City Council - Regular Meeting

Okay, everyone. Are we ready? We've got a quorum, and I am going to call this meeting to order. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the city council meeting. This is the city of Alameda city council meeting, and, we are about to go into closed session. But I'm going to ask our city clerk, Laura Weissinger, to please call the roll first.

Councilmember Spohler? Here. Pryor? Here. Mayor Ozyashka? I'm here. And, hopefully, councilmember Deshak and Jensen will be here shortly.

Two more on the way, I'm sure. Right. And so, next, we go to the consent calendar. This is just one item. It's a routine item that will be approved by one motion unless removed by council members. Madam Cook, would you introduce the consent calendar item?

Yes. This item is designating negotiators for, Building 11 at 1190 West Tower Avenue, which is related to item, four c at the closed session.

Alright. So there is so that's the consent calendar, and we can go ahead and vote on the consent calendar, just the the negotiators for for that item. So do I have a motion and a second? So moved. Moved by the vice mayor, seconded by council member Bowler. All those in favor signify by stating I. I. Okay. That motion passes with three, approved and two absent. And we're gonna go to public comment on the closed session item next, and I'm just gonna read the the rules of conduct for for conducting public comment, which is to say that you're all welcome.

This is a business meeting. We are here to conduct the business of the city of Alameda. It is not a sporting event. It is not theater. So what we do is we listen quietly and respectfully while other people speak, and we do not clap, cheer, boo, hiss, do the wave. We don't do any of that. This is a business meeting, but we do listen respectfully. And when it's our turn to speak, we get up. We go to the microphone. Make it I always say make it yours, whatever level is parallel to your mouth, then we can hear you.

When the timer goes off, please stop speaking because everybody gets the same amount of speaker time, which the clerk will tell you. You're welcome to hold up signs. That's your First Amendment right. We just ask that you not hold them up over your head unless you're in the last row so you don't block anyone else's view. It is that simple.

And the reason that I laid down the ground rules at the beginning of a meeting is that for some people, public speaking is one of the most stressful things they can do, and I never want someone to not get up and speak because somebody booed or jeered at the previous speaker, and they're afraid that will happen to them. This is a safe space. This is, like, your town hall, and I want everybody to have that same opportunity. And, also, because and literally today, we often have young people in the audience, and we wanna set that good civic example for them. You can certainly look around the greater community, state, nation, what have you, and see less than civil examples of governance.

That's not how we do it in Alameda. So we just ask everybody to please respect those rules, and we will have a nice orderly meeting and hear from everyone. So with that, madam clerk, do we have public comment on closed session items?

We do. We have in person and remote. They will we have over the limit, so they'll each get two minutes. And we will I'll call the first three so the other two can be ready to go. Tomorrow, Sabelle, Cameron Warren, and Stephanie Warren

with Tamara. Hear your name and those were in person?

Yes.

So come on up and just keep it moving so we can get out. So are you, one of the first speaker? Are you the first speaker? So come on up when you hear your name, and like I said, make that microphone yours, and welcome.

Okay. Hi. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Tamara Sabella. I am the director of community engagement at Carica Park.

I was raised by my parents. My father is a pilot, and I grew up in a household where he told me that flying planes was for the elite, and not everybody could afford and have access to experiencing the world. When I took this job at Carica Park, I was very excited to do the work that my father had raised me to do. Avani Nimesh had managed Greenway Golf, and I was their first hire five years ago, two days ago. I've been here five years, and their vision was to make the golf course an inclusive, accessible space, open space for all, green space for all.

Public golf course should be for all, not a small percentage of the population. I have been so deeply honored and proud to do this work, and I'm so grateful for Avany and Umesh to have seen that and hired me to do that work specifically. And I don't understand why so much time and resources have to go to a legal battle with the city when those time and resources could enhance even more what we're doing. If you look at our community if you look at our impact report for the last five years, please, I ask you, go look at our impact report, come to the golf course, see what we have built in five years with the pressure of a legal battle, and imagine what we could do without it. I'm asking you to listen, and please pay attention.

Alameda showed up today. They will show up again and again. They are speaking to what Alameda wants. I hope you hear them. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker?

Cameron Warren, then Stephanie Warren, then Iris Mitchell.

Okay. Come on up.

Okay. Hello. My name is Cameron Warren, and I am a current eighth grader at Lincoln Middle School, and I am also employed by Greenway Golf as a member of the Beyond the Bag Caddy program. I've been playing golf for five years, and I started by attending a Greenway golf program at Carriacup Park called Sundays on the Green. I would never have taken up the game if I hadn't gone to the clinic, I and certainly would not have progressed to a plus two handicap or become so close to so many of the Greenway Golf employees.

What makes Greenway Golf so special isn't just the quality of the courses. It's the opportunities they create for young people like me. Sundays on the Green wasn't just about learning how to swing a golf club. It was about building confidence, learning discipline, and finding a place where I felt supported and encouraged to improve. Through Greenway's programs, I've learned lessons that go far beyond golf.

I've learned patience when things don't go my way, responsibility through my job, and the importance of hard work and consistency. These are lessons that I carry with me not only on the course, but also in school and life. Carriacca Park is more than just a golf course. It's a place where people from all backgrounds can come together, whether they're beginners picking up a club for the first time or experienced players working on improving their game. It creates a sense of community that is rare and incredibly valuable.

As someone who has personally benefited from these programs, I can say that Greenway Golf is making a really positive difference. Greenway Golf opens doors for young people, provides access to a sport that might otherwise feel out of reach, and creates a positive environment where everyone has the chance to grow. I'm incredibly grateful for everything that Greenway Golf and Carriacup Park have given me and hope that there that many more people will have the opportunity to experience what I have. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker? Stephanie Warren, then Iris Mitchell, then Robin Lynn Wilson.

Okay. And Iris Mitchell will be ready to go right after that. Okay. Good morning or afternoon, evening. Hello. Hello.

Council members, mayor Ashcraft, community members, honored guests, thank you for letting us speak about Greenway Golf, the managing board for Creek Park. My name is Stephanie Warren, and all three of my children and 22 of my Girl Scout troop members have benefited greatly from the inclusive and welcoming programs offered at Carica by Greenway Golf. Carica has become my son's second home as he's participated in Sundays on the green, middle school golf league, four Vets Tournament, Drive for Change, Summer on the Green, and currently their inaugural caddy program, all provided by Greenway Golf. My daughters were introduced to golf because of the free youth clinics offered at Cricket through Greenway Golf. My youngest even had access to left handed, pink, child sized golf clubs.

That's Creeka, inclusive, accessible, welcoming, accommodating, community focused. Creeka consistently seeks program offerings with an environmental and educational lens. As a teacher in AUSD, this is super deep. They offer programs such as our school's auction event for free to hold the event for free, hosting our girl scout meetings in a lounge space for free, supporting our Girl Scout entrepreneurs during their cookie selling season in a safe and appropriate environment. They offered tours of the renovated fire tour fire tower and pollinator garden and bird watching on the course.

At my daughter's first golf clinic, the pollinator posse brought seed pod balls for the children to hit into the rough on the myth. Another event, spectators were welcome to catch a glimpse of the eagles on course and learn about their nesting habits, and yet another hosted yoga and healthy awareness to community members. Thank you for letting me share about community call Greenway Golf. So much.

Your time is up. Our next speaker?

Iris Mitchell, then Robin Lynn Wilson, then John Risenliver.

Good afternoon, council members. My name is Iris Mitchell. As a resident of Alameda for the last sixteen years, I see Coricca Park as a vital community asset in Alameda because of how it operates. It is a highly quality public and sustainable green space accessible to us all. As a parent, Corica has been an important component of raising our children, whether we are participating in golf camp offered during summer months, dropping the kids off for some golfing while we run errands, or having breakfast or lunch on the course on a slow motion slow motion Sunday.

It has become a place we enjoy as a family, As a community sorry. As a community, we enjoy the space using using the place as we can meet up and enjoy each other's company, have a picnic, meet up with friends from school or neighbor or the neighborhood or enjoy some budget, some burgers and french fries at the golf course. Corica is a place we can depend on that is safe and that we can enjoy with familiar and unfamiliar faces. I am personally not a golf player or an athlete, as you can see, but Corica has come to mean much more to me than just a place to play golf. It also functions as a community hub for wellness, offering affordable recreation opportunities, youth programs, and a wide array of events to uplift and create opportunity for Alameda residents and visitors of surrounding counties.

It also has a feeling of a retreat that is close to home where everyone is welcomed, which is very important. It is a very special place. Families, whether they enjoy golf or not, have strong ties to this golf course, enjoying the space and the benefits it provides to us all. Please keep this in mind.

Thank you so much. Your time is up. Our next speaker?

Robin Lynn Wilson, then John Rysenweber, then Karish Valusakol. Welcome.

Welcome. Welcome. It's I'm gonna be honest with you. I didn't think I was gonna get so emotional being back in this room. I worked in this community for twenty six years, and many of you know of Uniting Alameda for Change. And I didn't realize that I worked with the kids at APC, and I didn't realize that even I was welcomed at the golf course. I never got that message. So when I got a call from Greenway to bring the kids out there, I'm thinking, what are you talking about? These kids have been unhoused. These kids had never had a good life.

And I'm a tell you, you know, the first time they they picked them up in the shuttle, and I knew these kids and the homes they came from. And when they got off that shuttle and this staff, every single time, every single year, welcome these children that other folks don't see. First time we were invited to go there, and the kids' eyes, the kids have looked at the green. There's I mean, what is all this green? It was amazing. Since then, it's changed a lot of their lives over the years. They've learned more than just golf. They learned how to work with groups. They learned how to believe in themselves. They know how to be a good citizen in our community.

Things that I've worked with some of you, trying to make that happen in this city for years. And it breaks I'm a be honest with you. I I didn't expect me to have this emotion, but it breaks my heart. Because some on account, I I've introduced to those fellas to welcome on that side, telling them that we're welcome. It's gonna go both ways. And to be here to be here tonight for this, they are doing what we are what most of the campaign said, what you want to happen. And so someone had dedicated free. My services to have to be here to defend that, it saddens me, to be honest with you. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Our next speaker?

John Risingweber, then Krish Paluthukal, and then Manny Paluthukal.

Welcome. Good afternoon, city officials. My name is John Risingweber. I'm a combat wounded Vietnam vet. I currently am on the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Commission.

I'm a national ambassador for BGA Hope, and I've started I'm a founder of the the Bay Area Veteran Suicide Prevention Network. And more importantly, seven years ago, I almost became a statistic of suicide. Three long years of counseling therapy through the VA, PGA Hope, and playing golf has gotten my life turned back around. I've healed physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally, and a lot of that healing has occurred at Carricka Park. For the last four years, I've become extremely aware of all of the programs that they have.

I'm acquainted with Carricka Park. I've developed my golf game. I've learned that giving back is what actually heals, and I've also learned to socialize. I've made some of the best friends of my life there who I never would have met without being at Carricka Park. Carricka Park is so much more than a golf course.

So much more. It practices what it teaches, and that is so important, so very important. And what it teaches is respect, art, inclusion, social awareness, responsibility, ecology, wellness, all of those traits that we need to learn and re

Thank you so much. Our next speaker?

Krish Valuszakol, then Manny Valuszakol, and then we have remote.

Welcome. Good evening, mayor

and city council. My name is Krish, and I'm a sophomore in high school. I'm here today because Carriqua Park is a special place for me and for a lot of other kids in my age. And I'm worried that the city's actions against Greenway Golf is gonna hurt our growth, not as just golfers, but as leaders in our community. Greenway has built one of the best public courses in the county in the country between new between the newly renovated short Course, the South Course, and the incredible North Course.

They've created something unmatched in the entire Bay Area. And to me, Carriacup Park is easily the best part of the Bay Area. But Greenway is about more than just golf. They've made an open space for everyone, veterans, artists, bird watchers, and students like me. They champion the causes that I care about. When I wanted to start and lead youth programs, Greenway gave me the space that I needed to do so, And I guarantee that no other program, brand, or anything can do what they're doing and create the impact that they made. So thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker?

Manny Valusikoff. Welcome.

Good evening, council members. My name is Manny Valithako. I'm here today because the gap between these council's accusations against Greenway and the actual reality at Creeker Park has become impossible to ignore, and it is time for a serious reality check. For years, this body has leaned into a narrative of contract breach and mismanagement, but the facts on the ground tell a completely different story. Despite every legal hurdle the city has thrown Green Bay's way, they have always delivered.

The North Coast isn't a theoretical project anymore. It's a world class Robert Trent Jones masterpiece that is open right now. It was built with a private capital, zero taxpayer risk, and an obsessive focus on detail. You can you can call it a breach, but the golf world calls it the best municipal renovation in the country. To keep pushing a narrative of failure when the success is literally across the street is a definition of bad faith.

We have to ask, what is the actual motivation? Is it personal vendetta? Is it doing someone else's bidding? Or is the goal if the goal was a great golf course, you already have it. If the goal was a great community space, you already have it.

Instead of celebrating a partner that turned a struggling asset into a crown jewel, this council has used its position as a bully pulpit to harass a tenant. You're leaning into old lies to keep new lies going, and it's a massive waste of city resources. I challenge every one of you to actually go to the course. Don't just look at a legal brief or hide behind privileged sessions. Walk the North Coast. Talk to the community members. And if you do that, you will realize that Greenway is exactly the kind

of partner we need. So much. Our next speaker

is remote, and it's Caroline Brossard. Welcome.

Thank you so much.

Can you

hear me?

Yes.

Awesome. Good evening, council members. My name is Caroline Broussard. I am an Alameda resident, and I serve this community in my roles as cofounder and leader of the Alameda Mosaic Educational Advisory Committee, as chairperson for the North Region Selpa Community Advisory Committee, and as a fitness leader with No Excuses Alameda. I'm here to speak in strong support of Greenway Golf and the continued investment in Correka Park as an inclusive community centered space.

In just five years, Greenway Golf has created over one hundred and twenty four thousand hours of shared community use, offering free accessible programming for youth, families, schools, and local organizations. In 2025 alone, the space was activated two hundred and forty nine days out of the year. That's not an occasional use. That's a consistent, reliable public resource serving Alameda residents nearly every day. What's especially meaningful is who these programs reach.

Over 90% of youth participants come from underserved communities, and more than 2,000 individuals and 80 organizations are served annually, many of whom had never accessed Carreca Park before. This is what equitable use of public space looks like in practice. Greenway Golf isn't just about golf. It's about reimagining what public land can be, hosting cultural events, educational programs, community gatherings, and creating space where people feel they belong. They've also provided over seventy nine thousand hours of free outdoor recreation, 10,800 meals, and transportation support to remove barriers to participation.

Imagine what Greenway could accomplish if the burden of this ongoing litigation was lifted. On a personal note, my Afro Latino, neurodistinct son participated in Greenway's summer on the green program at Carica Park for two summers. It gave him the opportunity to try golf for the first time in a fun, supportive, and inclusive environment, something that Thank you

so much. Your time is up our next speaker.

And that was our last speaker.

Okay. With that, we will close public comment, and we thank all of you for being such well behaved civil informative speakers. Thank you. You were great. Alright. So, that was the extent of our, public comment on the closed session. So now, we're going to adjourn into closed session, and we're doing it in this order. So for staff who is here, we're starting with four c. Actually, madam Cook, why don't you go ahead and introduce all of the closed session items, and then you can help tell what comes up first. Alright.

Okay. Four a is public employee appointment hiring pursuant to government code section five four nine five seven. The title description position to be filled as city manager. IVB is conference with legal counsel existing litigation pursuant to government code section five four nine five six point nine. The case name is, National Prescription Opiate Litigation. Court is United State District Court Northern District of Ohio. Eastern Division case number is 117MD2804DAP. Four c is compassed through a property negotiators pursuant to government code section five four nine seven five six point eight. Property is 1190 West Tower Avenue, Building 11 at Alameda Point. The city negotiators are the interim city manager, base reuse and economic development director, reuse manager, Francisco Torres of Jones Lang and LaSalle, and assistant city attorney.

The negotiating parties of the city of Alameda and Poseidon Aerospace under negotiation or pricing terms of lease four d as conference with legal counsel existing litigation pursuant to government code section five four nine five six six nine a. The case name is the city of Alameda versus Greenway Golf. The court is Alameda County Superior Court. The case number is 22CC v 011964. And the order that, counsel will hear the items is going to be I wrote it here. Four C. C first, then four b, then 4 d, then 4 a. So Okay.

Yeah. So first step, staff, whoever is involved with, 4 C, the, 1190 West Tower Avenue, come on back. To the members of the public, we have every intention of being before you at 07:00 this same evening. Thank you. Yeah.

Balcony. The balcony is always ready. We've got a long agenda ahead of us. So, and I will say before we start that, nobody told me until this evening that the presentation on the budget is forty five minutes long. So I'm gonna be looking for some speed talking. But, anyway, we are going to I don't know. Okay. We are calling the meeting to order. I've got a full quorum. So welcome, everyone.

This is the city council meeting for the city Of Alameda. We have just returned from closed session, and I'm going to ask the city clerk, Laura Weissinger, to please announce any, actions that were taken in city, in closed session.

Okay. Regarding, four a, which was city manager hiring, staff provided information regarding four b, which was opiate litigation. Staff provided information and counsel provided direction by unanimously by five ayes. Regarding four c, which which was real property negotiations for Building 11, staff provided information and counsel provide unanimously provided direction by five ayes. Regarding four D, which was Greenway litigation, staff provided information with no vote taken.

Alright. Thank you for that, madam clerk. So with that, we will adjourn the special city council meeting, which was the closed session, and we will go into the special joint meeting of the city council and successor agency to the Community Improvement Commission, which was also known as the redevelopment agency. But first, we will start with the pledge of allegiance. Councilmember Bowler, may I ask you to lead the pledge?

Please write.

Pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America To the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with the NHS.

Thank you, council member Boulder. Madam clerk, may we have the roll call, please?

Council members Boulder? Here. Jensen? Here. Pryor? Here. Mayor Eze Ashcroft? I am here. Five present.

Alright. Thank you. We go next to the consent calendar, and this is just for the special agency of the successor agency to the Community Improvement Commission. And, we have one, consent calendar items, and that is the meeting minutes from our previous, meeting of this body. Any comments on that item, madam clerk?

No. They're just here for your approval. You already approved them on the prior city council meeting, but the SACIC asked also.

Okay. Yes. So, do we have a motion and a second to approve those minutes to a?

Motion to approve.

Motion, by council member Bowler, seconded by vice mayor Pryor. All those in favor signify by stating aye. Aye. Alright. That motion passes. And then we move on to, agenda items. The two agenda items, madam clerk, would you please introduce the first one?

Recommendation to accept the fiscal year 2425 audited financial statements and compliance reports.

Alright. And do we have a speaker on this item? We do. Our city auditor is here tonight. Believe was thinking. Come on up. Welcome. How are you? Good evening.

I am very happy to announce that we received another no finding audit. And would you

like to introduce yourself for the public who might not know you?

Sure. Kevin Kearney. I'm the city auditor. Thank you. And so I'll get back at it. No findings, which is fantastic. That helps everybody in the city, helps with our ability to obtain money and to carry on with anything that has to do with anything that's fiscal in nature. So I'm I'm very excited about that and very proud of everybody, all the departments, but in particularly, the the finance department. The finance department once again has been able to, you know, put pull everything together. And, also, we got another government finance officers association award.

But this time, we did something that's called the triple crown, which is fantastic. We've been able to get this award, well, every year since I've been here, which has been forever except for one during COVID. But this year, we got we got two other awards. We got an award for buck the budget and and for our our our offer, but we got another one that's called the popular annual financial report. And I would I would recommend this is this is your exhibit number two, and this is a kind of a very condensed version that kinda hits the highlights.

And I think it allows somebody that's not familiar with financial statements to to get a real good read on what's going on in the city financially. And these are these hard copies are available at the library in the in the finance department, but they're also available online. And I would highly recommend this to to to to everybody, really. And this is the second year that we've had this, and I wanted to thank personally Ross McCarthy, who's responsible under his direction with with this particular document. And I think it's a very it's a big it's a big step forward.

And, also, regarding Ross, this is his first year really in the big chair, and I wanted to congratulate him and his staff for doing an excellent job. And I really I really do appreciate that.

Leave because we don't applaud at Caltech.

Well, I don't care. I'm applauding anyway.

So that's the way

it goes.

Okay? That's alright. So, anyway, other than that, let me see what else that that that can we can we hit on here. No findings. When I know we're we're in a we're in a budget cycle right now.

And the finance department, like, most of the departments is is you know, they're a bit understaffed, but they are very much understaffed. And I'm hoping that as you guys are shaking the pillows to find some money, maybe we can get another budget analyst as we only have one. And the the amount of work that that the finance department does and the number of long hours, it's it's significant. So I'm hoping that maybe we can we can come up with something for them to keep them doing the fine job that they're doing. So other than that, I think I've hit all the high points.

The main thing being a being a clean report, which is is significant for the city because there's many cities out there that certainly don't get that, and that's you know, that that sends you on a death spiral. And and I I applaud everybody for working hard, and I I applaud you, you know, under your direction to keep the ship on the in the right course. And I appreciate that more as a citizen than than probably most. So thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Kearney, and for all your good work too. And, you know, Mr. Kearney was referencing that exhibit two, and I would just call your attention. I love graphics, and I love lots of photos.

But on page 10, there's a really great graphic how your property taxes are divided are distributed, and it's a dollar bill, and it's just sliced into portions and with a little annotation about where each of them goes. So that's the kind of the kind of measures that I can under or or information I can understand. So, madam assistant clerk, do we have any public comment on this item? We do not. We do not.

Alright. So with that, we will I would just love it. We'll wait for a minute to everybody to sit down and take their seats so we can continue with the the meeting. That's alright. That's okay. Okay. So we are moving on then to item three b.

Yes. Will you comment on that item?

Oh, I'm sorry. I just asked if there were any comments.

Yeah. There are comments. I I didn't hear you ask, but I'll I'll take your word for it. Yeah. I wanted to make a comment on the audit and on the clean audit findings, actually, because I've been a member of the school district, Alameda Unified, during some some challenging times as well as the board of Alameda Health System.

And this is really something that we should celebrate. I appreciate city auditor Kearny coming up and and pointing that out because we need to celebrate that in the city of Alameda that we have a a clean audit. We don't have any findings. And in fact, it's an audit that's been recognized by other agencies and by by the the agencies that that certify these these audits. And so I wanna thank director McCarthy for the hard work of the department and just point this out to the city that we are in good financial shape. We have good leadership. We have good financial controls, and Alameda is stable. So just keep that in mind, and we're gonna continue to provide the programs and services that this community deserves.

Alright. So, mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stepped out for a moment, so I'm gonna run the meeting for two seconds until she gets back.

I know we have the council speaker.

Are there any other speakers?

No. There are

Then we'll have the council. That's that's what I was trying

to ask But let me make

it even clearer. Any other council comments? Councilmember Kasak?

I do wanna take a moment to, extend a special thanks, to, Kevin Kearney, our city our elected city auditor, who has served in this position for so many years, and I appreciate his service and his, stewardship in making sure that, the good ship financial Alameda is sailing in the right correct direction. So I appreciate all that work that you have done, not just now, but for over the decades.

Thank you, council member Daesag. And so any other council comments? Seeing none, before we move on to our

Need a motion, I think, on second.

Yes. To yeah. We need a motion and a second to accept the fiscal year twenty twenty four twenty five audit financial statements and compliance reports. Councilmember Jensen, you wanna make that motion?

Sure.

Second. Alright. On my left, motion by councilmember Jensen, seconded by vice mayor Pryor. All those in favor, please signify by stating aye. Aye. Okay. That measure motion passes. And, you know, before we go into our budget workshop and we'll get some comments, I'm just gonna do my general rules for conducting a council meeting so we get it out of the way for the rest of the meeting. So I'd like to remind people that this is, a business meeting. We are here to do the business of the people, the city of Alameda.

It is not theater. It's not a sporting event, so we don't applaud. We don't boo, cheer, jeer, do the wave. And the reason I say this almost every time when we have lots of speakers, including out in the hall, is public speaking has been found to be the most stressful thing for some people. And I don't ever want someone to not get up and speak because they just freeze up or they're afraid that somebody might laugh at them or boo or make some rude comment, we don't do that here.

We just listen respectfully to the speakers. We don't have to agree with everyone. That that's life, but we are civil in these four walls. And so I want this to be a comfortable place to speak, and I also wanna set a good example for young people who might be in the room because we just need good examples of polite civic engagement. And so what we ask is that you come on up to the podium if you're a speaker, that you speak during your allotted time and sit down when we say that your time is up.

If you have signs, that's fine. Hold them up. Just not over your head unless you're in the last row because you don't wanna block anyone else's, views. And that's just part of treating people the way you would like to be treated. And finally, I read this magic language, and then hopefully I never have to use it.

California penal code section four zero three states it is a criminal offense for any person to, without authority of law, willfully disturb or break up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character other than an assembly or meeting referred to in penal code section three zero two or elections code one eight three four zero. First violations will receive a warning, and continued violations will require additional action which could include police intervention. So there, I've read the magic language, and now we can get on with the meeting. So, madam clerk, would you introduce item three b? Just have to see if there's any instructions you gave me on this one.

No.

This was the one that's the long presentation. Yes. So Right. Yeah. You want me

to read the title first,

you wanna take your part?

Yeah. No. This is you know, sometimes oftentimes, we do a stand alone budget workshop because but we didn't this time for a variety of reasons. But we do have a really full agenda, but everyone has their their time. But we do ask you to be as efficient in your speaking as possible. So, yes, that is the what else am I supposed to say, ma'am?

Think it's just if you wanna waive the speak the the presentation time to take a vote for that or if you wanna set a specific So,

counsel, normally, by counsel rules, a presentation has ten minutes. This one apparently needs forty five. So I do need a motion to second and four affirmative votes to approve the forty five minutes, and that's it's divvied up among all the the departments, and, you know, it it is what it is. So what do we think?

Move move extension to forty five minutes.

Okay. I have a motion by council member Jensen, seconded by council member Bowler. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Seeing none, let's have a roll oh, well, we don't need a roll call vote. All those in favor signify by stating aye. Aye. Okay. Forty five efficient minutes it is. Okay, madam clerk. Will you introduce that item? And in order to keep things moving, as the clerk is introducing the item, whoever is first up, mister McCarthy, whomever it is, please be up and ready to go. We're gonna move things along. Okay.

Okay. So this is a budget workshop for fiscal year twenty six twenty seven proposed mid cycle budget update to provide direction on funding changes for the 06/02/2026 mid cycle budget adoption. And I believe councilmember Bowler also needs

to I just I need to state

it in queue.

Oh, yes. Go ahead.

Program portion. I have an investment in rental property units in Alameda. And I would just ask maybe and move to bifurcate the city attorney's portion that deals with that from the rest because I have to be out of the room during that portion.

That's, like, when we do our, suggestions or whatever I mean, discussion, mister city attorney?

So, madam mayor, one suggestion is that the council just conducts a budget study session as is without the city attorney's portion, and that the council will conclude that and recall the item, and then we will only present the city attorney item. Okay. And then councilmember Bowler will exit the dais so that, the recuse will be complete.

I've got that. Okay. And so do we need to vote on that?

The bifurcation, yes. But I would suggest that council member Bohler do not vote on the bifurcation. Okay.

Alright. So we're gonna do a second measure second motion to bifurcate the city attorney's budget item because it includes the rent program. And before we do that, presumably, council member Bowler steps out. So I need a motion and a second not to include council member Bowler and a vote not to include council member bowler who would like to do that. Moved by by by vice mayor prior seconded by council member Daesak.

Sure. Second.

Okay. Okay. All those in favor signify by stating aye. Aye. Okay. That passes with four to nothing with council member Bohler abstaining. Right? Okay. Anything else from council before we start? No. We're good. Okay. Was that on my notes, madam Clerk? I'm sorry. Didn't get up. I need a script. Okay. You can

Alright. So I see the the finance gurus in the rings. Hello. Welcome, and please introduce yourself. Good evening, madam mayor, city council. My name is Ecat Burton. I am our budget manager. And along with our finance director, Ross McCarthy, I will be giving you the budget overview before we dive into department requests.

Welcome.

So just want to ground everyone first in the council's strategic priorities. There are five, and these, of course, went into the development of the fiscal year 2627 mid cycle process. The last one about practicing fiscally responsible governance is something that we implemented quite literally after your body passed the budget policy in November 2025 with how we developed our mid cycle budget. So one part of the budget policy is to make sure that during midyear and mid cycle budget processes that we do not make changes that are very significant in order to honor the biennial budget process. So with that in mind, we instructed our staff when they submitted their department requests the following instructions.

One, that they submit minimal or only necessary workforce requests. And then two, for any operations and maintenance budget requests, that those be for minor and unforeseen issues. So when we zoom out and look at where we are after balancing this budget, I want to emphasize first that the city continues to remain in a stable but also tight financial position that is due to our reliable property tax revenues, our healthy reserves, and a modest residual fund balance. In terms of what was included as proposed in this mid cycle budget for your consideration was to reinstate four police officers utilizing vacancy savings, add six additional full time employees, and only do necessary O and M requests so that we can preserve as much of much as possible the residual fund balance because economic uncertainty is unfortunately still rather high. As a result of these collaborative and collective efforts, when we published the staff report, we told you all in the staff report we had an anticipated ending residual fund balance of $9,690,000 Now things have changed greatly since that staff report was published, including us learning recently this week about the aquatic center having its construction bid costs increased by 5,000,000.

So Ross right now is going to show you what we're seeing in terms of our revenues so you can get more context.

Thanks, Ecap. Good evening, mayor council members. I'm Ross McCarthy, finance director. I've been finance director now for over a year. Pretty exciting.

Judge.

So I'd like to provide a high level overview of our revenue assumptions for the current budget. The city works with external tax consultants to develop projections for ex expected revenues, throughout the year. For this mid cycle update, these assumptions are still tracking. So what you're seeing still reflects the same baseline assumptions adopted in the biennial last year. Property tax on the left here continues to be our most stable revenue source with projected annual growth of, three to 4%.

This consistency does provide a strong foundation for ongoing city services. Sales tax, however, on the right has softened since the, COVID period, and we do not expect a full recovery in the near term. This is due in part to the loss of our largest sales tax generator in fiscal year twenty five as well as broader economic factors such as inflation, tariffs, and and changing consumer behaviors. I did want to also briefly touch on our transfer tax, the 11% tax on sales of real property. This historically has been our most volatile revenue source, and and fluctuates significantly with the real estate market.

While we've seen lower collections over the past three years compared to the pre COVID and COVID eras, it is important to to note that property transactions are still occurring. And, fundamentally, we continue to believe that there's a strong underlying demand to live and work in Alameda. So while this revenue source is unpredictable from year to year, the long term outlook for the local market remains, remains positive. There is a ballot measure coming in November, possibly coming in November that could reduce our ability to recover this transfer tax, but we will continue to keep you posted on that. When we look at these overall revenue trends alongside our expenditure trends, we're beginning to see a concerning pattern emerge.

Specifically, expenditures are growing at a faster rate than revenues. This creates what we refer to as a structural deficit, meaning that the gap between what we consistently bring in and what we consistently spend is widening over time. We can fill this gap with onetime funding like grant funding or our fund balance, but, ultimately, we do need to address this structural deficit in the next biannual budget. Speaking of our next biannual budget, I just wanted to put this out in front of you before we start our department requests. We are already anticipating several ongoing costs that will need to be addressed as part of the ongoing budget for next biannual.

Some of these costs are essentially unavoidable. For example, increased in insurance costs or unfunded pension liability. We also have what we call a rate holiday, which is basically a redux a reduced rate for the city for the library fund and the IT service fund. Other costs such as funding dignity village operations will ultimately be a policy decisions by you, by by our city council. These will involve weighing priorities and making trade offs with our limited resources. Taken together, these facts reinforce the need for early planning and thoughtful decision making as we prepare for our next biennial. With this in mind, we will now transition to our individual department requests. First up is director Thorne Lyman with the base reuse and economic development.

Thank you. And while miss Thornliemann is coming up, I will note that, actually, that ballot measure you mentioned is it did qualify for the ballot. It will be on the November ballot, and that could be a threat to our revenues. Welcome.

Thank you.

Jack

Ross already introduced me, so I'm just gonna move on. Do it. So this this past year has been a big year for us moving forward with lease renewals, new leases, and addressing ongoing maintenance needs. One of our big wins this year was securing clearance to have shade structures along Spirits Alley near Monarch Street. So we're very excited to implement that after this lease turn nesting season.

We concluded the rise up Alameda guaranteed basic income program, and we'll be coming back to council in a few months with the final report. And we continue to support small businesses and nonprofits with technical assistance and grants in support of our economic vitality. This coming year, will be looking to continue addressing our deferred maintenance on our housing, our commercial buildings, and our peers. We are not asking for any budget for that. We have existing CIP allocations.

We also the market has really ticked up in terms of new commercial leases, so we do expect to be bringing some major leases and sales to council. And you're familiar with a lot of the programs on here for so for the sake of time, I wanna highlight the one that you haven't heard about yet, which is that we will be launching a new economic development strategic plan this coming year. So we'll be starting the baseline data analysis for that at the beginning of the fiscal year. We have no requests this for this year. We, the council did grant a significant increase in our property management budget in the mid year budget adjustment. Thank you.

Thank you. Next up. Okay.

Laura Weissiger, city clerk. And for my overview, the biggest thing that the clerk's office had in in a twelve month period, we had all staff turnover except for myself. So everybody, was having to learn new things, and that was a lot of work and a lot of training and a lot of, you know, just adjustments. So we survived that and, you know, survived it pretty well, I think. And then, we also, during that time period, were able to upgrade some of the equipment in the cable studio.

And we most recently passed a US Department of State recertification for our passport services. So they recertify us, like, every so often. And so we're still doing well with that and passing with flying colors, so that's good business we're keeping going. For the upcoming challenges, general municipal election will be held this November. There's obviously a lot of work with that with candidates, all of the measures.

So we will be spending a significant amount of time preparing and and going through all of that. We have new Brown Act provisions taking effect July 1. So a report will be coming to you guys very soon about, service inter or technical interruptions during the meeting, so more on that to come very shortly. One thing that we learned in looking at the cable studio is that we'd have to really do a significant lighting overhaul to really improve the quality of the broadcast to not have it look grainy at all. So, we we'll continue to look into that, but it is a big challenge, and we're not really sure how it would work in this room. So, there are no budget requests for this department either.

Thank you. Next up. Welcome.

Good evening, mayor, city council. My name is Simone Falls, housing and human services manager. We're a fairly new division, and we currently sit in the city manager's manager's office overseeing affordable housing programs, including below market rate housing and, low income residential rehabilitation projects, social services, and homeless housing and services. We collaborate with a range of Alameda organizations and partners throughout the city. In October 2025, we initiated an engagement team providing street outreach, case management, and housing navigation services.

There's a common belief that individuals must connected to shelter in order to gain permanent housing. However, our new engagement team has already housed a handful of of people directly from the street and provided shelter to over 25 unhoused individuals in Alameda. This fiscal year, we added case management services to the winter warming shelter for the first time, implemented a homeless prevention program, released a housing resource pamphlet, launched a new residential rehabilitation program, and began billing to the state for Medi Cal administrative activities reimbursement known as MA. Last year, city council approved a pilot program for social work services at the library, housing and human services contracted with Alameda Family Services to assign a licensed social worker. This collaboration has proved to be beneficial to the community and the library staff.

The engagement team works closely with the social worker to support shared clients. The social worker supports referrals to health care facilities the city would otherwise not have direct access to creating a streamlined referral process. Housing and human services is doing robust work in the community as a new division. There are partners in our work who are not clear on our work and their role in this partnership. This is a challenge that we're working on.

We're currently undergoing a strategic planning process to inform our work for the next five years. This process will include intentional efforts to inform partners in our community of the work we do and enhancing our work through strategic partnerships. This process will also inform recommendations to the city manager and city council on the structure of HHS to op housing and human services to optimize services, utilization of funding, and the potential for increased revenue. Today, we request to continue funding. Sorry. I haven't been moving the someone's been moving it for me.

Thank you.

Today, we requested funding for ongoing full time licensed social worker services at the main library five days a week, including staffing and supply costs totaling $155,000. In just one quarter, the social worker provided therapeutic services 107 times and intervened in safety concerns four times. This program relieves the library staff of attempting to provide services outside of their scope and expertise and provides critical services needed for our Alameda community. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next step. Alright. You know what? You need to sit down so we can continue the meeting.

We will take a break until you sit down. I I couldn't tell you what's going on, but it was getting a little crowded. Anyway, we'll just give people a moment to file out. And we have our windows open yet.

It's warm, isn't it? Okay. Alright.

Thank you. And I do appreciate everyone remaining seated during the meeting. There's probably some seats that just came available. But when you stand up, you block the view of the people behind you. And as I said at the beginning, we treat people the way we would like to be treated. So don't don't block other people's view, please. Alright. Okay. And you were coming up to speak. Were you now not? Come on up, and I don't know that you came up and people walked out, but I'm sure it's not really

I tried to do this.

Why don't you introduce yourself, please, sir?

Good evening, madam mayor, city council Nick Luby, fire chief. In 2025, the department responded to 10,074 calls for service. Some of our overview and highlights for 2025 was 12 employee promotions. We completed paramedic training internal for internal employees to get them trained up to the paramedics level and peer support training. Our training facility also completed a reaccreditation of becoming one of only 28 statewide accredited local academies.

We updated our command structure through a reorg. We installed state of the art station alerting system. Several new apparatus were placed in the service along with a fire dock for our new a relatively new fireboat, and we started phase one of our emergency water supply upgrades. For challenges, opportunities for fiscal year twenty six twenty seven, we look forward to completing the fallen firefighter memorial installation, finalize the facilities analysis, and implement phase one of relocating fire administration, and complete our ISO five year recertification. Additionally, we look forward to developing a strategic plan that will guide us for the next five years within the department and complete our emergency operations plan update for our EOC along with ongoing strengthening of fire prevention capabilities and recognize one hundred and fifty years of proud service to this community.

Mid cycle asks. We have two asks in fiscal year twenty three twenty four. The department admin tech three was transitioned to finance to assist with a centralized payroll, concept and left a void within fire admin. We are requesting an office assistant to strengthen administrative capacity, ensure consistent front desk coverage, allow higher level of staff to focus on other core responsibilities, and increase fire revenue. Increases to fire revenues covers this cost.

Additionally, we are requesting, funding for fire portable radios at a cost of total cost of $350,000, but this will be offset by fund six one six, which is an equipment fund that has 250,000 in it. So it's a onetime ask of a 100,000 to do a 50% replacement of our emergency portable radios for the department. And then the office assistant position is $130,100. That's all I got.

That for you. Thank you, chief. Alright. Next up?

Good evening. I'm Ross McCarthy, finance director.

I remember you. Hi.

Finance ensures the the city's fiscal health by developing the budget, managing revenues, and safeguarding public funds. We oversee citywide accounting, financial reporting, payroll, and vendor payments to keep daily operations running smoothly and transparently. Our team also manages cash and investments, and ensures compliance with all regulatory standards. Ultimately, we provide the analysis and long term planning needed to support informed decision making and sustain the city's financial stability. Finances had a busy year, bolstered by the fact that we were understaffed for most of it.

I am happy to report that we will be officially fully staffed in two weeks' time, and I'm very happy about that. And I as mentioned before, as the city auditor mentioned, Kevin Kevin Kierney, we did receive the triple crown, it's called from GFOA. But I do wanna what we failed to mention was that about one in there's about 350 or so governments across the country that get that get this award. So we're very excited about that and very, very humbled as well. We do have a laundry list of opportunities for this upcoming year.

Some things we need to do include creating a five year forecast, modernizing the bank reconciliation process, and implementing a digital dashboard where Alameda vendors can go to check on the status of invoices and other vital information. Finance has two, requests two staffing requests for this mid cycle budget. Sorry. Two requests for this mid cycle budget. Finance is requesting an administrative management analyst for our budget unit.

In prior years, the city has had two full time staff working on the budget, generally a budget manager and an admin analyst. Since having only one staff through the entire budget process, finance has had has had has had to pull in other staff members like me, the director, or the accounting manager to support budget development, which adds a stress to the other finance units. Adding a support adding an administrative management analyst to the budget team unit will support the city's expansion of financial analysis and help other departments in managing their budgets as well. Having additional staff person would also provide coverage when the budget manager's out as well as support in developing a succession plan for this critical role. Our second request is an additional $80,000 a year in order to in order to cover management fees due to an overhauled investment strategy.

While costs are higher, we expect investment returns to more, to more than offset. Over the next few years, we anticipate an extra million dollars, plus in investment returns as opposed to our previous investment strategy. So these are the two requests. And, next is, is Noelle, HR.

HR. Some work. Come on up. Welcome. Thank you, mister McCarthy.

Thank you, Ross. Good evening, madam mayor, members of city council. My name is Noelle White, human resource director for the city of Alameda. Oh, wrong way. So the human resources provides a comprehensive citywide support in the form of labor and negotiations, training and development, recruitment and retention, and several other critical HR functions for the city.

Over the last year, some highlights. We've completed over 85 recruitments. We've successfully negotiated nine successor agreements, amended two compensation plans, delivered a variety of citywide trainings on conflict resolution, wellness, and supervisory training, and then we facilitated the resolution of complex and sensitive employee relations matters and investigations. Collectively, HR's work ensures that departments are staffed, supported, operating effectively while maintaining compliance and strong labor relations. Like many, public agencies, we are navigating increasingly complex, environment, evolving legislation that continues to expand, compliance requirements.

We need to modernize HR systems, which requires upfront investment in resources, and then economic and social pressures, that are impacting labor relations. However, at this time, it presents a variety of opportunities such as centralizing services and leveraging HR expertise more effectively, looking to reduce potential risk and liability through proactive safety and compliance efforts, and then strengthening our recruitment and retention by fostering a safe and supportive, workplace. Collectively, these efforts, position the city as an employer of choice and support long term organizational stability. For human resources, we are making one targeted strategic request in the form of a citywide safety officer position. So currently, the way that the city safety duties are set up is that it's decentralized.

Many of our departments, handle their own specific safety, obligation and requirements with human resources delivering, trainings, that are, required throughout the city. While this model works, there does, there does leave the opportunity for gaps, such as coordination between departments, potential communication loss, and it overall, when you are centralized, you can develop and create a more comprehensive program. Over the last almost, I'd say, about twelve months, a little bit less, we did pilot, bringing in a contractor to produce and, perform these safety duties. Over the last twelve months, however, we've determined the more effective option would be to bring this position in house to support, our our departments and deliver better service. This request would cost around 197,000 above baseline.

Thank you so much, and introducing, Demetrius for information technology.

Thank you, miss White. Good evening, and welcome.

Good evening, madam mayor and members of the council. Demetrius Kaganpan, IT director. The mission of the IT department is to make work life easier through the use of technology. Now to further that mission, we've created a new division within the IT department called the governance risk and strategy division, short or GRS for short, which focuses on innovation, governance, risk, training. And, also, with cybersecurity being among the top priorities of the department, we have our cybersecurity program running from the new GRS division.

Some of the challenges and opportunities that we've we've identified for the next year is, the rising cybersecurity threats. They're continually increasing in frequency as well as sophistication. So it's important that we have a robust cybersecurity program that helps us combat these types of threats and risks. With technology change and and adoption, it's important for us to identify tools that can help us with our productivity, but at the same time, ensure that we have ample training to ensure that we're able to maximize the tools that we already own. From an operations and service delivery standpoint, anytime the Internet goes down, we're all impacted.

So we're working towards creating a resiliency to ensure that business op city operations are not impacted by that. My first budget request is related to the GRS division that I mentioned earlier. Considering the the scope of the responsibility of this new division, I need an IT manager level person to assist me with well, to drive the division's agenda, align innovation projects with business strategy and compliance, provide accountability, and promote continuous, improvement. Currently, we have an IT systems analyst that is acting as the lead for that division right now. He's doing a phenomenal job right now, which is why I'm requesting that this position be upgraded to an IT manager role.

For the two cybersecurity tools I'm asking for, for the first tool, I want you to consider the immense amount of data that we have throughout the city. It's important that we understand where they where they are and also, what kind of data they are. If we don't have that information, we're at significant risk. So it's important that we have a tool that maps that type of data so we could locate it, classify it, and protect it accordingly. So for the second cybersecurity tool, I want you to think of a like a fire drill or an earthquake drill.

Those drills are intended to help you identify your assessment, your or I should say your readiness for those type of events. So think of the cybersecurity tool I'm requesting as a cybersecurity preparedness tool so it helps us understand where we are. For the additional redundancy cable and Internet funding, that was needed because in order for us to have the additional resiliency that I mentioned earlier, we had to install additional Internet service services at the various city buildings. Now there's unfortunately, there's a typo on this slide. I'm not actually asking for $251,000 for the, cable Internet funding.

I'm actually asking for a $131,900 instead, on an annual basis. And the, first security cyber, cybersecurity tool, I'm asking for a $120,000 on an annual basis. The second cybersecurity tool, I'm asking for 25,000. From a workforce change per perspective, I'm asking for the IT systems analyst position to be upgraded to an, IT manager role for an additional $40,512 on an ongoing basis.

Thank you.

Can you just repeat that in the previous slide? You're not asking for 251,000. It's 131,000? Yeah.

Yes, Mary. It's 131,900. Okay.

Surrounding error. Yes. Yeah. Thank you for that, mister Gompin. Library is up next. Come on up. Hello. Hello.

Hi. Good evening, madam mayor and city council. Marlon Romero, acting library director. So some overview and highlights is the library has seen year over year increases based on usage and engagement. Visitors increased over 15%, attendees over 2.5%, and circulation of materials went up 14%.

This fall, we'll be launching the student success initiative, which will grant all AUSD students, TK through twelfth grade, access to all of our electronic resources as well as checking out up to five books at a time. And we'll also be launching our five year strategic plan this year. For challenges, Circulation has grown consistently over four years. Electronic collection shows the strongest growth and just trying to find additional funding for in electronic materials essential to meet rising community demand and maintain reasonable wait times. And another one is try to secure funding for this library social worker and security guard.

This dual approach to patron and staff safety ensures consistent protection while enabling proactive intervention before issues escalate. Opportunities this year will be, we have a full year of two new librarian positions and our library assistant, and this will really help us expand outreach to under underserved groups in Alameda and improving the type of programs we offer. And we'll also be increasing our library of things to a collection. For mid cycle budget request, staff is requesting a recently vacated position library assistant position to be reclassified as librarian one. As a core library function, this responsibility warrants a dedicated full time librarian, and this upgrade to staffing has a net zero cost to the budget.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. And next step is planning, building, and transportation. Come on back up with your other hat. Change hats. Yeah.

Good evening again. Abby Thornliemann, interim director of planning, building, and transportation. The department has completed a lot this year, including ongoing implementation of the housing element through code amends amendments and procedures and working with my other hat, Red, on Park And Webster zoning adjustments to support the vitality of our two main downtown streets. The building and code enforcement department is complete continues to complete a very high volume of code enforcement and inspection cases, including completing over 30,000 building inspections this year. Transportation planning continues to administer the very successful water shuttle and implement the Vision Zero plan, including converting the first neighborhood greenway and advancing design on Stargill pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

And sustainability continues to advance shoreline adaptation plans and near term sea level rise and adaptation projects as well as moving to public EV charging implementation. The mid cycle budget proposals for this department reflect a consistent theme of adapting to increased demand, more complex regulations, especially at the state level, as well as increased pressure to move faster on everything and a changing work workforce while trying to position the department to main respond remain responsive to city council strategic planning community priorities. We are looking to retain very talented, very critical, and very unique staff. We are looking to move sustainability into the implementation phase with a lot of adaptation projects and to ensure that our permitting system is actually meeting the advanced technology demands and and abilities that it that it can. So our specific requests are to reclass the building official to an assistant director position, reclass combination inspector two to a plans examiner, align the sustainability manager's salary with the other managers in the department and city, shift part time position that was in the sustainability department to become a full time position in the sustainability department, and to audit the Acela permit system to determine if it is appropriate to move forward with Acela, how it can be optimized, how we can do a better job with our permitting system.

So this first request is to look at the Acela permit system and look for ways to optimize and make things more accessible to the customer and move faster and more efficiently for $75,000. In terms of our workforce change proposals, as I mentioned, we would like to adjust the sustainability manager, senior management analyst for for sustainability as well as upgrade two positions within the building department. Those are our requests.

Thank you. I'm director Thorne Lyman. Next step is police department. Come on up and introduce yourself,

please. Good evening, madam mayor, members of city council. My name is Nishant Joshi. I'm the police chief. So to provide some overview and highlights of, the police department, we've had, two years consistent crime reduction in all crimes of over 20%, and those reductions continue in, 2026 three.

Continue complete compliance on all stop data collection. We, consistently receive a 4.7 out of five star rating for officer professionalism, and that's significant because these surveys are collected after our officers respond to calls for service. So, the feedback is coming from individuals who are not having the best day. We, continued hiring of new officers. We've hired 11 this year.

We currently have four in the police academy. We're continuing the progress of CALIA accreditation, and we recently stood up a dedicated business district patrols. Some of the challenges include, the hiring and training, the pace and tempo for police officers from date of application to date of, where they complete all preliminary training is about sixteen months. So there there's a there's a long, delay to get somebody, in the door and on the streets. We've got some, service retirements pending, of police officers and supervisors.

And then as I mentioned earlier, we've had significant crime reductions. We've driven crime down so so low that now the the the reductions were were kind of hitting a plateau, if you will. As far as opportunities, I'm gonna go back to kinda ties into our challenges. We continue to hire and train police officers. Our personnel and training staff work hard to get us qualified candidates.

They're working, recruiting from all over the state. We have increased service delivery response times with, additional staff. We have assigned more to detectives and traffic assignments. We, and we expect to do more of that if we add to our staffing. Additionally, we anticipate promotions as we as we have seen people leave and retire out of the department that we will have opportunities for people to move up in the organization.

And then, CALI accreditation is on track, as I mentioned earlier. So our ask, we have two. The first one is, for four police officer positions. We're not asking for additional staff, meaning staffing on top of the already authorized. We're asking for the unfreezing of of, four officers. This would provide additional coverage for patrol, traffic, and investigations. And then the second ask is, an increase over time for crime scene technicians, on weekend coverage. We currently have five days a week coverage with, with crime scene, technicians. On the weekends, we have our officers having to do that. So, those officers are pulled off of the their regular duties to handle those the collection of evidence.

If we do set aside, overtime, it's it's a small ask. We could probably get, staff to handle that without impacting patrol. And that's all we have from the police department.

Thank you, chief Joshi. Before we and we can pause the clock for a minute. Before we go to the next presentation, if you are in the audience and if there is an empty chair next to you, would you raise your hand? And so people who are standing on the wall, you see these hands up? Go ahead and and take a seat. You don't need to I can tell you we've got a bit more to go on this. So you saw hands go up. Don't be shy. Go on over and take a seat. Keep your hand up for just another couple minutes if you would, folks. So all those hands up mean there's a seat. We're all friendly. Right? Okay. Thank you. Okay. Alright. Next step, it looks like public works. And you can start the clock again. Thank you, ma'am.

Sorry. Good evening.

Madam mayor, members of the council, I'm Erin Smith, the city of Alameda's public works director. Public works spans a wide range of services as shown on this slide for maintaining over 75 city buildings, 480 fleet vehicles, a 147 miles a street to environmental services such as our urban forest, zero waste, and preventing pollution from entering the bay. This past year, we made strong progress in accessibility, sustainability, transportation, and overall system upkeep. On accessibility, we partnered with Housing and Human Services to invest CDBG dollars to install new curb ramps in the right of way. We launched a new accessibility newsletter and improved the accessibility of the city's website.

On sustainability, council adopted implementation plan update, moving the city closer to its 89% landfill diversion goal through targeted programs and community outreach. The city was recently recognized with a zero zero emissions vehicle readiness award focused on the great work the city is doing to bring charging infrastructure to communities that need it. But we're doing our part with the fleet and initiated a process to develop a fleet electrification and charging infrastructure plan. We hope to have that plan to council, later this year, probably early fall. In transportation, we advanced several key projects, including the construction of the first phase of the neighborhood green Greenway, the start of the Clement Tilden, safety projects, and we continued to advance the Lincoln Marshall Pacific Corridor Design.

In our maintenance division, they've been busy, and we've responded to nearly 3,000 service requests and swept over 19,000 miles of curb, removing nearly 11,000 cubic yards of debris, which would fill three Olympic swimming pools. Looking ahead, we, we sorry. Looking ahead, we have, yes, both challenges, and opportunities. As we advance ADA improvements, we're learning that removing accessibility barriers in city buildings is costing more than originally anticipated in our ADA transition plan. So we'll be coming back to council, with some funding proposals as part of the next two year budget.

Transitioning our fleet to EV will cost, have some upfront costs for both vehicles, and charging infrastructure. And when we bring that plan, back to council this fall, we will propose some funding options. And then also, public works, you know, is really going to be looking at our staffing structure to ensure we can sustain current service levels, particularly as complete streets require more intensive maintenance. Our mid cycle requests are focused on maintaining progress and addressing critical needs. They include funding to design improvements for the Bay Farm bike and pedestrian bridge in the attempt to extend the life expectancy of the existing bridge while we plan for its ultimate replacement.

We also have, as noted here, proposals regarding fleet electrification and readiness both for charging infrastructure, operational and replacement costs, a variety of zero waste programs furthering our sustainability goals, as well as a few targeted staffing, requests. One, is public works is is moving towards a model that has division managers, which is a classification we actually don't currently have. So we are requesting our first division manager, which would be over environmental services, a new parking technician that's expected to be revenue supporting, as well as adjusting, our traffic signal technician salary schedule to align with our, streetlight technician. So with that, I'm not gonna go through all of the line by line slides, but I am going to be here to answer any questions and just follow-up discussion. Thank you for your time.

Thank you so much. Next step is recreation parks. Alright.

Good evening, count mayor and council members. My name is Justin Long. I'm the recreation parks director here for the city. This year, as you all know, we service everyone in Alameda from the very young to our seniors. This last year, 2526, we served well over half a million different participants in our programs.

We also focus that we also are responsible for maintaining over 300 acres of parkland as well as doing all small capital repairs in parks and keeping everything and all of our infrastructure up to date, not to mention planning, some larger, park projects like adding five and a half acres to Estuary Park and the development of the city aquatic center. And then we also, this last year, restructured our park maintenance to deliver service more efficiently and also be more responsive to issues that arise throughout the park system. Last year, we added a park technician that is able to actually do small maintenance work that's actually very reactive and actually saves us money. One of our strengths through our recreation, we're off we're able to offer a wide variety of programs at an affordable rate and really be able to support the community through all those activities. And this last year, we were able to actually expand hours at the senior center three days week and fully on Sundays by optimizing our use of part time staffing.

Some of our challenges and opportunities, that were within the 2627 budget is we removed the, all the CIP funds for playground replacement. So it's kind of delayed our process in, keeping on schedule. One of our other challenges is, you know, since the pandemic, all the programs have grown. Our everyone wants more. And so how do we maximize using and providing those services with limited resources, but also then catering as well to the needs of everyone to make all of our programs fully accessible and adding specialized staff to help make those accommodations?

And then also with, Mastic, you know, the full time staff, they're very limited and the staffing is we've struggled to actually expand those programs, which we'd like to do more if we could. So for our mid cycle ask, we're focused in a few areas as maybe you may not know yet, but the Sweeney Park Trail connectors will be opening in the next couple of weeks adding connections to Sweeney Park both north and south. We made a request to cover some soil expenses that we ran into during the construction. And then as I just mentioned, we are adding five and a half acres to the park system, which will have a lot of park amenities and resources, which will require additional maintenance staff to help take care of. So we're asking for that.

And then there will be some o and m costs once starts up here at the end of the year. That's for electricity, water, all the things you need

to run a park.

And then as the department has been, sort of expanding its sort of capacity, administrative support is absolutely critical. And so what we're asking for is to upgrade our office assistant to an executive assistant to help support the staff in all those different activities. As you can see here, there's equipment allocation costs. It's a onetime cost. There's some o and m that's ongoing, and then the onetime cost for the soils for the trail connectors. And then we'll be adding the one maintenance worker, and then the o a to an e a, we're actually paying for through a reduction in part time hours in the department because we're able to provide more services to staff. With that, those are the requests we have for this year. Thank you very much.

Thank you. And, oh, there's a cheery one. You wanna come tell us about this one?

Yes. So, you have now concluded all the departments with the exception of the city attorney's office, which shall go later. So the city manager's office wanted you all to see the requests that we the city manager's office is denying. These are all in the general fund. Then we also wanted to give you a summary of all the position upgrades that were peppered throughout the different departments so you can see them all in one place.

I want to note that out of these seven position upgrades, three are would impact the general fund. And the biggest one at $70,000 is because of a grant that ended, and now the general fund is taking over the rest of that allocation, which is for the senior management analyst at the very bottom. And then we also wanted to give you a table that shows the summary of the proposed new position requests. So all of these with the exception of one would be in the general fund. That one exception is the aforementioned parking technician for a $123,000 out of the parking fund and is completely revenue generating.

So I am showing you these as the original request, but Ross will be presenting alternatives next.

Thank you, As you know, it takes city staff months to prepare the biannual and mid cycle budgets. During this time, targets, projections, economic realities all all shift. Right? While we do our best to keep up with these changes, there have been a few larger than average shifts that have occurred in this last month, namely, economic impacts due to international affairs and, locally here, the $5,000,000 in additional funding required for the, for constructing the aquatic center. What I have in front of you today, actually, was just added today we added today, was the slide to offer possible alternatives to the ever changing to this ever changing economic landscape.

So I think I'll leave this slide up for our during our discussions if possible, in the next steps. So we're looking forward to your feedback from our presentation as well as looking forward to adopting the mid cycle budget on the first, city council meeting in June.

Yeah. Thank you so let me finish, and then I'll call on you if you would, please. Thank you so much, mister McCarthy, and to all the department heads and interims who presented. Really nice job. You moved it along. You made it interesting. I hope that everyone watching and listening can see what an intricate operation running a city is and why Alameda is such a well run city. It is all these folks who presented to you this evening and the staff who work for them, and I thank you. We thank you. This is it's tough times.

I get it. Before I'll call on the interim city manager in just a minute. Let me just explain. We'll take clarifying questions from the council. We've got lots of deliberations, I'm sure, but I think we probably have public comment doing, madam clerk? Just one. Okay. So, anyway, we we've got a bit of talking yet to come. So onto you, interim city manager, Adam Politzer.

You, madam.

I just wanted to find a circular lead on

the slide up. That's all. Thank you. Yeah.

I believe that was the the idea. Okay. Council clarifying questions. We'll go to our one public comment, and then we were we'll be right back for deliberation. And we'll get this item out of the way, and then we'll go on. We'll usher mister Bohler out. We'll go on to the city attorney item. Any clarifying questions, or should we? Yeah. Vice mayor? Sorry. Thought I

was gonna I can wait. You're gonna go.

I yeah. If you have a

clarifying question, let's take it. Alright. On page

nine,

it's it's showing the trend of what's gonna happen to revenues versus expenditures. And then on page 10 sorry. That was page nine. On page 10, there are some anticipated costs. For example, like, a grant is gonna be expire, the increased liability payments. So I just didn't know if page 10 is in reference to the trends that we see on page nine.

So, if we can get there, I can click really fast if we, but, but, really, what we're looking at, page nine

I'm getting dizzy. Sorry.

Close your eyes.

Was like, I just went Beep beep.

There we go.

Taking away. Yeah.

Yeah. So what we're looking at here is for the fiscal year 2627. So just this fiscal year and next. And then starting here, we're talking about next biannual budget. So here is kind of like a taste of, yes, our expenditures are exceeding our revenue growth. And so this is as it's as it's kind of expanding, I was just trying to reiterate that that difference needs to be covered by something. And so it's going to be possibly expanding more due to all these upcoming things, that we'll have to tackle during the during next year's biennial budget

cycle.

Okay. So, theoretically, if nothing changes

on on

your projections on page nine and page the issues on page 10 happen, then it could get worse? It could get worse. Correct. Okay. I did have a follow-up question. Oh, sorry. This is my follow-up question. There was on page five then. So we there is the at this moment in time, a projected $9,000,000 surplus. Is that the word we would use?

Yeah. In excess of our 25% reserve policy.

Yeah. And then, of course, now we're like, oh, but the aquatic center bid increased by 4,000,000. Okay. So I guess we don't ever wanna go to zero.

We do not.

What is the because it's just the bar graph. I'm not reading real numbers. So, like, if everything like, if we looked at mid cycle 2027, that nine or maybe it's does that all that money go away, that $9,000,000? Or

So at when we created this slide deck for you two weeks ago or so, our projected use of our projected ending fund balance was 9.7, which was roughly the same as the the biannual budget that we had. However, since that time, we'd have to use $5,000,000 of that 9.69 to, to, cover the cost of the of the aquatic center. Okay. And so, yeah, while the the bar graphs themselves, these ones that you might be talking about are just examples of taxes that we have Okay. Not necessarily all of the revenues that we have.

I just wanna say that, like, being so close to your projections, I do think it's pretty impressive, and we are seems like we're being pretty efficient with taxpayer money. So thank you.

Any other clarifying questions? Councilmember Bohler?

Thank you. And thank you, director McCarthy, for your part in this and a lot of hard work. We we really appreciate it. On page 85, when it has all the alternatives, I'm assuming that that those alternatives would essentially increase our residual, right, from the 9,690,000. If we adopt all the alternatives, we'll be the strong and putting aside for moment at the aquatic center. Right?

Correct.

Yes. Can you describe where you think that number might be if we adopt the alternatives?

Sorry. I haven't done the math

yet on

that, but

I can

by the end of the

the the meeting.

Is it fair to say that due to the structural budget deficits, the staff and and and coupled with the aquatic center issue, the staff is urging the council to strongly consider these alternatives?

I think that would be for either city manager Woolridge or city manager. But but, ultimately, yes. Yes. I think that that was the case since, you know, new light has come and we've all you know, information's always changing. I believe this is what we've, what staff and, the management's office the manager's office is requesting.

And assistant city manager, Walter, did you wanna add something to what mister McCarthy just said?

I'll just reiterate what he he just said that that interim city manager Paulitzer and I in discussion with our finance director and finance team, we do think it's it is prudent to to to move with the alternative suggestions of for the budget given upcoming constraints, the aquatic center, and other things that the finance director has outlined.

And I think it'd be useful to just explain to us and then the public that's here that these are excess residual funds. Right? This is not the the core rainy day fund that the city maintains, but still, this is so this is what put these extra funds, the 9,600,000, are what puts Alameda in a more stable position than you see many other cities in the Bay Area. Right?

That sorry. Yeah. Is that that's for me. Yes. That is correct. Yeah. Above our 25%. So we have a let's call it what we call a 25% city council directed threshold, which we take next year's, ongoing expenditures expected expenditures and take 25% of that total, so basically a three month reserve. So those are our core reserves that we have, and this 9.6, 9.7 is on top of that.

And so especially in a climate where we're it's not just some unknowns with the aquatic center, but also unfunded pension liabilities. You've predicted that and some other factors early on in the presentation. It sounds like some fiscal constraint might be prudent at this time, and I don't know who who the right person is to comment on that. But

I guess, hence, why the alternatives for consideration that you have in front of you yeah.

Okay. Thank you.

And as assistant city manager Waldridge? Thank you, mayor.

I would agree, yes, that I think, it's it's important to be prudent right now and conservative with our budget. We're seeing other cities around us having to make very drastic 10% across the board cuts. I'm hearing other city managers talking about browning out fire stations and and taking pretty serious measures. And, yes, we have the 9.7 surplus above our 25%. That 25% reserve really is it's not that's that's not just a rainy day.

That's if there's a major earthquake or something like that that we need the city needs to have funds in the event of any a significant disaster so that we can continue to provide services for the community. So, yes, we have a 9.7, but that's also our kinda economic reserve that we in times like this, we wanna make sure we don't, to account vice mayor Pryor's point, bring that down to zero and be conservative with our recommendations.

Are they clarifying questions? Councilor Modesto?

Two points. The first point is just really quickly, the reason why we use the 25% ratio is because 25, amounts to basically three months' worth of of cash on hand. So in the event that that we really had a disaster, we need to know that we have at least three months' worth of of cash on hand to deal with those, emergency situations. That's what 25 that's where the 25% ratio comes from. That's number quick number point number one.

Well, wait. Since it's a question, I think you're looking for an answer.

Oh, no. No. That wasn't a

that was more common. Yeah. Councilor Wu.

Yeah. My, clarifying question has to do with so the issue with regard to the police force, hiring more for for additional police force is not so much as is it correct to say it's not so much as, spending new money for that, but allowing our police, department to, to spend the money that he has been allocated. The the the issue, though, is when we adopted the the, 2025, 2026, 2026, 2027 two year budget, we froze the number of police for sworn officers that he can hire at 72 when when, historically, we always had 88, but or or 88 positions. So the budget, though, the numbers that you see are calibrated to 88, but he could not spend all the way up to that to 88, because he was frozen at 72. So now what he's asking for, is it correct to say is to be given the ability to hire four more to to get to 76?

Correct. You are these these are not new positions. These are now freeing up budget for the positions. Yes.

Exactly. So the and that's an important point that I wanna get at later. Thank you. Thanks.

Alright. Are there clarifying questions, council vice mayor Perrin and then councilor Mogensen? Yes. Quick. It's fine.

Council member Mogensen. Thank you. So on the it looks like on the original proposal, there it was to hire four police officers, and on the alternative, it says to hire authorized four police officers. Is that literally not a change? I'm just confused.

No. It's not a change. We just want to make sure that

it was all on one sheet.

Okay. So these alternatives, would it negate pretty much everything in the presentation? Like, for example, it looked like there were some departments where some positions like, it seemed like people were getting a promotion and with that or maybe they were already doing the work. And so we're like, well, now we're gonna give you the title because you're actually doing all this work, and this is the salary that you probably deserve is what I'm assuming. So does that go away if we do the alternate?

For the alternatives, we focused on the the full time positions that were being requested. We did not focus on the upgrades. Okay. Not all of them are what you're saying in regards to yes. Some are existing people that would need to apply for an upgraded position to be in in terms of internal promotion. Some are

Like a recalibration of

Yeah. Essentially, like, what was mentioned, one of them, Grant is no longer, available, and so it's in sustainability. It's a position within that division that that was funded from some transportation because the person in that position was doing that. So now it'll be fully general funded, not some transportation dollars, for example. So we did not include the these upgrade everything on the

upgraded positions list in our Oh, okay. Great. Yeah. I just wanted to make sure because I was like, oh, these all seem like good ideas. And then I was like, oh, or we wouldn't okay. So we would do those things.

We just wanted to provide options for council to consider on the alternatives page. Great. Thank you.

And no. Okay. You're good? Okay. So councilor Mogensen?

Thank you. I wanna go back to I think it was council member Boulder brought up the oh, no. Excuse me. It was vice mayor Pryor about the this is for for director McCarthy about the the sales tax and the reduction or the the the trending lower trending in sales tax. I just wanna ask you to you mentioned that there was, in 2023, the largest sales tax generator left. Alameda. I just wanted to know what that was or what organization

Well, we we can't

We can't say.

Disclose that information. But, yes, the largest sales tax emitter emitter did leave the city in fiscal year twenty five.

And it had has had a pretty substantial impact on budget revenue?

It has had a substantial impact on sales tax revenue, and that's, of course, going forward. Right? That's ongoing monies. So, yes, it it has had an an impact.

And can you advise why it can't be disclosed?

I cannot. The city attorney can speak to

Council member, it's my understanding that sales our tax information is confidential, much like federal and state tax information is also confidential, and that that's why director McCarthy is not disclosing.

Thank you. My next question is about the the next or two slides later, slide nine. What are the I was gonna ask what are the reasons for the widening gap between expenditures and revenues? You mentioned that that trend is increasing, and I think councilmember Buller alluded to that as well. What can you talk about the

I mean, overall, inflation costs have gone up. I mean, COLAs I mean, ultimately, our our revenues over the past few years have been very stable, which is great as, you know, right around the three to 4% range. Very stable, reliable. Transfer taxes, again, as I was speaking before, go up and down a lot. And to tell you the truth, a lot of the a lot of the fund balance or the excess fund balance we have now are residual transfer tax revenues that we that we received during fiscal year twenty one, twenty two, and, you know, during COVID when the housing market was just crazy. So as far as it our expenditures are just outpacing our revenues. That's

In the finance department, you're suggesting that administrative management fee increase of $200,000? Sorry.

Sorry. I

missed that one. I mean

It's administrative management fee for or or investment. Excuse me. Investment

management fee. Yes.

So yeah. Can I talk

Yeah? So can you just that's a pretty big increase initially, but you expect to recover that over a period of

Oh, we've some time.

Can I take over? Thanks.

Sorry. Appreciate it. Yeah. So in the past fiscal year in the past fiscal year, we've had we've worked with our city treasurer, Kevin Kennedy, to realign our our investment strategy. Ultimately, before we were making good money on our money market funds, the interest rate was high.

And as the interest rate has come down, we've been trying to lock in higher rates. Right? So we're basically we're trying to instead of the money market being a daily rate that goes up and down on daily, that we're trying to lock in longer bond purchases and one into the three to five year range. So in basically, in a decreasing interest rate environment, you wanna lock up rates as fast as possible. And when we do that, we increase our investment fees because we have and Chandler who are our management strategists, or investment strategists, buy them for us and start to manage the funds.

They do cost a lot. However, it is a great benefit. I I am very cautious when I say we're easily making our money back if not, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, locking up interest rates now, as as the interest rates decline.

So that would tend to have a good return in your opinion.

Wonderful return. Wonderful.

Okay. Another my another question is about a return, with regard to the to the safety officer in HR. And I want to know since we do have contracting services and programs that are addressed that would be addressed by this internal position, wouldn't we expect to see some sort of comparable cost savings if the position were established?

So there is the potential for future offset by eliminating con you know, contractual services or utilizing any other external entity to address certain, you know, potential things that come up. So, yes, there is that potential to to offset the cost of the of the safety officer.

Because you as you mentioned in your presentation, this these services are being provided by external contracts. Is that right?

That is correct. We're currently utilizing, it's a contract actually through the city attorney, EnviroSafeTech. So it's not actually a contract through human resources.

And, yeah, city attorney, would you like to address that?

Sure. Council member, if you recall last year, we had onetime savings that we were able to do a onetime pilot program for safety services. As it turns out, the contractual services were not effective. They were not able to adequately support the safety needs of the city, which is why I think HR director, Noel White, is seeking some other avenues, whether it's part time or maybe different contractual services. I mean, I think she's trying to creatively look for opportunities to address this limitation.

Okay. Thank you. Yes. I do have another question. The for planning, building, and transportation, the, again, cost benefits, cost recovery, the Acela permit system audit, are there any related consequences to improve efficiency with that audit expense? To improve efficiency thank you.

Efficiency of looking at the Acela system. I think in the long run, there would be at the moment. I think it's fair to say, you know, the permit the number of applications coming in is a little slower than it usually is in terms of new development. Right? But I think in the long run, we would we would be able to approve permit approve and review permit applications faster, which could potentially, you know, improve efficiency as well for staff staff time and communication.

And it could improve efficiency for development and for for new construction.

Yeah. For development, new construction, even just, like, remodels and and smaller scale things. So it just I don't think it would happen in the next fiscal year. I think it's gonna be a long term investment.

Thank you. Those are my question.

Just following along on the Acela one, don't we already use Acela? We use

We yes. We use Acela. I might I might phone a friend because I'm pretty new to the department, but maybe I could ask assistant city manager Waldridge to help me out.

Okay. Because, I mean, we do use Acela. I know.

Absolutely correct. We do use Acela. It's an older program, but it's it's a fairly standard for, permit centers. However, the the the the previous planning, building, transportation director, Tai, said that there's he had learned that there's a lot of ways that we could be using Acela that we weren't, and it really takes a professional who understands it's a very complex software system who understands it to optimize it for us. So this this effort really is to

Okay. No. Keep finish your sentence, and I'll call on.

So that was my understanding. It was really to optimize it so that it is more effective use for for stuff.

But Okay. Maybe And and I will just say, because I hear from the public a lot, I have heard complaints about the length of time. It maybe it wasn't Accella as much as it was outside contractors we use to do plan review. But why don't you enlighten us about Acela, if that's what you're gonna do?

Yeah? Well, in regards to council member Jensen, your quench question, The request is to actually use existing fund balance that's available to pay for this $75,000 audit. So it's not going to be because it's a onetime cost, an ongoing thing, but it's also using fund balance that the department has from existing grants to pay for it. And the last time an audit was done was back in 2014, so over twelve years ago. So there will be efficiencies created, but I just wanted to provide that additional detail so you all understand that it it really because it's not in the general fund and it's using existing grant monies in part to do it, that it's not really gonna be any kind of cost.

Okay. Thank you for that clarification.

Vice mayor Parr. Oh, it was back to, council member Jensen's, question or about safety officer, and the screen went blank. So were we is that in the alternative? Sorry. It just is it in the alternative, recommendation?

Yeah. It

It's it's not in it's currently again, the alternative doesn't have to be as a one package. It's really there for ideas for council to consider. So you could choose to, to keep the the the the safety officer and include that in your recommendation to fill that to to fund that position and not include some of the other ones. So currently, it's on the list as something to defer, but certainly that's council's discretion. If I may, mayor, also, I have an answer now to council member Bohler's previous question about, so the the 9,600,000 excess reserve is is if you approved all of the originally recommended changes.

If you approved the alternative, which basically only includes for the a position for the parking tech that's not general fund and the police officers, the four police officers, that would save you $841,440 and bring your general fund excess to about 10 and a half million dollars.

You're welcome. Thank you. Did you Thank you. I'd be happy to call on you, council member Jensen. Thank you.

What this is regarding the and I just noticed this. Thank you, madam mayor, for your consideration. I the it's regarding the the oh, actually, I'm sorry. I didn't ask it because it has to do with the city attorney's office.

So Okay. Hold that one until, you know, later. Okay. I'll come back to you. I have a quick Yeah. Councilor Dasag.

I have a follow-up question regarding the what's before us to, allow the police force to hire four more, officers sworn police officers. What's the why don't we just go all the way to 88? I mean, what what is it that we're using the the difference, the money that he's already allocated relative to the the spending limit that we that we are imposing.

And is this one where do we need sorry. Mister McGrath, do we need you on this one, or the chief can answer that? Okay. Go back. And then I'm just gonna layer a question on. You can answer them both. Are the four new positions in the report the four officers who are in the academy? No. No. They've already been hired.

They have not no. They are I'm sorry. They are in the they're they're

They had four in the academy. Right?

I'm sorry. I misspoke. Yes. It's the four in the academy, so they have not been hired as police officers yet.

Those are the four that are on our list. Right?

That's correct.

Okay. And now to my colleague's question. Why not just go hog wild and go all the way to ADA? Mister McCarthy, if you'd like to somewhat come on up to yeah. You can both you can share my question.

I wanna make sure that it's not going hog wild because we know we have the money for it. But for whatever reason

So when you ask a question, you actually let them answer. Go ahead whoever wants to

start first. Council member. I think the the we are using that vacancy savings for other portions of the general fund. And so, yes, we are it would it would increase our fund like, it would decrease our fund balance, excuse me, because instead of having money for other portions of the general fund, like what you have in front of you now, we would we would be using the instead of using that vacancy savings vacancy savings to provide services, we would just kind it would just be sitting there because we can't hire police officers. I guess that's where you where you come in.

Okay. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate that.

Go ahead, chief Joshi, and suffer through that.

So as I'm in my earlier pre in part of my my portion of the presentation, talked about how how long it takes to get a police officer in. So what I'm looking at is phasing in to eventually get to that that that number of 88. But right now, we are only able to train so many police officers. So because we have once they graduate the academy, they have to ride with a field training officer. We only have a set number of field training officers.

So even if we had them all hired today, we wouldn't be able to get them out to the streets. We they'd have to go through the training. So I I I believe that as we continue to hire and as we get as we get to, a position where where we need more police officers, where we need to request, an increase in that number, we we most certainly will.

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think a council imposed hiring limit is necessary. As the as the manager of the police department, you can

I'm sorry. The question is what again?

Well, it's more of a comment.

Thank

you. Yeah. We'll we'll save comments for when we deliberate. Any other clarifying questions, counsel? Thank you, chief Joshi. Okay. Seeing no other counsel questions at the time, madam clerk, let's go to our public comment.

Okay. We have one, so she'll give three minutes. It's Catherine Schwartz.

Welcome. Hello. Hello. Good evening, madam mayor and city council members. My name is Catherine Schwartz, as she said, and I'm the CEO of Alameda Family Services.

I'm here tonight to speak in strong support of renewing and expanding our library social work contract. I wanna share what this investment is already producing. Our library social worker joined the Alameda Free Library in mid December. By January, she was fully embedded, building trust with patrons experiencing mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and housing instability. In that short time, she has delivered, as Simone mentioned, a 107 therapeutic interventions, made 53 resource referrals, and linked 25 individuals success successfully to supportive services.

She has responded to crisis situations, deescalated conflicts on the library floor, and collaborated with city city engagement specialists and building futures to connect people to housing and county resources. Library staff report a noticeable decrease in problematic behavior since her arrival. I wanna be transparent. Many of the people she serves will not sign a formal consent form. They are cautious cautious about systems.

And, honestly, that caution makes sense given what many of them have been through. But our social worker serves them anyway. She shows up, builds trust, and provides care regardless of paperwork. The numbers above reflect only a fraction of her actual impact. This is exactly the kind of community based embedded community embedded low barrier relationship driven work that moves the needle on homelessness and behavioral health, not in years, but in months. Renewing this contract will allow these critical services to continue and increasing the library social worker hours from thirty hours to forty hours per week will increase her accessibility and improve overall engagement. Thank you for your time and your commitment to the people of Alameda.

Thank you for all the good work you and your organization do. I know. Just applaud in your heart. I know we gotta keep this moving along. But, yeah, it's impressive, and thank you for recognizing that, our listeners. That was the only public comment, madam clerk. Okay. So with that, we're gonna go to counsel deliberation, and I'm I'm gonna lead was there another one?

No.

We're we've bifurcated, so we aren't even on that one yet. You may stay. The city attorney may stay. Okay. It's all good. So I just wanna say, again, thank you to everybody's staff for the amazing work you do. What I want us to do for the utmost protection, I'm really protective of our city and our finances. There are so many unknowns out there right now. If you don't find it too scary to follow the news, you know that the pressures are out there from geopolitical activities that impact us right here. I dropped my husband off at West Oakland BART to go to San Francisco Airport this morning.

And as I was driving on, I guess, was 7th Street, there's a Shell station. The price of gas was almost $7 a gallon. That's impacting everybody. It's also impacting our city and our vehicles, although we are transitioning to EVs. But there's that to keep in mind.

And then I don't wanna be cavalier about the November ballot measure on the state ballot that mister McCarthy referenced. I'm on the board of directors of the League of California Cities. We're taking a fight this very hard position. I can talk about it because it's not about measure yet, but it collected enough signatures. So but what that would do is wipe out Citi's ability to charge transfer tax and real estate transactions, whether it's a residential sale or a commercial sale.

And as a charter city, we have had this provision. We've been allowed to do this forever. I mean, as long as we've been a charter city, it is a significant portion of the revenues. If that is gone, then that that reserve that we have gets skinnier. And we did just learn this week that that aquatic center, which is a commitment, which we are gonna do, that the price tag just went up $5,000,000.

We're not gonna not do it. We've sunk more than 30,000,000 into it, and it's a laudable, important project. But that's a reality. We have to meet our existing commitments. So I don't I don't take comfort in the fact that we have that 25% reserve. That's something a previous counsel, I was on it, voted for. That's very wise and prudent. Again, I talk to cities across the state. When a disaster hits, and you never know, an earthquake, a flood, whatever, FEMA doesn't kick in sometimes at all. And when it is, the payments don't come until after the fact, sometimes a lot longer after the fact.

And cities suffer because of that, so we need that rainy day fund In addition to the global uncertainty and prices of November ballot measure, we are sometimes faced with litigation from entities who want millions of dollars from us. That's something that would come out of the general fund. So we don't take that lightly, and this is the public money. A lot of this is taxpayer dollars. What I would like to suggest is that wherever possible, when we're talking about new positions and by the way, staff, Mr.

Paltzer, Ms. Wilderidge, and Mr. McCarthy, I do appreciate you all putting your heads together and making this a little leaner because I did kind of have heart palpitations when I It's not that it's not needed, but the timing is not excellent. I think we'll know more by the end of this calendar year because we would have seen a November election and a lot of things on it. I so I just don't want us to be overly optimistic.

I'm generally an optimistic person, but this really scares me. What I would suggest is that wherever we're talking about new positions, please make them part time. We can always convert a part time to a full time when we say that, oh, we can we can do that. We've got, you know, some something came up. That ballot measure didn't pass. We've got more revenue. We can make that transition, but you can't do it the other way. You can't it's you know, you just can't take a full time person in, and it's there's a benefit package. It just gets more complicated. So I'm not saying no.

I'm just saying let's proceed cautiously. I mean, there's some things when we're talking about upgrading, for instance, a resiliency and sustainability manager, yes, that position, it's there. It should be upgraded. That position, that individual brings in millions of dollars for resiliency and sea level rise adaptation, which is especially important now that we're still backfilling $55,000,000 in federal funds that got clawed back. So I'm just asking that we go position by position and say, not saying no, just saying not right now.

And on the the public works position, I know we have an amazing public works director. She's spread way too thin. But I also know that public works is doing this whole study coming up soon about how to restructure the department. So rather than hire a full time position for $251,800, if I recall correctly, how about we wait until that study comes back and informs us? And, again, I'm not saying no.

I'm just saying not now because I'd like more information to be able to make a more informed decision. We can always spend the money later, but you can't get that money back once it's spent. And I am really mindful of the need to to keep our reserves strong at these really uncertain times. It may be that in in the November ballot measures and everything's gonna be rosy, but we don't know that at this point. And then I'm I do understand it's great.

Mister Long, our our recreation parks director, talks about this new park we're bringing online, Estuary 2. But if you keep reading, you also realize it then has $198,000 annual ongoing costs because you have to maintain your parks. You have to make them clean and safe, and we do. But that's when we're not looking today, we're not looking at the next fiscal year's budget, but it's out there. So I'm just suggesting to our council, let's be prudent and practical.

And, you know, like I said, we can always come back and make part time positions, full time, decide we want that position, but, you know, let's get as much information as possible first. So next up and and, mister Shen, I you look like maybe you wanted to say something. Was I reading you wrong? Okay. Councilmember Jensen.

Thank you, madam mayor. And to you I wanted to comment on on your a couple of your points, actually. And the the first one was the safety officer for HR. I just wanted to actually ask I it sounded to me like the the city attorney said that the contractor that had been used had was not efficient, that would use with temporary funds. So I wanna suggest that that position be established because we don't really have an alternative, if I'm correct in what I heard.

Mister Shen?

Council member, one alternative is to use part time funding to at least start the program. I I've spoken to the HR director, and I understand that she supports having, you know, a a start with part time funding and to, you know, ramp that up as needed.

So have a part time safety officer? That would be I would definitely support that. Thank you. And then the other comment with regard to your point about being prepared and not not spending too much. I just wanna point out that I was a staff member in the city of Oakland, and there was a cybersecurity breach, a a huge cybersecurity breach in Oakland.

My information along with the information of all Oakland contractors, city staff, people who'd paid their parking tickets, it was huge. And so I'm pointing that out because I think in order to to mayor's point, we should be prepared for an emergency, but sometimes we have to spend future funds now in order to be save money later. And so I would like to hear just from the the IT director about the I think it was about $250,000 that was recommended for security systems. And are there could you suggest all three of those are necessary, or is there one or another that would really protect us in the short term until the next budget cycle?

And just to be clear, I wasn't talking about cutting funds for programs. And mister Kagampa knows the minute the cyber attack happened with Foster City, I was emailing him saying, could that happen here? It's very reassuring what he told us, but point well taken, council member. Mister Kagampan.

So it's the risk we take if we decide to spend later. My concern is we are always right now, our cybersecurity program is such that we are having we have a layered defense. But, of course, with these other tools that we're requesting, it it it protects data that is potentially vulnerable in this case. So, potentially, we could wait and roll the dice and see if it's okay to protect it now, or I should say later on. My only concern is that the recovery efforts and and all that could yeah. Would Are

all of those programs intertwined? Are they all three of the programs necessary, or could the the midyear request be limited to one or two of the three?

So of the two of the two cyber security tools, the first one being, the one where you use the analogy of, understanding where all the data is and being able to protect protect it and whatnot, that I would say would rank higher than the than that preparedness tool, if I were to choose between the two. However, obviously, I would like both. But, if we do need to postpone it, I would say at least the the the the data posture management tool would be the one I would prefer.

Thank you. Then, yeah, I would support that. Thank you for that information. And finally, again, with with regard to the public works division manager, I'll just say that I support that position. I I think that it's really critical that we have strong leadership at the top of all of our departments, especially public works because because we have some crumbling infrastructure, because we're doing so much to address sea level rise and address economic sustainability.

And and I would suggest and hope I know that the the our our sustainability manager has brought in a lot of funds to the city, and that'll continue regardless of whether this position is established, whether the department head position is established. But I would also suggest that there's probably a pretty good likelihood that there could be admin grant pass throughs to provide support for for the admin costs related to positions. This is often the case for grant funds. So thank you to everyone at finance director of the departments. This is really tremendous amount of information.

I learned a lot about what's going on in the city and how hard everyone in the city works. So those are my comments, and those are the areas that I would like to see back into this this budget. Thank you.

Vice mayor, wanna go next?

Yeah. I was gonna just gonna add to what council member Jen said regarding the safety officer that, you know, having a consult, and it's essentially not money well spent. So I'd rather spend a little more money and get quality work, especially this is gonna be somebody that's gonna be invested in our city and know the staff and can inner mingle with departments and on and on. So I I think that part time is a great compromise. It sound yeah.

So I'm I'm okay with that. But I I what I think is really important to me is having the social worker in the library. So that is something that I would love to see continue, and that is my big push.

That's it. Thanks. Thank you for that. I agree. Let's just go down the line. Councilmember Bowler?

Oh, thank you. I think that the structural deficit problem is something that has to be carefully considered right now, and it's a little different picture than it was when when we first entered this budget cycle when we had a little bit stronger position. I mean, between the economy, the pension issues, the aquatic center, and, you know, some other uncertainties here, these are these are really significant. I mean, especially that aquatic center, $5,000,000. So as I understand it, when I look at the alternatives, it actually there's been some conversation, and I I agree with my fellow council members on all most I think most everything that's been stated.

Some of these items are upgrades or part time. Those are not the alternatives that the staff list. I think the staff is looking closely at the main items as being to get us to that $10,500,000 result instead of 9.69. And I and I support this these all

these

alternatives because, basically, with the exception of of the the safety officer, I think that's a fair compromise instead of using contractual services if we go part time. But other than that, all the other upgrades and part time things aren't even listed as alternatives. So by implication, they're part of the staff recommendation. That staff recommendation does include the public works parking technician. I support that because there's full cost recovery there, so it's in a different category for that particular full time position.

It also includes four full time police officers, which I do support. Going back in time, there was a decision made for the for this budget cycle for it to be a little bit more transparent than what had been historically in the sense that instead of waiting till later down the line and getting a lot of cost savings from vacant police officer positions that were not that were not filled, the the staff decided to promote a budget that included the transparent issue of the common feature of being unable really unable historically to fill all these police officers' positions for reasons that the police chief stated. And, also, you have to consider this in the vacuum of where we are right now. We have a top performing department. We have, as the chief stated, we have, you know, large reductions in crime across the boards for multiple years.

That's that's that's that's significant. That's impressive. And part of it has to do with some of the technologies and things that were used. We've had a series of budget works work shops and meetings over the last year or so that have really dived into these things a lot. What's the four additional officers going from 72 to 76 would mean just under $1,000,000 of additional expense. Yes. It's part of the original 88. Yes. It's it's already been authorized in that sense. But we don't expect I don't think if we got into some detailed questioning the police chief, I don't I think what he's told us implicit in that is that we can't get too much hire too quickly.

That's just not the way police hiring works. And so if we were to go all the way to 88, I think that's roughly another $3,000,000. And and, you know, if you're talking in the realm of the of the excess residual of $10,000,000, that's 30% reduction in those in those in those numbers. And I'm not sure it's necessary right now for public safety. I think we're talking about it. We're already in a very strong position. Having gotten to 72 officers, I I I might be corrected, but I don't think we've got to that in a stable setting for some time. So the fact that we're there, that the department has done this great job of recruiting and training and and better job of of retaining. That's been a challenge. Of course, it would be.

I mean, it's a it's a very difficult job. There's not as many people as historically wanna sign up to do the job of police work. But this is a great place to work in Alameda, and you can see across all of these different recommendations some really strong work. And I wanna commend, our interim interim city manager, Adam Pulitzer, our assistant city manager, Amy Wildridge, the our our finance director, Roth McCarthy, and all the persons who sort of got creative and started with the premise that, look. Every department in the city is important.

Every department needs to weigh in and and figure out what is gonna be essential. And they've done that. They've identified that. And then when some circumstances changed, they reassessed, brought that reality to us, tried to be as transparent as possible to make these difficult calls. So I thought it was well done, and I would support all the alternative, recommendations with the correction of the, safety officer to being part time.

Thank you. And councilor Modaszak.

Well, great. Well, thank you very much. When we adopted the two year budget, that we're discussing tonight, when we adopted that last year, we agreed to set the police general fund spending budget at a total of $39,844,000 for fiscal year 2526, which is ending next month. That number of 39,000,844, thousand dollars can accommodate 88 sworn police officer positions. Why 88?

That is the annual number of sworn police officer positions that we have used as the target every year since 2011. In fact, when I first started in 1996, there was a 110 sworn police officer positions. But when we adopted the police spending, budget totaling 39,000,844 for fiscal year 2526, On that night, we froze police hiring at 72 positions, even though the $39,000,844,500, dollars could accommodate 88 sworn officer positions. In effect, when we adopted that budget, we cut the sworn police officer positions from the traditional 88 positions to 72 positions for a cut of 16 sworn officer positions. That is a 16% reduction in the number of sworn officer positions we can hire.

So, again, for fiscal year 2025, 2026 that will end next month, we agreed to set the police spending budget at a total of thirty nine million eight hundred forty four five hundred dollars. Now before us tonight before us, tonight is a drive to set the police spending budget, general fund budget, at a total of $42,973,000. And that's for the next fiscal year, twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven. Bear in mind that $42,973,900 is a spending total, again, that is associated with the hiring of 88 sworn police officer positions. In other words, that $42,900,000 could accommodate 88 sworn police officer positions.

But once again, the direction that, is before us is to limit hiring of sworn officer positions to 76 sworn officer positions, and not to go to the 88 that could be accommodated. So let me emphasize. What's before us is not a revenue or a money problem. We have projected on the revenue side receiving enough revenues such that we are able to designate, on paper at least, designate a total spending amount of $42,973,900, again, which is the amount that can accommodate 88 sworn officers. But once again, we are purposely limiting the sworn officer hiring positions to 76.

Why? Well, you kinda heard it this evening. Because the savings resulting from not spending money that is rightfully for the police and safety of the residents of Alameda, that savings resulting from not spending the money that is there is being used for something else. I didn't agree with that decision when we limited its foreign officer position to 72 when we adopted the twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six budget. And tonight, I still don't agree with the decisions to limit the sworn officer positions to 76.

Because once again, let me emphasize, we have the budget on the revenue side to accommodate 88 sworn police officer positions, but we are purposely limiting it to 76 to force a savings that we're using for something else. The police department should not be, in effect, subsidizing other departments. I know that police chief, Joshi wouldn't you know, would have the greatest of all courtesies, and respect for everyone, not to put things as bluntly as that. So I respect him, and I respect our staff. But as a council member, that's how I see it.

If we go to ADA officers, we are actually not spending additional new money because we already have the money. We're just making a conscious decision not to go to 88 and to limit at 76. And last year, we'd limit it at 72. But to me, it's like, I think, a city of our size, we have always known for every year, at least since 2011, that we really should be having at least 88. What does that mean when you don't have 88 positions?

What that means is that the limited number of police that you have, you're burning them out because they're perhaps working overtime, or maybe that means you don't have the right enough police staffing at certain hours of the twenty four hour cycle. So to me, I don't agree with the the decision to continue to limit the numbers well below the 88 that that we should be, targeting. Thank you.

Thank you, councilor. And I just wanna make sure that out of respect for chief Joshi, you did hear him when he said that even with that $75,000 signing bonus we offer, they still have a hard time attracting the quality caliber of officers they want. And then there's the training piece. He has only so many field training officers that need to ride with new officers for a matter of time. So, I mean, you you made your points very, very well, and there may be a time in the future when the situation can change, but I just wanna make sure no one's left with the wrong impression because all of those are factors.

As soon as I finish my sentence, I'd love to call on you. So, anyway, I just wanted to make that clarification, period. Full stop. Council member Jensen. Yes.

Clarification on the, issue on the comments of council member DeSagan on the my my question is regarding the four police officer budget request, which is $1,300,000. And it sounds like from what council member Deyshaug is saying that that is actually not part of the that wouldn't come from that comes from some budget savings, and it's already been budgeted, and it would not come from the carry forward, the 9,800,000 that we're using to fund the other positions.

And, mister McCarthy, come on up.

Thank you, mayor, and thanks for the question, council member Jensen. So the the vacancy savings, you know, when you look at the police budget itself, it is not included there. The vacancy savings is included as the, we call nondepartmental, which is basically the general fund as a whole without any department. And so when you look at the the numbers that councilmember Desai was saying before, yes, that he is correct in that they are budgeted in the police department itself. However, the vacancy portion of that is, included in what's called the nondepartmental, which is which can be used for any portion of the general fund.

So if, to councilmember Daesang's point, if we were to staff up to 88 officers, that would be about 18 to $20,000,000 expense. And so that is already available in the budget. Is that

It's it's not available in the budget because it's used in other portions of it. Did you say I'm sorry. What was the number you

three for four officers, and that would take us to 76. So to get to 88, that would be another 12 officers. So I'm just I don't I didn't actually do the math, but it would be around 15 or 16 at least.

1,000,000 or so?

Yeah. I I'm not making that.

Just my or even 10 let's say 10,000,000, for example. So if it were $10,000,000 to staff up to the the the 88 officers, if it were $10,000,000, is that funding available if we were just to say, let's just take that separately?

And It would it would it would be that savings is used in other departments. I either the fire department or the the finance department or city manager's office, it is used somewhere else. So when we say the revenues are there well, the so it says police department doesn't produce a whole lot of revenues. They're very, obviously very, respected and all that kind but they do cost money. And so what what what the revenues are are just general fund allocated, so from property taxes and transfer tax like you were saying before.

And it's my understanding the revenue some of the revenue or the savings have been used for the new station for the new police station at in the West End. Partial savings have been used to support that.

I'm not aware of that. Sorry.

I'm so

I missed that last piece.

That's a mute I'm sorry. I don't wanna take up too much time with that. The so in looking at the the other positions and looking at all the positions in total, the positions that have not been approved or or not being recommended for approval, it wouldn't be, it wouldn't be appropriate to to to look at the police officer positions as part of the total number of positions that have been requested in funding in terms of funding, in terms of available funding?

Could you repeat that question, sorry, one more time so I understand?

If I were to say not approve if I were to recommend not approving for police officers, And would that $1,300,000 be available to fund the other positions or programs or services that have been recommended by departments? Correct. Yes. Thank you.

Councilor Bohler.

Oh, thank you. I just wanted to clarify a couple quick things. So when this budget cycle started, this council pushed city staff to increase the number of police officers that would be out on our streets. Originally, the budget was allocated for 70 officers. That was this then city manager Jennifer Ott was our city manager.

That was the staff's recommendation at the time. And some of us pushed hard to try to increase that number, and staff found ways to do that. There was a big discussion about this. There was you know, they called it, basically turning over rocks, trying to find ways all throughout our budget and ways to get creative to increase the number. So I work in public safety.

I think public safety in ALMEI is the core function of our government. It's extremely important. If I thought for a second that this put this particular number of police officers increasing the number by four to 76, which we haven't gotten to that number of staffing in years in Alameda, would somehow still leave a problem for public safety, then I would be speaking up about it. But I'm not the expert even though I work in public safety. I'm I don't work in a police department.

I I work in a DA's office. Chief Joshi didn't say there was a problem that required right now a solution in terms of hiring more police officers. So I do support eventually hiring more police officers. I believe there's been lots of discussions, about how that can be done over time. But it's gotta be done in a smart way so we get the most talented people, and and retention is a piece of that.

Because if you talk to people who are, doing the hard work behind the scenes within the department, they're concerned about the retention issues, and they're working on those on a daily basis. And, you know, this city council is concerned about those, and we've been working on them again and again in different actions that we've taken. So as those as that as those items improve and its technology and other types of police services and by the way, it's really important also to consider all the other things in the budget that touch on public safety. We talked about social worker at the library. Does anyone here not think that helps public safety?

It does. There's a lot of different things to deal with social services, crime prevention. It's one of the things that Alameda as a city that's concerned about, you know, residents of all types, we spend a lot of time on. So it's a it's a it's a community approach. It's inner it's inner department, and it and it really involves a lot of different factors. The fire department is a huge part of public safety, of course, you know, and their services with the care team and what they do for proactive law enforcement work is really important in Alameda. So my time is up. And No. It's good. Thank you. No. I'm I'm good. Thank you.

You've got lots of time to go.

I got lots of time. I just I I think council member Bowler made many excellent points. And I just wanna add to that if we were even to decide, like, this is really important and we budgeted for it, I mean, logistically, that money is just going to sit in a bank, and that's our money. That's taxpayer money. I I don't want it to sit in the bank.

I want it to go to pay for the things that we believe I mean, we just got a small taste of the things that our city needs, that our residents deserve, that we pay into. And I think that we have a plan. You know, we have increased our safe our police officers. And to council member bull Boehler's point. And this is nothing that we're just gonna think about, talk about tonight, and we're gonna forget about it.

You know, this is it's constant. But we are also investing in like, to your point, councilmember Bowler, like, the care team or having this the the social worker. You know? These are the things or, you know, the parks, getting youth involved in activities. There there there are so many things that we do as a community that helps with this.

And I so I I don't even see it as diverting funds. I feel like it's we're diverting funds to safety, not specifically police officers, but we are. So I I feel I feel like we're being very responsible with our budget and absolutely keeping safety a priority for our residents.

And with that in mind, vice mayor, would you like to make a motion that we well, it's providing direction on funding changes for the 06/02/2026 mid cycle budget adoption that will come back. We have before us asked them to pull up on the screen this list, and I think you've heard the the the correction on the would it be a contractual safety officer? It would be part time. You noted that. And was there what was the additional direction we were gonna include?

And and, again, this those are the changes, but, well, it's there on the screen. But the social workers in the library, definitely want. And just miss director Wildridge.

Maybe if I could help recap and see if this is what council is directing staff. So what I'm hearing is that you want we want us to incorporate all of the alternatives listed here, under that alternatives bullet point with the exception of the safety officer, being a part time safety officer. So adding that back in, and you're okay with all of the other changes that you heard from the department heads for any kind of contractual services or the staffing upgrades. Well, my ask was did any new hires be part time at this point?

We can always transition them to full time.

So for things like the park maintenance worker, public works to so you're saying all of those be part time as well?

I am.

Okay. We I'm happy to go back and talk to staff. That may work for some positions and less so for others, so I'll talk to the department heads and see where that is feasible.

I can make a motion.

And and then, also, we wanna make sure that programs like the cybersecurity are all they're they're as is.

That's why I wanted confirm. So all of the everything listed on of all the other requests, whether it was position upgrades or other contractual services or supplies are as presented.

Right. And including the the direction to staff to conduct the five year budget forecast and return to staff with recommendations at the fiscal year twenty six twenty seven midyear. I think we have a motion being formulated by the vice mayor. Do you wanna Tracy. She wants to do it. Okay. Yeah.

I'll make a motion to accept the alternatives proposed for considerations except for that the the the we won't use we'll have a point five o safety officer. And other than that, except for the four police officers, we would have two police officers, and we would add to the recommendations for an amount we will still have a savings of about $50,000 by adding one library social worker, one public works division manager, one ASL permit system, and the IT threat ID and protection. So those amounts add up to $550,000, which would be less than half of the savings for of two police officers.

Council member Jensen, are you saying two police officers, not four? Yes. Well, I would not second that, and I hope no one else would either. But is there a second?

Well, think you wanna explain I think that we have options to to provide other departments as well and hire two officers, and then we can go when we do the budget the upcoming budget, there'll be and we have a city manager. There'll be opportunities to add additional police officers.

So assuming there's no second to that motion, I would then entertain a substitute motion.

I would like to make a substitute motion to adopt the budget concerning the alternatives, including what we discussed tonight to change the safety officer from contractual to a part time. And just to be clear, the, I think, that was

Social workers in library. The social worker all the programs.

Is still included and the other budgetary considerations Is there a second? In the presentation.

Thank you. Is there a second to that motion? Seconded by council member Bohler. All those in favor, please signify by stating aye. Aye. Any opposed? No. Okay. That motion passes three to two with mayor vice mayor and council member Bowler affirmative and councilmembers Jensen and Daesak opposing. Again, thank you staff, all of you who presented and those who work in the departments for all your thoughtful time and comments. We have exceeded the two hour rule. I always take a break, almost always take a break at two hours. We're gonna take it now. It's just hard on staff and everybody who's staffing this meeting to go without a break. So it's, we're gonna come back at 09:05.

Everybody please be in your chairs with smiling faces at 09:05. See you then. Thank you. Please take your seats. I'd love to go out to breakfast with you, but not at one in the morning.

So that's okay. Anybody anybody who's still chatting might get it checked for talking. Did you get those in school? I did. Okay. We are back. It's 09:06. We said we'd come back at 09:05, so here we are. Thank you, you all. You're doing really, really well. I know this was a long session. We're not quite done with that item because we bifurcated the city attorney's item. So, but we're gonna move through more expeditiously now, aren't we, madam clerk? Do you wanna remind us where we are, please?

So we just have the city attorney portion of the presentation left. We've we've got their slides ready to go. Councilor Bohler has recused himself and left the meeting, and so we can just go through the city attorney slide.