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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/27/2006 - Study SessionCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH City Council Minutes Study Session June 27, 2006 — 3:30 p.nL ROLL CALL Present: Council Member Curry, Council Member Selich, Mayor Pro Tem Rosansky, Mayor Webb, Council Member Ridgeway, Council Member Daigle Absent: Council Member Nichols (Council Member Nichols arrived at 3:55 p.m.) CURRENT BUSINESS 1. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR. Council Member Ridgeway announced that he would pulling Item No. 11, Shade Structures at Bonita Canyon Sports Park, at the regular meeting for an oral report from staff. 2. STAFF TOP PRIORITIES FY _2006 -07. Using a PowerPoint presentation, City Manager Bludau stated that staff priorities were first developed for the 2001 -2002 fiscal year. He displayed the staff priorities for fiscal years 2001 -2002 through 2005 -2006, and then the top ten priorities for the 2006 -2007 fiscal year. He also noted who the responsible staff members would be for each priority. The top ten priorities for the 2006 -2007 fiscal year included reaching agreement with the County on several sphere issues, completing the General Plan update process, supporting the City Council in deciding on the remaining civic center and Marina Park issues, begin issuance of Local Coastal Program (LCP) permits, initiate and oversee the building of the Back Bay Science Center, Newport Coast Community Center and the Santa Ana Heights fire station, implement the 20 -year facilities replacement plan, hire replacements for the four retiring management team members, implement a leadership succession plan, and begin planning for the replacement of the OASIS Senior Center. City Manager Bludau noted that the first four priorities have been on the list for four years and should be completed during the 2006 -2007 fiscal year. In closing, he asked for input from the Council Members on the information provided. Council Member Nichols joined the meeting at 3:55 p.m. Council Member Curry suggested that the facilities replacement plan be for 15 years, as proposed by the Facilities Finance Review Committee. He complimented the leadership succession plan, but stated that it should also include a look at how services are delivered. Lastly, he suggested that educating the public on the Volume 57 — Page 700 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes June 27, 2006 City's emergency preparedness and response plan should also be a priority Council Member Selich stated that it is too optimistic to expect that LCP permits would be issued in the next fiscal year. Secondly, he stated that if the General Plan is approved in November, the process will not be complete as it will require a major rewrite of the zoning code. Council Member Ridgeway agreed with Council Member Selich that it would be optimistic to think that LCP permits would be issued in the upcoming fiscal year, but he noted that it wouldn't be due to a lack of effort on the City's part. Council Member Daigle agreed with Council Member Curry that how the City delivers its services should be looked at. She stated that it would include such matters as technological advances, how labor resources are organized and what the processes are. She also suggested that the Council Members take a stronger role in the development of the priorities in the future. Council Member Ridgeway stated that the priorities used to be developed through a more collaborative effort at an annual retreat of the Council Members and department heads, and suggested that this process be utilized again. City Manager Bludau stated that the priorities should reflect the priorities of the Council Members. Council Member Daigle suggested that the City's comprehensive traffic management plan be articulated in the staff priorities. Council Member Ridgeway agreed and stated that it would be important to educate the public on mobility and the interrelationships that are involved. Council Member Curry stated that it might be more of a strategic document that would be developed. Council Member Selich stated that people are looking for practical solutions to moving traffic, and that this is being done through the General Plan update and the Circulation Element. Council Member Nichols suggested that the City work with its neighbors to reduce the traffic bottlenecks that exist. Mayor Pro Tom Rosansky requested that the acquisition of Sunset Ridge Park be included on the priority list, as it was in 2005 -2006. Council Member Selich suggested that the priority list include improving plan check processing, as it was in a previous year. Council Member Nichols suggested that priorities also be set for open space, parks, recreation and culture. Dolores Otting suggested that the information presented by the City Manager be provided on the City's website. She also suggested that the priorities be developed with public input, and she made several recommendations on what should be included on the list. She stated that emergency preparedness should be the City's number one priority. 3. BUDGET REVIEW. Using a PowerPoint presentation, City Manager Bludau stated that ten new positions are being proposed for the 2006 -2007 fiscal year. He displayed a cost summary of the new positions and noted that the ten positions total approximately Volume 57 - Page 701 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes June 27, 2006 $1,003,000. He then displayed the cost of the salary, benefits, maintenance and operations, and start up costs for each position, and provided a brief summary of what the function of each position would be. The ten new positions included a Community Services Officer and a Facilities Maintenance Worker for the Police Department, an IT /Communications Coordinator and three new Paramedic/ Firefighters for the Fire Department, a Principal Civil Engineer and an Associate Civil Engineer for the Public Works Department, a new Maintenance Worker I position for General Services, and a Library Assistant for Library Services. In response to Council Member Ridgeway's question, Fire Chief Riley explained that the three Paramedic/Firefighter positions being requested are to increase the deployment on one of the City's two truck companies to four, and that it will improve the Fire Department's performance. He added that he initially requested six new Paramedic/Firefighter positions so that both truck companies would be manned with four personnel. City Manager Bludau explained that adding the three additional Paramedic /Firefighters would have meant that some of the other new positions could not have been funded, noting that the three new positions account for approximately $450,000 of the total for the ten new positions. In response to Council Member Curry's question, Fire Chief Riley explained that the new positions also enable the Fire Department to manage overtime more efficiently in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Specifically, he stated that dual -role Paramedic/Firefighter positions qualify for the 7K exemption and increase the ability of paramedics to participate in firefighting activities. In response to Mayor Webb's question, Fire Chief Riley explained that when there is a multi- jurisdiction fire, the first arriving officer on the scene serves as the officer in command, regardless of the jurisdiction. In response to Council Member Nichols' question, Fire Chief Riley explained the difference between a ladder truck and a fire engine, and stated that the trucks provide specialty functions and support fire fighting efforts. He also noted some of the other benefits of having truck companies manned with four people when on the scene of a fire. Council Member Ridgeway noted that the long -term costs of the benefit and pension packages for the new positions also needs to be taken into consideration. Council Member Selich asked if long -term projections had been made on the number of City employees that would be needed in the future, noting that the number seems to continually grow with each budget year. City Manager Bludau explained that the steady growth is partly attributed to the community's high expectations, and that the incremental increases in job responsibilities add up over time. City Attorney Clausen added that it's also a function of new State and Federal laws and regulations that have been adopted over the past ten years that require administration and implementation by staff. City Manager Bludau referred to the budget checklist provided with the staff report for Item No. 35 on the evening meeting's agenda, 2006 -07 Budget Adoption. He reported that money is available to fund all of the items on the checklist. Volume 57 - Page 702 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes June 27, 2006 Mayor Pro Tem Rosanky stated that he would not be supporting the $9,900 being requested for Michaels Media, noting that the Your Newport Today production is a redundant to what the City produces. Council Member Daigle asked if there should be more funding included in the budget for traffic calming. Mayor Pro Tern Rosanky reported that a comprehensive traffic plan has been developed, and that the funding included in the budget is only a start. Council Member Daigle confirmed that it will be a healthy start to an ongoing program. In response to Council Member Nichols' question, Council Member Selich explained that the funding on the checklist for Coast Highway median improvements completes landscaping on existing medians and finishes a project that was begun last year. Dolores Otting referred to the Corona del Mar pool refurbishment item included on the checklist and asked how much money the school district is providing. She also suggested that a feasibility study be done on a new pool at the Coyote Canyon landfill. Secondly, she referred to the disaster preparedness mailing on the checklist and stated that such mailings should be done more than once a year. Lastly, she questioned why a new sound wall for the Eastbluff area isn't included on the checklist. Council Member Daigle and City Manager Bludau reported that the school district has confirmed that they will pledge $300,000, if the parents group can come before the school district and adequately report on their fundraising efforts. Mayor Pro Tom Rosansky clarified that the City's pledge is for 29% of the project total, up to the $290,000 included on the budget checklist. Peggy Fort, speaking on behalf of the Newport Beach Restaurant Association (NBRA), referred to the $20,000 on the budget checklist allocated for the First Annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week, scheduled for January 21 - 25, 2007. She thanked the City Council for its support of the restaurant industry in Newport Beach and stated that the positive initial response by the City of $50,000 to help launch the first year of the event was encouraging. Ms. Fort provided additional information on the event and the contributions of the industry to the community, and stated that the event's proposed budget is $165,000. She reported that the $50,000 from the City is needed in order for the event to take place, and noted that the NBRA would be contributing $25,000, which is 25% of its 2006 -07 budget. She further noted that the NBRA is also working with the Conference & Visitors Bureau (CVB) on a promotion with American Express. In response to questions by the Council Members, Ms. Fort clarified that the $30,000 contribution from the CVB is separate from the seed money being requested from the City and is for a speck regional market, hospitality, and tourism industry campaign. Some of the Council Members questioned the amount of money being requested from the City. City Manager Bludau added that the City approached the CVB about providing seed money for the event, not knowing that the NBRA would also be working with them separately. It was intended that the City and the CVB would jointly be contributing $50,000. Ms. Fort reported that in 2005, the Newport Beach restaurant industry contributed approximately $4.4 million to the City in sales tax, which accounted Volume 57 - Page 703 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes June 27, 2006 for 18.8% of all of the sales tax generated in the City Council Member Ridgeway suggested that the funding by the City be increased from $20,000 to $30,000, and expressed his hope that it would be appreciated by the NBRA. Ms. Fort stated that it's not a matter of the NBRA being appreciative, but a matter of there being enough money for the event to take place at the level desired. Ms. Fort added that once the NBRA receives confirmation from the City on its contribution, it is planning to seek additional contributions through corporate sponsorships. There was also concern expressed by the Council Members that the individual restaurants and the NBRA aren't making a greater contribution to the event. Ms. Fort explained that for the first year of the event, it was desired to keep the contributions by the individual restaurants at a minimum. Council Member Curry expressed his support for the event and the City contribution of $50,000. Mayor Pro Tem Rosansky expressed his support for the full contribution as well. Sheri Drewry, Wilma's Patio, stated that she is the Vice President of the NBRA and she also asked for the City Council's support of the event. 4. WATER, QUALITY GRANT SUMMARY. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Assistant City Manager Kiff displayed a list of water quality and water quality- related project grants that have either been received or applied for by the City. He read from the list and provided clarifications where requested by the Council Members. The chart included the status of each grant and the scope of work for each project. At the suggestion of Council Member Nichols, he stated that he would add a column for annual maintenance costs and noted that the chart is still being developed. Council Member Daigle complimented the City's effort in applying for grants and noted the grant total of nearly $37 million. Assistant City Manager Kiff stated that the Upper Newport Bay Ecosystem Restoration (Dredging) Project accounts for over $14 million of the total and involves many partners. Assistant City Manager Kiff also displayed an aerial photo showing where each of the projects is located. Council Member Rosansky requested that the duration of the City's commitment and the total commitment of each project also be included on the chart. Council Member Curry acknowledged that the City has used approximately $1.5 million to leverage approximately $35 million in grant funds over a three to four - year period, and stated that it's an outstanding effort. Dennis Baker thanked Assistant City Manager Kiff and the City Manager's office for their efforts involving the grants. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None ADJOURNMENT - at 5:55 p.m. Volume 57 - Page 704 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes June 27, 2006 The agenda for the Study Session was posted on June 21, 2006, at 3:25 p.m. on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach Administration Building. JFAF Citv Clerk Volume 57 - Page 705