HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1982-03-10Mayor Gus Nicolopulos
Vice Mayor Roberta Cerri Teglia
Council:
Ronald G. Acosta
Mark N. Addiego
Emanuele N. Damonte
MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
City Council Conference Room
March 10, 1982
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 54956 of the Government
Code of the State of California, that the City Council of the City of South
San Francisco will hold a Special Meeting on Wednesday, the 10th day of March,
1982, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Conference Room, City Hall, 400 Grand
Avenue, South San Francisco, California.
Purpose of the meeting:
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget General Guidelines/Programs.
City of South San Francisco
Dated: March 4, 1982
A G E N D A
SPECIAL MEETING
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO ORDER:
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Programs.
Vice Mayor Teglia arrived:
ACTION TAKEN
SPECIAL MEETING
Recited.
7:12 p.m. Mayor Nicolopulos presiding.
Council present: Damonte, Acosta,
Addiego and Nicolopulos.
Council absent: Teglia.
City Manager Birkelo stated that he
had prepared a guideline of the object-
ives to determine if the management
guidelines coincide with Council
objectives and policies.
Vice Mayor Teglia arrived at 7:16 p.m.
City Manager Birkelo said that the
proposed budget submission was to be
in early June 1982 and the the proposed
budget adoption and M.O.U. approvals
in July 1982.
3/10/82
Page 1
AG E N DA A C T I O,N TAKEN
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Gui delines/Programs - Cont.
He spoke of the State withdrawing
the major portion of bail,-out funds
after the passage of Proposition 13
and its effect on the 1981-82 Budget.
He said that the information that
Staff had was a projection of 7½%
increase in General Fund Discret-
ionary Revenues. He spoke of
probable further loss of bail-out
monies, reduced construction and
sale of residential properties, etc.
He said that Director of Finance
Lipton would comment on the methods
by which he arrived at the revenue
projections.
Mayor Nicolopulos spoke of the Council
as being policy makers, which he felt
had not been the case in the past few
years, and wanted to see the City
headed in the right direction.
City Manager Birkelo stated that he
had met with all departments to
look at current program activity to
analyze needs and indicate that the
priorities should be changed or
emphasized. He said he had spoken
to the departments on the fiscal
restraints, which he said had been
laid before Council tonight. He
said that perhaps the elected
officials would have a better feel
on the needs of the community, and
these needs could now be build into
the process.
Vice Mayor Teglia said that she felt
that all of Council had the same idea
in terms of the budget and how the
departments should serve the City that
Council represents. She said that
by talking to each of the department
heads it would become clear the
policy role that Council must take.
Councilman Acosta said that for years
he had brought up the subject of
management by objective programs. He
said that there had always been
goals and objectives and if they did
not work then they should be looked
at more closely.
3/10/82
Page 2
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Programs - Cont.
He said that the past budget had seen
the Park & Recreation, after having
budget cuts, being given other things
like manpower to bring the level of
service to a higher standard. He
said there was still a lot of debris
around, but whose fault was that -
the debris dumper or the one respon-
sible to clean it up. He said that
that was what program budgeting is,
to look at the programs and see if
the programs met the objectives.
He said that if they were not, then
get rid or the objectives or expand,
or find another method.
City Manager Birkelo said that those
types of options could be addressed
tonight.
Vice Mayor Teglia said that the
department heads each day were looking
at the programs to service the community
and what is received from the money
expended.
Councilman Damonte said that Council
did not discuss with the department heads
what~ the priorities are, instead
discussion is only after Council hears
from its constituents that there is
a problem. He said that a painting
contractor when taking a job would
know how many manhours it would take
and stick by it - but he did not
see the City doing that to any degree.
City Manager Birkelo said that when
the final budget was reached it
would be easier to see the quality
of the product and have a better
judgement.
Councilman Damonte said that citizens
on Orange Avenue can see the yellow
and white trucks going to and fro,
but perhaps that was because it was
close to Orange Park and the Corporation
Yard.
Vice Mayor Teglia said that Staff
had spoken about trying to develop
unit standards in the field and in
the ranks and she felt that if so
3/10/82
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AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Programs - Cont.
then standards should be developed for
management and supervisors.
Mayor Nicolopulos said that a policy
should be set whereby when a problem
arose the Councilmember would go to
the department head for action or
to learn what the problem was in the
department.
Vice Mayor Teglia expressed concern
that when a department head put an
equipment item in his budget it was
cut before the budget ever went to
the Council level.
Director of Finance Lipton presented
a supplemental information packet
on the 1982-83 Budget and stated
that it highlighted the Work,
General, Sewer Rental, Parking District,
Revenue Sharing, Gas Tax Funds, etc.
He described in detail the estimate
of the coming year revenues broken
down by classifications. He continued,
by explaining the department expendi-
tures in terms of percentages
of the total. He said that the revenue
growth for the coming year was pro-
jected at 7½%, which showed that the
City could not rely on the State monies
but must look to other sources of income.
He said that the workers compensation
that had been reimbursed by the State
had been cut from the State budget.
He spoke in detail of other losses in
revenue, i.e., Highway Carriers Fees,
Bail-Out Funds, etc.
A discussion followed on depreciation
of City equipment, City claims, growth
of revenues, expenditures of the major
departments, etc.
City Manager Birkelo explained the
implementation of the prior year
surplus that had been allocated to the
1982-83 General Fund Budget of $600,000
which would allow for a balancing of
current revenues and expenditures
over a two to three year period without
causing a drain on needed reserves.
He said that departments would be
required to: maintain proposed expenditures
3/10/82
Page 4
AG E N DA A C T I O N TA K E N ~,~
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Programs - Cont.
for materials and supplies within
105% of current levelsl maintain
staffing at current levels; determine
needs or shifts in priorities; submit
equipment outl ay requests.
Fire Chief Drago said that he had some
concern with a 5% restriction on
materials and supplies when that is
impacted by the City Garage and Build-
ing maintenance charges.
Assistant City Manager Wilson said
that budget figures would be forthcom-
ing for maintenance and vehicles and
that Chief Drago's concerns had been
addressed.
Fire Chief Drago said that his department
could not represent work by unit measure-
ment in that fires could not be predicted.
He described the work of the paramedics,
fire prevention and said that he did
not anticipate additional programs, but
he wanted to add one man to the bureau.
He said that the Fire Department had
not hired additional personnel for many
years and that with the growth of the
City there was concern ~h~ Fire De-
partment cannot spend as much time on
arson investigation and public educa-
tion as needed. He said that he had
put this request in the prior budget
as a supplemental item and that it had
not been acted upon. He described the
projects to be built such as Homart
and Diodati's and said this would place
additional responsibilities upon the
Fire Department.
City Librarian Engels spoke of the
continuance of the automated systems
started in the prior year and spoke
of using in-house services on the
automated circulation. She said that
contracting out for a catalogue system
was being looked at, buying books in
conjunction with the other cities to
attract larger discounts, the need
for some remodeling at the libraries,
etc.
3/10/82
Page 5
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Programs - Cont.
Police Chief Datzman spoke of additional
need for criminal analysis, the effect-
iveness of the school liaison program,
taking an active approach on narcotics,
the TIP Program, police response time,
etc.
Director of Parks & Recreation Norton
spoke of median strip maintenance,
park maintenance, fewer problems due
to the lighting of the parks, etc.
City Attorney Rogers said that his
department was a support department
for the Council, City Manager and Staff
in terms of advisement. He said that
litigation had increased his office's
workload from the Code Enforcement
Officer and the Police Department. He
said that most of the civil defense
was handled by the insurance company's
attornies and that if a case was
$6,000 or less he could handle the
litigation - anything higher than that
figure he needed authorization from
Council. He said that he worked closely
with the Mr. Whitehead and the two
decided whether the City Attorney should
go into Court or the insurance company's
attorney. He felt that with concurrence
of Council he could save money in fees
by going into Court and handling these
matters himself. He said that he
would be requesting a word processor
to assist his secretaries with the
volume of work in the office.
Vice Mayor Teglia said that at some
future appropriate time the Council
would discuss the City Attorney
spending more time in Court.
Director of Community Development
Dell'Angela spoke of the various
projects underway and the processing
of plans and applications. He said
that he was going to propose a reclass-
ification to a paraprofessional for
the updating of the zoning map and
presentations to Council. He said
3/10/82
Page 6
AGENDA ACTION TAKEN
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Program - Cont.
that the position was presently a
clerical position. He said that by
the end of the fiscal year he planned
to have completed the new General
Plan and look at finalizing the
Zoning Ordinance within the first
six months. He said that a study was
being made on the fee scales and that
he hoped to come to Council with an
escalated fee scale.
Director of Public Services Yee said
that he had no intention of increasing
personnel in the budget, however an
engineer would be needed for the
Gateway Assessment District and that
the funding would have to be from
the District. He said that with the
new projects underway it would increase
his department's workload in permits
and inspections, etc. He spoke of
City mapping, microfisch being used
for record storage, a street sweeper,
street repairs, etc.
Personnel Director Kutras said that
he did not propose any changes in
programs or personnel in the budget
but would focus on improved services
and training programs.
City Clerk Battaya said that she would
request a half-time person rather than
contract labor which would save the
City $200 per month. She said that
if a word processor was purchased and
put in her office there would be a
need for a noise hood and an automatic
paper and envelope feed to be author-
ized by Council for the well being
and efficient running of the Clerk's
Office. She said that if Council
chose to put a measure on the
November 1982 ballot it would be
necessary to project the cost within
the budget. She said that at present
there was a Selectric II being used
by the Deputy City Clerk that was
seven years old and not in good condition
and would request the purchase of a
new Selectric II.
3/10/82
Page 7
AG E N DA A C T I O N T A K E N ~'~
Discussion of 1982-83 Budget
Guidelines/Program - Cont.
ADJOURNMENT:
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
City Manager Birkelo said that the
Downtown Merchants had requested
the City buy a street cleaning
machine and that the cost would be
$7,000.
M/S Acosta/Damonte - That the meeting
be adjourned.
Carried by unanimous voice vote.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:57 p.m.
APPROVED:
Barbara A. Battaya~ City Ct~j~rk
City of South San Francisco
Gus Nicolopulos, May~
City of South San Francisco
The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Council to
dispose of an item. Oral presentations, arguments, and comments are recorded on
tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the office of
the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying.
3/10/82
Page 8