Concurrent Budget Townhall and Special City Council Meeting August 1, 2020

0:10:08Good morning everyone.

0:10:10My name Greg Lyman mayor of El Rito.

0:10:14I want to thank you all for coming to today's town hall

0:10:19I've been to several many town halls in the last month

0:10:24and half two months six months if you want to go back

0:10:27all the way to February in this town halls

0:10:31set up slightly differently.

0:10:32We're this and you're going to have an opportunity to speak

0:10:35ask questions and talk to us.

0:10:37And that's not necessarily the format of all town halls

0:10:41I've been to You will also have the ability to text us

0:10:45or chat questions to us in the question and answer.

0:10:48So this meeting is not a typical format

0:10:51or the city council meetings.

0:10:53The process for today's town hall will be as follows.

0:10:56Questions will be addressed in the order

0:10:58that we receive them giving priority

0:11:01to those on the web X..

0:11:03Hall today written questions submitted in advance.

0:11:05The meeting will be read in and answered as far as we can

0:11:10and as time permits members of the public

0:11:13can use the raised hand.

0:11:15Feature request to speak or submit

0:11:17a written question using the Q and A feature that's

0:11:21on the side of your computer.

0:11:23You may have to click on the chat button

0:11:27if you're on an iPad for example raise

0:11:30hand icon can be found on the participant panel.

0:11:34Again that's you.

0:11:36You will different software will have different ways to access

0:11:39the participant panel We will not be putting time limits

0:11:43to individual speakers However I'm going to ask that you try

0:11:48to limit your questions and dialogue to no more than three

0:11:51minutes in order to allow others to call and we're up to 40

0:11:54for an opportunity speak and ask questions if they choose

0:11:59to Again our last town hall was February 1st six months ago

0:12:08and a lot has happened in between and you know one

0:12:12of things that I'm hoping that we will hear from the council

0:12:17members are going to hear this town hall

0:12:20is that you tell about your opinions

0:12:25about the services that are

0:12:27were proposed for considering in reducing our services

0:12:32on our June 8th meeting.

0:12:35And Karen's going to touch on some of those now

0:12:38but I wanted to let you know that we're

0:12:41look this is an opportunity for us to hear

0:12:43from you as a community.

0:12:46And now we're up to 46.

0:12:49So thank you for coming and I will hand it over

0:12:52you can say thank you Your Honor.

0:12:56Good morning everyone and I'd like to echo the comments

0:12:59Mayor thank you for being here.

0:13:01My name is Karen because I'm the city manager

0:13:04and I'm going to go through a slideshow that will discuss all

0:13:09of the actions the City Council has

0:13:11taken since the last town Hall.

0:13:14So if Holly you could Give me the ability

0:13:18to share my screen that would be lovely just one moment.

0:13:28Excellent.

0:13:34OK.

0:13:40All right.

0:13:40So as the mayor indicated the last time we had a town hall

0:13:44was exactly six months ago.

0:13:46And our entire world has changed since then.

0:13:50So I'm going to go through some of the things

0:13:52we had started to discuss prior to covered

0:13:55and some of the adjustments you've made since it

0:13:57and some of the concerns frankly that we have as this crisis

0:14:01continues.

0:14:03So very quickly.

0:14:06This is a list of the actions taken to date.

0:14:09And I do want to point out that everything in this slide show

0:14:12has previously been presented to the city council

0:14:16so none of this is new information

0:14:18and none of these none of these slides that you'll see

0:14:21is is new.

0:14:23None of the information anyways.

0:14:25I might put it in a different format

0:14:27to try to summarize so since February the City Council has

0:14:33discussed the general fund forecast including

0:14:35modifications that we had made directed staff to provide

0:14:39a reduction of million dollars.

0:14:41We held a strategic plan open house

0:14:43to discuss with with the community

0:14:45and collected feedback.

0:14:48As far as priorities and goals for the city and we

0:14:52did a mid-year adjustment of the nineteen

0:14:54twenty budget which included six hundred thousand dollars

0:14:57expense projections and those listening who know me.

0:15:01Generally speaking I'm not a fan reading our points however

0:15:05I do know that there are some people

0:15:06on this call that are just calling in

0:15:08and may not see this.

0:15:09So I want to summarize a little bit more.

0:15:11Indeed in March and April of 2020

0:15:14we then declared a local emergency on Friday

0:15:17the 13th March 13th May 20.

0:15:20We declared a local emergency for the cobra pandemic.

0:15:23We closed facilities and canceled programs and meetings

0:15:27for the county health order City Council in April

0:15:30did receive the proposed reductions 2 million dollars.

0:15:33Fiscal Year one that did include a deferral of colas and cost

0:15:39of living adjustment for all bargaining

0:15:41unit subject to negotiation.

0:15:43So what we did is we had to negotiate with all

0:15:45of the bargaining units about whether or not they would be

0:15:48agreeable to defer their contractual obligated raises

0:15:54The City Council received an update on the third quarter

0:15:56of nineteen twenty we discussed projections related to Cove

0:16:00at nineteen economic impacts using the best data we had

0:16:03at the time which now is everybody knows is completely

0:16:06outdated since this crisis is ongoing and then the city

0:16:10Council directed us to amend the fiscal year 2021 budget process

0:16:14to prepare a one year budget as opposed to your budget that you

0:16:17have been doing for the last several

0:16:19cycles That would be considered by July

0:16:21first which is beginning

0:16:22of our next fiscal year Sorry about that in May June

0:16:34the City Council received a report on the actions taken

0:16:37with respect to the budget.

0:16:38This was in response to Cove 19 that we needed to

0:16:42if we needed to impose furloughs on the management

0:16:46confidential and unrepresented group negotiated furloughs

0:16:49with the SEIU bargaining unit.

0:16:51This resulted in a 5 percent 5 percent

0:16:54to 10 percent salary reduction.

0:16:56These furloughs were in effective

0:16:58as of the last fiscal year but they have

0:17:00continued this fiscal year.

0:17:04Management confidential also will be increasing

0:17:07their calipers pension contributions

0:17:10and they have received a reduction in their benefits

0:17:15including a special case like car allowance

0:17:19and some other health benefit adjustments

0:17:23we discussed our priority based framework with the City Council

0:17:26to assist them in the evaluation of additional potential budget

0:17:30reduction strategies.

0:17:32This is going to be put together into a fiscal response plan.

0:17:35Again we're looking at additional reductions

0:17:37so that the city can build back general fund reserves.

0:17:40This is meant to be implemented over the next six to 18 months

0:17:44additionally the city approved its train financing stands

0:17:47for tax revenue and we should note

0:17:49this is financing that assist the city with its cash flow.

0:17:53Again because we have no general fund reserves low general fund

0:17:57reserves this allows us to be able to continue to have a cash

0:18:01flow throughout the year and we adopted

0:18:04a fiscal year 2021 budget.

0:18:07The budget document is actually in process now with staff

0:18:11and amendments will be prepared based on up to date projections

0:18:15by October 1st.

0:18:16Again the original idea was we were hoping certainly by now

0:18:20that we would have better clarity of our budget numbers

0:18:23on our revenues thanks to co bid which unfortunately

0:18:27is not really materialized.

0:18:29So to explain what was in the adopted budget

0:18:32originally the the the proposed budget that staff had

0:18:37considered would have been essentially a 3 percent

0:18:40increase over the past but that is consistent with what we've

0:18:43done in past years so the projected revenues prior

0:18:47to cope and prior to our taking action

0:18:51the fiscal the beginnings, the fiscal response plan

0:18:55would have been forty two point seven million dollars

0:18:57and forty two point six million dollars for expenditures based

0:19:01on our financial position.

0:19:02In addition to the pan Demick and all of the effects

0:19:05that are currently still happening on city revenues

0:19:08we presented the city council with expenditure reductions

0:19:11approximately 4 million dollars April

0:19:13and I will both of those or in just a moment.

0:19:16The city council then again as I stated earlier directed staff

0:19:20to prepare a one year preliminary proposed budget

0:19:22to be amended by October 1 and staff will indeed incorporate

0:19:27strategies from the fiscal response plan

0:19:29once it's completed that provides

0:19:32the original baseline estimate.

0:19:33So now what was presented to the council was general fund budget

0:19:37of thirty nine point four million in revenue which is

0:19:40an 8 percent reduction and thirty eight point six million

0:19:43and expenses which 9 percent reduction so all funds combined

0:19:48if you take the general fund and add all of our special funds

0:19:52which includes things like our streets fund our Integrated

0:19:56Waste Management Fund all of the special funds that are

0:19:58restricted to those things that they exist for the total

0:20:02expenditure for the city would be 53 million one seventy eight

0:20:06thousand two fifty four dollars so I won't go over this chart

0:20:11in detail again this chart was provided

0:20:13to the city council and all

0:20:14of this will be posted online later.

0:20:16But this has been posted online previously,

0:20:19I can draw your number all the way down to the bottom where

0:20:23the general fund revenue number is thirty nine million dollars

0:20:28for post budget for June twenty twenty

0:20:30which is a production from the previous baseline

0:20:34budget of three point three million dollars

0:20:36and a reduction of 8 percent the same is true for general fund

0:20:41expenditures.

0:20:42If you look at the total expenditures line the current

0:20:46now adopted proposed was proposed now adopted budget

0:20:50thirty eight million $6 for expenditures which is

0:20:54a deduction of four million dollars from the baseline

0:20:56budget and a 9 percent reduction further fund balance aligns

0:21:03below that baseline budget would have provided at least a one

0:21:07for one point four per cent fund balance reserve considering

0:21:12the reduction in revenues and expenses we are still looks

0:21:16to be short if you see where says a fund balance there is no

0:21:20in red that says one million four hundred ninety nine

0:21:23thousand That's our shortfall that we need

0:21:25to consider so these are some more details

0:21:31of the reduction by each

0:21:33department now.

0:21:34Again this is the reductions that we're propose prior

0:21:39to bid These were the deductions by department

0:21:42that were presented to the City Council in April.

0:21:45So as you can see city administration reductions

0:21:49included consulting services street banner programs supplies

0:21:52equipment travel conferences printed materials,

0:21:55the amount of one ninety fouls called community development.

0:21:58This includes vacant positions that will be left open

0:22:00for the fiscal year and reductions

0:22:03in consulting legal services contract travel and conferences

0:22:06one forty one thousand dollars finance consulting

0:22:10tech services retiree pension cost financing as our costs

0:22:13are going down or the city's pension fund,

0:22:16which is separate from the Kalpoe pension fund

0:22:18it is an old pension fund that used

0:22:21to the city used to be able to use to use for its employees.

0:22:25It is winding down.

0:22:26That's eighty thousand and reductions the fire department

0:22:30deferring vehicle replacement costs

0:22:32and suspending canceling education,

0:22:34public education programs for a reduction

0:22:36of 80 thousand dollars please department big in positions.

0:22:39So there are several vacant positions in the police

0:22:42department that will be left open for this fiscal year

0:22:45eliminating the SRO which actually

0:22:47was done for us by the West Contra

0:22:50Costa Unified School District.

0:22:52And deferring vehicle purchases for

0:22:54totaled eight sixteen thousand dollars Public

0:22:56Works where public works.

0:22:58Actually the majority of their funding

0:23:00comes from special funds but even still for General fund,

0:23:04they reduced consulting services.

0:23:06They tried they transferred landscape maintenance services

0:23:10to measure H where applicable and suspended programs,

0:23:13including neighborhood traffic management and new streetlights

0:23:15for 150 thousand dollars recreation and reduced contract

0:23:19expenses supplies equipment and transferred

0:23:22any eligible maintenance costs to measure page four

0:23:25sixty Three thousand dollars so a total of 1 one

0:23:28point six million dollars and all of these numbers,

0:23:30by the way, are rounded in reductions.

0:23:35This is computers minute behind This

0:23:45is in addition to the personnel reductions.

0:23:47So the personnel reductions that have been taken to date again,

0:23:54prior to furloughs that were implemented for four coded

0:23:58is you can see each of each of the bargaining units

0:24:03have all deferred colas Now I want to note that this was

0:24:08subject to negotiations because all

0:24:12of these many of these bargaining units

0:24:15were in contract and I just want to note that the bargaining

0:24:20units did not have to agree to we are thankful

0:24:22that they did they.

0:24:24I know that they did that to show leadership and to be 2 2

0:24:28help the city sustain financially so I want

0:24:31to thank them one more time.

0:24:32But there is no doubt that several of them

0:24:35did not have to agree to this.

0:24:37And there would We cannot just impose salary reductions

0:24:41particularly for those types of bargaining units that are

0:24:44in contract So you'll see firefighters public safety

0:24:48management the police Employees Association which is

0:24:52our officers, please management for police chief and police

0:24:58management including our lieutenants captains and then

0:25:02the management confidential which also includes me like

0:25:10all of those include deferred deferred

0:25:13cost of living adjustments.

0:25:15All of our non sworn employees will be subject to furloughs

0:25:19this year again, this was all due to subject to negotiation

0:25:24so that the personnel reductions are

0:25:27two point Four million dollars.

0:25:29You can also see that non personnel at the top short

0:25:33says personnel 28 million eight ninety dollars.

0:25:36That is the total cost for personnel for the fiscal year

0:25:40at this time.

0:25:42And that is actually a pretty even it's as far

0:25:49as last year's numbers because nobody

0:25:51is taking a raise this year.

0:25:54It's pretty much the same as last year

0:25:56as opposed to a 3 percent overall increase, which we were

0:25:59planning non personnel costs are about 8 million seven hundred

0:26:02thousand.

0:26:07So the additional reduction that are under consideration that

0:26:12was discussed as a mayor referenced by the City

0:26:14Council in June I have them sort of laid out by department here.

0:26:20I do want to note that these were from the list that was

0:26:24prepared by our consultant management partners

0:26:28at the City Council has been also looking at

0:26:32has asked the staff to make sure that they're

0:26:33looking at everything.

0:26:36The goal that the city council that the city

0:26:40staff and the City Council sort of working with which again,

0:26:43needs to be adopted with the fiscal Response

0:26:45Plan which will be discussed on August 11th the general goal.

0:26:49We're looking at is about another one point five million

0:26:52dollars in reductions and these are some of the items under

0:26:55consideration including for city administration and city wide

0:26:59passport services public information reducing support

0:27:03and budgets for city commissions and eliminating subsidy

0:27:06for city events including the Fourth of July National Night

0:27:10out in some of the major events that the city has historically

0:27:14put on and paid for through the general fund finance

0:27:19considered is considering outsourcing certain

0:27:22services for fire Rio St..

0:27:24Reassigning the training function in fire in the fire

0:27:28department and police reassigning

0:27:30administrative functions and reassigning certain operations.

0:27:33Again a lot of these would be would also go along

0:27:40with the vacant positions that currently exist

0:27:42or that may exist in each and recreated an reducing business

0:27:47support services eliminating the subsidy for Aquatics

0:27:50and senior services.

0:27:51What that means is that these two programs are subsidized

0:27:57by the general fund if there is a way that we can eliminate

0:27:59that subsidy that would be that that would be what

0:28:03this production would mean not necessarily closing

0:28:07those services if we can eliminate the subsidy

0:28:10and then saying custodial services

0:28:12has also been under consideration we currently do

0:28:14that in-house and so the next steps as again,

0:28:20the mayor indicated on August 11th

0:28:22they the City Council will consider

0:28:24the fiscal response plan,

0:28:26including perhaps any of those on the list that I just showed

0:28:30you on the last slide or any additional reductions

0:28:33or considerations that the council directs its staff

0:28:37to look into currently right now the city staff

0:28:41is developing amendments to the budget producing the budget

0:28:43document I want to note that again, we had expected

0:28:48by this time, if you recall back in March,

0:28:52and then going to June the curve was flattening

0:28:56and we were really hoping that we would be in a much

0:28:58better position healthwise crisis wise, which would also

0:29:02reopen the economy much more that has

0:29:05stagnated as everybody knows.

0:29:06And so we unfortunately aren't as clear

0:29:09and in fact, because the national economy

0:29:11is taking such a big hit.

0:29:13I will note that our finance director Mark Saya

0:29:17was on a call with the California society

0:29:21for municipal finance or CSM info.

0:29:23They heard from the economist from the state of California

0:29:26was actually predicting that it might take seven years

0:29:29to return to 2019 levels So I'm afraid that not only are we

0:29:34in a recession could be worse than that at this point

0:29:38and so even if we're looking at one point $5 million

0:29:41that might not be enough.

0:29:43This is something we literally after monitor day to day week

0:29:46to week and projections are just awful almost

0:29:50impossible to really contemplate at this time,

0:29:53which is not only frustrating.

0:29:55But pretty scary.

0:29:57But we're going to do our best and The idea

0:30:01is to at least present an amended budget

0:30:03to the council at least by September 15 or at least prior

0:30:06to October 1st.

0:30:07We do plan on amending it at the end of every quarter this year.

0:30:10So that.

0:30:11So So this wouldn't necessarily be the last time

0:30:14we amend the budget document based on necessity

0:30:19so that is my presentation.

0:30:21And I would like to turn it back over to the mayor.

0:30:27For the town hall portion thank you so much.

0:30:33Thank you Karen.

0:30:36And so I've monitoring the Q. So thank you for those questions

0:30:44I'm going to I'm just sending a quick note.

0:30:54All right Sherry your hand is raised.

0:30:58So I think we on mute you.

0:31:01And we get to hear your comments and questions okay.

0:31:09Can you hear me.

0:31:10Yes Can you hear me yes okay they

0:31:23I'll start with my comments.

0:31:25Thank you.

0:31:26For not keeping us to tune in.

0:31:27But I promise I won't do much more than that.

0:31:30Well first of all, I want to say I know that you're being

0:31:36faced with some hard choices.

0:31:37And a few weeks ago, I know the county voted to lay off

0:31:41librarians while you're considering

0:31:45increasing the budget a highly militarized

0:31:48Sheriff's Department today.

0:31:51You think you are going to be given

0:31:53some choices about eliminating some of the lower wage jobs.

0:31:57I noticed.

0:31:58That's right up there in terms of contracting out

0:32:01janitorial services on while at the same time

0:32:06you're still pretty much securing the police

0:32:08budget, which represents almost 30 percent of the budget

0:32:12together with fire representing over half of our budget

0:32:15keeping vacant positions vacant.

0:32:18It's not really sufficient action

0:32:20in light of our budget crisis.

0:32:23I think it's time that the police have a smaller footprint

0:32:26in our community, and by doing so,

0:32:28we know that the ECB is one place where we can find some

0:32:32of those dollars and save some of our services

0:32:36I would recommend council direct and you

0:32:38understand audit be conducted over police department.

0:32:42We other policy changes have reduced the number of calls

0:32:45that our police now respond to.

0:32:47I noticed that you have something

0:32:49like that under consideration.

0:32:51But I don't know exactly how your reassignment saves money.

0:32:56So that's a question I have.

0:32:59But I wonder what the officers are doing.

0:33:02Instead if they're not taking the non-emergency calls we know

0:33:07that cove 19 has significantly reduced community

0:33:10events and the overall population migration

0:33:14through the city investigate over time maybe

0:33:18and remove overtime from the budget

0:33:19unless it's approved by the City Council

0:33:22and that's overtime both police and fire.

0:33:25I think there are actually a very that's issue.

0:33:29I think people in the community have been very concerned about

0:33:34I'm also giving them the mayor violent crime

0:33:37that we actually having a community.

0:33:40We really need to look how we're staffed.

0:33:42How many armed police officers do we need.

0:33:47And how can we decriminalize our municipal code.

0:33:51I think an obvious first step is to conduct analysis

0:33:54of the number of calls that nonemergency and that do not

0:33:57require police enforcement or on police officers

0:34:01and a breakdown of the time police

0:34:03have spent on this called and finally translating that time

0:34:06into dollars And then finally, another point,

0:34:10I just really want to make about that meeting non-EU emergency

0:34:14needs in our community because as we change policies

0:34:17we can't just have a gap of services.

0:34:20I I'd like to urge the city council to take leadership

0:34:23and advocate with the people of El Sarita

0:34:25to defend the sheriff's department.

0:34:27And this is at the county provide

0:34:29services for the in-house and those with mental challenges

0:34:33drug abuse and other issues that are nonviolent and social

0:34:37in nature.

0:34:38I've heard from the council several times

0:34:40that the city doesn't provide services the county does.

0:34:44But we're well we if we're expecting

0:34:47the county to do that, we can't sit

0:34:49by and say that as on track.

0:34:52I think the council staff and the people

0:34:55we need to take some action to ensure that the county does

0:35:00provide those services because if they don't, then

0:35:02we are going to done.

0:35:03So those are My comments and specifically,

0:35:07I am wondering what reassign means

0:35:11and how that's the reduction.

0:35:12Thanks.

0:35:18Yeah sure.

0:35:18Thank you very much for your questions

0:35:21Certainly tried to capture as many of those as I could.

0:35:26One of the ones that's there that is a stand out.

0:35:29I want to make sure that we activate our staff on

0:35:31is reaching out to the county to figure out how they can help

0:35:37with the providing some of the services

0:35:39that I heard Sheri asking for and getting the county

0:35:44to to help support some of the services

0:35:48that we're not some of the calls that we're

0:35:50not going out to cahoots program up in Eugene Oregon.

0:35:55It's certainly going to be talk has been talked to us

0:35:58and that's that's actually something

0:36:00that the the county oversees that program to some degree.

0:36:04It's a it's a nonprofit that is hired by the county

0:36:08to go out and do these things.

0:36:10We need to pressure the county into doing these things with us

0:36:17in finding ways that we can work well

0:36:19with them to provide better services to our mental health.

0:36:24So Karen, I don't know if you've already done,

0:36:27or can't think of this.

0:36:28I can't on said the police chief is also on the call.

0:36:31I hope I can capture he and I have talked about extensively

0:36:35and actually we've been talking extensively

0:36:38on all of these topics.

0:36:40I think that all of you may have heard from us from the city

0:36:44council from the police chief that we are absolutely not

0:36:48only open to actively trying to reimagine what our police

0:36:52department looks like in light of of what of these times

0:36:581 of one of the things that we have done

0:37:00is that we as the mayor indicated Contra

0:37:04Costa within Contra Costa County the city manager

0:37:08And as mayors have gotten together and are

0:37:12have created subcommittees to work directly with the county

0:37:15to discuss these programs and what the county can provide

0:37:18and what cities can provide because particularly

0:37:22for a small city like ours.

0:37:24It's hard to do these things on a piecemeal basis on a one

0:37:27by one basis particularly when the county

0:37:29does provide those services.

0:37:31And when I say the county provides those services.

0:37:33I just want everyone to to understand some of what cities

0:37:38do some of what counties do in Contra

0:37:41Costa County in particular cities

0:37:43do not provide social services.

0:37:45There are some that do different levels

0:37:48of working with the county.

0:37:49I know our neighbor in Alameda County city of Berkeley

0:37:52does have its own health department.

0:37:54It does provide social services.

0:37:56But most cities don't do that.

0:37:58That is usually a county function and it is true of that

0:38:02in Contra Costa County on the city

0:38:03doesn't provide health care.

0:38:05It doesn't provide homeless service it doesn't

0:38:08provide social services.

0:38:10We are not we're small and we're not

0:38:12really equipped to do that because the county

0:38:14does provide those for us.

0:38:15So as the mayor indicated and as I just

0:38:18referred to the county and the cities

0:38:21are actively talking on how we can do this.

0:38:23So that it is a consistent application throughout all

0:38:26of the counties furthermore I know

0:38:28that our chief has been in contact with his counterparts

0:38:33in the county.

0:38:34Is there a way to we can do something even

0:38:36on a regional basis and that could be looking at nonprofit

0:38:41in addition to the county.

0:38:42So we are actively exploring those.

0:38:44Finally, I know I've heard from a few of you

0:38:48about the cuts program that is absolutely In fact, we

0:38:51have reached out directly to them

0:38:53and are going to be setting up with them directly

0:38:56the city manager of Eugene is a good friend of mine SARA Marie.

0:38:59And so we will be actively working with them

0:39:02to see what we can learn from them

0:39:04and how we might be able to apply that here.

0:39:06And also Great.

0:39:09Thank you One of the other comments last questions that

0:39:12was in there was had to do with a police

0:39:15department and the independent analysis of what it's doing

0:39:21and looking at the fact that we've reduced

0:39:25changed some of our policies.

0:39:27The police chief has presented this both to council

0:39:29and to that just probably discussed it

0:39:33that town hall that we've changed the way we're

0:39:36doing our services.

0:39:37The question was What if we've reduced the volume of calls

0:39:40we're going to Have we looked at what those officers are doing

0:39:44now and Is there something that that correlates to that they

0:39:48Can you You know is it reduced.

0:39:51Can we get a reduced budget reduce staff out

0:39:54of that absorb just curious if you've had a chance to let

0:39:58the data drive some of the decisions we're making

0:40:01in the police department absolutely that is exactly

0:40:07what we are analyzing we actually

0:40:09have had to have been had we've been doing that previously.

0:40:13Our city staff and our police chief Paul Keith

0:40:15has been doing that analysis of the data

0:40:19in order to realign our services and we.

0:40:22And he and I are working together

0:40:25to absolutely look at every single part of what we do

0:40:29and that would be part of.

0:40:30It's not it's not when it comes to reimagining

0:40:34the police department.

0:40:35It is not only about budget It is about service.

0:40:39And we want to make sure that we are indeed providing service.

0:40:43Can we do it in a different way and can we

0:40:44do it in a cost effective way.

0:40:47But you're absolutely right Your Honor we need to make

0:40:49sure that we're data driven.

0:40:50And we are we are indeed doing that analysis continuously

0:40:55and then I've never heard another question in there.

0:40:58And it speaks to vacant positions

0:41:00whether these vacant positions or in police department,

0:41:02the fire department recreation the question

0:41:05was in about vacant positions affected the budget.

0:41:10And I'm an expert in that question

0:41:12a little bit by saying you shouldn't

0:41:14we be eliminating the position.

0:41:16If it's been vacant for a fair time.

0:41:19What is what is the budget ramifications

0:41:22of a vacant position and shouldn't we

0:41:25be just in some cases removing that position not just

0:41:29temporarily while we have a budget shortfall

0:41:32but consider a permanent reduction We are indeed looking

0:41:38at that and again in as we were going back to starting looking

0:41:45at our financial challenges and then hit

0:41:47Cove it as sort of a double whammy here at that time

0:41:51when we were talking about making sure

0:41:53that vacant positions were kept open it would be

0:41:56for the purpose of being able to restore

0:41:59those services once the city was back on its feet

0:42:03if you will There are it depends on the job.

0:42:07It depends on what that is.

0:42:09There is work that needs to be done.

0:42:11So not every vacant position is created equal.

0:42:16If the work isn't done it needs to be redistributed

0:42:19or backfilled with a contract worker for example,

0:42:24we have now a vacancy in our building

0:42:26division our building official just

0:42:29retired a couple weeks ago.

0:42:30So we are backfilling now with a contract position, which we're

0:42:34hoping will try to save us a little bit of money

0:42:37by not filling that vacancy.

0:42:39But at the same time the work still has to be completed.

0:42:42And so that depends on what that is.

0:42:45I. As is eliminating a position we can look at that.

0:42:49And again, as our economy. if our economy doesn't recover.

0:42:53And we have to make even further cuts that

0:42:56is absolutely something that not only will have to look at that.

0:42:58We may be forced to do.

0:43:01Gregg I want to move on to Tommy tell me you wrote a question.

0:43:05Why is the city using pre coded pre racial justice thinking

0:43:08into addressing the budget shortfall

0:43:10seniors families have been hit hard.

0:43:12We cannot be cutting services instead

0:43:16to police department budgets should be cut by 30 percent.

0:43:19You offered to elaborate verbally

0:43:23if you could raise your hand now if you want to speak

0:43:26otherwise we can take your question

0:43:28as let's say you were muted.

0:43:32So you can actually OK.

0:43:33OK.

0:43:34Thank you Great.

0:43:35Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you.

0:43:39Thank mayor.

0:43:40Yes I wanted to just speak to the entire

0:43:44the mindset of looking at the budget not pre-K

0:43:49the pre racial justice you know you'd look at the budget

0:43:52and look at different parts and cut here and cut there.

0:43:55But as we all have felt we are in a complete neatly different

0:44:00world and city manager because I've spoken to that I mean,

0:44:04we don't know you know everything's up in the air

0:44:07but I know that seniors and families have been

0:44:10particularly hit hard and it.

0:44:12And that's it seems like the that's the last place that we

0:44:16should be cutting and considering cutting

0:44:18And as we know, the police department

0:44:20is almost 30 percent of our budget

0:44:23and the city manager mentioned reimagine public safety.

0:44:28But I don't think we can do that until we've

0:44:31had this outside audit of the police department

0:44:35how time is spent how that translates into money.

0:44:39And we have no public data on overtime.

0:44:42So according so so we can go to other sources as a proxy.

0:44:47But transparent California says that police overtime

0:44:50in California reduced five thousand

0:44:53to thirty Nine thousand dollars a year

0:44:56averaging 17 thousand dollars.

0:44:59I believe we have fifty nine uniformed officers.

0:45:03Is that correct Anyway you can multiply

0:45:08the seven if you take the average

0:45:10and multiply it times number.

0:45:12Know that since we don't have any data

0:45:15Ethernet been providing data by the city

0:45:17or the police department.

0:45:19We will use that as an example of someplace

0:45:23we could possibly cut, but it has to be driven

0:45:28by an outside audit I think.

0:45:31And so again, speaking to the whole environment

0:45:35which we're in for truly reimagined public safety.

0:45:38We have to redirect existing dollars

0:45:41and since theft is the major crime and else

0:45:48we only have a 4% clearance rate.

0:45:50We really need to look at why a know why we're spending

0:45:54the money that we're spending.

0:45:56Thank you Great.

0:45:58Thank you But Jack, I want to thank

0:46:02you for me for your comments.

0:46:03I heard a couple of questions in their I'll

0:46:06start with the one you wrote, which is why is the city using

0:46:09pre coded racial justice thinking and addressing

0:46:11the budget shortfall.

0:46:13The the services were recommended to us on June 8

0:46:18that there's further down.

0:46:21We'll bring those up in a minute art in our broad range

0:46:25of services In your correct Sherry

0:46:28brought up the janitorial right janitorial services Is

0:46:33one of our groups that is lower paid.

0:46:38And it constituted a wide variety of diversity

0:46:42including people of color.

0:46:43And so we need to consider that in our decision

0:46:48making so that is Europe to answer your question.

0:46:53I'm very Comet Come in that the council will be taking some

0:46:58of that new thinking as we go through the budget cuts

0:47:03one of the other questions you had

0:47:04which I think is a little more easy to answer

0:47:06is the number of sworn officers sworn officers

0:47:08are the ones that are essentially in uniform

0:47:11and actually you're not there.

0:47:13All of our police departments in uniform but they're the ones

0:47:16that are armed and in that type of format and I cannot

0:47:20believe the numbers in the 30s.

0:47:23We have can I can grab the chief if I'm saying this wrong,

0:47:29but we have thank you Chief we have 45 sworn.

0:47:33We have 30 nine filled right now.

0:47:37So if thirty nine sworn officers as of right now.

0:47:41So OK.

0:47:44You guys know I like to do my math.

0:47:46Thirty nine forty five.

0:47:47We're at 80 six percent.

0:47:50Field positions.

0:47:52OK.

0:47:54Next is Michael Freeman Mayor if I may.

0:48:00There is actually one question about that GDP.

0:48:04Yep.

0:48:04GDP Gini rates.

0:48:07How can we adjust the budget to keep the city's

0:48:09financial health afloat in the next few years

0:48:12while absolutely prioritizing the most vulnerable low income

0:48:14members of our community.

0:48:17Jeanie you also wrote us an eloquent letter Thank you.

0:48:21I'm gonna build on that letter as well to expand this question

0:48:25to the people know what you mean by low income

0:48:28members of our community, and I'm actually

0:48:30going to then expanded a little bit more

0:48:32based on the question we just had our community involves both

0:48:37the residents that live in Naples Rito as well

0:48:39as the employees and the most vulnerable

0:48:43would be include the low income people

0:48:46color and renters and so weather and as well

0:48:50as our janitorial staff are some of the teachers

0:48:53that we have at daycares and our part time staff that do

0:48:58work at the pool and work in the rec program.

0:49:00So as I just said, I know the council is definitely

0:49:05going to be looking at the ramification

0:49:08of the additional cuts that we're looking at to make sure

0:49:12that we are not necessarily impacting

0:49:14our seniors our youth are people of color

0:49:20that in both communities.

0:49:22But the residents and our employees.

0:49:24And I don't know I hope that answers

0:49:29the question I know for me, I am definitely

0:49:36sensitive to this issue.

0:49:40Thank you Holly for reminding me GDP.

0:49:43Michael Michael Freeman Michael, you

0:49:47say you ask please provide the amount of reductions

0:49:51to each department as a percentage

0:49:53of their previous year's budget and we can not

0:50:00finished the budget as Karen alluded to,

0:50:03we are considering additional cuts.

0:50:06So there will be changes to the numbers

0:50:08that we verbally estimate today.

0:50:12Based on the actual cuts that come up over the next month.

0:50:16I I know we're looking at more than 10 percent.

0:50:22I can't say it's exactly across the board

0:50:25and that's why your question is a good question because it's

0:50:27going to be different in different departments

0:50:30and some departments will have greater reductions cuts

0:50:33than others and Karen, I don't know if you can ballpark today

0:50:37or certainly I know you're going to make a commitment

0:50:40to providing this information in the budget

0:50:43as we get into September.

0:50:45Absolute and I think what you said actually is a bit of a Y

0:50:52the council has chosen to take the path of looking

0:50:56at a fiscal response plan as opposed

0:50:58to say just giving across the board 10 percent cuts

0:51:03and that's why some of the feedback that we've received.

0:51:06And the feedback we're receiving today

0:51:07is so valuable is that, again, it's pre post covered

0:51:11pre post you know everything right now so things have

0:51:15changed dramatically which is requiring us to adjust

0:51:18but the basis of the fiscal response plan

0:51:20is meant to be priority based budgeting

0:51:23and it is meant to be to understand make sure that it is

0:51:27by program as opposed to cutting 10 percent of every budget that

0:51:30doesn't that doesn't necessarily equal

0:51:33the right amount of What services do need to be reduced

0:51:37and again,

0:51:38prior to a lot of this a lot of our surveys

0:51:41a lot of what feedback that we received from the community

0:51:45had public safety ads is very highest priority.

0:51:49I don't think that that's necessarily changed.

0:51:51But I think some of how we how we deploy what that means has

0:51:55changed, which requires to take a closer look at the same time

0:52:00we are trying to get to what the core priorities are

0:52:03the core services that we need to make sure we're providing

0:52:07particularly right now with less resource

0:52:10is some of the things we must do some of the things that

0:52:13are the priority versus some of the things

0:52:16that are really great.

0:52:17But maybe we can put those aside for the time being

0:52:21until we can get back to financial financial stability

0:52:33All right So the next two questions.

0:52:38One from Pearson from Michael and Karen,

0:52:40I want to ask you to bring up the June 8th presentation

0:52:45and share your screen so we can speak

0:52:47to this specific questions here.

0:52:49One question is what does a reduction

0:52:52in the budget for public information,

0:52:54look like in practice.

0:52:55I think that the presentation has some of that in it.

0:52:59And the question from Michael is what are the police departments

0:53:03certain operations you you truncated some

0:53:06of the information from June 8 in your presentation

0:53:10in Michael's asking for a little more details hoping that you

0:53:12can bring up the June 8th presentation as so that we can

0:53:19think it seems like Slide 20 I think you might just fly

0:53:24through this down to about Slide 20

0:53:26is where the details are Thank you Holly I knew from Tommy

0:53:38is doing it, not me Keep going Holly,

0:53:42it's a little further down to pass

0:53:44the criteria little further here it is so does this one.

0:53:54So here are some of the police ones

0:53:56reduce special enforcement services

0:54:00reduced dedicated traffic unit.

0:54:02And so Can you speak to how these would be reassigned

0:54:07somewhere else that would be Michael's question

0:54:09about certain operations being reassigned again,

0:54:15since this is all still in progress and what that.

0:54:18But essentially what that might mean

0:54:20is particularly when it comes to some administrative services

0:54:24or reassigning officers to other to other duties that would be

0:54:31one of if This is the direction of the city council

0:54:34for us to look at reducing further the you know

0:54:38the budget with respect to some of these programs

0:54:41again, that could be anything from, say

0:54:44some administrative duties that are taken care of by sworn

0:54:47officers that could be either disseminated amongst others

0:54:50or provided by a non sworn officer.

0:54:52That's that's just an example.

0:54:57Special law enforcement services a dedicated traffic unit

0:55:01although the dedicated traffic unit shown on this

0:55:04was not necessarily recommended by the certainly

0:55:06by the consultant, but that, of course,

0:55:08is up to the city council at the end of the day.

0:55:10But again, some of the what could be provided by non sworn

0:55:18staff as opposed to some foreign staff in the second one

0:55:22down here is reduced public information.

0:55:24Can you speak to that that would answer Pearson's question.

0:55:27So currently, we have staff members

0:55:29that do that that handle public information city wide.

0:55:34That would be reduced We're looking at, for example,

0:55:38we send out newsletters we send out our brochure tours

0:55:43we send out mailings we do.

0:55:45We're active on social media.

0:55:47We provide a website.

0:55:48If there isn't a dedicated public information

0:55:51function than that.

0:55:53All those duties would have to be disseminated

0:55:55amongst other staff members.

0:55:57Great.

0:55:58Thank you Sarah, you raised your hand some time ago.

0:56:05We're working our way through sir.

0:56:08We we're going to mute you so you can speak to us.

0:56:12Thank you so much.

0:56:14I appreciate you're taking public comments.

0:56:16I mean, you're a resident I've been here for about Two years

0:56:21and kind of in support of what some of those

0:56:24have been talking about as you make this a I know that we've

0:56:32talked about the police taking a step back addressing

0:56:35nonviolent non-emergency social issues in the community

0:56:38and knowing as these roles are stepped back from police.

0:56:40We know that that's potentially a place

0:56:42to find more budget and more dollars

0:56:44to save some services that truly grow our community wellness

0:56:48in a very positive way.

0:56:50And a know that this pinkos or manager ghost has mentioned

0:56:55some analysis around the amount of resources that are currently

0:57:00going into those calls.

0:57:01Wondering if that analysis is reflected

0:57:03in the budget proposals that we saw at the very beginning

0:57:06of this call.

0:57:07And if not, you know when and how that might come into play.

0:57:12And and show up in the recommendations also.

0:57:17You mentioned that it's not just about budget

0:57:19thinking about how to deliver services

0:57:21that is so relevant and true.

0:57:22And I would add to that.

0:57:24It's about who delivers services rather than looking at OK.

0:57:28So we have some free will.

0:57:29And I have no idea that if this is how it's being looked at.

0:57:32But like, OK.

0:57:33We can free up some budget.

0:57:34And that's how else we spend it within the department.

0:57:37OK, we can free up some budget from this

0:57:39should it be a police budget should

0:57:41it go to a different organization

0:57:42and provide services differently Additionally mentioning

0:57:46that public safety is the top priority for the community

0:57:49and really hearing that also wanting

0:57:51to note that public safety doesn't necessarily

0:57:54mean police right there.

0:57:55There are many people for whom police

0:57:58don't make them feel safer.

0:58:00And so thinking about what public safety means, especially

0:58:05as we're considering this new environment just

0:58:09all being part of the consideration how

0:58:11do we deliver public safety.

0:58:13So I appreciate the time for common.

0:58:16Great.

0:58:17Thank you, Sarah And I'm going to speak to your last piece

0:58:24first. which was public safety, public safety.

0:58:28It does include for example, our building department

0:58:32is public safety We go out and we

0:58:34do code enforcement in buildings to make sure that buildings are

0:58:37safe not only for you to live in while you're there but

0:58:41or why you're visiting a business,

0:58:43but also when you sell it.

0:58:45The next person and the next person

0:58:47will have a safe building.

0:58:48That's an that's an example of public safety.

0:58:51Our public works.

0:58:53Make sure that our roads don't flood.

0:58:55So we public safety and our public works department

0:58:58put fire of course, is public safety

0:59:01and polices also public safety.

0:59:03There is a town in in Kentucky that is experimenting

0:59:06with or it has been for the last couple of years using

0:59:12non armed people to make certain calls and certain responses

0:59:16We have some people that fit that description

0:59:20in their community service officers.

0:59:22And so Karen, I don't know if you want speak to community

0:59:26service officers now.

0:59:27But I want to make sure that we get

0:59:28serious question or specific question

0:59:32is as well as we reimagine the police department

0:59:36and we start changing how we respond to certain calls.

0:59:41How will the assumption is that there will be budget

0:59:45savings as a result of that.

0:59:47How will those budget savings show up in the budget

0:59:51as we go forward.

0:59:52Not maybe not this budget in September.

0:59:54But maybe as you said quarterly changes in maybe

0:59:57in the December version or the march version Can

1:00:01you speak to how the police know know

1:00:06changes in the police apartment will show up in the budget.

1:00:11I can speak to how reductions will shop in the budget

1:00:13because it's not just about the police department although I

1:00:16know that there's a lot of focus on the police department

1:00:18right now.

1:00:19But on the idea behind a lot of these reductions

1:00:23are meant to try to build our general roads.

1:00:25And so yes, they will be considered

1:00:29within the next budget cycle we bring come back to the city

1:00:33council to prepare the budget document bring that we'll

1:00:36be doing that analysis.

1:00:38But it's important to remember that the police

1:00:41department doesn't have.

1:00:43They have a departmental budget that

1:00:44is part of the full general fund of the city.

1:00:46They don't have their own budget.

1:00:48It's part of it.

1:00:49It's one general fund that they're funded through.

1:00:52So if general fund dollars are not

1:00:54going to the police department.

1:00:55They're going to be saved.

1:00:57And put into reserve they're going to go elsewhere

1:00:59and the idea right now is to make sure that we're reducing

1:01:02in order to build a reserve back if we're looking at going

1:01:05to the county or hiring a nonprofit to do some

1:01:08of these other services that's not

1:01:10going to be a savings at all.

1:01:11So I just want to make sure that it's clear that as we're

1:01:14talking about all of this.

1:01:16I want us to be really thoughtful in how we do this.

1:01:19We you know this is systemic change is a big deal.

1:01:24But just only focusing on one part of the equation

1:01:27is not necessarily going to do the trick.

1:01:30We have to be able to look at everything

1:01:32we have to be able to look all of what we're

1:01:34able to provide as a service.

1:01:36But again, our goal right now is not just tackle how

1:01:40we can do operations better.

1:01:41I would argue that that I want to do that every department

1:01:45not just the police department.

1:01:46But right now our Our goal is to try

1:01:48to build our general reserves back so that we don't have

1:01:51to continue to worry about our financial stability All right,

1:02:00thank you Our next comment comes from Alissa

1:02:06it's a comment tell me.

1:02:09Thank you for your question.

1:02:11I have been very concerned about the same thing.

1:02:13And not understanding why the police budget in the city

1:02:15administration budgets aren't at the center of the cuts

1:02:17and why seniors kids and families are paying

1:02:19the steepest price as we discussed a few minutes ago

1:02:24in responding to Pierson and Michael's comments

1:02:27the police and administration is on the table.

1:02:31They're just certainly when you are

1:02:35getting email from your peers in the community.

1:02:38It's going to they're going to focus on save the seniors save

1:02:42the library save recreation save aquatics

1:02:46toh they're all in the mix they all have different value.

1:02:53I believe the passport service's which is part of a city's city

1:03:01restorative service is 15000.

1:03:04It's estimated to be about fifteen thousand dollars

1:03:05savings and so that's they all have different levels

1:03:10of contribution to the budget And so we're

1:03:12going to be looking at those in detail

1:03:15with our fiscal response plan This is my opportunity

1:03:18to plug that we will be having a special meeting starts at 4:30

1:03:23on Tuesday, the 11th, you're all invited to be at that meeting

1:03:27and that's where we will be taking

1:03:29on some of the details of that.

1:03:33June 8th presents that Holly and Karen had up a few minutes ago

1:03:38Your Honor can I make one more point with that on again, all

1:03:42of these items were discussed You know, they were

1:03:49contemplated pre-cut although the presentation

1:03:51was done in June.

1:03:53Again things have shifted so one of the things that we also need

1:03:57to take consideration on August 11th and ongoing

1:04:01is are we even able to provide those services right now.

1:04:04So we're not able to provide Senior Services much more than

1:04:08delivering meals to seniors Right now,

1:04:11we cannot have programs.

1:04:12That's per the county health order,

1:04:14but not even per the county health that is indeed

1:04:16one of our most vulnerable populations

1:04:18and I want to make sure that we keep them safe healthy.

1:04:23So we're not looking opening our Senior Center anytime soon.

1:04:27And we actually might need to make a determination

1:04:29that you know the way we're going it might

1:04:34not be for quite some time.

1:04:35So we're not going to be able to provide

1:04:37those services, which actually does provide us some savings.

1:04:40Ironically same with aquatics aquatics

1:04:43has completely shifted for those of you

1:04:44who are very happy that we've been able to reopen the pool.

1:04:47The only reason we were able to reopen the pool

1:04:49because the county health order allowed

1:04:51to it for some reason county health order

1:04:55restricts it again.

1:04:56Then we don't really have a choice.

1:04:58So that also is something the side file is on the as well

1:05:05as on the expenditure side.

1:05:07Child care is another example child

1:05:08care right now is just huge necessity in the community.

1:05:11We totally recognize that.

1:05:12Well we're also limited as to what we can even provide.

1:05:15So I just want to make sure that we're federation that you know

1:05:20it might have a it might have an additional impact

1:05:24of some savings but some of the services

1:05:27we literally might not be able to provide

1:05:29because of health issues and not because of budget issues.

1:05:32So we need to take that into consideration.

1:05:37All right Raya your hand is up we're

1:05:41going gonna come to you at this time All right.

1:05:45Well first of all, thank you Both of you

1:05:49and everyone who has set this up and everyone

1:05:51who's commented already.

1:05:53I really appreciate getting answers

1:05:55to all of these questions.

1:05:57I also really appreciate the up to you

1:05:58to speak in a complex situation like the one we are.

1:06:03I think like calling it complex is maybe a bit understatement.

1:06:07It having more information and more

1:06:09conversations is always better.

1:06:12I'm really excited about what I've

1:06:13heard about the city working with the county

1:06:17and insisting that we receive services that

1:06:19actually address our needs.

1:06:21I'm excited and very encouraged to hear about the city

1:06:24collab rating with neighbors.

1:06:27I'm excited that you're in conversation cahoots

1:06:30and that the city is open to being creative and innovative

1:06:33with how we move forward.

1:06:35I would encourage the city to look seriously

1:06:38at all of our big budget items, including

1:06:41city management, which as all has already been stated already

1:06:45is.

1:06:45It sounds like, as well as revisiting

1:06:48how to increase the fiscal efficiency of the fire

1:06:51department given the tasks that they respond to most of which I

1:06:54understand are medical concerns and of course, the police I'd

1:07:00like to make a comment on the phrase defends the police

1:07:05and why I think that's an important and valuable thing

1:07:11to bring up in these times.

1:07:12I know some people do not like the phrase

1:07:15and can create a little defensiveness

1:07:17in people at times.

1:07:19So I would like to both defend it.

1:07:23And encourage the city to continue to listen and really

1:07:26lean into these conversation as one of the valuable messages

1:07:30of the phrase defund the police is that not only do we need

1:07:34to support services that prevent and address

1:07:36harm in our community.

1:07:37But we as residents would like to see

1:07:40those programs act distinct from the police department.

1:07:44We do not want police officers to be responding

1:07:47to mental health crises nonviolent

1:07:48offenses neighborly disputes just as we

1:07:52do not want police in schools.

1:07:54This is not about any one police officer everything

1:07:58that I have gleaned about individual police officers

1:08:01in Serino for the most part has been pretty positive compared

1:08:05other places that I have lived what this is about is

1:08:09about the police and criminal justice system

1:08:11and that it is set up to address problems in a particular way.

1:08:15And that is it is a system from its design

1:08:18makes it very easy to have antagonism between the police

1:08:22and the people they are engaging with

1:08:24and unfortunately, that an antagonism

1:08:26is Hoffman regardless of whether the officer and person

1:08:30that they're engaging with actually

1:08:31wants it to be antagonistic I know

1:08:35that this tension is felt not only by residents

1:08:37but by officers as well.

1:08:40Many of the officers that I have known throughout my life.

1:08:44And you know people Marilyn and you mentioned this as well.

1:08:48Many officers do not like responding to situations that

1:08:51are not an eminent crisis because that is not

1:08:54what they are trained for when we send police officers

1:08:57into those situations often we are not setting them up

1:09:00for success.

1:09:02We also have decades of evidence across the country that police

1:09:05are not the solution to many of the challenges

1:09:09that any community faces.

1:09:11We know that communities with fewer resources and fewer

1:09:14services struggle more.

1:09:16And that is true across the across the country

1:09:18and across demographic.

1:09:20We also know that those places have more police

1:09:23and are policed more heavily, especially

1:09:26relative to reduce services.

1:09:29That tends to exacerbate problems.

1:09:33I personally have lived in many places

1:09:35all over the country with different levels

1:09:37of available resources I've lived

1:09:39in areas that are in a recession even when the rest

1:09:43of the country is booming.

1:09:46And in all of those experiences the places that I have lived

1:09:49that have had the healthiest community is the places where

1:09:51you can really trust your neighbors and people feel

1:09:54optimistic about their environment

1:09:56a place that they lived all of these places and all

1:09:59those places regardless of the overall amount of resources

1:10:03they had or places that prior retired services that builds

1:10:07community and serve residents such as the library Senior

1:10:10Services and of course, the types of crisis

1:10:13and medical responses that have been brought up by others

1:10:16already I understand that the city is in a vulnerable spot

1:10:20right now to put it mildly.

1:10:23I moved here with my spouse a little over a year to go.

1:10:27And we instantly fell in love with the area and with Sarita

1:10:32in particular, we are planning to stay

1:10:35here to raise a family here.

1:10:37And so seeing the state of things there and is concerning.

1:10:41And I believe it's exceedingly important at this particular

1:10:46moment to make sure that our priorities and values are

1:10:49clear with how we move forward.

1:10:51I think that both both of you have touched on this a little

1:10:55already.

1:10:55But I'm curious what the city's poverty values are like.

1:10:58Do you have those stated out somewhere and specific

1:11:01How have those changed or how are they changing in response

1:11:04to current events both Kobe nineteen and of course,

1:11:08the Racial Justice and anti police brutality movement's

1:11:15Breyer thank you I think that your comments are or about

1:11:21How are police officers perform.

1:11:26Is welcomed in the obviously, we hear and also read all.

1:11:31We're very proud of our well-educated ended police

1:11:35force We value education.

1:11:39I think it's a percent health college degrees and many have

1:11:42advanced degrees above that.

1:11:44So we're dealing with a highly educated police force that

1:11:48does fantastic work for us.

1:11:50And young they take their job seriously and We appreciate it.

1:11:56And so your comments about defund the police is is broader

1:12:02entry to a discussion is is welcomed thank you

1:12:08for acknowledging that our police

1:12:10officers and our firefighters have a very challenging job

1:12:14on their hands and that they put their lives in the way for us

1:12:21on a on routine basis.

1:12:23So that that's something that we as a community

1:12:26still need to acknowledge that these people are willing to put

1:12:28their lives on the line, and we need

1:12:32to figure out how to deploy them in a way that makes sense.

1:12:37They're you know they're not putting other people's lives

1:12:42in harm's way, as they do things that they

1:12:45don't necessarily need to do.

1:12:48You know the one I've been using is the best example is a couple

1:12:53years back the council you know put into place

1:12:57a smoking ordinance smoking is not legal in Eldorado

1:13:02in multifamily homes but essentially in parks, or even

1:13:06on the street and the question was,

1:13:08how are we going to enforce And the answer was not.

1:13:14Well, because it's the police are loathe to approach somebody

1:13:19who's smoking with that being a touchpoint

1:13:22for it to turn into something that

1:13:25is not desirable by any of the people The current norms.

1:13:31So even that audience has been on a lot

1:13:34on the books for many years.

1:13:37The police have never really enforced it

1:13:39because of exactly the type of interactions

1:13:42that they're trying to avoid at this time.

1:13:47You had a specific question in there, which

1:13:52was about our priorities This year,

1:13:55we were supposed to be doing a look at our strategic plan

1:14:01in the strategic plan is where we state our priorities.

1:14:05And so we were supposed to do that.

1:14:07And I would challenge the city council when their new city

1:14:11council is seated in December to pick up the strategic plan

1:14:17and work on it as it will define the priorities going forward

1:14:23as we do different budget issues.

1:14:26So I would I would strongly challenge

1:14:29that on the city council.

1:14:31Once you're seated to pick up the strategic plan

1:14:34and look at that and talk about the priorities of our city

1:14:39as we go through the next four or hopefully not seven

1:14:43Karen stated in her preamble years

1:14:47of trying to figure out how we're going

1:14:48to scrape our pennies together.

1:14:50And what we're going to spend our pennies on going back

1:14:52to the twenty 14 budget analysis when we actually

1:14:56had physical meetings where we had out pennies and people

1:15:01to put their pennies where where they wanted we actually

1:15:05now we'll have to be looking at pennies dollars

1:15:09very tightly over the next four to 4, 5 years.

1:15:13And so that is something that we need to look at.

1:15:18But the strategic plan is the document

1:15:20that does do exactly what you were asking Ray which

1:15:24is how we state our priorities and how

1:15:29we change our priorities.

1:15:30Staff makes presentations to us about the strategic plan

1:15:34on with that Talia is next.

1:15:42And Talia I believe is a source beaker yes.

1:15:46Tali is a speaker so let's on mute Talia this time.

1:15:50Hi.

1:15:51I just honest say I'm a new resident Syria.

1:15:55I we just kind house here and This is our first

1:16:00you know Paul into this meeting.

1:16:05I'm really impressed by the other callers here.

1:16:08It makes me very happy that there

1:16:12are conversations like defend police and reallocating budget.

1:16:16And I want.

1:16:18Thank you for not cutting time on people.

1:16:22And spending the time on a Saturday morning

1:16:24with the community.

1:16:26Yeah I just want to say that you know all these conversations

1:16:30are so or end and I think also one thing

1:16:37that keeps coming is saying reimagining the police

1:16:42and reimagining the police.

1:16:44The thing is the imagining that that it sounds vague

1:16:48and it sounds overwhelming to me and I'm sure it's

1:16:51overwhelming to other star staff and city workers

1:16:55and The thing is that that work has already been imagined it's

1:16:58already been done and it's already been in the works

1:17:00for decades.

1:17:01And so I was just curious.

1:17:03I know you've mentioned in Kentucky

1:17:06and maybe some other models.

1:17:10But what other anti-racist groups are you

1:17:13looking at other trainings are you looking

1:17:17and the anti police terror project has a great kind

1:17:23outline of how we could go about this work

1:17:27and they're working so hard in Oakland to do this.

1:17:30So Yeah I just wanna thanks again.

1:17:33And it's great to hear.

1:17:35And I am already feeling pride for El Cerrito so nice

1:17:39to be here.

1:17:40Thanks so much call you.

1:17:43You're welcome tell straight thank you for moving here

1:17:46and read it on us extend the same to you Thank you

1:17:50for coming to El Cerrito with your partner and end

1:17:54in considering raising your family here

1:17:56that that's it's great news to read all that we're we are

1:18:01still highly attractive place for people

1:18:04to come and live elsewhere.

1:18:06I think of it as a small town in a big city environment

1:18:09and so you know that's great news.

1:18:14I tell the question I heard from you is what type of training

1:18:19you know what training are we looking at.

1:18:21Anti-racist S.I. police terror training

1:18:25are we looking at an expand a little bit more.

1:18:28And it's as we imagine a future police force or even

1:18:34a future public safety response mechanism

1:18:38The Department what type of input

1:18:42are we going to get whether it's from the anti police

1:18:46terror assisting Oakland or something else.

1:18:51What is the questions I'm going to make slightly bigger

1:18:54and say, what is the process by which we are going

1:18:57to imagine the public safety.

1:18:59And again, I'm using the broader sense of public safety.

1:19:02I'm using our code enforcement officers that go around town

1:19:07in and do code enforcement or police

1:19:11or fire to Karen as as we go forward in this process

1:19:18as we take this opportunity where we're tightening our belt

1:19:22and cutting back on services before we and I think

1:19:28the consultants said to back in February,

1:19:31we before we resume a service.

1:19:33We really need to take this opportunity.

1:19:36Don't don't wait.

1:19:37Don't let a good disaster go crisis go to waste yes

1:19:42as we as we take this opportunity to look

1:19:45at our services and how they're being provided

1:19:47and as we go into a future where are we going to get some input

1:19:53and in specifically the anti-racist and type

1:19:57police terror input.

1:19:58How are you going to get that type broad spectrum I think one

1:20:03of the things that you also do you like to say

1:20:04is plagiarism is you know the flattery

1:20:08and public and the black varmint Yes Absolutely.

1:20:13And you know again, when it comes

1:20:16to talking about anti-racism I do not

1:20:20want to talk only about the police I recognize

1:20:22that this is a huge focus.

1:20:24And it's a focus of a lot of people on this call.

1:20:27But systemic racism is not that is that not the only department

1:20:32that I want to be able to make sure that we focus on being

1:20:36anti-racist when the employer organization needs

1:20:40to be throughout the entire organization.

1:20:42And so this is not just a although police departments

1:20:46and maybe I will call the chief out to talk about some

1:20:49of the training that he has actually

1:20:51already put his staff that he will continue

1:20:53to put his staff through.

1:20:55But I need to make sure that all of us

1:20:58are taking the idea of dismantling systemic racism

1:21:02throughout our entire organization

1:21:05the culture that exists in one department

1:21:07does not exist that way alone.

1:21:09We are a culture of an entire city organization reason

1:21:13that the police department is the way it is

1:21:16and I say that in that I believe our police department is indeed

1:21:19a model for other departments because we

1:21:23don't have the same types of issues

1:21:26that other departments have.

1:21:28That is based on our culture that is based on the people

1:21:31that we hire that is based on the diversity of our officers.

1:21:35And that is based on the culture that our chief

1:21:37has been has been making sure that he's

1:21:39promulgated throughout.

1:21:40But that is because that starts at the top.

1:21:43It starts with the City Council and puts a high value

1:21:46on diversity and inclusion and making sure that everyone feels

1:21:49welcome in this city that also needs to extend to the city

1:21:53staff that needs to extend to every single one who works here

1:21:57that engages with a resident or a business or a visitor

1:22:01it's not necessarily a task to check off the list.

1:22:05This is a value that the city calls

1:22:08and this is a value that permeates

1:22:09through every department.

1:22:11And then I want to make sure that we are

1:22:13addressing in every department.

1:22:15So chief if you're there.

1:22:18Holly pick him up if he's able to speak a little bit more

1:22:22to specific training not only he's done.

1:22:24But intends to do that would be great.

1:22:29Keith I think you missed because thank you for the opportunity

1:22:34to talk today.

1:22:36So I'm Paul Keith the chief of police in Ontario.

1:22:39I would say that the three primary training types that we

1:22:43engage in round issues biased and profiling

1:22:48are requested biased and Fair and Impartial Policing training

1:22:52or procedural justice training and racial profiling training.

1:22:56And I would say that of the three,

1:22:59we training type that I found most powerful with our officers

1:23:03is an implicit bias and Impartial Policing training

1:23:07because it really demand that officers question

1:23:10the assumption that they have going into calls

1:23:13and that they don't take the circumstances for

1:23:16granted that they're approaching and that they approach

1:23:18with a thoughtful attitude that they're

1:23:21aware of the potential bias of not themselves

1:23:24going into a call for service.

1:23:26But also the people that may be around them who may be calling

1:23:29the police to begin with so our implicit bias

1:23:32training training we give to every new employee we Sparkman.

1:23:36It's hard to ever get to 100 percent

1:23:38because we're cons simply training new employees

1:23:42in the curriculum as we get a cohort of new officers,

1:23:46but right now the majority of our officers

1:23:48have completed fair and partial police and training which

1:23:51is a curriculum out of Florida.

1:23:53It's a nationally recognized program by the Department

1:23:57of Justice and we've also presented curriculum

1:24:00on implicit bias from the California Department

1:24:04of Justice and we also engage in procedural strain

1:24:07also from the Department justice.

1:24:10So we have a variety topics that all focus on our officers

1:24:16think about their calls for service

1:24:18how they question some of the beliefs.

1:24:21They may hold and how that benefits them

1:24:23when they approach reports that they can thoughtful and look

1:24:26at the facts of their presented with and not let things

1:24:29like their previous experiences Clowes in their view

1:24:33call there.

1:24:34And I will say that I would be very

1:24:38interested and evaluating other training

1:24:40opportunities out there.

1:24:42And I've had vendors email me and say, hey,

1:24:46there's this training and that training if we have residents

1:24:50had really positive experiences with particular training

1:24:53curriculums out there.

1:24:54I would love to hear about it.

1:24:56And I know that you have a very engaged and active community.

1:25:01So I am sure that they have been part of some really amazing

1:25:05training out there and they want send me an email

1:25:08with their recommendations.

1:25:09I would love to do that because I'm always looking

1:25:11for especially that training that impacts the way

1:25:16people think about the world We have kind

1:25:19of two different types training and there's physical skills

1:25:21like driving and you support skills,

1:25:23but there's also the skills that involve the mind

1:25:25and to me, those are the most important

1:25:28skills for us to work with.

1:25:29So any recommendations people on this call or people that you

1:25:32know send on my way because we are always evaluating

1:25:35other central training.

1:25:37Thank you Chief.

1:25:41Good to see you in the office there.

1:25:44We are 1950s walls are very attractive All right.

1:25:55I have next up is Dan Schulman, who wrote a question,

1:26:01but did raise your hand in Sudan I'll read your question,

1:26:05and then we'll give you the microphone let me find

1:26:08your question real quick Hi.

1:26:14I may not be able to talk to ask this live What if we actually

1:26:18reduced services from police fire

1:26:20instead of using more overtime to cover vacancies.

1:26:23What would that look like a be preferable to recreate cuts.

1:26:30And I actually am able to speak loud now.

1:26:34So I appreciate needed for Thanks Mr. Mayor.

1:26:38So there's already been a lot since I asked

1:26:41the question about the police.

1:26:43So maybe we had a couple comments I could make.

1:26:46And then we can go from there.

1:26:47One is is just on recreation.

1:26:50I saw at the very beginning about kind of eliminating

1:26:53General fund subsidies there.

1:26:54I don't know what that translates to.

1:26:56But I think I guess I would just say,

1:26:58I hope it doesn't translate into people because the relationship

1:27:02between people who work at the rec department and the families

1:27:07who utilize their services is really important especially

1:27:10now when schools are closed and you

1:27:13know kids are spending you know some kids are spending

1:27:16a lot of time with the rec department staffs

1:27:19and so I don't think that maintaining those relationships

1:27:21is really important.

1:27:22I hope you can do that.

1:27:25Yeah, and under police and fire.

1:27:26I mean, the question I have written out there.

1:27:28You know I noticed some of the budget things

1:27:31talk about holding positions vacant but then it sounds

1:27:34like we make up for that by asking our existing

1:27:36staff to work a lot of overtime and so I guess

1:27:40you know the question is really about what

1:27:42if we ask them to do less.

1:27:46You know that's those departments

1:27:47to do less to kind of reduce the overall what everyone workload

1:27:51required so that that amount of overtime wouldn't be required

1:27:54and what would that really look like from a citizen's

1:27:56when you know in terms of how we would experience that.

1:28:01So that's really that question in the last question

1:28:04I had was around the building and planning departments.

1:28:08So are those staff also under furloughs and I guess

1:28:14I would challenge is that wise if that delays you know housing

1:28:20construct or housing projects to add you

1:28:23know more housing the city that delays

1:28:25businesses getting up and running,

1:28:27which help us on the revenue side.

1:28:29So I guess that would be my thank

1:28:32you very much for hosting this.

1:28:34Dan thank you for your comments and questions

1:28:37to the first one, which is recreation services.

1:28:41What does what did it mean when it said reduce the subsidies

1:28:46in the nineteen nineties the recreation department

1:28:48was given the challenge of being fully funded.

1:28:51Mark I think they were given the chance of being to be fully

1:28:54fund themselves our record department

1:28:57is one the highest in the area that does fund itself I

1:29:01believe we're that's between 70 and 80

1:29:04percent Karyn That's right.

1:29:06Which which the chart that was passed around

1:29:09is substantially greater than our neighboring cities

1:29:14what that translates to is not necessarily reduction in jobs

1:29:17but increasing fees.

1:29:19So day in that camp that your children are going to might

1:29:21cost a little bit more is what that means as opposed

1:29:25to reducing staff to get there.

1:29:29So I think that's what your first question

1:29:31your second question was ask asking staff

1:29:34do more around over time and also

1:29:38what would look like if we recommended

1:29:41staff to last with less.

1:29:43And I will tell you in 2009 when I was first elected

1:29:47to the council in 2008 2009 2010 we were going through

1:29:51the capital R recession.

1:29:54And we suggested that we do less with less

1:30:00and it was soundly rejected.

1:30:02We wanted to do the same and we actually ended up

1:30:05doing more with less and so we've actually introduced

1:30:09services over the time over time enduring

1:30:12that even that time we introduced new services.

1:30:15And so we actually did more when there was less revenue

1:30:20and it started to deteriorate our savings

1:30:25our reserve, which is part of the reason we're here.

1:30:28So to hear someone from the public say

1:30:30do less is Karen smiling and nodding her head for a reason

1:30:35because that is something that we we really do have to take up

1:30:39and consider and be a what does it look like to do less

1:30:45services is just that less services so there may

1:30:50be some changes as we go through this month

1:30:53and look at the different budgets that are doing.

1:30:56Your third question was about Building and Planning

1:30:59Department and certainly council member DOE

1:31:02and This is echoing your words.

1:31:06He said that more than once from the diocese.

1:31:09I've certainly said that you know we should find a way

1:31:13to issue more permits because in and I've advocated my 10, 12

1:31:20years on council that we should actually try and find a way

1:31:23to reduce our building fees.

1:31:25So that more people are actually getting permits

1:31:28so that we're actually getting the assessed value

1:31:30changed on those homes so that we are getting

1:31:33tax revenue in perpetuity based on the improvements

1:31:36that we're made in these homes and not waiting for these homes

1:31:40to be reassessed upon change of ownership

1:31:45so that's the same thing that I think you're asking which is

1:31:51shouldn't we be promoting our building

1:31:55and planning department's to bring new businesses to bring

1:31:58new housing to get more permits out there so that they trigger

1:32:03into more revenue whether it's the permit fee or that long

1:32:07term property assessment.

1:32:08So the answer to that is we're going

1:32:11to be looking at that as we go through the budget reserves.

1:32:16I think there was a line item in the June

1:32:218th presentation that about of reducing building services.

1:32:27And so there that is one of the items that's before the council

1:32:30as we go forward in setting our budget for this year now

1:32:37and also bring the cheap back to speak a little bit.

1:32:40There was a question about price over time.

1:32:42But one of the other things that I do want to point out

1:32:45is doing less with less is something is actually a really

1:32:51great encapsulation of what it is

1:32:53we have to consider right now.

1:32:54All of us and that's not just again,

1:32:58one department that's going to have to be in every department,

1:33:01the current furloughs are unanswered worn non police

1:33:04and fire employees right now.

1:33:08So what look what less service looks like for example,

1:33:11using the building division as an example.

1:33:13Is that building permits.

1:33:16We'll probably take longer inspection might take longer

1:33:20if there's one less day per pay period

1:33:22that employees are working, then we

1:33:25are not able to complete things as quickly as we used to.

1:33:29And that I come from a very strong long philosophical

1:33:34background of customer service and that kills me

1:33:37that we are able to provide good service and that I think

1:33:40is the whole mindset that the mayor described

1:33:42as that despite the fact that we had less resources, our staff

1:33:46our council really tried for a really long time

1:33:49to do more with less to the point

1:33:52now as he indicated we can't anymore.

1:33:54We can't afford to do that anymore.

1:33:56So now we're not We're reimagining everything

1:33:58and we're trying to look at everything,

1:34:00but we also have to stop the bleeding.

1:34:02That is why the furloughs are in place

1:34:04we may have to make further cuts.

1:34:06I don't know what this organization

1:34:08is going to look like.

1:34:09And I hate to say that because I know there are employees

1:34:11listening but I think they also know that what we're trying

1:34:14to do is save is to save the services we can provide

1:34:19and to save the employees or to save the what the residents are

1:34:23receiving from those employees so the mindset we're trying

1:34:27to work under here is that we're trying to get

1:34:30our stability back so that we can come

1:34:33back to doing this efficiently.

1:34:36And in a way that we can sustain our finance.

1:34:40So you know we got here and through the through genuinely

1:34:46trying to provide as much service as we could.

1:34:48And now we have to take a step back and look at and take look

1:34:52at what that actually means when we provide services

1:34:54to the community in general.

1:34:56So I'd see you You wanted to speak to the other question

1:35:00will say, at least on the police department side,

1:35:04we have to make allowances or missing employees

1:35:07before we feel overtime.

1:35:08So I want to take over the job are a minimum staffing

1:35:12level five officers.

1:35:14So that patrol.

1:35:15So if we had two vacancies on patrol patrol team

1:35:19we would fill those with overtime

1:35:21in about the last year and a half.

1:35:23We reduced our minimum staffing level down to 4.

1:35:26We can have two employees out either due to training

1:35:29sickness or the mission before we actually

1:35:33start filling positions with overtime It has made

1:35:36a significant impact on how much overtime that we actually spend

1:35:39for our patrol operations And the reason

1:35:41I point out patrol operations is that you

1:35:43do not backfill any other positions

1:35:46in the police department.

1:35:47The only positions we backfill with overtime

1:35:49are our patrol officers the officers

1:35:52that are out there 24 hours a day of responding to crimes

1:35:55and calls for service Great.

1:35:59Thank you.

1:35:59You.

1:36:01I'm going move on.

1:36:02We've got quite a few left still to go.

1:36:05And I see this going by quickly.

1:36:07So thank you, everyone Michael Freeman

1:36:10has a statement to say that is, but I'm not

1:36:14sure there's a question that I'm going read it and see if there

1:36:17is a question in there.

1:36:18It's a statement from obviously Tunney executive director ratio

1:36:22of Northern California over the past decade

1:36:24with extraordinary leadership of people

1:36:26impacted by police violence.

1:36:28California has passed meaningful legislation

1:36:30to gain access to racial profiling data

1:36:32open misconduct records and impose limits

1:36:35on police use of deadly force.

1:36:37Each of these laws must be faithfully and immediately

1:36:40implemented, which requires pressure

1:36:41from the public and activists and leadership

1:36:44from elected officials.

1:36:45This year our focus is on continuing to hold police

1:36:47accountable limiting the potential for abuse

1:36:51and shifting resources away from police and towards community

1:36:53based initiatives that supports true

1:36:56safety health and well-being to that end.

1:36:58We are a signatory to a letter of Black Lives Matter

1:37:02calling for funding of police and investment

1:37:05in communities men.

1:37:08Dave winced Dave your up to speak at this point.

1:37:12Thank you.

1:37:13You Mayor.

1:37:15I would like to say that I think one way a lot of money

1:37:18could be saved.

1:37:19I like the idea of not providing staff to committees.

1:37:22I think cutting back staff not to Commission's

1:37:25like for example, I've been to meetings

1:37:28on a Monday environmental quality committee.

1:37:30I think members committee could take minutes.

1:37:32I think if there are questions for staff we could email

1:37:35them to staff the next day.

1:37:37I also think car consideration should be made

1:37:40to not having committee meetings are

1:37:43quite as often as they are now.

1:37:45I'm saying this really understanding

1:37:46the value of committees.

1:37:47I think they really are an important thing.

1:37:50I think this is one way that we could save some money.

1:37:53I'd also like to speak briefly about the value

1:37:56of the suite police.

1:37:58I think that we have really good police service for example.

1:38:01The police respond to burglaries auto burglaries

1:38:05and other non-violent crimes that in many other cities

1:38:10please do not respond to and I think that's really good.

1:38:14Quality service.

1:38:15Thank very much.

1:38:18Thank Dave and Next up is Leslie and Leslie writes this question

1:38:29or comment This is the time to align

1:38:32with the call for a new vision community safety.

1:38:36Providing services especially from a department that

1:38:40also provides revenue, such as and it's

1:38:43jumping all over the place.

1:38:45Sorry This includes providing services especially

1:38:48from a department that also provides revenue,

1:38:50such as recreation with the police department taking

1:38:5330 percent of our budget.

1:38:54This needs deep scrutiny and you next

1:38:59is Deb Danzinger and Deb agrees with Tony's comments

1:39:06about you know making our budget decisions based on racially

1:39:13sensitive and contextual times This brings up

1:39:17Pearson Pearson's question is, what is

1:39:21the amount spent on overtime for fire and for police

1:39:24the last fiscal year.

1:39:26What is the budget for this fiscal year.

1:39:29How will that expense be monitored and reduced

1:39:31and make staff reductions do not increase overtime cost Karen

1:39:40OK.

1:39:40Well I think that the police chief

1:39:43spoke to discussing police overtime

1:39:45as far as fire over time.

1:39:47I know that this has been something that has been brought

1:39:50up in the previous town meeting and it was brought up

1:39:53indeed by the state auditor one of the things

1:39:57that we had expected by now.

1:39:59Actually it was at the state auditor

1:40:00would have been able to visit the city

1:40:04and conduct their audit and indeed

1:40:06do some additional analysis on the on that issue

1:40:10that they raised.

1:40:12Unfortunate that has not happened.

1:40:14That is due to the pandemic.

1:40:16I reached out to them Cashman go now

1:40:20at the beginning near the beginning of the pandemic

1:40:21asking them if they wanted us to try and do

1:40:24some things electronically.

1:40:26And they just not have they replied

1:40:28that they just don't have anything on their schedule

1:40:30as of yet.

1:40:31And I have not heard from them since.

1:40:34So because we're not we're not sure

1:40:36what the state auditor is going to take a look out

1:40:39or when they're going to take a look at it.

1:40:42One of the things that we have done within this process

1:40:44is I've asked our human resources staff

1:40:46and our labor negotiation staff interpreter staff to take

1:40:50a deeper dive into an analysis of the fire department

1:40:54and their costs and their overtime costs

1:40:58From what I can see so far in our actuals are not complete

1:41:01yet it's the fiscal year just closed

1:41:03but both departments did meet their budget.

1:41:05I believe Lisa he's had a three thousand

1:41:09dollar I could be wrong on that, please budget overtime

1:41:12budget and the fire department as budget

1:41:15was ten point six million dollars

1:41:19And so I believe that again.

1:41:21I'm not sure on the police numbers I took a look.

1:41:24And it looks like the fire number has actually

1:41:26trended a bit downward.

1:41:27They did not hit one point two million

1:41:30I do also want out that some people have asked

1:41:32about fire overtime when it comes

1:41:34to The State Emergency Service.

1:41:37If they if our firefighters go out

1:41:39on a call for State Emergency services that

1:41:41is indeed reimbursed to us.

1:41:44So but as far as our costs we do have

1:41:48some vacant positions that have been for a while the fire

1:41:52department.

1:41:53And we have realized salary savings

1:41:58because I think as one of the other questions

1:42:01pointed out if you have a reduction in staff

1:42:04or you have less staff then that could absolutely increase which

1:42:08is what is happening in the fire department

1:42:10and particularly so at this point to do we.

1:42:14We are in the process.

1:42:15This will be reflected within the budget process

1:42:18that we're doing right now is to take a look at what

1:42:21those salary savings are making sure

1:42:22that they do indeed meet the short term and long term what

1:42:30is necessary for us to take a look

1:42:32at as far as reducing costs.

1:42:33And so that work is being done and that

1:42:36will be presented to the Council within the budget process

1:42:39as we move forward over the next Two

1:42:42I'm looking at the chief says that I'm sorry text to chat

1:42:49from the chief It looks like they did

1:42:51exceed their overtime budget.

1:42:53But overall saved Five thousand dollars

1:42:54from the so that was great.

1:43:00Thank you Next is Carla Carla has a question

1:43:06scrolling to find it.

1:43:09Carla thank you the staff and counsel for holding a Saturday

1:43:12town hall how much money is dedicated to business retention

1:43:16and attraction What is the historical cost recovery

1:43:19percentage for recreation department

1:43:21and what is it now that second this came in at ten

1:43:25forty once we've already may have answered the second part

1:43:28of that question.

1:43:29But certainly we can address it more directly here.

1:43:31So thank you to staff.

1:43:33We're holding this down to how much

1:43:35money is dedicated to business retention

1:43:37and attraction I'm sorry.

1:43:41I don't see that.

1:43:43QUESTION on that it's not have sorry we do not

1:43:49have a separate budget at for business attention of attack

1:43:55and attraction and we do not have a dedicated

1:43:57staff member for such things.

1:43:58So the answer is none.

1:44:00What we do is within our existing staff what we are

1:44:04trying we have in the past had economic development manager

1:44:08we have in the past had an economic analyst

1:44:11those positions were funded years ago

1:44:15And so what we have done with our existing staff is that we

1:44:19have tried to work through our San Pablo Avenue specific plan

1:44:21we have tried to create what I think is probably to date

1:44:25one of our best partnerships that we've

1:44:26had with the Chamber of Commerce is city sits on the Chamber

1:44:29of Commerce board.

1:44:30We've been working with them to try

1:44:32to work through how we can support businesses particularly

1:44:37through this process.

1:44:38But at this time, we do not have any dedicated staff

1:44:41toward economic development and in the second part of historic.

1:44:47I think we've been running about 70 percent.

1:44:49I don't know we are at this moment,

1:44:52but certainly as part of the discussion earlier one.

1:44:56Some of the things that we're going to be considering

1:44:58is potentially increasing fees to help the recreation

1:45:02apartment increase its percent of cell funding next on my list

1:45:09is Leslie in this part of the you

1:45:13to come back what is a typical day for else real police

1:45:17department.

1:45:18Officer given our city's crime stats

1:45:21how can we make structural changes and then the common

1:45:25is this does not need another committee to review

1:45:28or extended time to consider.

1:45:30So just wondering if The chief wants

1:45:34to try to at least address that first question

1:45:36what is a typical day for.

1:45:38And I believe this would be a patrol like standard officer

1:45:41sorry you're down here in El in on your view my typical day

1:45:46looks like because it's not very much like what our police

1:45:48officers days look like in a patrol cars,

1:45:51but a general officers typical day

1:45:54will involve them starting at either 6:00

1:45:56and/or six Six o'clock in the morning

1:45:59or 6 o'clock the evening work a 12

1:46:00hour shift during that shift.

1:46:02They're going to respond to a number of different types

1:46:05of calls potentially they'll absolutely

1:46:07respond to crime calls use as one of the callers mentioned,

1:46:12there are other cities that don't

1:46:14respond to all different types of crime categories

1:46:17when necessary.

1:46:17Do we do simply officers to various different types

1:46:20of crimes from burglaries car break ins.

1:46:23That's from porches up to things like murder sexual assault

1:46:27homicides our officers during the day during their downtime

1:46:31will conduct preventative patrol in our business districts

1:46:35and through our residential neighborhoods they'll also stop

1:46:38cars when they see hazardous situations

1:46:41like dangerous driving or hazardous and violate on a car

1:46:44or are maybe smoking and needs to have

1:46:47immediate attention answers respond to many different types

1:46:50of calls.

1:46:51They might go to a neighborhood disputes.

1:46:53They may go to a mental health crisis

1:46:56call they'll do a number of medical related

1:46:59welfare checks during the day.

1:47:00People call and say there's a person down on the sidewalk

1:47:03and they've been there for two hours I'd like somebody

1:47:05to check in Officers will often go and check

1:47:08on the person on the basis of a welfare check

1:47:11for medical purposes provinces may respond to do presentations

1:47:17for kindergarden or preschools officers may go

1:47:21to different clubs to do presentations

1:47:26other work with neighborhood watch

1:47:27groups or neighborhood watch groups have meetings

1:47:29and talk to them.

1:47:30Officers really are the people we

1:47:32send to many, many different types of situations.

1:47:35And we really do feel our officers

1:47:38are the face of our department.

1:47:39And we want people to have personal relationships

1:47:41with our officers we want them to see

1:47:44their officers just normal human beings like everyone else.

1:47:48And they do have a challenging job from time to time,

1:47:51they are the people that respond to domestic violence calls

1:47:54where a spouse has attacked another spouse or a partner

1:47:57attacked another partner and we have

1:48:00to intervene in oftentimes make an arrest in domestic violence

1:48:03as occurred.

1:48:04So they face a number of challenging situations.

1:48:08And we expect them to be calm in fact based do it all.

1:48:13And to be patient and use de-escalation tactics

1:48:17to resolve situations that is hard to say what a typical day

1:48:21is like because one day could be not a whole

1:48:24going on on a Sunday, and then a Friday night,

1:48:27it would be a whole nother scenario where we're helping

1:48:29with shootings or they're helping us with shootings

1:48:32or people are shooting houses or someone's been beaten

1:48:34in a street or a homeless person has been assaulted

1:48:37and our officers have to rapidly change

1:48:39gears to respond to a variety of different types of contact.

1:48:43I hope that helps.

1:48:43I know it's not super accurate an average day is really hard

1:48:47to pay website chief don't go anywhere there's

1:48:50a question coming up that you're going

1:48:52to be answering I'm going to go to a GS question at this point.

1:48:55Thanks for your work for the city.

1:48:58And for the new information with new budget constraints

1:49:02and the new vacancy in the building department.

1:49:04What level of services should the citizens

1:49:06expect compared to pre covered for permits planning

1:49:09and inspection Karen, I think you touched on this,

1:49:12but I view this an opportune for you

1:49:14to maybe expand little again.

1:49:16This question came in at 10 43.

1:49:18So we've certainly had several questions since then

1:49:21that made answered this.

1:49:24So I do want to I just to acknowledge

1:49:28that this president, especially our building division has been

1:49:32really, I think, one of the hardest

1:49:36hit divisions here because of covered and the coded

1:49:41restrictions.

1:49:42So for as as many of you probably

1:49:44know construction activity was halted per the county health

1:49:48order for think it ended up being a couple of months

1:49:52and I think also considering that there are a lot of people

1:49:55now who are sheltering in place who are staying

1:49:59home and looking around at their home

1:50:02and seeing a lot of projects that they

1:50:03could indeed be taking care of while their home.

1:50:07What's that restriction was lifted our building division

1:50:10was inundates with not only the backfill of what

1:50:14needed to be taken care of when they were closed for two months

1:50:18or not able to do business for two months

1:50:20but also with a lot of new applications

1:50:23and new requests for inspections a bit

1:50:27of a perfect storm occurred in that we had a retirement.

1:50:31We had someone on medical leave and we

1:50:34were had a vacancy we had to address

1:50:38and so we have been behind.

1:50:40And I just one more time.

1:50:42One to thank and acknowledge that we are We

1:50:45are sorry for all of the delays everyone has experienced

1:50:49and we're working really hard to try

1:50:51to get ourselves through that.

1:50:52We have indeed engaged some temporary help

1:50:55to try to do that.

1:50:56We have an interim building official

1:50:58there's a lot of experience in working

1:51:00through these types of things.

1:51:02So that we are trying really hard to work through that.

1:51:04But there is no doubt.

1:51:05And I don't I don't know that I could give an actual number,

1:51:09but I do want to particularly because we're ongoing.

1:51:13We will be experiencing furloughs or these two

1:51:18after the end of the fiscal year.

1:51:20And so we do past people's patience.

1:51:22It's our we were really proud of how we could

1:51:25try to turn things around.

1:51:27We've gotten our building division

1:51:28to a place where we did not have a lot of of complaints

1:51:32or concerns with our turnaround time

1:51:34you know and we're just continuing

1:51:36to work through that again.

1:51:38I can't give a certain timeframe but I

1:51:40ask everyone's patience is not going to be

1:51:42as quickly as it was recovered.

1:51:45How quickly we'll be able to recover or going forward what

1:51:47that might mean.

1:51:48All I can ask is your compassion and your understanding

1:51:51because our building division.

1:51:52They are working their tails I want

1:51:54to give a shout out to them.

1:51:56They have been working so hard, and they

1:51:58are trying their very best to accommodate

1:52:00everybody as much possible Great.

1:52:04We're going to have to switch gears here a little bit.

1:52:06We only have about 15 minutes left.

1:52:08I've got three people who want to speak so we're

1:52:12going to work with them.

1:52:14Justin you're the next speaker that also a question in here

1:52:18that I know that you were going to want an answer to.

1:52:22So then may I ask how recently, the six police positions

1:52:26were left vacant not filled and did I imagine some are

1:52:31the school resource officer program being discontinued

1:52:34by the school district.

1:52:35I'm wondering if which departments

1:52:36these have been cut.

1:52:39And if we can consider not filling those positions.

1:52:42So Justin, you're going to get a couple minutes

1:52:46please because I want to make sure we stick we

1:52:48as close to noon as possible.

1:52:50And so if you could come on and give us your

1:52:54any additional questions comments.

1:52:57Yeah thank you Hope I'm able.

1:52:58Yeah, I think I am able to be here.

1:53:02So I want me.

1:53:05There are two things that are on my mind.

1:53:06First like that question.

1:53:08Thank you for rephrasing it for me.

1:53:12I want to.

1:53:12I think it was mentioned earlier.

1:53:14I just want to say I am in support of the idea

1:53:16of less with model, at least.

1:53:19And in ways in the short term for the city to adopt

1:53:23it doesn't make sense.

1:53:24We have to overcome the budget deficit.

1:53:29But I would urge the city to commit

1:53:32and I think residents have to work with the city

1:53:35and have to you.

1:53:36Hold the city accountable to committing to in the future,

1:53:39not doing necessarily less with less.

1:53:42But different, which you know and different

1:53:44That's what we're really calling for

1:53:46is not investing in police not investing necessarily the same.

1:53:49The same waves.

1:53:50We've been doing crime especially with, you know,

1:53:53all the statistics that are going around about El Salvador

1:53:55police department specifically low you know

1:53:58clearance rate and all that.

1:54:00Look and that's the other thing I

1:54:05don't have a vendetta specifically

1:54:07against the police department.

1:54:09But I do want to.

1:54:10And there is a trigger warning for anyone

1:54:12specifically around sexual assault and sexual harassment.

1:54:16But there is an ongoing case against El Salvador

1:54:20Police Department involving sexual harassment

1:54:22of a former officer.

1:54:24This is these are facts like and I

1:54:27I don't necessarily expect Chief Keith to answer this part.

1:54:30So because there is ongoing litigation.

1:54:32So I don't care for an answer, but I mean,

1:54:36I just want to like it's not as if our department is can wipe

1:54:41its hands clean of the same things that people are saying

1:54:43are systemic problems in police departments.

1:54:47I mean Yeah I Yeah.

1:54:50And you know again ongoing litigation.

1:54:52I'm not expecting an answer from Chief Keith

1:54:55but I guess I am expecting or wanting

1:54:57an answer about that first thing about where

1:55:00the where the unfilled positions are from.

1:55:03Yeah.

1:55:03Thank you.

1:55:04You.

1:55:05Thank you, Justin Chief are you able answered the question that

1:55:09was submitted about the which positions unfilled,

1:55:12and how long they've been unfilled.

1:55:14It's so there are six positions that have been left unfilled.

1:55:21As of right now those positions have been

1:55:24unfilled for about a decade.

1:55:27The other three positions have been unfilled minimally since

1:55:30last October when the really started tackling

1:55:34the current financial crisis.

1:55:35So we ended last budget year with staffing target

1:55:39of forty two officers by October it

1:55:42was clear that we had to make significant immediate cuts.

1:55:45And so the police department chose

1:55:47not to staff up re officers so we left

1:55:51vacancies in our traffic unit.

1:55:53And we left vacancies on and off throughout the year

1:55:55in our investigations unit.

1:55:57We also let vacancies in our patrol unit

1:55:59as we chose to not fill an additional reposition

1:56:03last year.

1:56:04So we have been down some positions

1:56:07since really this time last year as people left the agency

1:56:11to go to jobs and they got into the Berkeley

1:56:15Police department and other surrounding jurisdictions

1:56:18I will make.

1:56:19I would like to make this comment about sexual harassment

1:56:22in the workplace.

1:56:24The police department is certainly not alone

1:56:26in facing the challenges of maintaining a workplace free

1:56:30of sexual harassment.

1:56:32You can look at it.

1:56:33If you look at a search for sexual harassment in the news,

1:56:36you would see it anywhere from hospitals

1:56:39to tap companies to cities around the country.

1:56:43Sexual harassment is an ongoing challenge for workplaces

1:56:47and for administrators.

1:56:49And I know that I'm not alone in taking a stand against sexual

1:56:52harassment and also knowing that we have to continually invest

1:56:56in training our staff and holding our staff accountable

1:56:59or when they do things that constitute misconduct and that

1:57:04this is a workplace issue across our country and not just not

1:57:09just the Police Department's.

1:57:13I want you to know that all of us

1:57:15face that in our workplaces every day.

1:57:16And we have to make sure that we're holding people

1:57:19to standards and only people have proper kind of catchy

1:57:25thank you very much.

1:57:27We've got to public speakers left and a number of questions.

1:57:31I'm probably going to just read the questions at some point.

1:57:35So that they're there more in the record.

1:57:38But Sherry you're up and I mean, there's

1:57:41one new speaker behind you.

1:57:43So I'm going to hopefully ask you to BCE.

1:57:46Thanks so Sherry Dubner.

1:57:48At this time maybe if I may actually

1:57:51Howdy Gowdy is the next individual

1:57:52with a hand raised on my list.

1:57:55OK.

1:57:56That evening How do you joined much later than Sherry.

1:57:59But that's OK.

1:58:00Let's go ahead with Howdy He's the he's the new thank you,

1:58:07Mayor and announced.

1:58:09This is how do they live in all Sarita time

1:58:14when I go a lot of the earlier comments

1:58:16play speakers regarding you know bringing racial justice

1:58:23into a strong considerations for these budget actions

1:58:30and also reimagining the police department.

1:58:34You know consistent with real expectation

1:58:37about you know budget reductions resulting from reimagining

1:58:45that department and all departments

1:58:48is going to make one observation about, you know,

1:58:52the cost of living increase concessions that were made.

1:58:56I understand these were existing contracts

1:58:59and they were voluntary.

1:59:00And that's appreciated as a gesture bye.

1:59:05Feel like they really aren't commenced with, you know,

1:59:10the economic situation of the city.

1:59:12They don't seem to express the leadership that everybody has

1:59:16lauded on those voluntary reductions

1:59:21because it's just not realistic and it's not

1:59:24really equitable across you know the impacts that the rest

1:59:28of the employees are seeing so I mean,

1:59:32I appreciate I'm not you know anti-union I appreciate

1:59:35the you know, the unions work to get strong contracts

1:59:39and they want.

1:59:40I want.

1:59:42Well a employees but I think it's you know anyone

1:59:47with in a union should look beyond their union

1:59:51and look at the impacts on other employees

1:59:55in their same organization and not be comfortable simply

2:00:01giving up a cost of living increase for a year

2:00:04when there are no significant concessions

2:00:08being made by other staff.

2:00:10So I think that really needs to be negotiated initiated

2:00:15and you know further voluntary measures

2:00:19are really expected if they want the city to continue operating.

2:00:25And you know it's just this doesn't seem realistic given

2:00:30the projections that have gone on of a seven year recovery We

2:00:33can't really expect to, you know, go back to the way things

2:00:40were in a year or whatever.

2:00:42So also.

2:00:44Know I feel like the prioritization that happened

2:00:48earlier with environment being sidelined

2:00:51is a really the wrong message to be sending.

2:00:55We you know probably already don't spend that

2:00:58much on but the message needs to be that these are

2:01:02important topics that are in cooperated into all decisions

2:01:06not you know that we can just put it out of mind.

2:01:12The same goes for you know emergency services.

2:01:16That part of, you know, the public safety you know I'm

2:01:20Barilla that everyone has placed a lot of emphasis on.

2:01:26But you know, if this current emergency has taught

2:01:30us anything that preparing for you know

2:01:35these inevitable disruption is a critical importance to you

2:01:42know having an appropriate response.

2:01:45And we can't ignore the huge impacts that

2:01:48are inevitable in this community,

2:01:50whether it's earthquakes fires or other disruptions

2:01:54and you know I think there's two too

2:01:58much reliance on you know well we'll deal with that later.

2:02:04You know we actually have to be proactive and be prepared

2:02:08and and that should be part of consideration.

2:02:11So thank you thank you How did and we'll go to Sherry

2:02:20and then I'll read through all the questions

2:02:22that are in the queue Yeah.

2:02:25Hi there's a question in the Q also.

2:02:27And it was meant I mean, it could

2:02:29be taken as an email response, but it was.

2:02:32It was a question about Chief Keith

2:02:35talking about training a bias and I got a lot of folks

2:02:40do training.

2:02:41My question is, is there data to show that the training has

2:02:44been effective.

2:02:45And then how do you assess that And that

2:02:48could be an answer at different time

2:02:49because I know this is really specific to budget.

2:02:51So I'll pass on that.

2:02:54Great.

2:02:54Thank you Sheri and I'm not seeing it as a chat.

2:02:57So it might come into the email I'm not monitoring email

2:03:00we have received 11 email from people during the period

2:03:06of this meeting so I'm going to shoe

2:03:10I'll see on my list it would be something from less a Alissa.

2:03:17Has there been comparative analysis of police staffing

2:03:20salaries overtime benefits size of police force per capita

2:03:24versus neighboring communities Leslie public safety does

2:03:28not mean a police department it means

2:03:30the health of a community.

2:03:32Please address this vision.

2:03:34Michael public information is a good place

2:03:37to cut your supporting cut the city Prince and males a lot

2:03:40of information.

2:03:41Email Web site can be used to reduce that cost.

2:03:44That is correct.

2:03:45Mike Leach If defunding the police result

2:03:47an increase in more serious crimes.

2:03:49What would be the cost to rehire or rebuild a police car.

2:03:52Back to current service levels Justin Rodriguez.

2:03:57I think we agree.

2:03:59Karen, we say budget cuts should come from police

2:04:03and even fire due to Tulia overtime and other things which

2:04:06lead to high costs which some are challenging that leads

2:04:10to additional efficiency, how many sworn officers are doing

2:04:14primarily administrative work full time

2:04:16Is this currently routine to have officers on limited

2:04:19light duty working administrative work

2:04:22based on my experience working with other cities.

2:04:24There is often excessive use of overtime in police and fire

2:04:27departments often this is a routine method

2:04:31for departments to reward employees with seniority.

2:04:34How is the city monitoring and controlling police

2:04:36fire overtime to ensure that all of it is truly necessary.

2:04:41Scott right through the budget review process

2:04:44Are there any skill bottlenecks X i.e. data collection,

2:04:48analysis financial modeling cost benefit measurements

2:04:50faced by the city and is there a way sorry it skipped on me.

2:05:01Is there a way for residents to offer support

2:05:05We're all here together.

2:05:06How can we help.

2:05:07Thank you. you for that offer Scott.

2:05:09Thank you very much.

2:05:11With Kobe lock lockdown is the city

2:05:13finding that it is possible to help more people work from home

2:05:17than previously thought.

2:05:19Can we reduce costs by having more

2:05:21city employees work from home.

2:05:23Matthew welcome to the city as a new resident.

2:05:26Just wanted to thank for the substantive

2:05:28meaningful discussion many of my fellow citizens have raised.

2:05:33Excellent points.

2:05:33And I won't rehash them and look forward

2:05:36to changes being made at next budget cycle,

2:05:39which is actually this month.

2:05:41Give it Carla due to COVID 19 cities were forced

2:05:45to move many services online.

2:05:47How can all 3, 2 make more services accessible online

2:05:50and become more of a digital city.

2:05:52And Leslie, thank you.

2:05:53And thank you all for coming.

2:05:56I know Paul the deli would like to speak at this time.

2:06:02So we everyone can stay for a few more minutes.

2:06:06Paul thank you Can you hear me.

2:06:09Yes.

2:06:09Thank you, everybody.

2:06:10I'm the mayor pro Tammy straight out.

2:06:13And this has been a good event.

2:06:15I want to thank residents especially

2:06:17the new residents who have moved also,

2:06:19though it is a great community and I want to thank our city

2:06:23staff for arranging this public forum on our budget

2:06:26issues, which I and other city council members have requested.

2:06:30We have an important job to do.

2:06:32And we will do it.

2:06:34But as Mayor Lyman has said before many times before,

2:06:38it's important to remember that the resolution

2:06:41to LSU made us financial issues and building up our reserves

2:06:44won't be resolved in just one year.

2:06:47This is a three to four year process.

2:06:49And we will need the support of our community

2:06:52to move forward as the city pulls back on some programs.

2:06:57And we agree prioritized some services or curtail.

2:07:01It's my hope that this will be an exercise to re-evaluate what

2:07:04our city and our police departments should be doing

2:07:07and how we should be funding those important priorities

2:07:10and again, this won't happen overnight During this time.

2:07:15We all have our individual stories of stress and fatigue

2:07:19and maybe even depression because

2:07:21of our isolation That's a complex time as one

2:07:25of our residents mentioned.

2:07:26And it's important to remember as we pursue our resolutions

2:07:30that there's a crisis beyond San Pablo Avenue that will also

2:07:34impact us I just want to go through name

2:07:36a few of these things because it's pretty incredible.

2:07:39As we all read this week, we have a surge

2:07:42saying Corona virus epidemic.

2:07:44We have an unpaid world economic crisis that we've

2:07:48not really focused on yet.

2:07:50We have pending tenant and small landlord crisis crisis,

2:07:54which I'm very concerned about.

2:07:56We fire dangers this summer possible electrical

2:08:00shut shut off, we have travel difficult is

2:08:04our retail and business failure our restaurants are

2:08:07movie theaters.

2:08:08We have a pending school back to school crisis

2:08:11possibly we have a financial breakdown of our public transit

2:08:15system We have continuing issues of justice and protest

2:08:20and then there's a climate change issue which we need

2:08:23to begin turning our focus back to all requiring money

2:08:27of which there is not at all making our journey

2:08:30here a little more difficult. So and also, I just

2:08:33want to say we have an election in the next three months

2:08:35in my view, a very unstable president.

2:08:38So we have to deal with that as well.

2:08:40So finally there will be frustration here and also

2:08:45radio.

2:08:46And while we rightfully plug away

2:08:49on important budget issues.

2:08:50Let's be persistent but also be patient

2:08:53and work together not at one another

2:08:56so that we will all have to deal with getting

2:08:59El Cerrito back track again.

2:09:01Thank you all very much for participating.

2:09:05Gabe everyone This is a Can you hear me great.

2:09:15Yes Go ahead.

2:09:18This is a council member Gabe Quinn

2:09:19and I want to say thank you to all my neighbors

2:09:23and all the residents of El Rito for

2:09:26attend this important meeting.

2:09:28No as I've been saying the last few years,

2:09:31we are having difficulties and as I said,

2:09:34again, I used austerity back in 28 team right

2:09:39after our independent audit or mention

2:09:41the problems that we had.

2:09:43And I look forward to working with our new council members

2:09:47that will be coming up because this will be truly

2:09:50the next couple of years, a time of austerity

2:09:55we've never had a recession like this including our cover 19.

2:10:01So This is a double whammy here that all cities

2:10:05in California and the United States are going through.

2:10:08So know that as chair of the Contra Costa Mayors Conference.

2:10:12I look forward in working with Mayor Greg Wyman

2:10:15till the till November the end of the year

2:10:18as well some mayors in Contra Costa County we know that when

2:10:23it comes to social services the county needs to step up so all

2:10:28of us know that we look forward in working with everyone

2:10:33regional level to make sure that our region

2:10:37here in West Contra Costa which includes El Cerrito will ask

2:10:42for the needed funding to make sure that we have services

2:10:48for homelessness for food.

2:10:51We're working with the county to see if they will

2:10:53take over our senior center.

2:10:55So we can have services there that the candy can provide here

2:11:00and also Serino this will be a difficult next few years.

2:11:04And I look forward to making sure of that we get back

2:11:08to where we're supposed to be most of the cities in Contra

2:11:12Costa made government smaller.

2:11:15We decided not to do that back in 2010 11

2:11:182012 and 2013 when the other cities in the County

2:11:22did the right thing.

2:11:23I'm not going to blame anybody.

2:11:25We did what we had to do because we thought

2:11:28we were doing the right thing.

2:11:29But no from now on, we will make sure that we

2:11:33will stay within our means.

2:11:35And we look forward to working with all the residents here

2:11:38in Reno to make sure that we never get in the situation

2:11:42that we are in now.

2:11:44With being in the red on are in such a huge way

2:11:48we did not have a rainy day fund.

2:11:51We decided to have this temporary building built

2:11:57and that's what used up our rainy day fund.

2:12:01We're not going to do that.

2:12:03We're stick to what we can afford

2:12:05and live within our means.

2:12:06For now on.

2:12:07So I look forward to working with late Mayor Greg

2:12:10Wyman and our council and the residents of L. street

2:12:14our commissioners to make sure that we turn the ship around

2:12:20and that we live within our means from now on.

2:12:23Thank you Mayor.

2:12:24I appreciate gave Gabe Janet do you want to have

2:12:29some comments at this hour.

2:12:31Just just briefly, I want to thank

2:12:33everyone I think we had some really good comments today.

2:12:37And I think that they're really helpful.

2:12:39And and we had some really good question

2:12:43that we need to answer.

2:12:44So I think it For me, it really gives me a better

2:12:49sense of what our community wants and thinks

2:12:54is right for our city.

2:12:56And I want to thank them all for coming

2:13:00and doing a great job in presenting in our own call

2:13:07zoom environment.

2:13:08This is not zoom that the it's been a really

2:13:14difficult period of time.

2:13:15And I think One of the things that I'm personally

2:13:18seeing that wasn't addressed too much,

2:13:21but it was addressed a little bit this morning is

2:13:27the difficulty people are having They're getting the pressed I'm

2:13:37I'm noticing some people star and it's what

2:13:43is happening of course, is that we're

2:13:46not getting over the pandemic.

2:13:49Right now we're just continuing So we

2:13:52don't really know for sure how long it's going to last.

2:13:56We don't know much about anything except that we really

2:14:02need to watch our finance this and that I

2:14:06think we all agree on.

2:14:09And so I appreciate all of the work that's been done on it.

2:14:12I appreciate all of the staff that

2:14:17have given you raises that they were by contract entitled to.

2:14:25And I appreciate all of the citizens

2:14:29who have come to the meetings like this one and others.

2:14:33And I just want to say thank everybody

2:14:37I think this was a great meeting and I'm so glad we had it.

2:14:43Thank you.

2:14:44Thank you Richelle.

2:14:46Would you like some to pass with some words yes please.

2:14:51I'm on OK.

2:14:53Great.

2:14:54And I'd like to also thank all of the people

2:14:57that called in today because it really make a big difference.

2:15:04Mayor Lyman in his comments saying that Rosarito

2:15:08is a small city in this big city feeling of the bay area

2:15:15is very true.

2:15:17One of the things I loved about serving on the City Council

2:15:23is that you know, your voice really

2:15:25matters in this small town that we're

2:15:28in And when you call in to talk with the council you know we're

2:15:35weren't we're not someone that is

2:15:37in any way above anyone else in the city I see us

2:15:42all being peers and neighbors.

2:15:45And so I listen to every single one of you

2:15:48just as if we were having coffee in the front yard

2:15:52with a mask on six feet apart.

2:15:56So thank you so much for taking your time

2:16:00to call in this morning and the comments at about recreation

2:16:07and what parents are doing and going

2:16:12to be able to do in future.

2:16:14Definitely strikes a chord with me.

2:16:17I appreciate that.

2:16:19And then, of course our racial justice

2:16:24amazing things that are happening right now

2:16:27throughout the country is it's really

2:16:32touches my heart as a person of African-American descent.

2:16:39And I appreciate what our city manager said in terms of really

2:16:45attacking systemic racism in every department,

2:16:49including the police department.

2:16:52I am still listening to the define the police cry

2:16:57and I definitely am open to looking at our police

2:17:02department and thinking about how

2:17:05we can do things differently.

2:17:08I know I said in the last meeting I have you know,

2:17:12some conflicting feelings about that because

2:17:14of my own really positive personal experience

2:17:18with Police Department.

2:17:20But there's definitely ways we could change

2:17:23things and reimagine things.

2:17:25And I appreciate our chief who I really think

2:17:29is one of the more open police chiefs

2:17:33and I've served on the public Safety Committee

2:17:37for beleaguered cities.

2:17:40And I can tell you that not all police

2:17:43chiefs share his feelings.

2:17:45So I'm glad that here and also Rito hopefully we can learn

2:17:50from our neighbors and Oregon and really do

2:17:53some new and innovative things burrito.

2:17:57I'm also very interested in if we were to redirect funds.

2:18:03I think I just want us to say it out loud because I think

2:18:07there's some things that are kind of not said and I think

2:18:13people that well burrito most of the people, a lot of people in

2:18:19and I'd have to hear about specific steps

2:18:22to commit the crimes or from outside of the city.

2:18:26So well, maybe we don't reinvest in our city maybe

2:18:29we do do some donations to neighboring cities

2:18:33where people are struggling.

2:18:35I think that would be a good way of using some of our funds

2:18:39if we were able to reimagine things.

2:18:44And we're going to have to continue to have conversations

2:18:47like this obviously nothing is going to be done in one

2:18:53meeting or one set of budget cuts

2:18:55as we've learned tonight or this after this morning

2:19:00that this is going to be ongoing. for now.

2:19:04And for future councils.

2:19:06So thank you to all my fellow council members.

2:19:09I know that you're thinking heavy heavily on these issues.

2:19:12And thank you to the staff for all the work that you've done

2:19:17and thank you once again to the people and also Rito One thing.

2:19:23I feel like I hold in common with everyone

2:19:25that lives in all Serino is a love for the city

2:19:28and we could have chosen to live anywhere

2:19:32and we chose El Cerrito So I think there's something

2:19:35about all of us that we're it is held commonality like there's

2:19:39something about us that likes to be in this area that likes

2:19:42to be around the people that we've chosen to be around

2:19:45And so I see as neighbors and friends

2:19:48and hopefully we can get through all of this

2:19:51together in a very positive manner.

2:19:53Thank you right.

2:19:56You know echo the thanks from the echo thanks

2:20:04from the city council members.

2:20:06Thank you, everyone for coming.

2:20:07Thank you to the staff.

2:20:08Thank you to my fellow council members for being here

2:20:12and having the day able to listen to all this.

2:20:15I want to thank all the residents that attended.

2:20:17I know, for example Jim Doyle dinosaur John Hurricane Jeanne

2:20:23you have all sent in email that will be distributed

2:20:27to the council members so that we get those questions prior

2:20:32to our meeting on the 11th and the 19th

2:20:35where we're going to be looking at our fiscal response plan.

2:20:38So thank you, everyone.

2:20:40And please stay safe wear your face covering Wash your hands.

2:20:47We need to stop the spread of coated

2:20:51so we can actually foam that's not so bad.

2:20:54Hey we do need to be able to see each other in in the future

2:20:58and give hugs and thank you's in person.

2:21:02So at this point, please do your best to contribute

2:21:06and have a great salary afternoon.

2:21:09Thank you