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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 4/17/2001 * 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 5850 West Glendale Avenue April 17, 2001 8:00 a.m. PRESENT: Mayor Scruggs, Vice Mayor Eggleston, and Councilmembers Clark, Frate, Goulet, Lieberman, and Martinez. ALSO PRESENT: Martin Vanacour, City Manager; Ed Beasley, Assistant City Manager; Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; Pamela Oliveira, City Clerk; and lain Vasey, Redevelopment Manager FISCAL YEAR 2001-2002 BUDGET PROCESS CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Dr. Martin Vanacour, City Manager; and Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director. This was the second of the scheduled City Council workshops to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001-02 Annual Budget. At this meeting, the focus was on the departments within the City Manager's, Administrative Services, and Community Services Groups. The November City Council Goal-Setting Retreat was the first step in the Fiscal Year 2001-02 budget process. At a December follow-up session, the Mayor and Council adopted a list of goals that included enhancements to the City's Geographic Information System (GIS), additional right-of-way beautification procts throughout the City, funds for property acquisition, a traffic study in the area of 83 Avenue and Union Hills Drive, and additional programming at the Glendale Adult Center. Additionally, the Council approved additional police officer and police support positions, and the positions required to staff Fire Station 158, which will be located at 83'd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The City Manager has reviewed the budget requests of all departments and prepared a balanced budget for presentation to the City Council. Public meeting notices were posted in the same manner as regular Council workshops. The City Council will review the Fiscal Year 2001-02 budget at workshops held during April of 2001. The recommendations made at these workshops will direct staff in preparing for final City Council budget review and adoption in June of 2001. The recommendation was to review the Fiscal Year 2001-02 Proposed Annual Budget and provide staff with direction. 1 Mr. Beasley noted that all budgets presented are balanced and contain previous and current Council goals. He then introduced Mr. Chuck Murphy, the new Information Technology Director. Mr. McClendon introduced four employees from other departments who were assigned to his office as budget liaisons on a part-time basis during the budget process. He then introduced Mr. Don Bolton, a new budget analyst in his department. CITY MANAGER GROUP CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director; Ms. La'/erne Parker-Diggs, Human Resources Director; Mr. Jim Colson, Economic Development Director; and Ms. Lupe Sierra , Employee Benefits Manager City Auditor's Budget Mr. McClendon stated that the City Auditor's budget balances to the 100%t target base, with no carryover or supplemental requests. Intergovernmental Relations Mr. McClendon reported that the Intergovernmental Relations Department budget is also balanced to its base budget target, with no carryover or supplemental requests. Human Resources Mr. McClendon explained that most of the Human Resources base budget is in a Benefits Trust Fund. He said they also have a Worker's Compensation Trust Fund and the General Fund portion of their base budget totals $2 million. He identified a carryover request of $719,273 and supplemental requests of $352,442. Mr. McClendon clarified for Councilmember Clark that the amount identified for Professional and Contractual is what is paid to outside contract companies that help administer the Ci-:y's programs. Mayor Scruggs inquired as to who the funds were being paid to. Ms. Sierra explained that the funds are primarily paid to a third-party administrator, who administers claims for the City's Worker's Compensation program. Organizational Resources Analys1 Ms. Parker-Diggs stated that the first supplemental was for an Organizational Resources Analyst. She explained that the position would be responsible for overseeing leadership resources, analysis, and research to individuals on a day-to-day ongoing basis. She said the position would also work with the Diversity Committee to implement initiatives that might come from that committee on a City-wide basis. Councilmember Clark asked if the Organizational Resources Analyst would provide guidance in developing career paths. Ms. Parker-Diggs said they would give employees guidance in terms of certifications and other things that they might need in order to progress within the organization. Councilmember Clark asked what makes the position critical enough to warrant granting a full-time employee position. Ms. Parker- Diggs explained that the organization has placed a great deal of emphasis on education; therefore, she believed it was important to have a resource that would assist employees in identifying a career path within the organization. Councilmember Clark referred to another request for an Employee Development Coordinator and asked if it would be possible to have one full-time employee assume the responsibility of both positions. Mr. Beasley explained that the position was previously a contractual position and the City found that it paid very good dividends towards the organization. He stated that, while they cannot control outside factors that cause employees to leave, they can provide opportunities for people to enhance their educational experience and training, thereby, increasing the probability of retaining them. Ms. Parker-Diggs explained that the Employee Development Coordinator looks at the needs of the organization and identifies what employees have to do to meet those needs, whereas the Organizational Resource Analyst looks at individual employees and determines what each one needs to move up within the organization. Councilmember Clark said, while she supported staff's effort to follow through on identified initiatives, she was not convinced that two full-time employees were necessary. Mayor Scruggs noted that their books list the new position as a Diversity Coordinator. Ms. Parker-Diggs said, although the position was initially titled Diversity Coordinator, they felt the title Organizational Resources Analyst did a better job of representing the broad aspects of the position. Councilmember Goulet said he shared Councilmember Clark's concerns regarding a potential overlap of duties between the two positions. He cautioned staff in terms of modeling the City after the private sector. He pointed out the fact that the private sector's first response to difficult times is to eliminate jobs. He asked if employees could talk to their supervisors about goals they might have and what they could do to further themselves within the organization. He also questioned whether the positions could be combined into one or if staff had looked to see if the duties were already being done by the department heads. Councilmember Martinez asked if someone in the Human Resources Department had previously performed the duties of the Employee Development Coordinator. Ms. Parker-Diggs said the Employee Development Coordinator has been working with other members of the Human Resources Department staff to the extent that they need an understanding of other issues going on within the organization before developing a program. She said Mr. Don Anderson, the Employee Development Coordinator, has been developing programs, conducting classes, and identifying outside sources to conduct classes. 3 Mayor Scruggs asked for clarification that staff was recommending that the contract position be made full time and that a second full-time employee be hired to concentrate on individual needs, She stated that, while the Council supports employee development, they also recognize that other employee positions are over extended. She asked why two employees were necessary when direct supervisors should have some responsibility to assist employees in developing career paths. Councilmember Lieberman agreed with Mayor Scruggs. He noted that he continuously hears complaints about the Code Compliance Department. He stated that he would go along with funding one of the positions, but not both, and he would make a strong pitch for hiring an additional Code Compliance Officer. Mr. Beasley proposed that they bring information back, identifying what the Employee Development Coordinator has accomplished within the last two years. He said they could either look at the Organizational Resources Analyst position on a contractual basis or see if other employees could assume those responsibilities. Councilmember Lieberman pointed out the fact that the salary identified for the Organizational Resources Analyst would pay for two Code Compliance Officers. He said he was much more concerned with what his constituents view as neighborhood problems. Councilmember Clark questioned how far they should take specialization. She noted that employees no longer have broad backgrounds. She said she looks for renaissance employees who can do several things. She asked if that was the organization's philosophy as well. Ms. Parker-Diggs said they have made attempts to cross-train employees so as not to have specialized employees. Councilmember Clark expressed her concern that the requested position is too job specific. Councilmember Fr ate asked how many employees the City has. Mr. Beasley estimated that the City has approximately 1,800 employees. Councilmember Frate expressed his opinion that it is important to invest in the City's employees and he sees the position as being necessary. Councilmember Goulet asked to see how much time managers or supervisors spend with employee's on career path issues. In response to Ccuncilmember Martinez's question, Ms. Parker-Diggs stated that it is part of the annual review process to go over the employee's goals and what steps are necessary to meet those goals. She explained that Human Resources staff then uses that information to identify the types of training that should be developed and made available to the employees. Mayor Scruggs said the request to make the Employee Development Coordinator a full- time position should be put aside until an update can be given as to what the Employee Development Coordinator has accomplished over the past two years. She stated that 4 the Organizational Research Analyst position would also be put aside until it was determined if that position's duties could be delegated to other employees. She stressed the fact that the Council supports doing what is best for the City's employees to show them that they are valued. Educational Assistance Program Ms. Parker-Diggs stated that the Educational Assistance program has been extremely successful. She said the current funds only provide for approximately 60% of reimbursement requests and the requested funds would augment the existing funds, allowing employees to continue with their educational goals. Councilmember Lieberman expressed his opinion that the item should be an ongoing expense rather than a one-time expense. Ms. Parker-Diggs explained that they were asking for the one-time expenditure because they believe the program will level off. She agreed that they would probably come back to the Council in the future, but it would probably be for a lesser amount. Mr. McClendon agreed that the item should be funded on an ongoing basis. He stated that he supported the way Human Resources' staff has approached the issue because they have yet to determine what the ongoing requirement will be. Councilmember Goulet asked how many employees participate in the program. Ms. Parker-Diggs said 250 employees are currently participating in the Educational Assistance program. Vice Mayor Eggleston stated that they should continue funding the program because people who have taken advantage of the program have found it to be very beneficial. He pointed out that other organizations of equal size usually offer such assistance. He asked if the Ernloyee Development Coordinator and/or Organizational Research Analyst would administer the program. Ms. Parker-Diggs stated that the Employee Development Coordinator is responsible for overseeing all enrollment activities for the 250 individuals currently in the program. Modern Compensations Training Ms. Parker-Diggs explained the fact that this supplemental is linked to one of the City Council objectives for a modernized compensation system. She said they had been working with consultants to identify the various components of the modern compensation study. She stated that they had found throughout the process that there are some managers and supervisors who could benefit from training. She explained that they would like to provide training to all managers and supervisors who will be responsible for implementing the modernized compensation system. Councilmember Clark asked what a performance management system was. Ms. Parker-Diggs explained that one aspect of the modernized compensation system is to include a system for evaluating employees. Councilmember Clark said dissemination 5 of a performance management system is the responsibility of the Human Resources Department. She asked why they were requesting a separate supplemental for that purpose. Ms. Parker-Diggs explained that the study is being conducted by outside consultants and, when completed, Human Resources staff would take the report and make a determination as to what part or parts of the report they would implement. She said providing training to all supervisors and managers throughout the organization would require that the City design, develop, and present the training program. She explained that experts in the field have already provided training to some of the City's managers and that they would like to bring those same experts back to do the full-scale training. Mayor Scruggs asked how much they were spending for the study itself. Ms. Parker- Diggs said the Council had provided $250,000 for the study. Mayor Scruggs asked if the consultants who performed the study have any responsibility to teach what they have developed. She also asked how they know it will cost $100,000 to teach the managers and supervisors. Ms. Parker-Diggs said, based on the costs of previous training performec by the organization, they projected a $100,000 one-time expense for training the rest of the individuals within the organization. She said the consultants were not hired to do any training. They were hired to look at the organization and what is going on in other similarly-sized organizations to see how compensation programs are implemented She said the consultant's findings support the need for a performance management system. Mayor Scruggs asked when the City would have the consultant's report and the system would be adopted. Ms. Parker-Diggs said they anticipated receiving the report in May and they would be ready to implement the new system immediately thereafter. Mayor Scruggs asked if they had any in-house talent that could perform the training, Ms. Parker-Diggs said, while Human Resources has very talented individuals, they would have to hold off on their other responsibilities in order to design, develop, and implement the training program. Councilmember Goulet asked if any portion of the model determines what the return on the training investment would be. Mayor Scruggs pcinted out that one of the unfunded supplementals was for a full-time analyst who would help with the implementation of the new system. Dr. Vanacour said he understood the Council's questions. He suggested that they come back to the Council with a full report. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that coming up with a training package should be a responsibility of the Human Resources Department. Ms. Parker-Diggs clarified that the consultants were looking at the total compensation plan, and not just the performance management system. Mayor Scruggs referred to the Shift Differential unfunded supplemental. She said the City was looking at spending large amounts of money to identify what makes people feel good about i-heir jobs and how to keep them happy working for the City of 6 Glendale. She pointed out that treating people fairly in terms of wages is one way to keep employees happy. She noted that it has been at least 10 years since there was an adjustment to the shift differential rate. She asked where the City was relative to other cities' shift differential pay rates. Ms. Parker-Diggs stated that the modern compensation study was looking at all forms of compensation in the City. She said they would be receiving information from the consultants on shift-differential, how it compares to other organizations, what it should be, and how it should be packaged. Mayor Scruggs questioned whether employees would be willing to wait another year and a half for an increase. Vice Mayor Eggleston pointed out that they would receive the consultant's report next month. Councilmember C ark agreed with Mayor Scruggs with regard to shift differential. She expressed her opinion that the shift differential request was far more persuasive than the $100,000 request for training because those positions are hard to fill, it would build morale, it would make Glendale more competitive, and it would bring a direct benefit to a group of employees. She questioned whether there was any way to immediately implement the request, even in partial fashion. She asked staff to include any information they may have already seen in the proposed compensation package when they come back before the Council. With regard to the City Auditor, Mayor Scruggs referred to a $4,525 unfunded ongoing request for additional professional training, technology upgrade, and effective audit techniques. She commented on the fact that the City Auditor is not getting the funds needed to conduct better audits, but the City is hiring people to tell employees what training they need for professional development. She requested more information on the duties and responsibilities of the Human Resources employees. Councilmember Martinez asked for additional information regarding the City's current employee evaluation system. Economic Development Mr. McClendon reported that the Economic Development Department is balanced to its base budget target, with carryover totaling $9,991 and supplemental requests totaling $1 ,010,000. Mr. Colson explained that there were four separate supplemental requests, two of which are in response to specific Council goals. He said the first supplemental request was for $1 million for the Economic Development Opportunities Fund. He explained that the fund was created as a Council goal last year to provide the City with the opportunity to respond quickly to unanticipated economic development opportunities. He said they had IJsed the program very aggressively and were in the final stages of negotiations with two companies. 7 Mr. Colson confirmed for Councilmember Lieberman that the $1 million request would be added to the $1 million funded last year, for a total of $2 million. Councilmember Clark asked about technology replacement charges and telephone charges. She noted that they appear to be short-funded in a lot of departments. With regard to technology replacement charges, Mr. McClendon explained that, in every case, it fully funds the contribution required based on the inventory they have in the fund. Councilmernber Clark asked why they were seeing telephone charges drop. Mr. McClendon stated that each department reviews changes made to its service and budgets its own costs. He confirmed that if the amounts identified were not sufficient, each department would have to make up the difference out of its own budget. Paint, Plant, Pave and Sign Program Mr. Colson stated that they were requesting a one time increase in the Paint, Plant, Pave and Sign Program to bring it from its current funding level to $200,000. He explained that the purpose of the program was to upgrade commercial properties within the City. He said their goal was to increase jobs, assessed valuations, and sales tax revenues. Councilmember Lieberman asked what the current balance of the fund was. Mr. Colson stated that there is approximately $380,000 in the fund. Councilmember Lieberman asked how much was spent out of that fund last year. Mr. Colson said they were currently wcrking on projects that will use a significant amount of the money. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he understood there was a limit that each business could apply for. Mr. lain Vasey, Redevelopment Manager, explained that there is no maximum amount. He added that every project over $25,000 is brought to the Council for approval. He stated that they were currently working on two projects that could have a significant impact on commercial blight in the area and he believed those projects could easily exceed the $200,000. Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) Contract Mr. Colson explained that GPEC's mission is to leverage regionwide public/private resources to generate high quality investments and jobs by attracting quality companies to the area. He said their goal is to market the region and provide communities with research support. He noted that they have not asked for an increase in the GPEC contract in the past couple years. He explained that the increase would allow them to catch up for the past couple years when they took the increase from their operating budget. Mayor Scruggs asked if the figure takes into account the latest census figures. Mr. Colson said the request was based on the 1999 figures. Councilmember Clark asked why the request did not reflect the latest census figures. She explained that the figure will have to be increased to reflect the population increase. Mr. Colson said negotiations with GPEC have included an agreement that the population number used 8 would lag behind the most current number. Councilmember Clark asked for how long the agreement would be valid. Mr. Colson said the agreement is always annualized and the Board of Directors of GPEC makes a determination as to the formula. Mr. Beasley explained that GPEC is going through an analysis to look at membership services and the overall policy rules that it works under. He said, once the analysis has been completed, tie anticipated new membership would have an effect on future fees. Councilmember Lieberman asked what the population figure was in 1999. Mr. Colson said they had used a population figure of 203,025, which was based on Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) numbers. He said their dues for Fiscal Year 2001 were $90,251 and the dues for Fiscal Year 2002 are $94,102. He stated that $10,000 would be applied towards those dues, with the remainder being taken out of their operating budget. Councilmember Clark asked what accounted for the $4,000 increase in dues. Mr. Colson explained that the formula was actually lowered, but the population figures increased. Councilmember Fate asked what GPEC stands for and what this organization does. Mr. Beasley explained that GPEC stands for Greater Phoenix Economic Council and its purpose is to promote economic development initiatives within Maricopa County. He noted that they also look at federal issues and have evolved into looking at certain transit issues as well. Councilmember Martinez asked which companies have located in Glendale as a result of GPEC. Mr. Colson said no companies located in Glendale during the past year; however, GPEC was the direct lead in bringing six companies to Glendale since 1994. He noted that GPEC also played a major role in bringing other companies to Glendale, but did not act as the direct lead. He stated that they were currently in final negotiations with a very large company brought to the City directly by GPEC. He stressed the value of the research support that GPEC provides the community, Economic Research Assistant Mr. Colson explai ied that the goal of the Economic Development Department is to provide the highest level of customer service to a variety of customers. He said, in putting together the best possible economic development program, they identified the need to create a very good research library and to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) program that would allow them to quickly and efficiently access and provide information regarding Glendale. He explained that the requested position has been a contract position for the past year and the person currently in that position has done a tremendous job. He pointed out the fact that their Department will become much busier as a result of the recent announcement of the Coyote's arena and all of the development they expect to go along with it. He noted that GPEC stated that Glendale is the most aggressive and up-to-date when responding to economic development projects. 9 Councilmember Martinez asked for confirmation that the request was to convert the contract position to a permanent one. Mr. Colson stated that this was correct. He explained that the tremendous increase in work makes solidifying the position critical. Councilmember Clark said there were two unfunded items that caused her concern. She identified the first as the Community Action Program full-time caseworker. She explained that grcwth occurs not only in terms of new homes and businesses, but also in terms of people who are economically or socially disadvantaged. She noted that the request was based on the increase in clientele and the increase in paperwork for crisis programs. She suggested, as they move through the budget process, that they free up some money and apply it towards that case worker position. She identified the second item of concern as being the Internal Auditor position. She explained that auditors do not provide a quantifiable direct cost recovery, but, in the long run, provide cost recovery by identifying areas of a department's operation that could be streamlined or improved in some way. She stated that audits are crucial to the organization and are a tool that can be used to improve performance throughout the City. She suggested that additional funding be found and directed towards that request as well. Mr. McClendon stated that they would keep track of those items identified by the Council. He noted, however, that the only way to identify additional money would be for the Council to take it out of other items. With regard to the Internal Auditor position, Mr. McClendon stated that Mr. William Kaehler, Acting City Auditor, was comfortable with re-assessing their needs once all of their open positions have been filled. Mayor Scruggs asked staff to compile a list of requested positions, as well as those that the Council agreed to fund. Mayor Scruggs expressed concern about costs associated with supplies, postage, and duplicating. She asked what would happen if departments were not given enough money to cover those items. Mr. McClendon stated that almost every department found it necessary to increase line items, but were not able to do so. He said departments were, therefore, required to manage within the line items in the budget and put funding into areas they believed were most critical to complete their work assignments. The Council meeting recessed for a short break. Administrative Services Group CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director; Ms. Paula Ilardo, Marketing Director; Mr. Ray Shuey, Controller; and Mr. Robert Drake, Revenue Administrator. Ms. Ilardo reviewed highlights from the past year. She noted that the Civic Center brought in over $300,000 in revenue, representing 45% of the base budget for the first year. She said approximately 52,000 people came to the downtown area to visit the Civic Center and 759 separate event spaces were rented. 10 Councilmember Martinez asked what the increased bookings for this year do to the projected income. Ms. Ilardo stated that they had not received an updated figure. She noted that income depends on the type of events being booked. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the base budget represents the actual cost of operating the Civic Center. Ms. Ilardo replied in the affirmative. She noted that they had a one-time $40,000 addition to the budget last year for signage. She said, based on the first calendar year, they brought in 45% of the cost of operations. She explained that fiscal year figures cannot be evaluated until July of this year. Councilmember Clark asked if the revenue earned includes charges paid by departments when they book events. Ms. Ilardo said it did. Councilmember Clark asked Ms. Ilardo for a breakdown of what the public paid versus what was paid by City departments. Ms. Ilardo stated that 28% of the usage was City of Glendale events; however, a number of those events were not catered. Councilmember Clark asked how much the City subsidizes the use of the Civic Center through City functions. Ms. Ilardo stated that this information would be included in their final report. Mayor Scruggs suggested that they compare what the City used to spend on events prior to having the Civic Center to get a true comparison, explaining that the City may actually be saving money by hosting events in a City facility. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that they need to identify to what extent the City subsidizes the Civic Center through fees paid for events. Mayor Scruggs said that would be fine, as long as it includes a disclaimer that those monies were previously paid to other facilities. Councilmember Martinez took issue with the term "subsidize". He explained that the City had to pay to hold its events at other facilities prior to the development of the Civic Center. Councilmember Clark clarified her position that there is an incumbency on the City to let people know that additional City funds support the Civic Center. Ms. Ilardo said they charge everyone equally to use the facility. Mayor Scruggs pointed out that, if the City did not have to pay for use of the Civic Center, not only would it lose the income associated with those bookings, but outside income would be prevented from coming in because the City would book all of its events there. Ms. Ilardo noted that the Visitor's Center had 5,000 visitors in its first four months of operation. With regard to the Internet, she said they were now working with all of the City departments to keep the Web pages updated. Mayor Scruggs complimented Ms. Ilardo on the Web Content Management Team. 11 Speed Reduction Campaign Ms. Ilardo reported that they were currently asking for $150,000, but were still working on that number. She stated that they had spent $100,000 and received over $215,000 in free publicity during the first year of the campaign. She acknowledged the fact that they would not receive the same kind of press coverage if they do another campaign. She, therefore, assumed they would have to spend more money to get the same amount of effect. She said her department would work with the Governor's group on red-light running. Councilmember C lark said she appreciated the fact that a portion of the campaign would be targetea towards high school students. Ms. Ilardo stated that they want to meet with school administrators to obtain input as to what would be most effective in reaching the students. Mayor Scruggs suggested using the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, whose members would like to get involved with the campaign and could give a student's perspective in terms of impact. Ms. Ilardo stated that they would bring a detailed presentation on Sahuaro Ranch to a future Council workshop. Ms. Ilardo said the Marketing Department's funded supplemental has a zero conversion and, therefore, has no cost to the General Fund. She explained that they were asking for permission to add a full-time employee at the Civic Center. She said they need at least two people in operations and two Event Coordinators to cover a minimum of 90 hours a week. She said they were taking $32,000 of part-time crew money and creating a Service Worker I level position. Mayor Scruggs asked if they could continue to maintain the Civic Center to the standard they have tried to present to the public if the unfunded supplemental for building maintenance was not approved. Ms. Ilardo said they had hoped to cover the $9,000. She noted that they were currently looking at warranty issues. The meeting recessed from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Administration Mr. McClendon reported that Administration was balanced to its base budget, with a $1,300 carryover and no supplementals. Finance Mr. McClendon stated that Finance was also balanced to its base budget, with carryovers totaling $117,593 and supplemental requests of $144,900. 12 Mr. Shuey explained that Finance is responsible, through the Finance Administration Division, for the City's debt management, banking services and investment management. He stated that the Accounting Division is responsible for the preparation of the City's comprehensive annual financial report, payroll processing, making timely payments to vendors, and accounting for the City's improvement district assessments. He noted that the City has received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award every year since 1987. Temporary Staffing Mr. Shuey explained that the Accounting Division's supplemental request was for additional funding for temporary staffing during the preparation of the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. He said they use college students whenever possible, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the process. He said the temporary staffing would free the professional staff up, allowing them to work at the high end of their skill level. Mr. Drake explained that his six divisions include Revenue Administration, Revenue Recovery, Regulatory Cable and Telecommunications, Audit and Compliance, Municipal Billing, and Customer Relations. Equipment and Maintenance Software Mr. Drake explained that the Equipment and Maintenance Software supplemental was for an ongoing cortract for a drop box that was purchased last year. Kiosk Mr. Drake stated that they tried to look for an innovative customer service approach to give citizens a more convenient way of paying their bills. He said they were considering either purchasing a kiosk outright or going into a joint venture with another corporation that already has ki Dsks in the area. Councilmember Clark asked why they were not considering drop boxes rather than kiosks. Mr. Drake admitted that the cost recovery on kiosks is not high. He stated that it is more for convenience. He explained that a person would be capable of paying by credit card, check, or cash. Councilmember Clark questioned whether convenience justifies the expenditure. In response to Mayor Scruggs' question, Mr. Drake stated that the kiosks would provide citizens with a variety of ways to make their payments. Mayor Scruggs asked Mr. Drake if they had investigated being able to pay via telephone. Mr. Drake explained that an Integrated Voice Response system would be necessary to accept payments over the phone and this would cost several hundred thousand dollars. Mayor Scruggs asked what it would cost to have a drop box. Mr. Drake stated that it currently costs $460 per month for courier service to retrieve the items from the boxes. He said the payments 13 are then manually processed in the drop box centers. He explained that the kiosks would still require payments to be picked up, but it would be done by an armored car service and taken directly to the bank. He noted that manual keying by the City would not be necessary. Councilmember Goulet expressed his opinion that, to be successful, they would need kiosks at multiple locations. He said it would be more beneficial and cost efficient to use the Internet as a means of paying bills, rather than kiosks. Councilmember Clark asked where the current drop boxes were located. Mr. Drake stated that there etre two drop boxes at City Hall, one at Thunderbird and 59th Avenue, one at 59th Avenue and Beardsley Road, and one at 67th Avenue and Bethany Home Road. Councilmember Clark asked how many bills go out monthly. Mr. Drake stated that they send out approximately 55,000 bills per month. Councilmember Clark pointed out the fact that the drop boxes have a low rate of return based on the number of bills they collect each month. She said she agreed with Councilmember Goulet that the City might be better served by allowing payments to be made via the Internet. She questioned whether the rate of return on the kiosks would justify the expenditure associated with them, Councilmember Martinez pointed out the fact that not all citizens have computers at home. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Drake if they had considered putting a drop box at the proposed kiosk locations to see how much traffic it would bear. Mr. Drake said they had not yet decided where the kiosk or kiosks would be located. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he liked the idea of computerized payments, using kiosks, and that citizens would receive a receipt, but he would suggest they use a drop box first to determine the amount of traffic it would receive. Mayor Scruggs said they needed to weigh convenience against other things the City could do with the money. She noted that just over 5% of utility bills sent out are paid using drop boxes. She acknowledged that the drop box at City Hall is used quite often for last minute payments, but questioned whether additional boxes would get as much use. Vice Mayor Eggleston brought up concerns regarding citizen safety while using the kiosks. In response to Councilmember Martinez's question, Mr. Drake said they believed 2,800 people currently uae Sure Pay. Councilmember Martinez suggested that the City do more to promote using Sure Pay. Mayor Scruggs voiced the Council's consensus not to support the kiosk supplemental. 14 Councilmember Clark said she would advocate putting in more drop boxes. Mayor Scruggs voiced the Council's consensus to have Mr. Drake bring back cost information regarding the installation of additional drop boxes. She stressed the importance of identifying what would be accomplished by installing additional boxes. Mr. McClendon expressed his opinion that the cost of additional drop boxes would be small enough that they could be worked into the budget. Information Systems CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM:: Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director; and Mr. Chuck Murphy, Information Technology Director. Mr. McClendon stated that the Information Technology Department has a large budget that includes the Technology Replacement Program and Department operations. He said there is no carryover and supplemental requests in the amount of $458,385 have been identified. Mr. Murphy explained that the Information Technology Department is responsible for the telephone and data networks, the servers that provide business and support applications for the Police and Fire Departments and desktop computers. He reviewed the Department's accomplishments over the past year. Database Administrator Mr. Murphy statec' that the City currently supports 28 databases and they believe it is important to now combine the data from the various databases. He explained that the requested position would support the existing systems and allow the City to move forward in creating more information from the existing data. Councilmember C ark asked if the Database Administrator would be conversant with all systems now ope'ated by the City. Mr. Murphy said he or she would eventually be conversant. He explained that, although the person would understand the underlying technology, he or she would learn the intent of the data and how to make that data more adequately available. He confirmed for Councilmember Clark that the Database Administrator would eventually lessen the need to use contractual help. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Murphy if some of the duties of the Database Administrator were, in fact, duties he was hired on to perform. Mr. Murphy explained that employees in the Information Technology Department are expected to be knowledgeable in a broad spectrum of areas, but not experts. He said the Database Administrator would be an expert in the management of databases. He noted that the databases are fundamental to what they do. Councilmember Lieberman asked if someone was currently filling that role. Mr. Murphy stated that they currently have one person acting in that capacity. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many people were employed it the Information Technology Department. Mr. Murphy said they currently had 26 full-time employee positions, two of which were vacant. 15 Equipment Replacement Program Mr. McClendon stated that, when they have received computer equipment in the past through a grant unded project, it would be put into the Equipment Replacement Program and the Information Technology Department absorbed and paid for those contributions. He said the request would replace that funding. He explained that the request is for one-time funding because they will spend the next year determining what the new Director's needs are and making sure the pieces of equipment are on the right replacement schedule. Councilmember Clark asked if they would include replacement costs from this point forward to prevent having to return with similar requests in the future. Mr. McClendon stated that this was their intent to do so; however it has been their intent for the past few years. Technology Replacement Mr. Murphy explained that this request covers the network analyzer which is necessary for isolating and troubleshooting problems that exist or occur between servers and/or buildings. He said the request would also provide for a new City web server. He explained that the existing City web server is older equipment that is very difficult to upgrade. Upgrades and Analysis for the Phone System Mr. Murphy explai ted that they do not necessarily have experts in every area and this request would allcw them to acquire extra help to implement equipment more quickly and expedite the learning curve. Councilmember Clark asked if consulting services are warranted when they are already hiring a Database Administrator and have a new Information Technology Director. She stated that she would rather Mr. Murphy come back to the Council if it was determined to be necessary later in the year. Mr. Murphy stated that they are currently managing network security analysis in-house and would like to bring in an independent auditor to find any holes or security leaks that might exist. He said they will also need to seriously look at the City's infrastructure because of the recent announcement of the Coyotes arena and the impending development in the area. He explained that the City currently does not have any type of wireless infrastructure which is significant enough to support both voice and dara and would need an outside consultant to assist with that analysis. Councilmember C ark withdrew her objections, based on Mr. Murphy's explanation of the use of the funds. Mayor Scruggs asked about other projects they had on their list. Mr. Murphy stated that consultants would help establish the most cost effective implementation of data and voice for new facilities scheduled to come online in the near future, including the Adult Center and the West Public Safety Facility. He stated that it is often necessary to use 16 consultants in ord ar to stay abreast of changing technologies. He noted that part of the consulting dollars would also be used to help get the Oracle Application Server online. Mayor Scruggs asked if the consultant would look at how users of the facilities could use the equipment to do City business. Mr. Murphy replied in the affirmative. He explained that his job is to work with the consultants to make sure the City gets the most value it can for the money spent. He said they need to determine what services have real benefit and issue appropriate funds to that project. Implementation of the Peoplesoft Workflow Module Mr. Murphy explained that the workflow module allows the City to automate and create electronic transmission and approval of documents within the business processes, resulting in reduced costs associated with paper transfers. Mr. McClendon provided further explanation of how the workflow module integrates with what the City already has using specific examples. Oracle Application Server and Software Mr. Murphy explai led that this $62,000 one-time and $15,000 ongoing request was for the purchase of the Oracle application server and software. He said a platform needs to be in place in older to begin moving some of the existing business applications to the web. Councilmember Clark asked if citizens would be able to register for recreational activities online. Mr. Murphy said the Parks and Recreation Department was looking at a different system to handle those types of requests; however, this application would facilitate those types of transactions. Management and Budget Mr. McClendon stated that a majority of this budget is in the Risk Management Trust Fund. He said there are no carryover requests and no dollars associated with the supplemental request. He explained that the supplemental request was to convert some hourly money into a part-time employee three-quarters full-time employee basis. Non-Departmenta I CITY STAFF PRESENTING THS ITEM: Dr. Martin Vanacour, City Manager; and Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director. Increase to Animal Control Contract Mr. McClendon said the first supplemental was for an increase to the Animal Control Contract that the City has with Maricopa County. He said cost increases are passed along to the cities that subscribe to the service and the only options are to pay the increase, drop out of the system, or reduce service. He explained that the 17 supplemental wog Id get the City through the next year, with the understanding that the City would assess if this was the best way to provide the service. Councilmember Clark asked how many animals they deal with on an annual basis. Mr. Stuart Kent, Deputy Director of Field Operations. replied that Maricopa County responds to approximately 4,500 calls for service in Glendale, typically involving one animal at a time. He noted that the City of Glendale has had an agreement with Maricopa County since 1978 and, recently, the County has determined that it needed to do business on a cost-based system. Councilmember Clark suggested that the City partner with the no-kill shelter at the Airpark or other animal rescue group. She stated that, by doing so, they may realize cost savings as well as save some of the animals that would otherwise be destroyed. Mr. Kent agreed. He said all of the cities are beginning to look at better ways to provide the service. In response to comments made by Councilmember Clark, Mr. Kent reported that the County is beginning to look at sterile cat programs, not only for those that have owners, but for stray cats as well. He stated that, at this point in time, no community in the Valley deals with cats in terms of control measures. Councilmember Clark suggested that they hold this issue in abeyance. Mayor Scruggs questioned whether they had that option. She explained that they could not delay animal control services while studying the issue. Emergency Preplanning Software Mr. McClendon explained that the Fire Department is managing this request and that it only shows up in Non-Departmental because the Civil Defense portion of emergency operation is part o1' the Non-Departmental budget. Councilmember Clark asked who would enter the data. Mr. Jim Higgins, Disaster Management Batl:alion Chief in the Fire Department, said they were looking at personnel, engine companies going out, and budget impact. He assured Councilmember Clark that, at this time, it would not require hiring specialized personnel at an additional expense. Unfunded Supplernentals Councilmember Clark identified the Non-Departmental unfunded supplementals as being the Central Arizona Shelter Services, West Valley Fine Arts Council and YWCA Meals on Wheels. She said she hoped to find an additional $23,000 to fund those programs. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the grant match pool was unfunded because it was to be postponed. Mr. McClendon stated that the Catlin Court Alleyways project has been awarded and the grant match is required. He said they were not able to fit the last payment into the balanced scenario; therefore, they will pay it out of the $150,000 18 available for other projects. Councilmember Lieberman said he agreed with the supplementals for Central Arizona Shelter Services, the West Valley Fine Arts Council, and the YWCA Meals on Wheels. Mayor Scruggs stated that she too supported the Central Arizona Shelter Services and YWCA Meals on Wheels increases at this time. She added, however, that she did not support the request to put $10,000 for the West Side Fine Arts Council into the base budget. She said she would support another one-time contribution, but it is not a service need for constituents and should not be included in the base budget. Councilmember Clark said she would support all three items as one-time contributions, allowing the Council to review them on a yearly basis. Mayor Scruggs asked if the increase for Meals on Wheels reflects a larger number of people being served or an increase in the cost of serving meals. Mr. McClendon said the increase is due to serving more people. Dr. Vanacour requested that the Central Arizona Shelter Services increase be in the base budget. He stated that it would solve a lot of problems for the City. Mayor Scruggs recommended that both the Central Arizona Shelter Services and the YWCA Meals on Wheels program be placed in the base budget, with the West Valley Fine Art's Council being a one-time contribution. Councilmember Clark stated that she would support the Fine Arts program for this year, regardless of whether other cities contribute. Councilmember Martinez stated that he would support the Fine Arts program for permanent funding because it combines performance with education and exposes children to a variety of music. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he would support one-time funding for Fine Arts, but would also be willing to support it becoming part of the base budget because he believed the program was worthwhile. Mayor Scruggs stated that there was not majority support for permanent funding of the Fine Arts Council; however there is majority support for permanent funding of Central Arizona Shelter Services and the YWCA Meals on Wheels Program. Community Servic.es Administration CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director, Ms. Pam Kavanaugh, Deputy City Manager, Mr. Erick Strunk, Neighborhood Partnership Administrator; and Mr. Warren Smith, Director of Parks and Recreation. 19 Ms. Kavanaugh explained that the Community Services Group includes Parks and Recreation, Library, Code Compliance, Housing, Neighborhood Revitalization, and Community Partnerships, as well as staff from both the Mayor and Council offices. She reviewed the group's mission statement. She stated that it is based on values they felt strongly about, including service, team work, accountability, and respect. She said they have several exciting projects underway in the Community Services Group and new facilities and parks coming online. She said the supplementals will help them cope with increasing citizen expectations. Administrative Department Mr. McClendon reported that the Administrative Department has balanced to its base budget target, with a carryover totaling $19,200 and no supplemental requests. Parks and Recreation Mr. McClendon stated that the Parks and Recreation Department has a base budget of approximately $9.4 million, with carryover items totaling $242,956 and supplemental requests of $481 ,722. In response to Councilmember Clark's question, Ms. Gloria Santiago, Neighborhood Revitalization Mar ager, explained that Omega Alpha is a non-profit agency that helps people in financial need. Councilmember Lieberman said he was under the impression that the Faith House shelter had closed down. Ms. Santiago explained that Prehab now runs the organization and retained the name of Faith House. Councilmember Clark asked if the scoreboard renovation was for one or more scoreboards. Mr. Smith said it was for one scoreboard and was funded last year. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many trucks Parks Service currently has. Mr. Smith estimated that Parks currently has 26 to 30 vehicles. He explained that the two half-ton trucks requested were approved in last year's budget, but were not delivered. Manager of Arts and Culture Mr. Smith stated that this supplemental was being funded out of the Art's fund. He noted that they had an opportunity for a grant with the Arizona Commission on Arts that would pay up to 50% of the cost of the position for the first year, with an opportunity to renew it for two additional years. Ms. Kavanaugh noted that they currently have an 18- month contract Arts Coordinator position that is non-renewable. She explained that the requested position would take its place. 20 Mayor Scruggs asked if the person would take on additional duties beyond what the contract Arts Coordinator currently does. Mr. Smith said the Commission would only be a portion of the person's job. He noted that there is an opportunity for the person in the position to bring arts programs under its umbrella as well. Ms. Kavanaugh confirmed for Mayor Scruggs that the person would have a broader scope of maximizing all cultural assets, and not just the art collection. Councilmember Lieberman asked if someone was currently in the position. Mr. Smith explained that Mr. Wayne Baxter, Recreation Superintendent, was currently carrying out those duties in addition to several other duties. He said they also had the 18- month contract person, but current Human Resource policies preclude them from renewing the contract. In response to Mayor Scruggs' questions, Ms. Kavanaugh stated that the position would not only work closely with the Commission on the Arts Master Plan, but would also look at visual arts and how to partner with other organizations to expand the focus. Councilmember Lieberman noted that half of the funding would come from the Arizona Arts Commission and the other half would come from the Public Arts Levy. Ms. Kavanaugh reported that they had also submitted a grant application which would provide funding fo the position. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that the City does not need a curator of the art museum, but a person who oversees a broader view of culture in the City. Neighborhood Services Mr. McClendon stated that the supplemental request and the carryovers are primarily funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Part-time Secretary Ms. Kavanaugh explained that this supplemental request would be 100% funded through CDBG funds received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She stated that the position would help deliver faster service to the public. Councilmember Clark pointed out that 3,159 Glendale citizens were assisted in Fiscal Year 1997-98, as opposed to 16,432 in Fiscal Year 1998-1999. She stated that this type of increase warranted approval of the request. Community Partnership Mr. McClendon reported that Community Partnership was balanced to its base budget of $400,000, with a $5,900 carryover item and supplemental requests totaling $135,000. 21 In-Fill Housing Grant Mr. Strunk explained that this one-time $100,000 grant would allow Habitat for Humanity to continue its work in the Heart of Glendale neighborhood. Councilmember Clark asked if the funds would be targeted exclusively for the Heart of Glendale neighborhood. Mr. Strunk stated they would be. Councilmember Goulet noted that two other areas in the district have incentives to build. He said he firmly supported the program. He explained, however, that others will continue to take advantage of the program as well. Mr. Strunk agreed with Councilmember Goulet. He explaining that, two years ago, the Council had agreed to fund some in-fill rebate monies through the Economic Development Department. He said that program has been fairly successful and has provided smaller homeowners with incentives to build in the target areas. Councilmember Martinez asked for an explanation of the in-fill housing item. Mr. Strunk explained that the carryover is what is left of the $250,000 CDBG request for in-fill housing which was approved by Council two years ago and the additional $150,000 in CDBG money approved last year. Councilmember Lieberman noted that the City also gave $100,000 directly to Habitat for Humanity for the purchase of lots. He asked if all of those funds had been used. Mr. Strunk said, to date, they had acquired 14 lots and built 7 houses. He noted that an eighth house was currently under construction and a ninth house was scheduled to begin construction on April 28, 2001. Part-Time Clerical Position Mr. Strunk explained that they had previously asked for the position on a one-time basis and currently have a part-time person working for them. He said they would like to continue that position. He pointed out the fact that the program had grown tremendously. Training for Homeowner Association Board Members Mr. Strunk said they had heard comments about the need for localized training and believed it would benefit every neighborhood built over the past eight or nine years. He said the other part of this one-time request was to lay the ground work for a community mediation program for the resolution of certain complaints before they escalate to City Hall. Councilmember Martinez asked if any other agency provides similar training. Mr. Strunk said one non-profit organization offers similar training, but, unfortunately it is located in the Town of Gilbert. He noted that a few property owners and other professional societies in the Valley offer training; however, it costs more than the City is 22 willing to pay. Ho said they hoped to partner with those who already have the skills. Ms. Kavanaugh said there may also be opportunities to invite other communities to participate for a fee, thus helping to pay for the program. Library Mr. McClendon reported that the Library was balanced to its target base budget, with one carryover item and no supplemental requests. Unfunded Requests Councilmember Lieberman stated that he was in favor of funding two of the unfunded requests - the Code Compliance Officer position and the computer equipment replacement funding for the Library. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked why the Code Compliance Officer position was put in as unfunded. Mr. McClendon explained that it was because of the lack of funding for positions. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Dan Gunn, Code Compliance Manager, how many Code Compliance Officers the City currently has. Mr. Gunn stated that they had eight inspectors. He noted that their case load in 1996 was 5,500 and, in 2000, their case load was 11,000. Councilmember Lieberman stated that in 1993 they had five Code Compliance Officers. He pointed out the fact that the population has increased by 60,000 citizens since that time and only three additional officers were added to the department. He said he favored the addition of one officer and, if the budget can bear it, adding a second Code Compliance Officer. Computer Replacement Fund Ms. Rodeane Widom, Library Director, explained that this request puts money into the computer replacement fund for the Gates Grant computer equipment, including 27 computers and 2 printers. She stated that they had also purchased 3 additional computers for the service desks and had taken 21 older computers from the City's Computer Equipment Replacement program. Councilmember Clark said she would like to see the addition of another Code Compliance Officer. She expressed her concern about the funding increase for the Community Volunteer Program. She said they had developed an outstanding program, but the volunteers cannot do their work without tools. She recommended, therefore, that permanent funding be established to replace equipment. Councilmember Lieberman agreed that the Community Volunteer program was outstanding. Mr. Strunk stated that, while they get periodic donations, tools continue to break and the request would get them through the next two years. He said, if funding the request had to come at the expense of another request, they could probably be 23 more aggressive in seeking donations. Mayor Scruggs suggested splitting the request over the two-year period. Councilmember Martinez asked if any progress had been made in terms of landscaping in the Heart of Glendale. Mr. Ken Reedy, Deputy City Manager, stated that the Engineering Department had been working on that project for a long time and was coming close to being ready to plant trees. Councilmember Goulet noted that they had targeted and prioritized several areas for the project. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m. 24