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CC - Item 6B - Budget for 2012-13 Fiscal YearROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: JEFF ALLRED, CITY MANAGER DATE: JUNE 26, 2012 SUBJECT: BUDGET FOR 2012 -13 FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY The City Council will consider adoption of the City's Budget for the 2012 -13 Fiscal Year which provides for total appropriations of $28,325,900. This amount represents an 11.3% reduction from the current fiscal year budget appropriations. The General Fund budget of $17,349,500 is balanced with no surplus for the upcoming fiscal year. Consequently, a full scope of services to residents will be continued without service reductions; although, some restructuring and consolidation of service delivery methods will be required for cost effectiveness in an era of reduced revenues. As a result of the most recent City Council Budget Workshop conducted on June 12 and subsequent staff reviews of the draft budget document, minor modifications are needed to correct typographical errors or formatting changes. None of the corrections represent changes to the estimated financial revenues or appropriations. Also, the Budget Message has been updated. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council approve the City of Rosemead Budget for the 2012 -13 Fiscal Year. BACKGROUND /ANALYSIS As stated in the Budget Message (Attachment A), the General Fund budget for the upcoming fiscal year is balanced with no surplus. Also, appropriate reserve fund balances will be maintained, which far exceed the minimum amounts required by City Council- adopted policies. Consequently, a full scope of services to residents will be continued without service reductions; although, some restructuring of service delivery methods will be implemented for cost effectiveness. Examples, of such restructuring and consolidation of service delivery include the following. ITEM NUMBER: L ,_ City Council Meeting June 26, 2012 Pace 2 of 2 • School crossing guard services will be contracted out with costs shared equally by the City and the school districts. • After - school recreation programs will be consolidated at Garvey Park, Rosemead Park, and Jess Gonzales Sports Park. (Programs will be available to the same number of children as in the past at no charge.) • The senior lunch program will be consolidated at Garvey Community Center. (The same number of meals will be offered as in past years.) • Preschool classes will be consolidated into four -day week sessions at the Rosemead Recreation Center and the Garvey Community Center. Fees have been adjusted to cover costs for these optional "individualized" services. A significant source of new revenues is anticipated to come in the form of solid waste and recycling franchise fee payments to the City without "pass- through" charges to residents or businesses. Otherwise, revenues are anticipated to be relatively flat during the upcoming fiscal year. In response to items identified during City Council budget workshops or staff reviews of the draft budget document, minor editing items have been identified and corrected. Some of the items were typographical 'errors and some are formatting changes. None of the corrections are to the appropriation requests or to the estimated revenues or the related tables and charts. The corrections will be incorporated into the final budget document which will be prepared after adoption of the budget. Attachment B describes the minor clarifying changes to the draft budget document. PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Submitted by: Steve Brisco Director of Finance Attachment A: Budget Message Attachment B: Corrections to Draft Budget Document Attachment A City of Rosemead City Manager's Message TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: JEFF ALLRED, CITY MANAGER DATE: JUNE 12, 2012 SUBJECT: BUDGET MESSAGE FOR 2012 -13 FISCAL YEAR Introduction Despite cataclysmic actions taken against cities by state and federal lawmakers, it is with a sense of accomplishment and relief that the City Council will be able to adopt a balanced Budget for the 2012 -13 Fiscal Year. By overcoming an unprecedented $3.6 million deficit, which was largely created by the state's action to dissolve redevelopment agencies coupled with drastic cuts to federal HUD - funded programs, this Budget is balanced through a combination "shared sacrifice" and innovation. Most importantly, this Budget will enable the continuation of vital `core" services to the community as well as an array of special events and programs that citizens have come to expect and enjoy. Although expenditures for operations are projected to be completely offset by anticipated revenues during the upcoming fiscal year, it is important to note that this Budget is balanced with no surplus and some one -time "fill- the -gap" revenue sources. Fortunately, this very "tight" Budget does not anticipate the need to draw from the City's General Fund reserve balance to fund ongoing operations. However, to honor prior commitments, limited funds will again be drawn from the City's General Fund reserves to accomplish the following objectives: 1) long- term financial obligations for retiree medical insurance benefits will continue to be pre - funded in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles; 2) certain bond - funded capital improvement projects will be constructed; and, 3) litigation expenses for costs that exceed normal legal services expenditures will be paid from reserves. The current financial environment under which we are operating is extremely difficult and is perhaps best described by LA County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) Chief Economist Rob Kleinhenz, who has stated that though the economy is recovering both nationally and regionally, it is not growing fast enough. He also noted that while certain sectors of the economy are seeing some growth, "government has not yet hit bottom." With that 1 understanding, each of the department directors and staff members involved in the City's budget process worked under the premise that the 2012 -13 Fiscal year will not be "business as usual ". Updated Strategic Plan and Guiding Principles In January of 2012, the City Council, Commissioners and staff again combined their efforts to update the City's Strategic Plan that was originally adopted in 2009. The Strategic Plan continues to serve as a roadmap in navigating this era of financial austerity and challenge. Through this vital document, the City Council has affirmed three Key Organizational Goals, which are to: • Ensure the City's continued financial viability; • Enhance public safety and quality of life; and • Beautify residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors. This Budget provides resources to make progress in accomplishing these goals. To describe the City's progress and efforts, the remainder of this Budget Message is divided into sections for each of these three strategic goals. Strategic Goal: Ensure the City's Continued Financial Viability Through the Strategic Plan, the City Council has reaffirmed the City's commitment to a set of Guiding Principles for Fiduciary Responsibility, which are as follows: 1. Always live within your means; 2. Employ cost recovery when setting fees for "individualized" services; 3. Use "reserves" only for one -time expenditures or temporary stop -gap measures; 4. When in doubt, contract out (and periodically go out to bid); and 5. Provide for transparency These Guiding Principles provide the policy foundation for the development of a balanced budget in the face of the largest deficit in the City's history. At a time when all local governments are already struggling to emerge from the dire effects of the Great Recession, state lawmakers took sudden adverse actions against cities to dissolve redevelopment agencies effective on February 1, 2012. This action abruptly shifted $2 million in recurring local annual revenues away from Rosemead's revenue base. Likewise, the federal government's own austerity measures reduced Rosemead's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME fund allocations by more than $0.6 million. On top of all that, a pre- existing "underlying structural General Fund budget imbalance" is exacerbated by rising operational costs, primarily for contract services, utilities, and fuel. Consequently, prior to the adverse state and federal actions, the City's operating expenditures were projected to exceed revenues by $1 million. The resulting combined effect of all these circumstances posed a daunting initial projected deficit of $3.6 million. 2 Crucial components in the effort to balance the Budget have included the following. Staff Reductions Through Attrition Due to costly actions taken several years ago, in recent years the City has been faced with the need to "down- size" or "right- size" its staffing levels. The root cause of this problem can be traced back to five years ago when the City was faced with a pressing need to rectify personnel practices that had long run afoul of state retirement laws and federal labor laws. To remedy these legal problems, in July of 2007 the City created an additional 25 full -time positions, and 18 "'/4 time" positions. This massive increase in staffing levels brought the total number of full -time employees to an historic high of 67, supplemented by a total of 18 41 3/4 time" employees, all with costly fringe benefit packages Over the past three fiscal years, the City has made concerted efforts to reduce the number full -time and "'/4 time" positions through "attrition" rather than layoffs. These attrition management actions have included various departmental reorganizations and a voluntary employee "retirement incentive" program. So far, these efforts have resulted in a 20% reduction in the City's full -time workforce through the elimination of 14 full -time positions, bringing the City to its current total of 53 full -time positions. Likewise, the number of "'/4 time" positions has been decreased to an even greater degree. Finally, an effort has been made to reduce the number of part -time employees within the organization through an "amoeba" program described below. Also, to more effectively track and monitor part -time employee costs, all part-time positions will now be listed individually in the annual Budget document. Going forward, attrition management practices will continue to be among the actions considered to gradually erase the existing "underlying structural budget imbalance" in the General Fund. "Amoeba" Organization and Flex Weeks Webster's Dictionary defines "amoeba' as a small, single cell organism that rapidly changes its shape in response to its environment. The City of Rosemead is implementing this concept organizationally through various mechanisms, including labor agreements /resolutions, which will enable the City to become fast responding and nimble in its response to service demands. This "amoeba' concept has two major components: 1) all full -time employees will function as front -line service delivery providers to some degree; and 2) all full -time employees will periodically "flex" their hours and job duties across departmental lines during any given work week to serve at special events or other pressing needs. The result will be far less reliance on part-time employees, enabling the avoidance of full -time employee layoffs or furloughs. Pension Reform and Limitation of Long -term Liabilities Two years ago, the City implemented a "two- tier" retirement system through CalPERS that established a lower pension formula for new hires, and "grandfathered out" a supplemental pension program 3 through PARS. (It is noted that the City's pension reform actions have been limited by the effects of a poor financial decision made by the City in the 1980's not to "opt out' of Social Security, like most other cities in the state. As a result, the City of Rosemead and its full -time employees have the added burden of paying Social Security FICA taxes, even though these employees' future Social Security payments will ultimately be significantly reduced because of their CalPERS membership.) In addition to pension reform, the City Council has proactively eliminated or reduced post- retirement health insurance entitlements for employees hired after July I, 2007. Also, to avoid large payoffs to employees for accumulated leave benefits upon separation, a "cap" on employee vacation accruals has been instituted. Moreover, payoffs of unused administrative leave hours have been eliminated entirely. Revenues The effects of the economic recession continue to be felt as most traditional sources of revenue will generally be flat in FY 2012 -13. Highlights relative to the City's income stream in FY 2012 -2013 include the following. • Property tax revenues are projected to be flat, only $5,000 higher in FY 2012 -13 than the previous year. • Hotel transient occupancy tax revenues are not expected to increase significantly. • Sales tax revenues are projected to show moderate increases over the prior year by $227,400. • A significant source of new revenues is anticipated to come in the form of solid waste and recycling franchise fee payments to the City, without "pass- through" charges to residents or businesses. (This will mark the first time in Rosemead's history that franchise fee revenues have been collected from its solid waste and recycling hauler.) • To generate additional one -time General Fund revenues, the City will seek to obtain additional unrestricted General Fund revenues through the exchange of surplus Proposition A Transportation funds with other jurisdictions. In general, revenues are projected to reflect only modest increases over the prior year. Expenditures Likewise, overall expenditures are projected to increase only slightly. This Budget factors in expenditure reductions in a number of areas as follows: • "Shared sacrifice" on the part of employees will be effectuated through various employee concessions that will result in: no salary range adjustments, no merit salary increases, reduced vacation cash -out privileges, suspension of the tuition reimbursement and employee wellness programs, and the effects of the "amoeba" program as previously explained. (On the flip -side, employees will benefit by the avoidance of layoffs, no furloughs and no reductions in health insurance benefits.) 4 • The contract with the County Probation Department has been modified to eliminate one of the youth probation officer positions at the Public Safety Center. • Community Service Officers (CSO) part-time work schedules in the Public Safety Department have been modified to include only two overlapping shifts instead of three shifts as previously employed. • School crossing guard services will be contracted out to a private company with costs shared with the school districts. (In the past, the funding for crossing guards at the Garvey School District was provided through redevelopment resources that no longer exist.) However, the City's 2012 -13 Budget includes allocations of $25,000 each for the Rosemead School District and the Garvey School District for this purpose. • After-school recreation programs will be consolidated into free "drop in" centers at Garvey Park, Rosemead Park and the Jess Gonzales Sports Park, rather than operating smaller programs at each school site. • Preschool classes will be consolidated into four -days per week sessions at the Rosemead Community Recreation Center and the Garvey Community Center. Fees have been adjusted to cover the costs of these "individualized" services. • The Senior Lunch program will be consolidated into a single location at the Garvey Community Center. (The same total number of meals will be provided as in past years.) • The chamber of commerce subsidy that previously had been paid for through redevelopment funds has been eliminated due to the state's action to eliminate that funding source. • A prior Public Works Department technical services contract has been eliminated from the General Fund. Any such contractual work will be significantly reduced and paid for from sources outside of the General Fund. The combined effects of these, and other, expenditure reductions along with various revenue enhancements are critical to achieving a balanced budget. Reserve Funds While this Budget does not anticipate the need to draw from the City's General Fund reserves to continue existing service levels, limited funds will again be drawn from the General Fund balance due to prior policy commitments, which include: 1) pre - funding the City's long -term financial liabilities for post- retirement health insurance benefits; 2) capital improvement allocations for certain bond - funded construction projects; and, 3) legal litigation costs. The City Council's Fund Balance Reserve Policy calls for the City to set aside funds for a General Fund Operating Reserve. Under that self- imposed fiscal policy, the City is obligated to maintain an amount equal to at least 31% of the General Fund annual operating revenues (a minimum of $5.37 million) in a reserve account for unforeseen expenditures and emergencies. 5 For the 2012 -13 FY, the amount that will be maintained as available for such purposes will far exceed the policy minimum. The City Council - adopted fiscal policies also require the establishment of a revolving Equipment Replacement Reserve Fund to set aside money for ultimate replacement of every piece of equipment used by the City, including vehicles, computers and servers. For the 2012 -13 FY, the Budget contemplates making a full annual contribution to that reserve fund. The bottom line is that the City's reserve funds will be maintained in a healthy condition that will exceed the Council- adopted minimum policy amounts. Economic Development On the bright side, the City's continued focus on community aesthetics and the goal of becoming more "business friendly" are spurring economic vitality and growth in Rosemead. As a direct result of the City's efforts to beautify community infrastructure, improve public facilities, and streamline entitlement processes, commercial property owners and retailers are increasingly expressing enthusiasm to open new businesses in our community. During the upcoming fiscal year, the community should see the opening of new TGI Friday's, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and The Habit restaurants in the Rosemead Place shopping center, and construction of an Olive Garden restaurant near the 60 Freeway. Also, development of a reconstructed Qiao Garden Hotel and an expansion to the Doubletree Hotel are well underway. Each of these and other private sector projects will serve to increase the City's revenue base. Strategic Goal: Enhance Public Safety and Quality of Life The number one funding priority of the City continues to be law enforcement to ensure the safety of our residents, businesses and visitors. The budget allocation for Public Safety includes a 2.23% increase in the annual costs for the Sheriff contract. Key components of the City's Public Safety efforts include the following. Continued Success of the "Rosemead Model " The "Rosemead Model" is a unified command structure that features the designation a County Sheriff Lieutenant as the City's Chief of Police. This innovation has brought about a "unity of command" and common purpose between the contracted sworn Sheriff personnel, contracted county probation staff, City- employed code enforcement officers and other civilian personnel. The success of the Public Safety Department is evidenced by Rosemead's continually decreasing crime rate and arrests of dangerous criminals. Ironically, these reductions in various serious crime categories have continued despite adverse actions of the state's correctional system to provide early releases to thousands of convicted felon PSP's (post- released supervised parolees) back to the streets in Los Angeles County. In addition to statistical evidences, the energized efforts of the Sheriff's deputies and civilian support staff under this unified command structure are apparent in the form of vibrant community- oriented policing and code enforcement programs. 0 Continuation of Deployment Levels on the Streets and in Schools The 2012 -13 fiscal year budget continues to provide funding for the Sheriff's full complement of patrol and traffic Deputies, two Motorcycle Deputies and six Special Assignment Team (SAT) Deputies. In addition, two Deputies function as full -time School Resource Officers (SROs), and a full -time probation officer will continue to focus primarily on the youth of the community. Community Outreach Monthly Public Safety meetings will continue to be held to engage citizens and businesses in crime prevention presentations. In addition, the Rosemead Public Safety CONNECTIONS forum, comprised of citizens, community - based organizations, schools and City staff, continues to combat drugs and alcohol abuse as the root causes of most crimes that plague today's society. Also, the Public Safety Department continues to lead the City's efforts in emergency preparedness and disaster planning. By empowering a Sheriff Lieutenant to serve as our Chief of Police (functioning as the director of the Public Safety Department), Rosemead is able to maximize the financial benefits and abundant resources inherent in being a "contract city ". At the same time, the City's ability to exercise "local control" in addressing problems and challenges unique to our community is enhanced. The end result is high quality law enforcement services in our community. Recreation Programs and Special Events. In addition to public safety law enforcement actions, recreation programs and special events also contribute to the quality of the community. The City's Strategic Plan emphasizes that these programs and events foster a sense of community and quality of life for residents and businesses. This Budget continues funding for popular recreation programs and a full array of major special events in Today's Small Town America, including the 0' of July parade /carnival /fireworks show, the Lunar New Year Family Festival, Summer Concerts in the Park, and the annual Fall Fiesta celebration. Strategic Goal: Beautify Residential Neighborhoods and Commercial Corridors During FY 2012 -13, the City will continue to focus on the admonition: `in a down economy, pave, plant, and paint in order to be ready for the recovery." The past fiscal year was a banner year for beautification and facility improvement projects in Rosemead. The most notable projects included: • Construction and grand opening of the Rosemead Aquatic Center at Rosemead Park, and the Splash Zone at Garvey Park; • Construction and opening of Phases I and 2 of the Civic Center Parking Lot and Downtown Plaza project; • Completion of public right -of -way beautification projects near the interchanges of the I- 10 Freeway and major arterial streets; VA • Completion of the "September l I th Memorial" public art project in the Civic Center plaza to commemorate the 10` anniversary of tragic events suffered by our nation. • Replacement of the HVAC systems and roof at the Rosemead Community Recreation Center. • Replacement and upgrading of ball field lights at Garvey Park in conjunction with construction of a telecommunications cell site. • Sale of the former Glendon Hotel property by the redevelopment agency to privately owned Qiao Garden Group, for construction of improvements that will enhance the surrounding commercial and residential neighborhoods, and place the property back onto the tax rolls. Despite the state's actions to eliminate redevelopment, the City has still managed to position itself well to continue its Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Several of the planned improvements will occur through the use of competitive grants and special revenue funds designed to improve infrastructure and other community assets. Completion of the 2012 -13 CIP projects will enable residents to enjoy new programs and services and to take greater pride in the community. However, the extent to which the full slate of CIP improvements can be constructed during the 2012 -13 fiscal year will depend on whether the state will block the City's ability to use $7 million of existing, locally generated redevelopment bond proceeds. For the answer to that question, stay tuned... In addition, to improve the aesthetics of neighborhoods and enhance private property values, the Strategic Plan includes bold initiatives to encourage and facilitate the removal of blight from the community. Such efforts will focus on removal of blighted conditions such as barbed -wire. front yard chain -link fences, and bars on windows. Conclusion Once again, the City Council and staff can take great pride and satisfaction in overcoming a significant financial deficit to adopt a balanced budget. This Budget will enable the continuation of a full scope of high quality municipal services and special events. In addition, this Budget will facilitate capital improvements to public infrastructure and accommodate private business ventures, which will enhance quality of life in our community. With strategic vision and leadership provided by the City Council, and the work performed by the City's commissions and staff, the City is operating with a clear understanding of our community's values and identity as Today's Small Town America. As affirmed in the City's updated Strategic Plan, Rosemead is a diverse community comprised people and businesses who seek the charms of a small town in the heart of an urban environment. This Budget will enable Rosemead to continue its quality of life as a welcoming and thriving community that honors tradition, unites in diversity and evolves for the future. K Attachment B BUDGET CORRECTIONS The updated version of the Budget document will include minor language changes. The Draft Budget document that was reviewed by the City Council on June 12, 2012 will be corrected as follows: Page 10. The existing second to last sentence will be changed to read: "June 12, 2012 The budget is presented to the City Council in draft form." Page 10. The last sentence will be changed to read: "June 26, 2012 The budget is presented to the City Council for adoption." Page 11. A line connecting City Council to City Manager will be added. Page 14. The map shows the wrong numbers for the facilities. Guess Park is #5 as shown on the legend (not #6 as shown on the map); and Rosemead Park is #10 as shown on the legend (not #2 as shown on the map). These will be corrected. Page 15. First paragraph includes a typo. The text should read 60 percent Asian (not 609 percent); the second bullet the word will be changed to "walkable" (not "walk able "). Page 18. Section on Economic Development. The sentence on the first bullet is changed to replace the term "tax increment" with the term "transient occupancy tax ". Page 30. Under the heading of Shared Maintenance of Jess Gonzales Sports Complex, the words "Fern School" are replaced by "Jess Gonzales ". Page 37. The lines connecting the legend and the data will have improved alignment.