HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 4/22/2003 (3) *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 22, 2003
10:00 a.m.
PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston and
Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet,
H. Philip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez
ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City
Manager; Rick Flaaen, City Attorney; and Pamela Hanna, City
Clerk
1. FISCAL YEAR 2003-04 BUDGET PROCESS
This is the third of the scheduled City Council workshops to review the proposed Fiscal
Year (FY) 2003-04 Annual Budget.
Over the course of these workshops, the City Manager will present his recommended
balanced budget for FY 2003-04.
Budget presentations will focus on service impacts of budget reductions, alternatives to
address these service impacts and discussion of any supplemental requests submitted.
Today's meeting will focus on the City Clerk's Office, the City Attorney's Office, City
Court and departments within the Community Services Group.
The November 15 City Council Goal-Setting Retreat was the first step in the FY 2003-
04 budget process. At that meeting, staff presented the economic forecast for the city
and the Mayor and Council discussed the national and local economies and their effect
on Glendale's FY 2003-04 budget.
At the retreat, the City Manager discussed the measures the city has implemented to
address the revenue shortfall for both Fiscal Years 2002-03 and 2003-04. These
measures included citywide budget reductions and revenue enhancements.
Department heads presented their departmental budgets to the Leadership Team at a
series of administrative review meetings in March.
The agenda for this City Council workshop has been posted and all legal requirements
for notification have been met.
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The City Council will review the FY 2003-04 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.
Review the FY 2003-04 Proposed Annual Budget and provide staff with direction.
Mayor/City Council
Ms. Aguilar asked the Mayor and Council if there were any items in their budget that
they wished to discuss.
Councilmember Lieberman asked staff to review the Mayor's and Council's budgets
later today if time permits, stating they went to great lengths to cut their budgets.
Appointed Officials
City Clerk
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pam Hanna, City Clerk and Pilar Aguilar,
Acting Budget Director
Ms. Pam Hanna reported a base budget of$569,285 and a required budget reduction
of$17,653. She said the carryover totals $120,047 for elections and there are no
supplementals. She explained the carryover is a combination of the Clerk's base
election budget allocation, election savings from the last election and a credit from the
sale of tabulation equipment. She noted a $21,253 credit has already been taken out
of the base budget allocation for FY 2003-2004. She said the City Clerk's Office
reduced informational advertising and notices, as well as office supply expenditures. In
an effort to offset the reduction in advertising, she stated a new program will begin in
May wherein legal notices will be posted on the web. She stated Records Management
will see a reduction in employee training opportunities and temporary labor services and
Elections will see a reduction in elections advertising and office supplies. She assured
Council that critical elections training will continue to be provided. She explained that,
in an effort to mediate the reductions in elections advertising, City Beat will announce
significant election related dates, news releases concerning elections will be increased
on the web page, as it relates to elections, will be expanded.
Councilmember Lieberman expressed concern about the reductions to Elections,
pointing out the city will hold elections both in March and May of 2004. Ms. Hanna
pointed out the reduction just applies to the upcoming budget year, explaining the
carryover amount and credit will cover the decrease in funding.
Councilmember Clark pointed out the city's cable audience is limited and 20 percent of
the population is not Internet connected. She said the city is relying on two sources of
media that do not reach the greater general public. Ms. Hanna clarified legal
notifications, including publicity pamphlets, are not included in the reduction. She said
the $1,600 now allocated for informational elections advertising should be adequate.
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Councilmember Clark asked how the City Clerk's Office intends to address criticism it
has received with regard to its inability to respond to public information requests in a
timely manner. Ms. Hanna explained, once a request has been received, the City
Clerk's Office notifies the departments who gather and review the requested
information. She said they have reviewed the process to see where it can be made
more efficient and will now issue a monthly report that shows the status of requests.
She noted her office contacts the person making the request, generally within 24 hours,
to inform them of the expected time it will take to gather the information.
Councilmember Clark asked at what point are documents put into the retention
program. Ms. Hanna explained the length of time a document is retained is based on
the type of document, noting they follow a state approved retention schedule. The
document's retention begins at the time of creation.
City Attorney
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Rick Flaaen, City Attorney, Nancy Khiel, City
Prosecutor and Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director
Mr. Rick Flaaen stated the City Attorney has a base budget of$1,605,020, a budget
reduction of$46,592, no carryover and no supplemental requests. He explained the
reduction was achieved through a number of ways, primarily a restructured contract
with WestLaw.
Councilmember Lieberman asked Mr. Flaaen to identify the various divisions in his
department. Mr. Flaaen said the department is made up of two primary divisions, Civil
and Criminal. He explained the Criminal Division includes the Prosecutors Office while
the Civil Division has two subdivisions, Litigation and Administration. He stated there
are a total of nine employees in the City Prosecutor's Office and nine employees in the
City Attorney's Office.
Councilmember Martinez expressed concern that the reduction in WestLaw services
will limit access to needed materials. Mr. Flaaen stated the Lexus database will provide
adequate coverage. He explained the reduction relates to the Prosecutor's Office's
access to Employment Law, Construction Law, and Planning and Zoning databases.
He assured Councilmember Martinez the Prosecutor's Office will continue to have
access to Arizona, Pacific, and Federal Reports. He noted specialized information
could still be obtained through the County and ASU Law Libraries and the Glendale
Public Library.
Councilmember Clark commended Mr. Flaaen on reducing his budget by four percent,
pointing out almost 95 percent of the department's base budget goes toward wages
and salaries.
Mayor Scruggs also commended Mr. Flaaen and Ms. Hanna for finding new ways to
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work more efficiently and effectively.
Mr. Frate commented on the money the City Attorney's Office saves the city when
compared to rates charged in the private sector.
Mayor Scruggs pointed out her office is charged for every piece of mail it receives,
although, in most cases she has no control over the quantity received. She stated
some cost savings can be achieved by accessing information on the Internet rather
than through subscriptions or hard copies of information.
City Court
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Elizabeth Finn, Presiding City Judge, Brenda
Way, Court Administrator and Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director
Judge Elizabeth Finn reported a base budget of$3,088,692, $2,900,824 of which
comes from the General Fund and $187,868 comes from the Court Fund. She stated
there are no carryover requests, but $86,893 in supplemental requests. She offered a
$20,000 budget reduction which will be achieved through reductions in professional
development. She noted additional professional development opportunities are now
being offered internally to help employees meet their educational requirements. She
explained the supplemental request refers to a Court Hearing Officer position, with
$86,393 in on-going costs and a $500 one-time expense. She explained they no longer
have funds in their budget to cover the position, however, not funding the position would
result in closing the courtroom.
Councilmember Frate asked if the Tax Intercept Program will continue to bring revenue
to the city. Judge Finn stated revenue from the program has been increasing, noting
the city received $31,774 last year and $50,000 to date this year.
In response to Councilmember Clark's question, Judge Finn explained the Court
receives a portion of the revenue it collects. She stated the funds are supposed to be
used for emergencies and innovation. She noted the funds have been and continue to
be used to fund two employees. She explained that, during the court's reorganization,
the Supreme Court identified having temporary employees perform functions that
should be performed by permanent, full time employees as a problem. She said all of
the temporary employees were converted, with the exception of two positions currently
being funded through JCEF funds. She stated, however, their use of those funds has
kept the court from being able to hire temporary employees to cover the two positions
open due to Worker's Comp and Disability claims. She said they are asking the City
Council to fund one of the positions through the General Fund, allowing the court to use
those JCEF funds for emergencies and innovations as intended. She stated they will
need Council authorization to continue using JCEF funds to fund both positions if
money cannot be identified in the General Fund to pay for one of the positions.
Pursuant to Mayor Scrugg's request, Judge Finn explained the JCEF Fund is money
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the court receives back, based on what it collects. She said a check is received every
month and the money is put into a JCEF Fund. She explained the City Court has to
make a request to utilize the funds, noting the request has to be approved by the City
Council, Supreme Court and Presiding Judge of Maricopa County. Ms. Way confirmed
money remains in the JCEF fund, accruing interest, until it is used. Mayor Scruggs
asked how the funds were used prior to being used to fund the two positions. Judge
Finn said the funds were used for the transition from the old database to the new one.
She said, while there are restrictions on the use of the funds, a request that is backed
up by substantiating information would most likely be approved. Judge Finn pointed out
the 15 additional police officers expected to come online will result in additional work for
the Court and necessitate hiring at least four clerks and possibly another Judge prior to
the end of the fiscal year. Mayor Scruggs noted the COPS Grant may not come
through, meaning the city will then have to find General Fund money to pay for the 15
officers.
Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the decrease in Court Security Improvement dollars is
due to the fact that the majority of court security improvements have been completed.
Judge Finn said, while some money has been spent on architectural plans, the majority
of the money will be spent when remodeling begins in June. Ms. Aguilar explained the
fund may not be able to cash fund all of the improvements, therefore, Finance is
looking at lease financing some of the improvements.
Councilmember Lieberman asked what is the cash balance in the Court Security Fund.
Ms. Aguilar answered $372,000.
Community Services
Ms. Pam Kavanaugh reported Community Services saw a 15 percent increase in Youth
Club registration at the Glendale Library and a 22 percent increase in the summer
recreation program. She said they have focused on finding ways to leverage the funds
they receive and have reevaluated all of the programs and services offered.
Community Services Administration
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager,
Dan Gunn, Code Compliance Administrator and Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director
Ms. Kavanaugh stated the Community Services Administration group's base budget
totals $1,137,116 with no carryover or supplemental requests. The $725 budget
reduction relates primarily to professional development and the contractual fund.
Councilmember Goulet pointed out Code Compliance achieved a 100 percent
compliance rate and maintained a voluntary compliance rate of 99.5. He commended
City Code staff for their willingness to work with the community.
Mayor Scruggs asked what is the average number of cases each Code Compliance
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Officer has open each month. Mr. Gunn said they are on pace to handle approximately
11,500 cases this fiscal year, noting the department has eight inspectors.
Councilmember Lieberman clarified each inspector handles approximately 119 cases
per month. Mr. Gunn noted some of the cases are very complex and time consuming.
Ms. Kavanaugh stated Code Compliance staff also started proactive enforcement this
year and have made good use of volunteers. Mayor Scruggs asked if they intend to
expand the volunteer program. Mr. Gunn said they are currently in the process of
adding two more volunteers.
Councilmember Clark commented that the impact on the court would be considerably
worse if not for the department's ability to gain voluntary compliance in almost all cases.
Mr. Gunn stated they receive tremendous support from the Prosecutor's office.
Councilmember Frate expressed his opinion the department receives a high
compliance rate because of their willingness to work with people.
Councilmember Martinez asked at what point does an inspector go to the site after a
compliant is received. Mr. Gunn said it depends on the nature of the call, explaining not
all complaints are based on code violations. Councilmember Martinez asked if the
department follows up on anonymous calls. Mr. Gunn responded no, noting, however,
they do not receive a lot of anonymous calls.
Community Housing & Revitalization
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager,
Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director and Gloria Santiago-Espino Community Housing
and Revitalization Director
Ms. Gloria Santiago-Espino stated the Community Housing and Revitalization
department has a base budget of$11,774,437, which is made up primarily of federal
funds. She said the $2 million in carryover is CDBG and HOME funds already
committed to existing contracts. She stated the $6,799 budget reduction will have a
slight impact on the voluntary demolition program, but will be offset by looking at
whether projects are eligible for federal funds. She stated their department has been
working with Habitat for Humanity to determine if some of their expenditures for homes
in Glendale can be used as a match toward the Home Partnership Program. She noted
Habitat for Humanity is willing to transfer about $472,000, allowing the city to leverage
$1.8 million in HOME funds.
Councilmember Clark asked why they have not adopted a "use it or lose it" policy with
regard to the carryover funds, pointing out the funds could be immediately utilized by
other programs. Ms. Santiago-Espino said they have shortened the contract period for
Social Service agencies to 12 months and improvements to public facilities to 18
months, at which time the agencies lose the money. Councilmember Clark asked if the
funds could then be reallocated to another program. Ms. Santiago-Espino responded
yes, explaining the money is given back to the Community Development Advisory
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Committee for reallocation.
Mayor Scruggs asked if city projects are exempted from the 12 month and 18 month
contract periods. Ms. Santiago-Espino said some federal money for demolition is
carried over.
Councilmember Lieberman asked why Faith House and YWCA have not yet received
the funding they were previously granted. Ms. Santiago-Espino explained the agencies
are required to submit a bill for reimbursement. She stated Faith House underwent
organizational changes, delaying use of those funds. She clarified that the work is now
almost complete and that Faith House no longer has a carryover. She stated the
carryover amounts with regard to the YWCA have also decreased.
Councilmember Frate stated Glendale's public housing program is successful because
the federal government is able to see results.
Councilmember Lieberman asked for an updated list of the amounts not yet paid to the
agencies.
Mayor Scruggs complimented Ms. Santiago-Espino and her staff on running an
excellent program.
Community Partnerships
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager,
Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director and Erik Strunk, Community Partnerships Director.
Mr. Strunk stated Community Partnership has a base budget of$413,437, with no
carryover or supplemental requests. He explained the Community Services Group, as
a whole, decided Community Partnership should be excluded from the 10 percent
reduction. He said the program has evolved over the past eight years, with four main
areas. He stated Neighborhood Services has approximately 177 registered
neighborhood groups representing about 36,000 households. He explained
Neighborhood Services acts as a liaison to its registered communities, providing
information to groups as well as other departments within the city. He stated the
Community Volunteer Program has grown to 7,500 volunteers who have given
approximately 26,000 hours or the equivalent of$350,000 to the city over the past four
years. He said the city has also entered into a relationship with Home Depot and the
Make-A-Difference Foundation to rebuild communities. He explained the intent is to
leverage a private funding source to assist homeowners that might not otherwise qualify
for assistance. Mr. Strunk stated the Mediation Program has handled about 73 cases
and will be continued next fiscal year, noting they now have 30 trained volunteer
mediators. He reported Glendale University has been very successful, stating they
intend to pursue adding a community education piece.
Councilmember Frate asked if the city has a full-time volunteer coordinator. Mr. Strunk
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stated no, explaining the position was frozen earlier in the year. He said, however, the
Management Team recently decided the position can now be filled. He noted the
Neighborhood Services Administrator position is also vacant, stating, however, he
would prefer to use that position for the Glendale University community education
piece.
Councilmember Clark pointed out some areas of the city do not have Homeowners
Associations, stating special emphasis should be given to reaching out to those
neighborhoods. She said she appreciates efforts to partner with Home Depot and the
Make-A-Difference Foundation to help neighborhoods that do not qualify for federal
assistance. She expressed her opinion at least a minimum level of resources should
be allocated to the Neighborhood Grants Program, noting the city is still encouraging
people to apply for the grants. She asked what will the Neighborhood Grants Advisory
Commission do if funds are not available to make grants. Mr. Strunk stated the
Commission has been asked how they will "reinvent" themselves. He said
neighborhood leaders will meet June 21 to discuss how the city can serve
neighborhoods until the grant program can be reestablished. He said the Commission's
annual retreat in July will also focus on how they will structure their involvement and
activities over the course of the next fiscal year. He agreed it would be great to have at
least a minimum amount of grant funding, stating, however, current economic times do
not allow for that. He noted a letter was sent to registered neighborhood groups once it
became apparent that the spring funding would not be available. He said they are
awaiting word from the State Legislature before sending final word on the status of the
Grants Program to neighborhood groups. He said the Commission has been given
information on how other cities have run successful neighborhood programs without
grant monies. Councilmember Clark reiterated her position that at least a small amount
should be allocated to the Neighborhood Partnership Program as an expression of the
city's commitment to the program. She pointed out the program gave neighborhoods a
reason to come together.
Mayor Scruggs said no one wants the program to go away, however, they have to be
realistic. She suggested it be added to the list of items the Council will revisit later in
the budget process.
Councilmember Martinez agreed the program should be funded if possible. He pointed
out that each Councilmember has $15,000 in CIP money that could be redirected
towards the program. He suggested limiting the program to neighborhoods that have
not previously received funding if additional funds can be found.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if the city still has a Small Grants Program. Mr.
Strunk responded no, explaining the program ended a couple years ago.
Mayor Scruggs said the City of Glendale has not approved any residential subdivisions
that do not have an HOA requirement in the past seven years. She said, therefore
Homeowners Associations need to learn how to interact with the city.
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Library
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager,
Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director, Rodeane Widom, Library Director.
Ms. Rodeane Widom stated the Library's base budget totals $7,609,496 with no
carryover or supplemental requests. She explained their base budget is made up of
$7,209,543 in General Fund monies and $399,953 in library revenue. She said the
$223,560 reduction will be taken out of the General Fund book budget, resulting in
fewer hardback reference materials, periodicals, bestsellers and media. She said they
anticipate the Library's share of impact fees to total $159,489, which will help offset the
budget reduction. She stated they will also continue to seek grants, noting they have
already received a $24,000 Mental Health grant, a $41,000 xeri-scape grant, a $1,000
Care Services grant and $20,000 in materials for domestic violence. She said they
have extended service hours of their electronic resources to 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, which will help offset the reduction in hardback reference material. Ms.
Widom reported materials in the Weekly Reader Program have a 91.5 turnover rate as
compared to 11.82 for brand new fiction and 9.09 for brand new non-fiction. She said,
therefore, they will expand the Weekly Reader Program. She said they are also doing
more aggressive overdue materials recovery, noting they are currently experiencing a
51.2 percent collection rate. She said, while the number of best sellers purchased will
be cut in half, more will be placed in the Weekly Reader Program. She said the
automated system allows the Library to analyze turnover rates and monitor database
usage.
Ms. Widom reported a 13 percent increase in circulation last year, with $2,284,779
items checked out in Glendale. She said there was a 19 percent increase in library
cards and the door count increased 14 percent, with 3,439 people visiting the libraries
every day. She said Youth Reading Club registrations are also up 15 percent.
In response to Councilmember Lieberman's question, Ms. Widom explained the Library
Book Fund is a revenue account comprised of Non-Resident Fees, book sales, videos,
donations and collections. She stated it is not part of the library budget.
Councilmember Martinez asked if the drive-up window at the Foothills Library is still
being used. Ms. Widom said they are working hard to keep the window open by using
volunteers, noting usage is up 48 percent. She said weekends are the only time they
have difficulty finding volunteers. Councilmember Martinez asked if they have
considered raising the overdue book fines. Ms. Widom acknowledged Tempe and the
County charge 25 cents and 20 cents, respectively. She offered to take
Councilmember Martinez's suggestion to the Library Advisory Board. Mayor Scruggs
agreed they should consider increasing the fine.
Councilmember Lieberman asked how many books does the library lose each year.
Ms. Widom said they took in $18,923.97 in lost book fees last year, noting the average
cost of materials was $28.85. She stated they have a surprisingly good recovery rate.
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Councilmember Lieberman asked if anything will be done with regard to the new library
on the west end of town. Mr. Widom said they will start designing the facility in July and
$300,000 has been set aside for book purchases.
The meeting recessed for a short break.
Parks & Recreation
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Pilar Aguilar, Acting Budget Director, Warren
Smith, Parks and Recreation Director. and Shirley Medler, Parks and Recreation
Deputy Director.
Mr. Warren Smith reported a base budget of$9,965,751, with $8,514,961 in General
Funds, $216,091 in Arts Commission and $1,234,699 in self-sustaining revenue. He
said there is no carryover, but $628,717 in supplemental requests. He said a total
budget reduction of $315,381 was achieved, with $133,283 coming from the
consolidation of two GRASP sites, the restructuring of the payment agreement with the
GESD schools for use of its facilities, a reduction in General Fund support for new
program development and implementation at the Adult Center, a reduction in summer
baseball/softball staff supervision to one staff per site, and a reduction in temporary
staff for citywide special events coverage. He said the remaining $181,098 reduction
will come from a reduction in line supplies, conferences and certifications, elimination of
the ramada power washing contract for all neighborhood parks and a reduction in the
frequency of turf mowing from every 5 days to every 7 days. He noted the ramada
power washing will still be done by staff.
Mr. Smith stated the $80,000 supplemental request is partial funding for new parks and
facilities operations and management and the $38,407 supplemental request is for a
40-hour FTE PM GRASP Recreation Programmer. He explained the $510,310
supplemental request represents an increase in appropriations in Fund 73, allowing the
city to add three additional PM sites in the Peoria School District.
Councilmember Clark asked about the reduction to Recreation Self-Sustaining. Mr.
Smith explained the money is now being put into individual departments, allowing them
to better track revenue and expenditures. Councilmember Clark asked if a GRASP
funded program has been offered at Desert Mirage in previous budget years. Mr. Smith
responded no, stating however a self-funded PM program has been successful at that
sight. He said Desert Mirage Elementary School and Sahuaro Ranch Elementary
School are the only sites that have pay-as-you-go programs. He explained both
schools needed an after-school program, but the city could not afford to fund them. He
said, therefore, they worked with both schools to provide a self-sustaining, licensed
program. He noted both programs have been very successful.
In response to Councilmember Martinez's question, Mr. Smith explained an agreement
between the city and the Glendale Elementary School District called for the city to pay
the cost of sanitation charges for schools within the district in exchange for use of the
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schools' facilities for recreational programs. He said the agreement was unfair in that
the city was paying for services at facilities it was not able to access. He stated the
school district has come up with a rate it will charge and the city will only pay for the
schools it uses.
Mayor Scruggs asked if the GRASP and AM/PM programs are the same. Mr. Smith
explained the programs are similar, however, one is licensed. He said one of the
biggest differences is that the children in the AM/PM program are not free to come and
go. He stated the AM/PM facility is required to undergo inspections, meet certain
standards and provide children with a snack and the people who run the facility have to
be certified and undergo training. He said the GRASP and Summer Drop-In programs
are drop-in sites where children are free to come and go. Mayor Scruggs noted the
Principal from Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School praised their AM/PM program highly.
Mr. Smith agreed the programs at Sahuaro Ranch and Desert Mirage have been very
successful.
In response to Councilmember Lieberman's question, Mr. Smith stated Sahuaro Ranch
is the only site with a morning program. He said the morning program starts at 6:30
a.m. He noted three other schools in the Peoria Unified School District have been
identified as future AM/PM sites.
Mayor Scruggs asked who sets the rates. Mr. Smith said the city sets the rate after
conferring with the Principal. He explained the rates are based on the program's cost.
Councilmember Frate noted parents are required to pay overtime if they fail to pick their
children up on time.
Zero Base Budget
Parks and Recreation
Ms. Aguilar said the primary objective of the zero base budget is to identify the activities
and tasks a program actually provides and to cost those services for the future. She
stated they used the current year's level of service, prior to budget reductions and the
reduction in revenue. She said, therefore, costs came out higher than the level the
Parks and Recreation Budget will be funded at next year. She stated, while the
department is not being funded at the level necessary to provide the same level of
service provided in the current year, the budget came within a reasonable variance of
their current year's budget.
Councilmember Frate clarified the purpose of a zero base budget is to see if a
department is spending more money than necessary and, in the case of Parks and
Recreation, they found they were spending less than necessary. Ms. Aguilar stated the
department is budgeting less than what it costs to provide the services provided during
the current year.
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Councilmember Clark asked if zero base budgeting involves an evaluation of current
programs and resource allocations to determine if they are as efficient as possible.
In response to Councilmember Lieberman's question, Mr. Smith explained they started
out by identifying the services Parks and Recreation offers and categorizing the
programs into four core services: recreation programs, parks maintenance, support
opportunities and capital improvement and park development. He said, because of the
analysis, they know what it costs to do one session of T-ball or to mow the parks.
Councilmember Martinez expressed his opinion a zero base budget requires an
assessment of the department's mission to determine if the programs help accomplish
that mission.
Ms. Shirley Medler reviewed the department's vision statement and organization chart.
She said Parks and Recreation programs provide volunteer opportunities and sports
and recreational activities. She said the programs also provide environmental and
economic benefits to the city. She highlighted a number of national, state and other
awards the city's Parks and Recreation Department has received.
Ms. Medler stated the goal of the zero base budget was to provide an in-depth review of
the Parks and Recreation Department's operating budget and to account for all
expenditures and revenues based on 19 service areas. She stated Recreation
Programs account for $3,490,503 or 37 percent of their budget, Parks Maintenance
accounts for $3,971,510 or 41 percent, Support/Administrative accounts for$1,939,855
or 20 percent and Park Development accounts for $174,347 or two percent of the
budget. She said the Zero Base Budget process uses an activity based costing method
of analysis, noting salary and benefit costs were based on a percentage of time spent
on each of the core service areas.
Ms. Medler stated the Adult Center provides educational, recreational and social
activities for adults 18 years and older, with 61,943 participant visits last year and 145
volunteers that worked 14,000 hours. She stated the Community Center provides
opportunities to "make dreams become reality", serving 19,200 youth and teens and
8,400 seniors annually. She discussed the number of participants in other recreational
programs, including youth and adult sports, special events, outdoor education, youth
development programs, social activities, special recreation for disabled individuals and
before and after school programs. She noted the programs benefited from 85,719
volunteer hours last year. She stated the city's aquatics program offers swim
instruction, aquatic sports, recreational swim time, and teen and family events. Ms.
Medler stated the mission of the Sahuaro Ranch Foundation is to preserve and present
the history of Sahuaro Ranch and the agricultural history of the West Valley. She noted
Sahuaro Ranch exhibits attract 20,000 visitors annually.
With regard to parks maintenance, Ms. Medler stated the department is responsible for
year-round operation and maintenance of seven public aquatic facilities as well as
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repairs, maintenance and installation of city-wide park irrigation sprinkler systems. She
pointed out vandalism repairs cost an average of$54,000 per year in parts and labor.
She said the department's goal is to provide a clean and safe environment for visitors to
the parks for either passive or active recreation activities. She noted there are four joint
use parks, 5 regional parks, and 318 acres of neighborhood and community parks. She
said the department also provides support to 339 hours of special events and services
the grounds of two libraries, five fire stations, community centers and city buildings.
She noted the Elsie McCarthy Sensory Garden takes more detailed care.
Mayor Scruggs asked staff to continue their presentation at the next budget workshop.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.
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