{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 1, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nTUESDAY- -APRIL 16, 2015- -6:00 P.M.\nMayor Spencer convened the meeting at 6:03 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance.\nROLL CALL -\nPresent:\nCouncilmembers Daysog, Ezzy Ashcraft, Matarrese,\nOddie and Mayor Spencer - 5.\nAbsent:\nNone.\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS. NON-AGENDA\n(15-240) Kevin Kennedy, City Treasurer, submitted a spreadsheet; provided feedback\non the public safety Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs); stated something needs\nto be done; the question is whether these MOUs are what the City needs to do; the City\nhas spent time and money on the matter and needs to be thinking long term; expressed\nconcern over the Balanced Revenue Index (BRI) including the property transfer tax,\nwhich is one time revenue, and the trust running out of funds and the burden falling on\nyounger workers.\nKevin Kearney, City Auditor, stated the mechanism of running Other Post Employment\nBenefits (OPEB) through payroll results in the employees having higher wages; urged\nnot running the funding through the payroll, which would require retirement payment.\nThe City Treasurer stated putting 2% into the trust cost the City 3% because the PERS\ncontribution will be 50% of salary; suggested putting 3% straight into the trust;\nexpressed concern over the City's legal position; stated the courts are still determining\nhow cities handle vested benefits; questioned whether the mechanism has legal\nramifications; suggested hiring a pension lawyer; stated that he would proceed with the\nrecommendations in the Pension Task Force report; reviewed the four\nrecommendations.\n(15-241) Denise Lai, Alameda, stated that she requested payroll information from the\nCity; she could not compare the data; asked the Council to direct staff to standardize\nthe data; stated Fire Fighter overtime doubled in 2013 and 2014; expressed concern\nover Fire Department overtime and the number of Fire Captains; urged Council to stall\nor vote no on the MOUs; urged Fire management be investigated.\n(15-242) Kurt Peterson, Alameda, urged the Council to take its time and make intelligent\nwise decisions on the MOUs; expressed concern over profit sharing with Police and\nFire, which is one way.\n(15-243) Janet Gibson, Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS), read a\nletter submitted by AAPS requesting funds for two projects.\n(15-244) Robin Gilbert, Alameda, concurred with the City Treasurer's recommendation\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n1\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 2, "text": "to hire a pension lawyer; suggested allowing more time to review the MOUs.\n(15-245) Jane Sullwold, Alameda, expressed concern over rushing through the public\nsafety MOUs on April 29th; stated the contract may cut off other OPEB options, create\nvesting and eliminate options available from court decisions; stated there should be\nactuarial and legal analysis; urged providing more time.\nAGENDA ITEM\n(15-246) Receive a Summary of Proposed Budget for Fiscal Years 2015-16 and 2016-\n17.\nIn response to Vice Mayor Matarrese's request, the Assistant City Manager outlined the\nbudget schedule.\nThe Assistant City Manager and Finance Director gave a Power Point presentation and\nresponded to questions.\nRegarding the General Fund FY 2014-15 review, Mayor Spencer requested amounts be\nprovided in writing.\nVice Mayor Matarrese stated the workers compensation fund has a deficit; the City does\nnot have surplus funds if there are deficits.\nThe Assistant City Manager stated there are outstanding claims.\nVice Matarrese requested that the policy question regarding whether workers\ncompensation should be fully funded or if the risk is acceptable return to Council.\nRegarding projected revenue, Councilmember Daysog requested the assumptions and\nchanges over time be outlined; stated the changes are particularly important on the\nexpense side; questioned whether a department increasing expenditures from 30% to\n37% might mean another department is not getting its fair share.\nThe Assistant City Manager stated the matter could be reviewed.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated the Council should consider updating the Utility\nUsers Tax (UUT).\nThe Assistant City Manager noted amendment would require a vote.\n***\nCouncilmember Oddie left the dais 7:45 p.m. and returned at 7:46 p.m.\n***\nOn the General Fund transfers in, Councilmember Daysog requested staff to review\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n2\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 3, "text": "where Bayport Municipal Services District funds are going.\nMayor Spencer inquired whether information on staff vacancies could be presented by\neach department, to which the Assistant City Manager responded in the affirmative.\nRegarding the General Fund expenditures by department, Vice Mayor Matarrese\nrequested staff to provide an explanation of the difference in the increase between the\nPolice and Fire budgets at a future meeting.\nMayor Spencer stated that she would like to see a historical perspective from 5, 10 and\n15 years ago of the percentage for each department to show if the percentages have\nstayed the same or if some departments have grown and others are shrinking over time;\nthat she would like to see the percentage for Recreation and Parks.\nThe Assistant City Manager stated staff would attempt to do so; noted Recreation and\nParks was taken out of the General Fund to better account for programs, so it will be\ndifficult.\nMayor Spencer noted she is also interested in the percentage for Police and Fire.\nCouncilmember Daysog requested that the General Fund proposed expenditures by\ndepartment FY 2015-16 pie chart be reviewed; stated that he is having a hard time\nreconciling the numbers; the ratios are different in staff report Exhibit 1.\nRegarding the PERS rates, Councilmember Oddie requested staff to provide a\ncomparison to other cities.\nVice Mayor Matarrese requested a chart showing the difference between the pay as you\ngo and the amount if the MOUs are approved.\nRegarding the three new positions, Vice Mayor Matarrese stated that he would like to\nsee alternatives; that he will not vote for a budget which increases positions, which\nincludes a PERS burden; the private sector uses contract organizations for Information\nTechnology (IT); he would like alternatives which do not involve hiring someone.\nThe Assistant City Manager stated that she is not sure a comprehensive analysis can\nbe finished by budget completion.\nCouncilmember Daysog stated staff would have to make a strong case for the positions;\nprovided an example of combining positions; stated planning to address the future\ndeficits should start now.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she would favor creative solutions instead of\nhiring someone.\nMayor Spencer stated employees at City Hall are working hard; a solution is needed to\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n3\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 4, "text": "reduce the pressure on the employees at City Hall.\nCouncilmember Oddie concurred with the Mayor.\nRegarding the Staffing for Adequate Fire Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, Vice\nMayor Matarrese requested staff to review having vesting begin when the person\nbecomes a full time employee, rather than a temporary employee under the grant.\nThe Administrative Services Director responded that she is not sure if it is possible, but\nstaff could review the matter.\nCouncilmember Daysog discussed buying down the unfunded OPEB liability.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated department cuts should be at the bottom of any\ncost savings measures considered.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated that he would like projection calculations to be done on\nthe various options to close the gap.\nCouncilmember Daysog discussed the UUT being done on a targeted basis and the\npercentage of the General Fund budget that is allocated to each department.\nMayor Spencer stated that she would like historic information on whether all\ndepartments have had the same percentage cuts or if the amounts have differed over\ntime.\nRegarding maritime demands, Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated legislation is\npending in Sacramento which would tighten regulations, but does not include funding;\nrequested that the City's lobbyist look into funding.\nThe Assistant City Manager concluded the presentation.\nThe City Treasurer made brief comments on one time revenues and salaries.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft encouraged the City Treasurer and staff to work\ncollectively.\nThe City Treasurer inquired whether setting staffing levels to the existing filled positions\ncould work.\nThe Assistant City Manager responded there could be savings, however, departments\nwhich have more difficulty recruiting staff would be penalized.\nMayor Spencer requested a chart of the unfilled positions.\nUrged a new fa\u00e7ade grant program be funded; stated the City should find matching\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n4\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 5, "text": "funds for increased maintenance on Park and Webster Streets; expressed his\nappreciation for the Police and Fire Departments: Robb Ratto, Park Street Business\nAssociation.\nThe City Auditor encouraged the Council to be conservative.\nVice Mayor Matarrese stated the City has homework that needs to be done before\ngoing out for a tax; that he concurs with Councilmember Daysog regarding the UUT;\nstated the City has to look strategically to fund the services most venerable to cuts,\nsuch as the Library and Recreation; he was clear about alternatives to increasing the\nhead count; the OPEB discussion should address the value of buying time and answer\nthe questions about the legal ramifications.\nMayor Spencer inquired whether the Council supports the direction being given; stated\nthat she supports it.\nVice Mayor Matarrese requested an explanation of the difference between running the\ncontributions through payroll versus other options under the agreement on the table,\nand the impact of the raises; stated the City Treasurer's submittal has not been\nreviewed by staff and should be done by the budget session on May 12th; guidance\nshould be offered on April 29th\nThe City Attorney stated the legal analysis is underway; inquired whether Council would\nlike the information to be available for the public, to which Vice Mayor Matarrese\nresponded in the affirmative.\nThe City Attorney stated that she would probably provide the Council with a confidential\nmemorandum as well.\nMayor Spencer inquired whether the Council agrees.\nCouncilmember Oddie inquired whether the matter would be addressed in a closed\nsession.\nThe City Attorney responded a closed session could be scheduled.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated the information should be presented in closed session\nand Council could decide whether or not to waive privilege.\nIn response to Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft's inquiry, the City Clerk stated the open\nsession starts at 5:00 p.m. on April 29th to hear from recruitment firms.\nMayor Spencer requested a closed session be held on a date prior to April 29th.\nThe date was discussed.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n5\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 6, "text": "Mayor Spencer stated that she would like an earlier date so the information can be\ndisseminated to the public.\nCouncilmember Oddie stated that he would like to focus on the good news; discussed\nprior Council actions, OPEB, and not cutting public safety; stated that he would like the\nmeasures to close the gap evaluated; taxes are probably last on his list.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft concurred with Councilmember Oddie; stated although\nshe opposes new positions, she sees the need to improve infrastructure, such as\nInformation Technology (IT); inquired whether said information would be included in the\npresentation, to which the Assistant City Manager responded in the affirmative.\nCouncilmember Ezzy Ashcraft discussed public safety.\nCouncilmember Daysog stated Alameda has a structural deficit; stated the reserve is\nfrom one time revues and efforts to hold costs down; revenues, such as sales tax, have\nnot changed much; discussed how the downside could occur just as easily; stated the\nCity needs to be very careful; that he would like to see an emphasis on parks and\nlibraries; discussed systematically underfunding departments and OPEB; stated\nscenarios need to be modeled.\nMayor Spencer inquired whether an actuarial evaluation was suggested, to which the\nAssistant City Manager responded in the negative; stated the City already has the\nactuarial evaluation.\nMayor Spencer inquired whether the AAPS request would be brought back as part of\nthe budget, to which the Assistant City Manager responded the funding is not included\nin the budget; staff could review the request.\nMayor Spencer stated that she would like to review the matter.\nVice Mayor Matarrese stated staff should show where funds would be taken from.\nCITY MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS\nNone.\nCOUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS\n(15-247) Councilmember Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she was on a panel put together by\nthe League of Women Voters, Association of Realtors and Alameda Home Team, which\naddressed new development in Alameda and included a bus tour.\nMayor Spencer noted that she was on the bus tour.\n(15-248) Councilmember Daysog stated that he attended the League of California Cities\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n6\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2015-04-16", "page": 7, "text": "meeting last week, which he tweeted; he also attended an Airport Noise Forum meeting,\nwhich addressed corporate jets flying in for the Super Bowl in Santa Clara.\nADJOURNMENT\nThere being no further business, Mayor Spencer adjourned the meeting at 9:55 p.m.\nRespectfully submitted,\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\n7\nApril 16, 2015", "path": "CityCouncil/2015-04-16.pdf"}