HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/27/2008 - Study SessionCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Minutes
City Council Study Session
May 27, 2008 — 3:00 p.m.
I. ROLL CALL
Present: Council Member Henn, Mayor Pro Tem Daigle, Mayor Selich, Council Member Webb,
Council Member Curry, Council Member Gardner
Excused: Council Member Rosansky
II. CURRENT, BUSINESS
1. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
In response to Mayor Pro Tem Daigle's question regarding Item #5 (Termination of Option
to Purchase Block 500 of Newport Center Drive), City Attorney Clauson stated that the
only land use restriction that The Irvine Company placed on the property is that the
property can only be used for open space and as a public facility. Regarding Item #9 ( "Go
Local" Transit Study), City Manager Bludau stated that the OCTA Grant specifically
conditions the City to only study the transport of passengers within the County.
Regarding Item #22 (Reclassification of Senior Human Resources Analyst), he stated that
there is a need for someone to oversee the recruitment process because of the high
volume. Human Resources Manager Ramsey explained that recruitment has increased
100% in the last three years and the Recruitment and Selection Supervisor will be in
charge of training, performance evaluations, negotiations and employee relations. She
noted that the reclassification will not be a temporary fix.
2. DEPARTMENT BUDGET OVERVIEW.
Administrative Services Manager Danner displayed a PowerPoint presentation that
included the Budget Reconciliation and noted that there is a $23 million reserve for
Capital Facilities Replacement that has expenditures that are not yet committed.
Using a PowerPoint presentation, Assistant City Manager Kiff displayed the allocation
plan for City Council, which included salaries and benefits, maintenance and operation,
capital outlay, and Council grants. At the request of Council Member Curry, he explained
that the Capital Outlay budget is usually used for other Council needs such as computers
and that the expenditures in that account tend to be low. He also provided the report for
the City Manager's office and stated that the department oversees three divisions: Code &
Water Quality Enforcement, Harbor Resources, and the Public Information Department.
He provided the number of employees in each division, their work, major accomplishments
and challenges ahead. In response to Council Member Henn's question, Assistant City
Manager Kiff stated that he is confident that code enforcement resources can be covered
relative to group homes, but will continue to monitor the situation and request additional
staff resources in a timely manner, if necessary.
In response to Council Member Henn's question, City Attorney Clauson stated that
litigation expenses will be handled through Risk Management that involve a monetary
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claim for damages, to allow the City to put the insurance companies on notice. Writs
without a claim for monetary damages will be handled through the City Attorney's Office.
In response to Mayor Pro Tent Daigle's question, Assistant City Manager Kiff stated that
the Grand Jury has allowed the City to sort through the remaining issue of
transferability of the moorings. City Attorney Clauson noted that a recommended action
was proposed by the Harbor Commission's subcommittee and changes will be made.
In response. to Council Member Webb's question, staff stated that the Sister City
Association funds are in the Arts and Cultural budget.
Deputy City Clerk Brown provided a PowerPoint presentation which included the mission
statement, duties, allocation plan, service indicators, accomplishments, goals,
and challenges.
Human Resources Director Ramsey provided a presentation that included the allocation
plan, department overview, challenges, organization, service indicators, and city -wide
reclassifications.
In response to Council Member Henn's question, City Attorney Clauson explained that a
new law has been passed to stop drug testing on all employees. She noted that safety
sensitive positions can still be tested.
In response to Council Member Henn's question, Human Resources Manager Ramsey
stated that the increase to the operations portion of the budget is for costs of tuition
reimbursement, recruiting, testing, and employee service pins.
In response to Council Member Curry's question, Human Resources Manager
Ramsey stated that the Costa Mesa Community Center is used because it is bigger and
space is available.
In response to Mayor Pro Tem Daigle 's question, Human Resources Manager
Ramsey stated that the department narrows the applicants by using the Neo -Gov system,
which allows applicants to apply, be screened, and notices can be composed.
In response to Council Member Henn's question, Risk Manager Farley stated that the
amount of workers comp claims is a trend.
City Manager Bludau emphasized that the reclassification study does not guarantee that
positions will be approved. He informed Council that he did not recommend two of the
positions, but does not dispute them.
Council Member Henn commented that the Human Resources Department has done a
good job in implementing new systems and encouraged them to continue.
City Attorney Clauson provided a PowerPoint presentation that included staffing changes,
successes, service indicators and challenges. She noted that there has been a significant
change in the amount of the maintenance and operations budget because of outside
expenses for Council initiatives such as the solution to the eelgrass situation, the litigation
for the IBC (Irvine Business Complex), and group homes, which all attributed to high
outside legal counsel expenditures. She provided a handout that included the proposed
changes to staffing and information on other cities in the area that provide their own legal
counsel. She also gave the basis for her requests for additional employees/staff changes.
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Administrative Services Director Danner provided a PowerPoint presentation which
included the mission statement and the proposed and amended budgets, significant
revenues, major charges, fees and taxes, fines, debt services, City audits /reporting, and the
benchmarking initiatives.
In response to Council's questions, Administrative Services Director Danner stated that
there is $5.4 million in potential revenues from the recently completed User Fee Study,
that is not included in the report. He also stated that the increase in salary number totals
is mostly related to the Information Technology Department's reclassification, step
increases and MOU changes. The budget reflects if the positions were filled 100% of the
time and the drop in the budget in the maintenance and professional and technical is due
to the one time cost study and the benchmarking effort.
III. PU13LI_C COMMENTS
Council Member Gardner introduced 6th graders in Ms. Westover's class from Mariners
Elementary School.
Cleo Harrington addressed Council about styrofoam and believed that it harms living beings and
pollutes the world. She talked about styrene and it's effect and urged Council to help ban
styrofoam in Newport Beach.
Nick Allen stated that the cafeteria used styrofoam trays for lunches, but now uses cardboard. He
explained that styrofoam takes 300 years to decompose and stated that it has already been
banned in Hawaii and San Francisco.
Alexander Palmer stated that according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), styrofoam
is bad for the body. She urged people to use earth shell, which is safer, and hoped that the city of
Newport Beach will be styrofoam free.
Bela Raimondi talked about the health risks and how styrene can cause damages to the body. She
urged Council to ban styrofoam from the city.
Mayor Selich thanked the students for their plea for no styrofoam in the city of Newport Beach
2. DEPARTMENT BUDGET OVERVIEW (continued)
Police Chief Klein talked about the accomplishments his department has made such as the camera
project, commercial enforcement, and disturbance advisement. He noted that overall crime is
down and they are reaching out to the community. He also stated that his department has
implemented the "Keep Your Teen Safe Program." He presented a PowerPoint presentation which
included the budget overview, budget totals, budget by divisions, budget total comparison, division
budget comparison, increases, changes from FY 2007 -08, ABLE budget increases, revenues,
divisional responsibilities, and significant accomplishments and challenges.
In response to Council's questions, Police Chief Klein stated that there is cooperation for
COPLINK from the Orange County Sheriffs Department, City and County of Los Angeles, City of
San Diego, and they are in negotiations with other cities.
In response to Council Member Henn's question, Police Chief Klein stated that the salary amount
is up because there is an additional motor and traffic investigator and less officers are in training,
even though the number of authorized positions has not increased. There are more police officers
on the street and they are addressing the neighborhood visibility issues by making sure that the
officers are known to the residents and officers are more visible. He assured Council that more
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resources will be dedicated to the critical times and areas that are in need of police patrol.
Council Member Rosansky joined the meeting at 4:40 p.m.
IV. ADJOURNMENT - 4:51 p.m.
The agenda for the Study Session was posted on May 21, 2008, at 3:20 p.m. on the City
Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach Administration
Building.
City Clerk
Mayor
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