Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "budget"

Push to open doors: An opinion on transit

2013-04-23T05:10:05Z

The economy decline is still affecting personal lives. California is struggling to stand back up. Our lives have changed and we are looking for different ways to offset that change. Looking for ways to save money.

But public transport?

Last summer the manifold in my car cracked. I was without a car for a few weeks and had to find away to get to Folsom each day. My son told me I should try the light rail.

Seriously? Isn't the light rail for people who don't own cars or cannot drive?

No. The Sacramento Regional Transit light rail train is for everyone.

My first ride on the train came a few days later and I was apprehensive. What kind of people would be on there? Would anyone judge me? Should I be afraid? Question after question went through my mind driving to the station. When I drove into the parking lot I was amazed. It took me a few minutes to find parking. The lot was full of cars, including high-end models.

When I got to the platform to wait for the train, I noticed all the different kinds of people waiting with me. The majority of the people were professionals sipping Starbucks, reading newspapers or scanning their Kindles. Once the train arrived I found my seat and saw the train full of students, professionals of all areas and a few average people. I quickly realized the train was being used by everyone.

I looked at my budget and compared the prices of light rail to the cost of driving back and forth to Folsom from East Sacramento. I realized how smart it was for these professionals to utilize this public service.

What a great savings!

Public transport may not be for everyone. That being said, I highly encourage you to take the light rail train downtown for a day trip or east for some lunch in Old Folsom. You can see the ease of the train, cut cost and pitch in to help save the environment. And you may get some of the reading done you keep putting off.

Tahoe Park community steps up for their pool, opens it for summer swimming

2012-07-02T20:42:43Z

Tahoe Park pool didn’t make the list for the Save Mart “Save Our Pools” campaign, so, faced with the possibility of a dry pool during a hot summer, neighborhood leaders joined forces with a city councilman, a county supervisor and the Sierra Health Foundation to plan their own rescue effort – and succeeded.

“The neighborhood just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said. “I’m proud of everyone for that.”

While Save Mart grocery stores were working with the city of Sacramento to raise $1 million to save six city pools from closure this spring, a contingent of Tahoe Park volunteers and neighborhood association leaders were diligently stuffing envelopes and knocking on doors to raise the money needed to keep their pool open.

Eric Guerra, president of the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, took the lead in the fundraising campaign, which he said was initially only intended to raise enough to keep the kiddie pool open at Tahoe Park.

“The cost of getting the large pool open full time would be over $80,000 and we knew that wasn’t possible,” Guerra said. “But we thought maybe we could do more than just the wading pool.”

Guerra and fellow neighborhood association members Ryan Murphy and Kimberly Pell decided to shoot for a middle ground: $42,000 to open the pool part-time.

Pell, a high school teacher at Jesuit High School, met Sierra Health Foundation CEO Chet Hewitt at a career day at her school and asked if the foundation would be interested in participating in saving Tahoe Park pool. The response was positive: Hewitt said if the community and the council member would raise half of the necessary funds, the foundation would come in with the other half.

McCarty said that, once Sierra Health Foundation was on board with their matching pledge, he reached out to Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna to help the Tahoe Park community raise the rest.

“What speaks volumes about Tahoe Park is that many people gave small amounts,” Guerra said. “Even some people who don’t really use the pool or don’t have kids – they felt bad about not having it open for everyone else.”

In total, donations from community members and nearby businesses came to just under $4,000, Guerra said, and McCarty and Serna together raised another $17,000.

“We are all clear this is not a long term solution,” Guerra said. “By far everyone feels this is a city responsibility, but, still, we understand the city’s fiscal challenges, too.”

The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony in late June was the first time anyone used the pool since 2010, Murphy said, and about 50 people came out to celebrate. The pool has been packed with swimmers since then, he added.

“When I ride by the poole and see it’s clean and people are there and kids are swimming, I think to myself, ‘OK. The effort was worth it,’” Murphy said.

Tahoe Park Pool, 3535 59th St., will be open for recreational swim from 2-6 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through Aug. 25.

Tahoe Park joins Glenn Hall and Southside Park in the list of city pools that have been granted a reprieve from summer closure through community efforts.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Glenn Hall Pool neighbors, Q-Balls give big for more swim time this summer

2012-06-27T15:48:06Z

For the third year in a row, budget cuts reduced programs and swim hours at local pools, but donations from generous neighbors – and a local rock ’n roll band – pulled together to give water-lovers in East Sacramento additional splash time at Glenn Hall Pool this summer.

“It’s going to mean a lot to many people to have the pool to splash around in this summer,” Steve Harriman, River Park Neighborhood Association board member said Wednesday. “For some kids in the city, going to a pool is all they have.”

The fundraising campaign will allow the pool to open for recreational swimming from 1 to 5 p.m. on on Fridays and Sundays, June 29 through Aug. 19.

Open recreation swim times are also offered at Doyle Park Pool, Clunie Pool in McKinley Park and the wading pool at Bertha Henschel Park.

According to a press release from City Councilman Steve Cohn’s office, the River Park Neighborhood Association’s fundraising effort, together with a grant from the concert series Pops in the Park and a $1,000 contribution from local rock band Q-Balls will allow residents more than 66 additional hours of swim time this summer.

“I’m really excited about this because the people in River Park have done a lot to make this happen,” Cohn said Wednesday. “They’ve raised money three or four years in a row now, and they are still doing it.”

Cohn said the cost to add a single hour of additional recreation swim time at Glenn Hall Pool is $150, and the group raised a total of $10,000.

Harriman said past fundraising efforts for Glenn Hall Pool have included car washes, bake sales and even a door-to-door flyer distribution campaign to encourage donations.

“People are feeling fundraising fatigue right now,” Harriman said. “The good news is, there are some people who are in a financial position to do something, and they care enough to do so.”

The River Park Neighborhood Association isn’t done yet, Cohn said. The group will continue their fundraising efforts with the hope of adding even more swim hours.

“We have an eight-week schedule now, but the more we collect, the more hours we can add,” Cohn said.

Tax deductible donations to the effort can be made through the city’s Gifts to Share program. For more information, contact Cohn’s CIty Hall office, or the River Park Neighborhood Association on their website.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mayor Kevin Johnson gets help to 'play nice' with council

2012-06-26T12:45:00Z

As soon as Mayor Kevin Johnson declared victory in his bid for re-election, he moved out key members of his City Hall staff and brought in two longtime city employees, leading some to question if he is doubling down on arena efforts in his second term – or just trying to shore up support on the City Council playground.

“The city does better when people are working together,” political analyst Andrew Acosta said. “His ability to work together and have a relationship with council members has not been demonstrated so far.”

Acosta was a key campaign advisor in the June primary elections for local council candidates Kevin McCarty (District 6), Bonnie Pannell (District 8) and Joe Yee (District 4).

The mayor’s former chief of staff, Kunal Merchant, and Special Assistant R.E. Graswich have taken lead positions with Think Big Sacramento, a coalition of business and government interests dedicated to economic development in the railyards. To replace them, Johnson brought in public-sector veterans Cassandra Jennings and Patti Bisharat as policy directors and administrative leaders.

Chief executives commonly make staff changes when they go into a second term, but it appears Johnson brought in people with extensive public sector experience to help him in what some consider one of his weakest areas: playing well with others.

It’s no secret that the mayor has clashed on occasion with fellow council members. Not only have they disagreed about arena issues and the strong mayor initiative, Johnson has found himself on opposite sides of the table on numerous budget and city service issues, too. Some conflicts – such as a few curt words exchanged at the dais during council meetings – have proven to be fairly benign, while others have created communication chasms resulting in more than just bruised egos. After a weeks-long rift during the redistricting process, for example, Johnson went so far as to put his political weight behind the opponent of current District 8 Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell in the June primary.

But Johnson’s candidate, former Sacramento NAACP President Betty Williams, lost her bid to take the council seat from Pannell, and Johnson will have to find ways to mend that (and many other) council fences.

Johnson may be trying to change his ways in his second term by bringing Jennings and Bisharat on board: Together, they bring to the table six decades of city government experience, according to Joaquin McPeek, the mayor’s spokesman.

That’s good news for Johnson, who came into the mayor’s office with plenty of ambition and drive but with zero political experience. For a mayor who scores high on charisma, he gets low marks on ability to finesse an often tenuous interplay with fellow elected leaders at City Hall.

Craig Powell, president of political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento, said the mayor’s decision to bring in two city government powerhouses will do a lot of good in the way of building – or rebuilding – relationships on the City Council.

“They have worked hand-in-glove with everyone on council over the years, so having them there will make dealing with the council easier,” Powell said.

Jennings, in particular, has worked closely with all levels of city government and all city departments in Sacramento. Bisharat has a strong financial and administrative background and will act as a chief advisor on items before the city council. Both women will have key oversight on administrative activities in the mayor's office, McPeek said, including the day-to-day operations.

“Maybe the mayor is saying he needs people that have a wealth of knowledge that can put more meat on the bones of some of the initiatives he’d like to tout,” Acosta said. “Right now they’re just floating out there. That’s a problem for the guy.”

Jennings and Bisharat may be the key to the mayor’s fence-mending efforts on the City Council but, by taking on the day-to-day council-oriented tasks in the mayor’s office, they will also free up time and energy for Johnson to keep his eye on what might be the real prize of his second term: an entertainment and sports complex in the railyards.

“The mayor has spent an enormous amount of time and resources on getting an arena built,” political analyst Doug Elmets said. “He’s not going to be satisfied until he’s got some blueprint for the future that includes an entertainment facility.”

With Merchant and Graswich in the Think Big think tank, they can be Johnson’s eyes and ears in the push for getting an arena built – something the mayor has been keen on since the Kings’ owners, the Maloofs, started sending smoke signals about a move out of Sacramento.

“It’s a grind to work in the mayor’s office day to day,” Elmets said. “(Merchant and Graswich) will have larger, more entrepreneurial roles with Think Big.”

Elmets said those goals include building a new concept for an arena and moving the community along economically, but stopped short of calling the new positions “rewards” for work well done in the mayor’s service during his first term.

“I’d say it’s more of a recognition that they understand the mayor’s goals and objectives and have the credibility – certainly with Johnson – to try to implement something that is going to be challenging in and of itself.”

Should the arena be the backbone of Johnson’s second term? Acosta says no. The mayor would do better to create an agenda that speaks to the people – and strong mayor and the arena are not it.

“How does your agenda fit with where the people are? I think they have to connect,” Acosta said. “You can’t just come up with something that has no real connection to what voters are feeling and expect it to fly.”

JOHNSON’S FUTURE

What will the future hold for Johnson? Elmets suggests Johnson may have a higher political calling, perhaps even in the role of governor of California.

“The one thing I wouldn’t do is underestimate Kevin Johnson,” Elmets said. “Particularly now that he’s been re-elected. I think he’s looking at the road ahead and not focusing on what’s transpiring in the rear-view mirror.”

As far as Johnson’s long-term future, Acosta said he expects it may include higher office – whether that would be a successful move for Johnson is another story, Acosta said.

“When you don’t play well with others, where are you going to go? The state Legislature? Probably not,” Acosta said. “I would assume he wants to go to the next level, but what that will be – we don’t know. I’m not sure he knows.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City may face a spike in ambulance fees

2012-06-25T19:35:22Z

The City Council will consider a resolution Tuesday to allow the Sacramento Fire Department to hike the cost of ambulance rides in the city by nearly 22 percent, and more than double the charges for being treated but not transported by firefighters.

The Sacramento Fire Department is a designated 9-1-1 transport agency for emergency medical services, and the service is paid for by fees charged to patients. City staff reported to the City Council Thursday that current fees are well under that of private agencies providing similar service – and not enough to fully recover the cost of providing the service.

The department is proposing a $240 increase for the base rate for all levels of emergency transport it provides, including basic life support and advanced life support, and a $129 increase in the “medically assessed and treated but not transported” rate.

“Treated but not transported” fees occur when the fire department shows up but the patient decides not to be taken to the hospital, or they get transferred to another ambulance provider. This was the case nearly 7,000 times in 2011.

According to a city staff report, direct costs of providing emergency transport service include labor, supplies, equipment and vehicles, while indirect costs include dispatch services, training and other support services. Revenue generated from the fee increases will offset – but not fully cover – the costs associated with providing the services, the report states.

The fee increases are reminiscent of a 2010 “crash tax” proposal by the fire department to charge non-resident drivers for emergency responses to accidents in which they were at fault. The crash tax proposal was rejected by the City Council in March 2011.

Unlike the crash tax proposal which focused on charging non-residents, the current fee increases would apply to anyone receiving the emergency medical services.

Since the program was implemented, rates have increased six times – but the current fees in Sacramento are still 22 percent lower than comparable services by private providers, according to the staff report.

Here is the full staff report to the City Council on the proposed EMS transport rate increases:

Proposed changes to EMS fees

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Will dump coupons add to service from the claw?

2012-06-25T18:03:46Z

This week brings more solid waste discussion at the City Council with a new twist: Will the city augment service from the claw with “dump coupons?”

The City Council discussed proposed changes to the city solid waste and recycling program in March, including changing curbside recycling to every-other-week collection, implementing year-round containerized yard waste collection and retiring loose-in-the-street pickup by the claw for all but three months of the year.

Now, after months of community outreach on the proposed changes, a new idea is being floated based on public comments from those discussions: dump coupons.

The idea stems from the proposed return of the Neighborhood Cleanup Program, which was suspended in 2010. That program allows residents to schedule one appointment per year for the city to pick up large items like appliances, furniture and large yard waste that will not fit in a garbage or yard waste can.

But residents said that one appointment isn’t enough – especially with the proposed changes to the overall waste pickup program in the city.

They suggested introducing a pilot dump coupon program that would allow residents to deliver up to five cubic yards of waste to the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station (at no charge to the resident) once per year.

The city would pick up the tab for the tipping fee – the per-ton fee the station charges for accepting waste. The cost of such a pilot program is not estimated in the city staff report.

Dump coupons likely won’t solve all of the problems associated with changes to the city’s collection system, but could give residents a respite from being overwhelmed by the amount of yard waste they have to deal with each year.

Here is the staff report to the City Council on the proposed solid waste changes:

Solid waste collection changes

The City Council is expected to include the possible pilot program Tuesday as part of a larger discussion on the city’s solid waste and recycling business plan. The City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento Current; The Podcast For Locals Who Crave The Details

2012-06-22T12:12:29Z

I know what you're asking yourself already...

"What's a podcast???"

Wikipedia tells us that "A podcast is a type of digital media consisting of an episodic series of audio files subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device."

In plain English, it's an internet "radio" program that listener tune in to at a time of their choosing,

The Sacramento Current Podcast in particular focuses on the major local events of the past week, and invites noteworthy guests into the conversation to add their opinions and expertise. It's regular hosts are Cosmo Garvin, Patrick Kennedy, Phil Pluckebaum, and Isaac Gonzalez, each of which brings their own perspectives to the table in order to promote a provocative conversation.

In just the latest episode, the gang welcomed Tom Negrete, Managing Editor of The Sacramento Bee, and Jared Goyette, Editor-In-Chief of the Sacramento Press on to talk about the state of local media.

Over the previous few months, the podcast has also featured candid interviews with dozens of newsmakers, including Heather Fargo, Jonathan Rewers, Mitch Netto, Kevin McCarty, Joe Yee, Lenoard Padilla, William Burg, among many more.

New episodes are made available every week and can be found at www.sacramentocurrent.com.

Disclosure: Isaac Gonzalez is a co-host on the Sacramento Current podcast

Southside Park Pool is OPEN! (Photos)

2012-06-17T02:31:36Z

With a bit of fanfare, Catherine O'Brien thanked the people and businesses for making the opening of Southside Park Pool happen.

Among them were Southside Park Neighborhood Assn (SPNA), City Park and Recreation Director Jim Combs, City Councilmember Rob Fong, City Manager John Shirey, YMCA CEO Jay Lowrey and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Jay Hansen.

She said "Thank You" to sponsors Southside Motors, Inc, Thomas Advocacy Group, Inc, Southside Park Co-Housing and Geremia Pools, Inc.

After the thanks and congratulations concluded many took the plunge into the pristine-looking pool.

Here's those in Michael Phelps mode:

To read Melissa Corker's preview of the pool opening - <<<CLICK HERE>>>

Party at the pool: Southside Park Pool opening celebration Friday

2012-06-14T19:01:48Z

Cool blue water will be ready and waiting for swimmers at the Southside Park Pool grand opening party Friday – and one lucky swimmer will win the privilege of taking the first plunge in the pool since 2010.

“The pool has just been filled, so it’ll be nice and cool for everyone,” Southside Park Neighborhood Association member Catherine O’Brien said Thursday.

O’Brien and a group of her neighbors banded together in March to get the Southside Park Pool opened because it was not included in the recent Save Mart Save Our Pools Campaign, which raised $1 million to keep six other city pools open for the summer.

In May, an agreement was reached between the city of Sacramento and the YMCA of Superior California allowing the YMCA to operate the pool from June 16 through Labor Day. The pool will be available for swim lessons, open swim times and event rentals through the summer, according to the YMCA website.

“This is a great example of community partners working toward a common goal that benefits our most important citizens: our kids,” City Councilman Rob Fong said in his district newsletter for June.

The event starts at 6 p.m., and O’Brien said party organizers aren’t sure how many people will attend, but they expect to be hosting a full house – especially with temperatures expected to hit 100 degrees Friday.

“The word has definitely gotten out about the pool party, and we’re ready for it,” O’Brien said.

Tickets to the event are $10 per person at the door, and children under 12 can enter free. Entry includes a raffle ticket to win the privilege of the first plunge – and swimmers will want to be on time for the 6:15 p.m. drawing, O’Brien said.

“It will be hard to make anyone wait to get into the pool, especially the children,” she said.

Proceeds from the pool preview party will help keep the Southside Park Pool open for the summer. Party snacks are being provided by Southside Park neighbors and a no-host after party will be held at Vallejo’s restaurant at Fourth and T streets, O’Brien said.

Registrations for swim lessons at Southside Park Pool are open on the YMCA’s website or by visiting the YMCA at 2021 W St. in Sacramento.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Winners and losers in this year’s Sacramento city budget

2012-06-13T18:48:50Z

The City Council passed its final budget Tuesday night by a vote of 8-1 on the heels of an unexpected announcement by City Manager John Shirey that tentative agreements had been reached with three city unions.

The agreements with Stationary Engineers International Union Local 39, Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and Sacramento City Exempt Employee’s Association could reduce the city’s budget gap by nearly $8 million and prevent more than 100 layoffs.

The details of the agreements have not been released, but the main issue in contention between the city and the unions is the amount of money employees contribute toward their retirement funds, and it's likely the agreement has increased what the union members will be required to pay.

The final city budget includes $15.7 million in cuts, eliminates 285 of the city’s 4,077 staff positions and includes a budget amendment requiring labor unions to bring formal concession agreements to the City Manager by June 30 or accept layoffs.

That became the sticking point for Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, who said she thought the move was too hasty because it would prevent council members from participating in continued negotiations.

“I don’t like this strategy,” Ashby said before the vote. “I don’t like taking the council out of the game.”

Councilman Rob Fong wanted to move forward with the budget vote, he said, because the city manager, city staff and council members had done all they could.

“We already have a very tough and challenging economic environment, and we need to work together,” Fong said.

The city budget process was not as volatile this year as in previous years, when hundreds of residents attended each budget hearing to voice their concerns, but it did draw a small but passionate crowd of community members who made their cases for the programs most important to them.

Some decisions were left up in the air as the final budget vote was taken.

YET TO BE DETERMINED
Deferred layoffs: An amendment to the budget lets the city manager defer layoffs until July 31 for unions working to get the tentative labor agreements ratified by their memberships. So far, three labor unions have tentative agreements – but the Sacramento Police Officers Association is not one of them.

If the firefighters union members approve their tentative agreement with the city, it will prevent the layoff of 44 of the fire department’s 590 employees.

19 of the police department’s 536 officers will be laid off with Tuesday’s budget vote. The officers could get their jobs back if the Sacramento Police Officers Association and the city end up with an agreement that's approved by the union membership – but the two sides have yet to even enter formal negotiations.

Mark Gregersen, the city’s director of labor and workforce strategy, said “off-the-record discussions” have been going on for months between union reps and the city, but have not produced any results.

Craig Powell, president of political watchdog organization Eye on Sacramento, said the group that benefits most from the stalemate are the senior police officers and administrators.

“They get to keep their fat-cat salaries and pensions without paying anything into their retirement,” Powell said Tuesday. “The losers are the junior officers and their families, especially those who lose their jobs.”

But Dustin Smith, acting president for the police union, said he feels the union is making a good-faith effort.

“We’ve given about as much as we can as a department, and I don’t know what really there is that’s left,” Smith said.

Potential sales tax increase: City Council members are considering a sales tax increase to generate revenue, but they have said they will not put the measure on the ballot until labor concessions have been fully explored. The council only has until July 24 to make that happen – and it’s not certain the voters would approve a sales tax increase if the measure were to be on the November ballot.

Even with tentative union agreements, however, the budget approved by the City Council Tuesday has left some clear winners and losers.

WHO WON

The outcome of this year’s budget process could have been harsher for many residents were it not for bold public-private partnership moves and the powerful pleas of the underserved.

Swimmers and sunbathers: The city and the YMCA struck an agreement in May allowing the youth organization to operate the popular Southside Park pool during the summer and to offer swim lessons and aquatic exercise classes for community members.

Another six city pools were saved through the efforts of a city-wide campaign with Save Mart grocery stores that raised $1 million.

3,000 disabled teens and young adults who use the Access Leisure program: More than 30 teens, parents and community leaders spoke out against cuts to Access Leisure, which offers social and recreation opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, and the council listened.

“It was a moving testimony,” Jim Combs, Department of Parks and Recreation director said Friday. “This has been a longtime program with this department; it serves an underserved population. The council was very sympathetic to that.”

The City Council voted to restore $150,000 of the program's regular $200,000 funding, which brings back most of the program’s offerings, but isn’t quite enough to maintain its popular summer camps.

16,000 low-income utility customers: A new rate assistance program will be introduced to reduce monthly utility bill increases by almost 90 percent for the city’s poorest customers.

The program will cost the city $1.13 million, but Shirey said that will be covered by the tax revenue generated by previously approved utility rate increases.

Homeless families and their advocates: The city’s winter shelter program will get $100,000 for an additional 50-70 motel vouchers for families and disabled people who use the program to keep warm and dry when they need it the most.

“This always comes up in the winter, and winter will definitely come again,” Shirey told the council. “I’m just recommending that we put it in the budget now so we don’t have to put in a mid-year adjustment later, like we did last year.”

WHO LOST

Stalled labor negotiations and deep spending cuts left the city’s 4,000 employees with nearly 250 fewer in their ranks and curtailed services for residents. Some of the “losers” from the budget include:

Community art lovers: More than $15,000 in cuts to the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission will result in a reduction of community arts education programs and community outreach.

Homeowners planning renovations and new business owners: $968,000 in cuts and nine staff layoffs in the city’s Community Development Department will slow the planning department application and review process.

History buffs and researchers: $14,000 in cuts and the layoff of a staff member in the Center for Sacramento History will result in slower service and delays in categorizing and providing accessible city records.

Residents: City-dwellers must live another year with reduced city services, increased utility rates and fewer public amenities to enjoy as Sacramento continues to struggle with a tough economy.

YOUR TAKE

In a budget with $15.7 million in cuts, our list of who wins and who loses is by no means all-inclusive. Here is the final budget document in full – let us know what cuts you think will be felt the deepest or where the city made the best moves.

FY2012-13 Proposed Budget

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editor's note: The next of the third paragraph has been clarified.

East Sacramento group vets proposed changes to ‘The Claw’

2012-06-12T12:29:59Z

Residents of many tree-lined streets in Sacramento are worried that a proposal to reduce the frequency of green waste pickup by “The Claw” will leave their neighborhoods overgrown and unkempt when leaves start falling in autumn.

The issue is the main subject of the East Sacramento Preservation Association meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at Clunie Community Center, 601 Alhambra Blvd., and some residents have made their opinions clear.

“This is a joke!” wrote Sacramento resident Julie Neller on the organization’s Facebook page. “The claims of what good it will do (saving money and better for the environment) don’t justify the end result of what is really going to happen.”

Steve Harriman, integrated waste general manager for the city Department of General Services, told The Sacramento Press in May that changes to the program are necessary because it is an expensive and difficult system to operate.

“We are trying to create a system where every customer has the same service,” he said.

For more than 35 years, the city has included both containerized waste collection and loose-in-the-street yard waste collection via Sacramento’s motorized leaf-collecting machine – known as “The Claw,” – to keep city neighborhoods clean. Residents opt in to claw pickup service by paying a $13.71 premium on their monthly waste utility bill.

According to recent staff reports, the city green waste collection program currently serves 124,000 people, but “The Claw” service is only used by 12,000 subscribers.

Limiting loose-in-the-street pickup will require repealing Measure A, the 1977 voter-approved initiative that prevents the city from requiring residents to use containers. In June, the City Council will vote to determine if a repeal of Measure A will be added to the November 6 ballot.

“The real issue for me is the green waste,” Neller, 31, said Monday. “We have an enormous 60 year-old tree in the front yard that drops so many leaves in the fall that coming by every week isn’t even enough.”

Neller said the tree, like many others in her neighborhood, provides a shade canopy and helps keep her utility bills down in the summer.

Like many other Sacramentans who have come to rely on claw service, Neller is concerned that, without it, she will not be able to keep up with the large amount of work necessary to keep her yards maintained.

“If I can only use a bin, I’ll have to maybe trim just two bushes this week and then wait to do more the next couple of weeks,” Neller said.

City staff are holding town hall meetings at a variety of locations throughout the city to give residents a chance to voice their opinions on the issue, and have set up a website, cleanstreets.com, which includes a link to a survey for people to voice their opinions about the proposed changes to the waste pickup program.

“I know the city and county are broke, but I think there are other things the city could tighten their belt on instead of taking away this valuable service,” Neller said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City Council vote will determine if program for disabled teens is off the city budget chopping block

2012-06-11T20:46:03Z

A city program that serves 3,000 teens and young adults with disabilities that was slated for elimination due to budget cuts may be saved if the City Council approves the latest amended budget during its meeting on Tuesday.

The original budget proposal included more than $350,000 in cuts to the Department of Parks and Recreation that would have eliminated three full-time positions and eliminated the Access Leisure program, which provides social and fitness programs, special events and outings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The amended budget restores $125,000 in city funding to the program. Additionally, Access Leisure collects approximately $25,000 from program activity fees, according to a city staff report.

The cuts to the Access Leisure program are among numerous reductions to the city budget that the City Council is faced with, including the proposed elimination of 143 full-time city positions – among those, 45 police officers and 28 fire department positions.

About 30 people addressed the City Council on May 1 about the cuts, urging the council to restore funding. Among them was Brittany Willeford, a 22-year-old woman with an intellectual disability who said the program is an important part of her life.

"We wouldn’t have anywhere else to go for dancing, camping, going to the movies without Access Leisure,” Willeford told the City Council during the meeting. “It is important that we feel like a part of the community, and having Access Leisure lets us do that.”

The amended budget will be enough to restore the program to a 75 percent operating level, Department of Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs told The Sacramento Press Friday. Social and recreation services, such as bowling, movie outings, field trips and dances, would be in place at that level, Combs said, but the program would no longer include the popular summer camps.

The budget change is partly due to a review of the city’s year-to-date revenue trends: According to the city staff report, the city has been bringing in enough revenue to allow the city manager to adjust the general fund to provide the program funding.

Combs said he believes the change of heart from the city manager’s office about the Access Leisure program comes from more than just an uptick in revenue – it is due in large part to the compelling testimony at City Council of the many people affected by the program's elimination.

“People were in tears in there,” he said. “It was a moving testimony. This has been a longtime program with this department; it serves an underserved population. The council was very sympathetic to that.”

Alan Tomiyama, recreation manager with the Department of Parks and Recreation, said Monday that he remains “cautiously optimistic” about how the council will vote Tuesday.

“The council clearly heard what the citizens were saying, and we are hopeful they will approve the budget recommendations put forward by the city manager,” Tomiyama said.

Joaquin McPeek, spokesman for Mayor Kevin Johnson, said that the mayor appreciated the outpouring of community support for Access Leisure – and the hard work and collaboration from the city manager's office and Department of Parks and Recreation.

"If Sacramento truly wants to be a city that works for everyone, we've got to find ways to maintain and improve the quality of life for all of its citizens," McPeek said in an email Monday. "Marshaling resources to restore this program does exactly that."

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook, and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Budget cuts and fire engine brown-out significant factor in Oak Park blaze

2012-06-09T10:32:40Z

Sacramento, CA | When a fire truck crew arrived on scene of a house ablaze Thursday afternoon, they had to wait for an engine with water to arrive from a distance.

Thursday afternoon, Sacramento firefighters were called out to a blaze in the Oak Park area. When Truck 6 arrived in three minutes (trucks carry no water) the structure was fully involved with fire. The first engine, Engine 10 (carrying water), arrived in 6-8 minutes; Engine 6 (who likely would have arrived with Truck 6) was browned out due to budget cuts.

Fortunately this was an unoccupied home which had burned a couple of years ago but had not been torn down. Chief Chris Ortiz explained that fire grows exponentially and literally doubles itself every minute. Had this been an occupied home, given the brown-out delayed first in engine with water, the difference of minutes is very significant.

The fire was so burning so hot that surrounding homes, called exposures, had to be protected from radiant heat so they would not catch fire as well.

I asked Chief Ortiz about the City’s “Dangerous Building” organization that is supposed to tear down structures such as this when the fire occurred a couple of years ago. Ortiz stated that he called for “Dangerous Buildings” to respond; his dispatch advised him that “Dangerous Buildings” would not respond. Ortiz stated that he could not divulge the reason.

There were no injuries in this blaze and the cause remains under investigation.

Battalion Chief, Chris Ortiz, talks about the incident...

Defensive 2 Story Structure Fire, June 7, 2012 Oak Park, CA from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Council members say no to sales tax increase without pension cuts

2012-06-08T18:52:14Z

City Council members discussed a proposed increase to the sales tax of one-quarter to one-half percent on Thursday – but said the measure won’t make it to the ballot unless the city and labor unions come to some agreement about pension cuts first.

“We need to demonstrate to our constituents that we have undergone pension reform,” City Councilman Rob Fong said. “It would not be responsible of us to go out and ask for more money from our citizens, if we’re not taking care of business on the cost side from a structural standpoint.”

Councilman Kevin McCarty said he agrees with Fong.

“Voters should go to the polls saying, ‘You’ve done everything on your end, Sacramento, before you asked me for more money,’ ” McCarty said.

Former mayoral candidate and city Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Jonathan Rewers, who proposed the tax increase in May as a way to generate a revenue and restore city services, spoke in favor of the proposal.

“I am in agreement with the staff report that a general sales tax makes the most sense for voters,” Rewers told the council Thursday.

Mayor Kevin Johnson did not comment on the topic during the council meeting, but he told the Sacramento Bee in May that he would not be inclined to support a sales tax.

Rewers told the council that one concern with a general sales tax is not knowing how the money will be used, so any discussion of a tax increase should include a general spending plan for the revenue.

But at least one person in the audience had a different take on the idea.

“These things never come to the public,” local businessman Mac Worthy said after the council meeting. “We’re never invited to those discussions.”

Worthy opposed the suggestion of creating a preliminary spending plan as unrealistic because, with a July 24 deadline to get a measure on the November ballot, the city would not have time to allow public town hall meetings to fully vet it with voters.

According to the city staff report, a quarter-cent tax increase would potentially bring the city an additional $13.5 million in revenue. A half-percent increase would bring roughly $27 million.

State law allows cities to increase their individual tax rate by up to 2 percent over the state tax base – which is currently 7.25 percent – up to a maximum of 9.25 percent.

Sacramento’s current sales tax rate is 7.75 percent. That is the rate for all cities in Sacramento County except Galt which has a sales tax rate of 8.25 percent. In nearby Placer county, the sales tax rate is 7.25 percent, and in Yolo county sales tax rates range from 7.25 to 8.0 percent.

Other tax increases on the horizon include a half-cent sales tax increase being promoted at the state level by Gov. Jerry Brown’s office and a possible increase in transportation taxes – called “Measure A” – that is being vetted at the county level.

“I think this is an interesting idea, but I just don’t want the potential outcome of a possible Measure A (transportation) tax increase being hurt in any way,” said Sacramento resident Mike Barnbaum during public comment on the item.

The Measure A tax funds local roadway and transportation projects, and can be increased with voter approval.

In a recent Sacramento Press poll asking for readers’ opinion on the proposed sales tax increase, more than 56 percent of respondents said they would not vote for it and 27 percent said they would. Another 17 percent of respondents said their vote would depend on how the tax revenue was spent.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Poor Girl Eats Well blogger to write book with Kickstarter funding

2012-05-28T06:15:22Z

Kimberly Morales’ co-workers used to wonder how it was possible.

How could she whip up home cooked meals like creamy wild rice and broccoli soup while spending just a $1.05, when their pre-packaged lunches fell flat?

The answers started to come in August of 2008 when Morales founded her food blog, Poor Girl Eats Well, which is appropriately subtitled, “How to eat ridiculously well on a miniscule budget.” The site drew a following, accumulating more than 10,000 email newsletter subscribers, 15,000 Facebook likes and 3,500 Twitter followers.

Now, after she received funding via Kickstarter on May 12, the popular blog is about to become a book.

Morales, 35, will write a three-part book that includes at least 30 new recipes. The first section will be autobiographical and will explain how exactly she became a “poor girl.” The second section, which will be the majority of the book, will consist of her money-saving theory, tips and techniques, and the last section will be dedicated to recipes.

Morales has not taken the traditional route to being an author.

Though she never considered herself “well-off,” at one time she had a “gorgeous” apartment, car and plenty of spending money, she said. That changed in 2008 when her finances plummeted due to a series of mishaps including past-due student loan bills and a car accident that caused her to miss a significant amount of work. She sold her car, moved out of her apartment and curbed her spending.

According to Morales, after her monthly bills were paid, she had little money left over for food, so she improvised, and learned to cook well with what she could afford. Her co-workers and friends knew about her situation so when they saw her meals, they were impressed, she said. That initial positive feedback inspired Morales to launch the Poor Girl Eats Well blog.

Morales said that this book is not a cookbook, but a book that happens to have a lot of recipes.

“I want to make sure people have the tools and the knowledge first, before they go out and start making a whole bunch of dishes,” Morales said.

Those that do jump into it and get cooking will find the book has plenty to offer. There will be a Poor Girl Eats Well follower favorites section highlighting recipes that helped make the blog successful. Her Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette recipe, a Poor Girl Eats Well favorite, will be in the book. She plans to organize her recipe section similar to her Pinterest page. Her recipes will be divided into subsections based on meal types such as sandwiches, pastas and vegetarian. There will be a separate section for special sauces such as pestos, pizza sauce and pasta sauce.

In addition to recipes like Baked Eggs, Ham & Asparagus in Tomato Cups and Spring Vegetable & Meyer Lemon Brown Rice Risotto, her book, like her Pinterest page, will have a special category for different price levels. “PGEW Splurges” recipes contain more expensive meals. She said she will have a fun foods section, which are meals that cater to adults and children alike.

For Morales, Poor Girl Eats Well is more than just a blog or book.

“It was basically the responses from my readers,” she said. “Once I realized that what I was writing wasn’t just more Internet babble but was something that was actually helping people, I couldn’t not write something. I couldn’t just leave it and not take it a step further.”

When Morales is not blogging, she is a program assistant at a local nonprofit organization. The San Jose transplant and self-proclaimed chocoholic grew up in a restaurant family. Both parents worked in the restaurant business, so cooking and dining became their family hobby.

Since its onset, her blog has caught the attention of many food enthusiasts.

She also receives many stories of how her blog has helped those facing financial challenges. She recalled one of her first emails from a reader.

The email was from a single mother of four who was denied food stamps that day, according to Morales. The mother came across a CNN.com article showcasing one of Morales’ recipes. She thanked Morales for her recipes because she could feed her kids for the next week. The recipes required ingredients that she already had.

Morales said messages such as these and specific requests to write a book motivated her to find a way to write and publish her own book.
That’s where a funding platform called Kickstarter came in. For the uninitiated, Kickstarter allows people to finance their creative projects through contributions from other people called “backers.” In return, backers receive Kickstarter rewards or funding incentives to pledge more money.

After launching her page in April, Morales clobbered her Kickstarter goal of $9,750, raising $11,855 in 40 days. The money will be used to fund the time required to write the book and to create and send Kickstarter rewards. It will also finance graphic design, printing, shipping and administrative expenses, Kickstarter fees and transaction fees. She used word of mouth, social media and her blog to market the project.

More than 1,100 people liked her Kickstarter video on Facebook, and her followers congratulated her.

Debbie Cunningham, Poor Girl Eats Well fan and Elk Grove resident, said she is proud of Morales’ success and helped contribute to her Kickstarter campaign.

“I think what she is doing is fabulous,” Cunningham said. “I think more people should have access to what she has to say.”

Her self-published book will come out by Dec. 1. She said she hopes to sell more than 10,000 copies and said that this is just the beginning for her.

Morales is writing an e-book as a a separate project which will be released in June and is called, “How to Have a Successful $25 Shopping Cart Trip.” The e-book will be aimed at those who want tips on how to spend less money at the grocery store without buying the more detailed book.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to writing another one,” she said. “I don’t think this is the end of my book writing. I think it will definitely be the beginning.”

For those interested in funding their own project, she recommends developing a specific goal, researching and evaluating options. For Kickstarter, she recommends a “short and sweet” video, creative incentives and a thank you.

“Never stop telling people how grateful you are, because these are the people that are funding your job, and they are putting their faith in you to make that dream come true,” Morales said.

Proposal to increase sales tax stirs debate; Mayor's campaign staffer calls proposal 'regressive'

2012-05-23T04:06:44Z

City Council members voiced support of a possible sales tax increase that could bring as much as $13.5 million to city coffers, but won’t act on it until after this year’s city budget is finalized. They mayor said he opposes the proposal, and his campaign manager called it "regressive."

The tax increase was recommended by Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman and mayoral candidate Jonathan Rewers in response to the results of a poll commissioned by the city that showed 71 percent of city voters would favor a sales tax increase to support city services, especially if the money is used to offset cuts to city police, fire and youth services.

“Despite what I think, a sales taxes seems to be something that the voters would be interested in,” Rewers told coucl members Tuesday. “It’s time we talk abour reinvesting in our services.”

The poll was conducted in April by a Santa Monica-based public opinion research firm, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates, to gauge public support for potential revenue measures to restore city services.

The Sacramento Press reported on the poll results and Rewers' recommendation earlier Tuesday, and an intense debate among our readers quickly ensued.

Juliana West commented on The Sacramento Press Facebook page that she thinks funding city parks and park maintenance is important – important enough for a tax increase, which she believes will likely happen anyway.

“If it wasn't for our neighborhood cleanup group, I do not feel our park would even be clean enough to go to with my kids,” West said on the Facebook page. “It is something that needs to be done, is very important to me and, yes, I would be willing to spend an extra quarter percent to make sure our parks get taken care of.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s campaign manager, Steve Maviglio, also joined the debate below the Sacramento Press story, saying the sales tax is “the most regressive type of tax there is, hitting low-income families the hardest.”

Maviglio took particular objection to Rewers’ suggestion that, in addition to any tax measure, a companion measure should be on the ballot giving voters an opportunity to say how they would want the tax revenue spent. Maviglio said that Rewers was advocating “letting voters draw up the budget” and called the idea “another absurd proposal that sounds good on paper but makes little sense.”

“We elect city councillors and the Mayor to look at the city budget, assess the needs, and make the best determination of where our tax money should be spent,” Maviglio wrote.

Council members, however, seemed open to the idea of increasing the sales tax to help fund city services.

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she agrees with Rewers.

“It sounds like people in Sacramento want to invest in themselves,” Ashby said. “We need to hear from people in the community about what they want, and we should be responsive to their answers.”

“I think this is important, and we need to find out what community members want, but we should be careful what we wish for,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said.

Councilman Kevin McCarty said people in his district are definitely interested in having a conversation about a sales tax increase – and they are likely to vote yes.

“It’s gratifying to know that the public is pretty educated on this and are not ideologically rigid on this tax issue,” Councilman Steve Cohn said. “They seem pretty pragmatic, as these surveys show.”

The council did not take any action on the poll results Tuesday, but members indicated they would take up the issue after the city budget is completed in June.

According to the city clerk, the deadline for the City Council to put a tax proposal on the November ballot is July 24.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Parks Commission chairman calls for sales tax increase; draws opposition

2012-05-22T21:29:38Z

The chairman of the city Parks and Recreation Commission is calling for a quarter-percent increase in sales tax to help fill the gap in the Department of Parks and Recreation budget – a move he says is supported by voters and would increase the city’s annual revenue by $13.5 million.

The money would go into the general fund, which currently faces a $15.7 million shortfall, and is the primary funding source for police, fire and parks services.

“We are at the point with parks where there is no more money, no more efficiencies to be had, and no crews left,” Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman and mayoral candidate Jonathan Rewers said Tuesday. “We are left to look at raising revenue.”

City Councilman Jay Schenirer said he would not immediately be sold on the idea of a tax increase, but he hasn’t ruled it out, either.

“I think there is a lot of discussion still to be had about what types of revenues can be raised and what they would go for,” Schenirer said Tuesday.

“Certainly parks and recreation has a high need, but across the board we have so many needs,” he added.

David Wolfe, legislative director for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said Tuesday that the idea of increasing sales tax comes at the wrong time.

“Obviously sales taxes are very regressive in that they harm every single individual in a community, and with unemployment in the county I believe still over 11 percent, this just isn’t the right time to pass this kind of exaction,” he said.

He added that California has the highest base sales tax in the country, so any local addition to that is a burden on the community.

“We need to continue to promote fiscal responsibility within our city governments and make sure they are spending within their means,” he said.

Rewers’ opponent, Mayor Kevin Johnson, is opposed to the idea.

"I'm not one to be inclined to think a tax is the best thing to do," he told the Sacramento Bee.

Rewers made his recommendation after the results of poll that sought to gauge public support for nine potential revenue measures to restore city services, including park maintenance, were released Tuesday.

The poll was commissioned by the city and conducted by a Santa Monica-based public opinion research firm, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates, to gauge public support for nine potential revenue measures to restore city services, including park maintenance.

According to the result of the poll, only 60 percent of respondents were in favor of a property tax – not enough to pass a measure requiring a two-thirds vote, Rewers said.

The concept of a general sales tax increase garnered the highest support in the poll, with 71 percent of respondents in favor. With that in mind, Rewers said he wants the City Council to consider a quarter-percent general sales tax increase.

A general tax increase only requires 50 percent of the vote to pass, making it more likely to succeed in November than a property tax, which Rewers suggested as a revenue-generating option before the poll was released.

The current budget hole in the city general fund is $15.7 million, so a sales tax increase would not be enough to completely close the gap, meaning the city would still have to find ways to reduce spending, Rewers said.

Along with the sales tax increase, Rewers said he is recommending to the City Council a companion ballot measure to ask voters how they would like that $13.5 million spent.

“If we are going to the voters to ask for their money, we should also ask them how they want us to spend it,” Rewers said.

Schenirer said he would like to hear what people in the community feel about the idea. before coming to any conclusion about putting something on the November ballot.

Here is the poll in its entirety.

The Sacramento Press is working to update this article with more perspectives about the potential general sales tax increase to help fund parks and park maintenance. Let us know what you think in our reader poll and in the conversation below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Southside Park Pool saved by grassroots effort

2012-05-22T00:45:08Z

Grab your swimsuits and your goggles kids because it’s official: Southside Park Pool will be open this summer from June 16 through Labor Day.

The pool has been closed since August 2010 when city funding for local pools ran out. The recent “Save Our Pools” campaign raised $1 million to keep six city pools open for another summer, but the Southside Park Pool was not on that list.

When the pool reopens in June, it will be operated by the local YMCA organization instead of the city through an operating agreement that was approved Friday.

Neighborhood leaders Catherine O’Brien and Alice Levine of the Southside Park Neighborhood Association worked closely with the YMCA and the city Parks and Recreation Department to come up with the plan to get the pool back open for summer.

“The YMCA is thrilled that we are able to work with the city and local residents to open Southside Park Pool this summer” Jay Lowden, YMCA president and CEO said in a press release Monday. “The pool is a great community asset that is enjoyed by thousands of local residents.”

The summer schedule for the pool will include aquatic programs, open swim hours, swim lessons, lap swimming and water exercise classes, Lowden said.

The project is not complete however – O’Brien and Levine are still working to raise $6,000 to support the pools programs this summer.

O’Brien said Friday that neighborhood association pool committee members will be marketing the pool opening at nearby farmers markets leading up to the pool opening, and that would be a good time to make a donation to the fundraising effort.

There will also be an Opening Night Preview Party at the pool June 15 to recognize the pool’s sponsors and kickoff the summer season, according to the press realease.

For more information about the kickoff party or to register fro swim lessons, check out the YMCA website.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Council to consider utility bill assistance for poor

2012-05-21T19:09:38Z

Water and sewer rate increases will go into effect for Sacramento residents July 1, but before they do, the City Council will consider a plan to help low-income families pay steadily rising utility bills.

Department of Utilities staff will outline details of a subsidy program Tuesday that would reduce monthly utility bill increases by almost 90 percent for more than 16,000 low-income families in the city.

The projected water rate increase for a single-family home is $3.44 per month, and the proposed subsidy would credit a qualifying low-income household $3. For wastewater rates, the increase is projected to be $2.36, and the subsidy would be $2.

According to the staff report, revenue generated through the 11 percent general tax on utility rate revenues would be used to create and operate the assistance program.

The plan is in the early stages, however, and before any assistance program can begin, council members will have to consider the startup costs, how long they want the program to remain in place and what to do if the number of participants outpaces the subsidies available for the program.

The City Council will take up the item at 2 p.m. Tuesday during the first of two budget-related council meetings at City Hall.

Here is the Utilities Department staff report:

Utility Rate Assistance

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for THe Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

POLL: Should Sacramento outsource city park maintenance?

2012-05-18T01:49:25Z

With the city poised to slash the parks department budget, park maintenance continues to fall short, and Sacramento Press readers are asking if the city should just outsource park maintenance altogether, while union leaders think it’s a bad ide, and a city park comissioner says its been tried before without success.

“The obvious question here is what is the cost if all park maintenance staff are laid off, and the services (are) outsourced to a non-union private contractor?” asked “Cogmeyer,” a frequent Sacramento Press commenter.

Craig Powell, president of the local political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento, agreed, saying that outsourcing park maintenance “has to be on the table.”

Powell referred to the city’s move to contract out golf course maintenance services last year – for a projected annual savings to the city of $500,000.

“Outsourcing basic park maintenance will save many times that amount,” Powell said in his comment.

Marcia Mooney, a representative for SEIU Local 39, the labor union that represents the city’s park maintenance workers, said outsourcing would be bad for city employees because they would not likely be rehired and, if they were, it would be to lower-paying jobs.

When the city contracted out golf course maintenance, Mooney said, it resulted in a single contract with one large company. For park maintenance, however, multiple smaller companies would be bidding for multiple contracts with the city.

“With multiple small contracts, there’s really no room for negotiating for contracting companies to hire the laid-off city employees as there was with the one contract for golf maintenance,” she said.

Parks Commission Chair Jonathan Rewers also commented on whether contracting out park maintenance is a viable solution.

“We have tried to outsource park maintenance in the past,” he wrote in his comment. “The problem is when you use contractors, you don't get the response time you need to (respond to) community concerns. With crews on dispatch to 311 and our supervisors, we can deal with issues as they come up in our park system – which they do every day.”

Rewers told council members Tuesday that the commission reviewed the proposed parks budget and commissioners felt there were “no options left” with regard to revenue or reductions.

When Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs outlined the proposed 2012-13 parks budget for the City Council Tuesday, he noted $1.1 million in cuts and the elimination of 19 staff positions. Of that, $119,000 and two positions affect park maintenance.

Outsourcing, or “contracting out,” public services is not uncommon in local government, but it brings opposition from labor unions representing city employees who will be laid off in the process.

Outsourcing golf course maintenance services last year came at a cost of 58 city employee positions and $229,000 to pay for unused sick leave, vacation and overtime – required lump-sum payouts whenever staffers leave city service.

As city revenues have declined over the past four years, volunteer efforts to maintain city parks have fluctuated in various neighborhoods.

One Sacramento Press commenter used New York City as an example and said that volunteers stepping in to care for public parks is nothing new.

“City parks belong to us, the people of Sacramento, and not to some independent and impersonal entity we call 'the city,’ “ wrote “JWS.” “Therefore, we have a responsibility to take care of our parks.”

Sacramento Press contributor Isaac Gonzalez commented that the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association’s Park Beautification Program that he manages has been successful since it started in 2010.

“I know that Sacramentans are good citizens,” Gonzalez wrote in his comment. “At each event, dozens of people come out to help make sure Tahoe Park remains a safe and clean place for families to come together.”

In Land Park, where one of the oldest and largest city parks is located, the volunteer effort started strong when budget cuts first had an impact, according to Powell. But the effort has dwindled, and continued volunteer work seems tentative.

“In William Land Park, we have seen the park maintenance crew reduced from 19 full-time park workers in 2005 to just three workers today, all of whom are over 60 and nearing retirement,” Powell said. “Despite monthly park cleanups by 50 to 90 volunteers of the Land Park Volunteer Corps, we can barely hold back the tide of mounting neglect.”

Rewers suggested to council members Tuesday that they consider a recent poll gauging public support for a possible tax measure to raise revenue for park maintenance. The council will discuss the results of that poll May 22.

What do you think? Should outsourcing park maintenance be an option for the city before further budget reductions to the parks department? Or are there other solutions that haven’t been discussed yet?

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Budget cuts whittle park maintenance to one-man crews

2012-05-16T05:58:02Z

The next time you go to a city park, bring your pruning shears and garden gloves: Park maintenance in the city is about to be dealt a $119,000 budget blow – leaving the department with one-man maintenance crews and increasing the burden on volunteers to pick up the slack.

“I’m not happy to say this, but we have inadequate resources and inadequate staffing,” Director Jim Combs told the City Council Tuesday.

Even with a department budget reduced by more than 60 percent and staffing reduced by 50 percent over the past five years, Combs said everyone in the department has done their best to keep city services afloat.

But it’s a losing battle, Combs said.

The city’s park services maintains more than 210 parks totaling more than 2,000 acres and, according to Combs, park maintenance has gone from a staff of 150 five years ago to a current staff of 70 including janitors, community center staff and park maintenance crews.

The proposed city budget calls for the elimination of two more full-time positions – staff members Combs said the department just can’t spare.

Jonathan Rewers, chair of the city Parks Commission, told council members Tuesday that the commission voted 8-2 last week to recommend the council reject the proposed Parks Department budget.

Rewers said the commission instead proposes the council look for reductions in other areas of the budget, and encourages employee unions to reconsider concessions that would make the proposed budget reductions to the parks department unnecessary.

Rewers also said the commission would like to see a November ballot initiative asking voters to approve a tax to raise revenue specifically for park maintenance.

The City Council did not take any action on the parks department budget at Tuesday’s meeting, but members will discuss the Parks Commission recommendations May 22.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Neighbors, YMCA work on bold plan to reopen Southside Park Pool, but will it work?

2012-05-16T00:34:05Z

Southside Park swimmers should know in the next week whether a bold new plan to reopen the Southside Park Pool succeeds – if it does, it will make for a cool summer for thousands of central city swimmers.

The plan hinges on a new partnership between the city of Sacramento and the Sacramento YMCA where the YMCA will operate the pool and provide staff and maintenance all year.

“If we can accomplish this, the Southside (Park) Pool will be open for business seven days a week,” City Councilman Rob Fong said. “It would be an amazing asset for the community again.”

The new plan includes swim lessons, an aquatics program and open swim times at the pool for families and kids who are out of school on summer break.

Denise Wunibald, a resident of Southside Park since 2001, said she used the Southside Park Pool regularly for lap swimming when it was open, and she misses those opportunities.

“It’s not just for me, though,” Wunibald said. “When I first heard about the pool closing, I started thinking about the neighborhood kids and how much they use the pool.”

Jay Lowden, executive director of the Sacramento YMCA, said the nonprofit organization will operate the pool, staff all programs and maintain the pool systems and water. Major mechanical issues will be cared for by the city.

Although it will be operated as an extension of the local YMCA, Lowden said pool-goers will not have to be members of the YMCA to use the pool.

The costs for the aquatics programs and swim lessons will not change from current YMCA pricing, Lowden said, but there will be an increase in open swim fees from $1 to $2 per person.

If Southside Park Pool reopens, it will be open for more hours, more days of the week and for a longer season than any other pool in the city, according to Southside Park Neighborhood Association member Catherine O’Brien.

“If necessity is the mother of invention, we’ve come to the point where this invention works,” Fong said. “I’ve taken the plan to our city manager, and I’m optimistic that we may be able to go forward.”

The idea was spearheaded by SPNA members when they realized their neighborhood pool wasn’t on the list of pools to be saved by the SaveMart grocery chain’s recent “Save Our Pools” campaign.

O’Brien said Friday that the Southside Park Pool has historically been the fourth most-used pool in the city, but it was left off the list of pools to be kept open because other pools across the city took priority.

The SaveMart campaign raised $1 million to keep six local pools open – the same ones that were open last year, O’Brien noted.

Despite serving more than 15,000 people when it was last open in 2010, Southside Park Pool wasn’t on that list.

O’Brien said she and some of her neighbors banded together as the SaveMart effort was getting under way and started working to get the Southside Park Pool open for this summer.

“We knew that the year before the city talked to the YMCA, and they were interested in partnering, but that discussion didn’t pan out,” O’Brien said.

According to Lowden, the timing of that discussion was too late in the season to be productive, and the idea was scrapped.

O’Brien contacted city Department of Parks and Recreation personnel and contacts at the YMCA in late March to start a new conversation about partnering with the nonprofit organization.

O’Brien, Lowden and Maddy Hoe, head of the aquatics program at the YMCA, worked with Jim Combs, head of the Department of Parks and Recreation, to structure a detailed plan and then presented their idea to Fong and other city officials.

“Our vision for the pool is to have vendors there, and to have umbrellas available for parents watching swim lessons, and possibly solar panels for heating the pool,” O’Brien said. “First, we need to get it reopened.”

Keeping the pool open for the summer will cost approximately $75,000, and the majority of that will be sustained by aquatics program and swim lesson fees.

There is a $25,000 gap in the proposed pool budget, however, and O’Brien and other neighborhood association members said they are working to find ways to close that gap before the plan gets scrapped again.

They are also calling on Fong, the current council representative for the Southside Park area, to work with City Manager John Shirey to find city funding to buoy the project.

Once program details are finalized, the following weeks would be spent hiring and training staff and lifeguards in time to open the pool at the beginning of June, Lowden said.

If the plan is approved, the Southside Park Pool, in Southside Park at Sixth and U streets, would be open at least four hours per day, seven days a week throughout the ~~year~~ summer, O’Brien said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

NOTE: A correction was made to this article after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and replaced with the correct information.

Mayor Kevin Johnson skips forum, candidates don’t mind

2012-05-14T05:31:06Z

The candidates in the race for mayor didn’t pull any punches at a candidate forum Saturday at the County Administration Building, despite Mayor Kevin Johnson’s notable absence.

Leonard Padilla, Jonathan Rewers and write-in candidate Edgar Hilbert-Garcia took the stage Saturday to answer questions from a panel of political media experts, including Foon Rhee and Pia Lopez from The Sacramento Bee, and Cosmo Garvin from the Sacramento News & Review.

Johnson’s campaign manager told media in numerous interviews leading up to the forum that Johnson would not attend because the mayor faces “no viable candidates” in the race.

Padilla dismissed the comment as “ridiculous,” while Rewers suggested that Johnson did not attend because he could not articulate a plan for another four years in office.

Here’s a rundown of some of the main points each candidate made:

Padilla

Padilla wasted no time getting to the heart of the matter from his perspective: The mayor has wasted his four years in office chasing an arena dream.

“The arena deal appears to be dead now, and I’m here to make sure it stays dead,” said Padilla, well-known bounty hunter and five-time mayoral candidate.

“He essentially tried to get financing of the arena by practically bankrupting the city,” Padilla said. “If it was such a good financial risk, you’d have had multi-millionaires lining up three deep at the railyards, and I haven’t seen that.”

Padilla said Sacramento needs “another Wyatt Earp” to clean up the city and undo local corruption, in the way Earp did in Tombstone, Ariz.

“This may not be the OK Corral, but he did his job to clean things up, and we need that sort here,” Padilla said.

The candidates agreed that retaining police officers is important for public safety, but Padilla went a step further in suggesting that the city’s police department and the county’s sheriff’s departments should be combined to eliminate waste.

“Cut out duplication at the top, have one chief, and make them work together,” Padilla said. “It’ll cost less money, and you won’t be paying twice the people to do the same job.”

Rewers

For Rewers, it’s all about being able to make a solid case for where the city should be headed.

“I have a solid plan for the next four years, and I know how to get it done,” Rewers said.

The plan, which Rewers calls “Sacramento Ideas” is essentially his goals list in a single page, and covers such goals as promoting city efficiency to save $3.15 million and increasing public safety throughout the city.

Rewers said he has been waging a door-to-door campaign, trying to reach as many residents in person as he can to discuss his list of priorities for the city.

One of those priorities is boosting development and business in the city by reducing costs for developers and making it easier to do business here.

“Redevelopment as we know it may be gone, but it isn’t entirely dead,” Rewers said. “We have been too reliant on development, and I think we need to take another look at the fees we charge, especially on infill projects.”

Hilbert-Garcia

When it came to the candidates’ priorities for the city, Hilbert-Garcia, who recently qualified for the ballot as a write-in candidate, said simply, “jobs, safety, education and health.”

“The people are the most important thing in the city, and we need to be cared for,” he added.

HIlbert-Garcia said he has specific plans for achieving his goals for the city, but he wants to stay open-minded to listen to the needs of residents, too.

“I need to look into things more,” Hilbert-Garcia said when asked about a possible charter commission. “I think it is the people’s right to vote for what they want. I want to ask them if it is what they want first.”

Development at the railyards has been a high-profile topic recently, and Hilbert-Garcia said he would like to see some of the 240-acre space used to create more “green space” for residents.

“Sacramento has lovely weather, usually,” he said. “Sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold, but still lovely. We should make spaces for people to enjoy that. The railyards would be a good place for that.”

The forum was broadcast live on Metro Cable Channel 14 and will be rebroadcast every Sunday up to the election June 5.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Foundation defaults on city loan – where’d the money go?

2012-05-10T22:32:32Z

City Council members are asking where more than $400,000 loaned to a nonprofit organization went after the organization defaulted on the loan.

Now that organization faces an audit and accusations that they used some of the money in ways that violated the loan agreement.

“We’re scraping together pennies to keep public safety and the most vital city services afloat,” City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said Tuesday. “To lose money on something like this absolutely requires that we look into it more.”

The Sacramento Regional Sports Education Foundation borrowed the money to put on an outdoor track and field event that, according to preliminary budget documents, was expected to generate approximately $600,000 in revenue, enough to repay the loan.

The foundation’s estimates proved to be off by about $900,000, however, as the event, the World Masters Athletic Championships, actually lost $300,000.

Now the organization has declared itself unable to pay the loan, leaving Sacramento with a $400,000 hole that it can ill afford at a time when the city is facing a $15.7 million budget gap.

The foundation is overseen by the Sacramento Sports Commission, a joint city/county commission which is under the umbrella of the city’s Convention, Culture and Leisure Department. The city granted the loan to the foundation on the recommendation of the sports commission in March 2010.

The city contends that, in violation of the loan agreement, the foundation spent about $250,000 of money intended for the event on unrelated operations and other events, according to Barbara Bonebrake, director of the city’s Convention, Culture and Leisure Department.

The terms of the loan also required the loan proceeds to be segregated from operating accounts, but, Bonebrake said, that didn’t happen, making it even more difficult to determine precisely where the money was spent.

“It appears their operating revenues have been short for a couple of years, and at the end of the day the revenue was used to balance the operating budget,” Bonebrake said.

Sacramento Sports Commission Executive Director John McCasey disagrees.

“They cannot say that with certainty,” McCasey said. “We are confident the money was spent on the (WMA) event.”

McCasey did not dispute that the funds were not segregated, and attributed the problem to his organization’s lack of resources.

“We don’t have a big staff or a lot of behind-the-scenes administrative staff to support us,” he said. “It was just a clerical error.”

Ashby said that answer isn’t quite good enough for her, though.

“When I hear those comments, I want to know more,” she said. “I don’t think that is a reasonable response. It’s a good start, but it necessitates a deeper look.”

Last year was the first time the WMA Championships were held in California in more than 35 years, and the 12-day event attracted more than 10,000 visitors to Sacramento.

The event was free to attendees, so revenues were not dependent on ticket sales, but were based on registration and athlete spending, according to McCasey.

“That’s what fell short,” McCasey said. “Once they got here, they didn’t spend what we expected.”

But the event loss alone doesn’t explain the loan default, Bonebrake said, so the city has initiated a compliance audit of the foundation.

“As for the balance of the funds that were not available to pay back the city and the county, we still need to get down to the bottom of that,” she said.

The line-item budget documents that cover the period of spending for the WMA event were not immediately available, according to McCasey.

When asked whether it was a mistake to ask for the loan, McCasey declined to answer.

“That’s a stupid question,” he said. “I’m not going to go there.”

Bonebrake said the city anticipates the loan will be paid back, but they need more information to determine the best way to achieve repayment.

“They can pay it back through fundraising and other revenue sources they might have,” Bonebrake said. “Or, another way is for the city to reduce its annual funding to the organization to, in effect, pay itself back.”

Ashby said that, after seeing the results of the audit, if the city continues to provide any level of financial support to the commission, corrective action will have to be taken to prevent the situation from recurring.

“We have to make sure they learn from the mistake,” she said. “If, at the end of the audit, it appears to have been caused by negligence, we need to think about not contributing to this organization any further.”

The city’s compliance audit of the Sports Commission and the foundation is slated to begin as early as next week, Bonebrake said, and it should be complete by the end of August.

WMA Sports Commission Docs

Sacramento Press staffer Anil Sinha contributed to this story.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacrametno Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mayor: Arena ‘plan B’ on hold until after city budget is resolved

2012-05-09T01:42:03Z

Sports fans and arena enthusiasts will have to wait a little longer for word on any “plan B’ for an entertainment and sports complex in the railyards – at least until the new city budget is resolved.

“I was shooting for sometime in May, but it’s going to take a little longer,” Mayor Kevin Johnson told the media Tuesday.

The city spent nearly $690,000 in the past year on consultants and research in preparation for building a new arena in the downtown railyards.

When negotiations with the Maloof family, the Kings’ owners, collapsed, Johnson quickly set off in search of a viable ‘plan B’ – with or without the Maloofs.

Johnson continues to meet with Tim Lieweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the company that was set to operate the new arena, to “keep the door open,” he said.

“(Lieweke) believes in Sacramento, and he’s open to doing something good here,” Johnson said. “It’s going to take a few more weeks to get to the bottom of it to see what the economics of it really look like, and what the financing will look like and what the legal ramifications may or may not be.”

One of the legal ramifications facing the city is the possibility that if a new arena is built without the Maloofs, they might be released from liability on the loan they have with the city – currently about $70 million, Assistant City Manager John Dangberg told The Sacramento Press Monday.

“It poses a significant risk to the city in moving forward independently, but that needs further discussion and analysis,” he said.

Johnson said AEG could not make a commitment to building a new arena without an anchor tenant, which is one of the options Johnson and the city are exploring.

“What (AEG) did in Kansas City was an anomaly in a lot of respects,” Johnson said. “In terms of building a standalone arena, it’s something that is tough for them to do, but we’re still having discussions, and they are open to ongoing dialogue.”

Despite not having a backup plan at the ready for an arena, Johnson said the money spent on the project so far has not been wasted.

“With the intermodal and the parking and with the environmental work that needs to be done, that was a good investment for us,” Johnson said. “We didn’t get a return on every single dollar, but that’s the cost of doing business, and everyone understands that.”

Meanwhile, the city’s budget, including a $15 million shortfall, is the priority now, Johnson said.

“We want to resolve that and get it behind us get, then I think we can continue to work where we left off on plan B,” Johnson said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mayor Kevin Johnson: 'We have to find a way' to save rec programs for disabled teens in Sacramento

2012-05-08T22:19:04Z

When Brittany Willeford and more than 30 others appeared at City Hall last week to protest budget cuts to programs for disabled teens, they got the attention of Mayor Kevin Johnson and council members who hope the programs can be saved.

“We have to find a way and be creative,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “If there’s a way we can resurrect it, that’d be awesome for everybody.”

At stake are recreation and social programs that serve approximately 3,000 disabled teens and young adults each year through Access Leisure. The current program budget is $146,000, and that’s being cut from the 2012-13 budget, Program Director Annie Desalerno said Wednesday.

“I didn’t know a whole lot about that program until all of these people came out (to the council meeting),” Johnson said. “These are good, well-meaning people who don’t want a whole lot from the city.”

Willeford, an active participant in Access Leisure, told council members last week that the activities she enjoys through the programs give her a “place in the world” where she feels she is accepted despite her disabilities.

“I get to do normal things that other young adults get to do who don’t have a disability,” Willeford told the council. “I fit in thanks to Access Leisure.”

Johnson said Tuesday he thought the planned elimination of the program was due to a "revenue glitch” on the city’s part, and he's hopeful that City Manager John Shirey can find a way to prevent the program being cut.

City Councilman Jay Schenirer said he, too, would like the program to survive – but it may be a challenge to make it happen.

“These are tough times for everybody,” Schenirer said. “I’m hoping we can work with our employee groups so we can have money to do some of those things and not make the cuts we are talking about right now.”

Schenirer said he felt money saved through employee labor concessions is key to resolving funding shortfalls like the one Access Leisure is facing.

“Every dollar counts at this point,” Schenirer said.

Shirey was not immediately available for comment. Police union representatives were also not immediately available for comment.

The City Council will discuss a portion of the city budget at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall as part of its regular meeting. This is the first in a series of public discussions about the proposed 2012-13 city budget.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento candidate forum: What would you ask the candidates?

2012-05-07T21:22:39Z

If you could ask the candidates for City Council anything – what would you want to know?

The race for City Council District 4 immediately caught fire when incumbent Rob Fong announced he wasn’t running for re-election, and now seven candidates are vying for the seat.

Some of the questions the candidates will likely face include, who gets dibs on neighborhood parking – businesses or residents? Where should much-needed bridges go – at Broadway, or Richards Boulevard? And what about The Claw? Can our tree-lined streets survive only three months of city pickup service?

In the mayoral race, three challengers stepped up to face incumbent Kevin Johnson, and all four will likely hear questions about getting more police officers on the streets and what to do about the gaping hole in the city budget.

What other hot topics should the candidates discuss?

The League of Women Voters of Sacramento County is co-sponsoring a candidate forum with Metro Cable TV, and The Sacramento Press will be one of the moderators.

Let us know what questions you’d like us to ask the candidates in the races for District 4 and mayor, then watch the forum live on Metro Cable channel 14, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday.

These are the candidates for the office of mayor:

Kevin Johnson – incumbent, elected mayor in 2008
Jonathan Rewers – municipal finance manager and current chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission
Leonard Padilla – local bounty hunter
Richard Jones – insurance broker

Here is the list of candidates for District 4:

Phyllis Newton – Land Park attorney and Design Commission vice-chair
Steve Hansen – senior regional manager at a biotech company and a community activist
Joe Yee – architect and current chair of the Planning Commission
Terry Schanz – policy director for State Assemblyman Isadore Hall
Neil Davidson – computer programmer
Michael Rehm – criminal defense attorney
David Turturici – estate planning attorney

Let us know your question suggestions in the conversation below, email to melissa.corker@sacramentopress.com, or tweet your question to @MelissaCorker.

City of Sacramento Asks “What should the role of City government be?”

2012-05-07T20:07:35Z

Public Encouraged to complete online budget exercise

The City of Sacramento released an online budget exercise that asks, “What should the role of City government be?” The brief budget exercise will provide the community an opportunity to share with the City what their priorities are in the following areas:

- Economic Vitality
- Healthy, Sustainable Environment
- Leisure, Cultural and Social Opportunities
- Reliable Infrastructure and Effective Mobility
- Safe Community
- Youth Opportunities and Education

The budget exercise results will be presented to the City Council during budget hearings in May and June. The budget exercise can be found on the front page of the City’s website at: www.cityofsacramento.org.

The Fiscal Year 2012/13 Proposed Budget was released on April 26 and is balanced and addresses a projected $18 million shortfall for FY2012/13. The Proposed Budget includes the elimination of approximately 286 Full-Time Equivalent positions.

Please visit www.cityofsacramento.org to view the Proposed Budget and for regular budget updates.

City plans to cut recreation program for people with disabilities

2012-05-07T03:53:54Z

With her dark brown hair bobbing at her shoulders as she walked, 22-year-old Brittnay Willeford stepped up to the podium at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, pushed her heavy-rimmed glasses up a bit, and began to read to the council a letter her grandmother needed to help her write.

Despite a reading level that barely tops fourth grade, Willeford came to City Council to talk about some of the things she enjoys most: bowling, skiing and racing down the zipline at Camp Grizzly Beach – activities she will miss out on if the city follows through with plans to cut funding to Access Leisure, a program offered through the Parks and Recreation department that provides sports, camping, social and fitness activities for children, teens and adults with disabilities.

“The camps that are put on by Access Leisure are the most important to me,” Willeford read from her letter during the meeting Tuesday. “All of my friends are there. It is important for me to have a place in the world where I feel like I fit in.”

In this year's budget, Access Lesiure recieved $146,000 from the city to fund social and fitness programs for teens and young adults with intellectual disabilities, programs which serve more than 3,000 people every year, according to Program Director Philip Sinclair. Those funds are scheduled to be eliminated from the city budget starting July 1, according to Program Supervisor Annie Desalerno.

Jenny Yarrow, Access Leisure program coordinator, said the budget reductions would “annihilate” the teen and young adult services.

“The entire department will be eliminated,” Yarrow said. “There aren’t any other opportunities for the people we serve like this. It’s really a shame.”

Willeford and her mother, Lori Bottega, were among the 30 people who spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting about the recreation programs for disabled people in Sacramento that are in danger of elimination with the proposed city budget.

“It’s an organization that sponsors 88 events a year on a meager budget,” concerned resident Patrick McCarthy told council members Tuesday. “We ask you to consider maintaining that budgetary item for time immemorial.”

McCarthy said he is a member of an organization that sponsors athletic events for disabled people with Access Leisure through the year – and he is the father of a developmentally disabled adult son who participates in Access Leisure activities.

The majority of public speakers at the meeting were people who rely on Access Leisure programs on a daily and weekly basis. Many shared personal experiences and pleaded with council members to keep the program active.

“I don’t know why you want to close Access Leisure,” Maria Facio, 33, said Tuesday. "It is my family. I love it. I need it to be open.”

Bottega told council members that Access Leisure has been a “life-saver ” for her daughter.

“She’s made lifelong friends through the program,” Bottega said. “There’s nowhere we can go without her knowing someone. She’ll be devastated if the program is ended.”

Yarrow said Access Leisure partners with many local businesses, such as charter bus companies, movie theaters and bowling alleys, to provide a variety of outings and events for participants.

“We’re not the only ones that lose with the cuts,” Yarrow said. “Those other businesses benefit from us too, and they’ll lose too.”

City Manager John Shirey introduced the proposed budget to council Tuesday. The council will take a closer look at the Parks and Recreation portion of the budget May 15.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Business, arts, historic preservation: Key topics for District 4

2012-05-02T04:46:43Z

Six of the seven candidates for council District 4 discussed the role of business and the value of art to the central city at a forum hosted by four business organizations Monday.

The candidates – Steve Hansen, Phyllis Newton, Joe Yee, Michael Rehm, Terry Schanz and Neil Davidson – took the stage at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret Theatre on K Street Monday to answer a slew of questions about issues facing Sacramento’s recently reshaped District 4.

Wendy Hoyt, local businesswoman and former president of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, moderated the forum.

Hoyt noted that the central city is made up of variety of businesses and asked how the candidates would handle potential conflicts between residents and businesses.

“It should be okay to use the general plan to encourage mixed use as a way to mitigate some of the challenges of having a vibrant downtown,” Schanz said.

Davidson agreed, saying, “There are people who want different things out of the central city. We’re not going to always get it right every time, but we keep working to get what we need.”

Another question to the candidates centered on the arts and what the city can do to increase its creative culture.

Hansen said he believes the city needs to diversify its arts economy by empowering the arts community to thrive.

On the subject of the arts, Newton said she believes they’re important – but it comes down to money.

“When we want things like art that add to the quality of our lives, it is essential that we generate the revenues that allow us to have those things,” Newton said.

She added that she believes the Second Saturday Art Walk no longer provides the benefits to local artists and galleries that it once did.

Another issue on the table at the forum was the role of city government in regulating small businesses.

Rehm suggested a tax incentive from the city to encourage small businesses to open – and making it easier to apply for and receive licenses and permits to do business in Sacramento.

“It’s already difficult enough for a small business to start up without the red tape from the government,” Rehm said.

When historic preservation was discussed, all of the candidates were in agreement that the city’s history and landmarks are part of the core and character of Sacramento – and preserving them should be a priority for the City Council.

“Preservation takes political will,” Yee said. “It takes perseverance on our part.”

At one point in the forum, candidates were asked to describe – in just one word – what kind of City Council member they would be if they were elected.

Answers included “pragmatic” (Newton), “accessible” (Yee), “detailed” (Davidson), “everywhere” (Hansen), “authentic” (Schanz) and – to the surprise of the audience – “amazing” (Rehm).

The candidates will meet again at a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters May 12 at the Sacramento County Administration Building, 700 I St.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacrametno Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

At odds with Pannell, Mayor gets behind Williams in D8

2012-05-01T22:59:25Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell haven’t always seen eye to eye – one of the factors in his decision to support opponent Betty Williams in the race for Pannell’s District 8 council seat.

“I want to work with people who are open to a vision and an agenda to move the city forward,” Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “If somebody has an agenda that is clearly just to vote in a different way, or if the mayor comes up with an idea and people are just going to automatically say ‘no,’ I don’t feel that’s in the best interests of the city.”

Johnson – who said he supports Williams because of her history of community activism – and Pannell have been on opposite sides of a number of issues in the past four years.

Redistricting and laying off police and fire personnel were two that Johnson called “critical” to him.

But Pannell, who has represented City Council District 8 since 1999, disagrees with Johnson’s perspective of their relationship on the council.

“I’m not sure what his issue is,” Pannell said, noting that she has supported every downtown development and infill project.

“He wants me to vote with him on everything? No. He has his opinion. I have mine,” she added.

When the city went through the redistricting process last year, council discussions were intense as battle lines were drawn among council members.

One sticking point was the boundary between districts 5 and 6 and a question of which district would take “ownership” of the UC Davis Medical Center located on the border of both districts.

The community was divided – and so was the city council. At the final vote, Pannell and Johnson were on opposite sides of the count.

“For the life of me, I still can’t figure out why certain (council) members did not support the redistricting that the community asked for,” Johnson said.

Pannell defended her redistricting vote, saying, “the Med Center is still right where it always was.”

She also defended a vote to lay off 80 police officers during the last budget cycle.

“Police and fire want all the money the city has,” she said. “I’m paying my pension. We were asking them to do the same thing: Pay your pension so no one would have to be laid off.”

Johnson did not address the strong mayor initiative in his press statement – but Pannell said she sees it as key to understanding the mayor’s support of her opponent.

Pannell was vocal in her opposition to Johnson’s proposal to change the city charter and enhance some of the powers of the mayor’s office.

Williams, on the other hand, has expressed her support of the initiative.

“It all comes down to strong mayor,” Pannell said. “He (Johnson) moves Williams into this district and says ‘she’s the one’ because he has her support.”

Pannell and Williams are the only two candidates vying for the District 8 council seat in the June 5 primary election.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Negotiation stalemate results in furloughs for library employees

2012-05-01T04:06:05Z

The Sacramento Public Library Authority imposed furloughs on 241 library employees Friday after six months of intense negotiations with the employees’ union broke down.

Calling it their “last, best and final offer” to International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39, Library Director Rivkah Sass said in a press release Monday that the SPLA will implement 12 furlough days per year for the next two fiscal years for the library workers.

“Wage reductions, furloughs and layoffs are unfortunately more the rule rather than the exception in public employment these days,” Sass said.

But the union sees it as "little more than a 4 percent pay cut" – and they consider the move to implement furloughs to be an “illegal action.”

“We don’t believe the process was completed in accordance with statute,” union representative Joan Bryant said.

Bryant contends that the lead negotiator for the library did not have the authority to declare an impasse to negotiations – and that the furlough action was a Brown Act violation.

“The item wasn’t put on the agenda until 24 hours before the meeting,” Bryant said. “The Government Code requires at least 72 hours’ notice.”

Bryant said the union will turn the matter over to the Public Employees Relations Board for review before seeking legal recourse.

The furloughs will prevent the layoffs of 17 staff members and keep at least three library branches open – creating a savings for the library budget of nearly $2.4 million, according to an SPLA staff report.

“The option that we took was to unilaterally implement furloughs rather than close libraries,” SPLA Board Member and City Councilman Jay Schenirer said.

“The libraries we were looking at closing were in some of the poorer neighborhoods, and we just can’t do that,” he said.

Local 39, the union representing library employees, had other concerns about the failed negotiations, Bryant said, particularly the SPLA decision to hire outside attorneys to negotiate for the library.

“We are sympathetic to public employers because we know there is a lack of resources,” Bryant said, “but if you don’t have money and you’re asking for concessions from workers, how can you bring in high-priced lawyers – except to beat the workers down?”

Schenirer said the use of outside lawyers is common in labor negotiations throughout the public sector.

“Different places do it differently – sometimes you use your own people, and other times you bring in specialists,” Schenirer said. “The unions have the same options.

“You want very good people to do the work of representing the public,” he said. “If management makes the decision that they would rather have more experienced attorneys handle these things, I don’t have a problem with that.”

Furloughs are not uncommon for Sacramento workers – most of the members of Local 39 working for the city were required to take 12 unpaid furlough days over the past two fiscal years, according to the press release.

“Yes, we’ve made concessions in the past,” Bryant said, “but we don’t take kindly to bullying.”

Schenirer said that the proposed amount of furloughs changed throughout the negotiations – first the number was 24 days, then it went to 18 days before he suggested reducing the number to 12.

“If you think about the employees, and think about the cuts that they’re taking, I just thought that one day a month is a more reasonable amount,” he said.

Schenirer said he thinks the preferred alternative to furloughs, however, is for both sides to try to work things out.

According to Bryant, however, the next step for Local 39 does not include attempts to restart negotiations with the Library Authority.

“I don’t know what they expect us to accomplish if we go back to the table,” Bryant said. “If we go back, we will be trying to undo what has happened, and if they were willing to take back the action, they wouldn’t have taken it in the first place.”

The furloughs go into effect immediately, and additional measures in the SPLA resolution – including a phased-in requirement to increase employees’ pension contributions – will begin July 1.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Small details could have big impact in Sacramento budget debate

2012-04-30T04:44:02Z

With the introduction of the city budget to the City Council Tuesday, the specter of layoffs and the city’s negotiations with unions over pension plans will take center stage for the next few months – but some important fiscal nuggets could get overlooked.

For example, of the 286 city employees expected to be laid off with the proposed budget, 11 of those are in the Community Development Department – which is responsible for building permits and inspections, code compliance, and long-range planning for development projects.

Additional layoffs are slated for the Public Works department (which includes transportation and parking services) and the Parks and Recreation department.

What will this mean for city services? Will wait times for building permits increase? Will it take longer to get a parking ticket resolved? Which recreation programs at local parks will need to be reduced – or eliminated altogether? These all questions The Sacramento Press will be pursing during our budget coverage.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said at his press conference Tuesday that he and the City Council want Sacramento to remain a full-service city, despite any necessary budget cuts.

However, with about 280 fewer city staffers to serve Sacramentans, the potential for a decline in service is strong.

In addition to layoffs, the proposed budget includes numerous cuts in funding, including:
* $100,000 from the mayor and City Council budget
* $37 million from the utilities department
* $213,000 from community center budgets
* $358,000 from access leisure programs – sports and recreation activities for disabled people

The Department of Utilities provides and maintains water, wastewater, and storm drainage services and facilities for the city.

Despite an estimated $10.3 million in anticipated revenue increases from rate adjustments, the proposed budget still shows nearly $37 million in cuts to the department overall.

This includes – again – personnel layoffs, which according to the budget document “will create an increase in hold times for customer calls, as well as delays in updating legal owner information and close-out of customer accounts.”

As the new city budget debate continues to unfold, The Sacramento Press will cover all the ins and outs of the debate over the city’s finances. You can help us. The city posted the budget HERE.

What questions would you like to see answered? Let us know in the conversation below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

District 2 Council Candidates talk budget cuts

2012-04-30T02:57:20Z

The District 2 City Council candidates gathered at the Sacramento Urban League over the weekend where they faced a new topic of discussion.

And it wasn’t the death of the arena deal.

Last Thursday, the City released its proposed 2012-2013 budget. The proposed budget eliminates 286 jobs, many of which are public safety positions.

That didn’t sit well with the candidates.

“No I don’t support those (cuts)” said candidate and former city councilmember Rob Kerth when asked about the cuts to public safety. “Those are fundamental city services.”

“No, I do not support the budget cuts to cut police and fire services,” said Kim Mack. “One life is lost, one home is lost; they (the cuts) are not worth it.”

Sondra Betancourt, who went before City Council last year speaking against cuts to public safety, called this budget’s proposed reductions to police and fire services “absolutely unacceptable”.

“I can tell you there are many, many employees of the police department who are now unemployed - have been for over a year” said Betancourt. “Not acceptable”.

Some candidates acknowledged the need for the City of Sacramento and its labor groups to find common ground when it comes to concessions.

“Our unions are going to have to take some concessions,” said Jason Sample. “They already have.”

Kerth acknowledged police and fire for getting involved and being willing to reach some compromise.

“They know times are tough,” said Kerth.

Allen Warren reiterated the need for employees to pay into their pensions.

“Some of our pensionees don’t pay into their pensions at all” said Warren. “Now I know I have to pay into my pension and most people have to pay into their pensions.”

“I believe that all of the unions need to pay their fair share or the pensionees need to pay their fair share into the unions, and I believe that leadership is about that.”

Some candidates had more creative ways to fill the budget shortfalls.

“There are city buildings that are half-occupied,” said Mack. “Let’s consolidate, let’s close ‘em down; we don’t need to heat a whole building when we’re only using half of it. So let’s bring ‘em all into one building and the buildings that we don’t need any more let’s discuss whether it’s more profitable for leasing or selling and bring some money into the budgets that way.”

Said Betancourt: “ I will go in and look at the span of control of managers and supervisors within the city government and I believe we need to expand the control for them and reduce possibly the numbers of managers and supervisory positions to trim the budget.”

Misty Yaj reserved comment regarding the budget, acknowledging she needed more research.

The city’s three largest labor groups have endorsed candidates in this race: the Sacramento Police Officers Association has endorsed Kim Mack; Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 has endorsed Rob Kerth; and Stationary Engineers Local 39 has endorsed Jason Sample.

The forum was moderated by Grantland Johnson, a Del Paso Heights native and individual of many achievements, and KCRA 3’s Danielle Leigh. It was sponsored by the African American Leadership Coalition of Sacramento and the North Sacramento Voter Education Project.

Proposed Sacramento city budget eliminates 286 jobs

2012-04-26T21:05:58Z

It’s that time of year again when protesters line up outside City Hall, public comment gets intense – and sometimes colorful – and council meetings drag on into the night: City Hall released the 2012-13 city budget Thursday.

The proposed budget includes the elimination of nearly 286 city positions and – unlike last year – does not include use of the general fund “economic uncertainty” reserves, according to a city press release Thursday.

“This is not the budget I had hoped to recommend to address next year’s structural budget deficit,” City Manager John Shirey said in the release.

The City Council will begin to address the budget in public hearings May 1.

“Our big focus now is the budget, and it will get a lot of emphasis and a lot of discussion in May,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday.

The city charter requires the city manager to present a proposed budget to the City Council by May 1 each year, and the City Council has until June 30 to approve a balanced budget.

Last year, the City Council met that deadline – but with severe cuts to a wide array of city agencies, including public safety departments, parks and recreation and the public library system.

“We want to correct our structural imbalance and we want to remain a full-service city, making sure we take care of public safety and all of our essential needs,” Johnson said.

Despite the many cuts in last year’s budget, the city still faces a $15.7 million budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The total proposed city budget is $1.06 billion, of which $365 million is the general fund.

“We are still trying to figure out ways to do more with less,” Johnson said.

Over the past six years, the city has eliminated approximately 1,200 positions and faced an ongoing budget gap of roughly $219 million. The current budget supports 3,791 employee positions.

The 2013-14 budget shortfall is expected to be nearly $7.4 million, according to the release.

Sacramento City Manager's Budget MessageThe entire city budget can be viewed here.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Council candidate Misty Yaj: 'Don't ignore District 2'

2012-04-21T05:41:32Z

Misty Yaj said she is tired of District 2 being ignored by City Hall, so she joined the race to fill the City Council seat that incumbent Sandy Sheedy will be vacating after 12 years in office.

“There are a lot of vandalized homes and vacant properties (in the district), and businesses here are few,” Yaj said. “I want to change that.”

Yaj said the city has spent too much time on the proposed entertainment and sports complex project and not enough time finding ways to invest in the areas outside the downtown core.

“When I talk to people (in the district), no one asks me about the arena. Not here – that’s for the downtown, not for (DIstrict 2),” Yaj said.

Yaj, 42, owns a small business in south Sacramento and works as an auditor for Bank of America. She has lived in Sacramento since her family moved to the United States from Thailand when she was a small child.

Yaj spent three years in Los Angeles while earning a masters degree in oriental medicine, and then returned to Sacramento in 1995 to make District 2 her permanent home.

She decided to run for the City Council because she said she felt city officials have overlooked District 2 for many years and she’d like to turn that tide.

“I am a person who commits to what she says she will do. People can help me or I will make myself get it done, but I will do it,” she said.

Her priorities for the district include promoting education for children, helping people with housing needs and working to prevent crime in neighborhoods.

Crime issues are especially sensitive to Yaj because her father was murdered in 2007. The tragedy made her want to reach out and prevent it from happening to other people.

“There is a lot of crime in this area. I want to find ways to get gangsters and youths into activities or job training so they don’t have time to go out and create problems,” she said.

When approaching the city budget, Yaj said she recognizes the problems of not having enough money in the coffers to do everything for everyone – but the city has to focus its priorities, especially in the districts.

“We need to help businesses in this community. I know how hard it is to start a business and how much it costs to run a business. It’s not easy and the city should help somehow,” she said.

In a six-candidate race, how does Yaj set herself apart from other, perhaps better-known, candidates?

“I will serve the people better (than other candidates) because I know their feelings better,” she said Wednesday.

From Woodlake to Del Paso Heights, there is a lot of diversity and economic disparity within the district. Yaj said her background growing up in a low-income family and her experience in an active Hmong community give her a better understanding of the needs of a wide variety of people.

“It’s not the same as coming from an affluent background and not having gone through what the people are going through now, or how they are living. I am familiar with all of it. I relate more to the different people in the district,” she added.

Some candidates focus on differentiating specific neighborhoods to appeal to individual groups, Yaj said, but she prefers to see the district more holistically.

“I reach out to everyone to explain how I want to help – it’s all one district. I’m open to everyone, not just this neighborhood or that one. I don’t limit myself that way,” she said.

Yaj also won’t limit herself to sitting in an office all day at City Hall, she said – she would rather spend her time out in her district talking with the people she will represent.

“I’m a very open person. Anyone can contact me anytime. I want to be accessible to people, talking to people and asking what they need,” she said.

Accessibility is a major factor in taking care of business, according to Yaj, because “nothing happens if doors are closed.”

“With having my own business, I serve a lot of people and I understand customer service,” Yaj said. “(Being a council member) is also about customer service. It’s about serving people well.”

Yaj and the other candidate for District 6 – Rob Kerth, Sondra Betancourt, Allen Wayne Warren, Kim Mack and Jason Sample – are slated to participate in a candidate forum Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Robla Community Center.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City Council puts $250K literacy, gang prevention grant on hold

2012-04-19T03:38:31Z

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento will have to wait two weeks longer to launch key literacy and gang-prevention programs after a surprise move by City Council Tuesday halting the acceptance of a $250,000 grant to fund the programs.

Sheedy asked for the agenda item on the grant to be pushed back until she could get more information from City Manager John Shirey about details of the grant.

“I haven’t been briefed on it, and I have a lot of questions,” Sheedy said Tuesday. “I have questions about how it was done and the method of a private individual doing it instead of the city.”

The item was initially on the City Council’s consent calendar, which typically contains non-controversial items approved without discussion at City Council meetings.

The grant – called a CalGRIP – is coming from the California Emergency Management Agency to support gang-prevention and literacy projects in Sacramento that have been developed with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento.

Joann Cummins, Sheedy’s district director, said Wednesday that Sheedy pulled the item because of concerns stemming from previous CalGRIP grants the city has received.

“These are reimbursement grants – you spend the money and submit an invoice to get reimbursed,” Cummins said. “We’re good at getting grants, but not great at compliance.”

Cummins said problems with compliance requirements such as timely submission of invoices and proper documentation caused the city to be denied reimbursement last year – resulting in a $247,000 hit to the Parks and Recreation Department operating budget.

Cal-GRIP grants are generally for a two year term and the $383,000 grant for fiscal year 2010-11 was used to implement the sacramento Safe Community Partnership, a program designed to reduce gun-related violence.

“This came at a time when community centers were closed and we were asking volunteers to help with park maintenance,” Cummins said.

“Given the problems we have had with CalGRIP (grants) in the past,” Cummins said, “(Sheedy) wants to make sure the city doesn’t get hurt again.”

The 2012 grant was written by Capt. Katherine Lester, a contracts specialist with the Sacramento Police Department, and will be managed by the office of City Councilman Jay Schenirer, according to the grant application.

Schenirer confirmed the compliance issues that the city faced with last year’s CalGRIP grant.

“There was a problem with administration (last year) – too many people managing the program,” Schenirer said Wednesday. “So, we put $60,000 into the (2012) grant to hire a single administrator to ensure that something like that doesn’t happen again.”

Lester told the City Council Tuesday that, although the delay in accepting the grant is only two weeks, the grant must have formal City Council approval before any grant funds can be received to start the programs the grant will fund.

“(The grant) application has gone through and we’ve been granted the funds – we just have to say yes to receive (the money),” Schenirer said.

The CalGRIP grant item will be on the City Council agenda for the May 2 meeting, City Clerk Shirley Concolino said Tuesday. Cummins confirmed Wednesday that Sheedy has contacted Shirey’s office to discuss her concerns before the item appears on the agenda again.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow heron Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Railyard site plans unveiled – arena optional, officials say

2012-04-17T04:31:09Z

Despite the battle between the city and Sacramento Kings’ team owners over a new entertainment and sports complex, City Councilman Steve Cohn is adamant that plans for developing the railyards site for an intermodal transit facility will continue uninterrupted.

“Yes, there is absolutely an intermodal without the arena,” Cohn said Thursday at a workshop on the project at City Hall.

More than 100 people attended the workshop hosted by the city to discuss the site orientation of the proposed arena at the downtown railyards along with current and future transportation facilities at the site.

Until the recent arena deal fell apart, the intermodal project at the downtown railyards was slated to include a 675,000 square foot entertainment and sports facility located next to the existing historic Sacramento Valley Station.

“The intermodal is our No. 1 infrastructure priority, no matter what, with or without the arena,” Cohn said. “The (current site plan) study allows us to determine the footprint for the different facilities (included in the project) so we can plan the intermodal.”

City officials and staff unveiled three potential site plans at the workshop – designated the “west option,” the “east option” and the “hybrid option” by city staff – and invited public feedback on the proposals.

“These are not alternatives, these are concepts – they are still very raw and still being developed,” said presenter Andre Brumfield of the AECOM/Fehr and Peers Design Team.

AECOM/Fehr and Peers Design Team are consultants hired to work with city staff on pre-development aspects of the proposed arena at the railyards.

“We want everyone to understand what has been worked on so far and to get feedback about what (people) feel works or doesn’t work (with the concepts),” he added.

The three plans were prepared by a design team after numerous meetings with transportation specialists, Amtrak, Caltrans and other interested parties, according to Cohn.

“They met with historic preservation groups and business groups and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership,” he said. “(There are) a lot of people who have a stake in this particular site and in the intermodal, not just the arena.”

Design team members worked with consultants brought on by the city in the past week to go over site plan options that would integrate a new arena on the railyards site with the various parts of the intermodal project, Cohn said.

The west option situates an arena on the western edge
The hybrid option puts an arena on the west side of the site and the transit facility on the east side. In between the two would be a public plaza to allow people to move freely between the facilities.

“The hybrid plan is the favored plan so far,” Chandler said. “We are trying to create more of a of the 13-acre site, with the intermodal transit portions – including railway platforms, light rail connections and bus areas – situated on the eastern side of the site, according to Senior Architect Hinda Chandler.

The east option essentially flips the west option plan, putting an arena on the eastern portion of the site, Chandler said, but the transit portions of the plan are spread out more, with buses to the west and light rail to the south.
pedestrian district with the hybrid plan. It would create a nice public space.”

Each potential site plan includes space for an entertainment and sports complex, however, city officials said that if an arena doesn’t materialize, the city will still move forward with other aspects of developing the railyards site.

“The ideal situation is that we are doing both at the same time, but if the arena doesn’t go forward for any reason, this (site plan work) enables us to go forward with the intermodal knowing that, if an arena gets financed later, we have a place for it,” Cohn said.

If an arena never happens, Cohn said, the area reserved in the site plan for it could easily be developed in some other way.

Some workshop attendees expressed concerns about keeping the historic nature of the original depot intact while trying to build out the railyards.

“It’s been here a long time, and we need to keep the historic nature of it in mind,” said James Battles, 45, a Sacramento resident.

Battles said a lot of his questions about the intermodal project were answered at the workshop – but he didn’t know if everyone else got the information they needed.

“(The city) needs to have more workshops like this so others can get the information, too,” Battles said.

The intermodal project will be under continuous construction in one stage or another for the next few years, Cohn said, and the majority of the first phase of work should be completed by the end of 2012.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Save Our Pools campaign reaches $1 million goal

2012-04-13T02:01:45Z

Sacramento’s pools will be open this summer as the Save Our Pools campaign announced Thursday that it raised $1 million through individual donors, corporate donors and a $500,000 match by Save Mart Supermarkets.

The campaign kicked off Feb. 14 with a goal of funding local pools so the same ones that were open last summer will be open this year.

"It takes collaboration from all types and sizes to make a great city. Thanks to the efforts of Save Mart and its customers and vendors, plus our business community and residents from across the region, kids and families will have swimming pools available this summer in Sacramento. I couldn't think of a better way to kick off the summer," Mayor Kevin Johnson said in a press release.

“We are thrilled to have met the $1 million goal and secure six pools and five wading pools back to the Sacramento community,” Alicia Rockwell, Public Affairs Director for Save Mart, said in the press release.

Part of the campaign involved a donation when people "liked" a Facebook campaign, which originally was scheduled to end March 13, but was extended through April 10.

According to the release, it was the last-minute donations from a few corporate donors that helped close the gap.

Wells Fargo donated $50,000, and the Greater Sacramento New Car Dealers Association pledged $60,000, and with the Save Mart matching funds, the $1 million needed was reached.

For more information on the campaign, click here.

In bad economy, developers get paid a little at a time

2012-04-12T03:23:36Z

Nearly seven years after completing infrastructure work for housing developments in Natomas, developers are still receiving reimbursement payments from the city as part of an unusual “pay-as-you-go” arrangement between the city and the developer.

“(This situation) is unique in that the city doesn’t pay for everything at once,” City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said Tuesday.

When the City Council agreed Tuesday to take $1.1 million from a Mello Roos special tax fund to reimburse a developer for public improvement projects, it was the eighth such payment in four years on an ongoing agreement that is usually handled a different way.

Typically, the city issues bonds to pay builders immediately for the completed infrastructure work, and then taxes collected are used to pay the interest on the bonds.

In the case of K. Hovnanian Forecast Homes in Natomas, the forces of timing and bad economy played a part in creating an alternate method of reimbursement.

“The work was done and costs were verified,” said Mark Griffin, program manager with the city Finance Department.

“Just as we formed the district to issue bonds, the economy went bad. We couldn’t issue bonds,” he said.

The downturn in the economy coupled with a Federal Emergency Management Agency construction moratorium in the Natomas area made it too expensive to issue bonds for the projects.

Griffin said the “pay-as-you-go” agreement with the developer allowed the city to make payments as taxes were collected from the special tax district.

“It’s not great for the developer, but there really wasn’t a choice,” Griffin said. “The timing of the economy was very unfortunate.”

A Mello Roos tax district is set up by the city for specific areas, and property taxes collected are solely for the purpose of financing public improvements within the district.

There are 24 such districts in Sacramento – some of those were formed to issue bonds that pay for infrastructure projects. Others were established to pay for ongoing services like streetscapes, park maintenance, drainage basin maintenance and open space maintenance.

“Most of the time, we set up these (Mello Roos) districts to issue bonds, and the developer is fully reimbursed for work already done from the bonds,” Griffin said.

The situation in Natomas is unusual because it is the one of the few places in Sacramento where construction was started during the housing boom and halted after the housing bust – and it had the additional burden of being in a flood-prone area.

The “pay-as-you-go” agreement is not typical in Sacramento, but it was necessary to make sure the city lived up to its agreement with a developer that paid up front for required infrastructure work, Griffin said.

As inconvenient as it may be for the developer who is stuck waiting for payments to trickle in, the situation is “neutral” for the city and property owners, Griffin said.

“If we issued bonds, we’d be paying a debt service on the bonds with the taxes collected,” Griffin said. “With pay as you go, we are still collecting taxes and reimbursing costs.”

The cost difference for the city and property owners between pay as you go and issuing bonds is negligible, Griffin said, because taxes are still being collected – they are just being disbursed differently.

As of March 15, the city has collected $10.1 million from special taxes in Natomas and paid out close to $9.1 million, according to the city staff report.

After the current $1.1 million payment from the special district tax fund, the developer is still owed approximately $1.45 million on a total $11.5 million billing.

“All we are doing here is reimbursing developers for work that they paid up front to make sure was completed,” Ashby said.

Griffin said K. Hovnanian has done other work that they haven’t requested reimbursement for yet – perhaps as much as $10 million more in eligible costs – and when the entire bill is paid, the pay-as-you-go agreement ends.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City ramps up repair schedule for copper theft damage

2012-04-12T01:54:17Z

A new streetlight repair and wire restoration project will allow streetlights to be fixed in 90 days instead of a year after having their copper wiring stolen, since the City Council gave the nod to spend $2 million on a wire restoration project Tuesday.

The City Council voted unanimously to allow funding for the project, which will provide the resources needed to complete repairs already scheduled, as well as put future repairs on a 90-day wait list.

The current backlog is a staggering 12-month wait for neighbors to have streetlights repaired, according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker.

“The city has had more than 325 reported locations of stolen wire since 2010, and we have been able to repair about 175 of those,” Tucker said Tuesday.

The price for salvaged copper wire has risen throughout the United States, Tucker said, going from roughly $1.50 per pound in October 2008 to $3.30 per pound today.

Tucker said the typical copper thief nets about $240 from salvage from a single hit – but the repair bill for the city ranges from $1,200 to $1,800 per incident.

So far, the city has spent more than $1.2 million on repairs from metal theft. City staff estimates at least 9,000 of the city’s 40,000 streetlights – 22 percent – have been damaged from copper theft in the last two years.

City Traffic Engineer Hector Barron said that it typically takes two days to repair a streetlight, but with so many locations being damaged, city crews have been unable to keep up with the repair orders.

“In 2011, our goal was to repair each location within a three- to six-month timeframe,” Barron said. “But during certain weeks, we couldn’t keep up with new locations being reported. We made progress, but the reports kept outnumbering the repairs.”

Tucker said the city worked with an electrical contractor in late 2011 to help with the workload, but the number of repair locations continued to increase.

“We determined that we needed to immediately increase our resources to get the wait times down,” Tucker said.

“It’s important to note that our police department has given this (issue) a priority,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said. “Statistics show there is significantly less crime on streets with streetlights. It does make a big difference.”

The new project will be funded by $1 million from the Measure A half-cent sales tax and $1 million from the city’s risk management fund.

Typically, the risk management fund reimburses city departments for repairs and replacement parts due to things such as thefts, vandalism and fire, one claim at a time.

For this project, however, instead of processing each reimbursement claim individually, $1 million will be transferred to fund the streetlight repair project in advance to be more efficient, according to the staff report.

Of that $1 million, $495,000 will fund a construction contract supplement with CB Grant Electric, the electrical contractor that the city has been working with to shorten repair times.

The budget for repairing streetlights is primarily funded by a citywide landscaping and lighting fund, gas tax and various other special district and transportation-related funds, Tucker said, but those funds have been depleted for this fiscal year.

According to the staff report, the current labor force in the transportation maintenance department completes about 5,000 feet per day of copper wiring repairs.

In order to meet the goal of 90-day repair windows, they need to be able to replace 15,000 to 20,000 feet per day, Barron said.

Tucker said that approximately $2 million will be needed over the next year for streetlight repairs including copper wiring, trenching, conduit, locking pull-box lids, replacement parts and labor.

“This isn’t fun and games here. We recognize that,” City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy said Tuesday. “There are a lot of places (affected) in my district and in the city, and we are fixing them as fast as we can – but with one truck and two people, it doesn’t work fast. This (project) is going to help us get things expedited.”

While repair times remain lengthy, Sheedy said the best thing residents can do to help is to remain diligent.

“The main thing we need to do is be cognizant of people working around the lights. An orange vest doesn’t always mean what you think it does,” Sheedy said. “If residents see something suspicious, call the police.”

With the additional funds approved for the project by the City Council, Barron said he expects the transition from a 12-month backlog to a 90-day wait time to be accomplished by the end of June.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City Council keeps parking lease conversation going

2012-02-15T05:53:37Z

The City Council unanimously voted to keep conversations going with bidders interested in taking over the city’s parking operations – and set the stage for a Feb. 28 vote finalizing plans for a new entertainment and sports complex.

“Today is about narrowing 13 (bidders) down to 10, and it’s an intermediary step to a more significant vote,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said.

Council chambers were full Tuesday night, and members of the public who signed up to speak included eight opposed to the prospect of a long-term lease of the city’s parking and 30 people in favor of it.

Project Manager Fran Halbakken described the bidding for control of city parking operations as a competitive process, where the City Council whittles down the number of potential parking operators, eventually finalizing a term sheet agreement with a single operator.

The plan to turn over the city’s public parking assets to a private party – in return for an upfront payment of an estimated $185 million to $240 million – has come under fire since the idea was first floated by the Think Big Committee in November.

“The people who want the arena should pay for it,” Sacramento resident John Bloomer said during public comment. “Let them do it. We think people will be further inhibited from coming (to downtown) because the parking rates are going to go up.”

The proposed 50-year lease of the city’s parking operations is expected to be the cornerstone of a complex financing plan to build a new arena at the downtown railyards – and prevent the Sacramento Kings from relocating.

Thirteen bidding teams responded when the city began the search for parking lessees, according to the city staff report. The list of potential bidders was narrowed to 10 by staff and outside consultants before being presented to council members Tuesday.

Some of the criteria used to evaluate potential bidders included financial strength of the bidding team, sources of capital, ability to make an upfront payment and each bidding team’s strength and experience as a parking operator.

Tuesday’s vote doesn’t commit the city to continue the process – but it does indicate council members’ willingness to take the next step.

“This isn’t a vote for the arena or against the arena. There is no money exchanging hands yet,” Sheedy said after the vote.

According to the staff report, before the City Council can proceed to actual lease proposals, it will first need a financing plan in place for the entertainment and sports complex, and it will need to identify enough revenue to make up for initial parking revenue losses from the city’s general fund.

There will also need to be a budget for the consultant costs for the process of finding a parking operator, according to the report.

Sheedy called for a “much more in-depth” process for public outreach as the council starts to take a closer look at the bidders list.

“People really need to see what we’re doing,” Sheedy said.

Tuesday’s vote comes on the heels of a 5-4 vote Feb. 7 against putting the parking lease plan on the June ballot.

“Today (we took) a significant step,” Johnson said. “We voted unanimously to do something mostly ceremonial today, but it puts us in a position for Feb. 28 to be all in.”

Halbakken said the next step in the process will be for city staff to further evaluate bidders to reduce the list, and to begin to establish the parameters of financing terms for a potential lease.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Public-private effort may save city pools this summer

2012-02-14T03:56:37Z

Community pools in Sacramento on the verge of closing this summer may get a reprieve – and nearly $1 million in operating funds – from a fundraising effort that kicks off Tuesday between the city and Save Mart Supermarkets.

The city of Sacramento operates 12 pools to serve more than 467,000 city residents, but since 2008 the number of pools kept open each summer has dwindled due to budget cuts.

By 2011, that number was reduced to six pools and five wading pools, with open hours limited to six days per week, four hours per day.

Through a new fundraising campaign called “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools,” Save Mart will match dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 in the donations made by individuals, residents, and local business sponsors from mid-February through mid-April, according to a city staff report.

All of the funds raised will be used to open the same six pools in 2012 that were kept open in 2011, including: Clunie, Doyle, Johnston, McClatchey, Pannell Meadowview and Sim Park pools.

The closure of almost two-thirds of Sacramento pools last summer got the attention of national media – and Save Mart Supermarkets, which operates seven grocery stores in Sacramento.

“After seeing the story in the New York Times and the Sacramento Bee editorial last summer about Sacramento city pools being closed due to lack of funds, we were moved to do something to take action and help keep the pools open this summer,” said Alicia Rockwell, director of public affairs and communications for Save Mart Supermarkets, in an email Monday.

City Councilman Kevin McCarty said Monday that he is excited about the co-sponsorship opportunity, but he recognizes that it is only a stop-gap measure.

“This is what we’ve been talking about all along: public/private partnerships,” McCarty said, “but the reality is, this kind of just stops the (budget) bleeding.”

McCarty was an adamant proponent for keeping public pools open last year during a budget cycle that saw a $24 million shortfall.

In the end, the city rallied to keep six pools open during the 2011 season, but with reduced hours and staff.

Now, funding for keeping pools open has run out and, without additional funding, all of the city pools will be closed as of the end of the 2011/12 fiscal year, June 30.

“We want to engage and ignite the community to give to this effort and help us raise upwards of $1 million so that the city can open as many pools as possible,” Rockwell said in the email.

“We want to see all 12 pools and wading pools open this summer but even our effort won’t pay to open all of them,” Rockwell added.

According to the city staff report, it would take and additional $1.5 million to open all 12 pools for the summer.

Jim Combs, Department of Parks and Recreation director, said that although co-sponsorships are common for amenities such as arenas, the “Save Our Pools” collaboration between the city and Save Mart is unique.

“I know of no other city across the country where a corporate citizen has stepped up like this,” Combs said Monday. “This is a unique model and it is a good model for other corporate sponsors to follow, too.”

Combs said his department – in conjunction with the Neighborhood Services Department – has been working for the past year to find nonprofit partners to run the city’s community centers.

“I don’t see corporations volunteering for tree trimming or other core services,” Combs said, “but for the programs that benefit quality of life, like pools and libraries, these are good opportunities.”

Sponsors are hoping $1 million will be raised through the “Save Our Pools” effort – if not more.

“Maybe this can get bigger. We want to keep an open mind,” McCarty said. “If we fully embrace this and get excited about it, it could turn into more than expected.”

“This is an example of where business and government can partner for the greater good of the community,” City Manager John Shirey said Monday.

Shirey said the coming together of Save Mart and the city for this effort was “fortuitous,” and a welcome start to what he hopes will be a model for other fundraising efforts in the city.

“Occasionally there is a story in the paper about an individual or a family that needs help, and the next day some good Samaritan will step up – those are not uncommon stories,” Shirey said.

“When the distressed party is a local government, though, it is not an automatic reaction from people to ask how they can step up and help out,” Shirey said. “Maybe we are forming a new model here.”

The co-sponsorship agreement with the city includes a provision for Save Mart to have the right to renew the sponsorship in each of the next three years – opening the door to continued collaboration between Save Mart Supermarkets and the city – and potentially opening more pools in future years.

If more money is raised than expected, the staff report states, the funds will roll over to the 2013 summer pool season and apply to keeping the same pools open as in 2012.

Information about becoming a sponsor or making a donation to the “Save Our Pools” campaign will be available starting Tuesday in stores and online HERE.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Council: Parking lease issue won't reach June ballot

2012-02-08T22:01:48Z

The push to put a city parking lease to a vote fell flat Tuesday as the City Council rejected a motion to put the question on the June ballot.

It was City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy who first suggested in November that the voters should have a say in whether the city leases its parking inventory to an outside company.

She conducted a city-wide poll on her website in October, which indicated that
70 percent of respondents favored a public vote on a potential 50-year lease, according to Sheedy.

“The (arena) plan hinges on leasing the city’s parking for 50 years,” Sheedy said Tuesday. “I think such a massive public investment warrants a public vote.”

Still, after almost an hour of public discussion, the council voted 5-4 Tuesday not to place the issue on the ballot.

Sheedy and Council members Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor of the measure.

Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn, Rob Fong and Jay Schenirer and Mayor Kevin Johnson voted against it.

The City Council is pursuing the possibility of leasing the city’s parking assets as part of a financing plan for a new entertainment and sports complex.

Opponents of a public vote on the issue said a ballot measure would occur after the March 1 deadline for the city to have a solid arena plan – without one, Sacramento Kings’ owners have threatened to relocate the team.

“We owe the NBA an answer by March. The election is in June. In the effort of being timely, I don’t think we should send it to ballot,” Ashby said.

Another point of opposition was the message a possible vote would send to the 13 companies that have expressed interest in leasing the city’s parking inventory.

“If the leasing of parking assets is put on the ballot it would send a signal to the NBA, AEG, and to the business community across the country that this council is indecisive and it would sabotage efforts to this point,” said Sacramento resident James Battle during public comment.

“It’s impossible to separate this issue from the impact of the vote,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said. “Let’s be clear: it would kill the arena deal in its tracks. If that’s what you want to do, then vote for it.”

Johnson said the list of 13 interested lessees would be reviewed and narrowed down to three or four before a financing agreement would be created.

“The goal is to have that term sheet in place before the March 1 deadline,” Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday.

“We are doing all we can to make that happen,” he said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Police union halts labor talks with City Hall

2012-02-08T15:27:42Z

In the the wake of the City Council’s 5-4 vote Tuesday blocking the strong mayor initiative from going to the November ballot, police union leaders halted labor contract discussions with City Hall.

Mark Tyndale, president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association told City Manager John Shirey in an email just hours after the final council vote that he was “suspending all discussions between the city and the SPOA negotiations team.”

After voting down the strong mayor initiative, council members approved a ballot measure to create an elected 15-member charter reform commission.

Calling the cost of a charter commission “fiscally irresponsible,” Tyndale said in the email that he “can’t help but feel this was nothing but a tactic by some of them to once again publically (sic) display their contempt for the Mayor.”

Although the SPOA had engaged with city labor representatives in a series of “off the record” discussions, Tyndale said in the email, the council’s decision to create a charter commission caused him to reevaluate his position.

“I refuse to consider further concessions that will only be used to fund the Commission,” Tyndale said.

The cost of a charter commission is largely unknown, according to the City Clerk’s office. In a staff report to council Tuesday, a portion of the cost – the cost of putting the question to the voters of rather to create a commission – was estimated at more than $127,000.

Assistant City Attorney Matt Ruyak said Tuesday that the additional costs of staffing and maintaining a commission – beyond the cost of the election alone – were unknown at this early stage.

Tyndale asked Shirey and City Finance Director Leyne Milstein for a written estimate of the costs to the city for an elected charter review commission.

Neither Tyndale nor Shirey were available for comment at press time for this story. The Sacramento Press will give updates on the situation as they become available.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Del Paso Boulevard to get a makeover this summer

2012-02-04T02:52:45Z

The Del Paso Boulevard corridor between Globe and Baxter avenues will be getting a makeover this summer in a $1.5 million dollar streetscape project set to begin in May.

The project will include safety improvements at intersections and new on-street parking to the 1000-block of Del Paso Boulevard, according to city Department of Transportation Assistant Engineer Matthew Johns.

The city received federal community development grant funds in 2009 to construct streetscape improvements between Arden Way and State Route 160.

Before construction could begin, the project had to go through various stages of planning, design and environmental review. The project got the final go-ahead from the City Council Tuesday.

Johns said the project includes removing and replacing sections of curb and sidewalk, enlarging the wells surrounding trees along the boulevard and adding an irrigation system to promote growth of the trees.

“One day it’ll have something of a shade canopy from those trees, similar to what you see in Midtown,” Johns said Friday.

The street improvements will also address safety needs along that corridor, Johns said.

There will be a new traffic signal system at the intersection of Southgate Road, Colfax Street and Del Paso Boulevard, on the corner in front of the Sacramento News & Review building at 1124 Del Paso Boulevard.

Currently, there are stop signs at the side streets (Southgate and Colfax) and a marked crosswalk, but Johns said the improvements will include a traffic light and pedestrian controls at the crosswalk.

“Pedestrians will be able to cross when traffic is completely stopped instead of trying to judge when it’s clear,” Johns said. “It will make the intersection safer and hopefully will prevent accidents.”

Fran Barker, a member of the Del Paso Heights Improvement Association and a longtime community advocate, said that the planned improvement project will be a benefit to the area.

“We definitely appreciate whatever improvements can be made to our environment,” Barker said Friday. “Especially safety improvements.”

Barker said that, over her more than 50 years of advocating for her Del Paso Heights neighbors, she has watched many improvement projects go in – but not the ones she feels are most important.

“Beautification seems to come before safety,” Barker said.

One concern for Barker is the lack of lights on the smaller residential streets that tend to get very dark, making it difficult for people to navigate the streets at night.

“With the crime rate where it is, safety is so important,” Barker said. “We should have streetlights. That’s elementary, Dr. Watson.”

Additional streetlights are part of the upcoming project, Johns said, although they will not be installed on the smaller residential streets. They will be put in along the southern end of the corridor, nearing State Route 160.

The project is expected to take nearly four months to complete, Johns said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Bagatelos may take on McCarty for District 6 council seat

2012-02-03T05:20:22Z

When it comes to talking about how to run a city, local developer and City Council District 6 candidate Jon Bagatelos is all business.

Bagatelos, co-owner of Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems and Bagatelos Development, LLC, was recruited to join the City Council race by business, community and public safety groups who are “tired of the way things are going with the city,” Bagatelos, 44, said Wednesday.

Bagatelos has not officially filed notice of his candidacy, but said he expects to select a campaign manager within the next couple of weeks. He will be running against incumbent Kevin McCarty for the City Council District 6 seat.

One of the main reasons he decided to consider the council seat, he said, is McCarty’s position on charter reform – more commonly referred to as “strong mayor.”

“I’m disappointed that he won’t vote to put it on the ballot,” Bagatelos said. “I would say he’s wrong on some of his positions, especially the strong mayor issue.”

Bagatelos said he supports a strong mayor system of government – not because of any loyalty to Mayor Kevin Johnson – but because he wants an accountable city council.

“I’m for (strong mayor) because the executive should have his authority, and the council – the legislative body – should have its authority,” Bagatelos said. “The city should not be run by an unelected city manager. That’s not accountability.”

Bagatelos has a self-described “one-track mind” about Sacramento that hinges on creating a business-friendly environment to create jobs and boost the local economy.

“We’ve dug a hole, and we have a lot of city services that we take for granted but we can’t afford,” Bagatelos said. “It’s going to take time to build the revenue to pay for those things. That’s just the truth of it.”

That’s not to say he’s against social services, Bagatelos was quick to point out – but he believes spending decisions need to be made carefully.

“The people on (the City) Council think money grows on trees and – they’re the government – they think they can spend what they don’t have,” Bagatelos said. “I don’t believe in that. If that makes me a radical, well, OK.”

The key to providing services such as transportation and utilities and homeless programs, Bagatelos said, is fostering an environment where companies want to come to Sacramento – and bring employment opportunities with them.

“That creates jobs for people who pay taxes, and taxes provide revenue for those needed services,” he said.

If the key to providing city services is tax-producing businesses, then the key to drawing them to the city, Bagatelos said, is the proposed entertainment and sports complex.

“The arena is a major opportunity. It will create jobs for the city,” Bagatelos said. “To have (the arena) happen would be instrumental to the growth of this city.”

Bagatelos has been criticized in the media and by some in McCarty’s camp for not living in the district – questioning both his eligibility for the race and his commitment to the district.

He and his family currently live in East Sacramento, but they also own a home in Campus Commons which was drawn into council District 6 through the recent redisticting process.

“I own a house in the district, my business is in the district, and over the years we’ve employed hundreds – if not thousands – of people,” Bagatelos said.

“If the biggest complaint against me is where I live, that’s not much of a complaint,” he added.

Mark Friedman, president of Fulcrum Group development company, worked alongside Bagatelos as co-chair of Johnson’s finance committee when Johnson ran for his mayoral seat in 2008.

“(Bagatelos) is deeply engaged in local politics and has been (politically) active for many years,” Friedman said Thursday.

“He’s focused on building the economy and creating jobs,” Friedman said. “If the economy doesn’t improve, then his district doesn’t improve – no district will.”

Friedman said he will be an “enthusiastic” supporter of Bagatelos’ campaign because he feels Bagatelos will bring a “fresh, business-friendly perspective” to the City Council.

The upcoming City Council election will not be Bagatelos’ first foray into the political arena: In 2002, he unsuccessfully ran for the 8th Assembly District seat shortly after starting Bagatelos Development, LLC, with his brothers, Chris and Nick Bagatelos.

When McCarty spoke with The Sacramento Press Sept. 26 about his intention to run for re-election, he said that he welcomes a challenge in the upcoming race.

“Elections are supposed to be about democracy,” McCarty said in the interview, “that means choosing the best candidate in a competitive race.”

McCarty’s campaign consultant, Andrew Acosta, said Wednesday that McCarty has been fighting for his district since he was first elected in 2004 and will continue his work for the people he represents – despite any challengers for his seat.

“If the mayor’s (political) machine intends to run someone against (McCarty),” Acosta said, “then we’ll have a campaign and we’ll discuss the issues.”

Bagatelos said his campaign will be based on asking people, “Do you think things are getting done right in the city? If not, vote for me.”

“It’s really that simple,” he said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

McKinley Park Rose Garden: Getting closer to completion

2012-02-02T02:35:21Z

The long-awaited renovations at the McKinley Park Rose Garden are nearing completion, and the garden is expected to be open by April – just in time for spring weddings in the park.

“The process feels like it’s taken forever,” University of California Master Gardner Ellie Longanecker said Wednesday.

The rose garden was scheduled to be closed from September to mid-February for renovations, including a new irrigation system, accessible walkways, planter curbs, new signs and handicap-accessible parking spaces near the garden entrance.

The work has been extended until the end of March or early April, Longanecker said, because of problems with the new irrigation system that created delays in completing other work, including more plantings.

Longanecker, a rose specialist and one of the many volunteer coordinators responsible for much of the recent work on the garden, said the project has been on the neighborhood’s radar for a long time.

“We initially brought a proposal to the city for this work to get stared in 2009,” Longanecker said. “For three years it’s been one step forward, two steps back.”

Once the work got under way in September, however, it’s been full steam ahead for city workers and volunteers, she said.

Since 2009, more than 400 new rose bushes have been planted in the garden on the southeast side of McKinley Park.

Thanks to a generous donor, Longanecker said, an additional 465 new rose bushes were recently given to add to the garden.

A “plant-a-thon” to get those additional bushes in the ground was originally planned for Saturday, but it has been postponed. A new date has not been set yet.

Longanecker said the planting day was postponed because the city needs to put in new sod around the planting beds, and it would be easier to get that job out of the way first.

It is also important to make sure the new water system is fully up and running before putting in new plants, she added.

“I’m glad it’s finally coming together,” Longanecker said. “It has taken a very strong volunteer effort.”

Longanecker said volunteer workers – including groups of Americorps volunteers, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department work crew and many neighbors and residents – put in about 1,500 hours of labor working on the garden in the last four weeks alone.

“That’s spading, weeding, pruning and wheelbarrowing in 100 yards of topsoil to spread throughout the garden,” Longanecker said. “(It’s) not easy work at all.”

The effort to refurbish the McKinley Park Rose Garden has been supported by donations including money, gifts of roses and numerous donations of tools and materials.

“It seems to be going well,” East Sacramento resident and garden volunteer Lisa Schmidt said Tuesday. “There’s a lot more to putting in roses than people think.”

Schmidt said that, despite the long wait and all the work that has been necessary, it will be worth it to see the result when the first roses bloom.

“It’ll be like brand new – irrigation, beds, plants, everything,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said Wednesday.

The garden’s new irrigation system will use water more efficiently, Cohn said, and the planter curbs will make the beds easier to maintain.

“The beautiful thing is, we’ve kept the original design (of the garden),” Cohn said. “It’ll really ‘pop’ once spring hits.”

Cohn said that the city didn’t put in the investment it should have in the rose garden over the years.

“Over time, the roses started to lose their vibrancy,” Cohn said. “They were looking sad, really.”

Now, Cohn said, the rose garden will have “new life” and will be more enjoyable for visitors – especially the many couples who have their weddings in the garden each year.

“I’m excited about it,” Cohn said. “We want to save it for future generations and enhance the appearance for everyone who comes to see it for years to come.”

Cohn said a ribbon-cutting and grand opening will be planned when the rose garden is finished, but a specific date has not been set.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Mid-year city budget update

2012-02-01T06:12:16Z

The city is spending more than it is bringing in, and even though that’s normal for this time of the year, officials need to make changes to keep spending under control and keep the budget on target.

According to the mid-year budget report presented to the City Council Tuesday, expenditures are at 50 percent of projections, and revenues are at 36 percent – about 14 percent less than anticipated.

This is typical for this point in the fiscal year, Finance Director Leyne Milstein told council members Tuesday – but adjustment is still necessary.

“Without these recommendations, we will not be able to balance our budget,” Milstein said.

It’s not all bad news, though.

The 2010-11 fiscal year ended with an unexpected $5.1 million surplus – largely due to savings from cutting back on expenses in a variety of city departments during the year, according to a city staff report.

That $5.1 million will be used to address a variety of budget needs including:

* $1.2 million to backfill General Fund revenue shortfalls;
* $1 million to the Police Department to cover a holiday pay budget shortfall
* $715,000 for unbudgeted utilities in the Department of Parks & Recreation
* $285,000 for payouts related to contracting out golf maintenance operations
* $750,000 for deferred maintenance projects at city-owned facilities

Another $3 million – left over from capital improvement projects that have been funded and completed ahead of schedule – will go into the General Fund Economic Uncertainty Reserve, bringing that “rainy day fund” balance to $20.7 million.

“Putting money into the reserve is wise, I think,” City Councilman Jay Schenirer said.

Staff also recommended adjustments – both up and down – to citywide revenues to keep the city budget balanced through the end of the fiscal year, including:

* $3.6 million reduction in property tax revenues, due to a greater-than-expected decline in property tax values
* $2.8 million increase in sales and use tax budget, due to a fourth consecutive quarter of sales tax growth

One adjustment to projected revenues comes from the closure of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

With eight of 33 dispensaries in the city now closed, business operating tax revenue from the dispensaries – initially estimated in the city budget as $1 million – will be reduced by $250,000 to $750,000.

The actual reduction amount will depend on how many more dispensaries close before the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

The City Council began the budget process for the 2012/13 fiscal year with a workshop Jan. 24. The city manager will present his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year on May 1.

The Sacramento Press discussed the first quarter budget report HERE.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A spelling correction was made to this story after it was published.

City Council begins 2012-13 budget process with workshop

2012-01-25T05:13:57Z

As Sacramento gears up to face a $16.5 million budget gap in the next fiscal year, consultants from Colorado met with City Council members to outline a new approach to budgeting that focuses less on dollar amounts and more on top city priorities.

The council budget workshop held Tuesday at the main branch of the Sacramento Public Library was designed to help council members refine fiscal priorities for the city and discuss ways to reshape the budget process.

Significant cuts to resolve a $39 million budget gap last year resulted in layoffs from the police force and rolling brownouts at city fire stations – actions that brought weeks of public outcry at City Council meetings.

The city charter requires the city manager to present a proposed budget to the City Council by May 1 for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The deadline for a finalized budget is June 30.

Budget consultants Jon Johnson and Chris Fabian were brought in by the city’s Finance Department to introduce details of “priority-based budgeting” – a method that focuses on matching funding decisions to predetermined city priorities, instead of on prior years’ spending patterns.

City Manager John Shirey said Sacramento, like many local governments throughout the nation, typically rely on such “spending-based budgeting” – that is, making spending and cutting decisions based on how much was spent last year with last year’s revenue levels.

The result, Shirey said, is recurring budget gaps and employee layoffs.

Fabian said the key to priority-based budgeting is having clearly defined priorities.

“Across the board reductions is egalitarian – there is a sense of fairness about it,” Fabian told council members, “but it doesn’t reflect priorities.”

In one budget exercise at the workshop, council members ranked providing a safe community, economic vitality and youth and education as top priorities.

In a detailed staff report presented to council members, 16 city departments – including Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Utilities and others – were reviewed to sort programs and services into “mandated,” “essential” and “existing” categories.

As council moves through the budget process, Shirey said, the reviews will be part of the criteria to determine how city resources should be distributed across city programs.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Shirey told council members. “You’ve given us some direction on the focus areas that are important to you. Now we need to go back and apply it.”

The workshop was designed as a starting point for discussion for City Council members as they approach the 2012/13 budget year.

“We definitely need more time to dig into this information,” City Councilman Darrell Fong said Tuesday. “I get it – now I want to look at it closer.”

City spokeswoman Amy Williams said the City Council generally holds one workshop prior to developing the budget, but more could be scheduled if the council feels it’s needed.

Although the council does not make final budget decisions at workshops, the meetings are an opportunity for council members to work with and give direction to staff and the city manager as he begins to prepare the annual budget.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Amazing Adventures in the Greater Sacramento Area

2012-01-24T07:25:42Z

Like most families around the country, here in the Sacramento area we’re all watching our budgets very closely. I didn’t want that to stop me from having fun with my family during the weekends and our off-time from school and work. My initial inclination was to share many of the spots I had visited with my friends while we were teenagers growing up in this great area. Now that I’m older and going back to these fun places, I’m reminded how entertaining and enjoyable they are.

It’s great to start with some of the more obvious attractions like the California State Capitol. My daughter loved walking the big stair cases, sitting in the senate chambers, exploring the museum rooms, and of course browsing through the gift shop. You can spend hours exploring the California State Railroad Museum and then ride the Sacramento Southern Railroad on the River Route down the historic Baths. Then have lunch visiting with the turtles overlooking the Sacramento River just yards south of old town. You’ll have fun at Sutter’s Fort while docents reenact early Sacramento history and even shoot off a canon. During a recent Sacramento Archives Crawl event, we were able to “Explore History” at four great locations packed with interesting and nostalgic finds. Don’t forget the Historic Governor’s Mansion. From the outside it didn’t seem that big to me, but once you’re inside it’s enormous. The staff there takes you on a great tour, and when we went, there were lots of children on the tour who really enjoyed it too. There is so much to do in downtown Sacramento that we’ve barely touched the surface.

Heading East from Downtown on 80, be sure to check out the Aerospace museum of California near the former McClellan Air base. It’s hard to say it better than they do when they say this museum “…captures all the marvels of flight for visitors to experience firsthand.” You’ll get to sit in the cockpit of large historic aircraft, explore space exhibits, and so much more.

Further east, I really wanted to take my family to the Griffith Quarry in Penryn, and we were not disappointed. We learned that much of the granite for the California State Capital building came from this quarry, as well as granite for other historic buildings. Then we spend hours walking the quarry nature trails with their numbered points of interest through-out. One of our favorite areas is in Auburn. We of course had to snap a picture of our daughter sitting in the mining pan of the Dr. Fox’s famous Miners statue the graces old town Auburn. I remember seeing other unique statues created by Dr. Fox, still located near his offices in Auburn. They’re huge and amazing, and they’ve stuck in my mind since I saw them as a child. I had to take my family to see them. A visit to the Placer County Courthouse is well worth your time. The historic carousel horse exhibit was really interesting and there are many historic rooms to explore as well as several other interesting exhibits. While in Auburn we love to go to the Auburn Drug Store old-time soda fountain, sit at the counter and enjoy a delicious milkshake. There is so much to do not too far up the 80 and 50 East corridors - including North and South on Highway 49. You can spend many afternoons in Grass Valley, Nevada City, or over in Coloma, where you can visit the Historic Sutter’s site. My family loves Coloma. We went Gold Panning, watched the Blacksmith docent work his iron, and spent the whole day there exploring this great area.

East of Sacramento on Highway 50 my family and I visit Lake Natoma and the Fish Hatchery several times a year. You can feed the salmon and steelhead fish in the raceway ponds and check out the learning center. This area has great trails, lakes, and so much nature to discover. You can continue east on 50 up to the wonderful historic town of Folsom. There you and your family can spend many afternoons in the antique shops, candy stores, fun boutiques, and great eateries. A bit North-West from Folsom, over near Ancil Hoffman park in Carmichael there’s a great area called the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. It’s an award-winning environmental and cultural education center located along the beautiful American River Parkway. There is a fascinating American Indian exhibit and wonderful artifacts. You’ll find hours of enjoyment exploring this attraction. My daughter keeps asking to go back for more fun.

It’s so appealing to have attractions that are in our community and don’t cost an arm and a leg to experience. Some of these great venues may seem obvious because we live and work around them each day. None the less, I would imagine you and your family might fill a day with smiles as you rediscover some of these local attractions in our wonderful greater Sacramento area.

Article by: Ron Maltase

Ron Maltase has lived in the Sacramento area his entire life and has worked for a major healthcare provider for over 16 years. He is also the Author of the Gordon the Scarecrow children’s books.

Traffic signals: Long waiting list for city intersections

2012-01-14T02:30:01Z

On a sunny afternoon in August, a group of kids made their way to Valley Hi Park to play. As they crossed the intersection of Arroyo Vista and Center Parkway, a vehicle driving through the intersection clipped the leg of a 4-year-old walking in the group.

The little girl was left with a fractured leg, and neighbors were left wondering if the accident could have been prevented if there had been a traffic signal in place.

What does it take to get traffic signals installed in Sacramento – especially if residents are seeing safety issues in neighborhood intersections?

Sacramento currently has approximately 800 signals in intersections, including nearly 50 flashing beacons, according to Shad Bennett, a technician in the signal operations division of the city Department of Transportation.

The cost of installing a traffic signal – including equipment, labor and materials – varies depending on the complexity of the project, Bennett said.

“They can be anywhere from $500,000 to a couple million dollars,” Bennett said. “Even the smallest signal is in the range of $200,000 to $400,000.”

Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city Department of Transportation, said traffic signals are prioritized according to several criteria, and the city can afford to install typically only one per year.

“If a citizen believes a traffic signal is warranted,” Tucker said in an email Friday, “they can contact 311 and request an investigation, and a traffic investigator will look into it and then determine if it does or doesn’t make the list.”

Some of the criteria needed to install a traffic signal include the impact of school crossings on the intersection, the amount of pedestrian activity and the number of vehicle crashes – fatal and injury-only – at the location.

City transportation engineers evaluate approximately 10-15 new intersections each year for traffic signals. Potential signal locations are suggested through a variety of ways, including traffic investigations, resident requests and council member requests.

Bennett said that, once an intersection is determined to qualify for a traffic signal the location is added to a waiting list.

There are more than 100 potential locations on the list of city intersections currently waiting for some form of traffic-calming measure – and it’s growing.

“Things change, circumstances change,” Bennett said, “so the list changes a bit, too. They try to narrow the list to the top 10 most qualified when it’s time to put in a new signal somewhere.”

The waiting list doesn’t apply to new developments, however, Bennett said.

New development projects that drastically change traffic patterns may require a signal installation, but each new development project typically has funding for the signals included, so those signals are not competing with the signals on the city waiting list.

In 2010, according to the program guide, only one new project was added to the city’s traffic signal list: 29th Street at R Street. Ten other intersections were evaluated, but not included in the list.

According to the Transportation Programming Guide – the document prioritizing the city’s transportation projects, the city first looks at an intersection to determine whether there might be ways, other than a traffic signal, which would improve safety at the intersection.

There are three lead traffic investigators in Sacramento who respond to requests for traffic-calming measures, and each investigator is assigned a territory covering roughly one-third of the city.

Investigation may take two to four weeks to complete, depending on complexity.

What can residents do to speed up the process of getting a traffic signal in a neighborhood intersection where they feel there are safety issues?

Tucker said that, for residential streets, the city offers a neighborhood traffic management program that allows neighbors to collect petitions and start the process of adding any number of traffic-calming measures to their neighborhood.

Speed bumps, new traffic markings or adjusting speed limits may be other ways to make an intersection safer, Tucker said.

Once an intersection is selected for a new signal and funding for the signal is in place, the installation – from groundbreaking to up-and-running, Bennett said – takes about six to eight months.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction was made to this article after it was published.

Sac Parks Examine Parcel Tax Possibility

2011-11-21T10:32:10Z

A new tax could be on the horizon for Sacramento property owners, as the Sacramento Parks and Recreation Commission begins plans for polling voters on their support for a parcel tax that could appear on the November 2012 ballot.

The parcel tax, a form of property tax, requires a two-thirds approval from the voters. The tax is a flat fee for property owners in the district, rather than a property tax that is based on the assessed value of the property.

The money will not replace contributions from the General Fund. Currently, the general fund provides 3.9 million for park maintenance costs.

The Commission considered a parcel tax between $25 and $30, a number they believe voters will view as acceptable and a good investment in Sacramento parks. Overall, this will generate approximately $5 to $6 million in revenue for park sustainability.

In the current economy, gathering support for a tax increase from city councilmembers and the public will be a tough feat by the Parks Department.

“We can’t live with ourselves as park supporters and say that we didn’t try everything we could,” Cindy Cooke, District Four Parks Commissioner, said at the November Commissioners meeting.

The polling will begin in mid to late January of 2012 and the results presented to city council around February or March.

“We must ask questions about priority of choices, because there are certain things that can kill this before it even gets launched,” Jim Combs, Director of Parks and Recreation, said at the November Parks and Recreation meeting. “It has to come back with a strong two-thirds. We also have to look at our competition on the ballot.”

Combs pressed the importance of prioritizing services based on the polling information. The results of the poll will reflect what aspects of Parks the public is most concerned about: community centers, recreational programs for senior citizens, youth programs, park maintenance, planting or keeping pools open in the summer. This will determine where the tax revenue derived from this parcel tax will fund, if passed by the voters.

“People want to see what they’re getting in the parcel tax. Park maintenance is not sexy, you can’t sell it in a picture or on a brochure,” Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, said at the October Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. “We need to figure out what people are most interested in funding, something tangible.”

A Sacramento County Regional Parks Phone Poll conducted in February of 2011 found that 74 percent of the respondents were willing to pay a tax increase of $19 per year, while 46 percent of the respondents were willing to pay $49 per year for park improvement.

Finding money to sustain parks has been a challenge for the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation Department, which has seen a steep decline in funding from the city’s general fund.

The Sacramento’s Department of Parks and Recreation has a budget of just over $37 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to sustain 207 parks and 8 parkways.

Meeting minutes from June of 2004 stated that the Department had a budget of $75 million inclusive of all funding sources. The Department has been stripped of $38 million in the last six years.

Annually, the department reports a total of 5.1 million visitors to the Sacramento parks each year. Finding sufficient public support for the tax measure will be crucial in the spectrum of improvement and maintenance the Department of Parks and Recreation will be able to provide.

Property owners in the North Natomas area currently pay a tax for park maintenance. If the parcel tax is passed, deciding whether areas like these will be asked to pay an additional amount, a lower amount or be dissolved of the prior tax obligation is still up for debate.

“People don’t generally make change until it’s right in front of them. This summer, that might become very evident to people,” Jeff Harris, District 3 Parks Commissioner, said at the November meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Marijuana by the numbers

2011-11-15T04:47:14Z

Under heavy scrutiny from the federal government and an administrative freeze on the city’s permit program, medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento could face a full ban – but if Sacramento’s dispensaries are shut down, what happens to the city budget bottom line?

In total, the city has received approximately $1.4 million since the start of the permit process for medical marijuana dispensaries – nearly $1 million from one-time fees – according to Maurice Chaney, Economic Development Department spokesman.

If the city were to ban medical marijuana dispensaries, they could see a potential $528,000 budget shortfall from reduced or eliminated marijuana business operations taxes in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The rate of the business operations tax levied on dispensaries in the city is 4 percent. This is in addition to California sales tax that all businesses are required to pay to the state franchise Tax Board.

The total amount of revenue projected in the FY 2011-12 city budget from medical marijuana business operations taxes was $1 million. Taxes are paid quarterly, so the Finance Department estimated $250,000 in revenue each quarter of the current fiscal year.

The total first-quarter income to the city from medical marijuana business operations taxes was actually $361,000 – a surplus of $111,000. This reflects revenue received from July 1 to Sept. 30. Data for October is not available yet, Brad Wasson, revenue manager for the city Finance Department, said Monday.

Although the city has recouped the costs of the dispensary program for the initial year, possible budget impacts from a full ban – if one should be instituted in the near future – are hard to speculate, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

“If budget adjustments need to be made in the mid-year,” Williams said, “city staff will make recommendations to the City Council, and they will decide (how to proceed).”

Let’s take a look at the numbers across the board.

How many dispensaries are we talking about?
There were 39 registered medical marijuana dispensaries in the city in 2009. Only registered dispensaries were eligible to apply for the first phase of dispensary operations permits under a city ordinance passed in November 2010.

Each permit cost $5,000. This was a one-time permit application fee and it was only collected until February 2011. After the February deadline, no more initial permit applications were accepted.

The actual number of eligible dispensaries that applied for Phase 1 permits was 35 – bringing in a total of $175,000 in application fee revenue for fiscal year 2010-11, according to Wasson.

There are two phases in the city’s dispensary permit process and the second phase was only open to dispensary operators who satisfied the requirements of Phase 1 – no new applicants could come into the process at that time.

Finance Department staff estimated that, of the 35 dispensaries eligible to apply for the second phase, 25 would complete the application.

The actual number of Phase 2 permit applications received by the Oct. 11 deadline was 29.

How much money does the city receive from dispensaries?
The city Finance Department is responsible for the city’s medical marijuana dispensary operations program at a cost of $315,000 for a single fiscal year, according to Wasson.

Each dispensary pays an annual program fee of $12,600, starting with the submission of the Phase 2 permit application.

With 29 Phase 2 applications submitted, the actual amount of program fee revenue collected so far in FY 2011-12 is $302,000.

In addition to Phase 1 and Phase 2 operating permit applications, medical marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento must also apply for special use permits through the city Zoning Department.

Each special use permit application fee ranges from $15,000 to $22,000, depending on the proposed location for the business and other determining factors, according to Wasson.

Thirty-eight dispensaries applied for special use permits, resulting in $651,000 of one-time application fee revenue for the city so far in FY 2011-12.

Because special use permit applications are one-time costs and this is the first year medical marijuana dispensaries have been allowed to apply for special use permits, Wasson said there was no projection for that revenue in the city budget.

“It’s a process that is already in place in the Zoning Department,” Wasson said. “Every business requiring a special use permit pays these fees, so the budget projection for that department isn’t specific to dispensary special use permits.”

The Finance Department prepares a mid-year budget update for the City Council in February, Wasson said. At that time, the department will make recommendations for any necessary adjustments to the city budget.

“It would be nice to report that we had a surplus (from business operations taxes),” Wasson said. “But at this point, we really don’t know what is going to happen.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Hanging with Hatch: Parking enforcement 101

2011-11-09T03:05:43Z

Recently, A&E launched “Parking Wars,” a reality series chronicling the parking division in Philadelphia and Detroit and their encounters with the parking-impaired. I admit, I’m hooked. As I watched episode after episode, I found myself in awe at the sheer amount of rage that one dreaded slip of paper can instill in someone.

As someone who has dumped my own fair share of hard-earned dollars into parking citations, I can understand why the ticketed become irate; times are tough and tickets are expensive.

Curious why anyone would subject themselves to a job where harassment is guaranteed, I set my bitterness aside and asked the city if I could hang out with a parking enforcement officer. I mentally prepared myself for a deluge of verbal abuse, and hoped I didn’t get anything thrown at my face.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday morning, I met with Officer Hatch, one of 50 full-time parking enforcement officers patrolling the city.

In January, Hatch will have been ticketing for five years. He previously worked as a Downtown Guide for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The experience actually comes in handy in his current role, since officers are regularly approached by tourists asking for directions and information.

Even if others don’t, Hatch loves his job. While many nine-to-fivers are tied to their cubicle and have supervisors breathing down their necks, parking officers get to roam free. Hatch says that he loves the freedom.

This freedom includes roaming 22,000 on-street parking spaces, broken up into 23 “beats.” This includes two neighborhood beats and three street-cleaning beats in additional to 20 regular.

Since non-city employees aren’t allowed in the official parking enforcement vehicles (a Prius or those odd-looking “carts”) we set out on an improvised walking beat starting at City Hall on 9th and I Streets, up to N and 16th streets and back.

Before I arrived, Hatch had already issued three citations since the start of his shift at 7 a.m. A quick mental calculation told me that meant Hatch had already generated a good chunk of revenue for the city.

The average ticket for an expired meter costs around $50, including a recently-added $12 "pass through fee” imposed by the state. The city is required to pass this on to citizens.

Thanks a lot, California.

More serious infractions such as altering residential permits or parking in designated handicap spaces can burn a hefty $500 hole in violators’ wallets. This might explain why the 235,196 citations issued in the 2010 fiscal year generated a stunning $8.3 million in revenue.

I asked Hatch about a recent story I read about a disgruntled former parking officer. The officer claimed, among many other allegations, that officers are given quotas.

Hatch dismissed this, explaining that setting quotas is actually illegal. He continued on to say that supervisors do, however, know the average number of tickets that should be issued for each beat.

So technically, an officer could be reprimanded for not issuing enough tickets, right?

It seems like a gray area but since Hatch was adamant about not having quotas, I later checked with Linda Tucker, Media and Communications Specialist for the Department of Transportation.

Tucker explained, “We do not and never have set quotas. The average would just mean what historically that particular block or block(s) might yield in terms of violations, but this is in no way tied to the rating of an officer’s overall performance. There may be many reasons why an average may fluctuate: weather, special events, the economy...”

Quota or not, I was surprised that by 10 a.m. Hatch still hadn’t issued a single ticket in my presence and the tally sheet in my notes remained blank. I was even more surprised, disappointed even, that there wasn’t a single insult yelled at us by an angry passerby. I started to feel slightly let down by "Parking Wars."

However, as the clock ticked on, we gained some momentum and Hatch began doling out an occasional citation. On the third ticket, the vehicle owner, who hadn’t even bothered to pay, walked up mid-ticket and I braced myself for an exchange of words.

“He’s just doing his job,” the driver said to me. He took the ticket, thanked Hatch and went along on his way. I couldn’t believe that a driver expressed appreciation for being cited! Hatch was surprised too and told me that it is far from a common reaction.

“I’m the guy everybody loves to hate,” said Hatch, half smirking.

Desperate for something juicy at this point, I asked him about any run-ins with ticketing “victims” gone mad. Hatch told me that while he hasn’t experienced any bouts of extreme ticket rage himself, his colleagues have had coffee thrown on them and been spit on more than a few times.

He gets yelled at two to three times per week, occasionally being “flipped off” for good measure. The most common insult he hears?

“Get a real job!”

“I’m still wondering what a ‘real job’ is,” Hatch laughed, obviously unfazed by the harassment as if it's all just part of the job.

Not surprisingly, he recounted many situations when drivers accused Hatch of targeting them or issuing a ticket for no reason.

“There’s a lot of people that will hate us no matter what, even if we’re right,” said Hatch. “You just have to stay calm, that’s the important thing.”

In addition to arguments, he said he gets a healthy helping of excuses. One of his "favorites"?

“I was just inside for one minute!”

Both the officer and the violator know dang well it takes more than a couple of minutes to order coffee, pick up dry cleaning, etc. so you’re better off feeding the meter than using that line.

On the flip side are those that have a "bring on the tickets" attitude. Hatch said there are definitely repeat offenders within some beats. One of these offenders is a local nightclub owner who is repeatedly cited for the same infractions, even having his car booted at one point for too many citations.

“Some people just don’t care,” he said.

While the harassment doesn’t ruffle his feathers, Hatch has a couple of parking pet peeves. The first is drivers who expect him to stop writing a ticket because their meter “just expired.” Hatch explained that this means nothing to the officer. “I have no way of knowing if they put any money in the meter at all.”

Admittedly, I have done this myself and I found myself feeling apologetic for blaming the officers. He’s right; they really don’t have a way of knowing.

However, this isn’t the case for “Pay and Display kiosks,” which give a more accurate readings of exactly when a driver put money in the machine. Hatch has a little more sympathy here.

“If it’s one or two minutes [expired] it’s not a huge deal,” Hatch said.

He’s also sympathetic to responsible drivers who opt to leave their vehicle in place while enjoying a few adult beverages. If a vehicle-owner approaches Hatch mid-ticketing and explains that they left their car instead of drinking and driving, it’s likely they will be sent on their way sans ticket.

I was happy to hear this, as most will likely agree that sometimes finding Tylenol and a Gatorade becomes a priority over getting to your car at 10 a.m. on the dot. One point for the parking enforcement team!

Hatch earned even more points for the parking division when he told me he will usually wait by a freshly-expired meter for a few minutes, giving the driver the benefit of the doubt.

Don't get too excited though.

If it’s twenty minutes? You might as well start writing out that $52 check.

Currently the city has 3,600 single space quarter-only meters and 300 kiosks, which accept multiple tenders. Those who have frantically searched in every nook and cranny of their car for quarters while running late for a meeting certainly understand the convenience of this.

Convenience and longevity (kiosks have an average lifespan of 10 years) seem like a win for both the city and the residents. Tucker said transitioning over to kiosks completely isn’t too far off.

“We are looking at phasing [in] single space meters that can accept credit cards in the not-so-distant future.”

In addition to pay kiosks, the city decided to make drivers’ lives even easier when they implemented the ability to contest tickets online.

I asked Hatch how he feels about making it easier to contest the tickets he writes, and I caught another glimpse of his soft side. Hatch said he’s all for the system, since people don’t have to stand in line at Revenue Services, which can be a lengthy process.

As we continued on our beat, roaming the perimeters of the State Capitol, I noticed a trend. It seemed like more than half of the vehicles belonged to disabled drivers.

“Generally, any government building has a ton of placards,” Hatch explained. I was astounded. Hatch, obviously used to the placard-mania, explained that there are so many placards that the city created an undercover “Disabled Placard Task Force” dedicated to regulating abuse of them.

While not a part of this task force, officers are responsible for confiscating expired and illegally-modified placards. During one shift, Hatch issued 14 tickets for expired placards.

From using markers to modify temporary residential permits to “posing” vehicles in photos to fight legitimate citations, Hatch’s stories proved Sacramentans are quite the sneaky (and crafty) bunch. He recalled one violator cutting the entire bottom portion off of a disabled placard, claiming it was issued to him that way. Another instance that stood out was the placard-holder who extended his own permit, punching a hole in the current year and taping the punched out circle into the expired year.

However, thanks to new photo-ticketing technology, it is more difficult to pull the wool over the city’s eyes. Officers’ ticketing guns now have cameras built into them, proving that a vehicle was in violation.

Oddly enough, I found myself grateful for a feature that makes officers' jobs easier.

When I first met up with Hatch, I have to admit I was a disgruntled victim of the parking system. While it’s certainly a possibility that he was on his best behavior in the presence of media, this good behavior nonetheless melted my bitterness away and replaced it with a bit of unexpected sympathy.

Like the guy said, “He’s just doing his job.”

Visit the City of Sacramento’s Department of Transportation website here.

10 additional tidbits I learned while hanging out with Officer Hatch:

1) Owning two wheels can save you money on parking: “Piggy-backing” is a completely legal practice: This is when motorcycles park in a stall paid for and parked in by another vehicle. The practice is okay as long as they fit within the white brackets painted on the street.

2) Sometimes owning two wheels can cost you too: Paid-for parking receipts are often stolen from motorcyclists, who are forced to display them out in the open. One local motorcyclist got smart and began autographing his.

3) Owning a Zipcar is good for your wallet: Hatch has only ever cited one Zipcar and, although there are designated single Zipcar spaces, officers won’t ticket Zipcars if they are on the same block as the parking space. This is in case another car illegally parked in the Zipcar space, making it unavailable.

4) Your money goes further on pay and display kiosks: If you pay at a pay stall on one block and still have time remaining, save the receipt! You can use that same receipt while you finish up your errands. The time you paid for isn’t just valid on the one block.

5) Officers aren’t intentionally parking that way to be rude: Many of us like to think officers park in red zones and double-park just because they can. An ordinance allows officers to park in red zones and double-park, mainly for safety. When retrieving VIN numbers, they often have to stand in traffic and parking their car as a buffer is a safety measure.

6) Complain to the business owner, not the officer: Business owners have the ability to change and set restrictions in front of and around their establishment.

7) Old Sac is not just a “hot spot” for tourists: In order to encourage turnover of vehicles in this tourist area, regulations are enforced seven days a week. Hatch told me this area has one of the highest volumes of tickets issued.

8) Evening shifts are where the money’s at: Officers make five percent more for working after 6 p.m.

9) Street cleaning is the parking enforcement jackpot: Hatch said in almost five years, the day that he recalls giving out the most tickets was during a street cleaning beat. He issued 100 tickets within three to four hours.

10) Land Park loves parking enforcement: Hatch told me his favorite area to patrol is Land Park because the residents actually want officers there, even thanking officers on a regular basis.

City first quarter finance report: revenues down, expenditures up

2011-11-08T05:38:45Z

After the first quarter of the fiscal year, city revenues are only about half of what was projected, but city finance officials said they aren’t ready to panic yet. The negative balance for the city budget is not just related to lower-than-anticipated revenues – a large part of the imbalance is due to greater-than-anticipated expenditures.

The $812 million city budget is running negative at the moment – “typical” for the first quarter of the fiscal year, according to the most recent report from the city Finance Department.

The first quarter financial report will be presented to the City Council Tuesday.

Of the six main sources of revenue for the city – property tax, utility user tax, sales tax, business operations tax, public safety tax and transient occupancy (hotel) tax – two sources have not been on par with projections made when the budget was approved in June.

Property tax – which at 34 percent of all general fund revenues is the largest source of revenue for the city – appears to be at about 2 percent of projections, but that number can be misleading, according to Dawn Holm, acting budget manager for the city Finance Department.

Property tax revenues are received by the city in late January and late May, so the current report doesn’t reflect revenue beyond June.

Once the city receives property tax revenues in January, the general fund ledger will be adjusted to reflect a new balance.

The new result still may not be as good as was expected when the budget was passed in June, however.

Property values continue to decline at a higher-than-expected rate throughout the state, according to a County Assessor’s Office property tax update given to the city Finance department earlier this month.

Initially, property tax revenues for Sacramento for fiscal year 2011-12 were projected to be close to $126 million – about 1 percent less than the totals received in 2010-11.

Taking into account the county assessor’s projections, though, the actual year-end number could wind up being down 2 or even 3 percent, Holm said.

“It’s really too early to tell with any precision,” Holm said.

The good news is sales tax revenues may take up the slack and balance out the potential property tax shortfall.

According to a city staff report, taxable sales in California are expected to increase by 1.7 percent in 2011, and Sacramento is currently projecting a 4 percent increase over the 2010-11 budget.

Sales tax results that come in better than anticipated will offset the decline in property taxes, according to the staff report.

Four areas of general fund expenditures that are already in the red – and may go deeper – include department spending for fire, police, convention and leisure, and parks and recreation.

The Sacramento Fire Department is facing a projected $2.3 million shortfall by the end of the year due to overtime spending required to restore two formerly browned-out stations and the costs of hiring 27 people as part of a federal grant program.

The city accepted a federal grant that will pay for the new staffers, but grant money doesn’t come in until the positions are filled, Holm said, and when the money does come in, it cannot be used to reimburse overtime spending.

One option the department is considering to manage the budget shortfall is potential funding from Medi-Cal transport reimbursement, which is allowed by the recently passed AB678.

“The alternative would be to direct the department to implement the two additional brownouts again,” Holm said. “We’d still be in the hole, but not as much as we look to be in right now.”

Fire department representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

The police department’s projected deficit of $3.1 million is due to unfunded employee services benefits, additional overtime because of staffing reductions and unexpected reductions in grant and contract service reimbursements, according to the staff report.

When the Convention, Culture and Leisure Department transfers golf maintenance to a private contractor in January, the city will incur one-time expenses associated with the transfer that had not been budgeted, according to the staff report.

“Part of contracting out (golf maintenance) is going to be letting go of some staff,” Holm said. “When we let go of any employees, we have to pay for unused sick leave, vacation and overtime.”

Holm said those costs are paid out as lump-sum payments to employees when they leave city service.

“That is never budgeted for,” Holm said, “so when you have a large group leaving, it’s a hit to the department.”

In this case, it is a $229,000 hit to the Parks Department budget, according to an Oct. 25 report to the City Council.

Golf maintenance included 58 positions, and contracting out the service eliminates those positions.

Fifty of those positions were filled at the time that the City Council approved contracting out the service.

The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Until this year, the City Council received semi-annual reports from the Finance Department: a mid-year update and an end-of-year final report.

Since coming to the position in September, City Manager John Shirey has instituted a quarterly report to council members to provide the most timely information regarding the city’s current financial condition, Holm said.

“He felt that every six months was just too long,” Holm said. “He wants everyone to have an understanding of where things are going on a more regular basis.”

The next quarterly financial report will be presented to the City Council at end of January or first week in February. Meanwhile, Holm said, department staff will continue to work toward meeting budget goals.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Cell Towers to Create Revenue for Sacramento Parks

2011-11-08T00:40:50Z

Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has proposed a city code amendment that encourages telecommunication companies to lease cell towers on city owned property as parks face severe financial cuts to services and programs.

The new proposal advises the city to generate revenue through damage to public property and contract benefits for private telecommunication corporations.

The proposal for increased private-public partnerships with companies such as At&t Wireless Services Inc., American Towers Inc., Sprint Spectrum, LP, Pacific Bell Wireless, Verizon Wireless and numerous others is an example of the efforts Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has taken to sustain parks on a limited budget.

“Our budget is just decimated. It’s been cut 62 percent over the last four years,” Recreation Superintendent Greg Narramore said. “Mowing of park grass, which was once done once a week, is now done once every 14 days. There is no more trash pick-up on weekends, one of the most popular times for park use, and 13 operating swimming pools have been reduced to just three this season. We just don’t have the resources.”

At the September monthly meeting of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, the commission signed a proposal to amend City Code Section 3.76.050.

The proposal could potentially reduce fees and restrictions for private telecommunication companies leasing city property.

Park Planning and Development Manager J.P Tindell, who signed the new proposal, declined to comment over the phone.

In late April, Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, asked Jay Schenirer, Chair for the City of Sacramento Law and Legislation Committee, that all revenues generated through operations and leases in parks be placed in a fund for parks and recreation use only, in a letter.

Budget challenges forced the City Council to change policy with regard to cell tower funds this year, Lisa Nava, District Four Director, said in an email. The council voted to move revenue generated from cell towers back to the General Fund in May.

“We do the best we can but things take a little longer and we just can’t do some of the extra things that we have been able to do in the past,” Nava said in the email.

Before May, cell site revenue would be allocated to a Neighborhood Enhancement Fund, where a city council member could allocate the money back to park improvement within the district.

The proposed amendment recommends eliminating the current revocable permit for wireless telecommunication facilities, WTFs.

The Revocable Permit allows the city of Sacramento to terminate an agreement at any time, while the lease holder may not terminate an agreement until after the first five years.

“Nextel Wireless made it a policy not to do business with the City of Sacramento at all because of the
one-sided nature of the Revocable Permit,” read the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation meeting minutes in September.

The company purchasing the lease is responsible for all costs of installation, maintenance, removal and damage to both the telecommunication equipment and city property.

The Revocable Permit has a 10 year initial term and one 10 year renewal option. The fees stack up for the lease holders starting with a $5,000 application fee, $30,000 removable bond deposit, $30,000 one-time initial fee, a $150 inspection fee per hour that cannot exceed $10,000, along with the annual Permit fee.

The cost of the annual fee is dependent on equipment and space utilized for wireless telecommunication
facilities.

Since August of 1997, the city classified WTFs into three categories: microcells, minicells and
macrocells. They create a starting annual revenue of $15,000, $18,000 or $21,000, depending on cell
classification.

The new proposal increases the initial fee to $24,000, $28,000 and $32,000. The proposal includes a
3.5 percent adjustment rate on that fee for the first five years. By 2015, costs for cell sites could jump to
approximately $27,541, $32,131, and $36, 721.

After the first five years, annual fee rates will be based on the Consumer Price Index.

Sacramento Dept. of Parks and Recreation conducted a survey that averaged out costs of other large urban
areas with similar demographics to adjust the outdated fee schedule.

The new fair market rental rates will factor in cost of living, inflation, location value and other fluctuating
economic factors.

The proposed adjusted rates also take into account health of the telecom industry. As new devices and
mobile gadgets develop wireless service providers face increased service demands from their customers.

The amendment proposes implementation of a 5-year fixed-term lease, two-time renewal options and
an administrative amendment fee that eliminates the removal bond and inspection fee.

One-time initial fees could potentially be based on accrued benefits and adverse impacts of the leased
property.

One-time fees are packed in contract benefits such as low cost construction, unique location, extended
term limits, and simultaneous location approvals.

Other benefits include simplified and expedited processes for company approval requests like co-location
or increased antenna height.

The lease holder’s cost can rise with adverse effects to property as well. Adverse effects include lost
abilities to use the city property for intended purposes or reduced visual attraction and esthetics of the
surrounding area.

“I don’t think I would mind it (a cell tower) if I couldn’t notice it, but if it was really noticeable and
ugly I don’t think I would want that,” Andrew Kruschel said, a frequent visitor of Portugese Park in
Sacramento’s Greenhaven District.

While the city’s general fund temporarily collects cell tower revenue from leased towers on city
property, uncertainty remains for the level of cell tower encroachment Sacramento parks will face.

“We are confident in our Park and Recreation Commission’s ability to address the encroachment issue to
the benefit of the City and the surrounding Neighborhoods,” Director of Sacramento Parks and Recreation
Department Jim Combs said.

New mayoral candidate plans to bring 'fresh leadership' to Sacramento

2011-11-05T00:23:24Z

The 2012 race for Sacramento mayor just gained another candidate: Edgar Hilbert.

Hilbert, a tax preparer in Oak Park, said Wednesday that he was motivated to run for office by a desire to serve the Sacramento community in a meaningful way.

“It will be my duty and goal to not just protect the quality of life in Sacramento, but to improve it,” he said in a press release Tuesday.

Hilbert, 45, is married and has three children. He was born in Mexico City and moved to the United States in 1993. He has lived in Sacramento since 2001.

Hilbert’s wife, Leticia, ran for City Council District 5 in the 2010 election, and Hilbert acted as his wife’s campaign manager.

One of the biggest issues that Hilbert said he sees in local government is the need for “fresh leadership” and leaders who listen to the ideas of the people more than simply doing things their own way.

“It is clear to me that the need for a new leadership focused on people is more important now than ever,” Hilbert said.

The city budget, economic development and infrastructure are the three big-ticket items that Hilbert said he wants to focus on as mayor.

Hilbert said his experience on the Oak Park Redevelopment Advisory Committee has given him a good perspective on housing issues in the area, as well as new ideas about how to enhance the economic development of the city.

One idea that Hilbert expressed is turning some of the downtown corridor into a miniature version of Venice, Italy – water, gondolas and all.

“There are a lot of restaurants along there,” Hilbert said. “Wouldn’t it be nice to draw visitors to something interesting like that?”

Hilbert is also no stranger to volunteerism.

For the past nine years, he has been actively involved in raising money for homeless services in his Oak Park community, and he is the coordinator for a youth group at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

Hilbert has also served as the executive chairman of California for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in 2007 and 2008, assisting low-income individuals with tax preparation, and he is the co-founder of the Stop Human Trafficking Today Pronto effort in Sacramento.

Hilbert is building a campaign support team with an international flair. His team will include advisers from San Diego, Mexico City and Madrid.

“These are cities that are similar to us in a lot of ways, and we can learn a lot from them,” Hilbert said.

“I think people want someone to lead the way,” Hilbert said. “The mayor is there to see that the people are represented.”

“I always try to be balanced and honest and just,” Hilbert said. “In the end, it comes down to what the people want. My goal is to listen to them.”

Marichal J. Brown, co-owner of Master Barber and Beauty Shop in Oak Park, said he has known Hilbert for nearly nine years and he has a lot of respect for him.

“Edgar is an excellent person – a trustworthy person,” Brown said. “When you are in need, he would be the person to call.”

Brown said he and Hilbert worked together on a variety of community projects, including writing for a community newspaper that Brown publishes, The Master Report.

“We have done a lot of advocacy together,” Brown said. “If (Hilbert) is mayor, I think he’ll bring community issues to the forefront.”

Calling Hilbert a “fighter for the people” and “a dependable individual,” Brown added that he has “nothing but praise for him.”

Hilbert will be running against incumbent mayor Kevin Johnson. Johnson’s campaign manager, Steven Maviglio, said Friday that the Johnson camp is ready for the competition.

“The mayor will run a campaign at full throttle no matter who the opponent is,” Maviglio said. “We welcome debate about the issues facing Sacramento.”

Maviglio said that Hilbert will not have an easy race, however.

“Every poll shows that the mayor is extremely popular, and (he is) off to a very strong start in this race,” Maviglio said. “Any candidate will have an uphill battle running against (Johnson).”

Hilbert said that he does not support the notion of a “strong mayor” initiative, preferring instead to negotiate and work with others on the City Council.

“Every one of (the council members) represents a different area of the city, and they know what their area needs,” Hilbert said. “I prefer to talk to (them) about the people in their areas and see how we can work together.”

Another opponent that Hilbert will face is longtime Sacramento resident and previous mayoral candidate Leonard Padilla.

Padilla, owner of Lorenzo Patino Law School in Sacramento, said Friday that he is happy to hear that there will be another candidate in the race for mayor.

“The more the merrier,” Padilla said.

The candidacy filing period for the 2012 city elections opens Feb. 1. Edgar said he will have a campaign kickoff in the coming weeks and then will focus his energies on fundraising for the campaign.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

A letter to Jerry Brown

2011-10-26T00:51:27Z

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capital, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald
Alameda, CA 94501

August 26, 2011

Dear Governor Brown,

My name is Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald.

I had a job on the janitorial crew at Stepping Stones Center. The executive director at Stepping Stones is Mr. Jerry Joseph and the deputy director is Mr. Vic Entrikin.

I found out from deputy director Entrikin that this janitorial work program was cut because of the budget crisis in California.

I have Downs Syndrome, and it is very hard to compete for jobs. The work I did at Stepping Stones was a good opportunity to earn money and contribute to my family or even friends. I need to work and I need to pay my own way.

Please consider reinstating the funding for my work at Stepping Stones Growth Center.

I also found out from Natashia that supervisors and art teachers were cut too.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Matthew James Fitzgerald

cc:
Senator Ellen M. Corbett
Mr. Vic Entrikin
San Leandro City Council

Thank you very much.

Sacramento gets $19.4 million from feds to rehire peace officers

2011-09-30T01:37:48Z

Sacramento city and county were awarded a total of $19.4 million in federal funding grants Wednesday – enough to put 25 police officers and 25 sheriff’s deputies back to work for the next three years.

The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program is a competitive grant program through the U.S. Department of Justice that provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire, rehire, or retain police officers.

This year, 2,712 law enforcement agencies requesting more than $2 billion to fund the hiring of 8,999 officers were considered for COPS Hiring Program funding, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Selection for awards was based on an applicant agency’s overall need for federal assistance, local crime rates, current commitment to community policing and their proposed community policing plan.

The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department received an award of $11,306,450 – the largest single award in the nation under the COPS program this year.

The Sacramento Police Department received $8.1 million in grant funds. It is the largest COPS grant the city has received in the three years that Sacramento has been selected for an award, and was the third highest COPS grant awarded in the nation this year.

Each grant provides funding for the salaries and benefits of officer positions for three years, with the requirement that agencies maintain the positions for one additional year at the end of the grant funding period.

The Sheriff’s Department grant will fill 25 deputy positions, department spokesman Jason Ramos said Wednesday. Those deputies will be assigned to a new youth and gang violence unit in Sacramento county.

Sheriff Scott Jones said in a press release Wednesday that his department plans to take a “comprehensive approach” to combating youth and gang violence by expanding enforcement efforts of gang unit detectives, adding a school component with school resource officers and partnering with youth-focused community organizations.

“It feels like Christmas in September,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said in a press release Wednesday, referring to the $8.1 million grant award to the Sacramento Police Department.

Huge budget cuts to the police department forced the city to lay off 46 sworn officers in July. The new COPS grant will allow the city to rehire 25 of those officers.

Representatives for the police department and the Sacramento Police Officers Association could not be reached for comment.

"We had to watch officers turn their badges in for the first time in our city's history,” Johnson said. “Now we have an opportunity to pin those badges back on our officers and get them back on the street."

Johnson declared the award “a big win” for Sacramento and emphasized that public safety must continue to be the top priority for the city.

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) called the grants “wonderful news” for Sacramento residents in a statement released Thursday.

“This federal funding will strengthen our community’s law enforcement’s ability to keep us safe, and ensure that budgetary shortfalls do not eliminate these critical positions,” Matsui said.

Only 238 of the 2,712 grant requests were ultimately funded – roughly 9 percent of the total number of applications – for a total of $243,398,709 in grants, funding 1,021 officer positions nationwide.

In all, the Sacramento region – including $19.4 million for Sacramento city and county and a $2.58 million award for Placer county – was awarded the largest combined dollar amount in the nation.

Grant funds will be available to the Sacramento Police Department after the City Council formally accepts the grant at the next council meeting.

The Sheriff’s Department grant is expected to receive formal acceptance by the County Board of Supervisors in early October.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

New Political Party Hosts Happy Hour Discussion Thursday

2011-09-27T19:24:59Z

Did you know that 57 percent of California voters want a third party alternative? While the idea may seem pie-in-the-sky, it's not. Just like the dot-com and housing bubbles that suddenly popped without warning, it can be difficult to grasp where we are at our current point in history.

I'm here to tell you that there's a revolution coming, but it's not going to be of the Arab Spring sort. Instead, it's going to come from people like you who decide that even though they have a viewpoint, collaboration is better than competition. Our political system - whether in Congress or the State Capitol - has simply lost the capacity to solve problems. And it's no coincidence that it seems like things are getting worse.

Even if you agree with one party or the other, you also probably recognize that neither side has all of the answers. There are 3.5 million voters in California who have declined to affiliate with any political party at all. That's more than one in every five voters. But who represents them? Who stands for tough choices and political courage even when that threatens the chances of a politician's reelection?

Voters aren't stupid. They know that we've put off the tough choices for long enough. And they're yearning for political leaders to simply tell them the truth so that they know what to expect.

If you think our current system is going to fix itself, I can tell you it's not. There are political startups launching everyday to tackle our most pressing problems and while you may not be aware of them yet, they're led by folks who are willing to take a risk because they know that nothing less than our future is at stake.

I recently launched the California Moderate Party out of my Midtown apartment. If you want to learn more about this project and other similar efforts, we're hosting a Happy Hour this Thursday at 5:30pm that will begin with drinks and socializing, followed by a brief presentation and open discussion. Although I sometimes feel like I'm promoting Scientology, I can assure you that this is about as authentic as it gets.

Lastly, I should note that this is less about getting folks involved than it is about soliciting honest feedback. This is an open invitation and I hope to see you there.

Join the Meetup group and RSVP at Meetup.com/Sac-Moderates.

Learn more about the California Moderate Party at CAMod.org.

Crime rate down 18 percent in Sacramento

2011-09-22T00:50:50Z

Despite budget reductions and recent layoffs in the police department, serious crime in Sacramento has dropped 18 percent over the last three years – the second largest decline in California among cities of similar size – according to a report that Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel presented to City Council Tuesday.

Braziel told council members that the core mission of the Sacramento Police Department hasn’t changed since 2008 when he took charge. The mission, he said, is still “reduce crime, engage the community and provide excellent service.”

What has changed, however, is the number of police personnel – 81 sworn officers were laid off in July – and a department budget reduced by $12.2 million this year.

Over the past four years, police department budget reductions have resulted in $35 million in cuts and a loss of 372 positions, according city staff reports.

Still, Sacramento crime rates have been on a downward trend since 2007, Braziel said Tuesday.

Braziel’s report to the City Council included crime rate information compiled from department records and annual crime statistics from the FBI.

Braziel attributes the numbers to a “more focused effort” to achieve department goals, and an emphasis on working as efficiently as possible with the resources available.

“We have really focused on our 911 (call) center and operations in the field,” Braziel said. “We actually have more people answering the 911 line than (we had) three years ago.”

Braziel said staffing for field resources – patrol officers, traffic officers and officers on the streets responding to calls for service – has gone down 15 percent since July.

The investigations staff has been reduced by 35 percent, Braziel added.

“Those reductions are what necessitated a change in our dispatch protocols,” Braziel said.

In his last report to City Council in June, Braziel told council members that, with such a reduction in staffing, the department would no longer respond to some types of service calls, such as “cold” burglaries, where the suspect was no longer on the scene and the victims weren’t in danger.

“However, if we find a pattern or a series (of incidents) or something unique about an incident,” Braziel said, “we dispatch reports out to officers in the field and a patrol will go out to the scene to follow up.”

By prioritizing responses to nonviolent crime calls, Braziel said he is able to streamline operations and focus personnel where they are needed most at any given time.

Councilman Jay Schenirer told Braziel he was pleasantly surprised by the report.

“With budget cuts and an economy that is bad as it’s been in 40 or 50 years,” Schenirer said, “to see crime (in Sacramento) go down, that’s great.”

Schenirer said he would chalk it up to how well Braziel is running the department, and the continuous development of new ideas to reduce crime that are coming from the department.

Braziel told council members that violent crime is down 20 percent, and property crime is down 17 percent over the last year. All crimes together – excluding homicides – year-to-date crime rates are down 12.5 percent from last year.

“We are definitely continuing to trend down,” Braziel said.

The police department was able to bring back 35 laid off officers due to a grant waiver the department received in July.

One more grant request is pending, Braziel said, and he expects to have a result by the end of September or early October. If the city receives the second grant, it will restore another 35 officers to the police department.

“It’s a credit to the (police) department, and to the men and women on the front lines, so to speak, working every day and doing more with less,” Councilman Rob Fong told Braziel after hearing the report. “We obviously have very good people working on the force.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Former interim city manager Edgar shifts focus to other endeavors

2011-09-13T00:51:39Z

Now that a new city manager has taken the helm, Interim City Manager Bill Edgar is ready for new things. But “greener pastures” is not necessarily where Edgar says he’s headed.

“Plans for me aren’t really set,” Edgar said in an interview last week. “I have plenty to do, so retirement isn’t exactly in my future.”

Edgar took over as interim city manager after the previous interim city manager, Gus Vina, resigned in April.

When the City Council appointed Edgar to the position, he was joined by Betty Masuoka as assistant interim city manager. Together, Edgar and Masuoka took on the responsibilities of preparing a difficult city budget and navigating some tough union contracts.

Edgar’s role was temporary – just long enough for the city to recruit a permanent city manager – an assignment that turned out to last six months.

The newly hired city manager, John Shirey, officially took over on Sept. 1. He will pick up where Edgar and Masuoka left off and move forward with many projects that they started.

“I told (Shirey) I’d be available for specific projects if he wanted me (to help),” Edgar said. “But he hasn’t really had a chance to talk with me about any of them.”

Once Shirey came on board, Masuoka was able to leave on a long-awaited three-week visit to Europe.

Edgar, however, said he hasn’t yet had “a down time.”

“I have a lot to catch up on,” Edgar said.

In addition to acting as interim city manager for the past six months, Edgar has maintained his responsibilities as executive director of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, and running the tax preparation business he’s owned since 1999.

The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA) was formed in 2007 by the counties of Butte and Sutter and the cities of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak and Yuba City. The agency has the authority to finance and construct regional levee improvements.

Now that there is less pressure from his duties at City Hall, Edgar will spend more time working on projects with SBFCA.

The SBFCA passed an assessment last year, Edgar said, that allows for the rebuilding of the west bank of Feather River – a project that has been anticipated since 1997 and is now in the design stage.

“It’s at about 60 percent (completed with the design stage) now,” Edgar said. “We anticipate construction beginning in spring, 2013, and construction should take two or three seasons.”

Edgar said the transition away from interim city manager has gone well, particularly since he has had to juggle outside responsibilities at the same time.

“Since I’ve had to do (everything) at the same time,” Edgar said, “now it’s just a little pressure off. It was very busy for me during the time I was interim city manager. That’s why it was necessary for (Masuoka) and I to do the job together.”

Edgar said that, during his time in City Hall, he enjoyed working with the mayor and City Council “most of all.”

“When I first went in (to the position), people told me it would be hard to get council members to work together,” Edgar said. “I didn’t find it that way at all, though.”

During his tenure, Edgar said he and his staff worked hard to accomplish some important things – such as putting together a “very difficult” budget at a very difficult time.

“We were able to finally get some concessions from one of the major unions,” Edgar said, “and to bring on a qualified city manager – those were big things.”

Edgar said he and Masuoka also set the stage for what’s coming down the road: restructuring the budget and making the organization more efficient.

There will be a lot of challenges for Shirey in the coming year, Edgar said, most notably the next budget and upcoming labor negotiations. But “there are always a lot of challenges,” Edgar said.

“The arena is coming up, and economic development is always an issue,” Edgar said. “And, a lot of restructuring has to happen.”

It won’t happen overnight, and Shirey won’t be doing it alone, Edgar said.

“The employees, the department managers and staff are committed to really working hard,” Edgar said.

During the last two weeks of Edgar’s transition out of the interim position, Edgar said he and Masuoka and their staff made sure that what they were setting in place was in line with Shirey’s own goals for the city.

“As focus areas (for changes in city organization) are brought up to council, not everything will be implemented,” Edgar said. “Still, there will be a lot to discuss, and (Shirey) will take the lead in that.”

As Edgar moves away from the responsibilities of interim city manager, he said he is looking forward to giving more focus to other interests.

“I think my family is happy to get me back doing tax returns,” Edgar said. “It’s good (for me) to be there for the family business.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Solving budget problems by 'getting our house in order'

2011-08-26T05:14:31Z

City staff members want to fix Sacramento’s budget problems by revamping the city’s current organizational structure – and they want to do it by February.

Northern California still struggles to recover from one of the worst recessions in more than 75 years, and the city of Sacramento has been hit especially hard.

Interim City Manager Bill Edgar reminded council members Tuesday of the reality of the city’s fiscal situation: A budget that is $39 million less than it was the prior year; 141 city employee layoffs, including 41 sworn police officers, and a $26 million structural imbalance expected to extend into 2016.

“The impacts (of the current budget structure) have been noticeable and significant,” Edgar said.

Speaking at a budget workshop at City Hall Tuesday, Edgar said that, in order to turn things around, the council will have to make some difficult policy choices and take a “longer-term strategic approach” than they have taken in recent years.

Due to years of worsening economic conditions, Edgar said, the city’s current organizational structure needs to be “re-sized” to fit available resources.

That is the aim of the restructuring project that Max Fernandez, director of the Community Development Department, and his staff will be working on over the next six months.

Fernandez told council members Tuesday that the goal of restructuring is to “achieve significant cost savings” and make the city more efficient wherever possible.

“Nothing is ever easy,” Fernandez said. “It will be difficult and take a lot of thought and processing by the right people, and I think we have a lot of the right people on this.”

Edgar said department staff has developed a three-pronged approach to improving the way the city works by restructuring budget and labor processes and streamlining organization in five areas:

* Department of Utilities and Department of Transportation
* Public safety
* Citywide contracting and purchasing
* Parks and Recreation Department and the Convention, Culture and Leisure Department
* City Clerk’s Office and Mayor/Council Administrative Functions

Fernandez will be taking a close at each of those areas to identify specific ways to reduce costs, including finding “any potential for consolidation.”

The city has already consolidated several departments in the past year, including the Code Enforcement and Community Development Departments and the Human Resources and Labor Relations Departments.

As Edgar and Fernandez began to organize the project in June, they asked department leaders in the focus area to put together teams that include talented people currently working with the city.

“We’re getting experts in the various parts of the operation that will be affected by this work plan,” Fernandez said. “We are going down as deep in the organization as we need to to get the right people.”

By bringing in people who have first-hand understanding of the focus areas, Fernandez said, the teams can draw on their expertise and skills to find “new, better, more efficient” ways of delivering city services.

Fernandez said it’s important to work quickly so the project can be completed by February to give City Council time needed to implement cost-saving measures before the next budget is complete.

“The No. 1 goal here is saving money,” Fernandez said.

Councilman Jay Schenirer disagreed, however, saying the “No. 1 goal” for the city should be to “provide all the services we can using the resources we have available.”

“This (budget restructure) is going to be one of the most important things that we do for a long time,” Schenirer said. “We don’t want to face down another $26 million budget shortfall anytime soon.”

Restructuring plans are in the “infancy stages” Fernandez said, but he assured council members that the process is under way.

“We have a very aggressive timeline,” Fernandez said, “and a good support team working to get the job done.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday that the idea of restructuring is a “step in the right direction” for the city.

“I think it’s the first step,” Johnson said. “I think we can be a lot smarter. There’s plenty of economic development opportunities, but the first thing we need to do is get our house in order.”

“(The City Council is) committed to having a balanced budget,” Johnson said.

Fernandez and other city staff involved in the project will return to City Council with a progress report in late November.

The final report – including staff recommendations for council action – is expected to be completed in February.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. FOllow her on Twitter @MeilssaCorker.

State budget brings good news and bad news for Sacramento

2011-07-14T01:39:44Z

The new California state budget reduced spending by $15 billion and potentially includes an additional $2.5 billion in cuts – but it’s not all bad news for Sacramento.

Some of the impacts of the state budget on Sacramento were outlined at the City Council meeting Tuesday, most notably problems stemming from changes to redevelopment, realignment and motor vehicle license fees.

“The best thing I can say is that it was an on-time budget,” said David Jones, lobbyist for the city of Sacramento.

The budget was balanced using $4 billion in projected revenue increases, Jones said, and about 40 percent of that is “just hopeful thinking and subject to litigation or challenges.”

That’s good news for the city, Jones said, because some increases in the budget would result in significant revenue loss for the city if they remain in place.

One aspect of the state budget that will have a deep impact on the city is the restructuring of redevelopment agencies.

According to Jones and Leyne Milstein, city finance director, redevelopment funds from tax increment funding through the state bring approximately $3.5 million to the city and county each year.

Under the state’s new Voluntary Alternative Redevelopment Program, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) will have to come up with an initial $22 million “continuation payment” to continue its operations, or it will be dissolved.

If that happens, said La Shelle Dozier, executive director of SHRA, numerous Sacramento redevelopment projects in the works will be stalled unless alternate financing is identified, and some projects would never come to fruition.

Jones said the California Redevelopment Association is filing a lawsuit to stop the new redevelopment agency legislation but, until that litigation is resolved, redevelopment agency activities in Sacramento are on “uncertain ground.”

Another item in the state budget that will impact the city comes from the realignment of public safety programs from the state to local governments.

Senate Bill 89 (SB89) diverts 100 percent of motor vehicle license fee revenues from cities to counties, using it to fund public safety activities that have been realigned from the state to the counties.

Until last year, Sacramento received approximately $1.7 million from vehicle license fee revenues annually.

“Realignment is one of the major features of the governor’s budget,” Jones said. “There will definitely be an impact (to local government) down the line.”

The governor’s realignment strategy involves shifting low-level offenders from state institutions to county institutions and local government programs.

“We’re going to see offenders crowded out of from our county jail and possibly onto the streets,” Jones said.

Other realigned programs, according to the governor’s budget summary, include local public safety programs, mental health, substance abuse, foster care, child welfare services and adult protective services.

“The measure passed in the very last hours of budget talks,” Milstein said. “If this legislation stays on the books, it will be a real hit to the city.”

The state budget isn’t all bad news, though, said Jones.

The Community Oriented Policing Services public safety grant has been approved, Jones said, and that means $763,000 in funding to the city.

Assembly Bill 678 (AB678), which provides reimbursement to local fire departments for emergency medical transport, is progressing through the Legislature and may be out of committee and onto the governor’s desk by the end of August, Jones said.

Additionally, transit agency funding has reached a higher funding level this year – the second-highest in its history.

“We’ve seen better-than-anticipated sales tax from the first quarter,” Milstein said, “So we’re keeping an eye on it, and it looks like a positive trend. Then we can adjust for it later in the year.”

Read the governor’s budget summary here.
Read the text of SB89 here.
Read the text of AB678 here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Keeping community centers open without city funding

2011-07-06T01:49:43Z

When City Council members approved the 2011-12 budget in June, they said that the city’s community centers would not be closed – but the centers won’t receive any city funding to keep them open, either.

Now, a team of people at the city’s Neighborhood Services Department, along with the Department of Parks and Recreation, are trying to keep the 15 community centers in Sacramento open by partnering with nonprofit and community-based organizations.

Late last year, Neighborhood Services had already begun looking for ways to make the idea work when it sent out “requests for proposals” seeking groups interested in overseeing the centers and providing the financial backing needed to operate them.

But the responses the department received weren’t quite what staff had hoped for, said Vincene Jones, a director with Neighborhood Services.

Some of the responses involved a single organization taking over, while others were just not financially feasible, Jones said.

“We want an organization to take the lead, perhaps a (nonprofit),” Jones said, “but we also need other partners who will bring additional services to the centers. No one group can do it all for any center.”

Jones said the department has had to review its criteria and “be more specific” about what it is looking for in public-private partnerships for the centers.

“It’s not an easy process. There’s a lot of pieces necessary to make it work,” Jones said.

Jones said she and Sylvia Fort, parks and recreation program manager, and Dave Mitchell, parks and recreation operations manager, are reviewing the proposals received so far, and they will continue to look for “innovative” ways to save the community centers from closing.

“We want it to be a success,” Jones said, “not hurry into something that just falls flat later on down the road.”

Jones said the centers may end up with reduced hours or fewer open days each week, but the goal is to continue providing services as they have always been delivered at “the same or better” level.

Some of those services include after-school tutoring, computer training, classes and social opportunities for seniors and facilities for neighborhood gatherings.

According to Jones, the community centers in the greatest danger of being closed are George Sim, Hagginwood, Oak Park and Southside Park centers because of challenges in finding either enough support – or, in the case of George Sim center, finding properly skilled support.

George Sim is a difficult center to find community partners for, Jones said, because the center is has a lot of new equipment and systems in the facility that require specialized training.

“It’s not a center that we can send just anyone into and expect them to know how to do things,” Jones said.

So far, though, Jones said efforts to keep the centers open are progressing well, and the department has “good prospects” for volunteer involvement that will make continuing services more likely.

“We’ve found some good (partners), and everyone is hopeful,” Jones said.

In Oak Park, Pastor Jones and the Oak Park Methodist Church have come forward to help the center in that neighborhood remain open.

“(Pastor Jones) has strong ties to the community,” Jones said, “and he’s well-respected. (Oak Park Methodist Church) may not be a leading (support), but they really want to help, and they can do a lot for the center and the people there.”

No permanent agreements for operating the community centers have been made between any of the interested organizations and the city, Jones said, but “we’re all working together and we will see what can be done.”

Keith Hart, chief service officer for Mayor Kevin Johnson, said that when it comes to projects involving public and private collaboration, a volunteer effort is going to be essential.

“It’s not so much about money,” Hart said. “It’s about new ways of working together. (It’s about) private citizens (and) nonprofit organizations volunteering their time and energy and talent to help keep (community) centers going.”

With so many budget cuts and the shifting around of staff positions that came with it, Jones said she is uncertain “who will be where” until “the dust settles from all the changes.”

For Jones and volunteer coordinators working with the community centers, this means July will be a month to “reset” and take stock of what the city and the parks department have to work with before they really see what they will be able to do with the centers.

Hart said there is not a timeline in place for reorganizing the way the centers are operated, but without any collaboration with outside sources, a decision will eventually have to be made.

“If nothing happens soon, there will be a time when we have to say, ‘The doors are closed,’ ” Hart said. “But right now, the city is keeping as much open as they can.”

See a map of community center locations here.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

New county executive steps up to the plate in August

2011-07-05T02:21:35Z

As Steve Szalay prepares to leave behind the position of county executive for Sacramento County, current Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson is gearing up to step into his shoes.

Hudson accepted a five-year contract with Sacramento County after spending nearly 35 years in county government in Kings and Riverside counties before becoming city manager for Riverside in 2005.

Hudson talked to The Sacramento Press about his upcoming move in an interview Thursday.

SP: You’ve been in city government for a while now, and prior to that you worked in county government. How will your experiences in the city of Riverside and the counties you administered translate to your work here in the north-state?

BH: Riverside county has about 18,000 employees, a $4.5 billion budget and covers 7,200 square miles. (The) city of Riverside has about 2,400 employees, and a budget of about $1 billion. Sacramento County has roughly 11,000 employees and a $3.5 billion budget.

So, I’ve worked in a bigger organization, and I’m currently working in a smaller organization. (The city of Riverside) is a very complex organization, too, as far as the services we provide.

The dynamics are still the same: We have budget issues, pension reform issues. The same general things that any government has to deal with are present no matter what the size of the organization.

SP: Besides starting out on a large-scale public improvement program during strained fiscal times, what was your greatest accomplishment as city manager in Riverside?

BH: What I’m most proud of is that we saw this recession coming in 2007. We right-sized through attrition very quickly. We’ve had a balanced budget, including a surplus, over the past several years despite the recession.

Even though we have fewer employees, the amount and quality of services has improved. I attribute that to our hard-working workforce as well as an awesome technology effort that has allowed us to become more efficient overall.

We’ve done a lot of special training to help our managers be great managers, too, despite supervising a reduced workforce.

I’m also proud that Riverside is one of two “emerald cities” in the state – so, very good environmental leadership. We were also named one of the top seven cities in the world in terms of using technology. I’m pretty proud of that major initiative over the past six years.

SP: What do you see as your greatest challenge in coming to Sacramento County?

BH: If you look at any of the opinion polls, the thing that people are most-concerned about is the economy: having a job, being able to make their mortgage payment, or being underemployed and having to look for a job that pays enough. It really is the same everywhere, even Sacramento.

The essence of our budget is sales and property taxes and development. If the economy wasn’t so heavy at the moment, people would have other things on their mind. So, working with the budget will be something to really focus on.

SP: What will be your first priority when you walk in the door at the Sacramento County offices?

BH: Spending time with members of the board, understanding their districts, understanding what their priorities are for the organization, how to deliver services.

Really, the key to the job is knowing the board well and knowing what their key issues are and how they view those issues.

SP: It’s been reported that you have a reputation as a “Renaissance man” for initiating more than $1 billion in public projects in Riverside, but also as “heavy-handed” and “frequently ruffling feathers.” How do you take those assessments of your work style?

BH: I think I’m very collaborative in my approach. I do like to move quickly, and sometimes, when you move quickly, people feel left behind, and I understand that. I think it’s always important to reach out to those who are affected by the decisions you make. Ultimately, you work for an elected body, and you work at their pace. You try to match their pace.

Another aspect is accountability. I’m big on holding people accountable, and sometimes when folks fall short, they may not like my response. But that’s the price you pay for holding people accountable.

I think I’m fair and even-handed. I have an open-door policy and a good work ethic, and I’m pretty accessible. Some criticism may be justified in terms of my fast-moving approach, but for the most part I try to be collegial and work as a team player.

(Chuckling) Once in a while, I get accused of being irreverent, but it’s just a well-developed sense of humor.

SP: Since beginning the interview process for the county executive position, you’ve had plenty of time to scope out the territory. What do you see as Sacramento’s advantages?

BH: For me personally, (Sacramento) is similar to the area I grew up in. You have wonderful cultural amenities, it’s the capital city – which is very alluring, the river, parks. My grandfather had a boat on the delta when I was growing up, and I like to boat a little bit. I love the mountains, I ski a little bit and you’re close to Tahoe, so that’s something nice.

I am a pretty big NBA fan, though not necessarily a Kings fan.

SP: Uh-oh. We may have to do something about that.

BH: (Laughs) Yeah, that may be the hardest thing about coming to Sacramento: giving up the Lakers! I might do it. I might.

I’m already a 49ers fan and an Oakland A’s fan, so I’m good to go in those ways.

Kings? I’m not quite there, but I’ll get there.

SP: Have you and your family started making the transition to being in Sacramento?

BH: We’ve been up to Sacramento a few times, looking around, getting to know the area. My wife is excited about the move. She enjoys downtown and the Fab 40s and river parkway. She enjoyed Folsom. We drove all around when we visited. We even went down to Galt. (Galt) reminds her a little of where she grew up in Tulare. You know, a little more rural lifestyle. You can certainly see a lot of different lifestyles in a short drive. (Sacramento) is very diverse.

SP: Have you decided where you’ll settle in?

BH: We’re zeroing in on a few areas. We have a house in Riverside that we still need to sell, and then maybe we’ll find a loft in Midtown just to get started.

We’ll get to know the area a little better before we decide where to buy a house. We’ve been researching the area since February, and we’ll be there Aug. 14 to start, so we have time to figure it all out.

SP: Do you see yourself as staying around a while?

BH: I see this as a career-capper for me. It will be good to see us through these difficult times, change the trajectory skyward.

It’s all about looking in the right direction. I think it’s important that, even if you’re not moving in the direction you want to go right now, you can still be looking to the direction you want to be in and work toward that.

SP: Are you looking forward to being “the new guy”?

BH: Yeah. I’ve done this a few times, so I’m ready for it. I actually look forward to meeting the team there and getting to know the employees.

SP: Szalay says he gets a couple of days with you before he steps down. What do you think you’ll talk about?

BH: (Szalay) and I started in the same place, a little different time though. He was (in Kings County) about five years before I was there. We’ve worked for and with some of the same people, (so) we have some common associations.

And there’s the budget and other business... I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about.

Hudson begins his new position with Sacramento County on Aug. 14.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Start of fiscal year means end of jobs for some

2011-07-01T01:04:59Z

Friday marks the first day of the new fiscal year for the City of Sacramento – and the last day of work for more than 200 city employees, including 42 sworn police officers.

The final city budget, which passed on June 21, included deep cuts to parks, libraries and public safety agencies and filled a $39 million budget gap.

The budget did not pass without contention, however.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each went against the budget, calling the cuts to public safety “drastic” and creating a 6-3 split vote.

“These cuts to public safety are too big. They’re way too big,” Ashby said. “Why would we cut more than we have to?”

During the proceedings at the June 14 council meeting, Cohn proposed a motion to use nearly $4 million earmarked for other purposes (including shoring up the city’s anemic reserve fund), in return for matching concessions from police and fire unions to restore cut positions.

That proposal failed 3-6, with the only “aye” votes coming from Ashby, Cohn and Johnson.

Critics of the new budget, particularly the Sacramento Police Officers Association, (SPOA), have said that Cohn’s motion was an effort at showing good faith toward the labor unions and would have eased the way to talks between union and city representatives for alternatives to layoffs.

Ashby, Cohn and Johnson agreed.

“We found a way to save as many (positions) as possible,” Ashby said during the council meeting. “I don’t understand why this council would walk away from that opportunity.”

Johnson said he feels the city has done everything it can up to this point.

“We’ve cut $200 million from our general fund over the past four years, and we can’t keep cutting,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday.

Johnson encouraged police and fire unions to consider concession discussions and said that “if some of our (police) officers can be saved, we should look at (Cohn’s proposal).”

Cohn said he believed his proposal was “reasonable and necessary” to restore dangerous cuts to public safety without jeopardizing the city’s contingency reserve funds.

“(It) also called for shared sacrifice,” Cohn said, “by making these funds contingent on permanent, ongoing labor concessions.”

Cohn added that his proposal relied on “added savings” developed during the budget process including keeping management staff on furloughs to pay for the public safety restorations.

“Unfortunately, a majority of the council did not agree, so I was on the short end of (the) vote,” Cohn said.

“Our police department is comprised of intelligent, compassionate people. They know how much we value them,” Johnson said. “We’re reaching out to them to have real discussions going forward.”

Although Ashby, Cohn and Johnson were not supportive of the final budget, Johnson said at the press conference that, now that the budget is in place, “We are all committed to find solutions.”

The city faces some serious financial problems over the next few fiscal years, according to a city manager staff report, including a “structural deficit (that) will persist unless additional permanent corrective actions are implemented.”

A structural deficit is when the budget has more expenses than income.

2011-2012 will be the fifth year in a row that the city has faced a budget shortfall, despite major reductions in prior years to services and personnel.

Cohn, however, is trying to stay positive.

“I’m encouraged by possible talks with SPOA and local 522 (the firefighters union),” Cohn said. “Stay tuned.”

Szalay prepares to say good-bye to top county spot

2011-06-30T00:58:46Z

As Steve Szalay prepared to hand over the reins to the top spot in county government, he talked about his experiences as interim county executive and sent a message to his successor: “Don’t screw it up.”

Szalay came on board with the county in December of 2009 when County Executive Terry Schutten retired. It was a temporary assignment that would bring Szalay out of retirement just long enough to put the county back on track while the Board of Supervisors recruited a permanent county executive.

With more than 40 years’ experience in California government, including work in the administration of four counties and as executive director for the California State Association of Counties, Szalay was ready for new challenges.

“(Sacramento County) was in bad shape, and it needed to be ‘repositioned,’ ” Szalay said. “We’re not ‘recovering,’ we’re positioning in a different direction. This is what I enjoy most. I’m happiest when there are problems to solve.”

He wanted problems to solve, and he got them.

For starters, the county budget was in need of a serious overhaul.

Sacramento County has a budget of $3.5 billion, Szalay said, and the general fund makes up $2 billion of that amount.

When the county supervisors approved the 2009/2010 budget, it was balanced with $80.2 million of one-time resources and internal borrowing – which damaged the county’s credit rating.

“When I walked in the door, they’d had a budget in place for five months, and they already knew they were about $15 million out of balance,” Szalay said. “The consistent one-time fund use took (the county’s) credit rating from A-minus to triple B-plus.”

The previous year, the budget gap was smaller ($123.7 million), but the board used more one-time resources that year ($103 million) to plug the hole.

“They were in denial about the recession and getting further and further behind,” Szalay said.

In addition to a runaway budget problem, the county was working with labor contracts that created havoc with the balance sheet.

Szalay said Schutten and the board entered into five-year labor contracts in 2005/2006, when times were good – contracts that included cost-of-living increases and equity increases for every bargaining unit for every year.

“While revenues where going down, expenses were going up,” Szalay said. “What wizard decided that was a wonderful thing? I don’t know what they were smokin’ when they came up with the idea.”

Despite the continual downturn in the economy since 2006, the labor contracts stayed in place.

The first order of business as “ICE” (the acronym-turned-nickname was effective almost immediately, Szalay said) was to set up a plan focused on four key areas of improvement: budget/fiscal, labor, debt and efficiency.

“You want current revenue to pay for current services,” Szalay explained, “and then you want a small contingency to take care of unexpected things that happen in the year, and you want managers on top of things to make adjustments quickly when it’s needed.”

To solve fiscal challenges, Szalay said he worked with management and the board to make “reasonable and necessary” cuts and to reduce the amount of one-time funds used to fill budget shortfalls.

Through those efforts, county supervisors cut more than 1,000 positions, streamlined some services and reduced the budget gap by almost $130 million over two years.

“We’re now within $19 million of having current revenue pay for current services,” Szalay said. “That’s huge.”

Next, he worked to negotiate labor contracts that didn’t undermine the budget.

What the county ended up with were new labor contracts that had no increase the first year, no increase the second year, and the third year, “we’ll talk,” Szalay said.

The new contracts also included lower-tier retirement for new employees and stopping heath care stipends previously given to retirees.

“All 26 unions agreed to the terms,” Szalay said. “That was a real accomplishment.”

Of everything he has worked on as interim county executive, though, the work that really ignited a fire in Szalay was what he calls “new efficiencies.”

“This is the fun stuff,” Szalay said. “This is where you get things done.”

The “new efficiencies” are composed in a list of 56 projects that Szalay and county management worked on for the past 21 months to save money, increase revenue and enhance services throughout the county.

Some projects changed policy to direct new revenue into the general reserve fund every year and not pull from the fund to fill budget gaps.

Other projects created new contracts with private nonprofit and corporate entities to take over services previously operated by county staff.

“This county has one service delivery policy: Hire a bunch of civil service workers and put ’em to work,” Szalay said. “What we need is a mix. We should (also) have some contracts with the private sector, some contracts with (the) nonprofit sector, some joint services with the city.”

Reorganization projects were also part of Szalay’s plans.

Szalay took the “three-legged stool model” of county services that includes municipal services, countywide services, and internal support operations, and looked for ways to combine operations or reorganize to eliminate redundancy.

Szalay estimated that the changes will save the county between $10 million and $13 million each year in operating costs.

When asked if he feels he’s accomplished what he set out to do for the county, Szalay was emphatic.

“Yes. Definitely.” he said. “We’ve adopted two budgets, gone through negotiations of labor contracts, worked on 56 efficiency plans and started working on marijuana permitting,” Szalay said.

“The time is good for a hand-off,” he added.

As Szalay returns to retired life, he said he and his wife, Diane Cummins, a special advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown, will spend time relaxing with family in the days to come, and they are planning a month-long trip to Italy in September.

After that, Szalay said, he will probably do some independent consulting work or focus on projects for the county on a contract basis.

The new county executive, Brad Hudson, is expected to take over on Aug. 14, and Szalay said he has every confidence in Hudson’s abilities.

Hudson’s background is in economic development, Szalay pointed out, so when the county experiences new growth – “and it will,” Szalay assured – Hudson will have plenty of opportunity to “show his stuff.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of being able to make some changes at the top of this organization, and there’s an excellent management team that I’m turning over to the new guy,” Szalay said.

Does he think Hudson can keep things going in the right direction?

“He’d better,” Szalay said. “He knows that, for the next few years, fiscal stability has to be the No. 1 goal.”

Szalay said he’ll have two days to brief Hudson about the position before stepping down, and he’ll have one last comment before handing over the keys to the office:

“Now, don’t screw it up! I’ll be watching you!”

Mayor talks about pension reform as budget solution

2011-06-29T01:08:49Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke about the need for representatives of the Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA) to meet with the city to explore ways to save police officers from impending layoffs at a Tuesday press conference.

“All of us on the council – the six that voted one way and the other three of us that didn’t – are reaching out to the SPOA asking for a meaningful dialogue,” Johnson said.

The City Council passed a budget on a 6-3 vote on June 21 that included more than $12 million in cuts to the Police Department and paved the way for more than 40 sworn police officers to be laid off July 1.

“We are at a difficult crossroad,” Johnson said. “(The City Council) said public safety is a priority ... and here we are now in a position where 108 (officers and civilians) are being laid off.”

Johnson said the city is not asking for SPOA to open up its contract, rather to “reboot and recommit to looking at opportunities that we have before us.”

The greatest of those opportunities, Johnson said, is for SPOA and the city to come to terms with a pension imbalance and make gradual changes to the current system that will lead to cost savings for the city in future years.

“We have to acknowledge that (SPOA) were the first ones to come to the table before,”Johnson said. “They gave us labor concessions, and they feel the city didn’t do its part, and I can respect that.”

Still, Johnson said the need for discussion about pension reform cannot be ignored, and the City Council has opened the door to discussion once again, if the union is interested.

“If (SPOA) are having honest discussions with their membership and no one is interested (in coming to the table), then we have to just cut officers and move forward and talk about pension reform next year or the year after,” Johnson said.

For most city employee positions, contributions to the employee retirement system come from both employers and employees.

Currently, however, city police officers do not have to pay a percentage of their earnings to their retirement benefits. Instead, the city picks up the full cost.

Johnson said that “pension reform is not the end-all,” however.

“If the police contributed 9 percent, that’s a $5.2 million savings (to the general fund). That doesn’t solve all of our problems.”

While noting that changes to pensions are necessary, Johnson emphasized that the city is not looking for the SPOA to “contribute it all back at one time.”

“If SPOA contributes their share, over time, we believe as a city we can still do our part and continue to be fiscally smart and move forward where everyone wins,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the City Council sent what it felt were “key points of discussion” to the SPOA, and he hopes the union is considering those points and talking to its membership about engaging in discussions about pension reform.

So far, Johnson said, he’s waiting for a response from the SPOA.

“I think it’s unrealistic to think that, in this economy, that there’s not going to be real discussion about pension reform,” Johnson said. “There HAS to be.”

Det. Mark Tyndale, SPOA representative, responded in a telephone interview Tuesday, saying that the SPOA is “constantly in conversation” with its membership, but the relationship with city leadership is strained right now.

Tyndale said the council members made their intentions toward the SPOA clear with the vote on the budget, and now there is a real sense of mistrust from the police union toward the council.

“We’re not unwilling to go (into a discussion),” Tyndale said. “We just don’t feel like we will be treated with good faith.”

It’s going to take more than a simple “please come talk” invitation from Johnson to bring the SPOA to the table, Tyndale said.

If the City Council as a whole – and Interim City Manager Bill Edgar – were to come together to discuss pensions with the SPOA, “I’d be in that room,” Tyndale said.

Sacramento Public Library to hold community forums in July

2011-06-28T03:28:55Z

When the Sacramento City Council passed the budget last week, funding for the Sacramento Public Library system was cut by nearly $800,000, and that means the possibility of reduced branch hours and even branch closures.

But deciding just what to cut is a challenge that library staff wants the community to help with.

“We want to talk to the community to see what’s important to them,” said Brenda Haggard, Strategic Communications Officer for the Sacramento Public Library. “We want to make decisions based on what’s important to the people we serve.”

Haggard said the desire is to keep public service intact as much as possible, despite the cuts to funding.

Library staff members are inviting people to attend one of three community forums being held at Sacramento Public Library branches in July.

The forums are offered at the following dates and times:
Wednesday, July 13
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
McKinley Branch, 601 Alhambra Blvd.

Thursday, July 14
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
North Natomas Branch, 4660 Via Ingoglia

Saturday, July 16
10:30 a.m. - noon
Southgate Branch, 6132 66th Ave.

The forums will include a brief discussion of what has happened to the library system over the past few years and an outline of the current financial situation.

An open question-and-answer session will follow, giving attendees the opportunity to brainstorm with library staff about what’s most important to library users.

“We need to find ways to take the funding that we have available to us and make the most effective and efficient use of those dollars,” Haggard said.

A public library system has been part of Sacramento since 1857, and residents have come to rely on their neighborhood branches as resources for information, quiet places to study, and even as hubs for community activities and children’s programs, Haggard said.

“I was raised up with the Dewey Decimal System,” said Leonard Robinbson, a Sacramento resident.

“Unfortunately we are in tough economic times, and everyone is feeling it,” Robinson said. “The library system needs to look for other ways to generate revenue to keep afloat.”

Anthony Neves, a frequent library user from Sacramento, said the biggest priority for the libraries should be keeping computers and books updated.

“Give people a reason to keep going back to the library,” Neves said.

“We’ve made drastic cuts. Painful cuts,” Haggard said. “Branch staff has taken on a great deal more work – everyone is doing a LOT more with a LOT less,” Haggard said.

The system is governed by an elected 14-member Library Authority, which operates 28 libraries in the system including a Central Library in downtown Sacramento.

Library staff will take all of the information they gather at the forums and present recommendations to the Library Authority In September.

Any changes resulting from public input and from staff recommendations will take effect in late September or early October.

For more information about the forums, email Director@saclibrary.org

City Council passes final budget

2011-06-22T06:51:12Z

More than 300 city positions will be eliminated in the coming year after the City Council passed a finalized city budget Tuesday night.

Despite impassioned pleas from members of the Sacramento City Crime Scene Investigation unit and local union representatives, the 14-member CSI unit and 45 sworn police officers are on the chopping block.

The budget passed on a 6-3 vote, with Council members Angelique Ashby, Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson each voting against the measure.

The new budget incorporates $4.6 million in one-time resources to close the gap for fiscal year 2011-12. It also funnels $3.36 million into the city’s economic uncertainty reserve fund.

Betty Masuoka, assistant interim city manager, noted that discussions with labor organizations to work toward concessions are under way, however no concessions have been formalized that would impact adopting the budget.

“The budget before you is balanced, and we are asking the council to adopt it tonight,” Masuoka told council members.

According to city manager staff reports, the budget meets the City Council’s goals of developing a sustainable budget plan, carefully using one-time resources and balancing the impact of any layoffs with the benefit of service level decisions.

Masuoka said the city manager and the finance department staff will meet with the council over the next few months to discuss policy questions and strategies that arise from implementation of the budget.

The nearly 70 people in the audience were silent when the council took the final vote.

“I’m just appalled,” said Marcia Mooney, representative from the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39. “This really hurts our CSI people and, in the end, the City is going to be worse for it.”

City Council, police union at a standstill

2011-06-21T00:55:36Z

Approval of a final city budget that includes $39 million in ongoing cuts and the elimination of 320 city positions is expected at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but Police Department personnel aren’t holding out hope for an 11th-hour save from potential layoffs.

“The council is firm on its decision,” said Det. Mark Tyndale, Sacramento Police Officers Association (SPOA) vice president. “And we are firm in ours.”

On June 7, City Council members urged SPOA representatives to consider contract concessions for its members in an effort to relieve the burden of deep budget cuts that will have a significant impact on the Police Department and public safety personnel.

The SPOA has not made any move toward the negotiating table, however, and, according to Tyndale, union representatives have no desire to do so.

“We expect a last-minute call from the council or the city manager’s office, but it’s a not a phone call that we are going to make,” Tyndale said.

Referring to concessions the Police Department made during budget negotiations in 2009, Tyndale said that, “two years after the fact, the council has shown that they aren’t going to back up what was promised back then.”

In 2009, the union made concessions on delaying raises for department personnel for three years. Those concessions resulted in approximately $12 million in savings for the city, Tyndale said.

“We don’t believe the council will approach us (now) in good faith, and we aren’t going to open our contract to be betrayed again,” Tyndale said.

During discussion of potential department cuts at the June 7 council meeting, Councilman Steve Cohn offered a motion that would allow the City Council to use one-time funds from the Economic Uncertainty Reserve (EUR) to match pay and benefit concessions from the police and fire departments up to a total of $4 million.

The motion failed on a 6-3 vote.

“It wouldn’t have solved the problem,” Tyndale said of Cohn’s motion, “but (SPOA) would have seen it as a good-faith effort.”

Tyndale said that union members were more disappointed in how the vote was divided than the fact that the motion failed.

“Council Member Darrell Fong’s vote stings the most,” Tyndale said. “He came from our department. He knows us. He said he’d be there for us.”

Fong, the District 7 representative and a former police captain, responded in an interview Monday that, although he understands that SPOA members are upset, he stands behind his vote against the matching funds motion.

“Cohn’s motion was to give both police and fire money from the emergency reserves fund,” Fong said. “Hitting the one-time reserves isn’t something I want to do. We have to show some restraint.”

Fong, who said he will direct his City Council salary for the 2011/2012 fiscal year to the Police Department’s budget, ~~declined his $60,800 city council salary when he was elected to the council in 2010,~~ was quick to point out that both civilians and sworn officers will be laid off if this budget is approved.

“It was a tough decision I had to make,” Fong said. “I made it clear that everyone – not just police, not just fire, but everyone – needed to come together to resolve the deficit we face.”

Fong said that, going forward, he’s looking for changes that will restructure the city and avoid future deficits.

“Services have to survive, even if they’re reduced,” Fong said.

The City Council will meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 915 I St., to finalize the budget for 2011-2012.

Read the City Council meeting agenda here.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

McCarty reflects on tough budget choices

2011-06-09T01:13:18Z

In an unparalleled move, the Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday night to move forward with cuts that will drastically change the scope of its public safety departments. Eighty sworn officers are on the chopping block, and there is a plan to brownout four fire stations on a rotating basis.

“I said in January there would be a day of reckoning,” Councilmember Kevin McCarty told the packed council chambers. “Today is that day.”

After the council meeting, I spoke briefly with McCarty to get his thoughts on the night’s historic events.

Isaac Gonzalez: You didn’t agree with Councilmember Cohn’s idea to add ask for concessions from the Police and Fire Departments and to match those amounts with one-time funding. (1)

Kevin McCarty: I agree we should try to put more money in, but taking it from our reserve just put us in a precarious financial situation, and it wasn’t the most prudent thing to do. But I do hope that we can use the fire and police’s concessions to buy down some of their effects.

Fire, I said earlier, they have a lot of stuff on the table. (A) measure by (State Assemblyman) Dr. Pan could bring in $1 or $2 million by mid-year. Right now they have two brownouts. We’re proposing to go to four. For fire, for example, each brownout is 1.4 million, so 3 and a half (million) would cover two brownouts. So if they do a concession, let’s say, of $1.5 million, and we get a million and half from this measure, we could go back to two within a year. So there’s a path to get there, with those revenues. But the answer to the question, I just didn’t think it’s the prudent thing to do.

IG: With the $4 million reserve currently, that would only cover two weeks of payroll. That’s a very slim margin.

KM: That’s a 4 percent reserve. It’s dangerously low.

IG: And with the city’s practice of borrowing money and lending it every night…(2)

KM: You can go back and ask our treasurer. He did a report three or four weeks ago how it just puts us in a difficult, very tough position.

IG: Tonight you talked about keeping the city swimming pools open this year but maybe not for next year.

KM: I think that we decided that we would have a commitment to do it. We don’t have to deal with that problem today. Bottom line, I think the council is committed to keeping the keeping the pools open, but the decision was [not?] necessary to make, not today. The pools are tricky in the summer, the middle of the budget year. We have enough money from last year’s budget to keep the pools open this year.

IG: A lot of passionate people here tonight, a very passionate debate. It must be hard to see people whose responsibility it is to protect the city to ask for council not to cut to the bone.

KM: Well, the math really speaks for itself. There’s only so much you can do. When you spend, for example, on public safety — as much as it pains me to make these tough cuts, public safety makes up as much as 85 percent of our general fund. You can’t bridge a $39 million gap by not taking a look at that 85 percent. It’s very difficult and painful, but I think the math speaks for itself.

IG: I think in past years council has dipped into the one-time funds and also eliminated vacant positions, and now that we’re past that…

KM: We’ve essentially cut to the bone and now all there was is amputations. That’s what we had to do. Some people say that we need to make sure public safety is our top priority. I would argue that they are. They’ve become even more of a priority. In 2008 public safety received 73 percent of the budget. Now they receive 85 percent of the budget, so they’ve actually gone up in that direction.

IG: Thank you, Councilmember.

KM: OK, thank you.

(1) Cohn proposed enticing the Police and Fire Departments to make labor concessions by offering additional budget funding in match amounts, up to $2.5 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The motion was rejected by the council.

(2) An example of how the city invests and borrows money on the long and short term can be found here: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/treasurer/Investment/Monthly%20Investment%20Report_April2011.pdf

Retention of jobs and public safety are priority for Mayor Kevin Johnson

2011-06-08T02:41:36Z

Despite reports of the city’s proposals to lay off more than 350 jobs, including 80 sworn police officers, during Tuesday’s press conference, Mayor Kevin Johnson said that avoiding such layoffs will be a priority.

Throughout the conference, Johnson said he wanted Sacramento to remain a full-service city and that he hopes to alleviate any distrust between police officers and the city by playing a more active role in addressing the interests of both parties.

“We’re trying to preserve as many jobs as we can and keep public safety at the top of our priorities,” he added.

“We’re about to pass and adopt a budget in about three weeks or so, and we do not want to be in a position where our community, our constituents and the greater Sacramento area are impacted because we can’t create an environment where our streets are safe.”

The weekly press conference was supposed to address city business and the future of an entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento via the “Here We Build” arena campaign, but when the floor opened to questions, the discussion quickly became centered on the current budget situation and, consequently, what Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting might entail.

Tuesday’s council meeting agenda was set at the end of May to address all the controversial potential budget cuts to the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments.

When asked about concerns and potential alternatives to the current budget proposals, the Mayor said that it depended on the discussion that would occur during the council meeting.

He provided three possible outcomes of the upcoming meeting: 1: Tentative decisions will be made on whether the current proposals for each department will occur, 2: Time will run out and the vote will carry on to Thursday or 3: Possibly vote on two of the three departments and keep one floating for discussion again later.

During the conference, Johnson also mentioned the city and state of California’s interest in a high-speed rail due to its long-term cost-effectiveness, decreased carbon footprint and its potential to be an “unbelievable job creator.”

Police move could save money after initial cost

2011-06-03T05:06:31Z

If the Sacramento Police Department headquarters moves from Freeport Boulevard to Richards Boulevard, it could save $500,000 per year, but with it comes an up-front moving cost of $1 million, according to a report released Wednesday afternoon.

This would force other city departments – community development, parking services and code enforcement – to relocate from the building at 300 Richards Blvd. to City Hall, according to City Councilman Steve Cohn.

The idea stems from the Police Department, which has been looking at moving its headquarters from the Public Safety Center on Freeport Boulevard for the past three years to save money, police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.

Being closer to the central city gives the Police Department numerous benefits, Leong added.

The proximity to downtown would allow police to cut gasoline costs for business conducted with the courthouses or the city, and it would be more centralized to the whole city, which would make it more convenient for the community to come for business with reports, citations, fingerprinting and similar activities.

Cohn added that it’s only feasible if there is a net savings, as the city faces a $39 million budget gap for the coming fiscal year. (To read about the budget, click here, and for more information, click on the "Storyline" tab in the linked article.)

“If we can save that kind of money, I think we need to do it,” Cohn said. “Whatever we can do to prevent layoffs, I’d support, but only if it’s an overall savings.”

With a continued structural imbalance with the general fund – having more expenses than revenue – the long-term savings are attractive, but the initial hit to the general fund would add to the current crisis.

“The costs to move would come out of the general fund,” said city spokeswoman Amy Williams. “Any savings we get later on would help the general fund.”

That move would not save any money in the coming fiscal year.

“No savings could be achieved, however, in FY2011/12 given the time needed for evaluation and implementation and the initial costs for moving,” according to the report.

Moving the majority of police operations to Richards Boulevard would fill the entire building, which would mean the other departments have to move.

Cohn said there is room at City Hall to accommodate them, but there isn’t a final plan as to where they would go yet.

“It’s taking a while to figure out all the logistics,” he said.

According to the report, a more detailed analysis will be delivered to the City Council at a later date.

A City Council budget meeting involving multiple city departments – including police, fire and parks – will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers in City Hall, 915 I St.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Extra funds for R Street improvement project

2011-05-19T04:53:44Z

The R Street improvements currently under construction from 10th to 13th streets are getting a few more amenities, as construction left extra funds in an approximately $1 million ~~$1.5 million~~ federal grant allocated to the project.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to approve 13 more pedestrian benches, 13 banners affixed to streetlights and a decorative arch that spans R Street at 10th Street and a pedestrian arch over the sidewalk on 12th Street and R Street, to be constructed by Teichert Construction, the main contractor for the project.

“This will be the icing on the cake to R street and will make the area more pedestrian-friendly,” Sacramento Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker said.

The R Street improvement project will add uniformity to the area that currently lacks consistent curbs, and it will also add parking spaces and street lights as well as restore the area’s mixed-use industrial, business and residential buildings.

Adding the new benches, banners and archways was an extension of federal funds already dedicated to the project.

“We got the go-ahead from Caltrans to make use of federal funds already budgeted for the project,” Tucker said.

According to Department of Transportation Project Manager Zuhair Amawi, a lot of thought went into the improvements.

“The selection of the concepts and design of the items in the change order was the result of many months of R Street stakeholder meetings organized by CADA (Capitol Development Area Authority) and approved by the City Preservation Commission,” Amawi said.

The project had a 36-week construction timeline and is still on-target for a summer finish.

Ground was broken last September.

“We can expect an opening event to celebrate R Street’s new look sometime this summer,” Tucker said.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

County cuts could cause more layoffs

2011-05-14T01:40:46Z

Sacramento County’s budget situation for the 2011/2012 fiscal year could be described by the grammatically incorrect but accurate phrase “less bad.”

In other words, the county’s budget gap of $90 million is less severe than the $181 million shortfall it faced last year. But the current gap, which is likely to result in a wave of layoffs, is still grim.

County Interim Executive Officer Steven Szalay laid out budget details in a Friday morning press conference at the downtown county building on H Street. The county plans to cut 321 employee positions in its budget process, Szalay said.

“I’m very sad to have to have these service-level reductions,” he said. “They’re definitely going to hurt in all sectors of the county.”

The county expects to face cuts in nearly all departments, he added.

County officials said they have not yet calculated how many of the positions are currently filled by employees and how many are vacant. The number of filled positions, which will help the public understand how many layoffs there may be, will be released with the budget proposal in two weeks, Szalay said.

The county’s drop in revenues since the 2007/2008 fiscal year has been a central reason for the county’s poor financial state, Szalay said. Since then, the county’s revenues from property, sales and motor vehicle taxes have dropped by more than $100 million, he added.

The 321 positions do not include any positions from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office, according to Szalay.

The $90 million gap consists of a roughly $70 million gap in the county’s general fund and cuts to the county from the state, according to county spokeswoman Chris Andis.

Szalay said the Sheriff’s Department will need to make $26 million in cuts. However, Sheriff Scott Jones said he is examining several funding sources and is confident he can pare down that number. He said he hopes to not make layoffs.

“All facets of the county have been devastated by cuts,” Jones said. “We are not alone in that.”

There is a bright spot in this year’s budget, according to Szalay. “We are making progress towards the goal of having current revenue pay for current services,” he said.

While Szalay proposed the budget, the Board of Supervisors will make all final budget decisions.

The number of actual layoffs that could result from the budget crunch may not be known for some time. The county applies a complex demotion process when it makes layoffs that can change the final number. Some workers may decide to retire.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors’ chambers at 700 H St. will be the site of the budget hearings, which are scheduled to begin the week of June 6. The hearings will be open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Guide to city budget hearings

2011-05-05T00:25:51Z

Sacramento city officials have scheduled 10 public meetings on the city budget over the next seven weeks.

The City Council is wrestling with a $39 million budget gap and is considering recommendations from the city manager’s office to lay off hundreds of municipal employees.

The public is welcome at the budget hearings, which will be led by the City Council.

“It’s important that the public’s voice is heard,” city spokeswoman Amy Williams said. “These are hard decisions that lie ahead.”

During the next few weeks, Williams said she aims to keep as much budget information as possible on the city’s website.

A link to city budget documents is on the front page of the website.

All of the budget meetings will be held at Sacramento City Hall at 915 I St. The budget schedule may change, Williams said. Citizens can check the city’s website for updated information throughout the budget process, she said.

Here is the list of hearings on the 2011/2012 fiscal year budget:

When: Thursday, May 12, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Parks and Recreation Department, budget assumptions, planned budget cuts

When: Tuesday, May 17, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Convention, Culture and Leisure Department; Community Development Department

When: Tuesday, May 17, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Police Department

When: Tuesday, May 24, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Economic Development, General Services, Support, Transportation, Utilities, Charter Offices (City Attorney, City Clerk, City Treasurer)

When: Tuesday, May 24, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Fire Department

When: Tuesday, May 31, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Library, agencies that partner with the city

When: Thursday, June 2, 6 p.m. (Tentative meeting)
On the agenda: Budget options

When: Tuesday, June 7, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Facilities and infrastructure budget (known formally as the capital improvement program), discussion of budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 14, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Update on city labor unions, finish plans for budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 21, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: The City Council will approve the budget.

Source: city of Sacramento

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

One-on-one with Gus Vina

2011-04-08T02:05:57Z

Much has been written about Gus Vina in the press over the past 14 months. After becoming Sacramento’s interim city manager, Vina faced a multitude challenges on various fronts. Budgets shortfalls, permit controversies, and varying levels of support from the City Council were just some of the hurdles Vina had to bear.

In the end, Vina tendered his resignation, effective today. I met with him late Wednesday afternoon as he finished cleaning out his office to talk about his time as interim city manager, his plans going forward and the possible future of Sacramento. Here’s what we spoke about:

Isaac Gonzalez: You took the position of interim city manager after Ray Kerridge resigned in February 2010. Mr. Kerridge was quoted in The Sacramento Bee saying Sacramento "isn't a good environment to be working in, and I need to get out." Now that you've tendered your resignation, would you say you agree with your predecessor’s remarks?

Gus Vina: I don't agree. A lot of the things that transpired over the last year or so, not the council’s fault. The Prop. 218 issues that put us in the grand jury, the permits that were issued up north, we just have had a number of issues that put council on the hot seat. And so, I never viewed it that way and I'm not leaving on a bitter note.

For me it's pretty simple. For me the issue is that I was given sort of the test run as city manager. I was obviously hoping to be appointed. The process itself, and the decision, which is council's prerogative, to do the search, also meant that I couldn't put all my eggs in one basket. I can't rely on, oh you know, I love to be that confident and just say, "Well, I'm going to apply here. I know I'm going to get it." But I don't know if that's the case.

So from a very personal perspective I had to keep my options open. So I've been applying at other places. Yes, I will say that there are some dynamics politically right now, a division if you would, on the council, that does make it a little trickier of an environment. Those issues are actually known. So for me to interview successfully and kind of move on, resigning is the right decision for me.

IG: You've worked for the city for over a decade, and I've heard you say that you enjoy civil service and had even dreamed of having this position. Any regrets on taking on the role of city manager in an era of year-after-year budget deficits, which, while of course being out of your control, are less than an ideal economic situation for any city manager?

GV: No. When you decide that that's the career you want, then you have to be willing to face whatever the challenge is or that come your way. It is unfortunate that, as a nation and beyond, we're in this slump economically. I was hoping obviously to stay here long enough to help the city get through that, and then maybe enjoy a different kind of agenda in the future years.

IG: So much of what has been written about you in the press over the last 14 months focuses on controversies and council difficulties. However, you've worked for the city of Sacramento for 12 years. Tell me about something that most readers may not know about your career here, particularly, if you don't mind, something you're personally proud to have been involved with.

GV: I will tell you that, for me, at the very top of the list, as far as proud moments, is I created what I call "Direct Connect." Once a month — actually at the beginning when I was launching the program and kind of feeling it out to see how it was going to work, I did it more like three or four a month. I go out to work sites and it's my opportunity to spend an hour with employees. So they're invited, we post the location and the time. They get supervisor approval, but they could come. And I spend about a half-hour making sure they're current on city issues so they're up to speed, not just reading things in the paper, because they are a part of this organization.

Then I would give them a free-for-all Q&A. I told them from the very beginning: "Don't hold back." I'd rather hear the questions. It's given me great connection with employees, the Q&A especially. You get to manage rumors, and they feel like they're part of something. It really helped to build morale.

So I would say I was very successful at improving the morale in the city, in spite of the difficulties with the budgets and cuts and layoffs. I'm still trying to respond — I've got over 800 e-mails from the workforce saying, "Hey, best of luck, we're sad, we wish you would stay." That's huge. That's significant.

IG: You must have been disappointed when, after your one-year interim run as city manager was completed, not to have been immediately offered permanent placement. Was it difficult to continue to fulfill your duties knowing that you had less than the full support of council?

GV: I will say for any city manager, you want to know that the entire council has trust and confidence in your abilities. And, for a variety of reasons, I don't feel that way. It is a struggle to manage if you feel you don't have that confidence for all nine. Maybe it's well placed that they feel that way, I don't know. But it still makes it difficult to manage.

IG: The Jan. 25 meeting in which the council voted 5-4 not to promote you to the permanent position was closed to the public. City Attorney Eileen Teichert says that "personnel discussions" can be held in closed session without public oversight. However, the city can open these meetings if they choose, as some have even gone as far as to say that the public has a right to know the reasons behind the decision to retain or remove the person who is the most influential individual in the city structure.

Do you believe that this meeting and other closed-doors meetings like it deserve more transparency, or do they require to be held in closed-door sessions to protect the privacy of the individuals involved?

GV: That's a great question, and it's really both. You do have to take into account the privacy of the discussion for the sake of the individual. That's why closed sessions are actually allowed under the laws, so that you can evaluate, without embarrassment, if you will, evaluate the candidate, or the employee. All four charter officers are afforded that opportunity when they are evaluated. They go into closed session.

Like any other personnel issue, when you're evaluating a employee, you don't put it on TV. Once you've decided to recruit, this is what I would offer, if then they decide as a group, "OK, we're going to do a national search," they do always have an opportunity to involve the public in what they would like to see in their next city manager.

So that's maybe a better way to talk about transparency in what the community would like to see in a manager. If you think about that for a minute, the timing of that's important. If council would have decided, as an example, to invite the public in, to ask, "How is this guy doing? Would you do a search or is this the right candidate?" That's a nice little step.

IG: City accountants have to stay creative to keep the coffers flush with cash for payroll and payments on debts. Much of this is due to the fact that the city gets most of its money only twice a year, when property taxes are collected. Do you think that the city has a handle on its cash flow difficulties, and do you foresee any problems going down the road?

GV: The first answer is yes. Our treasurer has a responsibility in managing cash flow. They have a handle on cash flow and have made it very clear that we need these interim loans in order to keep up with all of our obligations, which is new to this city. We used to have plenty of cash flow.

Is it a concern in the future? Absolutely. We still have a $43 million deficit next year, and we have to reduce our costs. I think that pressure on cash flow will stay here for a few more years.

IG: KOVR Channel 13 in Sacramento ran a piece last February where they criticized you for giving out raises to three high-ranking city employees to the tune of $38,000. You were quoted as saying that the raises were part of an attempt of "employee retention."

Councilmember Sandy Sheedy criticized the raises, saying that the budget problems in Sacramento weren't conducive to giving out the pay increases. However, just a few weeks before, Sheedy voted to conduct a nationwide search for potential city manager candidates, a search that would have cost the city an estimated $35,000.

Does it upset you, or make your job harder, when news outlets promote sensational stories like this and fail to place them in a broader context?

GV: Sure. That's extremely frustrating. The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say, is that I did a number of consolidations in the current year to save $4 million. Part of the consolidation meant that Max Fernandez, who was one of the people I gave the raise to, took on an additional 107 positions. He had a department of 90. He now has almost 200, with all kinds of issues related to the audit and the permits that were issues in Natomas, etc. Same thing with Gery Hamby ~~Jerry Handbe~~ . That was a consolidation.

I could have, in a very non-transparent way, combined the departments as part of the budget and put a raise in there for those two people. I chose to do two things. One, finish the consolidation, really make sure that the level of responsibility merited the increase, and then tell council about it.

IG: Did you tell that to the KOVR reporter?

GV: Yeah, they left a lot of stuff out. Even in the private sector, they've gone through difficulties no different than the public sector. I can give you plenty of examples, not from memory, but from having seen it, where they'll take their finance top person, because that's the focus right now, and give them a big bonus and a big raise, because those are the people you don't want to lose right now. Those are the people that have so much institutional knowledge. Our finance director was making $30,000 a year behind any other director. So now you're putting yourself at risk of losing somebody.

IG: And you didn't give any one person a $30,000 raise. So they're...

GV: ...still the lowest paid finance director. And you know what else I didn't talk about? There was a demotion that Ray Kerridge — he took one of our assistants of the city manager and sent him out as a director, and he never did what he should have done, which is to take the pay away. Now you're a director again. It was truly a demotion. That was part of my calculation, so that the net impact of all those raises versus the reduction was like $19,000 a year.

IG: And the overall hit to the budget then was kind of infinitesimal.

GV: Exactly. You can't even calculate it: $19,000 in a year on an $800 million budget.

IG: But it makes a nice blurb on a news promo.

GV: Exactly.

IG: Sacramento has faced a multitude of problems over the past few years: the housing-market crash, job losses due to the recession, state worker furloughs lowering the pay of the city's No. 1 employer, the Kings having one foot out the door, and an arguably dysfunctional city council.

What is it going to take for the capital of California to turn the tide of its current dilemmas, and does it take a "strong mayor" to get it done?

GV: (chuckles) Well, it takes leadership. Whether that's in the strong mayor form or the entire council, it includes the city manager. It really takes the absolute best leadership from all of us.

This is a serious problem. This is global. It's not unique to Sacramento. This state, unfortunately, is like one of five that's in the worst shape in the United States. And then Sacramento, as a region, is worse than the rest of California, with 13 percent unemployment.

This is a time for leadership to really stand up and stand out. Time for creative thinking. We can't wait for the feds or the state to offer some sort of solution. We're going to have to figure this out ourselves.

IG: Wow. OK, last two questions I have for you today are softballs.

GV: (laughs) Alright. Thank you!

IG: What does the future hold for Gus Vina?

GV: I am a finalist, like "final final," one of three, in two locations. I really can't give the locations out because I want to honor the fact that city council like to make those announcements themselves, but it is at the city manager level, which I hope to retire from that. I feel like I've got another eight or 10 years of it. I really enjoy the role and the job. So I have seven active applications, and of the seven, three have netted interviews, and two of three are "final final." So I'm hoping within a few weeks here, I'll have a choice.

IG: In between now and then, what are you going to do? What about for fun?

GV: For fun? I have some "honey-do's" at home to catch up on. I got a granddaughter to go visit. I've got to kind of reorganize and re-prioritize myself a little bit. Chances are the next move will be out of Sacramento, so logistically I have to think about that.

IG: Last, what advice do you want to share with you successor?

GV: Don't be afraid to lead. Be confident. It's hard work, but you've got to remember to keep your balance. It takes a lot of hours to do this job. People sometimes don't know or appreciate that. Whether you like to work out or play softball or what have you, do it. Don't leave family behind.

IG: Thanks a lot for your time.

GV: No problem.

Isaac Gonzalez is an independent writer who can be reached at sacramentoisaac@gmail.com

School superintendents urge lawmakers to put tax extensions on June ballot

2011-03-29T01:39:38Z

School superintendents from across the state convened on the west steps of the Capitol on Monday to urge lawmakers to get tax extensions on the ballot in a June special election, which they said is necessary to avoid a $4.6 billion reduction in public school funding.

Sacramento City Unified Superintendent Johnathan Raymond said time has run out and that legislators need to get the tax extensions put on the ballot this week, since county clerks need 88 days to prepare for an election.

“We are here because we represent children in California, and that, I think, is a point getting missed in our message,” said Raymond.

“I look right in front of me and I see two yellow school buses. We all know what that means, a field trip to the state Capitol. Well, what's the most important civic lesson that we can possibly tell them? That a government for the people, by the people is truly representative,” Raymond said.

He urged legislators to put the measure on the ballot and let the people of California decide the future.

“It's not a Republican issue. It's not a Democrat issue. It's a basic issue of representation and democracy,” Raymond said.

If the tax extensions don't make it on the ballot, Gov. Jerry Brown has said he will move to an “all cuts” budget to address the state’s $26 billion shortfall.

An “all cuts” budget would devastate K-12 funding, triggering massive layoffs, a loss of programs such as sports, summer school and bus transportation and hurt schools in low-income areas,

“This is not a new tax. It is one we already pay, and a successful ballot measure would not increase it, only allow us to pay a bit longer with the belief that we will exit from this budget chaos,” said Riverside Unified School District Superintendent Rick Miller.

Extensions placed on a November election rather than June, don’t hold any water said Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Mike Hanson.

“Frankly, November does us very little good,” he said. Hanson said districts will spend the 2011-12 school year decimating programs for students across the entire state. To imagine a November election with tax extensions passed, districts would then have to attempt to rebuild what they tore down.

Moreover, Hanson said districts have exhausted the one-time money that has been kept in reserves to get them through tough times.

Some districts have eliminated home-to-school transportation, summer school programs, adult education and programs such as: sports, drama, yearbook, and speech and debate. Moreover, it's common to see class sizes of 40 students or more.

In addition, school years have become shorter, where students aren't guaranteed 180 school days a year anymore. Some districts have not been able to adopt new textbooks at the time when standards have been updated.

The worst-case scenario budgets will trigger massive layoffs, and districts have been taking those steps already. Thousands of teachers were pink-slipped earlier this month. About 300 (of the nearly 1,100) statewide districts have reported a total of 19,000 teacher pink slips.

In the past, districts have used pink slips for temporary teachers and then hired some back, but superintendents now are saying these pink slips are basically to keep the balanced budget in place they’re required to have by law, Hanson said.

Earlier this year, the Natomas Unified School District announced that a state takeover would be imminent if concessions weren't made by unions and if the tax extensions weren't passed. (http://sacramentopress.com/headline/46012/Assemblyman_Pan_leads_Natomas_Unified_town_hall_meeting)

Meanwhile the SCUSD board voted to balance the district's projected “worst-case” budget shortfall of $22.35 million by eliminating financial support for extracurricular activities and reducing the district’s counseling staff by 37 percent, eliminating one assistant principal position at each high school and raising K-3 class sizes at two grade levels. They previously approved raising class sizes for all other grades – including 40 students per teacher at the high school level.

At a glance (courtesy of the Education Coalition, www.protectourstudents.org):
-California has cut $18 billion from K-12 public schools in the last three years
-A reduction of $1,900 per student has occurred over the last three years
-If taxes are not extended, Brown has said he will ask for an “all cuts” budget
-An “all cuts” budget could lead to $4.6 billion reduction in public school funding
-That amounts to an additional $754 cut per student in 2011-12
-A $19,492 cut per classroom
-Statewide teacher layoffs of 52,874
-Class size increase of 18.2 percent
-California already ranks 43 in the nation in per-pupil spending
-California ranks 50 in staff-to-student ratios

Citizens attend volunteer forum

2011-03-27T04:01:56Z

Local residents seeking information about forming their own neighborhood volunteer groups convened at the Clunie Clubhouse at McKinley Park this past Saturday Morning. The informational event, held by coordinators from the Land Park Volunteer Corps, drew over 30 individuals ranging from concerned citizens, past and present city employees, and representatives of various community organizations.

Craig Powell, lead coordinator for LPVC, passed out an detailed guide outlining the “nuts and bolts” involved in forming a successful city park volunteer group. Staff from the cities park department summarized the resources available to groups interested in volunteering, and how to coordinate with various departments. Curious residents asked provocative questions, and suggested new methods of community involvement. In just under two hours, a wide range of ideas, topics, and examples of past efforts were discussed between the attendees and speakers.

Julie Meir, Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Department of Parks and Recreation, encouraged attendees to take advantage of the tools and support the city can extend. “Our volunteers really kick butt.” Meir told the group. “They really help out, especially now with all the cuts our maintenance department are dealing with.”

The difficulties caused by the city’s budget woes loomed large over the days conversation. Many participants spoke about watching their parks slowly deteriorate, and about feeling powerless to do anything about it. However, a genuine feeling of self-responsibility and civic pride was in noticeable in the room. Almost every comment from the participants began with some variation of, “I love this park” or “I’m concerned about keeping our park great.”

As the meeting started to wind down, the creation of a park advocate group was proposed. Attendees surmised that without continuing collaboration and coordinated pressure on our city leaders, Sacramento’s parks may face even more hardships in the future.

“Without an active advocate group, our parks could face further neglect.” Powell reiterated. “It’s up to us to tell our council representatives how important of parks are to our community.”

Anyone who was unable to attend Saturdays meeting should email Powell at ckpinsacto@aol.com. At request, electronic copies of the workshops handouts can be made available, as well as information about future clean-up events and advocacy gatherings.

Isaac Gonzalez is the Lead Coordinator for Beautification Events for the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, and was a speaker at this meeting.

Associated Students President gives address at CSUS

2011-03-09T05:50:46Z

Student involvement at a commuter school like Sacramento State has given the Associated Students, Inc. president, Terry Martin, an added task of making the student government organization visible.

ASI members have gone to residence halls to promote their organization. They have gone to local businesses to offer discounts to students who have their student identification, known to students as the OneCard. And they have helped raise funds to keep the Hornet bus line going.

From fees, class sizes and campus life, to the future direction of ASI, Martin addressed student concerns Tuesday in the University Union lobby and suggested that students get involved if they want to see a change. He said students have complained about “poor academic advising,” which has kept students in school longer.

He said the college has begun a course on public advocacy, which teaches students how to get their message across to legislators. “Even though students can vote, they don't have a lot of money, so the class helps give them political power,” Martin said.

The State Hornet, Sacramento State's student newspaper, reported that currently programs that are impacted include graphic and interior design, nursing and business courses and that, next year, the school will be further impacted in psychology, health science and criminal justice. The article states that, currently, psychology classes are set to max out at 25 students, but some professors are seeing up to 44 students in a course.

http://www.statehornet.com/news/impaction-set-to-affect-more-majors-1.2040841

Martin suggested that students join school committees and clubs and noted that the California State University Board of Trustees is looking for student representation on its board. He also noted that in response to Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget of slashing $500 million to CSUs, and students from around the state will converge on the Capitol on March 14.

The ASI office encouraged students to participate and “express their disappointment.”

Organized by California State Association and Student Senate for California Community Colleges, student leaders will lead students on a march from Raley Field to the West Steps of the State Capitol, where a press conference will take place. Buses will be available at Sac State to transport students to Raley Field for the start of the march. Students will meet at Raley Field, and the march will begin at 10 a.m. The march will end at the west steps at 11 a.m., and a press conference will be held at noon.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Crash tax could be repealed

2011-03-02T06:06:54Z

Sacramento’s controversial “crash tax” might come off the books as early as next week.

Councilman Jay Schenirer, who initially voted for the fire cost recovery ordinance that would bill non-resident drivers for emergency responses to accidents in which they are at fault, called for the ordinance’s repeal Tuesday night.

He took advantage of a scheduled vote to approve a contract with outside billing company Fire Recovery USA and said he wanted to change his vote.

“I do think at this point it’s the wrong ordinance for the city,” he said, adding that he has taken time to reflect on his previous decision, and said the recent awarding of $5.6 million in federal grants puts the Fire Department in “slightly better shape” financially.

Councilman Steve Cohn disagreed with Schenirer.

“Our budget situation is not better,” he said. “Let’s be honest about that.”

The city is projecting a budget shortfall of $35 million - $40 million.

City staff and Fire Recovery USA projected the Fire Department would recover about $300,000 annually through the ordinance.

Roseville’s city council recently repealed a similar ordinance because it did not provide as much funding as anticipated in the year and a half it was in effect.

Mike Rivera, chief business development officer for the Roseville-based Fire Recovery USA, said Tuesday he considered the $300,000 projection for Sacramento to be conservative.

He said the shortfall in Roseville’s funding outcome was due to projections within the city that did not pan out.

“They didn’t receive the funds forecast, but that was internal,” he said.

One of the vocal opponents of the original ordinance in Sacramento, Councilman Darrell Fong, told The Sacramento Press before the meeting Tuesday that he was going to vote against the contract with Fire Recovery USA, which needed a two-thirds majority vote to pass.

That vote, however, was shelved, pending the outcome of the ordinance’s possible repeal.

“I certainly support the notion of revisiting this, frankly, to kill it,” Councilman Rob Fong said. “I just think it’s bad policy.”

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she still supports the ordinance.

“I just don’t think it’s wise to take any funding stream off the table,” she said. “For me, the fire cost recovery has always been about protecting our residents.”

She added that some areas in North Natomas have a response time of more than 10 minutes due to station brownouts.

Despite being on the consent calendar, where non-controversial items are typically placed, Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jonathan Burgess said he wasn’t surprised by the outcome, as the issue has been controversial at every step.

“With the budget that we’re looking at facing in the next fiscal year, yeah, every amount of money that we can recover will definitely help in the event of potential possible brownouts,” he said.

The vote to bring the ordinance back to the City Council for repeal was a 5-4 decision, with Schenirer switching his vote to join Rob Fong, Darrell Fong, Bonnie Pannell and Sandy Sheedy in opposing it.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Author to Discuss New Book on Water Fluoridation Dangers

2011-02-21T19:09:52Z

Paul Connett PhD will be in Sacramento Febuary 23~24th to discuss his new book The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There. Learn how this relates to Sacramento, as new found dangers of water fluoridation continue coming to light.

There will be two events in Sacramento:

ARCADE LIBRARY - Wednesday Feb 23rd 7:00-9:00pm 2443 Marconi Ave Sacramento. It is a free event. For more info go to FluorideFreeSsacramento.org
WHOLE FOODS - Thurs. Feb. 24th 7:00-9:00pm 4315 Arden Way (Eastern and Arden Way) Seating is limited at this event. For reservations at Whole Food call (916) 483-1155 For more info go to FluorideFreeSsacramento.org

Over the past 23 years Dr. Paul Connett's research on waste management has taken him to 49 US states and 50 other countries, where he has given approximately 2000 pro bono public presentations. He has co-authored 6 peer reviewed articles on dioxin and numerous other articles on waste management. He is the main author of the new book The Case Against Fluoride: How Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and Powerful Politics That Keep It There

Ralph Nader said "He is the only person I know who can make waste interesting."

Dr. Connett has researched the literature on fluoride¹s toxicity for 12 years. He helped found the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) http://www.fluoridealert.org for which he is the Executive Director. He has given presentations at the International Society for Fluoride Research conferences in New Zealand, Germany and China; the Japanese Society for Fluoride Research; the American College of Toxicology; the US EPA; the US National Research Council; the CDC in Nanjing, China; the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Health and Children in Ireland, a parliamentary committee in the Knesset, Israel as well as to many citizens¹ groups in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, the UK and the US.

Of particular concern is a growing body of research indicating fluoride's ability to damage the developing brain, including 24 studies associating fluoride exposure with reduced IQ in children, 6 studies linking fluoride to other neurotoxic effects in children, and over 100 animal studies reporting that fluoride directly damages the brain.

Assemblyman Pan leads Natomas Unified town hall meeting

2011-02-19T01:04:24Z

Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) led a town hall meeting for the Natomas Unified School District community at Inderkum High School on Thursday night where he and Superintendent Bobbie Plough laid out a plan to help the district prevent a state takeover, or “receivership.”

The town hall meeting came on the heels of a prediction made by County Superintendent David Gordon that NUSD would end up with a negative fund balance in the coming years.

If that projection comes true, then the district would lose local control with a state-appointed receiver in place and a disempowered school board.

As the state legislator for the governing district, Pan said he is required to ask the Legislature for a “take-over bill,” which he called a “holding position for right now.” Pan recommended that unions and staff make concessions three years out.

NUSD management and the Natomas Teachers Association have already agreed to a 7.9 percent pay cut for the 2011-2012 school year, and the district is hopeful that classified staff will agree to similar cuts.

In addition, NUSD, like many districts across the state, has responded to the fiscal crisis by working on two budgets of its own – one that hinges on the hope that tax extensions make it on the June ballot and pass, and a second budget that doesn't. Plough said the second budget would reflect a $350 cut per student or, in other words, a 6 percent additional cut.

“If tax extensions pass and we get agreements from (the) teacher’s association and classified for the 2012-2013, we will make it as a district,” she said. “We need to look at cash flow, and we need to maintain it over the next two years.”

Pan said the state Legislature's goal is to pass a budget at the beginning of March in order to get the tax extensions on the ballot in June. While Pan said the Republicans have not been supportive of putting measures like these on the ballot, he said that doesn't mean Democrats won't be able to find two Republicans who would break from their caucus.

“I'm hopeful colleagues on the other side of the aisle will step up and recognize what impact (the state budget) will have on their school districts,” he said. “We're not the only district having challenges.”

Assuming the extensions are put on the ballot, Pan noted the added difficulty of requiring a two-thirds vote.

NUSD is in a unique and more dire situation than most because it is experiencing declining enrollment due to the economy, and because students are leaving the district schools for charters. Plough said that 300 leave per year to charters, and 100-125 leave because of the economy. District-wide, there are 12,000 students; 3,000 of them have opted for charters.

At the meeting, Assembly Appropriations Committee staff member Kimberly Rodriguez said that because the cost in education is “90 percent people,” NUSD will have to suffer further layoffs or get concessions from unions.

“Savings is going to be people,” she said.

According to the district website, there will be a budget workshop on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at the education center located at 1901 Arena Blvd.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Big plans for River District

2011-02-16T06:21:01Z

Major changes are in store for the city’s River District, as the Sacramento City Council approved a set of future development plans Tuesday night.

The planning documents set a path for development of the area over the next 25 years, according to a report from city staff. The city’s plans for the River District, a 773-acre swath between the Sacramento Railyards and the American River, focus on ramping up residential, commercial, office and hotel development and moving away from industrial development.

Council members approved the plans in a 8-0 vote. Mayor Kevin Johnson did not attend the City Council meeting because he was out of town, said Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek.

The city wants to remodel the River District area into a “transit-oriented mixed use urban environment,” according to the Feb. 15 city staff report. The refashioned district would feature 8,144 homes, 3.9 million square feet of office space, 854,000 square feet of retail and wholesale, 1.4 million square feet of light industrial and thousands of hotel units, according to the report.

The plans would be a major change from the district’s current developments, which are mostly industrial.

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby praised city staff’s development plans for the River District, noting that planned projects for the area would involve redevelopment funding. Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed disbanding redevelopment agencies and using redevelopment money on other local services. The city hopes to use $25 million in redevelopment funds on the River District in the future.

“One thing I do want to point out is that this is a really great example of why cities need to have control of ... redevelopment dollars,” Ashby said. “These are exactly the types of gems and pearls we’re trying to bring into our cities.”

Infrastructure upgrades, public resources and administrative costs for the River District remodel over the next 25 years will cost an estimated $323 million, according to the report. Fees paid by developers would cover $180 million of the amount.

If Brown throws out redevelopment agencies, work on the plans will slow, said Rachel Hazlewood, a senior project manager for the city’s Economic Development Department.

In addition to development, the city is also designating nine sites in the area as historical landmarks and setting up a North 16th Street Historic District. Sites that will be identified as historical landmarks include the PG&E Sacramento River Power Station at 400 Jibboom St. and Fire Station No. 14 at 1341 N. C St.

Read the city staff report here.

View River District Landmarks in a larger map

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Drinking Water Fluoridation - A Roadblock to Greenness?

2011-02-14T22:38:28Z

We keep hearing about our greenness. Here in Sacramento we have a tree program, various recycling programs, and other earth friendly initiatives. But can one policy trump all this? Can a city be truly green when it knowingly adds toxic chemicals imported from China to its drinking water? And to top it all, 99.99% of it is wasted. Lets look at the facts as the Sacramento Department of Utilities has presented them.

Questions came up at a June 22, 2010 Sacramento City Council budget hearing. This resulted in a request for additional information regarding the city's water fluoridation program. On July 1st Marty Hanneman, Director of Utilities sent the Mayor & City Council members a memorandum. It detailed the costs, chemicals used in, and ongoing maintenance related costs among other things, of the Sacramento Water Fluoridation program. This memorandum also highlighted the vast waste inherent in the delivery of the fluoride drug. Members of Fluoride Free Sacramento obtained a copy of this memo.< 1 >

The memorandum detailed the approximately $1 million annual cost to the department. Part of this cost is purchasing is the chemicals use, namely Sodium Fluoride & Fluorosilicic Acid. Another aspect is how the corrosive nature of the fluoridation chemicals are literally dissolving away very expensive equipment. This necessitates ongoing costly equipment repairs and replacement of the drug dosing equipment. For example, the E.A Fairbairn Water Treatment Plant currently required a $450 million infrastructure upgrade, and the Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant's fluoridation system will be due for replacement as well in 2014.

Now about those chemicals. The California Code of Regulations, title 22 < 2 > lists 791 chemicals as "Hazardous Waste," 39 of these are fluoride compounds. The memo lists two of these chemicals that are used for drinking water fluoridation in Sacramento; Hydrofluosilicic Acid and Sodium Fluoride. These are also not to be confused with the pharmaceutical quality fluoride in products, such as toothpaste, and mouthwash. Fluorosilicic Acid is a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry. It contains levels of lead, arsenic and other heavy metals.< 3 > This is very toxic stuff by any standard.< 4 > Recent studies of fluoride use indicate a link to bone cancer, bone fractures, thyroid disorder, lowered IQ and more.< 5 >

With regards to the waste factors involved, consider where the drug ends up. The sole intended target group is defined as children under five years of age. Parents please see note below. According to city calculations, less than 0.009% of fluoridated water produced is potentially consumed by this target group. In other words, over 99.99% of the fluoride is not even used by those that are supposed to need it, but is wasted by watering the lawn, dish washing, flushed down the drain, etc. In the memo, the Mr. Hanneman makes the analogy of taking one gallon of milk, using six drops of it and pouring the rest of the gallon in the sink. This waste process has also been shown to negatively effect life downstream.< 6 >

The sourcing of the chemicals is also not green at all, as in they are routinely shipped in from China and Japan.

To recap the whole process: Ship in toxic chemicals from outside the country, then dump down the drain. This is water fluoridation in a nutshell. Is there a green option? You tell me.

Note to parents; For health reasons, babies one year and under are to avoid all fluoride as recommended by the the American Dental Association and the Center for Disease Control.< 7 > This would mean avoiding all processed food and juices, as these are commonly made with fluoridated water.

<1> http://fluoridefreesacramento.org/JULY_1_MEMO.pdf
<2> http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/LawsRegsPolicies/Title22/upload/Appendix-X_Ch11_ready-to-post.pdf - & - http://www.keepers-of-the-well.org/product_pdfs/Fluorides_Classified.pdf
<3> http://www.fluoridealert.org/phosphate/overview.htm
<4> http://www.fluoridation.com/poison.htm
<5>http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/
<6> http://www.earthislandprojects.org/eijournal/fluoride/fluoride_salmon.html
<7> http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/infant/
< * > http://FluorideFreeSacramento.org

The reality of budget cuts in Children's Services

2011-02-03T02:51:16Z

My name is Melissa Mendoza, and my family and I live in a lovely neighborhood called Woodlake in Sacramento. We are your typical family of four, married for eight years with two beautiful children, a daughter and a son. Our lives seemed typical and ordinary until two years ago when our son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 ½. We were thrown into a world of psychologists, neurologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists and so many unanswered questions.

My husband and I had just started our own web and database design business and were now spending countless hours in doctors’ waiting rooms and searching for answers to why our son was still not talking at the age of 2. Why was he spinning in circles and flapping his arms? Why would he entertain himself by slamming a cabinet door over and over? Why did his words stop? Why wouldn’t he answer to his name? The answer was autism.

We were shocked! We told the psychologist, “But he’s a loving kid. He loves hugs, he loves to be touched. He loves to be with other people. How could it be autism?” We didn’t know anything about an “autistic spectrum.” We learned that his diagnosis placed him somewhere in high-functioning but not Asperger’s syndrome, and that many kids with autism love hugs and squeezes and attention. We bought countless books on Sensory Processing Disorder and autism trying to understand our son and the new world we had entered.

We began therapy that was funded through Alta Regional Center right away at JabberGym in Downtown Sacramento. He began with speech therapy twice a week for 45-minute sessions and occupational therapy for 45 minutes a week at their facility. He also had a developmental therapist visit our home once a week for 45 minutes. The results were not immediate, but Mateo began to say more words, and he really enjoyed playing with his therapists each week. They would write up his progress, and each week there were more results. I could see things slowly clicking for Mateo, but we had a very long road ahead of us.

At the age of 3 we began ABA therapy with Capitol Autism Services in Sacramento. These services are also funded through Alta Regional Center. ABA therapy stands for Applied Behavior Analysis program and takes place in our home. Mateo was receiving over 30 hours a week of services, including full-time support at a “typical” preschool. At the age of 3, speech and occupational therapy are no longer provided through Alta Regional Center; families must receive services through their school district. So Mateo began speech therapy at Woodlake Elementary School and was cut to 30 minutes a week, the maximum the district would provide for a 3-year-old who barely spoke. Occupational therapy was now 45 minutes a week at Vineland Elementary School in Rio Linda. Services through the school district are not enough!

To receive ABA Therapy that is funded through Alta, someone must be in your home during the 30-hours-a-week program, and at least 60 percent of the time it needs to be either a parent or grandparent. On top of this we must transport our child to and from preschool, to therapy and whatever appointments he needs. This does not leave much time for running a business and finding quality family time for us all, but we find a way for Mateo.

And it has paid off because the hours and hours of therapy and interaction with typically developing children at preschool with the assistance of an aide has made all of the difference. I strongly believe that Mateo receiving therapy immediately through Alta Regional Center and the dedication and work of his home program tutors from Capitol Autism Services has made it possible for him to attend a typical kindergarten this fall.

Running our business means a large amount of expenses, health insurance, medical expenses, taxes and so much more. It gives us the flexibility to help our son, but there are no tax breaks for middle-class families trying to raise a child with special needs. And now those very services that have made all of the difference for Mateo are proposed to be cut.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget cuts would cut the Lanterman Act’s promise that people with developmental disabilities will get the services and support they need to live full lives in the community.

It would be on a sliding scale, and a middle-class family could be expected to pay up to $6,000 a year to cover services. There is no way our family could afford that. Our son would have to go without.

Autism diagnosis is growing more each year. Currently 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys are diagnosed each year. Autism receives less than 5 percent of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases. There are no answers to what causes autism, but there is one thing that we know: Early intervention and services make all of the difference. I know without the early speech therapy, home ABA program and occupational therapy, Mateo wouldn’t be developmentally where he is today.

When we started therapy, Mateo could only repeat one word at a time and hardly spoke on his own. This morning Mateo said to me, “Mama, watch cartoons with me!” He has made huge strides in the past few months. I don’t think it would have been possible without the therapy and support we have received.

If the cuts happen, my son could lose many of his services, and children who are newly diagnosed with autism would definitely be missing out on the most important years of therapy. I know the cuts need to happen, but taking away from children who already receive so little is not the answer.

Thank you for the time to listen to Mateo’s story and how important it is that these services continue for our children. If you would like to hear more of our stories, follow our blog at mateosstory.wordpress.com.

If you are interested in attending the hearings, the information is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 3
WHO: Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health & Human Services
WHEN: Approximately 10 a.m. or upon adjournment of Assembly floor session
WHAT: Hearing on Developmental Services proposed cuts
WHERE: State Capitol in Room 4202
NOTE: There is a Senate Budget Subcommittee hearing at 9:30 a.m. this same day focusing on the governor’s proposed cuts to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and SSI/SSP, and the proposed elimination of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP)
CAN PUBLIC TESTIFY?: Yes – very brief (can also can submit longer written comments)

Thursday, Feb. 10
WHO: Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health & Human Services
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of the Senate floor session
WHAT: Hearing on Developmental Services proposed cuts
WHERE: State Capitol in Room 4203
CAN PUBLIC TESTIFY?: Yes – very brief (can also submit written comments)

City Council discusses closing next years projected budget gap

2011-02-02T08:29:47Z

Sacramento is facing a $35 million - $40 million budget gap next year, according to city officials who gave an update to the City Council Tuesday night.

The city must reduce expenses by 20 percent to close the gap for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, according to city staff.

Interim City Manager Gus Vina, who held a financial recovery workshop for the council recently, characterized the budget gap as “ugly and persistent.”

City Council members were in agreement about the desperate budget situation. They emphasized how hard it will be to cut more than they already have in the last several years.

“We’ve been squeezing and squeezing and squeezing,” said Councilman Kevin McCarty.

Mayor Kevin Johnson pointed out just how severe the cuts have been.

“(We’ve had) 191 million in cuts over the last four years,” Johnson said. “We have a serious commitment to be actively involved to solve this.”

Councilman Steve Cohn echoed Johnson’s sentiments, saying, “It cannot be business as usual for us, employees or the public.”

Leyne Millstein, director of finance for the city, said, “This is the most significant policy decision the council hears every year.”

Over the last five years, more than 900 positions have been eliminated, she added.

The rollover from last year’s budget shortfall, renegotiated labor contracts, public employee retirement system cost increases, new facility staffing costs and Proposition 218 corrections contribute to the projected budget gap Millstein reported.

Staffing for new facilities includes two libraries (Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library and Valley Hi-North Laguna Library), Fire Station 43 in Natomas and a commitment to the Crocker Art Museum to staff the expansion.

Millstein presented guiding principles for the effort to balance the budget: maintain current core service levels while decreasing the cost of delivering services, avoid using one-time funds to pay for continuing expenses and rebuild the uncertainty reserve for emergency needs.

“We need to ask ourselves as a council how disciplined we’re going to be,” said Councilman Rob Fong. “We need to bind ourselves to these principles. It’s not going to get fixed in a year, and (it’s) not going to get fixed by building revenue.

“One thing we should also be thinking about is how we’re going to bring our services,” he added. “Given our revenue projections how would we run our city?”

“The economic cycle will come back. It’s going to take us a long time,” Councilman Jay Schenirer said. “We have a lot of education work to do, people are still in disbelief, they think there’s still 40 million in waste.”

The proposed budget is scheduled to be presented to the City Council by May 1.

According to Tuesday’s presentation, the city should be on track to a sustainable budget by the 2014/2015 fiscal year.

Vina details financial recovery plans

2011-01-26T03:18:49Z

Addressing an estimated $35 million-$40 million budget gap for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Interim City Manager Gus Vina hosted a special workshop on economic recovery for the City Council.

He presented a variety of plans to bring in more revenue, including enhancing the city’s parks with tourist attractions, providing incentives to businesses and creating a mix of opportunities in the city’s job market.

Vina urged City Council members to move quickly on the economic recovery plan so the city can begin to see results.

“I don’t expect the benefits in 2012 and 2013 to be huge, but it will be a good beginning,” he said.

He told council members that unemployment in 2011 is expected to remain between 11.5 and 13.5 percent. Vina said he wants to apply incentives toward small and medium-sized businesses, which make up 96 percent of the employers in the Sacramento region.

“We need to focus on small, medium businesses (and) what we can do for them,” Vina said. These businesses have 500 or fewer employees, he added.

Vina also said the city needs to broaden its employment market, a point that Mayor Kevin Johnson often makes at his press conferences. The city can’t rely overly on its government workers to keep the local economy working, Vina said.

He said he wants to focus on the sectors of green and clean technology, heath and medicine, higher education and agriculture.

“You need to diversify to avoid risk,” Vina said.

Another idea discussed at the workshop is to upgrade regional parks so they draw more visitors. To beckon tourists, the city could explore adding attractions such as museums, aquariums and centers for competitive sports, said Jim Combs, the city’s Parks and Recreation director.

Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell said the city could create skate tournaments as an attraction.

Combs also presented the idea of hiring youth part-time and paying them minimum wage to help maintain city parks.

Combs acknowledged that the department will likely face layoffs as part of budget cuts. “We probably will lose some of our workforce,” he said.

Public hearings on the city budget will begin on Feb. 1.

Vina has taken the lead on the economic recovery plan. The City Council voted Tuesday night in a private meeting not to promote Vina to the permanent city manager position. In a 5-4 vote, council members decided to hold a national search for a new city manager. The council members who voted to conduct the search and not promote Vina were Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Bonnie Pannell, Darrell Fong and Kevin McCarty.

It’s unclear at this point how the City Council’s decision not to promote Vina will affect the economic recovery plan.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Juvenile Hall Tour Focuses On Services, Challenges

2011-01-24T03:12:05Z

The Sacramento County Probation Department held an open house event at their juvenile hall Saturday afternoon. The facility, originally built in 1964, recently underwent an impressive renovation and 210-bed expansion to bring it up to current standards. The new state-of-the-art design allows officials to use an “Evidence-Based Curriculum,” which focuses on improving the quality of life not only for the inmates but hopefully for the surrounding communities as well.

On an average day the probation department says there are over 200 inmates in the facility, with an average length of stay of 24 days. Of that population, about three quarters are boys and the rest are girls. The typical juvenile offender under the county’s supervision in this building is 16 years old. Over 260 probation officers and other agency staff oversee the day-to-day operations at the hall.

The probation department places an emphasis on reducing recidivism and building positive social skills in its inmates. Juveniles are offered classes on anger control, conflict management and moral reasoning.
Educational opportunities for the incarcerated include year-round schooling on site, GED programs and a link to furthering their education after release at Sacramento City College. Offenders with children are encouraged to take part in the “Baby Elmo Project,” a 10-week intervention program intended to improve the parent-child relationship while the youth is in custody.

When speaking with Don Meyer, the chief probation officer for Sacramento County, one begins to see that this model for incarceration is a product of the conditions at this time.

“Because of ongoing delays in the court system, some of our inmates can spend up to three years or more in this facility,” Meyer said. “It’s important to make sure that, during that time, the individuals are receiving an appropriate education and the social training they need so that when they reenter the community they’re poised to become a positive member of society and less likely to reoffend.”

The future of these programs is uncertain in these tough economic times, and current funding could suffer large cutbacks if the vehicle license fee (VLF) rolls back to pre-fiscal emergency levels. Currently the probation department relies on the VLF for half its juvenile hall funding. Gov. Jerry Brown has said he plans to hold a special election to ask voters to keep the current VLF fees at their current rate through 2016. Without voter approval, funding from this source will expire in June of this year, forcing up to four units of the recently remodeled juvenile hall to close entirely.

For the time being, the Sacramento County Probation Department intends to continue to work with members of the community and officials from various governmental and private agencies to provide a suitable detention facility for minors in Sacramento. Navigating the difficulties that come from working within the confines of reduced annual budgets has been the norm for at least the past three years. In that time, the department has seen a 37 percent reduction in staffing. They have also had to deal with the closing of both the County Boys Ranch and the Neighborhood Alternative Center, another proactive program with a focus on crime prevention. Hopefully any further cuts, if enacted, do not come at the price of reduced public safety.

More information about the Sacramento County Probation Department can be found at www.probation.saccounty.net.

Vina wants permanent city manager job

2010-12-15T06:29:27Z

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said Tuesday that he would like to serve as Sacramento’s next permanent city manager.

The City Council held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the council’s plans for hiring a city manager. The council did not discuss the details of the private meeting at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. It’s unclear at this point if the council will search for a city manager outside of City Hall. The timeline for the council’s hiring process also remains unclear.

Meanwhile, Vina is expressing his interest in the permanent job.

“When I took the position, I understood it was interim and that they can discuss the interim status and appointment at any time up to March of next year,” Vina said in an e-mailed statement. “Should mayor and council decide to launch a recruitment effort, there’s no question I’ll apply.”

If selected for the permanent job, Vina said he would like to focus on recovery in the city. “That means focusing on three things: achieving long-term budget sustainability, pursuing economic recovery and keeping the community safe,” he said.

Former City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned in February, and the City Council selected Vina for the interim post in March.

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Treasurer: City must borrow cash

2010-12-08T05:54:18Z

City Treasurer Russ Fehr explained the city’s cash flow problems to the City Council Tuesday night, noting that the city’s general fund will need to continue to borrow cash.

The city has a $90 million cash flow gap, Fehr said. To address its cash flow troubles, the city recently borrowed $40 million, he said.

The city’s cash situation changes throughout the year, according to a report by Fehr. That’s because the city receives property tax revenues during the second half of the fiscal year, which begins Jan. 1, Fehr said.

The heart of the problem is the cash situation with the general fund, he said.

“I want to emphasize that the cash flow issue in first half of the year is not new,” he told the City Council. “Nearly all cities, counties, districts (and) school districts that receive property taxes face this problem. It’s sort of generically known as ‘the dry period.’

“Why it’s become a new issue for us in recent years, is that the general fund is now having to borrow for cash flow purposes,” he said.

The general fund has had cash flow troubles since Fiscal Year 2008-2009, according to Fehr’s report. “It’s certain that the general fund is going to have to borrow cash for the foreseeable future,” he told the council members.

Fehr urged the City Council to minimize and then stop using unsustainable solutions to balance the budget.

City Councilman Rob Fong was the only council member who commented after Fehr’s presentation. “It is a critical situation,” he said. The City Council and city staff must work on the cash flow problem together during budget season, Fong added.

Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on the situation at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “When times were good in the Sacramento economy, we spent more than we should,” Johnson said.

Fehr said last week that the city is not at risk of bankruptcy.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Treasurer: City running out of cash

2010-12-02T21:37:07Z

The city is in serious trouble because it is nearly out of cash.

City Treasurer Russ Fehr made that dire prediction in a report released Thursday afternoon. He wrote that the city faces a major problem with its cash flow.

“Due to the differences in timing in General Fund expenditures and revenues, there is a cash flow gap of approximately $90 million in the first half of the fiscal year,” Fehr wrote.

The City Council is expected to discuss Fehr’s report at its Dec. 7 meeting.

“If the City's discretionary cash holdings fall below the needs of the General Fund in the first half of a fiscal year, then the City will assume an appalling new risk level,” the report said. “If the City cannot borrow from internal sources for cash flow needs, then the City will be absolutely
dependent on short-term borrowing on the financial markets. The City will lose control of its financial destiny. There is no guarantee of success in borrowing in the future. Even with a balanced budget, the City could run out of cash before property taxes are allocated in late December.”

The Sacramento Press will provide more coverage of Fehr’s findings shortly.

Read the full text of the report here.

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Lesser lights shine brighter at Perspectives

2010-10-16T01:16:33Z

Despite nationally known speakers Sarah Palin and Howard Dean headlining the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 forum, it was the lesser-known speakers who had a greater effect on the audience.

Terrence McNamara, a Sacramentan in the construction industry, said he found management consultant and author Marcus Buckingham to be the most interesting.

“I’ve been coming to this for seven years, and it’s always the speaker you’re not interested in seeing who has the biggest impact,” he said.

Buckingham offered his views on dealing with strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, Buckingham said, people tend to think that weaknesses need to be worked on.

According to Buckingham, however, strengths should be reinforced.

“Strengths are your areas of opportunity – not your weaknesses,” he said, adding that “a weakness is an activity that consumes us, even if we’re good at it. Strength is an activity that makes you feel strong.”

In figuring out how to enhance performance in areas where people feel strong, Buckingham said they will be better at their jobs and more fulfilled in life.

The second speaker of the day was Food Network personality Chef Jeff Henderson.

Henderson told his story – how he went from being poor in Los Angeles to building a $35,000-per-month drug empire to being thrown in prison and eventually reforming and attaining the American Dream through hard work.

“I wasn’t arrested, I was rescued,” Henderson said.

After thrusting himself into the lives of the successful, Henderson found that “the only difference between the haves and the have-nots are the ones who have the knowledge and information and the ability to do something with it.”

Dean, a former Democratic Party presidential candidate, said the biggest threat to the United States is the budget deficit.

“Great countries collapse and die not because of external threats,” Dean said. “They do it because they lose the will to fight internal threats, and that makes them unable to deal with the external threats.”

Dean advocated stopping government growth and increasing taxes, as well as creating more manufacturing jobs in America.

In the upcoming midterm elections, Dean predicted that, of the contested seats, the Democrats will hang on to four seats in the House of Representatives and three to four seats in the Senate.

“Our candidates are better than the Republican candidates,” Dean said, referring to their political skills as much as his thoughts on their views.

On the subject of health care, Dean said that he views the current national health care plan not as reform, but as an extension of a system that was already in place.

“This bill was not groundbreaking. It was not reform,” Dean said.

Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, disagreed with Dean on how to generate wealth in the economy, calling for permanent tax cuts to spur investment and business growth.

“My kid is not your ATM,” Palin said, referring to a sign she liked at a tea party gathering. “I love that message sent to Washington, D.C.”

Where Dean had forecast the health care system evolving to a system similar to government-run ones in Canada and Europe, Palin said a free-market health care system is the only way to be successful.

The health care bill is “the mother of all unfunded mandates,” she said. “It’s gotta go. It’s gotta be replaced by true, free-market (reform).”

During her speech to the mostly full house of about 2,000 people at the Sacramento Convention Center, Palin applauded Republican Senatorial Candidate Carly Fiorina and questioned if incumbent Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer has done anything to earn votes.

“She spent 28 years in Washington to show...what for it?” Palin asked.

Palin also said California has the opportunity to lead the United States in government reforms by figuring out a way to deal with the state budget. She compared California’s budget problems to those of the federal government, and she said that Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman is the woman to do it.

“We can, we should do all that we can to make America remain that shining city on a hill and know that our best days are yet to come,” Palin said.

Audience members interviewed by The Sacramento Press after the event said it was a good experience.

“I thought it was terrific,” said John Frisch, a commercial real estate manager in Sacramento who has come to Perspectives for 14 of its 16 years. “One thing I love is there’s always surprises – one to two speakers you’ve never heard of, and they turn out to be nuggets.”

For Frisch, Henderson was that nugget.

“He was terrific,” Frisch said.

DeAnna Mackensen, an interior designer from Yuba City, said she thought Buckingham’s tips on focusing on strengths were very informative, and she plans to put his tips to real-world use in her business.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County made about 340 fewer layoffs than predicted

2010-09-02T04:48:17Z

Sacramento County has made about 340 fewer layoffs than it had predicted it would make as a result of June budget cuts.

County officials in June estimated that at least 725 employees could be laid off. The county resolved a $181 million budget gap in June when it passed a first draft of its budget.

But County Budget Officer Tom Burkart said in an interview Wednesday that the county ended up laying off about 380 people, instead of 725.

“The 725 actually was an estimate,” Burkart said. “And we did cut 700-plus positions, but they weren’t laid off.”

Retirements, demotions and vacant positions kept the number of out-the-door layoffs down,
according to Burkart.

The county’s layoff process is lengthy, so it is not immediately clear how many people will be laid off when officials provide an estimate for the number of layoffs.

In its layoff process, the county follows certain civil service employment rules and takes employee seniority into account, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis. This complex process results in some employees being demoted instead of laid off, according to Andis.

The Board of Supervisors is holding a hearing on Sept. 8 to approve its final budget and vote on adjustments the county has made to its budget since June. As part of the adjustments, the county is planning to cut additional positions in the Engineering Department and in the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a document written by Interim County Executive Steven Szalay for the Sept. 8 meeting.

The budget hearings may continue on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, according to Andis.

But the Sept. 8 meeting won’t provide a finalized county budget picture. While the board will approve the budget for the 2011 fiscal year next week, the county’s budget could change again when the state budget passes. Sacramento County administers state programs and is affected by state budget cuts.

The board’s Sept. 8 budget meeting begins at 2 p.m. at 700 H Street.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City to cash in if state issues IOUs

2010-08-18T22:14:08Z

If the state issues IOUs again, Sacramento plans to cash in.

The City Council gave the nod Tuesday night to the treasurer’s office to use $20 million to purchase IOUs – officially known as “registered warrants” – as an investment opportunity for the city.

If the state does issue IOUs, Sacramento Chief Investment Officer John Colville said recipients can take them to the treasurer’s office along with identification and a voided check, and the city will wire the money directly into the recipient’s bank account, with a $2 processing fee.

Last year, the city set aside $10 million, of which $6.92 million was used to buy IOUs, and the city cashed in for $29,650, Colville said.

“It was successful last year,” Colville said. “We only ran it for a little over 40 days, and we took in 338 warrants from 69 businesses and individuals.”

With the state paying an interest rate of 3.75 percent, Colville said the city received about three times what it otherwise would have.

“If we weren’t doing this, we’d be buying treasury bills or commercial paper from organizations, and as bad as it is right now, I’d be earning 0.19 percent on a six-month treasury bill,” Colville said. “A one-year treasury bill is only paying 0.24 percent. Even if they come out with 2.5 percent, I’m still destroying any other opportunity I have on the marketplace.”

Colville called it a win for the city and a win for the people and businesses issued IOUs.

Mayor Kevin Johnson characterized last year’s program as “very successful” at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, in which the measure was unanimously passed.

Colville told the council that about 85 percent of those who took advantage of the program were businesses that otherwise would have had trouble paying for day-to-day expenses and payroll.

While the state has not issued IOUs at this point, Colville said he anticipates seeing them by the end of the month if no state budget is passed.

The city will be able to redeem the IOUs once a budget is passed.

The program is open to all city residents, businesses and nonprofits, as well as businesses in nearby cities that employ a significant number of city residents.

“We’re pretty flexible,” Colville said.

“No cash is given from our office,” Colville said.

The $20 million is already on hand and comes from the general fund, city bond proceeds and outside agencies including the library, Colville said. All of it is already allotted for future uses such as payroll, but not for at least six months, which frees it up to be invested until then.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Community Conversations talks budget

2010-07-15T01:32:54Z

Sacramento residents meeting at the second session of Community Conversations Tuesday night gave their suggestions for dealing with the current Sacramento budget crisis, with ideas ranging from eliminating parks and recreation programs to more spending on prisons and education.

“Budget Cuts: What are we willing to do without and what are we willing to do about the rest?” was the question posed for the second of eight Community Conversations - one in each City Council district - sponsored by The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Region Community Foundation and Capital Public Radio. It was a striking question that produced several different thoughts from members of the Sacramento community.

Ten Sacramento residents joined in this week’s conversation, held at the Starbucks on 6013 Florin Road.

Under the direction of Oak Park resident Brian Fischer, the conversation about budget cuts led to talk of more being spent on education and prisons, with less money spent elsewhere.

Activities in the parks department could be cut, said Oak Park resident Amy Byerhoff, adding that volunteers could possibly replace those who would be laid off.

Some residents participating in the conversation disagreed, insisting on keeping certain activities alive to keep children out of trouble as well as hiring more police officers.

“If there is nothing else to do but get into trouble, then young people are going to get into trouble,” said Josh Francois, an Elk Grove resident.

Several attendees agreed.

“There’s a lot of young people who counted on the pool, and now it’s gone,” said Ron Cooper of Access Sacramento. “We created a storm for them to get into trouble. And where do they go? Prison.”

Discussing the budget and where its primary focus should go is a difficult topic, said Fischer, but with help from those who are directly affected by the budget cuts, citizens become more informed about the issues their community face.

Lasting about an hour and a half, the residents participating in the conversation provided personal opinions and insight of how residents of different communities in Sacramento feel about the new budget cuts and the affects they are having, including the loss of activities in K-12 schools and the possibility of more layoffs.

Community Conversations meetings are held every two months. The date for the next meeting is not set yet, but more information can be found here.

County slaps SMAC with budget cuts

2010-06-18T05:07:34Z

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission banded together Wednesday afternoon, bringing nearly a dozen arts supporters to a public County Board of Supervisors budget meeting that discussed funding cuts from the county's Transit Occupancy Tax, a hotel tax. It was the last day of public hearings on the county budget before deliberations.

Rob Leonard, the director of the county's Department of Economic Development gave a report on the cuts. Among organizations facing cuts from the TOT budget were the Sacramento Tree Foundation, the Sacramento Sports Commission and Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

Despite their efforts to oppose the cuts, which included public service announcements and several petitions, SMAC's funding from the TOT budget was cut Thursday afternoon from $309,655 to $175,000. That funding is allocated among SMAC's operations budget and Cultural Arts Awards.

"In the past, the board has given us some discretion to work with staff to allocate that amount as needed," director Rhyena Halpern said.

After Leonard's presentation Wednesday, nine people spoke in support of SMAC, for several minutes each. These included SMAC commissioners Dan Gorfain, Carlin Naify, Linda Cutler, Sid Heberger, as well as artists representing the Camellia Symphony Orchestra, La Raza Galeria Posada, and the Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association. Gorfain presented the board with a petition opposing cuts with more than 600 signatures.

"Over the course of the last three years, I lost my job, (my family) lost our house, we had to file for bankruptcy, and for a while we didn't know where we'd be living," said the vice president of the Sacramento Women's Chorus, Rebecca Wall, who brought her young daughter Audrey to the podium. "Music itself has been a wonderful thing for me during our situation. I'm honored to be able to be a part of the Sacramento Women's Chorus and I know that this funding is central to us to be able to do that in our community."

Sinag-tala CEO and artistic director Sonny Alforque said that SMAC funding is crucial to arts organizations, artists and the community.

"Many artists are the very same busboys, waitresses, janitors and retail clerks who serve us all for minimum wages," he said. "And yet most of us will tell you that without the generous assistance that SMAC provides to the arts and community with a small budget it now operates on, many of us would not be able to sustain our services to this community."

SMAC also receives funding directly from the city. After SMAC presented nearly 1,000 signatures in a petition opposing cuts Tuesday, the City Council decided to restore a proposed $150,000 in cuts to SMAC's Cultural Arts Awards Program.

"We are pleased by this development," Gorfain said in a prepared statement. "However, the cuts are steep. Rhyena Halpern says that the best way to think about these cuts is this: SMAC cuts for fiscal year 2011 will bring our total SMAC budget, excluding Art in Public Places, down from about $2.6 million in fiscal year 2008, to about $950,000."

The City Council must vote on its budget by June 22.

Photograph depicts painter David Garabaldi, the recipient of a SMAC scholarship to attend the California State Summer School for the Arts.