pages: CityCouncil/2011-03-29.pdf, 9
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CityCouncil | 2011-03-29 | 9 | knowing that the next budget year there might be additional structural changes; that she is not sure the organization can deal with biting the bullet in one fiscal year; it [restructuring] might have to be done over a period of time, maybe the next two to three years; the City will have to look at the cost side; maybe going out for taxes could be done in the third year after appropriate polling has been done; cost sharing with employees will have to be reviewed; there will have to be discussions with employees about certain give backs; the City will have to do all of said things; the presentation is starting the conversation; all of the things will have to be done over the next several years to ensure that the City is put in a position to be fiscally sustainable on the General Fund side; in terms of across the board cuts versus being surgical, Council direction has always been try to absorb the cuts internally and impact service to the citizens the least amount possible; the City has been a victim of its own success; services to residents have not been impacted; cuts should be surgical; the City exists to provide services; Council will have to discuss core services and priorities with residents; decisions and discussions will be tough. Councilmember Johnson stated Council should be provided the departments' proposals of 5% and 10% cuts. The Acting City Manager stated the departments are putting the finishing touches on the proposals. Councilmember Johnson stated providing the information to Council in the upcoming weeks or month would be helpful. Vice Mayor Bonta inquired whether direction about how to make cuts was provided to department heads, to which the Acting City Manager responded that she acknowledged that departments know their budgets better than her; stated departments were directed to determine core services, what can be lived without and how cuts will be made; the numbers are really large in some departments; cutting contractual dollars, supplies and materials will not be enough; programs will have to be cut, which might include people in some departments; that she wanted to see what departments could do first. Mayor Gilmore stated when the proposals come to Council, she would like to know specific impacts; that she does not just want to see a number, she wants to know what is associated with that number, such as how many people, specifically what programs will be cut, whether programs are internal, such as training, and what community programs are being cut; if it is a question of things that the staff does, such as mowing parks every 2 weeks rather than 10 days; she wants to know said impacts so that the information can be provided to the community and the community and Council can understand what the cuts mean. The Acing City Manager stated said information can be put together. Councilmember deHaan stated everyone has to be concerned about the out years; immediate years have been addressed through smoke and mirrors, such as refinancing Special Meeting Alameda City Council 9 March 29, 2011 | CityCouncil/2011-03-29.pdf |