CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION

PROPOSED 2003-2004 OPERATING BUDGET

May 15, 2003

PRESENT: Council Members Chavez, Chirco, Cortese, Dando, Gregory, LeZotte, Reed, Williams, Yeager; Gonzales.

ABSENT: Council Member Campos (Excused).

STAFF: City Manager Del D. Borgsdorf, City Attorney Richard Doyle, Assistant City Manager Mark Linder, Budget Director Larry Lisenbee, Assistant Budget Director Jennifer Maguire, Mayor’s Budget and Policy Director Joe Guerra, Mayor’s Budget and Policy Assistants Julie Shioshita and Jennifer Galliart, Assistant City Clerk Nancy Alford, and Legislative Secretary Susan Davis.

Documents Filed: (1) Hard copies of Public Safety CSA slide presentation. (2) Map and neighborhood list in reference to San José Prepared. (3) Document submitted in support of retaining the “Challenges and Choices” program from a public speaker.

Mayor Gonzales called the meeting to order at 8:11 a.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall to continue the discussion on the 2003-04 Proposed Operating Budget. The Staff’s presentation on Recreation & Cultural Services CSA, and Overview questions were heard on May 14, 2003.

PROPOSED 2003-2004 OPERATING BUDGET

Recreation and Cultural Services CSA (Continued from May 14, 2003)

Referring to Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services and the City’s partnership and collaboration with schools, community based organizations, and parent organizations, Vice Mayor Dando requested Staff return to Council with information on the top third or fourth ranking school or program activities, education, safety components and other services that will continue to be funded.

Referring to the Overview, Section VII, Page 71, Mayor Gonzales requested Staff add to Item Number 2, measures that address the resident and visitor’s evaluation that the City is offering a wide range and diversity of cultural and arts events, and the goal that is to be achieved.

Mayor Gonzales stated in reference to Section VII, Page 72, the residents will perceive that their neighborhood has improved, that it is safer and cleaner, and in regard to the second measure which is the percentage of high school and community crisis incidents responded to within 30 minutes, he requested Staff to raise that target to 100%.

Referring to Section VII, Page 75, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Gregory requested that Staff use nets as the last alternative at Los Lagos Golf Course, and consider using mature trees. Mayor Gonzales requested that Staff should consider Los Lagos Golf Course a high priority, to focus on this issue, and solve it accordingly.

Referring to Section VII, Page 67, reduced lease space and maintaining the current level of service for the Safe School Campus Initiative while reducing positions, Council Member Gregory requested Staff to review position reductions thoroughly, and continue building on the solid base that had been established in prior years. Mayor Gonzales concurred with Council Member Gregory, requesting Staff review this issue very carefully, and begin to consider the elementary schools that are at the highest potential risk.

Council Member LeZotte referred to the Strategic Goals for seniors and persons with disabilities, and the section about the number of residents, and expressed concern that what she has heard from the disabled community is there are many residents who do not know about the programs. She stated one of their major issues is that they are a population that isn’t noticed as much as they should be with regard to their needs, and one of the biggest problems is making sure that people with disabilities and their families have or are aware that there are services out there. She requested Staff to consider adding a question to the survey that measures awareness that programs and services for persons with disabilities are available to the residents of San José.

Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department

On Page 434, The Fair Youth Center, Mayor Gonzales requested Staff to review and re-evaluate the proposed elimination of the mobile Skateboard Park. Council Member Gregory requested Staff to review other sources of funding for the Skateboard Park.

Vice Mayor Dando, referring to Page 411 in regard to community centers, requested Staff to put the Almaden Winery renovation at the top of the list for projects that will be released to begin construction, and to continue efforts to find alternative areas to continue programs and services. Referring to Page 415, Vice Mayor Dando requested Staff to return with information on the budget for the Neighborhood Development Center and the cost of that program. Referring to Page 433, Vice Mayor Dando requested Staff return with the budget amount for the School Collaborative.

Referring to Page 429 Council Member Chavez recommended that Staff integrate all the volunteer programs into one program. In reference to Page 433, Council Member Chavez requested Staff to review the community centers regarding safety issues. In reference to Page 430, Council Member Chavez requested Staff to review the Healthy Neighborhood Venture Funds, and determine whether SAGE funding is included.

Council Member Gregory requested that Staff correct the name on Page 417, South Central Swim Center to Fair Swim Center, and use it consistently in all documents. He stated on Page 433, the Santee Strong Neighborhood Initiative staff would be relocating to the Shirakawa Community Center, and that statement is inaccurate, the Santee staff will not be relocating, and he requested Staff to correct the error. Referring to Page 434, the Fair Youth Center, Council Member Gregory requested Staff to review again the reduction of days of operation from 5 days a week to 4 days, and the issue of older children attending the center, as it is of great concern to him. In reference to Page 446, Parent Education and Resources Link Services Program elimination, Council Member Gregory requested Staff report back on the transition process of this function.

Council Member LeZotte requested clarification on why the Cypress Senior Center fee classes and activities on Page 435 are being eliminated.

In reference to Page 443, Safe Schools Campus Initative customers rating City efforts, Council Member Gregory requested further clarification on what the number “108” referred to.

Conventions, Arts, and Entertainment Department

Referring to Page VII-71, Mayor Gonzales commented it states the City is providing a diverse range of arts and cultural offerings for residents and visitors, and the performance measure #1 is good, it gives an overall viewpoint of resident’s evaluation of the City’s efforts to support arts. He stated the second measure does not seem to give any information about the goal that is to be achieved, and he requested Staff to look at adding some measures that address that point, and forward a report to Council. He stated the measure revolves around the issue, but the issue is the range of diversity of the arts and cultural activities the City is offering.

In reference to the section beginning on Page 101, Vice Mayor Dando requested criteria from Staff regarding how Community Groups Events are rated in order to be funded, and she requested more information from Staff regarding the overall budget of the Public Arts Program, the amount of money spent this year, the next five year’s projection, and the yearly cost of operating the Community Groups Events program. She requested Staff to review the Policy regarding the monies for the Public Arts Program. On Page 114, in regard to the Arts of Cultural Development Performance Summary for the San José students grades K-12, Vice Mayor Dando requested Staff to review this program structurally, and financially. In regard to low attendance at grant funded programs and events on Page 114, Vice Mayor Dando requested Staff to review cost and attendance, and growing attendance with less money.

Roma Dawson spoke on Arts and Cultural Development grants.

The Council recessed at 11:56 a.m. and reconvened at 1:11 p.m.

Referring to Page 114, regarding the performance measurement of 15% of students K-12 participating in the Cultural, Arts and Entertainment sponored program, Council Member Williams requested Staff to review, and further clarify that measure. Referring to Page 115, the number of art students provided education dropping from 30,000 to 20,000, he requested Staff to adjust the figure to be consistent with the previous performance measure.

General Services Department

Council Member Gregory requested Staff to return with criteria on a master contract agreement for gopher abatement in the Community Gardens project.

Library Department

Referring to Page 396, reducing the library branch hours by one day, Council Member Yeager requested Staff to return with a dollar amount for 1/2 day closure in lieu of a full day closure. He requested Staff review the type of programs that are provided at schools and integrate those with the library, and that Library be put on the All Children Achieve Committee Work Plan for the next six months. He requested Staff to keep Council appraised of a potential Ballot Measure for the March or November 2004 election.

Recreation and Cultural CSA CityWide Expenses

Referring to Page 680, Recreation and Cultural Services, Council Member Chavez requested Staff return to Council with a list of facilities that provide services to the arts, with the criteria of what each facility is and a list of the contract agreements of who provides the services.

Referring to Page 680, San José Future Teachers Program, Council Member Yeager requested Staff to review the budgeted amount.

Public Safety CSA

Chief of Police William M. Lansdowne, Team Leader for the Public Service CSA, gave a slide presentation overview summarizing the overall impact of the Proposed 2003-04 Operating Budget on the Public Safety City Service Area.

Suzan Stauffer spoke on the Public Safety CSA budget issues.

Office of Emergency Services

Dr. Frances Winslow, Director of Office of Emergency Services, responded to questions regarding San José Prepared, and distributed a map and list showing citywide dispersion of San José Prepared members, by neighborhood.

Fire Department

Referring to Page 259, the amount of time emergency response staff are spending at the County Jail, Council Member Chavez requested Staff to research this safety issue. Council Member Chavez requested Staff to keep Making Government Work Better Committee appraised of any changes in purchased equipment usage for Police and Fire.

Police Department

Referring to Page 504, the SHARP Program, Mayor Gonzales requested Staff to research whether or not the SHARP Program was included in the Survey of Educators, and how it ranks in their priority of programs. Mayor Gonzales requested Staff to review the measure on Page 506, referring to San José’s crime rate at 30%, stating it appeared too high.

Referring to Page 512, Council Member LeZotte requested confirmation that performance targets were for Tier I only.

Referring to Page 514, Council Member Yeager requested information on the decrease in pedestrian incidents and the increase in the number of speeding tickets issued.

Office of the Independent Police Auditor

Referring to Page 339, the Independent Police Auditor, Council Member Gregory requested Staff to create an extra effort in order to make the public aware of the department’s services and benefits.

Public Safety CSA Citywide Expenses

No questions.

The Council recessed at 5:08 p.m. to meet again on Friday, May 16, 2003, at 8:00 a.m. in Council Chambers, to complete the review of the Proposed Operating Budget, beginning with the Tranportation Services CSA.

NANCY ALFORD, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK