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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 3/21/2006 *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 CITY OF GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP March 21, 2006 1:30 p.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, City Attorney; and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk 1. FISCAL YEAR 2006-07 BUDGET: 2nd 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 (FY) 2006-07 supplemental requests for the following departments, work groups, and areas: o Police Department; Mr. Steven Conrad, Police Chief o Fire Department; Mr. Mark Burdick, Fire Chief, Mr. Greg Victor, Fire Marshall o City Attorney; Mr. Craig Tindall, City Attorney o City Clerk; Ms. Pam Hanna, City Clerk o City Court; Honorable Elizabeth Finn, Presiding Judge o City Council Office; Ms. Kristin Kennedy, Council Office Administrator o Office of the Mayor; Mr. Steven Methvin, Assistant to the Mayor o Mega Events; Ms. Cathy Gorham, City Manager Relations Director o Community Information & Service Administration; Ms. Gloria Santiago- Espino, Deputy City Manager o Community Partnerships Department; Mr. Erik Strunk, Community Partnerships Director o Neighborhood Grants; Mr. Erik Strunk, Community Partnerships Director o Residential Infill Housing; Mr. Erik Strunk, Community Partnerships Director o Library & Arts; Ms. Rodeane Widom, Library Director o Parks & Recreation; Ms. Becky Benne, Parks and Recreation Director and o Non-Departmental. 1 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. Future budget workshops are scheduled as follows: o March 21, 2006 8:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. o March 28, 2006 1:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. o April 4, 2006 8:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. o April 11, 2006 1:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. The first budget workshop occurred on March 14, 2006. The issues addressed at that workshop were the 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. Ms. Schurhammer began the budget workshop by saying the recommended budget for FY 2006-07 was developed with Council's strategic goals and key objectives as the guidelines. She said the recommended budget is intended to better provide quality services that support a high quality of life for the Glendale community and reflects a continued investment in the community. She stated another feature of the recommended budget is the identification of a full range of issues that need to be addressed when additional staff and equipment are added to ongoing operations. She said with many city positions rendering direct services to citizens, there is human infrastructure required for effective and efficient delivery of direct services to the Glendale community. Ms. Schurhammer clarified that the Council is not being asked to make any decisions at today's workshop, explaining that final decisions are not needed until the last budget workshop on April 11. She noted a comprehensive review of the proposed capital 2 program would occur at the April 4 workshop, stating it will include the operations and maintenance costs for new capital projects such as the Emergency Operations Center, the Public Safety Training Facility, and the Foothills Recreation and Aquatic Center, all of which are scheduled to come online next fiscal year. Ms. Schurhammer said the recommended operating budget for the general fund, as presented to Council in their budget workbooks, is financially balanced. She explained they built the recommended operating budget beginning with expected ongoing general fund revenue of $165.7 million for FY 2006-07. From that amount the base budget is deducted, resulting in $17.8 million available for supplemental requests. She stated the recommended supplementals that will be presented to Council during the budget workshops total about $17.3 million. After addressing the Council's goals and objectives, $500,538 in ongoing and $508,417 in one-time funds are available for allocation at the Council's discretion. A decision concerning the allocation of these funds will not be needed until the April 11 budget workshop. Mayor Scruggs asked if the mid-decade census figures were received. Mr. Beasley said the cities have not received the correct figures yet. He further explained that there were some miscalculations in the initial numbers and therefore revised, final figures will not be available for another week or two. Mayor Scruggs pointed out those numbers could impact the budget figures being presented. Ms. Schurhammer explained that staff took a very conservative approach to estimating the impact of the mid-decade census on state-shared revenue for next fiscal year. Specifically, she said the FY 2006- 07 revenue projection assumes a larger impact than the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) estimate. Public Safety Group Mr. Lynch said public safety has always been one of the Council's top priorities. He said the Public Safety Group budget supplementals include $5.1 million in ongoing funds, $4.1 million in one-time funds, $47 million for the Public Safety Training Facility, and $12 million for the Emergency Operations Center. Mr. Lynch noted that the addition of police officers or firefighters has a ripple effect throughout the organization. For example, it is important to consider the additional resources needed to equip and support those sworn positions, as well as the impact these positions have on operations in the City Prosecutor's Office, the City Court, Human Resources, Information Technology, payroll operations, etc. He also noted the impact is reflected in the need for capital facilities like a training center and the accompanying operations and maintenance expenses for these capital facilities. Police Department Chief Conrad said at last week's meeting he discussed with Council the department's need for 121 additional sworn officers and 74 non-sworn positions over the next four years and an additional 50 seasonal, part-time employees. He said the proposed 3 supplementals reflect a systematic approach to begin the implementation of that plan, resulting in the addition of 31 sworn officers, which includes the 13 COPS Universal Hiring Officers. He stated he is also recommending the hiring of 10 additional officers and 13 civilian employees, explaining eight of the thirteen civilian employees will allow police officers and detectives currently filling those positions to return to the field. He said civilianization will allow the department to more effectively use its resources and get police officers out onto the street in a more timely fashion than if hiring new officers. He expressed his opinion that the department will face a challenge in trying to recruit, hire and train the additional officers. Councilmember Martinez asked if the 10 additional officers would be designated for patrol. Chief Conrad said nine of the new officers will be deployed directly to patrol services and one will be deployed to the city's training unit. Chief Conrad said, in addition to the general fund request, the department has submitted a number of supplemental requests that are tied to the Police Special Revenue Fund. He said the $10,000 in ongoing and $263,854 one-time supplemental requests include the purchase of firearms and ammunition, an update to the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System, and law enforcement equipment. Councilmember Lieberman asked for confirmation that within 12 months the department intends to have 31 additional sworn officers in the field. Chief Conrad responded yes, noting the department will be able to get the 13 COPs officers in the field in a fairly timely manner since they are already in the process of being hired. He stated the eight that will be deployed to the field as a result of hiring civilians for administrative functions would also be able to get into the field quickly. Councilmember Lieberman said, based on their analysis, the city needs 51 additional officers assigned to patrol immediately, pointing out 31 officers represents only 60% of that immediate need. Chief Conrad explained 27 of the officers would be designated for patrol while the remaining officers would be assigned to training. Councilmember Lieberman asked, in addition to the eight mentioned, how many civilian employees would he like to add this year. Chief Conrad said the department has requested to add 13 civilian employees that would go to a variety of positions within the department. He said eight of the employees would allow the department to redeploy officers into the field. Of the eight civilian positions requested, three will be accident investigators, three will be case managers, one is the stadium events coordinator, and one an impoundment administrator. The remaining five civilian positions requested include a communication specialist, a detention officer, an identification technician, a stadium events scheduler, and a planning/research analyst. 4 Councilmember Goulet referenced page 24 of the council budget workbook, asking if the vehicle operating and maintenance costs associated with returning officers to the field are reflected in the budget. Chief Conrad said the majority of the vehicle operating and maintenance (O&M) supplemental speaks to the increases the department has seen in the cost of operating and maintaining existing vehicles. He stated the supplemental is intended to address anticipated costs associated with the current fleet as well as adding the operating and maintenance cost of vehicles added in the current fiscal year. He said the cost of vehicle O&M associated with the new employees are addressed in the supplementals for those positions. He said the department would evaluate how the fleet is currently deployed to ensure officers have the tools they need. Councilmember Goulet asked if the budget includes anything that will protect the department from the potential for a temporary but significant fuel cost increases in the future. Chief Conrad responded no. Councilmember Goulet referenced page 26, asking Chief Conrad if he expects the overtime number to decrease given the number of additional personnel the department expects to bring online over the next year. Chief Conrad said he plans to implement a variety of controls to ensure the department limits the use of overtime. Councilmember Martinez noted that even if the Council provides the department with more funds than are being requested, the department would not be able to add any more officers to the field because of the length of the hiring process. Chief Conrad said the budget request reflects the number of officers and civilians he believes the department can reasonably hire, train and equip. Should additional funding be made available, he said the department would take the necessary steps to utilize that funding to have an impact on the streets. He said additional funding would allow the department to take advantage of additional opportunities for civilianization, thereby allowing current officers to return to the field. Councilmember Clark asked how many vacancies currently exist in patrol. Chief Conrad said he estimated that half of the department's 17 current vacancies are in patrol. Councilmember Clark asked when Council could expect the 13 COPs officers to come online. Chief Conrad said conditional offers of employment were made for seven of the existing 17 vacancies, noting five would be hired into the 13 slots created as a result of the COPs grant. He said eight of the additional people who are hired throughout the remainder of this fiscal year would fill the remaining COPs grant slots. He explained that those new-hire officers would then have to complete 26 weeks of pre- academy, academy and post-academy training, as well as 12 weeks of field training before being given a solo assignment. Councilmember Clark emphasized that, while the Council will likely authorize greater strength, it will be nine months before the city feels the effect of that authorization. Councilmember Clark asked if the ten additional officers would also come online after that nine-month training period. Chief Conrad stated the department actively recruits every day and tests once a month. He noted that the department has a number of people who are currently at some stage of the screening process. He expressed his 5 opinion that the department will have a sufficient number of people identified and in place to make offers of employment at the beginning of the fiscal year. Councilmember Clark asked about the department's typical attrition rate. Chief Conrad said the average annual attrition rate over the past five years is between 22 and 24 officers although last year's numbers were higher than usual. He stated the department also loses about 13 to 15 non-sworn personnel per year. Councilmember Clark asked if the department expects to be able to fill all of the vacancies, as well as the 13 new sworn positions within the course of the year. Chief Conrad noted the department hired an average of just over 5 officers per month, or 62 officers total, in calendar year 2005. Councilmember Clark said she applauds the department's desire to make Glendale an even safer city. She asked Chief Conrad to explain his interim strategy to make the city safer while the new officers go through the hiring and training processes. Chief Conrad said the department is looking at deployment of personnel within the department and will meet regularly with command staff to discuss crime problems in Glendale and ways to share resources. He stated the department needs to be innovative in how personnel is deployed, proactive in identifying potential problems, and able to use different problem-solving techniques to address various issues. Chief Conrad said he needs to focus the department's resources on the problems within the city and hold the department's commanders accountable for the results. Councilmember Clark asked how the stadium event scheduler and the stadium event coordinator positions differ and if one person could perform both functions. Chief Conrad said one position would be tasked with scheduling personnel and related duties like payroll, billing, and other clerical work. The other position would be tasked with planning functions to address potential public safety issues through better planning and preparation of resources. Both positions would be filled by civilians. For example, Chief Conrad said the latter position would be expected to meet with coordinators of the event, arena personnel and the promoters of the event to determine the needs for security personnel, police officers and traffic control officers. He expressed his opinion that the two functions are very different. He further explained that a sworn position currently handles the scheduling of all event-related police personnel so the proposed position would allow the department to civilianize the function and redeploy the sworn position to the field. He said there currently are 100 events at the arena a year, and he expects that number to more than double when the stadium opens. Mayor Scruggs noted when the city wanted to accelerate the opening of Fire Station 59 the Council authorized the early hiring of the firefighters in the year previous. She suggested Council authorize the early hiring of eight non-sworn personnel to fill the civilianized positions so the sworn officers can be quickly redeployed to the field. She said doing so would allow the eight officers who currently occupy those positions to be moved back into Patrol or Investigations much sooner. Ms. Schurhammer explained that the Fire Department situation required a one-time GF contingency request, and that this could be done for the Police Department too. 6 Mayor Scruggs asked if it is assumed in the budget that personnel who leave through attrition will be replaced. Chief Conrad responded yes. Mayor Scruggs asked if the recruiting money requested includes money to replace those who leave through attrition. Chief Conrad said the money would allow them to conduct the necessary background investigations and implement an aggressive recruitment campaign. Mayor Scruggs asked if the $100,000 requested for recruitment would be sufficient to cover the cost of recruiting 31 officers and 13 non-sworn personnel as well as any personnel lost through attrition. Chief Conrad explained the recruiting supplemental request is intended to cover the cost of the trips involved in conducting background investigations and advertising expenses. He explained the background investigators' salaries are included in the department's base budget, as would be the salaries of the new employees. He expressed his opinion that the $100,000 will be sufficient to cover the cost of recruiting the 31 officers, 13 non-sworn personnel and personnel lost through attrition. Councilmember Lieberman pointed out the department will have to replace 46 officers in the next 12 months. He said during the March 14 workshop Council learned they have $61.1 million in the general fund balance. He asked what is the balance expected to be by the end of the year. Ms. Schurhammer said they expect it to stay the same, but it may continue to grow if revenues continue to come in as expected. She pointed out revenues are coming in above expectations, with general fund revenue about $8.2 million ahead of expectations after the second quarter. She explained the general fund balance does not necessarily reflect an $8.2 million increase because the increase is based on budgeted versus actual revenue. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the $500,000 available in both one time and ongoing funds includes income from Cabella's, the four hotels or other large developments expected to come online prior to the end of the second quarter of the next fiscal year. Mr. Lynch responded yes, noting they are considered on both the revenue and expenditure sides. He explained staff has taken a conservative approach in terms of those revenues because they will only be open half of the year and because of the associated infrastructure costs. Councilmember Lieberman said some of those infrastructure costs would relate to the police department. He expressed his opinion that revenue will be much greater than the amount projected by staff. He asked how staff projects the amount of city sales tax to be generated at Westgate. Mr. Lynch said the estimates are based on the square footage of the developments and the traditional sales and performance for similar establishments in different markets. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the $61 million general fund balance exceeds the 10% debt service coverage ratio. Mr. Lynch said the city's strong fund balance allows the city to maintain its strong bond ratings. Councilmember Lieberman asked if a few million could be borrowed from the fund balance, if necessary. Mr. Lynch said it would be possible, but staff and the rating agencies would not recommend doing so. He explained the city needs to maintain a 20% coverage ratio. Councilmember Lieberman stated he agrees with the Mayor's suggestion to proceed with the early hiring of the 13 non-sworn personnel and believes more than sufficient revenue will come in from the 7 tremendous retail developments expected to come on line over the next year or so. He said retailers would want to open long before Christmas. Mr. Lynch agreed. Councilmember Martinez referred to page 20, asking about the division called police personnel management. Chief Conrad said it relates to the salaries involved in the department's human resources, budgeting and training functions. Councilmember Goulet pointed out the budget includes a contract psychologist for post- shooting situations. He said police and fire personnel encounter a tremendous number of traumatic scenes that do not involve shootings. He asked why it is not identified as an ongoing cost since such circumstances happen all too frequently in the community. Chief Conrad explained the recommendation came from staff prior to his arrival and was based on past experiences with shootings and how those incidents were handled. He said Louisville had a similar position, although it involved an ongoing cost and the psychologist was utilized anytime a critical incident occurred. He stated Glendale has an employee assistance program that is available to all employees, but police personnel encounter traumatic situations every day and the department needs to provide the resources necessary for employees to remain healthy and able to do their jobs. He characterized the expense as a pilot project; if the resource proves valuable to employees, then it is likely the request will be for ongoing funds for FY 2007-08. Councilmember Goulet asked if the psychologist would provide an opinion about whether an officer is fit to return to active duty. Chief Conrad responded yes, explaining an officer involved in a shooting is first placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted and the employee undergoes counseling. He stated the psychologist would submit an evaluation to the department prior to the officer being returned to duty. He said command staff would have to establish a protocol that will outline situations where consultation with the psychologist is required and supervisors will have to be trained to recognize signs of stress. Councilmember Clark referred to page 28 for police and page 87 for fire, stating both departments submit supplemental requests for equipment every year when, in fact, the equipment needs represent ongoing expenses. She asked why the city is not moving toward a permanent replacement fund. Chief Conrad said their ongoing request would build the item into the base budget as an ongoing item. He explained some parts of an officer's equipment could be reused when they leave the department, but other parts must be purchased individually for each officer. He noted the funding would also provide additional funding for their Tactical Operations Unit and the quarter master system. Mayor Scruggs asked if the PPE equipment is included in their request for replacement equipment. Chief Conrad said they are working on a homeland security grant that provides a considerable amount of money for personal protective equipment. He said the supplemental does not include any equipment outside of that needed to outfit a new officer. 8 Mayor Scruggs explained that she sits on the Regional Advisory Committee for state homeland security funding. She said the committee has had extensive discussions about the use of homeland security grant money to outfit new personnel in each city, or if the funds would be better spent by equipping everyone at one time and leaving it to the individual jurisdictions to cover the cost of replacements. She said she believes the committee is leaning toward the second option. She asked if PPE for new officers and replacement PPE is built in as part of the uniform cost. Chief Conrad expressed his opinion they have sufficient funding between the supplemental request and the grant to purchase the PPE for the upcoming fiscal year. However, given the information Mayor Scruggs shared and the changes they have seen in homeland security funding, it is clear that local governments will have to fund more of those needs in the future. Councilmember Martinez referred to page 49, asking if there is a need for overtime for a training coordinator. Chief Conrad said the item represents an estimate of the overtime needed based on the overtime earned by officers currently in training. He explained the training coordinator incurs overtime almost every time training is offered because of the preparation time and clean-up time that occurs on both ends of the eight hour training day. Vice Mayor Eggleston agreed it would be good to start hiring the 8 non-sworn officers right away. He referred to page 20, asking why there was a 65% reduction in the budget for the police administration division. He also asked for an explanation of the fiscal management division. Chief Conrad explained the reduction is the result of two issues. One, there were two one-time supplements included in the current fiscal year budget that are not included in the base budget for next fiscal year. The second reason is related to the reallocation of funding for staff associated with different functions such as detention, homeland security, and fiscal management, from the police administration division to the new divisions reflected on page 20 such as the fiscal management and detention, and homeland security divisions. Mayor Scruggs asked staff if more time is needed to determine whether it is possible to proceed immediately with the hiring of the eight civilian positions. Mr. Beasley said staff could proceed if Council so desires. Mayor Scruggs confirmed Council's direction to begin hiring eight civilians to allow the five patrol officers and three investigators currently occupying those positions to return to their sworn officer positions. The meeting recessed for a short break. Fire Department Chief Burdick reported a base budget of $25.6 million, with $21.7 million in the general fund, $1.5 million in the fire special revenue fund and $2.4 million in fire grant capacity. He stated fire has no carryover requests and supplemental requests totaling $3.3 million. He explained the supplemental requests would allow the department to continue providing high quality services residents have come to expect. The supplemental requests impact several service areas including emergency medical 9 services, fire suppression, hazardous materials and technical rescue response, fire inspection investigations, fire education, and crisis intervention. He said the city has a very comprehensive Fire Department, noting the valley is a nationwide model for automatic aid. He said the supplemental requests support the department's existing business plan and the strategic recommendations of the Accreditation Commission. He said the fire engineer positions represent the completion of phasing in the staffing required as part of the Urban Area Strategic Initiative grant brought forward a couple years ago. He said the other staffing needs support critical positions identified for the next fiscal year, including safety officers and firefighters needed to maintain and improve service delivery. He explained the supplemental requests related to the continuation of the paramedic- training program. He noted the department responded to over 38,000 calls last year. The paramedic units have brought the relief needed to improve response times and reliability. He said funding is also being requested to replace existing heart monitors that are 10 years old; the new equipment will reflect the latest in technologically advanced monitors. Chief Burdick assured Council that all of the department's requests support the department's mission. He stated that the City Manager directed all departments to create a business plan and we found the business plan model to be the best and most effective means to bring the information in one comprehensive document that serves as the department's guiding document for future equipment, staffing and station needs. The business plan will also incorporate the National Fire Protection Association Standards, as well as the Accreditation Commission's recommendations. Chief Burdick said he hopes to present the department's business plan to Council this fall. Councilmember Clark asked if there are plans to incorporate an equipment replacement fund as a line item into the department's base budget. Chief Burdick explained some of the funding they requested include the establishment of a replacement fund. Councilmember Clark asked if "backfill" is another form of overtime. Chief Burdick explained three fire fighters, one per shift, would actually help offset the department's overtime demands. He said backfill staffing has not increased since 1980. Councilmember Clark asked if the department currently has backfill positions. Chief Burdick responded yes, clarifying that additional positions have been added with the opening of each new station. He stated the department currently is overstaffed by five per shift, and the three additional backfill positions will allow the department to have six per shift. Councilmember Clark asked if there was a reduction in overtime as a result of the backfill positions. Chief Burdick explained a $380,000 supplemental for overtime was eliminated contingent upon their request for the backfill positions. Councilmember Goulet asked Chief Burdick to explain the Rapid Response Team's engineer requests. Chief Burdick said the positions will be promoted from within and the supplemental request relates to the hiring of three new people and the promotional cost of promoting three engineers. He said the engineers are critical to the department's heavy rescue capabilities because they will provide the ongoing, daily 10 program as well as equipment maintenance of the vehicle and associated equipment. He noted they spend six hours a day calibrating monitors. Councilmember Goulet asked if the positions are needed due to an increase in the number of calls and for accreditation of the department. Chief Burdick answered yes, noting it is also a requirement of the UASI grant. He pointed out some cities elected to staff each unit with four people, stating he applauds Chief Shannon for devising a plan that allows the department to staff the unit with six rather than eight people. Councilmember Goulet referred to the supplemental request called "emergency medical rescue units" and asked where the emergency medical rescue unit will be housed. Chief Burdick said the department is currently in the process of working with Midwestern University to house one unit. He said the second unit is assigned to Station 58 and the third unit will be deployed out of Station 157. Councilmember Goulet asked if there is any sense that a unit will be deployed to the western part of the city. Chief Burdick said they always look at that and will entertain such a move as call volumes increase. Councilmember Martinez asked how the fire public relations and fire community relations positions differ. Chief Burdick said a deputy chief currently fills the public relations position. He said the community relation's position relates to the delivery of community education to citizens and management of the departments' educational programs. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the heart monitor is the same as an AED. Chief Burdick responded no, explaining an automatic external defribulator is a device that any citizen can use, whereas a heart monitor is a 12-lead monitor that provides the same technology to paramedics that an emergency room physician would have. Councilmember Lieberman asked about staffing needed at the training academy and the Emergency operations center (EOC). Chief Burdick said requests for training academy staffing will be discussed when the capital program is scheduled for presentation. Ms. Schurhammer said the EOC will also be discussed when the CIP comes before Council on April 4. Councilmember Goulet asked why there are no one-time or ongoing expenses to convert inspector positions from contractual to permanent. Chief Burdick said the department is proposing the implementation of a fee for inspections. He said the department conducted an extensive study that identified the number of inspections an inspector could conduct per hour based on a building's square footage and occupancy. He stated staff then identified an hourly rate that could be applied for inspection services. He said the revenue generated from the fees is expected to cover the cost of the inspectors. Councilmember Goulet asked if the fees would be implemented as of July 1 . Chief Burdick said the city's fire code indicates the Fire Chief can implement a fee for inspection based on Council approval. He said, if approved by Council, he would implement the fee and inform the public using the established protocol. He said a typical inspection takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour and is conducted every 11 four years. The average business owner would pay about $35 per year. He said larger, higher risk occupancies would take more time and occur annually, thereby incurring a higher fee. He said higher risk businesses have indicated the fees will not be problematic. Mayor Scruggs asked if the fee for an average business would be split across the four years. Chief Burdick said the business would be billed at the time the inspection occurs, but the department could work with businesses if the business needed to make payments over the four-year period. He pointed out businesses sometimes change into something that poses a greater risk. Mayor Scruggs expressed her opinion that the city would be better off requiring the businesses to pay at the time the inspection occurs. Mayor Scruggs asked if the inspections are voluntary. Chief Burdick responded no, stating that the department can and have pursued legal recourse to gain entry for inspections. Mayor Scruggs asked if the city has an ordinance or regulation that states the Fire Department determines the need for inspections. Greg Victor, Fire Marshall, said the city's fire code gives the Fire Chief the authority, through the Fire Prevention Office, to inspect all buildings. He said a business that consistently rates well in their fire inspections could have their inspection period extended. Mayor Scruggs asked if there have been any discussions with the city's legal department about making the code non-interpretive. Fire Marshall Victor said no, but the city has not had any problems in the past 30 years. Mayor Scruggs said she is not satisfied by the rationale that it has never been a problem before, stating some very serious situations have occurred in other cities that may or may not have been prevented by inspections. Mr. Tindall, the City Attorney, offered to look at the code. He said that even if it were in the city's code, the Fire Department would still have to seek court intervention if a business owner denies access for an inspection. Mayor Scruggs said it is inappropriate for a business owner to be able to challenge whether or not their building will be inspected. Chief Burdick said the department could move forward with a code modification that empowers the department to access a building for inspection purposes. He noted there have been situations where business owners have refused to make the required changes that resulted in the city taking legal action against the business owners. Mayor Scruggs clarified she does not mean that every business should be inspected every year. Councilmember Lieberman asked if insurance companies ever ask the Fire Department for copies of their fire inspection records. Fire Marshall Victor said, while it is possible, he does not remember an occasion in which insurance did make that request. He explained insurance companies have their own inspectors who often provide the Fire Department with information concerning a facility. Chief Burdick said Glendale's Insurance Service Organization rating is three, noting that the rating is up for renewal next year. He stated the ISO rating impacts commercial insurance rates for businesses and Glendale is working hard to improve its rating. 12 Councilmember Clark said she would like a payment structure developed that spreads the cost of the inspection over a year, stating some businesses may need time to make payment on the cost of a fire inspection. Councilmember Martinez asked if inspections have been done at no cost up to this time. Chief Burdick responded yes. However, the department has been deficient in the inspection services it should be providing to the community. He said the two additional inspectors that are requested would allow the department to better meet the need for routine fire inspections. Councilmember Martinez asked if a fee has been assessed up to this point. Chief Burdick responded no. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the department ever had volunteer inspectors. Chief Burdick answered yes; however, it was a very difficult and unsuccessful program due to the turnover of volunteers. Councilmember Martinez commented that education would be a very important component of the inspection fee program. Chief Burdick responded that memos will be provided to the Mayor and Council to keep them informed of the process. Homeland Security In response to a question, Ms. Schurhammer said the Homeland Security Department's supplemental request would be addressed during the CIP discussion on April 4. Appointed and Elected Officials City Attorney Mr. Lynch said the addition of more police officers has a ripple effect elsewhere in the organization, particularly the workload for the City Court and the Prosecutor's Office. Mr. Lynch said it is important to consider the additional resources needed to support the efforts of more police officers added to the police force. Craig Tindall, City Attorney, said the base budget for the City Attorney's Office is just over $2.1 million, with no carryover requests, but approximately $1.2 million in supplemental requests. He explained the supplemental requests focus on the Criminal Division and supplementing existing staff. As the Police Department adds more police officers, the workload of the city's judicial system will be impacted. He noted that the city's prosecutors are the front line in the city's judicial system. He stated he is requesting three additional full-time prosecutors, with the need for a fourth prosecutor, on a contractual basis, to be assessed mid-year. He said he is also requesting one full-time Victim's Assistance position, noting this position is very important to the prosecution function in that they seek the victim's support to pursue prosecution of the individual who committed a crime. He stated they are also requesting one additional Legal 13 Assistant that he hopes to develop into more of an office manager as the office grows. The sixth position being requested is a secretary. Mr. Tindall explained that the mid- year assessment he plans to do for a contractual prosecutor would also look at whether an additional staff member is needed. Mr. Tindall said the one time funding request will be used to pay for outside legal fees and other consultants as the city evaluates potential economic development projects and address various issues that may arise related to the upcoming national events. Councilmember Martinez asked about the regional homeless court and tobacco sales prosecutions. Mr. Tindall explained the City Attorney's Office has received information from the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) that stated ADOR staff would begin citing tobacco sale violations. He said the Criminal Division has not seen a big impact to date, but anticipate an increase in its caseload once inspections begin. Mr. Tindall said tobacco is licensed by the state and taxed by the Department of Revenue. He said any violation of the tobacco sale license concerning the sale of tobacco to minors would be cited into City Court. Councilmember Clark referred to page 102, asking if one of the Assistant City Prosecutors will be for Victim's Assistance and the other two will be Police Department related. Mr. Tindall responded no, explaining there will be three prosecutors plus one victim's assistance caseworker. Councilmember Clark asked if all three prosecutors are related to the hiring of the additional police officers. Mr. Tindall said the additional prosecutors are necessary to handle the current workload, as well as the increased workload that is anticipated due to the immediate civilianization of some of positions currently held by officers and investigators. He said he anticipates requesting one or two additional prosecutors next fiscal year, after the new officer positions added as of FY 2006-07 complete their training and are working in the field. Mayor Scruggs said one of the prosecutor's benchmarks is to make charging decisions on 90% of new cases within five days. She said the current staffing levels couldn't meet that benchmark given that 60 days is the current rate. She pointed out code compliance cases will have no hope of being addressed if they do not address the need that already exists within the City Attorney's Department. Mr. Tindall agreed. Councilmember Goulet asked about the cost of participating in the International Municipal Lawyer's Association (IMLA), and if the goal of bringing that group's conference to Glendale would be a job better left to the Economic Development Department. Mr. Tindall said he would certainly seek the Economic Development Department's assistance in luring a conference to the city, but the group usually seeks input from members when determining where conferences will be held. Councilmember Goulet asked if Glendale has been a member of the IMLA in the past. Mr. Tindall said he and his staff have been members for several years, but staff has not had the opportunity to be actively involved in the organization's activities. In light of the international events coming to Glendale in the future, active participation in IMLA will provide opportunities for Glendale to seek input from other large cities that have 14 experience with similar events. Councilmember Goulet asked about the cost. Mr. Tindall explained the annual dues are based on population and, for Glendale, will total $2,145 for the current year. Councilmember Goulet questioned whether it is the mission of the City Attorney's Department to attract conferences to the city. Mr. Tindall said bringing the conference to Glendale is an ancillary goal. He said the educational benefits offered by the group are the primary reason for wanting to participate more actively in IMLA activities. City Clerk Ms. Hanna reported a base budget of $649,869, with $109,328 in carryover, and $240,000 in supplemental requests. She noted $76,000 of the carryover total is for the upcoming primary and general elections and the remainder is for an archive writer that does both microfilming and optical imaging. She explained the supplemental request is related to the 2007 special bond election. She noted the supplemental request actually represents two components, with $120,000 for voter outreach that will be reflected in the Marketing Department's budget. Councilmember Martinez asked why the budget for the records management division decreased by 26%. Ms. Hanna explained the decrease reflects the current fiscal year's one-time purchase of filing cabinets. City Court Judge Finn reported a base budget of $4,173,875, with supplemental requests totaling $372,402 and a carryover request of $19,000. She explained the supplemental requests include seven positions, noting that four already exist as temporary or contractual positions that will be converted to permanent positions in the general fund. She said two of the three additional FTE's would be courtroom clerks that allow them to open the last half courtroom in January. She stated the only FTE to be added to the budget in July, 2006 would be a full-time secretary who will support the court as it embarks on a number of technology projects. She said another component of the supplemental requests would allow the court to outsource for data entry, explaining many courts utilize outside agencies to input data from complaints. She stated the final component of the request covers a $35,000 ongoing security guard cost increase. She noted this cost would come out of court funds rather than the general fund. Judge Finn said she anticipates adding another half-courtroom because of the increased workload the court anticipates as a result of the transfer of tobacco related matters to municipal courts and the increased number of officers requested for the Police Department. Councilmember Clark complimented Judge Finn on the use of her resources. She thanked Judge Finn for pointing out they will not open the half-court until January. 15 Councilmember Martinez asked about the Homeless Court. Judge Finn said the half court she anticipates adding in January would be opened to handle increased volume. She said the homeless court could be a component of opening that half court, but that court is currently operated at the homeless center in downtown Phoenix. While Glendale City Court has not received any requests for service from the homeless court, she would consider implementing a homeless court component should she begin to receive such requests. Councilmember Martinez said he was surprised by the amount of money collected in just four months through the Fines and Restitution Enforcement (FARE) program. Judge Finn explained that some of the money would have been previously collected due to the court's in-house collection efforts and the efforts of the court's outside collection agency. She clarified that the figure does not necessarily represent an increase in the collection of delinquent fines, reiterating the fact that the program has been in place for only four months. Councilmember Martinez asked if the four-month period could be compared to last year's collections for the same time frame. Judge Finn explained the court's filings have not been the same, making a year-to-year comparison impossible. She noted that the court's workload is the result of external forces outside of the control of the court, as well as organizational or operational changes within the Police Department or within the state's judicial system. Mayor Scruggs noted the court FARE clerks do not just collect revenue. They also process time-critical motor vehicle suspension releases and warrant cancellations. Judge Finn agreed and stated that the court's job is to fairly and impartially process cases and enforce the integrity of its orders, not to produce revenue. Mayor Scruggs commented on the complexity of the work done by the courts. She asked Judge Finn if she will report to Council about the outcomes of the Fines and Restitution Enforcement program once it has been in place long enough to determine its effectiveness. Judge Finn responded yes. City Council Office Ms. Schurhammer directed the Council to pages 131 and 132, stating a slide was not prepared for either the Council's or Mayor's budgets because the requests are so small. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the number of staff members identified for both the Council and the Mayor include the Council Members and the Mayor as well. Ms. Schurhammer responded yes. Councilmember Clark expressed her opinion that slides should have been prepared because the citizens of Glendale should know what is being spent in the Council and Mayor's offices. She publicly acknowledged that the Council's office budget for all six members is $910,030. She stated the Mayor's line item budget for the coming fiscal year totals $322,200. She explained their expenditures primarily relate to salaried personnel. 16 Mayor Scruggs noted an additional $90,000 goes to the Council Office, of which each Council member receives $15,000 in discretionary funds for capital-related items. Mega Events Cathy Gorham, Director of City Manager Relations, said the city has been aggressively preparing for the upcoming national events since the announcement three years ago that Glendale would be host for Super Bowl 2008. She said staff talked to the Council in October 2005 to discuss priorities related to public safety, transportation, street beautification, long-term investments in the city, and outreach to the community, state and nation. She said the proposed budget supplementals are based on the framework of those priorities. She stated the council budget workbook shows $1.3 million in general fund requests and approximately $4.1 million in requests from the national events fund. Councilmember Clark asked how the $4.1 million relates to the funds Council directed to be set aside for mega events. Ms. Gorham said Council recommended a total of $6 million be set aside for the national events fund by the end of FY 2005-06. She explained that Glendale had two unexpected opportunities this fiscal year that resulted in expending some of the $6 million from the national events fund. Specifically, Council recently approved a contract award for preparation of a transportation management plan for approximately $527,000, and there was a $360,000 marketing opportunity related to outreach for the Fiesta Bowl. Both of these expenses were charged to the national event fund. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the $6 million set aside for national events is designated for any particular departments. Ms. Gorham said the fund would be used for national event activities outlined in each department's supplementals, as reflected in the documentation in the council budget workbooks. She commended the Council for having the foresight to set funds aside for the upcoming events. Mayor Scruggs pointed out $6 million, minus the $890 spent this year, leaves a balance of $5,110,000. She asked if the proposed requests exceed the national event fund's balance. Ms. Gorham said the budget supplemental requests total about $3.1 million. She explained there also is the policy discussion for Council regarding whether Council wants to provide additional appropriation authority for unanticipated expenses that might arise. Ms Gorham said the $1.3 million one-time request for the general fund is related to the management team's decision to fund the ongoing expenses anticipated for Arizona Cardinals football games through the general fund. Mayor Scruggs asked why the request is one-time when the request will be made every year. Ms. Schurhammer said the one-time request is for year one only because staff had to make an educated guess about the cost to provide city services for those football games. When the FY2007-08 budget is developed, staff will return with supplementals for ongoing funds, based on the actual expenses incurred in FY2006-07. She said this is the same 17 approach used when establishing budgets for city service costs for Glendale Arena events. Mayor Scruggs asked about the $1.2 million request by the Field Operations Department. Ms. Gorham explained the $1 .2 million request is for streetscape and right-of-way beautification. Mayor Scruggs asked about the funding source for this request and other requests. Ms. Schurhammer directed Mayor Scruggs to the summary of supplementals on page 137, stating the requests listed on that page are for the general fund. She said the supplementals identified on pages 138 and 139 are for the national events fund. Mayor Scruggs stated the national event fund currently has $5.1 million available after deducting for the current fiscal year's expenses. She asked which supplemental requests are included in the $4.1 million figure shown as the requests for the national events fund. Ms. Schurhammer said it represents the sum of the supplementals shown on pages 138 and 139, including the $1 million request for appropriation authority to address unanticipated expenses. Mayor Scruggs asked if there would be $1 million remaining in the national events fund. Ms. Schurhammer responded yes because it is recommended that another $1 million be set-aside in the national events fund as part of the FY2006-07 budget. Ms. Gorham said revenue offset has been built into the public safety costs. She said staff continues to work with the external partners on issues related to the transportation costs and special event costs. She said additional revenue offsets are anticipated, and they would be deposited in the National Events Fund. Mayor Scruggs asked why staff would recommend adding another $1 million. Ms. Gorham said it is recommended that Council set aside an additional $1 million in the upcoming year for use in FY2007-08. The intent would be to continue building up the National Events Fund. Mayor Scruggs asked why staff would recommend setting aside an additional $1 million in FY2006-07 rather than waiting until the development of the FY2007-08 budget, which is when the funds would be used. Ms. Gorham said Council has set funds aside in the last few fiscal years so the city would be prepared to pay for the expenses when they occurred. Mayor Scruggs asked if Glendale would get the $1 million back if the Council feels it is inappropriate to set aside an additional $1 million in FY2006-07. Ms. Gorham responded yes. Councilmember Lieberman stated the $1 million is an expense out of the budget, not out of the money already appropriated for the mega events. Ms. Gorham referred to page 139, stating there are requests for $3.1 million in supplemental requests related to public safety, transportation, right-of-way beautification, and other services. She said the $1 million in additional appropriation authority to address unanticipated expenses would bring the total to $4.1 million. Councilmember Lieberman asked how the appropriation authority would be used. Ms. Gorham said the appropriation authority would be used in the event something unexpected occurs over the course of the coming fiscal year. 18 Mayor Scruggs said the $1 million in appropriation authority is separate from the $1 million staff is recommending Council add to the National Event Fund for reserve. Councilmember Clark said, while she understands staffs desire to build up the National Event Fund, she would like staff to explain at the April 11 meeting why they are recommending the Council take such action now rather than in the next fiscal year's budget. She stated she also understands the need for the $1 million in appropriation authority, but she is concerned that there is no provision for Council oversight on the expenditure of those monies. Mayor Scruggs suggested staff at least identify categories of uses, expressing concern that the public will feel the Council is acting irresponsibly if it allows staff to spend $1 million as it sees fit. Councilmember Clark said she hopes there are far fewer traffic problems in the future given the amount being expended to develop a traffic management plan and the knowledge the gained in addressing traffic issues related to events at the Glendale Arena. She stated the traffic management plan should address the needs of the residents located across the street from the sports facilities. Councilmember Goulet said he is also concerned about the lack of oversight for the potential use of the $1 million in appropriation authority. Councilmember Goulet referred to the supplementals on pages 152 and 154, asking when the city will know if it will achieve any cost recovery from the Cardinals Stadium and, if so, what percentage of costs does staff anticipate being recovered. Ms. Gorham said work began with all of the partners once the Council approved the agreement with Kaku and Associates. She stated six or seven subcommittees are working on various aspects of the transportation plan. She explained the requests presented to Council represent the city's estimate of the implementation costs. Councilmember Goulet asked if further clarification could be expected by the end of the current fiscal year. Ms. Gorham said she hopes so since the stadium is scheduled to open in August. Councilmember Goulet asked when the intersection improvements will commence and end. Mr. Kent said he believes the design will be completed in the early part of the summer with construction starting in the fall so everything is completed in time for the Fiesta Bowl and BCS Championship game in January 2007. Councilmember Goulet asked if any utility relocation issues have been identified. Mr. Kent responded no. Mayor Scruggs asked if staff must wait until July 1 to begin the preliminary work or if staff can start working immediately upon Council approval. Mr. Kent said he believes the design can start now so construction commences no later than July 1. He noted his department has coordinated closely with the Engineering Department to ensure the schedule is realistic. Mayor Scruggs asked if the design is done in house. Mr. Kent said the $1.2 million includes external design and landscape services as well as construction. Mayor Scruggs asked Mr. Kent to obtain an estimate of those costs prior to the April 11 meeting, stating everyone is concerned about the project being completed on time. 19 Councilmember Martinez asked staff to explain the process when the city has to tap into its contingency fund. Ms. Gorham stated any use of the general fund contingency, or any other fund's contingency appropriation, requires Council's specific and formal approval at an evening meeting. She explained staff would prepare a Council communication that would identify the fund from which contingency appropriation would be used, the amount, and any ongoing costs that would impact the next fiscal year's operating budget. Councilmember Martinez asked if the same process would be followed if it was determined that a portion or all of the $1 million contingency appropriation. Mayor Scruggs explained staff is requesting appropriation authority, which means expenditures would not go through the same formal process. Ms. Gorham said, while they could come back to Council to gain approval, staff would prefer to have pre-approved spending authority to save time. Councilmember Martinez asked Mr. Beasley if his discussions with other host cities led to staff's request for the $1 million in appropriation authority. Mr. Beasley said the request is based on staffs research, but a mechanism is in place that requires communication with the Council to take place before the funds are expended. He stated the funds could be placed in a contingency fund, but often staff does not have two weeks to respond to an opportunity. Mayor Scruggs said when staff returns on April 11 the Council will discuss whether or not to give appropriation authority for the full $1 million or a lesser amount, whether categories of use should be identified for the spending of those funds, and whether expenditures should require Council approval. She stated the Council would also need to discuss whether an additional $1 million should be added to the National Events Fund. The meeting recessed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Community Information & Services Ms. Santiago-Espino said the budget requests presented today are consistent with the City Council's goals to create one community with strong neighborhoods and a city with high quality services for its citizens. She stated the Community Information and Services departments build strong neighborhoods by connecting people through facilitating neighborhood-driven infrastructure projects, developing community leaders and making government user friendly through Glendale University, the HOA Academy and the Leadership Forum. She said strong neighborhoods are also built by developing life long skills that contribute to healthy living, noting the Library and Arts Department offers instructional lectures and a wide range of resources for independent learners. She stated the city's youth also contribute to strong neighborhoods by learning teamwork, respect and confidence through programs offered by the Parks and Recreation Department. 20 Community Partnerships Mr. Strunk reported a base budget of $12,501,161, including $2,338,473 in CDBG funds and $8,369,499 in Housing Fund monies. He said his department would bring the annual CDBG recommendations to Council on March 28. He said the $3 million carryover requests consists of $1.9 million in CDBG funds, $519,000 in neighborhood grant money, and $13,000 in maintenance money set aside for neighborhood improvement grants. He discussed his department's supplemental requests, stating it is seeking $700,000 to continue the Neighborhood Grants Program for another fiscal year. He noted about 155 neighborhood projects have been completed under the program to date. Mayor Scruggs asked if the $700,000 supplemental represents a one-time expense and whether the funding request would come back next year as an ongoing supplemental. Ms. Schurhammer explained the project used to be in the pay as you go capital program, which is funded with one-time monies each year. After working with the Finance Department and the City Auditor's Office, it became evident the program should be in the operating budget for financial reporting purposes. She stated the program has been in the operating budget for one year. The goal is to move it to ongoing funding in the future. Mayor Scruggs said the program should be funded with ongoing monies because it is an ongoing program. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the carryover requests would cover the CDBG awards from the spring cycle. Mr. Strunk stated the carryover amount represents grants that were awarded last fall as well as the upcoming spring cycle. Councilmember Martinez asked about the supplemental request on page 190. Mr. Strunk explained it is a one-time request for $50,000 that would facilitate use of the Community Revitalization staff to compliment the efforts of the Neighborhood Partnership Office. Councilmember Martinez said he recently toured the Heart of Glendale area and was struck by the number of empty lots. He asked if staff has ever conducted an inventory of the vacant lots. Mr. Strunk responded yes, stating that the city has shared that information with four different infill-housing providers who have come through the CDBG home program over the last couple years. He noted many developers have commented on the significant increase in land prices. Mr. Strunk stated the Residential Infill Housing program has a base budget of $50,000, with $51,528 in carryover requests. He stated homeowners received an average of $3,912 this year. He also said that about 65 rebates have been processed so far and, to date, the program has expended about $35,208. He stated the amount requested would allow the program to continue. 21 Library and Arts Ms. Widom reported a base budget of $9.5 million, with no carryover and $360,526 in supplemental requests. She explained the supplemental requests include salary costs being transferred from the Municipal Arts Fund to the general fund, as well as ongoing janitorial services and computer equipment and related maintenance costs. Parks and Recreation Ms. Benne' said the Parks and Recreation Department has a base budget of $9.6 million in the general fund, $500,000 in the Grants Fund and $1.6 million in the Self- Sustaining Fund for a total base budget of $11,739,372. She said the department is not requesting any carryover, but has three supplemental requests totaling $412,103. Councilmember Clark asked about information provided on page 207 related to a 165% increase in the program called "sports self-sustaining". Ms. Senna said as the new Director she looked at the operating functions within the department and made changes in an attempt to better streamline operations. She said the increase in the sports self- sustaining program budget reflects her decision to combine youth sports and adult sports into one operation. Councilmember Clark referred to page 208, pointing out there was a decrease in staff for the youth and teen program and an increase in staff for the youth and teen self- sustaining program. She asked if the shift portrays an emphasis on moving toward self-sustaining recreational programs. Ms. Benno said her department's focus is to offer a balance of programming throughout the community. Councilmember Clark pointed out not all parts of the community have the dollars necessary to allow their teens to participate. She asked how much of the youth and teen program is self- sustaining. Ms. BennO offered to provide the information to Councilmember Clark at a later time. Although the city has a scholarship program, Councilmember Clark said she is concerned people who do not know about the scholarship will not even consider enrolling their children due to the costs involved. With regard to the supplemental request for Sahuaro Ranch mentioned on page 210, Councilmember Goblet asked if the hours of operation will be expanded and if new events are planned to aid in cost recovery. Ms. Senna explained the request is to fund the operations of the historic Sahuaro Ranch, noting the Parks and Recreation Department took over responsibility for program operations of the facility in February 2006. She stated the funding request would allow the department to continue developing the site as a premiere community asset by offering a variety of services, such as site tours, historic programs and special events. Ms. Santiago-Espino stated the department is in the process of developing a management plan for Sahuaro Ranch. She said the programs to be implemented will be characteristic of the history and cultural aspects of the facility, and the goal is to expand the hours the historic homes are open for tours. She estimated completing the management plan within the next three or four months. 22 Councilmember Martinez asked if the department turns children away from the city's programs because of an inability to pay. Ms. Benne stated the city offers a scholarship program. Councilmember Clark asked Ms. Senna to explain the difference between an event coordinator and event programmer position and why staff feels it is necessary to have both positions filled immediately. Ms. Benno explained the events coordinator would be the onsite manager who oversees the volunteer program and acts as the primary liaison between the city and community organizations. She said the person in that position will also focus on fundraising and sponsorships for events. She stated the programmer position would be responsible for the hands-on programming activities. Councilmember Clark pointed out the programs that Ms. Santiago-Espino mentioned with regard to Sahuaro Ranch have been offered for years. She expressed her opinion the program should be expanded before they hire an event programmer. Ms. Benno said her department has worked with the Sahuaro Ranch Foundation for the past year-and-a- half to learn about the programs currently being offered. She stated many of the current programs were conducted in partnership with other organizations and she hopes to continue with those partnerships. She stated the nature of the facility and its various aspects, such as the animal care and the site's historical significance, make it quite complex. She said the programmer would evaluate various types of programs that could be implemented to focus on the historic and cultural significance of the facility. She noted she is looking not only at what has been done at Sahuaro Ranch, but what is being done at other similar facilities throughout Arizona and the nation. Councilmember Clark said it sounds more like the department needs a security guard rather than a programmer. She expressed her opinion that staff has not shown a demonstrated need for a programmer at this point, stating she would be more likely to support the position if it were recommended as a contract position until such time as they have proven their worth. Councilmember Goulet said he is inclined to agree with Councilmember Clark. He noted years ago there were discussions about building a museum or restaurant. He asked if staff is still considering such a move to create more interest in the site. He said the events identified by staff are not revenue-generating events, stating new events that will generate the funds needed to operate the site will be crucial to the facility's success. Ms. Santiago-Espino said the city's capital improvement program includes plans for a visitor's center in FY2007-08 and FY2008-09. She said there have not been any recent discussions concerning a restaurant. Ms Santiago-Espino noted the 17-acre park is on the National Register of Historic Places, therefore, anything added to the site must retain the historic integrity of the site. Councilmember Martinez said he believes an events programmer would bring something to the site. 23 Mayor Scruggs agreed, expressing her opinion that having an events coordinator act as the events programmer as well would limit the ability to achieve real growth in the programming. She stated whether the programmer is a contract position or an FTE is not that important as long as the person hired to fill the position is willing to do so on a pilot, one-year basis. Vice Mayor Eggleston agreed. He said volunteers involved at Sahuaro Ranch want the facility to remain open. He said the limited hours of operation are one of the facility's biggest problems. Ms. Santiago-Espino said the Sahuaro Ranch Foundation laid a good groundwork during its 10-year term, opening the houses for historic tours and establishing partnerships. She stated she hopes to build on the foundation's work and believes there are many opportunities to expand programming, particularly in terms of historic education programming. Vice Mayor Eggleston noted grade schools from all over the city tour the site. Ms. Santiago-Espino agreed, stating the children love the unique experiences offered by the facility. Councilmember Lieberman noted a volunteer at the Glendale Adult Center told him there are plans reduce the facility's hours of operation. Ms. Benna said the department has no plans to reduce the hours of operation. Councilmember Lieberman asked about the tremendous decrease in funding for the Foothills Recreational Center. Ms. Benna referred to page 207, explaining the FY2005-06 budget included the supplemental received last year. Ms. Schurhammer stated the supplemental in the current year's budget included one-time money for equipment purchases. Mayor Scruggs asked if $86,000 would be sufficient to run the facility for one year. Ms. Schurhammer responded no, stating that Council will see the full year budget for operations and maintenance when the capital improvement program, and the supplementals related to the program, are discussed on April 4. She said costs related to the position approved for this year's budget is the amount reflected in the base budget for next year. She said staff would return on April 4 to ask for additional base budget money to cover the cost of operating the facility for a full year. Councilmember Lieberman commented Colleen Dallman who runs the Adult Center does an outstanding job. Mayor Scruggs suggested the department post notices at the Glendale Adult Center to counteract the rumors about a reduction in hours of operation. Ms. Benna stated the remaining supplementals relate to audiovisual presentation equipment for room 63, Council Chambers and the 4th floor conference room. Councilmember Clark asked why the cost of the audiovisual equipment falls under the Parks and Recreation Department rather than the cable division of the Marketing and Communications Department. Ms. Benna said her department's audiovisual staff provides support to meetings and special events. She stated she worked with the Budget Department and the Marketing and Communication Department to clarify which department is responsible for which equipment. 24 Mayor Scruggs asked who would be in charge of the new media center. Mr. Beasley said, while he can respond from an organization standpoint at a later time, the issue really has no impact on the budget. Vice Mayor Eggleston pointed out Parks and Recreation holds a lot of outdoor events that require audio and visual services. Councilmember Clark asked if the Parks and Recreation Department should be contacted if a microphone in the Council Chamber's breaks. Ms. Benne responded yes. Ms. Santiago-Espino explained that the Parks and Recreation Department and the Marketing and Communications Department have developed a memorandum of understanding that outlines each department's area of responsibility. Ms. Benno stated she also has a request to establish ongoing funding for the part-time park ranger position, supplies and the purchase of a patrol truck. She noted one time funding has been provided over the past two years to expanding ranger coverage, improving ranger visibility in the parks, as well as inspections of the parks. Councilmember Martinez asked about the decrease from $314,000 in FY2005-06 to $265,000 in FY2006-07. Ms. Benne explained the base budget for the upcoming year does not reflect the one-time supplementals that were included in the budget for FY2005-06. Non-Departmental Ms. Schurhammer reported a base budget of $927,374 with no carryover and $65,400 in supplemental requests. Councilmember Clark referred to page 229, asking if the Glendale Human Services Council intends to rely more heavily on city funding. Mr. Strunk explained that the city's community revitalization program funds four agencies, including the Glendale Human Services Council, with general fund monies. He said staff also has worked with the council on various community, social, and human services that the department does not have the resources to do on its own. He explained there has been a reduction in Valley of the Sun United Way funding and corporate donations for the council. Therefore, the council has requested additional funding. He said his staff encourages all of the agencies to pursue different funding sources, and city staff will assist organizations with audits if the agency so desires. He stated that staff has enjoyed a good working relationship with the Glendale Human Services Council. Councilmember Clark said she appreciates the work the organization does but does not want to see the agency become more and more dependent upon the city for funding. Mayor Scruggs noted the agency recently changed its name to Quality of Life Community Services. 25 Councilmember Lieberman asked if the Rose Society contribution, which was eliminated in the FY2004-05 budget, was again eliminated in FY 2005/06. Ms. Schurhammer responded yes. Councilmember Lieberman said he is delighted to see $900 designated to the Rose Society in the proposed budget. Councilmember Martinez said Glendale Human Services Council provides much needed services and the money is well spent. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 p.m. 26