2010/02/23 City Council Minutes (Special Meeting)MINUTES OF THE ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL
& COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
JOINT SPECIAL MEETING
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
MEETING LOCATION: CITY HALL — COUNCIL CHAMBER
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California
The Rohnert Park City Council and the Community Development Commission of the City of
Rohnert Park met this date for the joint special meeting scheduled to commence at 4:00 p.m.
with Mayor Stafford presiding.
1. CITY COUNCIL & CDC JOINT SPECIAL MEETING - Call to Order /Roll Call
Mayor Stafford called this meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
Present: Pam Stafford, Mayor
Gina Belforte, Vice Mayor
Amie Breeze, Council Member
Joseph T. Callinan, Council Member
Jake Mackenzie, Council Member
Absent: None
Staff and /or consultant participants: Daniel Schwarz, Interim City Manager; Michelle
Marchetta Kenyon, City Attorney; Sandy Lipitz, Director of Administrative Services; Cathy
Orme, Accounting Manager; Mary McDougall, Performing Arts Center Technical Advisor;
Darrin Jenkins, Director of Development Services; Brian Masterson, Director of Public
Safety; John McArthur, Director of Public Works & Community Services; Guy Miller,
Recreation Services Manager; and Judy Hauff, City Clerk.
Community Media Center staff present for the recording and televised production of this
meeting: Josh Jacobsen, Video Technician and Josh Cimino, Video Technician.
Mayor Stafford explained the procedure for this evening's special and regular meetings to
proceed from this work session directly into the regular session and then taking a break at an
appropriate time.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mayor Stafford invited public comments at 4:02 p.m. No one responded.
Minutes of the Rohnert Park City Council -CDC JOINT SPECIAL MEETING (2 of 5) February 23, 2010
3. WORK SESSION for REVIEW of CITY & CDC BUDGETS:
1. REVIEW OF FY 2009 -10 SERVICE LEVELS AND BUDGET - Interim City
Manager Schwarz provided opening comments explaining this is basically part two for
this item with reference to part one reviewed at the previous February 9'h Council
meeting. He indicated this meeting heavily emphasizes the Performing Arts Center and
Recreation Department as requested at the last meeting. He shared the challenges of
losing redevelopment funds to the state and heading into virgin territory noting 'it was
challenging to put a cost estimate on a few of these items this evening. He advised staff
will provide a brief presentation as compared to the last meeting and that the information
on the dais at this meeting from Public Safety was the only thing not included in the
agenda packets distributed to Council.
Director of Administrative Services Lipitz provided the summarized power point
presentation for the 2009 -10 Budget Reductions Completed and in Progress which
included participation and /or responses to Council questions throughout the review of this
item by: Sandy Lipitz, Director of Administrative Services with Cathy Orme, Accounting
Manager; Mary McDougall, Technical Advisor for Performing Arts Center; John
McArthur, Director of Public Works & Community Services; Guy Miller, Recreation
Services Manager; Brian Masterson, Director of Public Safety; Dan Schwarz, Interim
City Manager; and Michelle Marchetta Kenyon, City Attorney.
a. Council discussion /direction /action
Council discussion throughout this budget review included directive action as follows:
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OPTIONS - MOTION by Council Member Breeze
that the Council direct staff to reduce the subsidy of the Performing Arts Center by about
$100,000 and direct staff to look into viable options for regional groups and at the same
time put a cap on the legal expenses and direct staff to look into legal requirements of the
endowment funds, seconded by Council Member Mackenzie.
Discussion of the motion included a MOTION by Council Member Mackenzie to accept
a friendly amendment to add to the motion the addition of $50,000 of monies identified as
coming from the gift and interest from the endowment fund, to which Interim City
Manager Schwarz advised interest from the endowment fund is already in the picture and
requested the amender to the motion to indicate a grand total. Council Member
Mackenzie indicated it would be a total of $96,000. Lacking a second to the motion, this
amendment to the motion was not accepted.
Further discussion of the initial motion on the floor included: speculation on possible
uses of the endowment funds; City Attorney Kenyon recommended capping attorney time
at eight hours as the amount for legal fees would depend on which attorney works on
review of the legal requirements; Council Member Breeze recommended a cap of $500
for review of the legal requirements; and Mayor Stafford recommended having Interim
City Manager and Director of Administrative Services work on it first with a cap of
$1,000 for review of the legal requirements.
The MOTION on the floor CARRIED 3 — 2 with Council Members Mackenzie and
Callinan dissenting, said motion was APPROVED.
Minutes of the Rohnert Park City Council -CDC JOINT SPECIAL MEETING Q of 5) February 23, 2010
FINANCE DEPARTMENT ITEMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION /CONSIDERATION
Director of Administrative Services Lipitz continued the power point presentation on this portion
of the review and responded to Council questions. Discussion ensued.
CITY ADMINISTRATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ITEMS
FOR IMPLEMENTATION /CONSIDERATION
Interim City Manager Schwarz reviewed the power point presentation on these two portions of the
review and responded to Council questions. Discussion ensued.
PROPOSED REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE — With reference to the first two slides of the
power point presentation at this meeting and the handout distributed at the dais for this item,
Interim City Manager Schwarz and Director of Administrative Services Lipitz reviewed this item
further and responded to Council questions. Discussion ensued.
MOTION by Council Member Mackenzie to accept the reductions in workforce as presented,
seconded by Council Member Breeze, and CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, said motion was
APPROVED.
CONSULTANT /CONTRACTOR LIST- Discussion ensued on this list provided to Council.
DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES - Budget for Fiscal Year 2009 -10 — Discussion ensued on this
report provided to Council which included explanation of the item by Interim City Manager
Schwarz.
MOTION by Council Member Callinan to reduce the Non - Department budgeted expense by
10 %, seconded by Council Member Breeze, and following further discussion which included
explanation by Interim City Manager Schwarz indicating that the vast amount of this item relates
to insurance with a big amount for workers comp so staff would need time to go through it, with
acknowledgment by the maker of the motion that he wanted to make the motion for the 10%
reduction and see what staff comes back with, the motion on the floor CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY and said motion was APPROVED.
UNFORESEEN MAINTENANCE — MOTION by Council Member Callinan to eliminate the
$100,000 indicated in the budget for Unforeseen Maintenance, seconded by Council Member
Breeze, and following discussion which included explanation of this item by Interim City
Manager Schwarz indicating this is an element related to risk, the motion FAILED 2 to 3 with
Vice Mayor Belforte, Council Member Mackenzie and Mayor Stafford dissenting, said motion
was NOT APPROVED.
Further discussion included noting people were present in the audience waiting for regular
meeting items; the need to review unfinished items of this special meeting before handling
specified items on the regular meeting; and City Attorney Kenyon responding to Council
question that it can recess and reconvene a meeting at any time.
RECESS: Mayor Stafford recessed this joint special meeting at 6:22 p.m.
Minutes of the Rohnert Park City Council -CDC JOINT SPECIAL MEETING (4 of 5) February 23, 2010
RECONVENE:
Mayor Stafford reconvened the joint special meeting at 8:47 p.m. with all Council Members present
REVIEW OF FY 2009 -10 SERVICE LEVELS AND BUDGET (Continued)
LEGAL SERVICES — Council discussion included: (1) MOTION by Council Member
Callinan to cut City Attorney Fees from $425,000 to $250,000, seconded by Council Member
Breeze; and (2) MOTION by Council Member Callinan that City Attorney Bills should be
approved by Council before being paid, seconded by Council Member Breeze.
(1) MOTION by Council Member Callinan to cut City Attorney Fees from $425,000 to
$250,000, seconded by Council Member Breeze. Discussion of the motion included City
Attorney Kenyon response to Council questions on the breakdown of the Legal Services signified
on page 20 of the Amended Budget 2009 -10 in the amount of $425,000 includes the General City
Attorney Services in addition to litigation paid out of the General fund and that litigation not paid
out of the Enterprise Fund for the last year amounted to $338,000 out of General City Attorney
Services and $116,000 for Personnel Services. Maker of the motion Callinan AMENDED THE
MOTION to reduce the $338,000 to $250,000 for General City Attorney Services, accepted by
seconder Breeze, and FAILED 2 — 3 with Vice Mayor Belforte, Council Member Mackenzie
and Mayor Breeze dissenting, said motion as amended was NOT APPROVED.
(2) MOTION by Council Member Callinan for City Attorney Bills to be approved by Council
before being paid, seconded by Council Member Breeze. Discussion of the motion included
City Attorney Kenyon responses to Council questions on the current billing process and
explanation of legal obligations of the City, along with her suggestion that a Council
subcommittee review the attorney bills and sign off on them, which is the current procedure of
the City Manager. Maker of the motion Callinan AMENDED THE MOTION to bring City
Attorney Bills to a Council Subcommittee for approval before being paid, accepted by seconder
Breeze, and FAILED 2 — 3 with Vice Mayor Belforte, Council Member Mackenzie and Mayor
Breeze dissenting, said motion as amended was NOT APPROVED.
PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET — MOTION by Council Member Callinan to cut the Public
Safety Department budget $300,000 without any layoffs, seconded by Council Member Breeze,
and following discussion, FAILED 1 — 4 with Vice Mayor Belforte, Council.Members Breeze
and Mackenzie and Mayor Stafford dissenting, said motion was NOT APPROVED.
CITY POOLS — Discussion ensued on the information provided in the power point presentation
on M, B and H Pools and included MOTION by Council Member Mackenzie to keep B Pool and
H Pool open and maintain closed M Pool, seconded by Mayor Stafford, and PASSED 4 —1 with
Council Member Callinan dissenting, said motion was APPROVED.
Other Considerations for Expense Reduction/Efficiency Improvements — Discussion
proceeded on items listed in this section of the power point presentation and included the
following Council actions.
Minutes of the Rohnert Park City Council -CDC JOINT SPECIAL MEETING (5 of 5) February 23, 2010
BURTON AVENUE RECREATION CENTER — MOTION by Council Member Mackenzie
to close Burton Avenue Recreation Center, seconded by Mayor Stafford. Discussion included
Director of Public Works & Community Services McArthur responding to Council questions
which included the belief that Burton Avenue Recreation Center is holding its own. Council
Member Mackenzie WITHDREW the motion.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS on above referenced list — MOTION by Council Member
Mackenzie to turn off tennis and ball court lighting, implement central stores, eliminate or
restrict dumping privileges at Corp. Yard, decommission spas, eliminate morning lap swim, and
assume street lighting maintenance for one year, seconded by Council Member Breeze,
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, said motion was APPROVED. Discussion following this
motion included Council directive for staff to look into the feasibility of pay -as- oouu -_go lighting.'
LEGAL SERVICES — With reference to categories for General Government Expenditures in
the 2009 -10 City Budget, page 20, a MOTION by Council Member Mackenzie that General
Attorney Services be $285,000 and that there be a line item for General Legal Services for the
City Attorney services the City is purchasing, seconded by Council Member Callinan,
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, said motion was APPROVED.
REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS - Discussion ensued on this section listed under Other
Considerations in the power point presentation. MOTION by Vice Mayor Belforte to
implement the Revenue Enhancements which included implement voluntary Senior Center
membership, lease City Hall Annex to OADS, demo Community Center fountain/site renovation,
and adjust facility rental, picnic, and swim fees, CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, said motion was
APPROVED.
PARKS RESTROOMS — Discussion ensued on the proposal to close the restrooms in city parks
as reviewed by Director of Public Works & Community Services McArthur. MOTION by
Mayor Stafford to close the restrooms in city parks as reviewed and find alternative solutions,
CARRIED 4 —1 with Council Member Callinan dissenting, said motion was APPROVED.
PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET — Concluding comments of this session included MOTION by
Council Member Callinan without any layoffs in Public Safety to make a reduction of $150,000
in the Public Safety Department budget, seconded by Council Member Breeze, FAILED 2 — 3
with Vice Mayor Belforte, Council Member Mackenzie and Mayor Stafford dissenting, said
motion was NOT APPROVED.
In closing, Council comments acknowledged the power point slide showing the accumulated
total in the amount of $985,000 for budget cuts indicated throughout this work session.
4. ADJOURNMENT of City Council & CDC Joint Special Meeting
Mayor Stafford adjourned this meeting at 10:22 p.m.
Judy auff, City Cle
City of Rohnert Park
Pam Stafford, Mayor
City of Rohnert Park
AMENDMENT made by Council Member Breeze at the March 9, 2010, City Council meeting. (Addition underlined)