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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 4/11/2000 *PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at the Workshops, Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council. MINUTES GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP SESSION COUNCIL CHAMBERS - WORKSHOP ROOM 5850 West Glendale Avenue April 11, 2000 8:30 a.m. PRESENT: Mayor Scruggs, Vice Mayor Eggleston, and Councilmembers Goulet, Lieberman, Martinez, and Samaniego ABSENT: Councilmember McAllister ALSO PRESENT: Martin Vanacour, City Manager; Ed Beasley, Assistant City Manager; Peter Van Haren, City Attorney; and Pamela Oliveira, City Clerk. FISCAL YEAR 2000-01 BUDGET PROCESS CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget Director; Mr. Brooke Edwards, Fire Chief; Ms. Sandy Van Winkle, Fire Department Finance Resources Management Assistant; Mr. Mike Harrington, Battalion Chief; Mr. Ken Martin, Deputy City Manager; Mr. Mike Hoyt, Director of Field Operations; Mr. John Mickel, Facilities Management Superintendent; Mr. Warren Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation; Ms. Sherry Shurhammer, Acting Utilities Director; This was the third of the scheduled City Council workshops to review the Fiscal Year 2000-01 Annual Budget. At this meeting, Council reviewed the budgets of the Fire Department and the departments within the Public Works Group, which includes Utilities, Public Works Administration, Field Operations, and Parks and Recreation. Highlights of the issues presented included continuation of the immunization program and firefighter recruitment; and technology enhancements in the Public Works Group. The first step in the Fiscal Year 2000-01 Budget Process was the City Council Goal- Setting Retreat held in November of 1999. The Council came away from this meeting with goals that included projects such as Freeway Sound Walls, Paradise Storm Drain Completion, West Area Plan Update and Street Landscaping improvements. In addition to these infrastructure goals, the Council also approved 18 new police officer positions to maintain the current levels of public safety within the City of Glendale. The City Manager reviewed the budget requests of all departments and prepared a balanced budget for presentation to the City Council. The Council approved the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) at its March 7, 2000 Workshop. The budget for the Fiscal Year 2000-01 CIP is $51,926,874. This includes $25,182,000 For Water/Sewer, $10,910,000 for Streets, $3,050,000 for Flood Control, $2,715,000 for Airport, $1,460,000 for Landfill, $1,420,000 for Parks & Open Space/Trails and $1,000,000 for Economic Development. The first City Council budget workshop was held on March 28, 2000 and included discussion of the Landfill, Sanitation, and Fund 16 Department budgets. The second City Council budget workshop was held on April 4, 2000 and included discussion of the Appointed Officials' Group, the City Manager's Group and the Community Development Group. Public meeting notices will be posted in the same manner as regular Council workshops. The City Council will review the Fiscal Year 2000-01 budget at workshops throughout the months of March and April of 2000. The recommendations made at these workshops will direct staff in preparing for final City Council budget review and adoption in June of 2000. The recommendation was to review the Fiscal Year 2000-01 Proposed Annual Budget for the Public Works Group and the Fire Department and provide staff with direction. FIRE DEPARTMENT Mr. Edwards stated that the Glendale Fire Department is dedicated to the safety of the community, providing quality fire and life safety services. He identified customer service as the Department's number one organizational value. He noted that the Fire Department programs include fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials, fire prevention, community relations and emergency management. He stated that they received over 22,000 calls last year. He noted that, according to a recent impact fee study, if the density of a square mile increases three times, the call volume increases five times. He stated that the Fire Department has a base budget of $12,754,941, with no carryover and $327,047 in supplementals. He identified the Fund 01 supplementals as Fire Staffing Program Support ($7,068) which will allow them to link with PeopleSoft; Fire Accreditation Completion ($9,000); Glendale Firefighters Olympic Committee Athletic Events ($10,000); Fire Immunization Program ($30,081); Fire Thermal Imaging Device ($15,000); Additional Fire Repair and Fuel Funding ($25,000); Replacement Firefighting Equipment ($67,620); Fire Officer Overtime ($2,745); Fire Self-Inspection Program ($2,000); Awards Event Funding ($10,000); Fire Training Props and Equipment ($2,600); and Fire Exercise Equipment 2 Contract ($2,700). He stated that Fund 04 supplementals include Firefighter Recruitment and Hiring ($68,054); Fire Training Props and Equipment ($9,550); and Unfunded Fire Adaptive Response Unit Expenses ($65,629). Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Edwards to explain the Unfunded Fire Adaptive Response Unit. Mr. Edwards explained that, in the Fiscal Year 1998-1999 budget, the Council approved the hiring of four additional firefighters targeted for the southeastern area of Glendale. He stated that, in the last couple years, they have been able to absorb the costs in related expenses; however, their overtime budget has not been increased since 1996 and has not been able to absorb the increased costs. He explained that they were asking for $21,000 to replace the four firefighters when they are on vacation and sick leave, with the remaining $9,000 for leasing a store front that they respond from. He stated that the $35,000 one-time expense was for equipment they currently borrow from other units. He explained that their goal was to respond 80% of the time in less than five minutes. He stated that, prior to the adaptive response unit, their response times during peak times were less than five minutes only 41% of the time. He stated that since obtaining the adaptive response unit, their response times are now less than five minutes 61% of the time. He noted that, although this is not a substitute for putting an engine company in the area, it does lower the response time in true emergencies. Councilmember Martinez asked what would be needed to bring the response time up to their goal of 80%. Mr. Edwards stated that they would incrementally get to that goal as they added the engine companies at the southeast corner of 83rd and Maryland Avenues, 73rd Avenue and the Arrowhead Mall area, and 53rd Avenue and Beardsley Road. He noted that their goal was being adopted on a national basis and was based on emergency medical services and the need to administer life support care in under four minutes. Councilmember Martinez stated that the people who live in the southeastern area of the City are at higher risk and the City should do whatever is necessary to bring the area up to the same level of coverage as other areas. Mr. Edwards stated that he shared Councilmember Martinez' concerns and he pointed out that it is a very high density area. He said that they had planned to put a station in that area in Fiscal Year 2003- 2004 and would continue to run the adaptive response unit until it is no longer needed. He noted that the response time for the City in general is less than five minutes only 48% of the time. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Edwards where he saw the company being located. Mr. Edwards stated that they estimate it will be somewhere between 50th and 55th Avenues and Bethany Home Road. He explained that one benefit to this area is that they will not have to pay the premium land prices that they have to pay in the Arrowhead area. Mayor Scruggs asked what the city-wide percentage was for response times of less than five minutes. Mr. Edwards stated that it was 48% to 49%. 3 Mayor Scruggs mentioned the gap between 59th Avenue and Thunderbird Road and 55th Avenue and Union Hills Drive. She asked what the response time was in that area. Mr. Edwards stated that Engine 55 was their least reliable station because it covers such a large area. He explained that this is the reason why they have identified two locations in that area for future stations. He stated that they would go to the Arrowhead Mall area before going to Beardsley Road because of the density around Arrowhead Mall. Mayor Scruggs stated that there was no physical way to cover the distance in five minutes. Mr. Edwards agreed. He explained that the way in which the City is laid out makes it very difficult to get to certain areas in a direct manner and forces them to take longer routes. Mr. Harrington explained that Station 155 has one of the largest running areas (approximately 11 square miles) and that, in 40% of the calls, another unit responds before Station 155 can get there. He stated that the Bell Road area has been identified as an area of concern. Mayor Scruggs noted that the area between Thunderbird and Bell Roads was high volume, multi-family with small lots and that there was a very serious problem in the area. She stated that she did not believe the City of Phoenix has any fire stations planned for that area in less than five years. Mr. Edwards stated that they had talked about identifying a site on the Loop 101 corridor, but had not as yet done anything. Mayor Scruggs stated that she had watched congestion in the area increase and did not believe they could identify another area that was as congested. She suggested that they revisit this issue at another time. Councilmember Lieberman agreed with Mayor Scruggs and with Councilmember Martinez' suggestion that the fire station in the Arrowhead Mall area be accelerated. Mr. Edwards stated that the fire stations in the Arrowhead Mall area and on Bethany Home Road would be constructed and staffed in Fiscal Year 2003-2004, but the costs would be spread out over two budget periods. He explained that it would be very difficult to bring on and train 45 people in one year. Mayor Scruggs stated that, as the area itself and traffic in the area continue to grow, the number of incidences in the area will continue to grow as well. She agreed with Councilmember Lieberman that, as responsible elected officials, they have to look at these issues. Councilmember Martinez agreed with Mayor Scruggs and Councilmember Lieberman. He noted that there are three large apartment complexes being built in the area, which will add an additional 1,000 units. 4 Councilmember Lieberman suggested that Mayor Scruggs get together with Dr. Vanacour to see if there was a way to bring this station forward to 2002. Councilmember Samaniego agreed that, although there was a great need in the northern area of the City, the need also continues to grow in the southern and western areas. He said that a third necessary element was the training center and he suggested that it should also be moved forward in the budget. Dr. Vanacour stated that he would get together with Mr. Edwards and bring back a full report on the situation, as well as recommendations on how to move or re-arrange financing. Mr. Edwards stated that there are a lot of alternatives that could be done which may help, yet allow them to keep within their current construction schedule. Mayor Scruggs asked if, in its planning, the Fire Department does forward projections and if it factors into future development. Mr. Edwards explained that they look at zoning for unbuilt properties and rely on the companies in the new areas to help with the risk assessment process. He stated that they were working on a strategic plan that would help set policies for forecasting and hoped to have that plan completed in the near future. Mayor Scruggs noted that she often sees Sun City fire trucks in the City of Glendale, which indicates to her that Glendale is not available to respond to these calls. Councilmember Martinez suggested that the Fire Department review incoming applications because they precede building permits by months and could provide an earlier indication of what is coming into a particular neighborhood. Mr. Edwards stated that they have an individual on staff who reviews the plans that come in for developments. Vice Mayor Eggleston noted that the number of fires in the City has gone down steadily for the last few years. He stated that he would be interested in knowing what the calls that the Fire Department responds to entail. Mr. Edwards stated that they would develop and provide Council with a summary review report. Mr. Edwards continued his presentation by explaining the Fire Department accreditation process. He stated that they had a completion target date of January 2001. He explained that accreditation provides for quality improvement through continuous self assessment, promotes excellence, and recognizes the Fire Department as a nationally certified fire agency. Mayor Scruggs asked if, considering their current response times, they could receive accreditation. Mr. Edwards explained that response times are community dependent and do not factor into the accreditation criteria. 5 Vice Mayor Eggleston asked how many cities in the nation were accredited. Mr. Edwards explained that there are 21 cities currently accredited and 260 in the process of being accredited. He noted that the City of Tempe was the first city accredited in the country. Mr. Edwards explained that the Childhood Immunization Program has immunized 1,904 children in 12 clinics and that Glendale residents account for 77% of those who were immunized. He noted that they received over $73,000 worth of vaccinations, as well as $10,000 in donations from companies. With regard to Firefighter Recruiting, Testing and Hiring, Mr. Edwards stated that they test every two years and usually have a large pool of candidates from which to choose. He explained that the supplemental will cover the testing process and hiring costs. Councilmember Martinez asked how many applicants in the pool had already taken the test. Mr. Edwards stated that one of the problems with testing every two years was that the applicants were exposed to every other fire department in the Valley. He stated that it was hard to tell how many good candidates were available for employment. He suggested that they may have to revise their testing method and go to a process where they continually test. Mayor Scruggs asked if physical requirements were part of the test. Mr. Edwards stated that they were and that one of the concerns was that the physical abilities of a candidate could change during two years. He stated that the Fire Department has a practice of requiring a physical agility examination prior to hiring. He noted that another problem was that, as they get to the bottom of the candidate pool list, they may not be getting the best candidates. He explained that they rely on an interview process, conducted by a board made up of firefighters, that evaluates how well the candidates will fit into the organization. Councilmember Lieberman asked what the turnover rate was in the Fire Department. Mr. Edwards stated that, although some people retire, he did not recall anyone quitting or going to another city's fire department in the last four years. Mr. Edwards reviewed the Project Impact Matching Funds, explaining that it helps the community become disaster resistant by strengthening the City's infrastructure. Mr. Edwards explained that the thermal imaging device technology has improved over the last few years and costs approximately $15,000. He showed a video explaining that a thermal imaging device allows firefighters to see through smoke and locate victims. Councilmember Lieberman questioned how they could not approve this device, considering the recent loss of three firefighters. 6 Councilmember Martinez commented on a news story where a person was saved because the firefighters used a thermal imaging device. Mr. Edwards stated that it was in the City of Mesa. He said it was a great piece of equipment that would greatly enhance the Fire Department's ability to recover victims. Councilmember Goulet asked if the request was for one device and how they would determine where it would be most effectively used and housed. Mr. Edwards stated that they wanted to see how successful they were with it before requesting additional units. He said that it would be kept with the Battalion Chief who responds to most fires. Mayor Scruggs asked if they would have to wait for their order or if it was a stock item. Mr. Edwards stated that they are in stock. Mayor Scruggs suggested that they order the device now. She stated that the Council would find the money to cover the cost in the Contingency Fund and it would be paid back after July 1, 2000. She explained that she did not feel comfortable waiting until July 1st to start the process when they could have it now. Councilmember Martinez agreed with Mayor Scruggs and asked if two devices would give them coverage for the entire City. Mr. Edwards stated that the optimum would be to have one at every company. However, he suggested that the Council allow the Fire Department to first test the process to determine if it meets all of their needs. Councilmember Lieberman agreed that the device should be purchased immediately. He noted, however, that the Fire Department should evaluate the device before purchasing additional ones. Councilmember Samaniego asked how many devices would be necessary to cover the entire City. Mr. Edwards explained that they would need to determine which companies routinely respond to certain areas so that the units could be strategically placed. Councilmember Samaniego agreed that the unit should be purchased at this time Dr. Vanacour commented that they should order at least two units to start with, so that they will always have one in case problems occur. He stated that they would order two units immediately. Mayor Scruggs expressed her opinion that, in the grand scheme of things, $15,000 was not expensive for a camera that could save lives. PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION Mr. Martin explained that Public Works Administration oversees three departments (Utilities, Field Operations and Parks & Recreation) and two divisions (Environmental Resources and the Airport). He stated that Public Works Administration has over 400 employees and approximately 45% of the total City budget. He noted that the base 7 budget is $1 .2 million, with a carryover of $126,869 and $98,000 in supplementals. He explained that the supplementals were for HazMat Incidence Response ($25,000), Runway Sealing/Rejuvenator ($60,000) and Control Tower Maintenance and Janitorial ($13,000). With regard to the HazMat Incidence Response money, he explained that they have had more incidences in the past few years of spills of hazardous materials. He noted that, when possible, they would file a claim to recoup the costs from the responsible party; however, various departments have been having to absorb costs. He stated that the money would be placed into a fund from which they could draw funds to pay for the cleanups. Councilmember Martinez asked if the cleanups included methadone labs. Mr. Martin stated that it did not include cleaning up drug labs, as this was done through the Police Department, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and other agencies. Mr. Martin explained that the Runway Sealing funds would extend the life of the Airport runway from five to seven years. He stated that, without this maintenance, the runway would deteriorate to an unusable state. He also reviewed the Control Tower Maintenance supplemental, noting that they have a contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the FAA to provide the Control Tower Services. He stated that these funds would provide them with regular janitorial services, as well as routine maintenance on the control tower. FIELD OPERATIONS Mr. Hoyt stated that he would cover the non-enterprise portion of Field Operations, including Facilities Management, the Cemetery, Street Maintenance and the Vehicle Replacement Fund. He noted that in 1999 they had resurfaced 18 miles of City streets with rubberized asphalt, they completed major flood restoration at Sahuaro Ranch, and implemented a right-of-way litter control program, policing over 210 linear miles of streets each week. He stated that the base budget is $17.7 million, with a carryover of $3,087,801 and supplementals of $894,307. Councilmember Martinez asked how often they resurfaced streets in a given neighborhood. Mr. Hoyt explained that all of the street maintenance scheduling was done through a modeling procedure called "Pavement Management" and it depended on the age of the street. He stated that, once a street is five years old, they would do normal maintenance on it every five years. Mr. Hoyt explained that Facilities Management covers all of the building trades, custodial, security and graffiti removal. He stated that two of the supplementals were for the Cemetery, the first being for a Backhoe for the Grave Digger ($49,500), and the second is for Landscaping Improvements ($15,000). He noted that they were also requesting a supplemental for Custodial Staffing Services ($146,400), which includes six full-time employees. 8 Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the $146,400 would replace the $500,000 contract. Mr. Hoyt explained that the cost of hiring private companies has risen dramatically and that it was cheaper to handle the growth with additional full-time employees. He stated that they would still have some contract people; however, rather than hiring a janitorial company, they would go through a staffing agency. Mayor Scruggs asked if the $146,400 was only for the six City employees. Mr. Hoyt stated that this was correct. Mayor Scruggs asked if they foresaw eventually moving to having only City employees. Mr. Hoyt stated that he foresaw always having a mix of both City employees and contract workers. He explained that three of people they would be hiring would be lead positions and three would be specialists in floor and carpet care. Councilmember Samaniego noted that the private sector was moving in the opposite direction - getting rid of full-time employees in favor of contract employees. He asked if studies had been done to ensure that they would be saving money by going to full-time employees. Mr. Martin stated that they had been on contract maintenance with some City employees and a few temporary employees. He explained that, when they were faced with renewing the contract, they looked at the State contract and determined that there would be a $500,000 increase to cover the new buildings and the cost increase of the new contract. He stated they had determined that hiring some of the lead and skilled people on a full-time basis and hiring the high-turnover positions through a temporary agency would be considerably more economical. Councilmember Samaniego asked how much they were spending annually on a contractual basis. He suggested that their analysis should include the entire City. Mr. Martin stated that they had looked at the entire City and he offered to obtain the contract costs for Councilmember Samaniego. Mr. Hoyt explained that contract companies bid jobs by tasks and there was a breakpoint where it was reasonable to use some contract staff. He suggested that they were seeing an escalation in janitorial service costs as a result of the low unemployment rate. Councilmember Martinez asked if they were moving towards consolidation. Mr. Hoyt explained that the rapid turn-over rate was a security concern in terms of background checks and training of the individuals. Mr. Mickel stated that the high cost originally quoted was for consigning buildings to a contractor. He said that, in this plan, City employees would supervise and provide more control over security. 9 Councilmember Martinez asked if the building they were occupying was under contract. Mr. Mickel stated that they had a combination of staff, noting that the supervisor was a City employee, while others were under contract from Kelly Manpower Temporary Services. Councilmember Samaniego stated that he was under the impression they were contracting with a facilities maintenance or management company, which eliminates the need to train people. He stated that he only now realized they were hiring Kelly people and he saw that they were at a disadvantage. Mayor Scruggs clarified that the janitorial service companies are more expensive because the City has to absorb the company's overhead, administrative costs, etc. She stated that it was more cost effective to hire them in-house. She said that there was another pool of employees, who are hired through a temporary agency, who do the routine maintenance. She asked if they were proposing a hybrid system that would eliminate the expense of janitorial service and would have a mixture of people, some of whom would be hired through a temporary agency to do the day-to-day tasks and a group of in-house employees that would assume lead positions. She asked for confirmation that this was not a plan to eventually replace all contract workers with City employees. Mr. Hoyt stated that Mayor Scruggs was correct. Councilmember Samaniego stated that he wanted to see a comparison with a private company's bid. Mr. Hoyt explained that they obtained the $500,000 figure from the County contract, which was the result of competitive bidding and was done on a cost per square foot basis. Mayor Scruggs suggested that Councilmember Samaniego and Mr. Hoyt resolve this issue between themselves because she did not see any other direction of the Council. Mr. Martin offered to meet with Councilmember Samaniego to go through the data. Mr. Hoyt stated that the City Hall and Staff Security supplemental ($93,987) was to integrate electronic security systems into one system, including panic alarms, a card access reader system, and intrusion alarm systems. He noted that it would also report incidences to the Police Department in a more timely manner. He stated that the supplemental also provides for an additional full-time Security Officer to be assigned to the City Hall facility. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he had been in the building late at night and no one had ever responded when he had deliberately tried to set off an alarm. Mr. Mickel stated that the building is alarmed after 1:00 a.m. He noted that there are keypads in different zones throughout the building that are activated when staff leaves. They are, however, independent. Mr. Hoyt noted that Facilities Management was also involved in the restoration of two historic areas. He stated that the supplemental for Manistee Ranch ($50,000) provides for the continued restoration of the Manistee Ranch Historic Area property. He 10 explained that they would weather and waterproof the house foundation, replace the entire mechanical system, and restore the interior. He stated that the Bank of America Building supplemental ($200,000) would create a reserve for future unanticipated costs. Mr. Hoyt noted that there were no supplementals for street maintenance. He stated that their mission was to provide a safe transportation environment for the community through proper maintenance of streets, sidewalks and drainage systems. He reviewed the duties and responsibilities of Street Maintenance Services. He stated that the mission of Street Cleaning was to provide a healthy, safe environment for Glendale citizens by keeping the streets free of debris. He explained that all City streets are swept twice a month, downtown and arterial streets are swept once a week, spills are swept as needed, and sweeping occurs prior to and after all seal coat applications. Mr. Hoyt stated that the goal of the Right of Way Division was to provide and maintain safe and aesthetically pleasing rights of way for Glendale citizens and visitors. He noted that Right of Way services include landscaping in the rights-of-way, drip irrigation systems, weed and liter control, and the maintenance of alleys and the City's undeveloped rights- of-way. In response to a question posed by Mayor Scruggs, Mr. Martin explained that they had established a fund to purchase alternative fuel vehicles when they become available. He stated that they needed a fund of approximately $900,000 to enable them to get to full compliance with the State mandate. He noted that they put $300,000 into the fund last year and were proposing to put the second $300,000 in this year, with the final $300,000 coming next year. He explained that the State requirements will eventually require that 75% of the fleet be on alternative fuels and the City is currently at 10%. Councilmember Samaniego asked who maintains the schedule for resealing streets and how could he be kept informed of the schedule so that he could respond to citizen inquiries. Mr. Martin explained that it was done in the Street Maintenance Division and they go through an annual scheduling process. He noted that Councilmembers could get details from the Superintendent of Streets. Councilmember Martinez asked if older parts of the cemetery were going to be improved. Mr. Hoyt stated that the older, desert area is historical and they have employed handicapped adults to maintain that area. The meeting was recessed for a short break from 10:25 a.m. to 10:35 a.m. PARKS AND RECREATION Mr. Smith introduced the Parks and Recreation Department, explaining that it provides park and recreational programs and facilities to meet the social, physical and mental health needs of the community. He stated that its mission is to provide quality facilities and programs at a reasonable cost to meet the needs of the public for sport, fitness and leisure time activities. He stated that benefits of Parks and Recreation fall into four categories: individual, community, economic and environmental. He explained that 11 individual and community benefits include an increased quality of life, reduced crime and delinquency, enhanced cultural and ethnic understanding, harmony and tolerance and support for youth and the elderly. He noted that economic benefits include increased tourism, enhanced property values, business retention and reduced vandalism and crime. He said that environmental benefits such as clean water and air, wildlife preservation, and reduced pollution can also be attributed to the Parks and Recreation Department. Mr. Smith stated that the base budget for the Parks and Recreation Department is $8,651,679, with no carryover and 20 supplemental requests totaling $462,985. Mr. Smith explained that the Parks and Recreation Department is organized into four divisions: Special Operations, Administrative Support, North District, and Central District. He stated that the Special Operations Division is responsible for City-wide programs and maintenance. He identified some of the main activities as being support for the Arts Commission, pool maintenance, special interest classes and audio/visual for City-wide special events. He noted that over 96,000 citizens participated in the various aquatics programs that the City offered last year. He reviewed the five supplementals for Special Operations: New Pick-up for AudioNisual ($23,000); Sound System-Paseo Racquet Center ($77,250); Replacement Bulbs for Amphitheater ($3,150); LCD Projector/Laptop ($12,250); and Two Half-Ton Pick-ups for Park Rangers ($39,000) which will allow for increased coverage of the City's parks. Mr. Smith explained that the Administrative Division provides administrative support, accounting functions and customer service. He stated that they process 13,646 activity registrations and 13,588 facility reservations annually, handle inquiries, distribute information, take fingerprints and process 201 background checks annually for volunteers working with youth. He stated that this division has two supplementals, Internet and Touchtone Registration Software ($34,000) and Background Check Funding ($13,000). Mr. Smith stated that the North District Division serves the area of Glendale north of Olive Avenue with recreational, social and educational activities, as well as park maintenance and special projects. He noted that Sahuaro Ranch is in the Central District. He stated that the supplementals for the North District include Computers for Recreation Staff ($4,800), Half-Ton Pick-Up Truck ($19,000), Computer for Park Staff ($2,400); Thunderbird Paseo Irrigation Study ($50,000); and New Parks Operations and Maintenance ($84,506). He explained that the purpose of the Thunderbird Paseo Irrigation Study was to determine alternatives for getting water to that particular site and for possible recreational improvements. Councilmember Lieberman asked if park rangers were equipped with bicycles. Mr. Smith stated that they were. He added that they were very popular at Sahuaro Ranch. Councilmember Martinez explained that it was brought to his attention a few months ago that the park located on 67th Avenue, south of Thunderbird Road, was in need of improvements. He asked if this had been taken care of. Mr. Smith stated that they had 12 assigned one individual to be responsible for the improvements to Century Garden Park. Councilmember Martinez asked for an update on Skunk Creek. Mr. Smith stated that he expected to have the award of two contracts for the Foothills and Skunk Creek parks by the next meeting and hoped to have the plans completed and out to bid by summer. Councilmember Martinez asked when construction would start. Mr. Smith estimated that construction might start as early as September. Mr. Smith explained that the Central District serves the area of Glendale south of Olive Avenue and Sahuaro Ranch Park. He stated that the Central District is responsible for park maintenance, recreational and educational programs, GRASP sites and the Glendale Community Center. He stated that the Central District has eight supplementals, including Parks Operations and Maintenance ($9,550), Tables and Chairs for 2 GRASP Sites ($8,000), and Replacement Pick-up Truck ($19,300). He stated that the remaining supplementals are for the Glendale Community Center and include Staff for Summer Drop-In Program ($17,362), Contractual Funding ($5,000), Staff Cultural & Special Events ($5,492), Increase FTE (full-time employee) Hours ($28,925), and a Replacement Vehicle ($7,000). He explained that they would like to use high school students to teach children how to use computers and access the Internet at the Glendale Community Center. He noted that the increase in FTE hours will allow them to increase the center's hours and offer additional opportunities for seniors. Councilmember Goulet asked when they would start the new 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. hours. Mr. Smith stated that they anticipated starting on July 1St with the funding of this supplemental. Councilmember Goulet asked if that date could be moved to earlier in the summer, given the need since school will be out. Mayor Scruggs asked if the $28,000 was a twelve-month figure and if it would cost one- twelfth of that amount to move the program up to June. Mr. Smith stated that Mayor Scruggs was correct. Dr. Vanacour stated that this could be done. Mr. Smith agreed to work on a plan so that they could start with the new hours in June. Councilmember Goulet asked if it was their intent to have specific hours for the computer training. Mr. Smith explained that he would like to see an established program, with a curriculum similar to that at the Senior Center. Councilmember Goulet asked if a proficiency test would be given so that students could demonstrate to schools or potential employers that they have proficiency in a particular program. Mr. Smith said that he was not sure they could teach individuals to the point where they could write programs; however, they would teach them how to use the medium for communication and extracting information and reports. He stated that they do want to be able to measure the results and that this would be a component of the lesson plan. 13 Mayor Scruggs stated that, if the City worked with the School District, students could get to a point where they would no longer need to take basic keyboarding in school and could be waived out of that class. Mr. Smith agreed that this should be explored and he noted that they have held meetings with the Glendale School District and the Youth Development Team. Councilmember Goulet stated that he was not concerned with children learning how to write programs. He noted that proficiency in a particular program may help them get an entry level position with an employer. Councilmember Lieberman asked why they were requesting a used vehicle when they were asking for new pick-up trucks. Mr. Smith explained that they had found that, although recycled police vehicles work well, pickup trucks are not available. Mayor Scruggs noted that it has been mentioned that the youth programs need a van to take people to events. Councilmember Martinez stated that the van has to be wheelchair accessible. Mr. Smith explained that they have the Fun Bus, which is wheelchair accessible, but in need of repair. He agreed with Councilmember Martinez that they do need a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Mr. McClendon stated that they would come back with information on this issue when they returned next week with their summary. UTILITIES Mr. Reedy explained that the mission of the Utilities Department is to provide safe, reliable water and wastewater service to its citizens. He stated that it is also the Department's responsibility to comply with all environmental and health standards, to anticipate and respond to emergencies in a timely and appropriate manner, and to accommodate growth and new demand within the City. He noted that ten years ago they were providing 10 billion gallons of water a year and today they are providing 15 billion gallons. He stated that they have 54,000 customers in the system and receive over 1,200 calls per week. He noted that they produced 800 million gallons of reclaimed water last year. He explained that they get their water from the Central Arizona Project and the Arizona Canal System. He noted that they also use some Salt River Project wells and City owned wells to meet peak demand in the summer. Mr. Reedy reviewed the statistics for the Cholla Water Treatment, the Pyramid Peak Water Treatment Plant, the Arrowhead Wastewater Reclamation facility, and the Western Area Wastewater Reclamation facility. He stated that the Utilities Base Budget is $19,546,298, with $997,480 in carryover and $1,511,008 in supplementals. Councilmember Martinez asked why the costs varied at the different facilities. Mr. Reedy explained that some of the difference could be attributed to the continued improvements in technology. 14 Mr. Reedy highlighted some of the supplementals for the Utilities Department, including a CAP (Central Arizona Project) Water Allocation ($164,682). Vice Mayor Eggleston noted that there are only four City wells in operation. He asked if the CAP Allocation helped get them away from using ground water. Mr. Reedy stated that it did and that this has been one of the City's long-term goals. Councilmember Samaniego asked why they had only received 3,000 acre feet when they had requested 5,000. Mr. Reedy stated that it partially involved the lawsuit between the Federal Government and the State over the cost of repayment for the Central Arizona Project, as well as the Arizona Water Banking Authority requirements. He explained that there was some relinquishment of Municipal and Industrial Water rights for a total of 65,000 acre feet, which then went through a process wherein any agency in the state could apply for that water. He stated that the allocation process looked at the demands of the different agencies that applied and evaluated those needs to determine how much each community would receive. He explained that the City of Glendale has an assured water supply, whereas other communities do not. Councilmember Samaniego stated that Glendale residents are not aware of all of the work behind their water supply and they take it for granted. Councilmember Martinez asked if all of the 65,000 acre feet were allocated. Mr. Reedy stated that it was distributed to 23 local governments. Mr. Reedy reviewed the Bulk Chemical Cost Increase supplemental ($150,000) in response to increased drinking water regulations. He also highlighted the Laboratory Instrument Maintenance Contract ($50,000) and the Electrical Conditioning Unit ($18,500) supplementals. Mr. Lynch explained that the supplemental for the Courier Services for Satellite Drop- boxes ($7,800) replaces Police Department Services with outside contractual services and will allow the police officers to return full-time to public safety related duties. He stated that the Temporary Services supplemental ($22,400) will provide backup for the Customer Relations, Billing, Revenue Recovery and Administration areas. He highlighted the Postage Increase supplemental ($11,840), explaining that it was basically implemented by the Postal Service. Councilmember Martinez asked why they could not use a vehicle from the motor pool rather than having one on standby. Mr. Martin explained that they intend to use the vehicle as a front-line vehicle and to retire one of the existing S-10's for use as a backup. Mayor Scruggs noted that the final budget workshop session would be held on April 18, 2000. 15 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m. 16