HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-23-2019 Item 1 - 2019-21 Financial Plan Process Department Name: Finance
Cost Center: 2001
For Agenda of: January 23, 2019
Placement: Community Forum
Estimated Time: 3 hours
FROM: Derek Johnson, City Manager
Prepared By: Brigitte Elke, Finance Director
SUBJECT: 2019-21 FINANCIAL PLAN PROCESS: COMMUNITY FORUM
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of San Luis Obispo utilizes a two-year financial planning process to create its budget
appropriations. This process includes extensive public outreach to assist the City Council in
establishing Major City Goals fo r the upcoming Financial Plan. The benefits of this process are
two-fold: 1) it ensures that resources are allocated in the budget to accomplish the community’s
highest priority, most important objectives and 2) addresses the required financial support and
maintenance of the City’s current services and capital assets. It therefore provides a process for
residents, decision makers, and City staff collaboration towards common goals.
The public outreach effort s accompanying the process include a wide-reaching Community
Priorities Survey, advisory body input, feedback from community groups, and a community
forum to prepare the City Council for selecting community goals and priorities for the next
financial plan during a goal-setting workshop scheduled on February 4, 2019. The opportunities
to provide feedback are illustrated on the following chart :
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Community Priorities Survey
Many of the efforts mentioned are already under way. In addition to encouraging participation in
the budget workshops, the community survey asks the City’s residents to share their priorities for
the City to accomplish over the next two years. Additionally, it asks for feedback on possible
trade-offs unless they can generate offsetting revenue. The Community Priorities Survey
(Attachment A) was mailed out via Utility bills in October and November and was posted on-
line at the City’s website with a deadline for submittal by December 16, 2018. Per Council’s
direction at the December 4, 2018 City Council meeting, staff extended the deadline to January
16, 2019. Additionally, hard copies were disseminated at the Senior Center and various City
public counters. Notice has also been sent to over 200 community groups and individuals
inviting their input and participation (Attachment B).
It is important to point out that this is not a “scientific survey” and as such caution should be
used when interpreting the results. Nonetheless, this has been the historic practice and the results
are useful, especially when viewed in conjunction with the other forms of feedback the Council
will receive in this process, in gaining additional insight into the wishes, views, and concerns of
the community.
The City has received over 1500 responses through the survey with the following emerging as
the top priorit ies:
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Additionally, the City asked how current projects and services could be adjusted to accomplish
any new priorities. A variety of responses were received and the top themes were:
The complete, verbatim responses and additional analysis will be included in the agenda packet
for the Goal Setting Workshop on February 4, 2019. A summary of survey responses will be
included at the various stations at the Community Forum.
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Community Forum
A cornerstone of the community engagement process is the Community Forum (Forum) where
the community has the opportunity to engage in person and give voice to the desired programs
and initiatives for the City Council to consider. It is intended to solicit suggestions from
residents, community groups, stakeholders and interested individuals on City goals and various
project and service ideas within those goals for the upcoming Financial Plan.
In previous years, the Forum was held at the Ludwick Center and was designed to receive
community input through public comment and a dot exercise. This format limited interaction and
dialogue with fellow community members, elected officials, and staff, but yet was helpful for the
City Council to receive insight as to the issues and topics the community wanted addressed in the
upcoming Financial Plan. Several improvement are panned for this year’s Forum increase
opportunities for interaction and engagement.
Format Changes
Based on the growing number of participants and feedback received from various community
members, the format and location of the Forum was changed for the 2019-21 Financial Plan
development process. To ensure that adequate space is available to accommodate all participants
comfortably, it will be held at the San Luis Obispo Veterans’ Hall on Grand Avenue on
January 23, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. In addition, dots will be handed to each participant upon arrival
and can be placed at any time during the event.
Workshop Component
For the first time, the Forum will afford participants the opportunity to interact with both, the
City Council and the Revenue Enhancement Oversight Commission (REOC), during an
interactive workshop. Information will be provided on current Major City Goals, core services,
and the City’s financial condition. Also, ten different stations will provide information on the
following topics:
Input Stations (7)
a. Housing
b. Multi-Modal Transportation
c. Climate Action
d. Fiscal Health and Sustainability
e. Downtown Vitality
f. Local Revenue Measure
g. New Ideas
Information Stations (3)
h. Budget / Core Services
i. Fiscal Health Response Plan
j. Funding the Future
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Local Revenue Measure Priorities
• Open Space Preservation
• Bicycle and Pedestrian
Improvements
• Traffic Congestion Relief/Safety
Improvements
• Public Safety
• Neighborhood Street Paving
• Code Enforcement
• Flood Protection
• Parks and Recreation/Senior
Programs and Facilities
A layout of the event is provided in Attachment C. Community members will be able to engage
in conversation with City Council, REOC Commissioners, and City staff at each stations and
provide their feedback. The input stations will feature a general description of the goal, examples
of projects/services and results from the community survey. Community members will be able to
place their prioritization dots in support of the goal, identify new initiatives under that goal, or
identify new goals. One of the primary purposes of the Input Stations is to emphasize City
Council comments during the financial planning process that many of the 2017 -2019 Major City
Goals and Other Important Objectives are likely to continue to be priorities and thus the Forum is
designed to help educate and identify new tasks within those areas. There will also be the
opportunity for community member to suggest new goals at the New Ideas station. Community
members will receive their dots in the beginning of the Forum with the flexibility to place their
dots throughout the event.
Public Comment Component
The workshop will be followed by an optional public comment session where community
members have an opportunity to further address the City Council and the REOC. For those
community members that stay for the public comment period and have kept their dots, the re will
be another opportunity at the conclusion of the public comment to place their dots at the stations.
The entire workshop will be facilitated by Don Maruska who will guide the community members
through the agenda and indicate when the scheduled activities are taking place. As in previous
years, the Community Forum will be live streamed on Channel 20.
Local Revenue Measure Annual Citizen Oversight Meeting
The Forum is also intended to meet the requirements regarding the City’s half-percent local sales
tax, by providing an opportunity for the Revenue Enhancement Oversight Committee (REOC) to
“review and discuss the use of the revenue generated by the Local Revenue Measure.”
1. Integration of the Local Revenue Measure into
the City's budget and goal-setting process. The
estimated revenue and proposed use of
funds generated by the Local Revenue Measure
shall be an integral part of the City's budget and
goal-setting process, and significant
opportunities will be provided for meaningful
participation by citizens in determining priority
uses of these funds.
2. Annual Citizen Oversight Meeting. The
Community Forum will also serve as the Annual
Cit izen Oversight Meeting for the Local
Revenue Measure by providing a summary of
revenues and expenses as well as an opportunity
to provide feedback on future services and
projects.
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It is important to know that the Local Revenue Measure is a general-purpose measure, and the
proceeds are not restricted to specific purposes. However, the language on the ballot measure
approved by voters in 2014 provides the types of uses that would be funded. The language on
the ballot was:
“To protect and maintain essential services and facilities – such as open space
preservation; bike lanes and sidewalks; public safety; neighborhood street paving and
code enforcement; flood protection; senior programs; and other vital services and
capital improvement projects – shall the City’s Municipal Code be amended to extend the
current one-half percent local sales tax for eight years, with independent annual audits,
public goal-setting and budgeting, and a Citizens’ Oversight Commission?”
Goal Setting Workshop
The input provided by the community during the Forum will be summarized and made available
to the City Council in preparation of the Goal Setting Workshop on February 4, 2019. The report
with all the input from the community survey, the advisory body goals, and the community
group feedback will be published on January 22, 2019, with the information from the
Community Forum provided as agenda correspondence on January 25, 2019.
Public Engagement
In order to reach as many residents as possible, the City utilized a broad range of public
engagement and outreach efforts leading up to the Community Forum.
Those efforts included:
1) Community Priorities Survey – available on the City’s website since October 2018 and
hardcopies mailed in utility bills in October and November
2) Press releases and news items sent in October, December and January
3) Social media posts and video on Facebook and Instagram
4) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) posted on the City’s website
5) Four print and digital ads that ran in the Tribune
6) Invitations mailed to 200+ community groups and interested parties
7) Invitations available at public counters and Senior Center
CONCURRENCES
This item is an interactive Council workshop to gain community feedback for the goal setting
process. It has been an integra l part of the budget process and involves the entire City
organization.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in this
report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15278.
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FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2018-19
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing Cost
General Fund $17,600 $18,559 -$959 0
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total
The Community Forum is part of the bi-annual budget process and is integrated into the annual
budget appropriation for the second year of the financial plan. The efforts for staff and other
resources to facilitate the community forum are part of various departmental budgets. Specific
costs are made in Finance Department’s Budget division for printing, video recording, and
meeting facilitation for an estimated cost of $18,559. Due to the Community Forum being held at
the Vets Hall, the actual cost will be slightly over the budgeted amount. However, the $959 can
be absorbed within exciting resources in the Finance Department. In previous years, the
Community Forum was held at the Ludwick Center which is a City owned property and came at
no cost to the City. For public outreach efforts, the work was absorbed into the City’s existing
communications contract with AMF Media Group.
Attachments:
a - Community Survey
b - Community Group Notice 2019-21 Flyer
c - Community Forum Layout
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What are the most importantpriorities for the City in 2019-21?
Every two years the City establishes the top priorities to make San Luis Obispo an even better place to live, work, and play. The City Council then matches the resources necessary to achieve these priorities through adopting the budget in June. The adopted budget sets the City’s course of action for the next two years and helps the City to continue to provide high-quality services that maintain an excellent quality of life for the community.
This year, the City implemented the Fiscal Health Response Plan to address significant financial challenges due to increased pension costs. Continuing this progress toward long-term fiscal health, the 2019-21 Financial Plan will emphasize maintaining existing City infrastructure, providing core services, and advancing the Fiscal Health Response Plan objectives (employee concessions, new ways of doing business, operating reductions and new revenues). Given this, it is critical we have an effective process for setting the most important, highest priority things for the City to accomplish in the next two years and this survey is the first step!
Complete the survey by visiting www.slocity.org/opencityhall or fill out the survey below and mail it back
or drop it by any City office.
Should the current Major City Goals & Other Important Objective continue, or should the City Council consider other priorities during the next two years?
(Please choose 5 priorities)
All surveys must be completed and returned to the City by December 16, 2018. City staff will then compile
feedback for the council to review ahead of the community forum (Jan. 23) and goal-setting workshop (Feb. 9).
If you have any questions about the City’s goal-setting and budget process, please contact Alex Ferreira
Budget Manager, at (805) 781-7132 or aferreir@slocity.org.
Current Major City Goals:
Housing (Facilitate increased production of all housing types designed to be economically
accessible to the area workforce and low and very low-income residents)
Multi-Modal Transportation (Prioritize implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan, pedestrian safety,
and the Short-Range Transit Plan)
Climate Action (Implement the Climate Action Plan, carbon neutral by 2035 target, and complete
a Green House Gas emissions update)
Fiscal Sustainability & Responsibility (Continue implementing the Fiscal Health Response Plan
in addition to focusing on economic development and infrastructure financing)
Current Other Important Objective: Downtown Vitality (Continue to improve safety, infrastructure
investment, and maintenance in the Downtown)
Neighborhood Wellness
Open Space Preservation
Traffic Reduction
Addressing Homelessness
Growth Management
Infrastructure Maintenance
(Roads, sidewalks, and bike paths)
Public Safety
Water Management
Economic Development
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
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For mailing – FOLDTHIS END FIRST BUSINESS REPLY MAILFIRST-CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 369 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEENOPOSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES CITY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO 990 PALM ST SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93401-9938 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tape Here
Given the current fiscal constraints, new projects or services will require prioritization and potential trade-offs unless they can generate offsetting revenue. How might the City adjust current projects or services to accomplish any new priorities?
FOLD
FOLD
Email (optional):Providing your email will enable you to view your statement online and see statements from others. Your email address will not be included with your statement and the City will not share it.
Your voice matters!
www.slocity.org/opencityhall
Also, attend our Community Forum
on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 from
6 to 9 p.m. at the SLO Vets Hall,
801 Grand Avenue, where you’ll have an
opportunity to present your ideas
to the Council and discuss them with
other community members.
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Submit comments online at the City’s
Open Government site:
www.slocity.org/opencityhall
If you are submitting comments on behalf
of a community group, business or
organization, please include your
organization’s name within your response.
Submit comments by mail:
Alex Ferreira, Budget Manager
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Fax: (805) 781-7401
Email: Citygoals@slocity.org
For more information on the goal-setting and
budget process, contact the Finance
Department at (805) 781-7521.
For additional information on the City’s
Financial Plan and Goal-Setting process
visit: www.slocity.org.
What are the most
important priorities
facing the City of
San Luis Obispo?
The City Council
wants to hear from
you about what is
truly important for the
community.
Key Dates Contact Information
2019-21 Financial Plan
2019-21 Financial Plan Meetings
Community Forum
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial
Building (SLO Vets Hall)
Goal-Setting Workshop
Monday, February 4, 2019
5:00 p.m.
City Hall
Mid-Year Budget Review
Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Strategic Budget Direction &
Major City Goal Program Review
Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Preliminary Budget Review
Tuesday, June 4, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
2019-21 Budget Adoption
Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 6:00 p.m.
Of all the things that
can be done to make
the City an even better
place to live, work and
play, which are the
most important?
Feedback from both the survey and
Community Forum will be compiled for the
City Council to review in advance of its
goal-setting workshop on Monday,
February 4, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. During
this public workshop, the Council will
deliberate to set the Major City Goals and
Other Important Objectives for the next
two years.
The City of San Luis Obispo is
committed to including disabled persons in
all of our services, programs and activities.
Telecommunications device for the deaf:
(805) 781- 7410.
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The City Wants Your Input
Every two years the City establishes the top
priorities to make San Luis Obispo an even
better place to live, work, and play. The City
Council then matches the resources necessary
to achieve these priorities through adopting the
budget in June. The adopted Financial Plan
sets the City’s course of action for the next two
years and helps the City to continue to provide
high-quality services that maintain an excellent
quality of life for the community.
In 2018, the City implemented the Fiscal
Health Response Plan to address significant
financial challenges. Continuing this progress
toward long-term fiscal health, the 2019-21
Financial Plan will focus on maintaining
existing infrastructure, core services and
advancing the Fiscal Health Response Plan
objectives such as employee concessions,
new ways of doing business and new
revenues, and operating reductions. All of
these factors are likely to lead to complex and
competing budget decisions.
Regardless of the specific fiscal
circumstances, it is critical that we have an
effective process for setting the most
important, highest priority goals for the City to
accomplish in the next two years. That’s
where you can help!
Major City Goals
The City Council needs to know your thoughts
on what the community’s priorities should be so
that available resources can be best allocated
to achieve them. Now it’s time for you to
share your ideas for 2019-21 priorities.
Major City Goals are identified as the most
important, highest priority goals for the City to
accomplish over the next two years.
• Housing
• Multi-Modal Transportation
• Climate Action
• Fiscal Sustainability & Responsibility
Other Important Objective:
• Downtown Vitality
Share Your Thoughts on the
City’s Priorities!
You have the opportunity to tell the Council:
• Should the current Major City Goals and
Other Important Objectives continue, or
should the City Council consider other
priorities during the next two years?
• Given the current fiscal constraints, new
projects or services will require
prioritization and potential trade-offs
unless they can generate offsetting
revenue. How might the City adjust current
projects and services to accomplish any
new priorities?
Your Important Role in this Process
The City needs the help of the community
in two important ways:
1. Complete the Community Priorities
Survey.
Community members can help by completing
a survey online at
www.slocity.org/opencityhall, or by filling out
the printed survey sent to utility customers in
October and November. Printed surveys can
be dropped off or mailed to City Hall, 990
Palm Street, 93401. All surveys received
before January 16, 2019 will be summarized
and presented to the City Council at the
Community Forum.
2. Attend the Community Forum on
January 23, 2019 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
at the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand
Avenue.
This forum is an opportunity to learn about
major city goals, core services and feedback
from the community priorities survey in a
workshop setting with stations staffed by City
employees. There will also be information
stations about the Fiscal Health Response
Plan, Local Revenue Measure, and Funding
the Future of capital improvement projects.
City staff will compile the community feedback
for the Council to review in advance of its goal-
setting workshop on Monday, February
4, 2019 . During this public workshop, the
Council will deliberate to set the Major City
Goals and Other Important Council
Objectives for the next two years.
What are the Most Important Priorities for the City Over the Next Two Years?
Current Major City Goals
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STAGE
Housing
Climate
Action
Downtown
Vitality
Multi-Modal
Transportation
Fiscal Sustainability
and Responsibility
New Ideas
Funding
the Future
Budget Wheel/
Core Services
Fiscal Health
Response Plan
Podium
Camera
Camera
Camera
Local Revenue
Measure
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