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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1996 0529 CC SPC ITEM 04AAGENDA REPORT CITY OF MOORPARK TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Steven Kueny, City Manager DATE: May 24, 1996 (Special CC Meeting of May 29, 1996) SUBJECT: City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 OVERVIEW The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 1996/97 (FY96/97) is submitted to the City Council for consideration. For the first time in six years, the State is not facing a multi - billion dollar deficit. In the last six years, the deficit in the State of California's budget has had negative impacts on the City's traditional revenue sources. Neither the Governor nor the Legislature is currently considering restoring the revenue or revenue sources taken from the City during the past several years. This year, staff has continued to monitor Sacramento for signs of efforts by the State to balance its budget by redirecting funds which would otherwise have been available to the City. To date, Governor Wilson has proposed a 15% tax reduction however there has been little other information forthcoming from the State. Therefore, it still remains impossible to predict the final outcome of the State's budget process. As a reminder of this impact on Moorpark, the State previously affected the City's budget as follows: (1) In the 1990/91 and 1991/92 fiscal years, the County was given the authority to impose booking fees and property tax administration fees. The imposition of booking fees was subsequently discontinued by Ventura County as part of a settlement agreement with the 10 cities; (2) Phasing in of a two -year elimination of the cigarette tax subvention; (3) Diversion of 50% of the non - parking violation court fines; (4) Reduction of the vehicle license fee (VLF) subvention by 18.75 %; and (5) Taking, in FY 1992/93, of $140,000 of property tax from the City as well as $40,000 from the then- litigation restricted Redevelopment Agency. As a low property tax City, Moorpark did not suffer any further revenue losses in FY Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 2 $40,000 from the then litigation restricted Redevelopment Agency. As a low property tax City, Moorpark did not suffer any further revenue losses in FY 1993/94 or FY 1994/95 but did not have the previous cuts restored. The combined loss in revenue and increase in fees has an impact of nearly $400,000 each year to the City's budget. One piece of good news from the State is SB 681. Signed by the Governor in February, 1996, it permanently repeals the maintenance of effort (MOE) provision from the 1990 Proposition 111. This provision had been suspended since FY 1992/93. It would have required the City to spend $68,197 per year from the General Fund in order to have received Gas Tax and LTF funds. The attached budget was prepared under the assumption that the State would not further redirect City funds in its final budget. For a second consecutive year, no additional revenue sources, such as business licenses, utility users taxes, or NPDES assessments are proposed. GENERAL FUND (001 Total General Fund revenue for FY 96/97 is estimated to be $5,089,721. This estimate is an increase of $136,294 (2.75 %) from the projected total revenue for FY 95/96 of $4,953,427. Total expenditures are estimated at $5,060,254, an increase of $308,163 (6.49°/x) over the projected total expenditures for FY 95/96 of $4,752,091. There is modest overall growth of 3.79% projected for the city's three largest sources of revenue: Property Tax, Sales Tax, and Vehicle License Fees. This modest growth allows the City to maintain existing levels of service in all departments. Two notable exceptions to this general rule are: most significantly, the proposed addition of one 40 hour /week patrol car in the Public Safety budget at an estimated cost of $90,000; and an increase of 56% in hours (1,500 in FY 95/96 to 2,340 in FY 96/97) in the Recreation budget for teen programming at an estimated cost of $7,316. Comparing proposed expenditures with projected revenue for FY 96/97, there is a modest $29,467 surplus. This is a result of the departments continuing to hold the line on expenditures and, as mentioned above, generally maintaining current levels of service. Reflecting on FY 95/96 operations in the general fund, the following table contains 2 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 3 expenditure savings and revenue above budgeted amounts data: ITEM L FY 95/96 BUDGET Revenue $4,807,998 Ex end. $4,858,825 FY 95/96 PROJ. ACTUAL AVAILABLE OPERATING SAVINGS: ADD: One -Time Transfers In from the MRA TOTAL AVAILABLE SAVINGS: $4,953,427 $4,752,091 SAVINGS /(DEFICIT) $145,429 $106,734 $252,163 $649,968 $902,131 The transfers in from the MRA are the FY 1993/94 (a '/2 -year payment) and FY 1994/95 payments of interest under the loan agreement between the City and the Agency. These payments were not realized in earlier years due to insufficient available funds in the Redevelopment Agency Fund. This year, funds to make the interest payments became available, and these one -time transfers were made. Additionally, there were $82,300 in unanticipated income, including one -time rebates for the City's general liability and workers compensation insurance premiums. The above savings represent a one -time availability of funds. The Council may wish to consider the following single -time expenditure uses for this savings (estimated costs, where available, are in parentheses). Please note, this is a listing of potential uses for the savings. It is recommended that this be referred to the Budget and Finance Committee for consideration. Current savings projections would not fund 100% of the following items: (1) To maintain a $33.20 residential assessment rate, augmentation of Assessment District 85 -1 for FY 1996/97 ($225,700); (2) Full funding of the Equipment Replacement Fund ($365,622) from the General Fund (with contributions from the other funds being returned to the general fund at year end or upon availability of funds); (3) Reserve funding for construction of a tennis court at Arroyo Vista Community Park (AVCP) after completion of the revised conceptual master plan. ($50,000); 3 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 4 (4) Construction of an asphalt overlay of the access road at AVCP ($100,000); (5) Acquisition of an Interim Teen Center using modular facilities ($100,000); (6) Funding to address the day laborer concerns ($15,000); (7) Construction of sidewalk/drainage improvements at the Civic Center ($100,000); (8) Installation of lighting for two (2) basketball courts at Mountain Meadows Park ($20,000); (9) Appropriate some of the savings to the Capital Improvement Project Fund (CIP Fund), since no funding has been appropriated to this fund since Fiscal Year 1992/93 ($200,000). (10) Add to the General Fund Reserve (to maintain the reserve at the equivalent of one year's general fund revenues approximately $500,000 would be needed); 01) Consider a one -year supplement to Library operations contingent upon JPA and County actions; (12) Maintain a contingency for the results of the Compensation Survey currently near completion; and, (13) Consider obtaining quotations for completion of the kitchen facilities at AVCP. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 041 The community development activities in Moorpark continue to be funded in large part by developer deposits and funds related to development. 51 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 5 Based upon current actuals and projections for FY 1996/97, the Community Development Fund shall continue with a moderate positive balance. The following table summarizes data for the Community Development Fund: DESCRIPTION FY 95/96 Beginning Fund Balance ADD: FY 95/96 Projected Revenue LESS: FY 95/96 Projected Expenditures FY 95/96 Projected Ending Fund Balance ADD: FY 96/97 Projected Revenue LESS: FY 96/97 Projected Expenditures FY 96/97 Projected Ending Fund Balance AMOUNT $91,447 $909,046 $971,456 - $29,037 $1,424,172 $1,422,501 $30,708 The continuing objective of the Community Development Fund is the ability of the Department functions to remain self- supporting. The proposed modifications to the Chart of Accounts will greatly facilitate staffs ability to track expenses directly to development projects, which will further this self- funding goal. GENERAL BUDGET OVERVIEW In bringing this balanced budget to the City Council, there are fewer changes in departmental operations compared with prior years. However, some areas of particular significance contained in the proposed budget include: (1) There are a number of staffing - related items for consideration. With the exception of the proposed modification of the MRA code enforcement position to an Associate Planner position, none of the other possible full -time positions are included in the proposed budget. The other department proposals include: (A) additional code enforcement staffing; (B) crossing enforcement staffing; and (C) Public Works supervisor/inspector. parking Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 6 (2) Additional part-time position hours are proposed as follows: - 840 hours for Recreation Leader III to serve as a Teen Program Coordinator. This will provide a total of 2340 hours for two part -time positions. This arrangement would make it easier to have at least two staff at certain activities. - Administrative Aide (computer assistant): This will allow the hiring of an appropriately qualified person to do computer - related work such as, troubleshoot problems, load new programs, install new peripheral. devices. Transfer of these duties would save time for the Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Manager, and Management Analyst as well as reduce the consultant's time on the more routine tasks (estimated savings $9,000 /yr.). The professional services contract has been proposed at current levels of service for FY 96/97,- but based upon Council action, the appropriate adjustment would be made. (3) The proposed reorganization evaluation will involve the items in Number (1) above as well as how best to consolidate public information duties. DEPARTMENTAL DISCUSSIONS Following are some of the significant changes on a departmental basis: City Manager's Department (112) An expenditure of $3,500 is proposed for attendance by the City Manager at the International City Management Association Conference in Washington, D. C. There are also additional funds shown for unspecified travel for meetings of $3,600 for the department as a whole. There is also a proposed increase in the mileage allowance for the Assistant to the City Manager (from $1,200 to $2,400) to achieve parity among the Assistant to the City Manager, Director of Community Services, Director of Communit Development, Director of Public Works and the Deputy City Manager. y City Clerk's Department (113) Costs,for the November General Election are estimated at $7,500. There are also proposals to shift some records to off -site storage and upgrade the City's Optical Disk L Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 7 System. City Attorney's Department (114) Contractual services have been reduced by $22,000 to reflect the proposal to continue having the City Attorney attend only one regular meeting each month and to charge for the time at meetings to specific projects and funds other than the General Fund (where appropriate). As in the past, costs to defend or initiate litigation (Special Legal Services) above the budgeted amount are appropriated from the City's reserve as needed. Administrative Services (117) In addition to the previously mentioned Administrative Aide position, it is proposed that the Administrative Services Manager position be 100% funded by the General Fund, with the transfer of CDBG responsibilities to the proposed Associate Planner (Housing) Position. There are also the following proposed expenditures: $1,000 for internet access associated with the creation of the City of Moorpark's Home Page; $1,100 for increased community promotion in the Recreation Guide; and $22,000 for this Department's Portion of the Local Area Network (LAN). Moorpark Cable Television (118) A total of $40,600 of capital improvements are proposed. This includes a surge protector to prevent damage to equipment, new microphones and other upgrades'to the audio system Public Safety (121) While still above the CPI, comparing costs for equivalent levels of service (i.e. excluding the additional patrol vehicle proposed for this year), projected expenditures in this division increased by 3.78 %, a significant decrease in the rate of increase seen in prior years. There is a proposed addition of one 40 hour /week patrol vehicle ($90,000) and a purchase of an additional vehicle ($36,456). Costs for vehicle maintenance are not expected to increase over FY 95/96 levels. Additionally, the City's 7 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 8 contributions for both FY 96/97 and FY 97/98 to the COPS FAST Grant position are funded from an amount reserved last year (FY 94/95). Community Development Department (131) In FY 95/96, the Council appropriated a total of $69,908 for preparation of a Downtown Specific Plan. Work on this project is ongoing and a carry-over of $44,908 to complete this project in FY 96/97 is requested. Additionally, other projects currently underway but not completed are the City -wide Traffic Study ($5,000 carry-over requested), the OSCAR ($5,000 carry-over requested), the Noise Element ($1,000 carry-over requested) and the Traffic Model Usage ($1,000 carry-over requested). Costs to prepare a new Housing Element have been deleted since the work can be deferred to FY 1997/98. An additional $2,000 is proposed to begin scanning maps into the optical disk system. Also, an increase in legal services is included (from $8,900 to $28,400) to address potential need for increased services. The Department's share of the City -wide LAN is $10,000. Public Works - Streets (142) Numerous capital projects and specialized equipment items are included in this division. The street related improvements are all projects previously reviewed by the Council. The equipment items include equipment needed for working in confined spaces (such as storm drain inlets), and airless paint sprayer, a hydraulic crane, and a skip loader. Landscape and Lighting District (143) Based upon Council direction, funding for 560 hours of a Laborer has been added to Zone 8 of AD 84 -2 at a projected cost of $4,732. NPDES (145) The increase in this program is for professional services. Each affected department (Community Development, City Engineer, and Solid Waste) will fund its own staff costs to perform the required work. No income is projected for this program. The General Fund, Gas Tax Fund, and Community Development Fund will support the program. Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 9 Park Maintenance and Improvements (147) Other than costs related to the addition of Poindexter Park and Country Trail Park, there are only minor changes. A City staff person is now trained to inspect and certify backflow prevention devices. This will result in a cost savings for the City. The proposed improvements at AVCP are contingent upon receiving revenue from new development. At a minimum, I recommend proceeding with developing a revised conceptual master plan so the appropriate location can be determined for the desired improvements. The other significant improvement as recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission is lighting of the basketball court at Campus Canyon Park. Recreation (148) As previously mentioned, there is a 56% increase in hours (from 1,500 to 2,340) proposed to staff teen programs. Additionally, $13,000 have been budgeted in the capital account for replacement of the divison's computers. Additionally, due to an expansion of scope in cooperation with the City's DARE program, the Recreation Celebration (held in June) has been increased to $4,150. The July Fireworks Display has been increased to $10,105 (with reimbursement of $5,805 expected from community donations to this event). Community Facilities Maintenance (149) Two major areas of change are noted in this department: A proposal to replace the wall materials in the Apricot Room ($3,000) and tables and folding chairs for AVRC ($4,500). Senior Center (1 5o) Due to a reduction in the federal grant which funds the part -time positions, the General Fund is being asked to provide an additional $2,580 retain the same number of hours. The Senior Center Trust Fund will be askedons to to support operations of the Center in the amount of $2,000, $1,000 of which will be used to purchase a small video camera and tripod. 9 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 10 Emergency Management (162 Overall costs for this division have decreased. However, in the event the Citrus Room is modified for use as part of the Senior Center, costs could increase due to the then required relocation of the Emergency Operations Center. Redevelopment Agency Operations (170) MRA operations have remained relatively stable compared with last year. Two important exceptions are the proposal to spend $400,000 on housing rehabilitation program in the coming year. Additionally, as previously mentioned, there is a request to upgrade the Code Enforcement Officer - Housing to an Associate Planner. The proposed increase in the MRA's housing programs support the upgrade of the CEO Position. The MRA's housing related programs have been very successful and, with the receipt of a $50,000 HOME grant expected to be re- confirmed by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in July and the inclusion of $400,000 in proposed expenditures on housin g rehabilitation in FY 96/97, the addition of an Associate Planner level staff member is warranted. CDBG (180) The proposed shift of housing duties from the Administrative Services Department to the MRA will allow for $15,000 of the proposed Associate Planner's costs to be charged to CDBG. Should that proposal be adopted, also proposed is the 100% funding of the Administrative Services Manager position from the General Fund. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS After making much needed computer upgrades in FY 95/96, the City's General Fund supported capital items have returned to a more modest level. Included in the proposed $131,085 General Fund funded capital items list are: development of a computer Local Area Network ($50,000 total project, $27,500 General Fund), an upgrade of the Council meeting room audio system ($20,000), replacement of 10 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 11 computers /printers in the Public Safety division ($12,400), replacement of computers /printers in the Recreation Division ($13,000), and replacement of the IBM copy machine at City Hall ($8,250). In Public Works (Gas Tax), there is a proposal to purchase a skip loader at $32,500. This piece of heavy equipment can also be used by the Parks Maintenance crews to perform digging and hauling operations. Also proposed in Public Works is the purchase of $11,500 in confined spaces safety equipment and 50% ($25,000) for a proposed GIS system (The additional 50% - $25,000 is proposed to be funded from the Community Development Fund.). As part of the Capital Improvements included in the City's Landscape and Lighting Assessment District AD 85 -1, there are proposals to construct parkway landscaping in several areas throughout the City. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS Continued There are 25 public improvement projects proposed for funding in FY 96/97, the majority of which are managed by the Public Works Department. The total proposed capital improvement budget for FY 96/97 is $10,471,050. A listing of all proposed capital projects is included as Attachment "A." UNFUNDED ITEMS In presenting this balanced budget to the Council, the following items were not proposed for funding: (1) A second code - enforcement officer position; (2) Construction of a facility for use as a Teen Center; (3) A Supervisor /inspector position in the Public Works Department; (4) Costs for relocating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) should the Citrus Room be converted to permanent use as part of the Senior Center; (5) Additional monies for augmenting County library operations at the Moorpark Branch of the Ventura County Library System, 11 Memorandum to the Honorable City Council City Manager's Budget Message for Fiscal Year 1996/97 May 24, 1996 Page 12 (6) Expansion of the employee lounge and construction of employee restrooms; (7) Construction of a marquee sign at 18 High Street; (8) Poindexter Park dedication ceremony; (9) Four Summer concerts; and, (10) Various improvements at AVCP which may exceed anticipated revenue for FY 1996/97 and FY 1997/98; GENERAL OVERHEAD DISTRIBUTION The City distribution of support staff in Finance, the City Clerk's Office, and for the Receptionist was considered for modification in November, 1995, when staff completed the Community Development Land Use Fee Update. Since this time, a study of the actual work completed in these cost centers identified that the November assumption was correct and that the current salaries of these positions be reduced to reflect the actual work contributed. Staff identified that out of 28 City divisions, 27% of the work completed by the Finance Department is directly attributable to the City's Park Assessment District, and the proposal is to transfer these costs to divisions in the General Fund. The study shows that the Community Development contribution to these positions, combined with related expense distribution in the General Overhead, would be reduced by $60,329, and that Redevelopment would decrease by $36,832. These costs would be shifted to the General Fund ($52,195) and Gas Tax ($44,966). Because of the current status of the General Fund, staff recommends that the potential implementation of this study be reviewed by the City's Budget and Finance Committee. FIVE YEAR FISCAL PLAN The City's five year fiscal plan is near completion and will be presented to the City Council in draft form later in the budget process. STAFF RECOMMENDATION That the City Council on May 29, 1996, receive an overview of the proposed FY 96/97 Budget from staff, refer the Budget to the Budget and Finance Committee, and set the date(s) for subsequent budget workshops. 12 a IN 19S 199 L ax 0 0 In In 00 - =� 3 70 3 197 500 0 1 147' 01 I 1421 4 m 1 1