CC Min 2009-09-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

interjected and provided information about the process that the County is following to address its budget shortfall. Mr. Bell shared that within his Department he is working with the County and creating a consortium that will be before Council in the near future. Magda Gonzalez, Assistant City Manager, provided a brief report on the issue of the Strategic Plan. She acknowledged the team of Department Heads who worked on this. Council provided some input and one suggestion was to have as the mission "Building a Great Community Together". There were at least four Council Members that agreed with this mission. One Council Member wanted the vision to be clearer because it will guide the mission. One Council Member would like to have less focus on "core" services. Another Council Member mentioned that an inclusive process makes for a better product with real value and she is looking for that. Three Council Members wanted this simplified. Mayor Foust explained that it is hard to have a values discussion when Council is anxious to discuss the budget tonight. She asked that staff return and take in consideration Council's comments tonight. This matter to come back while the current City Council is still in office. As a final remark on the topic of Strategic Planning Mayor Foust highlighted that fiscal stability has another side - which is economic prosperity. Council took a break at 9:27 p.m. The meeting resumed at 9:50 p.m. Mayor Foust opened the public comment portion of the meeting. Public Comment: Mike Bursak, Historic Resources Advisory Committee Member, addressed the Council in regards to the Historical archives and how the Library is proposing cuts. He does not support these cuts because he does not find this a reasonable proposal. He said he is a member of the archives committee and they should be consulted on this as well as the Library Foundation. He advised Council to "never give your money to strangers" in regards to the securitization. Council Discussion: Council discussed the securitization program as well as having staff come back with some recommendations that illustrate the dollar figure that should be cut. One Council Member said that he will be shocked if the deficit does not go up. One Council Member wanted recommendations of up to one million to implement this year and knowing that the net of that is half of a million. Another Council Member agreed that the city should start an organized campaign to inform the community on what the state is doing. Regarding the various options some Council Members thought that a mix of finro items might be the approach to follow in October. Another Council Member said that he agreed with prior comments but if they want the securitization then a letter should be sent to the governor explaining local governments' concerns and fiscal predicaments. Mr. Genesy, Library Director was asked to address the speakers' comments on the issue of the archives room. He said that regarding the archives, this is a cut that will require some creative "out of the box approach. " Certain Council Member made specific comments which included: JOINT CITY COUNCIL/REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 MEETING MINUTES PAGE 10 MINUTE BOOK NO. 62 Page No. 473