Thread by @AndyHS

At the June 6, 2019 Budget meeting. All present except Garry Bredefeld. @D7Esparza Adds to Amendment to his Monday motion: three ranked specific firefighters and 3 captain... Up First is Finance. Internal Servixe Fund and General Fund is primary revenue source. Increase by over

147% due to moving/ reorganization from utilities billing due to interaction between the two. Easier for Controller to oversee. @MiguelArias_D3 wonders about if reorganization is wise. No new added positions though. Arias: internal audit part of financials? Yes. If internal audit

can be placed in a different department or independent? A: it would take a Charter change. Audit of PD? A: still awaiting for PD responses. Internal Affairs investigation has been launched at PD to prepare that response. Auditor Wait for Departments to respond. Arias: it is not

typical for auditor to wait. Lima: no withholding by auditor. After 3 weeks PD asked Finance time to do Internal Affairs. Arias: would like info by June 13th Council Meeting. It will help give transparency. Assistant City Manager Jane Sumpter “will have an update by 13th. “

@GarryBredefeld has made it to Meeting now. City Attorney Sloan says Charter only mentions audit in respect to Independent Auditor. @D7Esparza What is Finance Department spending on internal audits? Lina: only the contracted audits.There was 3 internal auditors before recession.

Lima: doesn’t know that internal auditors have ever historically been contracted out. Arias: financial audit on PD ? A: a payroll audit that covers most of Department. Arias: Controller Lima has some independence and is free to report to Council according to Charter. Moving on

Public Works Department. Special Revenue , Enterprise and General Fund Revenue main resources. Budget increases 4%. Gas taxes Prop 11 and SB 1 for traffic signals and street maintenance , capital projects etc. Measure C via five programs. Community Sanitation provides revenue.

$19.4 million from General Fund which is a decrease due to some capital projects completion. Money Back Guarantee has reallocated some jobs (2) at $200,000. Scott Mozier says current staff has been moved to various jobs. Arias: how do we know Parks projects are not out on back-

burner in order to meet Money Back Guarantee? Mozier: have to be mindful when staff pulled to meet Guarantee to make it up to Parks. Jim Schaad hasn’t found Plan Checks to be main holdup. @GarryBredefeld asks about if new hires for Money Back Guarantee? A:DARM has those jobs

in their budget. Staff: new vehicles, new road paving. Prevention for road deterioration by continual sealing. Arias: asks why Sidewalk budget seems to decrease. Mozier says concrete repairs are continuing. Arias: if increase from gas tax why isn’t concrete repairs increasing?

Mozier: we are not. It is confusing due to Capital and Operations overlap. Sumter: says we can get actual numbers. Mozier: says self funding so it all comes out of Operations. Arias: says budget says we are decreasing neighborhood sidewalks but we are being told we are increas-

-ing? @District5Chavez Concrete Striping is not really a decrease but moved to another part of budget? Staff: we will get info to you. Chavez: asked about leasing vehicles locally? Schaad: outreach to Ford dealerships. Solicited bids but only got Swarney Ford is only response.

One dealer told Schaad they don’t make any money on it even with 5% local bonus. Some dealers specialize on fleet sales than others. Swanson Farney does specialize in Fleet. Lease is for 5 years. Master Fee Schedule Determines lease agreement. @D7Esparza FirstSt to McKinley

overlay badly needed. Is it possible to do part of it now and repave other portion later? Mozier says that entire street is in bad shape. Change of priorities. Probably $900,000. Is more expensive to do it in segments though. Mozier: Equipment purchase for ramping up in doing

sidewalks. Every fiscal year afterwards won’t have those purchases needed in budget. @Esmeralda_Soria asks about charging stations at City Hall? Schaad says City is looking at EV vehicles for busses and light weight cars. For larger equipment like back -hoes we try to find best

fuel efficient. Bus EV charging stations once it reaches 15 it will more than PG&E can handle and will need major upgrade. Fresno was First City to upgrade to natural gas for garbage trucks/ busses. Arias: please walk me thru facilities? Where does rent for facilities go? Mozier:

Councilmembers complain lighting is dark in the Chambers. When will they be fixed? Mozier: No room rentals this year that have paid rent. Need to follow up with that answer as to where rental revenue goes. Chamber lighting issue is more than just new bulbs. Energy Efficiency up-

grades has that folded into it. In negotiations and will come to Council within 60 days. Will be done this calendar year. @PaulCaprioglio volunteers to bring cherry picker himself 😜Arias thinks 6 months is too long. Santa Fe Depot improvements but it is a 100 year old building

@D7Esparza and @Esmeralda_Soria want to wait to Authorize $500,000 for building City Hall Security until Closed Session on June 13. Soria: When was Last audit for ISF ? Square foot costs for City Council ? It has been 10 months since requests. $800,000 for Shields and Maroa

Railroad Quiet Zone and Safety. Esparza seconds that motion. @PaulCaprioglio General Fund appropriations for capital projects. If completed is that funding available? $350,000 would like that moved to proposed Senior Center. Asks about golf cart for Fulton Street fountains.

Mozier thinks the $14,000 cart will make it much more efficient. General Fund provides $200,000 for Fulton Street to be sure for PG&E of fountains, cleaning of fountains, art cleaning . $640,000 for Fulton: decorative street lights , $88,500 for fountain electric bill, Condition

for $15 million TIGER Grant required to upkeep fountains and art for 20 years. Caprioglio asks if fountains need to run 24 hours? A: they do ramp down at night. Will Get Specific hours for this to Council. Olive Street scape between Fruit and Roeding Park. Hinges on HSR too.

Arias: asks about stadium improvements? Sumpter says they are money provided by new owners. Finishes up Public Work portion. Council heads to Closed Session now and then back for remainder of Budget Hearings.

Back from Lunch Break. Market for recyclables asks Arias? Amendment to include Payment to vendors who will process recycling says Public Utility Head Mike Carbajal due to China cutting back taking recyclables. $500,000 additional to haulers suggested. Will come to Council on

June 13th. Controller says Budget states $900,000 but the $500,000 is correct on tipping fees. Arias doesn’t like reading budget and then have it verbally changed. Would like clarity of all changes. Sumpter says book was published in May and this was scheduled for Council in May

Soria: Project located at Leaky Acres Carbajal design needs to be done. Hopes to be up by early 2020. Soria: Monetizing recycling or excess water Where are we with that?Carbajal says reclamation water says master plan that will help us determine those numbers. SIGMA info will

also help us figure. Prop 218 will require public outreach. Can solar be used at our water facilities? Soria wants this info first before reaching out to ratepayers on prop 218. Carbajal says excess natural gas generated is already being sold. Free water for those that can haul

it off. Currently one farmer, Roeding Park, and a Cemetery use this non-potable water. Hope Now for Youth has been going on for ten years. These gang affiliated / criminal background young people are able to get work skills with hope of getting permanent work. 29 hours a week.

Often Operation Clean Up uses this Help. @PaulCaprioglio says water banking available? Carbajal says there are limits to what can be sold. @Esmeralda_Soria last year’s budget was money put aside for a water lobbyist. A: Contact is coming to completion. $5000 a month salary.

Water Tax is main focus for lobbyist. Soria thinks one lobbyist is needed but we have three. What is ROI from this investment? Can we combine this with our state lobbyist? Sumpter says that due to overlap there may be some savings. Soria: Federal lobbyist gives monthly summary.

State lobbyist has yet to give summary to Council. Arias makes motion to eliminate water lobbyist. Chavez asks about satellite drop off sites for dumping? A: Leaky Acres is First probable site. Map for purple pipes will be provided to Council. Caprioglio wonders if non-City

residents wanting to drop off at this facility, are turned away and just dump it four blocks away. A: we are working on operational plan. Soria: what about apartment dwellers ? A: may have to have a fee. Soria: Motion to check into fee. Arias: apartment dwellers are residents

and not “others” They still pay garbage fees indirectly and thus shouldn’t have to pay extra fee. Commercial entities should pay extra fee. Moving on to DARM ( Planning Department). Controller says budget is less than last year. 138 full time employees which is a decline. This

has some budget decline by new creation of Neighborhood Services segment. $41 million for Planning Dept. down by $2 million. HUD has an extra $2 million. Staffing $15 million down $6 million. 3 position paid my General Fund for Money Back Guarantee & Business Friendly. Esparza

says 1)revitalization of Blackstone $1.2 million for affordable housing. 2)Also $85,000 for tax increment Analyst to provide how affordable housing could be made. 3) quality of housing stock so he would like Neighborhood Services Under City Attorney. @District5Chavez Lane and

Burroughs Under Neighborhood Services. Arias: 1)TCC launching anti displacement task force needs one time consultant $100,000. 2) $250,000 for EIR for (contentious) Industrial Triangle. Soria: Staff vacancies in DARM. Four vacancies says Head Jennifer Clark. Two will be filled by

end of the year on planning side. Money Back Guarantee out more pressure on current staff. 15,000 building permits. Month of May had 2100 applications made and 600 planning entitlements. Meeting timeline. Clark says traditional consulting services $250,000 plus additional staff

allows department to handle cyclical boom without having negative of having too much staff when work drops off. Out to bid on Smart Parking Meters. They are down to best two bids and will have field test. Thomas says Credit card enabled as well as app to enable where available

Parking is available as well as pay. Sensor in meter can tell if a car has been there too long. Clark: says interns from FCC Plan checkers and especially Fresno State Engineering students as they are to recruit. Security Assessment funds to pay for City Hall Security.

FresGo and Accela integration is ongoing. 7500 FresGo requests this year. 73% have seen compliance. Code Enforcement Successes: 4000 Weeds/ vacant lots inspected and 1200 closed cases with only two staff. 73 illegal dumping cases using 7 cameras via one staff member. Code

Enforcement has more responsibilities than before Great Recession. Soria: asks if we have enough resources delegated to that portion of Planning Dept. Soria: How many consultants v actual staff? A: 2 consultants w/ one for homelessness compliance. Next CDBG consultant compliance

@Esmeralda_Soria prefers full time staff rather than consultants especially for a robust housing division. HUD repayment due to Code Enforcement using HUD dollars. Clark:$500,000 put aside just in case. Documents submitted but cannot give exact time when it will be resolved.

Money Back Guarantee launched on May 1st. Clarification on a Complete application. High volume month in May. 70-90% completed. More complete applications as process has progressed. Clark says applications are coming in more complete which saves staff time too. No money has been

returned yet. City Manager thanks @GarryBredefeld for working with staff. Arias: electric scooter update? A: will come to Council in July. Pro/con video was available in Attorney’s office. Arias: Parking Authority analyses budgeted? yes. 1000 rental inspections have occurred.

Initially 66% failing in 30 days to now 92% rentals are passing. Arias: has there been changes to what Council asked for originally? A: no wholesale changes. Furtado says inspectors have different interpretations Arias: how many homes have gone into receivership? Furtado says

Tools like receivership With Attorney’s office has helped assure compliance. Arias: What safeguards to prevent receiverships are being used properly and not sold to insiders? A: Court ordered and public list on website. Soria: How do we keep these units affordable? Clark: says

the ability to do that is not present. arias: what budget do we need for Motel Inspection and Liqour Store ordinances? A: will need to come back to Council as to how to pay for it. Arias would like estimate on costs so money can be budgeted. Leadership Counsel is in favor of

@LCJandA of $250,000 for EIR in Industrial Triangle but would appreciate the same for South West Specific Plan too. This will Help engage community more and get more buy in. Also: retaliation from landlords over tenants complaining of poor homes. Dr Catherine Forbes looks at data

but would like more monetary help. This will help Council know if is going well. End of Budget Session for today. Tuesday will Be next Budget Hearing. @threadreaderapp

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