ABSTRACT: With regard to the Special City Council Meeting on the City Budget, specifically mid-year revisions to the Budget, A SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS by City Administrator Rich Guillen and HIGHLIGHTS of the City Council meeting on mid-year revisions to the Fiscal Year 2008/09 Budget are presented. Selected COMMENTS are made.
"MINUTES"
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
IV. Resolutions
A. Receive mid-year Budget Report and Consideration of a Resolution adopting revisions to the fiscal year 2008-09 General Fund Budget.
At the conclusion of an approximately 45 minutes Special City Council Meeting, Council Member ROSE moved adoption of Resolution adopting revisions to the Fiscal year 2008/09 General Fund Budget, with Exhibit “A”, seconded by TALMAGE, and carried unanimously.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
1. Delay filling current vacant positions for remainder of FY 2008/09.
2. Limit spending to essential services only.
3. Reduce costs for meetings and travel.
4. Consider reducing number of commissions, boards, ex. Planning Commission, Design Review Board
HIGHLIGHTS:
• City Administrator Rich Guillen stressed mid-year adjustments as not “cutting,” rather “postponing” actions on positions and projects.
• 4th Av. Riparian Project: The City received notification from the State between Christmas and New Years Day that the grant funds totaling $373,000 are “frozen.” The City has appealed the action. Apparently, the City had received approximately $80,000 prior to the grant funds being “frozen.” If the City loses the appeal, the City will have to fund the entire project less $80,000 or approximately $293,000.
COMMENT: While Mayor Sue McCloud implied in her State of the City 2009 report that the State was responsible for the delay in the realization of the 4th Av. Riparian Project, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea was also responsible for the delay due to City Council Members insisting on terms which were not original terms or conditions of the State grant.
• Sunset Center Parking Lot Machines (added as mid-year adjustment to budget)
Existing machines not compliant with State law with regard to credit cards, therefore the City must purchase new machines. The vendor is eager for new machines because they are more vendor-friendly, user-friendly, et cetera.
COMMENT: Even after acknowledging the existence of patron complaints about the parking machines, City Council Members and the City Administrator failed to consider whether or not paid parking at the Sunset Center parking lot is efficacious.
• General Operating Reserve Fund as “buffer” for economic downturns; established at $1.95 million, added surplus from FY 2008/08 Budget, currently over $2.0 million.
• Of Proposition 1B Funds ($400,000), $215,600 budgeted for street and road projects for FY 2008/09.
• Carmel Beach Sand Replenishment
Budgeted $24,500; only $10,000 will be spent by end of year, according to the City Forester.
• Staff will present a proposed Construction Truck Impact Fee to the City Council by spring 2009, acccording to City Administrator Rich Guillen; anticipated to generate approximately $120,000/year revenue.
(Source: Archived Videos, City Council Budget Meeting, February 04, 2009)
2 comments:
The city should not even think of imposing a construction truck impact fee until the city appropriates the minimum recommendation of Nichols Engineers for street and road maintenance. The city has taxpayer monies to budget nearly $700,000 annually for our streets now. The city administrator and mayor just refuse to do it.
Think of it his way. Our streets and roads are as important, if not more important, than the same amount to scc to manage the Sunset Center.
Those pay-and-display parking machines have been nothing but a nuisance since they were installed. I see the city never took the suggestion of a sunset center patron to do away with the parking fee completely seriously.
In my opinion, these machines should never have been installed because they take time away from shopping, walking the alleys and streets of Carmel and enjoying Sunset Center lobby and theater. It is never a good idea to have only one or two areas with paid parking and the rest of the city with no paid parking.
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