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January 23, 2008
ONE MORE ATTACK ON THE ESPLANADE
The Planning Commission has recently held several meetings considering its recommendation(s) to the City Council relating to the adoption of THE AVENUES PLAN that includes a recommendation to narrow the lanes on THE ESPANADE to 10’ (rather than the existing 12’) and to include a bicycle lane and each side of the northerly and southerly 10’ lanes. Fortunately the Commission has under consideration the elimination of this recommendation.
Since the Commission has not officially adopted its final recommendations, it’s important that the community keep-up with its final action relating to THE ESPLANADE.
The Commission’s final recommendations will need to be approved by the City Council and again the community should be alert to the action of the Council as it relates to THE ESPLANADE.
Since THE ESPANADE is designated as an arterial street and a truck route, this recommendation (included in THE AVENUES PLAN) would not only be contrary to the General Plan but would create a serious hazard to vehicles and bicyclist.
THE ESPLANADE side drives have always been available for bicyclist and they should not be on the arterial portion of THE ESPLANADE.
Posted by Fred at 11:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 17, 2008
IT’S TIME FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO STOP TALKING; BUT PROVIDING SOME REAL LEADERSHIP IN SOLVING THE CITY'S BUDGET "STRUCTURAL DEFICIT"; WHICH IS THEIR MAKING
Although some of the Council members, (at last Friday’s Chamber sponsored “State of the City”), pledged not to place a sales tax issue on the November ballot (watch out for fees etc.), this was obviously an attempt to give some cover and protection to members who intend to run for an additional term this November.
At the meeting, little was said by any Council member that showed a real desire to attack the City’s Budget Structural Deficit, at this time. Although a small matter, I don’t recall any mention of how they were going tto patch the holes in our miles and miles of City streets.
The Council knows that the cost of salaries and benefits for City employees, to a great extent, is the primary cause of the Structural Deficit. They recently compounded any attempt to a solution to the Structural Deficit when they approved a new 6 year contract with the City’s Fireman; with substantial salary and benefit improvements over the next 5 years. They need to find a way to unwind this and other employee agreements in order to begin to solve the Structural Deficit. Playing around with other budget reductions are necessary, but simply will not come anywhere near resolving the Structural Deficit.
The Council may manage another year by scraping the bottom of the fund balances; but they need to get busy NOW to solve the long term budget problems.
Posted by Fred at 03:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 07, 2008
THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD STOP THE SPENDING; NOW
The City Council should stop immediately the preparation of plans for the proposed Fire Stations #6 and #7 and a new Police Facility.
The City Budget shows an allocation of over $3,000,000 (from Redevelopment Funds and Impact Fees) for the design and environmental review of the Fire and Police facilities.
It’s unlikely that the City will have the funds to build the facilities for many years and with the huge budget deficit it is unlikely that the City would have the funds for additional personnel and equipment. Plans prepared at this time may not be useful when full funding for the projects become available.
In the interim it may be well for the City Council to appoint an impartial outside management firm to study the need for the new facilities; there is plenty of time, considering the budget deficit.
$ 3,000,000 is a great deal of taxpayer’s funds that may be spent for facilities that may not be needed or may be substantially modified.
Stay tuned for further suggestions based on “looking outside of the box” and “reinventing” the City’s organization and future needs.
Posted by Fred at 10:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 01, 2008
City's Structual Deficit--Again,"Thinking Outside the Box"
Here is a list of budget item that should be consider when trying to fix the “structural deficit”, of the annual budget, which this Council and others have created over a substantial period of time.
I make these suggestions, knowing that the unions and City employees will provide hundreds of reason why they will not work—union and management contracts, difficulty in recruiting new workers etc., etc. etc.
Since the cost of overtime pay is in the millions of dollars, how about thinking of fire personnel working 12 instead of 24 hour shifts; police personnel working 8 instead of 10 or 12 hour shifts; reducing the number of vacation and sick leave days for all City employees? An in depth analysis will reveal the terrific savings that can accrue from these suggestions.
I also know making the above suggestions will take time; renegotiating union and management agreements, but the City needs to begin some realistic thinking if they are to make any inroads into its horrendous financial “structural deficit.
Stay tuned for further suggestions and explanations.
Posted by Fred at 03:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack