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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2003 0319 CC REG ITEM 09G' q. G. CY ",--V n r'f( ra ^•.)t" �'�, f �Fa;? f3'�'`TA of <f- C-1 SV,0 rvL<2- ZCV-1 � MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL 1 �` AGENDA REPORT 3y- TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Deborah S. Traffenstedt, ATCM /City Clerk 1-105-F DATE: March 12, 2003 (CC Meeting of 3/19/03) SUBJECT: Consider Resolution and Letter in Support of Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) Advisory Committee Exemption from State Directive to Limit Meetings to Once Annually BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION Councilmember Mikos currently represents the City of Moorpark on the SMMC Advisory Committee, which has had a practice of meeting monthly with the SMMC Board (typically, a total of ten or eleven meetings annually). Historically, Advisory Committee expenses have been nominal, since members serve without honorarium compensation, and expense reimbursement has been limited. In the Governor's Budget Summary (see Attachment 1), the Governor directed that all State advisory boards and commissions limit their meetings to one annually. The State Department of Finance subsequently issued Budget Letter No. 03 -02 (see Attachment 2) directing that all State advisory bodies are to limit their meetings to one annually as directed in the 2003 -04 Governor's Budget Summary. Councilmember Mikos is requesting that the City Council adopt a resolution (see Attachment 3) in support of an exemption for the SMMC Advisory Committee and also authorize the Mayor to sign a letter to the Governor (see Attachment 4). �OG162 Honorable City Council March 19, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 2 STAFF RECOWENDATION Adopt Resolution No. 2003- and authorize the Mayor to sign a letter in support of an exemption for the SMMC Advisory Committee from an order of the Governor to require State advisory bodies to limit meetings to once annually. 1. Governor's Budget Summary 2003 -2004, Page 216 2. State Department of Finance Budget Letter 03 -02 3. Draft Resolution 4. Draft Letter 01 (1) C G aj ATTACHMENT Controlling the Growth of State Government (GOVERNOR'S BUDGET SUMMARY 2003 -2004 PG. 216) During the past year, the Administration has intensified its effort to limit the growth of State government by imposing a hiring freeze on State employment and eliminating more than 6,000 positions that were vacant at the end of the last fiscal year. The hiring freeze will continue through this fiscal year. The Governor's Budget also proposes that more than 1,900 additional positions be eliminated as part of the specific program reductions proposed in this budget. These recent actions are in addition to the elimination of 4,100 vacant positions in 2000- 01,and 2,500 vacant positions in 2001 - 02.Summary Schedule 4 in the Appendices shows that much of the State workforce, more than 40 percent, is not under the direct control of the Administration —that is, staffing can increase with or without the approval of the Administration. Included within the remainder of the State workforce are the more than 65,000 positions in the departments whose primary function is to ensure the safety of the public: Department of Corrections, the California Youth Authority, the California Highway Patrol, and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Administration recognizes the important mission of the public safety agencies. Accordingly, the Administration has been careful to ensure that these agencies have an adequate workforce to respond to unexpected crises throughout its efforts to control the growth of the State workforce. While the overall workforce under the Administration's control has declined by more than 1, 800, the number of positions in the departments whose primary mission is public safety has increased by 1 percent over the past year and 7.5 percent since1999- OO.This Administration will be continuing its efforts to limit the size of the State workforce by seeking efficiencies and identifying functions and activities that the State should no longer be performing. Department of Personnel Administration (DPA)Staff —As a direct result of budget reduction proposals and the associated staff reductions and potential layoffs, DPA will experience increased grievance and appeal workload. To meet this additional workload, the Administration proposes 14.5 positions and $1.7 million General Fund in 2002 -03and $1.8 million General Fund in 2003 -04. Health and Dental Benefits for Annuitants —The Governor's Budget includes an increase of $83.9 million General Fund (from $576.6 million to$660.5 million) for vested annuitant health and dental benefits in 2003 -04 due to health premium increases and enrollment growth. Advisory Boards and Commissions —The Administration directs all advisory boards and commissions to limit their meetings to one annually. OC) 164 ATTACHMENT A BUDGET E TT E R NUMBER: 03 -02 rUBJECT: ANNUAL MEETINGS FOR STATE ADVISORY BOARDS AND DATE ISSUED: COMMISSIONS January 29, 2003 REFERENCES: TO: Agency Secretaries Department Directors Department Budget Officers Department of Finance Budget Staff FROM: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE SUPERSEDES: Budget Officers are requested to forward a copy of this budget letter to Departmental advisory board and commission members. As directed in the 2003 -04 Governor's Budget Summary (page 216), all State advisory bodies are to limit their meetings to one annually, if such limitation does not require statutory change. This practice should produce savings and contribute to the solutions to the budgetary shortfall. All advisory bodies are requested to implement this new practice as soon as possible. Per Government Code Section 13337.3 (a) (1), "Advisory body" means every board, bureau, commission, committee, panel, task force, or similar group created by statute or executive order whose principal function is to review, advise, plan, advocate, or promote. If you have any questions, please contact your Finance budget analyst. BETTY T. YEE Chief Deputy Director STATE OF CALIFORNIA �) CICIIJLGS ATTACHMENT 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2003- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, REQUESTING AN EXEMPTION FOR THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY (SMMC) ADVISORY COMMITTEE FROM AN ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA REQUIRING STATE ADVISORY BODIES TO LIMIT MEETINGS TO ONCE ANNUALLY WHEREAS, Governor Davis has stated as a part of his Budget Summary: "The Administration directs all advisory boards and commissions to limit their meetings to one annually "; and WHEREAS, the State Department of Finance has issued Budget Letter Number 03 -02 directing all State advisory bodies to so limit their meetings; and WHEREAS, the SMMC Advisory Committee currently falls under this directive from the Governor and Department of Finance; and WHEREAS, the City of Moorpark is represented on the SMMC Advisory Committee; and WHEREAS, the practice of the SMMC Advisory Committee for the past fifteen years has been to meet jointly with the SMMC Board monthly (typically a total of ten or eleven meetings annually); and WHEREAS, matters of critical and timely interest to the City of Moorpark as well as other cities that value local control are brought forth for consideration by the SMMC Advisory Committee; and WHEREAS, although SMMC Advisory Committee members are entitled to reimbursement for "necessary expenses ", most members do not seek reimbursement for these expenses and as a result the expenses for the SMMC Advisory Committee have been nominal and typically limited to: (1) mailing meeting materials; (2) transportation of the SMMC Advisory Committee members for field trips; and (3) dinners provided to SMMC Advisory Committee members; and WHEREAS, the importance of continuing to meet regularly far associated with the meetings; and the SMMC Advisory Committee outweighs the nominal costs 000166 Resolution No. 2003 - Page 2 WHEREAS, the stated duties of the SMMC Advisory Committee under Public Resources Code Section 33213 are to: "(1) Propose and review projects for conservancy action and report to the conservancy regarding the conformity of the projects with the plan, (2) Review proposed amendments to the plan, and (3) Provide opportunities for public participation. ", and such duties cannot be carried out fully with only one meeting per year; and WHEREAS, such participation is at the heart of representative democracy. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City of Moorpark hereby requests that the Governor of the State of California grant an exemption for the SMMC Advisory Committee from the policy of limiting State advisory committee meetings to once annually. SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the book of original resolutions. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of March, 2003. Patrick Hunter, Mayor ATTEST: Deborah S. Traffenstedt, City Clerk 100J.67 OFFICE OF THE MAYOR March 20, 2003 The Honorable Gray Davis Governor State of California State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Governor Davis: ATTACHMENT, The Moorpark City Council is respectfully requesting that you exempt the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) Advisory Committee from your newly- issued directive through the Department of Finance that Advisory Committees meet only once annually. The SMMC Advisory Committee has had a practice of meeting monthly (typically, a total of ten or eleven meetings annually). They meet together with the SMMC Board and conduct business necessary to this City and other surrounding cities in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties pertaining to preservation of open space land and increasing recreational opportunities in the SMMC Zone /Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor - -of which the City of Moorpark is a part. A number of properties in and around Moorpark appear on the SMMC adopted Work Program or are currently being managed by the SMMC. This underscores the importance of maintaining active City representation at joint SMMC Board and Advisory Committee meetings, to comply with Public Resources Code 33213. The geographic size of the SMMC Zone /Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor is large, spanning at least 60+ miles from inland mountains to the sea and upwards of 1,500 square miles. We believe it is unwise and practically impossible to expect SMMC Board Members to have sufficient knowledge of this entire area without the benefit of timely discussion and debate by the local Advisory Committee members, who best know the local conditions, and are most qualified to provide the necessary information to lead to meaningful SMMC Board decisions based on the best evidence for the many areas under consideration. 300168 The Honorable Gray Davis March 20, 2003 Page 2 Historically, Advisory Committee expenses have been nominal, since members serve without honorarium compensation, and expense reimbursement has been limited. It is our understanding that no Advisory Committee member in the history of this body has ever even requested mileage reimbursement. Therefore, unlike some advisory boards, the SMMC Advisory Committee does not add materially to the cost of SMMC Board meetings. In summary, the presence of the Advisory Committee at each SMMC Board meeting provides important and current input to the Board on projects under consideration. Since the status of projects listed in the Annual Work Program is fluid and constantly changing, a single annual review by the Advisory Committee would be of limited assistance. In fact, the City does not believe that the Advisory Committee can adequately carry out its required duties under the Public Resources Code if restricted to only one meeting per year. Thank you for your consideration of the City Council's request to allow the SMMC Advisory Committee to continue making its valuable contribution through its joint meetings with the SMMC Board. Sincerely, Patrick Hunter Mayor Enclosure: City Council Resolution No. 2003- cc: Senator Tom McClintock Assembly Member Tony Strickland Steve Peace, Director, State Department of Joseph Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Conservancy Honorable City Council Finance Monica Mountains 00169