HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/27/05 B A K E R S F I E L D
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
May 27, 2005
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Alan Tandy~J~anager
SUBJECT: General Information
1. There is good news from the Police Department that we will receive grant funding
for a pilot program to allow our traffic 'officers to issue citations with a handheld
computer and then download the information directly to the'-courts. It will save a
significant amount of time and assist the courts in streamlining their process. It
will also allow individuals cited to have their cases adjudicated with less time
delay. A report with more details is enclosed.
2. Responses to Council requests from the May 16th Budget Hearings are enclosed.
3. An article is enclosed from the May 25th Los Angeles Times about California's
dominance in the dairy industry. There is particular mention of Bakersfield now
being the home of the largest ice cream factory in the country, due to the
expansion of the Dreyer's factory.
4. Highlights from the League legislative action sessions held in Sacramento on May
11th and 12th are attached for your information.
5. The conversion of the concession contract at the convention center to Aramark is
proving to be very successful. There has been a 278% increase in total sales for
about a nine-month period, which is attributable in part to 15 additional events.
Even if we measure only those events held each year, sales are up 39%! That
converts to $22,800 more in revenue for the City's share alone for that timeframe.
With the strongest theatre series we have ever had recently announced for next
season, the trend bodes well for the future. Thanks are due both Aramark and
SMGI
6. Our seasonal water recreation facilities are set to open. The spray parks at Planz
and Wayside Parks are already in operation. The grand opening event for the
spray park at MLK is tentatively set for Monday, June 13th. The grand opening for
the Jefferson Spray Park and pool renovation is scheduled for Friday, June 17th.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
May 27, 2005
Page 2
7. McMurtrey Aquatic Center will open for recreation swimming on Saturday, May
28th at Noon, and will open on weekends from 12:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. until school
recesses for summer. Beginning June 11th, it will be open seven days a week
until August 21% Weekday hours will be from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Weekend
hours will continue from 12:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
8. Enclosed from Recreation and Parks is schedule information for "Movies in the
Park" and the Beale Band Concerts.
9. The April activity report from Recreation and Parks is attached.
10. Responses to Council requests are enclosed, as follows:
General Council
· Citizen concern regarding a parking citation and the Municipal Code as it
relates to abandoned vehicles;
Vice-Mayor Ma.q.qard · Status of power lines along 7th Standard Road;
· Request for installation of a temporary barrier at Highway 178 and Fairfax
Road;
Councilmembers Hanson and Sullivan
· Actions to combat speeding on Ming Avenue;
Councilmember Sullivan
· Completion of art work on Truxtun Lake water tower;
Councilmember Scrivner
· Cost comparison between graffiti removal and landscaping solutions.
AT:rs
cc: Department Heads
Pamela McCarthy,.City Clerk
Grant from Office of Traffic Safety Will Fund
Hand-Held Citation Devices for Police Department
PROBLEM
Due to budget constraints, traffic enforcement agencies and the court are
stretched to the limit in their efforts to process and share information about traffic
citations and motor vehicle collisions. The existing system is time and labor-
intensive, requiring the traffic officers to hand-write all citations. Clerical staff
then must sort, input and verify data before the citation information is recorded on
the automated case management system shared by the courts, law enforcement
and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The court alone dedicates five full-time
positions to clerical tasks involved in citation processing. Currently, the rate of
processing a citation averages about five working days.
GOAL
Provide an average one-day turnaround time to process traffic citations, which
will result in more current and accurate information available to the court, law
enforcement agencies and the Department of Motor Vehicles.
SOLUTION
The Kern County Superior Court, in collaboration with the Bakersfield Police
Department and Kern County Information Technology Services submitted an
OTS' grant request proposed a pilot program for .hand-held citation devices,
similar to the project currently being tested in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties,
which were funded by grants from OTS. Funding was requested to start a pilot
project in Bakersfield with 10 police officers, or about 30% of the police
department's traffic force. A $73,000 Office of Traffic Safety grant was requested
to fund the pilot program.
On May 25, 2005 OTS sent the Kern County Superior Court preliminary
notification that the grant for hand-held citation devices pilot program was
approved and was to be funded at $100,000 instead of the original $73,000 that
was requested. Additional documents are to be completed by August 31, 2005
and the grant should be funded October 1, 2005 and last for a period of 18
months.
If the project proves Successful on a small scale, the court and police department
will seek additional funding to expand the program at the police department as
well as other areas of the county, which includes seven regional courts and many
small metropolitan law enforcement agencies.
FY 2005/06 DEPARTMENT BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
o QU ESTIONS/RESPONSES
Date: .Monday, May 16, 2005 Department Presentations to Council
Question ! Request Response Councilmember
No. 1 Request that staff provide a breakdown of 'Proposed 2005-06 Executive Department Harold Hanson
Executive Department proposed spending proposed spending increases by division is
increases by division, attached.
(Darnell Haynes)
No. 2 Please provide a response from staff A detailed memorandum is attached. Harold Hanson
regarding the need to replace 300 computers.
(Alan Christensen)
No. 3 Request that staff provide a lease versus A memorandum is attached detailing why the Harold Hanson
purchase analysis for computers. City purchases replacement computers
versus leasing.
(Alan Christensen)
No. 4 Please provide a response from staff A detailed memorandum is attached~ HarOld Hanson
regarding setting aside funds for a rainy day.
(John W. Stinson)
No. 5 Please provide a response regarding the A response memorandum is attached. Irma Carson
potential sale of sewer farm property;
requested staff to outline the process for
disposal of surplus property and provide a list
of all city owned property.
(Darnell Haynes/Don Anderson)
Date: _MMonday, May 16, 2005 Department Budget Presentations Questions/Responses - continued Page
Question Response Councilmember
No. 6 Please provide concrete examples of how the A detailed memorandum is attached. Sue Benham
use of computer equipment helps employee
efficiency in the field and describe how they
are used.
(Alan Christensen)
No. 7 Please provide information on the status of A response memorandum is attached. David Couch
constituent tracking software.
(Alan Christensen)
No. 8 Please provide information regarding the A detailed memorandum is attached. David Couch
implications of extending the useful life of
computers.
(Alan Christensen)
No. 9 Please provide a response identifying how an A response memorandum is attached. David Couch
additional $10,000 to $50,000 would be best
utilized by each City Department, if it was
available.
(John W. Stinson)
No. 10 Please provide information on whether or not A detailed memorandum is attached. Harold Hanson
the City is setting aside enough funds for
future fire stations.
(John W. Stinson)
Date: Monday, May 16,. 2005 Department Budqet Presentations Questions/Responses - continued Page 3
Question Response Councilmember
No. 11 Please provide a report on the status of the A response memorandum is attached. David Couch
Golden Empire Transit traffic pre-emption
project for signalized intersections.
(Raul Rojas)
No. 12 Please provide a break down of fire service A detailed memorandum is attached. Irma Carson
and emergency medical services calls by
ward.
(Ron Fraze)
No. 13 Councilmember Carson requested staff A detailed memorandum and worksheet is Irma Carson
provide detailed information regarding fees for. attached.
code enforcement and how revenues
collected from the fees offset the cost of
providing the service.
(Stan Grady)
No, 14 Request for staff to identify personnel costs Staff is preparing a response which will be Harold Hanson
included in budget increases and provide a submitted under separate cover.
break down of increased costs for the
department
(Stan Grady)
No. 15 Councilmember Scrivner requested staff A response memorandum is attached. Zack Scrivner
provide information regarding total PERS
costs for Police, Fire and other Departments.
(John W. Stinson)
B A K E R S F I E L D
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
~/~ ~'~ May 25, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: Darnell W. Haynes, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Councilmember Hanson's request for a breakdown
of Executive Department proposed spending increases by
division.
At the Wednesday May 16th budget workshop Councilmember Hanson requested
staff provide a breakdown of Executive Department proposed spending increases by
division. The attached worksheet summarizes the significant increases.
S:\05-06BudproXResponses to Council QuestionsXI-Ianson - Executive Increases.doc
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD ~-~
FY 2005-06 PROPOSED BUDGET
SUMMARY OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT INCREASES
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT/DIVISIONS Amount Description
City Manager:General Fund $28,000 Assistant City Manager Position Restored
$30,000 Temporary Secretary Position (1/= time)
$37~000 PERS (ACM position and increased rate)
$9S,000
City Clerk:General Fund No significant Increases
Human Resources:General Fund $24,500 Temporary Clerk Typist Position Requested
$16,400 Medical Insurance Increase
$22,700 PERS increases
$32,700 City Physician Contract Expires 11/05 and
Estimated Increase in Hiring Levels
$9,000 Increase Other Professional ServiCes
$9,000 Increase for HR Staff Mandatory Training
$15~700 Increase for Mandatory Harassment Training
· $130,000
Risk Management:Self Insurance Fund $983,000 Increase for Worker's Compensation Claims
$47~800 Increase for Liability Claims
$1 ,O30,800
Information Technology:General Fund $202,000 Network Systems Engineer, Technician and
GIS Technician Requested
$20,000 Temporary Pay For Student Interns
$44,100 Medical Insurance Increase
$115,500 PERS increases
$64,200 Computers For Addt'l Personnel, Addt'l Servers
For Various Applications
Information Technology:Equipment Fund $137,800 Repair and Maintenance For All Computers
and Applications Citywide
Information Technology:Equipment Fund $830,800 Replacement of Computer Hardware and
Software Citywide
$1,414,400
B A K E R S F I E L D
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
MEMORANDUM
,~'~y 24, 2005
TO: Alan Christensen, Assistant City Manager//// ~
I~ I
FROM: Bob Trammell, Director of Information Technol~
SUBJECT: RESPONSES TO BUDGET PRESENTATION QUESTIONS
I
Question No. 2: City owned personal computers are replaced after three years on
a scheduled basis. No computer under three years old is replaced. Each year 1/3
of the estimated replacement cost is placed in the Equipment Replacement Fund to
cover this cost. Three years was selected as the age when computers would be
replaced because:
1. Three year old computers are out of warranty and are more likely to break,
resulting in inCreased repair costs and increased staff downtime. Studies
have shown the cost of repairing computers is typically less than the cost of
lost staff time while the computer is being repaired. Additionally, we do not
have sufficient staff to repair out of warranty computers.
2. After three years, computers are too slow to run the applications that the City
~ uses. Many of our applications which are used City wide are upgraded on a
regular basis and require that all staff members upgrade to the latest version
of the software. For example, our recent HTE upgrade is much slower on the
older computers and is too slow to be usable on some of them.
Question No. 3: Currently the City purchases the replacement computers out of the
equipment replacement fund. When computers are leased, the purchase price is
amortized over the life of the lease with little or no residual value at the end of the
lease. Computer leasing rates are currently running between 7% and 9% per year,
so a lease is essentially a finance vehicle to purchase the equipment at 7-9%
interest. This is much more than the City would pay to simply borrow the money and
is not necessary since we save funds each year to cover this cost.
Question No. 6: City staff in almost every department use computers out in the
field. Examples of some of the more innovative uses include:
1. Police Officers use laptops to reduce radio traffic to dispatch and get more
timely information on people and vehicles. The laptops are also used to
RESPONSES TO BUDGET PRESENTATION QUESTIONS Page
enter their reports without having to write them on paper and have them
transcribed later into the Police Records System.
2. Narcotics and Special Enforcement Units (Gang suppression) have access to
information and photos of gang members in the field. Previously, officers
took Polaroid photos and brought them back to the statiOn to make
identification.
3. Building inspectors use laptops to record the results of inspections, schedule
future inspections, and. check their inspection schedule.
4. Public Works staff uses PDAs to inventory city signs and to measure their
reflectivity to comply with state law.
5. Construction Inspectors use computers in the field to manage construction
projects and payments. They can create change orders in the field and
communicate with other employees via email as well as set appointments for
future meetings and inspections.
6. Firefighters in the Hazardous Materials Van use a laptop computer to send
and receive faxes look up information on products and how to mitigate their
spread. They have a weather station that they can use with their computer to
calculate a hazardous material plume' to tell them what areas will be
potentially affected by a hazardous material spill.
7. Telecommunications uses laptops to work on tower equipment, reducing the
need to remove the equipment from the tower and bring it to the shop. They
also have the ability to remotely access the city phone switch from a' PDA to
perform maintenance quicker and eliminate the wait for a technician to come
to the city during off-shift times.
8. Code Enforcement Officers use laptop computers to research property
ownership, identify parcels, and work on case files from the field, reducing
the need to return to the office between calls.
Question No, 7: In 2002, staff was researching COnstituent tracking software
options. Systems at the time ranged from $90,000 to $150,000. Because of budget
constraints at the time, we shelved our work until discretionary resources again
became available.
Since that time, the technology and environment have changed. There are many
more players in the marketplace, perhaps 5 or 6 times as many firms offering similar
products. Now systems offer integration with phone technology, and virtually all run
through a web browser. Staff's desire-has always been to find a system that "links"
to our existing HTE accounting, payroll, personnel and work orders software, so that
one initial entry is made and data "flows" from one system to another.
Staff is still interested in obtaining a syStem to better track issues and complaints,
but there is no money in the current or upcoming (FY 05-06) budget for this potential
purchase.
RESPONSES TO BUDGET PRESENTATION QUESTIONS Page 3
Question No. 8: Today, city computers are sometimes almost four years old before
they are actually replaced. Extending the useful life of City computers by an
additional year would actually result in higher costs to the City for several reasons:
1. Currently, PCs have a 3 year warranty. PCs that need repair after the
warranty expires are immediately replaced with new units, RePlacing a
computer requires only a very small amount of staff time. Repairing the
computer would require additional staff and additional funding for replacement
parts. Additional personnel costs would be incurred' by increased downtime
experienced as the older equipment would break more often than newer
equipment, resulting in lower service levels to the public.
2. Replacing a computer when it fails is very disruptive and often results in an
"emergency" call so that service to the public can continue. Replacing the
computer before it fails, allows the replacement to take placewhen it is least
disruptive to the public and to city staff.
3. Breakdowns usually occur more often after the 3-year life of a machine, and
these breakdowns cause tremendous frustration to users and bring
productivity to a halt. This is because we are so reliant upon computers on a
minute to minute basis. Email is the greatest use. Typically, a manager may
receive over 100 email messages per day that need to be responded to. In
addition, scheduling events and setting calendars are all done with computers
and shared with others. Much research is done the internet, so mUch so that
it is used by many on a daily basis. Computer breakdowns virtually stop all
those activities and severely limit the ability to communicate and analyze
data.
4. Computers would need to be cycled through users in the city so that "power"
users such as engineers would be able to have the newer computers. This
would require additional staff to handle the increased number of installations
(each time a computer is given to another user, software needs to be
changed and data moved).
5. New software could not be installed on some older computers. Much of the
software the city uses requires newer computers in Order to function properly.
Even with a three year replacement cycle, we experience this aging.
B A K E R S F I E L D
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
May 25, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: John W. Stinso~,[/~sistant City Manager ·
SUBJECT: Response to Councilmember Hanson re'. setting aside funds for a
rainy day.
At the Wednesday May 16th budget workshop Councilmember Hanson asked if the
City was setting aside funds for a rainy day (i.e. planning for unforeseen financial
circumstances).
The City plans for unforeseen financial circumstances in several ways. First, we set
aside funds in Council Contingency. These funds are available for allocation by the
City Council to address immediate issues due to emergencies or changes in Council
priorities. The proposed budget has $200,000 in Council Contingency.
Additionally, funds are set aside in the Facilities Reserve for major renovations and
repairs of City facilities and are essentially a rainy day account. The proposed
budget recommends that the Facilities Reserve be $3.75 million. These funds are
set aside for their intended purpose or, in the event that State budgetary actions
significantly impact the City, the reserve could be available on a one-time basis as a
"bridge" or buffer, to help mitigate those State budgetary actions.
Additionally, we annually set aside funds for maintenance and repairs of existing
facilities in the form of depreciation in the Sewer and Water enterprise funds.
Should an unforeseen event arise related to the operations of these funds those
funds could be used up to the amount available. The Equipment Fund to replace
vehicles and computer equipment is also depreciated and funds are set aside for
future normal replacement. In the past, reimbursable loans from these enterprise
and internal service funds have been used on a short term basis to provide funds to
address cash flow needs. The City also maintains a Cash Basis Reserve of
$8,550,000 to address cash flow issues related to the timing of property tax receipts
and to assist with cash flow needs regarding reimbursable grant programs. Absent
this reserve, the General Fund would have to borrow money to address these cash
flow situations.
S:\05-06Budpro\Responses to Council Questions~Hanson - Rainy Day Funds.doc
Finally, the City Manager has authority to limit expenditures through direction to
departments. When state budget captures occurred over the past few years, actions
such as limiting certain types of non-critical expenditures and hiring freezes were
implemented to adjust spending to deal with unanticipated revenue shortfalls.
S:\05-06Budpro\Responses to Council Questions\Hanson - Rainy Day Funds.doc
B A K E R S F I E L. D
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
May
26,
2O05
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: Darnell W. Haynes, Assistant to the City Manager~~
SUBJECT: Response to. Councilmember Carson's request for details
regarding the potential sale of sewer farm property; requested
staff to outline ~the process for disposal of surplus property and
provide a list of all city owned property.
At the Wednesday May 16th budget workshop Councilmember Carson requested
staff provide details regarding the potential sale of sewer farm property; requested
staff to outline the process for disposal of surplus property and provide a list of all
city owned property.
Strong development activity is occurring in all areas of the city and is projected to
continue for the foreseeable future. As a result, staff is exploring options regarding
the sewer farm property to determine if it is feasible to relocate portions of the
existing sewer farm property further south. If it is feasible to relocate the sewer farm
property_, it will result in a positive cash contribution to the sewer enterprise fund and
free up valuable land to further stimulate economic development in Southeast
Bakersfield. (A map is attached for your reference)
S:\05-06Budpro\Responses to Council Questions\Carson - Surplus Properties 1.doc
Memorandum
Property Management Division
Date: May 25, 2005
To: Alan Tandy, City Manager (~ /{/~
From: Don Anderson, Real Property Manager
Subject: Surplus Real Property List - Disposition Process
I have identified the following properties (map attached) as potentially surplus to the needs of
the City. The list is preliminary and may change as we proceed with the disposition process.
It should be nOted that most of these properties have limited marketability due to their size,
configuration, site characteristics. However, 400 Eye Street is probably the most marketable
since is can be built on with the least amount of effort.
400 Eye Street - purchased in 1962 for road realignment
701 Union Avenue - bought for future redevelopment
120 Monterey Street - road remnant
300 Bernard Street - road remnant
2300 Castro Lane - former sump - flag lot
3531 Adanac Court - former sump -may not have been compacted when filled
3900 White Lane - former sump - limited access
5224 & 5228 Jonah Street - former sump - may not have been compacted when filled
A summary of the disposition process is as follows:
1. Properties are identified as potentially surplus and a list is prepared.
2. The list of potentially surplus properties is sent to all City departments to.determine if they
have any current or future need for the properties.
'3. After receiving comments from all City departments a final list is prepared.
4. The final list is reviewed by the City Manager Who declares the properties surplus.
5. Notices pursuant to Gov. Code 54220 et. seq. are sent to the appropriate agencies.
6. After the 60 notice period has expired a determination is made whether to sell the
properties via an auction or negotiated sale. Properties that have independent utility are
normally auctioned. Properties that do not have independent utility, e.g. remnants are normally
sold to an adjoining property owner at their fair market value.
8urplU8 Property
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B A K E R $ F I E L D
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
May 24, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager /~"~
FROM: John W. Stins°~,'X~sistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Councilmember Couch question re. how an
additional $10,000 to $50,000 could be utilized for the Executive.
budget
· At the Wednesday May 16th budget workshop Councilmember Couch asked how an
additional $10,000 to $50,000 could be utilized in the Executive budget.
While we are appreciative of Councilmember Couch's consideration of how
additional funds could benefit our department, the City Manager's divisions try to set
an example for other City Departments by including only those items in the budget
which would be considered essential to our oPerations.
S:~JOHN~Templates\OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER.dot
B A K E R S F I E L D
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
May 26, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager /~//
FROM: John W. Stinson?A~s~stant City Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Councilmember Hanson re. setting aside funds for
fire stations
At the Wednesday May 16th budget workshop Councilmember Hanson asked if the
City was setting aside sufficient funds for future fire stations.
The City has been setting aside funds for land acquisition and construction of future
fire stations for several years. Funds for recently opened Fire Station #15 were set
aside over multiple years to facilitate the construction of that station.
The proposed 2005-06 budget includes $500,000, for a total of $1,500,000 towards
a fire station in the northeast, and $500,000 for a total of $800,000 towards a fire
station in the southwest.
We have consistently been able to set aside capital funds for fire station construction
over the past several years. The more difficult funding concern is for the ongoing
cost of staffing and operating the stations. Revenues to pay for the staffing and
operations are not typically available until development occurs in the areas served
by the stations. This creates a "chicken and egg" problem where you don't have the
operating funds until development occurs, but you need these funds to build the
station to serve the residents when development occurs. Staff is working on ways to
address this issue, particularly with large developers through development
agreements which address both capital and operating costs. The Fire chief is also
proposing a plan which would utilize the staffing for squads to incrementally add
personnel over several years, which would be shifted to the new stations when they
are needed and ultimately constructed.
In areas where there are not development agreements in place (such as the two
areas mentioned above), staff anticipates that sufficient funds will have be set aside
to cover the capital costs of the station (the construction of the station and purchase
of equipment) by the time the city is able to fund the ongoing operating costs of
staffing and operating the stations.
S:\O5-O6Budpro\Responses to Council Questions\Hanson - Fire Station Funds,doc
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: May 25, 2005
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2005~06 DEPARTMENT BUDGET
PRESENTATIONS QUESTION S/RESPONSES
Golden Empire Transit Signal Preemption Status (Meeting: 5/16/05)
Question No. 11: Councilmember Couch requested staff to keep him informed of the
status of the Golden Empire Transit traffic pre-empt on project for signalized intersections.
The Golden Empire Transit (GET) traffic pre-emption project for signalized intersections
includes the installation of the units at 96 intersections and is expected to be complete
by the end of July. GET approved the equipment purchase contract with 3M Products
for $562,189 on Feb. 1,2005 and the equipment installation contract with Loop Electric
for $269,925 on March 15, 2005.
Loop Electric, as of May 17th, has installed the units at 20 intersections primarily in the
downtown area. This group of units will be activated the week of May 23rd by J & J
Supplies (Loop Electric's subcontractor).
C:\DOCUME~l\lskinner\LOCALS~l\Temp\Budget Presentations referrals May16 - GET.doc
B A KE-RS F I E L D
FIRE DEPARTMENT
M E M ORA N D U.M
To: Alan Tandy, City Manager
From: Ron Fraze, Fire Chief'~/~
-Subject: 2005-06 Dept Budget Presentations
Date: May 22, 2005
Question No. 12:
Councilmember Carson requested a breakdown of fire service and emergency
medical calls by Ward.
'Attached are two bar graphs. Please note that the total number of incidents
respOnded to by the Bakersfield Fire Department in 2004 was 23,694; however, the
graph shows only the incidents in the City's incorporated areas.
One bar graph shows the number of calls, per ward, in 2003 and 2004. In
addition, the increased percentage of incidents between the years is shown.
The second bar graph shows the breakdown between medical aid calls (EMS) and
all' others, by ward.
In 2004, Ward 2 had the most calls, followed by Ward 1. The least amount of
calls were in Ward 4.
S:Ron Fraze/2005-06 budget question
Bakersfield Fire Dept Bar Graph does not reflect calls in
' · unincorporated areas of Bakersfield
Incidents 2003 and 2004 Total BFD Incidents 2003= 22,012
Total BFD Incidents 2004= 23,694
Total BFD Incidents 2004 in City= 15,440
I I I I
~ 2321
Ward7 ~~~ ~~2239
~-~17601927
Ward 6 ~~~ PERCENTAGE CHANGE
Ward 1=+6%
1507 Ward 2=+4.6%
Ward 5 ~~~-7~ 4 Ward 3=+9.5%
Ward 4=+66%
Ward 5=+12% [] 2004
491 Ward 6=+9.5%
Ward 4 295
Ward 7=+3.8% [] 2003
_11578
Ward 3 ~~~
441
__J 43,31
Ward 2 ~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ []4167
__13248
Ward 1 ~o~3
0 $00 1000 ~ riO0 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 $000
2004 INCIDENTS BY WARD
Bar Graph does not reflect calls in unincorporated areas of Bakersfield
Total BFD Incidents= 23,694
450~)
400~) - ·
3500
~LU 3000
,, 2500
,,,
m 2000
Z
1500 ' -
1000
)
WARD 1 WARD 2 WARD 3 WARD 4 WARD 5 WARD 6 WARD 7
[] EMS 1936 2177 806 255 835 972 1175
J OTHER 1312 2184 772 236 672 955 1153
/~ •TOT/~L 3248 4361 1578 491 1507 1927 2328
B A K E R S F I 'E L D
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
May 23, 2005
TO: Darnell Haynes, Assistant to the City Manager
FROM: ~ Stanley Grady, Development Services Director
SUBJECT: FY 05/06 Budget Presentation - Response to Question No. 13
When a property owner is cited for not complying with an abatement notice, it involves, on
average, three trips to the site by a Code Enforcement Officer, plus administrative costs related to
getting the property abated. Currently the fee is $147 and this fee is only applied in cases where
the property owner, despite having had adequate notice and due process, still has not abated
their property. In general, most property owners will be responsible and comply, but unfortunately
there are those who don't.
When a complaint is received, a Code Enforcement Officer will visit the site and issue a notice for
the property to be cleaned in seven days. If after seven days the property owner has not
complied, they are notified that their case will be going to administrative hearing. They are then
given the opportunity clean the property by in the ten days before the hearing date. On the day of
the hearing, a Code Enforcement Officer will visit the property again to see if it's been abated. If
the property is clean and abated, there is no charge assessed.
If however, the property has not been abated at the time of the hearing, the Hearing Officer will
allow ten more days for the property owner to abate the nuisance. If the property owner still
continues to be in non-compliance after the date set by the Hearing Officer, then a Code
Enforcement Officer will get bids to abate the property by private contractor. This will also involve
site visits by a Code Enforcement Officer. Staff then prepares an agenda item for the City Council
to take action to lien the property for the abatement amount plus the administrative fee.
Since FY 00/01 almost $800,000 has been collected to date for property that has been abated by
the City.
CC:
Jack Leonard, Building Director
Randy Fidler, Chief Code Enforcement Officer
Phil Burns, Assistant Building Director
P:~2006 proposed budget~Response to Question 13.doc
Code Enforcement
FY 2000101 FY 2001102 FY 2002~03 FY 2003~04 FY 2004~05
Year End Year End Year End Year End YTD Actuals 5 Year
Actuals Actuals Actuals Actuals 5/17/05 Total
Actual Reveneus
Weed & Tire Abatement 41,489 30,630 33,395 25,906 21,464 152,884
Demolitions 615 8,077 1,794 0 0 10,487
Assessments - Demolitions 18,155 0 34,179 27,864 22,751 102,949
Assessments - Weeds & Tire 88,703 95,131 104,916 132,602 108,615 529,968
Total Code Enf. Revenues 148,963 133,839 174,284 186,372 152,830 796,287
Actual Expenses 1,142,136 1,087,224 1,205,565 865,553 773,000 5,073,478
Note: Revenues and Expenses for Code Enforcement are reflected in the General Fund
P:~2006 proposed budget~2006 Revenue Projections.xls 5/23/2005 11:40 AM
B A K E R S F I E L D
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
May 19, 2005
TO: STAN GRADY, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR
FROM: DARNELL W. HAYNES, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
THROUGH: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2005/06 DEPARTMENT BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
QUESTIONS/RESPONSES
The following question raised by the City Council during budget workshop sessions
requires a response from your department addressed to the City Manager. Responses
are to be in memo form and forwarded to my office n° later than 10:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, May 25th. All responses will be forwarded to the Council in their Friday
packet or the next Council meeting.
If you have any questions or need clarification, do not hesitate to ask. Responses to
budget inquires must be immediate!
Thank you..
MOnday, May 16, 2005 Department Presentations to Council
Stan Grady Question No. 13: Councilmember Carson requested staff
provide detailed information regarding fees for code
enforcement and how revenues collected from the fees
offset the cost of providing the service.
cc: John W. Stinson
Darnell Haynes
S\05-06Budpro\RESPONSESQmemoFireMay16QNo.14
B A K E R S F I E L D
. OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
' //] ~'~ May 20, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: John W. Stinsor~, ~"s~istant City Manager
SUBJECT: Response to budget workshop question from Councilmember
Scrivner regarding PERS costs
At the May 16th 'Council budget workshop Councilmember Scrivner asked for a
breakdown of PERS costs for Police, Fire and all other Departments. The following
schedule provides the information requested:
PERS Costs - All Funds
FY 2005-06
Police Department
PERS - Police $ 10,682,864
PERS - Miscellaneous $ 1,104,902
$ 11,787,766
Fire Department
P. ERS- Fire $ 5,018,098
PERS - Miscellaneous $ 276,658
$ 5,294,756
Miscellaneous Departments
PERS - Miscellaneous $ 7,727,014
Total PERS $ 24,809,536
· Total PERS - Police $ 10,682,864
Total PERS- Fire $ 5,018,098
Total PERS - Miscellaneous $ 9,108,574
Total PERS $ 24,809,536
S:\05-06Budpro\ReSponses to Council Questions\PERS cost response.doc
&os Ar~geles Times: State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's Plant Page 1 of 5
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25 m ay25,1,3256144, story?coll~la-
headlines-business
State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's
Plant
The firm expands its Bakersfield factory in a sign of
California's dairy industry dominance.
By Jerry Hirsch
Times Staff Writer
.May 25, 2005
BAKERSFIELD -- The 90-degree heat shimmers off the blacktop as Mark
McLenithan dons a ski parka, gloves and goggles to go to work.
McLenithan is plant manager for What today becomes the nation's largest ice cream
factory, and he must be able to weather the minus-40 temperature of the "blast
freezer" and the comparatively balmy minus-20 five-story warehouse.
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Holdings Inc. has invested $100 million in the Bakersfield
plant over the last year, more than doubling its size and adding ice cream lines that
will chum out 70 million gallons annually, or about 7% of the nation's annual ice
cream production. The factory also makes 1.2 billion drumsticks, ice cream
sandwiches, Push-ups and other treats a year.
The giant plant expansion illustrates how California is freezing out the competition in
the dairy industry.
In 2004, the state's 2,100 dairy farmers sold a record $5.4 billion of milk, a 34%
http://Www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25may25,1,3939328,print.story?coll=la-headlines-business 5/25/2005
Los Arlgeles Times: State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's Plant Page 2 of 5
increase from a year earlier. California is the top-producing state for fluid milk,
butter, ice cream and whey protein concentrate. The Golden State ranks second only
in cheese, but is expected to surpass Wisconsin within several years.
"It's all about the cows and how fresh the milk is," McLenithan said as he sampled a
tub of his favorite vanilla ice cream jetting out of a packaging machine. "There is no
better way to eat ice cream than right off the line."
Indeed, there are plenty of cows nearby: The San Joaquin Valley is the heartland of
California's dairy industry and its 1.74 million cows. And with the cows, come jobs,'
said Michael Marsh, chief executive of Western United Dairymen, .a Modesto-based
trade association.
Other large dairy food concerns also are expanding in the area.
Land O'Lakes Inc., for instance, doubled the size of its mozzarella cheese line and
hired 120 workers at its Tulare creamery at the end of last year.
And the Arden Hills, Minn.-based firm is mulling over plans to expand a second
cheese plant in the area, said Alan Pierson, vice president of milk and strategic
planning.
Pierson said he was impressed with the area's unique combination of cOws and road
and rail infrastructure.
"There is a 14-million pound-a-day supply of milk within a 50-mile radius of our two
plants in Tulare," Pierson said.
This is all good for dairy farmers and the valley's economy, Marsh said.
"It enhances competition for milk," he said, and helps to push the price some farmers
get for their milk above the minimum set by state regulators.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture determines the farm and
minimum retail prices for milk based on the estimated costs of processing and
marketing the commodity. The system was created during the Depression to keep
farmers solvent and to ensure a steady year-round supply of milk.
Of course, higher commodity prices eat into producers' profits. Oakland-based
Dreyer's cited higher costs for cream and other ingredients as one of the reasons its
first,quarter loss widened 27% to $101.8 million.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25may25,1,3939328,print.story?coll=la-headlines-business 5/25/2005
Los Atlgeles Times: State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's Plant Page 3 of 5
Still, robust sales growth, particularly of lower-calorie products, drove the company
to expand, said Dreyer's Chief Executive T. Gary Rogers.
The factory, which at full production will suck up 250,000 gallons of fluid milk and
350,000 gallons of condensed milk and cream daily, will be the center of West Coast
production for three key Dreyer's products -- Dibs ice cream nuggets, Slow Churned
Light ice cream and Haagen-Dazs Light ice cream.
"These are blockbusters for us," Rogers said. Sales of Dreyer's light ice cream
products, for example, are up 60% this year, and Slow Churned Light's introduction
in March 2004 helped propel Dreyer's to a 53% share of the light ice cream market,
he said.
Overall, prepackaged ice cream sales in U.S. food, drug and convenience stores and
mass merchandisers -- excluding Wal-Mart -- topped $4.3 billion for the year ended
March 19, up 2.7% from the same period a Year earlier, according to AC Nielsen, a
Schaumburg, II1., market research firm.
The industry includes large companies such as Dreyer's, which posted $1.59 billion in
sales last year and claims 23% of the market, and small-volume producers such as
tiny Dr. Bob's HandCrafted IceCreams, a Pomona-based artisan maker of high
butterfat products with less.than $1 million in sales.
Dreyer's sold more than 152 million gallons of ice cream last year under the Dreyer's,
Edy's, Haagen-Dazs, Nestle, Starbucks and Skinny Cow brands. The company is
majority controlled by Swiss food giant Nestle, which is slated to begin buying the
rest of the outstanding shares in December.
Dreyer, s holds a narrow lead over Unilever, which has 22% of the market and sells
the Breyers and Ben & Jerry's labels. Dreyer's Bakersfield plant is expected to
increase California's annual ice cream output more than 50% to more than 200
million gallons. Dreyer's has six other ice cream plants nationwide, including smaller
California operations in Tulare and City of Commerce.
"We anticipate that we are going to need the capacity," said Rogers, adding that he
believes Dreyer's expansion will take market share from other companies.
Adding to the Bakersfield'factory-Created 230 positions, bringing employment at the
plant to 730. McLenithan expects to hire an additional 100 workers during the next
two years, and several hundred more temporary workers during the busy summer
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25may25,1,3939328,print.story?coll=la-headlines-business 5/25/2005
i!Los Asgeles Times: State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's Plant Page 4 of 5
season.
McLenithan, who with the completion of the plant expansion becomes the state's top
ice cream man, said he was eager to ramp up prodUction.
"Where else can you work," he asked, "where what you do all day puts smiles on
people's faces?"
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Making ice cream
An expanded Dreyer's ice cream factory in Bakersfield is expected to boost
California's production to more than 200 million gallons annually.
Where the milk goes
How California's 36.4 billion pounds of milk were used in 2004:
Cheese: 46.2%
Butter, nonfat dry milk: 29.4%
Fluid milk: 15.7%
Ice cream, sherbet: 4.4%
· Cottage cheese, yogurt: 4.2%
California's ice cream production (in millions of gallons)
2000:137.5 :
2001:143.5
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25may25,1,3939328,print.story?coll=la-headlines-business 5/25/2005
.~o.s:Aggeles Times: State Creams Rivals With Dreyer's Plant Page 5 of 5
2002:130.4
2003:133.5
2004:130.6
Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Dairy Farmers' Assn.
Los Angeles Times
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.
~i~SRep~n~
Article licensing and reprint options
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Home Delivery I Advertise I Archives I Contact I Site Map I Help
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-icecream25may25,1,3939328,print.story?coll=la-headlines-business 5/25/2005
Pension Reform Update
Background
In March, the League Board voted to accept a report from the League's Pension Reform Task
Force that highlighted specific ways to stabilize the cost of California Public Employees
Retirement System (PERS) and other defined benefit retirement systems. The League's
Employee Relations Committee also reviewed the report in a conference call. For a copy of the
report, see: http://www.cacities.org/resource_files/23407.PensionRpt-BrdDirFeb05.pdf
The Task Force Report report outlined a number of possible options and issues to consider in any
discussion of pension reform. The League staff has taken that report and has used it for one-on-
one discussions with all key actors in the pension reform debate, including employee.
representatives, legislative leaders on this issue, league membership and the Administration.
There was little action in the "first phase" of the dialogue on pension reform. Until recently,
pension reform was characterized by quiet and occasional dialogue among staff (legislative,
administration, public employee, public employer). At another level, there was a very heated
and hyperbolic public debate between 'the Governor and labor over public pension reform. That
changed with the Governor's announcement that he was going to withdraw his pension reform
initiative proposal from the signature gathering process. He asked ALL parties of interest to .
engage in a serious dialogue on pension reform and called a first meeting.
The first meeting of interested parties was characterized by therapeutic monologues about trust,
making and keeping commitments and the problems caused by distorting issues. In the third
meeting, the labor representatives expressed their position that they could not in good faith
continue to participate in the discussions without direct participation from legislative leadership.
This statement was followed by a dramatic, but well-synchronized walkout by all the labor
representatives.
The parties remaining in the meetings are the League, State Association of Counties, Special
Districts, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Sheriffs, a representative of spouses of deceased public
safety officers and representatives from the Administration (Governor's office, Finance, DPA,
etc.) and the Public Employees Retirement System.
The pension reform group set out an agenda and has met consistently once or twice a week over
a three-week period. The Governor wanted the group to develop a product in a month, but it has
taken longer. The meetings have now been concluded, unless there is a need to reconvene the
group again. It appears that the intent of the Administration is to take the input from this working
group and produce an Administration legislative package in the near future.
The pension reform group called by the Governor has discussed three broad topic areas:
1) changes in actuarial methodology to "smooth" employer rates and reduce the volatility of
those rates are as well as the wisdom of establishing "stabilization accounts" in public retirement
systems; 2) a variety of industrial disability retirement issues (job injuries that cause retirement);
and, 3) "cost savings" which involves the question of setting new and less costly benefit levels
for new hires. The issu~ of employer rate smoothing appears to have the most consensus behind
it while the least consensus can be found on the issue of restructuring current benefit plans.
It is difficult to predict the exact parameters of an Administration package at this point in time.
There are some apparent areas of consensus in the meeting along with apparent consensus among
Senate Democratic leadership, the Administration, labor, employers and others. The Senate
Democratic leadership released its pension reform proposals last week and it is rumored that an
Assembly package may be released soon.
League Principles
The development of the League task force report has been a very helpful tool in the pension
reform debate. It has given us the opportunity to keep communications open with both labor and
the Administration while still offering credible proposals for consideration in the debate. After
developing the report and holding dozens of face-to-face meetings with the key players, a set of
goals has emerged that will be important for employers in the upcoming debates. These goals
are:
Cl Retain the Defined Benefit Plan as the primary retirement model for public employment.
[] Stabilize employer contribution rates through actuarial principles that "smooth" the ·
impact of volatile investment earnings.
[] Reduce the long-term costs of public pension systems in California.
[] Establish fair benefits for public employees that are effective in recruiting and retaining a
skilled, quality workforce.
[] Establish public pension systems that can be defended to the taxpayer in a public debate.
[] Oppose preemption of charter city authority over public pension systems.
[] Establish industrial disability retirement benefits that provide fair benefits for an injured
employee when the injury is clearly linked to the employee's job.
Conclusion.
The pension reform debate is far from over. The development of any type of reform package this
year for legislative consideration will depend heavily on the Administration and its negotiations
with legislative leadership. A major concern of the League Task Force was that if this issue
develops into a public fight at the ballot box, the negative fallout that could occur would be
detrimental, if not irreparable, for public employment in California. The Task Force believes that
the way to mitigate this situation is to reach an agreement that would bring publicly acceptable
reform to public pension systems.
LEAGUE
OF CALIFORNIA
CITIES
www.cacities.org
2005 Legislative Action Days, May 11 & 12
Transportation
The Administration has indicated that state revenues for FY 2005-06 are greater than initial January esti-.
mates. The League believes that if the state's fiscal condition is improving, restoring full Prop 42 funding for
transportation, including local streets and roads, is critical to Califomia's economic recovery and should be
a top priority. The state should:
· Support the full application of revenue from sales tax on gasoline for transportation as provided in
Prop 42, including for local street and road work and public transit, consistent with the current Prop
42 allocation formula.
· Support a permanent and protected shift of the sales tax on gasoline for transportation purposes.
· Support an obligated repayment of previously suspended Prop 42 funds with interest.
Housin.q
Califomia lacks a comprehensive growth strategy that addresses a growth rate of nearly 600,000 people
each year. Cities' ability to approve housing is impaired by ongoing state revenue raids, state laws that
undermine local control (e.g., density bonus, second unit mandate, etc.) and conflicting state housing,
transportation and environmental quality policies. The state needs to adopt housing policies to reward
housing production and innovation at the local level without undermining local control and confiscating
existing local revenues. The state should:
· End the Practice of Taking Local Revenues, Including Prop 42 and Redevelopment
Funds. City residents need to know that new housing will not erode the city's quality of life, and
this can't be done if the state takes existing Ibcal revenues like Prep 42 transportation, RDA and
other funds.
· Establish a true partnership with local governments to address housing and growth issues
in a comprehensive fashion. Stop passing piecemeal housing and land use mandates that
focus on expanding the failed top-down models of the past. Engage local governments and
other stakeholders in the development of new state housing policies that better meet our hous-
ing needs.
· Expand the fiscal tools and flexibility cities need to fund the increased services and infra-
structure that new residents need and deserve. Reward cities that approve the construction of
housing.
Redevelopment
The State has taken more than $1 billion from redevelopment in local property tax dollars over the past 12
years, and passed laws that constrain the ability of redevelopment agencies to continue revitalizing commu-
nities. This limits redevelopment agencies' ability to expand affordable housing and create jobs, and costs
the state millions in lost revenue. The state should:
· Preserve and expand of Califomia redevelopment agencies' ability to revitalize communities.
· Oppose any efforts aimed at reducing redevelopment agency revenues or legislative actions that
would negatively affect redevelopment law and practice.
LEAGUE
OF CALIFORNIA
CITIES
2005 Legislative Action Days, May 11 & 12 www.cacities.org
The Issue
The Administration has indicated that state revenues for FY 2005-06 are greater than initial January
estimates. While the exact amount of revenues is unknown, the League believes that if the state's
fiscal condition is improving, restoring full Proposition 42 funding for transportation, including local
streets and roads, is critical to California's economic recovery and should be a top priority.
What We Expect from our State Partners
we ask Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to immediately support increased funding in
the state budget for transportation by fully funding the state and local transportation projects and
programs under Prop 42, particularly local street and road maintenance and public transit. Specifi-
cally, we ask that they:
· Support the full application of revenue from sales tax on gasoline for transportation pur-
poses as provided in Prop 42, including for local street and road maintenance and public
transit, consistent with the current Prop 42 allocation formula.
· Support a constitutional amendment that permanently protects the sales tax on gasoline for
transportation purposes.
· Support an obligated repayment of previously suspended Prop 42 funds with interest.
Our Message
Local streets and roads urgently need repairs. The most recent statewide survey of city and
county needs for the local system was from the SR 8 (Burton) report done in 1999. This report
found an existing backlog of $11 billion in needed repairs, which was estimated to increase by $400
million a year- a ~;13 billion deficit today.
It's Time to Implement Prop 42. In 2002, 69 percent of voters approved Prop 42, expressing their
support for dedicating the more than $1 billion per year in sales tax on gasoline to state and local
transportation programs. However, as permitted by Prop 42, the funds have been diverted to the
state general fund in each of last two fiscal years. Cities and counties have lost $382 million over
two years for local street and road maintenance programs and even more in critically needed
funding for public transit, the Traffic Congestion Relief Plan (TCRP) and the State Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP). The governor's January budget proposed suspending Prop 42
funding for FY 2005-06 (a direct $253 million loss for cities and counties for maintenance alone).
Local Governments Have Contributed Billions to Help the State and Should Benefit from the
State's Improved Fiscal Condition. In the current and 2005-06 budget years, local governments
are obligated to give a total of $2.6 billion to the state to help resolve its budget crisis. This is in
addition to the $1.3 billion VLF gap loan given by cities and counties to the state in the FY 2003-04
budget year, and the transferred Prop 42 funds. If state revenues have increased, a major portion
should go to local transportation programs.
LEAGUE
C}F CALIFORNIA
CITIES
www.cacities.org
2005 Legislative Action Days, May 11 & 12
The Issue
With an annual growth rate of about 600,000 people, California lacks a comprehensive strategy to
effectively provide affordable housing for a growing population. Cities' ability to approve housing is
impaired by ongoing state revenue raids, state laws that undermine local control (e.g., density
bonus, second unit mandate, etc.) and conflicting state housing, transportation and environmental
quality policies. The state needs to adopt housing policies to reward housing production and inno-
vation at the local level without undermining local control and confiscating existing local revenues.
What We Expect from our State Partners
· ' End the Practice of Taking Local Revenues, Including Proposition 42 and Redevelop-
ment Funds. City residents need to know that new housing will not erode the city's quality.
of life, and this can't be done if the state takes existing local revenues like Prop 42 transpor-
tation, RDA and other funds.
· Establish a true partnership with local governments to address housing and growth
issues in a comprehensive fashion. Stop passing piecemeal housing and land use man-
dates that focus on expanding the failed top-down models of the past. Engage local govern-
ments and other stakeholders in the development of new state housing policies that better
meet our housing needs.
· Expand the fiscal tools and flexibility cities need to fund the increased services and
infrastructure that new residents need and deserve. Reward cities that approve the con-
struction of housing.
Our Message
Increasing the supply of housing (especially affordable housing) is a priority for California
cities. Local governments have approved more than 200,000 housing units over each of the past two
years, including 30 percent of which are apartments -- the highest approval levels in nearly 20 years.
Low-income units cannot be built without subsidies. The state must recognize this problem and work
with local governments to address it.
State-centered top-down planning does not work. Comprehensive, long-term planning must begin
with a bottoms-up process that reflects the challenges and diversity of local governments and regions,
values public input, and is balanced against other important public policies and priorities.
Effective groWth strategies must address residents' quality of life concerns. Many people are con-
cemed about the effects of poorly planned growth on their community and the environment. Ignoring
these concems only fuels opposition.
_ LEAGUE
OF CALIFORNIA
CITIES
2005 Legislative Action Days, May 11 & 12
www.cacities.org
The Issue
The State has taken more than $1 billion from redevelopment in local property tax dollars over the past
12 years. In addition, legislation has been passed that constrains the ability of redevelopment agencies
to continue revitalizing communities. This has limited the ability of local redevelopment agencies to
expand affordable housing and create jobs. This has also meant many millions of dollars in revenue
loss to the state budget.
We oppose all further reduction of redevelopment agency revenues or legislative actions that constrain
or hinder redevelopment law and practice.
What We Expect from our State Partners
· Preserve and expand California redevelopment agencies' ability to revitalize communities.
· Oppose any efforts to reduce redevelopment agency revenues or legislative actions that would
negatively affect redevelopment law and practice.
Our Messa_~e
Redevelopment activities create jobs and build stronger economies · Generated $31.8 billion in economic activity in California in 2003.
· Created 310,000 new full- and part-time jobs in just one year (2002-03).
· Every $1 of redevelopment agency spending generates nearly $14 in total economic activity.
· Redevelopment agency construction activities helped generate more than $1.58 billion in
additional state and local tax revenues in 2003.
Redevelopment plays a critical role in providing affordable housing
·Redevelopment agencies are the leading funder of affordable housing in California, second
only to the federal government..
·Since 1994, redevelopment agencies have helped build and/or rehabilitate 63,406 affordable
housing units.
·Redevelopment agencies will develop an additional 20,048 units of Iow- and moderate-income
housing over the next two years.
· 20 percent of increased property tax revenues must be used to increase affordable housing
supply.
Redevelopment activities help protect our environment · Promote urban-centered growth, helping to preserve the environment and open space.
· Clean-up contaminated properties.
Redevelopment helps make communities safer
· Redevelopment activities reduce blight and improve economic and social conditions, which
helps reduce crime.
RECEIVED
~¥ ~ 4 ~005
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
5~24/2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: Dianne Hoover, Director Recreation & Parks
SUBJECT: Opening Day of Aquatics
McMurtrey Aquatic Center
The McMurtrey Aquatic Center is scheduled to open once again for recreation
swim beginning May 28, 2005 at noon. Recreation swim will be open weekends
only until school recesses for the summer. The weekend hours of operation will
be from noon to 4:45 pm. Beginning June 11 the aquatic center will be open
seven days a week until August 21,2005. Weekday hours will be from 12:30 -
4:45 pm. The fee for recreation swim is $3 per person and families accompanied
by a parent (4-6 members) will be admitted for $10.
Planz Spray Park
The Planz Spray Park is opening on May 26th at 3:30pm. The hours of operation
will be from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, seven days a week. There is no fee to
participate at this facility.
RECEIVED
HAY 2 5 2005
B' A K E RS F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
5/25/2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: Dianne Hoover, Director Recreation & Parks ~)/~ Y/'
SUBJECT: Special Events
Movies In The Park
Friday Night movies in the park are back! Families can come and watch their
favorite movies at a different park each week. Popcorn and sodas will be
available for a small fee. All movies are rated "G" and begin at dusk. A schedule
of upcoming movies is as follows:
Location Date Movie
Jastro 5/27/05 Babe
Siemon 6/3/05 Chicken Run
Windsor 6/17/05 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Pin Oak 7/8/05 Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
Grissom 7/22/05 The Adventures of Milo & Otis
Silver Creek 8/5/05 Cats Don't Dance
Beale Band Concerts
The Bakersfield Municipal Band will bring back memories for all! The Beale
Band Concerts will be held at Beale Park every Sunday at 8:00 p.m. from June
19th through July 17th. The concerts are free.
RECEIVED
i'IA¥ 2 3 2005
CiTY MANAGER'S OFFICE
B A K E R S F I E L D
Department of Recreation and Parks
Date: May 20, 2005
To: Alan Tandy, City Manager
From: Alan Christensen, Interim Director of Recreation and Parks
Subject: Monthly Report for April
Attached are the monthly activity reports for each division. If you
have any questions or require additional information, please let me
know.
B A K E R S F I E L D
Department of Recreation and Parks
Date: May 16, 2005
To: Allen Abe, Assistant Recreation and Parks Director
From: Ken Trone, Park Construction and Facilities Planner
Subject: Parks Department Planning and Construction Activity (April)
A Community meeting was held and facilitated by Supervisor Barbara Patrick
and County of Kern Staff to discuss the Olive Drive corridor issues. Discussions
revolved mostly around needed circulation and sewer improvements.
Assessment costs were provided for the desired improvements. City residents
living in the area of potential assessment were not affected by sewer issues and
minimally affected by circulation issues.
The kickoff meeting for the southeast fire station was held at the Buena Vista
Road Police and Fire Annex. Representatives of RJM Design, the architects for
the project met with city staff to discuss potential issues with the design.
B A K E R S F I E L D
Department of Recreation and Parks
Date: May 3, 2005
To: Allen Abe, Assistant Director
From: Linda McVicker, Recreation Supervisor
Subject: Monthly Report for April
BROCHURE
· The Recreation & Parks Brochure went out to all City residents the week of April
18th, Registration for our classes and activities has picked up substantially.
· On May 2nd, the first day of on-line registration for aquatics, we had 111 on-line
registrations for all of our programs.
· We have received many complements from the public on our new brochure.
ADULT SOFTBALL
· We have started registration for our summer league. We have 102 teams signed
up for our Spring Softball League.
· The Summer League will begin June 6 and end August 26.
· We have approximately 2,000 players in our Spring League.
· On a weekly basis we have approximately 1,500 spectators at our games.
UP-COMING PROGRAMS
· During the summer we will be offering two Soccer Camps, Softball Tournaments,
a Senior Softball League, T-ball, Pee Wee Sports and a Football Camp.
C:\DOCUME...'l\sforsyth"..LOCALS.-.'?','T(:~!'np\~.pdf 05 Rpt.doc
LMC
B A K E R S F I E L D
Department of Recreation and Parks
Monthly Report April 2005
Dr Martin Luther Kinq Jr. Community Center
New Facility Hours
As of April 25, our new facility hours are 8am to 6:30pm on Monday through Thursday and
8am to 5pm on Friday. This schedule will run through August 2005, at that time we will revisit the
schedule for the winter.
New Proqrams
We are currently enrolling participants in our Beginning Computer class and Senior Walking
Class both will began when we reach our minimum enrOllment per class.
Sports
The Shell Oil sports program is developing well. We have given each school in the
immediate area information on the individual and team leagues; also we have met with additional
potential agencies ( S.A.L, Madison Place center) for the team league. Both leagues are scheduled
to start the week of June 13.
Dean Jones Page 1 5/3/2005 11:39 AM
B A K E R $ F I E L D
DATE: May 2, 2005
TO: Alan Christensen, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Holly Larson, Supervisor
RE: April Monthly Report
Aquatic Attendance:
See attached statistics for aquatic attendance at McMurtrey. All other pool facilities
except Silver Creek are currently closed until the summer season begins on June 20,
2005.
Ridgeview and Golden Valley high schools are currently swimming at Silver Creek
Monday through Friday afternoons.
BHS, West, and South swim teams and 8 high school diving teams are utilizing
McMurtrey Aquatic Center, in addition to our other programs and rentals.
ASAP presentations have begun with various groups as well as sharing information with
the public at various events. To date we have given presentations to 126 Students and
have distributed 349 brochures at events, meetings and community centers.
Aquatic Staffinq: -
Recruitment is ongoing for summer 2005 staff. 132 aquatic staff have been referred to
date.
We attended a two job fairs in April. One was at BC on April 20 and one for the Kern
High School District on April 14.
Lifeguard trainings were held all five weekends at the McMurtrey Aquatic Center. (~8
attended these trainings.
C:\DOCUME- l\sforsyth\LOCALS~l\Temp\monthlyreport.docC:\DOCUME-l\sforsyth\LOCALS~l \Temp\monthlyreport.doc 5/3/200510:33
AM
Swim instructor trainings were held all five weekends at the McMurtrey Aqutic Center.
44 attended these trainings.
Three outside agency trainings were held. 21 attended these trainings.
Events:
We participated in the Hoops Extreme event on April 23-24.
Several high school swim meets and diving meets were held. Total attendance
included in attachment.
~:\D~CUME~~\sf~rsyth\L~ALS~\Temp~n~nth~yrep~n.d~cC:\D~UME-~\sf~rsyth\L~ALS~ \Temp\monthlyreport.doc 5/3/200510:33
AM
September
20O4
0 0 0 0 0 9 6 0
0 2 6 7 0 7 6 0
11 2 0 0 13 0
29 100
80
0 7 6 7 0 0 0 0
6 15 2 0 20 7 0
10 5 0 37 4 0
0 7 ~ 8 9 0 32 6 0
0 15 12 3 0 28 0
20 100
50
0 9 14 8 0 28 6 0
0 5 9 7 0 18 4 0
11 4 0 26 6 0
3 3 0 23 6 0
7 11 5 0 30 0
18 150
50
0 6 Cancelled 0 0 16 6 0
0 2 13 2 0 17 4 0
0 0 0 9 0 20 5 0
0 4 2 5 0 25 6
14 5 0 21 0
15 50
0
0 $ 13 7 0 26 6 0
2 13 10 0 22 7 0
11 8 0 ~0 6 0
9 2 0 28 7
september Total:l{ 165211
October
2004
5 16 4 20 0
8
0 4 4 4 5
0 8 6 (~ 0 0 0
0 7 3 4 0 0 0
0 2 10 2 4 0 0 0
5 8 i 0 0
0
0 6 15 5 5 28 8 0
0 6 6 4 27 7 0
0 6 15 2 6 19 0
0 5 7 5 1 22 6 0
7 13 6 18 0
16
0 8 13 8 i 17 0
0 4 7 2 i 17 6 0
0 5 8 4 2 17 6 0
0 5 9 3 I 18 8 0
6 6 2 14 0
8
2OO
0 5 10 4 4 16 6 0
0 5 4 3 0 10 4 0
0 3 10 3 2 17 0
0 2 5 0 2 19 5 0
6 5 6 11 0
8
October Total:II 102211
Novermber
2004
7 7 12 24 4 8
3 7 3 18 7 9
4 10 7 18 8
? 8 2 ~9 6 8
10 6 4 19 6
ZO
5 ~ 7 4 15 7 8
3 5 3 14 5 7
6 12 6 17 5 0
2 4 I 18 0 8
6 6 0 14 0
3 18
5 11 5 20 6 9
1 5 5 17 2 9
5 8 8 16 0 0
3 6 2 17 6 8
9 6 13 1
6 '1
2 6 3 17 3 9
6 9 6 18 5 9
6 15 15 0
~4
11 0
6 9 3 19 6 8
5 6 18 6 8
November Total:[[ 95~
December
2004
5 8 19 0 1
3 6 4 18 6 0
7 2 18 0 2
5 12 15 5 4
6 4 4 10 1 1 4
4 16 18 0 2
2 12 8 3
4 2 0 0
9 0
8 4 4 2 2
7 10 4 · 5
7 2 15 0 2 1
12 . 12 2 3 1
17 11 0
6 14
6 32 0 19 0 2
8 22 i 17 2 1
0 24 3 19 0 0
10 0 0 0 0
17
2 17 3 0 0 0
9 2 10 1
4 16 2 10 0
14 7
19
December Total:II 78311
gar~uary
2005
0 0
4 11 8 16 3 4
8 16 i 8 5
8 13 7 6
11 4 0 3 8
4 5 12
~ 6 13 12
5 11 14 17 2 10
11 0 0 8 2
6 11 8 10 2
9 3 0 0 10 3
3 12 4 10
? 0 6
]3
10 11 4 11
11 13 20
6 4 11 2
13 6 3
19
2
8 18 6 4 6 7
15 10 8 12 2
9 18 10
12 13 5 9
11 4
17
8 20 5 4 4 151
January Total:Il 9771]
February
2005
9 4 8 155
14 22 12 1 140
15 7 6 3 172
18 13 4 52
49
12 12 9 6 47 5
15 10 2 11 2 150 6
15 17 10 137 5
11 7 10 1 122 5
25 13 2 130 15
11 1 26
15 10 9
11 10 2 11 120
11 13 6 1
11 6 7 2 128
8 13 I 5 75
6
16 5 '8
13 8 2 10 90 19
12 10 8 107 19
17 7 9 130
12 20 66 17
28
8 21 9 10 i 136 22
Photo Shoot 2/23/05 20
February Total:]] 325111 Job Fair 2/26/05 17
March 2005 ~;~1 fi00~ ~' ;' ~"'~'~ ~ :~' .............. ~ ~':
~ ~~ o o 4
10 2~ 11 1 10 0 11~
11 24 ~ 0~~ 115
~5 ~ 1 $ 7
i~ o
21 ~ 1 10 ~ 49
'20 3 ~ ~ 35
11 20 ~ 0~ ~ 76 0
16 ~ 0 6 0 0 0
10 12 1 28 7
~~ o ~~ ~ o
21 ~ 0~~ 19 8
~ ~ o ~~ ~ o
14 ~ ~ ~0
1~ ~ ~ 0 ~ 1~ 0
Irainin~s/~vonts 228
March~o~ll ~oll Bathin~ Suits Collected
18 8 1 89 13
14 7 ~ 90 12
17 8 ~ 75 35
17 7 ~ 95 0
ii
25 10 1 ~ 2 75
~ . · ~o ~ , ~ ~o
1~ 23 3 I ~
20 12 0 11 ~ 72 0
19 29 4
8
28 10 .2 3 2 70 11
24 4 ~ 75
15 ~ 35 7
26 2
21
Trainings/Events . 806
April Total[~ 3209]] Bathing Suits Collected - 7
AsAp Presentations 126
ASAP Brochures handed ou~ 349
B A K E R S F I E L D
Department of Recreation and Parks
Date: May 2, 2005
To: Alan Christensen, Interim Director
From: Terri Elison, Recreation Supervisor
Subject: April 2005 Monthly Report
Silver Creek After School Proqram ......................... 530 Attendance
......................... 27 Average Daily Attendance
Silver Creek After School Program is going strong with several fun activities planned
this past month. Highlights included learning how to use a compass to go on a treasure
hunt; making pudding planters with gummy worms, creating licorice and popcorn
necklaces; coloring rice to make colorful brochures; and hunting for bugs on a nature
walk. The children also make kites and flew them on a windy day.
ATTENDANCE FIGURES
Silver Creek Rentals ................................................... $1,092.50 (F,,ure,o,, no, ,,c,udo dcoo,~,s~
The Silver Creek multi-purpose room and/or pavilion was rented three times the month
of April. The center was rented for a Church Outreach Party, 80t' Birthday Party and
barbecue/shower. Total attendance was approximately 580.
Classes at Silver Creek:
- # Registered Total Attendance
Ballet & Gym (6 - 11 ) 13 52
Ballet & Gym (3 - 5) 6 24
Belly Dancing 11 42
Calligraphy Workshop no class no class _-
Chess (Beg. & Inter.) 6 24
Clogging 21 84
Dance & Gym (4-5) 2 8
Dance & Gym (2-3) 5 20
Dog Obedience 12 48
Guitar (Beg.) 5 20
Guitar (Inter.) 4 16
1:50 PM 5/2/2005 C:\DOCUME~l\sforsyth\LOCALS~l\Temp\Terfi April 2005 Report.doc Created by Telison
Kardio Kick 13 104
Karate 30 240
Latin Dance (Beg. & Inter.) no class no Class
Pilates 8 96
Tai Chi 4 32
Tennis (Child-Beg & Int.) 6 48 -
Tennis (Adult) 1 8
Upholstery 7 28
Yoga 3 24
TOTAL : 157 918
Classes at Other Facilities
# Registered Total Attendance
Siemon Park
Tennis (Child) no class no class
Tennis (Adult) no class no class
All Star Dance Studio
Dance & Gym (2 1/2- 4) no class no class
Dance & Gym (4 - 5) no class no class
American Academy of Gymnastics
Gymnastics (You & Me) 1 8
Corp Yard Lunch Room
Cartooning no class no class
Creative Pursuits
Knitting and Crocheting no class no class
Bead Connection
Jewelry Making-Beading no class no class
Helfrich's Jewelry Creations
Jewelry Creations 1 4
TOTAL 2 12
Attendance Silver Creek Center:
Rentals ......................................... 580
Classes ........................................ 918 Registrations Taken: _297
After School Program ................530 # of Guests Served: 432
TOTAL ................. 2,028 I*he~ of Guests served does not include registration)
1:50 PM 5/2/2005 C:\DOCUME-l\sforsyth\LOCALS-1Wemp\Tem April 2005 Report.doc Created by Telison
MEMORANDUM
TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER
FROM: W.R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE ~
DATE: May 20, 2005
SUBJECT: Parking Ordinance
Council Referral No. 1122
I General Council requested staff review and give more scrutiny to parking ordinance.
Lt. Jay Borton has been working with Deputy City Attorney Allen Shaw regarding this referral. Please
refer to the attached memorandum for details.
Attachment: Council Referral #001122
BAKERSFIELD POLICE
MEMORANDUM
TO: Chief Rector
FROM:, Lt. Jay C Borton
DATE: May 16, 2005
SUBJECT: Council Referral #001122
On May 16, 2005, I spoke with Deputy City Attorney Allen Shaw regarding a parking citation
received by a subject identified as Vernon Lawson. Mr. Lawson was concerned about a
citation he received on a vehicle parked to the front of his residence at 2637 Cedar Street.
I spoke with Mr. Lawson on May 16, 2005, at about 1300 hours. He was extremely upset
about the Bakersfield Municipal Code 10.40.010, dealing with abandoned vehicles. Mr.
Lawson said he received a citation for this violation on April 30 on a vehicle which was parked
to the front of his residence. Mr. Lawson said his vehicle is a 1962 Studebaker truck, which he
drives on a regular basis; however he has a neighbor who doesn't like the appearance of the
vehicle. Mr. Lawson believes that neighbor is the reporting party for this call and reported the
truck as an abandoned vehicle.
Mr. Lawson's most pressing concern is the wording of the Municipal Code. The code indicates
a vehicle must be moved one-half mile from its location, after it has been marked as an
abandoned vehicle, no later than 72 hours after the initial marking. Mr. Lawson said he may
not drive his vehicle everyday and to have to park his truck a one-half mile from his residence
in order to comply with a law that is intended for abandoned vehicles makes little sense. Mr.
Lawson also expressed concern over local law enforcement having to spend time on
situations of this nature when he believes more pressing matters should be attended to. I
advised Mr. Lawson to contest his citation through the normal channels set up by the
Bakersfield Police Department and he assured me he would. He also asked for consideration
of re-writing the Municipal Code in question.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lt. Jay C Borton
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 Direc~,~.~.~._
DATE: May 16, 2005
SUBJECT: POWER LINES ON 7TM STANDARD ROAD
Referral No. 1135 (Meeting: 5/11/05)
VICE-MAYOR MAGGARD REQUESTED STAFF CONFIRM WHETHER POWER
LINES ALONG 7TM STANDARD ROAD ARE IN USE; IF NOT ACTIVE, INVESTIGATE
REMOVAL AND OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT PG&E'S RIGHT-OF-WAY.
Staff has determined that there are no "idle" power lines along 7th Standard Road from
Highway 99 west to Calloway Road. There is a 70,000 volt transmission line on old
steel towers on the South side of 7th Standard Road and a 12,000 volt distribution line
on wood poles on the North side of 7th Standard Road.
PG&E has indicated that they have recorded right-of-ways and unrecorded right-of-
ways in their service territory. If a right of way is recorded, they keep their rights even if
a line is removed. If a line happened not to be recorded, they would possibly apply to
record it prior to removing the idle line.
In our area, removing idle lines is not a priority to PG&E unless someone is paying them
to remove it. New business, capacity issues, maintenance, and emergency response
take precedence over removing idle facilities.
G:\GROUPDAT~Referrals~005\05-11\Reft1135-Power Lines on 7th Standard.doc
2 4 7_005
HAY
B A K E R S F I E L D
CiTY MANAGER'S OFFICE
CITY OF BAKERSFIELD
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director~/"L~...~
DATE: May 24, 2005
SUBJECT: TEMPORARY BARRIER ON HWY. 178
Referral No. 1137 (Meeting: 5/11/05)
VICE-MAYOR MAGGARD REQUESTED STAFF INVESTIGATE INSTALLING A
TEMORARY CONCRETE BARRIER AT HWY. 178 AND FAIRFAX ROAD TO
SEPARATE EASTBOUND TRAFFIC FROM WESTBOUND TRAFFIC.
Staff has written a letter to Caltrans District 6 Director Mike Leonardo requesting the
installation of a temporary barrier along SR 178. A copy of the letter is attached.
G:\GROUPDAT~Referrals\2005\05-1 l\Ref#1137 Temp Barrier on Hwy 178.doc
BAKERSFIELD
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
1501 TRUXTUN AVENUE
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA 93301
(661) 326-3724
PAUL M. ROJAS, DIRECTOR · crrY ENGIIqEER
May 24, 2005
J. Mike Leonardo, Director, District 6
Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 12616
Fresno CA 93778-2616
Re: State Route (SR) 178 at Fairfax Road in Bakersfield
Dear Mr. Leonardo:
Another tragic head-on accident recently occurred on SR 178 in the area of Fairfax Road.
As you are aware, the City is pursuing the construction of an interchange in this area and
with the interchange, extension of the SR 178 freeway to a point east of Fairfax Road.
Construction funding for this project is programmed to be available in the upcoming fiscal
year. However, based on the current environment regarding statewide transportation
funding, the funding of this project could be delayed to a future year.
In an effort to prevent another head-on collision on this segment of SR 178, the City
requests Caltrans consider the installation of a temporary median barrier (K-rail) to
separate eastbound traffic from westbound traffic. It would seem that this would be a
relatively inexpensive measure that Caltrans forces could quickly install with existing
inventory. I have noticed a similar installation along SR 99 in southern Fresno County.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions
regarding the above, please contact me at 661-326-3596.
Sincerely,
I~aul M. Rojas
Public Works Director
cc: Honorable Mayor Harvey L. Hall and City Councilmembers
Alan Tandy, City Manager
Jacques R. LaRoche#e, Assistant Pubfic Works Director
BAKERSFIELD POLICE
MEMORANDUM
TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER
.!
FROM: W.R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE ~
DATE: MAY 23, 2005
SUBJECT: SPEEDING ON MING AVENUE
COUNCIL REFERRAL NO. 1115AND1128 (WARDS5&6)
1115 - Council Member Sullivan requested police to provide more patrol on Ming Avenue
padicularly on Saturday nights to reduce speeding in the area.
1128 - Council Member Hanson requested police to provide more patrol on Ming Avenue
between Valley Plaza and Old River Road to reduce speeding particularly on Saturday
evenings.
During the past two weekends, May 13-14/20-21, 2005, the Operations Division conducted
directed enforcement on Ming Avenue in an effort to help curb street racing and trespassing in
the area. The folloWing are the results from this project:
Citations- 161
Citations for trespassing- 17
Vehicle impounds- 24
Staff plans to do a follow-up enforcement in three to four weeks. This problem is probably
going to continue without directed enforcement every weekend. Lt. Jay Borton is coordinating
a schedule to assign two to three traffic officers, and two patrol officers to this enforcement on
a regular basis.
B A K E R S F I E L D
MEMORANDUM
May 24, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy., City Manager
FROM: Florn Core~urces Manager
SUBJECT: LAKE TRUXTUN WATER TOWER
Council Referral No. 001134 (Ward No. 5)
During the City Council meeting of May 11,2005, Council Member Sullivan requested staff
determine if art work to water tower located at Lake Truxtun has been completed. If not,
estimate cost to complete project.
Staff recently spoke with the artist of the water tank, Bobby Negrete, by telephone and was
told the following: The art work for the tank was complete however, to an artist's eye a
project of that type is never done. An artist is always thinking of additional changes that
could be made to enhance the pictorial. For example, he indicated that he could still add
more native animals, trees or scenery. He also stated that the article in the Californian, that
had quoted him that the project wasn't complete, did not reflect the story exactly as he had
told it.
The Water Resources Department agrees with Mr. Negrete that the project is complete and
it is a great addition to the Kern River Parkway especially the level of detail that Mr. Negrete
expressed in his artwork. The final phase of the project will entail painting the adjacent
pump house (the metal building)in either sky blue or a neutral tan color to avoid conflicting
with the water tower art.
B A. K E R S F I E L D
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE
May 23, 2005
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager
Christensen, Assistant City Manager ~
FROM:
Alan
SUB3ECT: GRAFFIT REMOVAL VS. LANDSCAPING COSTS - Referral #1089
COUNCILMEMBER SCRIVNER REQUESTED STAFF TO CONDUCT A COST
COMPARISON BETWEEN GRAFFITI REMOVAL AND LANDSCAPING SOLUTIONS TO
DETERMINE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DETER GRAFFITI.
The issue of graffiti removal on block walls is closely tied to the type of walls we require
of developers. Smooth face walls are easier to remove graffiti. It 'is very difficult to
remove graffiti from split face block, which is very porous. Yet split face walls are more
attractive and we now encourage them. If we are to continue maintain our standard of
using the split face texture on block walls, then enhanced landscaping is an effect way
to prevent graffiti..
Of course, shrubs that grow higher against block walls are more costly to maintain.
Because they are higher, different equipment is sometimes needed. In addition, shrubs
that are left larger need trimming more often. That level of maintenance is an ongoing
cost.
Comparing the cost of maintaining larger shrubs with the cost of covering up or
removing graffiti is a challenge because there are a variety of graffiti incidents and
circumstances that produce differing results. But intuitively the cost of removing graffiti
is probably similar to the incremental cost of additional landscape maintenance.
Therefore, encouraging larger plants and increased wall coverage is a good idea.
The reality we face is that the existing public landscaping strips and medians were not
designed and installed with shrubs that would ever grow to cover the block walls. To
replace existing shrub varieties with taller growing shrubs throughout the City Would be
prohibitively expensive. Therefore, by necessity we should focus on the design of new
public landscape areas.
We have seen cases where developers are opting for landscaping that provides more
coverage of the walls. For instance, Castle and Cooke recently designed one of their
landscaped areas next to a wall with tall hedges throughout. We plan to speak to the
BIA about a forum for communicating our preference for such designs to their
members.