AgdaPkt 2020-06-22 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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9.A. - Page 2 of 17 was rolled over the as a base budget, adjusted only to account for salary and benefit costs already agreed to in employee bargaining agreements. Staff recommended, and the City Council agreed, that the FY 2020- 21 Recommended Budget would not make any significant service changes, and would be re-examined and modified in the fall when economic impacts and community needs are clearer. On June 8, 2020, the City Council held a study session to receive the FY 2020-21 Recommended Operating Budget and provide direction for the FY 2020-21 Adopted Budget. A copy of the staff report is available here: Budget Study Session on June 8, 2020. At that meeting, the City Council received several public comments related to park and recreation services and funding for housing and police initiatives. To clarify, the Recommended Budget does not decrease park and recreation services from current levels; funding for park and recreation services in the FY 2020-21 Recommended Budget is lower than in the FY 2019-20 Adjusted Budget because the FY 2019-20 Adjusted Budget includes grants and other one-time adjustments added to the budget mid -year, in February 2020. A similar process will happen this fall, boosting the parks and recreation budget to reflect grants received after the Recommended Budget is adopted. Fundamentally, the variation in funding is a matter of timing in when grants are received, versus a reduction in service. Additionally, approximately $9 million, not $480,000, of public and private funds will be directed toward affordable housing needs in the coming year. Finally, increases in the Police Department budget are not related to expanded staffing but are primarily a result of increases in salary and benefits, which are agreed to during negotiations with represented bargaining units, and increases in internal service charges (insurance, technology, fleet, custodian, and building maintenance). In the last several weeks the City Council and City staff have received an outpouring of concerns from the Redwood City community related to racial injustice. These have included calls for reforms in policing and criminal justice, and increased funding for education, housing, mental health and other social services. Staff believe these are critical public policy concerns to address, and also acknowledge that meaningful engagement is substantially more challenging in light of the current public health crisis: staff are called on to develop very different approaches to community dialogue and to do so at a time when we are also actively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, working to support community recovery, and anticipating significant changes in City services in light of revenue reduction and evolving community needs. Nonetheless, staff believe this work should be a priority and, in light of community concerns expressed to date, recommend the following next steps for immediate action, additional listening, dialogue and action, and then incorporating community feedback into the revisions to the FY 2020-21 Budget to be considered by the City Council in October. 1. Immediate Action a. Mayor and City Council to endorse the Obama Foundation Mayor's Pledge (described below) b. Modify Police Department policies to make the use of carotid restraint a use of deadly force, not allowed as an arrest and control tactic c. Return military tactical vehicle donated from the federal government to the Police Department d. Increase frequency of racial and cultural diversity training from every 5 years to every 2 years Page 2 of 9 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 437