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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/22/2006 • /OXO B A h E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM HAPPY HOLIDAYl December 22, 2006 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager AT byrks SUBJECT: General Information 1. As you may be aware from media accounts, the City of Shafter did a last minute "document dump" on the West Ming project at the Thursday, December 21st, Planning Commission meeting. West Ming is Castle & Cooke's next major project. They had worked out all their issues, and it was ready to move forward. A "document dump" is a manipulation of the CEQA process. It involves purposely withholding information until a hearing and then presenting voluminous documentation. Unfortunately, it has become a popular practice in recent times. Generally, however, when such a tactic has been used, there has been an obvious dispute over the project that is up for hearing. In this case, the West Ming project is located far from Shafter, and they should have no legitimate complaint about this project. It is very apparent that Shafter's action is simply an indirect attempt at expressing their dissatisfaction with the issues related to water supplies for their potential development projects north of 7th Standard Road. The West Ming project is not related to that matter in any way. As you are aware, we have repeatedly attempted to avoid litigation with Shafter over their water issues, and we suggested mediation in the hopes that an independent ruling would bring the matter to resolution. However, since the ruling did not result in Shafter's favor, they simply chose not to accept the mediator's ruling and are moving to other actions now. Honorable Mayor and City Council December 22, 2006 Page 2 We have offered - twice - to sell water to Shafter, so their projects can move forward. They have not even acknowledged our offers, instead, devising a plan using theoretical "credits" from wastewater, even though the wastewater would still be used to grow the same alfalfa it does today. It is merely a paper concept - it is not a legitimate plan. For Shafter to draw the West Ming project into a totally separate issue is inappropriate. We will, in accordance with CEQA requirements, prepare the appropriate response to Shafter's opposition at the next Planning Commission hearing. We hope they will reconsider the actions they have taken regarding the West Ming project as inappropriate and immaterial to their development and water supply issues. We are willing to continue our discussions with them regarding those matters. 2. Staff has completed the annual calculations of the fire funds, pursuant to the Fire JPA with the County, and we have sent them our request for payment. The total amount due from the County this year is about $3.4 million, which has increased by about $1.1 million over last year due to the rapid pace of development and increases in property taxes for the areas we protect. 3. We are pleased to receive the enclosed notifications this week from KernCOG that the City will have two recipients for COG's annual Regional Award of Merit. The Park at River Walk has been selected in the Local Government category, and Streets Superintendent Luis Peralez has been selected in the Transportation category! Former Councilmember, Walt Heisey, will receive an award for Life Achievement / Private Citizen. The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 1st. 4. Congratulations are also in order for John Stinson, Rhonda Barnhard, and the "budget team", as we received official notification this week that the Government Finance Officers' Association has again recognized us with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the FY 2006-07 budget. This will be the sixth time the City of Bakersfield has received the award. 5. Continuing in the good news category, EDCD has been informed that Bakersfield will be a recipient of a $500,000 loan program from the State Pollution Control Financing Authority designed to address funding gaps in the assessment and remediation of Brownfield properties to bring them into productive reuse. The planned use for the funds is for clean up in the redevelopment areas, specifically targeting the Mill Creek area. 6. The preliminary bid results for Fire Station #5 show that the proposals came in below estimate. Staff is in process of reviewing all the bids for compliance requirements; we expect to be able to put the item on your next meeting agenda for award. Honorable Mayor and City Council December 22, 2006 Page 3 7. The Army Corps of Engineers updated us this week on the Isabella Dam issues. The testing is currently moving forward according to plan. However, the Corps does have some concern about lack of clarity with continued funding. It is possible that Congress may not fund the Corps with the level of funding they requested for FY 2007, which could temporarily stall the process. They emphasize, though, that the budget information they have at this time is only preliminary. We will update you when we receive more information. 8. Recreation and Parks will be holding the annual Polar Bear Dip at McMurtrey on January 1s` at 11:00 a.m. We will be using the activity pool - which is not heated - and add blocks of ice from Jack Frost Ice to chill it down even more. Participants choose which slide they want to use to "take the plunge". Once they slide into the cold water, they make their way to the other end of the pool, take a hot shower and have hot chocolate. Per the attached brochure, the price is only $5.00; it is $25.00 if they want to remember the occasion with a warm sweatshirt. Spectators are welcome! 9. The Kern County High School District has agreed to upgrade the pool heater at Jastro Pool for this season's swim team practices. The high schools have outgrown our current heated pools and needed another one. They are willing to pay the price to upgrade the pool heater at Jastro. Practices begin in mid-January. 10. Recreation and Parks' winter brochure is now available and provided in this packet. The cover shot is taken from the award-winning Park at River Walk. 11. The Streets Division work schedule for the week of December 26-29 is attached. 12. Responses to Council requests are enclosed, as follows: Councilmembers Scrivner, Couch, Hanson Status report on various Council requests regarding the Capital Improvement Program: • Time line for project completion dates; • Status report for the traffic signal on Brimhall, just west of Coffee Road; • Time line for holding public meetings for the 40-acre park and Sports Village projects; • Update on the status of design bid solicitations for the proposed fire stations. Councilmember Benham • Citizen concern regarding vermin at Jastro Park; Councilmember Couch • Road widening issues at the southeast corner of Meacham and Verdugo; • Repair of potholes on Camino Media; Honorable Mayor and City Council December 22, 2006 Page 4 Councilmember Hanson • Staff analysis of Truxtun Extension traffic issues and the feasibility of placing a center barrier along the roadway; • Update on the Panama Lane / Buena Vista traffic signal project; Councilmember Sullivan • Time frame for repair of street conditions on Adanac Court. AT:rs cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk I B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM December 21, 2006 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Cou/�memb FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager H11 /, SUBJECT: Draft Recruitment and Retention Plan Staff has been periodically updating you on the problems we have experienced with recruiting and retaining employees in a variety of areas. This subject was a major topic of discussion at the Department Head retreat in August. We have been working to define the problem and develop elements of a plan to deal with it since then. The attached document is a draft for your information. It is not final because we are going to be broadening the scope of input from a larger group of employees than we have so far. We want to listen to ideas and get feedback on potential problems, etc. from them before finalizing the document and making it public. We would also like to solicit your reaction, comments and concerns while it is still in the draft stage, so you are encouraged to give us your feedback. Please feel free to call or e-mail as we simultaneously "test" the draft to obtain input within the organization. AT:rks • Z,; 2� B A K E R S F I E L D City Manager MEMORANDUM December 20, 2006 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: Employee Recruitment, Retention and Succession Planning Challenges The City of Bakersfield is experiencing increasing difficulty in recruiting and retaining good employees as well as doing succession planning for key positions which become vacant due to retirements. This situation is occurring at multiple levels of the organization, including professional, technical and blue collar jobs. We are fortunately not experiencing these same recruitment and retention issues for sworn f t positions still attract a large number of safety positions. Recruitments for public safety p public sa y p sa qualified a pp licants. The greatest concern for safety departments a rtments is having a sufficient number qualified and trained are prepar into management positions si nce those promotions must be made from within the department according to City Charter requirements. We are having ifficulty in recruitment and retention of non-safety employees because of g good economic climate locally and our increased competition for skilled workers due to the 9 inability to match compensation offered by t he private sector and other public sector employers. The result of this situation is we are having increased difficulty in attracting q ualified a pp licants for jobs and vacancies are remaining open an exceedingly long amount of time which impacts our ability to get needed work done for our citizens. This is further compounded by the aging of the workforce where many"baby boom" generation employees are beginning to retire and there is a smaller pool of applicants interested in positions in government positions or internal employees ready and trained to assume these positions. We have one department where all four of the top managers may retire all at once. This presents a serious problem of continuity and loss of institutional knowledge for the organization and must be adequately planned for. This memo presents an overview of the situations noted above including specific examples of situations facing departments and an action plan to address this situation. 9 P Overview On August 27, 2006, the Bakersfield Californian ran an article about the difficulties we are experiencing in recruiting and keeping qualified Planners within Development Services. Several 1— S:WOHNATPROJ%Employee Recruitment Retention and Succession 2006 revised 12-20-06.doc issues were cited, including the complex civil service system, the lack of hiring flexibility, compensation differences, and fewer new graduates with planning degrees. This example is only one of many within our organization which demonstrate an increasing difficulty in recruiting qualified employees. and retaining q P ees.Y Over the past several months, as noted in the article, some of our planners have been hired by private development firms. Additionally, other people in the organization have left for jobs with other cities or private businesses. We have also had retirements of key personnel throughout the organization. We currently have open and are recruiting for about 139 positions as of October 31,2006(including many of the new ones recently approved in this year s budget) which are all critical to providing services to the community. These vacant positions represent approximately 9%of the total city workforce and about 75% of these vacancies are in the miscellaneous employee units (meaning non-sworn personnel). Recruitment competition from the robust private market challenges our ability to fill new positions and positions that become vacant due to a retirement or other reason. For example,we have had difficulty in filling Service Maintenance Worker (commercial driver) positions in the Streets division and laborers for the Parks division. We also had difficulty finding employees who have specialty certifications required of Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators. We have had to extend the recruitments for Management Assistant and others in order to get qualified candidates. We are not alone in experiencing difficulty in the hiring, retention and replacement of experienced personnel. Other cities and counties in California, including Kern County, are experiencing difficulty in recruitment and retaining experienced employees. Many of the baby boom generation are retiring or approaching retirement and there are fewer trained workers in the workforce available to take their places.This causes increased competition among employers for a diminishing pool of qualified workers, particularly for pos itions which require specialized I we have tried to train employees perform the ob. While or certification to 1 training, p education, t g, s have internally to be prepared to replace those who leave the organization, we do not always employees who are sufficiently motivated or prepared to reasonably assume those vacancies when they occur. Further, due to lower staffing levels and current high workloads and activity levels employees are in many departments assuming additional day to day duties which leaves it currently offers some tuition r mentorin . Although the City Y . ' for training o 9 ro opportunity little time o pp ty 9 time ' I low number of employees take advantage of the program due to t ement a relative p reimbursement, Y constraints to attend local universities; limited availability of specialized programs such as engineering and planning);and higher costs for non-traditional degree programs(University of La Verne and University of Phoenix) than what is currently reimbursed. The current low level of unemployment in general is impacting our recruitment efforts as the pool of desirable applicants has many more employment opportunities available to them due to the robust local economy and high demand for both skilled and unskilled workers. Replacing our seasoned employees in line for retirement with qualified applicants becomes even more challenging due to declines in student enrollment for specialized areas of study like engineering, urban planning, city management and other public employment needs. It is also difficult to find training related to the work we do and limited public sector experience. Not as many recent graduates are currently pursuing careers in public sector employment since there z S.UGHWATPROJ\Employee Recruitment Retention and Succession 2006 revised 12-20-06.doc are a wider variety of career opportunities available to them in the high tech age. They also have many more opportunities to work in organizations that have more flexible work conditions (schedules, benefit options,time-off, etc.)and options that appeal to the generation of employees entering the workforce now. We are at the point where we must begin a proactive strategy to handle this crisis, or we will experience a deteriorating p continue to erioratin impact on how we conduct our day to day operations, community. n acce table level of service to our ability to provide a p leaving us without the a y p At the Department Head retreat earlier this year,these issues and others regarding recruitment and succession planning were discussed at length. Serious employment organizational problems were identified along with existing and future critical staff shortage conditions. Attached is a memorandum which provides a detailed summary of the key issues detailing the depth and scope of the employment problems identified throughout the organization by department. Action Plan: The recruitment and employment crisis will not be solved overnight. However, there are several steps that we can consider now to help address some of these,problems. Several require administrative and procedural changes. Other suggested ideas examine additional benefits designed to attract and retain good employees. Extend educational incentive pay program currently available for safety personnel to other employee groups. Currently employees in the Police and Fire bargaining units receive some form of educational incentive pay. The Police receive pay for POST certificates and Fire employees receive additional pay for AA or Bachelors degrees. There is currently some additional pay for certificates in the Miscellaneous Employee unit. This proposal would provide up to an additional 2% pay for Miscellaneous Employees (including Supervisors and Managers)with an Associates degree or equivalent;and up to a total of 5%for a Bachelors or higher degree. The program would be phased in over a period of time. A sheet outlining the details of the proposed program is attached. This program as proposed would cost approximately $335,000 for the first fiscal year it is phased in and approximately $670,000 for the second fiscal year and thereafter when completely implemented. These figures are based on the current number of employees with degrees. The figures would change over time as more employees become eligible through obtaining their degrees. • Home ownership assistance program. This would provide home ownership assistance for employees who qualify based on income from HOME funds and other City home loan assistance programs. This would promote home ownership by employees within the City and be a significant inducement for individuals to consider City employment, particularly those just entering the work force. This would also increase home ownership for employees at the lower levels of the salary structure. This would be done using federal money similar to what was done for the Cottages and other home ownership programs. This would be targeted as an incentive to attract prospective employees for lower paying -3— S:WOHMATPROJ1Employee Recruitment Retention and Succession 2006 revised 12-20-06.doc city jobs. A sheet outlining the proposed program is attached. • Internships and Mentoring. There is a need to develop internship opportunities for potential employees and mentoring programs for existing employees to provide needed training and on the job experience. Structured targeted internships work well when geared toward specific disciplines. This is good if the City has a specific project or need within an academic discipline. The commitment would be to provide a job over multiple summers with the expectation of a regular job at the completion of their education. This type of program creates loyalty and would increase the pool of qualified applicants for jobs. • Compensation and Pay—Position by Position Basis. Currently,when there is difficulty in hiring a needed position or concern about retaining employees in a specific area we have been able to address these compensation issues on an individual basis by increasing compensation for individual classes of positions within the organization. This has helped address immediate recruitment and retention compensation issues and we would propose to continue this practice to address specific compensation concerns. • Compensation and Pay — Generally. With a more competitive employment market it would be desirable to increase the general level of salaries to be more in line with the current workforce marketplace. Obviously, this is constrained by real financial growth and the City's financial position. It should be noted as a goal for the City to pursue should we be able to afford it. • Changes to job specifications related to substituting experience for education. This change would expand the ability for candidates for a variety of positions to substitute work experience for educational requirements. This would expand the pool of qualified applicants and the ability to promote qualified employees within the organization. Those employees with sufficient relevant work experience who may not have the formal education currently required but have the practical knowledge required for the job would be able to compete for promotions. This would be done for specified jobs or levels of jobs in the organization, generally entry level supervisory or technical positions. Department head and other professional positions that have specific educational training requirements would not be included. Department managers have reviewed all relevant job classes to determine where appropriate changes should be made. • Increase and expand educational reimbursement program. The City currently has a reimbursement program for college tuition and books. The tuition reimbursement level is indexed to the tuition at Cal State University Bakersfield. That amount is less than the tuition at other University programs, such as the University of La Verne and University of Phoenix which have class schedules and degree programs more suited to mid-career professionals and those with non-traditional work schedules (i.e. shift work). Increasing the tuition reimbursement level to meet the costs of programs such as University of La Verne and University of Phoenix would improve employee participation in such college programs. The City's educational reimbursement for college costs needs to be better understood by current and potential employees. It could serve as an important recruitment tool particularly for those who could be attracted to entry level positions that -a- S:\JOHN\ATPROJ\Employee Recruitment Retention and Succession 2006 revised 12-20-06.doc want to pursue higher education. Staff has developed a revised reimbursement that increases the amount of reimbursement for books and tuition for those attending accredited programs designed for working students. A detailed draft policy is attached. The estimated additional costs for changing the program ranges from $100,000 to $120,000 annually assuming about a 20% increase in participation. The numbers will vary depending on how many additional employees take advantage of the program and where they take classes. -5- S:IJOHNWTPROJ\Employee Recruitment Retention and Succession 2006 revised 12-20-06.doc B A K E R S F I E L D OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER MEMORANDUM December 11, 2006 TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: John W. Stinson, Assistant City Manager SUBJECT: Summary of Recruitment and Retention Issues by Department Below is a summary of the key issues detailing the depth and scope of the recruitment and retention problems identified throughout the organization: Public Works - Streets Division It has become increasingly difficult to hire good and qualified entry level workers with a Class B license. This is evident in the Streets Division with Service Maintenance Workers who perform the majority of hard manual labor. These same employees can work for a private contractor driving a truck and not have to perform any manual labor. These positions are needed for the City's street maintenance program, a council priority item. TRIP Division The Thomas Roads Improvement Program hired an outside recruiting firm last November to pursue candidates for five Civil Engineer III positions that were approved for the ;program. A flyer was developed that was distributed in early December for these Civil Engineer III positions, listing minimum qualifications plus desirable ones (transportation and project management experience). Since that time, the City has received from the recruiting firm numerous resumes however, only one hire has resulted due to various reasons including the level of experience and training desired for the position and the competitive environment for individuals with these skills. Due to these recruiting problems, this past April the recruitment was revised to include Engineer I and II personnel and a new flyer was prepared. Over the past four months, eight resumes for Engineer I and 11 have been received, several interviewed, and three hired for open positions in the Engineering Division. SAJOHN\Recruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot Construction Division This Division has 21 employees (one superintendent, two supervisors, eight inspectors for tracts and permits, six inspectors for CIP projects, and four survey crew positions). Because of the time sensitive nature of the inspectors' duties, a loss of just one position impacts both customer service to the development community and causes delays in completion of CIP projects. This section recently lost two construction inspectors to private development firms due to increased compensation. In the past, recruitments for Construction Inspectors resulted in a number of applicants, sometimes twenty or more. The last recruitment in December, 2005 resulted in a list of three. The inability to attract and retain construction inspector positions has a direct impact on service levels to the development community and delays completion of several CIP projects. These are both time sensitive tasks, made all the more difficult due to the inability to attract and retain skilled staff. Subdivisions This Section includes sixteen engineering related positions, with nine of these in the Engineering Technician classification. Engineering Technicians perform technical office and field work by checking development plans for conformance with City standards. This position also prepares maps, legal descriptions, and plans & specifications. This position is critical to ensuring improvements within the City's right-of-way conform to established standards. In addition, since this position checks developer improvement plans, it is critical that we maintain adequate and qualified staffing to provide an acceptable turn around time for the development community. With that said, we have experienced problems in recruiting for this position. In July 2004, only one qualified applicant made the eligibility list for Engineering Technician. This employee, who worked with us for only two weeks, left for a`higher paying position at the County. Wastewater Division The Wastewater Division has also experienced difficulty in recruiting qualified candidates for both the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator position and more recently the Superintendent position. The current staffing requirements for wastewater operators at Plants 2 and 3 are to have five operators at each Plant. The Plant 3 expansion project will increase the need for additional operators. Therefore, there is an immediate need to hire more operators to train and have certified in order to maintain proper operation of the expanded Plant. We have experienced difficulty in recruiting for the operator position. During the last recruitment for a Grade II operator, the City sent a letter to every certified operator S:\JOHN\Recruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot within the State of California. There were five qualified responses resulting in one interview and that person was not hired. Grade II salaries from the cities of Fresno, West Sacramento, and Riverside were compared to the City of Bakersfield. The City of Bakersfield ranked the lowest of all the cities. In fact, the Cities of Fresno, West Sacramento, and Riverside are 7.6%, 9.5% and 38.5% higher respectively for Grade II operators. The Cities of West Sacramento and Riverside also have Grade III positions. The City of Bakersfield does not have a Grade III position but offers $1,500 annual certification pay for having a grade III certificate. The Grade III position for the Cities of West Sacramento and Riverside pay 16.4% and 40.7% more than our Grade II position with Grade III certification pay. The City of Bakersfield has encouraged and supported training and review courses for the existing wastewater operators over the last two years to assist them in achieving higher certification (Grade III certification). This training has paid dividends in that the Division has more certified Grade III operators than ever before. This higher certification benefits the Division,in that State law requires that a Grade III or higher is required on-site to fill in as Supervisor. 'Ironically, with this higher certification, higher paying job opportunities are available and currently the City cannot compete. As a result, several Grade III operators are considering higher paying positions with other agencies: The Wastewater Division has also experienced setbacks in recruiting for the Wastewater Superintendent position. Recruitment for the Superintendent position has been advertised for about over a hundred and fifty days and we have received only eight applications. Seven applications did not meet the minimum qualifications of having a Grade V Wastewater Certificate. Recruiting efforts have included notifying every Grade V certified operator in California. Fleet Division Recently, an open recruitment for Fleet Service Worker I was conducted by Human Resources. Twenty-four applications were submitted, eleven were rejected for no experience, ten were interviewed and eight passed the oral interview. Of the eight, three were hired, with tt1e others failing the drug test, background check, and/or the second oral interview at the division level. Individuals with experience and knowledge in fleet maintenance do not want to take this entry level position with its low hourly rate. The inability to attract fleet workers impacts several high profile City functions, including public safety, street maintenance, and refuse collection services. Solid Waste This division has experienced difficulty in hiring new employees at several levels. For example, recent attempts to fill three different clerical positions failed when the selected candidates took other higher paying jobs after being selected by the City. These clerical positions are the front line staff persons who answer the phones and route citizen requests. Also, this year several candidates for our entry level laborer positions have fallen out during the process due to other opportunities with other employers. S:\JOHN\Recruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot Design Section A previous effort to recruit Computer Drafting Technicians yielded no qualified applicants who could meet the minimum requirements. Potential applicants possessing the minimum requirements could obtain a higher salary from the private industry than what the City pays for the same position. Administration Division In August 2006, the Human Resources Division conducted two interviews for the Accountant I position that was approved in January 2006 for the Subdivisions Section. The primary task for this position is to ensure that all developer fees that should be collected are, in fact, collected. For the first set of interviews, only one candidate made the eligibility list. For the second set of interviews, only two candidates made the eligibility list. Because of the lack of qualified applicants, Human Resources has left the recruitment for this position open, in the hopes of attracting more qualified applicants to fill open positions as needed. Public Works - Summary Throughout the Public Works Department, we have experienced problems in hiring positions in several classifications. We have also seen a downward trend in attracting and hiring qualified people from outside organizations in order to develop qualified successors in the supervisory and management level positions. This is not happening as effectively as it should. Due to the booming growth in Bakersfield's economy, potential employees are making more than they would make in the City's entry level positions. That leaves the less desirable, less educated candidates (as some departments discover, there are also fewer candidates capable of passing the physical and drug-screening process.) In addition, the workers who start out in higher-paying private sector jobs, who then decide they want more stability and benefits, are not willing to take a job with the City for much less money. Development Services Planning Division Over the past three years we have lost five planners to outside employers. Three went to work for another city, while two went to work in the private sector. All received an increase in salary with reportedly less job related stress. The two who went to the private sector had nearly fifteen years of individual experience. One of the three that went to work at another City had over twenty years with Bakersfield while the others two had nearly five years of individual experience. As a result of recruitment difficulties we had to hire replacements with little experience because of competition in the job market. Last year we had two unsuccessful recruitments for Associate Planner positions and ended up under filling the positions with lower level staff to try and keep the work moving. We have done four recruitments for Planners and Planning Technicians in the last sixteen months and only hired seven. We still have four positions to fill including those approved in the current budget. S:JOHMRecruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot The Planning Division is using consultants and contract planners to bridge the gap between budget approval and recruitment activities to fill new positions. Building Division This year we conducted two recruitments for Assistant Building Director. The first recruitment resulted in only two qualified candidates. The top candidate, from the County, was offered the position. The County counter offered with a better deal and we lost him. We used an executive search firm for the second recruitment. They began working on the recruitment in April and completed it in August. The process produced four candidates of which two were viable. The top candidate declined because of relocation issues and the next candidate took two weeks to ultimately decide to decline our offer deciding not to relocate from Washington State. Recreation and Parks — Due to the low unemployment rate and the availability of construction jobs we are experiencing difficulty in finding acceptable Laborers and Service Maintenance Workers for Parks. We have been doing continuous recruitments for these positions and it has been difficult to keep up with turnover, much less fill newly authorized positions. The recruitment of our entry level Laborers and Facility Workers maintenance positions has been very difficult due to several reasons. The recruitment process can take up to four months which includes advertising, screening of applications, notice of interviews, initial interviews; departmental interviews, reference checks, drug tests and physicals. For Recreation and Parks the many issues dealing with recruitment, retention, and the opportunities for promotions are varied. • Recruitment - The process of filling vacant positions is often four (4) to six (6) months and some times longer. This is very frustrating to the staff and the citizens. • Language - This is a real problem in our entry level positions where often times the only language they speak is Spanish. We have been encouraging our employees to attend English classes for effective communications. • Minimum Requirements - Minimum requirements such as experience, education, certifications, licenses, etc. is good for that first job here, but if they don't have a college degree or some higher education, the promotional opportunities are very limited. • Retirements - There is a lot of experience, knowledge, and information walking out the door in the coming years due to retirements. Supervisors are starting the process to train newer workers to take over their duties. The development of operational manuals will help, but will take time to develop and keep current given the rapid growth of the city. SIJOHMRecruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot Water Resources — The Water Resources Department with an authorized complement of 24, has three vacancies, making the vacant percentage over 12%, slightly higher than the City-wide vacant position rate. The average age within the department is 45 and average tenure with the City over 18 years. 38% are over the age of 50, 43% are between 40 & 50. Average age of management and supervisory is 50. Due to the significant number of management and supervisory retirements that will probably occur within five years (4 of 6 employees), there needs to be an effort to prepare others to step into these positions or efforts to provide incentives to retain the experience and unique knowledge of the water business. There has been difficulty in recruitment and retention in several positions. For instance, two Canal Tender II (CTII) positions, in the Agricultural Water division, are currently under filled. The CTII positions have been under filled for several years due to eligible employees indicating that the position is not paid enough to compensate for the increased responsibilities and stress load over the Service Maintenance Worker's. Recently, one employee who had promoted to the CTII requested demotion back to his old position. The Engineer I position in Agricultural Water was under filled due to lack of applicants. There is a vacant Engineer I position in the rapidly expanding Domestic Water division and apparently few qualified applicants. In the interim, until the position is filled, the Water Supervisor II and Water Resources Superintendent will pick-up some of the workload and a portion will be outsourced. Police - The police department promotes from within the agency, based on the City Charter. The department has a large pool of candidates for the upper ranks, so recruitment for those particular positions is not an issue. However, based on potential retirements in the future such as 2009/2010 all current executive level management of the police department are eligible for retirement. Thus, the pressing issue for the department is being able to provide exposure and experience more quickly to those who are going to be promoting into management and executive management positions. We will have to advance their experience quicker than we ever have in the past in order to prepare them for the future. That would mean involvement in Council committees', significant projects, attendance at City Council meetings and further opportunities for overall city government experience. Fire — The four chief officers in the Fire Department will be turning fifty within the next one to two years and several are planning on retiring. Some will retire as soon as December of 2007. Due to the significant number of potential top management retirements, steps must be taken to prepare others to move into these positions. Because promotion to those ranks must come from within the department, it is critical that those who may compete for the positions be exposed to management tasks and experiences, so they can be prepared when succession occurs. A problem occurs due to the constant staffing requirement. The Fire Chief currently has difficulty bringing employees interested in such training opportunities into the office for mentoring or special assignments to gain management level skills because he must back-fill their positions, which results in having to pay overtime. SAJOHN\Recruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot Economic Development and Community Development (EDCD) - After many stable staffing years within the EDCD department, we now find ourselves facing critical staffing shortages. We must shortly deal with the planned year-end retirement of a key division manager. He will be leaving the City in November 2006 after 28+ years of service. In addition to providing management backup to the Director, this manager's extensive CDBG experience and knowledge will be sadly missed, as over the years he provided insights and methodology to utilizing these very restrictive funds for many high priority City Council programs and projects. We also have three professional project management positions vacant and we are currently under recruitment to fill them. One project management employee left for a promotional opportunity with another governmental agency and the other project management employee accepted a transfer to another City department to broaden his experience in land use. In all of these cases, we will lose, or have lost, institutional and technical knowledge that will have a lasting operational impact on the department and perhaps impact other departments for years. Recruiting for the professional project management personnel was placed through advertising, both locally in the Bakersfield Californian Sunday editions and Western City. We have received twenty-three applicants to date, with only four being acceptable for interviews. Of the four acceptable applicants, none have any prior redevelopment or economic development experience. If we can't locate seasoned redevelopment and economic development project managers, it will be necessary to expend significant funds on training, as well as significant senior staff time, mentoring selected candidates that display the ability to quickly grasp financial and economic development concepts and plans. Senior staff has actively been putting the word out locally and in other communities about our management openings, along with the benefits of living and working in Bakersfield. Most of the responses have been negative, with the salary stated as being too low and an unwillingness to move to Bakersfield due to a perceived lack of amenities, our bad air quality and high cost of living expense. Housing costs in Bakersfield have caught up with many of our competing markets so we can no longer provide the "more home for your money" inducement to attract potential applicants. ` Finance — The finance department has had an open recruitment for an entry level Accountant for six months with very few qualified applicants applying for the position. So far we have held two sets of initial panel interviews. The first panel had one qualified applicant (who was hired by Public Works) and the second panel had only two qualified applicants, neither of which accepted the position. Finance also has vacancies for an Accounting Supervisor and an Accounting Clerk, which are at various stages of the recruitment process. We also have a vacancy in our Purchasing division due to a recent retirement. While this recruitment is near completion, there is a possibility that it will be filled with an internal candidate, which of course will create another vacant position. The overall vacancy of four positions within our department is a little more than 10% of our workforce. SAJOHN\Recruitment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot City Management (Information Services, Risk Management and Human Resources) • In the initial recruitment for a Management Assistant for the Manager's Office, we had 163 applicants, only 2 of whom were qualified. One of those withdrew from consideration and one failed to return our phone calls. 153 applications were received for the second recruitment resulting in 4 qualified candidates. • When Human Resources was trying to hire a Clerk Typist, we had 7 of 9 applicants decline our offer because of salary issues or more attractive employment elsewhere. • When Human Resources was trying to hire a Human Resources Analyst I, we had 53 applicants. We identified 12 qualified applicants. Six candidates withdrew within 24 hours of the interviews, 3 failed the interviews and we certified a list of 3. Of those 3, 2 declined our offer. • An Assistant City Manager position is now open we hope the recruitment attraction problem we have faced elsewhere will not recur. Other Issues • In all departments, after difficult and lengthy recruitments, we have had numerous applicants at the last stage of the process fail either the drug test or background check. • The recruitment process for management level positions is long and tedious for potential candidates due to multiple levels of interviews. The typical recruitment can take three to six months. Due to Civil Service requirements, such as the rule of three and our public employment list process, some candidates become discouraged since their job search becomes public and they choose to drop out of the process. The compensation structure does not allow for flexibility in providing incentives tailored to a candidate's particular needs, such as relocation reimbursement, training stipends, benefit options, or other incentives typically found in the private sector. The city needs a recruitment process for these positions that will attract the best possible candidates by treating them as valued individuals and professionals, not numbers to be processed through a bureaucratic and time consuming recruitment process. The current process is perceived by candidates and managers as unproductive and discourages applicants to pursue employment opportunities with the City. SAJOHMRecruilment and Retention Department Detail 12-11-06.dot EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVE PAY PROGRAM • OBJECTIVE To attract and retain exceptional employees and to encourage self- development for promotional growth into higher- level professional, supervisory and managerial positions within the City of Bakersfield. • BENEFIT o 2% incentive pay for AA Degree or approved equivalent credits o 5% incentive pay for a Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate Degree • GUIDELINES a. Maximum payment of 5%. b. Employees receive incentive pay for ONLY one qualifying degree. c. The degree or equivalent credits must be from an accredited school as identified in the Tuition Reimbursement Policy. d. The degr ee or equivalent credits must be "job related or approved to add value to the City of Bakersfield (ex. Nursing would not necessarily qualify). e. Employees are responsible for providing appropriate documents to verify degree and/or equivalent credits. f. For "equivalent credits", employee must submit documentation from approved accredited college or university Registrar verifying Junior Status eligibility for approved degree or program as designated in item "d" above. g., Incentive pay will be implemented at the same time for current employees and new hires and for all qualifying bargaining groups. It. Implementation schedule phased in as follows: i. Program eff c . e date Jan 1, 2008. ii. Beginning 008, 50 % of incentive will be paid on bi-weekly p eck. iii. Beginning J 20*the additional 50% of the incentive will b paid on bi-weekly paycheck. iv. Eligible New Hires employed in 2008 will be eligible to receive 50 % of incentive on bi-weekly paycheck and the remaining 50% of the incentive on bi-weekly paycheck C:\DOCUME—I\IWSTIN-1\LOCALS—I\Temp\XPgrpwise\Educational incentive Pay Program.docl 1/29/2006 will be awarded in alignment with the current employee scheduled effective date of Jan 1, 2009. v. Effective Jan 1, 2009 eligible New Hires will be eligible for the approved maximum incentive. i. Employees who obtain a degree mid-cycle, during 2008 will be immediately eligible to receive the scheduled approved percentage. j. Safety employees eligible to receive incentive pay for previously bargained certificates and education will not be eligible for this program. k. The incentive is calculated using only base salary. Longevity incentive and other incentive, certification or any other premium pay will not be used to calculate the Educational Incentive Pay. 1. This program is subject to change or deletion based on business needs and is not a benefit or wage item. IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLES o Example 1 — Employee currently with BS-Business Administration Degree. Employee will begin to receive 2.5% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck, effective Jan 1, 2008 and an additional 2.5% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck effective Jan 1, 2009 for the maximum 5% incentive. o Example 2 — Employee currently with AA-Accounting Degree. Employee will begin to receive 1% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck, effective Jan 1, 2008 and an additional 1% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck, effective Jan 1, 2009 for the maximum 2% incentive. o Example 3 — Employee currently with AA-Accounting Degree obtains BS-Accounting Degree in 2009. In accordance with schedule the employee will begin to receive 1% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck, effective Jan 1, 2008 and an additional 1% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck, effective Jan 1, 2009 for the maximum 2%. C:\DOCUMM—I\JWSTIN—I\LOCALS—I\Tenip\XPgrpwise\EducationaI Incentive Pay Program.docl 1/29/2006 Upon verification of completion of Bachelors Degree the employee will receive an additional 3% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck. o Example 4 —New hire currently with approved Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate Degree hired on or after Jan 1, 2009. With appropriate verification, effective on hire date the new employee will begin to receive 5% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck. o Example 5 —New hire currently with approved AA Degree or approved equivalent credits hired on or after Jan 1, 2009. With appropriate verification, effective on hire date the new employee will begin to receive 2% incentive on bi-weekly paycheck. C:\DOCUME—IUWSTIN—I VACALS—]\Temp\XPgrpwise\Educational Incentive Pay Program.docl 1/29/2006 Tuition Reimbursement Effective Jan 1, 2007 BENEFIT 100% Tuition & Fees Reimbursement equivalent up to CSUB cost AND 75% Tuition & Fees Reimbursement for tuition amounts greater than CSUB cost AND 100% Reimbursement of Books (employee keeps books) 100% Reimbursement for GED or related High Schcompletion equivalent programs I» Maximum Annual Benefit (Based on CSUB -UL ( 6-2007Annual Catalog) • Undergraduate Degree ■ 100% Reimbursement'equivale .up to CSUB host + 75% for tuition amounts' than CSUB cost ■ 2006-2007 Tuition Maxim stimate $13,459 S L 4 • Graduate Degree Asa ■ 100% Reimbu quivalent` to CSUB cost + 75% for tuition amo ,than CSUB cost ■ 2 1 07 Tuitioh imu�dstimate $10,863 Maximum L• Be 5 ` t (Based&..�CSUB & ULV 2006-2007Annual Catalog) burs time.�nl for either an Undergraduate Degree or a uate� ` ee will be allowed Y o Under ' ate ee 10 ' of C UB cost of Undergraduate Degree + 75% of UL Undergraduate Degree cost greater than CSUB co�k�` 6-2007 Tuition Maximum Estimate $31,000 o Gra ' ate Degree ■ 100% of CSUB cost of Graduate Degree + 75% of ULV Graduate Degree cost greater than CSUB cost. ■ 2006-2007 Tuition Maximum Estimate $21,000 EAEducational Refund Program\Tuition Reimbursement Model-l.doc 11/14/20 APPROVAL CRITERIA • Completion of Tuition Reimbursement Form and Promissory Note prior to enrolling in course • Employee is required to sign a promissory note agreeing to remain in employment with City of Bakersfield for period of one (1) year after latest reimbursement or repay City of Bakersfield entire reimbursement dollars based on prorated amount. Approval by Dept Head Courses/Program must be directly related to employ„ s current position or determined to add value to the City of Bakersf Reimburse for only courses/programs, of eltherrfir, onal or non- traditional courses including on-line classes, *ich ` the following accreditation: o Western Association of Schpls and Colleges ( C) o Council on Higher Educatt��HEA , o National Association of Schoo saf FIYe Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) o American Bar AssotQn o California Depart mef t f t a.tion • No reimbursement for mail order co�irb encc"or non-accredited schools will be a114 edt, • Employee mustX016i courses/program within the approved designated tnnj, nod sfecified by"tie school catalog for which they enrolled �r G e � a f� EAEducational Refund Program\Tuition Reimbursement Model-l.doc 11/14/20 c 4 w t 0 � E S -5 E -0 m �+ ca 110 H ........................................ M ............. ... ................. ......... ............... V � ..... T- N m . 4 d cn d o a� 0 C> wQ .A 0 7 _/ �1 1 IM C cfl � U n U) m U c E aa) O p La = m a � m E N E '4) U O E � ) M a E z LO o 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0o coo vr cq o Go � No 6s � � 64 � 4soo lenuuV c cq co E ca o� 12 w VII = y 64 E w LO N 0 G W ti m E 6 Lo V t N CL > F N ! � « ` I � oQ € t J ui La O j N 0 V j Lo N LA C V +. c f .0 0 0 � E (A E d � � o 0 z � ° as O O O 0 O O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N O 06 e -Re N •- T- e- 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 ;soo lenuuV New Employee Downpayment Assistance (NEDA) The New Employee Downpayment Assistance program will utilize HOME recapture guidelines 24 CFR 92.254 (b) (5), (ii) recapturing one half its HOME investment. Homeownership assistance will be furnished as a deferred loan (silent second) for amounts up to $40,000.00 to assist with downpayment and closing costs. These loans will have a 10 year affordability period and loan term of 15 years with no monthly payment of principal and will not accrue interest. Upon reaching year 5 of the affordability period one fourth (1/4) of the assistance amount will be forgiven. Upon reaching year 10 of the affordability period one fourth (1/4) of the assistance amount will be forgiven. The loan balance upon reaching year fifteen shall be due and payable. During the 10 year affordability period the property must be sold at an affordable price, and to a low-income household, as defined by HUD. If at anytime during the term of the note, the property is sold, transferred, refinanced, or upon a change in title to the property the loan balance shall be due and payable in full. In the event of foreclosure, the recapture amount will be based on the net proceeds available from the sale rather than on the entire amount of the HOME investment. These funds will be used within the boundaries of the City of Bakersfield. Note: Only upon completion of the probationary period and status as a full time employee has been achieved will program funds be available. (Rev, 31-Aug-06) RMH CITY OF BAKERSFIELD NEDA ASSISTANCE PROGRAM I. PURPOSE. The New Employee Downpayment Assistance program is an incentive intended to assist new City of Bakersfield employees in home ownership opportunities earning eighty percent (80%) or less of the area median income. This income level is adjusted for household size, and is subject to revision annually by HUD. II. BORROWER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. 1. Applicants cannot exceed the maximum household income limits established by HUD (see attached 'Income Limits Worksheet '). 2. Real estate purchased with the assistance of Program funds must be located within the incorporated limits of the City of Bakersfield. 3. Primary real estate financing (first deed of trust) must be approved by lender for applicants prior to City's review for Program assistance. 4. Property being purchased must meet "Housing Quality Standards" and be free of health and safety conditions prior to occupancy by applicants. Maximum of two occupants per sleeping area plus one. Example: 2 bedroom residence = maximum occupancy of 5, 3 bedroom residence = maximum occupancy of 7, etc. 5. Completion of probationary period and status as a full time employee. 6. Approved applicants must execute a NEDA Downpayment Assistance Program agreement with the City of Bakersfield. 7. Applicant must occupy the assisted property as their principal residence. III. MAXIMUM PROGRAM FUNDS AND USAGE 1. Maximum funds available per loan is $40,000.00. . 2. Funds are intended to fill the affordability gap between clients maximum loan approval and the purchase price. 3. Buy downs/ discount points shall not be funded. 4. Pre-payable expenses (property taxes, insurance, impounds, etc.) may not be satisfied with Program loan funds. Funds may be applied to non-recurring closing costs. 5. Conventional loans will be assisted per standard FHA requirements. C:\DOCUME-IU WSTIN-I\LOCALS-I\Temp\MnibDir\neda Guided Iin"DOC IV. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF LOAN Borrower maintains residence for five years, one fourth (1/4) of the loan amount is forgiven, maintains residence for 10 years, one fourth (1/4) of the loan amount is forgiven No Interest is accrued. No payments are required. The term of the note shall be 15 years. During the affordability period the property can only be sold at an affordable price, and to a low-income household, as defined by HUD. If, for any reason, during the "term of the note," the borrower no longer use's the property as their principal residence, sells, conveys title, refinances (for debt consolidation), or otherwise transfers ownership, the loan shall immediately become due and payable. The period of afford ability shall be 10 years. V. PROPERTY STANDARDS (Existing Home purchase) The property must be free of any health and safety defects prior to occupancy by the program assisted applicant. To insure compliance with this requirement, an inspection of the property by a local home inspector is required, a copy of their report shall be provided to the city. All health and safety, defects noted in the inspection report will require correction prior to loan funding. The inspection is not required for new construction. VI. ELIGIBLE PROPERTY TYPES The following property types are eligible for assistance. a. Single Family Residence (detached) New, or Existing. b. Townhouse c. Condominium C:\DOCUME—I\JWSTIN—I\LOCALS—I\Temp\MXLibDir\neda Guided lines.DOC �_ Be CERS FILL �. %Z300P INCOME LIMITS Effective Date: March 8, 2006 Number in Household Maximum Income 80% 1---------------------------------------------------------------$28,450 2---------------------------------------------------------------$32,500 3---------------------------------------------------------------$36,600 4---------------------------------------------------------------$40,650 5---------------------------------------------------------------$43,900 6---------------------------------------------------------------$47,150 7---------------------------------------------------------------$50,400 8---------------------------------------------------------------$53,650 Income is defined as the total amount of income received by all occupants of the dwelling or Co-applicant(s) contributing to the acquisition of the property under consideration. C:ADOCUME—IUWSTIN-1A LOCALS-1ATempAMXLibDirAWRKSHT80%.DOC 06OK20 IMIiG 2? Kern Council of Governments December 19, 2006 Ms. Dianne Hoover, Director Recreation & Parks City of Bakersfield 900 Truxtun Ave. Ste. 100 Bakersfield CA 93301 Dear Ms. Hoover: Congratulations! The Park at River Walk has been selected to receive the Regional Award of Merit in the category of Local Government. This award will be presented by the Kern Council of Governments to recognize the uniqueness and beauty of this park. The Annual Regional Awards Ceremony will be held Thursday, March 1, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Select in Bakersfield. The winner receives two complimentary admissions, which include a hot and cold hors d'oeuvre buffet. Additional guests are $25 each. The evening's agenda is: 6:00 p.m. No-Host Cocktails and Buffet 7:00 p.m. Awards Presentation Again, congratulations. We look forward to seeing you at the ceremony. Please call the Kern Council of Governments at (661) 861-2191 to confirm your attendance by noon o Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Sincerely, ' , i n r melt, xecuti . irector REB/Ic Copy to: Pam McCarthy, City Clerk City of Bakersfield 1501 Truxtun Ave Bakersfield CA 93301 Kern Council of Governments 1401 19th Street. Suite 300. Bakersfield, California 93301 (661) 861-2191 Facsimile 1661 i 324-8215 TTY(661) 832-7433 www kerncog org 316�1 06 EC 2 27 Kern Council of Governments December 19, 2006 Mr. Louis Perales City of Bakersfield Streets Division 1501 Truxtun Ave. Bakersfield CA 93301 Dear Mr. Perales: Congratulations! You have been selected to receive the Regional Award of Merit in the category of Transportation. This award will be presented by the Kern Council of Governments to recognize your efforts. The Annual Regional Awards Ceremony will be held Thursday, March 1, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Select in Bakersfield. The winner receives two complimentary admissions, which include a hot and cold hors d'oeuvre buffet. Additional guests are $25 each. The evening's agenda is: 6:00 p.m. No-Host Cocktails and Buffet 7:00 p.m. Awards Presentation Again, congratulations. We look forward to seeing you at the ceremony. Please call the Kern Council of Governments at (661) 861-2191 to confirm your attendance by noon on Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Sincerely, r ru ett, xecutive D' ctor REB/Ic Copy to: Pam McCarthy, City Clerk City of Bakersfield 1501 Truxtun Ave. Bakersfield CA 93301 Kern Council of Governments 1401 1 9th S[reer, Suite 300, Bakersfield. California 93301 16611 861-2191 Facsimile(661) 324-8215 TTY(661) 832-7433 www kerncog-org kq,16�4 0 Kern Council 6 GEC 2'"? " 1�!- of Governments bAi4ER G e. ci- 1:Y December 19, 2006 Mr. Walt Heisey 223 Eureka Bakersfield CA 93305 Dear Mr. Heisey: Congratulations! You have been selected to receive the Regional Award of Merit in the category of Lifetime Achievement to a Private Citizen. This award will be presented by the Kern Council of Governments to recognize your many accomplishments on behalf of the City of Bakersfield. The Annual Regional Awards Ceremony will be held Thursday, March 1, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Select in Bakersfield. The winner receives two complimentary admissions, which include a hot and cold hors d'oeuvre buffet. Additional guests are $25 each. The evening's agenda is: 6:00 p.m. No-Host Cocktails and Buffet 7:00 p.m. Awards Presentation Again, congratulations. We look forward to seeing you at the ceremony. Please call the Kern Council of Governments at (661) 861-2191 to confirm your attendance by noon n Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Sincerely, n r mett, xecutiv irector REB/Ic Copy to: Pam McCarthy, City Clerk City of Bakersfield 1501 Truxtun Ave. Bakersfield CA 93301 Kern Council of Governments 1 401 19th Street, Suite 300, Bakersfield, California 93301 1661 861-2191 Facsimile 166 11 324-8215 TTY 16611 832-7433 wwwkerncogorg � D � Government Finance Officers Association k 203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700 O / Chicago, Illinois 60601-1210 V312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806 e December 6, 2006 PRESS RELEASE For Further Information Contact Stephen J. Gauthier(312)977-9700 ##ii####ikiiitiiik#it#kk#ikiiiik##################i#i#tt#titikkiti}####}#}##fi#tkittt Chicago--The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada(GFOA) is pleased to announce that City of Bakersfield, California has received the GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award,the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: • a policy document • a financial plan • an operations guide • a communications device Budget documents must be rated"proficient" in all four categories to receive the award. When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity,a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. This has been presented to City Manager's Office. For budgets including fiscal periods 2004, 1,027 entities received the Award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America. The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving 16,000 government finance professionals throughout North America. The GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. Washington,DC Office 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue,N.W., Suite 309 a Washington,DC 20004 a 202.393.8020 •fax: 202.393.0780 www.gfoa.org I)C)ISAI UA rye Monday , January 1 , 2007 2007 POLAR BEAR CLUB 11 : 00am $5 to plunge Presented to you by Sweatshirts may be purchased the day of the CITY OFBAKKE�RV II ELLD event for $25, sizes available may vary. Recreation Pre-register early to be � guaranteed a sweatshirt. &l p"IC c MC MUREY 2UA77C CENTER Co-Sponsor Sun * Fun * SpiraA*Swim For More Information and Polar Bear Club Rules Contact the McMurtrey Aquatic Center ,.�. 661-852-7430 Frost &e "We Create A Quality Community Through People, Parks, and Programs" 1 ,4 ' CITY OFBAKERSFIELD •,y 1 �'1' Recrea-t�or�- v �M + •.i�5n Winter *Spring 2007�T, w+ww.bakersfieldc�ity.us s. Page 1 of 2 PUBLIC WORKS STREETS DIVISION — WORK SCHEDULE WEEK OF DECEMBER 25 — DECEMBER 29, 2006 Resurfacing/Reconstructing streets in the following areas Asphalt plant is closed for repairs. No street reconstruction projects this week. Miscellaneous Streets Division ro'ects: Continue installing curb & gutter in the area between California Avenue & Chester Lane, east of Oak Street. Continue installing curb & gutters in the southeast redevelopment area between Union Avenue & "P" Street, California Avenue to 4th Street. Cleaning the Westpark Freeway area. Start work on installing Median Islands on Calloway Drive between Rosedale Highway and Meacham Road. C\DOCUME-1lrsmiley\LOCALS-1\Temp\Work Schedule Week of December 25.doc Page 2 of 2 STREET SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, December 25 2006 Holiday Tuesday. December 26 2006 City area between Olive Drive & Meany Street, Coffee Road to Knudsen Drive. Between West Columbus Street & 34th Street, Chester Avenue to San Dimas Street. _Wednesday, December 27 2006 City streets in the area between Snow Road & Hageman Road, Jenkins Road to Jewetta Avenue Between Niles Street & Jackson Street, Union Avenue to Beale Avenue. Between Sumner Street & Truxtun Avenue, Beale Avenue to East Truxtun Avenue. Thursday December 28 2006 Area between Snow Road & Hageman Road, Jewetta Avenue to Calloway Drive. Between So. "H" Street & Union Avenue, Berkshire Road to Astor Avenue. Friday, December 29 2006 All Sweeper Operators are on their non-scheduled sweeping routes. C:ID000ME-1\rsmileyl LOCALS-1\TemplWork Schedule Week of December 25.doc • B A K E R S F I E L D DEC 21 2006 CITY OF BAKERSFIELD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: December 18, 2006 SUBJECT: CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REQUESTS Referral No. 1675 COUNCILMEMBER SCRIVNER REQUESTED A COPY OF THE WRIT77, FOR PROJECT COMPLETION DATES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN WREPORT ON CURRENT STATUS, AND CONSOLIDATE AND PROVIDREGARDING THE PROJECTS. (SANITIZE NOTES AND PUT DISCLAICOUNCILMEMBER COUCH REQUESTED A STATUS REPORT FOR SIGNAL SCHEDULED FOR INSTALLATION ON BRIMHALL, THE FIRST ONE WEST OF COFFEE ROAD, AND PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING COMPLETION DATE. ALSO AFTER DESIGN CONSULTANTS ARE CHOSEN FOR 40-ACRE COMPLEX AND SPORTS VILLAGE, REQUEST THEY HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING TO ASSURE SURROUNDNG COMMUNITY IS INFORMED OF PROJECT, LIGHTS, PARKING, ETC. COUNCILMEMER HANSON REQUESTED AN UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSED FIRE STATIONS. The attached document "CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects — December 2006" provides the time lines for the various projects that were discussed at the December 13, 2006 City Council Meeting. Many of the projects involve coordination with other agencies and utility companies. As the City has little control over those agencies and utility companies schedules, the project timelines as presented on the attached report are subject to change. In regards to traffic signals on Brimhall Road west of Coffee Road, Traffic Engineering staff's most recent Signal Priority Study was performed in October 2006. Brimhall Road / Mondavi intersection is ranked number 10; Brimhall Road at River Ranch Drive is ranked number 22. Based on the current five year funding plan, the traffic signal on Brimhall Road at Mondavi is scheduled for funding in FY 2008-09. The signal on Brimhall Road at River Ranch Drive was not ranked high enough to be included in that five year funding plan. In regards to proposed fire stations, Fire Department and Public Works Department staff are working on the process of selecting a consultant to design Fire Stations 12, 14 and 16. Anticipated award of that design agreement is in late March or early April 2007. G:\GROUPDATIReferrals\2006\12-13\Ref#1675 CIP.doc City of Bakersfield CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects - December 2006 Page 1 of 5 Pavement Projects Construction Recently Comoleted ➢ Mt Vernon from University to Panorama ➢ Columbus from Haley to Mt. Vernon Avenue ➢ White Lane from Ashe Road to Wilson Road ➢ Coffee Road from Rosedale Highway to Calloway Canal Currently in Construction ➢ Oswell Street from south of Bernard to Auburn Street ➢ Coffee Road from Stockdale Highway to Arvin-Edison Canal (south of Truxtun Avenue) Construction on the above two street segments has been put on hold due to the winter weather. Construction will resume in March/April 2007 after the rainy season. Currently in Design ➢ Gosford Road from Panama Lane north to railroad ➢ Olympia Drive from S. Laurelglen Blvd to S. Half Moon Drive ➢ White Lane from Dovewood Street to Wible Road ➢ Columbus Street from Mt. Vernon Avenue to Auburn Street Camino Media Drive from Old River Road to 200'W of Lancashire Street ➢ Real Road from 300'S of California Avenue to California Avenue ➢ S. Real Road from Elicia Drive to Stockdale Highway ➢ Harris Road from East of Silvergate to Ashe Road ➢ Calloway Drive from Rosedale Highway to Meacham Road ➢ Stockdale Highway from California Avenue to Oak Street The above street segments will be grouped into three or four construction contracts with construction being programmed to occur between March and October 2007. Sanitary Sewer Projects Construction Recently Completed ➢ Sewer Replacement on Planz Road from South Chester Avenue to Waste Water Treatment Plant#2. Currently in Construction ➢ Allen Road Sewer Project A gravity sanitary sewer line is being constructed along Allen Road from Rosedale Highway to Hageman Road. This new sewer line will eliminate an existing long force main line; this should help reduce sewer odors in the sewer main on Buena Vista Road. Construction on this project started July 24, 2006. AT&T has delayed relocating some of their facilities; this has delayed the City's contractor from being able to work. AT&T is now working on their relocation. Staff anticipates that our contractor will be able to resume his work in early January 2007. ➢ Lift Station on Gosford Road at McCutchen Rd (Part of WWTP#3 Expansion) This lift station will replace an existing one and will also serve as the new headworks to the expanded treatment plant. Construction should be completed by April 2007. ➢ Sewer Main to Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2—Phase 1 The new trunk sewer line from WWTP#2 to Vineland at E. Brundage Lane is being developed in two phases. Phase 1 proceeds from the treatment plant to the intersection at Oswell Street and Redbank Road, Phase 2 is from Oswell Street at Redbank Road to Vineland at E. Brundage Lane. When completed, the project will provide wastewater collection capacity for flows from the current land development projects in northeast Bakersfield. In addition, portions of southeast Bakersfield will have access to this new trunk line, including land developments near, and including, the new Mira Monte High School on Fairfax Road south of SR58. Staff is coordinating with and obtaining project approvals from many other agencies, including County of Kern, TAPW Engr\ProjectDataba a\Pr*ctRepw 061209.dm City of Bakersfield CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects — December 2006 Page 2 of 5 Kern High School District, Kern Delta Water Storage District, State Department of Transportation and the BNSF Railroad. A construction contract has been awarded for this project. The current schedule calls for construction to start in January 2007 and be complete by November 2007. ➢ Sewer Main Replacement: Brundage Lane from L Street to Mt Vernon Avenue and L Street from Brundage Lane to California Avenue This project is replacing a 90+ year old sanitary sewer. Construction on this project is active. Staff anticipates completion of the construction by August 2007. Currently in Design ➢ Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3 The project will expand the treatment capacity from its current capacity of 16 million gallons per day to 32 million gallons per day. Upgrades include state of the art odor control, elimination of sludge drying beds to an odor free sludge dewatering facility, new cogeneration facility to produce electricity for on-site use, lush landscaping around plant perimeter, enhanced secondary treatment to produce a higher quality effluent and tertiary treatment for all landscape irrigation and on-site water reuse. The project design team is currently involved with completing several milestones: the public hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Report was completed in November 2006, interviews for a construction management firm were completed in September 2006, and obtaining final project approvals from the Quality Control Board are nearing completion. Water The designer will submit 90% complete plans and specifications for review at the end of December 2006. A thourough two month constructability/bidability review will commence at this point in collaboration with the construction manager. Final plans and specifications are expected to be complete at the end of February 2007. A three month bidding phase is planned. During the bidding phase a general contractor outreach effort and orientation workshops will be conducted to share project-related design and construction issues with the construction community in a proactive setting to educate contractors of the Project's layout, bid packaging, risk allocation and schedule. Anticipate construction contract award in June 2007, construction commencement in July 2007, and construction completion in December 2009. ➢ Sewer Main to Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 2—Phase 2 Phase 2 is being designed. The current schedule calls for construction to start in the summer of 2007 and be complete by the summer of 2008. ➢ Gosford Road Sewer Rehabilitation Project The existing sanitary sewer line in Gosford Road from McCutchen Road to District Boulevard will be rehabilitated to extend its useful life. Staff will be designing the project during the winter of 2006 with construction scheduled for the summer of 2007. Streetscape Projects Construction Recently Completed ➢ Streetscape Improvements: Chester Avenue, 24th Street to Garces Circle With exception of some street furniture, construction of this project is complete. TAPW EngAftje DatabasOProjwRepw 061209.dm City of Bakersfield CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects — December 2006 Page 3 of 5 .° Currently in Design ➢ Streetscape Improvements: 30 Street, Chester Avenue to Union Avenue A landscaped median island will be constructed in phases on this segment of 34"1 Street. The first phase will be from Q Street to Union Avenue; the second phase, from Chester Avenue to Q Street. Design of the project will be coordinated with Memorial Hospitals' redevelopment master plan (the major adjacent land use for Phase 1) and with the various property and business owners west of Q Street for Phase 2. Preliminary median layout design has been prepared Staff will continue with design of the project after funding is restored (previously programmed funds were redirected to the Baker Street Streetscape project.) The project will be built when construction funds become available. Street Improvement Projects Currently in Construction ➢ Street Improvements:Akers Road At-grade Crossing In addition to the railroad at-grade crossing at Pacheco Road, this project includes construction of Akers Road north to Adidas. Akers Road will then be continuous from McKee Road north to Ming Avenue. Construction of this project should be complete by March 2007. ➢ Street Improvements: Mountain Vista At-grade Crossing Construction of this project should be complete by March 2007. Currently in Design Street Improvements: Hosking Avenue East of Wible Road Due to develop patterns in this rapidly growing area, the City needs to construct additional lanes for both east and west bound traffic on Hosking Avenue between Wible Road and SR99. Staff is currently obtaining additional right of way to facility the widening of this road from a rural two lane road to an urban arterial. The improvements will be constructed in phases as funding becomes available. Staff anticipates construction of the first phase to be done during the summer/fall of 2007. ➢ Street Improvements: White Lane at SR99 Eastbound to Southbound On Ramp This project will reconstruct the eastbound to southbound on-ramp to current Caltrans design standards and install irrigation and landscaping on the west side of SR 99 adjacent to the southbound on-ramp. Plans, specifications and estimates are currently being reviewed by Caltrans. Construction documents should be complete in January 2007. Construction is anticipated to occur during May 2007 to October 2007. Street Improvements: Stine Road at Hosking Avenue This project involves construction of a traffic signal and one additional lane of pavement for the south bound traffic on Stine Road. These improvements will improve access to Ridgeview High School. Due to limited available right of way, portions of the traffic signal will have to be placed at an interim location and then relocated to ultimate location when the additional right of way is obtained. The project is being designed. Construction is anticipated to occur during Summer 2007 with the goal of having it completed before the start of school in August 2007. Bridge Improvement Projects Currently in Construction ➢ Bridge Reconstruction: Chester Avenue at Kern River Construction on this project started February 16, 2006. In early May, construction activities were suspended due to the increased flows in the Kern River. Work resumed in August 2006. The currently anticipated construction completion date is May 2007/June 2007. T:1PVd Engr\ProjWDaWbaseVDr0iectRep0d 061209.dw City of Bakersfield CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects — December 2006 Page 4 of 5 Currently in Design ➢ Bridge Construction: Fairfax Road at SRI 78 This project constructs an interchange at SRI 78 and Fairfax Road as well as extends the SR 178 freeway (four lanes) to east of Fairfax Road. The final construction plans are being reviewed by Caltrans. At their December 14 meeting, the California Transportation Commission approved additional funding for the project. TRIP consultants and City staff are currently working on resolution of several issues: obtaining various additional rights of way needed for the project; access to the Postal Service facility; and relocation of an existing water line. Construction is currently planned to begin in the spring/summer of 2007 with completion by the fall/winter of 2008. ➢ Bridge Construction: Allen Road at Kern River Design of this project is complete. Staff currently is evaluating options to minimize construction costs and is obtaining final permits from various agencies, including a significant cooperative agreement with Brenda Mesa Water Storage District. The project schedule calls for construction beginning in Fall 2007 and being complete by Fall 2008. ➢ Bridge Construction: Hosking Avenue at SR99 This project will construct a new interchange at SR 99 and Hosking Avenue. The existing overcrossing will be removed and the new interchange will provide full access from Hosking Avenue to SR 99. Due to the overwhelming development in this area, the new interchange will be required for a proposed major commercial center located on the northwest quadrant of this interchange. Caltrans has prepared and approved the Project the Hosking and he adjacent land developer n s to develop fast Dtra'ck schedule'to staff complete the tlProje t working Au Authorization & Environmental Documentation by November 2007 and complete the Plans, Specifications and Estimates by October 2008. Construction is anticipated to be complete by winter 2010. ➢ Bridge Construction: Morning at SRI 78 This project will construct an interchange at SRI 78 and Morning Drive and extend the SR 178 freeway to near Canteria Road. With this project and the widening that City in the Hills is planning, SRI 78 will be wide enough for four lanes from Morning Drive to Masterson. Caltrans is currently preparing a Project Study Report for the Morning Drive interchange and the freeway extension project. Staff anticipates that the environmental document process will take at least 2 years. Allowing another year for project design, the project schedule calls for construction start in the spring of 2010, allocates 18 months for construction, and projects construction completion in the fall of 2011. Facilities Projects Currently in Design ➢ Fire Station #5 Project is currently being advertised for construction bids, which are due December 21, 2006. Construction should start in February/March 2007 and be complete by Winter 2007. ➢ Mt. Vernon Greenwaste Facility—Electric Power Supply Due to new air pollution regulations, the stationary equipment at the Mount Vernon Recycling Facility must be switched from the current diesel engine powered machines to electric motor powered machines. This conversion requires a new electric service which will be installed by Pacific Gas & Electric(PG&E), a new on- site electrical distribution system to be constructed by a contractor, and purchase and installation of the new machines. Staff has applied to PG&E for the new service and is currently coordinating design of the on-site distribution system with PG&E's design of the new service. Design of these improvements is expected to be complete in early 2007. Procurement of machinery and installation of the on-site distribution should be completed by late spring 2007. The new equipment should then be installed and operational by Summer or Fall 2007. T FW EngMrolegDalWbase\ProieclReport 061209.doc City of Bakersfield CIP Project Status Report, Highlighted Projects — December 2006 Page 5 of 5 ➢ Sports Village City Planning Department staff is currently conducting the environmental study and anticipate completion of the study in March 2007. Recreation and Parks Department staff and Public Works Department staff have started the process of selecting a facility design consultant who will review the concept plan to refine the concept plan, develop a phasing plan, and estimate the costs of constructing the facility. Construction of the facility will be phased and scheduled over several years as funding becomes available. ➢ 40 Acre Park Site—Jewetta at Stockdale Highway The City's obligations for this project include designing the entire facility and constructing landscape improvements along the park's frontage on Jewetta Avenue, an entrance road, parking lot and restroom facility. A non-profit organization will then be responsible for construction of the sports fields. Staff is currently selecting a design consultant for the project. ➢ Indoor Hockey Rink Structure Recreation and Parks Department and Public Works Department staff is currently evaluating options for locating the facility at Saunders Park; this includes meeting with the residents of the adjacent neighborhoods to address their concerns. A hearing on this project is scheduled for the January 9, 2007 Board of Zoning Adjustment. ➢ Fire Stations 12, 14 and 16 Fire Department and Public Works Department staff is working on the process to select a design consultant for these fire stations. T1PW EngMrojedl)atabase\ProjeaRepo 061209.do _ _ VE?�1 Ip DEL 1 8 2006 CI F` `N iAGEN'SOFFICE f B A K E R S F I E L D Department of Recreation and Parks Date: December 15, 2006 To: Alan Tandy, City Manager From: Dianne FYo�ver Director of Recreation & Parks Subject: Jastro Park Vermin Referral # 001676 —Ward 2 Councilmember Benham requested staff follow up on a letter from Martin Moser complaining of roaches at Jastro Park This is in response to Mr. Martin Moser's negative experience in using Jastro Park this past summer. While using one of Jastro's picnic areas, he observed roaches under the trash cans and was concerned about them spreading throughout the neighborhood. Staff contacted Mr. Moser on December 13, 2006 and informed him of receiving his letter and how the department would rectify his concern. He was told that we would begin applying a chemical residue underneath the trash cans immediately and reapply every thirty (30) days or as needed. Mr. Moser thanked us for contacting him and addressing his concern. • B A K E R S F I E L D CITY OF BAKERSFIELD R' ?005 PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: December 18, 2006 SUBJECT: ROAD WIDENING AT MEACHAM AND VERDUGO Referral No. 1679 COUNCILMEMBER COUCH REQUESTED STAFF ADDRESS ROAD WIDENING AND LANE ISSUES AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF MEACHAM AND VERDUGO. This location is in the unincorporated area of Kern County. We have no jurisdiction over the widening of these roads. We will contact someone at County Roads regarding any plans they may have at this location. G:\GROUPDAT\Referrals\2006\12-13\Ref#1679 Meacham-Verdugo..doc • DEC 19 2006 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: December 18, 2006 SUBJECT: POTHOLE REPAIRS ON CAMINO MEDIA Referral No. 1680 COUNCILMEMBER COUCH REQUESTED STAFF REPAIR POTHOLES ON CAMINO MEDIA. The potholes were patched Thursday, December 14, 2006. Camino Media, east of Old River Road is in need of reconstruction, which is scheduled for the near future. In the meantime, staff will check the street every two weeks and patch any potholes that develop. G:\GROUPDAT\Referrals\2006\12-13\Ref#1680 Potholes..doc `B A K��s BAKERSFIELD POLICE MEMORANDUM cgG/FO NAP TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER - - -° FROM: W. R. RECTOR, CHIEF OF POLICE LEA— ' DATE: December 20, 2006 DEC 21 2006 II SUBJECT: Truxtun Extension Traffic Issues Council Referral No. 1672 (Ward 5) Council Member Hanson requested Public Works staff look into the feasibility of placing a center barrier along Truxtun extension to help prevent accidents and report back to council. Police Staff to review speed limits and speed control as a preventive measure and report back to Council. Police Department records reveal there have been two fatal accidents on the Truxtun Extension in the last five years; the most recent fatality, and one in 2001. The Police Department regularly patrols the Truxtun Extension from Oak Street to Coffee Road and enforces local and State traffic laws; this includes radar enforcement. Several years ago the speed limit was reduced from 65 MPH to 55 MPH. Much of the roadway is already divided by raised concrete medians. Any change in the speed limit would necessitate a study and the recommendation by Public Works Traffic Engineering. Should a study determine a speed reduction is justified, the Police Department would continue its enforcement. TDT/vrf • B A K E R S F I E L D CITY OF BAKERSFIELD '_C__ENED PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM EDEC 14 2006 NAG-E-R-S-OFFIICE DATE: DECEMBER 13, 2006 TO: ALAN TANDY, CITY MANAGER FROM: RAUL M. ROJAS, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SUBJECT: PANAMA LANE AT BUENA VISTA TRAFFIC SIGNAL UPDATE Public Works staff has been working on expediting installation of the traffic signal at Panama Lane and Buena Vista Road. The following will outline work that has been completed, work in progress and anticipated time schedules for construction: WORK COMPLETED • Preliminary design is complete • Poles have been ordered • Road improvements complete at northwest corner • Power for signal already at intersection WORK IN PROGRESS • Road work at northeast corner nearly complete • Working to expedite road construction on southeast corner • Working with developers (Centex and Lennar) to coordinate signal and roadway work. ANTICIPATED TIME SCHEDULE The critical path for construction of the signal is the equipment delivery. During the wait time for the equipment, development in the area will have the roadways widened and staff will coordinate construction of the signal infrastructure (pole foundations, conduit, controller cabinet foundation and detection). This will be done is such a way that everything will be ready to have the equipment installed upon its arrival. We anticipate the equipment to arrive in March, 2007. If the equipment comes in sooner, that schedule could be improved upon. B A K E R S F I E L D DEC 19 2006 CITY OF BAKERSFIELD _. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CITY ,AGERS OFHGc MEMORANDUM TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager FROM: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director DATE: December 18, 2006 SUBJECT: ADANAC COURT STREET REPAIRS Referral No. 1683 COUNCILMEMBER SULLIVAN REQUESTED STAFF ADDRESS THE STREET CONDITIONS AT ADANAC COURT AND REPORT BACK TO COUNCILMEMBER SULLIVAN. Adanac Court is in need of reconstruction, which is scheduled to be done in the summer, approximately July, of 2007. In the meantime, staff will check the street and patch any potholes that have developed. G\GROUPDAT\Referrals\2006\12-13\Ref#1683 ADANAC CT.doc