City leaders give final okay to new spending plan By RON GONZALES ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER The Santa Ana City Council on Monday gave final approval to a two-year spending plan, steering more than a half million dollars into recreation programs. In a motion to approve the budget, Councilwoman Michele Martinez moved that $541,000 that had been designated for a general plan and zoning ordinance update go to several recreational programs. The 6-0 vote included: $64,000 in 2013-14 for Willard Intermediate School joint-use park staffing, and $128,000 in 2014-15; $100,000 in 2013-14 for joint-use Garfield Community Center staffing, and $199,000 in 2014-15; $25,000 for Independence Day celebrations for each of the two upcoming fiscal years. Martinez’s motion included a provision making the $541,000 for the land-use updates a priority when the mid-year budget review takes place, while Councilwoman Angelica Amezcua added a provision that funds for code enforcement also be considered. The budget passed 6-0 with Mayor Pro Tem Sal Tinajero absent. Before the council budget vote, about 20 people had lined up to speak to the council, many parents from KidWorks as well as Artists Village representatives and volunteers from the grassroots Santa Ana Collaborative for Responsible Development. They spoke in support of funding for parks, libraries, skateparks and the arts. Rob Richardson, vice president of the Santa Ana Unified board, spoke of the need for the city to table for a year a proposal to terminate an agreement under which a Santa Ana police commander serves as the district’s police chief. He recalled that following the deadly Connecticut school shooting last December, city and school district officials pledged to work as partners to ensure school safety. “We need to pause and take time to reflect on what our commitments were, what we said we would do, concerning school safety back in December,” he said. In response to questions from Councilman David Benavides, Acting Police Chief Carlos Rojas pointed to the need for management oversight in the department, and his desire to bring David Valentin, a lieutenant who is eligible for promotion, back into the department. “He has brought the level of the school police department where they can sustain themselves operationally,” Rojas said. He noted the department provides a variety of free support services for the school district police, that it provides $800,000 in crossing guard staff and has subsidized the cost of Valentin serving as SAUSD chief since 2009 at a cost of nearly $312,000. Martinez and Amezcua suggested that the city give 120 days notice to end the agreement, rather than 90 days that it calls for. The budget, Councilman Vincent F. Sarmiento noted, will end furloughs, resulting in the return of 80,000 hours of increased service. He added that 74 vacancies will be filled, code enforcement staff will increase from 11 staff to 15, the parks department will gain four employees, and funding will be set aside for a strategic plan. “What it does is addresses many of the needs that you all have spoken about,” Sarmiento said. With the end of furloughs, which resulted in City Hall being closed on Friday since last year, employees were to be notified this week that they would return to their pre-furlough schedules the first week of July, said Interim City Manager Kevin O’Rourke, with further details to be worked out through negotiations. The document calls for a general fund budget for 2013-14 of $205.7 million to cover basic services. The new fiscal year starts July 1. The general fund budget 2014-15 is $204.5 million. As it prepared for the budget year that is winding down to a close, the council approved a policy last year calling for a two-tier reserve, including a general reserve of 5 to 15 percent for operations, or about $30 million, and a separate reserve for economic uncertainties. Reserves had dwindled to $3 million in 2009-2010. City officials expect operating reserves of at least $27.1 million over the next two years. Last year city leaders were struggling to close a $30 million budget gap, and took measures that included contracting with the Orange County Fire Authority for fire protection. The budget also takes into account the end of concessions made by two major employee groups, the Service Employees International Union and the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, that helped the city balance its current budget. Those concessions are set to expire June 30. Both unions are in negotiations with the city. Sergio Verino, president of SEIU 721 Santa Ana chapter, said in a letter to the City Council that they should ensure that budget acknowledges their concessions, contributions and loyalty. He said that members have been paying 13 percent of salary into the California Public Employees Retirement System. “Over just the past two and a half years, our members have contributed over $15 milllion to help the city,” Verino said in the letter. “As we’re coming out of the fiscal crisis and building significant reserves, in addition to other reasonable requests, our CalPERS participation level should revert back to 8 percent.” O’Rourke said the budget was based on SEIU workers, who number some 450 to 500, paying 8 percent, a minimum set by state law. Using one-time funds, city officials had allocated $2.6 million toward the general plan and zoning code update, expected to take place over about three years. It was from those one-time funds – from property taxes and from a deal struck with the state Department of Finance over redevelopment funds – that the parks and July 4 money is coming from. City Manager Kevin O’Rourke said that a mid-year budget review may indicate whether revenue is available for the general plan update and for additional code enforcement. The session marked the 10th public session, including community meetings and council sessions, held on the budget. “I’d like to thank staff for the hard work in putting budget together and helping to make this a more open and transparent process,” said Amezcua, reflecting comments of her colleagues. The council also approved two budget-related resolutions. A new schedule for miscellaneous fees the city charges will raise about $607,350 in 2013-14. Benavides recommended two changes that were incorporated into the schedule that was approved: charging $60 rather than the proposed $85.31 for renewals on residential parking permits; and charging $35 rather than $53 to set up a new city utility services account. A second resolution deleted and created positions as part of City Hall staffing and reorganization changes.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:47:34 +0000
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