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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 4/16/2002 (5) *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 16, 2002 8:00 a.m. PRESENT: Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston and Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet, H. Philip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez ABSENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Terry Zerkle Assistant City Manager; Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; and Pamela Oliveira, City Clerk FISCAL YEAR 2002-2003 BUDGET PROCESS CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Tim Ernster, Deputy City Manager; Mr. Charlie McClendon, Budget and Research Director; and Mr. Jim Book, Transportation Director. This was the third scheduled City Council workshop to review the proposed Fiscal Year 2002-03 Annual Budget. Community Development, Community Services, Administrative Service, Fire, and Police presented their proposed departmental budgets at today's budget workshop. The November 2001 City Council Goal-Setting Retreat was the first step in the Fiscal Year 2002-03 budget process. At that meeting, staff presented the Five-Year Financial Forecast for the City and the Mayor and Council discussed the national and local economies and their effect on Glendale's Fiscal Year 2002-03 budget. Due to economic uncertainties caused by the state budget shortage and the national impact of September 11th, staff advised the Mayor and Council that the City would have limited resources in Fiscal Year 2002-03 to fund additions to the base budget. A petition to repeal the Glendale food sales tax was submitted to be included on the General Election ballot in May. Staff estimated that the food sales tax repeal would result in a $4.7 million revenue loss to the City. Staff was directed to prepare two possible budget scenarios. However, since at this time the food sales tax initiative has been removed from the ballot, staff presented only one budget scenario. Based on carryover records over the past five years, staff identified $1.2 million in ongoing base budget funds that have been returned to the General Fund to cover essential Fiscal Year 2002-03 budget needs. The City Manager directed department heads to identify programs and/or services that could be eliminated, if necessary. The Mayor and City Council conducted the first two budget workshops on April 2 and April 9. The agenda for this City Council workshop was posted and all legal requirements for notification were met. The City Council will review the Fiscal Year 2002-03 budget at workshops during April. The recommendations made at these workshops will direct staff in preparing for final City Council budget review and adoption in June of 2002. The recommendation was to review the Fiscal Year 2002-03 Proposed Annual Budget and provide staff with direction. Councilmember L.ieberman pointed out the fact that the proposed salary package shows a zero wage increase for departments. Mr. McClendon explained that an increase to the package could occur without showing if an existing position is vacated and filled at a lower rate of pay. Sales Tax Mr. McClendon reviewed the ten-year history of City sales tax revenue. He stated that the 2002 projection indicates very slight growth. He compared a three-year history of month-to-month sales tax collections. He discussed Development Fee revenue. He stated that it is a key indicator of construction activity in the community. He said it is not uncommon to see a gradual reduction when coming off a period of high growth. He stated their belief that they are at the bottom of the cycle and expect to see the numbers increase in 2003. He pointed out that State-Shared Sales Tax revenue is essentially the same in 2002 as it was in 2001 . He stated that they are still experiencing growth in Income tax and Motor Vehicle In-Lieu. Councilmember Clark asked if the numbers reflect a time lag. Mr. McClendon said Income Taxes lag, but Motor Vehicle and Sales taxes are current. He stated, therefore, that they will be dealing with the effects of the current recession on the Income Tax side in a year or so; however, those effects should be mitigated by increased growth in Sales Taxes. He pointed out that State-Shared Sales Tax collections were lower in July and October of 2001, and February of 2002, than in the previous year. Mr. McClendon reported slow growth in Highway Users Revenue Funds (HURF) for 2002. He noted that it has experienced slight growth for the past two or three years. Mr. McClendon summarized by stating that they are seeing slow to no growth in revenue collections. He said salary savings from vacant positions and unbudgeted carryover are being used to offset the revenue shortage. 2 Councilmember Clark asked what they projected the rate of inflation to be for the upcoming fiscal year. Mr. McClendon said, nationally, the inflation rate is running between 1% and 2%. He stated that their projections are based on a 2% to 2.5% inflation rate because an economic recovery tends to increase inflation. Councilmember Clark asked if the 2.5 percent inflation rate was built into the budget. Mr. McClendon stated that department base budgets have a zero increase in line items over last year. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if they projected an inflation rate when considering past budgets. Mr. McClendon said they always estimate inflation when doing long-range forecasting because it effects both expenditure and revenue growth. He said, however, it is not automatically built into the budgets. He stated they give an across-the-board inflationary adjustment every three or four years. Councilmember Martinez asked about the expected loss in State-Shared Revenues. Mr. McClendon said State-Shared Sales Tax revenue will be approximately $1.2 million less than projected because of the poor performance of the economy statewide. He stated that the shortage was covered through salary savings and unbudgeted carryover. Councilmember Martinez asked if a hiring freeze was imposed on the City. Mr. McClendon explained that departments are allowed to fill positions when they become vacant; however, it takes a while to fill a position and departments are not allowed to hire temporary employees in the interim. Councilmember L.ieberman asked if cities would be affected by the state budget hearings currently being held. Mr. McClendon said there is always the possibility that cities could be affected, although he was not aware of any specific proposals. He stated that the Heritage Fund will be reduced or eliminated. He pointed out that the city has benefited from millions of dollars in grant proceeds over the years. Community Development Group Mr. Ernster reviewed the Community Development Group's accomplishments over the past year. He stated that they had placed increased emphasis on internal and external customer service over the past year. Mr. Mark Ripley, Airport Manager, discussed the schedule of the project to lengthen, widen, and strengthen the existing runway at the Glendale Municipal Airport. He said, in a worst case scenario, the project should be completed by April of next year. Vice Mayor Eggleston inquired as to the length of the runway once the project has been completed. Mr. Ripley stated that it would be 7,150 feet long, allowing the airport to handle corporate and charter jets in July and August. He said he anticipated an increase in corporate and charter traffic with the completion of the Coyotes arena. Councilmember Frate asked if airport traffic had increased or decreased over the past ten years. Mr. Ripley stated that the September llt" attacks had a significant impact on the airport's operations. He noted that it is currently running 4% below last year at this time. He noted, however, that operations of larger aircraft have actually increased. Councilmember L?eberman asked if the airport could expand further without doing massive riverbed relocation. Mr. Ripley stated that it could. 3 Mr. Ernster continued with his presentation. He stated that they were currently in the process of recruiting an Assistant City Engineer and were creating a Capital Improvements Program Division within Engineering. He explained that their intent was to provide a higher level of customer service to internal customers in the process of preparing Capital Improvement Project information and project cost estimates. He identified goals for the upcoming year, including (1) hold the General Plan Election in November of 2002, with successful passage; (2) complete the Plan Review for the Coyotes and Northern Crossings projects; (3) continue with implementation of the first full year of the Transportation Plan; and (4) procure and begin implementation of the development tracking system. Administration Mr. Ernster stated that the Community Development Group has a base budget of $246,304, with a $1,000 carryover and no supplementals. He explained that the carryover is used for employee recognition events. Councilmember Clark asked if all groups had employee recognition events and why the Community Development Group's events were being covered by a carryover this year. Mr. Ernster explained that each department of the Community Development Group contributes funds towards employee recognition events. He said the funds are pooled and approximately four events are held each year. He said some of the funds are used to purchase token gifts as well. Councilmember Clark asked why it was a carryover item this year. Mr. Ernster said he usually sets any carryover aside for employee recognition. Councilmember Clark asked why departments set lower goals rather than trying to achieve a 100% success rate. Mr. McClendon explained that they had attempted to identify a measurable and achievable standard that allows for unusual circumstances over which a department has no control. Councilmember Clark pointed out that the Police and Fire Departments set 100% goals. Mr. McClendon said certain departments have complete control, while others are more heavily influenced by outside forces. Mr. Ernster said, while their goal is to achieve a 100% success rate, it is often unrealistic to establish that as a performance measure. Councilmember Martinez agreed a 100% success rate, although anticipated, would be unrealistic as a base to measure against. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many plans come back for three or more reviews. He asked how that number could be reduced by more than the proposed 25%. Mr. Ernster explained that a lot of developers submit incomplete plans, assuming that the City will catch a lot of items they should have caught in the process of preparing the plans. He staled that they were working hard to avoid late hits and were looking at offering incentives to staff and developers to reduce the number of second and third reviews. He said developers that are familiar with the City's process and guidelines do a much better job. He pointed out that the Planning Department has been fully staffed for over a year and is doing a much better job of reviewing plans than it did 18 months ago. Councilmember Martinez said he believed the increased fees would help reduce the number of subsequent reviews. Mr. Ernster noted that they were also looking at the Planning Department internally to see how it can better serve its customers. Mr. Martinez commended the Planning Department for adding the Planner position. He said it has been very helpful. 4 Councilmember Goulet expressed his opinion that it is unrealistic to expect staff to get it right the first time because projects involve a lot of people. He noted that a number of developers have indicated the Planning Department has a good process and exceptional staff. Councilmember Clark said the City typically provides exceptional service. She noted, however, that she had heard complaints about plan review for the past ten years. She supported the Department's plan to offer incentives to reduce the number of reviews required. Building Safety Mr. Ernster stated that the Building Safety Department has a base budget of $2,206,367, with rio carryover or supplemental requests. Planning Mr. Ernster reported that the Planning department has a base budget of $1,538,042, with $230,420 in carryover and no supplemental requests. He explained that the planning tracking system and the General Plan production make up a majority of the carryover request. He said the remainder of the carryover is for related election costs. Councilmember Lieberman asked why Long Range Planning Research and Supplies and Contracts beth had significant drops. Mr. Ernster explained that Long Range Planning Research is directly related to one-time funds in the Long Range Planning Budget. He stated that they will have expended most of the funds by the end of this fiscal year. He said the decrease in Supplies and Contracts relates to the contract with the consultant doing the General Plan. Councilmember Clark asked what Areas A, B, C, D and E on Page 9 under Long Range Planning Research refer to. Mr. Ron Short, Long Range Planning Manager, said they represent areas used in their research for the General Plan. Councilmember Clark requested a map showing the various areas. With regard to street lights and traffic studies, Councilmember Clark commented that citizens still complain that lights are not fixed within the timeframe the City stated as their goal. Engineering Mr. Ernster stated that the Engineering Department has a base budget of $4,402,652, with a $50,000 carryover for aerial mapping and no supplemental requests. Mr. Larry Broyles, City Engineer, explained how the Aerial Mapping Program is funded. He stated that it costs approximately $450,000 to $500,000 to map the entire City. He said the City is divided into three areas, with one area being mapped every three years. He explained that carryover has not been available in recent years and, consequently, they were about six years behind on updating the maps. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked how the Engineering Department utilizes the maps. Mr. Broyles stated that the Engineering Department uses aerial mapping to identify existing features and contours. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that the aerial maps should be updated more often than every nine years, especially in areas of high growth. Mr. Broyles said they try to map areas where a lot of development is occurring more frequently. 5 Mr. Broyles confirmed for Councilmember Goulet that specific area maps can be obtained through aerial mapping companies. Councilmember Lieberman said he would support increasing the updating cycle to every other year because he believes the maps are a valuable tool. Councilmember Frate asked how often other cities update their aerial maps. Mr. Broyles stated that he had not checked the updating policies in other cities. Councilmember Frate pointed out that it is quite costly to update the maps. Mr. Broyles agreed with Councilmember Frate. He stated that it takes three years to accumulate the necessary funds. Mr. McClendon noted that the Council could identify additional funding for aerial maps as a priority for the Fiscal Year 2003/04 budget year. He noted, however, that they would have to remove another item to increase the funding for aerial mapping this year. Transportation Mr. Ernster reported that the Transportation Department has a base budget of $8,201 ,427, with no carryover and supplemental requests totaling $4,791,172. Councilmember Clark asked about the recommended regional rate increases. Mr. Jim Book, Director of Transportation, explained that they were attempting to bring lease rates in line with the rest of the Valley. Councilmember Clark asked how a Traffic Mitigation Engineer would help reduce neighborhood traffic speeds. Mr. Book said the Citizens Advisory Committee indicated that they would like to see double the effort in the area of traffic mitigation. He explained that the Traffic Mitigation Engineer position would be parallel to the Associate Traffic Engineer position held by Debbie Burdette and would help share her workload. He stated that the position would allow the Department to pursue a number of traffic mitigation measures that it does not currently have time to pursue. Councilmember Clark stated that she and other residents were looking for concrete ways to slow traffic down, such as chokers, traffic circles, and speed humps. She questioned whether education-based programs would have any impact on speeding in neighborhoods. Councilmember Martinez noted that there have been numerous requests for speed humps in the Cholla District. He stated his belief that the Traffic Mitigation Engineer will allow the Department to do other forms of mitigation. He cautioned against giving up on the educational component. Mr. Beasley said they would continue to look for new ways to slow neighborhood traffic down, with or without the Traffic Mitigation Engineer. He noted, however, that the educational component is important and can have a big impact on people who live in the neighborhood. He pointed out that they are usually the ones speeding. Councilmember Lieberman said he still supported red light cameras. He noted that residents in one neighborhood made the City remove two traffic circles within 90 days of their installation. He said those same neighbors recently complained to the Police Chief about traffic in their neighborhood. With regard to the Airport, Councilmember Lieberman said the Airport Commission identified six items that the Airport needs and he asked if they had been obtained. Mr. Book said Inspecting Facilities and the New Radar System were addressed in the supplemental requests. He said the City does not have adequate funding for the radio. He explained that, prior to September 11th, it appeared that the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) was going to assist with funding, He noted that much of the FAA funding is now being diverted for security purposes. 6 Vice Mayor Eggleston asked about the 10 additional full-time Transportation Department employees. Mr. Book said the actual number of full-time employees would increase by six. He explained that they have already been authorized and they are in the process of hiring four employees. He said extended hours necessitated the increase in personnel. He stated that the Program Administrator's primary responsibility would be to act as a liaison to the Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission, to ensure that everything that was planned and promised as part of the election package is delivered. He explained that the Intelligent Transportation System Technician and Operator positions would maintain and operate the Intelligent Transportation System, which is intended to optimize available capacity when the City holds events or when accidents occur. Councilmember Goulet acknowledged the difficulties associated with changing people's attitudes towards driving. He asked if LED speed display boards could be set up at intersections to draw a driver's attention to their speed. Mr. Book said people are typically so distracted when going through an intersection that a led speed display board would have little effect. He noted, however, that it could be useful if placed between signals. He pointed out the fact that people are mostly likely to be speeding between signals. He stated that they had resources available to look at and implement that type of mitigation measure. Councilmember Goulet stated that alerting drivers to their speed prior to their approaching an intersection, causing them to slow down, could make the intersections safer. Councilmember Clark asked how much the half-cent sales tax would generate annually. Mr. McClendon said their estimate for Fiscal Year 2002/03 was $17.2 million. He confirmed that they were proposing a $4.8 million supplemental expenditure related to the transit referendum. Councilmember Clark stated that the $4.8 million supplemental would increase Dial-A-Ride service and expand the fixed-route service. She pointed out that they have created new divisions, at a cost of over $1 million, that will administer the transit-related duties. She asked what types of improvements they intended to make to 37% of the 400 bus stops throughout the City. Mr. Book said there are a number of different levels of bus stops. He stated that they intended to provide benches, shade, and trash receptacles at all arterials to arterial bus stops. He explained that the level of improvement is based on the number of boardings. He said they will also clearly sign the '/a mile bus stops to ensure that Valley Metro drivers know to stop. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that the dirt bus stops along Glendale Avenue, which also serve as Luke Link bus stops, should be upgraded. Mr. Book explained that they have to meet ADA (Americans With Disabilities) standards in order to use federal money to upgrade the bus stops. He said, typically, upgrading dirt bus stops require sidewalk access as well. He said they will likely enhance those bus stops as development occurs in the area and street improvements are made. Councilmember Clark asked why shade structures are not automatically provided at every bus stop. Mr. Book said they do not have the resources to provide shade at every stop. Councilmember Clark asked if shade structures were covered under the Transit Referendum. Mr. Book responded that they were. Councilmember Lieberman asked if transportation issues, other than the supplementals, deal with referendum-related money. Mr. McClendon responded that they did not. He explained that the Capital Plan for the transit referendum was part of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) presented in February of 2002. He stated that there was extensive expenditure of funds for street improvements, intersection improvements, and so forth. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. McClendon to let him know within the next week how much of the $17.2 million would be used and how much would be held in reserve. Mr. McClendon explained that any fund that has only 7 one funding source has to maintain a reserve. Councilmember Martinez expressed his opinion that constructing shade structures at bus stops should be made a priority. Councilmember F'rate asked if they were looking to renovate the bus stops on main arterials to have pullouts, specifically in the area of 59 Avenue south of Cactus Road. Mr. Book said part of the bus stop improvement money is allocated towards bus bays, which are considered both a transit improvement and a capacity improvement. He stated, however, That improvements are typically done first at arterial intersections. He said 59t Avenue is considered a priority because it would result in an immediate capacity benefit. Councilmember Lieberman said he completely agreed with the suggestion of Councilmembers Martinez and Clark to provide shade. He explained that it would help the City in its efforts to encourage ridership. He asked if new subdivisions were required to provide a bus pullout. Mr. Book said the City initially agreed to do that, but, according to Nolan and Dolan, the City cannot extract something of a regional nature for a local improvement. The meeting recessed for a short break. Administrative Services Group Administration Mr. McClendon reported the Administration Group has a base budget of $349,025. He explained that the Group includes the City Manager and Support Services that support all of the Deputy City Managers. He stated that there were no carryover or supplemental requests. Marketing Mr. McClendon stated that the Marketing Department has a base budget of $4,152,931, with no carryover or supplemental items. Councilmember Clark commended the Graphics Department. She noted that they are always innovative and creative. She asked if cable viewership statistics and program ratings would be made available to Council. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many sponsors at an average event would pay $20,000. Mr. Vern Biaett, Special Events Manager, explained that the City negotiates each sponsorship on a case-by-case basis. He explained the budget item is intended to increase sponsorships throughout the year. He reported approximately $120,000 in sponsorships last year, not including in-kind service donations. Councilmember Lieberman expressed his opinion that the Marketing Department does an outstanding job on the events. Finance Mr. McClendon said the Finance Department has a base budget of $2.6 million, with one one-time supplemental request for $62,000. He explained that the supplemental will allow the City to contract a specialist to ensure that the City complies with the New Governmental Accounting Standards Board statement number 34. 8 Councilmember Lieberman asked if Duplicating Mail costs were moved to another category. Mr. McClendon explained that they had contracted out the duplicating operations; therefore each department pays for their own duplicating directly through their budget. Councilmember Clark asked for an explanation of the 10% reduction in parallel systems. Mr. Lynch explained that they scan department-initiated payment documents and check requests to allow for faster information retrieval. He said it also eliminates the need to keep central copies. Councilmember Lieberman asked what Internal Service Charges were. He pointed out that they had increased by 5124%. Mr. McClendon explained that print shop fees are now included in Professional and Contractual Supplies. Information Technology Mr. McClendon reported that the Information Technology Department has a base budget of $6.6 million, with a carryover item for $133,000. This carryover item is for consulting to install the PeopleSoft Workflow Module and upgrade Human Resources to Version 8. He said both were budgeted to be done in the current year, but some of it would not be done until next year. He stated that this is a key component of the City's efforts to utilize electronic signatures and routing and to web-enable Human Resources. Management & Budget Mr. McClendon stated that the Management and Budget Department has a $3,583,975 base budget, with no carryover or supplemental requests. Councilmember Lieberman noted that the Internal Service Charges shows a 24% increase. Mr. McClendon explained that Internal Premiums are for the Risk Management Trust Fund, the Worker's Compensation Trust Fund, Vehicle Replacement, and Computer Replacement. He stated that Worker's Compensation charges went up because a claim was filed last year. Non-Departmental Mr. McClendon stated that Non-Departmental has a $4.7 million base budget, with $12,000 in carryover and one supplemental request for $108,000. He explained that the supplemental request is for the animal control contract the City of Glendale has with Maricopa County. He stated that they performed a fairly comprehensive study to determine if there were better alternatives, but found the County to be the best option. Councilmember Clark asked why the budget was being reduced by 59% if the cost is increasing. Mr. McClendon stated that animal control is only one piece of the Non- Departmental budget. He explained that the reduction is due to certain items, including development agreements, lease payments, and the acquisition of the Manistee property, being removed from the budget. He said last year's amended budget included a reserve for carryover, which is no longer reflected in the Fiscal Year 2002/03 budget. He listed items included in the Non-Departmental budget and their corresponding dollar amounts. Councilmember Clark asked about Fund 26. Mr. McClendon explained that Fund 26 was the Transit Fund, which has been rolled into Fund 25. He said lease payments have been consolidated into the Non-Departmental budget to make tracking easier. 9 Community Services Group Ms. Pam Kavanaugh, Deputy City Manager, stated that they had made a concerted effort to reallocate resources and partner with other departments. Administration and Code Ms. Kavanaugh reported a base budget of $1,169,010, with $34,727 in carryover requests and no supplemental requests. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he would like to see two Code Compliance Officers specifically designated for each district. Mr. Dan Gunn, Code Compliance Administrator, said the Code Compliance Department has 14 staff members: three secretaries, two Code Supervisors and eight field staff. He explained that the number of field staff assigned to a specific area is based on the number of calls received from that area. He said one inspector only handles zoning enforcement and another deals with rental property issues throughout the city. He said special projects under the Partners in Progress Program gives Code Compliance the ability to target a specific area and work on a variety of issues. Councilmember Clark said it would be helpful to know which field staff are assigned to each area. Mr. Gunn said the department was recently reorganized in an effort to assign inspectors to specific districts. He stressed that he is also available to assist the Council with their questions or concerns. Councilmember Clark asked Mr. Gunn to provide a list of inspectors and the districts for which they are responsible. Councilmember Goulet said many weekend activities involve code violations. He asked how residents can contact the Code Compliance Department on the weekend. Mr. Gunn said coverage is provided seven days a week. He explained that a citizen calling their main number on the weekend will hear a message directing them to call a second number, which is checked by the inspector every two hours. He pointed out that the inspectors are quite busy on the weekends and, except in cases of emergency, may not be able to respond. Councilmember Goulet said many people do not know they will be given a second number to call when they hear the message start and hang up. He suggested they arrange for calls on the weekends to be automatically forwarded to the second number. Councilmember Frate said he has called several times on the weekend and has always found that the issue was resolved by the following Monday. He asked if the City still intended to use volunteers to pick up illegal signs in the rights-of-way. Mr. Gunn said they were in the process of establishing that program. Councilmember Frate said he would like to see Code Enforcement focus on businesses that place illegal signs in the rights-of-way, as the problem seems to be escalating. Ms. Kavanaugh noted that Ms. Diana Whittle, Marketing/Communications Manager, is incorporating an article regarding code compliance into each month's Connection newsletter. Ms. Kavanaugh highlighted the Administration Department's accomplishments over the past year. She stated that the carryover request for Code Compliance is for Case Management Software and totals $25,227. She said the second carryover request for the Community Services Group is for Employee Development, totaling $9,500. She explained that the funds would be used for the Community Services Group University, the Catch a Rising Star recognition program, employee recognition events, and group- wide training. 10 Parks & Recreation Ms. Kavanaugh reported that the Parks & Recreation Department has a base budget of $9,861,076, with no carryover and $33,201 in supplemental requests. Mr. Warren Smith, Director of Parks & Recreation, explained that the supplemental request would be funded through Fund 73, requiring no General Fund support. He stated that the request is for a 35 hour Recreation Programmer, who would act as the site leader at an AM/PM After School program. Councilmember Clark asked about the City's contract with the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Child Care Division. Mr. Smith explained that the City had to be certified through the Department of Health, Education and Welfare as a child care agency to get the program licensed. Councilmember Clark pointed out that the fee schedule for the program is lower than comparable programs in the area. Mr. Smith said the AM/PM program is the only program for which the City charges. He noted that there are seven Glendale Recreation After School Program (GRASP) sites available at no charge. He explained that GRASP is a drop-in recreation program where children can come and go as they please, whereas the AM/PM program is a licensed daycare program and the children have to be signed in and picked up. He stated that there is only one AM/PM site at this time, located at Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School. He noted that staff is working to obtain certification, allowing them to offer the program at Desert Mirage Elementary School this fall. Councilmember Clark asked if the cost of the Recreation Programmer could be taken from the fees generated if the program is expanded to a number of schools. Mr. Smith said that was a possibility. He pointed out that several schools offer an "extended day" run by the School District, and the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) also provides similar after school programs. Councilmember Martinez asked why North District Recreation had decreased 24% over last year. Mr. Smith said the reduction was primarily due to a realignment of staff within the department, aid not a decrease in service. Councilmember Martinez asked about the 41% decrease in Parks Special Operations. Mr. Smith explained that they separated out the Park Rangers to better track those expenditures. Councilmember Martinez asked how many park rangers the City employs. Mr. Smith responded that the City has four park rangers. Ms. Kavanaugh said she anticipated a supplemental request for additional park rangers next year. Councilmember Clark asked about the 87% decrease in Operating Capital and 14% decrease in Recreation Support Services. Mr. McClendon said, by definition, Operating Capital is almost always a one-time expense and, depending on what was funded the previous year, there could be a big drop. Mr. Smith explained that Recreation Support Services provides administrative support, including accounting, graphics, and marketing. He said the decrease reflects the transfer of funds to the newly created Marketing Parks and Recreation Division. Housing & Revitalization Ms. Kavanaugh stated that the base budget for Housing and Revitalization was $10,858,630, with $2,058,589 in carryover requests and no supplementals. Ms. Gloria Santiago-Espino, Director of Community Housing & Revitalization, said the $10 million dollar budget is comprised primarily of funds received from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She stated that the $2 million carryover is for Home Investment Partnership Funds and Community Development Block Grant Programs and is committed to specific contracts and programs. In response to Councilmember Lieberman's question, Ms. Santiago-Espino explained that public facility improvement projects do not have to be in target areas as long as 51% of their clients are low and moderate income individuals. Councilmember Clark asked about the large decreases in Neighborhood Revitalization, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. Mr. McClendon explained that substantial amounts of the budget for the CDBG and HOME programs are comprised of carryover from the previous year. He said, once authorized, the current carryover will be added to those programs. Community Partnerships Ms. Kavanaugh said the base budget for Community Partnership totals $438,482, with $19,600 in carryover and no supplemental requests. She reviewed the Department's accomplishments over the past year. She said the Neighborhood Partnership Program has $362,903 in operating funds, with $19,600 in carryover funds used for mediation/HOA (homeowner association) training. She said there is $700,000 in the Neighborhood Grants fund, with $899,968 in carryover that is encumbered for projects already in process or design. She reported an operating budget for the Community Volunteer Program of $75,579. Councilmember Lieberman stated that he was delighted with the Department's programs. He said the Community Partnership staff does an outstanding job. Councilmember Frate said he was very excited about the Mediation and Homeowners Association Training programs because they will help Code Enforcement and the Police Department. Ms. Kavanaugh said they were also excited about the programs and saw a number of benefits to several departments, including the City Prosecutor's Office. Library Ms. Kavanaugh reported that the base budget for the Library was $7,760,730, with no carryover or supplemental requests. She noted that 1,145,559 people visit the library every year. Ms. Rodeane Widom, Library Director, spoke about the computer labs provided at the Main and Velma Teague branches. She noted that they enabled the Library to provide 388 classes. She said the computer programs were partially funded through a Gates grant and a Libraries for the Future grant. Councilmember Clark stressed the importance of the services offered by the Library. She said they are used by a great number of people and are highly valued by the community. 12 Councilmember Lieberman asked if $150,000 was adequate to purchase books. Ms. Widom said they actually have $1 ,162,000 set aside for books. She said the $150,000 in the Library Book Fund is comprised of non-resident fees. Councilmember Lieberman suggested that the item be re-named to differentiate it from funds used to purchase books. Councilmember Frate asked what percentage of visitors to the Library are non- residents. Ms. Widom estimated that 4,500 non-residents use the Library. She noted that they are currently being charged $40 per year or $10 per quarter. Public Safety Fire Department Mr. Mark Burdick, Interim Fire Chief, reviewed the Fire Department's budget. He stated that the Fire Department has a base budget of $15,592,533, with $409,923 in carryover. He said, although they have two supplemental requests, they require no funding. He reviewed the Department's accomplishments for the year. He listed their objectives for the upcoming year, including: opening Fire Station 158; implementing disaster preparedness measures and the Metropolitan Medical Response System; identifying all hazardous occupancies and developing response strategies; implementing an annual recruitment process; and implementing several safety initiatives throughout the City. He said the carryover requests include $134,061 for Medical School and other training, $95,713 to replace three heart monitors, $70,857 for improvements to safety, station, and other equipment, and $82,314 for firefighter recruitment and testing. Mr. Burdick stated that the first supplemental request was to convert a vacated Support Supervisor position into one Clerical and one Service Worker position. He said the second supplemental would convert a Fire Inspector/Educator to increase Community Relations and Fire Prevention program staffing. Councilmember Lieberman pointed out that the budget does not include any increase in fire personnel or equipment needed for the new fire station. Mr. Burdick explained that those costs were approved and funded in last year's budget. Councilmember Goulet asked if any money had been set aside for increased training with regard to hazardous materials. Mr. Burdick stated that a large portion of the funding for hazardous material training will be made available through the grants process. He staled that the funds will be used to purchase protective equipment, protective clothing, metering devices, and training. Councilmember Frate commended the Fire Department on achieving their certification. He stated that it says volumes about their organization. Mr. Burdick said it was a significant undertaking and the City should be proud that both the Fire and Police Departments are now accredited. Councilmember Martinez referred to a newspaper article concerning federal grants. He noted that there could be areas where savings could be accomplished if cities worked together. He asked if the City of Glendale had looked at working with any other cities. Mr. Burdick said Mr. Tom Shannon, Battalion Chief - Special Operations , HazMat and Public Information Office, and members of the Police Department worked with a regional group on the Domestic Preparedness Grant. He said they not only captured most of the funding originally earmarked for the City of Glendale, but they were able to help fund the other cities' needs as well. 13 Police Departmert Mr. David Dobrotka, Police Chief, stated that the base budget of the Police Department was $35,337,432 with a projected carryover of $202,038 and three supplemental requests totaling $449,500. He said they originally intended to use $118,000 of the carryover for additional vehicles and $83,000 for an organizational audit. He said they have since changed their minds and now want to use the money to fund a Community Activity Review (CAR) program. He explained that the CAR program, based on New York's ComStat program, uses statistical data to identify trends and assist the police in reducing crime rates. He reviewed their 2001 goals. He said they were able to achieve a 7.11% decrease in Part 1 - Person Crimes, a .31% decrease in Part I - Property Crimes and a 1.74% decrease in vehicle collections. Councilmember Clark asked if the CAR program takes geographic locations into consideration, thereby targeting not only specific crimes, but specific areas of crime as well. Mr. Randy Henderlite, Police Commander - Administration, said geographic location is taken into consideration, especially with regard to auto theft. He said they now deploy resources according to the trends identified through the CAR program. Councilmember Clark asked where the City is in terms of deployment of the Shot Spotter. Mr. Dan Weiss, Police Commander - Neighborhood Patrol - Central, stated that they were in the process of installing acoustic sensors and expected the program to be operational by July of 2002. He said the media campaign will begin immediately. Mr. Dobrotka pointed out that they will run the system for one month to obtain a baseline prior to bringing attention to the program. Vice Mayor Eggleston said other cities are asking for an update of their census figures. He stated that the Legislature continually looks for ways to make cuts and the repeal of the sales tax on food issue will likely surface again in the future. He asked what the City will need in terms of essential service personnel, given the growth expected for the West Valley. Mr. Dobrotka said he and Mayor Scruggs had discussed developing three and five year projections with regard to future service demands. He expressed his opinion that 1:hey will be able to provide conservative and reliable information concerning those demands. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Dobrotka if they anticipated needing additional Shot Spotter systems. He noted that there were five cases of shots being fired, only one of which was in a "shots fired" area. Mr. Dobrotka stated that they did not anticipate purchasing more systems at this time. He said they were beginning to see an increase in violence between specific gangs throughout the Valley. He assured the Council that the Gang Unit and the Neighborhood Response Units are aware of the problem and some arrests have been made in connection with last weekend's shootings. Mr. Dobrotka noted that they were also seeing an increased emphasis on recruiting, with those recruits being as young as 11 or 12 years or old. Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Dobrotka if they were requesting 12 new officers. Mr. Dobrotka responded that they were not. He explained that the Council had approved 24 additional officers and eight civilian positions last year. He said he decided to stop hiring last December because of proposed budget cuts in response to the softening economy and the possible repeal of the food sales tax. Mr. Dobrotka said his intent was to fill the 12 remaining officer positions. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many officers would need to be hired over the next three or four years to maintain the City's current ratio with population growth. Mr. Dobrotka said they first look at what the budget can afford. Mr. McClendon noted that they calculate the number of positions that will be added to 14 the Police Department in the Five-Year Financial Forecast. He said they believed the Police Departmert would be able to add 12 to 16 positions each year, after Fiscal Year 2002/03, to keep pace with expected growth. Councilmember Martinez asked what it would take to establish a neighborhood traffic patrol unit. Mr. Dobrotka noted that 6 of the 24 authorized positions are in the Motor Unit. He said they are currently in the process of forming a third Motorcycle Unit that will consist of a sergeant and five motor officers. He stated that Traffic Enforcement Response units respond to citizen complaints and deploy and monitor speed trailers. Councilmember Martinez said he would still like to see a recommendation come forward from the Police Department to establish a neighborhood traffic patrol unit. Councilmember Clark stated that the City is mandated to provide five basic services and there is no greater service the City can render than to keep its citizens safe. She said the Council needs to know if additional personnel are needed, even if it might come at the expense of other programs. She expressed concern that police officers were not hired because of budget concerns. She said decreasing the Police Department or Fire Department's budget would be the last thing she would recommend. Councilmember Lieberman agreed that Mr. Dobrotka should inform the Council as to the number of officers needed and let the Council find a way to make funds available. He said he would rather cut other budgets to allow for more police officers. He pointed out that the City o'F Glendale is fifth or sixth in the Valley in terms of the number of police officers per residents. Councilmember Frate stressed that efficient use of officers can be more important than the number of officers. He stated that Mr. Dobrotka had done a good job of allocating his resources. He said the Council will continue to support Mr. Dobrotka and look to him for his expertise. Mr. Dobrotka reviewed the Police Department's three supplemental requests. He identified the two General Fund requests as being $385,000 for prisoner maintenance cost increases and $25,000 for standby pay. He said the non-General Fund supplemental request represents one-time Fund 02 monies and totals $39,500. Councilmember Clark said she thought Fund 02 was specifically targeted for Police personnel and equipment. She asked if there had been a shift in the interpretation that allows the fund to be used for other purposes, such as accreditation. Mr. McClendon explained that the fund can be used for personnel, equipment, and the training and supplies necessary to support them. Councilmember Martinez said, while he would like to see three or four year projections, he would also like to know what will be needed in the immediate future. He pointed out that the Council recently asked Departments to go through the process of identifying services and programs they could reduce or cut. He suggested that some of those savings could be redirected to the Police Department to address neighborhood traffic issues. Mr. Beasley stated that they anticipated concluding the budget process at the April 23rd budget workshop. He said staff would return with future needs projections and information as to how the City can address issues from a global standpoint, regardless of the state of the economy. He stressed the fact that staff never makes budget decisions based solely on money. He stated that they also take department needs into account. 15 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m. 16