pages: CityCouncil/2011-03-29.pdf, 11
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CityCouncil | 2011-03-29 | 11 | necessarily be any protected groups, including management and executive teams sharing in reductions; a 5% cut was done at the Hospital top to bottom from the Chief Executive Official down, which was good for morale and is a good principle; that he would hate to see only street level cuts brought back without looking at management, administration and overhead closely; everything needs to be on the table; closing the gap does need to done by a combination; one time fixes can be a part of the overall solution, but not something that the City relies on too heavily; ways to make structural changes need to be found. Councilmember Johnson concurred with all the Councilmembers saying everything needs to be reviewed; core services have to be defined carefully; some might not consider parks, recreation, or library hours core services; the library is packed every time she is in there; library is a core service; recreation provides child care and after school care, which are core services; there is a structural problem; although the City has probably made cuts every year for the last 8 years, there is still an on going problem; the problem will continue because unlike a private company, the City has a difficult time adjusting expenses; the structural imbalance has to be fixed, which cannot be done in one year. Mayor Gilmore stated the City is not a private business, has fixed overhead and provides service; the City does not make widgets and cannot adjust its production line; employees are the City's assets; the City has limited methods of trimming overhead and does not have flexibility like private enterprise; the City has to take into account the needs of its service population, which is its residents. Councilmember deHaan stated property taxes are a driving force of decreased revenue; sales are 1/4 of normal; the inventory on the market is four times higher than normal; the assessor automatically makes adjustments every year; training, travel, and overtime are the first things addressed and eliminated off the bat, as well as bottled water and catered lunches; the changes start with Council; the City cannot live with overtime of 15 to 20%; the 4 day was implemented in the early 1990's, which has caused headaches; being open 5 days with the 4 day work week resulted in more part time workers to fill the gap; there was not really a savings; a decision has to be made about closing down one day a week; Council is obligated to review said items; hopefully, the City heading in the right direction will help in 2-3 years; one time adjustments cannot be done anymore. Councilmember Tam left the dais at 8:46 p.m. and returned at 8:48 p.m. * Vice Mayor Bonta stated another way to pursue revenue generation is through business attraction and retention efforts, such as VF Outdoors and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; said efforts will give transfer taxes, property taxes and increase sales tax revenues and are part of the solution. The City Treasurer addressed the Council. Special Meeting Alameda City Council 11 March 29, 2011 | CityCouncil/2011-03-29.pdf |