF -STATE TRAVEL FOR FRED STOUDER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, TO WASHINGTON, D.C. It was MOVED by Foy, seconded by Carmichael, to approve the out -of- state travel' for. Fred Stouder, Assistant City Manager, to Washington, D.C., October 4 -5, 1988, at a cost of $744.00, to negotiate. application funding for John I. Haas UDAG. application. Unanimously carried by voice vote. Barnett absent. 8. ADJOURNMENT Following completion of the Executive Session, the meeting was adjourned at the hour of 3:40 p.m. READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: 0 1 G 210-- CIL M is R DATE I � / ATTEST: a r : DATE • Gp. � - • ,l II r /. ' • CITY CLERK, CMC MAYOR • (Minutes prepared by Karen S. Roberts.) A/AD /1