L.2. 20-0951 CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2020-2025 CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND BUDGET RESPONSE REPORTS
ADOPT BY TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2006-047, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AN ANNUAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021
PROCEDURES:
a. Reconvene Public Hearing, take testimony; and
b. Close Public Hearing; and
c. Receive and file Budget Response Reports; and
d. Adopt by title only Resolution No. CC-2006-047
Regarding Decision Package #7, Elimination of Special Event Fee Waivers:
The Harbor Commission agreed with this recommendation but requested that the City Council:
- Make this a one-time rather than an on-going action;
- Allow for a FY20-21 event-by-event review of the decision
should revenues rebound more than anticipated; and
- Exclude the Christmas Boat Parade from the Decision Package.
The Budget and Finance Commission made a similar recommendation.
I recommend that the City Council accept the recommendations of the Harbor Commission.
Good Evening Mayor and City Council,
I’m reaching out to you because I’m greatly concerned about Decision Package #37, which will permanently eliminate the filled Office Specialist III position in Licensing. Cutting this filled position will have a severe impact on Business Licensing operations. The Office Specialist III position is NOT specifically dedicated to Animal Licensing, but spends 75% of the time dealing with Business Licensing activities and operations. Presently, there are 2 full-time staff members (Office Specialist III and License/Collections Clerk) that are dedicated to the daily activities and operations of both Business Licensing and Animal Licensing. The City currently has approximately 9,500 active business license accounts, which generate a large volume of work. The Office Specialist III interacts with many customers at the front counter, on the telephone and through email, processes business license applications, including all applications received through the mail, continuously updates billing and account information, generates and mails business license certificates and coordinates with General Contractors to obtain business licenses for unlicensed sub-contractors that have worked on permitted construction projects. If Decision Package 37 is approved, this would leave only 1 full-time staff member (License/Collections Clerk) dedicated to the daily activities and operations of Business Licensing, which is too much for 1 full-time staff member to effectively manage. Please do NOT approve Decision Package 37. The loss of revenues resulting from Covid-19 will be temporary, but eliminating the Office Specialist III position will be permanent and will have a severe impact on Business Licensing revenue operations and activities. If Council has interest in outsourcing Animal Licensing, then I recommend adding it to the Strategic Plan to thoroughly examine the cost/benefit of outsourcing and to move forward if it presents benefit. The PERS Reserve Fund, the General Fund Reserve (8.33%) or other reserve funds can be utilized to offset the $45,075 for FY 20-21 associated with this Decision Package. I thank you for your time and consideration.
Please do not accept Decision Package #29 containing a reduction in the Harbor Patrol. I am a former Harbor Commissioner and have had a boat in King Harbor for almost 20 years now. The harbor is more crowded than ever with the increased traffic of power boats, sail boats, dinghies, kayaks, fishing kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and peddle boats, and as such, Harbor Patrol is critical. It will get even busier when the City builds the boat ramp in the South turning basin. The Harbor Patrol is just not optional, but rather they serve an absolutely essential service for the safety of boaters.
It is shocking that this is even being considered as our Harbor Patrol is necessary for safe boating in Redondo Beach – and to suggest eliminating 1/3 of the staffing and service hours when other departments (not relating to safety) are being reduced by only 15%. How is this in line with the City Manager’s message of reducing safety departments by only 5%?
Simply put, the Harbor Patrol is a critical public safety service for Redondo Beach. I strongly oppose any reduction of the Harbor Patrol and I hope that you make the right decision and reject Decision Package #29 in its entirety as absurd.
Mayor and City Council - I request that you reject Decision Package #29 - reduction in Harbor Patrol Staffing by 1/3 - resulting in there being times without any public safety response available for on-the-water emergencies. Our Harbor Patrol officers have saved numerous lives over the years, boaters, anglers and harbor visitors. Several of these rescues have occurred at night. Is not present 24x7 and primary responsibility is to the beaches, not the harbor. Please find other ways to fund the Harbor Patrol during these difficult times.
I would also request that on Decision Package #24 you exclude the Christmas Boat Parade from the elimination of special event fee waivers. This is one of the premier events of the city and attracts many to our local businesses to watch the parade.
Honorable Mayor and City Council, Holly Short and Lina Portolese, Presidents of the RBCEA and RBPSA, urge the Council to authorize the use of the General Fund Reserve to preserve those positions which are filled and are not slated for either a confirmed retirement or currently vacant. We ask that you do not permanently affect employees and departments due to a likely temporary budget shortfall. In further analyzing specific provisions of the Decision Packages, we came to realize that certain assumptions were made with regards to what affected employees were likely to do. The Packages had pre-determined placements for some employees with an assumption of a mid-year retirement for another. However, understand that the final decision on each of those assumptions is up to the individual employees, and therefore the outcomes may not happen as presented to you. There are employees that have bumping rights, which will cause a domino effect of displacement across various departments. Those departments will bear a burden as a result of the personnel changes. They will have to train a new employee, even though they previously had an employee that performed successfully. And this training will have to occur during a time where social distancing must also be accommodated, adding even greater complexity to the situation. Additionally, there are full-time positions being reclassified to part-time which is likely to result in those incumbent employees leaving, and therefore having to recruit and train new staff in those positions as well. Do not assume that what was presented in the Decision Packages will be what the affected employees choose to do, as these issues came to our attention after speaking directly with these employees. We assure you, your decision to deauthorize filled positions will have a ripple effect across the organization that was likely unforeseen. Again, we urge that you utilize the General Fund Reserve to preserve the filled positions and wait until mid-year to re-assess if these permanent cuts must happen.
I witnessed chronic alcoholics receive treatment. I saw dozens of people say YES to housing who had for years said no like the infamous “Camo Mike” & the gentleman who would frequently walk/shuffle on the RB Pier holding a small wooden ax who is now permanently housed because of the Pilot Program. The most recent success this past week was helping the elderly lady who for about 30 years was homeless in Redondo Beach. Most did not know her name is Ronna, but she sat, slumped, on the bus bench at Catalina Ave. and Pearl St. for years, always denying any services. Finally, I had a break though, with the help of the Police Department and Mayor Brand and after all other services continued to deny her any relief. Ronna is finally living in a skilled nursing facility in Long Beach and getting the mental and physical care she needed. This pilot program has helped to build relationships that did not exist before and has proven to be a formula that works. It has given Redondo Beach the reputation of building the solution to ending homelessness. Please consider continuing this wonderful partnership and know that you are making drastic improvements in some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Thank you,
Part 1 of 2 L2 Item 34
Good evening Mayor, City Council and Staff,
I would like to take a second to tell you how I appreciate the pilot program which created the collaboration between the Police and the City Attorney’s Office and how I saw firsthand an unprecedented value to helping those who are experiencing homelessness. I viewed this pilot program as a way to organize two significant stakeholder groups in this endeavor and address a growing problem in our City. I have learned that having a careful balance between providing outreach, resources and enforcement is the best way to positively mitigate homelessness. As a result of this pilot program I have observed a legitimate way to hold those accountable who will not accept any assistance in the way of resources. The police used strategy to know when to enforce laws that impacted the homeless community and then worked hand and hand with the City Attorney’s Office to makes sure the punishments did not drive them further into homelessness or lose trust with the system. The City Attorneys were fair and diligent in their requests for punishment and worked to hold people accountable yet still provide them help, like drug and alcohol treatment or to meet with me so I could speak to them about how they can receive resources. The City Attorneys were compassionate with the community by meeting so many neighbors who are impacted by homelessness. They carefully crafted stay away orders to prohibit some people from being in certain areas of the City. This pilot program concept is the first of its kind and created an informal homeless court. A true testament to the success of the pilot program is seeing so many of my clients willing to show up to court. This proved to me that they trusted the pilot program and partnership between police and city attorney. Through this partnership I saw unbelievable accomplishments. I witnessed a man receive unbelievable compassion from police and the city attorney’s office and ultimately receive the physical and mental health assistance he needed which allowed me to reunite him with his family in Texas.
Part 2 below:
Regarding Decision Package #7, Elimination of Special Event Fee Waivers:
The Harbor Commission agreed with this recommendation but requested that the City Council:
- Make this a one-time rather than an on-going action;
- Allow for a FY20-21 event-by-event review of the decision
should revenues rebound more than anticipated; and
- Exclude the Christmas Boat Parade from the Decision Package.
The Budget and Finance Commission made a similar recommendation.
I recommend that the City Council accept the recommendations of the Harbor Commission.
Good Evening Mayor and City Council,
I’m reaching out to you because I’m greatly concerned about Decision Package #37, which will permanently eliminate the filled Office Specialist III position in Licensing. Cutting this filled position will have a severe impact on Business Licensing operations. The Office Specialist III position is NOT specifically dedicated to Animal Licensing, but spends 75% of the time dealing with Business Licensing activities and operations. Presently, there are 2 full-time staff members (Office Specialist III and License/Collections Clerk) that are dedicated to the daily activities and operations of both Business Licensing and Animal Licensing. The City currently has approximately 9,500 active business license accounts, which generate a large volume of work. The Office Specialist III interacts with many customers at the front counter, on the telephone and through email, processes business license applications, including all applications received through the mail, continuously updates billing and account information, generates and mails business license certificates and coordinates with General Contractors to obtain business licenses for unlicensed sub-contractors that have worked on permitted construction projects. If Decision Package 37 is approved, this would leave only 1 full-time staff member (License/Collections Clerk) dedicated to the daily activities and operations of Business Licensing, which is too much for 1 full-time staff member to effectively manage. Please do NOT approve Decision Package 37. The loss of revenues resulting from Covid-19 will be temporary, but eliminating the Office Specialist III position will be permanent and will have a severe impact on Business Licensing revenue operations and activities. If Council has interest in outsourcing Animal Licensing, then I recommend adding it to the Strategic Plan to thoroughly examine the cost/benefit of outsourcing and to move forward if it presents benefit. The PERS Reserve Fund, the General Fund Reserve (8.33%) or other reserve funds can be utilized to offset the $45,075 for FY 20-21 associated with this Decision Package. I thank you for your time and consideration.
Mayor, City Council and Staff,
Please do not accept Decision Package #29 containing a reduction in the Harbor Patrol. I am a former Harbor Commissioner and have had a boat in King Harbor for almost 20 years now. The harbor is more crowded than ever with the increased traffic of power boats, sail boats, dinghies, kayaks, fishing kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and peddle boats, and as such, Harbor Patrol is critical. It will get even busier when the City builds the boat ramp in the South turning basin. The Harbor Patrol is just not optional, but rather they serve an absolutely essential service for the safety of boaters.
It is shocking that this is even being considered as our Harbor Patrol is necessary for safe boating in Redondo Beach – and to suggest eliminating 1/3 of the staffing and service hours when other departments (not relating to safety) are being reduced by only 15%. How is this in line with the City Manager’s message of reducing safety departments by only 5%?
Simply put, the Harbor Patrol is a critical public safety service for Redondo Beach. I strongly oppose any reduction of the Harbor Patrol and I hope that you make the right decision and reject Decision Package #29 in its entirety as absurd.
Sincerely,
Kari A. Keidser, Esq.
Mayor and City Council - I request that you reject Decision Package #29 - reduction in Harbor Patrol Staffing by 1/3 - resulting in there being times without any public safety response available for on-the-water emergencies. Our Harbor Patrol officers have saved numerous lives over the years, boaters, anglers and harbor visitors. Several of these rescues have occurred at night. Is not present 24x7 and primary responsibility is to the beaches, not the harbor. Please find other ways to fund the Harbor Patrol during these difficult times.
I would also request that on Decision Package #24 you exclude the Christmas Boat Parade from the elimination of special event fee waivers. This is one of the premier events of the city and attracts many to our local businesses to watch the parade.
Lee Coller
Redondo Beach Resident and Boater
Honorable Mayor and City Council, Holly Short and Lina Portolese, Presidents of the RBCEA and RBPSA, urge the Council to authorize the use of the General Fund Reserve to preserve those positions which are filled and are not slated for either a confirmed retirement or currently vacant. We ask that you do not permanently affect employees and departments due to a likely temporary budget shortfall. In further analyzing specific provisions of the Decision Packages, we came to realize that certain assumptions were made with regards to what affected employees were likely to do. The Packages had pre-determined placements for some employees with an assumption of a mid-year retirement for another. However, understand that the final decision on each of those assumptions is up to the individual employees, and therefore the outcomes may not happen as presented to you. There are employees that have bumping rights, which will cause a domino effect of displacement across various departments. Those departments will bear a burden as a result of the personnel changes. They will have to train a new employee, even though they previously had an employee that performed successfully. And this training will have to occur during a time where social distancing must also be accommodated, adding even greater complexity to the situation. Additionally, there are full-time positions being reclassified to part-time which is likely to result in those incumbent employees leaving, and therefore having to recruit and train new staff in those positions as well. Do not assume that what was presented in the Decision Packages will be what the affected employees choose to do, as these issues came to our attention after speaking directly with these employees. We assure you, your decision to deauthorize filled positions will have a ripple effect across the organization that was likely unforeseen. Again, we urge that you utilize the General Fund Reserve to preserve the filled positions and wait until mid-year to re-assess if these permanent cuts must happen.
I support the current budget. I especially support #10 as I feel the city attorneys office are doing a great job!
Part 2
I witnessed chronic alcoholics receive treatment. I saw dozens of people say YES to housing who had for years said no like the infamous “Camo Mike” & the gentleman who would frequently walk/shuffle on the RB Pier holding a small wooden ax who is now permanently housed because of the Pilot Program. The most recent success this past week was helping the elderly lady who for about 30 years was homeless in Redondo Beach. Most did not know her name is Ronna, but she sat, slumped, on the bus bench at Catalina Ave. and Pearl St. for years, always denying any services. Finally, I had a break though, with the help of the Police Department and Mayor Brand and after all other services continued to deny her any relief. Ronna is finally living in a skilled nursing facility in Long Beach and getting the mental and physical care she needed. This pilot program has helped to build relationships that did not exist before and has proven to be a formula that works. It has given Redondo Beach the reputation of building the solution to ending homelessness. Please consider continuing this wonderful partnership and know that you are making drastic improvements in some of the most vulnerable people in our community. Thank you,
Lila Omura
Outreach/Housing Navigator Redondo Beach
Part 1 of 2 L2 Item 34
Good evening Mayor, City Council and Staff,
I would like to take a second to tell you how I appreciate the pilot program which created the collaboration between the Police and the City Attorney’s Office and how I saw firsthand an unprecedented value to helping those who are experiencing homelessness. I viewed this pilot program as a way to organize two significant stakeholder groups in this endeavor and address a growing problem in our City. I have learned that having a careful balance between providing outreach, resources and enforcement is the best way to positively mitigate homelessness. As a result of this pilot program I have observed a legitimate way to hold those accountable who will not accept any assistance in the way of resources. The police used strategy to know when to enforce laws that impacted the homeless community and then worked hand and hand with the City Attorney’s Office to makes sure the punishments did not drive them further into homelessness or lose trust with the system. The City Attorneys were fair and diligent in their requests for punishment and worked to hold people accountable yet still provide them help, like drug and alcohol treatment or to meet with me so I could speak to them about how they can receive resources. The City Attorneys were compassionate with the community by meeting so many neighbors who are impacted by homelessness. They carefully crafted stay away orders to prohibit some people from being in certain areas of the City. This pilot program concept is the first of its kind and created an informal homeless court. A true testament to the success of the pilot program is seeing so many of my clients willing to show up to court. This proved to me that they trusted the pilot program and partnership between police and city attorney. Through this partnership I saw unbelievable accomplishments. I witnessed a man receive unbelievable compassion from police and the city attorney’s office and ultimately receive the physical and mental health assistance he needed which allowed me to reunite him with his family in Texas.
Part 2 below: