2013/06/25 City Council Resolution 2013-106RESOLUTION NO. 2013 -106
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
UNANIMOUSLY DECLARING A FISCAL EMERGENCY
IN THE CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
WHEREAS, the City of Rohnert Park has demonstrated excellent fiscal stewardship yet
the declining economy and Sacramento money grabs have taken a significant toll on our ability
to continue providing vital services to residents that maintain our quality of life and protect the
public peace, health, safety and welfare of the community; and
WHEREAS, Sacramento politicians have already taken millions of dollars from Rohnert
Park — reducing the City's revenue by $1.4 million in the past year alone — and these cuts present
a significant fiscal challenge to our City; and
WHEREAS, the City has slashed its budget by cutting service positions, reforming
employee pensions, purchasing essentials with grant funding, conserving energy to keep costs
down, and participating in purchase pools with other cities to lower expenses; and
WHEREAS, the City of Rohnert Park's excellent fiscal management continues to be
recognized with audit awards, including the Governmental Finance Officers Association's
(GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the City's
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the past thirty fiscal years; and
WHEREAS, the City has had to freeze positions in all City departments, including a
dramatic reduction in the Public Safety Department — from 80 Public Safety Officers to the
current total of 57 today. This reduction in Public Safety Officers has increased our response
times in both the police and fire departments. Increased response times to 911 calls potentially
places our citizens at risk in emergency situations where every second counts.
WHEREAS, the City has projected a significant General Fund operating deficit over the
next several years should current economic trends continue; and
WHEREAS, the significant cost saving measures the City has employed in recent years
to address the ongoing budget crisis will not be sufficient to maintain and protect essential City
services and avoid significant service disruptions which would have a negative impact upon the
public peace, health, safety, and welfare of the community; and
WHEREAS, in planning for our next fiscal year budget the City Council wants to ensure
that the public is aware of this fiscal emergency and that City staff continues to look for the
necessary cuts to services that we will be forced to make.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Rohnert
Park as follows:
2013 -106
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I . The City is experiencing an existing and immediate funding crisis, which is the
result of factors largely outside of its control, including national and local economic
trends, rapid increases in the cost of employee retirement and health insurance benefits,
decreases in revenue from existing taxes and fees, increases in charges by the County of
Sonoma, and unpredictable State takeaways of local revenue.
2. The City has taken significant steps to reduce its operational costs including:
cutting service positions, including public safety officers, negotiating salary reductions
with all staff members, reforming employee pensions, and implementing cost saving and
efficiencies by consolidating services and eliminating unnecessary overhead.
3. Unless staff and service levels are at least partially restored, public facilities and
property will not be properly maintained, public safety standards will diminish crime and
violence will increase, the community will not have adequate and safe recreational
opportunities, businesses and families will be discouraged from moving to, or remaining
in, Rohnert Park, and the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Rohnert Park will
be endangered.
4. Because of that threat to the public health, safety, and welfare, an emergency_
exists in the City, as the term "emergency" is used in Article XIIIC, section 2(b) of the
California Constitution. The City must immediately address that emergency by ensuring
that the City has the resources necessary to preserve the public health, safety, and
welfare.
5. Accordingly, the City Council unanimously finds and declares the existence of a
fiscal emergency within the City.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 25th day of June, 2013
19
ATTEST
k011NERT
JoAnne Buergler, City Clerk
CITY OF ROHNERT PARK
Pam Stafford, Mayor
AHANOTU: ('V-A1% BELFOI2TE: (*At MACKENZIE: CALLINAN: STAFFORD:
AYES: ('? ) NOES: (0 ) ABSENT: ( 0 ) ABSTAIN: ( () )
2013 -106
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