SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 @ 8:30 A.M. RANCHO RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL FOLLOW-UP AGENDA-TACTICAL PLANNING WORKSHOP & BUDGET POLICY ISSUES WORKSHOP SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 @ 8:30 A.M. RANCHO RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL FOLLOW-UP AGENDA-TACTICAL PLANNING WORKSHOP & BUDGET POLICY ISSUES WORKSHOP

FOLLOW-UP AGENDA
ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING
TACTICAL PLANNING WORKSHOP & BUDGET POLICY ISSUES WORKSHOP
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2007 @ 8:30 A.M.
CITY HALL COMMUNITY ROOM
30940 HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD

CALL TO ORDER:

ROLL CALL:

FLAG SALUTE:

APPROVAL OF AGENDA:

PUBLIC COMMENTS: (This section of the agenda is for audience comments for items NOT on the agenda.)

REGULAR BUSINESS:

8:30 A.M. TACTICAL PLANNING WORKSHOP

1. Tactical Plan for 2007 (Lehr)

Action Taken: Reaffirmed the six goals established in 2006 and made the following modifications:

1. Water Quality and Flood Protection Program Goal
• Amended Milestone #3 to direct staff to propose a methodology to update the public in summary fashion on the status of the Water Quality and Flood Protection projects, including total costs, estimated future costs and the proposed frequency for updating the information.
• Amended Milestone #4 to delete the phrase "assuming the User Fee is affirmed by the voters."
• Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve Goal

• Amended the goal to include "and acquiring additional acreage for the Nature Preserve from willing sellers."
• Directed staff to reformat the milestones to achieve the specified results as quickly as possible.
1. Roadway Safety Goal
• Renamed the goal "Citywide Traffic and Roadway Safety Goal."
• Added a new Milestone #1 stating that this calendar year the Traffic Safety Commission will prepare a proposal to address traffic issues on Palos Verdes Drive East, to be completed before the Commission addresses the technology item included in new Milestone #4.
• Changed Milestone #1 to Milestone #2 and amended it to replace the term "address speeding" with "traffic calming."
• Added Milestone #4 to read: "This calendar year, staff and the Traffic Safety Commission will prepare a proposal for the use of traffic calming technology to be submitted to the state legislature and the League of California Cities, including an offer for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to be used as a pilot project area.
• Civic Center Master Plan and Active Recreation Goals
• Amended the goal to replace the term "Girls’ Softball" with "Active Recreation."
• Amended Milestone #1 to read: "and confer with other parties that may have an interest in making donations or pursuing joint ventures with the City to develop the Upper Point Vicente/Civic Center property."
• Reordered the milestones to make Milestone #4 the second milestone, make Milestone #2 the third milestone and to make Milestone #3 the fourth milestone.
• Amended new Milestone #3 to add the sentence: "If it is determined that the Palos Verdes Peninsula Girls’ Softball League is unable to fund the project, the City Council will consider alternative designed to maximize active recreational use of Upper Hesse Park."
• Amended new Milestone #4 to refer to the "Baseline Utilities Study" for the Upper Point Vicente/Civic Center site.
• Amended the "Status" section of the goal to include more background information about the Council’s previous actions regarding the Civic Center Master Plan; to clarify that the next workshop regarding the Annenberg Vision Plan is scheduled for September 2007; and to include an alternative to the Palos Verdes Art Center in the conceptual site plan developed for the Upper Point Vicente Park/Civic Center site.
• Emergency Preparedness Goal
• Added a new Milestone to complete the update of the City’s NIMS plan this calendar year.
• Added a new Milestone to complete executive training for the City Council this calendar year.
• Added a new Milestone to improve communication with the public regarding the City’s emergency preparedness programs.
• Eastview School Boundary Goal
• Changed the date of Milestone #1 to May 30, 2007.
• Changed the date of Milestone #2 to June 30, 2007.
• Added Milestone #3 for staff to prepare draft legislation for Council’s consideration for Assemblywoman Karnette to carry to the state legislature to enfranchise Eastview residents in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District or to pursue adjusting the district boundary using the process allowed through the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

11:00 A.M. BUDGET POLICY ISSUES WORKSHOP

2. City Grant Requests for FY 07-08 (Petru)

Action Taken: Directed staff to include the following organizations and grant amount in the draft two-year budget document:

Animal Lovers of the South Bay $800

Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay $750

Dance Peninsula Ballet $1,000

Harbor Community Clinic $3,000

Heathcare & Elder Law Program $1,500

Helpline Youth Counseling $2,000

Mothers Advocating Prevention $2,000

Palos Verdes Symphonic Band $1,200

Peninsula Center Library Annex $10,000

Palos Verdes Symphony Association $1,000

Peninsula Seniors $10,000

Pet Protector’s League $1,000

Shakespeare by the Sea $1,200

South Bay Chamber Music Society $1,000

South Bay Family Healthcare $5,000

South Bay Youth Project $7,000

Support for Harbor Area Women’s Lives $2,000

TOTAL: $50,450

12:00 P.M. LUNCH BREAK

12:30 P.M. RESUME BUDGET POLICY ISSUES WORKSHOP

3. Budget Policy Issues for FY 07-08 (Petru)

Action Taken: Reviewed the Budget Policy Issues for the FY 07-08 budget and provided staff with the following direction:

Employee Pension:

• Approved modifying the City’s CalPERS retirement pension formula from 2% to2.5%, with employee’s paying 2% of the cost.
• Approved establishing a Defined Contribution Post Retirement Health Care Account with the employee contributing 1% of salary and the City contributing $50 per pay period.
• Directed staff to perform a current salary survey to update the one prepared in 2002 and included $5,000 in the FY 07-08 Draft Budget to implement the results of the survey.
• Directed staff to proceed with refinancing the CalPERS Side Fund and authorized using excess funds in the Employee Benefit fund to pay down the amount prior to refinancing the debt.
• Directed staff to investigate within the next year the possibility of providing health care benefits to the City’s part time employees.

Employee Compensation

• Directed staff to investigate whether the Consumer Price Index adjustment should be automatic rather than incorporated into the employee merit pool; compare the City to what other comparable cities are doing in this regard; and make a recommendation as to whether the total merit pool should be 7% or some other amount.
• Directed staff to investigate within the next year the full value of the employees’ benefit package with a comparison to other cities and to provide the information to City Council.
• Approved adjusting employee salary ranges by the March 2007 Consumer Price Index.

Revenue Alternatives

• Authorized staff to proceed with increasing cost-based fees by 10%, excluding any parking fees
• Authorized staff to proceed with increasing the rental rates at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center by at least 50%, maintaining a two-tier rental fee system for residents and non-residents; and directed staff to review the rental rates at other City facilities, except parking lots, and bring back a recommendation to City Council.
• Postponed discussion of debt-financing alternatives until after the November 2007 election.

Pavement Management

• Authorized staff to primarily fund arterial pavement maintenance at the current condition index using Proposition C revenue and state and federal matching funds; and to primarily fund maintenance of Palos Verdes Drive South in the Portuguese Bend landslide area with General fund monies.
• Directed staff to bring back other pavement management issues through the budget process for further discussion by the City Council.

Management Audit

• Directed staff to bring back more detailed cost information on a partial v. comprehensive management audit of City Hall operations.

ADJOURNMENT: Adjourned at 5:04 P.M. to Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at Fred Hesse Community Park/Fireside Room for Council to conduct interviews of applicants for the Equestrian Committee.