December 13, 2005
SUBJECT: Annual Public Hearing - Potential Council Study Issues for Calendar Year 2006
REPORT IN BRIEF
The City Council conducts an annual workshop to set priorities for new issues requiring significant staff study in the next calendar year. This public hearing is being conducted for the purpose of receiving input on proposed study issues, as well as to hear suggestions from the general public and community groups about any new issues proposed for Council consideration in 2006. Study issues may include potential policy studies, new ordinances or amendments to existing ordinances, new programs, changes to existing programs/services, etc. Based upon public testimony, a Councilmember can direct staff to prepare study issue papers on any issue they want to have considered. All study issues sponsored by a Councilmember will be reviewed and considered by Council at its upcoming Study Issues Workshop scheduled for Thursday, December 15 at 8:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The purpose of this public hearing is also to give the public the opportunity to raise potential budget issues.
Budget issues will be considered separately at a Fiscal Issues Workshop in January 2006. However, the public may present testimony related to budget issues this evening. Councilmembers may also request budget issues.
No Council action is required this evening. Given the one-day turnaround prior to the workshop, it is critical that Councilmembers provide direction tonight to staff regarding additional study issue(s) they want considered at the December 15th workshop.
BACKGROUND
In December of each year, the City Council holds a workshop to review potential study issues. Budget and fiscal issues will be considered separately by Council in January.
Council study issues are topics that require staff study and are eventually placed on the Council agenda for action. Study issues include items such as new ordinances or amendments to ordinances, new programs/services or amendments to current ones, General Plan updates and policy studies. Individual Councilmembers, Boards and Commissions, or staff may sponsor study issues. A General Plan action statement may also result in a study issue. Once an issue is formally sponsored, staff prepares an “issue paper” that summarizes the issue. These issue papers are placed in binders that are prepared for the workshop.
Budget issues are proposals for changed budget service levels or capital projects, and are considered in the context of adopting the annual budget in June. Examples of changes in budget service levels include proposals to add new programs and/or eliminate existing programs. Capital projects include major one-time expenditures, such as reconstructing a street or construction of a new building. Detailed discussions on budget issues will take place at the fiscal issues workshop in January.
The December 15th workshop is open to the public and will be televised live and rebroadcast on KSUN, Channel 15. Consistent with past Council practice, no public testimony will be taken at the Study Issues Workshop.
At the workshop, the issue papers are organized by the department that would be responsible for conducting the study if approved. Council reviews the issues for each department and first determines whether any issues should be added, dropped or deferred from the department list.
A vote is taken on a request to drop or defer an issue. Council then ranks the list of remaining issues for each department in priority order, since it may not be possible for each department to complete all proposed study issues.
Based on Council’s priorities, staff prepares an annual work plan called the Tentative Council Meeting Agenda Calendar that Council will adopt in January 2006. Lower priority issues may not be included in the work plan due to limits on staff time and other resources. It should also be noted that “mandatory” items are not included but represent work that must still be done by staff and will be considered when determining how many study issues can be completed in the 2006 calendar year. Continuing study issue items will also be considered as staff evaluates the 2006 workload. Lower priority issues not placed on the 2006 calendar will automatically be reconsidered for the 2007 calendar year.
EXISTING POLICY
The Study Issue Process is an integral part of the City’s Planning and Management System (PAMS). The Tentative Council Meeting Agenda Calendar which is a product of the study issue process is utilized as the City’s principal short range planning tool (Policy 7.3A.1).
DISCUSSION
Time limitations preclude public input at the Annual Study Issue Workshop. Council has enhanced the process to include increased public input by conducting this public hearing prior to the workshop. In preparation for the Study Issues workshop, staff prepared a draft of the study issues proposed to date. Council has a binder that contains a draft of the packet that will be presented to Council at the workshop. The packet contains department lists and study issue papers. Should new study issues be added, those issues will be added to the binder and considered as outlined above.
Councilmembers, boards and commissions, and staff have proposed the items in the Attachment A (binder). Studies that are identified in the General Plan have also been included. New budget issues requested at the hearing will be provided to the Council prior to the January Fiscal Issues workshop.
This public hearing is the opportunity for the general public, community groups, and board or commission members to provide input on additional study issues or budget issues, and/or to comment on any issues proposed to date. Based on the testimony taken at this hearing, any individual Council member may choose to direct staff to prepare additional issue papers. Preferably, this direction should be provided to staff at the conclusion of the public hearing. The new study issue papers will be provided at the December workshop.
It is noted that all boards and commissions have been advised that this is the appropriate time for them to testify on issues that have been recommended by their board or commission. This is optional and not required; however, additional public testimony will not be taken at the Study Issues Workshop. The workshop is devoted to Council review of the issues and the determination of whether or not to study proposed issues in more detail.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to this report. Each issue paper provides an estimated cost of the study in addition to an estimate of implementation costs.
Conclusion
The public hearing is an integral part of the study issue review and approval process. Public participation is encouraged and essential in completing this process in order to provide Council with sufficient information to make its determination in ranking and prioritizing the issues.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Council Agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin boards, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, publication of the Council Agenda public hearings in the San Jose Mercury News, and the availability of the report in the Office of the City Clerk and the Sunnyvale Public Library.
ALTERNATIVES
None
RECOMMENDATION
No action is needed at this time. Councilmembers may request additional study issue papers for review at the Annual Study Issues Workshop.
Reviewed by:
Robert Walker, Assistant City Manager
Prepared by: Katherine Bradshaw Chappelear, City Clerk
Approved by:
Amy Chan
City Manager
Attachment
Proposed 2006 Study Issue Papers (in binder)