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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/17/2009 B A K E R S F I E L D CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE MEMORANDUM April 17, 2009 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Tandy, City Manager SUBJECT: General Information GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!! • It was very good news this week that the funding for the Westside Parkway from Mohawk to Calloway has been released! We are looking to award bids the first meeting in June. We will include some alternates for work extension in the event that the bid market is still very favorable. The TRIP team will soon have nearly $200 million in construction work under contract. This includes the following projects: Fairfax and SR-178 interchange, Seventh Standard Road and SR-99 interchange, Mohawk, and this piece of the Westside Parkway from Mohawk to Calloway. At about the same time we award on the Westside Parkway, the County will award the widening of Seventh Standard Road. With this release of funds we now have back $131 of the $138 million that was frozen by the State in December. Still to be released (we do not know when) is the funding for Mesa Marin Park, the Kern River restoration project and three housing projects. • Since January, staff has been focused on designing and preparing construction documents for the first group of pavement rehabilitation projects to be funded with approximately $6 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Now that KernCOG has approved an additional $6 million, we will be stepping up our work efforts to design and prepare construction documents for the second group of streets. A memo from Public Works with more detail is enclosed. • Aera Park will be opening this Saturday, April 18th, at 8:00 am. It is going to be an outstanding addition to the community and represents a partnership between the community members/parents and the City. This coincides with the league's opening day, so the games will begin right after the ribbon cutting ceremonies. Aera Energy will be honored for its donation, along with all of the volunteers and small businesses that made this park possible. If you cannot make this date, please let us know and we will take you on a tour. In these financially difficult times it is great to have the maintenance being done by community members! Honorable Mayor and City Council April 17, 2009 Page 2 Special thanks are due to Luis Peralez and Mike Connor and the Streets division who went above and beyond to get the City portions of the work done! • The City has completed several projects with the Kern Energy Watch Partnership. Kern Energy Watch is a partnership between PG&E, The Gas Company, So. Cal. Edison, Kern County, City of Bakersfield, and now other Kern County cities to help fund energy conservation and reduce energy demand. Through the 2006-2008 Kern Energy Watch agreement, the City received a total of $81,752 in rebates. Our Public Works, Recreation & Parks and I.T. departments have completed energy saving projects that are estimated to save $79,000 annually. MORE ON THE BUDGET AND THE ECONOMY 1. Enclosed are more articles from various newspapers that highlight the difficult times public agencies are facing and how they are adjusting their budgets. CLOVIS, CA — The City of Clovis is considering laying off police officers and firefighters and possibly closing one of the city's five fire stations to close a $5.3 million gap for next fiscal year. PALO ALTO, CA — The City of Palo Alto is asking its police and fire unions to make concessions in order to close a $10 million budget gap. These unions are already under contract through summer 2010, which includes $1.5 million in raises. The $10 million gap assumes that there will be no raises next year. Therefore, the unions will have to agree to pay reductions in order to be part of the solution. SAN DIEGO, CA — A unified City Council imposed labor contracts on the police and blue-collar unions after no deal could be reached with them and approved contracts for three other unions. As far as the contract imposed on the police union, the union had agreed to pick up a larger share of pension contributions, but did not concede to cut wages by 1.5 percent and changes to the health care plan. For all five unions, the contracts will reduce pay and benefits by six percent which represents $30 million of a $60 million budget gap. VALLEJO, CA — A plan to cure Vallejo's 2009-10 deficit calls for the layoff of eight police officers and two police assistants. The fire department would have no layoffs but would close the equivalent of half a fire station. To control overtime costs, firefighters would become "flexible" between stations and apparatus. The plan also calls for $1.4 million in salary and benefit cuts for firefighters and miscellaneous non- management city staff. MISCELLANEOUS CITY NEWS We are scheduled to present the Fiscal Year 2009-10 Proposed Budget at the regular meeting of May 6th. We have two Monday (May 11th and June 8th) meetings scheduled for Department presentations as well as presentations at the June 10th Honorable Mayor and City Council April 17, 2009 Page 3 Council meeting. The presentations in this difficult time will consist of summarizing the losses and departments saying they will do their best with less. There are very few new programs, projects or activities to talk about. Because we have done budget updates and modifications in November and March, "new information" will be minimal. Under these circumstances we can likely give you back at least one of the Monday meetings because presentations will be short. If the City Council needs deliberation/discussion time, we could leave the second Monday meeting on the calendar as a contingent date. Please let me know if you think an accelerated schedule would be a problem. Enclosed is a Caltrans Commuter Alert informing drivers that Rosedale Highway near Mohawk Street will experience intermittent full road closures (maximum duration of 10 minutes) so that Caltrans can install overhead utility cables. Work will be conducted from 7:00 am through 4:00 pm. -� The playground at Stiern Park has been rebuilt thanks to a generous donation from Kaiser Permanente and GameTime play equipment. The Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program worked with the neighborhood youth in designing the playground and garnering support of the residents. The playground will re-open on Friday, May 1St at 3:30 pm. The spray parks at Jastro and Planz parks will open on April 25th. The spray parks at Beale, Jefferson, MLK, and Wayside parks will open on May 2nd. They will be open from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm for weekends only until May 18th. After May 18th they will be open seven days a week. -� The Streets Division work schedule for the week of April 20th is enclosed. AT:rs:rk cc: Department Heads Pamela McCarthy, City Clerk Roberta Gafford,Assistant City Clerk BAKERS FIE L D Public Works Department Memorandum DATE: April 14, 2009 TO: Raul Rojas, Public Works Director FROM: Arnold Ramming, Civil Engineer IV— Design Engineerin �__ SUBJECT: Status of Pavement Rehabilitation Projects for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Since January, staff has been focused on designing and preparing construction documents for the first group of streets for the pavement rehabilitation projects. The construction cost estimate for this group totals $6,054,000. Those streets include: Ashe Rd, White Ln to Ming Ave Hughes Ln, White Ln to Planz Rd Wible Rd, Pacheco Rd to White Ln Wilson Rd, White Ln to Planz Rd Mt Vernon Ave, State Route 178 to University Ave The target goal for this first group is to obtain, by mid-June 2009, Caltrans' and the Federal Highway Administration's authorization to proceed with issuing the project documents for construction bids. This is the earliest date of obtaining that authorization due to the requirement that we must develop and implement a revised Disadvantage Business Enterprise utilization program. While that program tracks through its revision process, staff has been in contact with Caltrans' staff multiple times to `grease the skids" in regards to obtaining that authorization to bid the projects. Caltrans' staff agreed to accept early submittal of several items that would normally be submitted in one large package after the Disadvantage Business Enterprise program is completed. The projects will be advertised for bids after we receive that authorization; we anticipate award of the contracts at the August 2009 City Council Meeting. Staff has also processed the Responsibility Statement and Questionnaire element for the project. We received submittals from fifteen contractors; eleven of those have been approved to be on the Final Bidders List for these pavement projects. Staff has also been working on, although at a less focused level, the design and construction documents for other streets that need pavement rehabilitation. Now that Kern Council of Governments Board has approved an additional $6 million to the City for more pavement rehabilitation, we will be stepping up our work efforts on the second group of streets which includes: Ming Ave, Ashe Rd to New Stine Rd Ming Ave, Gosford Rd to Ashe Rd Coffee Rd, Friant Kern Canal to Riverlakes Dr Coffee Rd, Olive Dr. to Norris Rd We anticipate that those projects will be ready for bidding by August 2009. c: Brad Underwood Design Engineering staff Rick Millwee SAPROJECTS12008-20MESB Pavement Projects\status 20090401.doc - Local Page 1 of 1 Clovis considers fire, police cuts City discusses layoffs in public safety to bridge $5.3 million budget gap. Monday,Apr.13,2009 By Marc Benjamin/The Fresno Bee A plan to cut Clovis police and fire jobs is in the works as the city seeks ways to close a$5.3 million budget gap going into the new budget year that begins July 1. The city needs to cut its general fund,which pays for public safety,some road and parks maintenance,recreation and senior services. In the past two years,the city cut a total of$8 million from the general fund,including$1.4 million in concessions from employees,management and the City Council. In addition to budget cuts,residents will face a 15%rate increase for water and a 4%garbage fee hike in the new year,Finance Director Robert Woolley said. Discussion has included firefighter and police layoffs and having another agency administer senior citizens programs. Most of the city's general fund comes from sales and property tax revenues,which continue to fall with the souring economy. Shuttering a fire station"could very well happen,"Mayor Harry Armstrong said. The city also needs to reduce overtime costs to balance next year's budget,he said. Closing one of the city's five fire stations could raise response times by two minutes,Clovis Firefighters'Association President Randy Finfrock said. "A fire doubles in size every 45 seconds,"he said."If we do this,we will look back and ask if it was a smart decision.It's like a roulette wheel--your number is going to come up." The council also will discuss having paramedics from American Ambulance instead of firefighters respond to lower priority calls.That won't cut the Fire Department's budget,but it will allow firefighters to remain in stations for more important calls,Finfrock said. Finfrock and Council Member Bob Whalen said the city also could look at the value of its contract with the Fresno County Emergency Medical Services division,which handles fire dispatching for Clovis.The city could save jobs by canceling the contract,which is about$330,000,officials said. In addition,Whalen said,it's time for city management and council members to speak with employees about finding ways to save money and reward those with the best ideas. "We need to decentralize the decision-making process,"he said. Council Member Lynne Ashbeck said she is optimistic that with retirements and other attrition--and funds designated for police officers in the federal stimulus program--the city could get through the coming budget crisis without laying off any police. Another way to lower costs,officials said,might be to replace departed police officers with lower-paid community service officers,who can respond to lower- priority calls. The Fire Department may have more of a budget struggle,Ashbeck said,because federal stimulus money is not available to pay for firefighters. Council Member Nathan Magsig said he was glad to hear the city can receive grant money to pay for police.But,he said,Clovis likely won't be at the top of the list. "We may not get as much money as we are hoping for,because Clovis has historically been such a safe city,"he said. Magsig said the city's four unions are returning to the bargaining table,and this year's concessions could be back on the table.But,he said,the city has to keep salaries and benefits high enough to keep quality employees. "It's a balancing act to make sure the city remains competitive,"he said. City officials know their budget projections depend on voters approving statewide revenue measures on the May 19 special election ballot. If that doesn't happen,Armstrong said,"You know the state won't cut any programs,so they will come to the cities,counties and special districts." http://www.fresnobee.com/local/v-pn'nt/story/1327605.html 4/14/2009 Deficit has Palo Alto asking unions for help - San Jose Mercury News Page 1 of 2 "t Naus MercuryNews.com Deficit has Palo Alto "I basically just said,'I know we're under contract with you all, but we do have extremely an extremely asking unions for help difficult budget situation,"'Keene said."I shared the information about what it's going to take the close the budget gap,and the fact that we have no By will Oremus recommended pay increases"for other employee Daily News Staff Writer groups, including service workers and management. "We had very positive,open conversations." Posted:04/09/2009 11:57:54 PM PDT Then came Morton's tirade. He said he was angry Updated:04/09/2009 11:57:57 PM PDT that the midyear adjustments to this year's budget Lambasted this week as selfish and overpaid by Palo included big cuts to community services, but only Alto's vice mayor, local police and firefighters are minor reductions in police and fire. He criticized the now being asked to help the city close its budget firefighters in particular for campaigning to oust city deficit. officials who have tried to rein in their salaries. Many make more than$100,000 per year in base City Manager Jim Keene is looking to cut back on bay and tens of thousands more in overtime. pay for all city employees as part of a plan to slash more than$10 million in the fiscal year that begins In that context, Morton said,the department's in July. He said he is hoping to save about$3 inability to come up with more than$82,000 in million in salaries and benefits,which accounted for midyear reductions from a$25 million budget is like $91 million of this year's$145 million general fund "the fire department giving the city the finger." budget. The comments have irritated some of Morton's The irony is that the two groups singled out by Vice colleagues—even those who share his frustration. Mayor Jack Morton at a city council meeting Monday, They're hoping the unions'rank and file look past police and firefighters,are already under contract the jabs as they consider the city's request for help. through summer 2010.So while the city can take a hard line in negotiations with its service employees, City Council Member Larry Klein said Thursday he the only way it can reduce public safety employees' agrees the fire department could probably keep the salaries is if they voluntarily give back some of what public safe with fewer employees.The problem is they're owed. that their contract includes minimum staffing requirements,so any layoffs are mostly offset by Police are scheduled to receive a 6 percent raise additional overtime pay. next year,while fire captains are slated to get 5 percent and firefighters 4 percent.Together,those "Is there room for reduction in the overall raises amount to about$1.5 million in extra compensation that they have?Yes,"he said. "My spending next year, Keene estimated. concern with his language,other than being inappropriate for a council member, is it poisons Two weeks ago, he met with leaders of both unions the well in negotiations.As a lawyer, I've seen lots of to ask for their cooperation. negotiations over the years,and I've never seen it helpful for one side to be calling the other names." Advertisement Find local companies rated Highest in Quality Read rating scores and survey comments of top rated companies. .M o , o iZ ti a o �• a .(Tiw's1••�isf.�ct7nx.2irrat Go To www.DiamoudCerlified.org Print Powered By 1pl <rr�ztL7 narrtics" http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/cl-12113688?nclick—check=l 4/16/2009 Deficit has Palo Alto asking unions for help - San Jose Mercury News Page 2 of 2 t' a Ntwo MercuryNews.com Tony Spitaleri, president of the firefighters union, forgo raises and bonuses next year.To accept a pay responded defensively to Morton's remarks. boost, he said,would be"inappropriate in this environment." "Our department has been cut over the years consistently,"he said."We've lost battalion chiefs, E-mail Will Oremus at woremus @dailynewsgroup. office staff, inspectors.We've eliminated everything com . we possibly can that's not directly related to a 911 call. If Jack Morton wants to do away with paramedic Salary breakdown service or close a fire station, he has a right to say Palo Alto City Manager Jim Keene hopes to eliminate it. But he's got to understand you're dealing with a$10 million general fund budget deficit next year people's lives here." through a relatively equal combination of service cuts, revenue increases and pay reductions. Below Still, Spitaleri said, he takes Morton's words"with a are the different employee groups with which the grain of salt"and will urge union members to do the city must negotiate,along with their number of same."We're going to go back to membership and employees and total compensation in 2008-09. recommend they help the city out. I don't want any of them to say'I don't want to do this'because of that one individual." Group Employees Compensation Service Employees Int"I Union 631 $74.9 million Meanwhile,the city's negotiations with its 600-plus service employees could also present a challenge. Management(all depts.)242$41.8 million Int"I Assoc.of Firefighters 112$20.3 million The estimated$10 million budget deficit already assumes they'll get no raises. If they were to receive Peace Officers Association 84$17.6 million a pay bump similar to what they've gotten in prior Fire Chiefs Association 5$873,000 contracts,the shortfall would swell to$12 million, Keene said. Reducing the deficit would require pay NOTE:Service employees and managers work in cuts,something union leaders have already said many different departments,including those not part they'll oppose. of the city"s general fund. On Monday,SEIU Local 715 chapter chair Lynn Krug SOURCE: Lalo Perez,administrative services e-mailed the city council suggesting alternative director, City of Palo Alto ways to save money,such as reducing the ratio of managers to employees and cutting certain services. She said most service employees already have a hard time making ends meet on the Peninsula,with salaries in the neighborhood of$60,000. The only city employees to make salary concessions so far happen to be the most highly paid. Keene announced in February that he and other council- appointed officials and department heads would Advertisement Find local companies rated Highest in Quality Read rating scorns and survey comments of top rated companies. °-- `} oti © !►`tea 4 i1 �0 Q 9W X row'y G •$auujSznmr•7erat o To www.DiamondCerdfled.or'g Print Powered By � �c�rrr���L7 namics http:/lwww.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_12113688?nclick check=l 4/16/2009 Print Version :. Page 1 of 3 GOVERNMENT Close Window Council Stuns With Votes to Impose Contracts By RANI GUPTA Wednesday,April 15, 2008 1 In a shocking unanimous decision,the City Council voted late Tuesday to impose contracts on police officers and blue-collar workers after the groups failed to come to an agreement with Mayor Jerry Sanders. The 8-o votes,which drew gasps from the audience,were especially surprising because the council was viewed as pro-labor after a November election in which three new council members were elected with the support of organized labor. Council members voted without comment. Sanders said he had reached last-minute tentative agreement with the unions representing the firefighters,white-collar employees and deputy city attorneys. Council members chose not to exercise a new option they had this year under an opinion from City Attorney Jan Goldsmith to return the parties to the bargaining table instead of simply rejecting or imposing the mayor's final offer.Several union leaders urged the council to do that before the vote. Brian Marvel,president of the Police Officers Association,said the union was"serious about negotiating with the mayor's team in a good-faith bargaining effort... and if given the opportunity,we will continue to do so." After the vote,Council President Ben Hueso said it was apparent that the two unions were simply too far away from the mayor's proposal to reach an agreement without the council's vote to impose the contracts. "We weren't getting anywhere close to where we needed to be," Hueso said. "We can negotiate for a year and not[gain] any ground.We've been doing this for three months, and we need to find a way to keep our city functioning and move forward." The mayor had proposed cuts to worker compensation totaling about 6 percent,which would essentially make up half of the $6o million budget deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1.The mayor picked out a target for each union,which labor negotiators said was their "fair share." The council chambers overflowed with city employees who pleaded with council members not to impose the contracts.They said the cuts would devastate their families and make it impossible to make ends meet. That plea was most strident from the city's blue-collar workers represented by the American Federation of State,County and Municipal Employees Local 127.Many city workers said while higher-paid employees might be able to absorb that hit,they couldn't.With many wearing stickers that read"Cut the Fat,"they said City Council members should consider a raft of budget-saving proposals offered up by the union,including slicing layers of management. http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/04/16/govemment/292impasseO4l 5O9.prt 4/17/2009 Print Version :. Page 2 of 3 Joan Raymond,president of the blue-collar union,was stunned by the decision to impose contracts,saying the union's proposed cuts were"very similar"to the amount of money the mayor was seeking. "Apparently, it wasn't the right method they wanted," Raymond said. "We were very,very surprised because it really penalizes the lowest-paid workers in the city." By imposing the contract,the city is requiring blue-collar employees to pick up a larger share of their retirement contributions. The union had sought to freeze salary and benefits for two years,but rise in the third year based on inflation.It also sought to suspend the city's contribution to a supplemental retirement plan for two years. The police union had agreed to pick up a larger share of pension contributions and to adopt a lower rate of return for participants in the deferred retirement program. But it did not concede to cut wages by 1.5 percent and change its health care plan,saying the cuts would exceed 6 percent for many police officers and hamper efforts to recruit and retain good officers. Hueso,who was backed by labor in his bid for the council presidency,said the employees have "very strong arguments,"acknowledging that most haven't had their pay rise in years. But Hueso said there's no easy decision and the plan for across-the-board cuts is generally a fair one, noting that higher-paid employees will lose a larger dollar amount. He also said the decision would allow the city to avoid layoffs and service reductions that would affect the quality of life of all residents,including employees. Sanders has stressed similar themes in support of his spending proposal released Monday. To underline the point,he held a press conference Tuesday morning in front of the Ocean Beach library, one of seven he proposed closing last year in an unpopular move rejected by the City Council. On Tuesday, Sanders said cutting worker pay was essential to keep libraries open and not reducing hours. In addition to the cuts meant to help close the budget gap for the upcoming year, Sanders said he was seeking long-term reform, namely through major changes to the city's retiree health care system,which has been barely funded since the benefit was first granted in 1982. Going into Tuesday's hearing,the mayor's retiree health care proposal was the sticking point with the Municipal Employees'Association,which represents the city's white-collar employees. MEA attorney Ann Smith said the union had opposed making the changes the mayor sought to the benefit. She said the union believes retiree medical care is a vested benefit that can't be changed.At the very least, Smith said the city charter requires a vote of all employees. She said the two sides ultimately agreed to study the issue of how to fund or change retiree health care. For those two years,Smith said,the union agreed to suspend a clause that increases the city's payment by up to 10 percent a year because of rising medical costs.That could leave retirees responsible for a larger share of their health care as costs increase. Smith said that doesn't violate the vote requirement because it's a temporary and not a permanent change,which she said would require a vote of the members. It's possible that employees will disagree and file suit.But Smith said agreeing to suspend the increases for two years was the best bad option. "The alternatives were quite drastic and we wanted to take the lesser of the evils that were presented to us,"she said. http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/04/16/govemment/292impasse04l 509.prt 4/17/2009 Print Version :. Page 3 of 3 It wasn't immediately clear what changes other unions would see to their retiree medical benefits as a result of Tuesday's votes and the tentative agreements. The mayor praised council members for the vote to impose contracts. "A lot of councils have just made the easy decision for years,"Sanders said. "This council made a very difficult decision and I appreciate the leadership." Please contact Rani Gupta directly at rani.gupta@voiceofsandiego.org with your thoughts, ideas,personal stories or tips. Or set the tone of the debate with a letter to the editor. Close Window http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/04/16/government/292impasse04l 509.prt 4/17/2009 3 unions, mayor set tentative work deals Page 1 of 2 Current Weather: 53.1°F,63%humidity,Clear Sky SUBSCRIBE TODAYI I Weather I Traffic I Surf i Webcam I Contact us I Site Index @14 C ..... Ne-SI- Entertainment Web Search... 01 Home News Today's Paper Business Sports Entertainment Multimedia Forums Smart Living Jobs Autos Homes Classifieds U-T Subscribers Save This Email This Print This Most Popular ShareThis I'm Happy I Lost My Job 3 unions, mayor set tentative work deals en e'stlaioe$ey msk a! Council vote imposes pay-cut contract on 2 month••• By Craig Gustafson(Contact)Union-Tribune Staff Writer www.CoreyMoneyBlo g.... 2:00 a.m.April 15,2009 Mortgage Rate Drops SAN DIEGO—A unified San Diego City Council last night imposed labor 19A.50%FIXEDI contracts on two city unions,after Mayor Jerry Sanders reached agreement $200,000 loan for with three others. Online:Download budget $708/month.Free Quotes- presentations and documents No SSN Rqd .. The council voted without discussion at 10:25 p.m.,after an emotional day of Mongage RefinanceFr ... at testimony from employees who asked them not to inflict the city's budget pain on worker families. uniontrib.com/more/documents i Yellow Teeth The series of 8-0 votes was unexpected,as the council has a 6-2 Democratic Emergency majority,elected last fall with the help of employee unions. See what Dentists AREN'T telling you. "I'm never happy when we have to impose a 6 percent pay decrease on families,but I feel this council has made some BellasTeeth con, tough decisions that other councils just passed along,"Sanders said. Buy a link here The unions will give up$30 million in reduced pay and benefits that Sanders said he needed to close a budget gap without closing libraries or laying off workers. Sanders had asked the City Council to impose contracts on four employee unions during a four-hour hearing CI'iNM 1w*4co t! yesterday,where hundreds of workers pleaded against the cuts. Council members went in closed session shortly after 6 p.m.to consider the plan.Union leaders continued to meet with city negotiators to craft last-minute agreements. The council emerged about 10:15 p.m.,and Sanders announced Beats with unions representing firefighters,white- collar workers and deputy city attorneys.The council then voted unanimously to impose contracts on police officers � and blue-collar workers after no deal could be reached with them. c{gy The labor concessions will solve half of a$60 million deficit in the$3 billion budget that will take effect July 1. Sanders said earlier in the day that he was close to an agreement with the Municipal Employees Association,the city's largest union,which represents about 4,600 white-collar employees.The union has agreed to about$8.9 million in ndmarkeilplaom.com cuts,but talks were stuck on a dispute over how to pay for retiree health care. Talks with two other city unions–police and blue-collar workers–were much further apart. Sanders said benefits had to be reduced to avoid layoffs and service cuts. Weblo "Those costs must be addressed comprehensively or they'll grow at a rate that undermines the very mission of the • NewsBlog city,"Sanders said.. • SportsBlog • PadresBlog Each union leader asked the council to force the mayor to return to the bargaining table and not impose his pay and • BoltsBlog benefit cuts on workers. • Going Outside • Street "We are prepared to return to the negotiation table to try to resolve these differences,"said Brian Marvel,president of • Weather Watch the Police Officers Association."Is the city prepared to do that?" • Maynard's Garage • TV Tracker Council President Ben Hueso tried to keep order in the chambers by asking the audience to refrain from clapping and • Under the Hood simply wave their hands in the air to support a speaker's comments.He was largely ignored,as there were nearly two • America's Finest Blog dozen outbreaks of applause,mostly after employees complained about the unfairness of the pay cuts. • Homefront in Focus • Paul Greer's Running Lani Lutar,president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association,spoke in favor of the mayor's plan. Weblog "While other cities have been forced to lay off dozens,if not hundreds,of employees the mayor is presenting a • Brian Clark's Snow Blog proposal which would maintain service levels while taking important steps to achieve a more sustainable level of More Weblogs compensation for public employees,"Lutar said. Several employees told the council they were living paycheck to paycheck and couldn't afford any drop in pay. Opinion Online Lorene Gonzalez,head of the San Diego-imperial Counties Labor Council,said the City Council should be ashamed of S ' � itself for forcing employees to talk about their dire financial situations. "It's a disgrace that we have to bring workers here and parade them in front of people to tell you how hard it is for them �a to make ends meet,"Gonzalez said. V+� Craig Gustafson:(619)293-1399:craig.gustafson @uniontrib.com • Today's editorial • Write a letter Craig Gustafson:(619)293.1399:(Contact) • Contact your representatives Click here to hide comments Notice:This improved Comments system is using new technology,so you'll need to sign up for a new Comments account with Disqus.Terms of Use http-.//www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/apr/I 5/1 m 15budget2234543-3-unions-mayor-set-tentative... 4/17/2001) Police are hardest hit by Vallejo layoff plan- Vallejo Times Herald Pagel of 2 T 4 imes-Herald Police are hardest hit b Under the plan,the fire department would have no y layoffs but would close the equivalent of half a fire station,according to a city report.To control Vallejo layoff plan overtime costs,firefighters would become"flexible" between stations and apparatus,the report states. By Jessica A.York/Times-Heraid staff writer The plan also calls for$1.4 million in salary and benefit cuts for firefighters and miscellaneous non- Posted:04/12/2009 08:23:14 AM PDT management city staff. A plan to cure Vallejo's 2009-2010 deficit gap calls for the layoff of 19 city employees-including more Other proposed staffing cuts are five positions from than a half-dozen police officers. the Community Development Department(with the economic development manager and building The police department faces the largest cuts,with inspector's positions eliminated)and four in the proposed layoff of eight officers and the two administrative areas. remaining police assistants. By delaying a plan to begin building up a retiree Police Chief Robert Nichelini said he had proposed health insurance fund ahead of retirements and a plan to save about$3 million without laying off dropping bond interest payments by two percent- any employees, but it was rejected by City Manager to 2.5 percent-an earlier projected$12 million Joe Tanner as not providing"firm enough" deficit was reduced to$7.3 million in the newest alternatives, he said. plan. "It's a mess,"Nichelini said of the city's budget."I've The city staff report, assembled by Tanner and been working like crazy to come up with funding Finance Director Robert Stout,will be up for Vallejo alternatives to prevent any layoffs. I am hoping the City Council discussion and vote Tuesday. council will agree with some of our proposals and this can be avoided. "The service reductions included in this report continue to be severe and provide for less than even "I must say,though,that our people are scared. minimally acceptable services to the community,"the They have families.They have mortgages like report reads."However recommendations are based anybody else." upon available revenues that can be relied upon today to begin paying staff salaries in July." Nichelini said the only section of the department outside of patrol officers remaining to be cut is the The council wpm't pass a final budget for the detective division,which already has been halved in coming fiscal year until June. Possible staff recent years. reductions are proposed as a 60-day layoff notice sent out April 17. Due to early retirements and other reductions,the police department has lost dozens of employees in Even with recent dramatic city general fund cuts, the past year,forcing belt-tightening and a shift in more could be in store because some revenue is crime response strategies. resting on shaky ground,according to the report. Advertisement 7oEarn n Mastu 'i I 4 SEO&Paid Search Internet Law 1-800-268-9943 -) Online Branding Media Buying Social Media " 1 Print Powered By FormatD namics" http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ei-12127750 4/16/2009 Police are hardest hit by Vallejo layoff plan - Vallejo Times Herald Page 2 of 2 Times-Herald Further property and sales tax plunges,further state budget impacts and the uncertainty of bankrupt Lennar Mare Island are among them. Possible revenue increases were not factored into the budget assumptions, but are listed instead as potential alleviation to layoffs.Those listed include federal stimulus grants,a 911 hang-up fee, red- light camera ticketing,parking and false alarm fee collection enforcement,a countywide ambulance program and an EMS"first response"fee. A city analyst also will be reassigned to"facilitate a citywide revenue focus,"according to the report. The analyst would help each department with new revenue ventures. •Contact staff writer Jessica A.York at jyork @thnewsnet.com or(707)553-6834. Advertisement Bring the 00 With a Classroom ' Degree Online From Florida Tech APPLY TODAYI FloridaTechOrfline.com/'Fi) ' " Print Powered By Fd FormatD nanni- http:ffwww.timesheraidonline.com/news/ci-12127750 4/16/2009 State of California • Department of Transportation MEDIA ADVISORY Today's Date: April 16, 2009 District: District 6 — Fresno Contact: Holly Vogel / Public Information Officer Phone: (661) 326-3968 Installation of Overhead Utility Cable Prompts Temporary Closure of Rosedale Highway (State Route 58) WHO: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN COOPERATION WITH SAN JOAQUIN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WHAT: MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID ROSEDALE HIGHWAY NEAR MOHAWK STREET ON SUNDAY, APRIL 19, DUE TO THE POTENTIAL OF INTERMITTENT FULL ROAD CLOSURES (MAXIMUM DURATION - 10 MINUTES) TO INSTALL OVERHEAD UTILITY CABLES. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT TRAFFIC WILL BE STOPPED FOR THREE TO FOUR MINUTES DURING THE OVERHEAD UTILITY CABLE INSTALLATION. WHERE: ROSEDALE HIGHWAY (STATE ROUTE 58) NEAR MOHAWK STREET WHEN: SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2009 WORK IS ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN AT 7 A.M. THROUGH 4 P.M. BUT SHOULD TAKE LESS THAN FOUR HOURS TO COMPLETE. Your patience is appreciated during this necessary construction. Please allow extra travel time through the construction zone and be alert for highway workers. E kSLOW R THE C0N &7~nN1: A 1.. 7 R k N 5 Page 1 of 2 STREETS DIVISION — WORK SCHEDULE WEEK OF APRIL 20, 2009 — APRIL 24, 2009 Resurfacing/Reconstructing streets in the following areas: Resurfacing streets in the area between Sundale Avenue & Club View Drive, east of Ashe Road. Placing the aggregate base on Masterson Street, south of Paladino Drive, in preparation for an asphalt overlay. Continue the project of placing an oilsand (cold-mix) overlay on Allen Road between Stockdale Highway & Old Town Road. Placing an oilsand (cold-mix) overlay on Manor Street from Denise Street to the south City limits. Miscellaneous Streets Division projects: Working on the Mill Creek project. Crack sealing on Calloway Drive between Meacham Road & Hageman Road. THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Week of April 202009 Work Schedule Page 2 of 2 STREETS SWEEPING SCHEDULE Monday, April 20, 2009 City areas between 99 Hwy. & Stine Rd. — Panama Ln. & Taft Hwy. Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Between Panama Lane & Woodmere Dr. — Ashe Rd. & Stine Rd. Between District Blvd. & Panama Ln. - Gosford Rd. & Ashe Rd. Between Akers Rd. & Phyllis St. — Harris Rd. & Panama Ln. City areas between Akers Rd. & Stine Rd. — Harris Rd. & Panama Ln. Cul-De-Sacs on the north side of Angela Way, between Manley Ct. & Cris Ct. Between Oswell Park Dr. & Brundage Ln. — Oswell St. & Leeta St. Wednesday, April 22, 2009 City areas between Snow Rd. & Rosedale Hwy. — Jewetta Ave., west to the City limits. Between Ming Ave. & So. Laurelglen Blvd. — Coffee Rd. & El Portal / Laurelglen Blvd. Thursday, April 23, 2009 Between Snow Rd. & Olive Dr. — Jewetta Ave., east to the canal boundary. Between Olive Dr. & Hageman Rd. — Jewetta Ave. & Calloway Dr. Between Niles St. & Sumner St. — Union Avenue & Beale Ave. Between Sumner St. & E. Truxtun Ave. — Beale Ave. & Brown St. Between Brundage Ln. & E. Belle Terrace St. — Union Ave. & Kincaid St. Between Camino Media & Kroll Way — Coffee Rd., west to the PG&E easement. Friday, April 24, 2009 Between Etchart Rd. & Pavilion Dr. - Calloway Dr., west to the canal boundary. Between Norris Rd. & Olive Dr. — Calloway Dr. & Coffee Rd. Between Olive Dr. & Noriega Rd. — Calloway Dr. & Verdugo Ln. City areas between Coffee Rd./Riverlakes ext. & Allen Rd. — Hageman Rd. & Rosedale Hwy. City areas between Pacheco Rd. & Harris Rd. — Stine Rd. & Wible Rd. Week of April 20_2009_Work Schedule