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' San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
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City of San Bernardino
Notes from the Meeting
Developing a City Vision and Goal Setting
Facilitator: Dr. Bill Mathis July 18, 2014, 1:00—4:00 p.m.
Scribe:Janice Mathis,MA RDA Board Room
L Opening Comments
II. Mayor/City Manager:Vision for the City?
Roll Call:All present.
Mayor welcomed all and turned the meeting over to Dr.Mathis who talked
about vetting all information and input from all Council members prior to
today. City Manager goals should come out after all Council express their
goals. Council wants structured goals with vision outlined. They anticipate
moving forward.
Allen (City Manager)has several ideas and visions of potential villages that
we'll discuss also.
• Key elements for the Vision: Mayor's Initiatives and Vision
Main Objectives:
1. Restoring Fiscal Sanity
a. Maintaining our progress through the bankruptcy
b. We've made progress with the bankruptcy
c. Meeting with the judge in Reno —face to face in August
d. On-going communication has been positive
e. Meeting with financial advisor,labor attorney, and bankruptcy
attorney.
f. Moving ahead with creditors
g. Council submitted a balanced budget—CM has made necessary
cuts;we're providing less services than we'd prefer—doing what we
can,
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
h. Staff morale: paying attention to our staff during this time;trying
to reach out to staff,working better together,staying positive. Staff
appreciates our attempts.
- Some low morale stems from prior behaviors of
former Council;they appreciate what we're trying to
do.
- We'll continue to let them know how much we
appreciate them
- City Manager has spent time building a team with
department heads —it's working.
i. Just trying to get our arms around the budget; create a system
through the next few years and hurdle.
j. Need to ensure we are fully aware of our current and projected
budget;providing a long term projected and short term;want this
to be a regular discussion so we all can adequately prepare. No
surprises.
k. Mayor explained building a reserve for unanticipated emergencies
and uncertainties and survival
1. Plan of adjustment
m.The Audit straightened out so much;this was key in finding out,
getting control of cash management,and generating true report.
Comments:
• Would be helpful if we looked at what Stockton and Vallejo went through
• Need for multi-year budget rather than one year at a time. If we can look
ahead at next year it would be helpful—having 2-yr or 3; need a reserve of
six months. Can't do just one year in pulling things together.
• Setting forth principles that will guide our process, discipline on spending,
flexibility—we need to come to terms with the specific terms we agree on
and policies for balancing the budget so we set an example and never get
into a situation like this again.
• Examples of why Vallejo failed again: Also how Stockton worked it out—
Discipline and staying with the goals. Role clarification,leadership by
Council and city manager
• Issue of contracting has various aspects; need to know what the City will
look like several years from now. Pros and Cons and trade-offs? What this
will look like long term as we have some guidance in sustainability.
o This will come in our plan of adjustment; not today but upcoming.
o What about a pension hybrid system?
• Contracting out should come to us from staff,CM regarding pros and cons
and direction as they look at all services. Need to allow the experts share
with us.
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
2. Create Economic Opportunities
• 11.3%unemployment—we're working on this trying to bring in new jobs
• We don't have qualified workforce to fill many of our jobs. It's our role in
City government to establish interest in our City.
• Admirable goal to increase our employment. Jobs are so important to our
families —back to the basic of city government; need to have a "small
business welcome"—giving every opportunity to look forward.
• Ideally lowering taxes, extend the business welcome mat again.
3. Enhancing quality of life
• Decreasing crime, ending bankruptcy
• Looking at Public Safety model—using services most efficiently
• Working on Housing plan with Community Development and City
Attorney's office
• Dealing with marijuana dispensaries;developing a plan with City
Attorney's office
• Targeting strategic areas
• Increasing quality of housing stock;identifying landlords who do not
comply—bringing the standard up and decreasing calls to public safety
• Working with Apartment building to come up to code
• Maintaining property values;we are still growing in population
• One of our goals is to impact housing with a master plan in development
• Parks need on-going improvement
• Historical components that are worth improving
• City Manager can help us in discussion with CIP moneys put into areas
• Natural resources —water supply(working with water dept.,recycling)
o List of single home families that are rentals —do they have business
licenses to rent?
o List of foreclosed homes? Villow or Trulia)
o In-Fill housing can be done without using City funds... regarding
our vacant lots. Also parking lots. Are we allowing others to build?
o All cities in our County have their eyes set on our City as we go
through bankruptcy. We need to make sure we have vested
partners; know what that is focused on. We need to focus on the
people who are committed to our City,they go to work every day
and provide for their families —our tax based families.
o Quality of Life Committee—citizen based,tax based, to get input
from —would encourage the citizens to take a look at.
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
Efforts to achieve stability and growth
City Manager's Vision about Village or opportunity areas
➢ Redevelopment approach
➢ Reinvigorating the Downtown
➢ Need to bring to this a strong market influence.
Tools may not be there anymore so will need to work with the private sector
➢ We may need something new-may need to bring people in who can help to
fertilize ideas with specific objectives.
o Suggesting visioning:
o We have 4o neighborhood organizations
o We define what we do in your District-complaints come in and we try to
manage and resolve
o We're spending more than other cities for services
o Zoning is amended to allow other options
o There are small areas that need tended to that we need to address
o What matters to our customers - 5-yr plan
o Need input from Council members for their Districts.
o Block Grant Program-need to take a look at this to get control of
resources we have
o Need to allocate for smaller issues
• Council Discussion
o Would like to be involved with this; understand the concern
o Need to know if this involves capital funds
o Would support an honest assessment-would be refreshing to
empower our residents.
o Our community is ethnically diverse;this concept could really work
for a City that has many cultures,diversity, ethnic restaurants,etc.
o Our Village aspect could really draw others out.
o I'm willing to look at any idea to see how this could work.
o Need input on how the Wards are divided and how this would work.
o We have to look at a new way of delivering services. Ask City
Manager to get with his people to let us know how he'll achieve our
direction. We need to give our City Manager a clear goal of what we
want. We need to rely on him and his staff;they are the
implementers of what we want done. He can come back to us with
his plan of how he'll achieve these goals.
o This is innovative; San Bernardino consists of very old buildings;
need to take this into consideration. Need to be aware that we do
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
not micro manage;need to turn daily operations over to City
Management.
o I'd like to pursue Allen's ideas(first Ward); it's doable and would
come back in go days.
o The Village concept could work;good idea.
o This definitely has potential. Over 3o ethnicities and this will be a
good challenge, using portion of the CIP.
o Could impact citizens who feel like they're step-children;haven't
had improvements in decades(near Rialto); this would make them
feel like they have something;may even come out and vote.
o This will help them to voice their opinions, get out and vote—
win/win.
o Carving out targeted areas; empowering folks in where and how
money will be spent.
➢ Does it make sense?
➢ Should CM recommend how he would begin targeting areas?
➢ How we get to implementation?
Revenue Enhancements-- City Manager
* Parking meters, tow yards, raising fees,going to voters for raising fees,
cost aspect of providing services;plan of adjustment for revenue
enhancement. Need another session to discuss this more.
• Advertisements on our garbage trucks; Omni trans busses as well;crime-
free multi housing project;TOT;
a Utilize theater parking;baseline of service calls; maximum of public safety
calls—fees for going over maximum; Metro link MOU--fee for parking
service which would pay for landscaping;parking meters around
courthouse and more near city,courthouse.
• Possibly lowering taxes and raising fees; need to bring in an expert in the
area of Economic Development before we conclude our fees, taxes,also
management cost—for managing all of these ideas. Are we operating at
the most efficient level and not being premature in making sure we're
making best decisions.
• CM—we'll bring in a bonified Economic Development expert however, it
will take all of us to make decisions collectively as a team.
• Need to move ahead with the Plan of Adjustment--- need to begin the
process.
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
• The Library has barely stayed open this year...
➢ City Manager will come back with Mayor regarding his Plan of Action in go days.
➢ This would be a dual effort with City Manager and Mayor regarding
implementation of overall goals that they'll define
III. City Goals for Next Year
(Recommend we limit to four Initiatives with measurable goals under each initiative.
City Manager to complete details for sign off by Council.)
• Crime Reduction Plan
• Economic Opportunities/Growth of Tax Base
o We have a lot of interest in S.B. right now. Looking at other areas
in our community;economic development strategy would come out
of the City Manager's office with Deputies with support from
Council
o Implement the Deputy City Manager positions
o Maintaining City Revenues-business retention is important to
maintain. Route 66 needs attention -downtown area,entire city.
o Need to bolster Hospitality Lane, Highland,and entrances
(Baseline)to the City, Waterman and others.
o Taking stock of all areas and being committed to making the most.
o On a local level,identifying small mom and pop stores that will help
to generate sales tax.
o Small pockets of new homes;looking at a micro level as well as a
larger level.
o Go through the City and identify areas where we can consider
instead of taking on the whole City at one time.
• Mayor—this is what we are doing also with County
Administrator.
• There are perception areas
• Need to help our partners—schools,chamber -shared
services and resources
• We're doing some of that already
RDA
• There is progress we're making; still some difficulties in dealing with some
of the processes we must go through; there is a lot of property tied up in
this. DOF, Home Depot,and on-going processes we're working on.
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
• Need to make sure we have tools made available to us as we wind down the
RDA. San Bernardino has a lot good assets that we can market;lack of
understanding also that needs to be communicated.
Mayor—we have regional connections;maintaining these is important for us (airport).
Continuing collaboration helps the City stay in the forefront and we'll continue this.
• Financial Stability
• Restore high quality basis services
IV. City Manager Goals 2014-15
• Mayor went over some of the protocols of Council/Manager working
relationships and common courtesies as reminders.
• Bring 2-5 new businesses to San Bernardino in this next year.
• Hire and coordinate your high quality Deputy City Managers to Economic
Development and Administration.
04 • Establish a jobs program(back to work)
• Develop strategies for Teambuilding and improving morale of City Staff.
• Develop and implement better communication strategies and processes
with Council.
• Actively free up properties from Succession Agency.
• Continue finding new partnerships and grant opportunities.
• Provide Department Head Goals and Evaluations on their annual
achievements.
Public Comment:
➢ Village concept—encouraged by this,getting citizens involved,the City is
broken into 6o + clusters; 25 active associations with another up and coming.
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San Bernardino Notes from the Visioning and Goal Setting 7 2014
Impressed with Henry's Town Hall meeting. This is a good way of getting citizen
involvement. Let's have Town Hall meetings;get all involved.
➢ Resident of Rialto;volunteer for the railroad;teaches classes at CSUSB.
Redevelopment Vision;take the tour of Mr. Palazzo;beautification committee.
➢ What is the statutory where you have to spend money; discretionary money
spending; capturing commuter expenses-hotel,gasoline; re-structuring and
expensing fee structures;general tax;outsourcing,landscaping,business
licensing; housing value goals and more.
➢ President of LULAQ there is hope. Affirmations on the board;partnership
between the City and the private sector to improve the City. Need to look at other
cities.
➢ Retired from CSUSB;very encouraged by everyone here today; ideas that came
across the board shows we're on the path to solving all problems before us. He
took the tour of Mr. Palazzo. Yes,we can do it and partner with our business
sector. Let's not be a village-let's be a kingdom.
➢ He wants the job of ED Director(Palazzo);he insists he has all answers.
V. Summary:
• Adopt the goals here;the village plan to be brought back in go days
• Working with the Mayor coming back with measures of how he'll achieve
the 3 goals
GEORGEANN "GIGI"HANNA
Cit Clerk
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