HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/09/1994 - Adjourned Regular MeetingCOUNCIL MEMBERS
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CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
ADJOURNED COUNCIL MEETING
PLACE: Council Chambers
TIME: 2:00 P.M.
DATE: June 9, 1994
The City Council met in study session to
continue review of the PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR
FISCAL YEAR 1994 -95.
The Directors from the following Departments
gave a graphic presentation and review of
their Departmental budgets with staff present
to answer questions:
PLANNING
BUILDING
PUBLIC WORKS
COMMUNITY SERVICES
UTILITIES
PUBLIC COPO16NTS
1. Jean Morris, 1032 Sea Lane, addressed
the Council with a general statement
that she feels it is an honor to serve
on the Council as volunteers,
sacrificing an enormous amount of their
time, but was shocked to see that the
Council consider themselves as employees
of the City getting costs of living
increases, medical benefits and
surprised that salary increases for
employees have been approved to match
salaries of other cities. She was
surprised that for a small city of
70,000 a combined Management salary has
been approved for the Planning
Department for $250,000; $234,000 for
the Finance Department; $400,000 for the
Fire Department, etc. She commented
that the Council is dealing with a self -
perpetuating bureaucracy which is the
very nature of government in Washington
and here in Newport Beach. She feels
that the Council is dealing with this
bureaucracy much as the Congress is by
politicizing decisions, rather than
responding to the clear wishes of the
people who have elected them. She added
that in the Tuesday June primary the
people defeated bond issues, not because
they didn't want them, but because they
didn't want to pay for them. She feels
that there could be less waste and less
fat by doing things different than the
way they have been done in the past.
Mayor Turner responded that the City has
been cutting expenses over the past
years regarding personnel, utilizing
privatization, etc. The City must
comply with the law in dealing with
pensions and the employee associations.
Also, the City has gone through a
painful process in dealing with the
economic recession. Regarding the cost
of living allowance received by the
Council Members, the citizens voted this
into the City Charter, and some of the
Council Members have requested that this
allowance be returned. As regards
Management salaries, positions have also
been cut, and something must be done for
the remaining positions as they are
carrying a larger workload in an attempt
to provide a continuing level of
services to the citizens.
Volume 48 - Page 167
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CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
COUNCIL MEMBERS
ROLL CRLL -P June 9, 1994
MINUTES
INDEX
Ms. Morris stated that the study the
City did comparing private business
salaries with those of the City of
Newport Beach was not necessary, and at
the suggestion of Council, she will
submit specific proposals for Council
review.
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The City Manager responded that the City
must maintain some internal relationship
with regard to salaries for Key and
Management employees to those positions
represented by the employees
associations.
Ms. Morris responded that she feels the
City is doing a good job with regard to
the economic situation, and her whole
purpose in coming before the Council is
to let them know that the public is
concerned about increased costs and
reduced services.
2. Dolores Otting, 17 Hillsborough, asked
that with the opening of the new library
will the Corona del Mar Branch be
closing as part of the fiscal year 1994-
95 budget; and also clarification of the
days the libraries will remain open in
relation to the budget.
City Librarian and Community Services
Director LaDouna Kienitz responded that
the branches will be open Tuesday
through Saturday, as the cost
effectiveness is realized in the way
materials are moved by the Central
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Library being open on Sundays.
The City Manager advised that closing
the Corona del Mar Branch Library is not
proposed in the budget, and in
anticipation of fielding questions from
the newspaper media and the citizens,
the City Librarian gave him an estimate
of the cost savings which would only
amount to $150,000 to $200,000.
3. Novella Hendrickson, 1991 Port Claridge
Place, inquired about the vehicle
allowance and repair for the part -time
person in the Utilities Budget /Oil and
Gas Division.
The Utilities Director responded that
there is a Tidelands Oil Field
maintenance person who works at least
one day per week who drives a Utilities
vehicle from the yard down to the
Tidelands oil operation in West Newport
to transport equipment and tools to
maintain the front and back wells. A
portion of the City's costs relating to
that vehicle is placed in the budget.
Regarding other budget items, it was
determined that the budget discussions should
be concluded with the June 13 review. The
checklist items and formal budget adoption
will be taken up at the June 27, Council
meeting.
The staff was commended by the Council for the
excellent budget presentation format.
Volume 48 - Page 168
VXV COUN CIL MEMBERS
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CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
June 9, 1994
Meeting adjourned to closed session at 4:53
p.m, to discuss pending litigation and give
direction to the City representatives
regarding meet and confer as specified in the
Closed Session Agenda.
Council reconvened at 5:55 p.m. from closed
session with no action taken, and immediately
adjourned.
The notice for this meeting was posted
on June 6, 1994, at 1:20 p.m., on the
City Hall Bulletin Board located outside
of the City of Newport Beach
Administration Building.
ATTEST:
G
Mayor
Volume 48 - Page 169
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