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
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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
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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
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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
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