[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE OATH OF OFFICE FOR OUR NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER.HELLO, UH, I'M CAITLIN CORLEY.
I'M THE CITY CLERK, SO I'M EXCITED TO SWEAR IN, UH, NEW COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE MEMBER SCOTT FISHMAN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN ME DOWN.
SO I'M GONNA READ IT OUT LOUD TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN HAVE A CHEAT SHEET IF YOU'D LIKE.
SO PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
I STATE YOUR NAME, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.
I, SCOTT FISHMAN, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND, THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA, THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC, AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE, THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA, THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA, AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, THAT I TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY, AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER UPON WHICH I'M ABOUT TO ENTER.
UH, WE'LL DO A, UM, ROLL CALL.
UM, MEMBER FISHMAN IS HERE, UH, MEMBER SCOTT FISHMAN HERE, AND MEMBER HART HERE AND ME.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WE RECEIVED? NO, UH, WRITTEN OR SUBMITTED COMMENTS FOR THIS MEETING.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UNDER, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY COMMENT ON THE MINUTES OR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 14TH, 2024 MEETING? NO, NO COMMENTS.CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THOSE MINUTES? I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I WASN'T PRESENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THAT.
SO GOT A BIT OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I WASN'T THERE EITHER, SO PROCEDURALLY, UM, CARRIE TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, UM, WE WILL JUST MOVE, UH, THIS TO OUR, OUR NEXT MEETING.
[PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION]
SO, UM, UNDER PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION, THE MEASURE YOU OVERSIGHT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, BIANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 38TH, 2024.I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY SCREEN WORKING PROPERLY AND THERE WE GO.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FOR OUR FIRST MEETING OF CALENDAR YEAR 2025, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL TAKING YOUR TIME TO VOLUNTEER FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY, AND WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE OF HAVING YOU HERE.
I'M THE FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY, AND I'M THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
SO, LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED, LET'S, OH, THERE WE GO.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE'LL BE GOING OVER OUR FIRST BIANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR FOR MEASURE U.
UM, AS TONIGHT AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO BE, AGAIN, REVIEWING THE MEASURE U COMMITTEE'S ROLE, LOOKING A LITTLE BIT AT THE BACKGROUND OF MEASURE U, INCLUDING HOW WE GOT THERE IN TERMS OF OUR FISCAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY STUDY AND OUR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE FUND, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO OUR YEAR END UPDATE FOR OUR
[00:05:01]
PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2024.AND THEN TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET FOR FISCAL 2025.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
SO THE MEASURE U OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IS A FIVE MEMBER COMMITTEE.
AS YOU KNOW, MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY COUNCIL.
THEY'RE APPOINTED FOR FOUR YEAR TERMS, AND AS IN PUBLIC COMMITTEE, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE BROWN ACT, AND I BELIEVE WE WILL HAVE OUR CITY ATTORNEY HERE IN CASE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
SO, THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE'S RESPONSIBILITIES, THE PRIMARY ONE IS TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE CITY'S REPORTS.
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON ARE HOW THE CITY'S USE OF THE TAX PROCEEDS IN THE PRIOR YEAR.
SO TONIGHT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FISCAL 24, UM, HOW THAT RELATES TO THE SPENDING PRIORITIES.
AND THEN ALSO COMMENT ON ANY PROPOSED APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.
AND, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE COMMUNICATING, THEN YOU CAN COMMUNICATE YOUR, UM, THOUGHTS TO COUNCIL BY EITHER SUBMITTING A MEMO THAT WE DRAFT AT ONE OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS OR BY HAVING THE COUNCIL CHAIR PRESENT THE COMMITTEE'S FEEDBACK AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
SO, MEASURE YOU IS A GENERAL PURPOSE TAX MEASURE.
IT WAS A, UM, EFFECTIVE APRIL 1ST, 2021 AND IS A 1 CENT TRANSACTIONS IN USE TAX.
WE'RE CURRENTLY ESTIMATING ANNUAL REVENUE OF ABOUT 15 MILLION.
UH, WE DO KEEP ALL OF THE MEASURE U FUNDS AND EXPENDITURES TRACKED IN A SEPARATE FUND, UM, THAT WAY WE RETAIN OUR FUND BALANCE IF THERE'S ANY MONEY LEFT OVER AT THE END OF ANY FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVE OUR CITIZEN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, AND WE DO TRY AND LINK ALL OF OUR SPENDING TO THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER THE ORIGINAL MEASURE AND THE FISCAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY STUDY, UM, AT THAT SAME TIME.
SO SPEAKING OF THAT STUDY, THAT WAS A TWO YEAR STUDY THAT THE CITY UNDERTOOK TO DETERMINE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING NEEDS.
WE WERE EXPERIENCING HISTORICAL FUNDING SHORTFALLS WITH INSUFFICIENT STAFFING, UM, IN THE CITY, AND LOW INVESTMENT IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, BOTH IN TERMS OF BUILDING NEW THINGS AND MAINTAINING WHAT WE ALREADY HAD.
UM, SO WHEN WE REACHED OUT FOR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, THOSE PRIORITIES WERE MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING SERVICES, UM, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEY WANTED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, THAT WE RETAIN OUR TRAINED STAFF, THAT WE ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, AND THAT WE REPAIR AND MAINTAIN OUR ROADS.
SO LOOKING AT THESE, UM, THE FEEDBACK, WE THEN SORT OF DISTILLED THAT INTO OUR THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF OUR MEASURE U EXP EXPENDITURES.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS GENERAL FUND SUPPORT AND WORKFORCE STABILIZATION.
SO THAT MONEY SERVES TO BOLSTER OUR EXISTING CORE SERVICES AND PREVENTS ANY SERVICE CUTS TO OUR SERVICES SUCH AS PUBLIC SAFETY, STREET CREWS, AND PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, THAT ALSO INCLUDES WORKFORCE STABILIZATION, WHICH AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF COVID INCLUDED REBUILDING CITY STAFF LEVELS AND STABILIZING THE WORKFORCE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, GIVE US THE ABILITY TO MOVE PROJECTS FORWARD.
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT CATEGORY, UM, INCLUDES ROADS, MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND IMPROVING OUR CITY FACILITIES.
UM, AND FINALLY WE'VE GOT OUR PRIORITY INITIATIVES, WHICH ARE SORT OF THE EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, SO INITIATIVES OF INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE CITY, SUCH AS ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE, OR ANY OTHER PROJECTS OR PROGRAMS. AND SO THESE ARE THE MAIN CATEGORIES WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN JUST FINALLY ON THE MEASURE YOU FUND, UM, A REMINDER THAT MEASURE U WAS PASSED AS A GENERAL PURPOSE, SALES TAX, UH, TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, UM, BUT IT IS A GENERAL USE FUNDING SOURCE.
SO, UM, IT WAS A GENERAL PURPOSE TAX.
IT DID NOT REQUIRE THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF SUPPORT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DO HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE USE IT.
UM, IN MOST CASES, MEASURE U IS JUST ONE FUNDING SOURCE OUT OF MANY THAT'S PROVIDING THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO OPERATE AND TO MOVE OUR INITIATIVES AND SERVICES FORWARD.
UM, WE DO KEEP IT, AGAIN, IN A SEPARATE FUND, AND THAT'S FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY SO THAT WE CAN REALLY SEE EVERYTHING HAPPENING WITH MEASURE U DOESN'T GET COMMINGLED, UM, EVERY YEAR.
IT'S PART OF OUR REGULAR, UH, FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, UM, BY JULY 1ST.
WE PRESENT IT TO CITY COUNCIL IN MAY.
IT'S ADOPTED BY JULY 1ST, AND THEN EACH YEAR WE'RE ISSUING OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BY DECEMBER 31ST.
AND SO THOSE ARE FOR THE YEAR.
THAT ENDED IN JUNE, TAKES US ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO CLOSE OUT THE YEAR AND PUT TOGETHER THOSE COMPLEX STATEMENTS.
AND FINALLY, JUST TO PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE, UM, MEASURE YOU FUND IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT, FOR US, IT'S ALSO ONE OUT OF 120 FUNDS THAT WE TRACK SEPARATELY AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE A FIDUCIARY CARE OF FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO LOOKING AT HOW WE ENDED, UM, AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2024,
[00:10:02]
UM, THAT YEAR ENDED WITH TOTAL REVENUES OF JUST OVER $16 MILLION.AND AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD, UM, JUST OVER $68,000 LEFT AND AVAILABLE AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY KIND OF WHAT'S LEFT IN THE SAVINGS ACCOUNT AS OF JUNE 30TH.
UM, WE HAD BUILT UP SOME EXCESS FUND BALANCE OVER THE FIRST FEW YEARS SINCE INCEPTION, AND THEN THAT WAS ALL BUDGETED OUT IN THE FISCAL 24 YEAR TO SPEND ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A HEADS UP.
WE ARE GETTING SOME SALES TAX FORECASTS THAT AREN'T LOOKING QUITE AS ROSY, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPECTING OUR TAX REVENUES TO DECLINE SLIGHTLY BOTH THIS YEAR AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR WITH SLOWER GROWTH MOVING FORWARD.
SO I DO HAVE SOME CHARTS ON THAT FOR YOU.
AND THEN, UM, AGAIN, IF YOU WANNA GET REALLY INTO THE WEEDS, WE DO HAVE OUR FISCAL 24 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, SO LOOKING AT OUR MEASURE YOU REVENUE FORECAST, SO THIS GREEN LINE HERE, THIS WAS THE FORECAST THAT WE HAD AS OF OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
SO, AND IT'S BEEN LOOKING PRETTY ROSY FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND THIS IS HOW WE ALSO BASED OUR FISCAL 25 BUDGET WAS ON A VERY SIMILAR FORECAST.
AND, AND WE DO RECEIVE UPDATED FORECASTS FROM OUR CONSULTANTS EVERY THREE MONTHS.
UM, SO EACH TIME WE GET A NEW QUARTER'S RETURNS, THEY UPDATE THE FORECAST BASED ON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
NOW, SO THIS WAS IN OCTOBER, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WE GOT A NEW FORECAST AS OF, UM, JANUARY 13TH.
AND THAT HAS BEEN, UM, GREATLY REDUCED.
SO WE'RE NOW CURRENTLY LOOKING AT JUST OVER 15 AND A HALF MILLION FOR OUR CURRENT YEAR.
INSTEAD OF, UM, NEARLY 16 AND A HALF.
A SLIGHT DECLINE IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE WILL, WILL HAVE SOME GROWTH AFTER THAT.
BUT THOSE INITIAL HITS ARE MAKING IT HARD FOR US TO CATCH UP TO WHAT THAT ORIGINAL FORECAST WAS.
AND SO JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, IT'S NOT JUST MEASURE U THAT'S EXPECTED TO DECLINE, IT'S OUR REGULAR BRADLEY BURN SALES TAX.
IT WOULD ALSO, THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT OUR MEASURE M FOR PARKS, HEY, ERIC, AS WELL AS OUR MEASURE H SALES TAX THAT JUST PASSED FOR FIRE.
SO BASICALLY ANYTHING RELATED TO SALES TAX IS EXPECTED TO GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT OVER THESE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN HOPEFULLY RECOVER.
SO, UM, JUST LOOKING AT WHAT WE RECEIVE FOR FISCAL 24, I THOUGHT MIGHT BE NICE TO ACTUALLY SEE THE, UM, TAX CATEGORIES THAT WE'RE COLLECTING ON, UH, FOR THE CITY.
SO ABOUT 70% OF OUR REVENUES CAME FROM THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES.
AND SO THAT'S GENERAL RETAIL SALES, FOOD PRODUCTS, WHICH INCLUDES RESTAURANTS, AND THEN TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS ALWAYS A LARGE ONE FOR US, PARTICULARLY DUE TO AUTO SALES.
SO AS AUTO SALES DECLINE, AND WE ARE SEEING SOME DECLINES IN THE SALES OF NEW AUTOS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE DECLINES IN SALES TAX THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PART OF THE PIE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
SO HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES FOR MEASURE U FROM INCEPTION TO DATE.
SO FISCAL 21 WAS JUST A PARTIAL YEAR.
WE ONLY HAD A FEW MONTHS OF REVENUES IN THOSE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE OUR, UH, REVENUES WENT UP QUITE NICELY IN FISCAL 22 FOR OUR FULL FIRST FULL YEAR.
BUT THEN THEY'VE KIND OF PLATEAUED.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN A TON OF GROWTH IN THE MEASURE YOU REVENUES.
UM, EXPENDITURES HAVE RAMPED UP, BUT AGAIN, THE REASON WE ARE EXPENDITURES IN FISCAL 24 WERE SO MUCH HIGHER IS WE WERE USING THAT EXTRA REVENUE FROM THE EARLIER YEARS TO PAY FOR SOME LARGE SCALE PROJECTS.
AND THAT WAS, AGAIN, ALL PART OF THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
SO LOOKING AT HOW WE SPENT THE MONEY FOR FISCAL 24, UM, ABOUT 65% OF THE DOLLARS SPENT WENT TO GENERAL FUND SUPPORT, 32% WENT TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, AND THEN ANOTHER 3% WENT TO OUR PRIORITY INITIATIVES.
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE MORE CLOSELY.
SO FOR GENERAL FUND SUPPORT, THAT WAS A TRANSFER OF $13.3 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THAT AMOUNT WAS EQUIVALENT TO 30% OF THE BUDGETED SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR OUR OPERATING DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE DO ANOTHER CALCULATION TO SEE HOW IT COMES OUT COMPARED TO ACTUALS.
SO IT ACTUALLY PAID FOR JUST OVER 31% 'CAUSE SALARY, ACTUAL SALARIES WERE A LITTLE LESS THAN BUDGETED.
UM, SO WE COVERED JUST OVER 30% OF PAYROLL, OR THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 75 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC FACING POSITIONS WITHIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, FIRE PARKS AND RECREATION, POLICE AND PUBLIC WORKS.
SO THAT'S ALMOST A QUARTER OF THE CITY'S WORKFORCE.
UM, THAT WAS PAID WITH, UH, MEASURE U DOLLARS.
LOOKING AT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, THE TWO LARGE DOLLAR ITEMS WERE OUR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
[00:15:01]
SO THIS IS PRIMARILY THE DEBT SERVICE ON THOSE BONDS THAT WE ISSUED, WHICH ARE SUPPORTING SEVERAL LARGE SCALE ROAD PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.AND THEN WE SPENT 1.6 MILLION ON THE TURNING BASIN DOCKS PROJECT, WHICH RECENTLY HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT WITH THE FUNDS FOR MEASURE U.
WE ALSO HAVE DOLLARS GOING INTO THE LIBRARY'S FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM, UH, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON BRINGING IN A FREE FREESTANDING DOWNTOWN PUBLIC RESTROOM, AND AS WELL AS DOLLARS FOR RIVER DREDGING FOR OUR PRIORITY INITIATIVES.
UM, ONE OF OUR MAIN FOCUSES WAS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO MORE DOLLARS WERE PUT INTO, UM, OUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS INITIATIVE.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE CITY'S, UH, FLEET CHANGES AS WE'RE TRYING TO SHIFT FROM GAS POWERED VEHICLES TO ELECTRIC.
BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE THOSE VEHICLES.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WE HAVE TO ADDRESS WITH THAT.
IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE, WE ALSO NEED TO BE LOOKING AT, UM, IMPROVING EMERGENCY POWER FOR OUR CITY HALL AND POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN CASE OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
AND THERE IS NO POWER PROBABLY DUE TO WILDFIRES.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ADEQUATE GENERATORS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OPERATIONS.
THEN WE HAVE OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ITEM QUITE A BIT WAS RELATED TO REPLACING POLICE VEHICLES, SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR POLICE FORCE HAS THE VEHICLES THAT THEY NEED, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THEIR JOBS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE HAVE THE FUNDS FOR OUR ONE YEAR PILOT OF FAIR FREE PUBLIC TRANSIT, WHICH KICKED OFF THIS LAST SUMMER, UM, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
I, I HEAR, I DON'T HAVE ACTUAL NUMBERS, BUT I HEAR THAT IT'S REALLY BUMPED UP RIDERSHIP AND, AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF APPROVAL FOR THE PROGRAM.
ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'RE GONNA SKIP OVER AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE FISCAL 25 BUDGET.
SO THIS IS OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
UM, IN THIS BUDGET WE HAVE, UM, 13.6 MILLION GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH WILL, IN THIS BUDGET COVER ABOUT 25% OF THE BUDGETED PAYROLL FOR THOSE SAME OPERATING DEPARTMENTS.
AGAIN, PAYROLL COSTS GO UP EVERY YEAR, HEALTH INSURANCE GOES UP, AND AS WELL AS PENSION COSTS, UM, WITH OUR PAYMENTS TO CALPERS, UH, THEY SET THOSE RATES AND WE HAVE TO PAY THEM.
SO EXPENSES GENERALLY JUST GO UP.
WE HAVE ABOUT 2.5 MILLION GOING TOWARDS CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF PRIORITY INITIATIVES IS GOING AGAIN TOWARDS THAT POWER BACKUP PROJECT FOR CITY HALL AND PD HEADQUARTERS.
SO THAT'S AN ONGOING PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND SO JUST DRILLING DOWN INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT ALMOST 2 MILLION GOING TOWARDS THE DEBT SERVICE AND ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND AS WELL AS DOLLARS GOING TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER REPAIRS, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE NEARLY DONE, AND SOME MORE DOLLARS GOING INTO THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT, WHICH JUST KICKED OFF, UM, AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT PROJECT NOW.
SO THOSE WERE ALL THE NUMBERS.
UM, JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU, WE ARE DEDICATED TO ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
WE'RE ALWAYS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MEASURE YOU FUND.
UM, WE DO ONGOING MONITORING OF FUND ACTIVITY WITHIN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND IF ANY ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED, THEY GO TO COUNCIL ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE USUALLY GO FIRST QUARTER, SECOND QUARTER, AND END OF YEAR IN CASE WE NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
UM, ANY MEASURE U DOLLARS THAT ARE SET ASIDE FOR CIP PROJECTS ARE FULLY TRANSFERRED INTO THOSE PROJECTS TO BE AVAILABLE.
EVEN IF THE PROJECT TIMING GETS A LITTLE OFF, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE PROJECTS HAVE THE FUNDS THEY NEED.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS MORE, WE'VE GOT OUR BUDGET AVAILABLE ONLINE AS WELL AS OUR ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL REPORT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
AND WITH THAT, UM, JUST LOOKING FORWARD, WE'VE GOT OUR NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED ON APRIL 27TH.
I'VE GOT AN OLD BULLET POINT HERE THAT I SHOULD HAVE DELETED, IGNORE THE MAY NEED TO PUSH INTO MARCH.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPING THE FISCAL 26 CITY BUDGET, SO WHEN WE MEET AGAIN IN APRIL, WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR FISCAL 26.
UM, THEN IN CITY COUNCIL, UH, WE'LL HAVE OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP IN MAY.
SO THAT'S OUR BIG PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN THE BUDGET AND GETTING THEIR KIND OF SIGN OFF.
AND THEN WE BRING IT BACK TO THEM IN JUNE FOR ADOPTION.
AND WE START ALL OVER AGAIN ON JULY 1ST.
[COMMITTEE COMMENT]
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY Q AND A OR COMMENTS.DOES, UH, DO ANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS? ROSEMARY? FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY WANNA SAY HOW, UM, WONDERFUL DOWNTOWN, THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN IS LOOKING.
IT HAS, UM, A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, THAT I SEE THE
[00:20:01]
BIKE RACKS AND THE ELECTRIC BIKES, AND I CAN SAFELY WALK ACROSS SIXTH STREET NOW.AND, UM, SO I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU.
IT'S VERY VISIBLE, WHICH I THINK HELPS US AS, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE OVERSEEING THE MEASURE YOU, UM, DOLLARS.
SO, UH, I GUESS I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, THE MONEY THEN, IT SAID YOU WERE GOING TO KEEP MONEY IN THE FUNDS, SINCE I DON'T SEE A PUBLIC RESTROOM THAT THAT STILL IS PAID FOR WITH, UM, THESE DOLLARS AND NOT, WE DON'T NEED NEW, NEW DOLLARS.
YEAH, WE'VE ALREADY TRANSFERRED THE MONEY INTO THE PROJECT.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE DEALING WITH JUST SOME MANUFACTURER.
I THINK BRIAN KNOWS MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT I, I THINK WE'RE THERE.
WE'VE JUST HAD SOME DELAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE REDOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY THE BATHROOM LOOKS OR WORKS.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO GO ONCE THEY ARE.
UM, SO I KNOW THIS IS OUR LIST OF WHAT WE PROMISE THE PEOPLE IN PETALUMA, AND, UM, I DIDN'T SEE, UH, MUCH IN THE WAY OF HOMELESSNESS.
UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT, IS THERE OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY THAT, UM, ARE HELPING WITH THAT? YEAH, THE CITY ACTUALLY JUST RECEIVED AN $8 MILLION GRANT, UM, ENTIRELY FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
OH, I SAW THAT ON THE WEBPAGE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S OVER THREE YEARS.
AND SO THAT RIGHT NOW IS, IS KIND OF OUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT INTO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAMS, WE'LL SEE, UM, AS THE GRANT ENDS, YOU KNOW, HOW THE BEST WAY IS TO BACKFILL THOSE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THOSE PROGRAMS CONTINUE.
AND, UM, I GUESS, LET'S SEE, UM, WHAT I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT ON YOUR PIE CHART IS THAT IT'S GONE FROM LIKE 60 SOME PERCENT, MAYBE EVEN AN AVERAGE OF 63% TO 84 GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S, UH, PRETTY MUCH, UH, MOOT POINT AT THIS POINT SINCE WE'RE IN THE BUDGET YEAR.
UM, BUT ISN'T THAT A LITTLE BIT HOW, UM, THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH SO MUCH MONEY NEEDED FOR RETIREMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? LIKE, ARE YOU, UM, ARE YOU WATCH, UH, WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS IT EVEN GETS SMALLER GOING FORWARD.
AND HOW, HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THESE, THESE ITEMS IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY
WE DON'T WANT MEASURE YOU WHILE WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LEGALLY OF COURSE, USE IT FOR ALL OF THESE SALARIES AS, AS SOON AS THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO WITH IT, THEN WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN MANAGE COSTS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
HOW CAN WE GENERATE MORE REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND? AND BASICALLY HOW, HOW CAN WE BRING THE GENERAL FUND MORE IN LINE, UM, AND MORE SELF-SUSTAINING SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO USE SUCH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE MEASURE U REVENUES IN ORDER TO BACKFILL THAT DEFICIT.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH A LOT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING THE, THOSE GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE STARTING TO GO DOWN AS WELL IN TERMS OF SALES TAX.
WHERE, AND PART OF THE REASON SALES TAX IS GOING DOWN IS WE'VE HAD SUCH SUSTAINED INFLATION THAT, YOU KNOW, PRICES, WELL, INFLATION RATES HAVE GONE DOWN, THE PRICES NEVER WENT DOWN, RIGHT.
THE PRICES JUST AREN'T RISING AS QUICKLY AS THEY WERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE.
AND SO THE COST OF EVERYTHING HAS BEEN MORE EXPENSIVE BOTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY WHO'S NOW BUYING LESS BECAUSE OF HOW EXPENSIVE EVERYTHING IS, BUT ALSO MAKES THINGS MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE CITY.
NOT JUST IN TERMS OF STAFF, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BUY SUPPLIES AND WE HAVE TO BUY THE ASPHALT FOR THE ROADS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MANAGE THESE COSTS AND FIND WAYS TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE SO THAT WE CAN BRING THINGS A LITTLE MORE IN BALANCE.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A TRICKY COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK, AS WE GET THAT FIGURED OUT.
DO YOU SEE, UM, ADJUSTING YOUR FIVE YEAR FORECAST TO PUT, UM, MORE MONEY BACK INTO THE MEASURE PRIORITIES AT ALL? WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THE FORECAST RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO WHEN WE COME BACK IN APRIL AND WE HAVE THAT DRAFT BUDGET FOR FISCAL 26, WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR UPDATED FORECAST SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE LOOKING ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF HOPING THAT THE SALES TAX FORECAST IS A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN WHAT WE'LL ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE, BUT THAT'S
[00:25:01]
WHAT WE NEED TO PLAN FOR, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.I DID SEE IN NOVEMBER, 2024 AN ARTICLE ABOUT HOW MEASURE U IS GOING TO BE PAYING, UM, FOR THE ROADS, WHICH I KNOW IS A HUGE, I THINK WHEN THEY SEE THE ROADS, THEY'LL SEE THE MEASURE MEASURE YOU DOLLARS.
SO, UM, I THINK I'M JUST TRYING TO TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY, I SUPPOSE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WAS, UM, OH, I WANTED TO ASK THE FINANCIAL REPORT THAT YOU MENTIONED.
I DID LOOK AT IT AND IT DOESN'T HAVE THESE INS AND OUTS LIKE THE, UM, ADOPTED BUDGET, WHICH IS, THAT'S, THIS IS THE PLAN BUDGET, BUT THEN I WONDER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR THE END OF YEAR BUDGET OR THE FINANCIAL REPORT IS THE END OF YOUR BUDGET.
YEAH, SO THE FINANCIAL REPORT REALLY DOES ADD UP EVERYTHING AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR AND SHOW THE REVISED BUDGET AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
YEAH, THE BUDGET BOOK IS THE ADOPTED BUDGET, BUT WON'T REFLECT ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, BUT THE REPORT DOES SHOW OUR FINAL BUDGET AND HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT.
AND THEN THE, PROBABLY THE LAST THING I'D LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I SORT OF WONDER HOW THAT LITTLE TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM IS A PRIORITY FOR UNDER MEASURE U, BUT AS LONG AS WE'RE GETTING IT DONE RIGHT NOW, I'M HAPPY.
UM, I GUESS THE LAST THING IS THE, UM, REPORTING.
UH, I, UM, THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE SAYS, UH, REVIEW AND REPORT ON THE, THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE MM-HMM
SO I KNOW WE REPORTED OR WE TRIED TO REPORT VERY INCORRECTLY IT SOUNDED LIKE.
UM, SO JUST IF WE DO WANNA REPORT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE BROWN ACT RULES, UM, FOR DOING SO AND HAVE THAT SENT TO EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO YOU WANT ME TO CHIME IN THERE, JESSE? SURE.
WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY REAL QUICK, I MEAN, AS I PUT IN THE POWERPOINT, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ARE GETTING EVERYONE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE OUR CONSENSUS WAS THAT THE BEST WAYS TO REPORT OUT TO COUNCIL WOULD BE EITHER TO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF WE DRAFT A MEMO, WE HAVE TO DO IT IN ONE OF THESE MEETINGS SO THAT WAY IT'S PUBLIC.
UM, OR IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU GUYS COULD COME UP WITH YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN HAVE THE CHAIR PRESENT THAT AT A COUNCIL MEETING SO WE COULD SET UP A TIME ON A MEETING FOR HIM TO COME IN AND HAVE A PRESENTATION.
SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST UP TO WHAT THE COMMITTEE DECIDES, BUT WE, WE THINK THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO BEST AVENUES.
JUST, JUST TO ADD ONTO THAT, UM, I THINK, YEAH, WE GOT INTO SOME HICCUPS LAST YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME AND I THINK WE CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FIGURE THIS OUT AS WE GO THROUGH THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE WAYS TO DO THE LETTER IS NOT DISSIMILAR FROM HOW WE ENDED UP DOING IT AFTER WE HAD TO KIND OF DO A REDO, IS THAT STAFF WOULD TAKE VERBAL COMMENTS HERE AT THE MEETING IN PUBLIC, EXCUSE ME, UH, CREATE A DRAFT LETTER, THEN PUBLISH THAT AT A, A SUBSEQUENT AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES AND AGENDIZE THAT DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO MEETINGS FROM NOW OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THE COMMITTEE CAN THEN KIND OF EDIT, LIVE EFFECTIVELY IN THE MEETING, UH, PROVIDE ANY EDITS TO STAFF AND THEN APPROVE THE FINAL LETTER.
AND THEN AS WE DID LAST YEAR, WE CAN TRANSMIT THAT TO COUNCIL, UH, PUT IT UP ON THE WEBSITE, ET CETERA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW THAT, THAT ITEM WOULD LOOK.
AND THEN JUST A, A COMMENT ON THE PRESENTATION VERSION.
SO, UM, WE DO SOMETIMES HAVE PRESENTATION ITEMS, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS, USUALLY FIVE, 10 MINUTES COULD BE FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, IT COULD BE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, IT'S NICE FOR THE PRESENTER 'CAUSE IT ISN'T THE BEGINNING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY TILL MIDNIGHT MM-HMM
TO DO THAT PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT'S JUST A GOOD WAY IT'S DOCUMENTED ON THE VIDEO.
UH, YOU GET TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT INTERACTION WITH COUNSEL.
UH, SO I, WE THINK EITHER OF THOSE CAN WORK WELL.
IT'S REALLY JUST UP TO WHAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DO.
AND ERIC, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA JUMP IN.
I, I'LL JUST ADD, UM, THEY'RE ALSO NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
SO, UM, I THINK THE KEYS, I MEAN BETWEEN THEM BRIAN AND JESS HAVE COVERED REALLY THE KEY ELEMENTS.
[00:30:01]
THE COMMITTEE HAS TWO, UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.THE ENABLING LEGISLATION SAYS THE COMMITTEE IS SUPPOSED TO MEET BI-ANNUALLY TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE REPORT.
UM, AND IT GIVES A LITTLE DETAIL ABOUT HOW THE USE OF THE TAX RELATES TO THE SPENDING PRIORITIES, UM, AND ABOUT THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.
UM, SO THAT MEANS REVIEWING WHAT STAFF HAVE PREPARED, UM, DISCUSSING TOGETHER AND REACHING SOME CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHAT YOUR TAKE IS ON, ON HOW THE USE OF THE FUNDS RELATES TO THE MEASURE USE SPENDING PRIORITIES.
UM, YOUR DELIBERATION AND DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO CONVEY TO THE COUNCIL BASED ON THAT NEEDS TO BE PUBLIC.
'CAUSE YOUR BROWN NECK BODY, JUST LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL IS JUST LIKE, UM, BRIAN AND JESSE JUST MENTIONED.
UM, AND THAT WAY YOU CAN DECIDE AS A COMMITTEE WHAT ULTIMATELY YOU WANT TO HAVE, BE PART OF WHAT GETS RELATED TO THE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I, FROM MY PART, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME TO DO THAT, RENDER THAT IN A TRANSMITTAL THAT, UM, THAT YOUR, YOUR SUPPORTING STAFF TEAM CAN PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU.
YOU CAN GET IT, CONFIRM AGAIN, THAT WOULD'VE TO BE AT A PUBLIC MEETING.
CONFIRM THAT IT, IT'S REFLECTIVE OF WHAT YOU WANT AND THEN DECIDE IF YOU WANNA HAVE YOUR CHAIR OR A MEMBER THEN PRESENT THAT, GIVE SOME COMMENTS WHEN IT GOES BEFORE THE COUNCIL, WHICH IS TOTALLY DUE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT COULD BE A NICE WAY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE SUBSTANTIVE REPORT ITSELF THAT STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO PREPARE, UM, THAT YOU WILL HAVE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED, UM, THAT YOU CAN TRANSMIT AND PRESENT TO THE COUNCIL ALONG WITH WHATEVER COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS, UM, YOU WISH TO, AND, AND THAT ALL HAPPENS A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS.
SO, SO TO BE, TO MAYBE REPEAT WHAT I THINK I HEARD, WE DO NOT NEED ANYTHING ON OUR MEASURE YOU OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AGENDA TO DISCUSS HERE.
LIKE USUALLY IT WOULD BE FOR, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO IT WOULD BE THE NEXT MEETING IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO REPORT.
UM, SO WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS THERE WOULD NEED TO BE NOTHING ON OUR AGENDA.
WE WOULD JUST DISCUSS THIS IS THE ISSUE I SEE THAT I THINK THEY, THE COUNCIL SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY, UM, APPROVE THE BUDGET.
AND UM, WE WOULD WRITE THAT DOWN AND GIVE THAT TO YOU.
SO, SO THAT WOULD NO, WE'D HAVE TO, ANYTHING THAT YOU DO, UM, AT THE PUBLIC MEETING HAS TO BE COVERED ON AN AGENDA.
SO, SO THE PUBLIC, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS YOU'RE GONNA BE CARRYING OUT SO THEY CAN DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANNA SHOW UP AND PARTICIPATE OR NOT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS, UM, PREPARE AN AGENDA FOR ONE OF YOUR MEETINGS THAT WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, REVIEW, UM, AND DISCUSS, UM, COMMITTEE COMMENTS, UM, AND DELIBERATE ON COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE COUNCIL TO ACCOMPANY THE MEASURE YOU REPORT PREPARED BY STAFF.
AND, AND TO, UM, MAYBE GO ONE STEP FURTHER.
SO ROSEMARY, I THINK YOU STARTED TO ASK ABOUT THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO IT'S, IT CAN GET CONFUSING BECAUSE WE KIND OF HAVE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE HAVE THE BACKWARD LOOKING ANNUAL REPORT AND THEN WE HAVE SORT OF THE FORWARD LOOKING UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO IT'S, SO, SO THIS IS FOR EXPENDITURES THROUGH JUNE 30 OF 24.
AND WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING YOU SAY, BUT CORRECT ME IS, IT'D BE NICE FOR THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE TYPICALLY AT THE SECOND MEETING WE GIVE SORT OF A PREVIEW OF, HEY, THIS IS GONNA BE GOING TO COUNCIL, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE PROPOSING FOR THE UPCOMING RIGHT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS COMMITTEE? AND SO I THINK AT, IN, DURING THAT DISCUSSION, SIMILAR TO WHAT ERIC ALLUDED TO, IF THE COMMITTEE DOES HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING BUDGET, THOSE SIMILARLY COULD BE TRANSMITTED IN SOME WAY, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING, WHETHER YOU ALL WANT TO COME AND GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP OR THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, IF WE WANTED TO DO A REPORT, WE COULD DO A REPORT.
SO COULD WE PUT THAT ON THE AGENDAS? IS EVERYBODY, UM, THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, PUT THE FACT THAT WE MIGHT DISCUSS A REPORT? YEAH, I THINK WE CAN ADD THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
[00:35:01]
THE NEXT MEETING RIGHT, YOU WILL HAVE SORT OF THAT PREVIEW OF THE BUDGET AND THEN IN THAT EITHER A SEPARATE ITEM OR THE SAME ITEM, WE CAN STRUCTURE IT EITHER WAY.WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT ERIC SAID ABOUT REVIEWING AND UH, PREPARING COMMITTEE COMMENTS ON THE UPCOMING BUDGET, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO ISN'T IT, IS IT THEN, UM, APPROPRIATE FOR US TO DISCUSS TONIGHT THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IN THIS, IN THIS REPORT THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US AND THAT WE, WE ISSUE COMMENTS TO YOU TONIGHT SO THAT YOU WOULD PREPARE A DRAFT FOR US TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS AT THE NEXT MEETING? I THINK, YEAH.
WE'RE HERE TO, TO RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS ON THE ANNUAL REPORT AND IF, UM, IF THE COMMITTEE WISHED TO DIRECT STAFF TO AGENDIZE A FUTURE KIND OF LETTER DRAFTING, UH, YOU KNOW, AGENDA ITEM AT A FUTURE MEETING, WE COULD THEN TAKE YOUR COMMENTS, PUT TOGETHER THE DRAFT, AND THEN WE WOULD PUBLISH THAT DRAFT FOR THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING TO THEN FINALIZE.
BUT YES, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC COMMENTS THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS ABOUT THE ANNUAL REPORT, WE COULD ACCEPT THOSE TONIGHT.
UH, AND THEN IF YOU'D LIKE US TO DO A DRAFT LETTER, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING ROSEMARY SAY.
FOR, SO I, I THINK THERE ARE TWO OVERLYING ISSUES HERE.
ONE, THE COMMITTEE SEES THE USE OF MEASURE YOU FUNDS, UH, INCREASINGLY BEING USED JUST TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND FEWER OF THESE FUNDS THAT THE CITIZENS OF PETALUMA VOTED FOR.
WE ARE NOT GETTING THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED.
THE, THE AMOUNT THAT'S BEING SPENT ON ROADS ON THE SPECIAL PROJECTS APPEARS TO BE DECLINING.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND, 13 MILLION OUT OF 16 MILLION, IF YOU JUST TAKE THAT FIRST 6,500 THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO JUST BALANCE THE BUDGET OR 6,000 TO BALANCE THE BUDGET THAT LEAVES, YOU KNOW, SEVEN OR UM, EXCUSE ME, 6 MILLION.
SO YOU'RE SITTING AT ABOUT $7 MILLION.
THAT WAS FOR, APPEARS TO JUST BALANCE THE BUDGET OR WORKFORCE STABILIZATION.
AND WE REALLY ONLY HIRED 11 STAFF, IF I'M NOT CORRECT, UNLESS THE NUMBER HAS GONE UP AND 7 MILLION DIVIDED BY 11 IS AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY.
SO WHAT HAPPENS, WHAT I THINK THE COMMITTEE'S CONCERNED ABOUT, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT ALL OF THIS MEASURE YOU MONEY, NOT NOT ONLY WENT TO HIRE 11 PEOPLE FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT IT WENT TO INCREASE SALARY AND BENEFITS, BENEFITS FOR EXISTING STAFF AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR ROADS AND THE SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT WE WANTED.
AND IF I WERE TO MAKE A PERSONAL COMMENT, MY COMMENT WOULD BE THAT WE NEED TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO ABSOLUTELY RESERVE A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MEASURE U FUNDS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS AND FIND A WAY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IN OTHER GENERAL FUNDS.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, ABOUT MEASURE U FUNDS.
WE, WE, I THINK WE, WE ALL EXPECTED THIS MONEY TO LAST LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS BEFORE IT JUST GOT ALL ABSORBED INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
WHERE DO, WHERE WOULD WE GO NEXT FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS? WE WE'RE AT THE CAP OF OUR, OF OUR SALES TAX.
SO DOES THAT MEAN NOW WE START LOOKING AT A, AT A PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS REGRESSIVE TO OLDER PEOPLE AND RETIREES? UH, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE GOING? THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I HAVE, AND I AGREE WITH ROSEMARY, THAT I DO TAKE THIS POSITION FAIRLY SERIOUSLY IF IT ISN'T ONE OF THE MORE MINOR COMMITTEES IN IN THE WHOLE CITY.
UM, I THINK THIS COMMITTEE, IT IS I INCUMBENT ON US TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF A REPORT THAT IS SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC, WHETHER IT BE A GUEST EDITORIAL, A LETTER TO THE EDITOR AT COLUMN SOMETHING SO THAT THE CITIZENS OF PETALUMA KNOW THAT THE MONEY THAT THEY'VE VOTED FOR IS ABOUT TO RUN OUT.
UM, AND THEY MAY NOT BE SEEING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT, UH, THEY, THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED HERE FIVE YEARS LATER.
YEAH, I, I, UM, I AGREE WITH LELAND AND ROSEMARY AS WELL.
OUR SAME CONCERNS THAT WE'RE RUNNING OUT, I MEAN, READING ABOUT SANTA ROSA'S BUDGET PROBLEM, WHICH IS MAJOR FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, UM, I'M HOPING WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF PROBLEM DO WE? WE'RE NOT FACING, NO, WE'RE NOT.
WE'RE JUST, BUT WE'RE USING MEASURE U TO COVER MOST OF THE DEFICIT, WHICH LIKE, AS LELAND SAID, IT WAS LIKE SIX AND A HALF MILLION OR 6.8 MILLION OR SOMETHING, THEN THE FIRST YEAR WERE TO COVER THAT AND NOW IT'S
[00:40:01]
DOUBLE THAT, THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO SALARIES AND PENSIONS.UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PRESENT IN PERSON TO THE COUNCIL AND FOR ALL OF US TO BE THERE SO THEY REALIZE THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY.
AND AS LELAND SAID, I I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I FORGET, BRIAN, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER IT.
UM, DID WE DO THAT LAST YEAR? BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST YEAR, BUT I CAN'T UNLESS IT WENT OUT IN THE LITTLE EMAIL THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT TELLS WHAT'S GOING ON IN PETALUMA.
IS THAT WHAT WHERE YEAH, SO WE, WE DID, UH, WE DID DO A LETTER AND UH, WE BROUGHT THAT TO, I THINK WE ENDED UP HAVING A THIRD COMMITTEE MEETING THAT SPRING.
UM, WE DRAFTED A LETTER TO TRY TO TRY TO REFLECT SOME, SOME OF THE SAME DISCUSSION AND THEN WE PUT THAT AS BEST WE COULD, UH, COULD PHRASE IT.
AND THEN THE COMMITTEE, I THINK DID DO SOME WORDSMITHING.
YOU WANTED SOME ADDITIONAL CHARTS KIND OF PUT INTO THE BODY OF THE LETTER.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND DID THAT, FINALIZED IT.
UM, AND THEN THAT IS PART OF THE PACKET WITH THE, UH, THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT THEN IS NOW ON THE WEBSITE.
IT WENT OUT TO COUNCIL AND IT WENT OUT IN THE EMAIL.
SO WE DID TRY TO BLAST IT OUT AS MUCH AS WE COULD AND WIN IN THE EMAIL BLAST THROUGH OUR, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, WHICH DOES GO TO OVER 20,000, UH, SUBSCRIBERS.
SO IT'S PRETTY, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DISTRIBUTION LIST.
I READ IT, BUT I, UM, DON'T, I KIND OF SUSPECT THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T.
BUT ANYWAY, I THINK IT PROBABLY SHOULD GO IN THE NEWSPAPER.
UM, AT THE, THE PRESS AND THE ARGUS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY BOTH, THEY RUN THE SAME ARTICLES ANYWAY.
UM, I THINK IT SHOULD BE IN THE NEWSPAPER.
I ALSO THINK BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE THINK THE MET REVENUES ARE GOING DOWN, UM, I WAS KINDA SURPRISED THAT WE ONLY LEFT 68,000 TO ROLL OVER.
I THINK GIVEN THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS LINE IS GOING, IF IT'S GOING TO DROP AGAIN, I THINK WE MIGHT WANNA BE MORE CAREFUL IN KEEPING SOME EXTRA FUNDS.
'CAUSE WE, WE WERE SITTING, YOU KNOW, NICE KIND OF FAT AND SASSY HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO WITH HAVING FUNDS LEFT OVER.
I MEAN, 68,000 IS ESSENTIALLY NOTHING.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE MORE, MORE CAREFUL FOR THE UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE REVENUE THAT'S GONNA BE COMING IN, NOT TRY TO SPEND EVERY DIME OF IT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WAS, I, I MIGHT BE CONFUSED, BUT THE ROAD IMPROVEMENT BUDGET, UM, WHAT'S BEEN, WHAT'S BEING SPENT ON ROAD IMPROVEMENTS IS THAT SIMPLY PAYING THE BOND PAYMENTS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC REALIZED THAT WE WERE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PASSING A TAX INCREASE IN ORDER TO TAKE OUT A BOND TO PAY MORE INTEREST.
AND, AND, AND I REALIZE AT LEAST LAST MEETING IT WAS MENTIONED THAT MOST OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALREADY GONE DONE.
THE NORTH MCDOWELL, UM, THE BIG, THE BIG JOB ON NORTH MCDOWELL MM-HMM
IS THAT NOT, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, IT SPENT A GOOD CHUNK OF IT DID NOT SPEND MOST OF IT.
I BELIEVE WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 6 MILLION.
WE'VE PLANNED OUT ALL OF THE PROJECTS.
BUT THE FUNDS HAVE NOT ALL BEEN SPENT YET.
THE DOLLARS THAT ARE LEAVING THE MEASURE YOU FUND ARE GOING TOWARDS DEBT SERVICE ON THAT $20 MILLION OF BONDS THAT WAS ISSUED AGAINST THE MEASURE U REVENUES.
AND THAT WAS DONE BECAUSE WE HAD SUCH A LARGE VOLUME OF PROJECTS THAT THIS DECISION WAS MADE THAT THIS WAY WE COULD GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING GOING TO ROADS, I MEAN DIRECTLY ON THE, IS THAT JUST ALL MONEY THAT'S GOING TO DEBT SERVICE TO PAY, TO PAY WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE, DONE PAY FOR THE ROADS ALREADY OR WHAT MAYBE WE HAVE A THIRD OF OF IT LEFT OR NOT EVEN.
UM, SO REALLY WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH THAT'S GOING TO ROADS ANYMORE, RIGHT? AM I MISSING SOMETHING? WELL, I THINK, UM, UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, MY COLLEAGUES HERE KNOW MY LIMITED MATH SKILLS, SO IT'S DANGEROUS FOR ME TO EMBARK ON THIS CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THERE'S $20 MILLION IN ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF THE DECISION BY THE COUNCIL.
BUT MOST OF THOSE WERE TO BOND THE REVENUE SO THAT WE COULD, WE COULD ACCELERATE THE BENEFICIAL IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC AND STOP THE DEGRADATION OR STOP SOME OF THE DEGRADATION OF OUR ROAD SYSTEM, WHICH SAVES A LOT OF NEAR TERM MIDTERM AND LONG-TERM COSTS AS, AS THE ROADS DIMINISH
[00:45:01]
IN QUALITY, THEY GET MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE TO FIX.UM, SO IT'S, I THINK, I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE BONDING DECISION.
IT'S A LITTLE MISLEADING BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MEASURE YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MEASURE YOU BOUGHT IS $20 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE CITY'S ROAD SYSTEM.
AND WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THAT.
ROSEMARY REFERRED TO SOME OF THAT.
WE'RE ALL SEEING IT MCDOWELL AND OTHER PLACES.
UM, UM, SO I THINK IT, IT'S SORT OF HELPFUL.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS IF, I MEAN, I, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE TONIGHT ALSO, I WAS COMING FROM ANOTHER CALL, BUT, UM, I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE, UM, MEASURE YOU SPENDING PRIORITIES, BUT MY RECOLLECTION OF THEM IS THAT THEY WERE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES FIRE AND POLICE, UM, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UM, AND ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE AS SOME OF THE MAIN ONES.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, $20 MILLION IS A PRETTY GOOD INVESTMENT.
AND, UM, THERE WAS ALSO, IT WAS CLEAR, AND IT'S BEEN REFERRED TO TONIGHT, THAT THERE WAS AT THE TIME A $6 MILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN THE GENERAL FUND THAT MEASURE U WAS EXPRESSLY ADOPTED TO FIX.
UM, AND I, I ALSO WOULD SUGGEST, AND, AND JESSE AND BRIAN CAN HELP WITH THIS, UM, I THINK ELABORATE ON THIS OR CLARIFY IT, JUST BECAUSE THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT ON SALARIES IN THE GENERAL FUND DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT FULFILLING MEASURE U PRIORITIES BECAUSE TO THE EXTENT MEASURE U IS FUNDING POLICE AND FIRE SALARIES, UM, IT'S FUNDING RESPONSE TIMES.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST WAY 'CAUSE BECAUSE, BECAUSE JUST SHOWING THE COST ALLOCATION LIKE TO SALARIES, WHICH ARE THE ONES YOU'RE USING AND THAT'S ACCURATE.
UM, I, I ALMOST, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT FINANCIALLY, BUT IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY TRUE THAT GENERAL FUND SUPPORT FOR FIRST RESPONDER, UM, PERSONNEL COSTS IS ABSOLUTELY IN KEEPING WITH THE MEASURE YOU SPENDING PRIORITIES.
AND HOW WE, WELL, I WASN'T QUESTIONING THAT AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE OR SUGGEST YOU'RE OR ANYBODY'S ATTACKING IT, BUT I THINK PART OF THE ANSWER, AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE TRICKY OR ANYTHING, PART OF THE ANSWER IS THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE USES THAT MEASURE U PROCEEDS ARE BEING PUT, INCLUDING THE GENERAL FUND ONES, ARE MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE PRIORITIES THAN IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BETTER THAN I'M RIGHT.
YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND THAT KIND OF DOVETAILS INTO A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED TO MENTION.
THE ONE IS, UM, I, I THINK THIS IS TRUE JESSE, BUT CORRECT ME, WE HAVE ADDED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN 11 POSITIONS.
UM, NOW SOME OF THOSE ARE IN OUR WATER DEPARTMENT OR OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT GENERAL FUND, BUT I WOULD SAY EVEN GENERAL FUND AND ANCILLARY FUNDING SOURCES, WE'VE ADDED SIGNIFICANT, I MEAN WE, IT MAY EVEN BE OVER A HUNDRED IF YOU LOOK AT FROM LIKE 2019 TO NOW, BUT LIKE PRE-MEASURE U AND YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR FUNDS AND OUR DIFFERENT, UM, THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS IN THE CITY, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF POSITIONS.
UM, AND AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN AS STRATEGIC AS POSSIBLE TO LEVERAGE GRANT FUNDING.
THE HOMELESS SERVICES IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, BUT THERE ARE EXAMPLES ALL THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION WHERE WE WERE REALLY AT A SERVICES AND STAFFING DEFICIT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE KIND OF PRE 2020.
AND AS I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE COMMITTEE BEFORE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CATCH UP THAT HAS BEEN REQUIRED OVER THE LAST SAY FIVE YEARS.
UM, SO AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THE TOTAL IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THE GENERAL FUND, UH, IS, IS BENEFITING FROM MEASURE U.
AND WHAT THAT DOES, AND AGAIN, I KNOW I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, IS PROVIDE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THAT LIST OF PRIORITIES, POLICE, FIRE, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL STOP IS THE, THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS I DON'T BELIEVE ARE DONE.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE INITIALLY, UM, HAD LAID OUT FOR THE COUNCIL AND FOR THE THE COMMUNITY BACK WHEN WE ADOPTED MEASURE U AND WERE IN, UH, WORKING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WE REALLY WERE PLANNING TWO BOND ISSUANCES.
SO WE'VE DONE ONE, WHICH IS THE 20 MILLION THAT'S BEEN REFERENCED.
THERE'S A SECOND ONE PLANNED NOW WE DON'T QUITE KNOW THE TIMING 'CAUSE IT'S RELATED TO THE FIRE STATION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OFF THE GROUND.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER BIG BATCH OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS COMING UP, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE LATTER PART OF THIS DECADE THAT ARE GONNA NEED SOME INFUSION FROM, FROM MEASURE U.
NOW, AGAIN, THE TIMING MAY BE A LITTLE IFFY AT THIS POINT.
[00:50:01]
DOWNTURN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DECLINE THAT YOU SAW ON THE SLIDE THAT JESSE SHOWED, THAT MAY PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A WRENCH INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH WE CAN BOND WHEN WE CAN BOND, THINGS LIKE THAT.UM, BUT I, I WOULD NOT LOOK AT THIS NECESSARILY AS, YOU KNOW, MEASURES DONE.
WE CAN'T EVER FUND ANY MORE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE I DO, I DO THINK WE'LL BE DOING OUR BEST TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTINUE OUR PAVING PLAN.
AND, UM, JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM CAME FORWARD TO COUNCIL WITH A, A REALLY DETAILED FIVE-YEAR PAVING PLAN, UH, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY EXCITING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO MEASURE U IS DEFINITELY GONNA BE A PART IN MAKING SURE THAT THE PROJECTS IN THAT PLAN CAN ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
SO JUST A FEW, A FEW THOUGHTS AS WELL.
I THINK, UM, I, I THINK WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT LAST, UH, 23, 24 ACTUAL NUMBERS, REVENUE IS 16 MILLION, GIVE OR TAKE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO SPEND 21 MILLION.
UM, AND YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WERE ON THE LIST AND THEN YOU JUST FLIP OVER TO THE 24 25 BUDGET, WE'RE STILL AT THE SAME 16 MILLION.
UM, AND THE EXTRA PROJECTS ARE, UM, JUST MINIMAL.
IT'S UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER LOOKS LIKE JUST A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION.
SO E EVEN FROM APPEARANCES STANDPOINT, IT, IT DOESN'T APPEAR, UH, I'M GOING TO USE THIS WORD THAT IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE COUNCIL USES MEASURE U AS A CRUSH TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND DOESN'T AT FIRST TAKE X NUMBER OF DOLLARS SAY THESE ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED.
'CAUSE THE COMMUNITY WANTED MORE THAN BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE.
THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE ROADS FIXED.
THEY WANTED HOMELESSNESS, THEY WANTED, THEY, THEY, THEY WANTED THINGS THAT THEY COULD TOUCH AND RIDE ON AND DRIVE ON.
AND IT JUST APPEARS THAT THAT MONEY APPEARS TO BE, UH, AS I SAY, A A, A CRUTCH TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
AND THIS ISN'T REALLY AN ATTACK ON YOU GUYS, IT'S NOT REALLY AN ATTACK ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT'S A REQUEST THAT SOME OF THIS MEASURE YOU MONEY BE ALLOCATED WITHOUT, WITHOUT A DOUBT FOR THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE VOTED FOR.
AND, UM, I THINK IF WE WERE TO TAKE A POLL, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL YEAH, IT WAS FOR ROADS, WASN'T IT? AND IT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS FOR, FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT MY IMPRESSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN.
WELL, IT WAS FOR ALL THOSE THINGS, IT WAS FOR ROADS, IT WAS FOR FIRE AND POLICE RESPONSE TIMES.
IT WAS, IT WAS INTENDED PARTLY TO BE A CRUTCH TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IN THE SENSE OF THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PARTLY TRUE THAT, THAT, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT NON-LINEAR IN TERMS OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES OR ALLOCATIONS BECAUSE OF THE BONDING.
LIKE WHERE WE'RE USING THE $20 MILLION TRANCHE NOW, AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S NOT NEW MONEY COMING ONLINE.
'CAUSE THE PROJECTS ARE COMMITTED AND UNDERWAY AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER TRANCHE.
UM, BUT I MEAN, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED AND AS, AS THE ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE SAYS, IT'S YOUR JOB TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING, SAYING, HEY, THESE WERE THE MEASURE U FUNDING PRIORITIES.
HOW ARE WE DOING AGAINST THOSE? WE HAVE THESE CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WE'D RATHER SEE THE, THE REVENUE GOING UP THAN DOWN OR, OR JUST FLAT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S NOT JUST A LOST IN GENERAL FUND STAFFING COSTS, BUT IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FIRE AND POLICE RESPONSE TIMES AND, AND SAVE ROADS AND, AND THAT STUFF.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK WHAT HOW, WHATEVER FINE POINTS IT COVERS, I I ANTICIPATE THAT'S GONNA BE WHAT YOUR REPORT'S GONNA SAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD.
AND I WOULD ANTICIPATE WHEN THAT GOES BEFORE THE COUNCIL, AND BY THE WAY, THIS DOES CONSTITUTE PUBLISHING THE REPORT AND THEN IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHERE ELSE WE SHARE IT TOO.
AND WE CAN ALSO MAKE IT AVAILABLE WITH THE PRESS AND THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WANNA DO SOME INTERVIEWS AND COVER WHAT THEY THINK ARE THE SILL POINTS.
UM, BUT THEN I WOULD ANTICIPATE AS PART OF THAT, THE STAFF REPORT GOING FROM STAFF WITH THE COMMITTEE REMARKS TO THE COUNCIL WOULD THEN DO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I'M DOING SO POORLY RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS TO SAY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE COMMITTEE'S JOB AND THESE ARE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS AND THAT IS THE, THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY'S, UM, COMMITMENT TO THE, TO THE VOTERS THAT APPROVED MEASURE U.
BUT IN FACT, UM, WHAT LOOKS JUST LIKE GENERAL FUND FUND DOLLARS IS DOING THAT AND HERE'S THE FLOW THAT'S KIND OF IRREGULAR, BUT IT ACTUALLY MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT FOR ROADS 'CAUSE THE BONDING, UM,
[00:55:01]
AND SORT OF TELLING THAT STORY.SO, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD, UM, AND TRANSPARENT WAY FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO DO ITS WORK AND FOCUS ATTENTION ON WHAT MEASURE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST, NOT REDUCED, NOT HAVE THE IMPACT THAT IT SHOULD.
AND FOR THAT TO BE CONTEXTUALIZED INTO HOW IT'S ACTUALLY BEING IMPLEMENTED, WHICH IS COMPLICATED.
UM, AND THEN, AND THEN THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC GET ALL THAT INFORMATION AND THIS COMMITTEE WILL HAVE FOCUSED ATTENTION ON MEASURE U PRIORITIES AND, AND STAFF WILL HAVE HAD TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW THE MONEY'S BEING USED AND WHAT, HOW THAT'S SUPPORTED IN THE ACTUAL BUDGET DOCUMENTS.
AND YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO DO THAT PROSPECTIVELY ABOUT THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK REALLY.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB TO QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT BONDING WAS A GOOD IDEA.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WHOMEVER YOU MADE THAT DECISION, AND I'M SURE YOU MADE IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND NOT TO WASTE MONEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE PUT OFF FOR YEARS COST MORE.
SO, AND, AND WHEN THINGS DEGRADE MORE, THEY COST MORE.
SO IT'S NOT THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB NECESSARILY TO SAY THE BONDING WAS A BAD IDEA.
WE'RE GONNA GET $20 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS, IT'S GONNA COST US INTEREST, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET IT DONE NOW.
AND IT MIGHT COST LESS THAN IT WILL LATER.
NOT OUR, NOT REALLY OUR JOB, BUT I, I THINK AT LEAST FOR THE THREE VETERANS HERE, THE LETTER THAT WE SENT TO THE COUNCIL THE LAST TIME WAS, UM, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, I THINK BENIGN.
WE'VE SEEN THE, WE'VE SEEN THE, WE'VE SEEN THE, THE, THE REPORT WE'RE CONCERNED.
WHAT I THINK THE VETERANS OF THIS GROUP WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SOMETHING WORDED PERHAPS A LITTLE STRONGER AND SOMETHING THAT COULD BE WRITTEN IN A FORM THAT COULD BE THEN TRANSMITTED TO THE ARGUS AS A GUEST EDITORIAL, UH, A LETTER TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM THE MEASURE U COMMITTEE THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE GET THE ARGUS WHO WILL, WILL SEE OUR CONCERN.
I, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE, AND I CAN TELL BY THE WAY ROSEMARY'S MAKING HER COMMENTS AND CARRIE, IS THAT WE FEEL WE ARE LETTING THE PUBLIC DOWN IF WE DON'T LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, YOU VOTED FOR MEASURE U FIVE YEARS AGO.
BE AWARE THAT THAT MONEY IS, IS BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SPOKEN FOR.
AND, UM, AS THINGS CONTINUE TO GO UP, UH, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA BE? SO, AND, AND, AND EVEN IF YOU LOSE, USE IT AS SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOP AT HOME, DO YOU KNOW, UH, HOW DO WE FIX THIS? 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANOTHER SALES TAX.
AND SO YOU CAN GO FOR PROPERTY TAX OR FIND MONEY OTHER WAYS, BUT, UM, WHERE DO YOU GO, WHERE DO YOU GO IN TWO YEARS? I THINK IT'S CALLED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
'CAUSE IT'S 'CAUSE OUR TAXING RESOURCES ARE, ARE LARGELY TAPPED.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB EITHER, RIGHT? BUT, BUT I THINK IT IS OUR JOB TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT, UH, WE'RE KIND OF, WE'RE KIND OF THE, THE MILK CAN'S ALMOST EMPTY.
THAT, THAT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION TOO.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE, YOU'RE ENABLING LEGISLATION, SO SAYS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO, IT DOESN'T SAY A LETTER, IT SAYS A REPORT.
AND I, I THINK A REPORT IS A MORE IMPORTANT THING THAN JUST A LETTER.
SO IT, IT COULD BE IN THE FORM OF A LETTER OR A MEMO, BUT I, I THINK IT'S BEST CONCEIVED OF AS THE REPORT OF THIS COMMITTEE TO ACCOMPANY THE STAFF, UM, DATA THAT'S BEEN PREPARED FOR YOU TO, TO ADDRESS WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SEE AS BEING IMPORTANT AND THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE AWARE OF FROM THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE BEEN PRESENTED, FROM THE FACTS YOU'VE TED TO, TO RAISE CONCERNS THAT YOU WANNA RAISE, GIVE CAUTIONS YOU WANT TO GIVE, DO YOU THINK WE COULD INSTEAD NEGOTIATE WITH YOU AND HAVE YOU SAVE 20%, 25% AND THEN WE WOULDN'T NEED A REPORT? NOPE.
THE REPORT'S YOUR JOB TO, TO YOUR ADVISORY BODY TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF JOB IS TO, IS TO GIVE YOU THE DATA THEY HAVE.
SO YOU HAVE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY'S, WHAT, HOW MUCH MONEY CAME IN, WHERE IT'S GONE.
UM, AND, AND IT'S YOUR JOB TO RESPOND AND SORT OF CONVEY TO THE COUNCIL WHAT YOU THINK THAT MEANS.
WHAT THEY IN THE COMMUNITY OUGHT TO BE AWARE OF HOW IT'S GOING.
AND I THINK YOU'VE SAID IT PRETTY WELL, IT'S UM, IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF MEASURE YOU MONEY SITTING AROUND THAT'S NOT BEEN ALLOCATED.
[01:00:01]
AND IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GOING UP NECESSARILY BASED ON OUR FORECAST.SO THAT'S PRETTY SALIENT INFORMATION IT SEEMS TO ME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL.
I THINK IT'LL BE HELPFUL WHEN YOU COME BACK TO GIVE MORE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK TO GO INTO A REPORT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH STAFF AND GET THESE FOLKS WHO ARE MUCH MORE ABLE TO DO IT BETTER THAN I ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FLESHING OUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE GENERAL FUND ALLOCATIONS REALLY MEAN AND WHAT THE STAFFING PICTURE REALLY MEANS IN TERMS OF MEASURE OF USE PRIORITIES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, IT REALLY WAS, 'CAUSE I WORKED ON THOSE MATERIALS TOO, AND IT REALLY WASN'T JUST INFRASTRUCTURE, IT REALLY, IN TERMS OF THE POLLING AND STUFF THAT IT WAS BASED ON, IT REALLY WAS, UM, HOW QUICK DOES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GET TO MY HOUSE? HOW, HOW EXPENSIVE ARE MY INSURANCE RATES AS A RESULT? IT WAS THAT KIND OF STUFF TOO.
SO, SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH STAFF SO THAT THE REPORT THAT YOU SEND IS NOT ONE THAT SORT OF STAFF ARE HAVING TO CONTEXTUALIZE A LOT IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT ACCOMPANIES IT TO THE COUNCIL, BUT RATHER REFLECTS YOUR INSIGHTS AND STAFF WORK ALONG WITH IT AND SUPPORT IDEALLY TO ME.
CAN I JUMP IN FOR A SECOND? I, YEAH, JUST WANNA GET A FEW IDEAS OUT THERE FROM WHAT I'M HERE.
BUT I, I WANNA THANK YOU JESSE, FOR THE PRESENTATION TO START THINGS OFF 'CAUSE THAT WAS HELPFUL FOR ME.
UM, AND I GENERALLY, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF LABOR.
LIKE YOU PEOPLE TOTALLY NEED TO GET PAID.
AND I DO THINK JUST FROM THE PLAIN READING THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DOES APPEAR TO BE A PART OF MEASURE U AS FAR AS THE GRANDER SORT OF STRATEGY.
YOU KNOW, I DO WORRY A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IF THE PUBLIC THINKS THAT'S ALL IT'S GOING FOR, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE APPRECIATES THAT THE WAY I DO.
AND I THINK IF IN SOME WAYS THE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, HAD SOME FLAGSHIP PROJECTS KIND OF BEHIND IT AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE SOME OF THEM, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT THE PUBLIC LIKE REALLY WANTS TO SEE.
AND IF THERE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ALSO NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO'S NECESSARILY AGAINST TAXES OR RACING TAXES FRANKLY.
UM, AND I THINK IF YOU WANT TO BE DOING THOSE THINGS IN THE FUTURE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE SHOWING THEM NOW THAT LIKE, OH, THIS IS GOING TO SOMETHING TANGIBLE NOW IN ORDER FOR THE KIND OF POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE TO BE MORE OPEN TO THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST SORT OF WHERE MY HEAD'S AT THUS FAR WITH SOME OF THIS.
BUT, BUT I THINK THAT KIND OF LEADS ME TO PRIMARILY AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ABOUT SOME OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THE SPENDING LOOKS AT THIS POINT.
BUT I THINK I'M COMING AT IT FROM MAYBE A DIFFERENT, SOMETHING OF A DIFFERENT PLACE TOO.
BUT THAT'S ALL I, I I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT ON SCOTT.
THE, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY DID THE MONEY GO TO WHERE, WHAT THEY VOTED FOR.
AND UM, YES, WE VOTED FOR MORE, FOR MORE FOLKS.
WE VOTED FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE VOTED FOR WORKFORCE STABILIZATION, WHICH, UM, TO A DEGREE MEANS SALARY AND BENEFIT INCREASES SO THAT WE KEEP QUALITY PEOPLE.
AND IN THE BEGINNING, I KNOW I CAME TO THESE MEETINGS SAYING, LOOK AT ALL THIS STUFF WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON.
AND NOW I'M JUST, I I WON'T USE THE WORD DISILLUSIONED, BUT I'M CONCERNED 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE ALL OF THESE, THIS LINEUP OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND, UM, I JUST THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO OFFER OUR, UH, CONCERN TO THE CITY COUNCIL IN A STRONGER WRITTEN LETTER THAN THE LAST TIME.
AND TO BE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF WHERE WE ARE WITH MEASURE U.
AND, AND EVEN IF WE SAY THAT MEASURE U IS EVERY DOLLAR IS SPENT APPROPRIATELY.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE COMMITTEE IS SAYING THE MONEY'S NOT BEING SPENT APPROPRIATELY.
BUT WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED THAT THE THINGS, SOME OF THOSE HARDSCAPE THINGS WE THOUGHT WE VOTED FOR ARE, YOU KNOW, THE LIST IS, IS GETTING THINNER AND THINNER.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK ANOTHER QUESTION TOO.
UM, WAS IT, FOR THE NEW BUDGET, WAS IT ABOUT 84% THAT WAS GONNA BE GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND? IS THAT WHAT UH, CORRECT.
AND PART OF THE REASON, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, PART OF THE REASON THAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS SO MUCH HIGHER, EXCUSE ME, THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE $500,000 MORE THAN IT WAS IN FISCAL 24.
BUT IN FISCAL 24, WE WERE USING THAT ADDITIONAL FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAD FROM PRIOR YEARS.
SO IT WAS A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THE WHOLE.
SO DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE STILL FAIRLY EQUAL, BUT WE HAD
[01:05:01]
MORE MONEY TO PLAY WITH LAST YEAR THAN WE DO THIS YEAR.'CAUSE WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT ONLY SPENDING WHAT WE RECEIVE.
I JUST WONDER IF IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR, FOR US OR THE GENERAL PUBLIC MM-HMM
TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HIRING, UM, ENVIRONMENT IS AT THE CITY.
BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE PASSED THAT MEASURE, WE ALL GOT EXCITED, THOUGHT THERE WAS GONNA BE A LOT OF MONEY AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE FLUSH AND WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO KEEP ADDING STAFF AND BIGGER BENEFIT PACKAGES AND MORE PENSIONS AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE JUST, AND I MEAN PENSIONS ARE KIND OF, THAT'S A MOOT POINT I GUESS.
BUT I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S ANY PLAN IN PLACE OR IF THERE'S SOMEBODY AT CITY HALL THAT'S SORT OF LOOKING AT THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOR PERSONNEL NEEDS AND IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE CUTBACKS LIKE SONOMA STATE OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OR DO WE EXPECT IT TO JUST KEEP GROWING LIKE IT HAS FROM 21 TO 25? THAT'S EXACTLY THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE ENGAGING IN NOW.
SO, SO THAT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE TO COUNTER ANYBODY'S CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
THAT FIGURE KEEPS GOING UP, UP, UP AND, AND IT CAN'T.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO DURING THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY DEPARTMENT, EVERY FUND, EVERY LINE ITEM, AND THEN WE BRING A BALANCED PACKAGE TO COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S ALWAYS OUR, THAT'S ALWAYS OUR GOAL AND THAT'S OUR MANDATE IS WE HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND SO JESSE AND HER TEAM AND THE, ALL THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, LOOK AT IT REALLY CAREFULLY.
AND THEN WE BRING A WORKSHOP TO COUNCIL THAT, UM, IS IN, IS IT EARLY MAY JESSIE? EARLY MAY.
UM, AND SO WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PRESENT ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET.
AND A PIECE OF THAT IS WHAT CAN WE ADD? WHAT CAN'T WE ADD? DO WE HAVE TO REDUCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE FORECAST LOOK LIKE? UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT FIVE YEAR FORECAST EVERY YEAR SO THAT WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE THINK WE'RE HEADED AND YES, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ITERATIVE PROCESS AND WE DO IT EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S A, THAT IS BAS BASICALLY YOU OUTLINE THE BUDGET
SO YES, I I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE TOO IS, UM, FIVE YEARS IN THE FUNDS ARE SO COMMINGLED REALLY BECOMES DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE MEASURE YOU BUDGET FOR HOMELESSNESS, BUT YOU'VE GOT GRANT MONEY, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ANYTHING IN MEASURE U IF YOU'VE GOT GRANT MONEY.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE C UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS MADE THE COMMENT THAT WE, IT'S OUT OF OUR PURVIEW, BUT I KIND OF TEND TO AGREE WITH IT THAT WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF THE COUNCIL THAT THEY TAKE THE EXPECTED REVENUES FOR MEASURE U AND ALLOCATE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO THOSE NON, UM, BUDGET BALANCING WORKFORCE STABILIZATION ITEMS. AND THEY GO TO THOSE HARDSCAPE ITEMS THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE AND HOLD AND DRIVE ON AND RIDE ON AND PLAY ON, ET CETERA.
UM, ONLY AS A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE, AND, AND, AND AT THIS POINT WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE CITY'S GOTTA GENERATE AND GOTTA SPEND, IT'S ALL COMMINGLED.
YOU TAKE $3 MILLION FOR, FOR ROADS USE, MEASURE YOU MONEY, IT'S $3 MILLION THAT MIGHT NOT BE ALLOCATED IN THE GENERAL FUND TO ROADS.
BUT, UM, I STILL THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO SEE THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THIS MONEY THEY VOTED FOR IS GOING TOWARDS THOSE, UM, LONG, UH, STANDING INFRASTRUCTURE ITEMS. SO DO WE THINK THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE A DRAFT LETTER OR A DRAFT, UH, PROPOSAL THAT WE CAN REVIEW AND ADD TO AND TAR APART? I THINK SO AT THE NEXT MEETING, YEAH.
JESSE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT GOOD FEEDBACK WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT? OH, DEFINITELY.
I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES AND OF COURSE THIS IS RECORDED SO WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND, WELL, AND I, THE EXPERIENCE AND I, I WANNA SPEAK PERSONALLY AND THEN THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN JUMP IN.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING WRITTEN THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, ADDRESSES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT IS WRITTEN IN A MATTER THAT THE PUBLIC CAN READ AND UNDERSTAND AND COMPREHEND.
AND THAT COULD BE SENT TO THE ARGUS AS A GUEST EDITORIAL FROM THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE.
AND THEN WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING OUR JOB.
AM I SPEAKING WELL FOR EVERYONE? YES.
[01:10:05]
SO THE ONLY THING I WOULD, I I THINK ALL THAT'S CONTI CONSISTENT WITH YOUR CHARGE, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.AND THAT WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO DO IS SHARE YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE COUNCIL AND YOUR REFLECTIONS WITH THE COUNCIL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE GUEST EDITORIAL PART BECAUSE, UM, WHAT YOU'RE NOT, I DON'T THINK CHARGED TO BE IS SPOKESPEOPLE ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UM, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, YOUR REMARKS TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE AS BEING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE, OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SHARED WITH YOU IN VIEW OF WHAT THE MEASURE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE AND WHAT YOU SEE PLAYING OUT IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S GETTING DEPLOYED.
UM, UM, AND, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO JUDGE, UM, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, ADD TO AND REMARK UPON THE DRAFT THAT, THAT, UM, JESSE AND BRIAN PROVIDE YOU SO THAT IT'S REFLECTIVE.
'CAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE, IT'S NOT FOR US TO FILTER YOUR COMMENTS, IT'S FOR US TO HELP YOU PREPARE 'EM AND RELAY 'EM.
UM, AND INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE'RE HEARING IS SUGGESTING THAT THERE BE SOME KIND OF, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL CONSIDER SOME KIND OF RESERVE TO MAKE SURE THE FUNDS GO WHERE, WHERE THE VOTERS WISH THEM TO GO.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S I'S WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO CHAIR AND IT'S OUR JOB TO HELP YOU DO IT.
WELL, AGAIN, LET ME SPEAK FOR AT LEAST THE THREE VETERANS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT, UM, MAYBE BY THE NEXT MEETING YOU COULD HAVE SOME FIRMER INFORMATION ON WHETHER OR NOT WHATEVER LETTERS WRITTEN TO THE CITY COULD BE MORE IN THE PUBLIC PURVIEW BECAUSE, UM, I, I THINK THE THREE OF US ARE TAKING RE REALLY FEEL AS THOUGH WE'RE NOT DOING THE PUBLIC, UH, THE SERVICE THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING.
WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I VOTE FOR SOMETHING AND IT SAYS CITIZENS OVERVIEW, I'M EXPECTING THAT OVERVIEW COMMITTEE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE I SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, SMART'S GOT A, A, A CITIZENS' OVERVIEW ON, ON THE, THE SALES TAX THAT THAT SMART'S FUNDED WITH.
AND MORE AND MORE I SEE CITIZENS' OVERVIEW AND CITIZENS' OVERVIEW.
AND IF I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THAT OVERVIEW COMMITTEE, WHY, WHY DO WE HAVE IT? RIGHT? RIGHT.
WELL, WELL THAT'S WHAT YOUR REPORT'S GONNA DO.
YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE PUBLIC VIA OUR MATERIALS, BE PUBLIC ON OUR WEBSITE, AND YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL GIVE CAN DIRECT GIVE DIRECTION TO FOR FURTHER DISSEMINATION.
SO THAT, THAT DEFINITELY BE A PUBLIC, AND, AND IT'S VERY COMMON LIKE, UM, MEASURE H FOR THE FUND, UH, FUNDING FOR FIRE SUPPORT THAT WE JUST GOT COUNCIL ON ACTION ON THE LAST MEETING THAT'S GOT AN OVERSIGHT BOARD THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEING CONSTITUTED.
UM, THEY'LL DO THE SAME THING.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THESE BODIES DOING THAT.
SO IT'S VERY COMMON AND TO GET THE PROCESS RIGHT 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T LAST TIME.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A REPORT, IF SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE ON THE COUNCIL'S AGENDA, UM, FOR THE BUDGET, UM, MEETING THAT THEY HAVE THAT IT'S PUT ON THE AGENDA, W WE CAN WORK WITH THAT JUST, UH, AS STAFF AND, AND, UH, WHOEVER THE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES ARE GONNA BE THAT WILL BE THERE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE COORDINATE WITH YOU ON THE TIMING AND THE DATES SO WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE ON THAT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL WORK ALSO JUST BASED ON THE OVERALL, UH, UM, AMOUNT OF AGENDA ITEMS THAT ARE ON COUNCIL AGENDA SO THAT WE'RE NOT KIND OF OVERLOADING ONE AGENDA OR THE OTHER.
BUT YEAH, WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU, UM, ON THAT SO THAT WE DO PROPER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BY THE COMMITTEE? SCOTT? ANYTHING JUST, WELL, I GUESS JUST, YOU KNOW, FROM MY, IF WE'RE WRITING SOMETHING OR DRAFTING SOMETHING, I JUST, YOU KNOW, MY, I'M COMING IN VERY FRESH HERE.
I DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE HISTORY, BUT MY TONE KIND OF TO THE COUNCIL IS, IS LIKE VERY MUCH CONSTRUCTIVE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE OVERLY ALARMIST, BUT I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, I CONSIDER IT LIKE A STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION SORT OF, IT IS SORT OF HOW I CONSIDER A CONSTRUCTIVE STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION IS SORT OF MY TONE ON IT.
UH, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I AM, I HAVEN'T BEEN SITTING HERE AND SORT OF SEEING THE NUMBERS GET, GET KINDA WONKY FOR AS LONG AS YOU GUYS HAVE.
SO, BUT JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, WHAT, WHAT WILL YOUR, I MEAN THIS IS, THIS EXERCISE IS NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE WHAT ARE SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT DIVERSE COUNCIL VIEWS ON A SHARED COMMUNICATION IS WE JUST TRY TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE IT ALL.
[01:15:01]
SOMETIMES THERE'S DIFFERENCES IN TONE, SOMETIMES THERE'S DIFFERENCES IN IDEA.USUALLY THERE ARE MORE LESS A ALIGNED, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S BREADTH TO IT.
SO, AND YOU'LL BE THE JUDGE 'CAUSE IT'LL COME TO YOU AND SAY, WAIT, I'D LIKE THIS REFLECTED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY OR WHAT ABOUT THIS FINE, FINE.
AND, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR YOU TO GET A DRAFT, PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON IT, FOR IT TO BE SCHEDULED FOR PRESENTATION TO THE COUNCIL WITH ONE OR MORE OF YOU PRESENTING.
SO IT GOES TO THEM BEFORE THEY ACT ON THE BUDGET.
AND SO, SO YOU GET TO HAVE YOUR SAY WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS AND WE'VE GOT LOTS OF WAYS WE CAN DISSEMINATE IT, SO.
WHEN WOULD YOU SUGGEST WE PRESENT THIS TO THE CITY COUNCIL? WHAT MONTH? LIKE NEXT MONTH OR APRIL? WELL, SO, UH, AND ACTUALLY ONE SLIGHT CORRECTION.
SO THE, UH, THE NEXT MEETING IN THE COMMITTEE IS APRIL 17TH.
SO WE GOT, UH, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OFF, I THINK IT SAID THE 27TH ON THE SLIDE.
SO JUST SO THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT WRITTEN DOWN IN YOUR NOTEBOOK, UH, THAT IT'S THE 27TH.
SO THE 17TH IS THE COMMITTEE'S NEXT MEETING.
WE WILL, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY HAVE A DRAFT, UH, READY FOR YOU TO REVIEW THEN, UM, THE COUNCIL WORKSHOP IS IN EARLY MAY.
SO THEN I THINK THIS IS JUST ME KIND OF OFF THE CUFF.
I THINK PERHAPS THE NEXT MEETING RIGHT AFTER THE COUNCIL WORKSHOP WOULD BE A GOOD MEETING FOR, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE THAT WAY THE BUDGET INFORMATION HAS BEEN PRESENTED, WE ALL HAVE A MUCH BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE BUDGET'S LOOKING LIKE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SO THEN IT SORT OF PLAYS OFF OF THAT BUDGET CONVERSATION.
THE COUNCIL WON'T BE ACTING ON THE BUDGET AT THE WORKSHOP.
THAT HAPPENS A LITTLE BIT LATER ON IN MAY AND EARLY JUNE.
SO JESSE, I, YOU HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF A BUDGET SCHEDULE MM-HMM
SO LET ME KNOW IF NO, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLAN BECAUSE THAT WAY, UM, YEAH, YOU'LL, YOU'LL ACTUALLY HAVE OUR DRAFT BUDGET FOR MEASURE U AT THAT POINT SO WE CAN COMMENT ON THAT AND, YOU KNOW, BRING ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS INTO YOUR DRAFT MESSAGE IF YOU WOULD LIKE AT THE APRIL MEETING.
AND THEN WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET THAT OVER TO COUNCIL SO THAT YOU CAN PRESENT IN MAY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK LIKE BRIAN SAID, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR TO LET COUNCIL SEE THE BUDGET SO THAT WAY THEY'VE GOT THE DRAFT BUDGET AND NOW THEY'RE GETTING YOUR COMMENTS ON IT.
SO EVERYONE'S GOT THE INFORMATION THEY HEAR AND THEN THEY DON'T, UM, ADOPT THE BUDGET UNTIL JUNE.
SO THEY'VE GOT TIME TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS, RESPOND, THINK IT OVER.
I, I THINK, UM, THIS FEELS LIKE WE'RE DOING OUR JOB.
NOW WE MAY, I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING,
SO WE, YOU MAY HEAR FROM SUSIE OR FROM JESSE OR MYSELF JUST TO DO A RE POLLING OF DATES SORT OF THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT MEETINGS TO HAVE THE RIGHT DISCUSSIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S DIALED IN.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT WE, WE MAY LOOP BACK, AND I KNOW WE ALREADY DID SOME POLLING TO GET THESE TWO MEETINGS ON THE CALENDAR, THIS ONE IN THE APRIL 17TH, BUT IT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT WANT TO DO ANOTHER SPRING ONE, BUT WE'LL LOOK AT IT IN MORE DETAIL AND KIND OF FLESH OUT WHAT THE TIMING WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN IF WE NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU, WE WILL.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE PLANNING ON THE APRIL 17TH WITH A, A GOOD DRAFT FOR YOU ALL TO REACT TO.
UH, IF THERE'S NO MORE COMMITTEE COMMENTS, STAFF COMMENTS? NO, NO STAFF COMMENT.
DO I NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN OR DO WE JUST ADJOURN? JUST AURN.