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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPCC Minutes 1995-06-19SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 1 IN CONFERENCE ROOM 201 OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, JUNE 19, 1995, AT 5:30 PM Special Meeting: Present: Albert J. Boro, Mayor San Rafael City Council Paul M. Cohen, Councilmember Barbara Heller, Councilmember Gary O. Phillips, Councilmember David J. Zappetini, Councilmember Absent: None Others Present: Pamela J. Nicolai, City Manager Jeanne M. Leoncini, Agency Secretary 1. DISCUSSION OF CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES (CM) - File 9-1 x 9-3-11 Mayor Boro stated the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the list of City Council Priorities developed at the Council's retreat several months ago. He asked City Manager Pamela Nicolai for the staff report. Ms. Nicolai reported that on March 29, 1995 Councilmembers and staff attended a day -long retreat, participating in a brainstorming session and the discussion of priority issues for the coming year. She stated that at the end of the day it was decided that several of the issues should be brought back for further discussion. Ms. Nicolai noted her list highlighted those items that have been discussed prior to this meeting, or are being addressed as part of the budgetary process. She requested these issues be thought of not only in the context of the budget, but also in terms of where staff resources, time and energy would be spent in the upcoming year. Ms. Nicolai noted this was not a comprehensive list of all the issues the Council will address in the coming year, but rather a list of ideas that were discussed at the retreat. She suggested the Council might want to identify the top three to five items they felt were particularly important to address during the coming year. In reviewing the list, Mayor Boro stated that some of the items were either in the current budget, or had already been addressed by the Council, noting the first item was on the current City Council Agenda as a Public Hearing item. Referring to the problem of automobiles causing spillage onto the roads, Councilmember Zappetini asked if the City had considered a gas tax to recoup the clean-up costs, rather than assessing property owners, noting there were homeowners who do not have authobiles. Ms. Nicolai felt this issue should be held over on the Agenda to allow members of the public to participate in the discussion. She stated that, as a quick answer, the whole structure of this issue related to stormwater run-off, and while part of the problem was related to people parking their cars on the streets and the residue from the tires, many other factors were involved. She did not feel the City would want several diverse fees, and reported most of the other jurisdictions were implementing a per household run-off fee that related to the drainage area rather than a gas tax, as the problem had as much to do with leaves and silt going into the storm drains as it did with oil and other residues. Public Works Director David Bernaradi added that the City was pre-empted from charging its own gas tax. Mr. Zappetini asked if a gas tax could be implemented on a county -wide basis? Mr. Bernardi stated this had been considered in the past, but had not been put on the agenda. Mayor Boro felt that since a Public Hearing was already scheduled to address this issue, it was not fair to pre -discuss the matter. Mayor Boro suggested a quick review of the list of items to determine if everyone was in agreement with the issues to be included on the priority list. 1. FLOOD CONTROL: Mayor Boro reported this item had been addressed in a letter from Mr. Bernardi, as part of the Friday Memo. He stated a target date of 1998 had been noted, making this a pending item. 2. FIRE STATION: Mayor Boro reported the matter of the fire station elevator had been resolved. 3. MAJOR CRIMES: Mayor Boro stated Major Crimes was listed in the budget, and asked if the Council, at some point in the future, would need to pass a resolution regarding this issue? Ms. Nicolai stated that since this item was already included in the budget, the Council will need only to address the recommendation for the process of the complete restructuring, which will SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 1 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 2 be presented to the Council soon. She stated that unless the Council wanted to make a decision at this time to withdraw, work on the restructuring agreement will continue. She noted the agreement has the support of all the parties who had been split on this issue. Mayor Boro asked if anything had changed regarding the Federal match, and if we do not have the money in the budget, do we continue to monitor the pending applications? Ms. Nicolai reported the City had received the award, but did not have the money in the budget. She stated that since the guidelines have not changed, the recommendation would continue to be that the City does not accept the awards. Councilmember Heller asked when the City had to make this decision? Ms. Nicolai stated she was not certain of the deadline, and noted they had been waiting to see if the regulations and restrictions changed. Councilmember Cohen asked how many grants the City had applied for? Ms. Nicolai reported the City had been told it could receive two grants, and had applied for two. Mr. Cohen asked if there was any flexibility in the process, and if the City decided to fund only one position but had been awarded grants for two, would the City have to re -file? Mayor Boro asked Police Chief Krolak if he knew what would happen in that situation, and Chief Krolak responded that he did not know. Mayor Boro asked him to find out prior to the Budget Hearings. Mr. Cohen stated the reason he had raised this question was because he felt this was an issue the City might want to revisit at a later date. He noted that with the ending of the State grant program, and the attention the City is having to pay to the graffiti problem, the City might soon have a very different view of the problems that had previously been discussed. He felt it might be worthwhile to fund one position for this type of community policing, given that the State grant has ended and the program will have to be discontinued unless the City can find some way to replace it. He acknowledged he did not know if the City would meet the guidelines of the Federal grant and be awarded the funds, and that was why he had asked how much time the City had to make a decision. Councilmember Heller asked Ms. Nicolai if she could find out how long the City had to make this decision, and Ms. Nicolai stated she would have an answer at the Budget Hearings next week. Mayor Boro commented the reason this meeting was being held was to allow the Council to comment and ask questions, and to give direction to staff regarding specific budget items to be considered at the Budget Hearings. He suggested that if the Council favored a particular item, it should be indicated at this time so that it could be included for consideration at the Budget Hearings. On that point, Ms. Nicolai stated it had been clear at the retreat that graffiti was a major issue, and she noted this matter was being addressed as the State grant was ending. She reported Corporal Jeff Franzini had been spearheading this program, and stated the effort would continue, just in a differenct venue. She felt that having the Public Works crews addressing this problem on a regular basis, and being able to coordinate volunteers, would be a less expensive way to handle the graffiti problem. She stated the Council should keep in mind that there are ways to deal with some of the subject issues other than from the position of the grant. 4. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA): Ms. Nicolai stated this item was in the budget and needed constant attention. Mayor Boro noted the cost was considerably higher than the City had the ability to fund. Ms. Nicolai stated this was correct, and recalled Mayor Boro had taken action at a previous City Council meeting, accepting the study and adopting the Resolution regarding hardship, noting those were actions that also needed to be taken. 5. TRAFFIC STANDARDS: Mayor Boro asked Mr. Bernardi for a report regarding the synchronization and upgrade of the signaling in the downtown area. Mr. Bernaradi reported the traffic models have been completed, and they are just beginning to be utilized in running various traffic scenarios. Mr. Bernardi stated he and Planning Director Pendoley are planning a special joint workshop for the City Council and Planning Commission, to explain these new models and what they mean as far as calculating traffic. Councilmember Cohen asked the status of the downtown study. Mr. Bernardi responded the study had been completed, noting the traffic models are a part of that program. Mr. Cohen asked if the issue of two-way circulation patterns had been addressed in the report, and Mr. Bernardi stated that it had. Mr. Cohen asked Mr. Bernardi for an update, and Mr. Bernardi stated the report concludes that the streets could not be converted to two-way, because the intersections would be impacted to below a Level of Service E, particularly at the intersections where Second and Third Streets intersect "B", "C", and "D" Streets. Ms. Nicolai asked if this would come before the Vision Committee, and Mr. Bernardi responded that he knew this issue needed to go back to the Vision Committee, but did not know if that had already been done. 6. CORPORATION YARD: SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 2 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 3 Mayor Boro reported this item was to be discussed in Closed Session later that evening. 7. INDEMNIFICATION OF THE CITY ON APPLICATIONS: Mayor Boro reported this item was on the Agenda for the City Council Meeting, and would be discussed later that evening. 8. RADIOS: Mayor Boro stated this was an ongoing issue, and noted Councilmember Heller and the San Rafael Police Radio Committee were preparing a report for the Council. Ms. Heller stated the final report would be presented to the Council in July or August. She reported a Special Radio Workshop would be held in the Council Chamber on Friday morning at 8:00 AM, and noted that it would be video taped. She felt this workshop would be very beneficial to everyone concerned with this issue, particularly the Police Department, as it will describe such things as how a radio operates, what a channel is, and other aspects of a radio system. She urged everyone to attend the workshop. 9. GRAFFITI: Mayor Boro reported he had spoken with Assistant City Manager Suzanne Golt, and that she had targeted June 21st as the beginning of a Graffiti Abatement Program campaign, which will be carried out in three stages. He noted Ms. Golt plans first to send letters to major employers in the area; next, she will notify the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement District, and other service clubs in the City, asking them to inform their members that City work crews, on a requested basis and for a set fee, could come to their businesses and remove the graffiti; and then she will prepare and bring to the Council an Ordinance regarding the selling of the material used to create graffiti, and addressing the liability of the parents of minors involved in creating graffiti. Ms. Nicolai acknowledged that this program was already in place and moving forward. Mr. Bernardi noted that funds had already been added to the Public Works budget for the next fiscal year to pay the overtime costs for employees implementing this part of the program. He stated he and Ms. Golt had met with John Young of the Canal Community Alliance to discuss the use of individuals who are referred by the court to the Canal Community Alliance. Mr. Bernardi stated Mr. Young had informed him there was not enough work for all of the individuals being referred, and that they would try to arrange for them to participate in our Graffiti Abatement Program. 10. CHARGES FOR SERVICES: Ms. Nicolai stated this item will continue to be reviewed, reporting an updated Fee Schedule has been prepared and will be presented to the Council. She noted that some of the fees are updated on an annual basis, and that she has the authority to sign -off on those changes. She felt the Fee Schedule would continually be in the process of review, and cited the $15.00 per parcel fee to be discussed at the City Council meeting as an example. Ms. Nicolai stated that if the Councilmembers had other specific ideas she would be happy to look at their suggestions. She stated that revenue was one of the most important issues, and noted that the City is continually seeking ways to create new revenue. Ms. Nicolai stated she was pleased to note the budget contained a detailing of fee revenues generated by various departments, and complimented Finance Director Coleman on the formatting of the budget. Councilmember Heller stated she, too, was pleased that the Budget listed the amount of revenue brought in by each department through fees and services, noting this was very helpful. She complimented Finance Director Coleman for having done such a good job in preparing the Budget. Councilmember Cohen stated that to his recollection, they had discussed more than just revising the fee schedule, and noted he would like to see the Council explore user fees. As an example, he referred to previous discussions of fees being charged for the use of the tennis courts at Albert Park, with the money collected being used to maintain and improve the courts. He felt user fees would be an equitable way for the City to pay for repairs and improvements, and noted an argument could be made that it would not be reasonable to ask all of the taxpayers in the City to subsidize the tennis players. He stated he was intrigued by the possibility of user fees, and noted the initial difference that would be seen would be in the quality of some of the facilities. He felt people might pay a premium to play at a better quality public court, and user fees could provide the funds for these kinds of improvments, noting the City would not be able to find those funds in its budget. Mr. Cohen referred to earlier discussions regarding the possibility of security services, acknowledging that there was an argument as to whether the City should be competing with SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 3 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 4 the private sector. However, he felt it was equally valid to look at the fact that one of the reasons the City has the problems that it does is because the profit centers have been "cherry picked", with the private sector providing the services that generate the profits, and the City being left with the programs that cost a lot of money but that no one wants to pay for. He stated that when the City gets to the point where neighborhoods are talking about hiring private security because they are not comfortable with the level of security provided by the Police Department, whether or not that is a valid perception, it may be time for the City to consider bidding for that service. He felt this would allow the City to look at new sources of business, as well as new ways to conduct business. Mr. Cohen noted the Bret Harte Neighborhood had mentioned looking at private security for their neighborhood, although he did not know if they were actively pursuing this possibility. Councilmember Zappetini reported he had been approached by a neighborhood group that wanted to look into having the City provide a full-time officer rather than having a private security guard. He noted each homeowner is currently paying between $400 and $500 per month for a private security guard, but they are not satisfied with the service. He stated that rather than pay for a private security guard who is not doing the work, they would like to look at the possibility of establishing a special assessment district for security services, which would be funded by both the City and ten or twenty homeowners willing to pay to have additional security provided by the Police Department. Mr. Zappetini stated he had spoken to Planning Director Pendoley regarding this issue, noting Mr. Pendoley will research to determine if there would be a conflict of interest as far as the City selling a security service. He suggested that if the residents were willing to pay a portion of the cost, perhaps the City should fund the remainder of the cost and supply them with a full-time police officer. Ms. Nicolai acknowledged that these were all options, noting this was really a political issue more than a legal issue. She stated the reason this suggestion was being discussed was to see how comfortable the Council was in pursuing such an idea, and noted that if the Council felt, philosophically, that this was something they would like to explore, staff was prepared to pursue the issue. Ms. Nicolai stated that with the different business opportunities, the Council might vary on how favorably they viewed competing with the private sector, noting that if it came to the point where actual hearings were held, every business in that particular field would protest the City competing with them. However, she stated that this was completely open for the City to explore, once the Council identified those areas they felt comfortable in having staff spend time pursuing. Mayor Boro stated, based on the comments that had been made, there were a couple of dimensions to this issue. He noted the City might want to become involved strictly for profit, or the City could absorb a portion of the cost or provide the service at our cost, if the public is willing to pay for it. He stated a combination of factors would be involved, and noted that if the City could not provide the level of service desired through regular City services, but the neighborhood was willing to pay for a higher level of service than is normally provided, he did not feel the City would be trying to profit as much as providing a service to the neighborhood. He stated the City might have expertise that truly has a market in the private sector, over and above what the City routinely provides, and noted the City might want to take advantage of that. Councilmember Heller stated this sounded very difficult, as the City would have to address what the normal level of service would be, and whether higher levels of service would be provided only in certain areas because they could afford to pay for it. She was concerned with the Police Department providing additional neighborhood security, as it raised the issue of a City vehicle being used by an employee who is off-duty. She felt a lot of study was needed on the issue of the City providing private services, although she acknowledged other neighborhoods have begun such programs, noting Kent Woodlands uses an off-duty Marin County Sheriff Deputy to patrol their neighborhood. She stated she was concerned this type of program could cause a lot of problems for the City. Councilmember Zappetini stated that in the case of providing neighborhood security, the City would not be acting as a private security provider, but rather forming a special assessment district, with the neighborhood paying a portion of the cost for an additional police officer to patrol that specific area, and the City paying the balance. Ms. Heller agreed that this might work. Councilmember Phillips noted Ms. Heller raised some good points with her concerns, stating the City has an obligation to provide the best possible service. He recognized there might be ways for the City to enhance that, but he was concerned with the fact that the Police Department is currently understaffed, and he felt that to pare -off a portion of the manpower would create the possibility of an imbalance that may be difficult to deal with. Councilmember Cohen agreed that the City has an obligation to provide the best possible level of service that the City can afford; however, he noted there are neighborhoods expressing an interest in paying for what they consider to be an enhanced level of service. He stated if the neighborhoods are willing to pay for additional security, the City needs to decide SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 4 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 5 if it is going to participate or not. He noted the City already has much of the infrastructure in place, and could provide the enhanced service. He felt that since the neighborhoods would be paying for a differential level of service, combining their security service with the same service provided to the entire City by our Police Department, then there was no reason the City could not compete for the business. Mr. Cohen stated he did not see it as taking away from anything the City was currently providing, and noted this would only be effective if it was in addition to the current level of service. Addressing the issue of the City acting only for profit, he noted that administrative and overhead costs would need to be provided for. Councilmember Heller stated it was very difficult for her to judge because the City's level of service can be anything we want it to be, noting all the City has to do is go out and put a few hundred thousand dollars more in the budget and hire more policemen, and then the City would have a great level of service. She asked if the Council was satisfied with the City's current level of service, and noted the Council needed to define the level of service, and decide if they want to raise or lower that level. Mayor Boro stated he hoped the Council was pleased with the current level of service being provided, noting the question had been asked numerous times whether or not the level of service was adequate. He felt our service is adequate to meet the City's current needs, but asked if perhaps there were residents in certain areas who might feel better if they had more service? He stated the City does not have patrol cars in every community on a regular basis, and noted that patrol cars are sent to some communities only on an "as needed" basis, rather than as part of a regular patrol, because of the City's needs elsewhere. Mayor Boro stated there were many dimensions to this issue, and felt perhaps Chief Krolak could offer some insight regarding the use of off-duty police officers or Sheriff's deputies. He noted that when off-duty officers are hired, it is usually a private transaction, and the person or group doing the hiring wants a professional rather than just a security service. However, Mayor Boro stated that if the City were to provide police officers for additional security service, it could mean that the City would need additional police officers for our department, as there are no extra officers that could be assigned the additional work. He felt it would be helpful to identify those communities with a high level of officers working off-duty and special duty, such as some of the communities in Southern California, and perhaps study models of their programs and see what roles the cities play in providing regular city services versus private sector services. Mayor Boro did not feel that this issue related to the question of whether or not the City felt its current level of service is adequate, as this would be over and above the level of City provided service. Ms. Nicolai stated that the moment the City started differentiating between areas the whole question becomes blurred. She felt it was one thing for a neighborhood to hire someone themselves, as it would be a very clear distinction, even if it were an off-duty officer. However, if the City provides our police officers on a different level, it may become an invisible issue in the community, and they might not realize they are paying for the additional service. In addition, she noted that if the City suggests the community pay for only a portion of the enhanced service cost, it could be very difficult to attempt to separately define the base level of service and the enhanced service being provided. She referred to the practice of some of the schools hiring police officers to cover school games, noting that if the officers are in uniform and using a patrol car, then they belong to the City, and even though the schools may be paying the City for this service, the City is responsible for liability and workers' compensation coverage, all of which must be factored in. She stated she did not feel this was an issue that could not be addressed, but it was an issue that had many facets in addition to competing with the private sector. She felt it was no different than what already existed in the community, where apartment complexes or shopping malls hire their own security and supplement their level of City provided protection and security. She felt it could be difficult to address this issue in neighborhoods that are less organized, or neighborhoods that might want to participate but do not have the ability to pay for the enhanced service. She related this to the suggestion of charging for use of the City's tennis courts, noting that although there are some residents who would gladly contribute to having a better facility, the downside is there may be other residents who cannot afford a fee and lose access to the facility. She felt there was a constant balance that needed to be maintained. Mayor Boro suggested perhaps Ms. Nicolai could assist the Council and investigate this issue with Chief Krolak and identify those neighborhoods that have expressed an interest in this matter, study models from other communities and determine the role the cities play in these programs, and look at the options that are available. Mayor Boro noted that if it is decided that there is not a major role for the City, then at least the City could give the neighborhoods the benefit of the information concerning what other communities have accomplished. Councilmember Cohen stated he had not intended this particular service as the only suggestion to be considered, and offered it only as an example of some of the areas the City might identify when exploring the possibility of charging for additional services. He noted this suggestion might, in fact, be more controversial than others that might be explored. SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 5 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 6 Councilmember Phillips stated that providing services is what the City does, and he acknowledged that he liked the concept of the City looking for additional service markets. He felt the Council's direction to staff should be to explore various potential service market areas, and other possibilities the City might consider, using the security programs as a model. Mayor Boro requested that staff, in particular, provide general information on security, since it is an issue regardless of who provides it, and he stated he would like the Council to have a better understanding of this issue. 11. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Mayor Boro referred to the statement made that there needed to be more discussion among the Councilmembers and staff regarding end goals, and asked for comments. Councilmember Cohen stated he felt that the real issue they should be discussing was economic development strategy, which as the textbook notes, may or may not require spending more money. He stated the City really needed to consider its role in the shaping of the local economy, discussing both what it should and could be. He stated the public looks to City Hall to address these issues, noting that everytime a store closes in the downtown area, the Councilmembers receive phone calls from the merchants asking them what they are going to do about downtown. He explained that the merchants call the Councilmembers because they have perceived City Hall as having responsibility for the economic health of the community, noting the downtown area is seen as the barometer for that health. He stated that the Councilmembers need to pay attention to the local economy. Mr. Cohen reported it was found that many of the suggestions made at the retreat were things that staff was already doing, which caused him to think perhaps the City might not be doing a good enough job with public relations. He noted that if the Council and City staff are not communicating effectively about things the City is already doing, then the word is certainly not going to go out to the public, and they will not be aware of all the City is doing for the community. As an example of the importance of communication, Mr. Cohen related that if someone contacts him with a redevelopment problem, he refers them to Jake Ours, confident that they will receive the help that they need. However, Mr. Cohen noted that unless someone contacted him directly so that he could refer them to someone within the City, they would not know who to contact to obtain assistance. He stated the City needs to find a way to let the public know the people to contact for information and assistance. Ms. Nicolai stated it was interesting that most of the people who contact City Hall do so to complain, and they do not always think about coming to the City for assistance until something is wrong. She felt the challenge was in being able to communicate to the public that the City is here to help them. Mr. Cohen stated he believes the public has an expectation that the City should be playing an active role in maintaining a healthy local economy, and although the City is involved in doing that, the message needs to reach the public that the City wants to help and can be of assistance. Mr. Cohen reported that the Budget Oversight Committee had reviewed the Chamber of Commerce's draft of an economic policy, and the County had discussed an economic element to the county -wide plan, and he noted these were the types of activities and discussions the City needed to be involved in. Referring to his comments made earlier this year, Mr. Cohen reiterated the need for the City to address high paying jobs in the General Plan category when discussing Priority Projects. He stated we are in a time frame now when other cities are competing for those high paying employers, and although the City has seen some of these employers leave, recently we have had more success in keeping and attracting high paying employers. Mr. Cohen felt the City did not necessarily need to spend more money on this issue, but did need to focus on it a little more, and get the word out to the public regarding all that the City is currently doing. Councilmember Heller stated she agreed with a comment that had been made by a staff member who felt that the political climate has changed drastically. She noted that a few years ago economic development was considered a "dirty word", and she was delighted that the climate has changed and the community is looking at this in a more positive light, as this is exactly what everyone must address, as a City and as Councilmembers, in order to keep the City afloat. She stated we must plan our strategies for the future. Mayor Boro stated that as a group of Councilmembers, the biggest responsibility they have is to make sure the City is economically viable and sound, and noted the way to accomplish that is to have a strategy and do some of the other things that have been discussed. He felt that at some point this would lead to a change in the General Plan, but first there would need to be some agreement as to what the City is trying to achieve, addressing such issues as identifying the City's goals, deciding on the balance the City would like to maintain between retail and employment, and what role sales tax should play. He agreed that it was important for the City to develop an economic strategy that can then lead to the economic element, noting we cannot have an element to react to without having the vision or the strategy first. SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 6 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 7 Ms. Nicolai stated she felt there first must be a vision before developing the strategy on how to get there. She stated one of the things about the County -wide Economic Element was that it was mainly a vision of policy statements and goals, and then the means to reach those goals are developed from the vision. She noted that up until now, the main problem has been that the climate has not been positive enough for the City to even identify what our real program has been, or to point out how much the City has been quietly helping people. She noted that now that the climate has changed and everyone throughout the State of California seems to be on the economic development band wagon, these issues are being discussed more openly. She stated the real question is, "Once you get there, do you really know that you have gotten there?" She noted she has had ongoing discussions with the Chamber of Commerce regarding their desire to work on recruitment and retention, but stated that when it comes down to an individual project, sometimes those issues are in total conflict with each other. She stated that although recruitment and retention both sound like excellent programs, depending on the individual project, they might be in absolute conflict. She cited, as an example, the Home Depot project, where recruitment brought in a project that was an economic boon, but at the same time competed with local businesses. She stated that if a strategy is developed for a specific project, the City must decide how much they are willing to spend on the project and then be certain that the project is what they want, so that there is real support for the project once it is presented to the Council. She acknowledged that this is not always easy, but felt staff should present policy to the Council, and then the Council should develop the strategy to make the project a reality. Councilmember Phillips stated he had read the County report and found it very interesting, and felt there was some merit in pursuing something like this for the City of San Rafael. He stated the report made some clear statements regarding where the City is now and where we intend to go in this particular area. Noting Ms. Nicolai's reference to the Chamber of Commerce, and not wanting to duplicate their efforts, he asked where the Chamber of Commerce stood regarding their own economic policy? Ms. Nicolai responded that because the Chamber of Commerce has a sub -committee and the City has a Budget Oversight Committee, which includes Gerald DeKerchove, who is also working on the County -wide Economic Element, in order to avoid having four or five different groups duplicating the same effort, it has been suggested that everyone work together by taking the County -wide Economic Element as a model and revise it to San Rafael's needs. She stated she had recommended that this issue not become a component of the General Plan, but should remain as a policy statement that could be changed as the economic picture changed. She felt a policy statement should be presented to the Council, and reported the Chamber of Commerce has a sub -committee working on this issue, in conjunction with Planning Director Pendoley. Councilmember Phillips felt that if the policy statement were to be available soon, it could be incorporated by the City, making it unnecessary for the Council to make a unique effort regarding this issue. However, he felt that if this were to take two years to prepare, or if it were to die out, then the City would need to work on a policy statement. Councilmember Cohen asked Ms. Nicolai if she could return to the Council in the relatively near future with an update, and with recommendations as to what the Council may need to do to ensure that it keeps moving along. Ms. Nicolai stated the Council should feel comfortable with this as a first step, and must look at how the City can get to where we want to be. She noted this leads to the General Plan Amendment regarding the PPP (Priority Projects Procedure) process, and asked if everyone was in agreement that this is a category that will be targeted, as all things flow from that point. Councilmember Cohen stated he felt the General Plan Amendment would become a way to implement the vision, noting he had visions of certain things he felt the City should be doing, which leads him to believe the Council may want to make some changes to the General Plan. He stated the City had made a public policy statement regarding the types of projects that are to be encouraged, and he felt they must start with a vision. Mayor Boro asked Ms. Nicolai to update any open items from this list and include them on a list with new items that arise, and to bring this new list before the Council for discussion as appropriate. 12. CITY HALL AT THE MALL: Councilmember Heller stated she was particularly interestesd in this item, and had recently spoken with Mr. Galli, General Manager of Northgate Mall. She reported Mr. Galli was going to contact the parent company, MaceRich, to determine if they would be interested in giving the City space in Northgate Mall. Ms. Heller felt that if MaceRich agreed, this was a possibility the City should consider as a way of providing more services to the community in outlying areas. She stated her work on this issue is ongoing, and she will continue to report to the Council. Referring to Police Recruitment, Mayor Boro reported that Chief Krolak has advised him there will be a swearing-in ceremony for two new Police Officers on June 26th, at 10:30 AM in the Council Chamber, and invited everyone to attend. Mayor Boro noted the Police Department had been down seven officers, but with the addition of the two being sworn in on June 26th, SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 7 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 8 only two more positions remain to be filled. Councilmember Heller noted three newly hired officers had been sworn -in on June 15th. Councilmember Cohen asked if there had been any turnover within the Department, and Chief Krolak reported there had not, although he knew of one police officer who was looking for other employment. 13. PUBLIC RELATIONS: Ms. Nicolai stated she was preparing a report which would be presented to the Council in August. 14. PARTNER WITH DOMINICAN: Ms. Nicolai stated she would be presenting her report to the Council in August. She reported she would contact Joseph Fink (President), regarding an internship program for students from Dominican College who would like to work at City Hall. 15. TRAFFIC COMMUNICATION: Regarding traffic communication, Ms. Nicolai stated this issue actually relates to the new traffic model, and noted that the Chamber of Commerce has asked that when staff is making a presentation, they attempt to communicate the information in a way that will be more understandable. Ms. Nicolai reported staff was excited about the new traffic model, as it is more exact, makes more sense when addressing the various levels of service, and will make it easier to communicate staff's findings. Public Works Director Bernardi stated the draft report had been reviewed by an in-house control group, comprised of participants with no special knowledge with regard to traffic, and he noted revisions had been made in the report based on their review. He felt confident this had contributed to making the report "user friendly". 16. FIVE YEAR PROJECTION: Councilmember Phillips reported he and Finance Director Coleman had met last week and discussed the format, content, and philosophies regarding the projections, and noted Mr. Coleman would be preparing a report for the Council. Mr. Coleman stated the main focus of his discussion with Mr. Phillips was on the five year projection, noting they had established the format and will review some of the budgets to determine if there is a consistent percentage that the City is under budget each year. He stated the City historically has come in under budget on its estimates, and they would like to factor this into the current budget. Regarding the vacancies, Mr. Coleman stated it is very difficult to come up with the needed information, but noted they will be reviewing this issue from a historical perspective. He stated the report will also include information concerning the Capital Improvement Fund. Mr. Coleman stated he will have a multi-year revenue expenditure projection for Council's consideration at the Budget Hearing next week. Ms. Nicolai stated Assistant City Manager Golt and Finance Director Coleman had put the budget together this Spring. She noted that based on conversations with the Budget Oversight Committee, they used charts and graphs they had found of interest during the orientation process, and incorporated this information into the various departments' budgets, which Ms. Nicolai felt would have a great impact on the readability and some of the interesting information that will be coming forward in the budget document. Councilmember Heller stated she understood the budget information is made available to the City employees, and noted that the first few pages of the budget would make an excellent tear -out sheet to send to every employee, so that they can understand the statistics and percentages of where the money actually goes. She noted it sounds like a lot of money until it is broken down, and she asked if staff had considered giving this information to all of the employees? Ms. Nicolai stated she could distribute this information at the quarterly brown bag lunch meetings. She stated they were trying to format the budget so that certain pages could become components of a public relations project, with the actual budget figures being deleted, thereby creating an information sheet that could be distributed when speaking to a group or making up flyers. Discussing the strategy of such an idea, Mayor Boro referred to the Park and Recreation catalogs that are distributed twice a year, and noted this was something that could be included with the catalogs. Ms. Nicolai agreed, noting this could be part of the public relations package to be presented to the Council in June. 17. CITY MANAGER'S REVIEW: Regarding the review of the City Manager, Mayor Boro reported Councilmember Heller had given him information she received from the League of California Cities. He noted he had recently participated in the review of the top management of another committee on which he serves, noting this had given him ideas which he has already discussed with Ms. Nicolai. He stated he will present his completed report to the Councilmembers in July or August. SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 8 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 9 18. USE OF RESERVE FUNDS: Mayor Boro referred to a comment made at the retreat, "Do not use reserves, if possible", noting it sounded like a statement. Ms. Nicolai stated staff had been doing the best they could, which she felt was very good given what they were facing. She stated the report she distributed showed the sales tax had been very high the last quarter. She reported the results had just been received for the first quarter of this calendar year, which represents the last quarter of the fiscal year, and noted this figure was down 1.10. Ms. Nicolai felt that overall, as we move into the budget, we will probably draw down on the reserves between $100,000 - $200,000. Mr. Coleman reported that based on the projected revenues and expeditures for next year, the budget currently provides for a draw down in excess of $300,000. He also noted we may have carry-over reserves this year that could be used in lieu of drawing down on the budgeted reserves. 19. WORK SHOPS WITH COMMISSIONS ANNUALLY: Mayor Boro reported a very successful workshop with the Fire Commission had been held last week, and a workshop with the Park and Recreation Commission is scheduled for July 20th. Mayor Boro stated the Council plans to meet with each of the Commissions at least once during the coming year, and asked Ms. Nicolai to coordinate these meetings. Ms. Nicolai reported her staff is currently working on the scheduling, and has asked the department heads to submit suggested dates. Councilmember Cohen stated he felt it was important to schedule a meeting with the Planning Commission soon. He stated he based this suggestion on comments he had read in the Planning Commission minutes, which referred to discussions regarding the need for improving the lines of communication. He referred to the suggestion of having a Planning Commissioner as a liaison to the Council. Ms. Nicolai noted that in past years the Council did have an annual dinner with the Planning Commission, and suggested the Council might want to consider doing this again. She felt it might be interesting for the Council to discuss the economic policies with the Planning Commission, and how those policies affect planning issues. Councilmember Phillips stated that when he served on the Planning Commission, he had felt that it would be helpful for the Council and the Planning Commission to meet on occasion to share ideas, noting it was particularly helpful during an appeal process to know where both the Council and Planning Commission stood on an issue, philosophically. Mayor Boro stated the Council would ask the Planning Director to schedule a meeting with the Council, noting there were two new appointments being made on the Planning Commission, and perhaps a meeting could be scheduled after the new Commission is seated. Mayor Boro reported that future retreats will now be scheduled twice a year, rather than once a year, with the next retreat to be scheduled in the Fall. Mayor Boro stated they had completed the review of items on the list, and asked for further discussion on priorities. Mayor Boro stated that at the Budget Hearing next week the Budget Oversight Committee will be presenting a couple of items that are currently underfunded, one regarding the computer study and one for a part-time coordinator to oversee the volunteer program. Mayor Boro asked Ms. Nicolai to bring the list back to the Council in approximately 45 days, at which time the Council can review any action already taken on these items, and identify other items that may need to be added to the list. He felt it was important to continue the discussions, and for the Council to be updated on the priority issues. Councilmember Heller believed the retreat and further discussions had been very beneficial, particularly in being able to resolve some of the issues and remove them from the list. Councilmember Cohen stated that in the past an annual meeting was usually held in January to set priorities, which would start the budget process. He noted a budget would be presented in June, and discussion of the issues was not actively continued. He felt it was a good idea that the discussions will continue, as this will remind not only the Council, but the public as well, of the priorities the City is focusing on. He thought the Council might consider additional updates on the priority issues in between the bi-annual retreats, so the Council can be updated on these issues and keep track of them. Ms. Nicolai stated the priority issues are included in the quarterly updates, which are often not read in depth. She noted that often a priority will translate into multiple programs and projects. She felt increased discussions would be very helpful, as the Council would be able to track the issues and get a real sense of all the things that actually get done. SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 9 SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 10 She stated a lot of time is spent discussing the things that do not get done, but often the things that do get done are not always recognized. Councilmember Cohen felt it was easy to characterize the Council as being in a reactive mode, because so many of the issues the Council must address are volatile and overwhelming, and the Council must react to that. He stated it was nice to have these updates and discussions to keep the issues fresh in the minds of the Councilmembers, and also to take note of the actions that have been taken and the things that have gotten done. Councilmember Phillips stated that as the Council goes through this process it will get even better at it. Referring to priority items, Mr. Phillips felt he might do some things differently next time, noting the process would refine itself over time. Mayor Boro stated that as the Council goes through the budget process, other issues may arise that the Council might want to consider, and although they may not want to fund them at this time, they will now have a process in place to follow-up on such issues. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:33 PM. Council and staff adjourned to the lobby for the presentation of the Marin Child Care Council Award. 2. PRESENTATION OF MARIN CHILD CARE COUNCIL AWARD (REC) - File 4-10-188 x 4-10-188.a Mayor Boro accepted the award on behalf of the City, and a reception followed in the lobby. JEANNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF , 1995 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL SRCC (Special) Minutes 6/19/95 Page 10