|
Director of Finance Mary Bradley presented the staff report and informed Council that no action is required (other than what Council initiates) on this item and adoption of the budget and fee schedule will occur at the June 19, 2007 Council meeting. Tonight’s public hearing meets the legal requirements of the City Charter, the California Constitution, and the California Government Code.
Finance Director Bradley stated she wished to correct a newspaper report which reported that the City has a projected surplus of $10.3 million dollars. Finance Director Bradley clarified that the budget summary states, “addition to reserves $10.275 million dollars,” which is not surplus funds; rather this is revenue that is going to three capital funds.
Finance Director Bradley stated page 2 of 3 was inadvertently omitted from budget supplemental section 6 (Outside Group Funding Request for Junior Achievement). Staff supplied Council with the missing page and a copy was placed on the dais.
Finance Director Bradley stated an additional formal funding request from United Way was sent to Council and has been attached to the staff report for Council’s information.
Finance Director Bradley stated that during the May 24, 2007 Budget Workshop, Council asked for certain information and/or clarifications on several items. Staff has included the requested information in the discussion section of the staff report.
Councilmember Moylan inquired about Attachment C of the staff report and the direct costs being charged to the adult businesses listed under “public safety officer.” Councilmember Moylan stated he has concerns over charging businesses for the City’s discretionary use of public safety officers. Councilmember Moylan asked staff how this charge meets the City’s new fiscal policy because it does not appear to meet the fairness (or competitiveness criterion of the policy) with other cities.
Director of Public Safety Don Johnson explained that the City’s ordinance dates back to 1973 and has been revised several times. In 1985, Council acknowledged studies which identified adverse affects related to the operation of an adult business within a city. Prior to this time the penal code changed allowing cities to take studies into account when they decide whether or not to regulate adult businesses. The last change in the City’s ordinance was in 2001 in which Council used leverage from the penal code to say it makes sense to perform inspections of adult businesses. Public Safety Director Johnson explained that staff does two inspections per year. The businesses are not charged for the increased call volume received. The inspections include checking items such as lighting, distance of the stage, and how business is being conducted. Staff uses the legislative findings in addition to the penal code to address the adverse affects found in prior studies.
Councilmember Moylan stated his question refers to why the City is charging businesses for the inspections and how that meets the City’s new fiscal policy. Councilmember Moylan stated that the City’s fees must be competitive with other cities and apparently no other cities charge this fee. Councilmember Moylan continued stating that the City’s new fiscal policy requires that the fee must be fair which does not seem to be the case since the beneficiary of the inspection is the community rather than the businesses themselves. Councilmember Moylan stated that if this service benefits the community, then it appears that the community should pay for that service.
Finance Director Bradley stated staff attempted to identify other clubs and their fees; however, the only other adult entertainment clubs identified in Santa Clara County were in San Jose; therefore, there is not a large population for fee comparison.
Councilmember Chu inquired as to where the City is in regard to the eight-year budget cycle. Finance Director Bradley stated the City is slated to start on the second year.
Public hearing opened 7:36 p.m.
Nancy Tivol, director of Sunnyvale Community Services, requested Council approve $40,471 from the General Fund for Sunnyvale Community Services for next year. Tivol explained the reasons why additional funding is being requested.
Sharon Davis, president of the board of directors for Sunnyvale Community Services, listed additional reasons why Sunnyvale Community Services has a need for supplementary funding.
Bob Obrey, Vice Chair of the Sunnyvale Arts Commission, stated he was representing the Arts Commission and their recommendation. The Arts Commission voted unanimously (3-0) to recommend that Council approve the FY07-08 budget and resource allocation plan including budget supplements as presented (fund all outside group funding requests); to voice specific support for outside group funding requests of the Euphrat Museum of Arts after-school program, and add $24,850 for restoration of parks ornamental water feature service level.
Councilmember Swegles asked if the commission had explored where the additional funding should be obtained, such as by increasing fees or cutting funds. Director of Parks and Recreation David Lewis stated the Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission had a joint session last week. Parks and Recreation Director Lewis stated that at the meeting the commissions reviewed the outside group funding requests and both commissions were aware of the city manager’s recommended budget of $131,227 for outside group funding. The Parks and Recreation Commission attempted to stay within the city manager’s recommendation and the Arts Commission was swayed by the outside groups; however, they did not pursue investigating or recommending additional funding sources to offset their recommendation.
Councilmember Moylan requested what the total funding request was for the Euphrat Museum and Finance Director Bradley stated it was $12,298.
Bob Lawson, member of the Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Commission, stated the commission voted unanimously (4-0 with Commissioner Chuck absent) to recommend approval of the FY 2007/08 budget and resource allocation plan that relates to parks (not the entire budget), with the addition of $24,850 to restore the ornamental water features on a year-round basis, and to include $126,227 in funding for all outside funding group requests for money (with the exception of Sunnyvale Alliance Soccer Club fee). Lawson stated the commission did not consider other sources of income to offset the additional expense. Lawson stated the commission also voted unanimously to increase the fees at the Sunnyvale Golf Course to non-residents by 50 cents and decrease the resident fee by $1.50 on weekends.
Councilmember Chu confirmed with the city manager that the Parks and Recreation Commission voted on the Housing and Human Services recommendation (not the staff recommendation, which was less) for the outside group funding amounts.
Jim Griffith, Chair of the Sunnyvale Board of Library Trustees, speaking on behalf of the board, stated if the City decides to pursue the Library of the Future project, it is unreasonable to assume that this project will not have an impact on library staff (both leading up to a ballot measure and planning for a new library). Griffith stated the board recommended that the Council keep the Library of the Future project in mind when deciding the budget for library issues.
Ralph Durham, member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, speaking on behalf of the commission, stated the commission encourages staff to seek funding opportunities to expedite bicycle projects and to consider ways for the commission to provide more meaningful input early on in the process. The commission would like to receive a copy of the budget outline early enough to allow the commission to make comments during the Budget Workshop.
Raymond Pole, Senior Commissioner for the County Board of Supervisors, stated care givers who are concerned about their senior parents have no idea where to go for help. Pole stated that the City needs a senior professional caregiver to answer their questions. Pole stated this is a great asset to the City and needs funding for a full-time position.
Laura Babcock, representing the Sunnyvale Historical Society’s museum project, stated page 5 in the staff report had a few errors she would like to correct. She stated the City has not paid $500,000 for museum construction as stated in the staff report; rather the $500,000 grant from the City was for design purposes only. Babcock stated that approximately $180,000 of that amount has been used for entire design of the building and the remainder of will be used for design of the exhibits, exhibit casework and content.
Babcock stated the society is not requesting an additional $140,599 for landscaping as identified in the staff report. Babcock stated the City has already allocated $360,000 in a long-range budget for upgrading to the site. The society is asking Council to allocate the $140,599 in next year’s budget of the $360,000 already allocated so the entire site will be useable at the time the museum is done.
Mayor Lee questioned if the $140,599 is part of the $360,000 long-range budget that was already allocated and Babcock stated that was correct. Finance Director Bradley stated the money is in the budget as an unfunded project; therefore, there are not any funds in the budget for this project.
Councilmember Moylan inquired if Babcock had any suggestions on where Council should pull funding from to meet the society’s request. Babcock stated she did not but felt the amount was small and, in the long-range, the City would recoup that expense by renting out the facility.
Councilmember Moylan suggested the society obtain a copy of the funding requests before the City and return to Council with a recommendation on where to move funding in order to cover their request.
Councilmember Hamilton inquired as to why there is a difference between the $360,000 in the budget for this project and the request which is $140,599. Parks and Recreation Director Lewis stated since this is an unfunded project, staff has not done a specific analysis based on the plan specifications; rather this project is still in a conceptual mode.
Councilmember Hamilton confirmed with Babcock that the Historical Society has come up with a full landscape plan for a certain section of the museum which would include hardscape, irrigation and vegetation.
Councilmember Hamilton inquired if this expense is a candidate for Council’s service level set-aside funds. City Manager Chan stated these funds are not attached to specific criteria and it is entirely up to the Council as to how they expend the fund.
Councilmember Hamilton inquired as to what the long-term impact to the set-aside funds would be if Council chose to use them to fund this project. City Manager Chan stated the fund has a certain dollar amount available (approximately $490,000) for Council’s discretion over the next 20 years. City Manager Chan stated that once the money is disbursed, it will be gone for the next twenty years.
Seth Fearey, Vice President of Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, requested Council support their request for annual funding of $10,000.
Anne Mack and Barbara Bullis, members of Advisory Council for the Council on Aging, requested Council support the case management program for seniors and also fund a full-time case management position.
Nancy McDonough thanked Council for their support of a case manager for senior citizens and requested Council continue to fund this position at the very least part-time.
Kirstin Ruf spoke about the 2-1-1 Santa Clara County (SCC) information referral service and stated this service has been operational in Santa Clara County since December 2006.
Councilmember Hamilton stated that 2-1-1 SCC services are requesting a $15,000 contribution from the City of Sunnyvale. Councilmember Hamilton requested an explanation on how they arrived at that amount and Ruf explained that the amount requested is based on the population of the city (as identified in attachment 4). Councilmember Hamilton confirmed that the amount 2-1-1 SCC is requesting from the surrounding cities for FY 07-08 is listed on attachment 4 and the amount they actually received from these cities during their launch (FY 06-07) is listed on page 4 of the report.
Micki Falk spoke about the need for a full-time case manager to be included in the City’s budget.
Diana Argabrite and Dale Jones spoke in support of the outside group funding request for budget supplement 8 (Euphrat Museum of Art at De Anza College).
Maritza Henry, representing Family and Children Services, spoke in favor of funding to Family and Children Services (FY 07-08) in order to meet their budget and sustain counseling services at Columbia Neighborhood Center.
Eleanor Hansen stated she would like to see a schedule of the positives and negatives going to the reserve this year (with particular attention to enterprise funds). Hansen also requested a copy of a schedule (by year) of the general fund balance for the past twenty years.
Albert and Vera Howard, Joe Antuzzi and Anne Dugan, business owners on Murphy Street, stated they (along with the downtown merchants) request that Council continue funding for the extended maintenance of Murphy Avenue.
Elaine Curran, President of Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay, requested support from Council for funding and incremental increases for Junior Achievement.
Susan Lundberg, Treasurer of Sunnyvale Soccer Alliance Club, requested Council consider funding the club with $5,000 for the next year and to continue to provide community services assistance to help with determining fee waivers.
Public hearing closed 8:58 p.m.
Council did not direct staff to address any specific issues requiring further review prior to the budget adoption on June 19, 2007.
Finance Director Bradley stated the City’s budget and summaries are on the City’s website.
Mayor Lee called for a recess.
Mayor Lee reconvened the Council meeting at 9:05 p.m.
|