Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/07/05 B A K E R S I E ELD CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM January 7, 2005 TO: Honorable Mayor and City FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information 1. A court order was issued on Thursday of this week which will allow construction to proceed on the Sam's Club at Harris and Gosford Road. This had been one of the open questions left by the appellate court. 2. In his State of the State speech this week, the Governor announced his proposal to overhaul the pension system. He wants to switch from a system that gives new workers a fixed sum at the end their state service to one that promises fixed contributions, like those made to private-sector 401(k) plans. An article from the January 5th Sacramento Bee has more details about the pension initiative. Also enclosed are articles from the January 6th Los Angeles Times and Sacramento Bee that include details on the Governor's plan to "fix things in Sacramento". 3. Congratulations to Jim Movius, who has been appointed by Stan Grady as the City's new Planning Director. Jim assumes his new post on Monday, January 10th. The press release announcing his promotion is enclosed. 4. The process to select a new Recreation and Parks director is in full swing. Our consultant is actively recruiting and will be accepting applications until mid- February. We hope to have qualified applicants to interview shortly thereafter. 5. The California Transportation Commission recently issued their annual report, and the news is not optimistic. In summary, the report cited that $2.6 billion in state and local transportation projects should be going into construction this year, but will not be, for lack of funding. The director of the CTC, Michael Lawson, stated that the report underscores the reality of a huge California transportation deficit that has been created by the chronic diversion of transportation dollars to plug holes in the State's General Fund. Honorable Mayorand City Council Janua~ 7,2005 Page 2 6. Work is beginning on the MLK wet playground project. The turf area is scheduled to be fenced later this month, with site work to begin soon thereafter. We look for a May Ist completion date, and possibly sooner. Concurrently, we will also be working on the Planz wet playground project. We will keep you updated on the projects for both locations. 7. The City is submitting grant applications for the 2004 Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) Program. Attached is the list of projects. 8. The list of High Five recipients for the fourth quarter of 2004 is enclosed. We extend our compliments to them for doing a fine job. 9. Responses to Council requests are enclosed, as follows: Councilmember Couch · Report from the Police Department regarding scooters on City streets and bicycle riders going the wrong way · Update on the GET Schedule for Traffic Signal Pre-Emption Equipment. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk State;.~. per[sion revamp sou. ght - The Sacramento Bee Page 1 of 3 This story is taken from _P_.oJ.!.ti_c_s at sacbee.com. State pension revamp sought The governor is set to propose replacing the defined-benefit model with one similar to a 40:t(k). By Gary Delsohn and John Hill -- Bee Capitol Bureau Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, January 5, 2005 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will call for a dramatic overhaul of the state's public employee pension system in his State of the State speech this afternoon, administration officials confirmed Tuesday. In a move certain to trigger a major confrontation with some of the state's most powerful labor unions, Schwarzenegger aides said the governor will sponsor a package of pension bills for introduction at a special legislative session he intends to call for Thursday. If the Legislature doesn't adopt the sweeping proposals, aides said, he'll take them to the ballot box - with several other so-called "reform" measures - in a special election later this year. Aides said the Republican governor agrees in principle with an initiative being filed today by Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge, that would end traditional pensions for workers hired after July 2007. "The governor believes the taxpayers cannot continue to pay for a pension system that's not found in any other segment of American society," one of his top aides said, "whether it be the federal government or major U.S. corporations." The administration official acknowledged that Richman's proposed overhaul of the pension system is "radical" and controversial. That initiative, which was supposed to be submitted to the attorney general's office today, would transform the public retirement system in California, eventually scrapping traditional pensions in favor of investment accounts controlled by the worker with no guaranteed payout in retirement. The initiative is being sponsored by Richman, a lawmaker who counts himself among a group of moderates of both parties, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. It parallels a constitutional amendment introduced by Richman in December to have the Legislature put the measure before voters, a route that the lawmaker says he still prefers. The proposal, Richman said, "is very fair, not only to the public agencies, but also to the employees. Employees have control of their assets. It's portable - they can move it from one job to another. They can borrow against it for a new home," or bequeath it to survivors. Under the current system, public employees "get all of the benefit but none of the risk," said ]onathan Coupal, president of the Howard .larvis group. "I think that is a system that is not sustainable." http ://www. sacbee, com/content/politics/v-print/story/11935889p- 12823013 c.hlrnl 1/5/2005 State per~s~ ion revamp sought - The Sacramento Bee Page 2 of 3 But public employee unions and others said that a traditional pension, with guaranteed retirement allowance, has always been part of the public employment deal. Moving to a so-called "defined contribution" plan similar to a 40:L(k), they said, would make it hard to recruit workers, and force the state and local governments to fork over richer benefits to make up for the loss of retirement income. "This would be walking away from that trade-off," said ].3. Jelincic, president of the California State Employees Association. "A defined contribution plan transfers all the risk to the employee, and that doesn't make sense." The initiative would amend the state constitution and retirement law to forbid traditional "defined benefit" pensions for those hired after July 1, 2007. Jt would apply to all public workers in the state except for federal employees, including teachers and local government workers. For six months, existing workers would have the option to shift the net value of their pensions to the new, defined contribution plan. Otherwise, they still would get the full benefit of the traditional pension. The initiative sets limits on how much public agencies can contribute to the new retirement accounts. For a rank-and-file worker not involved in public safety, the cap would be 6 percent of that worker's salary. Full- time firefighters and sworn peace officers could get up to 9 percent. An additional three percentage points could be tacked on in either category for workers not covered by Social Security. The limits could be overridden if two-thirds of the local, agency's voters approved. Those employer contribution limits would be cut in half unless there was also a matching contribution from the worker. It would be up to individual public agencies to negotiate the details with public employee unions. The proposal would end special disability and death benefits now available through the retirement system. For instance, a California Highway Patrol officer injured in the line of duty and no longer able to work would still qualify for a workers' compensation award and the proceeds of the new investment account. But that officer would no longer qualify for a special medical pension amounting to half-pay, tax free, for life. Tn general, the proposal would put public employees in the same boat with many of their private sector counterparts - in control of an investment account that can be transferred from one workplace to another, but with no guaranteed payments in retirement. The move was spurred by the growing costs to the state and local governments of supporting pension systems that have suffered in recent years from declining investment returns and enriched benefits. The state's costs are expected to almost triple from about $1.2 billion in fiscal 2002-03 to $3.3 billion in 2009-10. Some local governments are being forced to reduce services to fund retirement accounts. "It's not going to.education, it's not going to public safety, it's not going to health care, it's not going to investments in roads or highways," Richman said. But critics say that the proposed system would lead to higher administrative costs and greater expenses to maintain the traditional pensions of existing workers, because of the loss of contributions to the system from new workers. Workers might not use the money for retirement, they say, and will no longer be protected from the rising cost of living as they are in the traditional plan. Critics say that the backers of pension overhaul ignore the fact that during years when the stock market is booming, the contributions required of state and local government can drop to zero. http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print~story/11935889p- 12823013c.html 1/5/2005 Stoat9 p. er~sion revamp sought - The Sacramento Bee Page 3 of 3 "They've chosen to bring this forward at the bottom of the cycle," said Lance Corcoran, vice president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. "They are typical tactics of individuals who are intent on union busting." Other states that have moved to mandatory defined contribution plans for new workers - Michigan and Florida - later added disability and death benefits to replace the traditional medical pension, said Bob Walton, assistant executive officer at the California Public Employees' Retirement System. Taking into account that and other costs, he said, "over the long term, the savings of the defined contribution plan are illusory." Richman admitted that it could be 10 to 20 years before his proposal garners serious fiscal relief. But it eventually will pay off in predictable and stable costs for state and local governments, he said. State of the State Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will deliver his second State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at 5 p.m. today in the Assembly chambers. Channel 3 (KCRA) and Channel 10 (KXTV) will carry the address live, as will Capitol Public Radio on KXJZ (88.9 FM). About the writer: · The Bee's Gary Delsohn can be reached at (916) 326-5545 or gd._..e._l~.o.!3.0@..~i~.~b.~.,.~;~.~.. Go to: Sacbee / Back to story This article is protected by copyright and should not be printed or distributed for anything except personal use, The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St,, P,O, Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852 Phone: (916) 321-1000 Cop. yrigh!; .©..._T.~...~.~; r_~ ~.e__n~_.~.e ~ http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print/story/11935889p- 12823013c.html 1/5/2005 'Los. Angeles Times:' GoVernor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 1 of 7 ~ http://www.~atimes.~~m/news/~~ca~/~a-me-speech6jan~6~~~6697346.st~ry?c~~~=~a-h~me- headlines STATE OF THE STATE Governor. Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire In a combative speech, Schwarzenegger seeks spending caps, a revised state worker pension plan, teacher merit pay and cuts in bureaucracy. By Peter Nicholas Times Staff Writer · January 6, 2005 SACRAMENTO In a broad challenge to California's entrenched special interests, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger implored the Legislature on Wednesday to restrain spending, revise "out of control" pensions, reward the best schoolteachers and "expel" the worst. Schwarzenegger said in his annual State of the State speech in the Assembly chamber that he would devote his second year in power to ambitious changes that would reverberate in California and beyond, from classrooms to Congress; drug companies to Prisons. If Schwarzenegger prevails, the most influential members of California's congressional delegation might find themselves running in reshaped districts with thousands of unfamiliar constituents. The poorest Californians could be paying less for prescription medication. And teachers deemed inept might be deprived of raises, no matter how long they'd been on the job. Using the speech to roll out a 2005 agenda certain to antagonize powerful public employees unions, liberal Democrats and even Republican allies, Schwarzenegger said politicians risked a rebellion if they rejected his sweeping proposals. His theme was more combative, a departure from the inclusive approach he favored early in his term. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la.me.speech6jan06,0,5258024,print, story?coll=la-home-headlines 1/6/2005 ,,LOs A~ageles Times: Governor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 2 of 7 The governor described Sacramento as a city "in the grip" of special interests. "If we here in this chamber don't work together to reform the government," he said, "the people will rise up and reform it themselves. And I will join them. And I will fight with them." Schwarzenegger said he would call a special legislative session today that would center on four issues: spending limits, teacher merit pay, legislative and congressional redistricting, and an overhaul of the state-pension system. If passed by lawmakers, some of the moves would require voter approval in a special election that Schwarzenegger would schedule this summer. If the Legislature defies him, he might call a special election anyway, taking his proposals directly to voters in what would most likely be an expenSive campaign. While lawmakers debate his proposals in the coming weeks, Schwarzenegger said, he will launch the opening phase of his plan ~ first announced in the same forum a year ago to "blow up the boxes" of state bureaucracy. The governor said he would "wipe out" 88 state boards and commissions deemed unnecessary, and submit blueprints to reorganize California's troubled prison system. "He's putting his political career on the line here. He's built up a lot of political capital over the last year; and he has decided this is how he wants to spend it," said Jack Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Assn. Schwarzenegger released a list of targeted boards after his speech. One is the Integrated Waste Management Board, which works to minimize- through recycling trash going to dumps. A task force created by Schwarzenegger last year also recommended abolishing the state Air Resources Board, credited by environmentalists with cutting smog. But the governor has .decided to keep that board. "I know the special interests will oppose all the reforms I have mentioned," he said in the 28-minute address. "Any time you try to remove one dollar from the budget, there are five special interests tugging on the other end. Any time you try to make something more efficient, there are a half-dozen special interests trying to prevent it." Though the speech laid out new goals, it also picked up.ideas that Schwarzenegger has previously embraced. The most prominent was lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Last year, the governor vetoed bills that would have cleared the way for importing http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-speech6jan06,0,5258024,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines 1/6/2005 Los A~geles Times: Govemor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 3 of 7 pre§cription drugs from Canada. But he promised at the time to work out a separate deal with drug makers and pharmacists to bring down costs. His health and welfare secretary, Kim Belshe, is expected today to announce an agreement with both groups that would slash drug costs by 40% for poor residents. Schwarzenegger said he would ~create a prescription drug discount card that would be "available to nearly 5 million low-income Californians, at prices competitive with those from Canada." A coalition representing senior citizens, labor and consumer groups swiftly denounced the plan. Because the governor is relying on "voluntary" discounts from drug companies, his proposal contains no "hammer and no enforcement mechanisms to guarantee consumer savings" and thus "provides more hype than relief,"' the coalition wrote in a statement. Schwarzenegger said he didn't mind a fight, and Democrats who hold a majority in the Legislature -- said it was a fight he'd get. The govemor's spending restraints, in particular, threaten to curb money for health, welfare and social programs especially important to Democratic constituencies. His plan would work this way: If lawmakers failed to pass a budget by the constitutional deadline, the governor would call a special session to close any spending gap. The budget facing the governor this year already bears an $8.1-billion shortfall. Assuming that the Legislature-did not eliminate the shortfall within 30 days, state Controller Steve Westly, a Democrat, would "implement an immediate across-the-board reduction in all state 'payments," according to briefing material released by the governor's office. The same mechanism would be triggered if the budget was passed on time but spending was projected to exceed revenues. Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) portrayed the govemor's plan as a strict, formulaic spending cap that Democratic lawmakers would fight. "The fact is the people of the state of Califomia elected a majority of Democrats in both houses of the Legislature, so we're fairly confident our ideas resonate with the populace. And so we're happy to fight our ideas on the street, just as he is," Murray said. Teachers unions, a powerful lobbying force in the Capitol, are expected to mobilize against the governor's plans to institute merit-based pay, a slap at traditional salary scales http ://www.~atimes.c~ ~m/news/~~ca~/~a-me-~sp eech6jan~6~~~5 258~2 4~print.st~ry? ~~~~=~a-h~me-head~ines 1/6/2005 ~Los Ahgeles Times: Governor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 4 of 7 bas6d on seniority. Schwarzenegger cited high dropout rates and poor student performance as proof that schools were failing. He called for tying teacher pay to merit, not tenure. Anticipating pressure from the teachers unions, the governor said: "My colleagues, this is going to be a big political fight. This is the battle of the special interests versus-the children's interests. Which will you choose?" Variations of this idea have been offered before. Former Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican and Schwarzenegger friend and advisor, pushed merit pay for teachers in 1991, but ran into resistance from Democrats. Former Gov. Gray Davis a Democrat and the Legislature approved giving teachers at low-performing schools bonuses of'$5,000 to $25,000 if they lifted test scores. But when the bonuses were approved, the Los Angeles teachers union refused to negotiate the individual amounts for each teacher, so the money was doled out by seniority. Barbara Kerr, president of the California Teachers Assn., called the governor's proposals on education "smoke and mirrors" designed to avoid what she called the real issues. The governor, she said, "didn't address class-size reduction .... He didn't commit to stable or adequate funding." His proposal to tie teacher pay to job performance"makes absolutely no sense," she said. "It hasn't worked anywhere .... It's a side issue to the real problems of under-funding in this state." State employees unions are girding for a clash over Schwarzenegger's push to overhaul the pension system. He wants to switch from a system that gives new workers a fixed sum at the end of state service, to one that promises fixed contributions like those made to private-sector 401 (k) plans. Benefits are now too generous, Schwarzenegger said, resulting in "another government program out of control, threatening our state. Accordingly, we must do what business has been doing .... We need a public pension system that is fair to employees and to taxpayers." Carroll Wills, spokesman for the California Professional Firefighters union, said the governor's plan amounted to "a nuclear strike against an issue that needs careful analysis." Wills said the proposal appeared to have a parallel in the Bush administration's effort to 24 nnt sto %oll la home headhnes http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-speech6jan06,0,52580 ,p ' . ry. = - - ' 1/6/2005 Los A~geles Times: Governor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 5 of 7 % pfix~atize Social Security. He defended the firefighters' current pension system, which gives them as much as 90% of their pay once they reach age 50. "They have a smaller window when they are effective .... and they die younger," he said. Few of Schwarzenegger's ideas have gotten as much attention as his plans to streamline government. ^ year ago he commissioned the California Performance Review, the most ambitious government reorganization study since Ronald Reagan was governor in the 1960s. The review team recommended a top-to-bottom overhaul of the bureaucracy, eliminating more than 100 boards and commissions and consolidating power within the executive branch. With the speech, Schwarzenegger opened a campaign for a couple of pieces of the overall plan. More may follow. State corrections officials said the governor's reorganization plan borrowed heavily from the independent review panel report issued under former Gov. George Deukmejian, a Republican. However, Schwarzenegger's plan does not include a controversial proposal to tap an appointed citizens commission to oversee the.state's correctional facilities. The reorganized system would be headed by Youth and Adult Correctional Agency Secretary Roderick Q. Hickman. "This will provide the strategic direction to configure California corrections in a manner that will allow for people to get out of prison and succeed," Hickman said in an interview. "It will go back to a mission that says we're going to reduce recidivism and improve public safety and establish a relationship to academics and communities that we have not had before." Under the plan, the Department of Corrections would be renamed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and would be headed by the current director, Jeanne Woodford. She would have expanded responsibilities over healthcare, education and other programs for youth and adult offenders, helping them prepare for life outside prison, Hickman said. Walter Allen III, current head of the California Youth Authority, woUld run youth http://www.~atimes.c~m/news/loca~/~a-me-speech6jan~6~~~$258~24~print.story?~~~~=~a-h~me-head~ines 1/6/2005 ,~Los A~geles Times: Governor Lays Out Ambitious Agenda Certain to Draw Fire Page 6 of 7 facilities. Hickman said that although saving money was not the primary goal, the reorganization should avoid costly duplication of functions. To critics who have said reorganizations are merely rearranging furniture, the secretary said, "If we left the organization the same, we would get the same results." The corrections plan will be sent to the Little Hoover Commission today for review. (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX) Governor's plan Saying he is determined to "fix things in Sacramento," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed the following changes in government operations: · Pensions: New state employees would not be entitled to guaranteed annual pension payments upon retirement but, like many in private enterprise, would be given money to invest in a retirement account similar to a 401 (k). · Medications: Nearly 5 million uninsured low-income Californians would be eligible to purchase prescription drugs priced comparably to those in Canada. · Education: Teacher pay would be tied to performance, not length of employment. · Prisons: The Youth and Adult Correctional Agency would be reorganized to increase efficiency and reduce repeat offenses. · Spending: If state spending were to exceed revenue, the governor would be required immediately to call the Legislature into special session. The spending gap would have to be closed within a specified time, or the controller would be empowered to implement across-the-board cuts. · State boards: Eighty-eight boards and commissions would be abolished or folded into other agencies. · Voting districts: The power to draw district boundaries for legislators and members of Congress would be taken away from lawmakers and given to a panel of retired judges. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-speech6jan06,0,5258024,print, story?coll=la-home-headlines 1/6/2005 ~Geyemor~calls for "oold new era' - The Sacramento Bee Page 1 of 4 This story is taken from Pg!.iti~ at sacbee.com. Governor calls for 'bold new era' He' proposes 4 major government 'reforms' By Gary Delsohn -- Bee* Capitol Bureau Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, 3anuary 6, 2005 Calling on the Legislature to enact four sweeping "reforms" of state government, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger promised Wednesday to use the changes to help restore California's economic and .political luster. ".loin me in regaining control of California's financial future," the Republican governor urged a joint session of the Senate and Assembly in his second State of the State speech. ".loin me in restoring the trust of the people and join me in introducing a bold new era of reform in California." Schwarzenegger, who ran for governor on a vow to clean up state government; laid out four broad and highly controversial initiatives, on state spending, pensions, education and legislative redistricting. Unlike a year ago, when he struck an early deal with the powerful California Teachers Association, Schwarzenegger called for merit pay for teachers, and his aides said afterward they would not immediately repay extra money owed schools in this budget year. Schwarzenegger said almost nothing about health care or social services, which Democrats and others expect him to propose slashing on l~londay, when he releases his spending blueprint for the next fiscal year. But he did announce his intention to create a drug discount card that he said would make prescription medicine available to nearly 5 million Iow-income people at prices competitive with those in Canada. Schwarzenegger also said he will immediately seek the elimination of 100 boards and commissions he called "unnecessary," including licensing boards for contractors, doctors and dentists, appeals panels for unemployment and workers' compensation claims, the Integrated Waste Management Board and the High Speed Rail Authority. The move would eliminate "over 1,000 political appointees," Schwarzenegger said, adding: "No one paid by the state should make .$100,000 a year for only meeting twice a month." Although Democratic leaders in the Assembly and Senate gave Schwarzenegger generally high marks for his speech, two Democrats who've said they intend to run for governor next year were far less charitable. Calling the 28-minute talk "unnecessarily confrontational," Attorney General Bill Lockyer said "the tone is obviously meant for a California audience, not (legislators in) this room." http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-printJstory/1194313 lp-12830018c.html 1/6/2005 Go~,ernor~calls for "oold new era' - The Sacramento Bee Page 2 of 4 Phil Angelides, the state treasurer who has continually attacked Schwarzenegger for not doing more to balance the state budget, said Schwarzenegger's education proposals, such as merit pay for teachers and changes in the education funding formula Proposition 98, are "trying to create a war to take the focus off where it ought to be." "What he doesn't want people to see is .what he's about to do is slash education and health care funding because he's dug us an $8.1 billion deficit," Angelides said in an interview on the Assembly floor following Schwarzenegger's speech. Republicans applauded Schwarzenegger's leadership and what they said was a strong sense of urgency in the speech. "I think it sent an overall message that you either lead, follow or get out of the way," said Assembly Republication leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, "and that he doesn't have time to sit around and wait to see California continue to fail." Schwarzenegger implored the Legislature to begin work on his .four reform .proposals immediately in a special session he is convening today. That way, he said, the public can vote on his reforms at a special election "by early summer." And in the only direct threat to lawmakers he's taken turns praising and calling names his first year in office, Schwarzenegger made it clear he'll battle them on the campaign trail if he doesn't get his way. "If we here in this chamber do not work together to reform the government," he said, "the people will rise up and reform it themselves. And you know something, I will join them. And I will fight by their side." His proposals include: * A budget cap that holds down the rise of state spending and overrides obligations such as Proposition 98, approved by voters in 1988. The move immediately came under attack from education officials. "They are going alter Proposition 98," said Kevin Gordon, executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials. "We have balanced the budget in the last decade on the backs of children, and he's not making the situation any better." * A dramatic shift in the way pensions are paid to new state ~mployees, eliminating guaranteed fixed-rate payouts and replacing them with 401(k)-type programs used in the private sector. That idea is fiercely opposed by public employee-labor unions and was blasted by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, chairman of the Assembly committee on public employee retirement systems. Torrico said the plan is "straight out Of President Bush's playbook. It's no different from the president's plan to privatize Social Security. They're both windfalls for Wall Street at the expense of Main Street and working people." * Teacher salaries based on merit, not tenure. The proposal, pushed unsuccessfully a number of times by his mentor, former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, is anathema to teacher unions and most Democratic lawmakers. "It's a diversionary tactic," said Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles. "Everyone in education wanted to know, 'Are you going to keep your deal? And, if you aren't, why would you pick the thing we like the least to put on the table Instead?'" The "deal" she referred to was Schwarzenegger's promise in last year's budget talks to give schools their share of extra state revenue - $1.4 billion this year - they're entitled to under Proposition 98. http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print/story/1194313 lp~12830018c.html 1/6/2005 Go~vernor~calls for %01d new era' - The Sacramento Bee Page 3 of 4 Tom Campbell, Schwarzenegger's new finance director, told reporters after the speech that public schools need to do their share to balance the state's budget. "If we are spending more money than we have, there's only one thing we can do, and that is stop, and nobody should say that they are above that," Campbell said.' * A new way of drawing legislative and congressional district lines, transferring that authority from the Legislature's leaders to an "independent" panel of retired judges. Democrats and some Republicans in California's congressional delegation have said they're opposed to the . idea and 'claim it's unnecessary. "For people worried about earning a living, buying a house and saving to put their kids through college, the 'issue of who draws the'legislative and congressional district lines doesn't make their 'Top 100 Things to Care About' list," said Sen. Debra .Bowen, D-Marina Del Rey. Schwarzenegger, who earlier promised he would bring "fantastic prison reform" to the state, said he'll release his plan today for a reorganization of the troubled Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. "This is an agency in which there has been too much political influence and too much union control and too little management courage and accountability," he said of the $6 billion, 54,000-emp10yee agency that.runs California's prisons, parole and youth corrections systems. Schwarzenegger prepared for criticism, saying he knows that "the special interests will oppose all the reforms I have mentioned." And while Schwarzenegger didn't offer up much in the way of details, he appeared to be previewing what aides say he wants as his legacy if he seeks re-election next year when he talked about building roads and cutting "regulatory and legal hurdles that delay construction and increase the costs of new housing." "Like Governor Pat Brown," he said of the late Democratic governor who presided over an impressive building boom in the 1960s, "! intend to see that the government builds the roads that Californians need." Assembly Speaker Fabian NOfiez, D-Los Angeles, who tangled often with SChwarzenegger during last year's budget talks, reacted to the speech in a positive - if diplomatic - way. "We agree .with the governor where it relates to improving academic achievement, to make sure that students excel academically and to ensure we have well-qualified teachers in the classroom," NOfiez said. "How you get from Point A to Point B, we may disagree with the governor, but we welcome the discussion." "! know people are expecting us to say negative things about it, but ! think .he gave a good speech tonight, and ! think he leaves a lot of room for working with him and a lot of room for discussion." About the writer: · The-Bee's Gary Delsohn can be reached at (916) 326-5545 or Kevin Yamamura, Alexa H. Bluth and Jim Sa'nders of The Bee Capitol Bureau contributed to this report. Speech highlights · Asked lawmakers to approve four constitutional amendments to be put before voters in a special election this year. They would: http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/v-print/story/1194313 lp- 12830018c.html 1/6/2005 ;Govemor~calls for "oold new era' - The Sacramento Bee Page 4 of 4 · Shift the drawing of political districts from the Legislature to a panel of judges · Establish a strict budget spending limit that allows automatic program cuts · Pay teachers based on merit instead of tenure; subject Proposition 98 school funding to automatic cuts · Change public pension system for new employees to a "defined contribution" approach · Announced he would seek reorganization of the Department of Corrections and the elimination of 100 boards and Commissions · Called for legislation to speed up new housing construction · Proposed a prescription drug ,discount card for Iow-income residents ) Related audio: .lC Reaction from As_s_embly Speaker.Fabian NOfiez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (5:45) Go to: S. acb.e~ / ~B~.c_~_t~.o_.__s_to.~ This article'is protected by copyright and should not be printed or distributed for anything except personal use. The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852 Phone: (916) 321-~.000 Copyright ©The. Sacrame[~to Bee http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/V-print/story/11943131 p-12830018c.html 1/6/2005 B :A K E R S F I E L D Development Services Department PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stanley Grady Friday, January 7, 2005 Development Services Director VETERAN EMPLOYEE TO BECOME CITY'S PLANNING DIRECTOR An employee with 20 years' experience in the Planning Division has been selected as the City's new Planning Director. James Movius will be promoted to the position, effective Monday, January 10, 2005. He was appointed by Development Services Director Stanley Grady to fill the post that Grady vacated when he was recently promoted to head the department. Mr. Movius is a graduate of Humboldt State University, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resource Planning. He obtained a Masters Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Bakersfield. He began his employment with the City of Bakersfield in 1978 as a Planning Technician and subsequently received promotions to Assistant Planner and Associate Planner. Movius was promoted to Principal Planner in 1988 and served in that position until his appointment as Planning Director. He has extensive experience in local development processes, having served as the project planner for several major projects in the community, including the Specific Parks and Trails Plan for Northeast Bakersfield, the Metropolitan Bakersfield Habitat Conservation Plan, and the Kern River Parkway Plan. According to Stanley Grady, "Jim's knowledge and experience with local issues assures the continued successful implementation of the goals and policies that guide the development of our City." ' For more information, please contact Stanley Grady, Development Services Director, at 326- 3681. City of Bakersfield · Development Services Department · 1715 Chester Avenue Bakersfield, California ° 93301 (661) 326-3733 · Fax (661) 852-2136 BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WOUK.q DEPArFMENT ISOi TRUXTUN AVENUE BAKHR~lm~.~. ~ 93301 (661) 326-3724 January $, 2005 ~.AUL" ao~As,~mcma.cn'Ysmnq~n Joe Stmmagiia Kern Council of Governments 1401 19t" Street, Suite 300 Bakersfield, CA 93301 Re: 2004 Congestion Mitigation / Air Quality (CMAQ) Program Dear Mr. Stramaglia: tn the response to the Call for Projects, the City of Bakersfietd is pleased to submit the attached CMAQ Grant Applications, w~ich are summarized Jn the following table: Total Project Funding Project FFY 04-05 FlY 05-06 FlY 06-07 LNG / I. CNG Station $1,763,000 Dual Collection Refuse/Recycling Truck Bodies !,$42,000 Refuse Transfer Station 200,000 $2,000,000 $2,700,000 Signal interconnect / Synchronization {}69,000 1,671,500 $1 ,{}44,100 Shoulder Paving 1,743,000 Right Turn Mt. Vernon / SR178 277,000 Right Turn Oak Street / 24th Street 20,000 267,500 Pavement Repairs at Bus Stops $544,000 Totals $6,017,000 $4,712,500 $4,911,600 For those projects being programmed with FFY 04-05 funds, the City is making a commitment to complete to advance the project sufficiently to be ready to submit requests for E-76 authorizations by June 1, 2005. We appreciate the opportunity to work with KernCOG staff to achieve this beneficial goal for our region. We have requested letters of support from several agencies, such as Golden Empire Transit, County of Kern and various school districts. Those letters will be forwarded to your office as soon as we have received them. If you have any questions about these applications, please call me at 661-326-3591 or the identified person on the various applications. Very truly yours, PAUL M. ROJAS Public Works Director Civil Engineer IV - Design Engineering Enclosures: Grant Applications c: Alan Tandy Jack LaRochelle Kevin Barnes Steve Walker Ernie Medina Reading File S:\PROJECTS~,dvanced Studies\CMAQ Grant Applications 2004\KemCOG Transmittal 010605.doc B A K E R S F I E L D OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM Janua~ 6,2005 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: ~~onda ~ ^dm,n,$trator Employee Incentive Committee SUBJECT; Employee Incentive Program The Employee Incentive Committee is happy to provide the list of High Five Award recipients for the fourth quarter of 2004. The winners of the random drawing are noted in bold. All of these individuals were recognized by their peers, supervisors, or members of the public for exceptional work and/or customer service. Each recipient is automatically inducted into the "High Five Club" for the fiscal year, and is also recognized monthly on each department's communication board and on the City's intranet page. We applaud these individuals for a job well done! Attachments 2004 HIGH FIVE AWARD October Nominee Title Dept Date Nominator Comments 1 Ayala, Jess Maint. Crftwrkr Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley Made sure things were set up for the Olympic recognition event. 2 Bell, Kevin Maint. Crftwrkr Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley :Made sure things were set up for the Olympic recognition event. 3 Brown~ Jim Trades Asst. Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhenda Smiley iMade sure things were set up for the Olympic recognition event. 4 Colitti, Jeff Net. Sys Anal. IT 10/22/04 Terri Elison IWent the extra mile to fix her computer - out at Silver Creek Park. 5 Corder, Craig Maint. Crftwrkr Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley Made sure things were set up for the Olympic recognition event. 6 Darrow, Ronald Engineer Fire 09/30/04 Matt Moore Went above and beyond to help a coworker 7 Dow, David Asst. Planner Dev Svcs 10/05/04 Cyndee Hluza Helped out with database critical to another department. 8 Floyd, Ryan Officer PD 10/06/04 Knutson,Dossey,Loone¥ Due diligence lead to recovery of a stolen vehicle and arrests. 9 Forsythe, Sandra Secretary Rec & Parks 10/05/04 Beigher Taylor Always willing to go the extra mile; take initiative; willing to help others. 10 Hock, Patricia Clerk Typist PD 10/12/04 David Paquette Organized multi-organizational educational program on humane animal treatment. 11 Hollingsworth, Steve GS Supt. Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smile¥ Very diligent about making sure things were set up for Olympic recognition event. 12 Johnson~ Kevin Firefighter Fire 10/21/04 Anthony Gala~laza Worked hard on the decontamination trailer - helped make it successful. 13 Judson, David INet Sys Eng IT 10/25/04 Pam Lawrence Responded quickly when computer crashed. 14 Larson~ Holly Rec. Supr Rec & Parks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley Immense help in coordinating the recent Olympic recognition event. 15 ~Liew, T.S. App. Sys. Supr IT 10/11/04 Nichole Lowell Always helpful and responds in a short amount of time. 16 Lorenzi, Geor~]ina Asst to PW Dir Pub Wks 10/15/04 Rebecca Jamison Always goes above and beyond; spent countless hours on large project. 17 Lynch, Timothy Captain Fire 09/30/04 Matt Moore Went above and beyond to help a coworker 18 Mabr~, Vic i Engineer Fire 10/21/01 Anthony Galagaza Worked hard on the decontamination trailer - helped make it successful. 19 Memado, Sam Supervisor Pub Wks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley Very diligent about making sure things were set up for Olympic reco~lnition event. 20 Molina, Frank Firefighter Fire 09/30/04 Matt Moore Went above and beyond to help a coworker 21 Moore, Matt Barf. Chief Fire 10/10/04 Timothy Lynch Went above and beyond to help a coworker 22 Pacheco, Patricia Clerk Typist Rec & Parks 10/19/04 Beigher Taylor Helped out staff by making some needed marketing materials. 23 Payne, Claudia Sr. Officer PD 10/29/04 Patti Taylor Always a tremendous help to others; filled in while another was out on leave. 24 Sawyer, Wiladene Webmaster iT 10/15/04 John W. Stinson Extremely helpful in getting the budget posted on the website. 25 Tay or, Beigher Rec. Spec. Rec & Parks 10/27/04 Rhonda Smiley Immense help in coordinating the recent Olympic recognition event. 26 Trone, Ken Con&Fac Pin Rec & Parks 10/22/04 Tandy, Christensen Researched a concept that could possibly save the City a great deal of money. 27 Wolf, Gre~l Eng. Aide Pub Wks 10/13/04 Amber Lawrence Volunteered to help the EIC with a project; great customer service. 2004 HIGH FIVE AWARD November Nominee Title Dept Date Nominator Comments 1 Agerton, Lisa Clerk Typist I PD 11/14/04 Tanya Nousch Put together a training manual for the 24-hour desk - very helpful. 11/14/04 Kristen Rene Helped out on the 24-hour desk. 2 Bice, Robin Clerk Typist II PD 11/14/04 Kristen Rene Trained two new people, while being short staffed. 3 Bowers, Guy Maint. Crftwrkr Pub Wks 11/10/04 Andra Perry Rec'd letter of appreciation from a local school for graffiti removal. 4 Cardoza, Robert Maint. Crftwrkr Pub Wks 11/10/04 Andra Perry Rec'd letter of appreciation from a local school for graffiti removal. 5 Cherry, James Engineer Fire 11/19/04 John Weber Volunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 6 Chow, Damon, Lt. Equip. Oprtr !Pub Wks 11/15/04 Rene Martinez Hard worker; constantly busy. 7 Curioso, Neherio Facility Worker Rec & Parks 10/29/04 Rhonda Smiley Assisted with logistical set up for Olympic recognition event. 8 Dra~oun, Scott Firefighter Fire 11/19/04 John Weber Volunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 9 Esparza, Dena Clerk Typist I Pub Wks 11/04/04 Terry McCormick Willing to help out another employee from another department. 10 Flores~ Ivonne Clerk Typist PD 11/14/04 Kristen Rene Hard worker; dedicated. 11 Gerrity, Sara Clerk Typist PD 11/14/04 Anonymous Goes above and beyond to make sure the 24-hour desk is covered. 12 Lazaroti, Ed Supervisor Rec & Parks 10/29/04 Rhonda Smile}, Made himself available to pick up donated refreshments for event. 13 Medina~ Ernie Superintendent Pub Wks 11/18/04 Nelson Smith Expediently handled an issue. 14 Nousch~ Tanya Clerk Typist PD 11/15/04 Melissa Cejka Maintains a positive attitude; volunteers to help other employees. 11/14/04 Anonymous Adjusts her schedule to help cover the 24-hour desk. 15 Peery~ Sonja Officer PD 11/14/04 Tanya Nousch Volunteered to help out at the front counter. 16 Placencia, Mimi HR Analyst HR 11/23/04 McCrea, Gonzales Put in a lot of hard work and dedication to use of new Neogov software. 17 Pruett, Kimberly Clerk Typist PD 11/23/04 Robin Bice Always takes the time to help fellow employees when they need it. 18 Queen~ Jason Firefighter Fire 11/19/04 John Weber Volunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 19 Reitz, Linda Clerk Typist PD 11/14/04 Anonymous Adjusts her schedule to help cover the 24-hour desk. 11/14/04 Tanya Nousch Has been working hard to put together a traning manual. 20 Rene, Kristen Sr. Records Clerk PD 11/15/04 Melissa Cejka Steps in to help out at the front counter and 24-hour desk. 21 Roberts~ Susan Clerk Typist I Pub Wks 11/04/04 Terry McCormick Willing to help out another employee from another department. 22 Romero, Armando Facility Worker Pub Wks 11/15/04 Rene Martinez Hard worker; makes sure others have what they need. 23 Roper, Jason Facility Worker Rec & Parks 10/29/04 Rhonda Smiley Assisted with logistical set up for Olympic recognition event. 24 Rowland, Belinda Supervisor PD 11/21/04 Krista West Put in numerous extra hours to help train a new employee. 25 Sparks, Mel Lt. Equip. Oprtr Pub Wks 11/16/04 Rene Martinez Hard worker; makes sure others have what they need. 26 Steiner, Terrye Comm. Ctr. Supr PD 11/18/04 Karen Bennett IConsistently goes above and beyond; team player. 27 Sturgeon, Ted Engineer Fire 11/19/04 John Weber iVolunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 28 Tea~ue~ Stephanie Clerk Typist PD 11/23/04 Robin Bice Exemplifies professionalism and courtesy to the public. 29 Tisin~er, Derek Captain Fire 11/19/04 John Weber Volunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 30 Ward, Brad Engineer Fire 11/19/04 John Weber Volunteered to attend a rescue course while still keeping up with duties. 31 Wells, Jay Officer PD 11/14/04 Tanya Nousch Volunteered to help out at the front counter. 2004 HIGH FIVE AWARD December Nominee Title Dept Date Nominator Comments 1 Diaz~ Damacio Officer PD 12/06/04 Mary DeGeare Rec'd a letter of appreciation from local business owners. 2 Diaz, Olivia GIS Tech IT 12/09/04 Terry McCormick Very expedient in updatin~l the Park stuff on GeoWeb. 3 Douglas~ Raymond SW Equip Oprtr Pub Wks 11/29/04 Tabitha Marsh Goes out of his way to help office staff; team player. 4 Elison, Terri Supervisor Rec & Parks 12/09/04 Terry McCormick Very helpful in making the Central California Park Rodeo a success. 5 Haude~ Robert Maint. Crftwrkr I Pub Wks 12/16/04 S. Hollin~lworth Goes the extra mile as the General Services Safety Chairman. 6 Henson, Roy Facility Worker Pub Wks 12/07/04 Lisa Moore Assisted IT staff with critical hardware relocation. 7 Kieke-Martinez, Jodi Dispatcher PD 11/28/04 Hurtado, Jones, PowellCleaned the office on her own time to assist custodians. 8 McCrea, Janet HR Supervisor HR 12/21/04 Alan Christensen Did an excellent job fillin~l in for HR Mana~ler. 90 McVicker, Linda Supervisor Rec & Parks 12/09/04 Terry McCormick Very helpful in makin~l the Central California Park Rodeo a success. Mendenhall, Terry SW Equip Oprtr Pub Wks 11/29/04 Tabitha Marsh Always willin~l to help when there is an unscheduled bin service. 11 Menendez, Alex Officer PD 12/06/04 Man/DeGeare Rec'd a letter of appreciation from local business owners. 12 Ortiz, Corina Comm. Rel Spec PD 12/14/04 Kellie Gholston Temporarily assigned to the Comm Center - doing a great job. 13 Pannu, Bikram GIS Analyst IT 12/06/04 Terry McCormick Expediently produced some maps for Recreation and Parks. 14 Peterson, Dave iNet Sys Tech IT 12/16/04 Alan Neumann Went the extra mile to get Fire Stn 10 computer on line. 15 Phillips~ Lisa Rec Specialist Rec & Parks 12/07/04 Linda McVicker Without prior experience, umpired a ~lame until the officials arrived. 16 Rodri~luez~ Jeffrey :SW Equip Oprtr Pub Wks 12/822/04 Tabitha Marsh Thanks for picking up medical assistant every week. 17 Ross~ Judy Acct. Clerk Finance 12/14/04 Sandra Forsythe Very pleasant to work with, ~loes out of her wa}, to help others. 18 Sawyer, Wily Webmaster IT 12/02/04 Rhonda Smiley Always helpful and available for special projects 19 Wolf, Gre~l Ind. Waste Insp. Pub Wks 12/03/04 Wen-Shi Cheun~l Great team player; outstandin~l morale builder; resoumeful; pleasant. TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: W.R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE By: Bryan L. ~y.~,~ssistant Chief DATE: JANUARY 6, 2005 SUBJECT: SCOOTERS ON CITY STREETS Council Referral No. 1016 (Ward 4) Council Member Couch referred to staff the issue of scooters on city streets and bike paths, and bicycle riders going the wrong way. The Operations Division was apprised about Council Member Couch's concerns. Staff has increased enforcement efforts throughout the City of Bakersfield, and a public service announcement/news release is planned for the week of January 10th to remind the public about traffic laws and safety issues related to scooters and bike riders. RECEIVED CITY MANAGER S OFFICE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CITY OF BAKERSFIELD MEMORANDUM January 5, 2005 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR ~ ~...... SUBJECT: UPDATE- GET SCHEDULE FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRE-EMPTION EQUIPMENT - Council Referral #669 Golden Empire Transit (GET) recently updated their schedule for purchasing of the traffic signal pre-emption equipment and installation. As tentatively scheduled, GET's Board will approve the contract to purchase the 3M Opticom traffic pre-emption equipment from J & J Supplies (the authorized 3M distributor for this area of California) at the January 18, 2005 GET Board Meeting. Authorization will also be given to advertise for contractor bids to do the equipment installation. Award of the contract for installation is expected at the February 15th GET. Board meeting. Once the contract is approved by the Board, GET staff estimates it will take approximately 3 months to complete the installation of all the units. The GET contract will install 3M Opticom units at 97 City signals. Depending on the bid results and possible cost savings, there may be enough funds to add more locations to the contract, per GET officials. Currently 110 traffic signals, out of the City's total of 292 traffic signals, do not have the 3M Opticom signal pre-emption device. Public Works staff will continue to update the status of this Golden Empire Transit/City of Bakersfield project as information becomes available. C:~DOCUME~1~straynoC, LOCALS~1~,Temp~669 - GETPreemptionUpdate - Jan2005. doc