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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/26/03 B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM September 26, 2003 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council ~ FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information 1. As you know, our fine City Clerk is very diligent about maintaining the public records in perfect form. On her behalf, I am requesting that when you make referrals during Council Statements, please give the Clerk the supporting documents, and she will get copies to the appropriate departments. That way her records are in order. Of course, if you fax, drop off, or e-mail your referrals outside of the formal meeting, the extra paperwork is not necessary. 2. The first of two public meetings seeking input regarding recreation and park needs in the downtown area was held Thursday evening at the Park Place Senior Apartments. The response was overwhelmingly positive by those who attended, which included residents of the complex and downtown area, and business and property owners. The enclosed memo from Economic Development provides more details. 3. EDCD has discovered another possible grant opportunity through the CPUC 2004- 05 Energy Efficient Program. Per the attached memo from Donna Kunz, the City could receive funding for necessary energy-saving efforts. It would be a shared grant with the County; we would each get $1 million. 4. The enclosed Public Works memo reports that the closure plan for the old landfill off Panorama Drive has been approved by the Kern County Environmental Health Services Department. There are two pending reviews with the California Integrated Waste Management board and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. 5. Bakersfield is featured in the current issue of SkyWest Magazine, the in-flight magazine of SkyWest Airlines. The article, which is enclosed, commemorates 20 years of service to Bakersfield by SkyWest. 6. It appears that the issue of getting a bus stop by the Homeless Center has been resolved. Honorable Mayor and City Council September 26, 2003 Page 2 7. Enclosed is a memo from Recreation and Parks regarding the status of park projects, and another which is an update on Maintenance District maintenance. 8. Our Urban Forester has set up three meetings for commercial tree operators to review the ordinance, tree standards, permit requirements and other tree-related questions they may have. 9. A response is attached to concerns expressed by Councilmember Salvaggio regarding impacts of budget reductions on City employees. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pam McCarthy, City Clerk Trudy Slater, Administrative Analyst SEP 2 6 BAKERSFIELD Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM September 26, 2003 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Donna L. Kunz, Economic Development Director SUBJECT: Mill Creek Project Community Meeting The first of two public meetings seeking input regarding recreation and park needs in the downtown area was held Thursday evening at the Park Place Senior apartments. Over 60 people attended the presentation. While about 75 percent in attendance were residents of the complex, business and property owners as well as downtown residents also attended. The response to the project was overwhelmingly positive. The State of California Urban Park Act requires staff to seek public input. Staff provided an overview of the purpose of the grant program and what it can and cannot fund. The group then took a virtual tour along the canal through a PowerPoint presentation which was followed by a group brainstorming session listing what they see as the recreation and park needs of the area. Staff then presented the preliminary plans for the Mill Creek project. The audience was then divided into four small groups to discuss what they would like to see in the proposed Mill Creek project. All the groups were given pictures of recreational and park activities and amenities which they could affix to maps of the project. Each group had their own impressions and suggestions to offer. It was a lively exchange from which staff will be able to add to the design concepts. Staff from each of the participating departments (Economic and Community Development, Recreation and Parks, Water Resources, Public Works, Development Services and the City Manger's Office) was available to assist with the presentation, facilitate the breakout sessions and answer technical questions. The second community meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 29 at 10:30 AM in the Truxtun Room of the Convention Center. S:\The MIIN)-25 mtg memo.doc B A K E R S F I E L D Economic and Community Development Department MEMORANDUM September 24, 2003 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Donna Kunz, Economic Development Director SUBJECT: A Resolution authorizing the submission of a joint (PC&E, County of Kern, City of Bakersfield) application for grant funds and participation in the California Public Utilities Commissions 2004-2005 Energy Efficiency Program. The California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC") is always looking for ways to inform the public of rebate programs and methods of decreasing the amount of energy used by residential and non-residential consumers. Many rebate programs and other mechanisms encouraging energy efficiency are available, but consumers are unaware of the availability of such mechanisms. The CPUC has set aside money from electric and gas public goods charges to fund a Energy Efficiency grant program ("the Program") to pay to educate the public and lead to energy savings state wide. Pacific Gas & Electric Company ("PG&E") and Staple/Hutchinson and Associates (a Marketing Agency) are seeking to partner up with local governments to create a plan which will not only educate the public, but also provide audits of energy use. PG & E and Staple/Hutchinson and Associates have prepared a two year application totaling $10 million to the CPUC for a program to educate PG & E consumers about various ways to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, train contractors about what energy-efficient devices are available and how to install such energy-saving devices. This application provides that 20% of the grant award would be shared between the City of Bakersfield and the County of Kern (50-50) ($1 million each) toward making necessary energy-saving improvements to City/County owned facilities. If the CPUC awards funds for the Bakersfield/Kern County program a separate agreement with the City and County will be signed. The Board of Supervision approve a resolution September 23, 2003 authorizing County's participation in the CPUC 2004-2005 Energy Efficiency Program. A resolution will be prepared for City Council action for their meeting of October 8, 2003. SEP 2 5 B A K E R S F I E L D -. CITY OF BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: September 24, 2003 SUBJECT: Landfill Closure Project Update The landfill closure plan, which was submitted to the regulatory agencies last month, has passed the first of three important reviews. The Kern County Environmental Health Services Department, which functions as the local enforcement agency for the state, has found the plan to be complete. The other two pending reviews are with the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. These will likely take a few months. We anticipate construction of the landfill cap between spring and fall of 2004. S:WILING~500 CORRES~Mgr~andfill Closure Project Update 9-24-03.doc September 24, 2003 BY SANDRA L. MOLEN ]B.ounti waterway II.ws through a small mc. trop,Ii.~'blessed with fertile land and friendly, dnwn-ro-carth [~:tq:dc~ .The Kern Rivet rambles intu flw htmrt 0f B~kcr~ficM imm fl~.' Sierra Nevada= along its b inks ~ we:dd~ of Opt,~rmnity. zah'm~cnz, and: down-home Iit~q,l~ d~riv~. Just hours from California~ largest cities and thc Pacific c~st, Bakersfield grew up in the shadow of thc fitbulous Sierra Nevada :Muuntains. As thc ~at of ~vcrnmcm fi:,r ~;ast witli [fig city ~q~histicat. ion. lLakcrsfidd enjoys a syinphnny; minor-league ~seball an~i :h~'~kc}3 five race tracks; a z~: a g,t~L~aL .c-mplcx that attracts [o~namc a~s: wt~rld-~ownc~ hiking anti white-water rafting: and 27~ ~tmny c[ays a 'D~m laeger, prcsh]em of.the G r~ter I~kersfiet,:[ C~m. vemion )m'd Visimr~ Bur<m, explain~'t d~e to?'n's Nature Im. cr~ and Sl~rts cmhusiasts, alike find plcmy ~kcrsfield's maieStic Kern River. An abundhncc.0fbikc Nevada right into the cenler of town. Hikers.. bikers; watches'and fi~lks with fishing I~,les call ~ fi~.nid vear-r.ua~l along file Ken(. -mingling Real thrill seekers travel on through thermals rising from the nearby desert Kern County's revolutionary avia- the Kern River Canyon--some stop- floors attract glider pilots from all over tion history can be explored at nearby ping for a picnic along the scenic, two- the world. Edwards Air Force Base, which is the lane winding road--to nearby Kern- Vacationers and business travelers alternate landing site for the space shut- ville, a town packed with Old West his- also discover top, rate accommodations tie, home of the U.S. Air Force Test tory. The past comes alive at this town's and amenities in Bakersfield at prices so Pilot School, and the training ground museum where the stories of Califor- reasonable they encourage repeat visits, for astronauts. Most of the nation's mil- nia's pioneering miners, loggers and "By California standards, Bakers- itary aircraft is tested here. ranchers live on. Hollywood further field offers an outstanding value for the Included in the mix of what makes immortalized this landscape in a bevy dollar, not only in terms of business, but Bakersfield a popular destination are of Western films during the heyday for the people who decide to move top-rate theaters, restaurants, and art of cowboy flicks. John Wayne, Roy here," Jaeger stressed, museums, like the newly expanded, Rogers, and Gene Autry all made cellu- There's plenty to see, explore, and 17,000-square-f°°t Bakersfield Muse- loid history here. Modern-day advert- experience in the heart of the city. um of Art. In addition, Bakersfield is turers create their own memorable The Kern County Museum, in home to five major motor sports facil- magic in the great outdoors, north Bakersfield, celebrates the area's ities where former Indy racing chain- Considered one of the most re- rich and diverse heritage with 50 his- pion Rick Meats and NASCAR star markable, awe-inspiring stretches of todc buildings on 16 acres showcasing Kevin Harvick began their careers water in the world--and the site of numerous historic articles. Rising above and where NASCAR truck racing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics white- the museum is the stately Beale Mere- was born. water events--the Kern River is the orial Clock Tower, a replica oftheenor- In the spring and summer, profes. playground for both experienced and mous timekeeper that once stood in the sional baseball draws throngs to see the novice rafters. First-timers might try heart of town. For centuries this vast, Bakersfield Blaze, a Class-A affiliate of a "lickety split," a short float through fruitful land has attracted people from the San Francisco Giants. In the fall, big relatively calm water. Braver souls all over the world. Bakersfield is proud crowds cheer the minor-league Bakers. with previous paddle experience may of its past and has preserved much of it field Condors hockey, team at Bakers- want to go for the "Big Daddy," on to pass on to future generations, field Centennial Garden Arena. the upper Kern where the water real- Oil is a mammoth part of Bakers- With the arena and adjacent Civic ly churns, field's heritage. At the new oil muse- Auditorium (home of the city's Sym- Mountain bikers find an abundance um, adjacent to the county museum, phony Orchestra), Bakersfield attracts of trails to.bump along; some are just rambling wood derricks and a simu- major sporting and big-ticket concert minutes outside Bakersfield. The same lated 'diving bell" ride are favorite events throughout the year. But proM- goes for avid hikers and mountain attractions, bly more than anything else, Bakers- climbers. Forgot your gear? Bakersfield So is the Buena Vista Natural His- field attracts people who want to relax offers a number of major biking and tory Museum in downtown Bakers- in a friendly, down-to-earth atmos- sporting good shops featuring rentals field, where travelers step back to pre- phere--an atmosphere like Buck and full-service equipment repair, history. This is the place to learn about Owens' Crystal Palace saloon. Water-skiers, boaters, and sailors Sharktooth Hill, a bed containing the Musicmspecificaily country and encounter a variety of adventures in most fossil-rich Miocene marine artio western music--is a defining part of and around Bakersfield. The crystal facts in the world, located where the Bakersfield's down-home culture, and blue waters of Lake Ming, eastoftown Kern River flows out of the Sierra Owens, who makes his home in are ideal for skiing, sailing, and wind- Nevada. The Natural History Museum Bakersfield, is the epitome of that cul- surfing. Drag boat races, held here from houses a nearly complete, skeleton of ture. Owens, one of the world's most March to November, attract competi- Allodesmus, a Miocene ancestor of popular country singers and former co- tors from throughout the nation. Even modern sea lions, a first of its kind ever host of the '70s variety show "Hoe further east, windsurfers scoot along found. It was unearthed, along with Haw," performs Friday and Saturday Lake Isabella, a huge natura. I expanse of other artifacts, on the hill. nights for the dinner crowd. ()wens is recreational opportunity. A number of live animals, in- known to relax with guests and even With vast stretches of seamless digenous to Bakersfield and California, sing Happy Birthday on request. farmland and desert, Kern County is a can be found at the California Living "The thing with Bakersfield that is popular destination for spine-tingling Museum, a native zoo and garden. The different, is, here you can be yourself," fun via the air. California City and zoo features examples of the area's explained Jaeger. "You don't have to be- Taft, both just short drives from endangered species, including bald something you are not to come to Bakersfield, comprise a sky-diver's eagles, as well as more common but scl- Bakersfield. You can come here and be paradise. In eastern Kern County, the dom seen animals such as black bears, accepted by its people." ~ Years of planning have yielded a master planned community second to none, featuring award- winning neighborhoods, a prestigious country club, outstanding recreational facilities and distinctive community amenities. Within the Seven Oaks master plan are entry level to million dollar custom homes and gated neighborhoods both on and off the golf course. Let us build your dreams in Seven Oaks. Grand Island Place ': :~:::~---"--5~ Lexington Classics Homes bom the $150's i ~::~4.?~.:'.~:::- ~ ~ /,~.,.;?'~;:ii~,;; i i~'! Homes from the $350's The Green~ _~_~ey Classics for Active Adults 55+ l} Homes from the S400's ~ : :' Homes bom the $200's % ~ :,'~ "~" st~a~ra c/~si. %! ~,U' Homes from,~e SSS0; Homes bom the S300's : :~";7':~:::! ~ ..... :!~?:!~ ~il Wedgeu~ood C/au/es ~ ' , i ,, i ~'~' Homes from the $700's Homes bom the $300's n, ~ oo, ~,,~, n.,, Bakersfield means business b akersfield, rated the fifth most pop- California. In fact, Kern is the leading oil As the largest city in the southern ular city in California in which to cio and mineral-producing county in the lower San ,Joaquin Valley, metropolitan Bakers- business by California CEO Maga- 48 states, field, which has a population of about zine, has experienced tremendous growth The area is also the world's largest 400,000, is also a successful retail hub. in recent years. It's not surprising. A com- producer of wind-generated electricity. "Bakersfield is not competing with a munity rich in agriculture, oil, and the One-third of California's 16,000 wind tur- number of large cities down the road," service industry, Bakersfield offers a bines are located just east of Bakersfield in Lyman said. "People drive an hour or healthy business environment and a place the Tehachapi Mountains. more to shop in our city." its work force can afford to live, raise a According to Lyman, although the tra- Located in the heart of California, the family and still be just a short drive away ditional oil and agricultural industries city enjoys a healthy and robust business from California's larger cities, the ocean remain the backbone of the Bakersfield environment. In addition to its relatively and the mountains, economy, in recent years the region has Iow cost of living, it is easy to do bUsiness "When.businesses are looking to relo- experienced diversification of its em- in Bakersfield, Lyman believes, cate to a new community, they have to be ployment base. Corporate service busi- Bakersfield's Meadows Field airport concerned that their people can afford to nesses, food processors, distribution facili- has two runways that can accommodate live there," said David Lyman, principal ties and manufacturing plants, including both commercial and military traffic. The planner of economic development for the businesses such as Frito-Lay, State Farm, city is also conveniently located near city of Bakersfield. "In most parts of Call- IK£A, Target, Nestle USA, and United three major freeways, including Inter- fornia, the employees can't afford to live States Cold Storage have all moved into state 5. near their workplace. We don't have that the Bakersfield area. "It is not just that we have access to problem in Bakersfield." transportation; it is also geography," he The median price of a home in Bakers- said. "Our location makes Bakersfield field is $123,000. Seventy percent of the close to a number of major markets, in- population earning the median income can cluding Los Angeles and Southern Call- afford to buy a home. fornia, Las Vegas and San Francisco. "1 have seen several examples of "The point where we are on the map, companies that have moved here from the number of people we can access and other places in California and their what we are near- tremendous." employees, in many instances, are able to buy the first house they have ever owned," Lyman said. Besides its affordability, Bakersfield offers a gracious welcome. "The people here are friendly and courteous, and it's just amazing how they are willing to share of themselves," said Don Jaeger, president of the Greater Ba- kersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We have very strong and vibrant Spanish and Basque populations, as well as a large number of people who have moved here from all over the nation for job opportuni- ties. Each of those groups has a history and culture that have blended to make Bakers- field a fascinating place." Bakersfield and Kern County have long been national leaders in the production of acjriculture and petroleum-based prod- :- ucts. The area produces 250 different " crops, with Kern County alone outranking the agricultural production of 20 states. Kern's number one crop is grapes. The county is also the largest carrot producer ~,. in the world. " The county's copious oil fields produce about 70% of the oil production in . B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: September 24, 2003 To: Alan Christensen, Acting Recreation and Parks Director From: Greg Cronk, Director of Operations Subject: General Information for September 24, 2003, Status of Park Projects Several Recreation and Park projects were recently completed. They include irrigation system upgrades on South Chester streetscapes from El Prado to Ming Avenue and all of Wilson Park. Tennis courts at Centennial Park and Campus Park South received new acrylic surfacing. Wayside Park softball infield was remodeled including adding the same specialized infield mix we have enjoyed great success with at Beach Park over the last three seasons. i: SEP 26 2003 B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: September 25, 2003 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Alan Christensen, Interim Director Recreation & Parks Subject: UPDATE ON MAINTENANCE DISTRICT MAINTENANCE In July we put together special maintenance crews to work on eradicating weeds and trimming shrubs in the various streetscapes and medians throughout the Consolidated Maintenance District. Our tree crews have also been spending a lot of time in the District pruning and trimming trees. We estimate this initial task being about 60% complete and hope to be finished by the end of October, 2003. By having these "special crews" we have reduced the number of complaint calls and maintenance concerns to a few. DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS DATE: September 26, 2003 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager City Manager/Interim Rec & Parks Dir. ,~ FROM: Alan Christensen, Assistant RE: Tree Education - Contractor Meetings Paul Graham has set up three (3) meeting dates this year (October 21st, November 18th and January 20th) for commercial tree operators to review the ordinance, tree standards, permit requirement and other tree related questions they may have. Letters will be sent out to all commercial contractors informing them of the meeting dates, times, and locations. This is one step towards educating the contractors and gaining their compliance to the Tree Ordinance. E R .S F I E L D OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM September 26, 2003 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: John W. Stinso~stant City Manager SUBJECT: Response to Councilmember Salvaggio concerns regarding impacts of budget reductions on city employees At the September 10th Council meeting Councilmember Salvaggio expressed concerns regarding the impacts of budget reductions on city employees. As a result of state budget actions, increases in PERS rates and increased worker compensation and liability claims costs the city has experienced significant budgetary impact which has resulted in the loss of over 160 temporary positions and the elimination of 50 positions as part of the 2003-04 budget. Further, due to actions taken by the State and the potential for additional loses of city revenues staff has continued a partial hiring freeze with some frozen positions being replaced by temporary employees and 12 frozen positions which remain vacant. These budgetary constraints have affected most, if not all city' departments. Enterprise functions or fee supported activities are less impacted since there is funding available for the required staffing in those areas, and efforts have been made to move employees from general fund positions to these fee supported activities where possible and practical. Staff continually evaluates the impacts of vacancies when they occur and the necessity to fill critical positions. For example, vacancies for police dispatcher positions have been filled due to the critical nature of those positions. Positions of a less critical nature continue to remain frozen. The loss of positions in the budget and the additional hiring freeze certainly has affected the workload of some employees and our ability to provide services to the public. On the whole, most city employees understand the city's difficult financial situation and have responded positively to this challenge and have worked remarkably well to pull together in a cooperative manner to maintain the level of services our citizens expect. Employees have contributed ideas for streamlining processes, assumed additional work, shared work assignments, and been very creative in addressing the reductions in staffing we have experienced. This does not mean there are not areas S:~JOHN\Budget Impact on Employees.doc where we are experiencing difficulty in maintaining service levels. Staff is continually monitoring departments to identify these areas, assess the needs, and explore possible remedies. These service level issues may involve departmental work processes, assignments, increased workloads, or individual performance issues and are not always clearly identifiable or easily resolved. Further, increased pressure on employees to perform with limited resources tends to create increased concerns by individual employees and employee groups about those in the organization who may not be equally committed to meeting these challenges. City management and employees must work together to address these issues. Almost every department in the city has been affected to some degree by our budget circumstances (as noted earlier, the exceptions being enterprise and fee supported activities). Staff reductions to smaller departments may have a greater proportional impact that those experienced by larger departments. For example, the loss of 1 position in the City Clerk's office resulted in a 12.5% reduction in staffing levels. This compares to the loss of 1 position in the Fire Department which equates to a .5% reduction in staffing levels for that department. The Police Department experienced a reduction of about 3.3%, Public Works Department a reduction of 3.8%, Recreation and Parks a reduction of 8.3%. Clearly the staffing reductions have had different proportional impacts on various city operations. These numbers are not intended to illustrate that one department is more or less important than others, but rather show that all departments are contributing at some level (in addition to staffing reductions many departments reduced operating and capital expenditures as well). It is important that all city departments contribute to addressing the difficult financial situation in order to promote the teamwork and cooperation necessary between departments to function effectively as a cohesive organization. An additional challenge for employees is the difficulty in communicating the effects of these reductions in staffing and their impact on service levels to those we provide services to. City employees take a great deal of pride in the services they provide and do their best to maintain service levels to the public. This can be frustrating for employees when due to limited staffing resources they are unable to respond to complaints or other service requests in the same manner and timeliness they have in the past. Employees who experience difficulty in service delivery are encouraged to make their supervisors and managers aware so these situations can be addressed. In cases where resources are limited, alternative service delivery methods or a reallocation of resources based on Council priorities may need to be considered. City management and employees remain committed to providing the best service possible. These are challenging times which require the commitment, dedication and cooperation of all city employees to our common goal of serving the public. S:~lOHN\Budget Impact on Employees.doc