Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved Minutes - February 11, 2016Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 1 of 8 CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH FINANCE COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 11, 2016 MEETING MINUTES I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. in the Crystal Cove Conference Room, Bay 2D, 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660. II. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Council Member Keith Curry (Chair), Mayor Diane Dixon, Council Member Tony Petros, Committee Member Patti Gorczyca, Committee Member William C. O’Neill, Committee Member Larry Tucker, and Committee Member John Warner STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Dave Kiff, Finance Director/Treasurer Dan Matusiewicz, Deputy Finance Director Steve Montano, Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs, Municipal Operations Director George Murdoch, IT Manager Rob Houston, Municipal Operations Director Mike Pisani, Budget Manager Susan Giangrande, Administrative Manager Cindy Owens, Senior Human Resources Analyst Maggie Williams-Dalgart, Human Resources Director Barbara Salvini, and Administrative Specialist to the Finance Director Marlene Burns MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Jim Mosher III. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chair Curry opened public comments. Jim Mosher commented on the budget being posted on the City’s website but noted that it is missing the revenue pages and asked whether the revenue projections will be posted and whether it will be different than the proposed budget. Additionally, he hoped that the Finance Committee will review the City’s legal costs. Chair Curry closed public comments. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF JANUARY 14, 2016 Recommended Action: Approve and file. Corrections were offered to the minutes of January 14, 2016. Chair Curry opened public comments. Seeing no one wishing to address the Finance Committee, Chair Curry closed public comments. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 2 of 8 Committee Member Gorczyca commented on some needed changes to correct the January 14, 2016, Finance Committee Minutes. The motion carried, with Council Member Petros and Committee Member Warner, abstaining. V. CURRENT BUSINESS A. IMPLEMENTATION OF BUDGET PREPARATION FRAMEWORK – REVIEW OF OPERATING BUDGET, SESSION 5 – MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS Summary: During recent Finance Committee meetings, members discussed pursuing actions for bringing greater transparency and accountability during the annual budget development process. Staff believes that following a proposed budget preparation framework consisting of budget principles, and associated strategies and tactics can be a reliable vehicle for improving the City’s budget process. In furtherance of Budget Framework Tactic T.10.1, the goal of this presentation will be to familiarize members of the Finance Committee with the elements of the Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Municipal Operations Department budget, provide opportunity for questions, and to gain clarity in the funding allocations for departmental programs. Recommended Action: In furtherance of Budget Framework Tactic T.10.1, review, ask questions, and provide comment relating to the Municipal Operations Department Fiscal Year 2015-2016 operating budget. Municipal Operations Director Mike Pisani provided a brief overview of the Municipal Operations Department and displayed a PowerPoint presentation. He addressed the various tasks, the Department’s mission, educating the public in terms of the differences between Municipal Operations and Public Works, responsibilities, response times and staffing. Municipal Operations Director George Murdoch highlighted the utilities side of the Municipal Operations Department including the organizational chart, reductions in staffing, administrative staff, and funding for the various positions. Discussion followed regarding the budget and task interactions between Municipal Operations and Parks and Recreation. Mayor Dixon asked for clarification of the various Enterprise funds and Municipal Operations Director Pisani noted that is included in the presentation. In reply to Council Member Petros’s question regarding increases in staffing relative to street/sidewalk/beach maintenance, Municipal Operations Director Pisani explained that had to do with the restructuring and explained that beach maintenance was transferred to the Field Maintenance Division and that the Operations Support Division was reduced and there was no net gain of employees. Municipal Operations Director Murdoch continued with the presentation noted that Municipal Operations is the largest Department (in terms of dollars) in the City. City Manager Dave Kiff added that, in large part, is due to contracted services. Municipal Operations Director Pisani addressed the Municipal Operations budget, by fund, and in response to Mayor Dixon’s inquiry, he reported on the various enterprise funds in relation to staffing. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 3 of 8 Discussion followed whether the liability for specific staff is funded by enterprise funds as well. City Manager Kiff stated that the department’s salary and benefit costs come out of the enterprise funds and are carried through to the overall liability of the City. He addressed how the sewer enterprise fund pays for the unfunded liability that goes to CalPERS. Discussion followed regarding separating employee-related costs into the various enterprise funds. In response to Committee Member Gorczyca’s inquiry, Municipal Operations Director Murdoch addressed overtime funding under the separate enterprise funds. Municipal Operations Director Pisani added that his division works similarly, but with the General Fund. He addressed the five-year operating budget overview and noted salaries and benefits have been relatively flat over the past five years. Salaries and benefits are 25 percent of the budget. Municipal Operations Director Pisani addressed revenues collected from recycling and from CR&R for rental of the City’s transfer station and others. Discussion followed regarding oil and gas, the Tidelands fund, price of oil per barrel, the equipment fund, the possibility of insourcing with the City of Fountain Valley relative to their fire equipment and the trash transfer station. In response to Committee Member Warner’s question, City Manager Kiff stated that a good question to consider is whether there are other vendors out there that need a transfer station. The trash collection industry is a small group and all of them have their own transfer capability. He questioned whether there is a market for that service. Mayor Dixon noted that, as a result of outsourcing to CR&R, 25 full-time employees have decreased. Municipal Operations Director Pisani stated that ten are still employed by the City. He addressed reductions in staffing from 2008 to today. In reply to Committee Member Tucker’s question, Municipal Operations Director Pisani reported that salaries are flat. City Manager Kiff added that the City cannot quickly rid itself of the PERS liability that is assigned to both current and former employees. He stated that the City’s ongoing pension liability can be represented by a gentle downward curve over time, instead of a steep downward curve. Chair Curry added that it would be substantially higher, if those positions had not been eliminated. Municipal Operations Director Pisani addressed outsourcing. In response to Mayor Dixon’s question, City Manager Kiff reported that right after the recession, the City offered two retirement incentives and many Municipal Operations employees took them and left the City’s employment. He added that the City contracted out many of those positions, including street-sweeping. Discussion followed regarding reductions in staffing, the number of positions that were eliminated, jobs that were absorbed and services that were contracted out. City Manager Kiff gave examples resulting from the consolidation, such as, litigation due to tree liabilities and public/resident complaints. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 4 of 8 Regarding cutting services, Municipal Operations Director Pisani noted that residents still want to see nice-looking medians and parks. In reply to an inquiry by Committee Member Warner, City Manager Kiff reported that contract prices that were coming in were cheaper than the City’s ability to do the same task. Chair Curry commented on the savings to pension costs. Discussion followed regarding accrued pension liabilities paid by the City, for people who no longer work for the City. Chair Curry noted that 60 percent of the City’s pension costs are related to people who no longer work for the City. Discussion followed regarding positions eliminated including trash workers. Committee Member Tucker commented on unfunded liabilities and off-setting contracts. In response to Committee Member Gorczyca’s question regarding comparisons with other municipalities and benchmarking, Municipal Operations Director Murdoch stated that it is difficult to do so, as services offered may differ. Staff went through that exercise, early on, in terms of making comparisons with benchmarks, and will continue to do so, as part of the City’s performance plan. Municipal Operations Director Pisani addressed services for outsourcing. Discussion followed regarding cost savings achieved through contracting out services versus providing them in-house, looking at all of the costs in determining whether or not to outsource including pension costs and prevailing wages and fluctuations in the economy. Finance Director/Treasurer Dan Matusiewicz added that theoretically, when an employee leaves the City, there should be no unfunded liability, but, there have been extraordinary circumstances that have created the current situation. Committee Member Warner noted that those will never go away. City Manager Kiff agreed and reported what he has seen in terms of contractors cutting back on the level of service. He added that it is always a struggle. Committee Member Warner suggested determining whether by paying a contractor a really fair price, the level of service would remain high. City Manager Kiff reported that the City has outsourced all of the services that are commonly outsourced by other cities. In reply to Council Member Petros’s question regarding the bid out to the fire equipment service if the City’s bid is at least equivalent to the cost of the service and the pension liability, Assistant City Manager Carol Jacobs stated that in the City’s bid for fire equipment service, there is a portion of the cost of service rate that incorporates pension costs. It was noted that the City does not contract out for police car service; the Police Department maintains their own vehicles. Council Member Petros referenced the City’s bid to the City of Fountain Valley and suggested that if there is residual capacity, it would be better for the City to use it than to contract out. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 5 of 8 City Manager Kiff reported there are studies that show that remedial work is cheaper in the private sector than having City staff doing it. In response to Mayor Dixon’s question regarding the recent waste-water outsourcing review and whether long-term pension liability was factored in, Municipal Operations Director Murdoch reported that the unfunded liability remains whether the City retains the function, or not. Chair Curry opened public comments. Jim Mosher commented on the evolution of the Municipal Operations Department, outsourcing contracts and ensuring that the service can be provided by requiring a surety or guarantee, referenced Attachment C relative to the City’s electrical bill and wondered regarding savings from LED conversion, the lack of a sewer use fee, and questioned the item related to Outside Counsel Special Litigation. Chair Curry closed public comments. Brief discussion followed regarding costs related to ERP implementation and total waste-water utility expenses, the City’s five-year strategic plan, justification for IT expenses in the future, finding efficiencies in automated systems and administration and benefits of the new software including improving access and increasing transparency. B. CALPERS PENSION PLAN UPDATE AND ANALYSIS OF PAYMENT ALTERNATIVES Summary: Staff will summarize the results from our latest actuarial valuation and financial options to manage the current obligation. Discussion will include fresh start options as well as the option for contributing surplus funds to an irrevocable pension “reserve/stabilization” trust. Recommended Action: Provide policy direction related to the proposed funding options, suggest further changes as needed and if applicable, recommend a funding option for submission to the City Council for approval. Finance Director/Treasurer Matusiewicz presented details of the staff report addressing objectives and the need for the Committee’s direction. He presented policy decisions that need to be made regarding PERS and reviewed a handout distributed under separate cover. He addressed the current amortization policy and a recommendation to deploy a partial fresh start. He reported that the CalPERS the default payment schedule uses a 5 year phase-in period and represents the minimum required contribution. The longer phase-in schedule makes payments initially more affordable, but more expensive over the long-run. Newport Beach has the resources to accelerate funding, which can save money by bypassing the phase-in period. He illustrated several options and noted difference that it makes in terms the term of the payment schedule and monetary difference In response to Committee Member Warner’s inquiry, Finance Director/Treasurer Matusiewicz reported that the City paid roughly $20 million toward its unfunded liabilities each year. Discussion followed regarding the ability to change in the future, by combining with another base, the possibility of a short-fall, recommendations to take a partial fresh start, dealing with a mortality loss, payment options and long-term savings. In reply to Council Member Petros’s question, Finance Director/Treasurer Matusiewicz detailed the benefits of the various payment options. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 6 of 8 Discussion followed regarding source of the funds, setting aside money from the surplus, considering projected revenues, monitoring monthly revenue versus projected revenue, anticipated revenue surpluses and mid-year opportunity to make budget adjustments/corrections. In response to Committee Member Tucker’s question, Finance Director/Treasurer Matusiewicz addressed anticipated contingencies to deal with increased future pension demands including hastening the use of credit bases with PERS the City’s own $40 million contingency reserve. Discussion followed regarding dealing with State mandates in the future and problems in relation to the State not giving the City the proper tools. It was noted that even if a city goes bankrupt, pension obligations are not necessarily discharged. Committee Member Gorczyca commented on the importance of maintaining flexibility. Chair Curry stated that assumes that the City could invest its money with an entity with greater expertise and efficiency than CalPERS and noted there is no evidence to suggest that is true. Discussion followed regarding the benefits of diversification and Chair Curry stated he is unsure whether the City could realistically achieve that and commented on the possibility of the City compounding a loss. Mayor Dixon added that the whole idea is to pay the least amount possible. Chair Curry stressed there is no evidence that the City can invest at a better return than CalPERS. Committee Member Tucker questioned obligations over the long-haul. He noted that the biggest costs involve Police and Fire services and a potential shift in mortality rate. Chair Curry noted that the City’s options are limited in terms of CalPERS. Discussion followed regarding potential risks by having the City invest in the stock market independently rather than paying down the liability CalPERS. Chair Curry stated he would not recommend investing the City’s cash reserves in the stock market and gave his opinion regarding the payment options. Chair Curry opined that it would be incrementally beneficial, but won’t do much. He warned that if we don’t do this now, in a year, the hole will be bigger. We can afford to do this with the surplus from this year. There is no tremendous significance to this. Committee Member Warner departed at 5:41 p.m. Chair Curry opened public comments. Jim Mosher commented on the matter being speculative and suggested that the City may want to get out of a debt, as quickly as possible. Chair Curry closed public comments. Council Member Petros moved, and Mayor Dixon seconded, to recommend a funding option, as discussed above, for submission to the City Council for approval. The motion carried, with Committee Member Warner, absent. Finance Committee Meeting Minutes February 11, 2016 Page 7 of 8 C. FINANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER REVIEW AND UPDATE Summary: The resolution authorizing the purpose and responsibilities of the Finance Committee was last updated by Resolution No. 2015-40, as adopted May 26, 2015. Staff reviews this resolution with the Finance Committee on an annual basis and welcomes any discussion or consideration for updating. Any changes to the resolution will require formal City Council approval. Recommended Action: Review and provide guidance for updating the Finance Committee Charter. Chair Curry commented on using the time of the Finance Committee in an effective way to make the most difference in the City. He requested input from the Committee, in that effort. Committee Member Tucker commented on the Committee’s objectives relative to making recommendations to City Council and Council’s goals in obtaining input from the Committee. He suggested forming a subcommittee to start the process of determining how the Committee can address various issues and recommendations to present to Council, such as what occurred with the waste-water rate. He added that the subcommittee would go through a vetting process prior. Chair Curry and Mayor Dixon agreed with Committee Member Tucker’s comments. Council Member Petros expressed his support and departed the meeting at 5:48 p.m. Discussion followed regarding looking at policies, developing ideas relative to developing financial and budgetary policies and giving the Committee an opportunity to structure recommendations. Mayor Dixon moved, and Committee Member Tucker seconded, to form a subcommittee made up of Finance Committee Citizen Members to look for ways to maximize revenues, minimize costs and present these to the full Finance Committee. Chair Curry opened public comments. Jim Mosher agreed that establishing a subcommittee is a good idea, but noted that the matter was not on today’s agenda and stated that the subcommittee would be advising the Finance Committee which will, in turn, advise City Council. Chair Curry closed public comments. The motion carried, with Council Member Petros and Committee Member Warner, absent. D. WORK PLAN OVERVIEW Summary: Staff will present and seek approval of the revised Finance Committee agenda topics scheduled for the calendar year. Proposed changes include additional committee meetings to review the entirety of the proposed Fiscal Year 2016-2017 budget. The work plan represents the planned topics of discussion; however, is subject to change based on the availability of information and the need to schedule other topics as they arise. Recommended Action: Review and approve the tentative Finance Committee agenda topics.