The following is a preview of the June 18 City Council meeting. You may view the full agenda here.
After several budget study sessions, City staff have submitted a resolution adopting the 2019-2020 operating budget and capital improvement program budget to the City Council for review.
The proposed fiscal year 2019-2020 budget for Citywide expenditures of $67,068,090 with three operating fund types: General Fund, Special Revenue Funds and Internal Service Funds. All funds are balanced for 2019-20, but three of the budgeted funds (General Fund, Mission Playhouse and Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Account) will carry prior year deficit fund balances into the year.
Operating Budget
General fund: the General Fund was originally proposed with $41,619,950 in estimated revenue and $41,609,655 in proposed appropriations. The revenue estimates were projected using a realistic conservatism approach but did not include a $750,000 estimate for a successful voter initiative to increase the sales tax rate. Instead, the funds have been replaced with proceeds from the sale of Proposition A funds.
Also included in the proposal is an increase of $50,000 for Fire Services Reimbursement, an increase of $130,000 in Public Works Fees and increases to expenditures of $15,000 and $11,650 to Public Works and Community Development, respectively.
Revenues for fiscal year 2019-20 have been estimated at $41,732,450. Overall, the estimate has decreased by 3% over the 2018-2019 adopted budget but has increased by about 6% over the year end estimate. Much of this increase is related to the sale of Proposition A funds and the transfer in from the Retirement Tax Fund to cover rising retirement costs.
Appropriations are proposed at $41,636,305 and accounts for services such as Police, Fire, Parks, certain Public Works operations, Community Development, Recreation, the City Council, City Clerk, Administration, Finance and Human Resources. Appropriations also support the Mission Playhouse. Overall, public safety represents a top priority for the total General Fund, accounting for 58% of appropriations.
For staffing, the City currently employs 195 employees with a proposed increase to 198. None of the three new positions are funded by the General Fund. The addition of a Project Manager and a Public Works Inspector are proposed to work on CIP projects, with funding paid by project funding and offset by reduction to contract personnel currently performing the work. An increase of Maintenance Worker I/II is also recommended to work on the Fats, Oil and Grease program and would be funded by the Sewer Fund.
The City Council is recommended to conduct an open hearing about the proposed budget and to adopt the 2019-2020 operating budget.
City Council to review construction contract for new storm drain connection for Public Works facility
As the last remaining item of the new Public Works Facility, the permanent storm drain piping connection to the Rubio Wash Channel is now ready to be awarded a construction project. After getting the necessary approvals from Los Angeles County Public Works and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Public Works is now ready to award a construction project to Lee Construction Company for the amount of $68,775 with a construction contingency of $6,877.50 for a total cost of $75,652.50.
Staff from Public Works recommend that the City Council approve the construction contract for a total amount of $75,652.50.