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Home My WebLink About03-26-1993 City Council Minutes HINUTES SAI~ATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27, 1993 PLACE: City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave.; Senior Day Care Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting 1. Roll Call 2. Report of city Clerk on Posting of Agenda .PUrsuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on March 19. The notice of adjournment from the March 17 Council meeting was properly posted on March 18. 1. What are the basic. core services and their acceptable delivery levels which should be the first nriorltV for funding each year? ESSENTIAL CORE SERVICES PUblic Safety Environmental Protection Planning and Development Approval Street Maintenance Capital Projects - mandated - replacement and upgrade DISCRETIONARY SERVICES (Non Mandated) Parks Recreation and Leisure Social Services Non Mandated Capital Projects MISSION STATEMENT: "Provide essential municipal services which protect health, safety and welfare, and satisfy the community's desires to maintain its quality of life and property values while practicing fiscal responsibility." 2. What level of law enforcement and code enforcement can the City continue to support? If cuts in services need to b~ made, what nrioritV should qulde the choices to be made? * - School Resources Officer - maintain - look at this service in 1994 * - Day traffic patrol - possible decrease * - Night traffic patrol - maintain * - Cal-ID program - take a look at it * - Code enforcement - Look at possible decrease in service levels - Don't affect emergency preparedness 3. Once the Citv has completed its revision to the open space element of the general plan, what strateq7 should it pursue to implement both the open space policies and the parks and trails master plan? a. Create an "off-site,, tree replacement pollcV as a design review consideration. b. Create a setback standard along all creeks to minimize future encroachment by developments. c. Create funding mechanisms to make park and trail improvements per the master plan and to acquire new open space, as necessary. {See Item ~5.c.) d. Determine the future funding and operation of Hakone City Council Hinutes 2 March 26-27# 1993 Gardens and the CitT,s relat%onship with the Hakone Foundation. a. Off-site tree replacement policy as design review consideration: * - Location for replacement trees, where?, public or private sites? Is this a need? - Establish tree replacement fund * - Should consider ordinance b. Setback standards along creeks: * - To minimize encroachment - New developments vs. in-fill - Issues: Should existing structures'be grandfathered? Should new standards apply to additions or in- fill developments on existing lots? * - Consider ordinance only for new subdivisions d. Determine future funding and operation of Hakone and City relationship with FOundation: , - Close garden to public 2 days/week (Mon-Tues) for rentals. * - Option #2 in staff report should be pursued. (Option 2: The Foundation would be responsible for the rental use of Hakone and also the complete weekend and holiday operation.) 4. Should the titv consider creating a storm water management assessment district to provide enhanced services to cover state mandates relating to non-point source pollution and finance ongoing programs, partial1v removing the trash rate surcharge which now covers Household Hazardous Waste and Non- Doint Source Pollutlon Program costs? * - No, don't create assessment district * - Should carefully review proposed increase in program costs * - How much of an increase in program costs is required to comply with the NPDES permit? , - 1st preference would be cuts in the program - 2nd preference is surcharge on rubbish rates 5. Mow can the Citv effective1v deal with increased maintenance requirements for the parks and medians resulting from systAm expansion and increased use of facilities by the community? a. Create volunteer groups to help maintain parks. b. Increase park maintenance personnel. c. Expand Lighting and Landscaping District to cover the entire City and set a per parcel charge to provide maintenance citywlde. a. Create volunteer groups to help maintain parks: - City currently subcontracts for certain work, i.e. LLA-1 maintenance - Propose eliminating secretary for Parks and Recreation Commission meetings City Council Minutes 3 March 26-27, 1993 * - Include Youth Commission and HOA's in volunteer support , - Create a volunteer commission as a sub-committee of the Parks and Recreation Commission to study the issue, but not necessarily in the upcoming budget cycle b. Increase park maintenance personnel: * - No on increase in staff * - Increase subcontracting, continually'look for opportunities to use subcontractors if cost savings can be realized c. Create City-wide LLA: - Intention of LLA to cover entire roadside maintenance - Explore a combination of service reductions, LLA and use of volunteers * - First have staff look at magnitude of the problems after service reductions, and then review staff recommendations - Limit city-wide LLAcharge to +/- $70.00 per year maximum * - City-wide LLA should be approved by an advisory vote - Look at tree replacement program/volunteers here too 6. How can the City achieve full cost recoverv for its recreation proqrams, after school programs and the operation of the teen center at the Warner Hutton House? How can the City effective1v deal in the lonq term with the need to meet continued recreation proqram demand which requires a) increased staffinq, and b) increased facilities including, perhaps, a City qVmnaslum? a. Fee increases. b. Improved efficlencV in staff utilization. .. c. Capital facilities surcharge on all registration fees to be set aside to construct a q~n. - Make programs self-funding by covering direct costs and benefits - Some service reduction may be necessary to reduce overall cost - Increase fees first, then hire new supervisor from existing pool if $ is there * - Net cost of programs should be reduced by 20% - Establish Fee Program for Warner Hutton House 7. To what extent can the City continue to provide and increass community support activities? o Sunday Libratv Hours o Performlnq Arts Grants o Human Services Grants/Paratranslt/Senior Services o Sister City Program o Community Events o Community Access TV City Council Minutes 4 'March 26-27, 1993 o Silicon Valley arts Fund Should the City reexamine both its policy and its fundina commitment? - Sunday library services - don't close in summer except as a last resort · - Maintain Sunday hours during the school year , - Delete support for performing arts grants- , - Fund human services grants/paratransit at current reduced levels for present , - Future funding (except paratransit) may be reduced further · - Delete Sister City program , - Charge $100 per week for banners in Blaney Plaza · - Eliminate $7500 cash contribution to Chamber for Celebrate Saratoga. Monitor in-kind service support. · - Revisit flat vs. % fee issue for KSAR support · - Support arts-a-thon on KSAR · - Explore establishing arts fund for community contribution to Silicon Valley Arts Fund w/o staff increase 8. Can the City reduce to a minimum havinq the City Attorney attend Planninq Commission meetinqs? Should the City Council resohedule closed sessions to before the-regular meetinqs to create the oPPortunitY for him to be excused early to save money? · - Implement staff recommendation #1 (attendance at Planning Commission meetings) and recommendation #2 (rescheduling closed session to prior to the regular meetings) in April, 1993 · - Delete one City Council meeting in any month when possible 9. Could the City# to save money# reduce work hours by 10~ overall and restructure hours of operation for citv hallm the community center. the corporation yard? a. Stav open late one niqht. b. Close on Fridays or every other Friday. - i day off every other week (possibly Mondays) may be offset by 3 day holidays and "cafeteria plan" benefit program - 10% salary reduction is onerous and may result in losing employees - 10% salary reduction will result in corresponding reduction of management output - Can reduce number of employees by 10%, by attrition, by layoffs · - Reduce salary and wage costs by 10% and let management determine how to implement. Balance between staff reductions and reduction in work hours. 10. To what extent should the City consider reducinq employee benefits and perks to save money to avoid service reductions or staff cuts? City Council Minutes 5 March 26-27, 1993 * - Explore flexible benefit plan - Reductions in work hours won't reduce benefits materially - Staff reductions will result in similar reductions in benefit costs * - Cap benefit costs at 35% of payroll costs and look at some employee contributions for medical/dental/life benefits 11. What kind of Capital Improvements Plan through fiscal 1998 could the City consider to meet identified improvement needs? What fundin~ is needed. at a minimum, to maximize qrant opportunities? How much other localiV-generated revenue would be required to accomplish the program? * - Support proposed C.I.P. to extent General Fund can support. 12. What fees should the City be increasing to fully recover costs of direct discretlonarv services? a. Planning b. Buildinu c. Engineering d. Special permits and licenses e. Assessment Districts - Increase staff's efficiency * - Should re-examine fees to achieve greater cost recovery while considering fairness' * - Possibly go to hourly rates for certain services (some fees may be dropped) 13. Should the Citv Council consider raising general tax revenue as an option to replace revenue losses due to state revenue raids on the City? a. New Construction Tax b. Business License Tax c. Utilit7 Users Tax d. Transient Occupancv Tax , - Increase New Construction tax to $1.00/sq.ft. * - Increase in Business License Tax should be equitable based on the size of the business * - Should double revenue from Business Licenses and let staff determine how * - Premature to increase/expand Utility Users Tax now. If needed in future, place on ballot. * - Increase Transient Occupancy Tax to 10% 14. How should the Cltv Council revise its public participation policy and oral communications process to improve efficiency and communications? * - Have council ask clarifying questions to staff before public testimony, on public hearings * - Reaffirm existing policy without unduly discouraging public comment City Council Minutes 6 March 26-27, 1993 comment · - On oral communications, encourage personal contact with staff to achieve closure 15. What roles could the Citv pla~ reqardlnq: a) tree preservation issues alonq the desiqnated Merltaqe Lane (Saratoqa Avenue}, and b) preservation of heritaae trees throuahout the Cltv? , - Proceed with mandatory work (safety trimming) - Have staff prepare budget for trimming all trees - Encourage Heritage Lane tree preservation - Council will decide how to deal with cost for trimming trees on private properties - Heritage Tree preservation helps maintain property values throughout the City and encourages community pride · - Encourage staff to move program b) forward while recognizing budget constraints Respectfully submitted, Harry R. City Clerk DESIGNATES ITEMS ON WHICH THE COUNCIL REACHED CONSENSUS