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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 1995-03-29Mayor Robert Yee Council: Jack Drago ~loseph A. Fernekes Iohn R. Penna Roberta Cerri Teglia ~P__E C ! A L MEETING CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO MARCH 29, 1995 City Council Municipal Services Building Community Room March 29, 1995 385 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 29th day of March 1995, at 7:00 p.m. in the Municipal Services Building, Community Room, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco, California. Purpose of the meeting: Public Hearing - 1995-96 Community Development Block Grant Program; conduct Public Hearing; review proposed activities requesting CDBG funding and provide direction to staff regarding funding priorities for the 1995-96 program year. 2. Presentation by Arroyo Associates on public safety leave usage. 3. Mid-year budget review. City Clerk City of South San Francisco Dated: March 20, 1995 CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: AGENDA (Cassette No. 1) 2. Presentation by Arroyo Associates on public safety r. leave usage. /O- ~ A C I !Q__N TAKEN 7:17 p.m. Mayor Yee presiding. Council Present: Drago, Fernekes, Teglia and Yee. Council Absent: Penna. Mayor Yee stated Item No. 2 will be considered first because the consultant has to catch a plane. Mr. Nicholas Conway, Arroyo Associates, Inc., summarized the Public Safety Leave Usage Study: 3/29/95 Page 1 386 2. Presentation by Arroyo Associates on public safety leave usage. Public Hearing - 1995-96 Community Development Block Grant Program; conduct Public Hearing; re- view proposed activities requesting CDBG funding and provide direction to staff regarding funding prior- ities for the 1995-96 program year. ,;5"t9 ~ c] staff deployment and scheduling; allocation of staff hours; and issues and recommendations on sick leave usage. Discussion followed: has anyone asked staff how they feel about this study; the Departments feel that each of the recommendations have merit and the Department Heads feel the methodology is slightly different but they are in agreement with the thrust; there will be discussions on the implementation after negotiations with the units; Appendix A is listed as the City of San Francisco; etc. Mayor Yee stated Norma will go through each of the applications, summarize who they are and the supplemental allocations requested for next year. He stated most of the Agencies are pretty much repeat applications, so, unless the Council has questions or comments, there will not be individual presentations. Councilwoman Teglia stated it is the applicant's right to speak because it is a Public Hearing and she would rather have Norma sit down and the people come up. Mayor Yee stated he is trying to minimize the time, because the Council knows who the Agencies are and rather than have them come up and make a full presentation, let Norma explain. If they have an item to add they can do that. Councilwoman Teglia stated one additional applica- tion was received tonight and she wanted to see if the Committee is truly North County, while these people are from Daly City and she will not support it. Mayor Yee stated the question is whether the Coun- cil is going to change the deadline, we are not deal- ing with the merit of the application, but the rule. Councilmen Drago and Penna stated they did not want to accept it. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso went through each of the application requests for this year and last year: Senior Day Care Program; etc. Councilman Drago felt any agency asking for in- creased funding should go to the podium and justify 3/29/95 Page 2 Public Hearing - Continued. 3/29/95 Page 3 387' the request. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso continued with the applications: Neighborhood Services Center had asked for $25,000 while the past allocation was $15,000. Ms. Marcy Senores, Neighborhood Services Center, stated the number of families being helped has in- creased tremendously. They are helping people with their PG&E and with rental assistance programs. She stated the increase was due to loss of jobs, more single heads of households, and with the welfare issues, more people are coming here from San Fran- cisco, however, the Agency was encouraging them to go back to their communities and see their local Agencies. Councilman Penna wants to serve the people of this community and does not want to be impacted by a greater number of people coming for aid from other cities. Discussion followed: whether there are residential requirements; the Agency looks at their address and if not local gives them a bus ticket to go back home; Councilwoman Teglia was concerned over the Coun- cil being penny wise and dollar foolish due to things going on in Washington where people are going to be doing desperate things and we will see incident reports of criminal activity which will cost the City more; the Convention and Visitors Bureau had statistics on low income people working and losing their jobs in the hospitality industry and many live in S.S.F.; this could call for more police protection being needed; why should people leave S.F. and come to S.S.F. when all cities receive the same amount and why not tie it to residency; some come to an area because they are promised work, then the work is not there and they don't have the means to go back or, being aliens, are worried about Proposition 187 and if they keep moving they won't get caught; most of the work they are promised is in house cleaning and gardening; etc. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso stated that Friends to Parents are requesting an increase from $9,000 to $15,000 and she does know that the funds provided are not sufficient to cover a full subsidy for the 45 S.S.F. children and they use these funds to leverage State funds. She stated that the Executive Director AGENDA ACTION TAKEN 388 1. Public Hearing - Continued. 3/29/95 Page 4 is not present this evening, however, she will pro- vide more information for Council. Councilman Fernekes wants to know percentages of all cities using these services with children and the amount of subsidies. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso related: Center for Independence of the Disabled was asking for the same allocation as last year for social services; Project Reach received $6,000 last year and is ask- ing for $10,000 this year. Ms. Alison Stewart, Project Reach, stated they also asked for $10,000 last year due to increased operat- ing costs and the services they provide actually cost six times that amount. She stated the organization has a contract with the Dept. of Education, receive foundation funds, PARCA does fund raising and we charge more for people who do not have low in- comes. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso related: Fair Housing and Project Sentinel provide counseling services, which is required by the Federal Government. Discussion followed: these two Agencies should not be competing for the same funds as the other Agen- cies; these two Agencies have traditionally been funded in public services and last year in the ad- ministration category; staff was not making a rec- ommendation for funding this evening; Councilwom- an Teglia thought there had been a policy decision on the funding for these two Agencies; if the recommended $6,000 does not go into administra- tion then it would go back to the City for adminis- tration support costs; why did staff put it into a different category; Councilwoman Teglia and Coun- cilman Drago want it put back into administration; Mr. Masca, Project Sentinel, stated their request for increased funding was to increase their outreach efforts in S.S.F.; etc. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso continued: Project Read has requested the same allocation as last year; La Raza Centro Legal, Inc. has established an office at the Neighborhood Services for counseling and legal advocacy and are requesting a $15,000 in- crease. Councilman Penna stated he was not in favor of this AGENDA ACTION TAKEN : 1~. Public Hearing - Continued. 3/29/95 Page 5 item at all, let alone the increase. He does not know why this is being provided for a specific group. Mayor Yee asked the CDBG Coordinator to have someone from the Agency write the Subcommittee so they will have an understanding of the increase. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso continued: the Food Bank Operation is asking for an increase to $6,000 from $5,000. Discussion followed: to receive a brown bag one must be a senior or seniors who are on a fixed low income or 55 and disabled. CDBG Coordinator Fragoso continued: John's Closet is asking for an increase of $25.00; City sponsored Child Care Program. Discussion followed: renting or lease property for this program; Council wants estimated costs on a unit basis; North Peninsula Family Alternatives; Councilman Penna questioned if the people are U.S. citizens; Mr. Eckert stated they cannot ask if the individuals are citizens; Councilman Penna stated foreigners put their kids in school here, take them out of school and go back to their own country; he feels this is a disruption to the system and the City should not be funding this; Mr. Eekert stated retard- ed low income people are not necessarily foreigners; Councilman Penna questioned if we can put a re- striction on the funds if parents remove their child from school and go back to their country; City Manager does not think we can administer that; Mayor Yee does not agree with Councilman Penna; Councilman Drago wants to see the competency of a child after taking part in these services; Council- woman Teglia feels this is a support service to the School District; Assistant City Manager says this is a separate component than the police and school referrals because of the family component to resolve problems; Police Chief Raffaelli stated this is a diversion program for first time offenders to evalu- ate and make referrals, whereas the School District is counseling on the campus like an at risk task force which did not work; you can see changes in grades in this program; Spruce and Martin Schools have the greatest number of referrals; some children are referred to the Girls & Boys Club; Sor Juana Ines Services for Abused Women has a bi-lingual hot line AQ~NDA AC!!QN TAKEN .--L Public Hearing - Continued. RECESS: RECALL TO ORDER: 3/29/95 Page 6 390 and they are trying to increase safe houses; Ms. Collette Hoffman of ELLIPSE Peninsula AIDS Services explained their request for additional funds is for staff time and supplemental volunteers as there are 3,000-5,000 people infected with HIV who are served in their homes by the Agency; Ms. Marianne Harrison from the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County, Inc. stated they serve children from birth to age 13 in a home or a licensed center; Councilwoman Teglia could not justify this funding because the City has a viable child care program; La Casa De San Mateo - battered women's services, is a new request for $10,000; Mr. Peter Reid of Legal Aid Society stated they have a staff of 10 attorneys and wanted to be considered for funding; etc. Council adjourned to a recess at 9:30 p.m. Mayor Yee recalled the meeting to order at 9:40 p.m., all Council was present. Discussion followed: Mr. Ray Pettsinger of the Center for Independence of the Disabled stated the request for an additional $15,000 is because of the increase in material costs which will allow them to put in more ramps; the Agency has made 88 modi- fications for 26 households in S.S.F.; Neighborhood Services House Helpers does minor home repairs which qualifies the house for the PG&E sponsored weatherization program; Councilman Penna noted that PG&E no longer has funds available for this program; Councilwoman Teglia did not feel this is a necessary emergency service like others heard to- night; it does qualify for the ADA category; monies not spent are rolled over; $250,000 was old money not spent and it was allocated to City Hall; possible distribution by category of the CDBG funds; $69,000 has to be trimmed from the requests; if the Council stayed with last year's allocation there will be money left over; Councilman Fernekes wants the Subcommittee to look at necessary work to make facilities better, address the needs and figure which ones to do; he wants a list with the costs to do it and perhaps charge the downtown money; Councilwom- an Teglia should look at all of these programs like the Downtown Commercial Rehabilitation Program and divert to ADA for a few years; and she thought the senior home repair could be reduced and maybe do it next year; City Manager Wilson suggested the Council consider new priorities being reset, working on programs for capital improvements and problem- AGEND_A ACTION TAKEN Public Hearing - Continued. (Cassette No. 2) 3. Mid-year budget review. 3/29/95 Page 7 atic improvement, target efforts to be more effective and tell the Agencies you will refocus next year; Ms. Chris Sutherland of Shelter Network stated her Agency does verify City residency and they service 60 homeless families; Ms. Laura Fanuci of HIP noted that more of their clients are falling into the poverty level category; Mr. Paul Blackburn of the Food Bank stated they had purchased a building in San Carlos and will need $2.2 million to pay for it; Historical Society request for $40,000 for the rehab of a 1905 building; Councilwoman Teglia does not feel this request fits into these funds and felt they should start fund raising and ADA requirements should be the priority; City Manager related that the Agency brought in a contractor who gave them a $40,000 estimate and felt it was wrong for the City to fund it; ADA funds cannot be used, as only City facilities are eligible; identify Project Sentinel funds into administration; this will be adopted at the 4/26/95 meeting, which is a second Public Hearing; examine senior services for this is a lot of money for a few people; look at Kids At Risk; etc. City Manager Wilson introduced Mr. Mike Brooks as the new Finance Director. He stated that the budget format was being presented in a simple format and he proceeded to go through the summary: the current operating budget is $29.7 million of revenue; they used $136,000+ of unallocated funds to balance the budget with the Department savings after anticipating decreased revenue; expenditures; objective is a balanced budget; some of the sales tax category went down; spent $1 million for land and had to dip into revenues; General Fund revenues estimated; etc. Discussion followed: whether the businesses could be identified that have lower activity; these were projections from a consultant; certain retailers and chemical companies have lesser business sales; when will figures be available for 1995-1996 Budget; it is a one year budget with two estimated columns but, with the economic times, it takes two years to implement; Mayor Yee wants a list of those busi- nesses showing reduced revenues; City Manager Wilson will spend some time with each of the Coun- cilmembers and share that information; Mayor Yee is concerned the City has missed the goals on the sales tax by $640,000 and questioned who missed the boat on the projection; Transit Occupancy Tax AGENDA ACTION TAKEN 392 1,._... Public Hearing - Continued. ADJOURNMENT: revenue is up; what happened to the funds the con- sultant identified as being disputed; steps are being taken to shift the paramedic billing to another Department; City Manager has not tried to fill the position of Director of WQCP; there has been an increase in building activity and a decrease in in- come on investments; the biggest effect on the bud- get was the purchase of property; increase due to transfers from Assessment Districts for maintenance; Departments reduced their expenditures; an analysis was done of service funds; vacancy factors related to savings; City Manager complimented the Depart- ment Heads for an excellent job in cutting their department expenses; City Manager has been meeting with individual departments and going over the projected budget and anticipated shortfall; etc. Councilman Penna spoke of the Council of Cities' meeting last week in opposition of SB 466 on in- verse condemnation and suggested the cities agendize a vote on the item. Mayor Yee felt it was a better idea to talk to our representative in Sacramento, however, after the meeting on Saturday Councilman Penna could agendize the item if he still wants. M/S Penna/Teglia - To adjourn the meeting. Carried by unanimous voice vote. Time of adjournment was 10:52 p.m. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, ~a, City~ City of South San Francisco APPROVED. Robei't Yee, Mayor City of Sot'th San Francisco The entries of this Council meeting show the action taken by the City Counci~ to dispose of an item. Oral communica- tions, arguments and comments are recorded on tape. The tape and documents related to the items are on file in the O._.~ce of the City Clerk and are available for inspection, review and copying. 3/29/95 Page 8