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71-1010_CC_Minutes_Adjourned Regular Meeting27 June 10, 1971 ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING - CITY COUNCIL - CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, The City Council of the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, met for an adjourned regular meeting on Thursday, June 10, 1971, at 7:36 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City. COUNCILMEN PRESENT: Bathgate, Chermak, Gammell, Thorpe and Forster. COUNCILMEN ABSENT: None. Following Mayor Forster's opening of budget discussion, Council- man Chermak inquired when capital improvement budget projects would be studied and particularly those under gas tax funds. He said that he was concerned about the City's financial obligation involved in the Las Ramblas Interchange which is to be put to bid in June of this year by the State. After some Council discussion on the City's involvement and State construction schedules, the Administrator was asked to investigate this item and report back to Council prior to adoption of the budget. Councilman Bathgate then queried staff on the City's security for reimbursement from other agencies participating in the Water Quality Control Plant expansion. The Administrator and Director of Finance gave Council some information on the various agreements -between the participating agencies and said that additional details would be forthcoming at the next regular Council meeting. Council- man Bathgate also wished to know why the entire amount of approxi- mately $2,000,000 had been reflected in our budget. The Director of Finance replied that this was caused by the City's ownership of the plant. Councilman Bathgate reiterated his desire that binding agree- ments committing all other agencies to their share of the cost for the plant expansion be obtained before we award bids. FUNCTION 4120 - City Administration After some, brief discussion, Council left the account unchanged. FUNCTION 4150 - Finance Council then turned its attention to Finance and the Mayor commented on the Administrator's rejection of the Finance Department's request for a stenographer -clerk. The future need for this position was discussed briefly. Councilman Gammell queried staff on the scope and detail of the City inventory system mentioned in the Finance budget. The Director of Finance gave some details on this topic and stressed that any inventory system must be inclusive and maintained in a complete and timely manner to be of any value. The Mayor then asked about the expenditures listed under Finance, Object 200, in which $540 is proposed to be spent in the current fiscal year. The Director of 6//0/V Finance explained that this charge was for programming services on the Water District billing machine used by the City. Discussion then turned to„independent auditing fees. Staff explained that it was suggesting a more inclusive and detailed independent audit than had been performed in the past for the projected cost of $3,000. Extended discussion took place on the merits of a more sophisticated audit. The City Treasurer commented that she felt the current auditing service was very satisfactory. On Councilman Gammell's motion, seconded by Councilman Thorpe, Council voted unanimously to request a more extensive auditing service in fiscal 1971-72 from a firm to be selected at a later date. Staff answered questions on a price decrease for a proposed billing machine and the present methods of handling cash without a cash register. Director of Finance told Council that all cash was receipted in triplicate for control purposes and deposits were made daily. FUNCTION 4190 - Non Departmental Discussion then turned to the possible request from the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce for funds in 1971-72. After considerable discussion, the Council indicated that it felt no continuing obliga- tion to finance Chamber of Commerce activities on a yearly basis, and any contributions would be made on the merits of each individual request. In the absence of a specific request at this time from the Chamber of Commerce, Councilman Bathgate moved, seconded by Councilman Chermak, that Object 650, community promotions, be reduced from the _recommended $6,000 to $3,000, unanimously approved. Council then turned its attention to the proposed contingency reserve fund, Object 590. Staff explained that the figure of $36,000 was the minimum recommended to provide for emergency and unanticipated expenses. Council and staff then briefly discussed the need for a capital improvements fund in addition to a contingency fund. Function 4210 - Police City Administrator discussed the chances of a CCCJ grant for the impending public safety study with Council. It was explained that recent grant activity at the Orange County Council on Criminal Justice levels had reduced funds available for a grant to the City in 1971-72. The Administrator felt that there was another channel through which Criminal Justice funds could be available and was directed to continue pursuing a grant. After some discussion on the Administrator's proposed public safety study, its timing and methods, Council determined to leave the proposed police budget, including $24,782 figure for a feasibility study on a comprehensive department of public safety unchanged. Council intent was to use these funds as a backup should a grant not be forthcoming. Capital projects under gas tax, etc. were then discussed briefly in the absence of the City Engineer and Director of Public Works. The Mayor commented on the need for a long term capital planning program -2- //d/-7/ in the City and referred to the City Administrator's comments on the same topic in his budget transmittal letter. The Mayor suggested a nine-year capital planning program divided into three-year incre- ments. He suggested that the first three years of expenditures could be fairly accurately projected, with the second three-year period requiring the inclusion of some unknowns and the last three- year period representing an attempt to prepare for the future with any projects listed there subject to considerable change. The Mayor also described a proposed capital improvement planning committee which might include members of the Parks and Recreation and Planning Commissions, bankers, realtors and developers and other in related work areas who have personal knowledge of the City. Councilman Bathgate suggested that a public utilities representa- tive would be valuable on such a committee. As discussed, City staff would be used as an information resource for the proposed capital planning committee under Council's outline. The Mayor said the committee would require intensive work and many meetings to prepare such a plan and would need to meet at least yearly afterward to update and rearrange priorities. He commented that an outside con- sulting firm would probably not be too helpful in the capital planning area. He then asked for Council's reaction to his suggestion. Councilman Gammell asked for more details on the capital improve- ment committee's assignments. The Mayor said that the committee's function would be to develop a long range capital improvements plan and recommend such to the Council. Council would then review and direct its staff to budget annually for priorities. The Mayor said that he felt that the value of such a committee as composed in his suggestion would be to put important major community improvements into the political decision making process which would be more proper than leaving it to full-time staff alone. Councilman Bathgate said that such a capital improvements plan would require considerable input and data from staff and that there were many technical decisions and problems which may not be completely served by the political process. After some discussion on the technical versus political decision making process, Council decided that a balanced approach using committee and staff resources should be adopted and this item should be placed on an early agenda after the budget is adopted. Under the Non Departmental budget, Councilman Chermak commented on the proposed remodeling of the City offices and said that he was resistent to any major changes being made in such a new building which he felt should have been designed originally to accommodate our needs. The Mayor commented that a new office building is much like a new home which often requires modifications after acquiring some experience in living in it. Following a brief discussion on the office needs, Council determined to provide further review of this matter at another budget t1v17/ 30 session. The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m. to a regular Council meeting on Monday, June 14, at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Donald G. Weidner, City Clerk -4- 6 hoh l