HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 3/28/2006 (3) *PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal
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MINUTES
CITY OF GLENDALE
CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP
March 28, 2006
9:30 a.m.
PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston,
and Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David
M. Goulet, H. Phillip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez
ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City
Manager; Craig Tindall, Deputy City Attorney Jon Paladini;
and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk
1. FISCAL YEAR 2006-07 BUDGET: 3RD WORKSHOP
CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Sherry Schurhammer,
Management and Budget Director, and Mr. Art Lynch, Deputy City Manager.
This is a request for the City Council to review the recommended Fiscal Year
2006-07 supplemental requests for the following departments, work groups, and
areas:
o Community Development Administration — Mr. Horatio Skeete, Deputy
City Manager
o Building Safety — Ms. Deborah Mazoyer, Building Safety Director
o Code Compliance — Mr. Dan Gunn, Code Compliance Director
o Engineering — Mr. Larry Broyles, City Engineer
o Planning — Mr. Jon Froke, AICP, Planning Director
o Transportation — Mr. Jamsheed Mehta, Transportation Director
o Public Works Administration — Mr. Ken Reedy, Deputy City Attorney
o Environmental Resources — Mr. Doug Kukino, Environmental
Resources Director
o Field Operations — Mr. Stuart Kent, Field Operations Director
This item incorporates the Council's strategic goals and key objectives, while
ensuring the city's financial stability by presenting realistic analyses about the
provision of city services and future revenue expectations.
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Future budget workshops are scheduled as follows:
o April 4, 2006 8:30 a.m.
o April 11, 2006 8:30 a.m.
The second budget workshop occurred on March 21, 2006. The issues
addressed at that workshop were the budget requests for the following
departments or subject areas: Police, Fire, Homeland Security, City Attorney,
City Clerk, City Court, City Council Office, Office of the Mayor, Mega Events,
Community Information & Service Administration, Community Partnerships,
Neighborhood Grants, Residential Infill Housing, Library & Arts, Parks &
Recreation, and Non-Departmental.
The first budget workshop occurred on March 14, 2006. The issues addressed
at that workshop were the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-06 second quarter report on
General Fund (GF) revenues and expenditures and the FY 2006-07 GF revenue
projection, as well as the Police Department staffing study.
Glendale's budget is an important financial, planning and public communication
tool. It gives residents and businesses a clear and concrete view of the city's
direction for public services, operations and capital facilities and equipment. It
also provides the community with a better understanding of the city's ongoing
needs for stable revenue sources to fund public services, ongoing operations and
capital facilities and equipment.
The budget provides the Council, residents and businesses with a means to
evaluate the city's financial stability.
All budget workshops are open to the public and are posted publicly per state
requirements.
Today's workshop is for information only. Decisions on the proposed budget will
not be requested until the final balancing workshop, scheduled for April 11, 2006.
Community Development
Horatio Skeete, Deputy City Manager, started the discussion about the
Community Development Group by explaining which departments make up the
Community Development group and their excellence in the area of building a
strong community and providing backbone services. He noted the base budgets
for the five departments total approximately $25 million and the supplementals
for those departments total about $2 million.
Community Development Administration
Mr. Skeete stated the Administration Group budget does not include any
supplemental or carryover requests.
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Councilmember Martinez asked about the nine percent increase in the cost of
staff. Ms. Schurhammer explained some of the money in this year's budget is
ongoing. She said that money, plus some one-time funding in the budget,
account for the change.
Building Safety
Deborah Mazoyer, Building Safety Director, reported a base budget of $2.9
million, with no carryover and $1.2 million in supplemental requests. She said
her department's primary goal has always been to provide excellent customer
service and to assist in implementing quality economic development projects.
She stated that the Building Safety and Planning Departments have implemented
many new customer service enhancements, reducing plan review times,
increasing customer contact, and streamlining internal and external processes
over the past few months. She explained the changes were in response to
customer needs and due to the increase in their workload over the past three
years.
She said development has increased throughout the city and their supplementals
are related to that development. She reported an increase in inspections of 48%
and in plan reviews of 40%, noting those numbers do not reflect activity at the
stadium. She said she anticipates projects in the upcoming fiscal year to include
the Thunderbird Hospital tower and parking garage, Arrowhead Hospital parking
garage, the continued expansion of Midwestern University's campus, various
large retail centers, six apartment and condominium projects, numerous office
buildings, and the Zanjero and Westgate developments. She requested the
conversion of four contractual positions into permanent positions because she
believes the current level of development would continue or increase over the
next several years. She said the city is losing contractual employees to the
security of permanent positions in other municipalities. She also asked for the
continuation of 10 contractual positions as well as three, three-month contractual
positions related to the completion of the stadium. She said the department has
demonstrated over the past three years that it will not hire employees unless
development activity warrants it. She noted higher than anticipated growth will
require her to return to Council and request additional contractual resources.
Councilmember Clark stated that it appears 11 stadium and 10 Westgate
contractual positions are eliminated in the upcoming budget. She asked if the
contractual supplementals Ms Mazoyer is requesting are designed to take on the
responsibilities of those who were assigned to Westgate. Ms. Mazoyer clarified
that she is requesting continuation of the 10 contractual positions that were
assigned over the past fiscal year to Westgate. Councilmember Clark referred to
page 232; stating FY 2005-06 shows 10 contractual positions while FY 2006-07
shows nothing. Ms. Schurhammer explained the positions for Westgate and the
stadium were approved on a one-time basis for the past couple years.
Therefore, those contractual positions do not show up in the FY 2006-07 column
in the "staffing by program" table on page 232. She said the contractual
positions are being requested again for the upcoming year through a
supplemental request.
Vice Mayor Eggleston commented the city has a good pool from which to select
the people to fill the four permanent positions.
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Code Compliance
Dan Gunn, Code Compliance Director, stated Code Compliance has a base
budget of approximately $1.4 million with no carryover and one supplemental
request. He said during last year's budget discussions the Council provided
Code Compliance with two new inspector positions and because of those
positions the department has been able to reinstitute the Neighborhood Focus
Program. He explained the program's efforts are primarily directed toward older
neighborhoods, supplementing and supporting the goals of the new
Neighborhood Revitalization Plan currently being implemented by the Community
Partnerships Department. He said the supplemental provides funds for the
Neighborhood Focus program. He reviewed the activities of the program over
the past few months, stating the department is on pace to generate about 3,300
cases which will result in ridding focus area neighborhoods of about 4,500 city
code violations. He stated the supplemental would provide funds for focus
program educational materials and large roll-off containers for organized
neighborhood cleanups.
Councilmember Goulet said over the years he has had numerous discussions
with people in the Code Compliance Department about code issues and he is
grateful for all of the effort the department renders to his district and other
districts throughout the city. He expressed concern that once the focus program
activity ceases in a neighborhood, the problems will return. Councilmember
Goulet suggested the city establish an ongoing focus effort in some areas. Mr.
Gunn said the strategic plan related to the focus program will not allow the
department to dedicate staff to specific areas on an ongoing basis, explaining
demand currently exceeds the available resources. He stated he is confident the
program will be effective, explaining the plan is to return to focus areas within a
three-month timeframe. He said at some point he anticipates reaching 90%
compliance for a consistent six-month period, at which time he would consider
the program to have been successful. He noted the plan calls for returning to
one-half of the areas on an annual basis. Councilmember Goulet said he
appreciates the efforts, but residents want to see long-term compliance. He said,
if possible, he would like the Council to consider allocating additional funding to
expand the program.
Councilmember Clark said she loves the focus program because it helps older
neighborhoods that do not have organized homeowners associations (HOAs).
She asked how many focus areas are planned for implementation in the
upcoming fiscal year. Mr. Gunn said he anticipates completing approximately 25
to 30. Councilmember Clark asked if $15,000 would be sufficient to cover the
cost of the roll-off containers. Mr. Gunn said the funding would give the
department an opportunity to test the program and determine how responsive
neighborhoods will be to the service. He said his estimates indicate $15,000
would cover the cost of about 60 containers. Councilmember Clark said she
believes the program will be very successful and she would like staff to provide
periodic updates to the Council concerning progress toward achieving the goal of
90% compliance within six months. She commented on the importance of the
Code Compliance Department, particularly in older neighborhoods, stating the
problems in those neighborhoods begin to invade other neighborhoods if left
unchecked.
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Engineering
Larry Broyles, City Engineer, said the Engineering Department continually strives
to provide a high level of customer service through its management of 131 capital
improvement projects. He stated it is their goal to maintain all projects on
schedule and within budget. He said, in addition to the 131 CIP projects, four
new projects were added -- Zanjero, which includes Cabela's, two youth sports
fields, and the Hickman property remediation and demolition. He reported a
base budget of $3.8 million, stating there are no requests for carryover. He
explained the supplemental request is related to the operations and maintenance
of the Bank of America Building, noting the building is currently 100% occupied.
Mr. Lynch explained the Bank of America Building was acquired nearly six years
ago when the occupancy rate was about 65 to 70%. He stated today the city has
accomplished not only a 100% occupancy rate, but rent revenue has doubled to
almost $109,000 per month. He said the city's last full debt payment is coming
up in FY 2006-07 and smaller partial payments will be made in FY 2007-08 and
2008-09. He stated those payments represent the conclusion of the city's debt
obligations on the building, at which time the city will have approximately $1.3
million in capacity per year that will be available to allocate for other items.
Councilmember Clark congratulated staff on achieving 100% occupancy. She
asked how much of the space is leased by non-city tenants. Mr. Lynch said only
14% of the space is occupied by city operations. Councilmember Clark pointed
out the city is always looking for office space. She asked if the operations and
maintenance costs run about $400,000 per year. Mr. Broyles said the costs run
about $444,000 per year. Councilmember Clark asked if any thought has been
given to converting the non-city leased space to city-occupied space once the
debt obligation has been repaid. Mr. Lynch stated this issue has not been
considered at this point since the repayment date is still a couple years in the
future. He expressed his opinion the building could facilitate a number of uses,
including opportunities to invite more business to the downtown area.
Councilmember Lieberman asked why a supplemental of $171,794 is necessary
for operating and maintenance expenses if revenue totals $1 ,308,000 and
operational expenses only total $444,000. Mr. Lynch explained that the annual
debt service payment is missing from the calculation. Councilmember Lieberman
asked about the amount of the annual debt payment. Mr. Lynch said for FY
2005-06 it totaled $877,054. Councilmember Lieberman asked about the
amount the city paid for the building. Mr. Lynch said approximately $5.3 million.
He said that as of June 30, 2005, the city has $1.5 million remaining to be paid.
He stated the next payment of$835,488 is scheduled for FY 2006-07.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if city departments pay for the use of the Bank
of America building. Mr. Lynch responded yes, stating the departments are
charged the same as any other lessee based on when they began leasing space.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if city departments are charged for use of the
Sine building. Mr. Lynch explained that the Marketing and Communication
Department is not charged for its facilities in the Bank of America building;
however, the Transportation Department is charged $15.00 per square foot.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if the Marketing and Communication
Department leased spaces are included in the 100% occupancy rate. Mr. Broyles
responded yes. Councilmember Lieberman asked why the Transportation
Department is being charged for the leased space. Mr. Broyles explained the
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Marketing and Communication Department was expanded into the space when
the city first purchased the building, stating it was not the city's policy at that time
to charge individual departments a lease rate. He stated the Transportation
Department specifically requested the Bank of America facility and had funding
through the half-cent sales tax to pay for their expansion into the facility. Mr.
Lynch stated indirect facility fees are allocated to all of the departments, whether
located in the Sine building or City Hall.
Councilmember Clark asked for an explanation of an indirect cost. Mr. Lynch
explained it is the cost of providing the building. Councilmember Clark asked if
the Transportation Department is the only department that pays rent for office
space and if that would still be the case if the Transportation Department used
General Funds rather than GO Transportation Funds. Mr. Lynch explained
Utilities pays a rental fee for its space, which is also usually handled as an
indirect charge. He said Transportation has an independent funding source.
Councilmember Clark pointed out the GO Transportation program is city
sponsored, stating she has a problem with Transportation being the only
department charged a rental fee.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if the city utilizes a professional broker to lease
the office space. Mr. Broyles said a leasing firm manages and markets the
building for a percentage fee that is included in the operating expenses.
Councilmember Lieberman asked if they have ever considered renaming the
building, stating people are often surprised to find out the city owns the building.
Mr. Beasley explained the Bank of America Building was purchased from a
business expense standpoint, which is why city employees were not immediately
moved into the facility. He stated the GO Transportation Fund would have had to
pay to lease space somewhere. He said the Sine Building was purchased free
and clear and refurbished by the city; therefore, the city could decide to have city
employees completely occupy the space. He said, had the city owned the Bank
of America building free and clear, it would not have to charge rent.
Mayor Scruggs agreed the city purchased the Bank of America building with the
intent that the tenants would pay rent. She expressed her opinion that the city's
Planning Department's workspace is substandard. She asked if that department
would pay rent if space became available in the Bank of America Building. She
said the city needs to address that question from a policy standpoint, suggesting
the reason the city purchased the building does not match today's rationale for
continuing to own the building.
Vice Mayor Eggleston pointed out no other city buildings have outside tenants.
He agreed the city needs to revisit the policy concerning city use of the building.
Mayor Scruggs clarified it was a good move for the city to purchase the building.
Councilmember Frate stressed the importance of encouraging the businesses to
relocate in the downtown area once their leases expire, stating it will help
encourage economic development.
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Planning
Jon Froke, Planning Director, stated the Planning Department strives to provide
excellent customer service in guiding the physical development of the city. He
reported a base budget of approximately $1 .9- million, with no carryover and one
supplemental request of about $81,000 for a new associate planner staff person.
He explained the requested position is intended to maintain and enhance the
department's customer service. He said the growth area around the Loop 101 ,
Council's direction last year to annex over 1,500 acres of land, and a 281%
increase in service requests have strained the department's ability to provide a
high level of service to all customers.
Councilmember Clark asked if the Planning Department is currently full staffed.
Mr. Froke responded no, stating the department recently lost a critical senior
planner. Councilmember Clark asked if there are any funds within the budget to
obtain verbatim transcripts of Planning and Zoning Commission meetings. Mr.
Froke answered no.
Councilmember Clark asked whether Council no longer hears Board of
Adjustment appeals. Mr. Froke responded no. Mr. Paladini explained the city
was awaiting a decision in a court case that was rendered within the past week
or so. Now that the court case has been decided, Mr. Paladini said Council could
proceed with deciding whether to amend the current code to take the Council out
of the appeals process. Councilmember Clark asked if verbatim minutes would
be required by the Superior Court if the Council were, in fact, taken out of the
appeal process. Mr. Paladini said appeals would go directly from the Board of
Adjustment to Superior Court if the Council approves an ordinance taking the
Council out of the appeals process. He said the preference would be to have a
court reporter present at all Board of Adjustment hearings because the Superior
Court is limited to making its decision based on the written record. He stated,
however, it is difficult to estimate the number of appeals. Councilmember Clark
said it is an expense the department may have to incur in the upcoming year,
asking where the department will get the funding to cover the expense. She
suggested the city look at the cost of making verbatim transcripts of Planning and
Zoning meetings, mentioning a situation concerning the 51 Palms development
for which the summary minutes did not reflect the extent of the discussion. She
expressed her opinion there is a failure to provide full and complete information
to the Council with regard to some Planning and Zoning decisions.
Mayor Scruggs asked if the same end could be achieved by asking the Marketing
and Communication Department to retain the meeting tapes until each case is
heard by the Council. She pointed out verbatim minutes can be difficult to read.
Councilmember Clark agreed, stating she would support any means of
memorializing the content of the meeting. Mr. Froke offered to talk to the
Marketing and Communication Department about this possibility.
Councilmember Clark said retaining the tapes would not resolve the need for a
verbatim transcript of Board of Adjustment meetings for the purpose of an
appeal. Mayor Scruggs asked if each Council member could be given a copy of
the tape of the Board of Adjustment meeting. Mr. Froke stated the tapes are
currently retained for about 30 days. Mayor Scruggs said she recalls having
more detailed minutes when considering a Board of Adjustment appeal. Mr.
Froke said a person has to appeal a Board of Adjustment decision within 15 days
and he would suggest the city either keeps the tape until the case is heard or
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have someone transcribe the tape. Councilmember Clark said her point is that
she believes the city needs to allocate funding to produce verbatim transcripts or
copies of tapes when necessary.
Councilmember Goulet expressed his opinion some of the cost should be borne
by the person filing the appeal.
Transportation
Jamsheed Mehta, Transportation Director, said the Transportation Department
has a base budget of over $15.2 million, with over 60% of the budget derived
from the dedicated half-cent transportation sales tax, also known as the GO
Transportation Fund. He stated the department is requesting a carryover of
about $335,000, most of which is the result of savings in contractual services.
He said the department needs to replace its one and only street striper truck so it
can resume the city's pavement striping and marking program on a full-time
basis. He stated the department also needs to find a new facility to house the
city's transit division. Through the use of carryover, as well as some Local
Transportation Assistance Fund II monies, the department will be able to avoid
any breakdowns in its high quality Dial-A-Ride service and other transit services
the department delivers.
Mr. Mehta explained the Council provided the Transportation Department with
$43,000 to eliminate the backlog in the Neighborhood Mitigation Program. He
said the program was expanded to include solutions other than speed humps
and a supplemental request for the upcoming year will allow the department to
explore other options. He stated the Council also provided the department with
one-time supplemental funds to catch up with the demand for signalized
intersections and signal upgrades. He reported several intersections have been
signalized and several more are in design.
Mr. Mehta explained the department is requesting one technician position to take
on the additional responsibility of maintaining the citywide fiber optic system that
links the city's major satellite installations. This position would be paid out of the
General Fund.
For the dedicated GO Transportation Program, an intelligent transportation
system (ITS) supervisor position is requested to implement and operate the city's
fast growing Smart Traffic System and supervise the emergency response to any
service outages in the fiber optic communication system.
For FY 2005-06, Mr. Mehta said Council provided the department with one-time
supplemental funds to implement a taxi subsidy program for Glendale residents
who need to make scheduled dialysis or oncology treatments and for transporting
victims of domestic abuse. He stated the service was put into place last
November and, based on limited yet encouraging data, the department is
requesting continuation of the program through the end of next fiscal year, FY
2006-07.
Councilmember Martinez said the traffic signal budget is down 17% in FY 2006-
07 from the current fiscal year and asked if that implies the city has all of the
traffic signals it needs. Mr. Mehta said the department has made tremendous
progress in the installation of new signals and that he expects to have installed or
upgraded most of the signals by early next year.
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Councilmember Martinez referred to page 293, pointing out the amount set aside
for traffic mitigation is the same as was spent last year. He commented speeding
continues to be an issue, particularly in neighborhoods. He asked if money
should be set aside for other forms of traffic mitigation for use in neighborhoods
that do not meet the criteria for speed humps. He also asked if the department is
still considering speed tables as a form of mitigation. Mr. Mehta responded yes,
noting that his department is currently conducting a demonstration project and
looking at how other cities use speed tables. He explained the primary issue is
the speed table's impact on the Fire Department's response times. He stated the
proposed supplemental request for $75,000 would allow the department to
continue looking at other speed mitigation options. He said other forms of
mitigation exceed the cost of speed humps by as much as 10 to 1 . Therefore, he
suggests the department conducts pilot programs at specific locations before
making full-scale recommendations.
Councilmember Martinez asked if flashing radar signals are included in the list of
options. Mr. Mehta said the department would have a report on flashing radar
signals that were implemented through a grant by early June. He pointed out the
radar signals at this point do little more than make drivers conscious of their
speed, stating there are no fines associated with the readings at this time.
Councilmember Martinez noted the Council would have completed the budget
process by the time that study is completed. He said many people in the study
area have commented on the difference the radar signals have made, and
suggested the Council set aside funds for the use of that tool in other areas of
the city.
Mayor Scruggs said that item would go on the list of items to bring back to
Council for consideration.
Councilmember Clark said all of the councilmembers receive complaints at the
local neighborhood level regarding police presence, code violations, and
speeding. She expressed her opinion that all three issues are of equal
importance and deserve a tremendous amount of emphasis. She said the
Transportation Department appears to have three imperatives, the intelligent
transportation system, the transportation plan, and neighborhood speeding. She
said a tremendous amount of emphasis seems to be placed on the first two
issues, while neighborhood speeding continues to get lip service. She said she
would like to see more emphasis and resources placed on neighborhood traffic
mitigation issues.
Mayor Scruggs reiterated that the issue would be brought back to the Council.
She agreed the flashing radar signals have been quite successful.
Councilmember Goulet asked if the current budget would allow the department to
implement a different solution on a test basis without an additional supplemental.
Mr. Mehta said residents who are approved to receive a speed hump could be
approached with a different solution if it fits within the department's budget.
Councilmember Frate noted several groups have approached him stating that
their neighborhood is on the list for a traffic signal. He asked if the city still has a
backlog and, if so, how are the signals prioritized. Mr. Mehta said traffic signals
that have been completed and installed include:
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o Kachina Gate at Luke Air Force Base,
o 67th Avenue at Pinnacle Peak Road, and
o 79th Avenue at Bethany Home Road.
He stated the department has modified signals at:
o 55th Avenue and Northern Avenue,
o 51St Avenue and Maryland Avenue,
o 99th Avenue at Camelback Avenue, and
o Hillcrest and 67th Avenue.
He said by the end of the year the department expects to complete Dysart Road
at Glendale Avenue and El Mirage Road at Glendale Avenue. He stated the
department hopes to have full signal design completed for:
o 87th Avenue and Camelback Road,
o 67th Avenue and Ocotillo Street,
o 83rd Avenue and Missouri Avenue,
o 71st Avenue and Bethany Home Road,
o 77th Avenue and Union Hills Drive, and
o 71st Avenue and Glendale Avenue.
Councilmember Frate asked about two signals residents have requested for a
number of years that are not currently on the list. He said staff either needs to
tell the residents the signals are not warranted or the department needs to find
funding to catch up on the program. Mr. Mehta offered to come back to Council
with a memo identifying the status of various traffic signal requests (the warrant
list).
Mayor Scruggs noted the warrant list in previous years has been much longer
than could be addressed in one year.
Mayor Scruggs referred to Page 263, asking why the request for an ITS
Technician staff person was not put into the GO Transportation Fund with all of
the other ITS-related expenses. Mr. Mehta explained the position is at the
request of all the other departments that have a facility outside of City Hall and
relates to the city's ability to maintain equipment, inspect construction projects,
and conduct blue staking of fiber that links City Hall and the Information
Technology Department to other city offices. He said the Transportation
Department has the expertise necessary to deal with fiber optic communications
as part of the Smart Signal System, but the department currently does not have
the necessary manpower to take on the responsibility of addressing the various
demands of maintaining the city's system wide fiber optic system.
Mayor Scruggs asked about the status of the street sign project, stating staff was
supposed to return to Council with options concerning the size of signs and
entryway monuments. Ms. Mehta said staff plans to make a presentation
concerning entryway signs and monuments next week. Mr. Skeete said staff
plans to present an option that calls for 40 to 60 "Welcome to Glendale" entryway
signs that could be fabricated in the Transportation Department's sign shop. He
noted the cost of those signs could be absorbed within the current operating
budget. He stated the department also will propose the use of GO
Transportation Funds to pay for some of the monument signs, as well as
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incorporate the other monument signs into street projects that will be coming on
line in the next year.
Mayor Scruggs asked about the costs for a photo red light running pilot project.
Mr. Skeete said the department has issued a Request for Proposal for the
installation and operation of the camera and have worked with the Police
Department and City Court to identify other costs that will be associated with the
program. He stated once the information has been compiled, staff would send a
memo to Council outlining the costs prior to the issue coming to a Council
workshop. Mayor Scruggs stated the Council has approximately $500,000 in
discretionary funds, pointing out the pilot program is expected to run $250,000 to
$300,000. Mr. Mehta noted the GO Transportation Fund has been identified as a
source of funding for the pilot project.
Mayor Scruggs asked about the location of the pilot speed tables.
Councilmember Lieberman pointed out two are located along 47th Avenue,
between from Olive Avenue and Mountain View Road. He said he has not
received any complaints from the neighborhood. Another speed table is located
on Maryland Avenue, between 69th and 71st Avenues.
Councilmember Martinez asked about the status of the inquiry into the leading
versus lagging left-arrow issue. Mr. Mehta said the Transportation Department
plans to bring forward to Council the findings of the leading versus lagging left-
arrow study, as well as the yellow light extension study, at a workshop in May.
Councilmember Martinez asked if staff has spoken to Peoria concerning its
experience with speed tables. Mr. Mehta agreed that Peoria has been using
speed tables for a while. However, his department's study has focused on how
Glendale residents perceive the structures and how they impact the response
times for the Glendale Fire Department.
Public Works
Ken Reedy, Deputy City Manager, said the Public Works Group includes
departments that provide direct services to Glendale residents on a daily basis.
He stated those services include sanitation collection and disposal, recycling
collection and processing, loose trash collection and disposal, and water and
sanitary sewer services. He stated the total Public Works budget is over $84
million.
Mr. Reedy explained the group's supplementals are related to:
o maintaining aging infrastructure,
o addressing the demands related to growth and expansion,
o addressing security-related recommendations, and
o complying with regulatory requirements.
He said as the city completes its growth and expansion phase over the next
several years, more of the needs of the Public Works Group's will be related to
the maintenance of aging infrastructure. Currently, Council will see
supplementals for pavement management needs, building maintenance and roof
repair, and equipment replacement. He said other supplementals relate to the
increased cost of fuel, energy and construction materials.
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He noted that the operating and capital budget requests for the Utilities
Department would be discussed at the April 4 budget hearing.
Deputy City Manager for Public Works
Mr. Reedy noted there are no significant changes in this budget.
Environmental Resources
Doug Kukino, Environmental Resources Director, said the Environmental
Resources Department manages several city operations, thereby helping to fulfill
Council's goal of providing high quality service to its citizens. He said the water
resources program ensures the city has the necessary resources for sustainable
development while the environmental program and water conservation office
ensures the city is a good environmental steward. He stated the city's state-
certified water quality laboratory ensures the city's drinking water is clean. He
reported a base budget of roughly $2.3 million, with no carryover or supplemental
requests.
Mr. Kukino updated the Council on the supplemental requests approved as part
of the FY 2005-06 budget, stating that part of the funding approved for the water
conservation program went to the landscape rebate program. As a result, the
number of landscape rebates to homeowners has doubled; noting the
department expects to do 150 landscape rebates this year. Based on guidance
Council provided last year, the department also expanded the rebate program to
include homeowners associations, multi-family developments and businesses.
He said the other funds approved for the FY 2005-06 budget went to strengthen
the department's public outreach and youth education programs.
Councilmember Frate noted receiving a call concerning Peoria's rebate on water
circulation pumps and asked if Glendale offers a similar rebate program. Mr.
Reedy said this issue was evaluated several years ago and it was discovered
that it saves a small amount of water but the energy costs involved in heating the
water actually costs considerably more than the water itself. Although the city
encourages water conservation, it does not necessarily want to encourage
citizens to do something that will cost the resident more money in the long run.
Field Operations
Stuart Kent, Field Operations Director, reported that the Field Operations
Department provides garbage and recycling collection and disposal services, as
well as street maintenance, building maintenance, and fleet maintenance. He
stated that Council provided resources for several enhancements as part of the
current fiscal year's budget, including the addition of a third graffiti-buster position
that will result this year in 4,000 additional removals throughout the city. He
stated the right-of-way division had $150,000 in one-time carryover from last year
fiscal year to the current fiscal year and, as a result, each City Council district
was provided $25,000 to initiate right-of-way improvements. He said over
$120,000 of those funds have been expended on improvements that typically
include refurbishment of granite and plant materials. He said the city also set
aside slightly more than $500,000 in General Fund dollars to assist departments
with the rising cost of fuel, noting that $273,000 has already been transferred
directly to departments who have been significantly impacted by such increases.
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He stated the growing cost of raw materials have not only affected construction
costs, but the cost of other supplies including automotive parts and supplies.
Councilmember Lieberman said graffiti in his district is worse today than it has
been in the past six years. He noted graffiti that was reported on Wednesday
afternoon was still there at four o'clock the following Monday. He suggested Mr.
Kent contact a gentleman involved with the Bethany Heights neighborhood,
stating he will testify that some of the graffiti is not removed for four to six days.
Mr. Kent offered to speak with the gentleman to address the specific concerns
raised by Councilmember Lieberman.
Councilmember Clark asked why the graffiti removal budget decreases by four
percent between this fiscal year and next fiscal year when the program received
a third person. Mr. Kent explained the reduction is related primarily to a slight
reduction in materials and supplies. He assured the Council that the program's
three staff members are fully equipped with trucks and paint supplies.
Councilmember Clark asked if the graffiti removal specialists address unreported
instances of graffiti they notice en route to an instance of reported graffiti. Mr.
Kent said the focus is on directing resources to address the calls received.
Nevertheless, the staff will identify unreported graffiti as they drive by sites so
staff can return at a later time. He pointed out staff cannot address graffiti
located on private property, stating the city's code states that graffiti is the
property owner's responsibility. Councilmember Clark said the city typically
handles graffiti for utility companies since their poles are located within the city's
rights-of-way. She stated, however, that graffiti located on the back side of a
business or on other private property still represents an eye sore and is still an
issue for the community. She asked staff to bring the issue back to the Council
for further discussion in the future. Mr. Kent clarified that staff always contacts
the utility company first to make sure the companies take responsibility for their
infrastructure.
Councilmember Clark said she has noticed a tremendous increase in graffiti
north of Camelback Road, particularly in the area of the O'Neil neighborhood.
She attributed the increase to Phoenix's ongoing program to reduce crime in the
Maryvale area, stating it has pushed the problem into south Glendale. She urged
the city to be more vigilant in its efforts to remove graffiti in south Glendale. Mr.
Kent emphasized the importance of the relationship between the Police
Department, Code Compliance and other city officials.
Councilmember Martinez asked Mr. Kent if staff has looked at using electronic
devices or cameras to monitor certain locations. Mr. Kent said that was an item
brought forward to the Council last year and, at that time, it was not funded. He
offered to bring back alternate technologies as part of an update to Council on
graffiti issues.
Councilmember Lieberman commented that graffiti seems to be addressed faster
when he calls to report it. He acknowledged that a distinction needs to be made
between private and public properties. He noted the importance of addressing
the problem in public rights-of-way as quickly as possible.
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Mayor Scruggs asked staff to bring the item back in its complete form, noting it is
being done through the Maricopa County Attorney's office in another community.
She said Mr. Beasley has directed staff to present issues in a holistic manner so
the Council can see the total impact.
Mayor Scruggs noted she has appointments scheduled for the afternoon, stating
she will have to end the meeting at 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Kent said the department's supplemental requests are primarily related to
growth issues and increasing costs for the supplies and materials associated with
the city's vehicle maintenance operation. He said the pavement management
program includes a supplemental for $750,000 to increase the total amount
available for next fiscal year to $3 million. He also discussed a right-of-way
related supplemental for new areas that the city will be responsible for along the
Grand Avenue corridor. He stated the Landfill and Sanitation Enterprise Fund
supplementals are consistent with the assessment Council reviewed two years
ago.
Councilmember Clark referred to page 327, asking for more information
concerning the supplemental request for the parts store operations increase. Mr.
Kent said the supplemental is part of the NAPA contract and is related to an
increase in the amount of parts and materials purchased as well as an increase
in the cost of those parts and materials. Councilmember Clark pointed out the
original NAPA contract allowed a certain percentage for overhead that goes to
NAPA, and she asked if the supplemental reflects any increase in that
percentage. Mr. Kent responded no.
Councilmember Frate asked about the amount of new right-of-way the city will
bring on line in the upcoming year. Mr. Kent said approximately 2.1 million
square feet will be added, primarily as part of the Grand Avenue development
and Zanjero development. Councilmember Frate commented right-of-way
beautification is very important to residents. He stated the city-outsourced
responsibility for maintaining the rights-of-way, but it has not been able to keep
pace in terms of oversight to ensure they are maintained to the city's standards.
Mr. Kent agreed it has been a challenge to oversee the private contractors to
ensure they follow the terms and conditions of their contracts. He said, however,
he feels the staff can do an adequate job of overseeing the program.
Councilmember Frate said he will accept Mr. Kent's assessment of the situation,
but noted that he fears a lot of problems are falling through the cracks and it is
important to make sure the city is receiving what it is due.
Councilmember Martinez stated two or three years ago the Council added funds
to it's the pavement management program when the program was determined to
have fallen behind. He stated another $750,000 is being requested through a
supplemental, asking if that will bring the program up to speed. Mr. Kent stated
the city would be in year three (next fiscal year) of the ten-year plan discussed
with Council two years ago. He explained no particular amount of money would
completely resolve the problem because streets continue to decay and
infrastructure always has to be maintained.
Councilmember Lieberman referred to page 327, asking if the $330,000 increase
in parts store operation relates to an increase in inventory or the increased cost
of parts. Mr. Kent said it relates to the increased cost of parts.
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Councilmember Lieberman asked why labor costs for the Materials Recycling
Facility are increasing $210,000. Mr. Kent said the increase reflects both an
increase in the number of staff, as well as a cost increase experienced when the
city recently bid the project for temporary labor.
Administrative Services and Internal Services
These budget items were continued to the Council's April 4th budget hearing.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00.
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