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Home My WebLink About06/26/74CITY COUNCIL - Adjourned Regular Meeting, Wednesday, June 26, 1974 - 7:30 Public Hearing - 1974-75 Preliminary Budget: City Manager summarized entire budget with assistance of City Treasurer - then public comment was invited. Mr. Don Baxter, 534 - 3rd Street, suggested that we should have five- year recap for comparison; Inflation, 10% - Budget, 20% - Why?; Why Council conference expenditure doubled?; Contingency Fund shouldn't be there; What about Bldg Dept going up $30,000?; Why telephone costs up?; Animal control - doubesstaff with no increase in revenue; Records Management - will have to purchasecexpensive equipments__ :expensivepoutsidepconsuiltantd brCopsidemodatiaebank c1Li. Paper is not that costly; Employee benefits wlay up so high? Still not satisfied with amount for Civil Defense; Why aren't tax rates and expenditures projected out for more than a year? Businesses project out 20 years; I can see 15% padding in here.- City needs definite goal to plan for. Herb Besant, 2207 PCH I have no objection to the budget; only thing out of line in the budget is the Bldg Dept. We're about to have a depression. I don't want to see the lower, echelon cut - get rid of the deadwood. This budget is costing $225 for every man, woman and child in Hermosa. Gloria Hough, 2005 Springfield Avenue - Bldg Dept and Environmental Control have requested additional clerk -typists and the City Manager has not recommended, and I think we need them. Commissions need staff support. Delma Peery, 720 - 8th Street - I would like to congratulate Mrs. Stonier and I am so happy to see the Police Department and the Fire Department get what they need. Council discussion: Councilman Barks: I am a believer in keeping the cost of government down. I would like in my tenure in office to save as much as possible and ultimately gidzkteza,tax break to the people of this community. Reduce rather than increase. Budget up 20% is totally unacceptable to me. Training and conference expenditure very high. Council $9,000. I think we should set an example. I don';trt;<think we need an automobile. Completely oppose records management - it will create another. beaurocracy and these people will ask for more and more. Feel the same way about the purchasing department. Animal control is costing a lot more - will it be effective? Why seven men in the bldg dept when we are not doing any building in the city? Do you have to have a full- time man for environmental control? I believe the budget can be trimmed but it's goingto take time - we've had this for one week and I am pretty upset that we have this short time. Councilman Doerfling: Thanks for a very fine job on the budget and for cutting down many of the dept requests by $800,000. Almost one million ,is for capital improvement projects, so per capita is really about $126 and not $225 per person. Re up 20% - both police and fire up 25% - we need them both, but this does contribute to the total increase. Council expenses for conferences are worth it - increased revenue has resulted from what we have learned, at these meetings. Recreation tax and apartment tax are examples. AB 3611 another revenue source which could not havesucceeded without help from othertcities,and support from organizations where we have membership. Bldg Dept possibly is area that could be investigated. Public relations cost money. Capital improvement projects will all come before Council again and we will. take each one on its merit - this budget is just a guideline. pm City Council - 6/26/74 -2- Councilman Barks: I would like to see this Council adopt a policy in areas under City Manager's discretion that are top-heavy - when these people leave for any reason, that particular job should not be filled again. Councilwoman Tyson: I think that there are a couple of minor questions - maintenance laborer for recreation department to clean up after meetings, etc. (city Treasurerexplained intentions here) Councilman Barks: I would also like the council to direct staff to project a two to five year projection and want it reflected in the minutes that I totally oppose this budget as it stands. i feel the budget needs trimming. 20% is way too much and 10/ much more reasonable. And also I intend to work.with this budget for many months and I will be bringing recommendations before the Council and the City staff. Councilman Widman: Being new to the budget I was somewhat amazed by the total amount of costs, but taking it apart and separating.general costs from capital improvement projects it becameta`"i tatl.eibi:tcmor'e. x�.eas.onable.. I would share Gloria's comment that the commissions work for the Council and the council serves the requests and desires of the people. We can do a lot but still we have to have,the staff to back us up -and carry out our orders. We need an efficient city. In building, planning and environmental control area a lot of the staff have been extremelythardpressed. -- Courts don't do anything about animal control. Hope recommendations's:of downtown committee and highway group are taken into•considdration. Use parking enforcement personnel to enforce dog regulations. Civil Defense - I am very concerned about'natural disasters - plans are so antiquated that it creates total chaos. i would request an updated Civil Defense plan very soon. Bldg, planning and environmental control should have toppriority to catch up on backlog. I think in large part budget is reasonable - we can keep an eye on it throughout the year. Mayor Post: There is always plenty of room foriimprovement. could we do a two -to -five-year. projection? Re records management, alternates could be explored further. Increased expenditures in aniiital control will be justified if we can show measurable control.. Bldg,Dept - we' are calling on them to do different functions whdich take more time and people. We have not seen this budget for very long - this budget will become an estimate of expenditures: but even if we were to adopt this, changes - especially in capital outlay - are stillppossible throughout the course of the year. Except for salaries. If there are parts of this that need modification and that we might consider further, thosesaref things that we can bring up as we go along. We can adopt or modify without taking action.tonight. Councilman Doerfling: I would like the City Manager to reflect on the fact that people in building and planning are supporting all of the commissions which are feflecting the policy we want. I think they need adequate staff support. Councilman Widman The kind of goal that I see is giving equal concern to commercial areas. Property tax can't take the burden on its own shoulders. Would like to see breakdown of use of revenue sharing. council agreed to give 1974-75 preliminary budget further consideration and recommend changes. bf. 6/27/74 AGENDA - CITY COUNCIL MEETING - Adjourned Regular Meeting Wednesday, June 26, 1974 - 7:30 p.m. Council Chamber 9 City Hall PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL1 1. PUBLIC HEARING - PRELIMINARY BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 1974-75. 2. "FLAGSHIP", 22 PIER AVENUE - REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF PROPOSED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO DO BUSINESS AS COCKTAIL LOUNGE - Referred back to Planning Commission for reconsideration, regular meeting of June 18, 1974. Letter dated June 25, 1974 from Lloyd W. Scott; copy of letter to Messrs. Perno T. Bryant and Lloyd W. Scott, dated June 19, 1974; memorandum from Planning Commission, dated June 25, 1974. 3. PURCHASE OF SURPLUS SCHOOL LANDS - Memorandum dated June 26, 1974 from Rod Merl, Environmental Control Officer; Copy of Section 5301, Public Resources Code, re Park and Boulevafd Bonds: Proposed Resolution requesting Board of Supervisors to include purchase of school properties as well as other properties for recreational facilities within this city on their list of priority expenditures for State Beach, Park, Recreational and Historical Facility Bond Act of 1974. ADJOURNMENT